Roxy Wilson's Blog, page 4

To describe or not to describe: an author’s question

Originally posted on Creative Writing with the Crimson League:

Description in creative writing is a tricky concept. In a lot of ways, I feel that it is becoming a lost art: at least, I feel that in general we care less about it now, and pay less attention to it, than people used to do.

Though this is certainly debatable, I’d say the conquering medium of our time–the art of our time–is  cinema, and that has affected what people look for in a book and how they read a story.

Compared to, say, the Victorians, we have lost the art of physical description to to some degree–description of backgrounds, of objects, of setting. There are, of course, books written today with wonderful and beautiful descriptions. I’m not denying that.

But read anything by Dickens, and you’ll understand what I mean.

Now, description is largely an issue of stylistic choice–what to tell and how much to tell. Less description does…

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Hot n’ Spung Blog Hop

Hey guys! Welcome to the first annual Hot n’ Spung Blog Hop. I’d like to thank authors Laurel Cremant and RaeLynn Blue for organizing this event. I promise you a fantastic time during the next few days. Below, you’ll see a list of other bloggers and authors who are participating in the Hot n’ Spung Blog Hop, and all the prizes you have the chance to win.

Summer is just around the corner and I simply can’t wait for all those things that show us that summer is here: fresh-cut grass, panting dogs, lemonade, trickling sweat, booming fireworks…Okay, you get the picture!

Oh, yeah! What’s summer without a great read? To me, a great summer read is one in which the hero and/or heroine takes risks and tries or does something new, be it starting a new job, relocating to a different state, getting rid of the toxic people in their, or just falling in love with someone new.

In my latest release, Work It Out, Marcelle ‘MJ’ Jeffreys does just that. She decides to leave her abusive husband, takes her autistic, teenage daughter with her, and returns home. She even starts a job that she enjoys. So, as far as MJ is concerned, the only thing she has left to do, is to get rid of the junk-in-her-trunk by joining the gym. She doesn’t expect to find love there, but that’s what she does, in spite of the fact that Dylan McCoy is a younger man she’s known since he was a kid. What a dilemma!

Hmm…

Sometimes readers have a way of capturing the essence of what an author’s story is about. Check out Felicia’s review! Man, I couldn’t have expressed it any better than Felicia did! So, if you love reading about women over 40, who are getting their groove back with a younger man, and there’s a bit of suspense and intrigue in the mix, then Work It Out might just be the right summer read for you.

Hop on over to my Book Shelf if you want to check out my other books that could be summer reads for you, and click here if you want to find out about the book I’ll be releasing later this month. And, of course, if you’d like to join my mailing list, simply Contact Roxy. Be sure to type SUBSCRIBE in the subject line and then hit Submit. By doing that, you’ll receive a monthly newsletter, sneak peeks at my upcoming releases, and chances to win some fabulous prizes.

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Prizes:  an e-copy of one of my books of your choice AND a  $5 gift card to Amazon

How to Enter:  Say, in the comments below, what you love about summer.  Don’t forget to include your email addy.

Deadline to Enter: May 7th at 11:59 PM EST

Best of  luck!

Now, here are some other fabulous prizes we have in store for you. All you have to do is click on the Rafflecopter below, and you have a chance to WIN. 

Don’t forget to participate in the  Rafflecopter giveaway.

And just one more thing…Visit the other authors and bloggers who are also participating in this Hot n’ Spung Blog Hop.  I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun.  Click here!

Filed under: Hot n' Spung Blog Hop, Uncategorized Tagged: BBW/Rubenesque, black woman white man interracial romance, courgar romance, interracial romance, multicultural romance, Roxy Wilson, Work It Out

Multi-Cultural Romance Blog-A-Thon presents Lena Hart

Originally posted on Yolanda.Ashton:

FOR LOVE & LIBERTY:

Introducing a Revolutionary Romance Anthology

By Lena Hart

I’m excited to be kicking off this month’s Multicultural Blog-a-Thon and would like to thank Yolanda Ashton for hosting this blog event!

  We all know real love transcends and overcomes all things. That is as true today as it was two hundred years ago. In the spirit of showcasing such unruly love, a group of authors and I produced an anthology of multicultural romance stories titled, FOR LOVE & LIBERTY: Untold Love Stories of the American Revolution.

 

In this collection of short romantic stories, romance authors Alyssa Cole, Kate McMurray, Stacey Agdern, and myself bring you tales of sedition, freedom, and forbidden love…

 

In BE NOT AFRAID by Alyssa Cole, a black Patriot captured by the British falls in love with a headstrong runaway determined to leave the colonies…

while a…

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#Review- A Hero to Trust in Me by Marteeka Karland

Originally posted on SSLYblog:

A Hero to Trust in Me

by Marteeka Karland

When Laura Meadows discovers her husband’s indiscretions with her best friend, her world seems to come crashing down around her. Thankfully, an alert state trooper saves her from herself — and her husband from an untimely death.

Rick Carver never suspects a routine traffic stop could change his life forever. Until he pulls over a distraught female one rainy night. At first, he only feels sympathy for Laura. No one should have to go through the pain she’s obviously experiencing. But, when he sees her again at her divorce hearing, he realizes there’s something special about the spunky, beautiful woman.

But her now-ex husband isn’t the type of man to give up something he believes is his. Now, Rick must keep Laura safe, as well as win her trust. And trust is something Laura might not have left to give.

Tessa’s…

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4 Reasons Authors Shouldn’t Edit While they Write

Originally posted on Creative Writing with the Crimson League:

One thing I think all writers struggle with is the impulse to stop in the middle of writing a draft, chapter, or scene, in order to reread and to edit some portion of the material. This is definitely something I discuss in my writer’s handbook, “Writing for You,” but as I work on preparing second editions of my Herezoth trilogy, I have been doing some heavy editing, and I feel inclined to write about this topic here on the blog.

Now, we will all (to some extent) fix things, change things, correct things, and “edit” while we write a first draft. It is just human nature, and the impulse can be healthy and productive: when kept in check. That is the key.

Here are five reasons it can help you not to stop to edit while you’re composing a first draft.

1. THE IMPULSE TO EDIT IS HARD TO KEEP…

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To be imitated is a form of flattery…

Originally posted on The Intoxication of Vera Roberts:

Or fuckery in this case.

I’ll be the first to admit – I’m the not best writer out there and I’m constantly trying to improve by writing a lot and reading a lot. The two go hand-in-hand. While I do appreciate some people giving me a nod to their work, I really don’t appreciate thieves.

A couple of years ago, I dealt with this problem when someone copied Blow by Blow verbatim, changing only the character names and some other details. I, along with others, confronted that person and her story was pulled down. I’m asking you all, my reading warriors, to do the same again.

Nene King, I believe is a corporation. She operates under the pen names Sasha Stark and Daniel Newheart.

During the past week, it has come to my attention, along with everyone else in the IR/MC writing world, that Nene is a thief…

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Comma Help: 8 Simple Rules for Writers

Originally posted on Harper A. Brooks:

Commas are tricky things. Through my years of teaching English to middle and high school students and writing romance, I’ve found that there are eight comma rules that writers may come across while writing. Keep in mind that these are the basics. Of course commas can get much more complicated than this. There are always exceptions to the rules, but hopefully this will help those who are struggling!

Whatever make us better writers, right?

8 Simple Comma Rules for Writers

1. Before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) with two independent clauses

Examples:
Right: He left home, and he went to work.
Before and after the conjunction can be separated into two proper sentences that can stand on their own.

Wrong: He left home, and went to work.
Wrong: He left home, he went to work.
This is called a comma splice. The comma is in place of a period…

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Plotter or Pantser by Kacey Hammell

Originally posted on Literary Lagniappe:

It’s a question I’ve asked myself a million times since writing my first story! And I’m sure I am not the only writer to question routine, outlines, or the thought process.

With each story it seems that I can do both. Some stories I don’t plan out, just sit down and fly by the seat of my pants and let the characters lead me. Other stories, the longer pieces, I need the outline and long, detailed notes.

However, even when I do the spreadsheet/hand-written notes right down the sparkling eye color of the characters…sometimes even that outline gets tossed. I don’t know what it is – the voices or just my mind fast at work – but there have been times when I’m absolutely certain the direction of the story, then POW…

Like a harsh right upper-cut, the story or an aspect of the characters comes out of nowhere and…

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Everybody Arcs! How to Use Emotional Growth to Propel the Story and Capture the Reader

Originally posted on Kristen Lamb's Blog:

Because the Scarletts of the world get THINGS DONE….

I’ve heard people say some books (or genres) are plot-driven and others are character-driven. My POV? This is a fallacy. All good books are character-driven and plot is what makes that possible. Characters have to make us give a hoot about the plot. If we don’t like or empathize with the characters, we don’t care about their problems.

Conversely, plot is the delivery mechanism and crucible for character (even in literary fiction). Characters can only be as strong as the opposition they face. Weak problems=weak characters. In a nutshell, character and plot can’t be easily separated.

For instance, in the Pulitzer-Winning The Road, the plot is simple. Man and Boy must make it to the ocean. Yet, since this piece is literary, the plot goal is subordinate to character goal.

It is less important that Man and Boy make it…

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A “NEW” Way of Book Marketing

Originally posted on Savvy Writers & e-Books online:

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Even Ernest Hemingway,  Margaret Atwood, Tom Chiarella, Gloria Steinem, Brian Mockenhaupt and Stephen King did it:  Writing occasionally short stories and magazine articles – before blogs became fashionable. In several former posts we explained in detail how easy it is for writers to create content, such as blog articles and sell them to magazines and newspapers or write guest blogs. Read more here and here about brilliant book marketing and content writing.

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Use Your Writing Skills to Earn Money

Writing for magazines, newspapers or online articles will get you paid much faster than you ever will be for your book – and they will pay you more!

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Get your Name Out There
Establish your brand as a writer, get links back to your website or book sales page (there are often two links allowed in guest blogs).  As more articles or…

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