Bev Pettersen's Blog, page 42

The Blender

I talk a lot about my day job relative to my writing life. The two subjects are inextricably linked for me and, at this stage in my life, I have to do both. More than that, I choose to do both. I’m a better writer because I don’t have to worry about pesky things like a 401K and health insurance. And I’m a better day job employee because I have a creative outlet.

Would I prefer to write solely as my profession? You bet. Is this a viable choice right now? For me, no it’s not.

What it does mean...

Announcing the 2017 MAKE IT GOLDEN Contest

The Ruby Slippered Sisterhood will celebrate our EIGHTH blog birthday this Thursday, with our usual celebratory fun and fabulous prize packages!! The following Monday, September 25, in keeping with Ruby tradition, we’ll be opening our 8th Annual MAKE IT GOLDEN CONTEST, and giving our Golden-Heart-eligible readers a terrific chance to shine (plus have a chance to earn more great prizes!!) The MAKE IT GOLDEN contest is designed for unpublished authors who are polishing up their entries for RWA...

Writing Short – Second Chances Anthology Release Day!

Yesterday, Romance Writers of America released it’s second anthology – this one entitled Second Chances and featuring seventeen short stories about couples getting a second chance at love.  There are stories from some big names – from J. Kenner to Rachel Hauck – as well as several by authors whose work might be new to many readers.  I’m delighted to be able to say I’m one of those authors.  My story, Something Old, Something New, features best man Nick showing up for a wedding to discover the...

We REMEMBER

 WITH ALL WE ENDURE TODAY, WE STILL REMEMBER.

Keeping our Ruby Sisters and all in the path of IRMA in our prayers. 

Rubies

Kids Are Back in School=Let’s Get Down to Business

It’s that wonderful time of year when the kiddos go back to school. There should be some holiday songs to accompany this like:

Silent Day, Wholly Productive Day

Rudolph the Brown Nosed Teachers Pet

Over the river & through the woods, back to school we go…

 

 

Don’t get me wrong – I love my three darlings and sleeping in a bit over the summer, but my writing takes a hit when I’m hauling them to all sorts of activities or encouraging them to entertain themselves. So when the end of August and...

Challenging POV

There are a lot of “rules” when it comes to point of view. There is first person, often used in young adult and mysteries, and often either loved or hated by readers. There is third person, often used in romance. This is the basis for deep third person POV, which has been particularly popular for the last few years. The “rules” say you can only have two, the hero and heroine, or three, the hero, heroine, and villain. There is omniscient POV, once popular and now guaranteed to gain you a low s...

Calling All Golden Heart Finalists!

Golden Heart Finalists – Where Are They Now?  The Rubies want to know!

Calling all Golden Heart finalists!  Every year since the Rubies finaled in the Golden Heart, we’ve hosted the new Golden Heart classes on our blog leading up to conference.  Now we’d love to catch up with those classes and those that came before us and see whatever happened to those Golden Heart finalists we got to know. 

If you finaled in the Golden Heart, please take a couple minutes to fill out this short su...

The September Hour a Day Challenge Starts TODAY!!!

I need this challenge so badly!!!!!

As always, the start of the school year already has me buried me under a mountain of grading, bureaucratic paperwork, and class prep work. On top of that, my little guy came down with a nasty flu this week (in AUGUST!!! seriously!!!) that’s kept me up half the night for the past two nights in a row.

The temptation is to spend as much time as possible asleep on the couch.

But if I let that happen, I may not write another word until June.

Luckily, the Septemb...

Freelance Editor Etiquette

Yesterday’s post showcased freelance editors who are either Rubies or recommended by one of us. Today, I’ll build on that information by discussing some rules I follow in my business relationship with my freelance editor.

Honestly, I cannot write a book without my freelance editor. She’s been the developmental editor (and serious brainstorming partner) for every book I’ve published. Because I appreciate her and the excellent work she does for me, I am motivated to keep Laura happy.  Here are...

Freelance Editor Showcase

Welcome to the Ruby Sisterhood Editor Showcase.

Editing. The Rubies can’t stress enough how important it is you have your work edited by a professional. We all think our babies are without flaws, but others do see the flaws. You want to make sure your work the best it can be before readers get their eyes on it. The goal so to entertain and receive great reviews. Editors help you achieve just that.

There has been a lot of chatter on many loops lately concerning editors and sensitivity readers....