Becky Lower's Blog, page 49
June 2, 2013
Family Dynamics. Oh My!
On one of my guest blogs recently, the interviewer asked me if my own family dynamic came into play in any of my books, which, to date, have had a strong family theme. I laughed at my answer, but it's so true. I have three sisters and a brother, and we as different as day is from night. Oh sure, we may all resemble one another, and even talk alike, to some degree. But our personalities, our values and beliefs are all over the place. Our family joke is it's amazing to us that we came from the same womb.
Two of my siblings are in town for a high school reunion this weekend, and will be here into next week. They both live on the west coast and I don't get to spend near enough time with either of them. So, last night, as I was sitting in the rain, eating wet hot dogs at the baseball game, and sandwiched between my sister and my brother, I thought about the interview question. While I don't use actual events from my family in my stories, I do hone in on the emotions, the friendships between siblings, the love for each other, even on the days we don't really like each other. I need to tap into those feelings again for the next book in my historic series. About halfway through our disastrous outing at the ball park (the game eventually got played, long after we left), I decided to pay better attention to my siblings. Despite the rain, we ended up having a really good time. And I now have the ammunition I need for the next book. Watch for it.
Two of my siblings are in town for a high school reunion this weekend, and will be here into next week. They both live on the west coast and I don't get to spend near enough time with either of them. So, last night, as I was sitting in the rain, eating wet hot dogs at the baseball game, and sandwiched between my sister and my brother, I thought about the interview question. While I don't use actual events from my family in my stories, I do hone in on the emotions, the friendships between siblings, the love for each other, even on the days we don't really like each other. I need to tap into those feelings again for the next book in my historic series. About halfway through our disastrous outing at the ball park (the game eventually got played, long after we left), I decided to pay better attention to my siblings. Despite the rain, we ended up having a really good time. And I now have the ammunition I need for the next book. Watch for it.
May 26, 2013
Are you a Column or A Girder?
As writers, we each rely on a group of behind the scenes people to help us get through the next scene, the next chapter, the next manuscript. This group forms, in my mind, at least, a bridge. Let me explain.
I'm lucky enough to have a great support system. I have a critique group of serious, diverse writers who meet every other week and don't hold back on telling each other what parts of the chapter work and what don't. We're not cruel to each other, just brutally honest and encourage each other to produce our best possible work. My cousin reads everything I write before anyone else sees the complete story. And my best friend who spends many hours on the phone with me, listening to me plot out my stories long distance, and offers suggestions. None of these people tell me what to write, they just throw out ideas and eagerly await my next book, to see if any of what they tossed out made it to the final version. These are my columns in the bridge metaphor. They take care of the heavy work, demanding rewrites and editing, keeping me on course. They provide the strong underlayer to my writing.
On a secondary level is my chapter group of RWA, my band of sisters at both Crimson Romance and Soul Mate Publishing, and my family. Each of these groups will lend a hand if called upon, and are always ready with ideas and advice on how to market myself, to answer a tricky question regarding the use of Pinterest or Twitter, and to cheer me on. These are the girders and suspension lines that are visible to the public. They help me maintain a presence to the world. Without both parts, the bridge would collapse and tumble into the water.
So today I'm trumpeting both parts of my bridge. I just began a new work, and have all kinds of great ideas from my critique group on where to take it. And, I'm about to begin the Crimson Romance blog hop, which will celebrate Crimson's first anniversary. I'm pleased to have been with them from almost the beginning with my historic series. My contemporary released this month with Soul Mate, my newest publisher, and I'm finding a whole new network of supportive authors over there. I keep adding columns and girders, and getting stronger. Which is good, since I still can't swim.
I'm lucky enough to have a great support system. I have a critique group of serious, diverse writers who meet every other week and don't hold back on telling each other what parts of the chapter work and what don't. We're not cruel to each other, just brutally honest and encourage each other to produce our best possible work. My cousin reads everything I write before anyone else sees the complete story. And my best friend who spends many hours on the phone with me, listening to me plot out my stories long distance, and offers suggestions. None of these people tell me what to write, they just throw out ideas and eagerly await my next book, to see if any of what they tossed out made it to the final version. These are my columns in the bridge metaphor. They take care of the heavy work, demanding rewrites and editing, keeping me on course. They provide the strong underlayer to my writing.
On a secondary level is my chapter group of RWA, my band of sisters at both Crimson Romance and Soul Mate Publishing, and my family. Each of these groups will lend a hand if called upon, and are always ready with ideas and advice on how to market myself, to answer a tricky question regarding the use of Pinterest or Twitter, and to cheer me on. These are the girders and suspension lines that are visible to the public. They help me maintain a presence to the world. Without both parts, the bridge would collapse and tumble into the water.
So today I'm trumpeting both parts of my bridge. I just began a new work, and have all kinds of great ideas from my critique group on where to take it. And, I'm about to begin the Crimson Romance blog hop, which will celebrate Crimson's first anniversary. I'm pleased to have been with them from almost the beginning with my historic series. My contemporary released this month with Soul Mate, my newest publisher, and I'm finding a whole new network of supportive authors over there. I keep adding columns and girders, and getting stronger. Which is good, since I still can't swim.May 21, 2013
Blog Hop Come join ‘we happy few, we band of sisters’ in...
Blog Hop
Come join ‘we happy few, we band of sisters’ in celebrating our first year as published authors under the Crimson Romance banner. What sets us apart from other romance writers? The diversity of story, the quality of writing and the amazingly original concepts of our writers are unlike any found in usual formula romance. We are unique, as people, as storytellers, as women. So Blog Hop with us, share a comment, sign up to win free book giveaways and prizes, and read an excerpt from my latest book,
Banking On Temperance
We’ll have a Blog Hopping Blast together!
Come join ‘we happy few, we band of sisters’ in celebrating our first year as published authors under the Crimson Romance banner. What sets us apart from other romance writers? The diversity of story, the quality of writing and the amazingly original concepts of our writers are unlike any found in usual formula romance. We are unique, as people, as storytellers, as women. So Blog Hop with us, share a comment, sign up to win free book giveaways and prizes, and read an excerpt from my latest book,
Banking On Temperance
We’ll have a Blog Hopping Blast together!
Blog Hop Come join ‘we happy few, we band of sisters’ i...
Blog Hop
Come join ‘we happy few, we band of sisters’ in celebrating our first year as published authors under the Crimson Romance banner. What sets us apart from other romance writers? The diversity of story, the quality of writing and the amazingly original concepts of our writers are unlike any found in usual formula romance. We are unique, as people, as storytellers, as women. So Blog Hop with us, share a comment, sign up to win free book giveaways and prizes, follow the original round-robin story from chapter to chapter, and read excerpts from books that capture the imagination, scratch your itch for a really good love story, and take you on journeys of the heart and soul. We’ll have a Blog Hopping Blast together! More information and links coming soon!
Come join ‘we happy few, we band of sisters’ in celebrating our first year as published authors under the Crimson Romance banner. What sets us apart from other romance writers? The diversity of story, the quality of writing and the amazingly original concepts of our writers are unlike any found in usual formula romance. We are unique, as people, as storytellers, as women. So Blog Hop with us, share a comment, sign up to win free book giveaways and prizes, follow the original round-robin story from chapter to chapter, and read excerpts from books that capture the imagination, scratch your itch for a really good love story, and take you on journeys of the heart and soul. We’ll have a Blog Hopping Blast together! More information and links coming soon!
May 16, 2013
It All Starts Here—But Where Exactly Is Here?
Today, I'm welcoming debut author Collette Cameron, whose book, Highlander's Hope, is releasing this month through Soul Mate Publishing.
She's addressing the question--
Where do you write?
The writing cave, the home office or den, on the couch or kitchen table with family chaos all around? Perhaps you commute by train or bus, or you trot off to the local library, writer’s room, or café. I so admire those writers who can tap into their muse regardless of their surroundings. I have a friend that writes at Starbucks. I don’t know how she does it.
I can write my blogs at work—on lunch and breaks—and I’m not bothered at all. My novels are a different story. I get so deep into them; any outside noise is a distraction. I can’t have the T.V. on or even music with lyrics playing. No location is off limits to me for scribbling notes, but my really creative writing takes place in my shabby chic writing room.
I haven’t always had my writing room.
For the first year and a half I wrote, I sequestered myself in the den. . . . Otherwise known as my hubby’s man cave. That’s where Highlander’s Hope (May 2013 from Soul Mate Publishing) and The Viscount’s Vow (SMP Fall 2013) made it from my imagination to the page. His gun cabinet is in there, as are four mounted deer and a stuffed pheasant. Trust me when I tell you, five pairs of mournful eyes staring at me didn’t do a whole lot for inducing romantic creativity! The room is decorated in an outdoorsman theme and “manly” colors. It was supposed to be hubby’s personal space, but I commandeered it.
That changed last fall. With two empty bedrooms upstairs, I decided to create my own space. I let go with every creative thing I’ve ever wanted to do in a room. There was no holding back—no holds barred. I made it totally feminine, romantic, pink and white, roses, teacups, candles, doilies, lace, Regency and Victoriana everywhere. I have a floral patterned overstuffed armchair where I can curl up and read by the light of an antique floor lamp. On the floor is a blue and pink hand-hooked, seventy-five year old rug. The pattern? Roses, of course.
I even have a plush, pink doggy bed for the doxies. My writing room over-the-top obnoxious, and I love it!
My twenty-one year old son wanted to take a gander at his old bedroom. He walked in, stood speechless for a moment, then shook his head and said, “I hate it—but it’s absolutely you.”
I wasn’t sure how to take his comment until he clarified that the room was much too girly for him, but my new writing room reflected my frou frou tendencies to a tee. And it does. I shed all my other roles when I’m in there. I’m Collette Cameron author, and somehow in the environment of my fantasy writing room, I take myself more seriously at a writer.
What about you? Do you have your own special writing spot or do the creative juices flow wherever you’re at?
Well, it’s time to get to the WIP, The Earl’s Enticement. Or maybe I’ll find something shabby chic to put on the one bare space left on the walls—
Here's a taste of Highlander's Hope for your reading pleasure while we await The Earl's Enticement.
Highlander’s Hope Blurb:
She was the heiress determined to never marry.
Shipping heiress Yvette Stapleton is wary of fortune hunting men and their false declarations of love. She’d rather become a spinster than imprisoned in the bonds of marriage. At first, she doesn’t recognize the dangerously handsome man who rescues her from assailants on London’s docks, but her reaction to Lord Sethwick’s passionate kisses soon have her reconsidering her cynical views on matrimony.
He was the nobleman who vowed to make her his own.
Not a day has gone by that Ewan McTavish, Lord Sethwick and Laird of Craiglocky, hasn’t dreamed of the sensual beauty he danced with two years ago; he’s determined to win her heart. On a mission to stop a War Office traitor, he unwittingly draws Yvette into deadly international intrigue. To protect her, he exploits Scottish Canon law to declare her his lawful wife—without benefit of a ceremony. Yvette is furious upon discovering the irregular marriage is legally binding, though she never said, “I do.”
Amidst murder and betrayal, Ewan attempts to win Yvette’s forgiveness. But is it too late? Has his manipulation cost him her love?
Interesting, no? How about an excerpt?
A sharp rap echoed at the door. Yvette breathed a sigh. Thank Goodness. Lord Sethwick wouldn’t have to answer the question after all. She raised her head and forced her gaze from the document in his hand.
He stared at her intently, then called, “Enter.”
“Lord Sethwick, please excuse the interruption,” a deep voice greeted. “‘Tis urgent I speak with you.”
Half-turning to look at the newcomer, Yvette could not contain her frightened gasp. She shot halfway out of her chair before Lord Sethwick’s hand snaked across the table and grasped hers, restraining her.
“Ewan!” In her panic, she addressed him by his given name.
“Miss Stapleton, Mrs. Pettigrove, may I introduce my associate, Trenton Carmichael?” said Ewan. “You know him as Nigel Collingsworth.”
Yvette sat down so hard her bottom smacked the chair with a stinging thud. Despite the day’s promise to be quite warm, she shivered, chilled to the bone. Searching the viscount’s face she repeated, stunned, “Your associate? I don’t understand. He was chasing me yesterday.”
Mrs. Pettigrove’s gooseberry eyes were round as the moon watching the exchange. “Mr. Collings, er, Carmichael was chasing you, Miss Stapleton?”
No one responded to her probing.
Holding Yvette’s hand, Lord Sethwick explained, “He wasn’t chasing you. Trent was trying to protect you by catching the man who was chasing you.”
“A different man was also chasing you? Whatever for?” Mrs. Pettigrove sounded envious.
Everyone ignored her.
Mr. Carmichael addressed Yvette. “I regret frightening you yesterday. It wasn’t my intent.”
Another knock sounded.
“Come in.” Lord Sethwick was less gracious this time.
Yvette managed not to gawk at the two men who entered the chamber. At least she thought she did. Faith, what handsome men. They must be friends of Lord Sethwick’s. Nobility no doubt.
“Sethwick, you rogue, keeping the arrival of your lovely bride-to-be a secret,” teased a tall gentleman dressed in black from toe to top.
Buy Link:
Book URL: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/meet-... This is not a "buy" link.
ISBN 9781619351974
My Links:
Web site: http://collettecameron.com/
Blog: http://www.blueroseromance.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/collettecame...
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/collette.came...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Collette_Author
Google+: https://plus.google.com/s/collette%20...
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/collette-...
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/colletteauthor/
Soul Mate Publishing Author's Blog: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13...
She's addressing the question--
Where do you write? The writing cave, the home office or den, on the couch or kitchen table with family chaos all around? Perhaps you commute by train or bus, or you trot off to the local library, writer’s room, or café. I so admire those writers who can tap into their muse regardless of their surroundings. I have a friend that writes at Starbucks. I don’t know how she does it.
I can write my blogs at work—on lunch and breaks—and I’m not bothered at all. My novels are a different story. I get so deep into them; any outside noise is a distraction. I can’t have the T.V. on or even music with lyrics playing. No location is off limits to me for scribbling notes, but my really creative writing takes place in my shabby chic writing room.
I haven’t always had my writing room.
For the first year and a half I wrote, I sequestered myself in the den. . . . Otherwise known as my hubby’s man cave. That’s where Highlander’s Hope (May 2013 from Soul Mate Publishing) and The Viscount’s Vow (SMP Fall 2013) made it from my imagination to the page. His gun cabinet is in there, as are four mounted deer and a stuffed pheasant. Trust me when I tell you, five pairs of mournful eyes staring at me didn’t do a whole lot for inducing romantic creativity! The room is decorated in an outdoorsman theme and “manly” colors. It was supposed to be hubby’s personal space, but I commandeered it.
That changed last fall. With two empty bedrooms upstairs, I decided to create my own space. I let go with every creative thing I’ve ever wanted to do in a room. There was no holding back—no holds barred. I made it totally feminine, romantic, pink and white, roses, teacups, candles, doilies, lace, Regency and Victoriana everywhere. I have a floral patterned overstuffed armchair where I can curl up and read by the light of an antique floor lamp. On the floor is a blue and pink hand-hooked, seventy-five year old rug. The pattern? Roses, of course.
I even have a plush, pink doggy bed for the doxies. My writing room over-the-top obnoxious, and I love it!
My twenty-one year old son wanted to take a gander at his old bedroom. He walked in, stood speechless for a moment, then shook his head and said, “I hate it—but it’s absolutely you.”
I wasn’t sure how to take his comment until he clarified that the room was much too girly for him, but my new writing room reflected my frou frou tendencies to a tee. And it does. I shed all my other roles when I’m in there. I’m Collette Cameron author, and somehow in the environment of my fantasy writing room, I take myself more seriously at a writer.
What about you? Do you have your own special writing spot or do the creative juices flow wherever you’re at?
Well, it’s time to get to the WIP, The Earl’s Enticement. Or maybe I’ll find something shabby chic to put on the one bare space left on the walls—
Here's a taste of Highlander's Hope for your reading pleasure while we await The Earl's Enticement.
Highlander’s Hope Blurb:
She was the heiress determined to never marry.
Shipping heiress Yvette Stapleton is wary of fortune hunting men and their false declarations of love. She’d rather become a spinster than imprisoned in the bonds of marriage. At first, she doesn’t recognize the dangerously handsome man who rescues her from assailants on London’s docks, but her reaction to Lord Sethwick’s passionate kisses soon have her reconsidering her cynical views on matrimony.
He was the nobleman who vowed to make her his own.
Not a day has gone by that Ewan McTavish, Lord Sethwick and Laird of Craiglocky, hasn’t dreamed of the sensual beauty he danced with two years ago; he’s determined to win her heart. On a mission to stop a War Office traitor, he unwittingly draws Yvette into deadly international intrigue. To protect her, he exploits Scottish Canon law to declare her his lawful wife—without benefit of a ceremony. Yvette is furious upon discovering the irregular marriage is legally binding, though she never said, “I do.”
Amidst murder and betrayal, Ewan attempts to win Yvette’s forgiveness. But is it too late? Has his manipulation cost him her love?
Interesting, no? How about an excerpt?
A sharp rap echoed at the door. Yvette breathed a sigh. Thank Goodness. Lord Sethwick wouldn’t have to answer the question after all. She raised her head and forced her gaze from the document in his hand.
He stared at her intently, then called, “Enter.”
“Lord Sethwick, please excuse the interruption,” a deep voice greeted. “‘Tis urgent I speak with you.”
Half-turning to look at the newcomer, Yvette could not contain her frightened gasp. She shot halfway out of her chair before Lord Sethwick’s hand snaked across the table and grasped hers, restraining her.
“Ewan!” In her panic, she addressed him by his given name.
“Miss Stapleton, Mrs. Pettigrove, may I introduce my associate, Trenton Carmichael?” said Ewan. “You know him as Nigel Collingsworth.”
Yvette sat down so hard her bottom smacked the chair with a stinging thud. Despite the day’s promise to be quite warm, she shivered, chilled to the bone. Searching the viscount’s face she repeated, stunned, “Your associate? I don’t understand. He was chasing me yesterday.”
Mrs. Pettigrove’s gooseberry eyes were round as the moon watching the exchange. “Mr. Collings, er, Carmichael was chasing you, Miss Stapleton?”
No one responded to her probing.
Holding Yvette’s hand, Lord Sethwick explained, “He wasn’t chasing you. Trent was trying to protect you by catching the man who was chasing you.”
“A different man was also chasing you? Whatever for?” Mrs. Pettigrove sounded envious.
Everyone ignored her.
Mr. Carmichael addressed Yvette. “I regret frightening you yesterday. It wasn’t my intent.”
Another knock sounded.
“Come in.” Lord Sethwick was less gracious this time.
Yvette managed not to gawk at the two men who entered the chamber. At least she thought she did. Faith, what handsome men. They must be friends of Lord Sethwick’s. Nobility no doubt.
“Sethwick, you rogue, keeping the arrival of your lovely bride-to-be a secret,” teased a tall gentleman dressed in black from toe to top.
Buy Link:
Book URL: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/meet-... This is not a "buy" link.
ISBN 9781619351974
My Links:
Web site: http://collettecameron.com/
Blog: http://www.blueroseromance.com/
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/collettecame...
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/collette.came...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Collette_Author
Google+: https://plus.google.com/s/collette%20...
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/collette-...
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/colletteauthor/
Soul Mate Publishing Author's Blog: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13...
May 12, 2013
The Woodpile That Is My Backlist
I was using my chain saw to cut up some downed branches last Monday, when the third book in my historical series, Banking On Temperance, made its debut. It occurred to me that I had been in this same position last July, when my first book, The Reluctant Debutante, was released. What is it with release dates and chain saws, anyway?
I thought on this subject for several days before I found the answer. My woodpile takes time to build each spring and summer. Unlike most rational folks who buy firewood by the pre-cut cord, I collect branches from both my yard with its old trees that don't bend in the wind like they used to, and from my sister's 22-acres of trees. I use my little chain saw to cut these branches up, and build my pile slowly. And before you get the wrong impression, I'm not a muscle-bound, gas-powered chain-saw toting woman with tats and a cigarette hanging from my mouth. My saw has only a 16-inch blade and is powered by electricity. It should be painted pink, it's such a girlie saw. Every time I take it in for sharpening, I have to listen to the comments: "Let's see if we can get this bad boy fixed up for you," or "You sure you can handle that saw?" That's when the guys in the chain-saw sharpening place aren't snickering.
But, I digress. The comparison I'm trying to make is this: my woodpile is like my backlist. It's taken me a while to build one. Last week I celebrated the release of Book #4--three historical and one contemporary. A fourth historical is set for release in the fall, and I've just finished my second contemporary, which I'll start shopping around next week. Slowly, over the past year, the woodpile that is my backlist has been building. So on a day like today, when I see sales of books one, two and four, I can get a warm and fuzzy feeling that my hard work is beginning to pay off.
Kind of like the warm and fuzzy feeling I get each cold winter night when I light a fire using the wood I've spent the previous spring and summer cutting up and stockpiling. My father had a slogan that "When you chop your own wood, it warms you twice." For me, since I'm usually stacking and hauling it from my sister's house and then unstacking it from my car and stacking it onto the woodpile, it's more like three or four times...kind of like editing a manuscript.
So what do you equate your backlist to?
I thought on this subject for several days before I found the answer. My woodpile takes time to build each spring and summer. Unlike most rational folks who buy firewood by the pre-cut cord, I collect branches from both my yard with its old trees that don't bend in the wind like they used to, and from my sister's 22-acres of trees. I use my little chain saw to cut these branches up, and build my pile slowly. And before you get the wrong impression, I'm not a muscle-bound, gas-powered chain-saw toting woman with tats and a cigarette hanging from my mouth. My saw has only a 16-inch blade and is powered by electricity. It should be painted pink, it's such a girlie saw. Every time I take it in for sharpening, I have to listen to the comments: "Let's see if we can get this bad boy fixed up for you," or "You sure you can handle that saw?" That's when the guys in the chain-saw sharpening place aren't snickering.
But, I digress. The comparison I'm trying to make is this: my woodpile is like my backlist. It's taken me a while to build one. Last week I celebrated the release of Book #4--three historical and one contemporary. A fourth historical is set for release in the fall, and I've just finished my second contemporary, which I'll start shopping around next week. Slowly, over the past year, the woodpile that is my backlist has been building. So on a day like today, when I see sales of books one, two and four, I can get a warm and fuzzy feeling that my hard work is beginning to pay off.Kind of like the warm and fuzzy feeling I get each cold winter night when I light a fire using the wood I've spent the previous spring and summer cutting up and stockpiling. My father had a slogan that "When you chop your own wood, it warms you twice." For me, since I'm usually stacking and hauling it from my sister's house and then unstacking it from my car and stacking it onto the woodpile, it's more like three or four times...kind of like editing a manuscript.
So what do you equate your backlist to?
May 5, 2013
Traci Douglass is in the hot seat today
The talented Traci Douglass joins me today to answer some questions about her new book, Seal Of Surrender. In case anyone missed it, her hero, Chago, won the very first round of the Hot Heroes Face Off just a week ago. Way to go, Chago! My money was on him all the way. Traci's book releases tomorrow, May 6, same time my latest is available. I'm happy to share the spotlight with her today. Without further delay, here's Traci!
What is your current project about?
Seal Of Surrender is the story of Chago, an immortal Scion warrior, who longs only for the peace and quiet of his Montana ranch. Unfortunately, he’s summoned to protect a woman who holds the genetic key to the apocalyptic Seal of War. After years of carnage as the Scion’s combat expert, he works a deal with Divinity. He’ll complete this one last job in exchange for permanent retirement. He never expects to fall in love or risk compromising his mission because of her.
What’s next for your readers?I’m working on revisions for the third Seal book now and have the fourth book outlined and ready to write. I’m also working on a contemporary romantic comedy that I hope to find a home for soon.
Why do you write romances? I’ve been a voracious romance reader since my teens. It’s the genre I love.
Have you ever written in any other genre?No, but as I’ve stated above, I’m trying my hand at some different areas within the genre, outside of paranormal romance. Namely contemporary and romantic suspense.
Have you ever written a character based on someone you know?Hasn’t everyone? ***wink***
Where did you grow up, and did anything from your childhood influence your decision to become a writer? I grew up in the Midwest. I’m an only child, so yes. I think that influenced me more than anything else. There weren’t a lot of other kids my age in the neighborhood, so it forced me to use my own imagination and come up with stories to entertain myself.
What advice can you give writers who are getting started?Read as much as you can, inside and outside your genre. To see what’s good and what’s out there in the marketplace. And write. Every day. No excuses.
And now, for three fast questions: Are you a dog or cat person? DogWould you rather vacation at the beach or the mountains? Beach. Sun or fog? Fog. So mysterious and romantic.
Seal Of Surrender Book Blurb:
War has shaped every aspect of Irena Soldan’s life—her childhood, her work, her DNA. Unaware she is the genetic host of the second Seal of the Apocalypse, Irena battles for those who cannot fight for themselves as a top human-rights operative for The Omega Consortium, whose charismatic, publicity-loving boss holds a deadly personal agenda.
Chago has always been the quiet one among his warrior Scion brethren—the brooding, combat expert with a hidden soft side. A member of Divinity’s covert special forces, he’s protected humanity for more than a millennium and now his goal is retirement. In exchange for his freedom, Chago agrees to protect Irena against his ancient enemy as his final mission. Expecting a cauldron of female whoop-ass, he instead discovers a harbinger of peace amidst a world of ever-increasing violence.Despite the cataclysmic circumstances, an undeniable attraction ignites between Chago and Irena. Together, they must unravel the ancient puzzle of the Seals and discover a way to defeat an unstoppable evil before they both become casualties of War. Buy Links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CA9DF24/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=19AJXBPM4XV2BZ6NR3ME&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Seal-of-Surrender/book-2zu1bc-2fE-nhB_Fg5bqIw/page1.html?s=qtBFWoUBTUqKCyDnLj2tDA&r=1I-Tunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/seal-of-surrender/id634133013?mt=11&uo=4Social Media Links:Website: http://www.tracidouglass.netFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/tracidouglassauthorTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/Traci_DouglassGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6767293.Traci_DouglassAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Traci-Douglass/e/B00AX4X9DS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1367179976&sr=8-1RebelMouse: https://www.rebelmouse.com/TraciDouglassAuthor/Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tracisdouglass/
What is your current project about?
Seal Of Surrender is the story of Chago, an immortal Scion warrior, who longs only for the peace and quiet of his Montana ranch. Unfortunately, he’s summoned to protect a woman who holds the genetic key to the apocalyptic Seal of War. After years of carnage as the Scion’s combat expert, he works a deal with Divinity. He’ll complete this one last job in exchange for permanent retirement. He never expects to fall in love or risk compromising his mission because of her.
What’s next for your readers?I’m working on revisions for the third Seal book now and have the fourth book outlined and ready to write. I’m also working on a contemporary romantic comedy that I hope to find a home for soon.
Why do you write romances? I’ve been a voracious romance reader since my teens. It’s the genre I love.
Have you ever written in any other genre?No, but as I’ve stated above, I’m trying my hand at some different areas within the genre, outside of paranormal romance. Namely contemporary and romantic suspense.
Have you ever written a character based on someone you know?Hasn’t everyone? ***wink***
Where did you grow up, and did anything from your childhood influence your decision to become a writer? I grew up in the Midwest. I’m an only child, so yes. I think that influenced me more than anything else. There weren’t a lot of other kids my age in the neighborhood, so it forced me to use my own imagination and come up with stories to entertain myself.
What advice can you give writers who are getting started?Read as much as you can, inside and outside your genre. To see what’s good and what’s out there in the marketplace. And write. Every day. No excuses.
And now, for three fast questions: Are you a dog or cat person? DogWould you rather vacation at the beach or the mountains? Beach. Sun or fog? Fog. So mysterious and romantic.
Seal Of Surrender Book Blurb:
War has shaped every aspect of Irena Soldan’s life—her childhood, her work, her DNA. Unaware she is the genetic host of the second Seal of the Apocalypse, Irena battles for those who cannot fight for themselves as a top human-rights operative for The Omega Consortium, whose charismatic, publicity-loving boss holds a deadly personal agenda.
Chago has always been the quiet one among his warrior Scion brethren—the brooding, combat expert with a hidden soft side. A member of Divinity’s covert special forces, he’s protected humanity for more than a millennium and now his goal is retirement. In exchange for his freedom, Chago agrees to protect Irena against his ancient enemy as his final mission. Expecting a cauldron of female whoop-ass, he instead discovers a harbinger of peace amidst a world of ever-increasing violence.Despite the cataclysmic circumstances, an undeniable attraction ignites between Chago and Irena. Together, they must unravel the ancient puzzle of the Seals and discover a way to defeat an unstoppable evil before they both become casualties of War. Buy Links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CA9DF24/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=19AJXBPM4XV2BZ6NR3ME&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Seal-of-Surrender/book-2zu1bc-2fE-nhB_Fg5bqIw/page1.html?s=qtBFWoUBTUqKCyDnLj2tDA&r=1I-Tunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/seal-of-surrender/id634133013?mt=11&uo=4Social Media Links:Website: http://www.tracidouglass.netFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/tracidouglassauthorTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/Traci_DouglassGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6767293.Traci_DouglassAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Traci-Douglass/e/B00AX4X9DS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1367179976&sr=8-1RebelMouse: https://www.rebelmouse.com/TraciDouglassAuthor/Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tracisdouglass/
April 28, 2013
Post-Regency & Pre-Victorian – Why I Write In-Between
I am so lucky to be able to host the lovely and oh, so talented fellow Crimson Romance author, Amanda L.V. Shalaby on my blog today. Her new book, Audra, is being released tomorrow, April 29, and she told me there was no place she'd rather be than right here today. She offered to explain her rationale for why she writes in the English time period that she does--or rather, between the time periods that she does. Take it away, Amanda!
As a fan of both the Regency (1811-1820) and Victorian (1837-1901) Eras, even I was surprised when the majority of the action in both of my English historical novels ended up taking place between 1832 and 1836. It certainly wasn’t my intention from the start. It took the accidental placing of a major plot point at the time of an incompatible historical event to shift both stories to the timeline they belonged.
There was a time – it seems so long ago now – that I was an English 19th century history virgin. As the story was coming together for my first book, Rhianna, I was ferociously devouring all things Jane Austen. The music, the hairstyles, the clothing, the etiquette, not to mention the ins and outs of daily life in the city, in the country, and the modes of travel. I read history books and traveled to England, examining every aspect of every corner of life during Jane Austen’s existence, determined to get my facts straight. Rhianna was going to be an historically accurate depiction of the time in which the story was set – Jane’s time!
Except I up and sent my heroine to school in France during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).
Blast! After all that research and study, I thought you could have asked me anything! When did the Union Jack Flag come into existence? What popular drink rivaled beer? What card game is the ancestor of bridge? But apparently, you wouldn’t have been able to ask me if the country was at war, because I shipped homegirl off to Napoleon.
Are. You. Serious.
I learned a lot from that little discovery. First of all, my history lessons were clearly far from over (though, I have come a long way since then, I promise)! Secondly, you have to be flexible with your writing. Sometimes, you have to let the story tell itself – sometimes even when it takes place. In Rhianna’s case, her schooling in France was critical to the storyline, so the timeframe had to be pushed back (and subsequently, Audra, a follow-up which takes place four years following the end of Rhianna). I had to let Jane’s time go. I had to re-focus my research efforts (and had a blast doing it) on a new, in-between time – post-Regency, pre-Victorian – because that is when the stories happened.
And who’s going to fight that?
Thanks, Amanda, for explaining. Sometimes (often), you do have to let your characters hijack the story and let them tell it for you, research be damned.
Here's the teaser for Audra. Did I mention it's being released tomorrow?
Audra Kingsley, a wealthy heiress, may not have seen much of the world, but she knows exactly how she wants her future to play out - and a coming out ball held at her country estate, Kingsley Manor, would suit her just fine. Her father’s wish that she be presented at St. James in London seems silly since she is to marry her neighbor and childhood sweetheart, Lord Crispin Brighton, but she obliges him.
Audra travels to London with her patroness, the eccentric Lady Sutherland, intending to return home as soon as she has curtseyed to the Queen. Unknown to her, Lady Sutherland is in no rush to leave London before the Season is over and intends to show Audra she has more options in the suitor department than Lord Crispin, a second son.
Audra finds herself surrounded by few friends and is forced to attend parties, balls, and operas - all while becoming the object of a secret admirer’s obsession. As Audra struggles to make her way home to her beloved, plans to compromise her into an unwanted marriage are underway.
You can buy it right now by going here: http://www.amazon.com/Audra-Crimson-R...
News Flash: Amanda's first book, Rhianna, is up for an award by In'D Tale! She'd love to have your vote. Please go here to register and vote for Rhianna. http://www.indtale.com/2012-rone-awards
As a fan of both the Regency (1811-1820) and Victorian (1837-1901) Eras, even I was surprised when the majority of the action in both of my English historical novels ended up taking place between 1832 and 1836. It certainly wasn’t my intention from the start. It took the accidental placing of a major plot point at the time of an incompatible historical event to shift both stories to the timeline they belonged.
There was a time – it seems so long ago now – that I was an English 19th century history virgin. As the story was coming together for my first book, Rhianna, I was ferociously devouring all things Jane Austen. The music, the hairstyles, the clothing, the etiquette, not to mention the ins and outs of daily life in the city, in the country, and the modes of travel. I read history books and traveled to England, examining every aspect of every corner of life during Jane Austen’s existence, determined to get my facts straight. Rhianna was going to be an historically accurate depiction of the time in which the story was set – Jane’s time!
Except I up and sent my heroine to school in France during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).
Blast! After all that research and study, I thought you could have asked me anything! When did the Union Jack Flag come into existence? What popular drink rivaled beer? What card game is the ancestor of bridge? But apparently, you wouldn’t have been able to ask me if the country was at war, because I shipped homegirl off to Napoleon.
Are. You. Serious.
I learned a lot from that little discovery. First of all, my history lessons were clearly far from over (though, I have come a long way since then, I promise)! Secondly, you have to be flexible with your writing. Sometimes, you have to let the story tell itself – sometimes even when it takes place. In Rhianna’s case, her schooling in France was critical to the storyline, so the timeframe had to be pushed back (and subsequently, Audra, a follow-up which takes place four years following the end of Rhianna). I had to let Jane’s time go. I had to re-focus my research efforts (and had a blast doing it) on a new, in-between time – post-Regency, pre-Victorian – because that is when the stories happened.
And who’s going to fight that?
Thanks, Amanda, for explaining. Sometimes (often), you do have to let your characters hijack the story and let them tell it for you, research be damned.
Here's the teaser for Audra. Did I mention it's being released tomorrow?
Audra Kingsley, a wealthy heiress, may not have seen much of the world, but she knows exactly how she wants her future to play out - and a coming out ball held at her country estate, Kingsley Manor, would suit her just fine. Her father’s wish that she be presented at St. James in London seems silly since she is to marry her neighbor and childhood sweetheart, Lord Crispin Brighton, but she obliges him.Audra travels to London with her patroness, the eccentric Lady Sutherland, intending to return home as soon as she has curtseyed to the Queen. Unknown to her, Lady Sutherland is in no rush to leave London before the Season is over and intends to show Audra she has more options in the suitor department than Lord Crispin, a second son.
Audra finds herself surrounded by few friends and is forced to attend parties, balls, and operas - all while becoming the object of a secret admirer’s obsession. As Audra struggles to make her way home to her beloved, plans to compromise her into an unwanted marriage are underway.
You can buy it right now by going here: http://www.amazon.com/Audra-Crimson-R...
News Flash: Amanda's first book, Rhianna, is up for an award by In'D Tale! She'd love to have your vote. Please go here to register and vote for Rhianna. http://www.indtale.com/2012-rone-awards
April 21, 2013
Meet Lynn Cahoon!
I had Lynn Cahoon on the schedule for today's blog for a couple weeks now, but little did I know she'd be pulling out some big news just in time for her appearance today. She's just inked a three-book deal with e-Kensington books for a cozy mystery series called The Tourist Trap Mysteries. Congratulations, Lynn! You go, girl. Let's find out a bit more about her now.Bull Rider’s Brother, Bull Rider’s Manager—I’m sensing a theme here. Tell us a little about your background and how you know so much about the inner workings of a rodeo.
As a new author, I kept reading advice on write what you know. So two things kept running through my mind, the rodeo that took over my home town every July since I can remember (and probably before that) and a trip to a small town, party rodeo I took with boyfriend before the husband. So the town of Shawnee was born.
I grew up on a farm (which in Idaho terminology means crops and livestock.) Summer rodeos and riding horses were part of my daily life. Although I loved reading in the shade of the old tree more than anything else.
Give us a little glimpse into the daily life of Lynn Cahoon. I’m thinking horses, acreage, long trail rides with your own long, tall drink of water. Am I even close?
A few years ago, yes. And definitely, I have my own long, tall drink of water. Sometimes though, having the dh is more like “What cha going to do with a Cowboy?” If you haven’t heard the Chris LeDoux song, find it. Now.
***twiddles thumbs****
You’re back, good, we can go on. You understand. LOL
So my day? I work for a large leasing company now after spending four years in health care and twenty in social services. Really no difference except who is the end customer and what service provided. I’m up early, try to get off the social media sites quickly, then write or edit for 30 minutes. Quick shower, dress, and a 45 minute commute to the day job. (Here’s where I fit in my reading. I love audio books. LOVE.) Work 8 hours. Come home, watch whatever bad habit I’ve got going in reality shows, (Currently – Fashion Star and Project Runway) and then write for about an hour.
Rinse, repeat. Your version sounds so much better. Can I live in your reality?
When did you know you wanted to be a writer? When did you start to take it seriously?
2007 was the year of cancer. While I sat waiting for treatments or doctors or labs or life to resume, I did a lot of reading. And thinking. I’d always said I wanted to write. Someday. When someday isn’t guaranteed anymore, then I got a fire. My first sold piece to a national magazine told the story of freezing corn with my parent and siblings. I sold a Chicken Soup essay that same month.
Then I started experimenting with short stories. And finally novel length projects.
How long does it take you from start to finish, on a project?
I love this question because the answer is ‘it depends.’ Truly. I mentioned I’m writing a cozy mystery right now. My plan is to have it completed by mid-May. But that’s first draft complete. Then it needs to stew for a while and get beta reads. So I should have it ready to go by my deadline of June 30th.
I can write at least 1000 words a day which should add up to 7-9K a week if I double up on weekends. Category length book? Two months. Cozy? Three. Single title? I don’t know. I’ve never completed one.
Snow day 2013 I wrote 5100 words in a day. My eyes burned that evening.
What’s next up?
This month (April 20th) I have Temporary Roommates, a novella, releasing from Passion in Print. This story is just a little hotter than my other stories currently out for purchase. I’m kind of on pins and needles waiting to see how it’s received.
I’m currently writing book two of a cozy mystery series. I’ll be posting more updates on my website on that project.
You’re also a fellow SoulMate author with a book scheduled for release soon. Tell us a bit about that one. Is it a different genre from what you’re writing for Crimson?
Marriage Not Included (releasing May 22nd) is probably more like the Crimson Bull Rider series than anything else I’ve written. The book is set in Idaho and the small farm at issue in the book is based on the one where I lived as a child. The cool thing about the setting is all the restaurants and sites really exist, with different names. So imaging the heroine driving to the laser tag place for a birthday party or out to Murphy for dinner on the river, took me on a journey home.
What’s your writing process? Pantser or plotter? Messy desk with sticky notes or neat, orderly piles? Music or deadly quiet?
Do all pantsers have messy desks? I wonder if that’s true? Anyway, it’s true for me. I’m trying to learn to plot and I keep cleaning my desk. But it’s a losing battle most days. Sometimes I have music, mostly just quiet or my husband’s video games. Writing romance while the battle ranges on his computer can be challenging at times.
Information on Temporary Roommates:
When a determined nurse and a hot intern find the perfect apartment, the same perfect apartment, they must find a way to share it for ninety days, without killing each other.Annie Baxter has her dream job. Now, all she needs is a cheap apartment close to the hospital. Troy Saunders knows his life as an intern is all about the long hours. He doesn’t have time to play doctor to some Nurse Barbie. So when his sister finds a great apartment walking distance to work and next to the best running paths in the city, he’s sold. Two leasing agents, two prospective renters, one apartment. Can they co-exist without fireworks?
Author Bio and Links:
Lynn Cahoon is a contemporary romance author with a love of hot, sexy men, real and imagined. Her alpha heroes range from rogue witch hunters, modern cowboys, or hot doctors, sexy in scrubs. And her heroines all have one thing in common, their strong need for independence. Or at least that’s what they think they want. She blogs at her website www.lynncahoon.wordpress.com
Goodreads -http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_CahoonTwitter - https://twitter.com/LynnCahoonFacebook -https://www.facebook.com/LynnCahoonAuthorwebsite - http://lynncahoon.wordpress.com/Amazon author page - http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Cahoon/e/B0082PWOAO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1Passion in Print website - http://www.passioninprint.com/future.php
Buy Link: http://www.passioninprint.com/ShowBoo...
April 14, 2013
Are Some People Luckier Than Others?
Most people who are familiar with my habits know better than to call me on Monday nights. That's when The Voice is on. I'm fascinated how someone with no experience gets four chairs to turn while some who have been pounding it out for years can't get one. But then again, until they narrow down the group a bit, I'm not so much interested in the talent that tries to get a chair to turn around as I am the bodies in those chairs. To spend an hour or two staring at Usher, Blake and Adam does a romance writer's heart good.
The other night, though, it wasn't just the body that got to me. Usher was attempting to console one of the contestants who wasn't quite good enough. He said the person needed to continue to practice because "luck favors those who are prepared."
And that got me to thinking about writing--another artistic talent where the road to fame and fortune is equally elusive. Oh, sure, we've all heard stories about the author who writes his or her first book ever, on a whim, and it becomes an instant success, is one of Oprah's book club picks, gets turned into a movie and makes the author a million bucks. But, for most of us, it doesn't happen like that. We take classes, hone our craft, talk to others in the industry, slash the crap out of our work, massage, massage, massage. Then, maybe, if luck is favoring us, we'll win a few contests, maybe even a big one. We'll catch the interest of an editor or an agent. We'll be signed to a contract for a release date that's now reaching into late 2014. Then, we'll wait another six months for a royalty check.
In the meantime, we're blogging, reading books on how to write, building a fan base, attending conferences, learning, always learning. After all, we want to be prepared when luck favors us.
The other night, though, it wasn't just the body that got to me. Usher was attempting to console one of the contestants who wasn't quite good enough. He said the person needed to continue to practice because "luck favors those who are prepared."
And that got me to thinking about writing--another artistic talent where the road to fame and fortune is equally elusive. Oh, sure, we've all heard stories about the author who writes his or her first book ever, on a whim, and it becomes an instant success, is one of Oprah's book club picks, gets turned into a movie and makes the author a million bucks. But, for most of us, it doesn't happen like that. We take classes, hone our craft, talk to others in the industry, slash the crap out of our work, massage, massage, massage. Then, maybe, if luck is favoring us, we'll win a few contests, maybe even a big one. We'll catch the interest of an editor or an agent. We'll be signed to a contract for a release date that's now reaching into late 2014. Then, we'll wait another six months for a royalty check.
In the meantime, we're blogging, reading books on how to write, building a fan base, attending conferences, learning, always learning. After all, we want to be prepared when luck favors us.
