Allure Van Sanz's Blog, page 6
March 15, 2010
New Release Day!
Hey all!
Handling Gwen is now on sale at http://www.nobleromance.com
Cliches get such a bad rep. But sometimes, that bad can be oh-so-good.
In Handling Gwen, a bit of blackmail takes "schoolgirl" a long way into making her teacher fantasy a reality, but will Gwen find herself in control or will Mr. Pierce find a way to turn the situation to his advantage?
For 1.99 you can come along for the hot ride.
Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear your favorite cliches, or one you'd love to see written again.
All my best to you all,
Allure Van Sanz
January 12, 2010
Got Character?
On my agent's loop the other day, I asked about my newest WIP and whether the background I had for my character was a bit *too* much for Young Adult. Mainly I asked because the character chose me. Once I started plotting, her name and her background came through strong and I found myself staring at potential controversy. Hence the reason why I turned to authors I trust to ask about what would be coonsidered too much. I sparked interest, brought worry, and received a little bit of backlash.
Some worried about their young girls reading about a character who has such emotional problems that she turns to extreme measures. (Sorry I'm being vague here, but I'm protecting the concept.)
Others were very encouraging and others still came up with alternative backgrounds close to my original in case the book gets shot down because of the X factor.
Even asking the question was an eye-opening experience and for a couple of days...I let the story go. I didn't want to upset anyone or seem like I was purposefully going for shock marketing.
Only...the character wouldn't let me go.
I thought of putting this taboo X Factor into a book geared towards older audiences...maybe that new genre "New Adult" for college-aged people would work.
"But I'm not in college," said the voice in my head.
LOL I swear I think writer's are borderline schizo with all the character activity in our brain.
I once blogged about Grey, the side-kick to Vic in my novel Murder Creek, and how he corrected me when I failed to crack a joke about something Vic said to him in a scene. I was showering when I heard "You think I'd let that sh*t slide?" or something along those lines and sure enough...when I went back to edit I channeled Grey and had a humorous back and forth to put into the book.
Now, my MC Niabi is calling me a coward for considering changing her age to something more "acceptable".
I'm conflicted. The story I was originally writing (with my occasional writing partner Vas) seems to be taking a different twist. I wonder if I can keep with the original SL (Story Line) with a background XFactor this big. If I can shift it down in importance to the story but keep the impact of it hard and relevant.
It's a lot of pressure, and I pretty much just have to plow through it and see how it comes out...and I know Niabi will let me know if I start writing something she doesn't feel is legit.
So what do you all think? Does the character choose you? Have you ever written a character who you felt deep but worried about transferring to the page?
Best,
Me
Some worried about their young girls reading about a character who has such emotional problems that she turns to extreme measures. (Sorry I'm being vague here, but I'm protecting the concept.)
Others were very encouraging and others still came up with alternative backgrounds close to my original in case the book gets shot down because of the X factor.
Even asking the question was an eye-opening experience and for a couple of days...I let the story go. I didn't want to upset anyone or seem like I was purposefully going for shock marketing.
Only...the character wouldn't let me go.
I thought of putting this taboo X Factor into a book geared towards older audiences...maybe that new genre "New Adult" for college-aged people would work.
"But I'm not in college," said the voice in my head.
LOL I swear I think writer's are borderline schizo with all the character activity in our brain.
I once blogged about Grey, the side-kick to Vic in my novel Murder Creek, and how he corrected me when I failed to crack a joke about something Vic said to him in a scene. I was showering when I heard "You think I'd let that sh*t slide?" or something along those lines and sure enough...when I went back to edit I channeled Grey and had a humorous back and forth to put into the book.
Now, my MC Niabi is calling me a coward for considering changing her age to something more "acceptable".
I'm conflicted. The story I was originally writing (with my occasional writing partner Vas) seems to be taking a different twist. I wonder if I can keep with the original SL (Story Line) with a background XFactor this big. If I can shift it down in importance to the story but keep the impact of it hard and relevant.
It's a lot of pressure, and I pretty much just have to plow through it and see how it comes out...and I know Niabi will let me know if I start writing something she doesn't feel is legit.
So what do you all think? Does the character choose you? Have you ever written a character who you felt deep but worried about transferring to the page?
Best,
Me
November 15, 2009
Part Of The Job?
Headaches...migraines, tired eyes. Oh my.
I write on average 2k a day give or take. I know I could do better if I pushed harder but lately even the 2k has been hard for me to do. I was supposed to have my Young Adult novel done by the end of October and here it is middle of November and it still isn't finished. I'm unhappy about that but I was constantly running into problems.
My head wasn't cooperating. I became despondant thinking that my Fibro condition was worsening and what constant migraines would mean for my career if I could only write 4k a week!...when I found myself squinting.
Yup, squinting...a lot. When I watched TV, when I played games and when I drove at night.
I had even reported to my doctor "these aren't my usual migraines" but he just told me it was stress or tension headaches. Yeah, stress on the eyeballs pal!
I finally decided it was time to go to the eye doctor. What could it hurt?
Other than my pocket book? Nothing.
Turns out I need glasses. The amount of money I paid for the cheapest lens (plastic) is mind-boggling. Oh and clearly I need to be a frame designer so I can make millions off the visual disabilities of others. Sheesh! So much for that Christmas present I was going to buy myself. ::sigh:: I guess the Craig Horner drool fest will have to happen at a later date or when the first season of Legend of the Seeker goes on sale.
Now I have to ask, because like all women to varying degrees who wear glasses I wonder... do I look like Lisa Loeb?
I write on average 2k a day give or take. I know I could do better if I pushed harder but lately even the 2k has been hard for me to do. I was supposed to have my Young Adult novel done by the end of October and here it is middle of November and it still isn't finished. I'm unhappy about that but I was constantly running into problems.
My head wasn't cooperating. I became despondant thinking that my Fibro condition was worsening and what constant migraines would mean for my career if I could only write 4k a week!...when I found myself squinting.
Yup, squinting...a lot. When I watched TV, when I played games and when I drove at night.
I had even reported to my doctor "these aren't my usual migraines" but he just told me it was stress or tension headaches. Yeah, stress on the eyeballs pal!
I finally decided it was time to go to the eye doctor. What could it hurt?
Other than my pocket book? Nothing.
Turns out I need glasses. The amount of money I paid for the cheapest lens (plastic) is mind-boggling. Oh and clearly I need to be a frame designer so I can make millions off the visual disabilities of others. Sheesh! So much for that Christmas present I was going to buy myself. ::sigh:: I guess the Craig Horner drool fest will have to happen at a later date or when the first season of Legend of the Seeker goes on sale.
Now I have to ask, because like all women to varying degrees who wear glasses I wonder... do I look like Lisa Loeb?
October 4, 2009
How To Sell More Copies Of Your Book
When a customer asks a librarian or bookseller for a recommendation, whose book do you want them to suggest? How about yours?
The Greater Detroit RWA Booksellers' Best Award is your ticket to more sales!
For the very low price of $27*, every entrant will get their book read by multiple booksellers and librarians. A poster of the winners' covers will be sent to booksellers and librarians nationwide.
If that isn't enough to send you scrambling to the Post Office…
Finalists will be invited to an exclusive party at the RWA National Conference in Nashville. Winners will also get a coveted Booksellers' Best Award pin. Must be an RWA member to enter.
Now that you know you're going to enter (why wouldn't you?) go to www.gdrwa.org for rules and entry form. Deadline is January 15, 2010
*$6 additional cost to enter the Best First Book category
The Greater Detroit RWA Booksellers' Best Award is your ticket to more sales!
For the very low price of $27*, every entrant will get their book read by multiple booksellers and librarians. A poster of the winners' covers will be sent to booksellers and librarians nationwide.
If that isn't enough to send you scrambling to the Post Office…
Finalists will be invited to an exclusive party at the RWA National Conference in Nashville. Winners will also get a coveted Booksellers' Best Award pin. Must be an RWA member to enter.
Now that you know you're going to enter (why wouldn't you?) go to www.gdrwa.org for rules and entry form. Deadline is January 15, 2010
*$6 additional cost to enter the Best First Book category
September 9, 2009
Top Ten Loop Annoyances
While talking about Loop Pet Peeves with a few friends, I decided to compile a list and post it for everyone else to get a laugh out of...or, if you're anything like me, see things I do that made the list.
I swear I think four of these were added specifically for me by my..."friends". ::Eyes them.:: I'm onto you.
We all do something some people hate, that's why most people go digest. LOL
Instead of go straight down from 10-1 I put letters next to them so you can pick your own top 10.
Personally I would like to add Looooong paragraphs, and bright pink fonts to the list, but they didn't make the cut. (I think F,D,&C are references to me! Bitches. LOL)
My List Goes from Bottom to top: C, D, F, E, G, J, B, H, A, and OMG I hate the Doomsayers, so my #1 is I! Though it is pretty close with people who can't spell at all, especially if I'm referring to someone on a WRITERS LOOP.
Okay, onto the list! Would love to hear the order you hate them in and anything in addition that drives you nuts.
Best,
Allure
Top Ten Most Annoying Loop Offenses: (Put them in your own order.)
A- People who can't spell. I'm not talking typos here, because we all get them. But if you're spelling "genuine article" ginnuwen arctical" you better be a five year old.
B- People who respond to a question with: "I don't know" or any variation. If the answer to the question is not in your post, don't post it!
C- Congratulations, Thank Yous, You're Welcomes and other one-liner fluff. We always want to encourage people who are on the right track or doing something that's fabulous. But take it from someone who has been away for a day and come back to 1000 emails. 75% of them are usually one-liners.
D- People who know everything (just ask them) but say nothing. No matter what the topic is, they have something to say on it and know someone who has been through it but they don't remember how they overcame it.
E- Attachments/.gifs/.jpgs that have nothing to do with the topic, just something you keep on there that gums up my loading time or freaks out my spam filter.
F- The personal health updater. No matter what the topic is, they always manage to slip in their illness, the illness of their children and their children's children. Unless you are talking to a loop of intimate friends or a loops specifically designed for the illness you refer to, don't bring it up. 1000 people who barely know you might not care that you passed a kidney stone early morning.
G- The TMI group. They talk sex when they shouldn't, crack jokes whenever they feel like it, sometimes with a small disclaimer so they can feel justified. They talk about their panties bunching or their diarrhea episode at work. Who wants to know that?
H- Blatant self-promotion. Some of us join loops to promote a product and that's fine but when you answer an off topic question or respond with support for a tragedy or bad news, promoting shouldn't be at the top of your list. "I'm so sorry to hear your dog, Skippy, died last night. I wrote about pets dying in my blog at: www.Allaboutmeandnooneelsebutmeblog.b....
I- The Doomsayer. You ask a question and their response resembles something like: "This happen to my cousin and she lost everything! I hope this doesn't happen to you."
J- The Spammer. Whether it is someone peddling a product or worse yet, someone who answers every loop topic in order of succession. When I sign on and have 15-20 emails from the same person right in a row, I delete them all.
I swear I think four of these were added specifically for me by my..."friends". ::Eyes them.:: I'm onto you.
We all do something some people hate, that's why most people go digest. LOL
Instead of go straight down from 10-1 I put letters next to them so you can pick your own top 10.
Personally I would like to add Looooong paragraphs, and bright pink fonts to the list, but they didn't make the cut. (I think F,D,&C are references to me! Bitches. LOL)
My List Goes from Bottom to top: C, D, F, E, G, J, B, H, A, and OMG I hate the Doomsayers, so my #1 is I! Though it is pretty close with people who can't spell at all, especially if I'm referring to someone on a WRITERS LOOP.
Okay, onto the list! Would love to hear the order you hate them in and anything in addition that drives you nuts.
Best,
Allure
Top Ten Most Annoying Loop Offenses: (Put them in your own order.)
A- People who can't spell. I'm not talking typos here, because we all get them. But if you're spelling "genuine article" ginnuwen arctical" you better be a five year old.
B- People who respond to a question with: "I don't know" or any variation. If the answer to the question is not in your post, don't post it!
C- Congratulations, Thank Yous, You're Welcomes and other one-liner fluff. We always want to encourage people who are on the right track or doing something that's fabulous. But take it from someone who has been away for a day and come back to 1000 emails. 75% of them are usually one-liners.
D- People who know everything (just ask them) but say nothing. No matter what the topic is, they have something to say on it and know someone who has been through it but they don't remember how they overcame it.
E- Attachments/.gifs/.jpgs that have nothing to do with the topic, just something you keep on there that gums up my loading time or freaks out my spam filter.
F- The personal health updater. No matter what the topic is, they always manage to slip in their illness, the illness of their children and their children's children. Unless you are talking to a loop of intimate friends or a loops specifically designed for the illness you refer to, don't bring it up. 1000 people who barely know you might not care that you passed a kidney stone early morning.
G- The TMI group. They talk sex when they shouldn't, crack jokes whenever they feel like it, sometimes with a small disclaimer so they can feel justified. They talk about their panties bunching or their diarrhea episode at work. Who wants to know that?
H- Blatant self-promotion. Some of us join loops to promote a product and that's fine but when you answer an off topic question or respond with support for a tragedy or bad news, promoting shouldn't be at the top of your list. "I'm so sorry to hear your dog, Skippy, died last night. I wrote about pets dying in my blog at: www.Allaboutmeandnooneelsebutmeblog.b....
I- The Doomsayer. You ask a question and their response resembles something like: "This happen to my cousin and she lost everything! I hope this doesn't happen to you."
J- The Spammer. Whether it is someone peddling a product or worse yet, someone who answers every loop topic in order of succession. When I sign on and have 15-20 emails from the same person right in a row, I delete them all.
July 22, 2009
I Don't Have Enough Family!
Am I the only one who doesn't have a mammoth family? I have my mom and my sister and a cousin who apparently didn't buy my book because she didn't want her kids to see the cover. (What?!...flimsy.)
I've talked about the frustration of Blog Snobbery. Where someone constantly touts themselves but never visits other websites or blogs.
But what about the more painful kind of "snobbery"? The, "I'm too good to buy your book", snobbery.
I recently received my monthly statement (though it is being redone I believe) for From The Ruins and had to fight disappointment when I learned that I still hadn't run out my advance. Considering the advance money only covered a minimum payment on a credit card, I assumed it would be paid back the first week of my release. After all, there were tons of people that swore they couldn't wait to buy my book when it came out.
I was wrong.
When I received the May statement, I called a few "friends" and acquaintances questioning their lack of purchasing power. The majority swore again that they would "make it up" to me.
I stared at the June spreadsheet for a while like I had done in May and counted how many acquaintances I have...that are lying their asses off.
LOL!!
With the amount of promises I received...the advance would have been paid out THAT DAY. Release day! But it wasn't. I ranted, I raved, I had a bunch of people saying they bought it and my company is stealing from me.
Nice try.
The real problem is...I don't have "best friends" up the wazoo and I don't have family members outside of my mom and sis really. So everyone I depended on were friends of Dan's or Internet friends. Acquaintances that really could careless if they have broken a promise to me.
I used to be annoyed. But now that my focus is broadening, I'm okay with the knowledge that I don't have a 50 person group of friends and relatives that will push the sales of my book along. I'm okay with the knowledge that I'm going to have to depend strictly on talent, a publishing house's marketing as well as my own, and strangers who love my writing, to make it to the top.
I guess at least I'll know how I got there. Right?....right?
Unfortunately, it makes more work for me. ::Sighs:: There are times when I wish I had more family. ::grins::
Best,
Allure
I've talked about the frustration of Blog Snobbery. Where someone constantly touts themselves but never visits other websites or blogs.
But what about the more painful kind of "snobbery"? The, "I'm too good to buy your book", snobbery.
I recently received my monthly statement (though it is being redone I believe) for From The Ruins and had to fight disappointment when I learned that I still hadn't run out my advance. Considering the advance money only covered a minimum payment on a credit card, I assumed it would be paid back the first week of my release. After all, there were tons of people that swore they couldn't wait to buy my book when it came out.
I was wrong.
When I received the May statement, I called a few "friends" and acquaintances questioning their lack of purchasing power. The majority swore again that they would "make it up" to me.
I stared at the June spreadsheet for a while like I had done in May and counted how many acquaintances I have...that are lying their asses off.
LOL!!
With the amount of promises I received...the advance would have been paid out THAT DAY. Release day! But it wasn't. I ranted, I raved, I had a bunch of people saying they bought it and my company is stealing from me.
Nice try.
The real problem is...I don't have "best friends" up the wazoo and I don't have family members outside of my mom and sis really. So everyone I depended on were friends of Dan's or Internet friends. Acquaintances that really could careless if they have broken a promise to me.
I used to be annoyed. But now that my focus is broadening, I'm okay with the knowledge that I don't have a 50 person group of friends and relatives that will push the sales of my book along. I'm okay with the knowledge that I'm going to have to depend strictly on talent, a publishing house's marketing as well as my own, and strangers who love my writing, to make it to the top.
I guess at least I'll know how I got there. Right?....right?
Unfortunately, it makes more work for me. ::Sighs:: There are times when I wish I had more family. ::grins::
Best,
Allure
July 9, 2009
What's In A Name?
In a word?
Risk.
Today I remembered something my mother said to me, or maybe it was my sister, or my distant cousin from my father's side. I babble. Back to the point...someone asked me "How do you come up with these names?"
The question is easy to blow off with a "they just come to me" but in truth, there is method to my madness.
When I think of naming a character, the first thing I do is think of what I want to name the character for short or if I want a short name at all.
Let me take a new WIP I'm working on. It's a mer-folk book and I wanted the heroine's name to flow as if through water. Not hard consonant to gum up the works but soft, watery sounds. I came up with Aeraeeania (Pronounced Air-uh-ee-on-ya) and I call her Aera (Air-uh like Era).
But what about non fish-folk? What is my criteria for them?
First, I don't want a name that is common. No Jennys, no Brittanys, no Emilys, no Julies. Why?
Well this might sound ridiculous to some but... I don't want someone to put my book down because the name of my heroine, is the name of their exes new girlfriend, or the name of the 20-year-old their husband just cheated on them with.
On the flip side of that...my sister, Rachel, will pick up a book if the heroine's name is Rachel so maybe I'll lose out on that dollar.
Nah. I've come up with a hybrid!
When I pick a name that is popular I spell it different or mix two names together.
For my erotics, written under this pen name, I have two WIPS in the works. The heroine for my space opera, Maiden Voyage, is named Lilene. (A mixture of Lillian and Marlene.) In my M/M/F shifter story, my heroine's name is Jayna. (A mixture of Kayla and Jane.)
What about men? I give less thought about male names than I do women names. Oddly enough, given what I know about relationships and women (and being a good listener over the years)...we'll torture ourselves by buying a book with our exes name in it. Very rarely do we hate enough to put a book down but even then, we eventually "forgive" the name. (Okay, maybe not ALWAYS.)
Now if a fellow woman does us wrong... FORGET IT. That name is doomed for all eternity...or until we find a woman with that name that becomes a good enough friend of ours to negate the negativity surrounding that blasphemous name.
You may or may not agree, but this is my theory and therefore, why I "come up with" the names that I do.
::Grins::
Best,
Allure
Risk.
Today I remembered something my mother said to me, or maybe it was my sister, or my distant cousin from my father's side. I babble. Back to the point...someone asked me "How do you come up with these names?"
The question is easy to blow off with a "they just come to me" but in truth, there is method to my madness.
When I think of naming a character, the first thing I do is think of what I want to name the character for short or if I want a short name at all.
Let me take a new WIP I'm working on. It's a mer-folk book and I wanted the heroine's name to flow as if through water. Not hard consonant to gum up the works but soft, watery sounds. I came up with Aeraeeania (Pronounced Air-uh-ee-on-ya) and I call her Aera (Air-uh like Era).
But what about non fish-folk? What is my criteria for them?
First, I don't want a name that is common. No Jennys, no Brittanys, no Emilys, no Julies. Why?
Well this might sound ridiculous to some but... I don't want someone to put my book down because the name of my heroine, is the name of their exes new girlfriend, or the name of the 20-year-old their husband just cheated on them with.
On the flip side of that...my sister, Rachel, will pick up a book if the heroine's name is Rachel so maybe I'll lose out on that dollar.
Nah. I've come up with a hybrid!
When I pick a name that is popular I spell it different or mix two names together.
For my erotics, written under this pen name, I have two WIPS in the works. The heroine for my space opera, Maiden Voyage, is named Lilene. (A mixture of Lillian and Marlene.) In my M/M/F shifter story, my heroine's name is Jayna. (A mixture of Kayla and Jane.)
What about men? I give less thought about male names than I do women names. Oddly enough, given what I know about relationships and women (and being a good listener over the years)...we'll torture ourselves by buying a book with our exes name in it. Very rarely do we hate enough to put a book down but even then, we eventually "forgive" the name. (Okay, maybe not ALWAYS.)
Now if a fellow woman does us wrong... FORGET IT. That name is doomed for all eternity...or until we find a woman with that name that becomes a good enough friend of ours to negate the negativity surrounding that blasphemous name.
You may or may not agree, but this is my theory and therefore, why I "come up with" the names that I do.
::Grins::
Best,
Allure
