A.E. Jones's Blog, page 40

Mind Sweeper is a RITA Finalist!

Hello my followers! I am so excited to let you know that I got THE call today. Today is the day that Romance Writers of America�� announces the finalists for the Golden Heart�� and RITA�� awards. The Golden Heart is for unpublished writers and the RITA award is for published writers.

If you have been following me for a while, you will remember that in 2013 I got the call for Mind Sweeper. It was a finalist in the Golden Heart for Paranormal Romance. And I was blessed to win my category in 2013.

Today I got the call that Mind Sweeper is a DOUBLE finalist in the RITA’s for first book and for paranormal romance. I am so happy and thankful for this and I wanted to share it with you. If you would like to check it out on the RWA site, click HERE

So what did I do when I got the call? Honestly? I burst out crying. Could barely talk. I’m not sure where the emotions came from, but the minute I heard the words ‘I’m calling from RWA’ I started to cry. And then when I was finally pulling it back together, I heard the words that I am a double finalist. Holy guacamole, Batman!

I wanted to thank you all for your wonderful support over these last few years including following my self publication path. Special shout out to my NEORWA and Lucky sisters! And thanks to my friends and family who put up with me on a daily basis… This is the type of news that makes all the work worth it!

What a glorious day it has been!

Writing is About Connecting

My critique partner and I met several years ago at a local writers group that is held at our public library. We hit it off immediately when we realized that we both were writing romances. We are actually quite different and this is even apparent in what we choose to write. Of course, you have probably already gathered that I write paranormal romance with urban fantasy and mystery thrown into the mix. She has written several contemporary romances, but her true passion is in her historical romances that take place in America about a large family of siblings in the 1850’s and 60’s.

I tell her frequently how in awe I am of her diligence in researching historical happenings to spur on her stories. She is also very careful to provide an accurate account of how life was in the time frame she is writing about. And while I love to read historicals, I don’t know that I could write them myself. I don’t have the drive needed to dive into the past to write my stories. On the other hand, she tells me that she could not write paranormal stories because they are based on a mythology that the author creates themselves.

Even our writing styles vary. She is more of a linear writer. Writing her first draft from beginning to end and then filling in more when she takes a second and third pass at the story. I have a tendency to jump around when I write. If a scene pops into my head, I write it down first and then fit it into the story later. Again, we chuckle at our differences and continue writing.

So why am I sharing this with you? Because I think there is an incorrect image of a writer that has been perpetuated. All alone, writing frantically and talking to themselves with no help on the horizon. Now, don’t get me wrong…there is frantic writing and mumbling (at least in my life) but a writer’s life is also about connections. How we live and interact and reach out to our critique partners, our families, our friends, and even our readers is reflected in what we write.

If we don’t experience relationships, how can we hope to write about them?

My critique partner has helped me in numerous ways. She might not be writing my words for me. But she is my coach, counselor, and cheerleader when I need her to be. And I hope that I’m the same for her.

So the moral to this blog? Writing is not a solitary endeavor. It is a shared experience.

Yes, Mondays Can be Fun Too

Now I know what you’re thinking, I have officially lost it with that title, right? I mean, come on AE, how can Mondays be fun? Well, I’m going to share my reasons with you. (You’ve probably been following me long enough to have seen that one coming).

First, it was sunny and in the sixties today. That in itself is reason to dance naked on the rooftops. (And before you ask…No, I did not do that and I am not suggesting you actually dance on your roof naked or not. It is meant to be a symbolic expression of joy).

Second, they had mashed potatoes and gravy in the cafeteria. And yes that is a big deal to me. I love mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s my go to comfort food along with mac and cheese. So another win for camp AE today!

Third, I have a travel agent working on a vacation for me. Yes, I am trying to plan a trip where I will go somewhere warm and beachy. I will eat, sleep, and read. And I will be away from my day job and I also will NOT be writing. Doctor’s orders. Really….

Finally, I was able to give away one of my Mind Sweeper books today to a coworker. Each year at work we have a March Madness giveaway. My book along with a gift card was given to one of my coworkers today. How cool is that?

So that concludes my argument on why Mondays can be fun. Have I convinced you? That’s okay if you’re on the fence. You can check with me next week to see if I have changed my thoughts on the matter.

A Perfect Ten

I was recently talking to one of my author friends about writing and the inherent frustrations that sometimes happen while telling a story. She compared the writing journey to figure skating and the more we talked about it, the more convinced I was that she was right (don’t get a swelled head, my friend). Close to the end of our talk, we both said “blog material” and so this blog was born :)

Figure skating is an amazing sport. Set to music, the skater performs a variety of moves in a couple of minutes without (hopefully) falling. It is a combination of athleticism and grace. This is very similar to telling a story. A good story has BOTH an engaging plot and a spark (inherent grace). The audience looks forward to the triple salchow and the quadruple lutz. These are what I would call the ‘holy crap’ scenes in a book. Many call it the black moments and there are several. For my books the black moments can be about the plot (since I like to blow things up and have supernatural fighting) or about the romance. But you can’t ONLY have blank moments.

Think about it this way.

Even though we love the really difficult moves, if a skater came out on the ice and just did several jumps right in a row it would lose its impact. Those jumps need context. Just as the holy crap scenes need context. You can’t have a powerful black moment if you haven’t allowed the reader to experience the characters and enough of the plot to pull them into the story. In other words, give them the skater gliding across the ice completing the footwork that may look easy, but is essential to tell the whole story so that you can build up to the jump. Make the audience hold their breath and lean forward in their seats.

When the final notes of the song fades away and the skater completes their last move (a fast spin, for instance) we know that we have reached a beautiful ending. And with the end of the routine the skater (or author) can throw their arms in the air in triumph.

 

Time for Spring…Pretty Pretty Please

I have to tell you that I have never been so happy for March to finally unveil itself. For many of us, this winter has been incredibly, what���s the word?…horrible. And even though I may be deluding myself (since March in Ohio is normally snowy and wet) I am still dancing a jig to finally bid February adieu.

For an author, much like someone suffering from season affective disorder, we can get bogged down in our own horrible winter when we���re writing. We don���t like to think about it or to talk about it, but it���s a reality. Even though I love to spend time with my characters, they can wear me down. Or rather, the moving from plot point ���A��� to point ���B��� can wear me down. I can���t just jump to all the ���cool��� scenes and not provide the ���in between��� for the reader.

So now that spring is here (or at least in my mind it is) I am also moving forward on my work in process. It���s time to melt that heavy snow in my brain and give myself and you, the reader, glimpses of spring.

Pic courtesy of ForestWander Nature Photography

Little Things Do Count

Last week I wrote about atmosphere and finding my writing mojo by heading to the library. While I was at the library I wandered into the new release section and stumbled upon my book. And it was a wonderful moment. A little thing, really, to have my book at my local library. But it was so amazing to me at the same time.

The library is interwoven with memories of my childhood. Going each day with my mother and brother to pick out a new stack of books. Falling in love with Laura Ingalls Wilder and Nancy Drew. And as I got older, heading to the library to get the next cozy mystery on the shelf. As an adult that addiction to mysteries expanded into suspense books as well and finally in the last few years I have found romances.

I still love going to the library. It’s a place for me to escape and pick up a book to meet new people and new worlds and solve new mysteries and watch new loves form. It is one of the reasons I became a writer. Because I wanted to share my worlds with people. I wanted to bring a smile to someone’s face and offer them a puzzle to solve. To offer characters that could become friends.

The idea of someone picking up my book, and reading the back cover, and tucking it under their arm to take home makes me smile. And so the little things DO count. I would have never thought as a child that one day I would see a book that I had written on a library shelf. But I did. And it makes me ridiculously happy.

It’s All About Atmosphere

Music, candles, food, aromas. All examples of how to establish atmosphere.

According to Cambridge Dictionaries Online, one of the definitions of atmosphere is: the character, feeling, or mood of a place or situation.��

Atmosphere is a huge part of writing. And as a writer I don’t want to TELL readers what the mood is. Instead I want to SHOW them. So many things can affect atmosphere in a story. The setting can convey mood. The characters themselves establish mood, whether through their expressions, tone, or word choice. The actions of a character set mood as well. A strength of a hand against a cheek can convey mood – a light caress versus a slap.

Writers want to convey mood in subtle ways. Drawing a picture for the reader so that they can become part of the story.

But writers are affected themselves by atmosphere. Lately I have been having trouble writing at home. I don’t know if I am starting to get cabin fever (as are most of us in the colder US states), or what my issue has been with sitting my butt in a chair and writing. After analyzing it a bit, I thought maybe a change of venue would be in order. Give myself a new atmosphere. So where can an author go to recharge their batteries? Well, a library, of course!

How can I not want to write surrounded by books? The very books that pulled me into the world of imagination in the first place? So this past weekend I spent time on Saturday and Sunday at the library, writing. And you know what?

It helped.

I was able to write two scenes which amounted to 3000 words. Not too shabby. Maybe it was imagination through osmosis? Maybe it was getting out of the house and breathing new air. Maybe it was avoiding the things at home that distract me. Whatever the reason, it worked and I will be heading back there soon.

So here I am at my local library. What’s with the impish grin on my face, you ask? Maybe it’s satisfaction at beating the blinking cursor? Peace of mind from being surrounded by books?

Either way, it’s all about atmosphere.

 

 

My First Book Club Experience

Yes, yes, yes, before you scold me… I know that this blog is a day late. But yesterday, I wanted to share the cover reveal for Amy’s Patrick’s upcoming book HIDDEN DEEP, which was a lot of fun. So here is my blog, one teensy day late.

Last week I attended my first book club meeting where MIND SWEEPER was the topic! Hee, hee. I was uber-excited about the idea of hearing a group talk about the first book in my series. So I decided as a thank you that I wanted to take something with me to the meeting. If you have been following me for awhile, you know that I am a bit twisted (that’s a lead-in to my explanation). I made cupcakes. But not your ordinary cupcakes cause what would be the fun in that? Instead, I made vampire cupcakes. Let me tell you it’s not easy finding plastic fangs in January! So fangs were used as was red frosting for blood.

Now on to the meeting. Half of the group showed up which I thought was amazing because (and I haven’t mentioned this yet) we were having a HUGE snowstorm that night – as in, you weren’t supposed to be on the road unless absolutely necessary, snowstorm. Yet these ladies pulled on their parkas, cleaned off their cars, and came to the library to talk to me about my book. How awesome is that??

And I was all prepared. Fangy cupcakes in hand and psyched to answer questions about my book. But I was a bit surprised (in a good way) at the questions they asked. Instead of talking about the book, they jumped into questions about being an author.

Had I always known I wanted to write? Why did I write about Cleveland? Why did I write paranormal? Were any of my characters fashioned after people? What was my writing process? How did I find my editor? Why did I decide to write a series? Why do I write novels and novellas?

And the q’s went on. And it was a heck of a lot of fun. We did eventually talk some about the book itself. And they explained to me that each month when they got together they talked about the books. This time they got to understand how the book came to be and that was fun for them.

The evening was a great success and I can’t thank each of them enough for inviting me to their meeting. As a gift, they gave me a thank you card and flowers. I hugged the roses to me after the meeting as I headed out into the snowstorm grinning from ear to ear.

 

Cover Reveal – Hidden Deep by Amy Patrick

Today I am pleased to be a part of Amy Patrick’s cover reveal for Hidden Deep (Book 1 of the Hidden Trilogy) which will be released on March 23rd. Amy is a talented author who is also a two-time Golden Heart finalist which is where I met her. And wait till you read the blurb. It makes my paranormal-loving heart go rat-a-tat. Without further adieu, let’s get to the reveal!

Give in to the Glamour���

��Sixteen-year-old Ryann Carroll has just run into the guy who saved her life ten years ago. You might think she’d be happy to see him again. Not exactly. She’s a bit underdressed (as in skinny-dipping) and he’s not supposed to exist.

After her father’s affair, all Ryann wants is to escape the family implosion fallout and find a little peace. She also wouldn’t mind a first date that didn’t suck, but she’s determined not to end up like her mom: vulnerable, betrayed, destroyed. Ryann’s recently moved back to her childhood home in rural Mississippi, the same place where ten years earlier she became lost in the woods overnight and nearly died.

She’s still irresistibly drawn to those woods. There she encounters the boy who kept her from freezing to death that long ago winter night and was nowhere to be seen when rescuers arrived. He’s still mysterious, but now all grown-up and gorgeous, too. And the more she’s with him, the greater the threat he poses to Ryann’s strict policy– never want someone more than he wants you.

Seventeen-year-old Lad knows the law of his people all too well: Don’t get careless and Don’t get caught. It’s allowed his race to live undetected in this world for thousands of years, mentioned only in flawed and fading folklore���

Lad’s never been able to forget about Ryann since that night ten years ago. When he sees her again, his fascination re-ignites and becomes a growing desire that tempts him to break all the rules. He’s not even supposed to talk to a human, much less fall in love with one.

And the timing is atrocious. The Assemblage is coming, the rift between the Light and Dark is widening, and mysterious celebrity fan pods are becoming more and more widespread and influential. Lad may have to trade his own chance at happiness to keep the humans, especially Ryann, blissfully unaware and safe.

��Goodreads

 

About the Author

��

Amy Patrick is a two-time Golden Heart finalist��(2013 and 2014) who writes Contemporary Romance and Young Adult fantasy/paranormal. Her books have won and finaled in many RWA chapter contests, and she is the author of the 20 SOMETHING series. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two sons and actually craves the heat and humidity of Mississippi, where she grew up. She’s been a professional singer and news anchor and currently narrates audio books as well as working as a station host for��a Boston TV station.

 

 

Author Links:

 

Website ���Twitter ��� Facebook ��� Goodreads

 

 

The Pursuit Release Day!

I am so excited to announce that The Pursuit is officially here! Released and ready for your reading pleasure. For more info on the particulars, click HERE. It is hard to believe that when I made the decision to self publish in January of 2014, that I would now be releasing my fourth book in my series. I have spent years writing these books and I hope that you are enjoying them. The characters are like family to me and from some of your comments and reviews, they feel like family to you too.

As usual, I am wearing my release day tiara. I started that tradition when I released Mind Sweeper since it was such a momentous occasion. The tiara is my way of highlighting the importance of the day. And I have continued the tradition through all of my book releases. Who doesn’t want to feel like a princess – a princess who can kick butt and take names – but a princess all the same.

So on this February day I look outside to see the snow melting (thank goodness) and the sun shining (okay, that is wishful thinking on my part). And I hope you join me in celebrating the day, no matter what you have planned. If I could, I would send you all a tiara to help you feel special too. Instead you’ll have to settle for a tiara picture.

If you have been following me for a while you know that I have two cats who also like to be part of the action as well. Today, Maggie decided that she wanted her picture taken too. So I’m sharing her beauty shot below. She also wanted to wear the tiara, but I put my foot down on that one.