AC: Dani Collins of No Longer Forbidden? Jan 10-12

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

is set in Antarctica. I plan to read it one day - but I don't think there is much romance :( Lots of action though!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Dani wrote: "Also, please have a glance at the cover for The Healer, the medieval fantasy co..."

Hi Dani - you have the same issue of the heroine over the top of the hero, however in this case he does not look submissive. And he looks older! This is definitely a better cover. Not overly medieval (their hair is too clean LOL!) but the horseman on the front should cover it :)

[Dee]

Jane (PS) wrote: " is set in Antarctica. I plan to read it one day - but I don't think there is much romance :( Lots of action though!"

Yeah no romance but omg what a thrill ride - it's like non-stop

[Dani]

Hi Makenzie

You said: "I spent the last two winters in northern Alberta..."

You have more fortitude than I :) We have snow right now, and can get quite a bit some years because we're in the mountains (approx 2 hrs N of Spokane Wa) but it's usually fairly mild, with a few cold snaps. N Alberta is like when I lived in the Rockies. Brrrrrr.

You also asked: " are their any steamy Canadian hunks in your writing future? What are your favorite settings/countries in which to place your stories?"

I think because I'm such a delicate hothouse flower, I tend to reach for the tropics/Mediterranean for a setting, dreaming of being there. But I did set a book in Russia that didn't sell as written, but I think still has potential.

Also, Proof Of Their Sins has a heroine from Quebec. She still owns her grandmother's estate where they tap for Maple Syrup.

[Dani]

Hi Sassafrass

You said: "I think Alaska may be as cold as I can get. :) "

I have an idea for a book set in the North, but haven't developed it yet. So many stories, so little time--it's even worse from a writer's perspective because they take so LONG to write.

[Dani]

Brilliant Fran!

Look at me getting all Goodreads-y. I added them to my Want To Read so I won't lose them. I'll be impossible to live with now.

Thanks :)

[Dani]

Hi Lolita,

You asked: "when did you decided that you want to be an author?or did you always felt that you are meant to be one?!!"

I always loved telling and writing stories. Definitely by high school I was wondering how someone got that cool job. Back then I thought it was a matter of getting hired by a publisher, like any other job, and you collected a paycheque and ta-da.

By 20 I realized you Just Do It. I rented a typewriter and bought some of that super-thin, yellow paper and rolled one in and stared at it.

Writing was A Lot harder than I anticipated :)

[Dani]

Jane (PS) wrote: " is set in Antarctica. I plan to read it one day - but I don't think there is much romance :( Lots of action though!"

Hi Jane,

I added it because sometimes reading a male author gives me the male perspective on things (logical, linear...)

Thanks :)

[Lolita]

Dani wrote: "Hi Lolita,

You asked: "when did you decided that you want to be an author?or did you always felt that you are meant to be one?!!"

I always loved telling and writing stories. Definitely by high sc..."

you really did great job...
how do you write?
i mean do you imagine the story and then you write or you just write and the ideas just come into your mind?

[Dani]

Jane (PS) wrote:

"Hi Dani - you have the same issue of the heroine over the top of the hero, however in this case he ..."

It's true, it falls into the same pattern, but I think this cover is quite lovely, the hero is scrumptious and the heroine a perfect reflection of my character. Also, the colours are so warm and hopeful... I'm really happy with this one.

[Dani]

Dee wrote: "Jane (PS) wrote: " is set in Antarctica. I plan to read it one day - but I don't think there is much romance :( Lots of action though!"

Yeah no romance but omg what..."

You guys are selling me on this one... Hmmm, but wait, if I'm in the Romance Readers Reading Challenge, doesn't it have to be a romance?

Or do you maybe not police this as closely as I fear? ;o)

[Fran, Moderator]

Dani, although a romance group, we have no problem with reading other genres for our challenges so you are good to go with Ice Station :)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Dani wrote: "Or do you maybe not police this as closely as I fear? ;o) ..."

LOL - not at all in fact! As Fran said, we are free and easy with our book choices ;) They just happen to be mainly romance!

[Dani]

Hi Lolita

You asked: "how do you write?
i mean do you imagine the story and then you write or you just write and the ideas just come into your mind?"

That's tough to answer. I think it's a little of both. I get scenes in my head, but they're usually like listening to dialogue without much action unless it's critical, like their heated conversation leads into a kiss and then she breaks away and says, "What about your fiancee?"

Often those scenes occur to me while I'm falling asleep or doing something mindless like dishes or data entry tasks at work. My mind drifts.

But when I'm actually sitting at the keyboard, then I have to fill in all the gaps. I figure out how to make that dialogue come out naturally and add details that will ground the reader in the setting and give them a sense of the character's appearance and describe how they're feeling emotionally.

So some of it is mechanics and some imagination, but even the mechanics need to be looked at later to make sure I'm saying it in a fresh or engaging way. How many times have you read, "Every cell of his being." I might use a phrase like that in a rough draft, but later I try to find a better way to say that. I try to put myself into that situation and really feel it and then try to describe the feeling.

At the same time, the pure imagination stuff needs a second look to make sure it's not gibberish, that it's actually doing the necessary work for the story and not leading readers astray.

Bottom line: put your fingers on the keyboard and see what happens. ;)

[Dani]

And the Winner Is...

As chosen by my completely scientific method of asking my daughter to pick a number based on the message #'s for Thursday...

Julie!

[Lolita]

Dani wrote: "Hi Lolita

You asked: "how do you write?
i mean do you imagine the story and then you write or you just write and the ideas just come into your mind?"

That's tough to answer. I think it's a little...

thank you..."

[Tina]

Not sure if this has already been asked, but how do you handle doubt and writer's block?

[Julie]

Dani wrote: " And the Winner Is...

As chosen by my completely scientific method of asking my daughter to pick a number based on the message #'s for Thursday...

Julie!"

So excited!!! I cannot wait to read your book!!
Tell your daughter 'Thank You' for picking my post #!!

[Dani]

KindleFreebies

Further to yesterday's post, this is free for download to your Kindle today:

Shared Whispers - Tales Of Romance and Adventure, Anthology of Short Stories

Also, this one will be free tomorrow, Jan 12th:

Hustled To The Altar, Romantic Comedy

Please, tell your friends :)

[Dani]

Hi Christina,

"Not sure if this has already been asked, but how do you handle doubt and writer's block?"

Fortunately, I don't suffer from writer's block. I do get stuck, but I've learned not to force it. I go for a walk, do something else and let my subconscious chew on it for a bit. Often I find that I've made a wrong turn previous to the scene that's not working. If I go back a few pages/scenes/chapters, I can usually figure out where I went wrong and move forward from there.

As for doubt... Wow, I've had a lot at different times of despair and feeling bad about myself over the 25 years of not selling. I considered quitting more than once and told my family at different times, "If they don't buy this one, that's it!"

They all encouraged me to keep going, the enablers. (I'm glad they did.) And, honestly, I don't think I could quit writing.

What is really important is to separate the writing from the publishing. The writing belongs to the writer. Publishers can tell you they don't want to buy it, that's their prerogative, but it doesn't mean the work is bad and it certainly doesn't mean the writer should feel like a failure.

That's the wise conclusion I've come to which definitely helps combat feelings of self-doubt.

[Makenzie]

Dani wrote: "Also, Proof Of Their Sins has a heroine from Quebec. She still owns her grandmother's estate where they tap for Maple Syrup."

Hahaha awesome! I do miss the real maple syrup (and poutine!), for sure. I look forward to reading about her.

And thanks for the freebie heads ups! I can't wait to read them. :)

Dani wrote:"What is really important is to separate the writing from the publishing. The writing belongs to the writer. Publishers can tell you they don't want to buy it, that's their prerogative, but it doesn't mean the work is bad and it certainly doesn't mean the writer should feel like a failure."

That is a very wise conclusion. I really love your view of the process. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Congrats Julie!!

[Lolita]

congrats...

[Makenzie]

Ack. Missed the announcement. Congrats Julie!

[Dani]

Goodnight GR's, talk to you tomorrow :)

[Dani]

Good morning all,

I'm in and out today. It's a happy-sad day for me. My sister leaves for Australia soon and today is the last time I'll see her before she leaves.

She's joining my youngest sister and will work for our brother-in-law. It's a really good move for her and her husband, very big bummer for me :(

So I'm going over the pass midday to give her a last hug and kiss, buy her car (lol) and then I'll be back this evening.

In the meanwhile, remember to download my indie book for free if you have a kindle:

Hustled To The Altar Free on Kindle Jan 12, 2013

[Dani]

Friday's Winner!

Again, completely scientific draw, this time by my husband. Drum roll.....

Makenzie!

Congratulations. I'll contact you off list.

Late tonight I'll get my son to draw from today's comments. I wish I could post a picture of him in the shirt he got for Christmas. He's 14 and quite tall, works out, has hair like that boy in Blue Lagoon... Remember that curly blond stuff that made all our young hearts go pitty pat?

He's got a great sense of humour so friends of the family got him a T-shirt that has a big gift tag on the front. It says: To Women, From God.

He's got it on this morning, which made me laugh all over again. He won't wear it to school. "Mom. Seriously?" So it's a pajama shirt.

Hope you're enjoying your Saturday.

[Dee]

lol - congrats Makenzie!!

[Nikki]

I missed yesterday's announcement so congrats to Makenzie and Julie! :)

[Makenzie]

Squee!!! I never win stuff! Thank you so much Dani! And give your husband a hug for me. He's a great man. Haha.

Thank you again for taking a few days out of your life to talk with us. It's always great to hear things from an author's perspective.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Congrats Makenzie!!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Dani wrote: "Good morning all,

I'm in and out today. It's a happy-sad day for me. My sister leaves for Australia soon and today is the last time I'll see her before she leaves.

She's joining my youngest sist..."

I hope your sister and husband enjoy living in Australia (I'm sure they will be once they get over our current heatwave!)... What area of Australia are they going to?

...Off to download 'Hustled' ;) Thanks Dani!

[Dani]

Hi Jane,

They'll all be in Brisbane, which is plenty hot enough this time of year. Funny thing is, their winters are surprisingly uncomfortable because no one has central heat. So you still wind up wearing sweaters and slippers when it goes down to low 40s (F)

I'm off to outline my talk for the local library on An Authors Paths to Publication.

From a reader's perspective, which format do you prefer these days? Electronic? Print? Where do you like to purchase your books?

[Dee]

I do both - combo library (print and Ebola) and buy - typically check the library first for big 6 publishers

[Nikki]

I was a die hard hardback girl until I got my Kindle Keyboard for Christmas 2011 and now I am obsessed with it! I still read hard/paperbacks every now and then but my kindle goes everywhere with me! I get most of my books from Amazon, but I like to look at all the different sites that offer kindle format to see who's prices are lower... For my hard copies I use DoubleDay Book Club.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Dani wrote: "Hi Jane,

They'll all be in Brisbane, which is plenty hot enough this time of year. Funny thing is, their winters are surprisingly uncomfortable because no one has central heat. So you still wind u..."

LOL - I know Brisbane! I work there... But I live further north. Very humid there at the moment I expect :)

[Sassafrass]

Dee wrote: "I do both - combo library (print and Ebola) and buy - typically check the library first for big 6 publishers"

Ebola! LMAO

autocorrect strikes again!!!!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Dani wrote: "From a reader's perspective, which format do you prefer these days? Electronic? Print? Where do you like to purchase your books?..."

For erotica and MM I prefer eformat, but for m/f I prefer paperback or audio. I think it's because m/f tend to be longer (although there are some chubby chunkster MMs) to the other two genres so prefer to 'see' my progress physically (or just kick back and relax in the car). No idea what my psychololgy is behind that - it just is...

[Sassafrass]

At this point, I prefer ebooks. Mostly due to the fact that with 4 people in the house all who need books for various reasons, it gets a little crowded with all the books. So, it's nice to be able to store thousands of book in a very small space.

I've tried the library thing, and I've had some unfortunate experiences with questionable substances in/on books. *shudders*

[Dee]

Sassafrass wrote: "Dee wrote: "I do both - combo library (print and Ebola) and buy - typically check the library first for big 6 publishers"

Ebola! LMAO

autocorrect strikes again!!!!"

Lol I didn't even notice - too much wine me thinks ;)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Dee wrote: "Sassafrass wrote: "Dee wrote: "I do both - combo library (print and Ebola) and buy - typically check the library first for big 6 publishers"

Ebola! LMAO

autocorrect strikes again!!!!"

Lol I did..."

I just thought I was completely ignorant of the latest technology - as usual :)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Sassafrass wrote: "At this point, I prefer ebooks. Mostly due to the fact that with 4 people in the house all who need books for various reasons, it gets a little crowded with all the books. So, it's nice to be abl..."

I agree fully on that space issue thing as well Sass. Plus the ereader hides (for my pleasure only) the cuddling men on the cover ;)

[Sassafrass]

Not to mention, Jane, that my kindle has a passcode on it to keep away from prying little eyes. ;)

[Dani]

I also thought Ebola was some (very unfortunately named) type of download format I hadn't heard of. haha

Interesting remarks about space. I predict we're going to swing toward being a minimalist society as the excesses that got us all into ugly debt come home to roost. Also, lots of boomers downsizing and gutting the homestead of relics. Like you say, why have ten books on the coffee table when you can have one tablet?

The privacy issue is a huge bonus, I think. Did you see the Saturday Night Live ad for Kindle?

OMG this is awful in the way only SNL can be:

SNL Fifty Shades of Grey

[Makenzie]

Dani wrote: "I also thought Ebola was some (very unfortunately named) type of download format I hadn't heard of. haha

Interesting remarks about space. I predict we're going to swing toward being a minimalist s..."

OMG that is amazing!!!! I died laughing.

As far as me, I have limited space for books, but I did just buy a new house and a portion of the wall in one of my rooms seems prime for a new, giant bookshelf. :) I usually will get paperbacks of my favorite authors and get most others on ebook (I have both Nook and Kindle).

I got the Nook originally for my 5 month trips to Alberta. Waaaay more practical than packing 5 months of paperback books in my suitcases. Hahaha. After that I just kinda stuck with it. Especially being able to access Kindle and Nook on my phone, I can read books during my lunch break at work. :)

[Dani]

Makenzie wrote: "OMG that is amazing!!!! I died laughing. ..."

It's funny, isn't it? They have no boundaries on that show, they really don't, lol.

[Dani]

I have a date with my husband pretty quick here to watch The Adjustment Bureau. (?) Not sure if it's my cup of tea, but he's been on nights for the last three days so it'll be our reconnect--staring at a screen and not talking, lol. But this is how you stay married for 20 years.

I have SO enjoyed this chat. Thank you all so much for making me feel welcome and indoctrinating me into the world of Goodreads and Author Chats. I can't thank you enough for making it EASY. I was a bit scared, truthfully. Wondered what I'd got myself into. I shall forever feel confident going forward :)

Final draw coming in a moment...

[Dani]

Winner Of Third Book

Serendipitously, it goes to DEE! This is perfect since she so kindly welcomed me aboard for this chat and set up the thread (Good grief, I wouldn't have the first clue how to do it!)

So I'm thrilled and hope she will be too. I'll contact you off list, Dee.

Thank you again everyone. Off to watch Matt Damon ... :) (again, this is how you stay married for 20 years haha)

[Makenzie]

Congrats Dee!!!!

And again, thanks so much for taking your time with us, Dani. It's been a pleasure! I can't wait to read your work!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Congrats Dee! :)

Thanks for chatting with us Dani and best wishes with all your books.