Lorenda Christensen's Blog, page 16

2013 GH Finalist: Jacqui Nelson

Please join me in welcoming Golden Heart winner and three-time finalist Jacqui Nelson to our blog today! Jacqui writes Historical Romantic Suspense set in the American West and Victorian London.  Her first manuscript, “Between Heaven and Hell,” won the Historical category in 2010. This year she’s a finalist in both the Historical and Romantic Suspense categories with “Between Love and Lies” and “The Shadow Hour.”

“Between Love and Lies” (Historical Finalist):  In 1876, Sadie Sullivan lost everything when a herd of longhorn cattle bound for Dodge City destroyed her farm. A year later, she’s working in Dodge — one of the most lawless towns in the West — at the Northern Star saloon. But her survival in this new world of sin and violence depends on maintaining a lie so deadly it could end her life before the town of Dodge can.

The one man capable of unraveling Sadie’s secrets is Noah Ballantyne, the cattle rancher whose herd destroyed her home. Back in town and taking up the role of Deputy Marshal, Noah vows he won’t leave until he’s put things right. But with the Northern Star’s owner refusing to let Sadie go, a rich cattle baron hell-bent on making Sadie his mistress, and Sadie’s health deteriorating from a life-threatening illness things won’t be easy — especially when Sadie’s unwilling to trust Noah with her love or her lies.

 “The Shadow Hour” — book one in “The Angel Street Agency” series (Romantic Suspense Finalist): In 1886, London’s scientific community regarded Pippa Marley as a mere assistant who helped her gifted father bring light and safety to the city’s darkest streets. But when someone murders her father, she becomes a fledgling detective determined to use all of her skills to bring the killer to justice and save the two things she has left: her home on Angel Street and her independence from Victorian Society.

To Pippa, street-savvy Gideon Blackburn seems like the perfect partner especially when they pursue the same criminal. But Gideon has troubles of his own. With an old rival hounding him to resume work at Scotland Yard and a new world full of mysterious inventions and pompous scientists he cannot understand, Gideon is in danger of failing to solve a case for the first time. Having Pippa by his side — filling in the gaps in his work and his life — might be the answer to all of his problems, past and present. Or it might get Pippa, the one person he has finally learned to love, killed.

This summer (while continuing to seek representation for her Golden Heart nominated manuscripts), Jacqui will release the Western Historical Romance novella “Adella’s Enemy” as part of the “Passion’s Prize” anthology written with fellow 2010 Golden Heart finalists E.E. Burke and Jennifer Jakes.

You can learn more about Jacqui and her writing via her website and also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Website: http://www.JacquiNelson.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jacqui_Nelson

Facebook: http://facebook.com/JacquiNelsonBooks

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/JacquiAuthor

 

First, I’d like to say a big thank you to the Firebirds for inviting me to be a guest! This is only my second time as a guest blogger and I’m honored to be able to join the Firebirds for the day. Okay, what does a writer talk about in her second guest blog? How about…rules?

What are the rules?

As a writer I keep hearing about rules. Write something people will want to read. Write what you love. Write every day. Write quick, edit slow. Rules are everywhere — in life, art, business and every occupation on the planet.

Before my creativity was consumed by writing, one of my day jobs was as an animator for TV shows and electronic games. I’ve always loved watching movies. Animated movies held particular interest because of their expressive format. For me, they were like a painting had come alive on the screen. I was captivated. I wanted to be involved in creating something that could induce that deep a reaction.

But, yes, there are rules in animation as well!

There are 12 basic principles of animation — according to Walt Disney Studios.

There are 22 story basics – according to one Pixar artist.

There appear to be as many rules as there are words to describe them. We call them principles, basics, tips, suggestions and (according to Captain Jack Sparrow) guidelines.

So, as a writer who once was an animator, what’s my suggestion?

Many of my insights about writing have come from being an animator, but which one do I use the most? Visualize sections of your story until they play out like a movie in your head…then get up and act it out.

Yes, I’m suggesting you get out of your writing chair and act out your story! Play the part of your character. What do they feel? What do they decide? What do they do? Then go back to your computer, or paper and pen, and fill the blank page with your discoveries.

Acting out an animation is something an animator does often. And, yes, this can be an embarrassing thing to do in a studio full of your co-workers! But we are willing to make sacrifices for our craft, right? Hopefully wherever you write is a little more private — as is my current writing desk. If not, there is always the sanctuary of the bathroom. I’d often go to the ladies room to act out an animation in private.

How about some examples?

If I’m sharing examples, I might as well link them to the most widely recognizable animation project I worked on — the “Harry Potter, Goblet of Fire” game.

Can’t think of a walk for Harry, Hermione, or Ron (or your character)? Wanting a walk that matches your character’s unique personality? A walk that sets your character apart from the others? Get up and act it out. Walk around. Is your stride confident or meek? Do you shuffle or strut or scurry or limp? Do you huff and puff as you go uphill, or do you almost tumble over as you hurry down?

Can’t think of a hand gesture for Harry, Hermione, or Ron (or your character)? Get up and act it out. Are you having a conversation with someone? People talk with their hands. How do your hands move or interact with the rest of your body as you pretend you are facing the other character and as you (gasp) speak your dialogue aloud. Your family may wonder why they hear voices coming from the bathroom whenever you’re in there. Tell them it’s an extension of singing in the shower.

Can’t think of a facial expression for Harry, Hermione, or Ron (or your character)? Get up and act it out. Well, actually you can do this one sitting down. As an animator we always had little mirrors on our desks for this purpose. Or, once again, head to the bathroom. Look in the mirror and pretend you are your character. Are they mad or sad or happy? Remember a time when you were mad or sad or happy. Analyze what your face does.

Can’t think of an idle for Harry, Hermione, or Ron (or your character)?  Meaning what does a character do when they are doing nothing at all? This is the dreaded idle cycle in electronic games. And it’s a biggie. Sometimes a character’s stillness says more about them than their biggest, boldest moves.  Once again, get up and act it out. Try to think small. Are you relaxed, tired or trying to hide something? Do you feel a twitch or tremor in a certain part of your body? Do you fidget or shift your weight? Are your eyes the only part of your body that moves?

Want to take my suggestion to the next level?

Why not try this for all of your characters — your hero, heroine, villain and secondary characters? You don’t have to go overboard. One unique, descriptive action can speak volumes.

Quite often I’ve found I can act out my story while sitting in my chair. But I’ve also found that the physical act of getting up puts me the mood to use my whole body (inside and out) to figure out what’s going on with my characters. It makes me dig deep.

Being a writer or an animator is a bit like playing God. We take nothing (a blank piece of paper or a blank computer screen) and create something that comes alive and elicits an emotional response. Or at least that was my goal. It still is.

Thanks for taking the time to join me with the Firebirds!

What are your favorite rules/suggestions for writing?

 

Interview with Five-Time GH Finalist, Sharon Wray

I am so thrilled to bring you a very special interview today. Not only do we have five-time Golden Heart finalist Sharon Wray, but she is accompanied by the hot men of her two finaling manuscripts, JULIET’S ROGUE and ROGUE’S REDEMPTION. Sergeant Rafe Montfort and Major Nate Walker are bad-ass ex-soldiers willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done and protect the women they love. Oh, and did I mention they were hot?

But don’t just take my word for it. Read on and find out for yourselves!

(Note: We are sitting outside at the Firefly Cafe in Savannah, GA drinking sweet tea while the men are trying to act like they fit in. But their combat pants, black T’s, massive biceps, and Rafe’s arm tattoos have just scared away our waitress. Oh, well. We didn’t really need that second brownie.)

***

PINTIP: Congratulations, Sharon, Rafe, and Nate! Apparently, readers love your stories! Sharon, have either of these men’s stories ever finaled before?

SHARON: Thank you so much for interviewing me today, Pintip. Rafe’s story has finaled before, but this is a first for Nate. Although I never think I have a chance, Rafe was convinced he’d final again (yes, he is that arrogant). But Nate was my long shot so we were both surprised. I’m sure Nate figured if he finaled, he get more “horizontal time” with his heroine. That’s my Nate. Always the dreamer.

NATE: I just wish I’d finaled alone. Now I have to go to Atlanta with Rafe.

RAFE (grinning): I’ve finaled three times. And I won the Daphne Du Maurier contest. Nate came in third. Or was it fourth?

NATE: You’re a mon–

 SHARON: If you call him a monkey buttshine, we’re ending now. Can we move on, Pintip? Please.

PINTIP: I’d love to hear from the men themselves what they think the appeal of their stories are. Rafe?

RAFE: How about a sexy hero protecting a stubborn, beautiful, and intelligent heroine (whom I adore), bad-ass arms dealers, a three-hundred year old curse, a 12th century manuscript, a sultry Georgia sea island, and romance. Too be honest, I’d prefer more sex and less talking. But that’s just me.

NATE (laughing): You? A sexy hero? All I saw was a pain-in-the-ass ex-Green Beret who disobeyed my direct order and ended up in prison. And didn’t Juliet slap you? Twice?

RAFE: My lovely wife has forgiven me. Besides, I know Sara put you through hell. Especially when she walked out on you and took all your weapons. And your clothes. Didn’t she slap you, too?

NATE: I don’t remember that part. But my story has an even sexier hero trying to ditch a beautiful, intelligent heroine (a Smithsonian Archivist specializing in Colonial American history) tormented by an arms dealer who needs her to translate one of George Washington’s unsolved ciphers from the American Revolution.

RAFE: She was being followed. And you ignored her.

NATE: I didn’t know about the cipher. I mean, it sounds ridiculous. A pirate’s cipher used by General Washington during the Revolution? A cipher that unlocked a series of hidden tunnels holding high-tech weapons and drugs in old cemeteries along the South Carolina coast? That’s nuts.

RAFE: Yeah, especially to a man who’s spent his life fighting bad guys with the most advanced technology available, then finds himself disgraced and living with his men in a rundown southern mansion without electricity. So when Sara showed up unexpectedly, demanding help, Nate was unprepared. I liked that part. A lot.

NATE (sighing): Who, besides my wife, translates 17th century Latin ciphers anymore? And wanders around old cemeteries? I’ve got to say, though, the Latin-thing is hot. Speaking of which, we could’ve had more sex and less talking, too. Is there still time to revise?

SHARON: No. Pintip, next question please?

PINTIP: I could listen to (and look at) these guys talk forever. But if you insist. Sharon, can you tell us a bit about your writing schedule? How long do you write everyday, and how do you balance life with writing?

SHARON: When the kids are in school, I write. I take short breaks to make beds, do laundry, dishes, pet the dog. Once they’re home, I’m off the computer for the night. During the summer, I get up early and get two hours done before the kid stuff begins.

PINTIP: That’s impressive, Sharon. I think we all struggle with the work/life balance. What about you, Rafe and Nate? How do you balance careers with love and family?

RAFE: Considering I ditched my wife, left my A-team, and went to work as an assassin for an arms dealer before ending up in jail for five years, I’d say not well.

NATE: You’re an idiot, Montfort. She meant how do you balance these things now.

RAFE: Since I won my wife back after a hell of a lot of work and even more groveling, I have a plan. No more mercenary work. No more lying to the people I love. And I’m committed to making my wife feel safe and loved forever.

NATE: When did you become a romantic?

RAFE: About the same time you did. So let’s hear how you balance everything, Mr. Perfect-who-follows-every-rule-even-if-they-bite-me-in-the-ass.

NATE: Rules are there for a reason. Maybe if you’d followed my orders–

SHARON: Enough! Nate, either answer or we’re moving on.

NATE (smiling): Yes, ma’am. I married the only woman who will put up with me. As long as I don’t piss her off, I’m good.

PINTIP (smiling): I’ve never had this much fun in an interview. Nate, as an ex-Green-Beret, trust is essential between you and the members of your team. Can you talk about how it felt when one of your trusted team members turned on you?

NATE: That’s a hell of a question. After years of living and working with each other, we form a bond that’s deeper than friendship, more important than blood. It becomes a part of you, until the mission and the safety of your buddies is your only priority.

So when one of our own set us up in Afghanistan on murder charges, then watched as we all went to prison and were dishonorably discharged, it felt like a knife through my ba–I mean, gut. Unfortunately, half of our men are still imprisoned. We’re outside the intel community. We have no money, fewer weapons, and are alone in our mission to figure out what happened and why.

RAFE: Jeez, Nate. You talk a lot.

NATE: Rafe? Shut the hell up.

PINTIP: Wow, Nate. I see why readers fell in love with your story. I’m starting to fall a little bit in love myself. (clears throat) Rafe, you’ve had experience doing something you believe in deeply, although it’s been very difficult under the circumstances. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

 

RAFE: I’d rather not.

NATE: Coward.

RAFE: Ass–

SHARON: Answer the question, Rafe. Or no more sex. Ever.

RAFE (scowling): First of all, everything I’ve done–and will ever do–has been to protect my wife. But while I worked for the arms dealer Aidan Mitchell, I got caught up in one of his enterprises–ridding the world of mercenaries who refuse to follow the rules of war. And, yes, there are rules. While killing is never easy–and I’m done with it–sometimes it’s necessary. And that’s all I’m going say about it.

PINTIP: Right. Well, why don’t we move on to a more cheerful topic. Sharon, have you chosen your GH awards night dress yet?

SHARON: Yes! On a whim I bought a long, grecian-styled, chiffon gown with one shoulder strap made of pearls and crystals. And it’s orange. Not pumpkin orange, more of a summery coral orange. Now to find shoes…

PINTIP: Oooh, Sharon, that sounds absolutely dreamy. You are going to look stunning in it. Nate and Rafe, can you chime in with some fashion advice here? What would you like to see your girl wear on a special night like this?

RAFE: I like naked.

NATE: Ditto.

SHARON (horrified and embarrassed!): Pintip was talking about me! Not Juliet or Sara.

RAFE (blushing): I’m sure you’ll look nice in whatever you choose.

NATE (staring at the floor): And thin.

SHARON: Good grief. See what I have to put up with?

PINTIP: I do see. And I’m kinda thinking you are one lucky girl to have men like these in your head all day! But this can be a tough business. Any advice on how to stay motivated?

SHARON: I’m terrible at motivating people (just ask my kids. And my dog) but I do have some advice on how to get and stay focused.

PINTIP: Just for the record? Totally disagree. Sharon has motivated me on a number of occasions. But go ahead…

 

Know what you want to write. The genre, the style, the recurring themes.

(Know them. Love them. Be true to them.)

Don’t count the years. Or the manuscripts.

(Nine years and eight manuscripts–but I’m NOT counting.)

Don’t compare yourself or your work to anyone else. 

Stay true to your strengths.

(They will carry you through when you feel like giving up.)

Find your weaknesses, both personal and professional, and slay them ruthlessly. 

Be as honest as you can with yourself about your own work and be open to fair criticism.

Learn to recognize destructive criticism and toss it out before it ruins your writing day (or year).

Be kind to yourself.

(Give yourself little rewards for every query sent, every contest final, after EVERY rejection.)

Make goals.

(One of mine is to have a new manuscript every year to enter in the GH–or to sell!) 

Keep your head down in the work and out of the noise.

 (This one, my favorite, came from my amazing agent Deidre Knight who told me the most important thing is the current manuscript. Nothing else matters. If the entire publishing industry implodes, you’ll be the one who has a brilliant new story that someone will be desperate to read.) 

PINTIP: Thanks so much to all three of you for being here today!

SHARON: Thank you, Pintip! We had a wonderful time!

***

Wow. Just wow. I don’t know about you, but after that interview, I cannot wait to get my hand on these stories! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

***

Juliet’s Rogue: Juliet Capel, from a small Savannah sea island, knows the devastation of true love. Abandoned by her people after she married Rafe Montfort, a Special Forces soldier from the wrong family, then scarred by his desertion and imprisonment, she vowed never to rely on others or fall in love again. But when Rafe returns sexier than ever, with tales of an arms dealer who believes she holds the key to a medieval biological weapon, she accepts Rafe’s help. He has the strength, the guns, and the experience. All she has is a curse.

Ex-Green Beret Rafe Montfort has lived a violent life since leaving his men and his wife. But when he’s unexpectedly freed from prison, he discovers the arms dealer he’s still tied to needs Juliet to unlock secrets their feuding families have held for centuries. Secrets protected by the Capel Curse. Now Rafe must convince the only woman he’s ever loved that breaking the curse—reliving a tragic love story from the past—is their last chance to destroy the weapon, release Rafe from his devil’s deal, and keep Juliet alive. Except Rafe knows if Juliet can’t learn to trust, and love, again they will lose each other. And maybe the entire world.

***

Rogue’s Redemption: Sara Munro, a Smithsonian Archivist, knows her hypothesis that pirates built secret rooms beneath the oldest cemeteries in the South is the joke her department. Her belief that the locations of these rooms are hidden in the only unsolved Revolutionary War cipher hasn’t helped her reputation. Yet, despite the scorn of her peers and the unwanted attention of a brutal arms dealer, Sara refuses to give up. Not even when, while searching for answers in a Savannah cemetery, she discovers a secret paramilitary operation led by sexy ex-Green Beret Nate Walker.

Nate, on a mission of his own to find out who betrayed his A-team, isn’t happy. Although Sara is beautiful, smart, and sexy, he doesn’t have time for her nonsense about cipher keys buried in the tragic story of two 17th century lovers. He has to figure out why he and his men were dishonorably discharged, why ten of his men are still in prison. And he has zero interest in reliving this doomed three-hundred year-old love affair–until he realizes that Sara’s legend is not only real, but is being resurrected by the arms dealer he fought in Afghanistan. Now, in order to stop a massive drugs-for-weapons conspiracy, he must help Sara solve the cipher, take down the arms dealer, and learn that forgiveness, not revenge, is the only road to redemption.

***

A librarian/archivist who also studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris, Sharon is a five-time RWA Golden Heart Romantic Suspense author repped by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency. As she waits for the “Call”, Sharon writes stories of adventure, suspense and love and blogs on her own website, Kiss and Thrill, The Dashing Duchesses, The Firebirds, and Blame it on the Muse.

When she’s not writing, she’s snapping photos of her own hero/husband, her boy/girl twins, and her garden while negotiating backyard territory rights with her dog Donut.

**All photographs courtesy of Sharon Wray.**

 

2013 GH Finalist: Ella Sheridan

Please join me in welcoming Ella Sheridan to our blog today!    Here’s a brief bio and blurb of her GH Manuscript.

Who/what am I? Hmm. I’m a wife and mother, first and always. A freelance line editor who is überpassionate about her job and about helping her clients make their books the best they can be. A black belt fighter and instructor in karate, jujitsu, and kung fu. A chronic worrier, pessimist, pet lover, and OCD panicker with a perpetually dirty house and very little cooking skills except with regards to sweets, which I’m not really allowed to have (c;). I am driven, both to seek and to create worlds so far removed from this reality and yet so full of the nitty-gritty of life that I could easily mistake them for Ella Sheridan’s parallel Star Trek universe. Here’s just a small taste of one such world with my GH finalist manuscript, Unbroken:

Arik counts on no one but himself, and he likes it that way. Isolated, alone, he watches and waits for the opportunity to gain the only thing he’ll allow himself to desire: revenge. Then, in the dark of night, the perfect weapon falls unexpectedly into his grasp.

 Kat is always on the outside looking in. She’s resigned to being invisible, until an innocent walk home is interrupted by a savage attack, forever changing the person she’s always been. Now she’s the focus of a man bent on destroying her world to settle his own score.

Two wills clashing. Two empty hearts in need of each other. Surrendering to the hunger between them is a given, but a deadly enemy lies in wait, and surrendering their souls may be the only thing that saves them.

www.ellasheridan.wordpress.com

What the bloomin’ onion do I talk about?

 It’s the typical first question we consider with a guest blog. I mean, really, who hasn’t asked themselves this question when they sit down to write a blog, especially for other writers? The audience is writers, right? What could I possibly have to say that you wouldn’t already know? What could I possibly write about that you haven’t heard a million times before?

Honestly, I have no freakin’ idea. I’m supposed to present some problem, solve it, lay out the steps to follow, and pray it works for you and for me. But really, some problems can’t be solved. If you’re honest, that’s why that manuscript is under your bed, right? It has problems that are, if not unsolvable, then so Mount Everest–sized that they aren’t worth wading through. I know, I have them too. We all do. What other problems can’t be solved? How about those form rejections? I mean, really, how are you supposed to solve a problem when you don’t know what it is? Unsolvable. And that darned internal editor—will she never shut up? No, she won’t. They say the only solution to that problem is to ignore her. How’s that working for you? Because I’m a line editor by profession—it’s not working for me!

Unsolvable.

Thankfully, not everything is unsolvable. There are many things in the world of writing we, as authors, can do absolutely nothing about (insert list here; it’s too long for me to type c;). But some things we can. Like what, you say? Well, at times like this, I go back to the advice my mama gave me many, many, too many years ago about relationships: you can’t change them; you can only change you.

All the “out there”? There’s nothing we can do about it. We can only do something about ourselves. I took this advice when Unbroken started swirling in my mind. The problem: I wasn’t sure I had the skill to write what I’d envisioned in my head. Solution: Don’t write it! That’s not to say I just dropped the idea like a hot potato, but I did set the idea aside while I brought myself up to the skill level I needed in order to do the story and the characters justice.

So I changed me, and that changed the circumstances. Unbroken was written, and look at my baby now! You have experienced this too, my fellow GH finalists (past and present), even if you haven’t sold. Your baby did something BIG. Because of you.

You can’t force editors and agents to respond and/or respond positively. But you can make sure your babies are out there on the off chance they do. What if traditional publishing isn’t for you? You can’t force readers to buy your self-pubbed book, but you can make sure you’ve done all you can to make it accessible to readers. And you’ve written/are writing the next book to continue to draw in readers, right? Right?

Seriously, I’ve felt in the past year as if everything about my writing career was unsolvable. I couldn’t see past the sea of rejections to where I really needed to go. In many ways that is still how I feel. But it’s not reality. I changed (wrote the book), and circumstances around me changed (finaled in the GH). Amazing. Humbling. All because I did what I could do and stomped on the rest with a quick ,vicious “Stay down or I’ll…” (Hey, I’m a black-belt in three martial arts forms; you have to expect some violence at some point. c;)

So here’s my advice, which you’ve probably heard a billion times and is probably nothing new. I’ll give it to you anyway:

Do what you can do. Control what you can control. Change what you can change. The rest? Well, it’s not up to you. It might very well be unsolvable.

But you’re not.

Kim Law’s RITA Party!!

Kim Law is a 2013 RITA® Finalist for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance!

Hi everyone thanks for joining me in celebrating Kim Law’s RITA final for her Golden Heart winning book, Sugar Springs!  

 

 

 

 

Here’s the fantastic back cover blurb:

Lee Ann London once had big plans…scholarship, college, love. Then she found herself raising her deceased sister’s twin girls when their father disappeared. Now, with her beautiful girls, a community that depends on her, and her photography studio finally taking off, Lee Ann may not have the life she’d imagined, but it’s definitely where she wants it. Until Cody, her bad-boy ex, returns to Sugar Springs…

Cody’s childhood put a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas. Bouncing around the foster care system, he was always the one to leave before anyone left him first. Then he found a place he wanted to stick. Lee Ann was the best thing that ever happened to him. Only, he hurt her. Bad. He’s back now, and determined to earn her forgiveness…and maybe win back her love while he’s at it.    Sugar Springs@Amazon

 

 

Congrats, Kim!  We want the deets about your RITA call. What were you wearing, were any new funky dance moves created, and were tears involved?  Just how excited was your editor when you told her?

OMG…it was the best morning in my life!! I’m not sure about the clothes (I would guess pajamas or yoga pants  ), and I’ve no doubt that I did some funky dance moves. I apparently smiled so brilliantly that it caused my husband to rethink his life. He now wants something in his life that’ll make him be that totally happy! And tears…hmmm…I’ve no idea! I remember the phone ringing (I was at my computer) and I literally froze. My arms went stiff, my fingers hovered over the keyboard, and I’m not sure if you could have moved me if you’d tried. Of course I thought “Oh my God!” and then I thought “What time is it?” I wanted to make sure it was after the time that they were supposed to start calling.

I shifted my gaze (seriously, that’s all that moved about me!) to the clock on my computer, and when I saw that it was 8:30, I began to breathe again and forced myself to…ummm…unclench. I now knew it was possible that this could be “the call.” I slowly and calmly rose from my seat…and then I ran like a crazy person to the phone. I recognized the name. And I KNEW SHE WAS ON THE BOARD!!! I answered by saying “You’d better be calling me with good news!!”

A bit later my editor called and we squealed and I giggled, and I probably performed another funky dance move or two. She wanted to know all about it. It kind of felt like telling someone the deets about being proposed to.  And the really funny this was, what kept running through my mind all morning was that at the literacy signing, I’ll get to have one of those little blue RITA flags sitting by me. How cool is that?

Very cool!

Small town books, like Sugar Springs, are so popular right now. Have you ever lived in a town so small everyone was always all up in your business?

I grew up in a small town, and everyone is still all up in my business! The town I come from isn’t nearly as small as Sugar Springs, though, but as a kid, I remember when we finally got our second stop light. I think there are four or five now.

Are you ever surprised at which are your reader’s favorite scenes? (There’s one in this book with your hero doing push-ups that’s sigh worthy!) Are they usually your favorites, too?

Hee hee hee!!! The push-up scene is my favorite too! I can so completely see myself standing there every time I re-read that scene. Standing there, and watching him, and getting turned on, and… *sigh* Yeah, I’m just right there in the middle of that one every time!

But as for whether other people like the same scenes as me, I’ve not had anyone mention anything yet that has totally surprised me. What has surprised me, though, are the lines of my books that are highlighted on people’s Kindles. (You can see the highlights on the book’s detail page on Amazon.) Some of them have caught me off guard. Poignant moments, fun moments. It’s just interesting to see what strikes people.

So I asked our agent, Jill Marsal, what she thought it was about Sugar Springs that made it stand out enough to become a RITA finalist. Here’s what she said:

Kim’s SUGAR SPRINGS stood out because it had so many incredible “hooks”- first, the story had a really strong sense of place/setting.  Kim created on the page a wonderful, small town and then she peopled it with compelling characters, and from the first chapter, readers are drawn in by the voice and the issues the characters are facing.

Well deserved praise, indeed. Can we look forward to more books set in Sugar Springs?

Definitely! I just finished edits on book two. It’s called Sweet Nothings, and will be out in September of this year. It’s Joanie and Nick’s story, and though you still get the whole small-town thing, it has a bit of a different feel than Sugar Springs. Just a bit more fun and playful. And definitely sexier.

Next, I asked Jill what makes you such a successful author. Here’s what she said about that….

Kim’s writing is very diverse.  SUGAR SPRINGS is a small town contemporary romance, CAUGHT ON CAMERA is a much sexier contemporary with a very cosmopolitan feel, and then her latest kindle Serial EX ON THE BEACH is yet another showcasing of her varied voice and talent- a fun, breezy beach setting for a contemporary.  Each book has a distinct feel and voice, and all are very powerful and stand out because of the strong settings, compelling characters, and strong pacing.

Man, I want to be you when I grow up! (If I ever decide to do that)  But does it take being a little schizoid to pull off all the different writing styles? Is there one you enjoy writing the most?

Totally feel a little schizo about 90% of the time! Of course, maybe all writers do. We are constantly putting ourselves in the heads of other people, after all. I can’t write a good character unless I become that character. So I embrace it. My new motto: What’s wrong with a little crazy?

As for the different writing styles, it’s so funny, because they are different, yes, yet you really get the same thing with all of them. A light feel to the voice, even though I promise there will be dark/dramatic moments (I’m very soap opera-ish and I love to make people cry), sexy times and great sexual tension, a general fun and snarky feel, and it’ll always be all about the romance. I do tend to have many different story threads running through my books, but I focus almost entirely on the romance. It’s what it’s all about for me!

And I have no idea which I prefer. I’m trying to figure out that myself!

You gave up the day job and are cranking out books like crazy now. It must be a big transition to go from a busy office filled with co-workers and juicy gossip to staying home to write. Does it ever get lonely, or do your characters keep you company? And is it really hard to ignore that bad cookie jar constantly calling your name?

You would not believe how completely hermit-like I now am. I have to make myself leave the house and interact with people on occasion. And this happened immediately after I started writing full time! It’s kind of like I was just sitting around waiting to be able to go live in a dark, quiet cave.

Seriously…I forget to even look outside for days sometimes. I never know what day it is or what the temperature is like, and I sometimes go to the garage to start my car just to make sure the battery doesn’t die from sitting there unused for so long.

But the minute I’m outside, I realize that I miss the sunshine. And yes, I do miss other people. I miss the “input” and writing “inspiration” I got from being around other people.  You know, quietly making notes about them and things they said so I can use them later in my books. LOL!

And cookies? It’s mint M&M’s and Dove dark chocolates that are my issues. And yes, it’s hard to ignore them. Very hard. I fail. Big time. However, they are what get me out of the house. When I need to restock.

Have you got the perfect RITA dress picked out yet?

See answer above…I don’t leave the house. So…no! I have no idea when I’ll shop. Probably early July  (Did I mention I’m also a certified procrastinator?)

Kim, I’ve enjoyed all of your books and am a big fan. What else are you writing for all of us to add to our Kim Law library?

Thank you so much!!! I’m glad you’ve been enjoying them. I hadn’t realized the pressure I was walking into to get a book out there that people like, and then the worry to make sure I don’t fail them on the next book! It’s almost crippling at times.

But as for what else I’m working on, I mentioned the second Sugar Springs book above, and I’m hoping to also have another Kindle Serial releasing later this year. A Christmas one that I AM LOVING!! Hopefully it’ll get picked up and you all can find out what happens to Roni (from Ex on the Beach.) And the title…if they keep it…is fantastic!!!

I’m also working on a third Sugar Springs book, and a second Davenport book (Caught on Camera was my debut book, about the Davenport family.) This second Davenport book will be called Caught in the Act and should be out late next year.

Well thanks for sharing your fun journey with us, Kim, and for the insightful view of a chocolate eating hermit’s life.    Our firebird feathers are puffed with pride to have not only one but two RITA finalists so soon!  (Yay for Tracy Brogan, too!)

Okay Firebirds and friends, here’s your chance to win your very own signed copy or electronic version of this fantastic book. Leave Kim a comment or just say hi and you’ll be entered in our drawing.

                                                                           

 

     

Sweet Nothings @Amazon

Caught on Camera@Amazon

Ex on the Beach @Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

www.kimLaw.com

 

 

                                

 

 

 

Golden Heart Nominee Darcy Woods!

Greetings, Firebirds and Firebird fans! Today I’m ridonkulously excited to be chatting with the fabulous Darcy Woods. Darcy is a two-time Golden Heart finalist in the YA category. I have scads of questions for her, and rumor has it she has big, Big, BIG news to share. So let’s get to it. First of all, Ms. Darcy, how does this second nomination differ from the first?

DW:  First, thank you Fabulous Firebirds for inviting me to join you today! I’ll extend the same promise that I did to the darlings at Honestly YA last week: I will try not to break anything. I’m good at trying but not always great at succeeding Second, TRACY!!! I’m so flippin’ thrilled and honored to have my Starcatcher sis interviewing me today! Give me a moment while I squeeze her like a puppy and gush. *stream of gibberish and kissy noises*

There. Okay, so how does the second nomination differ? Well, for starters it didn’t feel like a complete fluke. I’d barely dipped a toe in RWA when I finaled in 2011, so I spent much of my time in NY waiting to be tackled and detained by security. Remember my little-girl-lost look, Tracy? THIS time I feel more like I earned my place. I’ve taken my rejectionary gut punches and gotten better for it. Sure, I might still be tackled by security, but at least it won’t be for posing as a writer. It’ll be for something infinitely saucier!

TB:  I don’t remember the lost-girl look at all, you silly thing. What I remember is asking what your book was about and being bedazzled by the premise and instantly enamored of both you and your talent. I recall saying, “Oh, you’re going to do very, very well.” And looky at you now – doing very, very well. In fact, you have news to share. Besides finaling in the Golden Heart, didn’t you just win the Marlene and the Winter Rose with your second manuscript? Tell us about that story.

DW:  Ha! You guys should know that Tracy has been dying to say, “I told you so.” And I’ll argue to the death over who was doing the bedazzling Technically, my GH story is my second manuscript. Though I did write my first manuscript…twice. So maybe we count this one as two and a half? SUMMER OF SUPERNOVA is a whimsical YA contemporary romance with emotional grit. Here’s my handy-dandy blurb to give you a flavor:

When zodiac-obsessed teen, Wilamena Carlisle, discovers a planetary alignment that won’t repeat for a decade, she’s forced to tackle her greatest astrological fear: The Fifth House—Relationships and Love. Armed with a killer collection of 40’s vintage dresses, and a surefire-ish plan to find the Sagittarius of her dreams, Wil embarks on a twenty-two day race for love, before Jupiter’s luck expires.

As the daughter of an expert astrologer, Wil knows billions of stars can’t be wrong. So when her heart defies the heavens by falling for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the chart, Wil must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth shunning her mother’s legacy—and the very system in which she places a lifetime of unfailing belief.

Sometimes the greatest leap in life…means never leaving the ground.

TB:  Now, see? There you go again, being fabulous. I adore the premise for this story and cannot wait to read it! And speaking of stars aligning in just the right way, tell us about your agent search. What’s the latest?

DW:  Aww, Tracy, I’m merely an extension of the fabulousness that surrounds me! *points at you & all the readers* My latest star-studded news? I GOT AN AGENT! I sorta want to tattoo that somewhere. And not just ANY agent, I signed with the uber incredible Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management! The feces hit the proverbial fan a couple weeks ago when I received my first offer of rep. Then I got a second…and then a third. All from my top 5 agent list. So, I walked around in a permanent state of zombie hood. Seriously. I couldn’t have been more shocked if I’d woken up with my head superglued to the carpet–which fortunately did not happen. But I’m very excited to be working with Catherine! She has some awesome ideas that will take this story to the next stratosphere

TB:  I’m so excited for you, Darcy! (*mentally high-fiving you*) And yes, I will claim the opportunity to say “I told you so.” I love it when I’m right, but more importantly, I love it when a talented, Golden Hearted sister gets her due. Since the lovely Firebirds are all Golden Hearted, too, share with us how you think the GH experience has helped in your success. And what advice do you have for the sisters in the trenches of querying?

DW: I liken being a GH finalist to shining Gotham’s Batman light on your career. It gets you noticed. Period. And if Batman happens to arrive with a three-book publishing contract—well, that’s just gravy. But beyond the title’s prestige, the GH has been INSTRUMENTAL in so many other ways to my career. For crying out loud, Tracy, WE might not have met! (I shudder at the tragedy!) I also gained two of my three incredible CP’s as a result of my 2011 final. Really, I could go on and on about all the amazing, supportive writers I’ve met as a result of the GH (and there are soooo many!). Suffice it to say, the experience has been…golden

My query advice?

Sisters in the trenches, be strong! This process requires serious ovaries—I know. And I’m not sure I can say anything that hasn’t been said, so I’ll share what I believe made the difference for me this final query-go-round.

WRITING IS A BUSINESS. There, I said it. While the statement is supremely uninspiring to the muse, it’s true. With my first manuscript, I was oblivious to the publishing trends, and by the time I got around to querying, I’d written a solid story for a market that was saturated. Now, I’m not suggesting anyone EVER write for trend, but you should definitely be familiar with your market. And, while I adore paranormal, I knew my chances would be slim if I wrote another one. So, what did I do? *whispers* I found a loophole. I wrote a story that offered a breath of the metaphysical (yay, magic!), but with elements that IMHO, I wasn’t seeing done. Sometimes when the industry is 8 sizes too tight, you have to figure out clever ways to shoehorn yourself in.

You are very wise, Darcy-wan-kanobe!! It’s a fine balancing act to write something “marketable” while not following the trends so closely that you compromise your own voice. It’s the old “Write like this, only different,” dilemma. I’m so glad found that loophole, although I might say instead you forged your own path. While wearing stylish shoes and a jaunty scarf.

Now, here are some things Darcy wanted to tell you but since I didn’t pose the proper questions, she forged her own path again! I love that about her. Following are the things I should have asked but didn’t…

Number of tattoos: One. But if published, two. (I keep saying I’m going to get one! Is it wrong that I’d list release dates as opposed to my children’s birthdates?)

Strangest job: I sold Xerox copiers for a few months and sucked more than those forever jamming paper trays. (I can’t picture this. I refuse to try.)

Second strangest job: Refueling helicopters for the U.S. Army.  (Okay, this is a whole post in and of itself. We’ll have to discuss this one off the record.)

Paper or plastic: Neither. I bring my own bag   (Me, too! When I can remember.)

Hardest accomplishment? Besides scoring an agent? Easy. It was the 100-mile, 4-day march I did in Niejmegen, Netherlands. I had blisters that calloused and callouses that blistered! But I proved to myself I could do anything I set my mind to. Knowing that has been life changing. (That is amazing!!! Go, you!!!)

First clue of overactive imagination? At the age of 6 I thought I was a bird. I stuck ostrich feathers down the back of my pants and donned a yellow party hat over my nose and mouth. And then I pretended to eat worms with my party hat beak. Shockingly, I was never accepted by the flock. We won’t go into my horse phase. (I used to believe that Dr. Spock from Star Trek lived in my closet. I think that’s why I pay such close attention to the shapes of people’s ears.)

TB:  Well, Miss D. It has been a true pleasure chatting with you! You know I shall be cheering ever so loudly at the Golden Heart banquet. Best of luck to you for mucho publishing successo!!!

Check out Darcy’s website or find her on Twitter at:

http://www.darcywoods.com and http://twitter.com/woodswrite

Interview with Talia Quinn Daniels, Two-Time Golden Heart Finalist!

 

Today, I’m thrilled and honored to be interviewing two-time Golden Heart Finalist Talia Quinn Daniels. Talia’s first manuscript, No Peeking, won the Contemporary Single Title category in 2012, and this year she finaled in the same category with a second manuscript, What’s Yours is Mine. Here’s the blurb:

 

 

Darcy Jennings just bought a one bedroom condo, a gorgeous cliffside property in a coastal community north of Santa Barbara. It’s the first time in her life she’s ever had a permanent home, and it means everything to her. It’s especially sweet after what happened four years ago. That’s behind her now, and the rat who nearly ruined her career, one Will Dougherty, is history.

Will Dougherty just bought a one bedroom condo. He helped build the property with his green, clean designs, and he earmarked this unit to make his own. It’s up the road from his newly divorced sister, and it means everything to him. He’s come a long way since the day four years ago when his underhanded coworker, one Darcy Jennings, got him fired.  Thankfully, he’ll never have to see her again.

They couldn’t be more wrong. Darcy finds this out the hard way when she stumbles into her condo after a long business trip, crawls into bed, and discovers a man there. Will Dougherty. And he says it’s not her bed, it’s his.

It seems they bought the same condo.

Now Will and Darcy have to live together twenty four hours a day until one of them admits defeat. When these two strong willed people are stuck together, sparks fly, in more ways than one. They get under each other’s skin and then some.

Doesn’t it sound great? I had the great privilege of reading What’s Yours is Mine, and you should all be wild with jealousy, because this book is amazing. Sexy, smart and fun, with a little bit of mystery and characters that are just a little bit outside of the box. And did I mention sexy? Today I’m talking to Talia about her writing process and what’s next for her in this journey.

 

Talia, one thing I loved about What’s Yours is Mine is the fact that your characters are so believable. Even your side characters have depth and heart. What can you share with us about your character development process?

Aww, thanks! *blushing now*

It all happens fairly organically, I think. I bounce between plot and character, and each informs the other until the whole thing hangs together. The best analogy for character development may be oil painting. You block out the major shapes in swaths of color, and then each time you go back over the area, you refine and add detail until it feels three dimensional and complete. Some of it happens in the brainstorming process, some of it on the page as they start to talk and breathe and act like real people.

Secondary characters are fun. I live in NYC, which is amazing for people watching. I often make up little stories in my head about people on the subway. Everyone is the hero of his or her own story, after all. I like to give a taste of that in my novels. I hate when a best friend is just a quippy sounding board. When she leaves frame, I want to get the sense that she goes off to have her own adventures.

 

That’s a great way to think about characters—like they have whole lives we don’t know about just off the page. Another great thing about your writing is the richness of the setting. What’s Yours is Mine takes place in a condo complex in Southern California, and your writing made me feel like I could smell the sea. How did you decide on the setting for the book? Is it based on a real place?

 

Entirely fictional, sadly. I lived in SoCal for a number of years, though, so I know the landscape pretty well. It was fun to go back there in my imagination.

Since the story takes place mostly in and around a single condo, I was concerned it might feel claustrophobic, so I wanted to set it somewhere beautiful: an environmentally green, lovely complex with gorgeous, lush plantings, set on a cliff edge with a path leading down to a private cove.

Also, it had to truly feel magical so they’d both be desperate to stay. This is the most perfect spot on earth, why would anyone willingly give up a home here?

 

I would buy a condo there in a heartbeat.

You write in both contemporary romance and young adult. How do you think your voice differs in each genre?

 

I’d say my romance voice has a lighter tone. I love the snap of romantic comedy, so that flavor sneaks in. Add a big dollop of sexual tension and the fact that the main story goal is so firmly imbedded in the HEA, and you’ve got a very specific voice, one that’s a ton of fun to write.

My YA has darker subject matter, which changes the tone, though some playfulness inevitably creeps in. There’s also something about writing first person and present tense. Deep POV dives even deeper. Because of that, I can get away with more of an edge to my main character, because we identify with her more completely. Plus, she’s a teenager. Teenagers have a lot of spiky edges. I know; I live with one.

I love going back and forth between the two genres. It keeps me fresh.

 

Speaking of genre-hopping, your contemporary romance ranges from hot to almost erotic. Do you consider yourself an erotic romance author?

 

This is a tricky question, because you’re not the first person who has complimented my sex scenes, and I do like writing that mix of emotional tension and sensory detail. And with some stories, the sex is such an integral part of the journey of these two characters toward each other, it would be wrong to leave out all those beats, because they’re relationship beats too. So that all fits, right? But other times, it feels like I’d be ordering my characters to have sex RIGHT NOW, NO, I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE NOT IN THE MOOD, DO IT BECAUSE MY CONTRACT SAYS SO, and, y’know, that would feel weird.

Since even at my hottest, I walk the line between spicy contemporary and erotic romance, I might as well self-identify as being on the side of that line that allows me the flexibility to tell all the stories I want to tell, not just some of them.

 

I have to say, every sex scene in What’s Yours is Mine feels totally natural.

You’ve also had a career in television editing. How has that influenced your writing?

 

The great thing about working in editing for a dramatic television series is that you see the script, then you see the raw footage shot from that script, then you put it together and see what the show actually feels like to watch. The process becomes transparent. In the cutting room, you spend a lot of time analyzing what does and doesn’t work. I learned to pay close attention to the emotional throughline. That’s what keeps the viewer (reader) hooked.

 

Fascinating! It must be interesting to watch that transition from the writers’ vision to the finished story.

I think we all remember your beautiful acceptance speech at last year’s ceremony, when you spoke about your son, who was seriously ill, but has since recovered. Do you find it hard to keep writing through difficult times like that?

 

I’d like to say, “Oh, no, I kept writing through the whole ordeal,” but that would be a sad lie.

When I flew to Anaheim, we thought he’d come down with some kind of persnickity, hard to pin down infectious disease. The truth unfolded while I was at the conference. The day after I got home, I checked into the hospital with him for a lymph node biopsy, which confirmed that he had Hodgkin lymphoma.

I’ve written through tough times in the past, but this was different. My baby was sick. His health crisis took over my brain completely. When he was undergoing chemo, I couldn’t even read fiction, let alone write it. I had this huge pile of books from RWA, but when I tried reading them, my brain was just white noise. Ironically, I could read dense, dry medical journal articles with no problem.

Once he was past the worst phase of treatment and was clearly responding brilliantly, my head cleared. Even though he still had a month of radiation to undergo, I started to write again. It was like a spigot turned on and creativity poured out of me. All that emotion needed somewhere to go, I guess. I wrote most of my new YA during NaNoWriMo last November. I’ve been on a creative roll ever since.

 

I know we’re all glad he made such a great recovery—and that you did, too. What’s next for you? Are you going to pursue traditional publication or self-publication for either of your Golden Heart books?

 

I love how the world has opened up for writers that we can now ask these questions and think in these terms. Truth is, I’d ideally like to do both. I love the idea of being a hybrid author.

I’m planning to self publish No Peeking as the third book in a series about a group of women artists sharing a studio space in Brooklyn, since it’s a setting that doesn’t fit the current contemporary market. Plus, I think I might have an entrepreneur’s soul, and that level of control over the process appeals to me immensely.

On the other hand, What’s Yours is Mine feels more suited to traditional publishing. I’d like to explore that route for it, as well as for the YA, for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which is that I’d simply like to have that experience.

But really, who knows? I’ve learned not to count on anything, because life will always surprise you.

 

So true. Thanks for sharing your creative process today. I know I’m going to be first in line to pick up your first book!

If you want to find out more about Talia’s books, or just be in-the-loop when she has her first release party, stop by her website, or follow her on twitter.

 

 

2013 GH Finalist: India Powers

Please join me in welcoming 2013 GH Finalist India Powers to our blog today!   India writes paranormal historical romances set in England during the late Middle Ages and early Regency period. Her manuscript “Demon’s Bane” finaled in ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA’S 2013 GOLDEN HEART® contest and won West Houston RWA’s 2013 EMILY contest. She enjoys living in the Midwest the seven months it isn’t winter, learning about the craft of writing, and watching sci-fi/fantasy shows and movies. Visit her at www.indiapowers.com

First, I’d like to thank the Firebirds for inviting me to blog on their website. I feel honored to be in their company, because truly, it still doesn’t seem real that I, too, have finaled in the Golden Heart! Second, this is the first blog post I have ever written, so please bear with me as I calm my nerves.

 

THE QUERYING GAME

Step One: Finish Your Manuscript

This is obvious, but true. You can’t begin the querying process without a finished, polished manuscript.

I tried to get around this for years. I took webinars offering query critiques and participated in pitch sessions with agents and editors, all in hopes of garnering positive feedback and hopefully some interest. The initial results were not good, but eventually I had a query that generated requests for partials and fulls. If you take this route, be honest. I only participated in events where the book did not have to be complete, and I clearly indicated my book was not finished in my pitch/query (“target word count: 100K”).

The downside? When I received requests to see more, I couldn’t follow up. Eventually, so much time passed that I didn’t think I could even mention the request without it looking like a strike against me. So finish the book.

 

Step Two: Revision H–Fun

Some people enjoy revising, the rest of us struggle. Regardless, revisions are necessary. Grit your teeth and do it. If you need fortification, wine or pots of coffee work well.

 

Step Three: Critique Partners Rock!

If you have critique partners, this is the time to send your manuscript to them, after you’ve done as much as you can.  Once you receive their feedback, revise. (Caveat: carefully consider their suggestions, but only change the items you agree with. It’s your book.)

 

Step Four: Research

This step can be done at any time, but as I learned, research can be a form of procrastination to keep from finishing a book. So I made it step four.

a) Know your book’s genre. I read debut and bestselling authors in all the genres I thought closest to my book to get a feel for the market and where my book might best fit. I write paranormal historical romance. However, if my book were a paranormal historical with romantic elements, can you see how this might affect the agents and publishers I target?

b) Research agents, editors and publishers to find the best match for your book. How? Read agent and editor blogs; visit agent and publisher websites; check out Writer’s Digest and the Guide to Literary Agents; sign up for a one-month subscription to Publishers Marketplace (great to see agents’ latest deals); check out Agent Query (http://www.agentquery.com/) and Query Tracker (http://www.querytracker.net/); and join writing groups. I love RWA’s online and local chapters! They’re a great way to get the scoop on agents and publishers.

 

Step Five: Query

I know I called this post “The Querying Game,” but you can’t reach this stage without completing the previous steps first.

a) Make sure you have a good query.

There are many resources available on query writing, both online and in print

If your query isn’t generating requests for a partial or       full, don’t automatically assume the problem lies with your book. A  friend in my local writing chapter had a query with a very low request rate. She rewrote it, focusing on the GMC of her characters, and received requests for material the majority of the time.

b) Read the submission guidelines for the agency or publisher you are targeting.    

If you’ve done your research, you can greatly increase your odds of a request for more material by targeting agents and editors who represent the genre you write.

c) Query.     

I like to send out queries in small batches.      That way, if I received feedback pointing out an issue with my book, I would have time to correct it before submitting to the next group.

I use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of my submissions and the responses. Each of the fields below represents a column on my spreadsheet:

Agent/Editor Name
Agency/Publisher
Query Date – some agencies ask for the first 10 pages and a synopsis, others ask for the first 3 chapters. I note what I send here. Ex: Queried 5/1/13 with 10 pages and synopsis.
Result – if an agent takes 8 weeks to review a query or if I receive a request for a partial or full, I note it here. When I receive a response, I copy it in verbatim. I can scan this column and see what I’m doing well (for example, worldbuilding), or what is a strike (paranormal market is in a downturn).
Material sent—if I receive a request for a partial or full, I enter the date I sent the material here.
Response  date—the date I received a response to the requested material.
Comments — a note to myself on which version of my manuscript I sent.

d) Rejection. 

Rejections are a part of the process. My coping mechanism is to send out another query. If I’m wallowing in disappointment, I’ll send out two (or three).

The goal of querying is to find the right fit for your book. My critique partner recently compared it to dating. On paper, it might seem you would be perfect for each other. Then you meet and there’s zero chemistry. I don’t know why, but thinking about querying in terms of dating makes me laugh and helps me put things back into perspective.

 

Step Six: Keep Writing.

Finding the motivation to keep writing when you’re querying can be difficult. It’s easy to second-guess ourselves, and almost every writer I know—published or unpublished—is plagued by self-doubt at some point. However, many writers did not get offers of representation for their first book. They kept writing and submitting, and eventually met with success. The key is perseverance.

Write that next book!

 

The Querying Game

I call this the querying game, because that’s what this process sometimes reminds me of—a mix of luck, timing, and skill. Querying is just one small part of the pursuit of publication, despite the large emotional hit. The most important steps are writing and polishing our work, persevering and beginning the next project. Reminding myself that it’s the writing—not the querying—that is most important, helps me to keep going.

May you all win and achieve your dreams!

2013 GH Finalist: Miranda Liasson

Today we’re delighted to welcome Golden Heart double finalist Miranda Liasson.

Her manuscript Baby on Board—Help!, is a finalist in the Contemporary Series category. Here’s the blurb:

When a workaholic NYC self-help editor temporarily moves back to her hometown to take guardianship of her deceased sister’s baby, she must decide if she can manage a baby and her high-powered career, a decision complicated by the handsome bachelor next door, the high school sweetheart she never stopped loving.

And here’s the blurb for Spies, Lies, and Debutantes, a finalist in the Romantic Suspense category:

In Victorian London, a debutante with a fear of blood disguises herself as a male medical student to find her missing brother, only to discover the long-lost love she thought was dead is a spy searching for him, too.

Writing Plan of Attack for Summer…with Kids

First, I wanted to thank the Firebirds for inviting me here today. I’m excited to be here, on May 29th, with summer just around the corner. The weather is getting fine, school’s almost out, and…the kids are home or will be any day now!

It’s with a wistful sort of anguish that I welcome summertime. For the writer who works at home, having kids home for the summer can mean a major shift of your routine. I am in the middle of this drastic transition.

And this year, the stakes are higher. I have a manuscript under consideration and am trying to complete another. Just when I need to really turn on the steam, I have a house full of people all day long.

For those of you who have this all figured out, God bless you and please offer tips!  And for those of you who work outside the home and write…well, your job is even harder and I hope you can use some of these tips for weekends…and also share with us your strategies.

I have two kids in college who have been home a month and two weeks, respectively. And my younger teen is about to be cut loose from school after this week.  Life as I knew it has vanished until the fall.

I told myself teens wouldn’t need much. That they would be working, studying, practicing, whatever it is they do, and I would be fine. Really.

But the truth is, it’s hard as you-know-what to work when you have a house full of people. Period. Even if they are old enough not to demand constant supervision—constant comings and goings and other angsty teenage issues make up for it.

I thought I’d share a few things I plan on doing to keep my writing on track and my household reigned in enough to not feel at the brink of disorder and chaos, and I hope you’ll share yours, too. Okay, here we go…

 

WAKE UP EARLY AND BE DISCIPLINED (OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO MAKE TIME TO WRITE, WHATEVER TIME OF DAY IT IS).

During the school year, I get up at 6:30 every day to get Kid #3 to the bus. Those of you who are true early birds may scoff at this, but for me, 6:30 is an ungodly early time. I am a genetically programmed night owl. This means that every night at 10 p.m., I feel alive and awake and rarin’ to go. But a predisposition to migraines that return religiously with lack of sleep makes me force myself to wind down and go to bed.

And I’m going to keep forcing myself. Because the truth is, no teenager (at least none of mine) is EVER going to awaken spontaneously at that time of day. If I ignore housework, laundry, grocery shopping, and bills, I can work in peace for a few solid hours.  Dragging myself out of bed every morning with the birdies is worth it!

 

PUSH YOUR OWN LIMITS

Maybe it takes you two hours to create a blog post or all day to make your word count. How can you become more efficient? Force yourself to hone in on what’s really important and decide how much time you really have to finish your work. This just might make you quicker! It may get you to try new techniques or strategies to become faster. (I wish I could say this is what worked for me but it is actually what I am fervently hoping for myself. I am always struggling with ways to become more efficient and faster.)

 

MAKE YOUR FAMILY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR OWN STUFF

My college kids do their own laundry and everyone keeps their room clean and their bathroom clean. Ha. Well, oftentimes not, but hey, their rooms are down the hall and I just don’t go there very often. (What I don’t know can’t hurt me—a good mantra for those college kids anyway And I’m firm about the do-your-own-laundry rule. My driving kids also do errands for me—like I send them to the grocery store or to pick up their brother and they usually don’t balk too much about it.

 

OBEY THE FIFTEEN MINUTE RULE

I took a class with Kerri Nelson a few years ago about time management. Se taught me this–fifteen minutes to check email, fifteen minutes to wash dishes, do chores, etc. (Well, okay, some admittedly take longer than that.) But I try to sit and write and when I take a break, I toss in laundry, fold a load, sort mail, pay a few bills, etc.  This way, when the afternoon comes, I don’t feel in despair that all my writing time has been sucked away by those useless, mundane, but essential things we all have to do to keep our lives running.

I also schedule anything I can for late in the day—appointments, grocery runs, volunteer work. This lessens the constant distractions and they come at a time of day when I’m making dinner and are ready to be interrupted anyway.

 

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, LEAVE

I love our local college library. It’s quiet and no one bothers me there!  Here’s a picture of the student union at our university. It’s gorgeous and I spent an entire morning there a few days ago while my husband manned the ship at home.  Whenever I have to drop Kid #3 off for a sports practice or school activity, instead of reading in the car, I find a nearby Starbucks or Panera, plug in and work. I’ve come to love those times—a different environment to work can be stimulating and just the fact that I know no one is going to interrupt me makes me relax and focus.

 

FOR GOD’S SAKE, TAKE TIME OFF

Carving out separation between your work and the rest of your life can be tough when you work from home. Finding a balance between work and family is a never-ending challenge. You want to achieve your work goals and spend time with the people you love.

As far as taking breaks…I’ve learned exercise is important when you sit on your butt all day and hey, it’s summer!  My daughters have been coming to my dance-exercise class several times a week—something we do together.  I live pretty close to a National Park with trails that follow the old Erie Canal locks—an awesome place to bike in the summer. And I hope I’ll get some flowers planted this year (haven’t done this yet but hey, I live in Ohio—it was 40 degrees a few nights ago).

 

GIVE YOUR KIDS AN APPRECIATION OF YOU AS A WORKING PERSON

It’s important! Whether you also work outside the home or are writing full time, kids need to understand you have hopes and dreams and goals. As women, we give a lot to our families and are reluctant to take for ourselves. But learning compromise in a family is a life skill that might just teach our kiddos a thing or two for when they have their own lives and own families.

So good luck this summer as you work to balance your writing against the needs of your families.

 

Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to hear your suggestions about how you plan to carve out time for your writing this summer. 

 

Interview with Oberon Wonch

Please join me in welcoming 2013 Golden Heart Finalist, Oberon Wonch, to the Firebirds blog today.

Tell us something about you, Oberon …

My artist mother and research physicist father raised their kids on a steady diet of classics in all the arts, particularly literature and grand opera. Recognizing early on that I was never going to be a Rembrandt or musical prodigy, I studied World Literature in college with the idea of learning from the greats how to write fiction. By the time I graduated, I was weary of this line of thinking and wanted to prove myself in the business world (as well as make the big bucks, or so I believed!) For nearly twenty years, I navigated the alien world of manufacturing and software design, always planning to write novels someday. The voices in my brain were clamoring to get out, but I didn’t have a concrete idea what sort of story I would write. I knew it would involve a historical setting, since Antiquity and the Middle Ages always interested me more than anything else. I didn’t have any profound statements to make about the human condition, so literary fiction didn’t seem to be it for me. One day in an airport shop, I was just looking for something fun to read that didn’t instruct me how to set up warehousing module software and didn’t preach about good vs. evil on a cosmic level. I picked up a romance set in medieval England, and I loved it. History came alive for me, and I was right there with the people who were the object of my fascination. But it was even better than history because these people succeeded at their endeavors and lived happily ever after (unlike so many characters in real life or great literature). I decided this was what I was going to write. Thanks to my ever-supportive, college sweetheart husband, I was able to quit my job and devour every historical romance I could get my hands on. I joined RWA and studied craft. I started finishing novels. Now, eleven years later, here I am, a two-time finalist in RWA’s top unpublished competition!

You’re a 2012 Firebird, so we claim you first, but now you’ve been nominated for another Golden Heart, how do you feel?  More pressure to perform, angst over queries and new plots or are you just enjoying the moment? Talk about what went through your mind when you got the call?

I love being a Firebird! What an exciting thrill to get that first GH call last year. And getting the call this year that made me a Lucky 13? Fantastic! Really, I had no expectations this time around. I entered a manuscript I’d entered several times before without finaling, just as a what-the-heck.  Each time I entered that manuscript, I updated it with all the craft skills I’d learned up to that point, and apparently this time I’d learned enough to make the cut. When I received the call about it, I was incredulous. The same thoughts went through my head as last time: Am I hallucinating? Did they call the wrong person? And: Does this really happen to the same person more than once? Except this time, I didn’t jump around the room crying, and the disbelief faded just a tad faster. Plus, I’m much more comfortable about what’s to come, so I’m pretty much just enjoying the moment. Medieval romance has a negligible audience these days, so while I continue to seek agent representation, I’m pointing my pen, er, keyboard, toward other settings and genres I enjoy.

 

Congratulations on your honor. Obviously the readers love your work, so tell us about your Lucky13 entry.

Thank you, and thank you so much, Golden Heart judges! You connected with my writing, at least enough to put me in the final round, and I’m so grateful. My Lucky 13 entry is entitled Come to Me. It’s a twist on the Cyrano de Bergerac premise. A woman must help a man court another woman, and falls in love with him in doing so, which totally rocks her steady world. Bridget wants to get to the monastery where she can indulge in scholarly pursuits, but Count FitzHenri, the new lord of her family’s property, doesn’t speak her people’s language well, and he needs her translation skills. Plus, he needs her assistance in courting her sister, the bride-to-be chosen for him. (He’s vowed to wed only a woman who takes him willingly.) However, it’s the old “I want the one I can’t have” thing, and he falls for the woman who’s showing him how to dance and how to say all the pretty, silly things her sister wants him to say. He knows Bridget won’t come to him willingly, but he can’t help himself around her, and when he makes his interest clear, Bridget faces decisions about her lifelong dreams. But this is romance, folks, and trust in this: They both get to have it all!

 

Now that you are in the crazy days before the winners are announced, what are your plans and where do you hope it will lead?

I am actively querying agents and investigating what the digital-first houses want in our submission packages. But I’m also continuing to write new material, always seeking to improve my writing and zero in on what the reading audience wants. Ideally, I would like to find a paying audience for my completed medieval-set novels, but I am also trying out new genres and testing my voice in new settings.

 

What’s on your desk right now? Any favorite go-to items when you’re stressed?

You mean besides Facebook and email open on my computer? Those are my first narcotics for stress relief. Aside from that, I have an open issue of Renaissance Magazine, the periodical for Ren Faire enthusiasts. I love this magazine because it features all sorts of articles on archaeological finds and history primarily before the 18th century. There’s always an article about how to cut and sew an authentic piece of a medieval or renaissance costume, too, and reviews of books, both fiction and nonfiction, and movies and software all related to historical interests. The magazine is a good escape tool for me. Beneath that on my desk, I also have the last issue of Archaeology Magazine, which I’ve already finished cover to cover, and an issue of Indiana Gardening. Gardening, whether pruning, tidying, planting or watering, is my very favorite stress-reliever.  Oh, and on my desk, I also have an ARC for fellow Firebird Terri Osburn’s, Meant to Be , which I won in a drawing and which I turn to when I have a few free moments. I’m loving this book!

 

If we’re sitting here a year from now celebrating a great year for you, what did you achieve?

Wow, what a terrific question! A stellar year for me would be completing another novel-length manuscript or several short stories/novellas, plus signing with an agent who knows of a publisher anxiously seeking medieval romances to inject into the market and who wants me to launch a new generation of historical romances. It would be like I’m a “breakout author” who’s resurrecting an old favorite genre but with 21st century themes and sensibilities.  What? That’s not in the cards? Why not? Oh, and something else that would be worth celebrating would be identifying an untapped niche in the readership and being able to fill that niche and make big, big waves. Wouldn’t that be cool?

 

Now that Oberon has survived the challenging questions, I’ve saved the best for last. What’s your favorite dessert?

OMG! I’m a huge lover of sweets. Don’t get me started! I had a spectacular tiramisu last night at a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Chicago, but I also enjoy Haagen Daz Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream as well as pecan pie. I could go on, but I’ll restrain myself. I don’t want to bring on everyone’s cravings.

 

Thanks so much, Oberon, for sharing with us today. Now Oberon has a question for us….What sort of stories would you like to read that you don’t see currently available?

2013 GH Finalist: Leslie Lynch

Please join me in welcoming Leslie Lynch to the Firebirds blog today.   Leslie writes women’s fiction with a twist of suspense. She’s delighted to be a member of the Golden Heart Class of 2013, The Lucky 13s! Her manuscript, Hijacked, is a finalist in the contemporary Single Title category of the Golden Heart® contest.

Here’s a blurb:

Pilot Lannis Parker’s carefully constructed, sterile life is upended when her small plane is hijacked before dawn on a wintry Louisville morning. Her captor does more than force her to fly him to the Appalachian wilderness, though. He resurrects memories she’s tried to bury, memories of a brutal attack she’d survived four years earlier, an attack she didn’t report and tries to pretend didn’t happen. During a week in the wilderness, she learns her hijacker is fair and honorable, compassionate and insightful—strange attributes for a criminal. And when he discovers her secret, he vows to be the friend she desperately needs but refuses to accept. 

Undercover DEA agent Ben Martin is determined to offer restitution for the harm he caused his unwilling pilot in his last-ditch bid for survival, for the wounds he inadvertently ripped open. In spite of her prickly defenses, or maybe because of them, she captures his heart, even as he witnesses her misguided efforts to cope with the aftermath of the rape years ago. He must walk a tightrope of trusting Lannis to navigate her own path to healing while holding her accountable for her occasional less-than-stellar choices that run uncomfortably counter to his life’s work.

Will she come to terms with her past?  And will he be part of her future?

Leslie is a regular blogger at Catholic Writers Guild on the subject of Advice for New Writers, and can be found at www.leslielynch.com, facebook.com/LeslieLynchWrites, and Twitter@Leslie_Lynch_

 

Thank you, Firebirds, for the generous invitation to appear as a guest on your blog today! I am excited to be here! This Golden Heart journey has been a thrilling ride—and the best part is meeting so many wonderful people along the way.  Thanks for your enthusiasm and support!

As I pondered what subject to address in this post, I began to wonder what drives us to write what we write. As romance writers, we start with the fundamental need for connection and relationship. Then we branch out into a dizzying array of sub-genres, which makes for great fun for readers.

Beyond voice—the way we choose to use words and string them together to create story—why are we drawn to our themes? What are we expressing or compensating for in those often unconscious choices?

What prompts one author to write light and humorous while another writes dark and angst-y? Stephen King says he writes his nightmares in a bid to escape from them. I write stories of redemption, reconciliation, and restorative justice—and can’t imagine writing anything else.

Like Stephen King, what I write is colored by the way I see the world. My tagline reads “Out of Darkness – Into Hope.” I write to give voice to the times in my life when I was deprived of one.

For instance, I was almost kidnapped as a child, which resulted in my being the subject of a brief but violent tug-of-war between the snatcher and my rescuer. That moments-long incident left me with an indelible view of the world most people find unfathomable. Yet it is so basic to the fabric of me that I am stunned when reminded not everyone shares my sense that “life is not safe.” You can be sure my writing reflects that hidden tension.

The second half of my tagline refers to my faith and my unshakable belief that no one is doomed to remain in darkness. My writing reflects that, too, and keeps me from being Stephen King’s competitor!

The indefinable essence we each bring to our writing is matchless. No one has the same background, the same upbringing, the same influences which shape our perspectives. No one will choose and use words in the exact same way you do. No one will possess your unique blend of strengths or will make your quirky set of mistakes. No two people will tell the same story – even if you start with the same idea or story prompt.

No one will see so clearly the story that you know must be told.

We make art out of the same twenty-six letters of the alphabet. But the results are as distinctive as our personalities, and every bit as fascinating.

What events have influenced your writing? What do you take for granted that other people find intriguing about you and the art you produce? What influences your voice?