Diane Chamberlain's Blog, page 28

Welcome Emilie Richards to the Blog

[image error]I'm delighted to welcome one of my best friends and fellow writers to my blog today. Emilie Richards is the author of over sixty (!) books. Emilie's written everything from sagas to romances to mysteries to women's fiction, but the one thing that always remains the same is the quality of her writing and her ability to connect with her readers. Her latest novel, Sunset Bridge, comes out today, so I invited her over for an interview. Please join me in making her feel at home!

Welcome Emilie! Can you tell us how you'd describe Sunset Bridge to someone who's never read your books before? What sort of reader do you think would enjoy this story?

Sunset Bridge is a friendship novel about very different women who find they aren't as different as they'd thought.  All my novels are about relationships, but the Happiness Key trilogy, of which Sunset Bridge is the third and last, are the first books I've written that explored friendship among women in such depth.  I think readers who value novels about connections, relationships, and the human heart and condition will enjoy  mine.  Which means your readers, of course.

I loved the first two books in the Happiness Key trilogy—Happiness Key and Fortunate Harbor. Would someone who hasn't read those books be able to understand what's going on in Sunset Bridge?

They were carefully written to stand alone, but that said, books in a series are always best read in order, because relationships and challenges grow and change over the course of it.

You've also written what you call a "novellini": a very short novel, Treasure Beach, that takes place between the end of Fortunate Harbor and the start of Sunset Bridge. Where is Treasure Beach available to read?

Readers can find the novellini on my blog under Treasure Beach in "categories".  On the final Tuesday of each month I include a pdf of all that month's sections, which total a chapter. It will end in July.

Do you have a favorite character in Sunset Bridge and if so, what intrigues you about him or her?

Well, one of the hazards of our profession is falling in love with the people we create.  But Wanda was the most fun to write because I was never quite sure what would come out of her mouth.  Her opinions were so different from my own, she astonished me.

The theme that runs throughout Sunset Bridge is the importance of friendship. How have your personal feelings about friendship influenced this story? Are there lessons your characters have learned from one another?

My women friends, particularly my writer friends who seem to understand me best, have supported and challenged me in unique and wonderful ways and convinced me that friendship is one of life's greatest gifts.  I think my characters learned, as I have, that nothing can replace it.

What was the most challenging part of writing Sunset Bridge and what part came most easily to you?

Plotting the action scene at the end was the most difficult since there are several plots unfolding at the same moment and timing and believability are key.  The easiest part was the continuation of relationships I'd painstakingly set up at the beginning of the series, because by the third book, I knew these characters so well.

As someone who grew up in Florida, you probably didn't have to do much research into the setting for this trilogy. What elements of the story did you have to research?

Palmetto Grove and Palmetto Grove Key are fiction but set on Florida's Gulf Coast  in Southwest Florida, an area I know well having grown up in St. Petersburg and as a huge fan of Sanibel Island.  Most of my research had to do with environmental regulations, arranged marriage, Hindu customs, building of bridges, and on and on and on. . .

I know some of the readers of my blog are avid quilters and that you are as well. Can you tell us about the quilt that was inspired by Sunset Bridge?

Love this question.  Pat Sloan, a wonderful quilt and fabric designer, and I collaborated on a block of the month Christmas quilt in the past.  I designed blocks one month, she did the next.  This time she wisely suggested that I write a novella (Treasure Beach) which I'm more adept at doing, and as I released chapters each month, she'd release a portion of an original Happiness Key wallhanging, so that when Treasure Beach ended, the wallhanging would be finished, too.  The quilt is absolutely adorable, and we've had so much fun with it.  You can find instructions for it here. I'm madly working on mine and I'm almost caught up.  Can't wait for the final part and already foresee doing another.

How did you decide on the titles for these three novels?

Since the first book is about the key to happiness, Happiness Key was a natural.  The others were a bit harder.  I wanted titles that conveyed the themes but were geographical, too.  Fortunate Harbor is about the way we're sometimes harbored by friends and even strangers when we're in trouble.  Sunset Bridge is about endings as well as connections to the future.

The fact that you not only wrote three books in this series but the "novellini" as well makes me wonder if you are ready to let go of these characters and their stories! Are you ready to do that, and if so, what can we expect from you next?

One of the problems of a series like this one is that if it goes too long (think television soap operas) the author has to begin destroying what she's set up in other books.  I wanted these relationships to stay intact and be solidified with each book, and three books makes that possible.  While I'll miss them, I feel pretty sure my characters will now be fine without me. However, that said, I'm working on a new series, Goddesses Anonymous, in which friendship is key, although the stories and thrust of the series will be different.

I happen to be a poetry lover and I'm so happy to see that you've been featuring the work of poets weekly on your blog. Why did you decide to do this and how have your blog readers responded to this change of pace?

Oddly I am NOT a lover of poetry, which is how the Sunday Poetry blog began.  My husband told me about taking a phrase or even a word from a poem and using it to meditate on during the week, and I fell in love with the idea.  I didn't have to analyze or probe.  I knew if I began featuring poetry every Sunday with this in mind, that I would slow down and begin to understand and enjoy reading poetry more.  Which is exactly what has happened.  So Sunday Poetry exists just for me and anyone who wants to come along for the "read."  Clearly it's been important for those readers who are joining me each week.

So many readers adored your Shenandoah Album Series and I know your publisher made the decision to have you write something else before you or your readers were ready to let go of those characters. However, if you hadn't stopped writing the Shenandoah Album Series when you did, we wouldn't have this engaging Happiness Key trilogy. I wonder how you feel about that decision now? Do you think you'll ever return to the Shenandoah Series?

I think the final book in the Shenandoah Album series is a must, judging from the huge volume of mail I've received and from my own unease with leaving it hanging.  If my publisher continues to want other things from me—their right and privilege—I may well publish it myself in the future, something that's becoming increasingly easy and acceptable to do.  Then we can all be happy.

You're the wife of a minister and, like myself, a former psychotherapist. How have your own life experiences influenced the stories you create and the characters you write about?

I rarely accept anything at first glance, know the world is complicated and heartbreaking , and also strongly believe in (but don't necessarily expect) happy endings.  I am profoundly grateful for every act of kindness and moment of joy, and hope to give some of that back in my writing.

You love to cook and quilt and often share your recipes and your quilting expertise with your readers. I'm always amazed by how you find the time to write as well as indulge in your hobbies. What's your secret?

Exhaustion?  No, seriously, I'm trying very hard not to become so obsessed with writing and promotion that I let go of the other things that matter to me.  I am successful occasionally and live for those moments.

How have the internet and social networking changed your work life?

I make it a firm rule only to do those things I enjoy online, and for the most part, I stick to that with my blog and Facebook Fan Page and occasional tweets.  So while networking is time-consuming and occasionally hair-raising, I really love my connections with readers and my chance to express myself.  All in all, it's a positive.  But please, no new applications or platforms for awhile, okay?  I'm platformed out.

Many authors, myself included, are making our hard-to-find backlist books available as e-books. Do you have any of your older books available as e-books and if so, how can people find them?

I wrote two contemporaries with an interesting "twist" for Avon Books in the mid-nineties, which I've recently put online.  Once More With Feeling and Twice Upon A Time are available on Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and other venues, and it's an absolute joy to know readers have access to them again.  My talented daughter-in-law did the covers and it's been a great learning experience for both of us.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with my blog readers about yourself or your novels?

Thanks for having me, and now, speaking as your fan, write faster, okay?

I'll try! Thanks for joining us, Emilie. Readers, you can visit Emilie at her website or on her Facebook page.

Feels Like a Miracle

[image error]Thursday was a very good day.

First of all, there was a bunch of good news coming out of the United Kingdom about The Midwife's Confession, as the great TV ad aired for the first time and the book officially hit the stores. On the UK Amazon Kindle list, it broke into the top ten (and it's still there!) and it's now number 22 in the print book list. It's a bit nerve wracking to watch those numbers rise and fall, though a lot of fun as well.

But what really had me flying high on Thursday was The New Idea.

I've been hard at work creating a storyline for my 2013 book (I'm revising my 2012 book, The Good Father, but I want to get 2013 ready to roll). I love the idea I have, but it has felt like w-o-r-k, as it often does at this point. However, a smidgen of non-fiction I read on Thursday shifted my brain cells around and suddenly, there it was: a nearly fully formed book idea, completely different from the one I've been working on. As I went about my day, more and more layers of the story came to me until my body could hardly contain the excitement I was feeling. I walked around with a big smile on my face. That evening, I sat John down and told him what I was thinking. He, too, was totally psyched and he helped me think through a few sticking points.  Now I'm starting to write the synopsis, which I'll give to my agent later this week to see what she thinks. I'm nervous about that, because maybe it's just not as perfect as I think it is, but time will tell. This is a book that needs to be written. Wish me luck!

Join Me for a New Story Weekend!

[image error]Here we go again! I've loved reading about your lives for the past couple of weekends, and I hope you'll join me again for week three. This weekend's theme is:

FIRST JOBS.

The rules remain the same:

The story must be true.
Try to keep it under 100 words. That's about six or seven lines in the comment form. I want others to read your story, and most people tend to skip if it's too long. I know how tough it is to "write tight" but I hope you'll accept this as a challenge.
Avoid offensive language.

Have fun, and as usual, I'll kick it off with my own comment.

Check Out the TV Ad for The Midwife's Confession

My publisher in the United Kingdom is pretty amazing. Here's the TV ad they created, which will start running in the UK on June 23rd, the same day The Midwife's Confession should show up in the grocery stores there. I just love it! The book cover proclaims a money back guarantee to readers in the UK and Ireland. The offer states "As Good As Jodi Picoult or Your Money Back".  I don't know why, but that makes me giggle. [image error]Plus, along with the readers' guide and an interview with yours truly, the extra material at the back of the book includes chapter one of The Shadow Wife, which will be my next release across the pond.

I have to admit that the success of my books in the UK and Australia and New Zealand has been a bit mind boggling when it comes to keeping my readers informed. Different covers, different release dates and occasionally different titles can put my brain cells to the test, but reaching so many new readers is worth the challenge!

I Feel Like I'm in a Time Machine…

. . . traveling back to the early eighties.[image error]

I've started rereading my first novel, Private Relations, as I get it ready to publish as an ebook. It will join the five other out-of-print books I've turned into ebooks–Secret Lives, Reflection, The Escape Artist, Brass Ring and Fire and Rain. (Check them out here). I asked my readers if I should reissue my two earliest books even though they're very different from my later novels and the answer was a resounding YES!, so I'm going to do it. But I have to say, rereading this book is a strange experience.

All my older stories lack cell phones, laptops and other technologies we take for granted, but that's not all. If you're a female, I'm curious to know if your OB/GYN is a man or woman? I haven't been to a male gynecologist in about thirty years…and that's when I started writing Private Relations. Back then, I worked as a social worker in a maternity unit and we had exactly two female docs and about a zillion guys. So when my character, Kit, doesn't bat an eye about going to a male OB/GYN, it seems odd to me now, but in the context of the era, it made sense. Kit is thirty-one, by the way, and she's thinking about how incredibly hard it is to change careers at that advanced age! She's a baby, for Pete's sake.

Then there's the writing itself. I actually think it's pretty good, but it's quite different from the way I write now, with regard to both 'voice' and the way I tell the story. For example, I start more slowly as I set up the situation in Private Relations and introduce you to the characters, and I use more description than in my current novels. I also tell a chonological tale instead of zipping from present to past and back again, the way I frequently do now.

Finally, this is a romance, although not a "typical romance" in any way, because I'd never read a romance novel before I wrote it and had no idea that was what I was writing. I believe that's what made it unique enough to win the RITA award for best contemporary novel the year it was released. 

So in spite of male gynecologists, corded phones and juicy love scenes, I am fond of these characters and feel for them as they make their way through the story. I hope you'll feel that way about them too. If you're an ebook reader, watch for Private Relations to join the rest of my novels in a month or so.

Join Me for the Second 'Story Weekend'!

[image error]I was delighted with the response to my first Story Weekend last weekend! I'm so glad you enjoyed sharing your thoughts and hope you'll join me in doing so again. We're still in the experimenting stage, so I'm sticking to my three rules:

The story must be true.
Try to keep it under 100 words. That's about six or seven lines in the comment form. I want others to read your story, and most people tend to skip if it's too long. I know how tough it is to "write tight" but I hope you'll accept this as a challenge. 
Avoid offensive language. 

It was easy for me to come up with the theme for this weekend, since Sunday is Fathers Day. So our theme is 'fathers', and I'll start the ball rolling. Have fun!

 

Let’s Perk Up the Private Relations Cover

It’ll still be a month or so before I’m able to make Private Relations available for those of you who have e-readers, but I’m excited about freshening up the old cover. Private Relations was my very first novel. It’s the story of two men and three women who live together in a big house on the Jersey Shore, and it focuses on the romance between two of them. Private Relations won the RITA award for best single title contemporary novel from the Romance Writers of America. It’s very different from my current novels, but I hope you’ll still enjoy it. I’m looking forward to bringing it into the twenty-first century with a fresh new cover. These images below are made from rough comp pictures and of course, they’re missing the title and my name, but I hope you’ll vote on your favorite so I can polish into the perfect cover.

http://www.dianechamberlain.com/blog/...

Fire and Rain is now an e-book!

Fire and Rain is now available for your Kindle through Amazon or your Nook through Barnes and Noble, as well as in any other e-reading format through Smashwords.com (though it’s probably not yet in the Apple Bookstore. That takes a little longer). I nixed all the cover ideas I’d been considering in favor of one designed by Patricia Ryan. I originally wanted a person on the cover in keeping with my other recent cover art, but Patricia and I couldn’t find the right model for the story. When we saw the adorable adobe cottage that fits the story perfectly, we decided it had all the personality the cover needed.

Fire and Rain is set in San Diego County, where I lived for twelve years. I received my MSW from San Diego State and worked as a social worker in a counseling agency and then in a hospital, which is when I started writing. I had moved to Virginia by the time I wrote Fire and Rain and was feeling homesick for the west coast, so the setting of the book was a way to ‘go back’.

Fire and Rain is the story of Valle Rosa, a town crumbling under a life-threatening drought. A stranger shows up promising to make it rain, but he will only work his “magic” if no one asks him questions about himself. He plans to do his work and move on, but he doesn’t count on falling in love. . . with both the town of Valle Rosa and one special young woman with secrets of her own.

I hope you enjoy the story! Happy e-reading!

To E or not to E! That is the Question

I need your opinions, whether you read e-books or not. I have seven books that have long been out of print and I’ve now made four of them (Secret Lives, Reflection, Brass Ring and The Escape Artist) available as e-books. Very soon, I’ll have a fifth book up (Fire and Rain). Now I’m trying to decide whether or not to make my first two novels, Private Relations and Lovers and Strangers, also available, and that’s where I can use your honest thoughts.

The reason for my hesitation is that they are quite different from my other books. Although they’re not what you’d think of as traditional romances, they have much stronger romantic elements than my other books–particularly Private Relations, which won the RITA award (from Romance Writers of America) for the Best Single Title Contemporary Novel of. . . gulp. . . 1989. I was so young and such a green writer! I am extremely proud of that book as well as of Lovers and Strangers because I know I put my heart and soul into them, but as I said, they are different. Starting with my third novel, Secret Lives, I think my books grew into deeper stories with richer characters and stronger elements of mystery and suspense.

What do you think I should do? Make these two early books available for e-readers or let them stay as the impossible-to-find little paperbacks they’ve been for many years? I’d love to hear your opinions. I know you have them, so bring ‘em on!

My New Process

The Midwife’s Confession will be out in late April and I can’t wait, but it’s hard for me to believe that I need to turn in another book before then. As my faithful blog readers know, I spent a couple of extra months revising The Midwife’s Confession, and while I’m absolutely thrilled with the way it turned out, those revisions cut into the time I have to write my current, still untitled, book. I knew I was going to need to find a new way to work or I’d need tranquilizers to deal with the panic of the next couple of months. Sooo…here’s what I did.

I’d read an article by author Laura Resnick in a recent NINC newsletter in which Lynn discussed her consultation with a life and writing coach to help her reach her deadlines. I contacted the coach, April Kihlstrom, and wow, what a help! First, I have to say that every writer is different and is dealing with different issues and has different ways of working, so what was suggested for me may not be right for another writer. But here are the basics that I took away from my consultation with April.

By the time I contacted April, my book was already outlined within an inch of its life. I’d worked on the outline for a couple of months because the more clear I am on what happens, the faster the writing will go. (In theory, anyway. My characters are still surprising me on every page). So I was ready to begin the first draft and knew I had only about a month to devote to it. My books are about 400 pages/100,000 words long and a rough draft is usually about 300 pages. My schedule has always been to aim for ten pages a day, but often I didn’t make that goal. I’d get sidetracked. Some of the interruptions I couldn’t help: doctor’s appointments, vet appointments, grocery shopping, balancing the checkbook, etcetera. Then there’s keeping up with this blog and guest blogs, staying in touch with my readers through Facebook, and doing author events. And finally there’s the stuff I consider self-sabotage: computer games and getting caught up in Internet research for an element of my story–things that are so much easier than putting words on paper. All of the above equals one big giant horrible word: GUILT. Maybe it goes back to my Catholic upbringing, but I was always feeling guilty if I wasn’t writing. Therefore, I rarely planned anything fun in the few months prior to deadline. I am sure that my friends and family are sick to death of hearing me say I can’t go to a movie or out to dinner or chat on the phone because I have to work.

Anyhow…I explained all this to April. She made many suggestions, but the following three have made the biggest difference for me.

•In the evening, jot down exactly what I need to work on the following day so that in the morning, I know exactly what I need to do.
•Aim for twenty days of fifteen pages a day instead of thirty ten-page days. That allows wiggle room for those days when I just don’t have the time to do ten pages (or I want to do something fun instead) and allows me to have those days without feeling guilty.
•Work in hour long increments without interruption. No zipping over to Facebook. No picking up the phone. When I think of something else I need to do, jot it down so I don’t forget it. Just keep working for that hour. I bet this sounds like a no-brainer, but to me it’s been a revelation. After an hour, I can catch up on phone calls and Facebook and play a game or two. Then I start a new hour.
I made an adjustment to this schedule by changing “pages” to “words”, because a page of dialogue feels like cheating to me. So I need to write 3,750 words a day for twenty days to reach my rough draft goal of 300 pages. I’ve been at it a week and a half and have reached my goal nearly every day. Sometimes I’m over. Sometimes, like today when I had two medical appointments, the dog groomer, and two blog posts to write, I’m under. But I’m taking it one day at a time and it’s amazing how that eases the guilt. I’m discovering that if I don’t allow myself to be interrupted–and I know where I’m going–I can write nearly 1000 words in an hour.

Now,I have to admit that these are bad words. As Anne Lamott says, this is a “shitty first draft” as my first drafts always are. I will have a ton of work to do by the time I reach the end of it and I’ll need to come up with a whole new process to do the first and second rewrites in a timely manner. But at least right now, I’m not feeling anxious and I’m not feeling guilty.

I’ve just described the mechanics of writing a novel and they are important, but I haven’t for a moment forgotten that it’s all about the story. My characters need to be real, the suspense needs to be electric, the pacing needs to be tight. All of that work was done during the outline stage so that now I’m able to focus on the writing. Next draft, I’ll figure out what’s missing in the story. Third draft, I’ll pretty up the writing. Then it’s off to my editor and at least one more draft will follow.

I just hope by then this poor book has a title!