Lena Jakes's Blog, page 2
April 7, 2014
My Writing Process - Blog Tour
Thank you for stopping by during the blog tour for My Writing Process. This is my first tour, so bear with me as I learn the ins and outs of talking about myself, and putting a spotlight on all my crazy, because let's face it, you have to be at least a little bit - off - to be a writer.
First, a thank you to Lisa Heartman, who tagged me to share my particular brand of foolishness on the unsuspecting public. But to make sure I'm not standing here alone in the spotlight, here's a little bit about Lisa: Lisa has a BA and MBA in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing. Although business is her first love, writing has become her passion. She loves the creative possibilities and escape it provides from a sometimes hectic everyday life. Lisa writes contemporary romance novels. She is finishing up her first book and looks forward to getting it into the hands of her readers. In addition to writing, Lisa enjoyes movies, music, reading, anything dark chocolate or coffee related, and hobbies like jewelry making and sewing. Her blog address is: www.lisaheartman.com/lisas-blog.html
That's just a little about why I like Lisa and consider her a friend. So I really hope I don't embarrass her during this chat about "My Writing Process":
What are you working on?
To be honest, I'm multi-tasking. The sequel to Hardened Hearts will be Austin's Apology. It's in this second book we learn more about our fearless leader of the Teams, Austin Stewart, only to find he has plenty of fears – including facing Addison Malloy. During his first official mission as leader of the do-gooders, he sent Addison, a newbie agent, into a family of human traffickers, where she barely escaped the experience, and not without more than a few emotional scars. Now, he has pull her out of hiding, but ask her to help him save his family by sending her right back into the same dangerous situation she barely limped away from the first time around.
Now that Austin is officially written, he is in his first round of edits. That means my mind is free to start playing around with Gage, our dark sunglasses wearing, mysteriously appearing/disappearing messenger of the Teams series - and Gail, the only woman who may be up to the challenge of bringing him out of the shadows and into the light.
How does your work differ from others of its genre?
In my mind... or in reality? In my mind it is my strong women who save themselves, and the twists I do my best to weave in and out of each story. In reality, it's probably nowhere near that impressive. So, I'd have to say it is my heart. I've been escaping into these pretend worlds of mine for so long they seem real to me. I talk to my characters in the car, at my desk... and yeah... in the shower. My people tend to have flaws, real human life flaws both internal and external that range from petty grudges to honestly crippling addictions. They have to fight for themselves in order to fight for whatever fate has waiting for them.
Why do you write what you do?
Honestly? During my last three years of high school I lived with my grandparents. The only thing my grandmother had to read were big thick books with half-naked pirates on the covers. Don't get me wrong – I'm all for half naked pirates, but after awhile the books all began to read/feel/sound the same. Then, after a trip to a second-hand paperback book store (yeah, I'm that old), I found an emotionally wounded man working surveillance alone in the mountains until a feisty red-headed woman happened along and saved him from his inner demons. I was hooked instantly and haven't been back on a pirate ship since. And since they say to write what you love...
How does your writing process work?
Wait – there's an actual process to this madness? Maaaan... no one told me! I don't have one, not really. I write whenever and wherever I can. Music is usually blasting in my ears to drown out the kids, the dogs, the neighbors, the t.v., the... you get the picture. Certain songs get put on repeat for intense scenes and emotions. If I'm truly distracted, I can be found at the public library or my neighbor's kitchen table.
Anyway, once a book is done I read it, stress over it, curse it, send it to a friend to read, curse it some more, let a beta reader give it a once over, and after learning the hard way from Hardened Hearts, beg for a professional editor to read it before I hit "publish". I self-publish for two simple facts: 1. I crave instant gratification and 2. I fear rejection.
So there you go ... my obsession in a nutshell. Are there others out there like me? Of course there are! So, just like Lisa Heartman tagged me, I am tagging one of them to help keep the "My Writing Process" blog tour alive on April 14th:
Vijaya Schwartz: Born in France, award-winning author Vijaya Schartz never conformed to anything and could never refuse a challenge. She likes action and exotic settings, in life and on the page. She traveled the world and claims she also travels through time, and feels just as comfortable in the future as in the far past. Her novels collected many five star reviews and literary awards. She will make you believe you actually lived these extraordinary adventures among her characters. Visit her blogs at: http://romancingscifi.blogspot.com/ or http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com/
First, a thank you to Lisa Heartman, who tagged me to share my particular brand of foolishness on the unsuspecting public. But to make sure I'm not standing here alone in the spotlight, here's a little bit about Lisa: Lisa has a BA and MBA in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing. Although business is her first love, writing has become her passion. She loves the creative possibilities and escape it provides from a sometimes hectic everyday life. Lisa writes contemporary romance novels. She is finishing up her first book and looks forward to getting it into the hands of her readers. In addition to writing, Lisa enjoyes movies, music, reading, anything dark chocolate or coffee related, and hobbies like jewelry making and sewing. Her blog address is: www.lisaheartman.com/lisas-blog.html
That's just a little about why I like Lisa and consider her a friend. So I really hope I don't embarrass her during this chat about "My Writing Process":
What are you working on?
To be honest, I'm multi-tasking. The sequel to Hardened Hearts will be Austin's Apology. It's in this second book we learn more about our fearless leader of the Teams, Austin Stewart, only to find he has plenty of fears – including facing Addison Malloy. During his first official mission as leader of the do-gooders, he sent Addison, a newbie agent, into a family of human traffickers, where she barely escaped the experience, and not without more than a few emotional scars. Now, he has pull her out of hiding, but ask her to help him save his family by sending her right back into the same dangerous situation she barely limped away from the first time around.
Now that Austin is officially written, he is in his first round of edits. That means my mind is free to start playing around with Gage, our dark sunglasses wearing, mysteriously appearing/disappearing messenger of the Teams series - and Gail, the only woman who may be up to the challenge of bringing him out of the shadows and into the light.
How does your work differ from others of its genre?
In my mind... or in reality? In my mind it is my strong women who save themselves, and the twists I do my best to weave in and out of each story. In reality, it's probably nowhere near that impressive. So, I'd have to say it is my heart. I've been escaping into these pretend worlds of mine for so long they seem real to me. I talk to my characters in the car, at my desk... and yeah... in the shower. My people tend to have flaws, real human life flaws both internal and external that range from petty grudges to honestly crippling addictions. They have to fight for themselves in order to fight for whatever fate has waiting for them.
Why do you write what you do?
Honestly? During my last three years of high school I lived with my grandparents. The only thing my grandmother had to read were big thick books with half-naked pirates on the covers. Don't get me wrong – I'm all for half naked pirates, but after awhile the books all began to read/feel/sound the same. Then, after a trip to a second-hand paperback book store (yeah, I'm that old), I found an emotionally wounded man working surveillance alone in the mountains until a feisty red-headed woman happened along and saved him from his inner demons. I was hooked instantly and haven't been back on a pirate ship since. And since they say to write what you love...
How does your writing process work?
Wait – there's an actual process to this madness? Maaaan... no one told me! I don't have one, not really. I write whenever and wherever I can. Music is usually blasting in my ears to drown out the kids, the dogs, the neighbors, the t.v., the... you get the picture. Certain songs get put on repeat for intense scenes and emotions. If I'm truly distracted, I can be found at the public library or my neighbor's kitchen table.
Anyway, once a book is done I read it, stress over it, curse it, send it to a friend to read, curse it some more, let a beta reader give it a once over, and after learning the hard way from Hardened Hearts, beg for a professional editor to read it before I hit "publish". I self-publish for two simple facts: 1. I crave instant gratification and 2. I fear rejection.
So there you go ... my obsession in a nutshell. Are there others out there like me? Of course there are! So, just like Lisa Heartman tagged me, I am tagging one of them to help keep the "My Writing Process" blog tour alive on April 14th:
Vijaya Schwartz: Born in France, award-winning author Vijaya Schartz never conformed to anything and could never refuse a challenge. She likes action and exotic settings, in life and on the page. She traveled the world and claims she also travels through time, and feels just as comfortable in the future as in the far past. Her novels collected many five star reviews and literary awards. She will make you believe you actually lived these extraordinary adventures among her characters. Visit her blogs at: http://romancingscifi.blogspot.com/ or http://medievalnovels.blogspot.com/
March 20, 2014
A Cheating Writer
Ok, admittedly, I am obsessed with writing. I think about it all of the time. In the shower, on the drive to work, at work, on the drive home, while making dinner, in the middle of the night...
That having been said, I also write a bi-weekly blog post for single moms. I'm an office manager for a family law firm. I have two teenage kids and three rambunctious dogs. I'm also the oldest of seven siblings and am in the midst of massive family drama. So finding time to write is hit or miss. Normally I try and get some writing done in the evenings, but I, like most people, tend to get distracted by Facebook, Twitter, emails, kids, dogs, dinner, etc. I was doing pretty well in the mornings before work, but then it got cold, and my bed was soooo warm.
Then there's the problem of my own mind. Brenner's Do-Gooders on the Teams are my first loves. Harper/Harrison, the now finished - and soon to be published - Austin/Addy, and a decent start on Gage's story have lead to ideas on the rest of the teams. (Did you know Austin has a sister? I did – and she has her own book in the series. Who will she end up with? Well, knowing how I name my characters, and her name is Macy – I'll let you figure out who she falls for.)
But... and oh what a mighty big but, I have a problem. See, there is another series I've had in mind, but until recently haven't done more than outline it. It'll be the Culver Cove series.
Is it weird to feel like I'm cheating on the Teams? What little writing time I've had lately seems to be spent at the Cove instead of on base with the Teams. And I do feel like I'm cheating. As a hardcore reader, I know the pain of having my favorite author take a break in a series to write something I don't read. But suddenly, their defection seems to makes so much sense. I don't love Gage any less than I loved Harrison, but Kole, Brody, Jaxene and the rest of the Culver siblings... they're all becoming such a powerful pull!
In either case, there'll be no shortage of books anytime soon. I guess that means I need to find time – in the morning, in the evening, or somewhere in-between – so that I can get these voices out of my head... and make room for more!
That having been said, I also write a bi-weekly blog post for single moms. I'm an office manager for a family law firm. I have two teenage kids and three rambunctious dogs. I'm also the oldest of seven siblings and am in the midst of massive family drama. So finding time to write is hit or miss. Normally I try and get some writing done in the evenings, but I, like most people, tend to get distracted by Facebook, Twitter, emails, kids, dogs, dinner, etc. I was doing pretty well in the mornings before work, but then it got cold, and my bed was soooo warm.
Then there's the problem of my own mind. Brenner's Do-Gooders on the Teams are my first loves. Harper/Harrison, the now finished - and soon to be published - Austin/Addy, and a decent start on Gage's story have lead to ideas on the rest of the teams. (Did you know Austin has a sister? I did – and she has her own book in the series. Who will she end up with? Well, knowing how I name my characters, and her name is Macy – I'll let you figure out who she falls for.)
But... and oh what a mighty big but, I have a problem. See, there is another series I've had in mind, but until recently haven't done more than outline it. It'll be the Culver Cove series.
Is it weird to feel like I'm cheating on the Teams? What little writing time I've had lately seems to be spent at the Cove instead of on base with the Teams. And I do feel like I'm cheating. As a hardcore reader, I know the pain of having my favorite author take a break in a series to write something I don't read. But suddenly, their defection seems to makes so much sense. I don't love Gage any less than I loved Harrison, but Kole, Brody, Jaxene and the rest of the Culver siblings... they're all becoming such a powerful pull!
In either case, there'll be no shortage of books anytime soon. I guess that means I need to find time – in the morning, in the evening, or somewhere in-between – so that I can get these voices out of my head... and make room for more!
February 2, 2014
My Fantasy Life as a Writer
I have wanted to be a writer for I don't know how long. In junior high school, I remember sitting in my guidance counselor's office taking a career aptitude test. The results: journalist. In high school, I was on the school's paper; had all of my homework assignments kept by the creative writing teacher to be used as examples in other classes. Last week I took one of those "Perfect Career" tests on Facebook. I'm destined to be a writer... and Facebook never lies.
So, I guess really I never had much of a choice. I mean, I never wanted to be President, an astronaut, or veterinarian. I'm so not a girly-girl, so high heels and runways never held much of a hold on my heart. Storylines, characters, and plot outlines... that's what makes me dreamy eyed and tingly.
Imagine it – a life spent curled up with a shawl and a laptop, sitting in a lounge chair on the back porch of a seaside cabin, the sound of soft water pushing up on the beach, a glass of Moscato by my side... mmmmmm.
Ok, that was my fantasy.
In reality, I'm curled up on the couch, a dog farting at my feet, a bottle of beer next to the couch, my neighbor's rockabilly pool party in full swing, and the my kids (18 and 14) asking why I haven't made dinner yet a mere three hours after lunch... uugghh.
The place, setting, and sounds may not be the things my dreams were made of, but the contentment remains the same. It used to be such a plain word, contentment. But even when reality is such a far cry from the fantasy, contentment really is a perfect – my perfect – kind of peace.
So, I guess really I never had much of a choice. I mean, I never wanted to be President, an astronaut, or veterinarian. I'm so not a girly-girl, so high heels and runways never held much of a hold on my heart. Storylines, characters, and plot outlines... that's what makes me dreamy eyed and tingly.
Imagine it – a life spent curled up with a shawl and a laptop, sitting in a lounge chair on the back porch of a seaside cabin, the sound of soft water pushing up on the beach, a glass of Moscato by my side... mmmmmm.
Ok, that was my fantasy.
In reality, I'm curled up on the couch, a dog farting at my feet, a bottle of beer next to the couch, my neighbor's rockabilly pool party in full swing, and the my kids (18 and 14) asking why I haven't made dinner yet a mere three hours after lunch... uugghh.
The place, setting, and sounds may not be the things my dreams were made of, but the contentment remains the same. It used to be such a plain word, contentment. But even when reality is such a far cry from the fantasy, contentment really is a perfect – my perfect – kind of peace.
October 29, 2013
Interview with Lena Jakes
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Smashwords has done the hardest part for me - getting Hardened Hearts out to the public! There are so many different formats, processes, requirements for each different vendor. With Smashwords, I was able to submit my book once and have it instantly distributed to various vendors. It saved me time, frustration, and sanity!
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Escape! It always has been. I'm the oldest of seven children, and now am the single mom of two teenage boys and three dogs. I've never officially had control of the remote! Really though, I spent my high school years living with my grandparents. My grandma had shelves upon shelves of high-seas pirates and wanton maidens, but after a while, they became repetitive. When I started writing my own things, I was able to create any situation, with any character I could think of. No more half naked pirates turned gentlemen for me!
What do your fans mean to you?
They are my justification and they vanquish my fears. Hardened Hearts had actually been written for a while, but I never published it because I didn't want to hear how awful it was. Finally, with the help of a pushy friend, I published Hardened Hearts on 11-12-12. Exactly 12 hours later I had my first five star review. It's cliché, but I spent the next month thinking, "They like me! They really like me!" I actually researched the heck out of that first reviewer to make sure it wasn't a family member being nice to me! Of course, now I'm afraid of letting my fans down. Someone emailed me from Canada and asked when the 2nd book was coming because she loved the first one so much she couldn't wait. Talk about pressure!!
What are you working on next?
Just six hours ago I finished the second book in the Teams series. It's in the hands of beta-readers now, and will be sent to the editor after that. I'm hoping to be able to hit "publish" before the end of next month after the cover is designed, I figure out a title, and the editor yells at me a little. This second book, I won't lie, it was a hard to write. Not because I didn't want to, but because now it has such a high bar to live up to. Still though, now that it's done, I'm already plotting out books three, four, and five in the series!
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Oh wow. I've mentioned before that I'm single mom of two teenage boys, three dogs, and a guinea pig. I'm also an Office Manager for a family law firm, a regular blog writer for a parenting website, student, and a best friend. I'm thinking about having business cards made up saying "Professional Troubleshooter / Chauffer / Chef / Groomer / Housemaid"... but that would be a pretty long business card.
What is your writing process?
For me, it's all about the music. Originally I had headphones in to block out the dogs, and the TV, and the kids. Then it became a mood stabilizer. For love scenes, there will be a particular song that just seems like a love-making song, and I'll hit repeat. I have favorite songs for action scenes, dangerous scenes, creepy scenes, sad scenes... now it is not uncommon for me to hear the same song 30 times in a row until I can get a particular scene written. I am also a fan of complete darkness in a room when I can get it, and writing first thing in the morning when no one is around to need me for anything. I try and aim for 15 minutes a day, but am jotting notes down on any and everything whenever something pops into my head.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Yes and no. The first story (outside of children's books) I remember reading was Lamb to the Slaughter. I honestly think it has influenced my love of the twist ending, followed by a very close second Gift of the Maji. If you mean the first story that gave me the writing bug, it was Zach's Law by Kay Hooper. There were no pirates, no stolen virtues... but there was a damaged hero, a tiny woman with a big personality, and a group of men and women who were driven by making the world a better place. I was hooked! I still to this day have that book, taped pages and all.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I'm a little ashamed to admit, but I got my first e-reader device last year. I was a firm believer that paper was best. Books are trophies. I like seeing my collection grow. Then, for my birthday, my dad sent me an Acer tablet. Suddenly, I was able to purchase, download, and read a book within minutes. I could (and often do) stay up until 2 a.m. reading without having to turn on a light. Now I can't put the tablet down. It has my Kindle, Barnes and Noble and Overdrive apps on it. I cannot imagine my life without it anymore.
Describe your desk
It's a chair. Yup. A chair. See, the kids want nothing to do with me until I lock myself in my room where I have an actual desk. Then I can't keep them away from me. So, I tend to put in headphones, and write in the living room. However, I'm not a fan of coffee tables, so I have an old computer chair that swivels, rolls, and is height adjustable. So I place my laptop on that, roll it to whichever end of the couch hasn't already been claimed, and type away. If you're still interested, it's a hideous shade of lime green, lost it's back about a year ago, and has a bbq sauce stain on the edge. Sadly, so does my actual desk.
What's the story behind your latest book?
I am working on the second book in the Teams series, following Hardened Hearts. Austin Stewart sent newbie agent Addison Malloy into an undercover situation with human traffickers based on her questionable family background. The operation went horribly wrong, leaving Addison with a drug addiction and serious trust issues. Four years later, Austin's niece is in danger from the same people, forcing him to not only hunt Addison down, but gain her trust back and convince her to face the very situation that nearly destroyed her once before.
Smashwords has done the hardest part for me - getting Hardened Hearts out to the public! There are so many different formats, processes, requirements for each different vendor. With Smashwords, I was able to submit my book once and have it instantly distributed to various vendors. It saved me time, frustration, and sanity!
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Escape! It always has been. I'm the oldest of seven children, and now am the single mom of two teenage boys and three dogs. I've never officially had control of the remote! Really though, I spent my high school years living with my grandparents. My grandma had shelves upon shelves of high-seas pirates and wanton maidens, but after a while, they became repetitive. When I started writing my own things, I was able to create any situation, with any character I could think of. No more half naked pirates turned gentlemen for me!
What do your fans mean to you?
They are my justification and they vanquish my fears. Hardened Hearts had actually been written for a while, but I never published it because I didn't want to hear how awful it was. Finally, with the help of a pushy friend, I published Hardened Hearts on 11-12-12. Exactly 12 hours later I had my first five star review. It's cliché, but I spent the next month thinking, "They like me! They really like me!" I actually researched the heck out of that first reviewer to make sure it wasn't a family member being nice to me! Of course, now I'm afraid of letting my fans down. Someone emailed me from Canada and asked when the 2nd book was coming because she loved the first one so much she couldn't wait. Talk about pressure!!
What are you working on next?
Just six hours ago I finished the second book in the Teams series. It's in the hands of beta-readers now, and will be sent to the editor after that. I'm hoping to be able to hit "publish" before the end of next month after the cover is designed, I figure out a title, and the editor yells at me a little. This second book, I won't lie, it was a hard to write. Not because I didn't want to, but because now it has such a high bar to live up to. Still though, now that it's done, I'm already plotting out books three, four, and five in the series!
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Oh wow. I've mentioned before that I'm single mom of two teenage boys, three dogs, and a guinea pig. I'm also an Office Manager for a family law firm, a regular blog writer for a parenting website, student, and a best friend. I'm thinking about having business cards made up saying "Professional Troubleshooter / Chauffer / Chef / Groomer / Housemaid"... but that would be a pretty long business card.
What is your writing process?
For me, it's all about the music. Originally I had headphones in to block out the dogs, and the TV, and the kids. Then it became a mood stabilizer. For love scenes, there will be a particular song that just seems like a love-making song, and I'll hit repeat. I have favorite songs for action scenes, dangerous scenes, creepy scenes, sad scenes... now it is not uncommon for me to hear the same song 30 times in a row until I can get a particular scene written. I am also a fan of complete darkness in a room when I can get it, and writing first thing in the morning when no one is around to need me for anything. I try and aim for 15 minutes a day, but am jotting notes down on any and everything whenever something pops into my head.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Yes and no. The first story (outside of children's books) I remember reading was Lamb to the Slaughter. I honestly think it has influenced my love of the twist ending, followed by a very close second Gift of the Maji. If you mean the first story that gave me the writing bug, it was Zach's Law by Kay Hooper. There were no pirates, no stolen virtues... but there was a damaged hero, a tiny woman with a big personality, and a group of men and women who were driven by making the world a better place. I was hooked! I still to this day have that book, taped pages and all.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I'm a little ashamed to admit, but I got my first e-reader device last year. I was a firm believer that paper was best. Books are trophies. I like seeing my collection grow. Then, for my birthday, my dad sent me an Acer tablet. Suddenly, I was able to purchase, download, and read a book within minutes. I could (and often do) stay up until 2 a.m. reading without having to turn on a light. Now I can't put the tablet down. It has my Kindle, Barnes and Noble and Overdrive apps on it. I cannot imagine my life without it anymore.
Describe your desk
It's a chair. Yup. A chair. See, the kids want nothing to do with me until I lock myself in my room where I have an actual desk. Then I can't keep them away from me. So, I tend to put in headphones, and write in the living room. However, I'm not a fan of coffee tables, so I have an old computer chair that swivels, rolls, and is height adjustable. So I place my laptop on that, roll it to whichever end of the couch hasn't already been claimed, and type away. If you're still interested, it's a hideous shade of lime green, lost it's back about a year ago, and has a bbq sauce stain on the edge. Sadly, so does my actual desk.
What's the story behind your latest book?
I am working on the second book in the Teams series, following Hardened Hearts. Austin Stewart sent newbie agent Addison Malloy into an undercover situation with human traffickers based on her questionable family background. The operation went horribly wrong, leaving Addison with a drug addiction and serious trust issues. Four years later, Austin's niece is in danger from the same people, forcing him to not only hunt Addison down, but gain her trust back and convince her to face the very situation that nearly destroyed her once before.
October 1, 2013
Hi. My name is Lena
Hi. My name is Lena. I’m a procrastinator. Also known as: an author with writer’s block.
How do I know? Because, for the last three months, each and every time I’ve sat down in front of a computer, all of the ideas that had plagued me in the shower, on the drive to work, in the grocery store, during my favorite TV shows – they all disappear. I open the laptop, I pull up the current file and then…
Well, it turns out there is an abandoned Marine Hospital in Illinois that I want to buy one day. There’s also an abandoned church in Michigan, a haunted hotel in Columbia, and an apricot orchard in California all just begging for me to turn into my personal hide-away from the world. I can tell you every FAQ and Trivia fact listed on IMDB.com for the last seven movies I’ve watched. Oh, and depending on which website you check out, I can tell you that the name Lena is either Hebrew for Woman of Magdala or Greek for The Bright One.
This doesn’t mean that I haven’t been writing at all. Actually, I’ve been writing a lot about the last Teams member in the series. I’ve drafted two outlines to some of the forthcoming Culver siblings. I’ve even written two grocery lists, and a list of things to get cleaned/fixed/painted around the house. Chances are though, none of that counts.
Maybe it’s just this one project that has me stumped. Austin, who yes, still needs a title, and a book cover, and an editor (look at that – another list of things to do has been drafted) is for the most part complete. There was a small portion that has to be rewritten but as I stalled in the process (I think, somewhere around the Michigan church) I realized, it’s not just this one project. I’d done the same thing with Harper and Harrison in Hardened Hearts. The closer to finishing the book and typing out the words “The End”, the harder it was to sit down and commit.
In the end, it took a bottle of Moscato, a dark room, a slice of New York cheesecake, and a whole lot of tears before I was able to actually write the epilogue and put Hardened Hearts to bed. It seems I have a pattern when I write my books. The question is: How do I learn to let go without wasting almost a year searching for the end of the internet?
Well… it’s one of the questions anyway. The others could be – how did I not think twice about drinking a whole bottle of wine in one setting by myself? I don’t even like apricots, why would I buy a whole orchard of them? Even better, how could I even contemplate buying a haunted hotel in another country when I’m afraid of the dark, and don’t even like crossing state lines to visit my family?
Those sound like problems to solve another time. For now, I have a book to finish… and a bottle of wine to buy.
How do I know? Because, for the last three months, each and every time I’ve sat down in front of a computer, all of the ideas that had plagued me in the shower, on the drive to work, in the grocery store, during my favorite TV shows – they all disappear. I open the laptop, I pull up the current file and then…
Well, it turns out there is an abandoned Marine Hospital in Illinois that I want to buy one day. There’s also an abandoned church in Michigan, a haunted hotel in Columbia, and an apricot orchard in California all just begging for me to turn into my personal hide-away from the world. I can tell you every FAQ and Trivia fact listed on IMDB.com for the last seven movies I’ve watched. Oh, and depending on which website you check out, I can tell you that the name Lena is either Hebrew for Woman of Magdala or Greek for The Bright One.
This doesn’t mean that I haven’t been writing at all. Actually, I’ve been writing a lot about the last Teams member in the series. I’ve drafted two outlines to some of the forthcoming Culver siblings. I’ve even written two grocery lists, and a list of things to get cleaned/fixed/painted around the house. Chances are though, none of that counts.
Maybe it’s just this one project that has me stumped. Austin, who yes, still needs a title, and a book cover, and an editor (look at that – another list of things to do has been drafted) is for the most part complete. There was a small portion that has to be rewritten but as I stalled in the process (I think, somewhere around the Michigan church) I realized, it’s not just this one project. I’d done the same thing with Harper and Harrison in Hardened Hearts. The closer to finishing the book and typing out the words “The End”, the harder it was to sit down and commit.
In the end, it took a bottle of Moscato, a dark room, a slice of New York cheesecake, and a whole lot of tears before I was able to actually write the epilogue and put Hardened Hearts to bed. It seems I have a pattern when I write my books. The question is: How do I learn to let go without wasting almost a year searching for the end of the internet?
Well… it’s one of the questions anyway. The others could be – how did I not think twice about drinking a whole bottle of wine in one setting by myself? I don’t even like apricots, why would I buy a whole orchard of them? Even better, how could I even contemplate buying a haunted hotel in another country when I’m afraid of the dark, and don’t even like crossing state lines to visit my family?
Those sound like problems to solve another time. For now, I have a book to finish… and a bottle of wine to buy.
July 15, 2013
The First Step...
So if a blog is a look into my life as a writer, what better way to do so than to hear how it all began? Not the box of yellowed paper typed up on my grandmother's IBM Select typewriter, but perhaps something a little more recent, and the two people that changed the course of my dreams.
In the sober light of day, no one I saw on a daily basis knew I wrote, what I wrote about, or how passionate I am about it. Then, last year, I decided to go back to college. See, in real life, I'm a single mom who has been consistently employed in random jobs in order to keep my family afloat. I've done it all from radio d.j. to data entry specialist to high school librarian and even did a stint as a phone sex operator. Okay, maybe not that last one, but I've had my fair share of jobs, which combined with the kids, meant I had to put my own schooling and desire to write on hold.
Early in 2012, I finally decided I was ready to go back to school. I decided that a BFA was the way to go. After all, if I'm going to write for a living (or, at least for fun) then a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree seemed only fitting.
Person #1 - Theresa
In order to be accepted into an academic program, I needed to provide a writing sample. However, as you can tell from Hardened Hearts' first version complete with multiple embarrassing mistakes, you need to have someone read through it, catch mistakes you can no longer see for yourself. (FYI, Hardened Hearts has since been professionally edited.) So, I asked Theresa to read over the first ten pages of what then were only about two chapters.
At that point, what was supposed to be a writing sample became a living breathing thing. Theresa (the proof-reader turned bully) harassed me daily for chapter after chapter, cursing me each time I ended a chapter on a cliff-hanger. Within three months, Hardened Hearts was a fully written book.
Person #2 - My son
You know those movies where a character sits and stares thoughtfully into the distance as daylight turns into night? It really happens, and I'm living proof. I sat, Hardened Hearts loaded and ready to go, but I just could not bring myself to push one little button. In my defense, that one little button contained the word "Publish", which in all honesty is as daunting today as it was then. I sat, in the overstuffed chair, cross-legged, laptop on a t.v. tray in front of me, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The laptop itself had gone into and out of hibernating mode countless times. Finally, right at 6 p.m., my 17 year old crossed through the living room, looked from me to the laptop and back again before shaking his head and sighing. "This is just sad," were his last words before he reached over, shook the mouse, and pressed the all powerful "Publish" button.
In the sober light of day, no one I saw on a daily basis knew I wrote, what I wrote about, or how passionate I am about it. Then, last year, I decided to go back to college. See, in real life, I'm a single mom who has been consistently employed in random jobs in order to keep my family afloat. I've done it all from radio d.j. to data entry specialist to high school librarian and even did a stint as a phone sex operator. Okay, maybe not that last one, but I've had my fair share of jobs, which combined with the kids, meant I had to put my own schooling and desire to write on hold.
Early in 2012, I finally decided I was ready to go back to school. I decided that a BFA was the way to go. After all, if I'm going to write for a living (or, at least for fun) then a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree seemed only fitting.
Person #1 - Theresa
In order to be accepted into an academic program, I needed to provide a writing sample. However, as you can tell from Hardened Hearts' first version complete with multiple embarrassing mistakes, you need to have someone read through it, catch mistakes you can no longer see for yourself. (FYI, Hardened Hearts has since been professionally edited.) So, I asked Theresa to read over the first ten pages of what then were only about two chapters.
At that point, what was supposed to be a writing sample became a living breathing thing. Theresa (the proof-reader turned bully) harassed me daily for chapter after chapter, cursing me each time I ended a chapter on a cliff-hanger. Within three months, Hardened Hearts was a fully written book.
Person #2 - My son
You know those movies where a character sits and stares thoughtfully into the distance as daylight turns into night? It really happens, and I'm living proof. I sat, Hardened Hearts loaded and ready to go, but I just could not bring myself to push one little button. In my defense, that one little button contained the word "Publish", which in all honesty is as daunting today as it was then. I sat, in the overstuffed chair, cross-legged, laptop on a t.v. tray in front of me, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
The laptop itself had gone into and out of hibernating mode countless times. Finally, right at 6 p.m., my 17 year old crossed through the living room, looked from me to the laptop and back again before shaking his head and sighing. "This is just sad," were his last words before he reached over, shook the mouse, and pressed the all powerful "Publish" button.
July 1, 2013
Welcome
I would say welcome, but that just sounds... weird.
If you've found this site, you've either heard of Senator Brenner's Do-Gooder Teams, read the first book (Hardened Hearts), or spelled something wrong. In either case, I'm excited that you were either interested enough (or unlucky enough) to read this far.
So that you know a little about me (because it doesn't look like I can get out of this without sounding like I'm filling out a dating website questionnaire)... I grew up in my grand-parent's house. Have you ever experienced life as a teenager living in a house with two chain-smoking, news-watching, never-talking 70-somethings? I did - - and as a life-long chatterbox, it was what ended up being the start of my ability to escape my reality and find someplace all my own. I'm not saying I didn't love my grandparents, quite the opposite. In fact, to this day, I credit them with (in their own way) helping get me started with my writing.
I began writing, by reading. My grandmother was an avid reader of rogue-pirate-warrior-with-a-heart-of-gold kind of books. In the spirit of honesty, I read some of them. Okay, I read a lot of them. But after a while, I was bored. How many times can the misunderstood pirate and his heart of gold kidnap and fall in love with the kind-hearted pillar of society? Then, one day, a small town sheriff with emotional scars and a scrappy woman on the run from her past changed my world. Ah yes, the power of the contemporary who-dunnit romantic suspense novels had me hooked.
When I read more books than were brought into the house, I had no choice. I had to start writing my own material. My first stories (they were in no way considered anything BUT short-stories) were handwritten on yellowed sketchpad paper I found in the coffee table. Somewhere around my junior year I graduated to an IBM Select typewriter. Oh my goodness – when I found the beauty that was the school's library computers and printers – I was a goner.
Those stories are still packed away in a box in my closet, and when I need a good laugh, you had better believe I pull out that box and thumb through them.
Fast forward a few (ok, a lot) of years, and after a friend found out my deep dark guilty writing pleasure, Hardened Hearts became an actual book. As a first attempt, I am begrudgingly proud. My teammates, my heroes the women that love them, are my world on display now, and I cringe when mistakes are pointed out or someone doesn't love them as much as I do. Yet, those very mistakes are currently in the process of being corrected, and will ultimately make me a better author for the next book, and the book after that. Those of you that do love Harrison, and Austin, and Sharp, and Gage, and.. well... you know... as much as I do have helped me as much as my grandparents did all those years ago - - and I cannot thank you enough for wanting to read about them as much as I want to write about them.
If you've found this site, you've either heard of Senator Brenner's Do-Gooder Teams, read the first book (Hardened Hearts), or spelled something wrong. In either case, I'm excited that you were either interested enough (or unlucky enough) to read this far.
So that you know a little about me (because it doesn't look like I can get out of this without sounding like I'm filling out a dating website questionnaire)... I grew up in my grand-parent's house. Have you ever experienced life as a teenager living in a house with two chain-smoking, news-watching, never-talking 70-somethings? I did - - and as a life-long chatterbox, it was what ended up being the start of my ability to escape my reality and find someplace all my own. I'm not saying I didn't love my grandparents, quite the opposite. In fact, to this day, I credit them with (in their own way) helping get me started with my writing.
I began writing, by reading. My grandmother was an avid reader of rogue-pirate-warrior-with-a-heart-of-gold kind of books. In the spirit of honesty, I read some of them. Okay, I read a lot of them. But after a while, I was bored. How many times can the misunderstood pirate and his heart of gold kidnap and fall in love with the kind-hearted pillar of society? Then, one day, a small town sheriff with emotional scars and a scrappy woman on the run from her past changed my world. Ah yes, the power of the contemporary who-dunnit romantic suspense novels had me hooked.
When I read more books than were brought into the house, I had no choice. I had to start writing my own material. My first stories (they were in no way considered anything BUT short-stories) were handwritten on yellowed sketchpad paper I found in the coffee table. Somewhere around my junior year I graduated to an IBM Select typewriter. Oh my goodness – when I found the beauty that was the school's library computers and printers – I was a goner.
Those stories are still packed away in a box in my closet, and when I need a good laugh, you had better believe I pull out that box and thumb through them.
Fast forward a few (ok, a lot) of years, and after a friend found out my deep dark guilty writing pleasure, Hardened Hearts became an actual book. As a first attempt, I am begrudgingly proud. My teammates, my heroes the women that love them, are my world on display now, and I cringe when mistakes are pointed out or someone doesn't love them as much as I do. Yet, those very mistakes are currently in the process of being corrected, and will ultimately make me a better author for the next book, and the book after that. Those of you that do love Harrison, and Austin, and Sharp, and Gage, and.. well... you know... as much as I do have helped me as much as my grandparents did all those years ago - - and I cannot thank you enough for wanting to read about them as much as I want to write about them.
