Rachael Johns's Blog, page 16
March 21, 2012
Theory on Thursday with Jenny Schwartz
The brilliant thing about Jenny Schwartz is not only is she a Carina Press author but she's also a West Aussie - I can't think of anyone better to lose my steampunk virginity to (am going to read her book VERY soon)! But first, I'm thrilled to have her as a guest this Theory on Thursday talking STYLE!!
Welcome Jenny...
7 Secrets of StyleHi, Rachael! Thanks for inviting me to Theoryon Thursday . Here's hoping that what I've painfully learned about writingmakes sense to others.
Style is how you tell a story.
1) There's no way around it.You have to start with some boring commonsense. Learn the rules of grammar andpunctuation so you can break them. A self-editing course like Angela James's "Before You Hit Send" is a good investment.
2) Understand the medium you'rewriting in. Whether you're writing a tweet, poem, short story or novel willaffect your style.
3) Respect your readers' genreexpectations. Writing a story for a literary journal is very different towriting for a tabloid newspaper. Things to think about include the level ofdescription, word play, swearing (or not), vocabulary and use of dialect.
4) Write outside the space youconsider yours. If you write historical romance, try your hand at modernpoetry. And don't forget to value your non-fiction writing, like blog posts.
5) Writing outside your comfort zones reveals your writing style to you and letsyou develop different aspects of it. Write often. I hate the cliché, practicemakes perfect, and I hate it because it's true.
6) Read widely. In terms ofinspiration, reading widely helps with ideas.
7) In terms of style, it expandsvocabulary and style possibilities. Remember to read writing guides. Listen to feedback frompeople you trust: crit partners, editors, whoever.
8) Be confident. It shows.Confidence is not stasis. Dare to experiment, to learn and grow.
Anyone want to argue with me about my style secrets? Anyonewant to agree? Most important of all, what did I forget to mention?
***
Jenny's latest release:
BLURB - Wanted: One Scoundrel
All suffragette Esme Smith wants is a man. A scoundrel to be precise. Someone who can be persuaded to represent her political views at men-only clubs. As the daughter of the richest man in Australia, Esme can afford to make it worth the right man's while.
Fresh off the boat, American inventor Jed Reeve is intrigued by Esme's proposal, but even more interested in the beauty herself. Amused that she takes him for a man who lives by his wits, he accepts the job—made easier by the fact that he already shares her ideals. Soon, he finds himself caught up in political intrigue, kidnapping and blackmail, and trying to convince his employer he's more than just a scoundrel...
To buy links:Carina PressAmazon
Welcome Jenny...
7 Secrets of StyleHi, Rachael! Thanks for inviting me to Theoryon Thursday . Here's hoping that what I've painfully learned about writingmakes sense to others.
Style is how you tell a story.
1) There's no way around it.You have to start with some boring commonsense. Learn the rules of grammar andpunctuation so you can break them. A self-editing course like Angela James's "Before You Hit Send" is a good investment.
2) Understand the medium you'rewriting in. Whether you're writing a tweet, poem, short story or novel willaffect your style.
3) Respect your readers' genreexpectations. Writing a story for a literary journal is very different towriting for a tabloid newspaper. Things to think about include the level ofdescription, word play, swearing (or not), vocabulary and use of dialect.
4) Write outside the space youconsider yours. If you write historical romance, try your hand at modernpoetry. And don't forget to value your non-fiction writing, like blog posts.
5) Writing outside your comfort zones reveals your writing style to you and letsyou develop different aspects of it. Write often. I hate the cliché, practicemakes perfect, and I hate it because it's true.
6) Read widely. In terms ofinspiration, reading widely helps with ideas.
7) In terms of style, it expandsvocabulary and style possibilities. Remember to read writing guides. Listen to feedback frompeople you trust: crit partners, editors, whoever.
8) Be confident. It shows.Confidence is not stasis. Dare to experiment, to learn and grow.
Anyone want to argue with me about my style secrets? Anyonewant to agree? Most important of all, what did I forget to mention?
***
Jenny's latest release:
BLURB - Wanted: One Scoundrel
All suffragette Esme Smith wants is a man. A scoundrel to be precise. Someone who can be persuaded to represent her political views at men-only clubs. As the daughter of the richest man in Australia, Esme can afford to make it worth the right man's while.
Fresh off the boat, American inventor Jed Reeve is intrigued by Esme's proposal, but even more interested in the beauty herself. Amused that she takes him for a man who lives by his wits, he accepts the job—made easier by the fact that he already shares her ideals. Soon, he finds himself caught up in political intrigue, kidnapping and blackmail, and trying to convince his employer he's more than just a scoundrel...
To buy links:Carina PressAmazon
March 18, 2012
Scared Yet…
I cannot remember the last book I read that had me staying up until the early hours of the morning when I KNEW I had a busy day ahead and kids that'd be up at the crack of dawn.
The last book before Jaye Ford's SCARED YET, that is. I started this book Saturday morning and finished it in the early hours of the morning today!! Let me just explain, that I'm not the fastest of readers at the moment, because most of my free time is spent writing, so I maybe read one book a week.
I read Jaye's debut BEYOND FEAR last year and loved it, so have been looking forward to this book for a while. I was NOT disappointed.
This is the story of a Livia, a capable business woman and mum who's going through some pretty rough stuff in her personal life – marriage break-down, father dying. If that's not horrid enough, she'd beaten up by a thug and then the stalking starts. Threatening, scary notes and worse, bad things happening to people whom she loves. Jaye cleverly sets the scene so that after a couple of days of this happening, Liv has NO IDEA who to turn to.
There's a hook at the end of each chap that keeps you turning the pages as you wonder if the stalker is Liv's best friend, her best friend's husband, her new friend and supposed protector, someone in her office building or her ex. EVERYONE seems capable and suspicious on more than one occasion.
Liv is a gutsy heroine, who's hard not to barrack for. You want her to win and get her happily ever after – yes, there's that thread of romance that I like in ALL my books! However, despite knowing she's gotta survive in the end, it's touch-and-go till the very end, with one surprise after another.
I truly enjoyed this Thriller by another fabulous Aussie writer and I can't wait to see what Jaye Ford writes next.
I'm curious – what book have you read lately that was un-put-down-able?!!?
Scared Yet...
I cannot remember the last book I read that had me staying up until the early hours of the morning when I KNEW I had a busy day ahead and kids that'd be up at the crack of dawn.
The last book before Jaye Ford's SCARED YET, that is. I started this book Saturday morning and finished it in the early hours of the morning today!! Let me just explain, that I'm not the fastest of readers at the moment, because most of my free time is spent writing, so I maybe read one book a week.
I read Jaye's debut BEYOND FEAR last year and loved it, so have been looking forward to this book for a while. I was NOT disappointed.
This is the story of a Livia, a capable business woman and mum who's going through some pretty rough stuff in her personal life - marriage break-down, father dying. If that's not horrid enough, she'd beaten up by a thug and then the stalking starts. Threatening, scary notes and worse, bad things happening to people whom she loves. Jaye cleverly sets the scene so that after a couple of days of this happening, Liv has NO IDEA who to turn to.
There's a hook at the end of each chap that keeps you turning the pages as you wonder if the stalker is Liv's best friend, her best friend's husband, her new friend and supposed protector, someone in her office building or her ex. EVERYONE seems capable and suspicious on more than one occasion.
Liv is a gutsy heroine, who's hard not to barrack for. You want her to win and get her happily ever after - yes, there's that thread of romance that I like in ALL my books! However, despite knowing she's gotta survive in the end, it's touch-and-go till the very end, with one surprise after another.
I truly enjoyed this Thriller by another fabulous Aussie writer and I can't wait to see what Jaye Ford writes next.
I'm curious - what book have you read lately that was un-put-down-able?!!?
The last book before Jaye Ford's SCARED YET, that is. I started this book Saturday morning and finished it in the early hours of the morning today!! Let me just explain, that I'm not the fastest of readers at the moment, because most of my free time is spent writing, so I maybe read one book a week.
I read Jaye's debut BEYOND FEAR last year and loved it, so have been looking forward to this book for a while. I was NOT disappointed.
This is the story of a Livia, a capable business woman and mum who's going through some pretty rough stuff in her personal life - marriage break-down, father dying. If that's not horrid enough, she'd beaten up by a thug and then the stalking starts. Threatening, scary notes and worse, bad things happening to people whom she loves. Jaye cleverly sets the scene so that after a couple of days of this happening, Liv has NO IDEA who to turn to.
There's a hook at the end of each chap that keeps you turning the pages as you wonder if the stalker is Liv's best friend, her best friend's husband, her new friend and supposed protector, someone in her office building or her ex. EVERYONE seems capable and suspicious on more than one occasion.
Liv is a gutsy heroine, who's hard not to barrack for. You want her to win and get her happily ever after - yes, there's that thread of romance that I like in ALL my books! However, despite knowing she's gotta survive in the end, it's touch-and-go till the very end, with one surprise after another.
I truly enjoyed this Thriller by another fabulous Aussie writer and I can't wait to see what Jaye Ford writes next.
I'm curious - what book have you read lately that was un-put-down-able?!!?
March 16, 2012
Hollywood Highight
Before I share my exciting news for the week (which most of you have probably already seen on Twitter or Facebook), I want to congratulate KEZ who won the Helen Warner book contest that I ran on my blog this week. Kez, please email your snail mail details to Rachaeljohns077 at gmail dot com and I'll pop your fabulous prize in the post.
Now... my GOOD (no fabulous) news is that I've sold another book to Carina Press. HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK (which will probably get a brand new title soon) will be an early 2013 release and I'm ecstatic about it.
I LOVE this book (probably cos it's now finished, sold and only with edits to go) and I'm so excited that actual people (hopefully YOU) are going to be able to read it. This book also happened to be my entry into the 2010 Mills & Boon New Voices contest, in which my good friend Leah Ashton WON!!! I got some great feedback on this chap (which was then titled ONE ROGUE, ONE DAMSEL) and a special endorsement by Heidi Rice on her blog when she mentioned it as one of her favourite entries. THAT made not winning a lot sweeter, as does the fact I'm now sold this book to Carina Press who have been very good to me and very professional to work with so far.
HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAKis about Holly McCartney, an Australian culturalanthropologist who steps out of her comfort zone to head to Hollywood when hersister is nominated for a post-humus Academy Award. There was no love lostbetween the sisters and when Holly is terrorized by the paparazzi and hersister's best friend (an ex paparazzo) rescues her there's no love lost thereeither. But there is attraction...
My editor, the brilliant Charlotte Herscher said about this book - I love the Hollywood setting, all the glitz and the glam and how Holly is a fish out of water in L.A. In contrast, the romance is down to earth, warm and sexy, and hits just the right note.
I'm really looking forward to revisiting this story in the edits, getting exact release dates, reading the blurb and of course seeing what the Carina Press team comes up with for a cover.
Thanks for letting me share my good news... anyone else got some they'd like to share.
Now... my GOOD (no fabulous) news is that I've sold another book to Carina Press. HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK (which will probably get a brand new title soon) will be an early 2013 release and I'm ecstatic about it.
I LOVE this book (probably cos it's now finished, sold and only with edits to go) and I'm so excited that actual people (hopefully YOU) are going to be able to read it. This book also happened to be my entry into the 2010 Mills & Boon New Voices contest, in which my good friend Leah Ashton WON!!! I got some great feedback on this chap (which was then titled ONE ROGUE, ONE DAMSEL) and a special endorsement by Heidi Rice on her blog when she mentioned it as one of her favourite entries. THAT made not winning a lot sweeter, as does the fact I'm now sold this book to Carina Press who have been very good to me and very professional to work with so far.
HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAKis about Holly McCartney, an Australian culturalanthropologist who steps out of her comfort zone to head to Hollywood when hersister is nominated for a post-humus Academy Award. There was no love lostbetween the sisters and when Holly is terrorized by the paparazzi and hersister's best friend (an ex paparazzo) rescues her there's no love lost thereeither. But there is attraction...
My editor, the brilliant Charlotte Herscher said about this book - I love the Hollywood setting, all the glitz and the glam and how Holly is a fish out of water in L.A. In contrast, the romance is down to earth, warm and sexy, and hits just the right note.
I'm really looking forward to revisiting this story in the edits, getting exact release dates, reading the blurb and of course seeing what the Carina Press team comes up with for a cover.
Thanks for letting me share my good news... anyone else got some they'd like to share.
March 14, 2012
Theory on Thursday with Abbi Cantrell
This week I'm very excited to have fellow Sassy Sister and PHS columnist Abbi Cantrell. She offers a fascinating insight into how to make sure your characters' motivations are SPOT on... Welcome Abbi!
The Pyramid of Motivation
First, thanks to Rach for having me here on her Theory on Thursday!
If you've written a story or even looked into doing so, one of the major parts of a story you're trying to grasp is GMC. No, not the car company, but the Goals, Motivations and Conflicts of a story.
The goals are what the hero or heroine want to achieve in the story. But, we must ask, WHY do they want to achieve this goal? What is their MOTIVATION for pursuing it?
Motivation can be hard and you need to dig into your character's background and soul to find the answer. One of the tools I use is a theory I learned in nursing school.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Maslow 1 Abraham Maslow theorized that what a person needs follows different levels – or hierarchies – and we pursue each level in order.
Level One Basic Needs --- Food, water, shelter
Level Two Safety – Knowing there's no danger in life
Level Three – Love and Acceptance
I think most romances will deal with level three because only with true love can you move to the other two levels.
But how do you determine a character's motivation? Take the heroine who wants to win the top spot in a competition. Why is winning so important to her?
Because she wants the prestige. Because she wants the acceptance of her family. A writer could immediately move to the third level of Maslow's hierarchy.
But what if that wasn't the real reason? Maybe there was something more pressing n her mind. Level One, Basic Needs. What if she needs the prize money? What if she loses then she loses everything she has: her home, her business. And if she loses those, she could potentially lose the next two levels.
If you're stuck with motivation for your characters, I'd recommend a good look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It will provide you with a wealth of insight into your character.
Abbi :)
You can find Abbi on Twitter and on her webpage. She also blogs regularly for the Pink Heart Society and The Seven Sassy Sisters.
The Pyramid of Motivation
First, thanks to Rach for having me here on her Theory on Thursday!
If you've written a story or even looked into doing so, one of the major parts of a story you're trying to grasp is GMC. No, not the car company, but the Goals, Motivations and Conflicts of a story.
The goals are what the hero or heroine want to achieve in the story. But, we must ask, WHY do they want to achieve this goal? What is their MOTIVATION for pursuing it?
Motivation can be hard and you need to dig into your character's background and soul to find the answer. One of the tools I use is a theory I learned in nursing school.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Maslow 1 Abraham Maslow theorized that what a person needs follows different levels – or hierarchies – and we pursue each level in order.
Level One Basic Needs --- Food, water, shelter
Level Two Safety – Knowing there's no danger in life
Level Three – Love and Acceptance
I think most romances will deal with level three because only with true love can you move to the other two levels.
But how do you determine a character's motivation? Take the heroine who wants to win the top spot in a competition. Why is winning so important to her?
Because she wants the prestige. Because she wants the acceptance of her family. A writer could immediately move to the third level of Maslow's hierarchy.
But what if that wasn't the real reason? Maybe there was something more pressing n her mind. Level One, Basic Needs. What if she needs the prize money? What if she loses then she loses everything she has: her home, her business. And if she loses those, she could potentially lose the next two levels.
If you're stuck with motivation for your characters, I'd recommend a good look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It will provide you with a wealth of insight into your character.
Abbi :)
You can find Abbi on Twitter and on her webpage. She also blogs regularly for the Pink Heart Society and The Seven Sassy Sisters.
March 13, 2012
An Interview and a Giveaway
I've been getting around this week.There's an interview at fab online magazine Beauty and Lace where you can learn what being a woman means to me!
And there's also a bit of a spiel at Romance Book Haven about my journey to the publication of One Perfect Night.
Now for the Giveaway! One again I was approached by the awesome Simon and Schuster Australia to feature one of their newest releases - I O U by Helen Warner. This book sounds like a whole load of fun, about two sisters and their mother all with deep secrets that they are determined to keep.
BLURB:
Amy has enjoyed a charmed life, shopping and lunching while the nanny looks after her children. Until her world is thrown into disarray when husband Ben's business collapses overnight, taking their house and savings with it. Suddenly Amy finds herself the breadwinner. Can she rise to the challenge? Will her marriage survive such an upheaval? Or is it a case of 'Till Debt Do Us Part'?
Kate has always had to struggle by, juggling her job with two children and a husband, though she wouldn't have it any other way. But her safe little world is rocked when she meets enigmatic Jack in a chance encounter. Feeling increasingly estranged from husband Miles, Kate wonders if Jack can offer her a fresh start. But there's something about Jack that Kate doesn't know...
Jennifer is only just beginning to recover from the death of her own husband. When Jennifer makes contact with old flame Hugh she unlocks a dangerous Pandora's box. She is desperate to find the answer to a question that has tormented her for decades. But will she be able to cope with the truth?
It sounds like a fun read and I can't wait to read the copy Simon & Schuster gave me. But the best part is, I have a beautiful hard cover copy for one lucky commenter!
When reading the blurb, I realised that many books I pick up lately are about women and their marital issues - whether I like the book or not, all depends on the way the author deals with this common theme. I'm looking forward to seeing how Helen Warner handles it!
And I'm curious, do you enjoy reading this kind of story about women and their dissatisfied lives??
To go in the running, please leave a comment by Friday midnight (Australian WST). I'll announce the winner on Saturday, please don't forget to come back and see if it's you!
March 10, 2012
Help me write a tagline! Pretty please?
The past week or so I've been working with brilliant and bubbly Desire author Paula Roe (who is also a fabulous website designer) to create my new website. I hope to launch this fabulous new look on April 1st, exactly one year after I got The Call Email from Carina Press.
Everything is going splendidly - I love the look, the colours, the feel - but I can't for the life of me come up with a catchy TAGLINE for my writing.
I've looked at other author's taglines and so far my favourite has to be fellow Carina Press author Shelli Steven's brilliant - I'm The Author Your Mother Warned You About!! It's classic, isn't it?
I think part of my problem is that although I write contemporary romance and I believe my voice is the same across all my novels, I currently write two different kinds of romance for two publishers. My Carina Press novel is urban and sexy. My Mira Australia novel is rural and not quite as sexy :) I want to convey both these styles in my tagline.
Here's what I've come up with so far, some with the help of two awesome friends. I'd love your thoughts on which ones are catchy, make you want to read my books and best convey the two styles. Or, if you have a brilliant tagline you'd like to throw into the pot, please do.
Everything is going splendidly - I love the look, the colours, the feel - but I can't for the life of me come up with a catchy TAGLINE for my writing.
I've looked at other author's taglines and so far my favourite has to be fellow Carina Press author Shelli Steven's brilliant - I'm The Author Your Mother Warned You About!! It's classic, isn't it?
I think part of my problem is that although I write contemporary romance and I believe my voice is the same across all my novels, I currently write two different kinds of romance for two publishers. My Carina Press novel is urban and sexy. My Mira Australia novel is rural and not quite as sexy :) I want to convey both these styles in my tagline.
Here's what I've come up with so far, some with the help of two awesome friends. I'd love your thoughts on which ones are catchy, make you want to read my books and best convey the two styles. Or, if you have a brilliant tagline you'd like to throw into the pot, please do.
Romance – Rural To Urban & Everything In Between
Read Hard, Write Hard, Love Hard!
Rural or Urban, There's Always Romance
Romance Makes The Read Worthwhile
Romance – Red Dust to Big Smoke
Sex in the City, Love on the Land
Small towns, big cities, larger than life romance!
Contemporary Romance from the City to the Sticks
Rural Romance Meets Urban Passion
Romantic Women's Fiction
Small-town Sizzle, Big-city Passion
PLEASE cast your vote!
March 9, 2012
Alice and Bella - 2 more AWW reviews!
As I've mentioned before I'm doing the Australian Women Writer's reading challenge and aiming to read as many books by Australian females as I can. This isn't a hardship because most of the books on my TBR at the moment fit this category. There are just so many wonderful authors coming out of Romance Writers of Australia, that it's hard to keep up.
In the last week and a bit, I've read Putting Alice Back Togther by Carol Marinelli and Bella's Run by Margareta Osborn. Two very different books but I found both very easy to read and they kept me turning the pages well into the night. A testament to this fact is that I've read them both is just over a week, when I've barely been fitting in ANY reading lately.
Putting Alice Back Together has a premise I haven't read in a women's fiction book before - the heroine had a secret baby in her teens and has been hiding this for a decade. She relates to those stories on the TV about teenage girls who pop a baby out on the toilet and didn't even know they were pregnant! Now, although Carol is a Mills & Boon writer and although I'm a fan of these novels, this isn't your traditional category secret baby hook. Alice is an emotionally disturbed but lovable heroine - she's addicted to valium and alcohol and yet is trying to pretend that everything is fine and dandy in her world. One can see how her circumstances have led her to the place she is today and how she has a lot to deal with to move on and have a normal life.
All of the characters (Alice's friends, family and love interests) are fully fledged people, who are realistic and yet entertaining. This is not a romance but for those of us who love the genre, there's enough of a romance thread to interest. And although whether Alice gets her man in the end is left up in the air, for those of us who want to believe she does, we can :) The only thing that didn't really work for me was the flashing back and forth between the present and the past in the beginning but maybe that's just cos I'm easily confused. And by half way through the book, I was used to this technique and didn't really mind it.
As far as women's fiction goes, this is unique and hard to put in a certain box so I won't even try. Just read it!
Hot on the heels of Alice, I read Bella's Run, which I can easily classify - it's a rip-roaring tale of rural romance, although I've seen the author call it a saga :) The romance is the main plot, which is too me a positive. And I loved the hero Will from day dot.
The story begins with Bella and her best friend Patty on their ''trip of a life time'' working and travelling the Aussie outback. Margareta paints their friendship beautifully and therefore it is gut-wrenching when tragedy tears them apart. All the characters are lively and their dialogue helps classify them as very rural or country - some may feel this is stereotyped but I was enjoying the story so much I didn't really mind. As well as the characters, Margareta has a way with words that brings the rural mountain setting alive. There's not a whole load of farming jargon, which I look upon as a positive. Margareta has just enough farming detail to make the book's ruralness authentic but doesn't bang the reader over the head with extraneous farming scenes. Bella's Run made me realise its'the FEEL of a book that makes it rural, not necessarily the content. And I think that FEEL is something all Aussies - whether city or country dwellers - will enjoy in this book :)
If I had one critical thing to say about this book it is that I would have liked to see more of what happened in the years the hero and heroine were apart, but then again, Bella's Run sits at almost 400 pages, so perhaps that's asking too much!
As you can see, I've been very happy with the books I've been reading lately. I'm currently reading a Rachel Gibson book, but I'll be back to my Aussie books soon - looking forward to Jaye Ford's SCARED YET and Amy Andrews INNOCENT 'TIL PROVEN OTHERWISE :)
In the last week and a bit, I've read Putting Alice Back Togther by Carol Marinelli and Bella's Run by Margareta Osborn. Two very different books but I found both very easy to read and they kept me turning the pages well into the night. A testament to this fact is that I've read them both is just over a week, when I've barely been fitting in ANY reading lately.
Putting Alice Back Together has a premise I haven't read in a women's fiction book before - the heroine had a secret baby in her teens and has been hiding this for a decade. She relates to those stories on the TV about teenage girls who pop a baby out on the toilet and didn't even know they were pregnant! Now, although Carol is a Mills & Boon writer and although I'm a fan of these novels, this isn't your traditional category secret baby hook. Alice is an emotionally disturbed but lovable heroine - she's addicted to valium and alcohol and yet is trying to pretend that everything is fine and dandy in her world. One can see how her circumstances have led her to the place she is today and how she has a lot to deal with to move on and have a normal life.
All of the characters (Alice's friends, family and love interests) are fully fledged people, who are realistic and yet entertaining. This is not a romance but for those of us who love the genre, there's enough of a romance thread to interest. And although whether Alice gets her man in the end is left up in the air, for those of us who want to believe she does, we can :) The only thing that didn't really work for me was the flashing back and forth between the present and the past in the beginning but maybe that's just cos I'm easily confused. And by half way through the book, I was used to this technique and didn't really mind it.
As far as women's fiction goes, this is unique and hard to put in a certain box so I won't even try. Just read it!
Hot on the heels of Alice, I read Bella's Run, which I can easily classify - it's a rip-roaring tale of rural romance, although I've seen the author call it a saga :) The romance is the main plot, which is too me a positive. And I loved the hero Will from day dot.
The story begins with Bella and her best friend Patty on their ''trip of a life time'' working and travelling the Aussie outback. Margareta paints their friendship beautifully and therefore it is gut-wrenching when tragedy tears them apart. All the characters are lively and their dialogue helps classify them as very rural or country - some may feel this is stereotyped but I was enjoying the story so much I didn't really mind. As well as the characters, Margareta has a way with words that brings the rural mountain setting alive. There's not a whole load of farming jargon, which I look upon as a positive. Margareta has just enough farming detail to make the book's ruralness authentic but doesn't bang the reader over the head with extraneous farming scenes. Bella's Run made me realise its'the FEEL of a book that makes it rural, not necessarily the content. And I think that FEEL is something all Aussies - whether city or country dwellers - will enjoy in this book :)
If I had one critical thing to say about this book it is that I would have liked to see more of what happened in the years the hero and heroine were apart, but then again, Bella's Run sits at almost 400 pages, so perhaps that's asking too much!
As you can see, I've been very happy with the books I've been reading lately. I'm currently reading a Rachel Gibson book, but I'll be back to my Aussie books soon - looking forward to Jaye Ford's SCARED YET and Amy Andrews INNOCENT 'TIL PROVEN OTHERWISE :)
March 7, 2012
Theory on Thursday with Nas Dean
Today I have a Theory on Thursday that's a little bit different. I'm welcoming Nas Dean to the hot seat - I've asked her some questions about her book promotion business. I know a fair few authors who are choosing to use a book promotion service now to arrange blog tours for them. I haven't done so myself yet but am curious as to exactly what it entails, etc, so I thought others might be too. Feel free to leave questions for Nas in the comments section too.
Me: What is yourofficial job title?
Nas: Idon't know! But recently I had some cards made with "Promoting New Release Books and Authors" under my name! Our localpapers pick up my reviews for their Sunday Magazine so I needed cards. Can Ishare a secret? I'm in talks with our local TV to feature my authors and theirbooks. Maybe interview via skype but this is all in the very stages at themoment.
Me: How longhave you been operating a book promotion business?
Nas: I'mfairly new at book promotions. I have abackground of Financial Management and Marketing after which I did some furtherstudies in Information Systems while living in Auckland NZ. ComputerProgramming and Data Processing doesn't really prepare you with proper English!But my passion has always been reading, so when we semi-retired to Fiji, Istarted reading to fill my time as there was no job available to someone withmy qualifications in my age group. Then I got into online writer's groups andinto Harlequin community.ActuallyWendy S Marcus first suggested to methat I would be good at Marketing and Promoting books, using my marketingskills with a slightly different objective. Here I'm targeting readers. And not just online. I do it in my local bookshopsand libraries as well, by distributing authors bookmarks and cards. This isactually a novelty here as there are readers but no authors. So our readersdon't even know what an author signing is.
Me: Whatservices do you offer to authors? How do you promote a book? What mediums doyou use?
· Nas: I create Author Pages with Buy Links for books and social medialinks for the author. A dedicated author page linked to my site, Romance Book Paradise, which has veryhigh romance reader traffic.· I arrange BlogTours to coincide with new release books for the authors. In recent timeswe had many successful tours, starting with Wendy S. Marcus, Kate Walker, Christina Hollis, Helen Lacey and still ongoing are Lynne Marshall, Louisa George and Emmie Dark. · Then I create Author and Book Pages on Fresh Fiction, Goodreads,Shelfari and Library Thing etc. I also make Romance Wiki page for my authorswith separate pages for their books with excerpts and linked to their websites.· With subsequent books I offer Banner Spaceand Books Space linked toauthor's book pages/Amazon on my very high reader traffic sites. · Me: Why do youthink author's benefit from hiring an outside party to do their promotion?
Nas: Youmust know how hard an author works. And when they are engrossed in writing theyare often absent minded. So how can they do their marketing? And if they dotheir own promotion, who will write their subsequent books? Mostly they areunder deadline to complete books. And setting up a tour is a time consumingjob. All the scheduling needed and liaising with various blogs for an author toappear there. Authors are busy people,they are not in contact with reader blogs as I am. Think of the tour as a BookSigning not around the country but around the Globe- wherever your books aresold without leaving your home or the associated expenses. Authors' names are'Out There!' by going on a virtual tour. So it's easier on subsequent books aswell.
Me: Do youpromote e-books and self-published writers?
Nas: Yes,recently I promoted Tracy Sumner,who was re-releasing her Historicals as eBooks (self-publishing) and Nina Jade Singer who has an eBook out.
Me: Do youbelieve that authors who connect with readers via Facebook, Twitter and othersocial media are more likely to get reviews for their books?
Nas: Themost rewarding part of writing, second only to holding your books in printshould be connecting with readers. An author should connect with her readersvia social media. This interaction is which make a reader pick up a certainauthors' book in the bookshop. And readers would say if they liked a book. So an online verbal review on social mediacounts as much as a written review. Anything once written online is saved thereforever. It won't fade. Just Google a sentence and it will come up again.
Me: What is yourTop Do and Top Don't for authors who are being promoted?
Nas: Answerand comment back at every commenter who reads your posts. If authors don'tcomment, it feels like these commenter's are being snubbed. Have yourBlogger/Wordpress profile with your proper name and a photo which readers canfocus on. You can't comment back with a cute tag such as 'sweet babe'. No. Youhave to have your author name out there. And get the posts ready as soon as theschedule goes up. Some blogs ask for posts early up to two weeks in advance asthey have newsletters or early promotion to do.
Me: How longbefore a book comes out do you start planning an author's book tour? How longin advance do you need for someone to sign with you?
Nas: Eightto six weeks in advance. Some sites are booked up to three months in advance sowe need to be prepared.
Me: Is selfpromotion frowned upon?
Nas: First,most readers recognize that authors need to market their books and promotethemselves. No one begrudges a writer who talks about her book. In fact if youcheck an authors website and find nothing on their books or buy links, it isright to question that author's professionalism. Not only readers toleratemarketing, we expect it! But there's a fine line between self promotion andself absorption. Authors are in otherauthors and writers community not readers, so talking about their books comes acrossas 'Me and My Book!' Consider this, when we, as readers say this is a newrelease book so all readers out there listen. We are generating interest foryour book as readers. Haveyou heard someone say, 'If your book is good enough, you don't need to marketit?' Well, this isn't the case unless your name starts with "J" and ends with "ling"!Anddon't expect me to work wonders and shoot your book on the chart buster lists.We must do our best and work hard. The biggest and most obvious key to sellingbooks is garnering exposure for the book and the author personally. The goal ofmarketing is to expose your book to as many people as possible in an exciting,cost effective and entertaining way. Guest blogging can achieve that goal.Blogs are archived, so your posts become and often are viral, spreading fromsite to site. That is LEVERAGE! You are leveraging your internet presence andduplicating yourself with every blog stop. Your Blog Tour is working for youeven while you sleep. Try doing that at a bookstore or library signing!
ThanksRachael for giving me this opportunity to do a bit of self promoting! I'll bearound to answer questions.
Thanks Nas - please bombard Nas with any further questions while she's here.
And I'd also love to hear from any authors who have used a service like Nas' - how did it work for you?
Me: What is yourofficial job title?
Nas: Idon't know! But recently I had some cards made with "Promoting New Release Books and Authors" under my name! Our localpapers pick up my reviews for their Sunday Magazine so I needed cards. Can Ishare a secret? I'm in talks with our local TV to feature my authors and theirbooks. Maybe interview via skype but this is all in the very stages at themoment.
Me: How longhave you been operating a book promotion business?
Nas: I'mfairly new at book promotions. I have abackground of Financial Management and Marketing after which I did some furtherstudies in Information Systems while living in Auckland NZ. ComputerProgramming and Data Processing doesn't really prepare you with proper English!But my passion has always been reading, so when we semi-retired to Fiji, Istarted reading to fill my time as there was no job available to someone withmy qualifications in my age group. Then I got into online writer's groups andinto Harlequin community.ActuallyWendy S Marcus first suggested to methat I would be good at Marketing and Promoting books, using my marketingskills with a slightly different objective. Here I'm targeting readers. And not just online. I do it in my local bookshopsand libraries as well, by distributing authors bookmarks and cards. This isactually a novelty here as there are readers but no authors. So our readersdon't even know what an author signing is.
Me: Whatservices do you offer to authors? How do you promote a book? What mediums doyou use?
· Nas: I create Author Pages with Buy Links for books and social medialinks for the author. A dedicated author page linked to my site, Romance Book Paradise, which has veryhigh romance reader traffic.· I arrange BlogTours to coincide with new release books for the authors. In recent timeswe had many successful tours, starting with Wendy S. Marcus, Kate Walker, Christina Hollis, Helen Lacey and still ongoing are Lynne Marshall, Louisa George and Emmie Dark. · Then I create Author and Book Pages on Fresh Fiction, Goodreads,Shelfari and Library Thing etc. I also make Romance Wiki page for my authorswith separate pages for their books with excerpts and linked to their websites.· With subsequent books I offer Banner Spaceand Books Space linked toauthor's book pages/Amazon on my very high reader traffic sites. · Me: Why do youthink author's benefit from hiring an outside party to do their promotion?
Nas: Youmust know how hard an author works. And when they are engrossed in writing theyare often absent minded. So how can they do their marketing? And if they dotheir own promotion, who will write their subsequent books? Mostly they areunder deadline to complete books. And setting up a tour is a time consumingjob. All the scheduling needed and liaising with various blogs for an author toappear there. Authors are busy people,they are not in contact with reader blogs as I am. Think of the tour as a BookSigning not around the country but around the Globe- wherever your books aresold without leaving your home or the associated expenses. Authors' names are'Out There!' by going on a virtual tour. So it's easier on subsequent books aswell.
Me: Do youpromote e-books and self-published writers?
Nas: Yes,recently I promoted Tracy Sumner,who was re-releasing her Historicals as eBooks (self-publishing) and Nina Jade Singer who has an eBook out.
Me: Do youbelieve that authors who connect with readers via Facebook, Twitter and othersocial media are more likely to get reviews for their books?
Nas: Themost rewarding part of writing, second only to holding your books in printshould be connecting with readers. An author should connect with her readersvia social media. This interaction is which make a reader pick up a certainauthors' book in the bookshop. And readers would say if they liked a book. So an online verbal review on social mediacounts as much as a written review. Anything once written online is saved thereforever. It won't fade. Just Google a sentence and it will come up again.
Me: What is yourTop Do and Top Don't for authors who are being promoted?
Nas: Answerand comment back at every commenter who reads your posts. If authors don'tcomment, it feels like these commenter's are being snubbed. Have yourBlogger/Wordpress profile with your proper name and a photo which readers canfocus on. You can't comment back with a cute tag such as 'sweet babe'. No. Youhave to have your author name out there. And get the posts ready as soon as theschedule goes up. Some blogs ask for posts early up to two weeks in advance asthey have newsletters or early promotion to do.
Me: How longbefore a book comes out do you start planning an author's book tour? How longin advance do you need for someone to sign with you?
Nas: Eightto six weeks in advance. Some sites are booked up to three months in advance sowe need to be prepared.
Me: Is selfpromotion frowned upon?
Nas: First,most readers recognize that authors need to market their books and promotethemselves. No one begrudges a writer who talks about her book. In fact if youcheck an authors website and find nothing on their books or buy links, it isright to question that author's professionalism. Not only readers toleratemarketing, we expect it! But there's a fine line between self promotion andself absorption. Authors are in otherauthors and writers community not readers, so talking about their books comes acrossas 'Me and My Book!' Consider this, when we, as readers say this is a newrelease book so all readers out there listen. We are generating interest foryour book as readers. Haveyou heard someone say, 'If your book is good enough, you don't need to marketit?' Well, this isn't the case unless your name starts with "J" and ends with "ling"!Anddon't expect me to work wonders and shoot your book on the chart buster lists.We must do our best and work hard. The biggest and most obvious key to sellingbooks is garnering exposure for the book and the author personally. The goal ofmarketing is to expose your book to as many people as possible in an exciting,cost effective and entertaining way. Guest blogging can achieve that goal.Blogs are archived, so your posts become and often are viral, spreading fromsite to site. That is LEVERAGE! You are leveraging your internet presence andduplicating yourself with every blog stop. Your Blog Tour is working for youeven while you sleep. Try doing that at a bookstore or library signing!
ThanksRachael for giving me this opportunity to do a bit of self promoting! I'll bearound to answer questions.
Thanks Nas - please bombard Nas with any further questions while she's here.
And I'd also love to hear from any authors who have used a service like Nas' - how did it work for you?
February 29, 2012
Theory on Thursday with Maisey Yates
Today I have fellow Sassy Sister (yes, they took pity on me and asked me to join a while back) and mega-prolific Mills & Boon Presents author Maisey Yates talking the BIG C!!! CONFLICT! Something I think we NEVER stop learning about. Take it away Maisey...
Thank you for having me, Rach! I reallyappreciate you asking me to blog. :)
Sustainable conflict is essential to any story.If there's no conflict, there's very little interest. I'm not talking conflictin terms of your characters screaming and yelling at each other either. I'mtalking about something deeper.
Most books have two main types of conflict.There's external conflict, and there's internal conflict.
External conflict stems from external forces.Example: your heroine wants to buy her father's company, but he's selling it tosomeone else. Internal conflict comes from within a character. You heroinefeels like she's not good enough, because her father has never seen her value.
One of the best ways I've heard it put was thatexternal conflict forces your characters together (your heroine proposes toyour hero in order to get herself into a position to buy her father's company)and the internal conflict keeps them apart. (your hero's fear of being hurtprevents him from admitting her loves the heroine)
I'm a big believer in internal conflict inromance novels. Without it, what you end up with, very often, is conflict thatcould have easily been cleared up if the two of them had sat down in a roomtogether and just engaged in honest conversation.
Real, sustainable, deep conflict isn't thatsimple. In order to solve it, your characters have to change. They have toreach a crisis point and address a world view they've held for years, and makea conscious decision to think and feel differently.
I did a post a long while back called the onionparfait ,about how a book is layers upon layers. Layers of conflict, layers ofcharacter.
You have, especially in category romance, theexternal right up front. It's the thing that pushes your characters into closeproximity with each other. And then as the story progresses, that part of theconflict starts to recede into the background as the deeper conflict and themeemerges.
Conflict and character go hand in hand. Theirinternal conflict will affect how they act, how they relate to other people.The relationships they've had in the past, the relationships they have now. Itwill affect how they interact with the hero or heroine. It will affect how thesex plays out in the loves scenes. Conflict is a part of the character, notjust something you talk about in exposition.
With characters you have layers as well. Youhave essence vs identity. Who they are, and who they show the world they are.Or, in some cases, who they are vs who who they THINK they are. These can bevery contradictory things, and when they are, I think it makes a character moreinteresting, more dynamic.
In my most recent MS, A Game of Vows, theheroine, Hannah, is an extremely competent and gutsy business woman. She'sprobably the most full-on heroine I've ever written. She doesn't just go toe totoe with the alpha hero, she does her level best to flatten him, particularlywhen she begins feeling a connection to him.
That heroine, who was so intense and hard on theoutside, is by far my most broken on the inside. Her image is essential,projecting strength is essential, because her wounds are so great, and exposingthem would mean dealing with them.
So she has a very clear cut difference betweenwho she is, and who she pretends to be. Getting to the heart of her conflict isa stripping away of layers.
Very much like the external/internal conflictstructure in the whole MS, you start with the simple, the obvious, and movedeeper into the truth as the story progresses.
The black moment happens when the conflict comesto a head. When one character is pushed further than they're ready to go.Example: your heroine is asking for love and your hero is not ready to give it.
All along the way the characters have beenchanging. They've been confronting elements of their conflict. But this is thebig break. This is where everything, all the self protection, has to fall away.
This is the moment where your character has todecide: what's scarier? Letting go of everything they've put into place toprotect themselves? Or losing the person they love?
That's how I deal with internal conflict, andhow I use to take my characters on a journey, and hopefully take the reader onone as well!
If you have any questions about character orconflict or...anything...please ask in the comments!
Thanks Maisey! And yes, please DO ask questions!! Maisey is one wise and VERY knowledgeable lady :)
You can find Maisey at her website, on Twitter (LOTS) and on Facebook.
Blurbs for Maisey's recent books:
The Petro Proposal
The first time Maddy Forrester heard her boss's mesmerizing voice barking orders down the phone, she knew he was a force to be reckoned with. But nothing prepared her for the sight of Aleksei Petrov. He is the last thing Maddy needs, but the first thing she wants!Aleksei is determined not to mix business with pleasure, but he struggles with the irresistible sparks his feisty secretary ignites in him- she's a problem he does not want.The proposed solution? One unforgettable night to fulfill their every wicked desire.Girl On A Diamond Pedestal
Never been kissed.Noelle was once the girl who had everything. Until the piano prodigy fell from grace. Destitute and desperate, she's forced to accept billionaire Ethan Grey's convenient proposal.Ethan wants revenge – all he needs is Noelle's signature on the marriage certificate. Yet his carefully composed façade cracks in the face of her innocent attempts at seduction.Noelle's only ever felt love and excitement whilst at her beloved piano – yet now her traitorous body craves the white-hot passion ignited by Ethan's skilled touch. But will he ever see her as more than a means to an end?
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