Heather Webb's Blog, page 2
December 9, 2014
Virtual Cookie Exchange
Happy holidays, all! To celebrate the most scrumptious (and fattening) time of year, I was asked to participate in a virtual cookie swap. Wonder of wonders, I found the recipe on Pinterest (and pixelatedcrumb.com). I seem to be doing that a lot lately, but who can resist such gorgeous photos of amazing food? Yeah, me neither. For more delicious holiday goodies, follow the links to the blogs below the recipe. Without further ado, I bring you:
Chocolate Turtle Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, separated, plus 1 egg white
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pecans, chopped fine
14 soft caramel candies
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk egg whites in bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using 1/2-teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Bake until set, about 12 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
Microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently re-press existing indentations. Fill each with 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. Cool 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Try not to devour them all at once.
Fellow Cookie HoppersSnow Ball Cookies from Kerry Schafer
And Dec 16th, check for recipes from:
October 30, 2014
Spooktacular Book Hop + Prizes Galore!
In honor of Halloween and all things suspenseful, thrilling, scary and mysterious a few author friends are hopping around today and tomorrow, sharing exciting snippets from our novels. Not only are we sharing those juicy tidbits, but EACH OF US is offering a giveaway: books, gift cards, chocolatey goodness, and more. Just leave a comment on the post, share, or like and you’re entered! Check out the list of hoppers below.
I chose a clip from RODIN’S LOVER. My protagonist, Camille, has just raced in from the street after she hears someone chasing her. She dashes indoors to the safety of her art studio…or is it safe? You be the judge below! (Rodin’s Lover releases on Jan 27, 2015, but is available for pre-order now anywhere books are sold.)
Camille fumbled in the shadows. Her fingers brushed the pointed end of a rasp, the glazed surface of a pottery bowl, and a metal tube of paint. Finally, her hand closed around the waxy cylinder of a candle and a small rectangle box. She slid the cover open, retrieved a match, and struck the end against the box’s gritty strip. A flame flickered to life, burned the phosphorous-tipped head, and engulfed the wooden stick. She lit the candle just as the heat licked her fingertips.
How ghostly the room appeared by candlelight. A graveyard of broken pieces, half-finished human forms covered in rags, and heads with hollow eyes searching for their missing bodies. She shivered and lit the gas lamp. And there, atop her desk, sat a blob of clay, the wood handle of a plaster knife protruding from it.
Bumps ran over Camille’s arms. She hadn’t done that—had she? She had been angry earlier, but…. She wrenched the knife from the round of clay. A deep groove remained where the utensil had penetrated its pliable body. She didn’t always remember her actions during a tirade. Rage welled from her toes and swept over her, strangling her sense of reason. She detested how it took hold of her, but she couldn’t seem to control it. Yet she did not recall being angry today.
Not this time. She knew she had not stabbed the clay. And Jessie had not returned. She would have passed her in the street.
Leave a comment and your name goes into the drawing for an advanced reader copy of Rodin’s Lover and a package of chocolate yummies!
AUTHOR HOPPERS
Here’s the list of participating authors. Check out their story snippets and prizes!
Janet B. Taylor (gift card & chocolates)
Lisa Alber (Book giveaway & Irish goody)
Kerry Schafer (Book giveaway)
Alex Hughes (audio & book giveaway)
Hazel Gaynor (2 book giveaway)
Jennifer Delamere (Book giveaway)
Anna Lee Huber (Audio book giveaway)
Stacey Lee (Book giveaway)
October 13, 2014
Guest Author Judith Starkston on Love of the Ancient World, Writing + Hand of Fire
I’m delighted to welcome Judith Starkston, historical novelist and researcher extraordinaire to Between the Sheets. Judith’s debut novel HAND OF FIRE set in the ancient world follows the story of Briseis, the face that caused war and lover to Achilles. Judith answers all of our burning questions below.
What is it about this era that’s seduced you? Are there any other eras about which you would like to write?
The seducer was an epic poem, rather than the era itself. As an undergraduate I fell in love with Homer’s Iliad. Over the years the poem continued to move me so much that there were sections that I couldn’t teach without getting teary-eyed. It was a long time after the original collegiate crush (I went to college in the Jurassic Age, if I recall correctly) that the period itself wormed its way into my heart so thoroughly, and the pathway of that seduction was the process of writing fiction.
While teaching the Iliad, I kept wondering with my students how Briseis, the young captive woman who sparked the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon, could possibly have loved Achilles—which is what Homer shows us. The half-immortal Greek killed her husband and brothers, destroyed her city and turned her from princess to slave—hardly a heartwarming courtship. She’s central to the plot of the Iliad and yet she gets only a handful of lines. In those few words, the one clear notion expressed is her sorrow at being parted from Achilles.
I should say I always liked Achilles, the existential hero who calls the whole war into question—which shows he’s no brainwasher—so the answer wasn’t some ancient version of Stockholm Syndrome. I started exploring who Briseis could be that would solve this psychological puzzle and that led me to novel writing.
As you know, to write a good historical story you have to build a totally absorbing world that pulls your reader back in time. For that, the writer has to know far more than she ever actually includes. Her knowledge has to be deep enough that a few deft strokes paint the setting and atmosphere.
So I started digging away and became much less the literary lover and much more the archaeological and historical lover. Who could resist a legendary city like Troy with towering citadel walls and room after room of golden splendor? In my heart and imagination, the poetry melded with the romance of the physical remains of the era.
I might move into other eras—certainly writing in the current world has an ease and appeal when I’ve done it in short stories—but for now I’ll be staying in the ancient world of the Trojans and their cultural cousins and allies the Hittites.
The amount of research you put into the novel must have been epic. Can you talk a little bit about how you approached such a gargantuan task? Also, was there a favorite place you visited in your travels?
From various university libraries I’ve read the scholarly discussions and evidence. It’s a long leap from there to enjoyable fiction, but that’s the base.
While the iconic city of Troy that is at the center of my novel gets most of the popular attention, the scholarship primarily focuses on the mighty Hittite empire right next door to Troy. Vast Hittite libraries of cuneiform tablets have been excavated and translated in the last decade or so. We now know Troy followed the same cultural, religious and political traditions as the Hittites, so I used the rich information about the Hittites to build Briseis’s world.
In addition, I have travelled in Turkey where Troy was located, spent hours studying museum collections, talking with archaeologists, and experiencing firsthand the geography of the settings of my book.
One of my favorite travel days was when we went to the area where the city Briseis grew up in, Lyrnessos, is traditionally said to have been located. No one’s ever found the actual site—perhaps Achilles destroyed it too thoroughly or perhaps the legends about Briseis are just that—legends. It doesn’t matter to the flesh and blood woman I’ve created. She’s quite sure she’s real. With my husband and two grown children, we climbed the foothills on the far side of Mount Ida from Troy, looked out over the peaks to the blue Aegean in the distance, and explored a village that looked for all the world like a Bronze Age town—mudbrick houses, communal wood ovens and orchards of olives and pomegranates. We befriended an old lady who shared her one room mud house with a goat and a kitty. She brought out olives and delicious plums to eat, and I kept her cheerful, deeply lined face in my mind as I wrote Briseis’s nurse, Eurome—one of my favorite characters in Hand of Fire.
Would you say you resemble Briseis, your protagonist, in any way? How so?
One of the central themes that I explore in Hand of Fire is women’s strength—where it comes from and why some women have such deep wells of it. Certainly one of those sources is an optimistic outlook and an unwillingness to stay focused on the bad in life that you can’t fix. I, thank goodness, have never had to deal with the degree of tragedy and loss that Briseis goes through, but within the easier circumstances of my life, I do find in myself that kind of strength from a positive outlook. Briseis also has a tendency to speak first, think later when she’s riled up, and unfortunately I could write that trait from first hand experience. Her gleaming red-gold hair and appearance “like Aphrodite,” as Homer puts it, I can in no way claim!
Covers are so important when selling novels. Did you have input into how yours was created? Would you say it reflects elements you were hoping to convey in the story?
I did have some input—although I am in no way skilled in visual arts so my contribution was limited. I like the sense of ominous danger that the burning on the horizon suggests and the way it complements the title. I like the presence of a determined woman. My son worried that having a sword in Briseis’s hand would suggest a warrior princess kind of book—which Hand of Fire isn’t—but Briseis does take up a sword and other weapons at some key moments and the willingness to do all she can to defend her family and people is central to the novel, so that works for me also. I offered some ideas to suggest a Greek/Trojan context. Originally there was nothing historical about the cover, more sci-fi or fantasy, and the sword looked suspiciously like a light saber. I had a heck of a time finding an available photo of a sword even close to authentic and then, after the cover was complete, during a research trip I took this spring to Turkey and Cyprus, I found many examples to photograph in a couple museums I’d hadn’t been to previously. But isn’t that the way life always turns out?
What message would you like your readers to take away with them?
Despite being a book about war with a lot of death and violence, the fundamental theme of Hand of Fire is one of hope. I think people will come away with a renewed sense of the resiliency of humanity and of women in particular.
Can you talk about what your next project is?
I’m in the middle of a historical mystery featuring the Hittite Queen Puduhepa as “sleuth.” She would be as famous as Cleopatra if she hadn’t been buried by the sands of time. Her seal is on the first extant peace treaty in history next to her foe, Pharaoh Ramses II. Now that she’s been dug out, I’ve taken her remarkable personality, which seems perfectly suited for solving mysteries, and I am writing a series. She ruled from her teens until she was at least eighty, so I think this series may outlast me.
I’m also outlining a sequel to Hand of Fire—and Briseis may just make a major move to Cyprus. It’s such a gorgeous and intriguing island, covered in Bronze Age ruins, with several qualities that make it perfect for her. But as readers of Hand of Fire will realize, Briseis has got some business to take care of nearer to home before that happens.
Speed Round:
BEST PLACE ON EARTH: Island of Cyprus
FAVORITE VICE: Good red wine
HIDDEN TALENT: Cooking for lots of people
A BOOK YOU RECOMMEND: A Thing Done by Tinney Sue Heath
About the Author
Judith Starkston writes historical fiction and mysteries set in Troy and the Hittite Empire. Ms. Starkston is a classicist (B.A. University of California, Santa Cruz, M.A. Cornell University) who taught high school English, Latin and humanities. She and her husband have two grown children and live in Arizona with their golden retriever Socrates. Hand of Fire is her debut novel.
An excerpt from Hand of Fire, book reviews, ancient recipes, historical background as well as on-going information about the historical fiction community can be found on Starkston’s website www.judithstarkston.com Follow her on FB and Twitter.
Buy Now
September 30, 2014
When the Gazillionth Pass Through Your Manuscript Tries to Kill You
There are some who are lucky enough to write a novel and make it beautiful in two or three drafts. (Secretly, I loathe them. Why can’t I do that?!) Most of us, on the other hand, spend months and months, sometimes years, perfecting our works. By the time we’ve seen that story seven or eight or twenty times, not only are we too close to the story, but we may even hate it a little. How do we push through the weariness, bleariness, and general over-saturated brain fuzzies? Well, I like to:
Assign Parts, Read Aloud—Without doubt there is someone in your life who loves you (or at the very least is bribable), who will gladly practice reading troublesome scenes aloud with you. If that doesn’t work, read aloud and record your own voice. You’re bound to hear stilted, unnatural dialogue, pacing issues, and clunky phrasing.
Edit Chapters Out of Order—This is my favorite trick. Once I’ve swept through my story a hundred times, not only am I tired of it, but my eyes glaze over and I tend to anticipate the chain of events ahead rather than focusing on an aspect that needs fine-tuning. Reading chapters out of order prevents you from being swept away in the storyline. It gives you a new perspective—as if you’ve been dropped into the middle of the scene. To take this a step further, print out each chapter at a time. Reading type in ink really makes issues jump out from the page.
For the rest of the article, go HERE
For another article like this, click HERE: When Rejection is Necessary, or I Reject All the Fear
September 22, 2014
When Rejection is Necessary, or I Reject All the Fear
I’ve been absent…this happens to the best of us, especially when working under deadline for our publisher. But a big part of my issue is all that blogging I do elsewhere! From now on, dear readers, I will post a snippet of what I’m working on here and you can follow the link to the end of the rainbow. Today I’m blogging over at the wonderful blog, Writers in the Storm, about writerly fear. So here we go…
When Rejection is Necessary, or I Reject All the Fear
The most detested word in the publishing industry, perhaps even in the English language (we writers might argue) is rejection. Even saying it aloud gives you a nasty swirling in your stomach. Whether it be from agents and editors, or readers and reviewers, the word itself embodies our deepest darkest fear—we aren’t good enough. When the “R’s” begin to pile up, we sink into the sludge that mires us deeper in our fears and that horrible message becomes louder, crippling us.
As I’m working on book three, this fear of the dreaded “R” sits on my chest like a fat cat—even after two contracted books at a large publisher. Even with the overwhelming good fortune of having a network of writer friends I’m proud and blessed to call my tribe. I’m pushing the envelope, you see. In my first novel I mashed up historical fiction, women’s fiction, and romance. My second, I skipped ahead to another era and fell in love with a lesser known artist figure and her struggles with madness. Now, I’m taking on a well-known story and turning it on its head. No biographical route for me this time.
Some serious genre pushing.
But WHY I ask myself? Why must I stick my neck out, push my craft to the point of almost physical pain. Why must I risk my publisher saying “no thank you” to this next book, and the one after that.
The answer is simple.
For more go HERE.
August 6, 2014
Meet the Author: Susan Spann & BLADE OF THE SAMURAI
I’m very excited to welcome author Susan Spann, a friend, colleague, and super cool chick to Between the Sheets today. In fact, I’m so excited about it, I’m giving away ANOTHER copy of her latest novel BLADE OF THE SAMURAI, book two in her ninja mystery series. Just leave a comment here on the blog, tweet this post, or Facebook it (be sure to tag me so I see it!) and your name goes into the pot.
ABOUT THE BOOK
June, 1565: Master ninja Hiro Hattori receives a pre-dawn visit from Kazu, a fellow shinobi working undercover at the shogunate. Hours before, the shogun’’s cousin, Saburo, was stabbed to death in the shogun’s palace. The murder weapon: Kazu’s personal dagger. Kazu says he’s innocent, and begs for Hiro’s help, but his story gives Hiro reason to doubt the young shinobi’s claims.
When the shogun summons Hiro and Father Mateo, the Portuguese Jesuit priest under Hiro’s protection, to find the killer, Hiro finds himself forced to choose between friendship and personal honor.
The investigation reveals a plot to assassinate the shogun and overthrow the ruling Ashikaga clan. With Lord Oda’s enemy forces approaching Kyoto, and the murderer poised to strike again, Hiro must use his assassin’s skills to reveal the killer’s identity and protect the shogun at any cost. Kazu, now trapped in the city, still refuses to explain his whereabouts at the time of the murder. But a suspicious shogunate maid, Saburo’s wife, and the shogun’s stable master also had reasons to want Saburo dead. With the shogun demanding the murderer’s head before Lord Oda reaches the city, Hiro and Father Mateo must produce the killer in time . . . or die in his place.
Claws of the Cat highlighted the culture of Japanese tea houses. Do you focus on a particular cultural aspect in BLADE as well? And is this your plan for subsequent books?
I do! Blade of the Samurai involves a murder within the walls of the shogun’s palace, and the third Shinobi Mystery, Flask of the Drunken Master, sends Hiro and Father Mateo deep into the world of the brewers’ guild. Medieval Japanese culture had so many different facets and intricate details that it offers a nearly infinite range of exotic experiences—especially for Western readers who might not know much about samurai culture aside from the popular image of “ponytailed dudes with swords.” My goal with the Shinobi Mysteries is to explore those intriguing cultural settings, one book (and at least one murder) at a time.
If you could choose to walk in Hiro’s or Father Mateo’s shoes, whose would you choose and why?
Both? I love Hiro’s pragmatism, and who wouldn’t want to have his ninja skills? On the other hand, Father Mateo takes great joy and satisfaction from helping people in need. That’s a noble calling, and one that’s also close to my heart. If I had to choose, I’d probably go with Hiro…but I’d be torn.
What is the most satisfying piece to having a new book released into the world?
The joy of sharing the story with other people. I love Christmas, mostly because I adore giving people presents and surprises. Releasing each new book is like giving a great “surprise” – because I already know whodunit, and I love hearing readers’ reactions to the way the stories unfold. This is partly due to the fact that each new novel reveals something more about Hiro’s past, which is mostly a mystery to the readers at this point. With each new novel, I get to give the readers another piece of that puzzle.
Which actors would you select to play your characters’ roles? Also, can’t you just see your series as a video game?
I SO CAN.
I’d love to see the series as a video game, or a graphic novel. I write from a very visual place, so the images and colors of gaming and comics are close to my heart.
I can imagine a number of actors in the starring roles, but the casting choice that sticks in my head is actually a secondary character who makes his series debut in Blade of the Samurai. Matsunaga Hisahide was a real Japanese daimyo (a samurai warlord) who I fictionalized as a character in my series. He shows up in Blade of the Samurai as an emissary from one of the shogun’s allies. Readers versed in Japanese history know that Hisahide plays a very large role in Japanese history—and he has a substantial role in the series too.
From the moment I knew I’d be writing Matsunaga-san into the series, I envisioned Ken Watanabe (who starred with Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, and with Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception) in the role. Historically, it’s a demanding role that walks the line between hero and villain—and I think Ken Watanabe could play it spectacularly.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Never give up, and never stop writing. It took me ten years and 5 completed manuscripts to land an agent and a publishing deal. Too many authors give up in frustration, or stop moving forward, if the first manuscript doesn’t get an agent or hit it big. Writers need a tortoise’s patience and the skin of a rhino. Learn to take real critique, improve your writing with every book, and never, ever, let rejection deprive you of your dream.
SPEED ROUND
Best Place on Earth: Home.
Hidden Talent: Singing. I trained in classical (opera) and musical theater for over a decade, though I rarely use it now except in the shower and around the house.
Favorite Vice: Coffee is a virtue, so the vice must be ice cream. Coffee ice cream…
Most delectable meal ever: Thai fresh rolls, deep fried tofu with peanut sauce, spicy coconut soup, massaman curry (with chicken and shrimp), and the aforementioned ice cream for dessert. MMMMMMM.
Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog. Also? We need to get some thai food now.
FIND SUSAN ON THE WEB
July 21, 2014
Rodin’s Lover Giveaway
Happy Monday, all. I had the excitement of finding a lovely package on my doorstep at the end of last week–advanced reader copies of Rodin’s Lover arrived! I’m so excited to send my second book child out into the world that I’m giving away three copies on Goodreads. All you have to do is hit a button to enter:
HERE
About the Book:
As a woman, aspiring sculptor Camille Claudel has plenty of critics, especially her ultra-traditional mother. But when Auguste Rodin makes Camille his apprentice—and his muse—their passion inspires groundbreaking works. Yet, Camille’s success is overshadowed by her lover’s rising star, and her obsessions cross the line into madness.
Rodin’s Lover brings to life the volatile love affair between one of the era’s greatest artists and a woman entwined in a tragic dilemma she cannot escape.
Praise:
“Camille Claudel is an audacious and authentic character who deserves to be remembered. Rodin’s Lover is epic and unflinching–a book you won’t soon forget.” –Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author of City of Jasmine
“Taut and engrossing”–Julie Kibler, bestselling author of Calling Me Home
“Webb gracefully explores this ignitable relationship while illuminating Claudel’s untold heartbreak and evocative artwork. A story of human emotion, once raw and malleable, now preserved to lasting stone.”–Sarah McCoy, New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of The Baker’s Daughter
“Written with great empathy, this novel of the visceral world of Paris ateliers, of clay-stained dresses and fingernails, and talent which endures, comes vividly to life.” -Stephanie Cowell, author of Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet
July 15, 2014
Blade of the Samurai by Susan Spann + Giveaway
I’m so excited to share the release of my dear friend Susan Spann’s second novel BLADE OF THE SAMURAI. It’s a fun, fast-paced read, yet somehow still rich with an intricate plot and cultural detailing that I gobbled up in two days. I’m giving away TWO COPIES. Leave a comment, tweet this post, or like Susan on Facebook for a chance to win! Be sure to tag me (@msheatherwebb and @susanspann if you choose to tweet)
About the Book:June, 1565: Master ninja Hiro Hattori receives a pre-dawn visit from Kazu, a fellow shinobi working undercover at the shogunate. Hours before, the shogun’’s cousin, Saburo, was stabbed to death in the shogun’s palace. The murder weapon: Kazu’s personal dagger. Kazu says he’s innocent, and begs for Hiro’s help, but his story gives Hiro reason to doubt the young shinobi’s claims.
When the shogun summons Hiro and Father Mateo, the Portuguese Jesuit priest under Hiro’s protection, to find the killer, Hiro finds himself forced to choose between friendship and personal honor.
The investigation reveals a plot to assassinate the shogun and overthrow the ruling Ashikaga clan. With Lord Oda’s enemy forces approaching Kyoto, and the murderer poised to strike again, Hiro must use his assassin’s skills to reveal the killer’s identity and protect the shogun at any cost. Kazu, now trapped in the city, still refuses to explain his whereabouts at the time of the murder. But a suspicious shogunate maid, Saburo’s wife, and the shogun’s stable master also had reasons to want Saburo dead. With the shogun demanding the murderer’s head before Lord Oda reaches the city, Hiro and Father Mateo must produce the killer in time . . . or die in his place.
Susan Spann’s Blade of the Samurai is a complex mystery that will transport readers to a thrilling and unforgettable adventure in sixteenth-century Japan.
Find Susan on the Web:
May 6, 2014
Paris is Always a Good Idea: Voyage Into a Good Book
Hi all! I think the title of this post speaks for itself–isn’t Paris grand? For lovers of Frenchie books and to celebrate the City of Light, author Vicki Lesage put together a blog hop packed with an array of France-loving writers. Each author answered a few questions for fun and included their links below. Enjoy browsing and vive la France!
Bien sûr, we’ll begin with:
BECOMING JOSEPHINE
by Moi
Why is your book a “good idea” for someone who loves Paris?
Becoming Josephine is about a famous and beloved French historical figure and much of the novel takes place in Paris.
Which scene might raise a few eyebrows?
One of the scenes set during the September Massacres, also, perhaps one of the hotter scenes between Napoleon and Josephine.
If your book was a drink, what would it be?
A kir royale for my fizzy narrative and bubbly heroine (not to mention she’s almost royalty)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Links:
Print: $15.00 http://www.amazon.com/dp/0142180653/
Kindle: $7.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DMCV2SC
JE T’AIME, ME NEITHER
by April Lily Heise
Why is your book a “good idea” for someone who loves Paris?
Paris is almost a character in my book rather than the setting, perhaps a coy antagonist? I’d like to think that the passion of Paris was a root of most of my romantic misadventures, but I can’t blame it all on Paris!
Who would absolutely hate your book?
Readers looking for an idealized story of Paris. Truth is more interesting than fiction, but reality can clash with some people’s dreams of perfect Paris.
Genre: Memoir
Links:
Print: $13.49 http://www.amazon.com/dp/0992005302
Kindle: $6.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DAI30I8
Connect with Lily:
Website: http://jetaimemeneither.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeTAimeMeNei...
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JTaimeMNeither
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18...
GASTIEN: THE COST OF A DREAM
by Caddy Rowland
If your book was a drink, what would it be?
If The Gastien Series was a drink, it would be absinthe, of course! That was the preferred drink of the bohemian artists of nineteenth century Paris. Strong, beautiful and mind-altering, the “green fairy” is a drink that forges its own path, daring to be different.
Who would absolutely hate your book?
People who don’t like dark, raw, gritty, emotional, and – at times – brutal stories would hate my book. I don’t write “pretty” stories, I write about the sublime joy and bitter tragedy of being human. That doesn’t guarantee “happy” but it does guarantee “real”.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Family Saga, Drama
links:
Print: $14.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/1492890391
Kindle: $4.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FI62BS
Connect with Caddy:
Blog: http://caddyrowlandblog.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcaddyr...
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/caddyorpims
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
PARIS, RUE DES MARTYRS
by Adria J. Cimino
Why is your book a “good idea” for someone who loves Paris?
It will transport you to the Paris of Parisians… You won’t feel as if you have vacationed in Paris, but as if you have lived there.
If your book was a drink, what would it be?
Café au lait: Bitter and sweet, dark and light… Opposites come together, creating unforgettable flavor!
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Link:
Kindle: $3.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IAY344W
Connect with Adria:
Website: http://ajcimino.com
Blog: http://adriainparis.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdriaJ.inParis
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Adria_in_Paris
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
CONFESSIONS OF A PARTY GIRL
by Vicki Lesage
If your book was a drink, what would it be?
A glass of red wine – classy but accessible. You want to share it with friends and you have fun drinking it.
Which scene might raise a few eyebrows?
The airplane vomit story, for sure. Or maybe the passing-out-on-the-bathroom-floor story. If you enjoy drinking, this might make you stop. If you don’t drink, you can smugly watch me learn my lesson. I do eventually grow up, it just takes a while.
Genre: Memoir
Links:
Print: $14.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/1494701529
Kindle: $4.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/0992005302
Connect with Vicki:
Website: http://vickilesage.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vickilesagewr...
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vickilesage
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE
by Paulita Kincer
If your book was a drink, what would it be?
An Absinthe Chocolate Cocktail (http://dyingforchocolate.blogspot.com...). Traveling with three kids while figuring out if a marriage is worth saving brings some definite worries, thus the absinthe to help forget those worries. And the chocolate, well that makes everything better, right?
Which scene might raise a few eyebrows?
Some of the scenes in my novel are hot, but they don’t get into graphic details of slot a fitted into slot b. What might raise some eyebrows would be Caroline, the main character’s, realization that she may have some prejudices. She rolls around the beach in Nice and is certain she is ready to break her marriage vows to have sex with a sensual gypsy man (think Johnny Depp). She leads him up to her hotel room and realizes she’s never been inside a building with the man. She only pictures him outdoors. And the prejudice of the hotel clerk plants doubt in her mind. Most middle class Americans have trouble admitting they may have prejudices.
Genres: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Links:
Print: $14.00 http://www.amazon.com/dp/1304698882
Kindle: $4.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HBY90M2
Connect with Paulita:
Website: http://paulita-ponderings.blogspot.com
PARIS WAS THE PLACE
by Susan Conley
Why is your book a “good idea” for someone who loves Paris?
At times Paris Was the Place is like a guided walking tour of Paris. You get to eat delicious crepes, hear some good jazz music, drink red wine and fall in love.
Which scene might raise a few eyebrows?
When narrator Willie Pears falls for a Frenchman she meets in Paris, she jumps in his truck and heads to the South of France. It’s a drive that turns out to be one long roadtrip of foreplay.
Genres: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Links:
Print: $26.95 http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307594076
Kindle: $10.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BVJG4CM
Connect with Susan:
Website: http://www.susanconley.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanConley....
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Susan_Conley
THE PARIS GAME
by Alyssa Linn Palmer
Why is your book a “good idea” for someone who loves Paris?
It’s an especially good idea if you’re fond of late night jazz, or wandering the streets of the Left Bank. That’s where I focused most of the story.
If your book was a drink, what would it be?
Something quite strong, whiskey on the rocks.
Which scene might raise a few eyebrows?
The entirety of chapter one.
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Suspense
Links:
Print: $15.95 http://www.amazon.com/dp/1484834828
Kindle: $4.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DCJYXIQ
Connect with Alyssa:
Website: http://www.alyssalinnpalmer.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaLinnPa...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alyslinn
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Happy reading!
April 15, 2014
Announcing The Writer’s Voice Contest!
Hi All. Spring has sprung, my manuscript is safely in the hands of my publisher, and now I find myself jumping head-first into another contest. I’ve been nominated by #TeamBrenda to be the “celebrity” coach of The Writer’s Voice. I’m so excited about this one! 14 agents will be participating! Keep scrolling down (and read all the fine print) for all of the information.
The Writer’s Voice
“The Writer’s Voice” is a multi-blog, multi-agent contest hosted by Brenda Drake, Mónica Bustamante Wagner, Kimberly P. Chase, and Elizabeth Briggs. We’re basing it on NBC’s singing reality show The Voice, so the four of us will serve as coaches and select projects for our teams based on their queries and first pages.
DETAILS, DETAILS
Timeline
May 1May 2
Everybody enters the Rafflecopter lotteryThe lottery winners sign up on the widget
May 2-10
We select our team members from “The Writer’s Voice” Blogfest
May 10-19
We coach our team members, helping them polish their entries
May 19
We post our team members’ entries on our blogs
May 22
Agents vote for their favorites
Submissions
To enter, your manuscript must meet two conditions: First, it must be COMPLETE, POLISHED, AND READY TO QUERY, and second, it must be in one of the following genres*:
Adult Historical
Adult Fantasy
Adult Science Fiction
Adult Romance
YA fiction (all genres)
MG fiction (all genres)
To determine who gets to participate in the blogfest, we’ll hold a single-entry Rafflecopter lottery on Thursday, May 1. The lottery will remain open for 12 hours, from 9:00 a.m. EDT to 9:00 p.m. EDT, at which point the Rafflecopter will select 150 random winners. Those winners will then sign up for the blogfest on one of Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets the next day, May 2. Once you sign up on the widget, you’ll post YOUR QUERY and THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript on your blog.
In summary, you must follow these three steps to enter:
1. Enter the Rafflecopter lottery on May 1 during the submission window listed above.
2. Sign up on the widget on May 2 if you win the lottery.
3. Post your query and the first 250 words of your manuscript on your blog.
Selections
We’re building our teams via “The Writer’s Voice” Blogfest, so YOU MUST HAVE A BLOG TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONTEST. We don’t care if you’ve had it for five years or five minutes; we just want to be able to fight over you in public.
We coaches will review the entries and leave a comment on your post that says something like, “I want you!” If more than one of us wants you on her team, you’ll have to pick which coach you want to work with.
Coaching
We’ll select our 8 team members by May 10, then spend the next week and a half helping them put a final polish on their entries. You won’t have to take all of our suggestions, of course; we just want to help you make your entry the best that it can be before the agents get a look at it.
Voting
On May 19, we’ll post our team members’ queries and first pages on our blogs so that the agents can review them. Here are the awesome agents who’ll be voting on your entries:
Mollie Glick of Foundry Literary + Media
Emily Gref of Lowenstein Associates
Taylor Haggerty of Waxman Leavell Literary Agency
Brianne Johnson of Writers House
Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown, Ltd.
Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents, Inc.
Holly McGhee and Elena Giovinazzo of Pippin Properties
Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency
Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency
Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency
Bridget Smith of Dunham Literary
Monika Verma of Levine Greenberg Literary Agency
Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency
The agents will vote for their favorites on May 22. Each vote will count as a partial or full request depending on how many votes the entry receives. If an entry receives 1 or 2 votes, those votes will count as partial requests. If an entry receives 3 or more votes, those votes will count as full requests.
Voting will stay open until 9:00 a.m. EDT on May 23, at which point we’ll determine which coach’s team received the most votes. That coach will win bragging rights for time immemorial, and everyone who received requests will be able to submit their materials to all the agents who voted for them. These votes represent serious interest in your project, so PLEASE DON’T ACCEPT AN OFFER OF REPRESENTATION BEFORE GIVING “THE WRITER’S VOICE” AGENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A COMPETING OFFER.
So get those queries and first pages polished up, then meet us back here on Thursday, May 1, between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. EDT. We can’t wait to read your entries! (And of course, if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below.)
*As you probably noticed, we’re not including any new adult genres. We have to base the genres on the agents’ interests, and most of the agents participating this year aren’t looking for NA at the moment.
