Bev Pettersen's Blog, page 45

Let’s Get those Manuscripts Ready

Next week, many romance writers will be convening in Orlando for RWA’s annual conference.  Authors will be pitching their work to editors and agents, and a lucky few will be asked to submit full or partial manuscripts.

And that’s when the panic hits.

It’s a wonderful feeling to have an agent or editor request your work, but there is always that moment, after the conference is over and you’re back home, when you know that the work needs a little “polishing.”

So I thought I would provide a litt...

Meet 2017 Golden Heart Finalist Tracy Brody!

Today we’re welcoming the second-to-last of our Rebelle guests, 2017 Golden Heart Finalist Tracy Brody, whose manuscript SHOT DOWN is nominated for Best Romantic Suspense!!

Tracy Brody lives in North Carolina where she and her husband are about to be semi-empty nesters. She has a daughter heading to college and a son who’s graduated and is living his dream as a software engineer in Silicon Valley.

She has a background in banking, retired to become a domestic engineer, and aims to supplement...

WE ARE ONE

NOTE: This blog might seem like a me blog but there are important lessons to learn.

If you would ask any of my elementary, junior high or high school classmates, or teachers for that matter, to describe in one word what I was like in school, you’d probably hear the words quiet, nice, shy, friendly, helpful. I was the person who got along with everyone; Nerds, Jocks, Wall-flowers, Artists, etc. etc. Everyone seemed to include me in their groups, but I always stood on the fringe of their socia...

Three Perspectives on Your Writing

Hello, everyone!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog on the RSS and I’m happy to be back. Late 2016/early 2017 was rough for me, but I made it. Right? That’s the perspective you must take sometimes when you drive through the rain.

Hey, I’m going to talk about perspective today. This month I’ll be doing a workshop at RWA with Winnie Griggs called Through the Lens which will deal with POV. In talking about POV with Winnie (as we fervently scribbled notes on what exactly we needed to cove...

Meet 2017 Golden Heart Finalist Jennifer Camiccia!

It’s hard to believe, but the Golden Heart Awards Ceremony will be taking place at RWA Nationals just TWO WEEKS from today!!! And the Ruby blog has just three more Golden Heart Finalists guests before they all fly off to conference! Yay, Rebelles! Today we’re welcoming 2017 Golden Heart Finalist Jennifer Camiccia, whose manuscript BIRDY’S SONG is nominated for Best Young Adult Romance!

Jennifer has lived in the wilds of Los Angeles where she wrote her first book at the tender age of five, Ira...

Body Language

     I recently had a conversation with someone who said using body language to express the emotions of a character was lost on them.  Really? Wow! 

Me: “So, if, I made a fist and extended my arm in the direction of your face you would not know what was coming or how I was feeling?”  

Them: “Well, you might be mad and going to hit me.”

Ya Think?  Like, hello! Body language.

What brought the discussion on was I mentioned putting a book down in frustration because the author had the characters...

Meet 2017 Golden Heart Finalist Pamela Ferguson!

Today we’re welcoming another Rebelle, 2017 Golden Heart Finalist Pamela Ferguson, whose manuscript WINGS OF LOVE is nominated for Best Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements.

Pamela Ferguson is the author of sweet romances set in small towns. Specializing in gossips, meddlers, matchmakers and happily-ever-afters, Pam loves dreaming up complications that wreak havoc in the lives of her characters. Her determined heroes and resourceful heroines are forever doing battle with narrow-minded...

Journeying to Wild Places for Inspiration

Happy Monday, everyone! 

I’m writing this post from the deck of our house on the coast of Maine. We inherited my husband’s grandfather’s vintage home and property in this small lobster-fishing village ten years ago and have been fixing it up. It is beautiful up here and cool in the summer, in complete contrast to my sweltering home in North Carolina. So my family and I retreat up here for three weeks each July. 

 

 

 

 

I’ve learned from our visits that the USA has so many different cultures...

How Physical Traits Influence Character

Confession: I forgot what day today was. Literally forgot it was Thursday; thought it was Wednesday and I’d have another day to write a blog post. And since I spend the bulk of Thursday night (and Wednesday morning) at the animal shelter, I didn’t have much time to think of fresh content. Luckily, I found this intriguing little self-reflective post from 2009 when I was undergoing a significant physical problem that challenged my identity and had me wondering how a character’s physical appeara...

Meet 2017 Golden Heart Finalist A.Y. Chao!

Today we’re welcoming another Rebelle, A.Y.Chao, who’s a 2017 Golden Heart Finalist for Best Paranormal Romance with her manuscript SOUL AFFINITY.

A.Y. Chao is a recovering lawyer and expat Canadian. After a somewhat nomadic path from Calgary to Paris, Stockholm, Beijing, London, and Hong Kong, she’s settled (for now) in London, England with her husband, chatterbox daughter, sweet Hong Kong rescue hound, and snuffling piggy pug. She writes urban fantasy and drinks far too much coffee.

You can...