Robyn Bachar's Blog, page 3
December 7, 2015
Book Tour Tuesday: Mated with the Cyborg by Cara Bristol
Book Blurb
Kai Andros’s orders were simple. Get in. Gather the intel on the terrorist organization. Get out.Then he met her. Mariska. Beautiful. Innocent. Ignorant of her father’s atrocities. And marked for death.
His orders said nothing about saving her. But he did. He went off-mission.
Can a rogue cyborg outrun both Cyber Operations and the terrorists to save the woman he loves?
GiveawayCara will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. You can follow the tour here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/10/book-blast-mated-with-cyborg-by-cara.html. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ExcerptSome might have cheered Mariska’s impending demise. The organization’s brutality had incited a backlash of negative sentiment against all its members. Many espoused the notion that the only good Lamis-Odg was a dead Lamis-Odg.
Kai couldn’t buy into that. Mariska had been no party to the actions of her father or Lamani. She was vulnerable. Innocent. But not stupid or cowardly. In the month spent observing her, her quiet fortitude and inner strength had impressed him. Even before he’d caught the shocking glimpse of her face, he’d been struck by her beautiful eyes. A rich shade of melted caramel, fringed by dark lashes. Expressive in their attempt not to be. She didn’t trust him.
Her wariness pierced him in a way it shouldn’t. She was a person of interest and her emotions shouldn’t impact his decision-making. And in fact, she was wise to be suspicious. Obido had bugged her quarters and employed spybots to keep tabs on her. While Kai wouldn’t intentionally harm her, he would manipulate her to obtain whatever information he could on Lamis-Odg.
The reign of terror had to be stopped. Direct intervention in Mariska fate jeopardized that goal. Doing nothing was the right thing to do. Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good.
Why did he feel like he was no better than Obido?
When they rounded the corner to the gangway entrance two guards—Lamis-Odg, not androids—snapped to attention, weapons drawn. “Halt!” one of them cried.
“It’s okay; he’s with me,” Mariska said.
While one guard leveled his weapon, the other scanned him. “The android is not authorized to board,” the guard said.
“He’s not boarding; he’s loading my luggage. He’ll disembark after he carries it to my stateroom.”
“Negative. He shall remain here.” The guard motioned. “Leave the cases.”
Kai set the bags down, and the sentry scanned them. “Clear,” he announced. He jerked his head at Mariska. “You may take them now.”
She dragged one toward the craft.
“My duty is to serve the daughter of Obido. Allow me to set the bags inside the door. I shall not enter,” Kai said.
The two guards glanced at each other and shrugged. “All right.”
Under armed watch, he deposited both bags inside the portal. There was nothing else he could do. He sought Mariska’s gaze. Don’t go. “Have a safe flight.”
“Thank you.”
She boarded. Kai stomped down the gangway.
About the Author
Multi-published, Cara Bristol is the author of more than 23 erotic romance titles. She writes science fiction, contemporary, and paranormal erotic romance. No matter what the subgenre, one thing remains constant: her emphasis on character-driven seriously hot erotic stories with sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Cara has lived many places in the United States, but currently lives in Missouri with her husband. She has two grown stepkids. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading and traveling.
Website/blog: http://carabristol.com/Author Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/9aRJjFacebook Author Page Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Cara-Bristol/e/B004D8KZTQ/Twitter: @CaraBristolGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4136271.Cara_Bristol
November 10, 2015
Book Tour Wednesday: Desire to Fall by Shona Husk
Book Info
Kya Hawl is an architect on the Precinct One redevelopment, a prestigious and contentious project in the city-state of Velli. While she is happy with her part-time female lover, Judge Elmi Chadee, she wants more. She wants a family and children, for that she needs two men willing to put their life on the line to breed.Tref Xant and his partner Dru Macon seem like the right guys; however, Tref has secrets and Dru is about to deploy to Precinct One, one of the roughest precincts in Velli--the redevelopment can’t come soon enough. Tref would like to see the place burned to the ground. But even that wouldn’t be able to erase his memories of growing up there.
With Dru away Tref finds himself falling for Kya. Jealousy sparks between the men. A triad can never form as Dru wants Elmi and she has sworn off unions after her sister ran away to join the Terrin Sect.
As riots erupt and the redevelopment is threatened Dru realizes he has to fight for what he wants--something Tref learned long time ago. A four-way union--while unusual--would work. But will the women agree when they learn of Tref’s past?
Giveaway
Shona will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Author
Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn’t looked back.
With over forty published stories, ranging from sensual to scorching, she writes contemporary, paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.
You can find out more about Shona at:
Website: www.shonahusk.comTwitter: @ShonaHuskFacebook: www.facebook.com/shonahuskNewsletter: http://mad.ly/signups/119074/joinAmazon Author Page
November 4, 2015
Author Thursday: Interview with Keith Melton
Interview1. What flavor is your writing?
Hmm. Crunchy-salty, maybe. There’s profanity. And stuff breaking. So it’s like pretzels being hit with a hammer.
2. If this book was made into a movie, who would you cast to play the characters?
All the male characters would be played by Denzel Washington. All the female characters by Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black. That’s all you’d need.
3. What is your favorite scene in 9mm Blues?
Some of the quiet scenes with Chris and his adopted stray dog I rather like. Unfortunately, my favorite scene contains a major spoiler, so I can’t mention it. But everything builds to that scene.
4. What are you reading now or what books do you have in your TBR pile?
I’m reading The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance. Also The Burning Room by Michael Connelly.
5. What are you working on now?
Spanner Jack, which I was going to write as a serial on my website and failed. If readers like 9mm Blues, I’d be happy to write a sequel. Also, I’m working on a rewrite of Shadow Crew, the third Nightfall Syndicate book.
LinksWebsite: http://www.keithmelton.wordpress.comTwitter: @KeithMelton99Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Keith-Melton-199082863480486Book Blurb
Flesh-eating ghouls. A kidnapped child. A knight’s honor caught in the crossfire…
Christopher Hill is a knight in the Order of the Thorn—the sacred order of soldiers armed with submachine guns, swords, and magic. Their mission is simple: destroy the ancient, profane evils that prey upon humanity.
But that mission becomes far more complicated when a young boy is kidnapped by flesh-eating ghouls, turning a routine search-and-destroy mission into a nightmare standoff. Barricaded inside a run-down house, the ghouls gain a deadly upper hand, and while the body count rises, Hill finds himself caught in a power struggle within the order that puts his life, and his honor, at risk, and threatens both the mission and the boy Hill has vowed to see home safe, no matter what…
9mm Blues is available at Amazon.
About the Author
Hmm. Crunchy-salty, maybe. There’s profanity. And stuff breaking. So it’s like pretzels being hit with a hammer.
2. If this book was made into a movie, who would you cast to play the characters?
All the male characters would be played by Denzel Washington. All the female characters by Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black. That’s all you’d need.
3. What is your favorite scene in 9mm Blues?
Some of the quiet scenes with Chris and his adopted stray dog I rather like. Unfortunately, my favorite scene contains a major spoiler, so I can’t mention it. But everything builds to that scene.
4. What are you reading now or what books do you have in your TBR pile?
I’m reading The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance. Also The Burning Room by Michael Connelly.
5. What are you working on now?
Spanner Jack, which I was going to write as a serial on my website and failed. If readers like 9mm Blues, I’d be happy to write a sequel. Also, I’m working on a rewrite of Shadow Crew, the third Nightfall Syndicate book.
LinksWebsite: http://www.keithmelton.wordpress.comTwitter: @KeithMelton99Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Keith-Melton-199082863480486Book Blurb
Flesh-eating ghouls. A kidnapped child. A knight’s honor caught in the crossfire…Christopher Hill is a knight in the Order of the Thorn—the sacred order of soldiers armed with submachine guns, swords, and magic. Their mission is simple: destroy the ancient, profane evils that prey upon humanity.
But that mission becomes far more complicated when a young boy is kidnapped by flesh-eating ghouls, turning a routine search-and-destroy mission into a nightmare standoff. Barricaded inside a run-down house, the ghouls gain a deadly upper hand, and while the body count rises, Hill finds himself caught in a power struggle within the order that puts his life, and his honor, at risk, and threatens both the mission and the boy Hill has vowed to see home safe, no matter what…
9mm Blues is available at Amazon.
About the Author
Keith Melton is a fantasy author. His first book was Blood Vice, a vampire/crime novel and part of the Nightfall Syndicate series. Ghost Soldiers, the second book in the series, was published in 2011. His fantasy comedy series, The Zero Dog Missions, has a completely different flavor. The Zero Dog War and Dark Ride Dogs are books one and two in that series. He is currently working on his novel Spanner Jack and considering a sequel to 9mm Blues.
October 29, 2015
NaNoWriMo 2015 Prep: All the Things!
NaNoWriMo is almost upon us! Need some last-minute inspiration? Here is a breakdown of all the awesome NaNoPrep articles that were featured this month.
PlottingBarbara White Daille shared her technique for three-line outlining. "I love NaNo, but one of the drawbacks I find in writing fast and furiously is the inability to hold all the details of a manuscript in my head. To combat that, I’ve come up with a solution that keeps important information near at hand."I talked about using lessons from inquiry-based learning to plot your novel. You choose the main issue your story will resolve (your problem statement), gather details related to the issue (motivation, characters, time period, and setting), discuss the findings (create an outline), and reflect on what was learned (write your first draft).Carol A. Strickland talked about using gingerbread to plot your novel. "Gingerbread cookie cutters, that is. If you’re just sitting down to that new book idea that’s floating hazily out in the ether, remember the old rule: Characters are more important than plot."Anti-PlottingDevin Harnois shared the joys of writing out of order. "It started when I was stressed out and distracted during NaNoWriMo and didn’t want to give up my winning streak (I’m currently 8 for 8). So I decided I was going to write whatever scene I came up with next, whether that was in order or not."Ruth Kaufman discussed anti-plotting. "You’ve probably read that "what if" (WI) is a great generating tool. Such as, what if a bride ran away from her wedding? If you WI and question each idea, you can expand and expand."Roxy Mews talked about NaNo Prep for pantsers. "NaNoWriMo taught me a new term. “Pantser”. A “Pantser” is someone who does no or very little preparation before they start. They turn on their computer and write."Writing RoutineErica Ridley shared her top 3 tips for getting words on the page: 1. Writing caves are overrated. 2. There is no writer's block. 3. Your baby is ugly (as it should be).Debra St. John suggested that we find inspiration by just adding water. This is one of my favorite tips! Do you get story ideas in the shower? Schedule your shower as part of your writing routine.T. J. Kline shared 6 tips to set yourself up for November success. "Go over your word count every day you write. Because there will be days when emergencies happen and you don’t write, plan ahead to get at least 2000 words a day. It will all balance in the end this way."Katharine Tree talked about moodling and other tips. "Moodling is, in essence, daydreaming. ... If you moodle with the general aim of thinking about your book—not setting yourself to solve problems, only congratulating yourself over what you’ve written, mulling over what you might write later, and wondering what problems need working out—your keyboard time will be far more fruitful because when you sit down, you’ll already know what you’re going to write."Maggie Wells discussed how a little extra padding goes a long way. "The best advice I can give for successfully meeting your goal is to hit it hard at the start. Don’t stop when you reach that day’s goal. If the words are flowing, go with it. Bank them."Elizabeth Andrews talked about picking the right music to set the writing mood. "Whether it's for NANO or just your normal everyday writing session, it never hurts to set the proper mood so you can write your fingers off."Anna Durand shared 5 tips for writing faster. "How did I train myself to write faster? Everyone needs to develop an individual method that works for them, but I'm going to share my method."Paula Millhouse shared 3 tips for NaNoWriMo success. (I'm a fan of setting a timer, too.) "Try to write first, before interacting on social media. I’ve found it’s helpful to me to write at the same time every day."InspirationKristina Knight had tips on creating a project playlist. "I'll let you in on a little secret: I can't write without music. Seriously. My brain stops sending messages to my fingers and I freeze. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? A writer should be able to write from anywhere...and I can, as long as there is music, too."Robin D. Owens shared motivational techniques for improving your focus. "First, for self doubt, write down everything you worry about for this particular story – handwritten – for about 5-10 minutes. Then scratch out those words, rip up the pages, shred or toss them. Your worries are gone."Ilana C. Meyer taught us how to write dialogue that sings. "If characters are the heart of a story, dialogue is the lifeblood that serves the heart: we learn most of what we know about a character from their utterances, as well as from how they speak."Matt Banach talked about finding inspiration in lessons learned from reverse design. "I find I work best when I am forced to fit my world into a certain mold ... the mold I select is a picture in a process we refer to as "reverse design". The tactic has its roots in some fairly business-y concepts of low-cost online publishing - in order to publish our little product on a tight timetable with minimal production costs and no delays, instead of writing something and then tasking an artist to draw cover art and interior art to our specifications, I take art that is already in hand and give myself the mandate: 'Ok, self. This is the cover art. Write this world.' And I do."E. P. Issacs discussed the motivational power of music. "When I feel the story locking up inside of me, I’ve found music can help to get the keys moving the way I want them to again."A. Catherine Noon talked about using music to create characters. "Creating characters that seem like real people is a challenge. One way to keep things straight is to figure out what your character would listen to on the radio."Selene Grace Silver shared her method for using Myers-Briggs to develop unique characters. "So how do writers create characters with unique personalities? One way is to study what psychologists know. I use personality theory to build different characters and their relationships within a single work of fiction. It addresses both a character’s personality as it’s shaped by the outside world and by biology."Tracey Clark talked about story building. "Always listen to the voices. Allow your imagination to run free. Make your world and your characters as real to your readers as they are to you."Pep TalksLisa Nicholas taught us how to write through the Valley Of Despair. "Hating your book is a step in the process to finishing your book. ... When you hit that point in writing your book in November—and you will, I promise—keep going. Even when you hate every word. Go ahead and hate every word, but write them. It’s a first draft, you can fix it later."Yolanda Sfetsos asked "Are you ready for this?" and shared her NaNoPrep plan. "I always do the switcheroo. ;)"Emma Gates talked about banishing your inner editor. "Banishing the inner editor gives me mania to work with, a good chunk of sojourn whose riches my character can plunder until their satisfying conclusions become visible, as the forest becomes trees and the paths between are lit by aha moments."I talked about life as a Cubs fan and an author. This is your year! You can't win if you don't play.Margo Bond Collins shared tips for making NaNoWriMo work for you. "There are three things, in particular, that I love about NaNoWriMo, so today I’m going to talk about how to use these three elements: the community, the deadline, and the writing philosophy."
PlottingBarbara White Daille shared her technique for three-line outlining. "I love NaNo, but one of the drawbacks I find in writing fast and furiously is the inability to hold all the details of a manuscript in my head. To combat that, I’ve come up with a solution that keeps important information near at hand."I talked about using lessons from inquiry-based learning to plot your novel. You choose the main issue your story will resolve (your problem statement), gather details related to the issue (motivation, characters, time period, and setting), discuss the findings (create an outline), and reflect on what was learned (write your first draft).Carol A. Strickland talked about using gingerbread to plot your novel. "Gingerbread cookie cutters, that is. If you’re just sitting down to that new book idea that’s floating hazily out in the ether, remember the old rule: Characters are more important than plot."Anti-PlottingDevin Harnois shared the joys of writing out of order. "It started when I was stressed out and distracted during NaNoWriMo and didn’t want to give up my winning streak (I’m currently 8 for 8). So I decided I was going to write whatever scene I came up with next, whether that was in order or not."Ruth Kaufman discussed anti-plotting. "You’ve probably read that "what if" (WI) is a great generating tool. Such as, what if a bride ran away from her wedding? If you WI and question each idea, you can expand and expand."Roxy Mews talked about NaNo Prep for pantsers. "NaNoWriMo taught me a new term. “Pantser”. A “Pantser” is someone who does no or very little preparation before they start. They turn on their computer and write."Writing RoutineErica Ridley shared her top 3 tips for getting words on the page: 1. Writing caves are overrated. 2. There is no writer's block. 3. Your baby is ugly (as it should be).Debra St. John suggested that we find inspiration by just adding water. This is one of my favorite tips! Do you get story ideas in the shower? Schedule your shower as part of your writing routine.T. J. Kline shared 6 tips to set yourself up for November success. "Go over your word count every day you write. Because there will be days when emergencies happen and you don’t write, plan ahead to get at least 2000 words a day. It will all balance in the end this way."Katharine Tree talked about moodling and other tips. "Moodling is, in essence, daydreaming. ... If you moodle with the general aim of thinking about your book—not setting yourself to solve problems, only congratulating yourself over what you’ve written, mulling over what you might write later, and wondering what problems need working out—your keyboard time will be far more fruitful because when you sit down, you’ll already know what you’re going to write."Maggie Wells discussed how a little extra padding goes a long way. "The best advice I can give for successfully meeting your goal is to hit it hard at the start. Don’t stop when you reach that day’s goal. If the words are flowing, go with it. Bank them."Elizabeth Andrews talked about picking the right music to set the writing mood. "Whether it's for NANO or just your normal everyday writing session, it never hurts to set the proper mood so you can write your fingers off."Anna Durand shared 5 tips for writing faster. "How did I train myself to write faster? Everyone needs to develop an individual method that works for them, but I'm going to share my method."Paula Millhouse shared 3 tips for NaNoWriMo success. (I'm a fan of setting a timer, too.) "Try to write first, before interacting on social media. I’ve found it’s helpful to me to write at the same time every day."InspirationKristina Knight had tips on creating a project playlist. "I'll let you in on a little secret: I can't write without music. Seriously. My brain stops sending messages to my fingers and I freeze. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? A writer should be able to write from anywhere...and I can, as long as there is music, too."Robin D. Owens shared motivational techniques for improving your focus. "First, for self doubt, write down everything you worry about for this particular story – handwritten – for about 5-10 minutes. Then scratch out those words, rip up the pages, shred or toss them. Your worries are gone."Ilana C. Meyer taught us how to write dialogue that sings. "If characters are the heart of a story, dialogue is the lifeblood that serves the heart: we learn most of what we know about a character from their utterances, as well as from how they speak."Matt Banach talked about finding inspiration in lessons learned from reverse design. "I find I work best when I am forced to fit my world into a certain mold ... the mold I select is a picture in a process we refer to as "reverse design". The tactic has its roots in some fairly business-y concepts of low-cost online publishing - in order to publish our little product on a tight timetable with minimal production costs and no delays, instead of writing something and then tasking an artist to draw cover art and interior art to our specifications, I take art that is already in hand and give myself the mandate: 'Ok, self. This is the cover art. Write this world.' And I do."E. P. Issacs discussed the motivational power of music. "When I feel the story locking up inside of me, I’ve found music can help to get the keys moving the way I want them to again."A. Catherine Noon talked about using music to create characters. "Creating characters that seem like real people is a challenge. One way to keep things straight is to figure out what your character would listen to on the radio."Selene Grace Silver shared her method for using Myers-Briggs to develop unique characters. "So how do writers create characters with unique personalities? One way is to study what psychologists know. I use personality theory to build different characters and their relationships within a single work of fiction. It addresses both a character’s personality as it’s shaped by the outside world and by biology."Tracey Clark talked about story building. "Always listen to the voices. Allow your imagination to run free. Make your world and your characters as real to your readers as they are to you."Pep TalksLisa Nicholas taught us how to write through the Valley Of Despair. "Hating your book is a step in the process to finishing your book. ... When you hit that point in writing your book in November—and you will, I promise—keep going. Even when you hate every word. Go ahead and hate every word, but write them. It’s a first draft, you can fix it later."Yolanda Sfetsos asked "Are you ready for this?" and shared her NaNoPrep plan. "I always do the switcheroo. ;)"Emma Gates talked about banishing your inner editor. "Banishing the inner editor gives me mania to work with, a good chunk of sojourn whose riches my character can plunder until their satisfying conclusions become visible, as the forest becomes trees and the paths between are lit by aha moments."I talked about life as a Cubs fan and an author. This is your year! You can't win if you don't play.Margo Bond Collins shared tips for making NaNoWriMo work for you. "There are three things, in particular, that I love about NaNoWriMo, so today I’m going to talk about how to use these three elements: the community, the deadline, and the writing philosophy."
October 28, 2015
Author Thursday: Interview with Katie Jaros
Interview1. What flavor is your writing?
I write what I like to read…speculative/paranormal fiction. Anything having to do with ghosts, monsters, the fae, and in the case of Lost Souls—Angels and Demons— is my cup of tea. I’m inspired by heavy hitters like Harry Potter and Twilight; I like my mythology anchored in reality and then letting it spiral off into some crazy world. I love that juxtaposition.
2. If this book was made into a movie, who would you cast to play the characters?
This question is surprisingly challenging for me, in that I’m really uncomfortable assigning faces to my Big 3 (Christa, Daniel, and Alden). I have my partner/lover/foil, Steve, buzzing in my ear as I write this—“COP OUT!”—but it’s true! One of the cover art options that came back for the book was very classic Harlequin romance; with 3 beautiful people strapped across the front. I about died—from it being both so amazing and horrifying at the same time, and also from this strong desire to let the reader decide for themselves what these people look like. Feels very private. Maybe there will come a magical day when my book is actually turned into a movie and then there can be much discussion over casting and who should play who…and everyone can take turns being disgusted/delighted..and we’ll have so much fun playing then. Not today.
BUT…that doesn’t mean I can’t give you something! The supporting characters are totally up for grabs. Here are a few of my favorites:
The Agent: played by
The Epilogue…it had me fangirling myself. I’m not going to say anymore.
4. What are you reading now or what books do you have in your TBR pile?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban—I re-read the whole series every Fall—and a YA historical fiction called Searching for Juliette by my friend and teacher Marilyn Ludwig.
5. What are you working on now?
Hellbound: Book 2 of the Lost Souls Trilogy! Loving every minute of it.
LinksWebsite: http://bonnechancebooks.blogspot.comTwitter: @katie_jarosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/katie.jacobsonjarosBook Blurb
As a hard partying senior at Sacred Heart High School, Christa Nichols was used to people telling her she was bad at making choices. But when a car accident awakens her to the secret world of Angels and Demons, she realizes for the first time the weight her decisions truly have.
Now caught in the middle of a life-long rivalry between a classic-rock loving Guardian Angel and a Demonic club promoter, Christa won’t just need to use her wits to survive… she’ll need them to save her mother’s soul.
Lost Souls takes you on a journey through a world where Guardian Angels masquerade as the homeless and business-savvy Demons trade souls like they're on the NYSE.
Full of romance, horror, and food trucks; Lost Souls is fun at its most Divine.
Lost Souls is now available at Amazon.
About the Author
I write what I like to read…speculative/paranormal fiction. Anything having to do with ghosts, monsters, the fae, and in the case of Lost Souls—Angels and Demons— is my cup of tea. I’m inspired by heavy hitters like Harry Potter and Twilight; I like my mythology anchored in reality and then letting it spiral off into some crazy world. I love that juxtaposition.
2. If this book was made into a movie, who would you cast to play the characters?
This question is surprisingly challenging for me, in that I’m really uncomfortable assigning faces to my Big 3 (Christa, Daniel, and Alden). I have my partner/lover/foil, Steve, buzzing in my ear as I write this—“COP OUT!”—but it’s true! One of the cover art options that came back for the book was very classic Harlequin romance; with 3 beautiful people strapped across the front. I about died—from it being both so amazing and horrifying at the same time, and also from this strong desire to let the reader decide for themselves what these people look like. Feels very private. Maybe there will come a magical day when my book is actually turned into a movie and then there can be much discussion over casting and who should play who…and everyone can take turns being disgusted/delighted..and we’ll have so much fun playing then. Not today.
BUT…that doesn’t mean I can’t give you something! The supporting characters are totally up for grabs. Here are a few of my favorites:
The Agent: played by
The Epilogue…it had me fangirling myself. I’m not going to say anymore.
4. What are you reading now or what books do you have in your TBR pile?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban—I re-read the whole series every Fall—and a YA historical fiction called Searching for Juliette by my friend and teacher Marilyn Ludwig.
5. What are you working on now?
Hellbound: Book 2 of the Lost Souls Trilogy! Loving every minute of it.
LinksWebsite: http://bonnechancebooks.blogspot.comTwitter: @katie_jarosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/katie.jacobsonjarosBook Blurb
As a hard partying senior at Sacred Heart High School, Christa Nichols was used to people telling her she was bad at making choices. But when a car accident awakens her to the secret world of Angels and Demons, she realizes for the first time the weight her decisions truly have.Now caught in the middle of a life-long rivalry between a classic-rock loving Guardian Angel and a Demonic club promoter, Christa won’t just need to use her wits to survive… she’ll need them to save her mother’s soul.
Lost Souls takes you on a journey through a world where Guardian Angels masquerade as the homeless and business-savvy Demons trade souls like they're on the NYSE.
Full of romance, horror, and food trucks; Lost Souls is fun at its most Divine.
Lost Souls is now available at Amazon.
About the Author
Katie Jaros has an obsession for the mysterious and beautiful. When she’s not writing, she’s busy chasing after one of her Valkyrie-like children or secret-eating all the Twizzlers. She lives in Seattle with her family.
NaNoWriMo 2015 Prep: Making NaNoWriMo Work for You by Margo Bond Collins
How to Make NaNoWriMo Work for YouI Heart NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo changed the way I write—and it’s why I’m a published novelist today. I wrote my first full-length novel during NaNoWriMo. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. But about ten years ago, a friend suggested I join in National Novel Writing Month. Until then, I had always written short stories. That year, I finished the first draft of what would eventually become Legally Undead—it was my third published novel, but it’s the very first one I wrote, and it was a finalist this year for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense (you can check out an excerpt at the end of this post).
There are three things, in particular, that I love about NaNoWriMo, so today I’m going to talk about how to use these three elements: the community, the deadline, and the writing philosophy.
1. The Community
Writing is so often a solitary act that having a community of other writers who are all writing at the same time can be incredibly empowering. I always love checking the discussions to see who else is having writer’s block, who else has a character that has just run off in unexpected directions, who else has stayed up too late thinking up new scenes. It may take a village to produce a book, but that first draft is usually done all alone. NaNoWriMo changes that.
How to Use the Community: For inspiration and encouragement! I strongly encourage NaNo participants to post to the boards on a regular basis. Choose one or two that appeal to you and engage with other writers—this might be the only time every year that you will have the chance to interact with other people equally engaged in the creative process. I like the word-count threads that celebrate various milestones as a starting point; no one gets cranky in those!
2. The Deadline
I also love the deadline. Knowing that I have a definite goal of 50,000 words in 30 days gives me a reason to keep going. In particular, it forces me to write through the rough spots. I can always go back and edit those, but if I don’t keep writing through those hard-to-perfect scenes, the book will never get done—much as it never got done before that first NaNoWriMo many years ago.
How to Use the Deadline: For that extra push. In order to meet the 50k goal, you need to write a little over 1666 words every day (go ahead and round up to 1667). That can seem intimidating, even to seasoned writers. But it also gives you a definite goal, something more than “I need to finish this book” or “I sure would like to write a book someday.”
3. The Writing Philosophy
And finally, I love the “No Plot, No Problem” philosophy. Until NaNoWriMo, I didn’t actually know that I was a “pantser” (a seat-of-my-pants plotter). I had sketched out probably hundreds of stories that didn’t get written—in part because if I already know what’s going to happen, I get bored with the story. I didn’t know that about myself until I wrote without the safety net of an outline. But I have written seven novels since that first NaNo novel, all of them using the “just write” method. Every time I have something to write, I set word-count limits. Because now, almost every month is National Novel Writing Month at my house.
How to Use the Writing Philosophy: For comfort. You can quit trying to make your book perfect. Don’t worry about any particular scene. Just write what comes to you. See where the story takes you. Or, if you’re a plotter and have a careful outline drawn up beforehand, use this writing philosophy as permission to deviate from that outline should the story take off in a different direction. If your odd story direction doesn’t work out, write a new one the next day. Remember, you can always come back and edit out any wild tangent. In December. Or later.
In the end, of course, what you do with and in NaNoWriMo is entirely up to you—and if you’ve participated before, I’d love to hear what you like best! Leave comments and tell me what elements of NaNoWriMo are your favorites, and how you use them. If you haven’t participated before, let me know what you’re most looking forward to (or most worried about).
About the Author
A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.
Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.
But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire draining the blood from her fiancé Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs--not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.
As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning around to face them, Elle discovers that Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.
Legally Undead is available at World Weaver Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.
Excerpt
The worst thing about vampires is that they're dead. That whole wanting to suck your blood business runs a close second, but for sheer creepiness, it's the dead bit that gets me every time. They're up and walking around and talking and sucking blood, but they're dead. And then there's the whole terminology problem--how can you kill something that's already dead? It's just wrong.
I was twenty-four the first time I . . . destroyed? dispatched? . . . a vampire. That's when I found out that all the books and movies are wrong. When you stick a wooden stake into their hearts, vampires don't disintegrate into dust. They don't explode. They don't spew blood everywhere. They just look surprised, groan, and collapse into a pile of corpse. But at least they lie still then, like corpses are supposed to.
Since that first kill (I might as well use the word--there really isn’t a better one), I've discovered that only if you're lucky do vampires look surprised before they groan and fall down. If you're unlucky and miss the heart, they look angry. And then they fight.
There are the other usual ways to kill vampires, of course, but these other ways can get a bit complicated. Vampires are notoriously difficult to trick into sunlight. They have an uncanny ability to sense when there's any sunlight within miles of them, and they're awfully good at hiding from it. Holy water doesn't kill them; it just distracts them for a while, and then they get that angry look again. And it takes a pretty big blade to cut off someone's head--even an already dead someone--and carrying a great big knife around New York City, even the Bronx, is a sure way to get arrested. Nope, pointy sticks are the best way to go, all the way around.
My own pointy stick is actually more of a little knife with wood inlay on the blade--the metal makes it slide in easier. I had the knife specially made by an old Italian guy in just about the only ratty part of Westchester, north of the city. I tried to order one off the internet, but it turns out that while it’s easy to find wood-inlay handles, the blades themselves tend to be metal. Fat lot those people know.
But I wasn’t thinking any of this when I pulled the knife out of the body on the ground. I was thinking something more along the lines of “Oh, bloody hell. Not again.”
NaNoWriMo changed the way I write—and it’s why I’m a published novelist today. I wrote my first full-length novel during NaNoWriMo. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. But about ten years ago, a friend suggested I join in National Novel Writing Month. Until then, I had always written short stories. That year, I finished the first draft of what would eventually become Legally Undead—it was my third published novel, but it’s the very first one I wrote, and it was a finalist this year for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense (you can check out an excerpt at the end of this post).
There are three things, in particular, that I love about NaNoWriMo, so today I’m going to talk about how to use these three elements: the community, the deadline, and the writing philosophy.
1. The Community
Writing is so often a solitary act that having a community of other writers who are all writing at the same time can be incredibly empowering. I always love checking the discussions to see who else is having writer’s block, who else has a character that has just run off in unexpected directions, who else has stayed up too late thinking up new scenes. It may take a village to produce a book, but that first draft is usually done all alone. NaNoWriMo changes that.
How to Use the Community: For inspiration and encouragement! I strongly encourage NaNo participants to post to the boards on a regular basis. Choose one or two that appeal to you and engage with other writers—this might be the only time every year that you will have the chance to interact with other people equally engaged in the creative process. I like the word-count threads that celebrate various milestones as a starting point; no one gets cranky in those!
2. The Deadline
I also love the deadline. Knowing that I have a definite goal of 50,000 words in 30 days gives me a reason to keep going. In particular, it forces me to write through the rough spots. I can always go back and edit those, but if I don’t keep writing through those hard-to-perfect scenes, the book will never get done—much as it never got done before that first NaNoWriMo many years ago.
How to Use the Deadline: For that extra push. In order to meet the 50k goal, you need to write a little over 1666 words every day (go ahead and round up to 1667). That can seem intimidating, even to seasoned writers. But it also gives you a definite goal, something more than “I need to finish this book” or “I sure would like to write a book someday.”
3. The Writing Philosophy
And finally, I love the “No Plot, No Problem” philosophy. Until NaNoWriMo, I didn’t actually know that I was a “pantser” (a seat-of-my-pants plotter). I had sketched out probably hundreds of stories that didn’t get written—in part because if I already know what’s going to happen, I get bored with the story. I didn’t know that about myself until I wrote without the safety net of an outline. But I have written seven novels since that first NaNo novel, all of them using the “just write” method. Every time I have something to write, I set word-count limits. Because now, almost every month is National Novel Writing Month at my house.
How to Use the Writing Philosophy: For comfort. You can quit trying to make your book perfect. Don’t worry about any particular scene. Just write what comes to you. See where the story takes you. Or, if you’re a plotter and have a careful outline drawn up beforehand, use this writing philosophy as permission to deviate from that outline should the story take off in a different direction. If your odd story direction doesn’t work out, write a new one the next day. Remember, you can always come back and edit out any wild tangent. In December. Or later.
In the end, of course, what you do with and in NaNoWriMo is entirely up to you—and if you’ve participated before, I’d love to hear what you like best! Leave comments and tell me what elements of NaNoWriMo are your favorites, and how you use them. If you haven’t participated before, let me know what you’re most looking forward to (or most worried about).
About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is the author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.Book Info
Newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/03A21E5E161401F0Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollinsWebsite: http://www.MargoBondCollins.netBlog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.comTwitter: @MargoBondCollinGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollinsPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/MargoBondCollins
A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.
But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire draining the blood from her fiancé Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs--not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.
As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning around to face them, Elle discovers that Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.
Legally Undead is available at World Weaver Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.
Excerpt
The worst thing about vampires is that they're dead. That whole wanting to suck your blood business runs a close second, but for sheer creepiness, it's the dead bit that gets me every time. They're up and walking around and talking and sucking blood, but they're dead. And then there's the whole terminology problem--how can you kill something that's already dead? It's just wrong.
I was twenty-four the first time I . . . destroyed? dispatched? . . . a vampire. That's when I found out that all the books and movies are wrong. When you stick a wooden stake into their hearts, vampires don't disintegrate into dust. They don't explode. They don't spew blood everywhere. They just look surprised, groan, and collapse into a pile of corpse. But at least they lie still then, like corpses are supposed to.
Since that first kill (I might as well use the word--there really isn’t a better one), I've discovered that only if you're lucky do vampires look surprised before they groan and fall down. If you're unlucky and miss the heart, they look angry. And then they fight.
There are the other usual ways to kill vampires, of course, but these other ways can get a bit complicated. Vampires are notoriously difficult to trick into sunlight. They have an uncanny ability to sense when there's any sunlight within miles of them, and they're awfully good at hiding from it. Holy water doesn't kill them; it just distracts them for a while, and then they get that angry look again. And it takes a pretty big blade to cut off someone's head--even an already dead someone--and carrying a great big knife around New York City, even the Bronx, is a sure way to get arrested. Nope, pointy sticks are the best way to go, all the way around.
My own pointy stick is actually more of a little knife with wood inlay on the blade--the metal makes it slide in easier. I had the knife specially made by an old Italian guy in just about the only ratty part of Westchester, north of the city. I tried to order one off the internet, but it turns out that while it’s easy to find wood-inlay handles, the blades themselves tend to be metal. Fat lot those people know.
But I wasn’t thinking any of this when I pulled the knife out of the body on the ground. I was thinking something more along the lines of “Oh, bloody hell. Not again.”
October 27, 2015
NaNoWriMo 2015 Prep: Story Building by Tracey Clark
Story BuildingHowdy, I’m Tracey Clark, the author of Shocking Finds: A Finder’s Keepers Novel. I love starting a new story, like the first blush of a new relationship. There are many ways to create your story and NaNoWriMo is a wonderful part of that process for a lot of people. NaNoWriMo has inspiration, support, and a much needed push from fellow writers. Not mention the friends and contact you will make. But before you can benefit from all that you need somewhere to start. A basic idea of where you’d like to take your story.
Take the world around you, the world you know inside and out, and then let it grow into something more, something wonderful. You want your reader to feel as if they can feel the breeze, see the trees, and taste the honeysuckle. An easy way to start this process ... Facts, fun facts, and alluring descriptions. Once I have that, I usually start to see things that my characters can do, explore, as well as places they can get into trouble.
Finding a way to make your descriptions alluring is problematic because everyone has different tastes when it comes to the type of stories they enjoy. It is best to just play with your sentences and write what you find interesting. If you don't want to read your story then no one else will either. Make sure that you find the genre that speaks to you the most, and then start building. Each genre holds a different feel, which will help you to decide where focus your descriptive powers. As well as the area your story takes place in (especially Earth-side). For example: for me Kentucky means honeysuckle and caves, whereas Texas means cowboys and wide open spaces. But that’s just me.
I like to find facts, fun facts, when I am building a new world. I write paranormal romance, which leaves a lot of room for my worlds to grow, but I like to take a few basic fun facts and build from there. For my first novel, Shocking Finds: A Finder’s Keepers Novel, I merely mention the fact that Kentucky has the largest number of cave systems in the US. This will become a large part of my Finder's Keepers series in future novels.
Finding Fun Facts Fun facts can be large or small, and they can end up being nothing more than a passing bit of information (something to be overlooked) or maybe you'll find that it is integral to your new world. I never know which facts will become important pieces of the puzzle when I first include them. I merely learn more about the world around me and I add the pieces that I find most interesting.
When I first learned that Kentucky had the largest number of cave systems in the US I didn't understand how important it would become. Then my characters told me (OK, they demanded) that the caves would be more.
Always listen to the voices. Allow your imagination to run free. Make your world and your characters as real to your readers as they are to you.Memorable characters require a different set of facts but the reasoning is the same. You still want your readers to be able to see through your eyes. You want them to feel the emotions plaguing your characters, to cry and laugh as they consume your words. You want them to feel as if they can reach out and take your character’s hand. This is my goal, and I hope to get better and more knowledgeable in this area as I continue to write.
The Emotion Thesaurus has helped me with showing instead of telling. You want your reader to feel the pain (both emotional and physical) instead of just reading that the character is hurting. Describe your characters' actions, feelings, and their most striking characteristics in fun and memorable ways.
One of my characters has a small Chinese pug that they always carry around in their arms. A lot of people know what a pug looks like, and I could stop at just mentioning the breed of the dog. But that isn't enough to make the reader feel the annoyance at the number of dog hairs that need to be cleaned up after one of the small animals walks through a room, or the sound of snoring that you need to put up with when they fall asleep. Not to mention the snot, the snorting and the sneezing that goes along with their wheezing and poor breathing due to a very flat face. I love their attitude, and wrinkled bodies and curly tails but my main character takes issue with a lot of their other characteristics.
While describing everything in your world, remember to avoid information dumps.Don't merely spend a few chapters describing each person involved in your story, a few more for the scenery. Instead spread out the descriptions in a more natural way, one that flows with the story instead of causing the reader to stop and feel as if they are suddenly immersed in a textbook. With fiction, my ultimate goal is to create a world to escape into, not to compose a fact filled volume.
Everyone has different ways in which to create their worlds. The most important thing to know is to edit after your rough draft is complete, not before, and to have fun. If a chapter is boring you to tears, chances are good that your readers will either stop reading or skip ahead to something more interesting, possibly missing out on important information.
BrainstormingOnce you have a world and a set of characters that you can practically see standing in front of you, it is time to brainstorm. For me, brainstorming is key when it comes to finding the direction that feels right for my story. Brainstorming can happen as you plot out your story line and when you hit a bump in the road, or even if you have a full on case of writer's block.
You can brainstorm alone, but doing so with a partner or in a group can be even better. Especially when you’re up against writer's block. You should do this when you need help and when someone else is having issues.
Some people feel as if brainstorming for someone else’s story gives away their best ideas. But the writers' community is about give and take; we support each other. Besides, the theory that you're giving away your best ideas is false.
One idea given to a dozen authors has the ability to create a dozen different stories. Some things may be similar, but we all write differently. We think in different patterns and we will explore different aspects of the same idea, differently and more thoroughly.
The more you brainstorm with others, the stronger you will become at coming up with ideas when no one else is around to run through the exercise with you. Like any other skill, the more you use your brainstorming ability, the stronger it will become. There are a lot of times that I come up with ideas that I simply do not have time to explore.
Personally I love to brainstorm. When I sit down for a few hours to go through a brainstorming exercise with someone else, it resets my thinking and sometimes allows me to see things in my own story that I would have otherwise missed.
With solid and complete worlds and characters, and the willingness to brainstorm, you will have the ability to create an endless number of stories. As many stories as the ocean has waves.Always remember to have fun with your writing, and happy wordage everyone.
About the Author
An act of rebellion, Marin doesn’t think that running into the new store in town will hurt anything. Her aunt will never know… right? One car wreck later, her aunt is hospitalized, Marin is forced to spend her twenty-first birthday fighting for her life, and magic – the very thing her aunt has always sworn to be for fools – is real. And so is the irresistible Fae dedicated to Marin’s protection.
Kyland has searched Earth-side and all the other realms, looking for a missing Fae child. A child his Queen prophesied would be able to one day save the Fae people from the Danshue, as the evil Fae threat tries to overwhelm the entire Supernatural Community. A child that would know nothing of her blocked gifts, or her Fae heritage waiting to be claimed. A child that has grown into a curvy, delicious morsel he would love to taste.
Together Marin and Kyland will fight Fae assassins, overcome betrayals, and if they’re lucky … they will find the Danshue responsible for their plight. That’s if Marin doesn’t shock him to death with her erratic new gift, and her out of control emotions.
Take the world around you, the world you know inside and out, and then let it grow into something more, something wonderful. You want your reader to feel as if they can feel the breeze, see the trees, and taste the honeysuckle. An easy way to start this process ... Facts, fun facts, and alluring descriptions. Once I have that, I usually start to see things that my characters can do, explore, as well as places they can get into trouble.
Finding a way to make your descriptions alluring is problematic because everyone has different tastes when it comes to the type of stories they enjoy. It is best to just play with your sentences and write what you find interesting. If you don't want to read your story then no one else will either. Make sure that you find the genre that speaks to you the most, and then start building. Each genre holds a different feel, which will help you to decide where focus your descriptive powers. As well as the area your story takes place in (especially Earth-side). For example: for me Kentucky means honeysuckle and caves, whereas Texas means cowboys and wide open spaces. But that’s just me.
I like to find facts, fun facts, when I am building a new world. I write paranormal romance, which leaves a lot of room for my worlds to grow, but I like to take a few basic fun facts and build from there. For my first novel, Shocking Finds: A Finder’s Keepers Novel, I merely mention the fact that Kentucky has the largest number of cave systems in the US. This will become a large part of my Finder's Keepers series in future novels.
Finding Fun Facts Fun facts can be large or small, and they can end up being nothing more than a passing bit of information (something to be overlooked) or maybe you'll find that it is integral to your new world. I never know which facts will become important pieces of the puzzle when I first include them. I merely learn more about the world around me and I add the pieces that I find most interesting.
When I first learned that Kentucky had the largest number of cave systems in the US I didn't understand how important it would become. Then my characters told me (OK, they demanded) that the caves would be more.
Always listen to the voices. Allow your imagination to run free. Make your world and your characters as real to your readers as they are to you.Memorable characters require a different set of facts but the reasoning is the same. You still want your readers to be able to see through your eyes. You want them to feel the emotions plaguing your characters, to cry and laugh as they consume your words. You want them to feel as if they can reach out and take your character’s hand. This is my goal, and I hope to get better and more knowledgeable in this area as I continue to write.
The Emotion Thesaurus has helped me with showing instead of telling. You want your reader to feel the pain (both emotional and physical) instead of just reading that the character is hurting. Describe your characters' actions, feelings, and their most striking characteristics in fun and memorable ways.
One of my characters has a small Chinese pug that they always carry around in their arms. A lot of people know what a pug looks like, and I could stop at just mentioning the breed of the dog. But that isn't enough to make the reader feel the annoyance at the number of dog hairs that need to be cleaned up after one of the small animals walks through a room, or the sound of snoring that you need to put up with when they fall asleep. Not to mention the snot, the snorting and the sneezing that goes along with their wheezing and poor breathing due to a very flat face. I love their attitude, and wrinkled bodies and curly tails but my main character takes issue with a lot of their other characteristics.While describing everything in your world, remember to avoid information dumps.Don't merely spend a few chapters describing each person involved in your story, a few more for the scenery. Instead spread out the descriptions in a more natural way, one that flows with the story instead of causing the reader to stop and feel as if they are suddenly immersed in a textbook. With fiction, my ultimate goal is to create a world to escape into, not to compose a fact filled volume.
Everyone has different ways in which to create their worlds. The most important thing to know is to edit after your rough draft is complete, not before, and to have fun. If a chapter is boring you to tears, chances are good that your readers will either stop reading or skip ahead to something more interesting, possibly missing out on important information.
BrainstormingOnce you have a world and a set of characters that you can practically see standing in front of you, it is time to brainstorm. For me, brainstorming is key when it comes to finding the direction that feels right for my story. Brainstorming can happen as you plot out your story line and when you hit a bump in the road, or even if you have a full on case of writer's block.
You can brainstorm alone, but doing so with a partner or in a group can be even better. Especially when you’re up against writer's block. You should do this when you need help and when someone else is having issues.
Some people feel as if brainstorming for someone else’s story gives away their best ideas. But the writers' community is about give and take; we support each other. Besides, the theory that you're giving away your best ideas is false.
One idea given to a dozen authors has the ability to create a dozen different stories. Some things may be similar, but we all write differently. We think in different patterns and we will explore different aspects of the same idea, differently and more thoroughly.
The more you brainstorm with others, the stronger you will become at coming up with ideas when no one else is around to run through the exercise with you. Like any other skill, the more you use your brainstorming ability, the stronger it will become. There are a lot of times that I come up with ideas that I simply do not have time to explore.
Personally I love to brainstorm. When I sit down for a few hours to go through a brainstorming exercise with someone else, it resets my thinking and sometimes allows me to see things in my own story that I would have otherwise missed.
With solid and complete worlds and characters, and the willingness to brainstorm, you will have the ability to create an endless number of stories. As many stories as the ocean has waves.Always remember to have fun with your writing, and happy wordage everyone.About the Author
I am a country-twang gal from the bluegrass state. Kentucky is a hot bed of horses, cave systems, and whiskey. And I love all three. With my pugs and bossy kitty cat, I spend my days writing and working social media. I write with the help of the voices pushing me to create worlds for them to live in. Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance, and eventually some cowboys (because cowboys live in a group all there own, yummmm) are the genres that I love best.Book Info
In 2005, a serious case of Multiple Sclerosis ended my higher education as I strived to finish my mathematics degree, wiping away all my beautiful numbers and a large portion of artistic talents that I had taken for granted most of my life. After a few years, my beautiful words started to come back to me. Filling my days and nights with imagined worlds helped me to cope with my newfound reality. I am currently working with Mary (my publisher) at http://gonewritingpublishing.blogspot.com/ Each day I find that getting sick has helped me to find my passion.
Fun fact: My granny had enough Irish to embody the term ‘fiery’ and my papaw had enough Cherokee to suggest they move their family to a reservation … This did not turn out well for him, not when gran opposed the idea, butttt that is a story for another time. So palest of pale, and red all year round … what did I get from that genetic pool??? Ha. I turned out to be pale skinned, but I don’t burn in the sun the way granny would have. And no matter how much color I seem to gain during the day, I wake the next morning back at square one, whereas my papaw had wonderfully tanned skin even in the midst of the darkest winters. boo… lol… now at 34, I don’t even try. (not to mention that my MS detests being out in the sun)
What I did get from these wonderful people??? A love and a need to create. She could design a quilt, bake up wonders, paint and draw with ease, and surround the home in masterpiece gardens. Okay, my thumb is more black than green, but have enjoyed accomplishing all the rest. Though my favorite lies in oil paints. As for papaw, he loved to sing, filled notebook after notebook with his poetry, and had a tendency to create personalized rhymes for strangers and friends alike (sometimes against their will, while others asked for the right). My entire life, he called me his songbird. And would asked me (shy little me) to preform. Poetry is fun, and something that my mother taught me how to do early on, but I truly believe that a piece of my soul would die without my voice to sing the melodies in my heart. (just please let me do it at home and not in front of strangers :P)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traceyclark.finderskeepers?ref=hlTwitter: @traceylclark11LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceyclarkauthorGoodreadsAmazon author page Website: http://finderskeepersseries.com/Blog: http://traceylclark.com/
An act of rebellion, Marin doesn’t think that running into the new store in town will hurt anything. Her aunt will never know… right? One car wreck later, her aunt is hospitalized, Marin is forced to spend her twenty-first birthday fighting for her life, and magic – the very thing her aunt has always sworn to be for fools – is real. And so is the irresistible Fae dedicated to Marin’s protection.Kyland has searched Earth-side and all the other realms, looking for a missing Fae child. A child his Queen prophesied would be able to one day save the Fae people from the Danshue, as the evil Fae threat tries to overwhelm the entire Supernatural Community. A child that would know nothing of her blocked gifts, or her Fae heritage waiting to be claimed. A child that has grown into a curvy, delicious morsel he would love to taste.
Together Marin and Kyland will fight Fae assassins, overcome betrayals, and if they’re lucky … they will find the Danshue responsible for their plight. That’s if Marin doesn’t shock him to death with her erratic new gift, and her out of control emotions.
October 26, 2015
NaNoWriMo 2015 Prep: Prep for Pantsers by Roxy Mews
For anyone who isn’t familiar, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an online gathering of people who are all trying to score fifty thousand words in just thirty days. There are forums, and regional meetups, and really cool little graphs to help get you to those two magical words… “The End.”
I am that writer who loves the blank page. I adore starting stories. Those first few thousand words are my favorites. When the characters are just starting to dance across your brain cells, it’s exciting and new and the possibilities for where their tales will go are endless.
Starting stories was easy for me. I had notebooks full of plot ideas, thumb drives stuffed with story starters, and hundreds of thousands of words that I had to get out of my head.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a single finished novel.
Then I found NaNoWriMo. I created a profile and signed up. Seeing all of these seasoned authors sprinting along with me was amazing. We were all there for the same reason…to create a story. It didn’t matter what we were writing, we all had to get words on the page. This is a series about how to prepare for NaNoWriMo. But I’m going to let you in on a secret…
Not all of us plan. Like…at all. Not even a little bit.
NaNoWriMo taught me a new term. “Pantser”.
A “Pantser” is someone who does no or very little preparation before they start. They turn on their computer and write.
My name is Roxy Mews, and I am a Pantser.
I open Word, and I go. Sure, I don’t write the neatest first drafts. (I owe my CP and editors some serious chocolate.) Sometimes my characters change attitude, hair color, and eye color, or even name.
This blog series is about NaNoWriMo prep, so let me give you some ways to prep if you too are in the Pantser Camp.
#1 Get acquainted with the “Review” tab in Word.
When I am writing and I know I need to research something for a plot point, or I am putting in a crucial plot point where a character needs to act differently, I put in a note. I click that lovely “New Comment” box in the Review tab, and remind myself what I need to do.
Killing someone with a gun? Google model descriptions later.
Have to find a regional food? Ask the twitterverse when that part of the world is awake.
Need to see if humans can bend that way while getting intimately acquainted? Just make sure your safe search is off, and the internet will reveal all.
Make your notes and move forward. NaNoWriMo is all about turning off your inner editor and finishing the story.
#2 Stock up on a stash of bribe items.
There are days when you won’t want to write. The dreaded week 2 blahs strike many of us hard. Pick your favorite treat and keep them under lock and key until you put your butt in front of the computer.
You only get that piece of chocolate when you reach your word count goal.
That fancy coffee you love to treat yourself with? Only order it when you have your first ten thousand words under your belt. (I highly recommend Death Wish Coffee for this bribe).
You can also arm yourself with a special playlist, or a great smelling candle. They don’t have to be pricey or full of calories, but chocolate and caffeine tend to be what keeps me moving forward.
#3 Easy meal prep.
The most exciting part about being a Pantser is when the muse sits on your shoulder and starts screaming the story in your ear. Those moments are not ones you want to stop in the middle of. If your muse is anything like mine, you can’t get her to start again when you’re ready.
Have easy meals ready to go.
Put the local pizza delivery place on notice, and let them know when you call them grunting into the phone it means you want a large bacon and pineapple. Tell them you’ll leave the money on the porch when you sprint for the bathroom break you’ve been putting off all afternoon.
I suppose you could cook things ahead of time too, but you’re about to write 50k in a month. If you’re anything like me, you don’t have time for that kind of thing.
#4 Get a buddy.
One of the best things about the NaNoWriMo website is the buddies feature. You can add buddies to your page and the NaNo site will let you peek into their word count. You can see when they’re slacking and guess what…they can see when you are.
Having that accountability is one hell of a motivator. Find a buddy. Find a group of them, and push each other. When I see I am only a hundred words from topping one of my buddies for the day, I always get another cup of coffee and push ahead.
If you want to be my buddy, you can find me HERE.
At the end of the day, if you are a Plotter or a Pantser, we all start with zero words on our boards. We all start with nothing and work to create a complete story. It’s not meant to be perfect, it’s not meant to be pretty, it’s meant to be finished.
If you’re waffling on joining up, and think you missed your time to prepare, you’re wrong. You don’t need a perfected outline. You don’t need character charts. You just need to write. Why not do it with millions of other people?
Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
About the Author
Sometimes the only way to hold on is to let it all go.
Hart Clan Hybrids, Book 3
Finding out she’s a byproduct of her maker’s plan for world domination is a letdown for Shelly Meyers. Now she must figure out where to pin her loyalties. Tradition tells her to follow her leader, but something tells her tradition is overrated. Is it her conscience? Nah. Not that. Not anymore.
Richard Paulson never planned on turning furry, yet here he is, an Alpha in charge of a pack. Even with Doc, his beta, at his back, he seems to keep winding up in another frying pan.
Long ago, Trevor “Doc” Paulson gave the woman he loved to someone who could give her the life she deserved. Now, as he and Richard fight to prevent history repeating, he’s struggling not to act on pure attraction—again. He knows he should be Rick’s voice of reason, but what happens when the three of them get close makes no sense at all.
Together they must decide to let go of the past to forge a new future—and fast. Before a power-hungry vampire takes it all away.
Warning: This book contains a sexually volatile vampire who is about to grab the world and a couple of werewolves by the balls. Not for the faint of heart, or those who are opposed to sex, blood, bites, multiple partners and multiple orgasms.
I am that writer who loves the blank page. I adore starting stories. Those first few thousand words are my favorites. When the characters are just starting to dance across your brain cells, it’s exciting and new and the possibilities for where their tales will go are endless.
Starting stories was easy for me. I had notebooks full of plot ideas, thumb drives stuffed with story starters, and hundreds of thousands of words that I had to get out of my head.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have a single finished novel.
Then I found NaNoWriMo. I created a profile and signed up. Seeing all of these seasoned authors sprinting along with me was amazing. We were all there for the same reason…to create a story. It didn’t matter what we were writing, we all had to get words on the page. This is a series about how to prepare for NaNoWriMo. But I’m going to let you in on a secret…
Not all of us plan. Like…at all. Not even a little bit.
NaNoWriMo taught me a new term. “Pantser”.
A “Pantser” is someone who does no or very little preparation before they start. They turn on their computer and write.
My name is Roxy Mews, and I am a Pantser.
I open Word, and I go. Sure, I don’t write the neatest first drafts. (I owe my CP and editors some serious chocolate.) Sometimes my characters change attitude, hair color, and eye color, or even name.
This blog series is about NaNoWriMo prep, so let me give you some ways to prep if you too are in the Pantser Camp.
#1 Get acquainted with the “Review” tab in Word.
When I am writing and I know I need to research something for a plot point, or I am putting in a crucial plot point where a character needs to act differently, I put in a note. I click that lovely “New Comment” box in the Review tab, and remind myself what I need to do.
Killing someone with a gun? Google model descriptions later.
Have to find a regional food? Ask the twitterverse when that part of the world is awake.
Need to see if humans can bend that way while getting intimately acquainted? Just make sure your safe search is off, and the internet will reveal all.
Make your notes and move forward. NaNoWriMo is all about turning off your inner editor and finishing the story.
#2 Stock up on a stash of bribe items.
There are days when you won’t want to write. The dreaded week 2 blahs strike many of us hard. Pick your favorite treat and keep them under lock and key until you put your butt in front of the computer.
You only get that piece of chocolate when you reach your word count goal.
That fancy coffee you love to treat yourself with? Only order it when you have your first ten thousand words under your belt. (I highly recommend Death Wish Coffee for this bribe).
You can also arm yourself with a special playlist, or a great smelling candle. They don’t have to be pricey or full of calories, but chocolate and caffeine tend to be what keeps me moving forward.
#3 Easy meal prep.
The most exciting part about being a Pantser is when the muse sits on your shoulder and starts screaming the story in your ear. Those moments are not ones you want to stop in the middle of. If your muse is anything like mine, you can’t get her to start again when you’re ready.
Have easy meals ready to go.
Put the local pizza delivery place on notice, and let them know when you call them grunting into the phone it means you want a large bacon and pineapple. Tell them you’ll leave the money on the porch when you sprint for the bathroom break you’ve been putting off all afternoon.
I suppose you could cook things ahead of time too, but you’re about to write 50k in a month. If you’re anything like me, you don’t have time for that kind of thing.
#4 Get a buddy.
One of the best things about the NaNoWriMo website is the buddies feature. You can add buddies to your page and the NaNo site will let you peek into their word count. You can see when they’re slacking and guess what…they can see when you are.
Having that accountability is one hell of a motivator. Find a buddy. Find a group of them, and push each other. When I see I am only a hundred words from topping one of my buddies for the day, I always get another cup of coffee and push ahead.
If you want to be my buddy, you can find me HERE.
At the end of the day, if you are a Plotter or a Pantser, we all start with zero words on our boards. We all start with nothing and work to create a complete story. It’s not meant to be perfect, it’s not meant to be pretty, it’s meant to be finished.
If you’re waffling on joining up, and think you missed your time to prepare, you’re wrong. You don’t need a perfected outline. You don’t need character charts. You just need to write. Why not do it with millions of other people?
Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
About the Author
Roxy wrote her first story at age six on an electric typewriter. It was about a cat and a haunted house. Thankfully, her stories and technology have matured since then. Now Roxy spends her days fighting the evil day job in hopes of conquering the stories that run rampant in her head when she comes home at night. When she discovered Erotic Romance, Roxy fell in love. She can’t wait to share all her fun and sexy stories with everyone. To connect with Roxy Mews find her babbling on Twitter, friend her on Facebook, visit her Blog, or find all these links on RoxyRocksMe.com.Book Info
Sometimes the only way to hold on is to let it all go.Hart Clan Hybrids, Book 3
Finding out she’s a byproduct of her maker’s plan for world domination is a letdown for Shelly Meyers. Now she must figure out where to pin her loyalties. Tradition tells her to follow her leader, but something tells her tradition is overrated. Is it her conscience? Nah. Not that. Not anymore.
Richard Paulson never planned on turning furry, yet here he is, an Alpha in charge of a pack. Even with Doc, his beta, at his back, he seems to keep winding up in another frying pan.
Long ago, Trevor “Doc” Paulson gave the woman he loved to someone who could give her the life she deserved. Now, as he and Richard fight to prevent history repeating, he’s struggling not to act on pure attraction—again. He knows he should be Rick’s voice of reason, but what happens when the three of them get close makes no sense at all.
Together they must decide to let go of the past to forge a new future—and fast. Before a power-hungry vampire takes it all away.
Warning: This book contains a sexually volatile vampire who is about to grab the world and a couple of werewolves by the balls. Not for the faint of heart, or those who are opposed to sex, blood, bites, multiple partners and multiple orgasms.
October 25, 2015
NaNoWriMo 2015 Prep: Tropes and You
Tropes and You: Using Tropes to Build Your NovelWhat is a trope?
According to TV Tropes [i], “Tropes are devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations.” In other words, a trope is a plot, character, setting, device, or pattern that the audience recognizes, like the unassuming farm boy hero, the rebellion against an oppressive government, or the wise mentor character [ii]. Tropes make stories run, and all stories have tropes. They’re kind of like the building blocks of genre fiction, or bits of basic structural code.
Why are tropes important?
In the article "Originality in Genre Fiction – An Oxymoron?" [iii] the appeal of genre fiction to readers is credited to the “reassuring repetition of central archetypes, elements, themes, or tropes. … [G]enre books are often ‘coded’ in a certain way for their readers, meaning that when you encounter a big, dark, cop hero, you expect an alpha taming story (i.e. the beauty and the beast retelling). … I would argue that this coding is part of the pleasure and satisfaction genre readers derive when they seek out genre books.”
Essentially, romance readers expect a love story and a happily ever after, mystery readers expect a crime to be solved, fantasy readers expect dragons. Okay, maybe not dragons, but the reader goes into the story with expectations he or she assumes will be met based on the genre. Tropes are the conventions within the genre. Like in the above quote, if a romance reader sees an alpha male being all alpha-y, it's expected that he's probably the hero, and that the heroine is going to have to "tame" him. (Preferably with a swift kick to the groin if he's being an alph-hole.) Tropes are appealing because of these familiar expectations. A reader is rewarded with an expected payoff like the hero and heroine finally defeating the villain and true love conquering all, or a reader can be surprised when a favorite trope is twisted in a new or interesting way (like, “OMG dude, I did NOT see that coming. That was awesome!”).
How is a trope different from a cliché?
A trope becomes a cliché when it is predictable to the point of boredom (like, “OMG dude, I saw that coming miles away. I just wasted hours of my life that I’ll never get back.”) [ii]. If tropes are bits of software code, then an author uses tropes to build an app that is familiar to the user and meets their needs, but fresh and exciting enough to warrant downloading it. It's the difference between "Yay, I'm so glad I got this app! It has everything I wanted!" and "Seriously? I have twelve apps like this already. All they did was change the font color. Total ripoff."
Examples of Popular Tropes in Romance NovelsFriends-to-Lovers/Best-Friends-to-Lovers: Rhonda Helms [iv] explains this one as, “[T]he girl who had a crush on her brother’s bestie for years and years, and he saw her as nothing more than a friend…until one day, VA-VA-VOOM, suddenly she comes back into his life looking SMOKING hot and he’s all, holy crap.” I've always liked this trope, because instead of two strangers falling into insta-love after just meeting, these characters have a history together.Reunited Lovers: This is related to the Friends-to-Lovers trope. These characters have a history; they loved each other once, but it didn’t work out, like in Nora Roberts’s The Key of Knowledge and Face the Fire. I LOVE the Three Sisters Island trilogy, so Face the Fire has a special place in my heart. Mia is one tough cookie, and she doesn't want a damn thing to do Sam ever again. Fate, of course, has other ideas for them. Awesome ensues.Enemies-to-Lovers/Hate-to-Love: In Beyond Heaving Bosoms [v], Sarah Wendell refers to this as “I don’t wanna love you. I don’t wanna like you. I can’t stop thinking about your hair, dammit!” These two characters hate each other, usually due to some past wrong, yet are extremely attracted to each other. There is much angsty hate make-out.Arranged Marriage/Marriage of Convenience [vi]: This trope is often used in historical romances, and is a reader favorite. These characters think that marriage will solve all their political/financial/social problems and that joining forces will be “convenient” for both of them. Then both characters do the one thing that both of them swore they would never do: They fall in love! This is usually followed by pages and pages of angst about, "I love [character], but [he/she] will never love me in return!" So much angst.Broken Marriage: This trope often happens when the Arranged/Convenient Marriage goes horribly wrong. Maybe the bride was sent away to the New World, and they’ve spent years apart. Or maybe the characters were high school sweethearts who married too young and divorced, but are reunited as older, wiser people. In the words of the philosopher P!nk, these characters are not broken, just bent, and can learn to love again.Class Differences: Hoo boy. She’s a society darling, he’s the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s a trust-fund baby from old money, she’s the tough businesswoman who worked her way up from nothing. She’s a princess, he’s a pauper. Clearly they can never be together, but true love conquers all. There is much rejoicing.Road Trip: “It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses.” These characters are on a journey somewhere, and they’re stuck together for the duration. Shenanigans ensue.Sacrifice: In this trope, a character is dutifully sacrificing for someone they love, such as working two jobs to support a sick loved one, giving up their college fund so a sibling can go to school in his/her place, or working the family business instead of pursuing his/her dreams (think "It's A Wonderful Life"). Then along comes another character who can make everything better. Or worse. Or just make the character see that things will get better, and this too shall pass.The Big Misunderstanding [v]: The Big Mis is a common trope of old school romance novels, usually historicals. The Big Mis is based on an unfortunate circumstance—a character overhears gossip about another character, or witnesses a character doing something innocent that is misinterpreted. The Big Mis is a world of bad juju, because the “conflict” it creates can usually be resolved by 5 minutes of honest conversation between the characters.One-Night-Stand: Often this trope results in another trope, the Secret Baby. The characters have a steamy night of passion. Consequences ensue. Sexy Protector: This trope is a standard for romantic suspense novels. One character is in trouble—on the run from the law, the mob, ninjas, aliens, zombies—and is being protected by a sexy authority figure. This can lead to the One-Night-Stand and then the Secret Baby. Romantic suspense is not really my genre, and though I can certainly understand the appeal of a sexy man (or better, woman) in uniform, but I just don't get the "we are being chased by bad guys, let's stop here for a moment of life-affirming lovin'." Anyway...Boardroom Romance: Powerful execs, using office furniture in ways that the manufacturer never intended. This has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to the recent obsession with billionaire heroes. (Yes, I am guilty of having a billionaire hero--well, Harrison's not exactly a hero.) I wonder if this has to do with the sex appeal of characters in well-tailored business attire. Rawr.
Why are tropes important to me?
Because you can use tropes as inspiration in plotting your novel. Take two or three, incorporate them into your story, then make them yours. Everyone knows the hero's journey--one moment a character is in their ordinary world, then something happens to drag them out of it, drama and angst ensues, then the conflict is solved, the end. It's how you tell your character's story that makes it yours. All the nutritious world-building, all the delicious character quirks, the tasty dialogue, the twist of lime. Mix together, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, and viola! A story that your reader will devour and leave them hungry for more.
References
[i] Television Tropes and Idioms. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://tvtropes.org.
[ii] Heine, A. (2011, June 10). Tropes vs. Clichés [Web log post]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://www.adamheine.com.
[iii] Reader, R. (2010, October 19). Originality in Genre Fiction – An Oxymoron? [Web log post]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://dearauthor.com.
[iv] Helms, R. (2012, April 23). You Tell Us: Your Favorite Story Tropes [Web log post]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://carinapress.com.
[v] Wendell, S., and Tan, C. (2009). Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels. New York: Simon & Schuster.
[vi] Crutcher, W. (2012, October 3). Romance Tropes and Themes: Marriages of Convenience [Web log post]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://www.rtbookreviews.com.About the Author
Falling in love has never been so deadly.
Five supernatural thrillers packed with action and romance, each introducing you to an exciting series. Honorable heroes, strong heroines and relentless suspense combine to bring you five page-turners you won’t soon forget.
Veiled Target—USA TODAY bestselling author Robin Bielman: Tess wants revenge, but thrust into an inconvenient alliance with her sexy enemy, she must trust the shifter she’s supposed to kill or risk losing everything.
Blood, Smoke and Mirrors—Robyn Bachar: Hunted by a powerful evil, exiled witch Cat must entrust her fate to the man who betrayed her. Now Lex faces the fight of his life to keep her safe. If they both survive.
Slayer’s Kiss—Cassi Carver: Fallen angels Gavin and Julian have been sent to protect Kara, but she’s determined to track down a killer, even when she realizes her target may be the creature hunting her.
Soul Bound—Anne Hope: Jace is no longer human. Something dark and powerful has taken root within him. Something that that could destroy the one woman he’d sacrifice everything to protect.
Phoenix Rising—Corrina Lawson: Everyone looks at firestarter Alec Farley as a weapon. Beth is the only one who sees a hero. But proving that could be deadly.
Warning: Contains shifters, vampires, witches, fallen angels, a firestarter and troublemaking faeries. Watch out for gratuitous violence, gripping emotion, unconventional sex, some foul language, and a love triangle that gives new meaning to the term hot-wings.
Five Past Midnight is available for only $4.99 for a limited time at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks, iTunes, Kobo, and Samhain.
Excerpt
“I’ll be here as long as you need me.” Lex looked down at me, seeming sincere, and I shook my head at him.
“Don’t, Lex. You’re only here on orders. You’ll be gone and on to the next as soon as this assignment is over.”
“What if I don’t want that?”
“What if I do? I’m all for the life-saving thing, but I don’t want you in my life again.”
“Are you sure of that?”
Scowling, I took a steadying breath and prepared to launch into an explanation of the myriad reasons why I wasn’t about to go through another round of heartbreak with him, but before I could speak he leaned down and brushed a kiss across my lips.
A warm tingling suffused my body as soon as our lips met, the sort of electric reaction I usually associate with casting magic, but much, much better. He was hesitant at first, probably afraid I’d slap him or zot him with a spell, but when I didn’t object he slowly began to deepen the kiss. My knees went weak as my good sense vanished, and I slipped my arms around him to steady myself. Lex held me close as he continued to kiss me, and I leaned into him. I’d forgotten how well we fit together. He sighed, as though my lips were delicious and he savored them.
“This is a bad idea,” I murmured.
“No, this is a good idea.” Lex nudged me back toward the couch, and I sat down in a less-than-graceful flop. Next he joined me and drew me into his arms.
“Oh yeah? How?” My hormones were obviously happy to see him, but I still had a little bit of brainpower left, enough to be skeptical of the situation.
“Because letting you go was a bad idea. I don’t want to make that mistake again.” His voice was low and strained, and I wished it wasn’t so dark so I could see his expression. I sighed, a mix of old pain and new uncertainty, but he kissed me again and I stopped arguing.
I relaxed into the embrace, returning the kiss passionately. I felt better instantly—safe, warm, desired. Lex stroked my braided hair and let his hand rest at the small of my back. I ran my own hands up and down his back, debating whether or not it would be a good idea to tug his shirt off, but then I felt him unhooking my bra. My pulse jumped, and my magic decided to take that opportunity to wreak havoc on a pair of unsuspecting table lamps. With an electric sizzle followed by two sharp pops the light bulbs flashed and exploded. Startled, we jumped apart, the mood broken. We stared at each other, and I felt a guilty blush heat my face.
“Cat—” he started, and I held a hand up to stop him before he could say anything further.
According to TV Tropes [i], “Tropes are devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations.” In other words, a trope is a plot, character, setting, device, or pattern that the audience recognizes, like the unassuming farm boy hero, the rebellion against an oppressive government, or the wise mentor character [ii]. Tropes make stories run, and all stories have tropes. They’re kind of like the building blocks of genre fiction, or bits of basic structural code.
Why are tropes important?
In the article "Originality in Genre Fiction – An Oxymoron?" [iii] the appeal of genre fiction to readers is credited to the “reassuring repetition of central archetypes, elements, themes, or tropes. … [G]enre books are often ‘coded’ in a certain way for their readers, meaning that when you encounter a big, dark, cop hero, you expect an alpha taming story (i.e. the beauty and the beast retelling). … I would argue that this coding is part of the pleasure and satisfaction genre readers derive when they seek out genre books.”
Essentially, romance readers expect a love story and a happily ever after, mystery readers expect a crime to be solved, fantasy readers expect dragons. Okay, maybe not dragons, but the reader goes into the story with expectations he or she assumes will be met based on the genre. Tropes are the conventions within the genre. Like in the above quote, if a romance reader sees an alpha male being all alpha-y, it's expected that he's probably the hero, and that the heroine is going to have to "tame" him. (Preferably with a swift kick to the groin if he's being an alph-hole.) Tropes are appealing because of these familiar expectations. A reader is rewarded with an expected payoff like the hero and heroine finally defeating the villain and true love conquering all, or a reader can be surprised when a favorite trope is twisted in a new or interesting way (like, “OMG dude, I did NOT see that coming. That was awesome!”).
How is a trope different from a cliché?
A trope becomes a cliché when it is predictable to the point of boredom (like, “OMG dude, I saw that coming miles away. I just wasted hours of my life that I’ll never get back.”) [ii]. If tropes are bits of software code, then an author uses tropes to build an app that is familiar to the user and meets their needs, but fresh and exciting enough to warrant downloading it. It's the difference between "Yay, I'm so glad I got this app! It has everything I wanted!" and "Seriously? I have twelve apps like this already. All they did was change the font color. Total ripoff."
Examples of Popular Tropes in Romance NovelsFriends-to-Lovers/Best-Friends-to-Lovers: Rhonda Helms [iv] explains this one as, “[T]he girl who had a crush on her brother’s bestie for years and years, and he saw her as nothing more than a friend…until one day, VA-VA-VOOM, suddenly she comes back into his life looking SMOKING hot and he’s all, holy crap.” I've always liked this trope, because instead of two strangers falling into insta-love after just meeting, these characters have a history together.Reunited Lovers: This is related to the Friends-to-Lovers trope. These characters have a history; they loved each other once, but it didn’t work out, like in Nora Roberts’s The Key of Knowledge and Face the Fire. I LOVE the Three Sisters Island trilogy, so Face the Fire has a special place in my heart. Mia is one tough cookie, and she doesn't want a damn thing to do Sam ever again. Fate, of course, has other ideas for them. Awesome ensues.Enemies-to-Lovers/Hate-to-Love: In Beyond Heaving Bosoms [v], Sarah Wendell refers to this as “I don’t wanna love you. I don’t wanna like you. I can’t stop thinking about your hair, dammit!” These two characters hate each other, usually due to some past wrong, yet are extremely attracted to each other. There is much angsty hate make-out.Arranged Marriage/Marriage of Convenience [vi]: This trope is often used in historical romances, and is a reader favorite. These characters think that marriage will solve all their political/financial/social problems and that joining forces will be “convenient” for both of them. Then both characters do the one thing that both of them swore they would never do: They fall in love! This is usually followed by pages and pages of angst about, "I love [character], but [he/she] will never love me in return!" So much angst.Broken Marriage: This trope often happens when the Arranged/Convenient Marriage goes horribly wrong. Maybe the bride was sent away to the New World, and they’ve spent years apart. Or maybe the characters were high school sweethearts who married too young and divorced, but are reunited as older, wiser people. In the words of the philosopher P!nk, these characters are not broken, just bent, and can learn to love again.Class Differences: Hoo boy. She’s a society darling, he’s the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s a trust-fund baby from old money, she’s the tough businesswoman who worked her way up from nothing. She’s a princess, he’s a pauper. Clearly they can never be together, but true love conquers all. There is much rejoicing.Road Trip: “It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses.” These characters are on a journey somewhere, and they’re stuck together for the duration. Shenanigans ensue.Sacrifice: In this trope, a character is dutifully sacrificing for someone they love, such as working two jobs to support a sick loved one, giving up their college fund so a sibling can go to school in his/her place, or working the family business instead of pursuing his/her dreams (think "It's A Wonderful Life"). Then along comes another character who can make everything better. Or worse. Or just make the character see that things will get better, and this too shall pass.The Big Misunderstanding [v]: The Big Mis is a common trope of old school romance novels, usually historicals. The Big Mis is based on an unfortunate circumstance—a character overhears gossip about another character, or witnesses a character doing something innocent that is misinterpreted. The Big Mis is a world of bad juju, because the “conflict” it creates can usually be resolved by 5 minutes of honest conversation between the characters.One-Night-Stand: Often this trope results in another trope, the Secret Baby. The characters have a steamy night of passion. Consequences ensue. Sexy Protector: This trope is a standard for romantic suspense novels. One character is in trouble—on the run from the law, the mob, ninjas, aliens, zombies—and is being protected by a sexy authority figure. This can lead to the One-Night-Stand and then the Secret Baby. Romantic suspense is not really my genre, and though I can certainly understand the appeal of a sexy man (or better, woman) in uniform, but I just don't get the "we are being chased by bad guys, let's stop here for a moment of life-affirming lovin'." Anyway...Boardroom Romance: Powerful execs, using office furniture in ways that the manufacturer never intended. This has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to the recent obsession with billionaire heroes. (Yes, I am guilty of having a billionaire hero--well, Harrison's not exactly a hero.) I wonder if this has to do with the sex appeal of characters in well-tailored business attire. Rawr.
Why are tropes important to me?
Because you can use tropes as inspiration in plotting your novel. Take two or three, incorporate them into your story, then make them yours. Everyone knows the hero's journey--one moment a character is in their ordinary world, then something happens to drag them out of it, drama and angst ensues, then the conflict is solved, the end. It's how you tell your character's story that makes it yours. All the nutritious world-building, all the delicious character quirks, the tasty dialogue, the twist of lime. Mix together, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, and viola! A story that your reader will devour and leave them hungry for more.
References
[i] Television Tropes and Idioms. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://tvtropes.org.
[ii] Heine, A. (2011, June 10). Tropes vs. Clichés [Web log post]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://www.adamheine.com.
[iii] Reader, R. (2010, October 19). Originality in Genre Fiction – An Oxymoron? [Web log post]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://dearauthor.com.
[iv] Helms, R. (2012, April 23). You Tell Us: Your Favorite Story Tropes [Web log post]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://carinapress.com.
[v] Wendell, S., and Tan, C. (2009). Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels. New York: Simon & Schuster.
[vi] Crutcher, W. (2012, October 3). Romance Tropes and Themes: Marriages of Convenience [Web log post]. Retrieved October 11, 2013 from http://www.rtbookreviews.com.About the Author
Robyn Bachar enjoys writing stories with soul mates, swords, spaceships, vampires, and gratuitous violence against the kitchen sink. Her paranormal romance Bad Witch series, historical paranormal romance series Bad Witch: The Emily Chronicles, and spicy space opera romance trilogy Cy’ren Rising are available from Samhain Publishing. Her books have finaled twice in PRISM Contest for Published Authors, twice in the Passionate Plume Contest, and twice in the EPIC eBook Awards. As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors, and slaying creatures in mmorpgs.Book Info
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ZGbTnTwitter: @RobynBacharFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobynBacharGoogle+: http://google.com/+RobynBacharGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/iamtherobyn
Falling in love has never been so deadly.Five supernatural thrillers packed with action and romance, each introducing you to an exciting series. Honorable heroes, strong heroines and relentless suspense combine to bring you five page-turners you won’t soon forget.
Veiled Target—USA TODAY bestselling author Robin Bielman: Tess wants revenge, but thrust into an inconvenient alliance with her sexy enemy, she must trust the shifter she’s supposed to kill or risk losing everything.
Blood, Smoke and Mirrors—Robyn Bachar: Hunted by a powerful evil, exiled witch Cat must entrust her fate to the man who betrayed her. Now Lex faces the fight of his life to keep her safe. If they both survive.
Slayer’s Kiss—Cassi Carver: Fallen angels Gavin and Julian have been sent to protect Kara, but she’s determined to track down a killer, even when she realizes her target may be the creature hunting her.
Soul Bound—Anne Hope: Jace is no longer human. Something dark and powerful has taken root within him. Something that that could destroy the one woman he’d sacrifice everything to protect.
Phoenix Rising—Corrina Lawson: Everyone looks at firestarter Alec Farley as a weapon. Beth is the only one who sees a hero. But proving that could be deadly.
Warning: Contains shifters, vampires, witches, fallen angels, a firestarter and troublemaking faeries. Watch out for gratuitous violence, gripping emotion, unconventional sex, some foul language, and a love triangle that gives new meaning to the term hot-wings.
Five Past Midnight is available for only $4.99 for a limited time at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks, iTunes, Kobo, and Samhain.
Excerpt
“I’ll be here as long as you need me.” Lex looked down at me, seeming sincere, and I shook my head at him.
“Don’t, Lex. You’re only here on orders. You’ll be gone and on to the next as soon as this assignment is over.”
“What if I don’t want that?”
“What if I do? I’m all for the life-saving thing, but I don’t want you in my life again.”
“Are you sure of that?”
Scowling, I took a steadying breath and prepared to launch into an explanation of the myriad reasons why I wasn’t about to go through another round of heartbreak with him, but before I could speak he leaned down and brushed a kiss across my lips.
A warm tingling suffused my body as soon as our lips met, the sort of electric reaction I usually associate with casting magic, but much, much better. He was hesitant at first, probably afraid I’d slap him or zot him with a spell, but when I didn’t object he slowly began to deepen the kiss. My knees went weak as my good sense vanished, and I slipped my arms around him to steady myself. Lex held me close as he continued to kiss me, and I leaned into him. I’d forgotten how well we fit together. He sighed, as though my lips were delicious and he savored them.
“This is a bad idea,” I murmured.
“No, this is a good idea.” Lex nudged me back toward the couch, and I sat down in a less-than-graceful flop. Next he joined me and drew me into his arms.
“Oh yeah? How?” My hormones were obviously happy to see him, but I still had a little bit of brainpower left, enough to be skeptical of the situation.
“Because letting you go was a bad idea. I don’t want to make that mistake again.” His voice was low and strained, and I wished it wasn’t so dark so I could see his expression. I sighed, a mix of old pain and new uncertainty, but he kissed me again and I stopped arguing.
I relaxed into the embrace, returning the kiss passionately. I felt better instantly—safe, warm, desired. Lex stroked my braided hair and let his hand rest at the small of my back. I ran my own hands up and down his back, debating whether or not it would be a good idea to tug his shirt off, but then I felt him unhooking my bra. My pulse jumped, and my magic decided to take that opportunity to wreak havoc on a pair of unsuspecting table lamps. With an electric sizzle followed by two sharp pops the light bulbs flashed and exploded. Startled, we jumped apart, the mood broken. We stared at each other, and I felt a guilty blush heat my face.
“Cat—” he started, and I held a hand up to stop him before he could say anything further.
October 24, 2015
NaNoWriMo 2015 Prep: Join the NaNoWriMo Brigade by Jenna Bayley-Burke
Is this thing on?
What no microphone? Thank goodness. I always stand too close to those things. I get so excited when I talk about NaNoWriMo, I always wind up with that annoying reverb sound. I think it’s the mic anyway, not the amount of caffeine emanating from me as I attempt another NaNo.
What is NaNoWriMo? National Novel Writing Month comes every November. All around the world, writers vow to collect words until they hit 50,000, throwing aside all notions that tell them that they can’t. It is the brainchild of No Plot No Problem author Chris Baty. Each year the NaNoWriMo website and forum teem with writers hopeful to turn someday into today.
Anyone with an inkling they want to write a novel can join the NaNoWriMo brigade. It’s free, it’s fast, and it even has perks like a laptop loaner program, opportunities to print a personal copy of your novel, discounts of writing software, and a great reason to head out to your local community NaNo meeting and find likeminded writers in your area. If you’d prefer an online writing group, Romance Divas and Harlequin both host specialized groups in their forums during November.
For years I found something wrong with the stories I wrote, usually right around chapter four. I’d drop it like a hot potato, chasing after the next idea so I’d soon forget I meant to go back and finish. Until I signed up for National Novel Writers Month in 2004, and forced myself to muddle through that fourth chapter, following it with more chapters until Just One Spark had a beginning, middle and an end.
Drafting a novel in thirty days isn’t for everyone, but for those who’ve never finished a novel, the magic of a deadline does pull you across the finish line. And those writers who hope to write romance can benefit from the discipline. The draft that you have at the end of the month isn’t publishable, but it is fixable. As Nora Roberts once said, you can’t fix a blank page.
What are you waiting for? Don’t write a novel someday, write it this November.
About the Author
Jenna's first book, Just One Spark, was written through the NaNoWriMo experience. She liked it so much, she’s completed one every year since (except for last year, but she has a doctor’s note). She hasn’t decided if she’ll be spending next month with a cowboy or a billionaire. Oh, maybe both...Book Info
Website: http://www.jennabayleyburke.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.bayleyburkeTwitter: @jennabbPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jbayleyburke/
He's hot enough to set off alarms...Firefighter Mason McNally has waited his whole life for a woman who stirs his soul. When he finds her, she’s nose-deep in a racy paperback, perched atop a vibrating washing machine.
Her beauty, boldness and raw sensuality definitely stir something in Mason. But there’s a problem. He’s forgotten he’s wearing a wedding ring.
Retail maven Hannah Daniels is focused on things she can control—like her career, her clothes and her romance novels. She works hard, dresses well and reads everywhere she can. Like at the laundromat. The fireman trying to strike up a conversation looks like a fantasy come true, until she see the ring on his left hand. She's lived that nightmare before.
No amount of hasty explanations that the ring is for his brother’s psychology experiment keeps her from disappearing. Now he’s consumed with finding her again to convince her that their spark of attraction can burn down that bad first impression.
This book lived a brief life in England, Australia, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Greece. This is its first North American incarnation.
Warning: Watch out for psychobabble, big-brother posturing and creepy exes. An imaginative, eavesdropping writing group and a stalker with a Hallmark obsession. Plus, a firefighter who serves waffles the morning after.
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