Becky Lower's Blog, page 33

Home Alone

My sister is galavanting around the country on a well deserved ten-day vacation to sunny California. I'd be envious, but I have things to do. Writers don't retire, and I have a deadline looming.

I need to set up a routine again, which has been sorely lacking from my life these last few months. First, it was the hip, then the potential move, then bronchitis, and the constant search for a new home that meets all our criteria.

Mary and I are easing into this new normal gradually. Some thunderstorms interrupted us yesterday, since Mary gets very frightened and needs to be cuddled. I can break my routine to cuddle any day of the week.

And, under the guise of going out to lunch, I took myself to the movies yesterday and munched on nachos while I stared at an aging Robert Redford. He's still handsome, but not the steal-your-breath kind of gorgeousness of his youth.


Then, there's the water therapy schedule staring me in the face. Maybe next week.

My goal while Sis is gone is to find the groove again, and get back to writing at least 1000 words a day. So far, three days in, three thousand words. So, I'm on track. Now, to keep it there, until my last book in the Cotillion Ball Series is finished. I think I can, I think I can...

And, if you haven't already done so, I still need two votes for The Duplicitous Debutante to make it to the finals of The Romance Reviews' Readers Choice Awards. Please take a moment and cast your vote here: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=14894

Ready To Rock

I may have been under the weather these last few weeks, but I have managed to stay busy. Here's what's going on:


Two of my books are up for Reader's Choice Awards through the website The Romance Reviews. Expressly Yours, Samantha is listed as a Western Romance, http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=17155 and The Duplicitous Debutante is listed as a Historical Romance. http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=14894
I need 50 votes for each title in order to continue to the next round. Simply click on the above links, hit the top button that says Nominate This Book, and you're done. Thank you so much for your help.


My little puppy-mill rescue dog, Mary, is a guest on USA Today's Happy Ever After Column.  Reminds me of the rock song about making it on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. You can see her here: http://wp.me/p5HLSC-1pb8


We had a serious nibble on the house, so my sister and I are spending the afternoon (along with the celebrity, Mary), doing drive-bys of the handful of houses we've narrowed our search to. For some reason, we want to be near water. So it's the Portage Lakes, or the canal, or any random lake or swimming pool. I think we have visions of pool parties in our future.

Hopefully, I'll have good news to report here soon. In the meantime, don't forget to vote!

Special Guest Caroline Warfield

I am so pleased to once again feature my friend and fellow blogger, Caroline Warfield. She has a new book coming out this month especially for all you Regency fans. Here's Caroline!

Becky Lower and I are partners at History Imagined. When we realized we have new books coming out this month, we thought it might be fun to compare notes by answering the same four questions. Becky’s answers will appear on my blog tomorrow.  http://www.carolinewarfield.com/authors-blog/
My answers are here:
Tell me about your new release:
Richard Hayden, the Marquess of Glenaire, strides through life putting loyalty and duty ahead of everything. He never creases his jacket or puts a foot out of place. He views love as a maudlin sentimentality. When an uncharacteristic indiscretion with an attractive woman occurs in Dangerous Weakness, , he knows his duty. He makes the world’s worst proposal since Darcy insulted Elizabeth Bennett.  Lily Thornton refuses to be Richard’s problem to solve, and so she informs him. Her refusal to let him take care of her baffles him. My goal with the book was to bring two stubborn people to the point they could rely on each other, but these two were more stubborn than usual. She runs pretty far. When he runs after her, he has no idea what he’s about to get himself into: dishonest fishermen, friendly stevedores, disbelieving ambassadors, and slave-trading pirates.
How does the release fit into your series?

Richard appears in both of my previous books. He usually casts himself in the role of rescuer even if his sister and his friends would, like Lily, prefer to manage their own lives. Because he always wants to be in charge, I decided he needed a few lessons. I wanted to bring him to the point he was barefoot, in rags, and begging for help. If ever a hero needed his suit shredded and his hair mussed, it’s this one. It turns out he’ll do anything, even that, to protect the woman he loves.

What one thing do you hope readers enjoy in the particular offering?
As much as it was fun bringing him down a peg, I hope the readers see the heart underneath the façade of the Marble Marquess. When Richard realizes he has a family, the concept stuns him. I hope readers, like Lily, come to understand his fundamental need to care for and protect those he loves.
What do you have planned next?
A secondary character that appears in all three of my Dangerous books, Will Landrum, the Earl of Chadbourn, will appear as the hero of a holiday novella in Mistletoe, Marriage, and Mayhem, an anthology published by the Bluestocking Belles. That story is called “A Dangerous Nativity.”   

All of the Dangerous books include children, and they are all clamoring for their own stories to be told. I am in the process of imagining those stories and matching them with worldwide events that took place in the early years of Victoria’s reign.
Here's the blurb for A Dangerous Weakness: 
If women were as easily managed as the affairs of state—or the recalcitrant Ottoman Empire—Richard Hayden, Marquess of Glenaire, would be a happier man. As it was the creatures—one woman in particular—made hash of his well-laid plans and bedeviled him on all sides.Lily Thornton came home from Saint Petersburg in pursuit of marriage. She wants a husband and a partner, not an overbearing, managing man. She may be “the least likely candidate to be Marchioness of Glenaire,” but her problems are her own to fix, even if those problems include both a Russian villain and an interfering Ottoman official.
Given enough facts, Richard can fix anything. But protecting that impossible woman is proving to be almost as hard as protecting his heart, especially when Lily’s problems bring her dangerously close to an Ottoman revolution. As Lily’s personal problems entangle with Richard’s professional ones, and she pits her will against his, he chases her across the pirate-infested Mediterranean. Will she discover surrender isn’t defeat? It might even have its own sweet reward.
And a snippet: 
 “We will marry of course,” he told her. “Quickly, but not so abruptly as to cause comments.” He walked toward the door, expecting her to follow.“I beg your pardon,” she called out to him. “We will what?”He turned on his heel. “Miss Thornton, you will be the Marchioness of Glenaire. That is far from ideal, and the difference in our state will no doubt cause talk. We will have to endure it.”“Why?” she demanded. “Why this ‘far from ideal’ demand? Has Lady Sarah refused you?”“Don’t be coy, Miss Thornton. You have led me into folly at every step. After last night I have no choice. I shall have to marry you. My family—”“Your family would have kittens if I married you, which I will not.”“You have respectable, if not the highest, breeding, you will show to advantage when properly dressed, and you will do well as a diplomatic hostess. My family, I was going to say, will have to deal with it.” He stalked away. “So will you.”“I will not,” Lily shouted after him.
Buy links (Kindle only) US http://amzn.to/1L8IDXpUK http://amzn.to/1JYxerMCanada http://amzn.to/1NwQmMtEuro http://amzn.to/1PrxeAQIndia http://amzn.to/1hdwC6C Aus http://bit.ly/1NikayC
Find out more about Caroline here: 
Caroline Warfield has at various times been an army brat, a librarian, a poet, a raiser of children, a nun, a bird watcher, an Internet and Web services manager, a conference speaker, an indexer, a tech writer, a genealogist, and, of course, a romantic. She has sailed through the English channel while it was still mined from WWII, stood on the walls of Troy, searched Scotland for the location of an entirely fictional castle (and found it), climbed the steps to the Parthenon, floated down the Thames from the Tower to Greenwich, shopped in the Ginza, lost herself in the Louvre, gone on a night safari at the Singapore zoo, walked in the Black Forest, and explored the underground cistern of Istanbul. By far the biggest adventure has been life-long marriage to a prince among men.
She sits in front of a keyboard at a desk surrounded by windows, looks out at the trees and imagines. Her greatest joy is when one of those imaginings comes to life on the page and in the imagination of her readers.

Caroline’s social media
Visit Caroline’s Website and Blog                http://www.carolinewarfield.com/Meet Caroline on Facebook                          https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7Follow Caroline on Twitter                            @CaroWarfieldEmail Caroline directly                                    warfieldcaro@gmail.comSubscribe to Caroline’s newsletter               http://www.carolinewarfield.com/newsletter/Dangerous Weakness Pinterest Board   http://bit.ly/1M1FglsPlay in the  Bluestocking Bookshop        http://on.fb.me/1I7MRe4
She can also be found onLibraryThing                    http://www.librarything.com/profile/CaroWarfieldAmazon Author               http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/Good Reads                      http://bit.ly/1C5blTmBluestocking Belles      http://bluestockingbelles.com/
Caroline’s Other Books Dangerous Works    http://amzn.to/1DJj0Hi Dangerous Secrets   http://tinyurl.com/ph56vnb

House Hunting

I seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time on various realtor sites these days, trying to cull through the opportunities available to us as my sister and I search for our perfect home. On Friday, we spent the entire day running from one to the next. We're getting smarter in our attempts now. Instead of just writing down the address and price before we head out, we take the time to look at the pictures and make up a list of pros and cons for each. It's really helped us in the search, as we were able to eliminate four of the six we drove by today.

Which made me think of writing. Of putting together a manuscript from start to finish, of having a plot that works and is strong enough for a 70,000 word novel. I'd like to be a total pantser and just go where my muse leads me, but it makes me nervous if I don't know where I'm headed, and I don't have the time to explore dead ends, to have to tear off the last half of the book and do it again. But I also am not quite on the opposite end of the spectrum, either. I don't do outlines, but I do write out my plot points from start to finish, to see if there's enough story and if it's strong enough. I weigh the pros and cons of the story before I get too far into it. I guess you could say I do a drive-by of the story.

If I like the plot points, I'll usually go one step further and write a synopsis for the entire story. I'm not saying I stay true to the synopsis once I get going on the book, but it helps me see clearly where I'm headed and how to get there. It helps me fall in love with the story line and the characters. We're not at this stage yet in our house-hunting. We can't afford to fall in love with a house until we get a contract on ours.

Like books, there are millions of houses out there, all for sale and begging to be picked. Each has its strong points (usually) and each has some drawbacks. But, if the house is pretty enough, has good bones, and gives us at least most of what we want, we'll offer to buy it. Books are all begging to be picked, too. So they'd better have pretty covers and good bones beneath the cover. And if they deliver the message we were looking for, so much the better.

A Widow's Salvation is available for pre-orders now, and will be released on September 7, 2015. It has a pretty cover and I hope you'll agree it has good bones beneath the cover. Here's a snippet from the book:


A little more than an hour later, he arrived at Central Park. He rode for a while on the bridle paths, which were the best way to take in the park, but he wanted to get off his horse for a bit and walk. He spied a stable a few steps off the bridle path and entered the facility.
The man in charge saluted him, and Elijah suppressed a grimace. There was no getting away from the war.
“I want to take a walk through the park for a while. Can you stable my horse for an hour or so?”
“Happy to, Colonel. Enjoy your afternoon.”
Elijah set off on foot. He had an interest in bridges and wanted to see the Glade Bridge. It had been under construction on his previous visit, and the fact it was made from locally quarried sandstone enhanced its appeal to him. The design was as lovely as he’d imagined it to be, since it blended with the landscape rather than protruded from it. He spent a few minutes admiring the bridge from several angles, then moved on to the Bethesda Terrace, which was positioned in front of the fountain and the lake.
Elijah took his time descending the staircase, running his hands over the stone carvings of animals and birds, which adorned the banisters. Such attention to detail was part of what made the park so special, a jewel big enough for the entire city to enjoy. He inhaled a deep breath and stretched his back, feeling alive for the first time in a long time. There were other things going on than the ghastly war, a fact he had forgotten. He glanced up at the clear blue sky and then shifted his gaze to the vast lake. The city fathers had been so forward-thinking when they’d taken possession of a swamp in the middle of the city, upon which no buildings of any size could be erected, and turned it into a huge park and lake. Central Park would be a showpiece for the city for decades to come, especially after it was completed. Why had it taken him a year to return? To appreciate its beauty?
Because he’d been busy trying to save the lives of the brave soldiers who had answered the call for service. Now, thanks to a woman named Pepper Brown, he was trying to save his own life. For the first years after Elisabeth died, he’d wanted to join her, and nearly worked himself to death as a result. He no longer wanted that fate, and he was now taking the first steps toward a future without her. He walked toward the fountain and the lake beyond.
The laughter of children made its way to his ears. He scanned the crowd. So many children, so many people. This had been a foolhardy mission on his part. If he was going to take the time to escape the hospital and meet Pepper in a park, he should make certain to set it up with her first and to have a clear plan. It was getting late, and he needed to return to the stable, pick up his horse, and ride back to the Bronx before dark.
The sea of humanity parted just then, and Elijah spied the one person he’d been searching for. Pepper, surrounded by her children, glanced up from them at the same time his gaze found her. Her lips curved in an even wider smile, and she waved. The Bronx could wait awhile longer. 

Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1DZipEE

Intl Link: myBook.to/AWidowsSalvation

Ready For Launch

Anyone who has a book for sale knows that getting the book published is only the first step in a very long, winding, ever-changing and sometimes costly, road. Marketing of your book is something you don't really think about when you're writing it and trying to find a publisher. But it's a vital part of any author's duties, regardless of whether you're an independent publisher, with a small press, or with one of the big boys.

My eighth historical in my series comes out on September 7. By now, I've learned a few things about what works and what doesn't. One of the things I'm cutting back on is the guest blogs. They all take time to write and post, and it's time that could be better spent. I'll appear on a handful, but I will no longer appear on three a day during release week, as I've done in the past. It's hard to tell what works and what doesn't in the best of circumstances, but if you start muddying the waters with multiple blog posts, you'll never know where those sales are coming from.

In addition to blog sites, there are review sites. I've got my favorites, those who have reviewed me in the past and were complimentary, so I go back to them each time. But review sites are a constantly evolving business, so I always try to find one or two new ones to solicit.

My checklist is pretty well in order for the upcoming release. My guest posts are written, my Advance Review Copies (ARCs) are out there now, being devoured (hopefully) by my reviewers, my website is being updated, I've started putting out announcements on Facebook about A Widow's Salvation now being available for pre-orders. I'm still contemplating doing some advertising specific to readers of historical fiction, so there's work yet to do. But especially when money is involved, I prefer to take my time.

In between doing all this, I can start to obsess over my numbers on Amazon. And work on Book 9, The Forgotten Debutante. A writer's work is never done, regardless of where you're at in the journey or how high you are in the charts.

So I'll keep my nose to the grindstone and see what happens this go-round. Happy Release Day!

Moving Things Around

Jigsaw puzzles play a big part in my life. I have found, when I'm having trouble with a scene, or a plot line, the best thing to do is to step away from the manuscript and work on a puzzle. Somehow, the mindless sorting of pieces, and then locking them together into an intricate pattern helps me sort through the plot possibilities of my story and I can then write the scene in its logical order.

This familiarity with jigsaws worked for me when it was requested that I move a scene in my most recent book, A Widow's Salvation, due out on September 7. I had to take that piece, that scene, out from its place in the story, reposition it, and then write around it to make certain all the edges matched up again, and that it locked together seamlessly into the story line.

Now, the puzzle pieces are invading my personal life. As most of you know, I've had some medical issues, and the decision was made to move my bed from the second floor. The only place it would fit on the first floor was my office–that sanctified space where all of my books have been written. Now, the desk is shoved up against the wall and my bed takes up most of the room. I'm still trying to get the edges to match up.

One thing that I've noticed, though, by combining my sleep and work space is that there is no hard and fast dividing line. If I have a scene rolling around in my head, or some social media I need to work on, I don't need to lie there wide awake and wait until morning. Now, I can just jump out of bed and be at my desk, my computer, in no time. Obviously, I need to work on control issues. And I need to sort out those jigsaw edges.



But I have to admit, in all my years of working for someone else, I never wanted to jump out of bed and go to work. I'll take a few ragged jigsaw pieces. Mary likes the fact that I can work from home. That's enough for me.

Open House

Most of you who follow this blog know my house in Oberlin is on the market. So today, we're having the first open house for it. We're frantically cleaning each room, putting a spit shine on every piece of furniture, emptying wastebaskets, tucking the extra dog bed out on the screened porch and running the Swiffer one final time over the floors. Then, we put fresh flowers in each room for added ambiance, turn it over to the real estate agents, and leave, hoping for a sale.

I can't help but compare it to the editing process. You knew that was coming, didn't you?

During editing, I go chapter by chapter over the manuscript as I format it, searching for overused words and phrases, making certain all the senses are represented equally and adequately, that I've added in description, visceral responses, some hopefully witty narrative, and given my characters solid reasons why they are resisting each other. I make certain I'm staying in one person's head throughout the entire scene. Taking care of the basics, sweeping away the heavy debris.

When I'm done with the hard edits, I'll go back over the manuscript a second time, reading it through from start to finish, putting a spit shine on each word, phrase, sentence. I look through the file of unused scenes to see if anything is worthy of being put back into the story, and if not, I empty the file. I clean each scene of extraneous materials by eliminating words and phrases that go nowhere, or add nothing to the story.

Then, I read it again. I run through the manuscript one more time, catching typos, extra commas, odd phrasing, making certain I have the same eye color for the hero throughout and that the heroine doesn't change her clothes mid-scene, unless she's supposed to. When I'm done with this read, I'll go back once more and see if there's any place I can add to the story to make it more effective. To add ambiance.

Only then do I consider my work ready for a publisher's eyes. If I'm fortunate enough to capture the eye of a publisher, they turn my manuscript over to their production department and the editing process begins again. By the time the book releases, I will have read it over and over at least seven or eight times, to the point where I have parts of it memorized. In the end, the manuscript leaves my hands, and I hope for a sale.

I just finished the final edits of A Widow's Salvation, due out September 7. It's now left my hands for good, and I'm hoping for a sale come September. Or two. Or two thousand. We'll see how it goes.

Back To Normal

One of the best things about being an author (at least in my opinion) is the multitude of types of work involved. Right now, I'm involved in the following:

1)  final edits for A Widow's Salvation–lots of tedious reading of line by line to catch typos, lost quote marks, and the like. It's scheduled for release on September 7.

2) I try to add 1,000 words a day to my WIP, the last book in the Cotillion Ball Series–the creative part of my day. The Forgotten Debutante, about Saffron Fitzpatrick, will be released in the Spring of 2016.

3) I check emails and collect my number of visitors to my website and blog–the strategic part of the day.

4) And I am lining up guest blog appearances, finding reviewers for my book, and deciding on which ad campaign, if any, will work best–the marketing part. I really love to answer the questions other bloggers pose to me. I never thought I'd enjoy that part of the business as much as I do. A pleasant surprise.

In my spare time, I am searching for a new house to live in, and we go out two or three times a week on a scouting mission.

And, there's always the other WIP, which I desperately want to finish by the end of the year. I found a model last year who is my inspiration for Raoul, or Lone Wolf. Maybe I don't want to finish the book because I'd have to remove the image?

If I run out of things to do, I have another workshop queued up and ready to go so I can become a better writer.

It's always something.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

What are you doing this week?

Is It Better In Person?

Those of you who follow this blog know how disappointed I was when I had to cancel my plans to attend the RWA conference. I was set to meet up with my fellow Crimson authors at a dinner. I was going to pitch to Courtney Miller. I was going to make new friends and learn new things. I was going to wear new clothes in honor of the event.

None of that happened.



I could be bitter and sad. I was, for a time. Envious? Most definitely. But then, I realized I could pitch to any agent I wanted to via email, not just the one who had a time slot open. And the beauty of it is I can rework the email query as much as is needed. You don't get a second chance to impress during an 8-minute pitch. I could touch base with the Crimson authors via our special loop, any time I wanted. As a result of making new friends this past year, I'm going to take part in a Facebook party this coming week with my new friend, E. E. Burke. I've learned new things about craft by taking a Margie Lawson online workshop a few months ago. As for the new clothes–it's time to start purging my closet anyway, so the new duds will come in handy.

So, now I bet you're asking, if I can do all the above from the comfort of my computer, why would I even bother to attend the RWA Conference?

For the buzz. For the chance to rub shoulders with the likes of Nora Roberts, Jayne Anne Krentz, Christie Craig, Lisa Klepas, and Jill Shalvis. For the opportunity to meet a publisher, not at a pitch session, but over a glass of wine. For the chance to network with other authors, who are also avid readers. For the workshops, where I can learn how this industry is changing and how to be flexible enough to keep up.

For the camaraderie of being in a place with 2,000 other like-minded souls who don't mind if your head's in the clouds, and the floor isn't swept.

Yes, I got a lot of work done last week. And I got to sleep in my own bed. I didn't have to be shoehorned into an airline seat for hours, or sit on a tarmac waiting for a gate to open at LaGuardia. I got to watch the awards ceremony in my nightgown instead of a fancy dress.

But I would have traded it all for a chance to be at Nationals. Next year.

Look out, San Diego.

Getting Ready For Nationals

There's been a lot of chatter on various blog sites and loops about getting ready for Nationals–what to pack, what swag to take, how to pace yourself, what workshops to attend, what events to not miss. It's all very exciting and overwhelming, even if it's not your first rodeo.

But what about those of us who can't attend? Up until a month ago, I was an attendee. I had put together my wardrobe, ordered my swag, confirmed my airline reservations. Then, an ambulance ride and emergency surgery made all those plans evaporate, like morning dew. Now, as I watch the excitement build for those who will attend, I'm trying to temper my envy with a game plan of my own.

I think I'll call it Becky's Version Of Nationals. It goes something like this:

Tuesday–Instead of spending the day in transit, I'll write 1,000 words in my final book in the Cotillion Ball Series, which currently stands at 3700 words. It's going to feature the youngest girl in the family, Saffron, who was seven when the series started. This book begins during the height of the Civil War conflict and Saffron is fifteen, missing out on her Cotillion ball and resenting how the war has impacted her life. She's still young, and spunky, and she'll be fun to write. I'm looking forward to it.

Wednesday–Add another 1,000 words to the manuscript. Review my notes from the Margie Lawson workshop I recently took.

Thursday–Keeping my head down, I'll add another 1,000 words, and will begin to solicit for reviews for Book 8, A Widow's Salvation. I saw a sneak peek of the cover last week, and think it's my best yet. Can't wait to show everyone. And the book is a departure of sorts for me, since Pepper Brown is a thirty-one year-old war widow with three sons to contend with. Instead of showing her strength by being a vocal advocate of social causes, she has an inner strength that equals or exceeds that of her sisters. The book will be out in September.

Friday–It's my day on the History Imagined blog, and I'm talking about an often overlooked museum in Ohio–The National First Ladies' Library in Canton, OH, and their featured exhibit on Forgotten First Ladies. I'll drum up some traffic for this great blog site, and respond to comments throughout the day. Oh, and I'll add another 1,000 words to the WIP.

Saturday–Okay, I'll give in to the jitters today. Two of my chapter mates–AE Jones and Jane Lynne Daniels–are up for RITA awards, both in the Paranormal category. Who knew Cleveland could be so scary? And, AE's also up for Best First Book. My sister and I will settle in at the computer at 8 with a big bowl of popcorn, and watch the proceedings with our fingers crossed. No writing today, but hopefully, rejoicing, before it's all over.


Sunday–I'll finish out the Nationals experience by adding another 1,000 words to the manuscript, which will get me close to 10,000 words by the end of the week. Instead of spending my days in workshops and networking with fellow authors, I've kept my nose to the grindstone and my WIP on track, making my deadline a workable one.

But I'm still envious. And counting the days till the San Diego conference.