Jo Ellen's Blog, page 4
April 11, 2014
Sex Scenes
I write them, I read them. I consider mine to be rather tame. I mean, beyond insert tab A into slot B, what can you say? Well, you can write about feelings so that it doesn't come across as an anatomy lesson.
How many different ways are there to write about sex? Somber, happy, funny, consumed, dedicated? Hmm, dedicated. That one strikes me as funny. Picture it. Someone being just so darn dedicated to sex. Maybe that crosses into nymphoism.
Sad to say, I've gotten to the point where I simply skim through the sex scenes in the books I read now. Unless I see dialogue. I find I'm more interested in what the characters are saying than what they're doing. I'm still working on my Wolf Creek Series and I'm still writing Devlin's story. He's the funny one, so how could I leave that part of his personality out during sex? I can't. I do not want my characters to suddenly become boring and change who they are simply to make sure I get that scene in the book. I don't want a copy and paste sex scene where every guy I've written about sound exactly the same.
Do I describe body parts? Seems kind of repetitive. Velvet covered steel? That one kills me! I gotta work it in somehow. Oh, then there's the, "He was so huge, he bumped her cervix." Well, all I can add to that is, "Ow!"
I'm being facetious, I know. Reading blogs about what the readers have said about these scenes are downright funny. They, (the readers) pick up on stuff you hadn't thought about before.
Last thought. Sex on a horse? Yeah, I read a romance novel recently with that scene going on. Again, my comment is simply, "Ow..."
How many different ways are there to write about sex? Somber, happy, funny, consumed, dedicated? Hmm, dedicated. That one strikes me as funny. Picture it. Someone being just so darn dedicated to sex. Maybe that crosses into nymphoism.
Sad to say, I've gotten to the point where I simply skim through the sex scenes in the books I read now. Unless I see dialogue. I find I'm more interested in what the characters are saying than what they're doing. I'm still working on my Wolf Creek Series and I'm still writing Devlin's story. He's the funny one, so how could I leave that part of his personality out during sex? I can't. I do not want my characters to suddenly become boring and change who they are simply to make sure I get that scene in the book. I don't want a copy and paste sex scene where every guy I've written about sound exactly the same.
Do I describe body parts? Seems kind of repetitive. Velvet covered steel? That one kills me! I gotta work it in somehow. Oh, then there's the, "He was so huge, he bumped her cervix." Well, all I can add to that is, "Ow!"
I'm being facetious, I know. Reading blogs about what the readers have said about these scenes are downright funny. They, (the readers) pick up on stuff you hadn't thought about before.
Last thought. Sex on a horse? Yeah, I read a romance novel recently with that scene going on. Again, my comment is simply, "Ow..."
February 20, 2014
I just lowered the price of my first book, Wolf Creek Alp...
I just lowered the price of my first book, Wolf Creek Alpha, to $2.99. Barnes & Noble and All Romance E-books already show the lower price. Hopefully, Amazon, iTunes, and Kobo will update soon.
Thanks Y'all!
Thanks Y'all!
January 21, 2014
Going on Sale!
My first book in the Wolf Creek Series will be going on sale Look for it Thursday, Jan 30 through Sat Feb 1, 2014.
Wolf Creek Alpha (Texas Pack 1) 1-30-14 through 2-1-14
99¢
http://amzn.com/B008H5W90O
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolf-creek-alpha-jo-ellen/1112470440?ean=2940148636656
Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wolf-creek-alpha
Wolf Creek Alpha (Texas Pack 1) 1-30-14 through 2-1-14
99¢
http://amzn.com/B008H5W90O
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolf-creek-alpha-jo-ellen/1112470440?ean=2940148636656
Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wolf-creek-alpha
December 2, 2013
Write Faster???
I've read stories about authors publishing a book every two months and I ask, how do you do it? I'm not talking about authors putting their backlist up. I'm talking about new material. I am a slow writer. There. I've admitted it. Also, before I can start writing on a new day, I have to re-read what I wrote the day before to get back into the feel of the book.
Some writers have a set word or page count they do per day.
Some edit as they go or edit what they wrote the next day after reading it again. I do both.
Someday I'd like to sit down and write and not worry about grammar, typos, run-on sentences, etc…But that is so very difficult for me, I tend to correct as I go along.
Maybe next year I'll sign up for NaNoWriMo and push out 50,000 words in one month. The challenge intrigues me...
Some writers have a set word or page count they do per day.
Some edit as they go or edit what they wrote the next day after reading it again. I do both.
Someday I'd like to sit down and write and not worry about grammar, typos, run-on sentences, etc…But that is so very difficult for me, I tend to correct as I go along.
Maybe next year I'll sign up for NaNoWriMo and push out 50,000 words in one month. The challenge intrigues me...
November 20, 2013
New Covers! I love em'
New Covers! I love em'
September 17, 2013
Mom's know best! Doctors just think they do...
This post is geared towards those out there raising a hearing impaired child. My daughter is twenty-one now and a senior in college. I'm proud to say she is a confident young woman who doesn't let anything hold her back. I'm thinking of when she turned eighteen and decided to go skydiving. Um, no way for me. There is simply no way I could step out of an airplane to fall to the earth. She loved it, by the way.
Now, my point. If you think there is something different with your child, do not allow doctors to blow you off. Here's what happened when she was three. "Dr, other three year olds talk better than her," I said. And his reply, "Yes, they do," as he leaves the room. Two months later, we're back for a sore throat as I recall and she's just turned four. "Dr, her two year old brother speaks better than she does." Next, his condescending reply, "Let me give you a lesson in child development."
There is a lot more to this story, I could write a book. Lol. I simply wanted to let any young moms that happen to read my post know to trust your instincts. There are some good doctors out there, we were just unlucky enough to get the one that, in my opinion, had been practicing too long.
When another Dr asked my husband what he thought of our pediatrician, my husband replied, "Oh, he's great, too bad he doesn't like kids." Yeah, that's my husbands sense of humor.
In closing, I'd like to advise anyone raising a hearing impaired child to give them language! The deaf child gets their language from that one person speaking directly to them, or the TV. Use whole sentences, words they do not know so they'll ask what it means. I can remember my husband saying we could really mess with our kids if we told them the name for a dog is elephant. Uh huh. Point at that dog across the street and say, "Look, an elephant." And why did I marry this man? Lol
Sometime in the future I'll blog about sign language versus speech. That was a hot button when my daughter was little. And just to let you know, she speaks very well to the hearing world and signs to the deaf.
Now, my point. If you think there is something different with your child, do not allow doctors to blow you off. Here's what happened when she was three. "Dr, other three year olds talk better than her," I said. And his reply, "Yes, they do," as he leaves the room. Two months later, we're back for a sore throat as I recall and she's just turned four. "Dr, her two year old brother speaks better than she does." Next, his condescending reply, "Let me give you a lesson in child development."
There is a lot more to this story, I could write a book. Lol. I simply wanted to let any young moms that happen to read my post know to trust your instincts. There are some good doctors out there, we were just unlucky enough to get the one that, in my opinion, had been practicing too long.
When another Dr asked my husband what he thought of our pediatrician, my husband replied, "Oh, he's great, too bad he doesn't like kids." Yeah, that's my husbands sense of humor.
In closing, I'd like to advise anyone raising a hearing impaired child to give them language! The deaf child gets their language from that one person speaking directly to them, or the TV. Use whole sentences, words they do not know so they'll ask what it means. I can remember my husband saying we could really mess with our kids if we told them the name for a dog is elephant. Uh huh. Point at that dog across the street and say, "Look, an elephant." And why did I marry this man? Lol
Sometime in the future I'll blog about sign language versus speech. That was a hot button when my daughter was little. And just to let you know, she speaks very well to the hearing world and signs to the deaf.
August 31, 2013
Reviews: Good and Bad
Reviews, how exciting! That is, the good ones. The bad ones? Can ruin your day, if you let them.
I'll start with the good ones. I don't know if readers realize this or not, but authors absolutely check their reviews. Amazon, Nook, iTunes, Kobo, wherever. Especially us Indies who count on our readers to get the word out.
I've had some that simply make my day, cheer me up, or encourage me to write on. When someone takes the time to write to say how much they enjoyed my book or books, I mentally send out a warm hug and a big Thank You!
I've read where writers should not answer good reviews, just like they should not respond to bad ones. The thought is that the reader may feel as though they are being stalked. Nope, don't want to make any of my readers feel that way. So here in my blog, I can say thank you very much to all of you. You know who you are! Lol
Now the bad reviews. Yes, they hurt your feelings, you rant and yell, "they don't know what they're talking about." Then you walk away. Read those bad reviews later, once you've calmed down. And surprise, surprise. They were right. Sigh. The ones that point out obvious flaws are a great learning curve. That is, stay away from that curve and get straight. Fix your grammar problems. Work on showing your story instead of telling. Yup, that one has been difficult for me. Comes from being a mom, I think. I'm always 'telling' my kids what to do instead of 'showing'. But I am thankful for the reviewers that pointed out my errors. Ignoring them and making the same mistakes over and over, isn't that a sign of arrogance? So, I will say thank you also to the ones that gave me, quote, bad reviews. You were my teacher and didn't know it.
I'll start with the good ones. I don't know if readers realize this or not, but authors absolutely check their reviews. Amazon, Nook, iTunes, Kobo, wherever. Especially us Indies who count on our readers to get the word out.
I've had some that simply make my day, cheer me up, or encourage me to write on. When someone takes the time to write to say how much they enjoyed my book or books, I mentally send out a warm hug and a big Thank You!
I've read where writers should not answer good reviews, just like they should not respond to bad ones. The thought is that the reader may feel as though they are being stalked. Nope, don't want to make any of my readers feel that way. So here in my blog, I can say thank you very much to all of you. You know who you are! Lol
Now the bad reviews. Yes, they hurt your feelings, you rant and yell, "they don't know what they're talking about." Then you walk away. Read those bad reviews later, once you've calmed down. And surprise, surprise. They were right. Sigh. The ones that point out obvious flaws are a great learning curve. That is, stay away from that curve and get straight. Fix your grammar problems. Work on showing your story instead of telling. Yup, that one has been difficult for me. Comes from being a mom, I think. I'm always 'telling' my kids what to do instead of 'showing'. But I am thankful for the reviewers that pointed out my errors. Ignoring them and making the same mistakes over and over, isn't that a sign of arrogance? So, I will say thank you also to the ones that gave me, quote, bad reviews. You were my teacher and didn't know it.
August 28, 2013
Working on 3rd book in Wolf Creek Series
I'm working on Devlin's story and hope to get it wrapped up by October. The title is still a work in progress and this one is more difficult. I've used alpha and enforcer, what's left? Wolf Creek Baby Brother, nah...
Devlin's love interest is a somewhat high maintenance, voluptuous type of woman, but likable. She'll fit right in with the rest of the crew.
I've been re-formating and correcting errors in my first two books. Things I find annoying as a reader. I also added a table of contents to both books, which I should have done in the first place.
Anyway, I plan to add a paragraph here and there of Devlin's story to my facebook page as I go along. Opinions welcome! Okay, back to writing. See y'all later...
Jo Ellen
Devlin's love interest is a somewhat high maintenance, voluptuous type of woman, but likable. She'll fit right in with the rest of the crew.
I've been re-formating and correcting errors in my first two books. Things I find annoying as a reader. I also added a table of contents to both books, which I should have done in the first place.
Anyway, I plan to add a paragraph here and there of Devlin's story to my facebook page as I go along. Opinions welcome! Okay, back to writing. See y'all later...
Jo Ellen
August 26, 2013
I found Brenda Hiatt's blog and enjoyed reading her post....
I found Brenda Hiatt's blog and enjoyed reading her post. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to do the legwork and freely share with others her results.
Traditional Publisher Survey
Show Me the Money!http://brendahiatt.com/show-me-the-money/
Her post on indie earnings is worth reading too!
Traditional Publisher Survey
Show Me the Money!http://brendahiatt.com/show-me-the-money/
Her post on indie earnings is worth reading too!
August 24, 2013
Books by Jo Ellen
Lisa is surprised to learn that she is a witch and has a werewolf for a mate. Fighting against a dark fae who wants to steal her magic, she will quickly learn how to use her newfound abilities. With the help from Melissa, the cougar clans seer, they will confront Ciar, the dark fae. Lisa does not easily accept Rafe as her mate, even though she is irresistibly drawn to him. His job as alpha to his pack is to guard the magical pond that sits in front of his home, while trying to keep his new mate safe. Rafe receives help from the Faeiry Queen in the form of her personal guard, Robert. Rafe and his brothers, Ian and Devlin will protect Lisa with their lives as she learns of worlds she never knew existed.
She is a confident woman that does not blindly go along with Rafe when he tells her she belongs to him. She uses humor to cover her fears and believes sarcasm to be a great tool to get her point across. Rafe knows he'll have a difficult time telling her that he's a werewolf without making her run from him.
1st book in Wolf Creek Series
Melanie hitchhikes across New Mexico looking for this 'thing' that is pulling at her. As a druid who travels through time helping lost souls, she knows that this feeling is different. On the side of the highway, she meets Ian when he stops to give her a ride. He recognizes her as his mate immediately, furious that she would travel alone on the deserted road. Melanie is quite comfortable with the big, bad, wolf. Being a carefree and untroubled woman, her spontaneity will challenge Ian's rigid self-discipline.
When called into service to rescue someone lost in time, her brother David lends his help, along with Ian and his brother, Devlin. Finding an evil wizard bent on using her for her abilities, they are furious when she is taken. Ian will let nothing stand in his way of finding his mate and killing the wizard. Ian and Melanie will journey through time to Scotland, see the land of Faeiry, and meet the Faeiry Queen on their travels.
2nd book in Wolf Creek Series
