Emilie Richards's Blog, page 75

The Writing Process 2015: What Happens After “The End?”

My deadline was November 1. This was a carved-in-stone, don’t-you-dare-be-late, the-heavens-will-collapse deadline.

I turned in When We Were Sisters exactly on time. It’s now November 17th and the book seems to be happily napping, all curled up and dreaming about its June debut, somewhere between “written” and “edited.”Am I surprised? Unhappy? Perplexed? Nope. I’m a writer with lots of books to my credit. I know what deadlines actually mean. I’m just delighted to be finished with my part for a little while.

Am I really finished, though? “Finished” isn’t a concept a novelist understands. Because turning in a book isn’t an ending. When We Were Sisters still has lots ahead. Including:

Line editing
Revisions
Copy editing
Revisions
Proofreading
Wheedling review copies to send my Krewe of Review
Promotion as the book makes its way to stores
Booksignings

In the meantime, though, let’s talk about foreign sales. Because very soon the book will be marketed to publishers overseas.

The books in the photo came today. Two of them are foreign language editions of No River Too Wide. En öppen famn (the same cover as the US) is from Sweden. How do I know? Because the edition was copyrighted in Stockholm.

Can you guess which of the other three is also No River Too Wide? It’s the one directly below it. Three women, backs turned, on a riverbank. Ces liens qui nous unissent. My French is just good enough to alert me to the language, and just bad enough that my translation makes no sense nor does Google’s. Connections? Attachments? United? Hmm. . .  But since Janine Stoddard’s name is in the cover copy, I can see which book it is.

By the way! I learned at my recent conference that in Germany–and if I’m not wrong, in France, too–book titles must be original. So in addition to translating a title to make sense in another language, the publisher there must come up with a thoroughly original one.

The book on the far left has the same cover art as a Mother’s Day anthology I was once part of. Den vakneste gaven is Swedish, too. Care to guess which book? It’s Sister’s Choice, the fifth book of my Shenandoah Album series. And if you can read the title on the right, you’ll know the book immediately even if, again, you don’t speak Swedish. Broen til Happiness Key is pretty clear, isn’t it? Happiness Key rides again, only this time in Sweden.

But actually, no. This book is really Sunset Bridge, the third and last of the Happiness Key trilogy. Fooled me, fooled you!

Speaking of my conference and Sweden? Did you know that people in Sweden have the highest proficiency in English outside countries that speak English as their first language? I didn’t.

Selling to foreign publishers isn’t an easy task. I’m not free to zip over to Europe and plead with publishers to translate, design covers, sell and market my books just because I want them to. In the case of these editions, my publisher sold them for me. In publishing that’s a trade off. My publisher has contacts all over the world and I’m published in dozens of countries. I’ve had the pleasure of personally seeing my books on European shelves, all because of their extensive contacts. The trade off? My royalties are much less because we share.  But I have the fun of getting boxes like the one I got today. I’m glad I could share that with you.

And now, if you’ve been good and read all the way through this? Email me and let me know why you should receive one of the non-English language books I’ve featured here. Do you speak French or Swedish? Do you have a good friend who does and would love a signed copy for Christmas? If you live in the U.S. or Canada, tell me which book you want and why. If I get more than one request for a certain book we’ll let random.org make the choice. (Remember I am giving away the books you see in the photo, not their English counterparts.)

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Sunday Inspiration: Making Love Last

As you may have figured out from reading my books, I’m very interested in relationships, especially relationships that need to be healed.

My interest probably comes from having been a family counselor in my past life and being married for many years. Or perhaps I was a family counselor and am long-married because I am interested in relationships. Who knows which came first? Both of these roles have been fulfilling, but not easy. I’m not sure which is more difficult, to help others patch up their relationships or to work through the problems of my own.

Fortunately I’m married to a great guy and over the years we’ve learned how to make love last. In my books, I draw on these past experiences to try and help others to deal creatively with the obstacles that keep couples from being happy and satisfied. And I’m always looking for resources to help me do that.

One of my favorites, as I’ve shared before, is Eric Barker who writes a blog that often deals with relationships. In his latest, How To Make Love Last: Backed By Research, he offers some advice that I wish all young — and not so young — couples would read.

One of the traps many couples fall into is that they believe for some reason that they can read each others minds. Really? The problem is that people use this super power to read only what they perceive as dark thoughts. If she’s quiet, she must be angry. If he doesn’t take out the trash, he must be upset. Perhaps you remember doing this at some distant time in your relationship — like perhaps yesterday.

Another trap? The unspoken rules couples live by. The other person never learns what these rules are until he or she disobeys one and up pops the anger. Even the person who has laid down the unspoken rules may not be aware of them until the tripwire is activated.

The assumption is that the other person “should” know what these rules are. But”shoulding” on someone you live is dangerous and messy since it judges the other person for something he or she isn’t even aware of.

To escape these traps we first need to be aware of the “shoulds” when they pop up — just follow the anger — and turn the fire hose of mindfulness on them.

Secondly, forget about mind-reading and let the other person know what you need as clearly and non-judgmentally as possible. What a concept, right? And check out what the other person needs by simply asking them, “What do you need from me?”  Not so hard, is it? Unless you’re afraid of the answer. That’s worth considering.

Lastly, instead of assuming the worst, assume the best. You may be surprised that your accuracy rate will be much higher. Act out of love instead of fear, because what you want is a loving relationship and not a fearful one. And if you are afraid? It’s time to get help.

Wouldn’t it be great to always assume that people are plotting to make us happy?

I believe that making love last should be our top priority, and these tips don’t just work in our marriages but in all of our relationships. Give them a try and see what happens. I think you’ll like the result.

Thanks to Proman (that great guy mentioned above) for finding this Eric Barker article and sharing it.

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Welcome to the World Declan!

I expected to be back in Florida early this week after visiting my Ohio family, signing at the Buckcye Bookfair and savoring the birth of our newest grandson. The sweater set above was my summer project while I waited for the baby to arrive and I couldn’t wait to give it to his mom and dad. Things moved a bit slow on the baby front and beautiful little Declan took his time, as babies often do.

Sunday was the big day and what a day it was. Not only did Declan arrive, but I got to play Grandma all day to his older brother while his parents were at the hospital. Ask me anything you want about Dinosaur Train. And Paw Patrol. (Please get more female hero-dogs into the show, folks. This is the 21st century.)

Since part of the purpose for being here was to help a few days after the baby came I’m staying a bit longer. So this is what passes for my blog for the week. Instead of writing I’m making chicken soup and lasagna, gossiping with my daughter who lives in Cleveland, too, playing dolls with my granddaughters and building apartment buildings with my grandson. Life is good.

And yes, in between? Well, the next book has a baby in it. Are we surprised? Writers are never far from their next story. Even when the real world is every bit as entertaining and the ending every bit as happily-ever-after.

Thanks to all my readers who found me at Buckeye. There were a number of you from my newsletter list. What a joy to meet you in person.

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Sunday Inspiration: It’s a Wonderful World

I guarantee that this video will make your day. Thanks to my husband for today’s post while I’m away enjoying this wonderful world.

 

I receive an inspirational quote every day from Values.com, and I’ve passed some of my favorites on to you. They also make commercials, as well as billboards to pass their hopeful message onto others. I haven’t seen their commercials on TV — I try hard to avoid commercials — but what a creative way to give people a positive outlook on life.

It’s so easy to get discouraged by all of our trials and tribulations, as well as the bad news from the rest of the world that constantly bombards us. But if we can take some time out every day to remember that it’s a wonderful world in spite of the pain and frustration, then our days can be more meaningful and happy.

And don’t forget that you are a part of the wonder and beauty of this world.

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Emilie’s Krewe of Review

If you didn’t open my October newsletter, or you haven’t yet subscribed,  let me tell you about Emilie’s Krewe of Review.

At the Novelist’s Inc. conference last month I learned so many exciting ideas. One came from a workshop about review teams. “Street” teams have been around for years. A street team is a group of readers who are excited about helping an author do publicity. They pass out bookmarks, talk up an author’s books, and assist in any way they can. I’ve never felt comfortable asking for that kind of help. But review team? I was immediately enthusiastic.

A review team receives and reads an author’s books before publication–and sometimes after–then reviews them at online bookstores like Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and at reader websites like Goodreads. If an author has access to advance copies, she passes them on, knowing that these readers will do their best to post reviews wherever they can. Additional help might include suggesting the book for book clubs, asking their local library to order it, or any other way the reader feels comfortable participating.

I’ve just sent out dozens of letters to the readers who saw my request in the newsletter and responded. I explained the concept and then sent a questionnaire. Not everyone will find joining the krewe appealing because it’s a commitment they may not have time to honor, but others will be on board right away.

I love this idea because it’s mutually beneficial. Readers who like the kinds of novels I write get advance access and in return I get more reviews. Quite honestly getting a good number of reviews has become more important as social media expands. Publishers and readers alike check for them. Promotional newsletters like BookBub check the number of reviews a book has received before selling the author advertisement space. Yes, it happens. Trust me.

We needed a name. And since my writing career began in New Orleans, we are now the Krewe of Review. A krewe in New Orleans is a carnival group, often one that parades in the weeks before Mardi Gras. Seen all those Mardi Gras beads being tossed off floats? That’s a krewe behind those masks. Like the traditional krewes of New Orleans, the Krewe of Review is going to have fun together. We’ll even have our own Facebook group.

If you’re interested in learning more and have the time to read and review, you can email me here. I’ll send you more information and a questionnaire. As they say in New Orleans: Laissez les bon temps rouler!

As you read this, I will be in Ohio preparing for the birth of a grandson, a granddaughter’s birthday, and the Buckeye Book Fair on Saturday the 7th. I won’t be able to reply to review emails until I return. But I promise I will reply.

If you’re anywhere near Wooster, Ohio on the 7th, please visit my table. The book fair is an all day event and my friends Serena B. Miller, Casey Daniels/Kylie Logan and Karen Harper will also be signing books. It’s a great time to get a head start on your Christmas shopping. I always do.

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Sunday Inspiration: Day of the Dead

My husband was in Guatemala several years ago when the Day of the Dead was being celebrated, and he says it was one of the most impressive sights he had ever seen. This video is very similar to what he saw, people picnicking and flying kites in cemeteries and displaying colorful giant kites. I wrote about this tradition in Endless Chain, and I was delighted that he got to see the real thing.

The Day of the Dead is for the most part celebrated in the Hispanic culture since it comes originally from the Aztecs. But over time it has been westernized and embraced by the Catholic Church, and the dates moved to All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.

During that time people flock to the cemeteries to clean the graves and tombs of their loved ones and in Guatemala to fly kites, which are said to bring messages to those who have passed into heaven. Altars are made that may include photos of the dead, statues of saints mingled with small skeletons and skull candy.

Participating in the Day of the Dead means taking the time not only to remember those whom we love — and continue to love though they are no longer in the land of the living–but also to celebrate their lives and in a sense to resurrect their spirits for a brief time. The Day of the Dead reminds us of our fear of death so we can stare into its skeletal face and chuckle.

Do you have a ritual for celebrating your loved ones who have passed on? Birthdays you still remember and celebrate? Special days when you visit cemeteries? I’m reminded that I don’t have a time set aside, but I’ve kept heirlooms and each time I see them, I remember. We each find our way, don’t we?

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Question and Answer: Facebook Readers to the Rescue

I have to smile. I just looked up the blogs listed here under I Really Want to Know. And yes, after difficult deadlines, apparently question and answer seems positively enlightened.

I came up with the same solution in 2013, proving once again that we are, if nothing else, creatures of habit.My Facebook Readers came to the rescue this time, as they did back then, so with many thanks to Marsha, Debra, Mary, Kathy and Fran, here we go:

From Marsha: What things do you like to do to relax? Do you dream about plots when you are working on a book?

Thanks for asking, Marsha. I love to knit, and I love to quilt, and I especially love them if I’m listening to a book. Right now that would be Still Life by Louise Penny, which I’m really enjoying.

I’m beginning to pay attention to exactly what parts of those hobbies I enjoy most. For quilting hand applique and small hand quilting projects are great. I’m not a big fan of all the prep work on larger projects, the cutting and ironing, and I suspect eventually I’ll do nothing but small projects I can finish by hand. That I find relaxing. For knitting I like something just challenging enough to keep boredom at bay and just simple enough to keep me from unraveling stitches every few rows. Right now I’m making a Stegosaurus hoodie for my three-year-old grandson after finishing a new baby sweater set for his soon-to-be baby brother. I’m also working on a baby quilt. Did I love tracing and cutting more than 60 small pieces from fusible web? I did not. Needle turn is much more fun.

On a more athletic level, I like kayaking and long walks. 

From Debra: Do you have a prize quilt? My work or someone else’s.

Good question, Debra. I think perhaps the Happiness Key quilt that I made in a pattern giveaway with quiltmaker and designer Pat Sloan. It’s based on my novel Happiness Key. The quilt is all finished, hand quilted and only needs binding. But it will go in my NY house to remind me of my Florida house. Pat and I also designed and made a stocking quilt, Season of Grace, twenty-five little stockings, each different, hanging on a large quilt. I made it and gave it to my granddaughters, and every year I fill each little stocking with goodies during Advent. Shopping for tiny things to tuck away is great fun. Now I need something similar for my grandsons.

From Mary: Will you be writing any more Ministry is Murder books? I really miss those.

From Kathy: Will you ever return to the Shenandoah Album Series?

I’m probably asked these questions more than any other, especially about the Shenandoah Album Series. Don’t tell anybody, but I’ve already started a substantial Shenandoah Album project. It’s not Book Six, but I don’t think you will be disappointed. The problem is finding time to finish it.

I want very much to go back to Emerald Springs, find Aggie and Ed, and see what they’re doing. Fingers are crossed I can do that in the future.

Kathy also asked: A few years ago, we stopped by the River in Tom’s Brook, a pilgrimage after reading the Shenandoah Album Series. To my delight, I found a suspension bridge over the river. Would this bridge have been the one in Touching Stars? 

Bet it was. Did it look like this one?

And finally, from Fran: Do you have favorite books you have read? Do you have favorites you have written?

I love reading my friends books. But in terms of people I don’t know yet? I just read Me Before You by JoJo Moyes and loved it. I mentioned Louise Penny above, and she has an entire series I’m looking forward to after I finish  the first book. I love Alan Bradley’s Flavia De Luce novels. I think The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher are a hoot. I read George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones well before the HBO series. 

As for my own? I always love the last book I finished. So in this case? When We Were Sisters, which will be out next June.

Thanks to all of you. It was a pleasure.

And a reminder: I’m an Amazon Affiliate and if you use the convenient Amazon links I’ve added, I get a teensy weensy royalty. Enough to buy a Popsicle if I save and save. Please feel free to buy anywhere or nowhere.

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Sunday Inspiration: Becoming Kinder

Are you a kind person? Would you like to be kinder?

Becoming kinder is something all of us — or almost all of us — strive for. Why? Because we want to be good people mostly. But to be honest there’s a selfish reason as well: we know that the kinder we are the happier we are. Isn’t it true that every time you’re kind to someone — whether it be cooking a meal or helping someone who is homeless — you feel a jolt of satisfaction and happiness?

Have you noticed that kindness is also contagious? When you’re kind to another person it tends to inspire them to be kinder, and that makes everyone happier. What a great system!

So why isn’t everyone always kind? Many reasons: we get too busy and distracted, we get into bad habits of selfishness even though it doesn’t make us happy, or we get out of practice. Kindness is like a muscle; it needs to be exercised on a regular basis to keep us in good spiritual shape.

I found some good exercises for kindness in an article titled Three Strategies for Bringing Kindness Into Your life from The Greater Good, an organization that researches and promotes compassion. Some of my favorite ideas from the blog are a kindness meditation, practicing random acts of kindness in our daily lives, and encouraging kindness in kids. There are many more ideas on how to feel connected to others and having the courage to reach out to those are suffering even though it may be risky and scary.

So why not try a kindness exercise or two and remember the words of the Dalai Lama: “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

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The Writing Process 2015: Saying Goodbye to Characters

Are you a fan of classic movies? Remember all the times a novelist–usually madly typing on a vintage typewriter–finished his book with a flourish, and as the camera moved over his shoulder, typed “The End.”

He (it’s usually a he) ripped the paper out of his machine, stuffed it, along with a huge stack of similar pages, into a manila envelope and that was that. He was so good he didn’t re-read or edit. Voila, a bestseller was on its way to his publisher. Writing a book is that easy.

Movies and real life are miles apart. In fact at the rate technology is changing, I’m afraid whatever I tell you here about the way books are written today will be obsolete before I type “The End.”

Not that I ever type “The End,” but you get the point.

I finished When We Were Sisters this week. Well, close enough. Over the past year I wrote and rewrote every one of the fifty chapters. Then for the past two weeks I’ve read and revised, and finally re-read all 500+ pages out loud and revised again.

This morning after I read the last word of the epilogue out loud I sent the whole manuscript to my Kindle to read silently again this weekend. This is a step I don’t usually have the luxury of enjoying, but my deadline is still two weeks away. So I’m taking my time. I made enough changes during this lengthy process  I want to be certain they’re all working.

Will I print out the finished product and stuff it in an envelope? Not these days. I’ll attach the file to an email, and my editor will have it instantly. She’ll edit the file on her computer, send me the edited version with every change documented, every comment or question in the margin, and I’ll spend a few days incorporating what I agree with and questioning her about changes I don’t.

As my day progressed, and I ticked off the many other projects that had to wait until I finished my book, I was aware that mixed in with relief was sadness. I’ve worked on this novel for most of a year and worked hard. My deadline was chopped by two months so we could bring the book out sooner, and that meant a lot of extra hours at the computer. I should be delighted I’m done, but you know what?

Saying goodbye to characters is a lot tougher than those old movies made it seem. Of course you’re a reader, so I bet you understand. You’ve said goodbye to Scarlett and Rhett, to Harry Potter and Frodo, to Atticus Finch–at least as you once knew him. You know.

When We Were Sisters focuses on two women who grew up in foster care together. And because I wrote the story in their points of view, I have lived in their heads for months. I know every thought, every impulse, every hang-up. Now, like mothers everywhere, I’m supposed to say goodbye and let them go.

The problem? I’m not ready. This is why sequels are born, but I have no plans for one. The book stands alone and should stay that way, so I am just resigned to being lonely.

How can I help myself? Spend time with friends. Take a break for quilting, reading, and finishing my grandson’s Stegosaurus sweater–those multi-colored spikes need every ounce of my concentration.

And when Liam is officially a dinosaur, with proud Grandma looking on? Well, there’s a new book forming in my head. I found myself talking about it at breakfast this morning. My long-suffering husband smiled and nodded, the way I do when he runs sermon ideas past me. Maybe the new book will help me say goodbye to Cecilia and Robin. But first my new characters need names. And professions. And backgrounds.

So goodbye and hello. I guess it’s inevitable. New children to fuss over, to prod along, praise and gently chastize. It’s time to get moving.

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Sunday Inspiration: Hope in spite of…

This short video moved me and I think it will move you, too. I find it perplexing that people who have so much going for them are often starved for hope –celebrities come to mind who seem to have everything and yet become addicted or suicidal. Others have so little and yet live with and inspire hope in others, in spite of the chaos and pain in their lives.

Certainly hopelessness engulfs all of us from time to time, but the people in this video make me hope that no matter how difficult our lives can be, there will always be the possibility of light in the midst of darkness, of love in the midst of loneliness, of meaning in the midst of despair.

Right now, what are you most hopeful about in your life? I’m about to welcome a new grandson, and I love knowing that with his caring, committed parents he will grow up to be a person who helps bring even more hope into the world. Reasons to be hopeful are everywhere. What’s yours?

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