Lorenda Christensen's Blog, page 18
April 18, 2013
Sex, Love, and Rock’n'Roll
Then it got me to thinking, in that rabbit hole way my mind works, of how no one ever questions whether or not songs about love are somehow inferior to songs about, say, the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, or songs about drinking ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall. Musicians are granted free reign to sing about love, and sex, and all its variations, from cheap one-night-stands all the way up to the kind of love that exceeds a lifetime. No one criticizes singers for focusing their talent on just one aspect of the human condition.
THEN I got to thinking about how Romance Writers are often not given the same latitude. We all know the stigma, the hushed giggles from the masses who say we write Mommy Porn. In spite of all the progress women have made, there continues to be a segment of the population who relegate romance novels into an inferior class of fiction, and therefore the people who read it, and write it, are judged. They think our books are full of meaningless sex. But the nuance many people fail to recognize is that we write about love — love and all it’s variable expressions. Maybe one person’s version of love is exclusive to one man and one woman, while another person’s version may includes a vampire. Or two vampires. Or two vampires, a werewolf and a unicorn. The landing point is still the same. Emotions between characters are shared, exchanged, validated and revered. It’s not meaningless if it helps the character move forward with more joy and understanding and self-acceptance than they had a page earlier. And while love might not look the same to every person, but I’m pretty sure it feels the same to every person.
Whenever a well-intentioned friend asks me about writing sex scenes, I respond with, “I don’t write sex scenes. I write love scenes.” Romance novels are about the emotional journey, the adventure taken by characters willing to risk losing everything to gain that which they crave the most. True love. Intimacy is usually part of that journey, but it’s not the destination. So, while I may write about Lever A going into Slot B, that’s just the details. What I’m really writing about is that human pull we all feel to be connected to another being (be he man, vampire, or whatever!) It’s all about love. Those songs on the radio are so prolific because everyone can relate to looking for love, keeping love, recovering from lost love, reigniting love. It’s all there.
So, maybe the next time someone suggests you write about sex, remind them that you write about characters finding a true soulmate. One who understands them, and accepts them for exactly who they are. And who doesn’t want that?
April 16, 2013
Get your name out there! Marketing tips from Valerie Bowman
Many people think writers spend their days and nights typing away on their keyboard, creating fabulous characters, angsting over plot twists or (heaven forbid) bouts of writer’s block. And yes, this description occasionally fits part of what we do. But, there’s an entirely different aspect of being a successful writer that is becoming more and more important for us to master if we wanna hit that best seller list, or even just share our stories with as many readers as possible.
I’m talking about marketing. Publicity. Getting your name out there. It’s a hat many feel uncomfortable wearing. But it’s definitely a fashion MUST if you wanna be on the cutting edge of discoverability—a new buzz word in our industry.
So today, we’ve invited the fabulous Regency romance author Valerie Bowman to the Firebird blog to pass along some of her marketing savvy. Valerie’s got her finger on the pulse of what authors—whether unpublished, newly sold, newly published or multi-published—wanna know about discoverability and marketing. She wears her marketing hat with flair. Or should I say a bonnet.
Valerie is in the throes of marketing her latest book—Secrets of a Runaway Bride—released this month! Yet, she’s graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us and field any others you have throughout the day.
Welcome Valerie, it’s great to have you join us! I always enjoy hearing fellow author’s “sold” story. Would you share yours with us?
Thanks so much for having me on the blog today, Pris! My sold story is so fun! I was in New York City at the RWA Nationals conference in 2011. I happened to be in the room with two of my critique partners when I got the call. One of my CPs had a camera and she took pictures. So not only did I get the call when I was with the people who understood the most AND I have pictures, but I also sold on my BIRTHDAY! It couldn’t have been more perfect!
Many folks think that once you’ve sold the book, an author’s job is done other than editing, etc. What are your thoughts on that idea?
Unfortunately, that’s not actually the case. Like it or not, an author is a not only an author but a sales person. There are many reasons why an author would want to help promote her books. Not only to increase sales but also to show her editor, agent, and publishing house that she’s on board and an active participant in her own success. I’ve just put together a new workshop called Painless Marketing for Busy Authors. I cover that idea in detail in my workshop.
What marketing ideas/tasks were you already doing before you sold?
Before I sold I had a website and I was on Twitter and FaceBook, but that was pretty much it. That’s enough for an unpublished writer, in my opinion. One invaluable thing that all pre-published writers should be doing, however, is meeting other authors and networking. That’s why going to the RWA National convention is a fantastic idea.
What’s your publisher’s role in your marketing/publicity?
St. Martin’s Press’s biggest role in my marketing is getting the books distributed to the big stores like Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, and other retail outlets. In addition, I work with my publicist, Aleks, to send out press releases, set up book signings, and do book giveaways. I work with my agent and editor to tweak my marketing plan and make it as strong as it can be.
Are there any resources/websites/etc. you’d recommend?
There are many resources that are helpful for authors looking to promote. Some of my favorites include:
Author-Author.net – where you can buy copies of your books at cost. If you buy them here, you can sell them. You cannot sell your author copies from your publisher. Plus, they’ll count against your royalties.
Worldcat.com – tells you which libraries ordered your book
FreeBookFriday.com – a great website to get Twitter followers and Author Page likes for a minimal cost!
Novelrank.com – you have to sign up for this on release day but it tracks your sales
Ninth Moon – great promotional products for authors
AuthorCentral.com – Amazon sales tracking site. You can see your rank and sales but only for print books (unless you self-publish). Updated Friday mornings.
Tweetchat.com/hashtag – site where you can see all tweets related to a certain hashtag. My blog partners and I, www.DashingDuchesses.com, use this for our weekly Twitter chat.
Nielsen Bookscan – you can pay for a subscription to this and access it via RWA. It tells you which books are selling the most.
Publisher’s Marketplace – gives you all the book deal news.
Hootsuite – an application that can analyze when your Twitter followers are online the most. You can then schedule your promo tweets accordingly. You want to tweet about promotion sparingly.
Mailchimp.com – manages email subscriptions for newsletters. Free up to first 2,000 subscribers.
Vertical Response – an alternative to Mailchimp
Amazon Affiliates and Barnes and Noble Affiliates – programs where you sign up and use a special link back to your website for buy links. You get a percentage of the sale is someone purchases your book using that link.
What are your top To Dos for all writers when it comes to marketing?
Put up a website
Brand yourself. Come up with a tagline that will force you to think about your type of books and the reading experience that you’re selling. Be specific. Promote your brand, not just one book.
Get reviews wherever you can. Even bad reviews are good reviews. J Don’t spend money giving away a Kindle Fire or a $100 Amazon gift card. They people wanting that aren’t going to remember your name a year from now. Spend your money giving away copies of your books. The people who want to win your book, may actually read it and become your fan.
Understand that price matters. Even if you have a publisher who controls the price of your book, keep an eye on it. Sometimes the retailers will drop the price. You want to be ready to promote the book when that happens.
Read Vicky Dreiling’s blog for fantastic marketing and promotion tips. Vicky is a former corporate marketer and in addition to being a fantastic author, she really knows her stuff when it comes to promotion.
Ask yourself 1) Am I enjoying this promotional effort? 2) Can I afford it? If the answer is no to either of those two questions, don’t do it?
You’re a self-proclaimed introvert, yet you’re a fabulous speaker and have a great rapport with fell ow writers and readers. What advice would you offer to fellow introverts out there when it comes to marketing and reaching out to readers?
My sister and I often argue about this because she insists I’m an extrovert while I insist I’m an introvert who is not shy. There is a difference. I actually draw my strength and recharge being alone and quiet. But my books are my business so I make it a point to step outside of my comfort zone when it comes to business. So much so that I recently agreed to be on a reality TV series, Say Yes to the Dress. But filming was a blast and I found a gorgeous dress!
My advice to other writers who are introverts would be to pretend you’re someone else if you have to. When you’re Author You, you are outgoing and never met a stranger. When you’re Regular You, you can be yourself. I actually find it easy because when I’m around other authors I’m so interested in talking to them and hearing what they have to say, that I suddenly turn into an extrovert. No wonder it confuses my sister! J
Thanks so much for the insight, Valerie! Let’s see what other questions our readers have for you.
Thanks to the Firebirds for having me today! I’m happy to answer any questions about marketing or promotion that I can and am happy to share details of what I’ve done that’s seemed to work.
Readers… what’s on your marketing mind?
Valerie’s bio :
Valerie has a B.A. in English Language and Literature with a minor in history from Smith College and has been writing 
and editing professionally for over 15 years. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), and a member of The Beau Monde, Regency special interest chapter.
Originally from Rantoul, Illinois, Valerie lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her rascally dog, Roo. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or watching Hoarders.
April 11, 2013
Kay Hudson Excerpt: Jinn on the Rocks
Here’s a scene from the first chapter of my work in (very slow) progress, Jinn on the Rocks.
Set up: Zee, a jinn changeling who has lived all her long life in the mortal world, has been recruited by a goblin named (something that sounds roughly like) Grackle to help him find a missing jinn (our hero, of course) who has been thrown into the mortal world. Zee has a few demands of her own before she sets off on a new adventure.
Zee held the goblin’s clothing at arm’s length and dropped the shirt and shorts into her washing machine. Both pieces were sturdier than she had expected, neither damaged nor badly worn, but definitely filthy. So was the goblin.“This water’s too hot,” Grackle whined through the partially open bathroom door.
“No, it’s not.” Zee poured more detergent into the washer. “It’s tepid at most.”
“The soap is, is . . .”
“What?” Zee leaned against the bathroom door frame. “Too soapy?”
“It smells like flowers!”
“It’s just ordinary soap, Grackle. I could go upstairs and get you some that smells like gardenias, but that costs five bucks a bar, and I’m not going to waste any of it on you.”
“What’s that noise?” the goblin shouted as the wash cycle began with a thud and a loud slosh. “What are you doing to my clothes?”
Zee gazed at the ceiling and shook her head. “Washing them, Grackle. You don’t want to put them back on dirty, do you?”
“I didn’t want to take them off. Wait until I tell the Elders you made me strip. Pervert.”
“Yeah, goblin, like I believe you talk to the Elders.”
“I do jobs for them. Now and then. Little ones.” The sloshing of the water in the bathtub was almost as loud as the washing machine.
“If you do,” Zee said, “they probably send you instructions on a scrap of paper wrapped round a rock and tossed into your dumpster. And you’d better be washing in there, not just playing in the water.”
“Madam,” Grackle said, “I never play in water.”
“That I can believe. You haven’t touched water in months. I handled your clothes with salad tongs. Held my nose while I dropped them in the washer.”
“My pockets!” Grackle screeched. “There’s valuable swag in my pockets.”
Zee laughed, shifting to look at the pile of odds and ends on the top of the dryer. “Oh, relax. I emptied your pockets.” Green plastic lighter, two and a half cigars, twelve dollars and thirty-seven cents in singles and change. A paperback Mickey Spillane reprint with a remarkably lurid cover, one that had definitely not been stripped and tossed into Grackle’s dumpster. One energy bar, probably shoplifted with the book. “It’s all here.”
“You do realize, madam, you’re wrecking my cover. You make me clean up like this, people might see me. Then what are you going to do? ‘Oh, don’t mind him,’ she says, ‘he’s just my pet goblin. Isn’t he cute?’ Next thing you know I got little kids messing with me and old ladies pinching my cheeks.”
“Cute?” Zee dropped the Hard Case Crime reprint on the dryer and picked up a nearly-empty matchbook. “I don’t think so, Grackle. Even clean, you’d look like a midget with a bad attitude. Elderly ladies would ignore you and small children would run and hide.”
Grackle snorted. “I hope you’re right about the old ladies, but kids are pretty ornery at eye level. Poke me with sticks, they will.”
The goblin was probably right. Any adult who managed to see him clearly would take him for someone who should not be stared at, and look away. Children had no such inhibitions. “I’ll protect you,” Zee said, surprised to realize that she meant it. Maybe she really did want a pet goblin. She’d long ago given up cats and dogs. She loved them but their lives were so heart-breakingly short. Even normal people knew that, but for someone like Zee, someone who never aged, who kept moving, who had buried her ninety-six-year-old baby sister, a dozen years was no time at all.
She hadn’t fared much better with people.
No, she’d learned long ago, when she was truly young, that she couldn’t trust anyone with the truth. She tried, once or twice, and it hadn’t ended well, not well at all. Marianne had been the only mortal who had accepted and loved Zee for what she was, and even Marianne had grown old and died. To Marianne’s nieces and nephews and their children, Zee was just an eccentric distant cousin, minding the old family home that no one else wanted.
Now Zee’s last anchor in the mortal world was gone. The gnomes whose magic had protected Marianne for so long could no longer threaten to withdraw it. Maybe it was time to demand an accounting, to find her way to the other dimension, where she didn’t have to hide what she was. Where she might live among her own kind at last.
A splash and a curse from the bathroom brought her back to the present.
“Where are my clothes?” Grackle demanded. “You expect me to walk around like this?”
Zee peeked into the bathroom through half-closed eyes, not eager for the spectacle of a naked goblin, but Grackle had wrapped himself in a towel, the hem trailing through puddles on the floor like a water-logged toga.
“Your clothes are in the washing machine for another ten minutes, and then they go into the dryer,
“We don’t have time.” Grackle hitched up his towel and joined her, staring distrustfully at the vibrating washer. “We gotta get on the road, track this guy down.”
April 9, 2013
How I made what should have been a pleasant agent search angsty
I collected agents’ cards at RWA.I logged into Querytracker.com (I love querytracker; I love the frowny, red faces for “rejection” and the smiley faces connoting incremental progress and the smiley-faces-with-Jackie-O-sunglasses for offers) and searched and sorted and refined until I had a list of agents I thought might possibly maybe perhaps like my book. Then I wrote my query letters, customizing as I went, and sent them off with a big ol’ bless and release.
Thanks to that Golden Heart Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, I got more requests than not. But no offers. I even had one agent from a big agency call to say she loved my writing, didn’t think she could sell Thrown, and would love to see my next book. Another well-known agent (with the initials Jill Marsal) asked for the full almost immediately after getting my first three chapters, but ended up passing anyway.
Then came the big day when I got that phone call from an editor who offered me a book contract.
I thought, “Zowee, that agent who didn’t think she could sell Thrown doesn’t have to sell it now. It sold itself!” I thought she’d jump at the chance to represent me. Nope. Still wanted me to write the next book. With my offer in hand, I approached Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ agent, figuring not only is he a superstar, but man it would be so much easier to stalk her if we had the same agent. He asked for my full, then politely declined. I asked Kristan Higgins for advice about the agent who didn’t think she could sell Thrown. Should I push my first-born aside, refuse the offer and write my next book for big money? “No!“ said Kristan. I queried an agent she recommended at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday and two minutes after I hit “send,” my phone rang. The agent wanted my full. She emailed me on Saturday to pass. I emailed Kristan’s agent, who had previously requested revisions, to see if the revisions were up to snuff. In one of the kindest rejection emails I’ve ever received, she too, passed.
See, about now I started to wonder if my now-editor had been drunk or recently concussed when she called me. Was it some kind of dare around the office? “I’ll give you twenty bucks and a MetroCard if you call this woman and tell her you’ll buy her book.” Isn’t it supposed to be easy to get an agent when you have a book contract?
As it turned out, I got four offers of representation. An embarrassment of riches, I know, since I had assumed I’d have to send out 100 queries, minimum. Heck, it took Jayne Ann Krentz six years.
Four offers. Four reputable agents. I was lucky enough to know at least one client for each agent, so I could ask them questions. One agent was a friend, so I decided not to risk the friendship. Check. One was just too…aggressive. I think she would have been fine, but I would’ve been uncomfortable with her business style. Check.
I was down to the last two, and this is where the big piles of angst came into play. Both of their clients I spoke to loved them. I liked what the agents had to say about their vision for my career. They were easy to talk to, but I’ll admit I hit it off better with one than the other and could have talked to her all day. They both made the same number of romance deals over the previous year. Here was a key difference: one had made deals only with houses that accepted unagented submissions; the other, with several houses that only accepted agented submissions. The first was with a larger, well-known firm. The other had her own agency. After much hand-wringing (not really—I’m more of a sigher and talk-to-myselfer), I chose the agent who, all things considered, had made deals with the more exclusive publishers. She’s the one who had her own agency, which I hoped meant she’d be “hungrier” because it was all on her shoulders to succeed. I also liked the idea of giving my business to a smaller agency.
As it turned out, she got me a bigger advance, made all sorts of changes in the contract to my advantage and my editor said she was “lovely.” We’re still in the honeymoon phase—I haven’t gotten my editor’s revisions yet—but I haven’t regretted my choice. All that sighing paid off.
April 4, 2013
National Romance Novel Writing Month
“April is National Romance Novel Writing Month”
Grassroots “romance novel writing month” event launched this April and you’re invited to participate. 
With us today is Maria Connor, an author and freelance writer, who has been active in the romance fiction community for more than a decade. She is here to tell us about an exciting new project—NaRoNoWriMo. Welcome, Maria.
The first question is an easy one. That acronym sounds vaguely familiar. What does it stand for?
Thank you for your interest and support in this initiative. I appreciate the opportunity to get the word out about NaRoNoWriMo, or, National Romance Novel Writing Month.
A few weeks ago while traveling to the California Dreamin’ writers’ conference, I read an article in The Writer magazine about writing marathons. I learned that eight months of the year feature such events. In November alone there are four writing marathons; in addition to the well-known NaNoWriMo, there is also WNFIN (Write Nonfiction in November), AcBoWriMo (Academic Book Writing Month) and NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). As I looked at the list, I realized there was nothing dedicated to the romance genre.
So, let me guess. You decided to correct that oversight?
I can’t say it was really a decision. It was more like a driving, compulsive, insistent urge. Much like when characters are chattering in your head and won’t be quiet until you write their story. The romantic fiction community is already so cohesive, supportive and nurturing that I felt like we were overlooking another tremendous opportunity to help our authors succeed. Chris Baty’s NaNoWriMo has proven how effective writing marathons can be. I wanted to offer the same to my fellow romance writers.
National Romance Novel Writing Month is a 30-day writing marathon held during the month of April with the goal of generating a single 40,000-word manuscript OR a combined total of 40,000 words in multiple manuscripts (i.e. novellas, short stories) within the romance genre.
Why launch now, this April? You’ve mentioned that you’re still refining the logistics of the event.
That question requires a two-part response. Here’s the first part, about “why now.” Initially I intended to approach the project like a business start-up. I planned to interview Chris Baty for “how to” advice and reach out to organizations and companies in the romance publishing industry to explore sponsorship and/or partnership opportunities. I started a list of all the necessary resources, such as a website to host participants, marketing materials and so forth. When I mentioned the idea to a friend—who is quite ballsy—she snorted in disgust at my organized analysis and said, “Just do it now.” So I threw together a website, created social media accounts and set-up a Yahoo group for participants. Ta-da!
To answer the second part—why April?—let me share my thought process. We are all aware of the problematic phenomenon in our industry called “the incomplete manuscript.” Many writers struggle to “finish the #!*? book.” Our professional association, RWA, has even gone so far as to require submission of a full manuscript to verify eligibility for the Golden Heart contest, as well as acknowledging the achievement as a career milestone with its PRO designation for writers who have written a 40,000 word manuscript and submitted it to an editor or agent. With the national conference looming on the calendar come July, you can virtually hear the excitement and anticipation as aspiring authors prepare to pitch to editors and agents. I know I’ve been one of those writers who had every intention of finishing my novel before July so I could pitch, but…well, you know. That’s a very roundabout way of saying I wanted to schedule NaRoNoWriMo in a timely enough fashion so aspiring writers would have a finished manuscript to pitch at the national conference. The payoff isn’t just for writers, though. One editor I spoke with estimated that he receives submissions for less than 50 percent of his requests. By organizing a month-long writing marathon for romance authors, I’ve probably added a foot to slush piles all over NYC! Another reason to host the event in April is the 1,100+ writers who didn’t get a call that they were a RITA or Golden Heart finalist. What better way to channel that disappointment and discouragement than by banding together with other writers to re-focus and re-energize on a new, completely achievable goal.
Okay, we know the what, why and when. Please fill in the who, where and how.
Sure. The event, which is not affiliated with RWA or NaNoWriMo, is open to everyone. Participants are invited to join a dedicated Yahoo group where they can interact with the group as much or as little as they choose. There is no cost to participate, and because this is our first event and we’re refining as we go, people can join anytime throughout the month. They can pro-rate their word count or aim for the full 40,000. To register, just send an email to naronowrimo@live.com.
So far we have 27 participants, including a 2013 RITA finalist, former Golden Heart finalists, multi-published authors, indie authors and all range of genres. Our first XY-chromosome member also joined this week!
It would be great to up the NaRoNoWriMo numbers across the board, so please consider 1) registering, 2) spreading the word or 3) following us on Twitter and Facebook.
I’m also looking for support from published authors, editors, agents or publishers as far as offering participants special incentives such as critiques, invitations to submit their NaRoNoWriMo manuscripts or giveaways. Those individuals can contact me at the same email address.
Again, thanks for the opportunity to share this project with the romantic fiction community. As we say on the NaRoNoWriMo loop, Now Go Write!
For more information about National Romance Novel Writing Month, check out these resources:
www.naronowrimo.com
Twitter: @naronowrimo
Facebook: National Romance Novel Writing Month
April 1, 2013
Release Party! Ami Weaver’s An Accidental Family
Hey everyone! It’s PARTY TIME!!!
I’m so thrilled to be hosting Ami Weaver’s release party today! Ami and I have been on parallel paths to publication for a looooong time. We were both Mills&Boon New Voices finalists, winners in Harlequin’s SYTYCW contest (which landed us both our first contracts) and finally Golden Heart sisters. Whew! It’s been quite a ride and I’m so happy I finally got a chance to read her debut novel for Harlequin Romance, An Accidental Family. It was quite simply awesome. I had to know more about the author behind the book.
Ami, is An Accidental Family your Golden Heart finaling manuscript? Yes, it’s my 2012 Golden Heart finalist (under the title Second-Chance Bride) and my 2011 Mills&Boon New Voices finalist. It ended up in front of the same editor both times, so it sold as result of both contests. 
As a self-confessed contest Queen, tell us how your life has changed as a result of all the wonderful things that have happened to you over the last year. I love contests! I almost didn’t enter SYTYCW (which resulted in my very first sale) but at the last minute I was like, what the heck. I did the same with the Golden Heart and New Voices. It’s about taking a chance, putting the work out there and seeing where it takes you. Now I’m writing full time and loving it and the opportunities it’s given me. It just floors me.
Being a full-time author must be so great–but have you found parts of it challenging? I’ve had to make a very concerted effort to make the time. I’m very good at procrastination, and once you are under contract that’s not a possibility anymore (at least not without making things very hard as the deadline approaches!). I usually write away from home, to minimize the distractions but now we have less laundry done and more dust bunnies. No one seems to care.
How did you come up with the idea for An Accidental Family? This one I had the first line first. It just came to me one day. The rest of the book came later–very slowly. Like years slowly. This is the book that almost made me quit writing, it was so hard to write.
But it reads so smoothly! You did a great job weaving it all together. Speaking of things that you do well, the sexual tension in this book is off the charts! I was riveted—but this Harlequin line is closed door. Was that hard to balance? Yes! It had a love scene originally but I had to take it out. The line has a closed door, but the sexual tension is allowed. It’s hard to find where to draw that line.
Which makes it all the more interesting that the heroine, Lainey, is pregnant on page one. I thought you did a marvelous job depicting this. Did you use your own experiences or did you have to do research? Nope, I remembered what it was like. When I started this book, my youngest wasn’t that old, so I wasn’t too far off from it myself.
Lainey has a difficult relationship with her parents, which wasn’t helped by the pregnancy. In a lot of ways, that was her core conflict and every time they tried to interfere, Lainey found a way to grow. Very well done! It felt very organic to her character. Did you start out with this in mind or did it evolve? I’m asking because I want to learn how to do it! It evolved. I knew in theory what I wanted to happen, but I did not have it mapped out. I ask myself constantly, “What’s next? This happened, so what’s next?” That question brings me back and helps me figure out the path I need to take. I am not a plotter. So that’s as close as I get.
Let’s talk about Ben. Pardon me while I swoon…Okay, I’m back. Ben is one part tortured hero, one part reluctant knight and one part regular guy. And 100% to-die-for. His backstory is realistic and heart-wrenching. How did you come up with him? Thank you! I love Ben, too. Ben went through a lot of transformations. He started out the father, then a doctor, then her neighbor, until finally I got him right. I didn’t want him to be the bio father, and I wanted him to be hurting. I wanted him to be kind of dark to Lainey’s light. (Sorry, Ben!) Once I hit on firefighter, that felt right. If he was hurting so bad, something awful must have happened and it just kind of went from there.
What was your favorite part about writing An Accidental Family? Finishing it! Hah. This book was so hard to write. For a long time, I felt like I had the right people, but I had their story wrong and I couldn’t figure out where I’d gone wrong. I did make the right changes, and once I did, the book flowed. That took several years. (Three?) But I believed in it enough to come back to it. If I can write this book, I can write any book!
And I can’t wait to read the next one! When can I get it? IN THE LINE OF DUTY, my next (and last) Romance is out in September 2013. THE NANNY’S CHRISTMAS WISH (my first Harlequin Special Edition) is out in November 2013.
Ami has generously agreed to give away either a print or digital copy of An Accidental Family to one lucky person!! Comment to win.
Run and get your copy of An Accidental Family. Click to buy.
A bump in the road…
The moment the stick turns pink Lainey Keeler’s life is turned upside down. She’s still aching from past hurts, and single parenthood wasn’t planned, but, marveling at the tiny life fluttering inside her, Lainey knows she’ll do anything for this baby—on her own.
Firefighter Ben Lawless is tormented by memories of the friend he couldn’t save, and a pretty pregnant woman living on his land is an unwelcome distraction. Still, as Lainey’s determination and spirit tempt him out of the darkness, he wonders whether he can have the family he’s convinced himself he doesn’t deserve….
BIO: Two-time Golden Heart Finalist Ami Weaver has always been a writer, but once she started penning ‘romances’ in middle school she never looked back. She’s come a long way since then–and learned what romance really is. Now she is an award-winning author of warm contemporary romances for Harlequin Romance and Harlequin Special Edition. Ami’s manuscripts have won the Maggie, the Marlene, and been finalists in Harlequin’s SYTYCW and Mills and Boon’s New Voices contests, among others. Ami lives in Michigan and balances writing around four great kids, three crazy cats, and one very supportive husband.
March 31, 2013
Release Party! Kat Cantrell’s MINDLINK
Release party! Woot! Woot!
I’m sooooo excited to be the one to kick off this release party for Kat today! It’s a terrific book, and super awesome writing. What more could you want? So yay to Kat, and major congrats! OK…now to the interview…
KIM: Oh my goodness, I LOVE this book! (And I’m not much of a sci-fi fan, thus the OMG part.) But I have to say, it’s not quite like your first two books—which are Harlequin Desires—huh? Want to tell us a bit about Mindlink before we get into the “difficult” questions?
KAT: Mindlink *is* totally different than my Desire titles. Officially, Mindlink is a story about ten scientists who are chosen to represent Earth in the first universal summit between humans and aliens. Just to spice it up, the heroine is a down-on-her-luck actress who masquerades as a scientist in an attempt to revitalize her career. The invitation is a trick and when the aliens find out she’s not a real scientist, off to jail she goes, where she meets an intriguing alien (the hero) in the next cell. And that’s when the fun begins—he’s an alien. And the enemy. And bossy. She’s human. And the enemy. And instantly fascinating. Then there’s the part where everyone’s trying to kill them as they attempt to escape. And the part where they accidentally link brain implants and can read each other’s thoughts. Then it’s not so easy to hide how attracted they are to each other. Sparks fly. Which isn’t so different from my Desire titles, actually.
KIM: I loved the premise before I even got into the book! It just sounded so fun. What made you want to write sci-fi? And what is your first love, contemporary or sci-fi? Or something else?
KAT: Honestly, I can’t recall a time I didn’t want to write both. I’ve been reading contemporary and science fiction romance since I was in middle school. I also read historical, but I never thought I had the voice for it, plus I’m not good at thinking up historical plots. Contemp and SF I can’t shut off! And I like each for the ability to explore human emotion in such different contexts.
KIM: One of the first things that stuck out to me was how much world building you had to do for this. As a contemporary author myself, that’s not something I do a lot of, so I was very impressed! And you totally had me right in the middle of your world! I would venture to guess, though, the majority of the population has not seen an alien planet, nor had first hand contact with the “people” living on one. So let’s talk about that a little. How did this world come to you?
KAT: Thank you so much for recognizing that! Coming up with the alien planet WAS a huge chunk of the writing process. I’ll tell you a secret—I have seventy-five pages of notes for this book. :) Don’t tell. People think I’m crazy when I admit that. As to how it came to me, it was a process, but I knew one thing for sure, which I can’t tell you because it’s a huge spoiler. The entire societal and governing structure is based on that one element and I did a lot of research into what that looks like, as well as a lot of brainstorming on how that element might evolve over time. Oh, and once upon a time in real life I had to build an entire department of sixty people from scratch, including job descriptions and hiring. I learned how to examine each moving part and became an expert at organizational charts. I’m afraid I created one for the entire alien society, even down to details like where sanitation workers fit. Did I mention how people think I’m crazy? LOL
KIM: Oh my goodness, I LOVE this!!! I would *so* have 75 pages of notes, too! And totally would have an org chart. That’s seriously brilliant. Uh yes, people think I’m crazy too 
Ok, enough mooning over your process. Let’s get to the next questions. Did you have to let the people of Kir Barsha live in your head a long time before putting it down on paper or did you pretty much just start dumping it out?
KAT: Well, it took a good month or so to get those seventy-five pages of notes and I had the idea for the story long before that. So I’d say a little of both, because I certainly didn’t have ALL the details worked out when I sat down to face that first blank page.
KIM: OK, let’s move on to your hero and heroine. Tell us a little about how they get to know each other. I found their “connection” very fun!
KAT: That’s my favorite part of the story! As previously mentioned, Ashley and Sam meet in jail, where they’ve both been sent to await recycling (which is a death sentence and on the alien world, nothing goes to waste, so they recycle organic material. Efficient, I know!). The aliens have a device they implant in everyone which reads their mind. There’s an interface between implants that allows them to link and Ashley and Sam do this by accident while they’re trying to escape. Ashley is not so happy to have an alien reading her thoughts, as you can imagine. But Sam’s colorblind and through the implant, he sees Ashley’s memories in color and it’s totally amazing. Mindlink is loosely based on The Wizard of Oz plot-wise and as an extra twist, Ashley is Sam’s own personal Oz. His journey to understanding the Technicolor human world in Ashley’s mind parallels their journey to escape. The absolute best part is that I didn’t have the device as a part of the original plot—it was my husband’s idea. I asked him how in the world my aliens would communicate with humans when they don’t speak the same language and he said they should have a Rosetta Bone that evolved in their brain that translates. Of course the original Rosetta Stone is a translator for hieroglyphics—which is a pictorial language—so my aliens’ device communicates via images (a picture is worth a thousand words!). Now imagine your device is linked to someone else’s. And you find that person extremely attractive. Let’s just say for Ashley and Sam, it’s a million times more provocative than a mirror on the ceiling…
KIM: I cannot imagine my innermost thoughts about someone else being broadcast via pictures! I did enjoying watching/reading it happen, though
Here’s a fun question. Sam is all new to this attraction stuff. And as such, he has never…uh…you know. That’s a different approach to take! Why did you decide to go that route? (Which I love, by the way!)
KAT: I read a blog post about a historical romance starring yet another world-weary rake and virgin miss. The author of the blog post said something along the lines of, “I’d like to read a book about a world-weary heroine and a virgin hero.” So I wrote one. That’s why I love science fiction, because I get to make up the rules on my alien planet and they don’t have sex. They create babies in test tubes. It was fascinating to me to write a hero who has no experience with the things Sam sees in Ashley’s mind and desperately wants to explore them. Ashley, on the other hand, has a lot of experience but is seriously icked out by the idea of cross-species “mating”. You’ll have to read the book to find out how they resolve that. It’s hot.
KIM: Alright, one last question. I want to know…When they first meet, Ashley decides the alien in the next cell reminds her of an actor friend who plays an alien in a movie, so she starts calling him “Sam”. Who’s the actor?
KAT: Sam Worthington. You may recall he was in Avatar, but honestly, his role in Terminator Salvation inspired the hero in Mindlink far more. I loved how the movie played with the idea of a man struggling to understand what was beneath his own skin. My Sam goes through similar struggles as he begins to feel human emotion via Ashley’s implant. I almost included thanks to Sam Worthington in the acknowledgements, but it felt weird.
KIM: How funny. That would have been totally cool, but yeah, maybe a bit weird Thanks for joining us and telling us about Mindlink today, Kat. I wish you many, many sales, and I’ll be telling all my sci-fi reading friends about it (and maybe some non sci-fi reading friends, too!)
Thanks for celebrating with me today! I’ll give away a digital copy of Mindlink (your choice of format) to anyone who comments with the answer to this question: Which aspect of Mindlink has you the most intrigued to read it?
Determined to revitalize her imploding career, blacklisted movie star Ashley V takes on her biggest role yet: posing as one of ten scientists invited by aliens to a universal summit. But when the aliens seize, strip and implant the entire delegation to extract their knowledge, she is quickly found out and sent to a cell to await recycling.
The alien research director designated ZXQ-One devised a plan to let the humans volunteer their best and brightest in a gamble to solve his people’s energy crisis. But he fails to find anything useful and winds up imprisoned alongside the fiery human woman who refuses to give up, and who insists on calling him Sam.
After an accidental link between their implants lets them share their thoughts, they find themselves drawn to each other. Sam will have to trust in her human compassion and forgiveness for his role in her capture, and Ashley will have to trust him with her deepest secrets if they are to have any chance at survival…
Buy: Kindle | Nook | Carina | Kobo and Audio: Audible
Bio: Kat read her first Harlequin novel in third grade and has been scribbling in notebooks since she learned to spell. What else would she write but romance? She majored in Literature, officially with the intent to teach, but somehow ended up buried in middle management at Corporate America, Inc.
Kat became a stay-at-home mom and devoted nap time to writing. After many thousands of words, her dream of publication finally came true. When she’s not writing about characters on the journey to happily ever after, she can be found at a soccer game, watching Friends or dancing with her kids to Duran Duran and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Kat, her husband and their two boys live in North Texas. She’s a proud member of Romance Writers of America®. Kat was the 2011 Harlequin So You Think You Can Write winner and a 2012 RWA® Golden Heart® finalist for best unpublished series contemporary manuscript. She’s represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Agency.
March 26, 2013
Don’t Stop Believin’
I remember the call quite clearly, but everything past that point, leading all the way up to the conference in July, is generally a blur. I setup a blog that has gone through periods of questionable content (although my post where I wrote about a pantsless Mr. Darcy is a clear standout). I joined email loops that introduced me to a whole new group of girlfriends that I might never would have crossed paths with otherwise … except maybe in prison (I’m referring to you Colette). And I finally setup business cards, and a domain name, and some super-sexy headshots (also taken without pants – running theme?) so that I’d be ready when the “The Next Big Call” would come.
Last year was a whirlwind of activity and I loved every minute of it.
But I have not sold my book.
There have been a few posts, emails, etc. lately about those of us who haven’t had success after the GH nomination. Unlike some in our group though, I don’t suffer from rejections from agents or editors … I suffer from a much bigger problem … and that problem is ME.
I can’t seem to get myself to finish and submit my book.
I don’t know if it’s a fear of failure, or a fear of success, or a lack of confidence, or a lack of motivation, or just being lazy, or the fact that I read too many self-help books which takes me away from writing. The reality is, I’ve thought a lot about what’s stopping me from writing, but still I’m not getting to the point of actually writing on a regular basis. I have fits and spurts here and there … but nothing that’s an actual routine yet.
At end of the year I made the decision to stop working on my GH book. There seemed to be so much pressure to get it submitted to all those nice agents and editors I met in July, that it paralyzed me from writing at all. So I made a decision to put it on a shelf and bring it out again later. I know that may seem like a bad decision to some, but I’d been working on it for three years. I needed a break. I started working on a new book and I’m approaching it a lot differently – more planning, less “I’ll figure it out later”. I’m not sure this will work either … but at least I’m trying something different.
But I’m not alone. Every author struggles with something.
Some of us have been rejected multiple times. Some of us sold our first few books and are struggling to sell again. Some of us are overwhelmed with all the responsibilities that come with deadlines, and edits, and marketing their first published novel. Every author I know has something that they’re working through at this moment.
Whatever your current struggle is, just keep pushing through it. I know I’m going to … although there’s a solid chance I will be doing it with a “little more naked”.
March 21, 2013
Fiction Fridays: The Setup, Part 4
Welcome to Fiction Fridays! Where we give you a short bite of fiction every week – something to enjoy during your lunch hour – but with a twist: We want you to give us the idea for the next installment! Come join in the fun with the last segment of our latest contemporary romance, The Setup. To get caught up, read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 here.
The Setup
Part 4 (“The Devil You Know” was last week’s winning option)
By Karen Fleming
The doe-eyed Sherilynn hesitated between the two tables. I glanced to my right and nausea churned in my stomach. Luke. Or “Lucifer, the ultimate breaker of hearts,” as Granny dubbed him when she caught him making out with my maid of honor after our rehearsal dinner.
Gulp. Could this get any worse? I looked back at Toby. Maybe he was interested in starting that “to serve and protect” gig a week early.
Luke/Lucifer slid a greasy smile my way and opened his arms wide. Before Toby could move, I caught a flash of periwinkle out of the corner of my eye and Luke doubled over, holding on to his man-parts.
Granny turned to me, straightening the cuffs of her jacket. “That Brenda. She must have sneaked that snake in the back door when I wasn’t looking.”
My head swiveled between Toby and his very-interested-in-the-situation gaze, and the now-upright Luke and his pale face. Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” surrounded me, and I took a deep breath. I could handle this. I hoped.
But Toby turned toward Sherilynn. Yep. Marriage or happily ever after weren’t in the stars for me today. I walked past Luke and across the room toward the door marked “Ladies.” Granny trotted through the swinging door right behind me.
“You’re not hiding in here,” she said.
I towered over her corkscrew-curled head and gave her the look she used to use on me when I was late for curfew. “I can’t believe you would do this to me. Luke?”
“Luke wasn’t supposed to be here. Heck, the only one out there I wanted you to meet was Toby, and you practically handed him to that meek Little Bo Peep.” She pushed past me and paced the area in front of the sinks.
“Granny, it doesn’t work that way. Love has to find you. Grandmothers are not supposed to hog-tie it to a chair and flop their granddaughters in its lap.”
The twinkle in her eye had me worried. She didn’t have any rope did she? Oh, Lord, this was a nightmare.
“Granny, I’m going back out there.”
She smiled like a kid who’d just won the biggest teddy bear at the carnival.
“To leave.”
She huffed up her chest and grabbed my arm, shoving me back through the swinging door. “You are not leaving until this speed-dating game is through. If you aren’t looking for love, you can at least see if it has any friends you can hang out with.”
I dug in my heels. “Granny—”
“Don’t you ‘Granny’ me. Do you know how hard Deloris and I worked to put this together? She has a weak heart. She might not last another year. I might not either.”
“You’re as fit as—and as stubborn as—a mule.”
“Maybe so, but I worry. You need a man—a good man. Toby is a good man.”
When I looked back toward Toby’s table, he was gone. I waved in that direction. “Looks like Toby is a ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em’ man.”
Luke flashed his eely smile at his next victim. I shuddered. That had been a close call. Thank goodness Granny saved me from that disaster, then and now.
I hugged her and kissed her springy curls. “I love you and know you mean well, but you can’t force your will on others. Love will happen when it’s supposed to and it doesn’t need any help from you.”
“One date?”
Would she ever give up? “Toby did ask me out while we were outside, but …” I motioned around the room and the fractured light cast by the disco ball. “But then we came in here. The introduction worked. This ruined it. I’m going home. Can you catch a ride from one of your co-conspirators?”
“Yes, yes. Go on.” She pushed me toward the door. “I just want you to find the right man.”
“I know. And I will—someday. Just not today.”
“Today’s not over,” Granny said before I could open the outside door. Ever the optimist.
The cobblestone walk was next to where I’d parked my car, using Granny’s handicap placard. The music was still thumping as I distanced myself from Cupid’s Skittle Brigade and their organized attack on singleness inside the rec room.
In my car, I hit the key and nothing. What? This couldn’t be happening. I tried again. Click-click-click. I climbed out of the car and slammed the door. Three parking spots down from me, leaning against his car, stood Toby.
He held a pair of jumper cables in one hand. “Good thing I had these in my trunk.”
“How? You couldn’t know my battery was dead.”
He grinned and waved a thin strip of metal that could possibly be used for nefarious purposes–like breaking into a car. “If you leave your lights on, things like that can happen.”
“I didn’t leave my lights on.”
“Sure you did. You even told my mother I was going to help you with your battery. And I never lie to my mother. It’s a sacred rule. Maybe someone else left them on for you, or in a desperate act to keep you honest, loosened one of your battery cables.”
He pushed away from his car and started toward me, not stopping until my nose skimmed his T-shirt and caught the sexy scent of his aftershave. The cables and the slim-jim fell to the ground beside me. He brushed his hand along my cheek, tilting my face up until our gazes met. “You’ve convinced me.”
“Of what?” I tried not to breathe too deep. His scent, his heat, just him, were making me lightheaded.
“Love finds you whether you want it to or not.”
“This isn’t love. We just met.”
“Oh, but think of the possibilities.” He swooped in and captured my lips in a soul-searing kiss as the lyrics to Air Supply’s “Lost in Love” blasted from the rec room.
Granny and Nan stood on the cobblestone walk whooping and hollering while the rest of the Skittles-clad conspirators held the door open, straining for a peek at success.
Toby shot Granny a wink, and she gave him a nod before he reclaimed my mouth in what I hoped would be a regularly recurring experience for the next sixty years.
Copyright 2013 by The Firebirds
