Xio Axelrod's Blog, page 24

The first draft of Starstruck is complete!

177,163 words. Wow.  I have some work to do, lol!

Book one of Falling Stars is moving onto the next phase: the chopping block. It’s going to be painful, but I am looking forward to carving something even more beautiful out of this roughly hewn wood.

Thanks to everyone that came along for the ride. I hope you’ll love the finished work just as much.

Mwah!

Xio

Teaser! Starstruck – Chapter 43: Truth Hits Everybody

“Sam.” Maurice paused and cleared his throat. “I’ve known you were in love with Ms. Saunders since before I even met you.”

Sam frowned, wishing the conversation were taking place face-to-face, rather than over the phone.

“I know you don’t believe you’re that transparent,” he continued. “But you are. And I get it, I do. She is…a rare one. But we’re talking about your livelihood here. And hers.”

Sam hated that he was right.

50 years later, we’re still dreaming

I couldn’t let today pass without a post. While I am immersed in the world of Falling Stars, I am reminded that, were it not for Dr. King and all that he fought for, I wouldn’t be afforded the opportunities that I have today. I wouldn’t have the education that I’ve had. Even my marriage would be illegal. Heck, I wouldn’t even be able to write, openly, about love between Sam (a white man) and Val (a black woman) without fear for my life.

His dream is far from being fulfilled, but I do hold on to the hope that one day race – as well as gender, sexual orientation and faith – won’t be a socially acceptable excuse to keep people down. Let’s face it. It still is, even in 2013.

Race is a social construct. We’re human beings. It’s time that we start acting like it.

Okay, now back to writing these angsty love scenes.

That’s me screaming ‘Argh!’, and not in a cool piratey way.

Frustration has a flavour. Right now, it tastes of stale coffee.

Some things are  easier said than written. Since I made the decision to revise the Falling Stars trilogy, beginning with book one, Starstruck, it’s been more about labour than love. My two protagonists, Sam and Val, keep throwing wrenches into the works and sending my chapters off into a tailspin.

Dagnabbit, these two kids just don’t want to cooperate! I keep trying to tell them that their story is far from over and that I will revisit them in the future, but nooooooo. They’re pouting.

Regardless, Starstruck will conclude very soon and I have decidedly mixed emotions about it. I’m excited to introduce you, dear reader, to new characters and stories. On the other hand, I miss Sam and Val already and have already jotted down some ideas for shorts or novellas featuring them. I also promised you that they would remain a part of the Falling Stars universe, and they will.

All of this to say that I had chapter 43 well underway before I decided that it just wasn’t working. Sometimes knowing the destination doesn’t make the journey any easier to navigate. Fear not, I will get there and you will find out what happens after the latest bombshell. There are 4, possibly 5, chapters remaining. And it’s going to be one hell of a ride!

Okay enough bellyaching, Xio. Back to the grind.

What’s in a name?

When I came up with the title for Starstruck, I knew it wasn’t completely original but, at the time, it wasn’t important. I was writing a story for my own amusement. By the time the novel began to take shape, it was too late to change it. Nevermind that there were already 248 entries for “starstruck” on Amazon in the book category alone. Yikes!

Ah well.

So here I am at the start of the second book which was originally called “Starcross”. I know, I know and I agree. I need a new title. I’m committed to keeping “Falling Stars” for the series, so I want to play with the word “star”.

“Starlight” was originally the name of the third book, but I’m not married to it. Can you think of any star-related sayings?

Starshine? Starborn? I’m dying here, lol.

Synopsis, synopsises, synopsos

“What’s your book about?”

“Well, there’s a guy and a girl and they shouldn’t be together, but they can’t help but love each other, and there’s stuff in the way, but they eventually work their way through it and find their happily-ever-after.”

Not the most exciting recap of what happens in my first novel, Starstruck, but it’s basically true.

What doesn’t it say? It doesn’t tell you anything about what makes these two people worth knowing; worth reading about. A book, any book, requires an investment of the reader’s time. In my synopsis I have to tell the reader, or in this case a publisher, why my book is a must-read (or a must-publish).

There are, quite literally, thousands of love stories out there for public consumption. What makes mine unique? Personally, I think it is my characterization. To me, Sam and Val are complex and real.  But how do you convey that in a synopsis? Beats me. Is there a way?

I’m open to suggestions. Meanwhile.

“This is the story behind ‘you had me at hello.’”

Changes coming to the Falling Stars universe

Hello lovely readers!

Those of you who have been with me since the beginning know that I’ve been posting my stories in installments on my Tumblr blog, Beautiful Freak. Since I’ve made the decision to try my hand at this professional writing thing, thanks to your support and encouragement, it has been increasingly apparent that I can no longer do this. But don’t fret! I won’t leave you hanging. You, like me, want to know how Sam and Val’s story ends and I will give that to you. Here’s what’s going to happen:

The chapters of Star-crossed that I have already posted will be incorporated back into Starstruck and I will take Sam and Val’s story to its head. I will post the final chapters and leave them up until the end of August.

Book two, Star-crossed, will be a new tale which focuses on another couple in the Falling Stars universe. No, I’m not saying who.

Starlight will follow suit, with a third couple being featured. Both books, along with Starstruck, will be published in novel form. More on that another time.

Sam and Val will be around, as secondary characters. I just love writing them too much to say goodbye. And who knows? Maybe someday they will get another book of their own.

Falling Stars is a trilogy about finding love, sometimes under difficult circumstances, and finding the courage to go for it no matter what. Sam and Val have started us on this journey, but it is by no means the end. I hope you will continue to travel along with me. I wouldn’t be here without you.

Thank you dearly for your love and support,

~Xio

PS. Be on the lookout for some free reads on my website and my blog. I’ll post short stories and drabbles from time to time.

RWA 2013 recap

I had every intention of updating daily.

Really, I did.

But then, you know…stuff happened. And things.

There were lots of amazing people to meet and a ton of information was poured into my brain. Networking was done and contacts were made. Best of all, I got a wee bit of interest in my work. Which, needless to say, surprised the hell out of me. =)

The week was filled with workshops, publisher spotlights, author signings and general immersion into the world of romance fiction. I was a freshwater fish in a saltwater ocean, but I adapted quickly; exchanging business cards and shaking hands like the best of them. By “them” I mean the veterans in this industry. It was all so new to me and yet somehow familiar.

Many of you know that my other job is in music. The writing/publishing industry shares some commonalities with the music business. Fortunately, it is also quite a different animal. I can’t think of a single music conference that I’ve ever attended where newbies are welcomed with such grace and warm generosity. Of course there were exceptions, but they were few and far between. Frankly, they could just have been having a bad day. I didn’t take it personally.

“How do you pronounce your name?” That was the start of many introductions, which I expected lol. Quite a few of my fellow authors seemed taken with my name, asking if they could steal it for a character.

Fair warning: at least a dozen people asked me that question, so if you were one of them, you should get on that right away.

Romance Writers of America (RWA) is a professional organization. The conference ran smoothly. The schedule, though packed, was well thought out. There were often two things happening simultaneously that I wanted to do, but they had us covered. Most of the workshops, etc, were recorded and available for purchase. For me, it was a worthwhile investment. There was just no way that my brain could retain all of the knowledge that I received in such a short amount of time, note-taking aside.

I felt like I was learning to swim out in the open sea, but I was part of a freshman class and there were plenty of people around us with life-jackets handy. My only regret is that I didn’t take more photos. Next year, we’ll be in San Antonio. I’ll be sure to get a little more snap-happy then.

In the meantime, I have a lot of writing and revising to do. I didn’t anticipate being asked for samples of my work, but I plan to take full advantage of the opportunity. This journey is just getting started. Off we go!

~X

RWA in T minus 7 hours

They don’t call it “HotLanta” for nothing.

I checked the forecast for this week, and it’s 90-plus with 300% humidity.

Hey, it’s just like back home! =)

Of course, I will be spending the week in air-conditioned splendor, surrounded by people already living my dream of being a published novelist. These women (I’m told that there are a few men as well) will be schooling me, whether they know it or not. I’m ready to learn the ropes, start from the bottom rung, pay my dues, and all of those other cliches about being n00b.

The hotel is preparing for the influx of thousands of romance writers, editors and publishers and the finishing touches on what appears to be not-so-subtle marketing strategies are  underway. This shot of one of the elevators (there are at least 8) shows you how immersed in the world of romantic fiction the organizers of RWA wish us to be. I am not complaining at all. As someone new to this world, I need a crash course. I have a feeling I’m about to experience information overload. Good thing I am taking notes!

Sitting in the lobby of this massive structure, I spot a few people that I think might be writers: laptops open and fingers flying across the keys.  I hope that being here this week will spark a lightning storm of creativity in my brain. I have a lot of revisions to do to Starstruck and some updating to write for Star-crossed. I know many of you are waiting for chapter 11. Did I thank you for your patience? Well, thank you again!

More to come, stay tuned.

Road-tripping

30 seconds before I hit ‘buy’ on my plane tickets to Atlanta to attend Romance Writers of America’s annual conference, my friend Denny called asking me to join her on a road trip instead.

“Sure!” I said.

So for the last 3 days, we’ve wound our way down to Hotlanta, stopping off to see her adorable mother in the Carolinas before continuing south to Savannah.

I’d been wanting to visit Savannah for years, and although we were only there for a few hours, it was everything that I’d imagined: gentle, genteel, soaked in history and kinda sleepy. Also, thoroughly beautiful.

It’s funny how every town has its claim(s) to fame, Savannah is no exception. They’re very proud of their legacy and of their celebrity. Denny and I decided to hop on the guided tour to get a quick history lesson. The Girl Scouts started there. They had the first radio station. The first TV station. Our tour guide, Vee, was quite knowledgeable about everything from the year each historical home was built to the 4 prohibitions imposed by General Oglethorpe (Georgia’s founding father) to the names of the stones lining River Street (balance stones, not cobblestones.)

Have you read Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil?

Seen the film? This is where it was shot.

That’s the bed and breakfast where Kevin Spacey Stayed.

These are the benched where the crew ate their sandwiches between breaks.

Okay, I made that last one up, but you get the idea. =)

Savannah is a lovely place and I hope to spend some quality time there one day. It’s worth more than a one night stand.

Next stop: Atlanta!