Liv Rancourt's Blog, page 33

What I Did For Love

So last night my son was FURIOUS with me. Wanna know why? Because I insisted he go to an all-ages rock show with his father.

I’m back to being a tumor on his brain, I guess.

There were some extenuating circumstances, but his basic argument went like this: I just spent 30+ hours ice-camping on Blewett Pass, and now all I want to do is play video games.

And my argument went like this: Get your ass out from in front of the computer and go interact with real human beings.

Guess who won?

Because I’m just that kind of mean.

You know what? He had fun, and even sort of apologized afterwords for being a turd about it. And I was left with a residual awareness that I am not his favorite person some of the time. Which is okay, actually.

I’m not my daughter’s favorite person, either, since I am single-handedly ruining her social life through my quest to bring her grades up.

And I thought two-year-olds were tricky.

So that’s all for today, just a brief meditation on why being a mother requires a titanium constitution and the ability to ignore the fact that, at least in the short term, your kids sometimes hate you. It’s President’s Day, and instead of heading to Hawaii with all our friends and neighbors, we’re saving money for The Big Maine Excursion in June. I’ll spend all day trying to get stuff done while monitoring their computer time and generally making an irritant of myself.

Looking forward to it.

Peace,

Liv

Is Indie-Kissing as much fun as the regular kind?

Thanks so much to The Indelibles for hosting this hop!

The subject, again, is kissing. See, a few weeks ago I was part of the NO KISSing Blogfest, which was a whole lot of fun, even if there was NO KISSing allowed. Jump HERE to see my post from that hop, which teeters right on the edge but doesn’t go there. No lips were locked in that excerpt.

But now, my dear Rancourtesans, it’s time for the real thing. I debated long and hard about which scene to use. I mean, I do have a newly released romance, Forever & Ever, Amen which I’ve been busily promoting. The first solid kiss in that book, though, is near the end, and to post it as an excerpt would almost fall into spoiler territory. Instead, I went with the first kiss from my current WIP, Hell…The Story. Here’s a little set-up…

Mother is crazy, Dear Daddy’s a demon, and all Ophelia wants is to be normal.

Good luck.

Ophelia was taught to keep her hands off the humans, which was all well and good until a guy named Gabriel turned up. He’s an ex-Marine with ice-blue eyes and fire in his soul, and he’s pretty sure that hell is somewhere between Bahgdad and Kandahar, not in Ophelia’s basement. She knows better, but forced contact triggers an attraction that neither of them really understands. In this scene they’re on the run, and Gabriel decides to push the issue. Ophelia’s already too far gone, and, well, she goes just a little bit farther.

~~~

Both Gabriel and Sally acted surprised when I said Gabriel could sleep by himself. They both thought Sally would be the one to sleep alone.

“We’ll arm-wrestle over this later.” I forced the key into Gabriel’s hand.

He grabbed me and pushed my back against the wall, brows low and mouth grim. “Nope, Phelia. We do this now.”

Sally slammed the door of room 216 and the dead bolt clunked into place. It wouldn’t stop me from getting in there if I wanted to, but it did piss me off.

“I’m not…we’re not…You need your sleep.”

He almost smiled, or at least his lips relaxed, losing their fierce downward turn. We stared at each other and I breathed in the salty scent of him. His knuckles ran over my bare shoulder and down my arm.

“You are, we are, and I’ll sleep later.”

He leaned down over me. This time I couldn’t avoid the kiss. I put a hand up to block him, ending up with my fingers pressed against his lips. The moist heat from his mouth was the most entrancing thing ever. I paused. He kissed the palm of my hand, making a tiny pop when his lips pulled away. Next thing I knew the tip of his tongue flicked across my skin.

I exhaled, hard.

“Let’s take this somewhere private.” He spoke just loud enough for me to hear, his lips brushing my wrist.

Most of me thought he had a fine idea. Except the stubborn part who’d spent her whole life trying to be invisible, avoiding human touch, reigning in the demon. That part wouldn’t let go, and I figured I shouldn’t be jumping onto Gabriel until all of me wanted to. Full body contact pretty much guaranteed an addiction.

And he would end up just as addicted to me. I hadn’t exactly mentioned it to him. Having been raised in an amoral world, it shouldn’t bother me. It did. I ran my fingertips along the hard muscles in his chest and tried to explain things with my eyes.

“C’mon, Phelia,” he whispered, just before his lips met mine in a gentle kiss. Underneath, energy raged, a flood of lava fighting to burst free.

My stubborn part all of a sudden had her hands full. Now I knew he tasted like beer and mint gum and man. Our tongues tangled up as I pressed my full length up against him, reveling in the sweet vulnerability of bellies rubbing together. The top of my head fell back against the wall when he ran the tip of his tongue along my neck from behind my ear to the hollow at the base of my throat.

“I can’t…”

He grabbed my chin with one strong hand and mashed his mouth on mine to keep me from saying anything else. Fingers found the little nub of my breast and started teasing, then one knee pushed between my legs and came to a rest against the wall. My heart pounded so hard the throb of blood through my veins left an echo. I wanted to taste and to touch every part of him, to rub myself against him the way a cat marks its scent on what it sees.

When I pulled his shirt free of his jeans so I could run my hands over bare skin, I hear him gasp. “The room.”

“But…”

Gabriel stopped and put his palms on either side of my face, cradling me. Heat and exasperation chased through his eyes. “But what?”

~~~

But what indeed? Ophelia appears to be running out of excuses here. In her defense, though, no one’s ever really touched her before, and Gabriel’s hotter than a desert afternoon. I can totally see why she finds him overwhelming.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Ophelia and Gabriel, and I hope you keep hopping because there are a bunch more kissing scenes to experience. Check out the Indelibles Indie-Kissing Blogfest main page, and there are a bunch more fab bloggers in the list below. And because I’m that kind of girl, I’ll give away one copy of Forever & Ever, Amen to one lucky commenter.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Liv

Relentless

Today my blog guest is the lovely Winter Austin, whose romantic suspense Relentless was released this week from Crimson Romance. It’s the first book in a series that promises to be all kinds of fun. Read on to learn a little more about Winter and the world she’s created…

LR: Relentless is the first book in your Degrees of Darkness series and from what I can see on your blog, it all looks incredibly intense. How did you develop your basic premise, and specifically where did the idea for Relentless come from?

WA: I by nature am an intense person—really, ask my husband – he thinks I’m too uptight. I’m an action junkie too and I love being kept in suspense, not knowing anything more than the characters do. I had been working on what became the book Relentless for many years, going through many different plots and story lines. After hearing some editors say they wanted something more than another woman in jeopardy story I thought: “well, what if it was the guy who was actually in trouble and the woman got sucked in unwillingly?” Thus was born the concept of Relentless. The serial killer idea had always been a part of the story, since I’m a panster—I write the story as I go with no outline and a rough synopsis, letting the story develop organically—the final twist hit me out of nowhere. And believe me, advance readers never saw it coming.

LR: Since I’m going to guess you’re not really a serial killer (heh), how did you research your character? And did you ever ride rodeo?

WA: I belong to a lot of crime writing groups and follow tons of blogs that talk about this aspect. And I’m a huge believer in never watching the crime scene dramas on TV. All my research on serial killers came from what I learned online or in books from the experts.

As for rodeo, I never actually competed myself, but had cousins and my sister-in-law who did. I’ve attended so many I lost count and am a long time follower of all things Professional Rodeo. My sister-in-law trains and competes on barrel horses. And rodeo isn’t the only thing I cover in the book. Cutting horses take stage now and again, and that’s what my cousins did while we were growing up. Believe me, you’ve never seen anything so pretty as to watch a cutting horse “dance” with a calf. Google NCHA cutters and watch the videos. Those horse are amazing.

LR: When I saw that you’re juggling four kids and a writing career I had an immediate visual of you sitting in a parking lot with the laptop braced against the steering wheel, cramming in a few words while waiting for swim team/gymnastics/basketball/whatever to be over. How do you do it?

WA: Well, that about sums it up, but it wasn’t any of those sports. For a few years my twins were in soccer and I’d drag the 2 younger ones along and be furiously handwriting—too poor at the time to own a laptop. But as they got older we became more of a 4-H and LEGO league robotics family. (In fact just a few Saturdays ago I had to drop off my daughter for a livestock judging practice, with 2 hours to kill the laptop came with me.) If I can’t take my laptop or my Alphasmart with me, I always have pen and paper on hand. Always. I typed or wrote when the kids were little and took naps. My husband would take hunting weekends, dragging all the kids along with, so I could stay home and write alone. I made time, I taught my kids how to work around me and not the other way around. I know that sounds selfish, but they’re older now and have learned that when I’m writing, I’m actually working. And now that all of my kids are in school, I’ve got long days of uninterrupted writing time. If I can keep myself off-line long enough. 

LR: Ah yes, the internet. That world-wide time suck. I totally feel your pain there. Now here’s a follow-up to that last question. In a perfect world, what’s your favorite set-up for writing? Do you need a perfectly clean desktop? A coffee shop with espresso?

WA: Lately, it’s been locked away in my bedroom, propped against pillows with a steaming cup of coffee with my latest creamer fetish, a bevy of research and current WIP info scattered around me, and a blanket to cover up my feet, since it’s winter here. Depending on the mood of the book, I might have music playing, or not. I can write in a coffee shop, but it’s a drive for me some days and our library has a nice reading area I can write in, but the downfall with public writing is people stopping to talk to you—huge time waster for me cause I love to talk.

LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Besides cheering for your kids at sporting events, I mean…

WA: Being with my friends. My BFF and I try to find any time we can get together, which means me and my family driving back to our home state of Iowa to do that. But it’s so worth it because our kids love each other. I love 4-H, I never got the chance to do it growing up, and I love helping my kids with it. It’s exhausting during fair season, but when you watch your kids accomplish something great on their own, makes you feel good about being their parent. And I love working out with my hubby, speaking of which, once I get book 3 finished I need to get back to doing that.

LR: Who’s your favorite band or composer? Are you one of those writers who creates a playlist for each WIP?

WA: I can’t pick just one, I’m a music lover and it goes across all genres. If I really had to boil it down, the latest band I enjoy is a goth metal band called Within Temptation and my favorite current composer, James Newton Howard and his new soundtrack The Bourne Legacy. I don’t exactly have a playlist for the full book. Like I said before, the soundtrack of the scene or chapters depends on the mood. Action scenes for me are heavy, hard hitting, action movie type of soundtracks. Romantic scenes can be country or even classical music. Moody, depressing, black moment type of scenes can be anything from the goth metal to bands like Evanescence, or sad country songs. Like I said, I’m all over the place.

LR: You’re planning at least two other books in the Degrees of Darkness series. Are there going to be more? Do you have other ideas floating around?

WA: Actually the Degrees of Darkness series is a 4 book series. While each book can stand alone on its own, each one is a progression in the hero’s and heroine’s storylines. There was so much going on with them there was no way to write it all in one book. The fact that it ended up being 4 was exciting. I’d love to write more following these same 2 characters, but that depends on how they behave and if I can come up with some good stories.

However, I do have plots rattling around in my head for some of the secondary characters in the Degrees of Darkness series. One idea I have is for Detective LeBeau’s partner, who becomes a strong character in books 2 and 3. He’s surprised me with his backstory and I’d love to bring him center stage.

My agent is great to bounce ideas off of, and she’s been a gem in giving me suggestions she would like to see and I run with them. In fact I was so stuck on what plot to use for book 4, I threw some of those at her and we came up with what I hope is one kicking story.

I do have other books I want to write, in fact I have a sniper story just sitting on the burner, waiting for me to come back to it.

Intrigued? Here’s an excerpt from Relentless…

EXCERPT: Gathering herself, she cracked the door wide enough to peer out. Remy stood off to the side with his hands buried in his leather coat. She pulled the door open further and leaned against the frame. “What are you doing here, Detective?”

“I thought we were past the formality stage.”

She sighed. “I repeat, what are you doing here, Remy, at this hour?”

He propped his elbow on the wall and leaned in to it. When his jacket moved, she glimpsed a dark blue shirt, and the butt of his weapon peeking out from his right hip. She swallowed hard. He looked sexy as sin and just as dangerous. Her gaze darted back to his face, catching him giving her the once-over. Suddenly self-conscious, Cody glanced down. The light blue tee, a gag gift from JC that read Do not start with me, you will not win, and a nappy pair of sweats made her feel exposed. No one but Dad saw her this way.

Remy’s lazy smile turned her stomach into a bucking bronc. Cody itched to slap herself into submission.

“If I promise not to start the battle, can I win it?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, for the love of God. You didn’t come here to flirt, so what is it?”

Pushing off the wall, he moved as if to come inside. Cody stepped back to allow him in.

“We need to talk.” He brushed past her and headed in the direction of the kitchen.

“Come on in. Make yourself right at home.” She swung the door shut, making the keys on the wall jingle. The sound rattled her nerves. And how in the hell did he know where to go?

She dashed across the floor and slid through the swinging doors. Remy glanced over his shoulder as he poured coffee into a mug she could’ve sworn was in the cupboard. He scooted out a chair from under the table and sank into it. Oh, he was too comfortable in this house for having never set foot in it.

“I was being sarcastic,” she said.

“You look amazingly well-kept for someone who just got out of bed.” He sipped his coffee.

She blinked and her insides did a funny little twist. The odd sensation traveled to her toes. Cody banished the feeling and dredged up a bushel of ire. “And you’re five seconds away from getting dumped on the floor.”

His face lit up from behind his mug. “Are you always this grouchy in the morning?”

“Only when I haven’t had my two cups of coffee. You’re coming on to me while I sit dangerously low on caffeine.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing? Coming on to you?”

Of all the conceited … Remy’s boatload of charm made most cowboys seem tame. Cody stepped over his outstretched legs and bent down to look him in the eyes. “Detective LeBeau, your intentions are as plain as needles on a cactus.”

That cocky grin appeared and he winked. “I can be mighty prickly if I get the urge.”

~~~

Well now that’s a fine way to start the morning, don’t you think? You can pick up your copy of Relentless at Crimson Romance, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ARe, and other fine eBook retailers.

BIO: Winter Austin was once asked by her husband if he could meet some of the people who took residence in her head. She warned they weren’t all characters he wanted to meet, as killers walked among them. Needless to say, that conversation ended abruptly.

A lifelong Mid-West gal, Winter swears she should have been born in the South, Texas or Louisiana preferably. But then she’d miss the snowy winters.

Dividing her day between her four children and their various activities, a growing pet population, and her Beta-with-Alpha-tendencies Hero, Winter manages to find time to write chilling suspense novels between loads of laundry.

Don’t worry. You won’t find any of her mouthwatering culinary dishes poisoned. Unless you’re one of her fictional creations.

Celebrations!

Today it’s mostly a housekeeping post…

First, here’s the much delayed announcement of the winner of my Girly-Girl Blog Hop giveaway: Jillian Chantal. Congrats, Jillian, and thanks for checking out my post.

And here’s a much more timely announcement of the winners of my Heartbreaker Hop giveaway: CJ & Jeannette. Congrats to both of you!

All the winners have been notified and are eagerly awaiting their copies of Forever & Ever, Amen.

And here’s a little more housekeeping…

Yesterday I made a guest appearance on my friend Amanda’s blog, Byrne After Reading. Jump HERE for a few thoughts on what makes a good story.

Today’s my daughter’s 15th birthday, and I was going to do a thoughtful, introspective post about what it feels like to watch my tiny baby grow into a lovely young woman. And…the post isn’t coming together. She’s a beautiful girl, inside and out, and is very much her own person, almost despite me. Everyone should be blessed to have a kid like her in their lives.

Peace,

Liv

Your Love Is Like A Tidal Wave….

Welcome to my stop on the Heartbreaker Hop! And a double welcome to those of you who have never visited my blog before. When I got thinking about a heartbreaker-themed post, I kept hearing a certain Pat Benatar song in my head, and I got to thinking that there are some ladies out there whose heartbreaker stories are way better than anything I could come up with. So I’m turning the post over to them…Carrie Underwood, kicking some cowboy butt…Janis Joplin, showing us the rough parts…and Ms. Benatar herself…O.M.G. she’s cool…

Make sure you leave a comment with your favorite heartbreaker song – please include your email address with your comment so we can find you. You could win one of the huge grand prizes, and I’ll be giving away a couple copies of my newest release Forever & Ever, Amen.

You better run for your life…

You know you got it, if it makes you feel good…

Don’t you mess around with me…

Recorded live in 2001…she is just that COOL!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Oh, and I’ll give away two copies (format of your choice) of Forever & Ever, Amen

Sometimes a hickey is more than a hickey, and sometimes you need to break the rules to do what’s right.

Molly, a forty-something single mom, tangles with the wrong guy and gets a hell of a hickey. That blotch is really a demon’s mark, and she’ll have to face the three things that scare her most to get rid of it. First, Molly loses her job and then she has a near-sex experience with her philandering, not-quite-ex-husband. Worst of all, she has to sit by a hospital bed, wondering if her son is ever going to wake up.

The Powers That Be assign Cass to help her. He’s an angel who’s trying to earn a seat in the celestial choir by helping out a human in need. Vanquishing the demon would be his ticket up, but only if he plays by the rules. He’ll never earn his wings if he loses his heart to the lovely Molly. But she has even bigger things to worry about. She stands to lose her soul.

~~~

So thanks again for stopping by. Jump HERE for a list of all the fantastic bloggers who’re participating. Keep Hopping!

Finding Jordie

This morning I’m very excited to play hostess for HJ Harley, a fellow Crimson Romance writer whose first novel, Finding Jordie, looks like a whole lot of fun. Ms. Harley is the kind of girl who says what she means and means what she says. Check out the interview and see…

~~~

Thank you for having me Liv.

Well thanks for visiting, Harley!

LR: Finding Jordie has been getting tremendously positive reviews, and most seem to comment on the main character’s voice. How did you get to know Jordie? Were you inspired by something specific?

HJH: It’s funny to me when I hear people mention Jordie’s voice. This isn’t only my first book; this is my first anything writing, aside from educational essays and what not. So when I was working with my editor Salome’, from flourish editing, she kept telling me the fact that I was a spaz when it came to commas was okay because I had a great voice. For the longest time I was like, what is she talking about? I’ve never even spoken to her, and if I had, that’s just weird. I’m writing, who gives a flying doughnut what I sound like? Then as I started reading blogs and reviews it clicked. I was like “Ohhhhh so she isn’t that crazy after all!” I wrote as if I was sitting there telling the story out loud. I’ve been told I’m a very animated person. When I moved to Georgia I had to learn how to dial it down a few notches. So Jordie was just an outlet for me to let loose again.

LR: For a first-time novelist, what has been the most challenging part of the process?

HJH: Hands down the most challenging part of this so far is letting go. I feel like this is my baby and I want everything perfect. You combine control freak and drama queen and you’ve got trouble. I have to remind myself on an hourly basis to breathe sometimes. And lord help us all when that first bad review comes in…LOL. All part of letting go…I’m learning I can’t control mishaps, bad reviews or anything else that pops up when it comes to this business.

LR: What drew you to romantic suspense? Have you thought about other genres?

HJH: I have no clue, honestly. I just began writing the story and went with what worked. After I was done I said to myself…People are going to think I’m seriously twisted in the noggin. LOL

Other genres…hmmm…I’m pondering a YA right now. All the parts are there…I’ll just have to put it together at some point.

LR: This might not be a fair question for the mother of a young child, but do you prefer clutter or quiet? Describe your perfect writing situation.

HJH: I wrote most of Finding Jordie on my lap top in my living room or at the coffee shop while my daughter was at school. I prefer some sort of background noise like the TV or music, but I can’t write when my daughter is around. I have zero attention span as it is. She isn’t the kind of kid to just relax and watch TV. She’s always doing something so I can’t concentrate; besides I’d much rather play My Little Pony with her instead of work.

LR: How to you juggle all your responsibilities (spouse, parent, worker-bee, housekeeper, writer)?

HJH: I sort of lucked out in this department. I’m a domestic coordinator (stay at home mom LOL) and my daughter’s father works. So, I have a bit more free time to get the household stuff done during the day, leaving my evenings pretty free.

LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Or maybe I should ask, what’s your favorite cheesy reality TV show?

HJH: Ha Ha Ha! I love the Jersey Shore (Sniffles it’s over) and Snooki & Jwoww. Look, I’m a Jersey Girl through and through…they may act like idiots (that aren’t even from NJ) but everywhere you see on that show I’ve pretty much been. My aunt had a summer house in Ortley Beach, which is on the outskirts of Seaside. I spent every summer at that beach house before my family decided to move from North Jersey to The Shore. This allowed me to be in Seaside almost every weekend of the summer in my teen to young adult years. Plus, I love Snooki LOL Don’t judge me!

LR: I saw some of your Facebook updates during the Super Bowl. Did the right team win? Are you a hard-core football fan, or is there another sport you prefer?

HJH: I’m a NY Giants fan. Always have been always will be. Hell yes the right team won! LOL Have to root for the north. Besides, San Fran is just a bunch of forty-whiners.

LR: What’s next on your horizon? Describe your current WIP(s) or other upcoming project.

HJH: Currently I’m working on the follow up to Finding Jordie. We’re in the middle of purchasing a home so between moving and some other life changing events going on around here I’m not sure if I’ll get much done in the next month or so. I’ll try but I have books to read and stuff too. I’m thinking reading a book will be much easier to handle after a day of unpacking boxes and getting the new house situated.

Well, I certainly hope you get organized soon, because I know people are going to want to read the sequel. Thanks so much, Ms. Harley, for the fun interview!

Peace,

Liv

Blurb:

Jordie is a survivor, tough, and independent. She’s had to be, since her husband was killed in Iraq. For the last eight years, raising her daughter and owning a popular New York City bar has kept Jordie plenty busy, leaving her no time for much of anything else. Aside from her sassy yet squirrely best friend Rachel, Jordie’s social life is bare bones and her love life nonexistent. Truth be told she wouldn’t change a thing; she’s never been happier.

Then she meets Nathan, and he changes everything with one crooked smile, triggering a chain of life altering events for the two of them, filled with romance, chaos and deadly peril. Neither of them could ever imagine their relationship would resurrect an unknown darkness from Jordie’s past, lurking in the shadows, just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Jordie has never needed to be stronger for all of them to make it out alive.

Finding Jordie will be released 2/11/13, and is available for pre-order from Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

You can find HJ Harley on her website (www.hj-harley.com), on Twitter (@HJ_Harley), and on Facebook (Facebook.com/authorhjharley).

Drinking Me Lonely

Oh wow! A sad sack post from Liv. Can you believe it?

Yeah, no. Not really. I’ve just had a song on my mind and thought I would yap about it for a minute. See, most mornings at work I listen to my Alt-Country Pandora station while I’m doing paperwork. I wouldn’t know Brad Paisley or Toby Keith if I found them in my oatmeal, but John Doe, Steve Earle or Alison Krauss? Love them.

This is where I should put in a plug for the husband’s Alt-Country Band, The Fentons. You can jump HERE to get a taste of FentonsTwang!

There’s one song that brings me to a stop every time I hear it. Drinking Me Lonely is by a guy named Chris Young, and it’s gorgeous and sad and sweet and it always makes me want to open a new Word doc. I hear a story between the lines.

I’m just not sure I’m the one to write it.

As near as I can tell, the song’s about a guy who’s hanging out at a bar, drinking and feeling bad that his lover left him because he drinks too much. It’s kind of a catch 22 that way.

On the one hand, the song leaves me with the romantic feeling that she’s just about to walk through the door and save him from himself. I hear it and know a story where a pretty girl who drags some drunk bastard off his barstool and turns him into Superman would totally work.

But it wouldn’t be true. Women – and men – with serious rescue fantasies are caught up in tiny melodramas all over the place, trying to save partners who are addicted to one thing or another, alcohol included. It’s the source of a tremendous amount of pain for all involved.

How do you slap a happy ending on that?

And if I’m about anything, it’s a happy ending. That’s not to say people can’t recover from addiction, healing themselves and their families. I know from personal experience that it’s possible. It just doesn’t fit neatly into a three-act format.

I’ve written characters who drink or otherwise alter their internal chemistries, but they’re always paranormal creatures who have superpowers to offset the reality of their abuse. I guess I think there’s enough pain in the world and I’m not sure it’s my place to add any more. I respect people who write that kind of thing and the readers who like it. It’s just not for me.

In the meantime I’ll listen to my Pandora station and drop whatever I’m doing whenever Drinking Me Lonely comes on. It’s great to listen to when I’m writing a break-up scene, so there’s that. Here’s the video so you can see for yourself. And while you listen, ask yourself whether you could write the story in the song. Leave your thoughts in the comments…

Peace,

Liv

(Oh, and if Mr. Young is a big name in modern country, forgive me. I really only listen to the alternative stuff. And if I’m totally thinking too hard, you can say that, too. )

Torn

This Wednesday’s guest is the multi-talented Keri Neal. Her book Torn will be available from Still Moments Publishing any minute now. She’s also responsible for the cool and unique look of the Still Moments cover art.And she’s got kids. Keep reading to see how she does it all…

Oh, and she’s giving away a copy of Torn and a cool crocheted eReader cover. Details are at the bottom of the post.

 

 

LR: Both of your books, Ego & Torn, fall into the romantic suspense or thriller genre. Why does the dark side of things appeal to you?

KN: My husband will tell you it’s because I have a sick sense of humor, but really I just appeal towards the darker side of things. OK, now I sound like a serial killer J I’m a horror movie      FANATIC also, so that doesn’t help my case. I guess it’s always the quiet ones that fool you. 

 

LR: What’s the most compelling thing about Torn, the thing that’s kept your butt in the chair through hours of writing and revising?

KN: The sister, Blair, was a blast to write for. She’s so twisted, and yet she knew what she wanted and how to get it. It’s always the crazy characters that speak to me throughout the night and when I don’t really want them too, and yet it’s those characters that are gold on paper.

 

LR: You’ve been doing cover art for Still Moments Publishing for a while now, including the awesome cover of my Christmas short, The Santa Drag. How does your ability and experience as an artist influence your writing?

KN: I think this is when the crazy person in me comes out, because these two parts of my life never overlap. It’s why I almost didn’t do the cover for Torn. Bringing my two loves (writing and designing) together was terrifying! Thank goodness for Darlene, who talked me off a ledge and said “you can do it!”. I’m thrilled with the end result. The short answer to this question is I’m an artist and I’m a writer, but rarely at the same time.

 

LR: Clutter or quiet? Describe your perfect writing situation.

KN: Clutter. Whatever side of my brain is the writer, the other side needs to be distracted in order for me to write. If I make time to write, and try to set the mood, it doesn’t happen. If I have water boiling and kids screaming and TV blasting and phone ringing, then I can write. I think its why NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) is the best time of the year for me as a writer.

 

LR: How to you juggle all your hats (spouse, parent, worker-bee, housekeeper, writer)?

KN: You can’t be 100% at any one thing, so why not spread yourself as thin as you possibly can? J No, my husband shares all of these responsibilities with me. He’s a saint. I think being all these things at one time is an asset to me as a writer. I just hope my kids aren’t in therapy one day telling their shrink how their mother neglected them so she could write. That would suck.

 

LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Does your family eat only freshly baked bread? Do you travel the world attending Bruce Springsteen concerts? What’s your secret?

KN: I crochet, sew and paint. I also read a lot. I can just barely cook, let alone bake. And I don’t like to travel. It’s seems strange to say, but I’m a homebody.

 

LR: Football, basketball, baseball or soccer? Which one gets your blood moving the fastest – or is there another sport you prefer? I mean, you’re from Texas, right? Maybe it’s rodeo.

KN: I do love the rodeo, but my allergies and asthma do not J My favorite sport is NASCAR. And before you throw out a redneck joke, I am actually from California. But Texas is my home now, so I accept said redneck joke.

 

LR: What’s next on your horizon? Describe your current WIP(s) or other upcoming project.

KN: I just finished writing a Young Adult Paranormal, which I have already begun the sequel to. After that I will start the sequel to Torn.

 

Torn is available in eBook from Still Moments Publishing, and in print from CreateSpace.

 

Giveaway Details 

I am giving away an eBook copy of Torn, and a handmade crochet eReader cover (your choice of color). I will draw a name a day, everyday between February 2nd and February 6th  (that’s five winners!) Here’s what you do to enter: 

1. Go to my blog at kerineal.com/author and leave a comment on any post.

OR

2. Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/@authorkerineal

OR

3. Like me on Facebook: facebook.com/authorkerineal  

Only one entry per person, even if you do all three. Please note that these eReader covers are handmade, so give me AT LEAST three weeks to mail them to you. I’ll make them in any color you want…as long as it exists.

The Other Half of the Dialogue Post

Why yes, honey, that dress DOES make you look fat.

Said no man, ever.

Why? Because people don’t often say exactly what they mean. I know it’s kind of an old joke, but think about it. When you prance across the living room in your purple passion pumps and ask your spouse or partner how your new outfit looks, what kind of response do you get? With my husband, it’s a squint to the eye, a slight shrug, and a frown stretching across his face that tells me perhaps I should revisit the mirror. If he really doesn’t like it, he may get wordy. “Well…”

It’s something to keep in mind when you’re trying to write dialogue.

A couple weeks ago I did a post here about keeping dialogue real. It’s basically the first half of my post on dialogue from SavvyAuthors.com. Now, in the interest of completeness – and because it’s Monday and I want to start the week off right – here’s the rest of my dialogue post, rearranged and enriched a bit.

In my first post, I suggested three ways of keeping dialogue real: use phrases you hear in real life, keep the characters from saying exactly what they mean, and assign a couple unique elements to each character’s voice. Now here are two more ways of keeping dialogue interesting.

First, skip the boring parts.



Hello. How are you?

Fine.

See? You knew that already. If your character’s cell phone is ringing, the reader knows she’s going to say “Hello” when she answers it. Save the word count and jump right into the conversation. Don’t tell your readers what they already know.

And don’t tell them stuff the characters already know, either. Dumping backstory into a conversation is almost always going to sound obvious and dull. An oblique hint here and there will work, but a wholesale rehash of past events will lose the reader.

An important – if more subtle – consideration for keeping dialogue interesting is to make sure that each character in the scene has an agenda, though they may not say it out loud.

For example, here’s a conversation between a mother and her teenage son, told from the mother’s POV:

Michael went straight to the computer in the basement after school. His mother hit ‘send’ on an email for work, then closed her laptop, debating whether she should chase him down. She made it as far as the top of the stairs. “Hey dude. What are you doing this afternoon?”

“Nothing.”

“You should start your homework.”

His only response was silence.

“Michael?”

More silence. She could have gone downstairs and forced the issue, but decided to let him be. Thirteen was a hard age. She’d give him an hour, then beat the homework drum.

Now here’s that same scene, but with each character’s agenda included in italics. It demonstrates how much gets left out of normal conversation.

Michael went straight to the computer in the basement after school. His mother hit ‘send’ on an email for work, then closed her laptop, debating whether she should chase him down. She made it as far as the top of the stairs. “Hey dude. What are you doing this afternoon?” She’s worried about the amount of time he spends on the computer and wants him to cut back.

“Nothing.” Michael wants some time to decompress after a hard day.

“You should start your homework.” She’s afraid playing computer games will interfere with his grades.

His only response was silence. Michael’s still feeling chapped after the girl he likes and her best friend laughed at him, and he knows he’ll feel better if he loses himself in a game for a while. Getting into it with his mother won’t help anything, so he stays quiet.

“Michael?” She wants to be a good mother, one who listens to her kid’s concerns, and she senses he might need some time to himself.

More silence. She could have gone downstairs and forced the issue, but decided to let him be. Thirteen was a hard age. She’d give him an hour, then beat the homework drum.

Depending on how you set up the scene, the reader will recognize what the underlying issues are. Neither character mentions the computer, the source of conflict, and if the mother had started out with, “I worry about how much time you spend on the computer,” the snippet would have felt preachy.

Also notice that the lines of dialogue are appropriate to the characters. Thirteen year old boys are expert at giving one-word answers and managing situations with silence, and policing homework is one of a mother’s main tasks. While it may not be the most scintillating example ever, the scene works because it’s true.

And that, my dear Rancourtesans, summarizes my approach to dialogue. Skip the boring parts, give each character an agenda, don’t let them say what they really mean, give them quirks that make their voice unique, and borrow what you hear in real life. And most importantly, have FUN with it. Dialogue is really my favorite part of writing.

Happy Monday!

Liv

And in case you want to sample my dialogue in real time, check out my new release, Forever and Ever, Amen, available from Crimson Romance, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and ARe.

I’m A What, Now?

So last night my 13-year-old Son had basketball practice. And he didn’t want to go. He said he didn’t feel quite right. And I, as his mother, felt compelled to encourage him to step up. He didn’t have a fever, he wasn’t coughing or spewing snot, and he hadn’t barfed.

Okay, well, he did barf recently. On the basketball court. Because he was playing so hard. The coach gave him a two minute break and put him back in the game. The kid’s never met a rebound he couldn’t grab.

Makes a mother proud.

POTUS shoots a jumper

But last night his only source of illness was computer-game addiction. And you can play through that.

So I pushed him, and in return I got a blast of aggravated adolescent bluster, complete with hand-waving and foot-stomping. “Mom! You’re a…a…tumor on my brain. Stop saying ridiculous things.”

Ridiculous, like, do you want to grab a sweatshirt before we go out in the thirty degree weather?

I’ll admit that it’s somewhat unfair to go off on a kid in a public forum when he doesn’t have his own blog to respond, but damn, he made me laugh. I mean, I sucked in my cheeks and tried to look stern as I told him not to talk to his mother that way, but inside I was cracking up.

How long is this phase going to last?

Because really, it was like dealing with a toddler, albeit one with a much more sophisticated vocabulary. And taller. He can look me in the eye, and I’m almost 5’9″. I figure by June I’ll have to look up at him…to tell him he can’t get away with calling his mother names.

Of course, the alternative to Mr. Eloquent Toddler is the infamous One Word Answer. This is how he deals with both his parents (and Noni too, fyi) most of the time. How was your day, dear? Fine. Anything interesting happen? Nope. He has the knack for responding to the most preposterously open-ended question in a syllable or less.

So what do you do with that? Love him, I guess, and ignore the blustery parts of the bluster when you’re forced to set limits on his behavior, saving your strength for the truly significant transgressions. And you vent about it in public, to all your friends and readers.

Heh.

I have good company in this. Jump HERE to check out a prayer that Tina Fey came up with for her daughter. It’s fairly gender-specific, but hey, I’ve got a daughter, too. The sentiment works both ways.

Peace,

Liv

Oh, and fyi, all the Crimson Romance new releases for this week got a mention in a Joyce Lamb’s USA Today column. Jump HERE to see Your Truly in USA Today!