Terry Odell's Blog, page 307

Launch Party #2

Continuing with using secondary characters--you met Tracy in Post #1. (If not, pop over and see how she's introduced). Sticking a character in a book for a single scene isn't a good idea unless the character is strictly a 'spear carrier'--someone in the background simply to add some authenticity to a scene. In Nowhere to Hide, Tracy has to appear again, and continue to move the story forward. The

It's a Party! Rules here

Welcome to the virtual launch party for Nowhere to Hide, plus a celebration of surpassing the 200 follower mark. I've decided to make things easy. All action will take place in the comments, but I'm going to post several separate excerpts, etc., today. Comments in any of them count toward winning one of my giveaway prizes. Headers will all say "Launch Party" What are the prizes? I've got

Launch Party #1

Let's start the party! Remember to comment for a chance to win.When you're trying to get information across to your readers, dumping it on them doesn't work. One method I like to use is putting another character in the scene. Colleen's new in town, and the "plot people" around her are Graham, the hero--but she doesn't want much to do with him at first. And then there's Doris, her landlady, an

The Deliciousness of Research

I'm over at Naughty Author Chicks today, talking about the shady boundaries between romance sub-genres. While I'm gone, my guest today is Avery Aames, whose sharing some of her tasty research. I love foodie posts! I am writing a series called A Cheese Shop Mystery that features a cheese shop owner as the amateur sleuth. To be authentic, I have to research cheese. That's right, taste cheeses as

All Over the Place

What I'm reading: Welcome to Harmony by Jodi ThomasI'm doing the clone thing a lot this week. Today, I'm over at Mystery Writing is Murder, Elizabeth Spann Craig's fantastic blog. I'm talking about doing your homework when you write.Tuesday, July 20th, author Avery Aames will be hosting visitors here. You'll want to be here for that, because it's another foodie post! Yep, her new cozy mystery

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Diana Donahoo who is the winner of my Smashwords contest. Thanks to all who participated. Check the Contest Tab above for my next contest!

Friday Field Trip - Wales

Daughter Jess went to Wales. Before you get too impressed--she lives in Northern Ireland, so it's not THAT big of a trip. She's sharing pictures. And I've had some contributions from an international traveler, so those will be showing up on future Fridays. Meanwhile, enjoy. (Click the photos to enlarge) And don't forget - today's the last official day to enter my Smashwords contest. I asked Jess

Decking the Walls

In addition to getting some of our furniture delivered, we had about a week off from contractor action. In other words, our home was ours for a while.We've got the installation date for our countertops at last. And, as I feared, this was indeed the one item that fell well outside the window the company had given us when we ordered the materials. So, instead of today, it's one week from today

RomCon 2

Thanks to Elizabeth for some great advice on getting over those writing hurdles. And I see I've passed the 200 follower mark. Thanks to everyone! I promised a party, and a party we shall have. I want to finish my RomCon recaps first, but we're definitely going to celebrate. Friday is the official release day for NOWHERE TO HIDE, so there's lots to be happy dancing about.There are still lots of

Working Around Absent Muses

Today I'm welcoming Elizabeth Spann Craig (who also writes as Riley Adams) to Terry's Place. Have you ever gotten discouraged with your manuscript or hit a slow spot with your writing? Elizabeth shares some tips for working through it.Working Around Absent Muses—Tips for Completing Your ManuscriptMy muse and I haven't been on speaking terms for years. She's high-maintenance, easily offended,