Cynthia A. Rodriguez's Blog, page 3

2014’s Lessons, 2015’s Blessings

OK. So today marks the last day of 2014. I’m sure you have all experienced your own triumphs and failures this year. I’d like to focus on something a little less tangible than sales and books. Let’s talk about lessons. Here’s a list of the things I’ve learned in 2014.

1. Trust yourself. A lot of times, I knew something wasn’t right. It felt like it in my gut. I know when something isn’t working in my writing and usually I know how to fix it. Never forget that you are the master of your own universe.

2. Embrace the crap reviews. I’ve had a few. Every author has them. It’s something we struggle with, especially the ones that are long in length and detail every single thing we did wrong in the reader’s opinion. Guess what? Everyone has an opinion, and most of the time, you aren’t going to like it. But drive on. Because for every person who doesn’t like your work, there are more who actually enjoy it.

3. You define your own success. This lesson comes straight from Rosemi. The first time I mentioned the word ‘success’ to Rosemi, she asked me what it meant to me. How would I know I was successful? Which leads me into number four.

4. Crave connection. My answer was along the lines of, when seventy strangers have reached out to me in regards to my work. It wasn’t a sale number, it wasn’t a dollar amount. I only wanted to connect with readers. That excitement, I love it! And I want it.

I’m hoping to learn many more things in 2015 and definitely have more books available to my readers. So far, we have Chasing the Tide and Crashing Souls slated for release in 2015. I hope you’re all as excited as I am. I shared a teaser for Crashing Souls on my Instagram account yesterday in celebration of hitting 60,000 words. It’s only right I share it here!

Here’s to 2015! Life has always been what you’ve decided to make of it. Much like the blank page before you start writing, let this year be an exceptional project for you!

Now playing Sex & the City the movie! Next is the second one! I’ve always loved Carrie Bradshaw.

All my love,

Cynth

Starting Over

I hope you all had a very happy Christmas! The day after always feels like a hangover, right? So, this morning I’m awake next to my sleeping husband and I had a thought: Crashing Souls is off. Something is wrong. Within the next hour, I figured out what was wrong, figured out how to fix it, did some research, and rewrote the beginning and many small pieces that brought the story to its rightful place.

When I first spoke to you all about Crashing Souls, I mentioned reincarnation and religion. Religion is likely the most controversial topic. I don’t want to force my opinions or beliefs on others. So, I took out the religion because it wasn’t working for the story. Dexter Andrews is no longer given the chance to return to earth by God. He is given the opportunity by the Angel of Death. Yes, the Grim Reaper.

See, the story couldn’t handle the weight of religion. Dexter was crumbling beneath it. It was the one thing I felt that was holding my characters back. I can’t say that I did this out of fear. I refuse to think that I’d change a story because of what people think. Rather, I did it for my story.

This brings me to the topic of being able to scrap things that don’t make sense in your work or that are hindering that massive jump in your word count (because I know word count is a big deal to some of us; it shows progress). I know a lot of us are temperamental and we become attached to our words. We love the climbing word count and the idea of deleting anything makes us want to cry.

But, think about it. What is writer’s block to you? Why do you think you experience it? Writer’s block, to me, is that moment where you lose sight of what your characters are telling you. You are too into your own thoughts. This isn’t your story. You are just here to tell it. So you have to stop thinking and just write, unless your characters are telling you it isn’t working early on, like mine told me today. Don’t be afraid to start over. Your eyes will be keener the second time around.

Crashing Souls’ first draft should be done soon!

Now playing Moments by Tove Lo.

All my love,

Cynth

Is There Ever a Write Time?

All right. Most of you know that I’m an active duty Soldier. I’m also an author. How do I do it? I’m sure this post is going to piss off some people but I’m going to say the things people are afraid to. Ask Rosemi. It’s who I am.

My mornings and the better parts of my days belong to the Army. I’m not going to tell you what I do between the hours that the sun is out. But let’s talk about how tired I am already when I’m heading home. At this point, I’ve done a full day’s work and then some. There’s nothing more I’d like to do than take a long shower and go to sleep. Do I do this? Very rarely. Instead, I eat dinner (which is likely something quick I put together because I save the serious cooking for weekends and special occasions), I open up my laptop, and I settle in. Most of the time, I’m on Skype with my mom. We have this thing where she listens to the music I listen to as I write. She says it’s relaxing. Yes, I know it’s strange. But it’s a sacrifice I have to make for the people I love.

So, my laptop is on, Spotify is playing the playlist I’ve built for whatever project I’m currently working on and I start. I don’t care about word count, I don’t care about rituals, I don’t give a crap about where I am, to be honest. The two things I require are music and focus. And let me tell you, it takes a lot to deter me from my work.

I can’t knock those who are full-time writers. It takes guts and I hope to be there one day. But what I’ve learned in my short amount of time writing is that you’re going to write if you want to. You’re going to write if the sky is purple, if your dog has died, if you don’t have a cent to your name. Nothing is going to take you from the words if you’re meant to write them. So, while I don’t look down on those who have rituals (some people really need them), I will write any and everywhere, in whatever condition is comfortable. Why? Because the words will come. The day that they don’t, I’ll start worrying.

How do I find the time to write? I cut all of the bullsh*t excuses and I get right into it.

Now playing Grand Piano by Nicki Minaj. Her new album is kind of amazing.

All my love,

Cynth

It’s All About the POV, Baby

Hi. It’s me again. Before I begin this post, I’d like to say that I’ve only published one book and am currently writing my third. I am not a seasoned author. I do not know everything there is to know about writing. Not even half. But, I’ve picked up some lessons as a reader and a writer and I believe in spreading knowledge. So here I go.

Not everyone can pull off dual POVs. And not everyone can pull off writing a male POV and a female POV. It isn’t as rare as a unicorn. On a scale from ‘never going to happen’, to ‘an everyday occurrence’, authors getting multiple characters POVs down in a believable way is at a ‘sometimes, when it’s raining and if I wear my raincoat’.

If any of you lovely folks read Mystic Waters, you’d see my first attempt at dual POVs. The entire book is written in Liza’s, a female’s POV. The last chapter is written in Edric’s, a male’s POV. I don’t want to count this toward what I’m going to say because Edric is obsessed with Liza. He loves her so much, that his thought process isn’t like a human man’s. Plus, he’s damn near immortal. Most of his chapter is flashbacks anyway. Back to what I was getting at.

Dual POVs are kind of something I love. You’ll see what I mean in my future work. Take Crashing Souls, for instance. It is written in a male POV. Dexter’s POV is dialogue-driven. There’s white space because, let’s be honest, men don’t overthink the way we do. He says and does and while he sometimes thinks or notices things, he will not notice her brand new shoes (unless she’s never worn shoes before) or that she is wearing a designer dress. Ladies, stop doing this to your male characters. My husband gives a rat’s ass about my new eye shadow. Sometimes he’ll notice that I’ve put on makeup (especially in the beginning when we were still figuring each other out) but he’d either mentally check it off (Oh, she looks a little different. Makeup?) or he’ll ask me and not listen to my response (kidding!). If I were to write a female’s point of view, hers would have less white space because she is thought-driven. She tends to either think about what she’s going to say or she’s thinking about the situation as a whole. She is the one who notices the small things. She is the one who would cut off the tag, while cringing at the price, and tell us, in some creative way, that it’s a designer dress.

Men in love are strange creatures. They tend to start thinking more and, dare I say, even overthinking at times. It’s a side effect of having been in the company of a woman. This does not mean his POV will start to sound just like his woman’s. It just means he might have more internal monologue. Add in wrinkles and a few greying hairs and he’s a man in love! That was another joke.

There are, of course, instances where my advice means nothing. Pretty much any genre where the world has drastically changed. Also, there are men who do not act this way or think this way, just as there are women who don’t act or think the way most females do. Check out Nivineon. It’s chock full of females who would worry more about their killing abilities than their physical appearance. This post is geared toward those writing contemporary romance in any age group. I guess what I’m trying to say is, stay true to your characters. And write for your readers. I will laugh if your male characters sound like female characters.

This post is likely rubbish but I put down a bowl of homemade chili (made by me) to write it, so I hope someone, somewhere, gets something from it.

Now playing the entire Crashing Souls playlist. You can listen to it here.

All my love,

Cynth

Chasing the Tide Cover Reveal + Excerpt

Howdy, folks. Today is the day. I’ve been waiting a long time and I’m sure some of you have too. The cover for Chasing the Tide is here!

I’m sure you’re all wondering the significance of what you’re seeing. Two women jumping off of a ship. Well, because I LOVE my readers, wonder no more. Here’s an excerpt!

“I have to warn you,” Amare started, “this is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.” I nodded, ready to get the travel over with. We were standing there in our bikinis, Amare having thrown our other clothes over to disguise the fact that we’d ever been on board.

“I’m—I am not going to kiss babies and pretend I’m Princess Di.” I sighed. “This is war. These are my soldiers…my people. It’s about time they had a real leader.” I took her hand, and she signaled it was time to jump ship. Climbing the metal guard rails, we stood there for a moment, watching the light ripples in the water as the sun began to show itself. I turned to her, noting the energy brimming under her cool exterior. She held my hand tighter, and together we stepped off, the velocity of our fall making me dizzy with excitement.

We splashed into the water and almost immediately transformed, ripping through our bikinis in the process. The water was the clearest I’d seen. There was something to be said about the tropics. Although winter was nearly upon us, the water was still warm—until we reached the lower levels. As we headed farther down, I watched the sea creatures react to our intrusion. Schools of fish dodged us and, as we neared the coast of the small island, I saw a small opening in the rocks.

‘Is that where we’re headed?’ I asked, pointing to it. Amare nodded and grabbed my hand again.

‘There’s going to be a pull, like a current. Just hold on.’ As soon as she said it, I could feel myself being tugged.

‘Where is it taking us?’ I could feel the panic in my words, despite them not having said them aloud.

‘To my world.’ It was announced with pride, and I was wondering if I would even make it when everything went dark.

I am so blessed to be living my dream and I can only hope that my story, that this blog, helps others to reach for the stars.

Now playing Always In My Head by Coldplay. Side note: Mystic Waters is on sale on Amazon for $4.99!

All my love, from Nivineon,

Cynth

 

One Year Later

Today’s post will require me to open a closet. In that closet, there’s dust, some cobwebs, Afghanistan dirt, and a whole lot of love. But more than that, there’s this deep sadness that I’ve tucked away. As a Soldier, there are a lot of things I cannot say. A lot of these things, I wouldn’t say anyway. Because some things are meant to keep between my brothers and sisters in arms.

I was not close to SSG Williams. Not in the civilian sense. I didn’t know his favorite color. I didn’t know his favorite food. But, I knew him as a leader of Soldiers. I knew he loved PT (working out). And I knew he loved his daughter, Madison. SSG Williams is like the neighbor you cross the street to greet. He’s the teacher that made sure none of his students failed. He’s the one smiling and offering you what he has. Except, he was more than that.

On this day, a year ago, I remember the whisperings of a casualty. And I distinctly remember the way my stomach plummeted when SSG Williams’ name began to mix into those whispers. Not even a few minutes later, it was confirmed. The man I had seen nearly every morning for six months was gone. The man I’d said hello to just the day before. The man who’d sat with me while I updated his information so he could make SSG, which he did, the very month he’d died.

When I cried at SSG Williams’ ceremony, it wasn’t because we were at war. It wasn’t because of what his death symbolized. It was because the world lost a hero. And the worst of it was, no one would know him or understand what he’d done for them.

I’m not a crier but I shed more tears for that man than I’d ever shed before. At night, before bed, I’d wonder if he suffered. And right before we came back, I remembered thinking to myself…we left him behind.

It took me some time to understand that, while he was gone, it didn’t mean he couldn’t live on through all of us. Because of SSG Williams, a man who greeted me every morning with a smile, I am my best self. And I have a courage I never knew I could own. So, in honor of him, I will be revealing Chasing the Tide‘s dedication.

He gave us a little bit of heaven on earth and touched the lives of everyone he came in contact with. So, if you’re reading this, today is yours. What will you do with it?

Now playing, Whisper by A Fine Frenzy.

Sending all my love to Ms. Debbie,

Cynth

Chasing the Tide Cover Reveal Announcement

Ladies and gentlemen,

The cover for Chasing the Tide will be revealed this Friday, the 19th of December on Anterior Books’ Facebook account, the Mystic Waters website, Anterior’s website, and anywhere else we can think of (Twitter and Instagram, of course). We’re pretty much spamming every newsfeed possible. Is anyone as excited as I am?! I’ll also be revealing a few things regarding Chasing the Tide tomorrow, as tomorrow is the anniversary of one of the saddest days of my life.

I hope you all are ready for the adventure of a lifetime. Yes, I stole Meda’s words. I’m sure she won’t mind.

Now playing I Try by Macy Gray.

All my love,

Cynth

Crashing Souls Video Post

It’s been a while. Here’s my silly face talking passionately about my new project, Crashing Souls. Enjoy!

In the video, I’m playing A Night to Remember by Betty Who.

All my love,

Cynth

Getting Out of the ‘Funk’

So, lately I’ve been in a funk. A writing funk, a life funk, an everything funk. I didn’t want to touch Chasing the Tide, Crashing Souls, or The Reigning Waves. I just reveled in the funk. I even emailed Rosemi regarding my funk. It seemed unbreakable.

How did I fix it? I wrote. I opened Crashing Souls and I poured my frustration into it. How else did I fix it? I read. I finished a Nora Roberts trilogy I’d read years ago and fell in love with it all over again. The Key Trilogy, if anyone cares to know. I think I’ll read the In the Garden Trilogy next.

I realized, my funk was induced by stress, yes, but also because I’d lost sight of my love for words; both reading and writing. I am not saying reading an writing fixes all. I’m saying, in my house, it does. My husband reads more than I do. I credit that to my spending equal parts writing as well as reading.

Eating lots of turkey helped as well.

But, in all seriousness, writing gives me sanity. If I spend too much time away from my words, I get antsy.

In other news, Crashing Souls has hit 22,205 words and Chasing the Tide is almost ready to be passed back to Rosemi. I’m fighting with myself on posting excerpts and so far I haven’t. But it sucks!

Now playing Munich by The Fray.

All my love,

Cynth

Crashing Souls Synopsis Reveal

Hello! A few hours ago, I revealed the synopsis for Crashing Souls on my Instagram account. It’s only right I reveal it on my blog as well! Here it is!