Jennifer Senhaji's Blog, page 4

Book Review-Conduit of Souls

This past weekend, I read a romance that was truly unique.

The book-Conduit of Souls, the author- G. S. Bailey. I've read short stories before. I've written them as well, one published and one to be published this summer, but this book of six was different from anything I've ever read before.

Although two of my favorites, Witch and Never Linger, overlap, each was a completely contained stand alone short story. The author created fully developed settings and characters for each with such few words, I was truly impressed.

There is an underlying paranormal aspect in each; ghosts, cannibals, witches, reincarnation, time travel, vampires, and astral projection. Life and death. Love and hate. Fear and courage. Karma and redemption. All themes the author addresses. There are spiritual undertones, not necessarily religious ones.

Honestly, the stories made my heart pound in a couple of different ways. I'm not big on horror, but I love suspense. There were a couple that boarder on horror for me. My blood rushed worrying about the characters and how they were going to... I won't put a spoiler here. But they weren't so scary that I expect any nightmares.

There was also a bit of sexy erotica in a couple of them, which gets the blood flowing in an entirely different way. It was written well and offset the darker aspects of those stories.

In the end, the author ties the book together nicely. The plots are all different, yet somehow, work well as a compilation.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I probably never would have chosen this book myself, but I am really glad I did. Now, I'm anxious to read other works by this author.

Goes to show, sometimes you need to read outside the box.

You can find my Goodreads review here. Remember, if you read a good book, make sure to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. You may help someone else discover a new book they might never have chosen without your written recommendation.

What book(s) have you read recently that you would recommend?

You can find me online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

Happy Monday.

New Romance-coming this summer

I love summer. The long daylight hours, the warmth, and lazy afternoons by the pool are my idea of heaven. I love leaving the house at night and not having to worry about carrying a coat. It's my absolute favorite time of year.

That's why when the Writing Wenches said, "Hey anyone want to participate in a summer anthology?" I was in.

I'm now pleased to announce I've finished writing Sea Breeze, a 20k word romantic short that will be published this summer as part of the Writing Wenches summer romance anthology.

My story takes place on the Stella Maris, during a fourteen day cruise in the Caribbean. Jordan, my FMC, is a flair bartender from Vegas and a guest. Eric, my MMC, works as a bartender on the ship. Jordan's looking for a fresh start, and the two can't seem to stay away from each other. Will they find love? Who knows, anything is possible.

For more information follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jsenhaji13

Thanks for reading.

You can find me and all my links online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

Supporting Authors-The Ugly Truth

Being part of the writing community is amazing. There's so much to learn, and so many wonderful writers willing to share their wisdom with their piers. Ask for advice, and you will get it. Ask for resources, your inbox will overflow with suggestions. Need critique partners, people will raise their hand. Need a beta reader, I've got several, that will be honest with me, and not just blow smoke up my ass telling me I'm wonderful if my WIP needs work. You have a big launch coming up and need help spreading the word, your writer friends will have your back and happily share tweets and posts with their followers. At least, that's what my writer friends do. I'm feel very lucky. I'm lucky. (That's stronger.) See, I'm learning.

Here's where it gets tricky. I know there are people out there that will bash an authors work. Why? I have no idea. Why don't they simply say, I didn't like the book, or it wasn't for me, or I'm not a fan of this writer's style? Or if the book needs editing, send the writer an email. I have no interest in putting down a fellow writer, or believe myself to be better than anyone else. I'm here to support you, not step on you.

When I first started writing, which wasn't that long ago, I asked my first few friends in the community if they would be interested in an ARC of my soon to be released novel. They happily accepted.

The first reader sent me an email, letting me know she found several typographical errors in the MS and suggested I proofread and correct prior to release. I was disappointed, yet so appreciative, I thanked her profusely for letting me know in time. I swooped into action, made the changes, had it reformatted, and re-uploaded to Amazon and Smashwords only two days prior to the release date. Ready to go. Maybe not.

It was my first book, and even though I spent months editing, I'm not an editor. I thought I couldn't afford an editor. I was blind to the flaws in the book. I had read it so many times, I could recite it word for word. I thought it was done. I was wrong.

The second reader waited about two weeks to send me her feedback, not a long turnaround by any means, but she was holding back, trying to figure out how to tell me that my MS had issues without hurting my feelings. By that time I had already released my book. She finally emailed me and pointed out several places where she felt the writing was weak along with some major grammar issues. I'm not going to lie. It stung. Badly. I wanted to cry. She was kind and told me all the things she loved about the story, but she also told me all the places she felt it needed work. It was a hard pill to swallow. However, later I would realize she was absolutely 100% correct.

I decided it was too late. I sold some copies and felt relatively positive about the whole thing, having received some good reviews, but her comments kept eating at me. Once I realized all the marketing I should be doing and how to use applications like Canva, I started creating teasers for my book. By that time, my writing had already improved leaps and bounds. With the help of fellow writers, I was learning more about writing, editing, and all sorts of tips and tricks about character development. I had improved. I continue to do so every day.

I cut and paste a passage into a graphic I created for a teaser, and guess what? It was missing commas (which are the bane of my existence) and I realized the writing was extremely passive. So, I read my book again, after months of not looking at it, and I was shocked. It still needed editing, and the comments from my writerly friend came back to me.

I had been working with a group of writers on an anthology for the holidays, and during that time I worked with a professional editor for the very first time. It opened my eyes. I gobbled up her comments. And when I went back and read my novel, I knew I needed to fix it.

Long story short, I hired an editor (the same editor I worked with on the holiday anthology) and asked her to help me with a copy edit. I love my story and didn't want to change the plot, but I did want help catching all those things I missed when I published without an editor.

Once the edit was done, I re-uploaded it, and now if people don't like my story, it won't be because I didn't know how to use a comma or a dialogue tag properly. Thanks to my editor, I do.

So, now when I act as a critique partner, I know how important it is to be honest with the writer. They don't have to agree with me, but at least I gave honest feedback and they can choose what to do with it. Same thing with beta reads.

With ARCs, it's a little harder. Sometimes we receive them prior to release and other times the books are already published. When I review, I take several things into consideration, and you can read about them in my Writing Wenches blog post How I Approach a Review, but I am honest. It's important to be so, but I have no desire to hurt an author by leaving a bad review either. So, if I cannot give at least a three star review, I decline to review. I've had to send my own emails to authors after reading their ARCs with notes about editing as well. It's never easy, but it's better to let them know personally the flaws I found when reading, than to say nothing. How are they going to know there's a formatting issue with their Kindle version, or that there are typos or missing punctuation, or that maybe there are some inconsistencies in the story line if no one tells them. I want to leave rave reviews for every book I read, but sometimes I just can't.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but if it's constructive, then maybe it's exactly what's needed to become a better writer. As for me, I have a group of trusted writers, who I know will be honest with me, because they want me to succeed. Oh, and an amazing editor. If there are plot holes, or inconsistencies they will tell me the ugly truth. Thank goodness.

Have you ever received feedback from a fellow writer that hurt at the time, but ended up helping you in the end?

You can find me online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

Thanks for reading.

Staying on Task-Time Management for Writers

Staying on task is not exactly easy to do, especially for writers. We have, at any given time, several different story lines running through our heads, which include plot points, scenes, character development; ooh I'll add that new twist I thought of as I was falling asleep last night that will make my story that much more interesting.

At the same time we are thinking about our next blog post, possible topics to discuss, how to get more interaction on the blog with readers; ooh I can do a poll and see what readers are looking for in the blogs they follow.

There is also the social media aspect of if it all. I need to post at least once a day to my Facebook author page, interact with any commentators, update my Twitter status and interact with my fellow Tweethearts, check in with my Google+ crew and make sure I'm commenting and sharing as much as possible. Try not to get sucked into Pinterest; ooh there is a Twitter chat tonight on editing I can't miss.

We are always reading, for pleasure, ARCs, beta reading, research; ooh I need to check in on Goodreads and update my reviews of the last three books I read this week. Must review all books and set a good example for other readers out there.

We belong to writing groups online and maybe in person; ooh I need to check in with the Writing Wenches and catch up on assignments and today's headlines, then with Alliance and see what great new resources are listed, then with 10 Minute Novelists to see what talks are coming up, and World Literary Café still has so many resources I have yet to explore.

Now I have twenty minutes to myself; my spouse is in the shower and the kids are in bed, and now you want me to sit down and write?

How in the name of all that is Jane Austen am I supposed to do that?

I spend way more time doing all of the above, which is all to support my writing career, than actually writing or putting word count in on my WIP.

It's hard. Really hard.

Most writers have heard of Nano Wrimo, it's a month long writing sprint to help writers try and meet a word count goal. Many use it to get whole first drafts done on books they are writing. I haven't been able to commit yet. However, one of the fabulous Writing Wenches, Michele, came up with Wencho Wrimo for February to try and keep us all on task and actually get words down on paper. It has been a great motivator. Many of us are using the subgroup to keep track of our daily word counts. Some of the wenches have put in word counts worthy of full length books. I've put in about 8300 words on my summer anthology WIP.

My advice is, when you're in a groove, and the words are flowing, try really hard to stay in the chair and keep writing until it is absolutely necessary for you to move. Turn off all your apps and social sites and only leave your word doc whatever software program you use open. Do not check email, do not glance at your phone when the next Twitter or Facebook status notification hits. Stay and write until you can no longer. You can check your networks once you are done. Keep the TV off. Music tends to help writers focus and block out the rest of the world, so consider putting in your ear buds. Make sure you have a beverage next to you so there is no excuse to get up, and let your family know you're in the zone and can't be disturbed. If you have an office, get a do not disturb sign and hang it on the doorknob. In my case, my family knows when I'm at my laptop with my ear buds in, do not disturb me unless someone has fallen and they can't get up. Keep the distractions to a minimum.

We are not machines. If you are able to write everyday, I applaud you. Honestly, I cannot. I have to spread out my time and take advantage of the word flow when it hits. I'm usually too busy getting my next three blog posts scheduled and all my social networking done in order to sit down and write every day. That is just fact. If I didn't have a day job, things may be different.

Do you have advice for helping writers stay on task? What works for you? Please share your comments below. Thanks for reading.


You can find me and all my links on my website at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

Happily Ever After

I went to a wedding on Saturday at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, which may be the oldest hotel in San Francisco. If not the oldest, it's one of. The architecture is beautiful- marble and stained glass, chandeliers that glitter, and polished wood that shines.


The flowers were beautiful, the food was delicious, and the DJ had everyone up and dancing the whole night. He actually had to stop the music in order for people to sit down and eat.
 But that is not why we go to weddings. We go to witness the love between the couple, as they promise to share their lives together; to celebrate with them, and support them.

Everyone loves a good happily ever after, in real life and in romance novels. I love witnessing two people who can't take their eyes off each other. They're in love, and know it's not just tonight they will go home together, but for the rest of their lives. Two people who can't stop smiling because they are so giddy, knowing the other is now their partner, and has committed to a life together. I love LOVE, and the whole process of falling in love. From the stomach flipping butterflies the first time your eyes connect, to the emotional support of your best friend and lover when one of your parents passes away. Love is so important in our lives.

That is why I write romance. That is why I will continue to write romance. That is why if I end up writing suspense, fantasy, scifi, horror, there will always be a romantic element in my writing.

Love makes us laugh, cry, scream, grind our teeth, giggle, and snort. Love makes us feel nervous, happy, scared, peaceful, powerful, optimistic, inspired, confident, courageous, accepted, and hopeful.

Love makes us feel.

That is why in every one of my stories, there will be a happily ever after, or at the very least a happy for now ending.

Congratulations to our friends Ahmad and Sarah, now Mr. and Mrs. Almulla, married the twenty-first of February, 2015. Love and happiness to you both.

Why do you read romance? Do you require a HEA in your romance novels? Please leave a comment.



You can find me online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com
Thank you for reading.
 

Location, Location, Location- 5 Ways to make your novel more believable

There are lots of ways to draw the reader in. Characters, drama, conflict, location...Ah, yes, let's talk about this today. Location is a very important thing. Not where you write, but where you write about. Did you know the streets of San Juan are paved with blue glazed cobblestones?

In my novel Sweet Dreams, several locations are mentioned. Most real and one totally made up. The story takes place in Maple Grove, a fictional town about three hours north of San Francisco, California. There are also scenes in Pompeii, Naples, Amalfi, and...I think that's it. Although other cities, including San Francisco, are mentioned.

My holiday short, Angels in Disguise, featured in Unwrapping Love, takes place in Santa Monica.

In Choosing to Dream, the sequel to Sweet Dreams, coming soon, we return to Maple Grove, but also travel to Denver and Malibu.

Blah, blah, blah, I have another book coming out. I know, get to the point.

It's because of research I've been doing on my current WIP, a summer short entitled Sea Breeze scheduled for release this summer, that I'm writing this post. The story takes place on a Caribbean cruise and there are a couple of places where my FMC and MMC will be going ashore.


Let me say this now. I've never, to date, been on a cruise or to the places featured in Sea Breeze, although I hope to someday. So what is a writer to do?

Here's what I do:

Get in the map- For goodness sakes, find your location on a map and study it. If you are talking about Amalfi, Italy, which is in the south, you can't reference a thirty minute drive to Lake Como, which is close to the boarder of Switzerland when in reality it's a nine hour drive. Know the lay of the land. It doesn't hurt to look at a street map as well, especially if you are going to be referencing real street names and places. And by all means, look at pictures.Get up and go- Yeah, this would be my personal preference too. In a perfect world, I would be able to travel to all the locations I write about. Italy, Puerto Rico, Jamaica...sigh. I have a friend who is also a writer, traveling next week to Ireland to write on location. Yes, she is writing a novel that has scenes set in Ireland and is traveling there to write. Lucky wench. Can you tell I'm jealous? I should be on a cruise ship to San Juan right now for research, but alas, it's not in the budget this month. Ah well, I hope someday to have the kind of success as a writer, that I can travel the globe, using my travels and experiences as research for my books.Been there, done that- Write what you know. We've heard it a million times, but in this situation, I'm talking about location. I can write about San Francisco with ease and confidence because I was born and lived most of my life there. I know what it smells like on a foggy fall evening. I know what bus to take to get from point A to point B, and I know what each and every neighborhood is called and how to get there. I've been to Italy, so I used some of my experience there to help with writing about it in Sweet Dreams.Eat, drink, dance- Go seek out a new restaurant that serves authentic food from the location you are writing about. Your heroine is traveling in Indonesia? Go have Indonesian food. You live in Farmville USA middle of nowhere, and can't find an authentic restaurant for the place you are writing about? Look up a recipe online. Try the staples and the local beverages. Oh, and listen to the music. It doesn't have to be the original indigenous music of the locale, or it could. But it could also be what is popular there now. Is there a famous singer from that area? Look them up on iTunes.Writing about Puerto Rico? Go listen to some reggaeton or salsa and bust a move. Can't find a club or bar that plays this kind of music locally? Find a radio station that does. Look up videos on the ethnic dance of the region. Hot or cold- Find out what the weather is like in the location you are writing about. Figure out the time of year and what to expect. Does it snow. Is it 90 degrees and humid? Should I expect cicadas? Ew. So you are writing about Wisconsin. You've never been there, but that is the locale for your story. Google it. Get in a map, and virtually walk the streets. Do your research. Look up good eats online and on Yelp. Find out where locals hang out. What is the food like? Does the younger crowd listen to pop, rock, or country music? What's the weather like at the time of year your story takes place?

Lastly, if you have created your own world or fictional place, you will need to also create all of the above and write it down. Draw a map of your village or world and where each place you mention is so you can be consistent. Keep notes about the food, weather, culture, streets, appearance....you get the drift.

In any case, these are things I do to make sure my writing is accurate in the location department. Believe me, I would love to hear a person in San Juan, Puerto Rico was reading my book. Let's hope I got the lay of the land correct so I don't piss them off.

Writers, are there any tricks you use to keep your locations authentic that you can share?
Readers, have you ever read a book about a location you were familiar with and found inconsistencies?
Let me know your experiences.
Thanks for reading.
You can find me online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

Help Support Fellow Authors

In late January, it came to my attention a few of my author friends had books releasing in February. What a perfect time to celebrate them. So, I offered to feature them, each on my blog, by doing an author interview. It was such a great feeling giving those authors a place, center stage on my blog that I decided to make it a month long event.

So I've launched Feature February and I'm hosting it on my Word Press blog. Yes, I have another blog on Word Press. I also write twice a month for the Writing Wenches. How do I have time for all these blogs?  I make time. But let's not get off track.

This month, I've made time for my fellow authors. They work hard, they are all unique, have something special to say, and they deserve the spotlight. I firmly believe in supporting my fellow writers and authors. I know I would've been lost and maybe still would be if it hadn't been for a few authors, giving me tips, showing me the way, and mentoring me along my first few months in this business. Every single day, I learn from them.

We are not alone. Writing is a solitary experience, but so many people are needed to make you a successful author. Not only your readers, but all the people that come before them: your editor, cover designer, formatter, beta readers, critique partners, marketing partners, bloggers...And most of these people are also writers.

I know some of the most avid readers are writers, so thank you, fellow writers and authors, for teaching and supporting me. I truly appreciate you and feel lucky to be part of this community.

You can find Feature February here: https://jsenhaji13.wordpress.com/
Follow along and meet some great authors.


You can find me online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com
#SupportIndieAuthors

A Writer's Logic

This past Thursday, I had a little minor surgery to remove my gall bladder. It needed to go since it was impeding my ability to consume good food. I did, however, benefit from the lucky side effect of weight loss, which I won't complain about. I'm sore, moving slowly, and it's hard to sleep, but otherwise I'm okay.

Was I concerned about having the surgery? No. I felt confident my surgeon would do an excellent job. Was I worried about taking time off work? No. I have a ridiculous amount of sick time and vacation time because I'm one of those people who never takes it. Was I nervous?

No. I was excited. Why you ask? Because it meant that I was going to be in bed, recovering from said surgery with nothing to do but rest and...write.

Yes, I'm one of those writers who has a full time day job. Between working, family, blogging, social networking, and reading, I get very little time to actually write. Yes, I was looking forward to having this surgery so I would have time in bed with my laptop. Nothing kinky (well maybe on the page), just writing.
Here is what a normal day looks like for me and how I manage my time.

7:30am- Check in on social media and then read on the commute train to work.
8:00am-5:00pm- Day Job (These are my scheduled hours, although I do sometimes work later.)
5:00pm-6:00pm- Check in on social media and read on commute train home.
6:00pm-9:00pm- Homework with son, prepare and eat dinner.
9:00pm-10:00pm- Get son to bed, spend time with daughter/husband.
10:00pm-As late as I can- Last check in social media, blog, beta reads, editing.
If I have time after that, I write.

Yeah. It's tough to find time, so since I'm going to have this down time where I can't work, I'm taking advantage of it. The plan is to finish edits on my novel, work on my current short story, outline two novellas and work on my marketing plan. It's ambitious, so we'll see how much I'm able to accomplish.

I'm really hoping this time is productive.

Do you have an activity that you wish you had more time for? What is it? How do you make time? Can you share any time management tips?

Jennifer Senhaji
Find me online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

Choosing to Dream, Book 2 in the Sunset Dreams Series coming soon.

Jump, Jive and Wail Release Day

   I am pleased to announce the release of Jump, Jive, and Wail by Kathryn R. Biel. Kathryn is a fellow Writing Wench and I've had the pleasure of getting to know her during our daily chats. I was even lucky enough to weigh in on the cover of this book, which I love. 
Here is a summary:
 
A rebel on the run…
Kaitlin Reynolds is used to fearlessly flying off mountains. But nearly two years after a devastating injury has ended her ski jumping career, Kaitlin is still struggling to put one foot in front of the other and find her new life. A chance meeting with a handsome stranger begins to put life into perspective. Dashing figure skater, Declan McLoughlin has just returned from the Olympics amid a swirl of publicity and fan fare. Just as Kaitlin begins to have hope again, her charming savior turns out to represent everything she has lost. If Kaitlin can just let go of the past and take a leap of faith, will she find herself soaring into Declan's arms?
 
I am adding this to my Goodreads list as should you. Here is the link: http://bit.ly/GRJJW


Ready to one-click? Here are the Buy Links

Amazon US: http://bit.ly/AmzUSJJAW
Amazon UK: http://bit.ly/AmzUKJJAW
 
Telling stories of resilient women, Kathryn Biel hails from upstate New York and is a spouse and mother of two wonderful and energetic kids. In between being Chief Home Officer and Director of Child Development of the Biel household, she works as a school-based physical therapist. She attended Boston University and received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from The Sage Colleges. After years of writing countless letters of medical necessity for wheelchairs, finding increasingly creative ways to encourage the government and insurance companies to fund her clients' needs, and writing entertaining annual Christmas letters, she decided to take a shot at writing the kind of novel that she likes to read. Her musings and rants can be found on her personal blog, Biel Blather. She is the author of Good Intentions (2013), Hold Her Down (2014), I'm Still Here (2014), and the short story, Fly Robin Fly (Part of Cupid on the Loose: A Valentine's Anthology 2015).
You can find Kathryn online below. 
 Website: http://kathrynbiel.blogspot.com
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/GRKRBiel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathrynrbiel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KRBiel
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kathrynrbiel/

Congratulations on your new release, Kathryn. I can't wait to read it.

Find me online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com


 Jennifer Senhaji

Romance-What are you thinking?

What goes through the mind of a romance writer? I can't speak for all romance writers, but here's a glimpse into how I find ideas.

Have you ever had that dream? You know, the one you desperately try to go back to sleep to finish because it was that good. Yeah, that dream.

Do you wonder what the story is behind a couple holding hands in front of you in line at the local coffee shop?

Or how about a daydream that wanders through your mind when watching that actor strut his stuff on the big screen?

Well, those are all potential books for me. Now I know to write those little gems down whenever I get the chance.

Until we are capable of lucid dreaming, I will be taking those daydreams and letting them play out on paper to see where they go. They may end up a pile of notes that never become anything, or they could end up becoming a best seller.

Imagination is a splendid thing. Not to be wasted, but to be cultivated.

I'll let you in on a little secret...my first novel, Sweet Dreams, was based on two reoccurring dreams. Yep, I used my dreams to spark the idea for the book and let my mind wander until the plot took shape. The whole story didn't present itself in the dream and the actual book does vary greatly from the dreams, but I took those images and built on them. I guided my thoughts to see where those images would take me. And it worked.

So now as I walk the farmer's market on Fridays or think about that photo I saw on Pinterest, I let the ideas run wild. And when a good one comes along, I write it down.

Have you ever had a dream you couldn't forget? Have you ever thought about turning it into a story?

Jennifer SenhajiYou can find me online at www.jennifersenhajiauthor.com

Thanks for reading.