Xio Axelrod's Blog, page 15

Come chat with me about Diverse Books Month!

Check out my interview with Rivka Spicer for Diverse Books Month! You know this issue is near and dear to my heart, and I was happy for the opportunity to talk about it.

There’s also a lovely little review of The Calum and Rivka is actually from Inverness! Boy was a nervous when she said she was going to review the book. Ha!

Go read, comment, and be sure to catch all of the wonderful interviews, reviews and discussions taking place this month.

Cheers!

Xio

Kill Your Darlings! (Romance Writers Weekly)

Welcome to another installment of Romance Writers Weekly! Our hop this week comes courtesy of author extraordinaire, Carrie Elks. “Stephen King famously said that it’s necessary to ‘kill your darlings’ when editing your work. Do you have anything you had to remove from a book that you’re still proud of? Or something that embarrasses you so much it will never again see the light of day? If you’re feeling really brave, share some of it with us!”

Hopefully you’ve found your way here from Jenna E. Mann, author of Drift and the Felony Romance Series. Has she ever killed her darlings? My guess is yes, and in only the best way. It’s funny that Carrie asked this particular question. I’ve just come through my first bona fide round of ‘kill your darlings’ in my upcoming release, Calum Me Maybe.

As with many authors, my writing style is to let my characters guide me where they want to go. It’s called being a “pantser”, as opposed to a “plotter”. I set the scenes and let my characters walk and talk their way through them. Most of the time, they play along nicely. Other times, my characters and I don’t end up on the same page (pardon the pun).

Duff got a bit too dark.

In Calum Me Maybe, Duff (my hero) gets into a really tight situation. When I started writing the book, I was in a tough situation myself. It was nothing even close to what Duff goes through – trust me – but Duff’s thoughts and actions became way darker than I’d intended. The entire novella went in a direction that I never intended it to go. And while I still feel like the words were some of the best I’d ever written, I had to cut them out. Twenty thousand words, to be exact. Twenty. Thousand. For those of you who might not know the breakdown of word counts, pages, etc., The Calum was roughly thirty thousand words. So, yeah. I killed two-thirds of a book.

Here’s one passage that I’m still on the fence about:

Duff understood the cold. Had survived it.

Trapped in the ice, he’d known – even as his pulse slowed and his limbs deadened like felled, snow-laden branches – that the cold had offered him a perverse form of salvation. The cold had shut down his metabolism and reduced the machine of his body to its minimal capacity. Its only focus to conserve energy, retain heat, and stay alive.

Duff understood the cold, yes, and had survived it. But this absence of heat, the cold void left by Lovie’s departure, was shutting him down. There was no rescue coming. Not this time.

He laid in the dark listening to the thump-thump-thump of his heart and swore it was slowing. Thump-thump.

Stopping. Thump.

Dead.

His smartphone chimed, letting him know he’d received a text message. On the off-chance it was from her, Duff snatched it up, the LED screen blindingly bright as he brought it to his face.

Explain it to me. Tomorrow. 2pm at OCC. Don’t be late.

He quickly typed a response, I’ll be there.

There was so much more he wanted to say, but it would have to wait. Duff closed his eyes and listened intently, picturing Lovie’s soft smile. Her warm breath on his icy lips.

Seconds passed.

And then a single thump, so slight that it might have been the neighbours next door. He pressed his hands hard over his ears. Another faint thump, then another. Thump-thump.

He was reborn.

***

Kill it? Save it? We shall see. In the meantime, go check out Eden Ashe, author of the Dragon Lore Series, and get her take on the subject.

See you next time!

 

I’ve Got the Music In Me (Romance Writer’s Weekly)

Hey there! It’s another installment of Romance Writer’s Weekly, the blog hop where we give you a glimpse into our lives as romance writers, as well as insight into our processes.

This week, Jeanne McDonald asked “outside of writing, what is your day job?  Give interesting facts about the job, and yes, Homemaker is a viable option (a very important one, I might add). What inspired you to take on this job and would you ever consider giving it to one of your characters?” Hopefully, you’ve hopped over here from the hilariously awesome Tracey Gee who runs the LOVExtra blog, on top of being a brilliant pianist. What else does she do with her time?

Hi, I’m Xio and I am a singer and songwriter.

London, 2009

I’ve touched on my music a few times over the last year. I am intentionally cryptic about it, not because I don’t love it, but because I’ve been wary of marrying the two identities. My privacy, and that of my family, is pretty important to me. That said, I’m also a bit paranoid. [Read: a lot paranoid.]

My family thinks I need to get over it.

So…I will be coming out of the music closet, so to speak, (not to mention coming out of the writing closet to my music world) in the coming months. These two groups will become quite cozy, but more on that another time. For now, rather than talk about it, I thought I’d just show you.

That clip was shot on a breezy [read windy as hell] spring day in Lisbon. While it was bright and sunny, I mostly wore the sunglasses because we’d had a late gig the night before. I grew up in the music biz, and started recording professionally before I even turned five. It isn’t all that glamourous, but it is pretty cool. I’ve been places, and done things, that I knew few people will experience. I’m always grateful for that.

The journey from writing music to writing books has been an interesting one. Even the business of publishing, though it shares many similarities with the music industry, has been a bit of a learning curve. All good, though. Okay, mostly good. As for making it a career for one of my characters, I have some musicians in the pipeline. I’m constantly being told that “rock stars don’t sell” but there are other stories to be told. Y’know? =)

Hop over to check out Susan Scott Shelley’s UBER cool day job. Seriously, I want to be her someday. See you next time!

Pitch it to me, baby! (Romance Writers Weekly)

Welcome to another installment of Romance Writer’s Weekly, the blog hop where we give you a behind-the-scenes look at our lives as romance writers. This week, I thought I’d twist things up a bit by challenging my fellow authors to a Twitter pitch-a-thon. What is that? So glad you asked!

In Hollywood, they have something called an “elevator pitch,” a quick synopsis of a film that can be given in the short duration of an elevator ride (i.e. 30 seconds or less. or about 100-150 words). Here’s an example:

When a waitress learns that her future son will lead the resistance against murderous machines destined to rule the world she must try to survive the robot assassin sent back in time to terminate her. –The Terminator

That’s the elevator pitch. Compelling, right? Unfortunately, it’s too long for Twitter’s 140-character limit. I tried to pare it down:

Sarah learns that her future son will head the resistance in deadly war. She must survive a robot assassin sent back in time to kill her.

Not easy to do. The publishing world has adopted this practice and Twitter is the perfect channel for it.  Hop along the blogs today to see how we fared as we pitch our WIP or latest release to you in 140 characters or less. Did you catch the lovely Brenda Margriet‘s? Here’s a favourite of mine that received  two agent requests.

CEOs don’t fall for strippers. Strippers don’t have MBAs. And pigs don’t fly, until they do.  

Yep, less than 140 characters. *polishing nails* Haha! It’s from a novella called Diamond and Pearls that I have expanded into a full-length, steamy, SEXY contemporary romance.

Now hop along to find out how Dani Jace got along. I bet it’s hot as hell because that’s how Dani rolls. See you next time!

 

Make it or break it.

Hello my lovelies!

Whelp…this is it, decision time.

This week, as I attend the 35th annual conference for Romance Writers of America (my third), I hope to answer a question that has been nagging me for about a year. What kind of writer do I want to be? Indie? Trad? Hybrid?

There are so many workshops, lectures and gatherings to look forward to. My schedule is always ambitious, and I rarely stick to it. Good thing they make (most) of the panels available via recordings that we can bring home with us. Otherwise, my head would explode trying to retain all of the information, tidbits and advice.

But, while it’s amazing to have such a wealth of knowledge at my fingertips, it can only inform my decision, not make it for me. Pity.

Life kinda kicked me in the butt this year, but I have two releases scheduled in the next two months and one planned for the holiday season. Beyond that, I have books that I plan to self-publish next year and others that I’m thinking of submitting to agents and editors.

I’ve been sitting on that submission fence for about a year and it is getting uncomfortable, to say the least. I’m a control freak and the idea of giving up creative control (on covers, blurbs, scheduling, etc) freaks me out just a little bit.

So, here’s to a productive, informative – and hopefully decisive – week for me. Either way, I have tons of stories to tell and can’t wait to share them all with you. Are you with me? Let’s go!

~Xio

Come join me at Lady Jane’s Salon – Philadelphia!

Goodness me! I am so excited to be reading at Lady Jane’s Salon – Philadelphia, hosted by Main Point Books in Bryn Mawr. That’s just outside the city so, if you’re in the area, come on down (up?) for a thoroughly Celtic evening. Everything kicks off at 7pm.

There will be wine and chocolate. Best-selling authors Terri Brisbin and Eliza Knight will read, and I will make my reading debut with a taste of The Calum. I promise not to affect a Scottish brogue.

Much.

It’s so hard to read Duff without reading like Duff. I will bring the shortbread, though.

Here’s the address: 1041 W Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010.

The event will benefit the Center for Literacy, so we’re asking for a $5 donation or gently-used books. Hope to see you there!

One, Two, Step – Romance Writers Weekly

Welcome to another installment of Romance Writers Weekly, the blog hop where we give you a glimpse into our world as writers. You’ll read about everything from our creative processes, to our favourite recipes.

This week, I asked “if you weren’t a writer, what other creative career would you most want to try?” Did you catch J.J. Devine‘s surprising answer?

For me, this is an easy question. Though I grew up in a creative industry (music) and hold a degree in theater (I worked as an actress for a few years), I know that, if my body had cooperated, I probably would have been a dancer before anything else.

I’ve been dancing, off and on, since I was a little girl. Mostly in my living room, mind you, but I don’t believe that you have to do something professionally to enjoy it. That said, I would have loved to have been a professional dancer. I grew up idolizing people like Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Gregory Hines, Tony Basil, Paula Abdul, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. I’d often clear out the living room furniture and spend hours trying to recreate the routines I saw on television, from ballet to music videos.

I studied dance for a short time, but quickly realized that it wasn’t something I could pursue as a career. It didn’t stop me from learning all that I could about the artform. Eventually, I was able to parlay my love for dance into work as a choreographer in musical theater. Even now, I incorporate my dance vocabulary into my daily WriteFit workout sessions. (The portable ballet barre in my living room is one of the best things I ever purchased!) I simply adore dance, it is woven into the fabric of my soul. Still, Melanie Moore can show you, in 38 seconds, more than I could ever tell you.

My current faves include dancers Misty Copeland, Alex Wong, Eliana Girard, Melanie Moore (above), and choreographers Mia Michaels, Yanis Marshall and Sonya Tayeh. I watch So You Think You Can Dance (Fox) almost obsessively, often moved to tears by the talent and strength of the contestants and the beauty of the choreo. If you want to fall in love with dance, this is the show to watch.

 

So, there you have it. I’m a dancer at heart. If you haven’t already, jump to the beginning of the hop and see what career Elizabeth Janette might have chosen, if she hadn’t become a writer. Til next time!

My writing universe – Romance Writers Weekly

Hey folks! Welcome to another installment of Romance Writers Weekly, where we give you a behind-the-scenes look at our lives as romance writers. It’s been a while since I jumped in on a topic. I was on vacation, dontcha know. But I am back!

This week, birthday girl Ronnie Allen wants to know: what is the  theme in your novels, recurring or in one, that sends a message about an issue in society to help people? Was it developed by you intentionally, or did it evolve through the characters and plot?

I love this question because it is something that has come up in conversation, but not something that I’ve ever really written about. So here goes.

There are two things that you should know about my writing, two things that it always reflects. One is the truth of my universe, the other is my firm belief in second chances.

What do you mean by “the truth of your universe?”

I know, I know. That sounds a wee bit pretentious. All I mean is that my writing reflects the world that we live in, rather than the construct that most people seem to think we live in. Without getting too much into it, our world looks like this…

Look at all the colour and depth!

No offense to modern art aficionados.

    

Not this>

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love is a universal language.

Love crosses all borders.

One love.

Whatever snappy slogan you prefer, the central message is the same. We should embrace and celebrate our cultural differences and discard the idea that our skin colour, religion, sexual orientation, political ideology, or financial status completely defines who we are as people. The world is a wonderful, messy jumble of colours and cultures and that is what I write.

Do your core values jive with my core values? If so, we’re more similar than we are dissimilar. Why demonize the differences? Why use them to separate us? I’m not into that at all. And I’m being politically correct there. The non-PC way of putting it would include lots of profanity. I have a very, very low tolerance for discrimination or bigotry of any kind. My family is multi-racial, multi-faith, multi-orientation. As are my friends. That’s my world. Don’t like it? Vai se foder. (Google translate if you really want to know, but it’s rude.)

They got it. LOL!

Strip away all of the fear and prejudice and judgmental B.S., and beautiful things happen. Love happens.

Okay, okay. We get it, Xio. Global society. Blah, blah, blah. Geez. So what’s the second thing that we need to know about your writing?

I’m a big fan of second-chance love and I tend to write stories about people who try to do the right thing, only to have it backfire. People to whom life has dealt a particularly shitty hand of cards. Take my hero Duff in The Calum Series. When his idyllic family life is shattered, he turns to sex, booze and a life of petty crime before channeling that anger into photography. While his professional life is swimming along, he is still shut off from the world emotionally. It’s how he thinks things need to be, until he meets a girl. The girl.

Falling Stars – late Summer 2015

I believe in true love. I believe in marriage. I also believe that people marry poorly. Or commit to people for the wrong reasons.

Bad marriages, divorce and adultery are taboo in the romance genre. For that reason, I don’t call my Falling Stars Series “romance”, but it certainly is an epic love story. Sam is trapped in (or dutifully committed to, if you ask him) a poisonous Hollywood marriage. When he meets the love of his life on set, his sense of right and wrong is turned on its head. I loooooove his journey. I hope you will too.

Ronnie wanted to know why we write what we write. She asked if it was intentional, my themes. Yes and no. Initially, I wrote the kinds of stories that I wanted to read. Without thinking. Now, I make it my mission to tell the stories that few people seem to tell.

Life and love in all its messy, complicated, beautiful colours. Maybe that will be my new tag line. =)

Head on over and check out what the wonderful Carrie Elks has to say about her writing. She often sets her stories in one of my favourite cities, London. See you next time.

FoX Friday with Jeanne McDonald

Welcome to another FoX Friday! Today we have author Jeanne McDonald here with her new release, The Truth Be Told.

From the moment Andrew Wise and McKenzie Evans first met, they tried to fight the magnetism that pulled them together. No matter how hard they struggled with their feelings, their love was a force so strong that neither of them could deny it. The news of Olivia Hamilton’s pregnancy, and the understanding that Drew is the father, led McKenzie to flee with the hope of rectifying her secret betrayal of falling in love with her best friend’s boyfriend. However, when Drew showed up and declared his undying love for her, McKenzie could no longer deny the truth. She and Drew were destined for each other. McKenzie now has no choice but to face Olivia in order for her and Drew to move on with their lives together. Secrets and lies may have kept them apart, but now, in the light of the truth, their legacy shines as pure as their love. For as long as Drew can remember, there has always been tension between him and his father, Jonathan. This time is proving no different. Since sharing the truth of his past with McKenzie, Drew is emboldened by her unwavering love and acceptance of the man he is. He’ll do anything necessary to protect the woman he loves and the life he’s come to understand she deserves. With Jonathan and Olivia teamed together to rip them apart, Drew and McKenzie, along with the aid of some unexpected allies, must join forces to overcome the obstacles that will inevitably come their way. In this much anticipated final installment of The Truth in Lies Saga, Drew and McKenzie will unite together to conquer the past, face the future, and uncover the truth in lies that threaten to destroy them. Love brought them together and love will set them free.

.

Grab a copy: Amazon ~ B&N ~ Smashwords     

Grab the whole series: Amazon ~ B&N ~ iTunes

Jeanne McDonald is an author, a mother, a wife, a student of knowledge and of life, a coffee addict, a philosophy novice, a pop culture connoisseur, inspired by music, encouraged by words, and a believer in true love. When she’s not spending time with her family, she can be found reading, writing, enjoying a great film, chatting with friends or diligently working toward her bachelor’s degree in literature. A proud Texan, Jeanne currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with her family.

Catch Jeanne on her Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Google+ | Smashwords

Enter the Goodreads Book Giveaway!

 

 Spon

FoX Friday with Kim Golden!

Hey there ladies and gents. It is with great pleasure that I welcome my long-time friend, author Kim Golden, to share her new release with us.

If you’ve been following me for a little while, you know how deeply I fell in love with her novel Maybe Baby. How fortunate was I when she asked me to read Maybe Forever? Very! I adore Mads and Laney. Theirs is a story about love, and about making a choice to live the life you need. Kim writes with such depth and emotion, I get carried away in her books. I can’t think of one that I haven’t read in a single sitting. She’s just that good. On Sunday, 17th May, I’ll help Kim celebrate the release of Maybe Forever over on Facebook, along with several other authors. There will be lots of giveaways, so make sure to stop by around 1PM eastern! In the meantime, here’s more about this fabulous book.

Is the honeymoon over…?

Now married with two children, Laney and Mads are finding their life together isn’t as simple as it used to be. While Laney struggles with motherhood, Mads is so focused on chasing success that he loses sight of promises he’s made.

Better apart…?

When frustration gets the better of her, Laney takes the kids and goes to the US, hoping to find solace with her aunt Cecily, a former school teacher who now teaches yoga and meditation in Florida.

Can Laney and Mads find their way back to one another…or is it too late?

I already know the answer, but I really loved their journey. I think you will too. Start with Maybe Baby and Maybe Tonight and then dive into this beautiful, heart-wrenching tale.

Kim was kind enough to send over an excerpt. Enjoy!

“I heard it’s your anniversary.”

I looked up from the sketches Jonas had given me. Benny was perched on the far end of the farm table we used for all meetings and group pow-wows. “It’s actually next week, but we’ll all be in Milan.”

“So you’re celebrating early?” She crossed her ankles. Her overalls gapped at the side and revealed glimpses of evenly tanned skin. I glanced away. “I love that you two are so…romantic.” She said it as though my wanting to do something nice for Laney was quaint.

“Did you finish the updates to the sketches for the Hotel Alexandra project?” I didn’t want to discuss Laney with Benny. I knew how it would go. Benny was one of those women who said she was one of the guys. But she made sure you always knew she wasn’t one of the guys. And right now I couldn’t concentrate with her watching me, swinging her legs back and forth, flashing that smile I knew my workshop mates Jonas and Morten had called saucy. Saucy because she made you feel like she’d stripped you naked without even removing a single piece of clothing, like she should see past all your defenses. She was the sort of woman you could fuck if you wanted and pretend you could go back to being friends. Because that’s what the cool girls did. At least, that’s what Laney used to tell me. Because she said she’d been one of those women.

I stole another glance at Benny. She’d hopped off the table and was now peering down at the table top and the unfurled prints of the ideas for the hotel renovation we’d presented for a project bid. She leaned forward, the tops of her breasts suddenly exposed. I felt my mouth going dry. I looked away. I didn’t want her. I knew I didn’t. I wanted my wife. But…no, this was just a rough patch. Benny was not the one I wanted to hold.

I wanted Laney.

I wanted her to want me again.

****

What did I tell you? I dare you not to fall in love with Mads. Grab a copy of Maybe Forever from: Amazon – Amazon UK – Kobo – Nook – All Romance

Kim Golden grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and spent most of her childhood summers in Smithfield, Virginia. She isn’t sure where her love of words comes from, but she’s loved books since she was a child and she’s loved writing stories for as long as she can remember.

After earning her MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University, love lured her away from the US and brought her to Sweden where she has lived for twenty years.

Kim writes about relationships, about love. She often writes about interracial relationships. She likes reading stories about people who are different, who see past the differences and fall in love. And those are the stories she also enjoys writing. She writes stories for people who know that love comes in many colors.

Catch up with Kim at her website, or on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, or Pinterest