Nancy J. Cohen's Blog: Nancy's Notes from Florida, page 94

Editorial Pet Peeves

At a recent Florida Romance Writers meeting, we heard Senior Editor Callie Lynn Wolfe from The Wild Rose Press and Acquisitions Editor Lisa Manuel from Silver Publishing speak about their pet peeves regarding submissions. Here’s a summary of what they said, subject to my interpretation.

Submissions can be really good or really bad. Most fall in the middle, and that’s where your competition lies. If it’s a choice between two manuscripts, an editor is more likely to favor the one with good grammar. Lisa advises writers to “format your work according to our guidelines.” Don’t use fancy fonts, borders, etc. Less is better in terms of formatting.

Callie says when she receives a proposal, she’ll look to see if the author followed their guidelines. By paying attention to formatting, you’re showing the editor you can be cooperative and work within the company’s parameters. She’ll check the mechanics and will evaluate the submission to see if it’s appropriate for the genre. She advises authors to “be unique and be active” to avoid clichés and passive voice.

Do these editors care about prior sales figures for returning authors? TWRP will think about this aspect but Silver Publishing judges each book by itself.

Both publishers expect authors to market themselves. TWRP has a marketing department to help with these efforts. Silver Publishing’s bulk of sales are online. Their genres include YA, mainstream, and M/M and books may be digital and print formats. Age of the author doesn’t matter regarding acquisitions.

You need an engaging hook for your opening scene. Avoid backstory up front. Word and phrase repetition is lazy writing. So is overuse of speech tags other than “said” or “asked”, and even in those cases, action beats and body language are preferable tags.

Callie said avoid animal sounds, i.e. he growled, hissed, barked.

Don’t use passive verbs. Steer clear of “was”, “get” and “got”, as well as “he heard/ saw/felt”. Avoid qualifiers like “really”, “very”, and “just.”

Be wary of head hopping, or changing viewpoints within a scene. Also make sure the viewpoint character is clearly defined. Otherwise, the characterizations will be shallow and the emotional impact lessened. In a romance, stay in deep character most of the time.

Writers will often have characters looking at each other too much before speaking or acting. Watch for this in your own work.

Use active storytelling. Show, don’t tell.

Lack of passion can be a problem. Build your characters so readers can relate emotionally to them. Give them chemistry together.

Give a description of your characters but don’t have them look in a mirror.

Lack of motivation is often evident. What drives the characters? What do they have to gain or lose? What’s at stake for them? Characters should be proactive and not reactive.

Re punctuation, know where to put your commas. Watch out for verb tense agreement, dangling participles, and misplaced modifiers. What’s wrong with this sentence: Walking into the room, the door swung open. [If you don’t know this one, get out your grammar book.]

Clichés to avoid: “He let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.”

“His smile didn’t reach his eyes.”

“She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.”

Realizing she’s in love, she thinks to herself, “Where did that come from?”

Writers shouldn’t work in a void. Participate in conferences, critique groups, workshops, and social networking. This shows you are a dedicated professional.

When you send a submission, make sure the synopsis is complete and not open-ended. Include conflict, character, and resolution.

Lisa says shorter works (20,000-40,000 words) and more frequent releases work well for her publishing house.

TWRP has house standards for turnaround time regarding queries, partials, and fulls.

Silver Publishing: https://spsilverpublishing.com/

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com

Sowing Seeds for a Sequel

How can you drop hints for a sequel in your current story, not only to let readers know more books are coming but also to whet their appetite for the next installment?

You can (1) title your book as part of a series, (2) include a teaser for the next book after the last chapter, (3) plant clues foreshadowing another problem to come, or (4) drop an overt hint toward the end of your story.

Number four is what I did in Killer Knots, book #9 in my Bad Hair Day mysteries. At the end, I have Marla and Dalton announce they’ve chosen a date for their wedding. Now readers can anticipate the nuptials for which they’ve been waiting throughout the series. But knowing a mystery is a must, hopefully they’ll also anticipate that things won’t quite go as planned. That story becomes Shear Murder, book #10.

But what if you haven’t plotted the sequel, written the first chapter for it, or even planned to do one? And then suddenly readers are demanding the next book. What do you do?

Hopefully, you can still make additions in your current WIP. So here are some tips on how to drop in some subtle hints of what’s to come:

First plot your overall series story arc for the next few books.


Identify the main characters. Is this a series with a single protagonist in each volume, or are the stories spin-offs, wherein secondary characters in one story become the heroes in another? Either way, try to determine what personal issues will be driving these people in the next book.


Write the opening scene to get a feel for the story.

Now go back to the WIP and look for places where you can drop in hints of what’s to come.

In the Drift Lords series, a sweeping battle between good and evil is coming. What happens after this battle when my heroes triumph? Is the series over? Not necessarily, because you all know that after one bad guy goes down, a worse one pops up to threaten humanity.

Spoiler Alert! I created an unusual situation by writing my first three books in chronological order because the story comes to its rightful conclusion in this trilogy. The next three books, as I’ve planned it, take place in the same time period as books 2 and 3. I know it’s confusing, but bear with me. What will make this next set of three books special, if fans know our main villains get vanquished? Here’s what happened: I came up with another story arc for books 4-6. Look at Star Wars. George Lucas made a wildly popular trilogy. Then he did another 3 movies, calling them prequels. Now the series will continue with a new story line, into the future. But unlike Lucas, I have the chance to drop hints in book 3 for the next trilogy of books in my series. In my mind, I see them as sets of three with the potential for a total of seven or more. And like Terry Goodkind’s excellent Sword of Truth series, just because one nasty bad guy is defeated doesn’t mean there aren’t more out there.

I’ve had to go back into certain scenes of book 3 and add factors that will cause the reader to wonder what’s going on. This plot thread will not be solved by the end of this story. In other words, our hero’s job is not done just because he’s prevented disaster.

Do you like hints of what’s to come in stories you are reading? I’m not talking cliffhanger endings here. I hate it when the main story line isn’t finished, and you have to wait for the sequel. But personal issues may continue in the next installment, or new problems may arise that cause trouble down the road. One has to be careful not to frustrate the reader by dropping too many hints, only enough to gently tease her about what may be in store.

Silver Serenade Free Today!

Today only, Silver Serenade by Nancy J. Cohen is free at The Wild Rose Press. This is my most recent science fiction romance before I began writing the Drift Lords series. The story has action, romance, space adventure, and a touch of humor.

Ace pilot Jace Vernon is forced to flee his home world after being framed for murder. He seeks justice, but S.I.N. agent Silver Malloy gets in his way. The platinum-haired beauty counters his every move in the quest to clear his name. As he makes it his mission to break her, he doesn’t count on the personal consequences of success.

Silver refuses to abort her deadly mission even if it means killing the one man Jace needs alive to prove his innocence. Her resolve wavers when Jace’s charms melt the barriers around her heart. Can she help him win his case, even if it means betraying her own people?

Download Instructions

Go to The Wild Rose Press and choose the format you desire for the download. Go to checkout and download the file to your computer. From there, transfer it to your ereader of choice.

Praise for Silver Serenade

“Ms. Cohen has not only given her readers a fabulous new world, but also a fantastic new galaxy to explore. This fantasy erotic romance has a strong, sexy hero and an even stronger, sexier heroine…Fans of Nathan Fillion and Firefly are sure to enjoy this futuristic romantic fantasy.” Coffee Time Romance

“Silver Serenade is a smashing good combination of two genres: romance and science fiction. Two highly motivated, extremely able, and extremely attractive characters have goals that both intersect and interfere…The author draws a fascinating world of intergalactic politics, futuristic technologies, and clashing moral priorities.” Philip K. Jason, Fort Myers Magazine

“From start to finish, Silver Serenade throws an action packed thrill ride. It’s fun and adventurous, and left me begging for more!” Siren Book Reviews

“Get ready for an epic adventure, as vast as the universe in which it is set! With a touching love story, a great blend of humor, action and passion, and a great cast of characters, this is a book that won’t let you go until the very last page.” The Romance Reviews

“A fun romantic science fiction thriller… fast-paced from the moment Jace makes the hit on Silver and never slows down as love between them complicates their already complex relationship.” The Romantic Post

“Silver Serenade is an exciting, action-packed space adventure with more attention-grabbing twists and turns than a West Virginia highway. I loved it!” Two Lips Reviews

Booklover’s Bench March Contest

Once again at Booklover’s Bench, I’ve joined with a group of four other authors to offer readers a chance to win exciting prizes. This month you can enter to win a $50 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

    

One lucky runner-up will win ebooks from all five of us. So you have two chances to hit gold! Contest runs from March 4-17. So click on the picture below or go here to enter now: http://bookloversbench.com/category/featured/

**Please note that by entering the contest, you are giving the authors permission for your name to be entered on their email newsletter lists. You will be able to unsubscribe later should you wish to do so.

What kind of prizes would you like us to offer in the future? And what other fun stuff would you like to see on this site?

Florida Writers Groups

If you are a writer living in Florida, you are lucky to have so many writing organizations to join. You need not worry about working in a vacuum. So if you reside near any of these sites, check them out and consider attending a meeting or two. Many of them also hold conferences so be on the lookout for news and announcements that will help you further your writing career.

FL Chapters of RWA

Ancient City Romance Writers

St. Augustine

Central Florida Romance Writers

Orlando

First Coast Romance Writers

Jacksonville

Florida Panhandle Romance Writers

Tallahassee

Florida Romance Writers, Inc.

Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Palm Beach

Southwest Florida Romance Writers

Naples/Estero/Fort Myers

SpacecoasT Authors Of Romance

Melbourne

Sunshine State Romance Authors

Homosassa

Tampa Area Romance Authors

Tampa

Volusia County Romance Writers

Lake Helen

Florida Writers Groups

Florida Writers Association

Mystery Writers of America, FL Chapter

South Florida Writer’s Association

Miami

Space Coast Writers Guild

Melbourne

Treasure Coast Writers Guild

Fort Pierce

Writer’s Network of South Florida

Noting the Details

Observing a place with a writer’s eye is totally different than going as a tourist. In the latter capacity, you notice the bigger picture. For example, while on a movie studio tour, you might be hunting celebrities or be excited about seeing the costume department. But do you notice the trash bin labeled with a show’s name, the color of the tram that takes you around, or the signs on the soundstage walls?

As a writer, these are the sensory details that make a scene come alive. For Warrior Lord, where my heroes investigate the dire goings-on at a studio where guests go in and don’t come out, I watched an online video of an actual tour and searched my memory of studio visits I’ve made. These gave me the details I needed.

     

In a similar fashion, Warrior Rogue has a scene set in Hong Kong. How did I do this when I’d been there years ago? I kept travel diaries of everywhere I went, so first I combed through my journal for descriptions of places that might remain. Then I looked on the Internet to verify they still existed, like the tram ride going to Victoria Peak. I remembered Tiger Balm Gardens, and this became an important—albeit renamed and reimagined—scene in the story as well.

The wedding in Shear Murder takes place at an orchid park, but it’s based on Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. On site, I strode through while taking notes of the plants, the layout, and any unusual observations. Did you know there’s a cemetery inside this oasis? It’s exciting what you’ll discover when you search for unusual and different details to spice your tale.

Next time you are out and about, try to notice these little details and think about how you’d describe them. It will enhance your experience and solidify your memory. And remember to include your five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch.

Writers, what scenes have you used based on personal observations?

Readers, what scenes have you read that stick in your mind due to the descriptive detail?

When It Rains, It Pours

You’ve heard the saying: When it rains, it pours. Or how about this one: One thing leads to another. Nowhere more is this true than in household repairs. First we had a roof leak. We had the leak fixed but not before it stained our living room ceiling. Since our roof tile was over 30 years old, we contracted for a new white barrel tile roof. This got done.

Meanwhile, an insurance adjuster came by and paid for our ceiling repair. These contractors are due to start tomorrow. We’ve spent a couple of days moving everything fragile or mobile out of the living room, dining room, and hallway since the men will be removing the popcorn ceiling and replacing it with knockdown. The bathroom also needs a makeover as water dripped through from the leak there, too.

So we are moving away my years-old crates of books from the dining room when we notice coffee ground size particles on the ceramic tile floor…and a few dead insects. And more particles sprinkled among the books. Lately, we’ve seen some flying insects around the light sources at night. Could this be where they are coming from? I call the termite guy, swallowing my dread that we might need the house tented next. I hope it’s drywall termites that can be spot treated. Otherwise, we may be in for more unpleasantness.

I really should get rid of those books in my never ending TBR pile. My Kindle and iPad are looking even more attractive, and my piles of print books less so. The pages are yellowing and who knows where I got them.

Speaking of yellowing, we’ve noticed a section of roof tile outside turning yellow. Could this be due to the black olive tree nearby whose leaves can stain? But they didn’t stain our previous white flat tile roof. Or is this section defective? I call the roof people. They’ll call back to schedule an inspection—I hope. They’ve been paid, so they have little incentive.

My husband suggests we cut down the black olive tree, and maybe our mature lychee tree along with it. They’re both too close to the house and rain dead leaves upon our gutters (that need a cleaning). The fruit on the lychee, which we’ve enjoyed for many years, is now too high to reach. And the tree’s roots are encroaching on the house.

Then there are the driveway and the pool that need renovations, and…the list goes on. Maybe we should call this the Homeowner’s Lament. I’m glad my Kindle free promotion is over so I can pay attention to these issues. It’ll be impossible to work anyway with people in the house tearing down the popcorn ceiling outside my office door.

What will we discover next? Are you sticking it out in your aging house or running to buy a condo?

Last Day Free Kindle Book

Today is the LAST DAY–FREE on Kindle: Warrior Rogue (The Drift Lords Series) by Nancy J. Cohen will sweep you away on a thrill-packed ride with legendary villains, Norse myths, and ancient prophesies. Download it now: http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Rogue-Drift-Series-ebook/dp/B00AU62NQS/ Please Like the page and share the link with your friends.

Last Day to enter Nancy’s Valentine’s Day Contest for a free ebook of Warrior Prince and a $10 Amazon gift card. Go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-J-Cohen/112101588804907  and Click on the Contest tab button.

 

Congratulations to DAVID ENGLISH who won the Booklover’s Bench  launch contest. David won a Nook Simple Touch and 5 ebooks to put on it. Watch our site for a new contest coming in March!

And for one more chance to win, Enter for a Book Basket with books from 12 Florida Romance Writers authors at http://www.booktalk.com/contest/

Readers–What kind of prizes do you like to win?

 

 

Valentine’s Day Contest

Valentine’s Day Contest

Get in the mood for romance by entering my Valentine’s Day Contest on Feb. 13-17. You can win a free ebook copy of Warrior Prince and a $10 Amazon gift card. Click on the Contest tab on my Facebook Author Page to enter. Please “Like” my page while you are there. Rafflecopter will choose a winner.

And if you haven’t already downloaded your free Kindle copy of Warrior Rogue, Click Here!

You don’t even need a Kindle. With Amazon’s free Kindle app, you can read the book on your computer, laptop, or Apple device.

So obtain your free download of Warrior Rogue (The Drift Lords Series #2) and then Enter my Contest to win a free copy of Warrior Prince (The Drift Lords Series #1) and a $10 Amazon gift card.

Kindly share this post with your friends!

FREE Kindle Book!

FREE KINDLE BOOK!

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time for romance. How better to get in the mood than with a fast-paced romantic adventure?

Warrior Rogue will sweep you away on a thrill-packed ride with legendary villains, Norse myths, and ancient prophesies. The spellbinding action swings across the globe, but you don’t have to leave your armchair. Just CLICK HERE to download the Kindle book for FREE!

Yes, Warrior Rogue is FREE on Kindle from Feb. 13-17. Get your copy now and please tweet, share, and spread the news to your friends.

(And if you don’t have a Kindle, never fear! You can download the free Kindle app from Amazon and read the book on your computer, laptop, or Apple device.)

Warrior Rogue (The Drift Lords Series #2)

When fashion designer Jennifer Dyhr loses her lead actor for a video-game commercial, a replacement literally drops from the sky. Reluctant to let him leave, she hires him as a model for her studio. But when terrorists attack their flight home, Jen must awaken powers she didn’t know she had to protect them both.

Excerpt:

Jen tilted her head, taking the plunge. “I’m just wondering where we’re going with us.”

“Are you embarrassed because of my job, is that it?”

“I brought you home to meet my parents, didn’t I?”

“That’s not a proper answer.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “All right, I really like you. I want to be with you. But what happens when your mission is over?”

His eyes hardened. “I go back to my job.”

“Exactly. You leave me. You leave Earth.”

“Why, would you come with me?” For a moment, something flickered behind his expression.

“Not if you’re a space jockey hopping from one port to another. I want to settle down and have a family.”

“Well, then I guess you’ll have to look for someone more stable and suitable to your goals.”

Hurt and disappointment slashed through her. “I guess so. Someone like you can never understand drive and ambition. You just know how to kiss women or kill people.” She regretted the angry words as soon as she flung them at him, but his refusal to consider her feelings wounded her.

He grinned, but his eyes were two cold ice chips. “I’m very good at killing, Jen. It’s my best trait. Too bad you don’t count that among your requirements for a mate.”

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/cjV-PRVGoVs

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/njcohen/warrior-rogue/

Get your copy now FREE on Kindle from Feb. 13-17. Download your copy and please tweet, share, and spread the news to your friends.