Micole Writes Romance

Spotlight Author with Cherry Adaire

2011-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome Cherry to Micole Writes Romance. I’m so excited that you are here with us to announce and celebrate the release of your latest book RIPTIDE. Can you share a little bit about this book with us?

Hi Micole, and thanks for inviting me.

RIPTIDE is the second in my Cutter Cay series. Middle brother Nick is working a salvage off the coast of the Canary Islands, but he makes a detour to Morocco to do a favor for a friend. While he’s in disguise, a woman approaches the group of men he’s with, and asks to be taken to the his ship the Scorpion. Thinking he’ll easily give her the slip, Nick is not a happy camper when pain in his ass Princess Gabriella Visconti show’s up unannounced the next day.

Nick was a lot of fun to write. He’s not called Spock by his family and friends for nothing! Uncommunicative, he keeps his thoughts and feelings close to his chest. Even more so on this salvage because he’s playing a dangerous cat and mouse game by smuggling uncut diamonds onboard.

Gabriella Visconti is the perfect foil for him. She’s determined to get a refund on the money her brother foolishly invested in the Cutter’s salvage business. She’s fun, opinionated and volatile, and refuses to take no for an answer. Uh-oh!

Of course sparks fly. 

One of the things I really loved while writing RIPTIDE was that I got to revisit a place near and dear to my heart; the island of Marrezo.
I invented Marrezo on a long (and smoky!) flight home from Italy many years ago. I fell in love with the country, and wrote (my first published book) The Mercenary – LONG HAND- on the plane.

When I wanted a spicy heroine with a temperament opposite Nick’s I gave him a long lost Italian princess, with very American sensibilities. Put together a hot-blooded woman, and an uncommunicative man well versed in masking his emotions and sparks fly. I hope these two are as much fun for people to read as they were for me to write.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing AFTERGLOW which is the second book in my LODESTONE series. (No, Gideon Stark is not the hero – just sayin’!) It’s a fun, fast and furious chase across Europe with two intriguing characters, and I’m having a blast seeing what they do next. 

What do you think makes your writing unique?

My books are a little tongue-in-cheek, a little over the top. A lot larger than life action adventures. I love writing running-chasing-falling-down-wild monkey-sex-shooting-running-chasing-loving-wild monkey sex-happy endings. Maybe people love reading running-chasing-falling down-wild monkey sex-shooting-running-chasing-loving-wild monkey sex-happy endings?

Every author that I have spoken to has their own writing process. Some spend weeks working on character building charts. Some use post it notes to plot their entire book. Other’s pull pictures from magazines and make a story board of sorts. What is your writing process and how long would you say it takes you when a new idea is sparked from sketching out the details to getting to THE END?

I spend several weeks plotting (3M company LOVES me, I buy at least half the PostIt notes sold in the US! (ok not literally, but I do have every color they make. lol) I spent two to three weeks building my characters, plotting and doing the initial research. Then I’m ready to rock and roll.

Being an author comes with its fare share of joys and disappointment whether you are just starting or you have been in this business for many years. All of us need advice no matter where we are at on this journey. What is the most valuable piece of advice that you have received through out your writing career that you would like to pass along to other authors out there?

Most valuable piece of advice given to me? Give yourself permission to write crap – as long as it’s on the page it can be cleaned up later! (I have this PostIt note stuck on my monitor!)

My advice to other writers? Sit your butt in the chair and write. Have a career plan (yes, even if you haven’t sold yet.) Stay focused on what you want. Don’t look at what other people have or where they are in their career, you’ll be doomed for disappointment. We each have our own journeys. Like fingerprints, no two writing careers are the same. And once published, don’t read your own reviews! If they’re great we believe them. If they suck you not only believe them, you remember that crappy review forever!

Out of all of your books, which one would you say is your favorite? And why?

THE MERCENARY because it was my first, and we always remember our first.  But I think our books are like kids. (Sometimes messy, expensive to raise until we sell them (the book, not the children lol) and time-consuming! Lol) All different and loved in their own way. I can’t think of any job I’d love more than this. Every day is an adventure and a thrill a minute. Even the most mundane tasks associated with being an author are better than just about any job out there.

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

Tall, dark, and rich. (Hey! This is my hero and my heroes are never poor! Lol) He has to have an ethical compass, a sense of humor (even if sometimes it’s well hidden!) and know his way around a woman’s body as well as he knows his way around weapons. 

When you aren’t writing steaming hot romances what do you do in your spare time?

Spare time? I don’t have much. My bar-none favorite place to be online is my Facebook page. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE playing with my readers there! We have a ridiculous amount of fun every day. It’s the carrot on the end of the stick, and my reward when I’ve reached my goaled page count during the day.

I’m also crazy about TV (we didn’t have it in South Africa when I was growing up) I’ll happily watch anything, any time. And most of all I love to read. But I don’t read nearly as much as I did before I was published, and I never read anything remotely similar to what I’m writing when I’m writing (which is all the time)

Where can we find out more about you Cherry Adair?

On my website www.cherryadair.com, Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/CherryAdair and my beloved Facebook http://tiny.cc/l1iva I love hearing from readers – wherever you may find me. 

Thank you so much for being a guest on my blog. Looking forward to the release of RIPTIDE!!

Thank you so much for having me, Micole! This was a lot of fun.
Cheers
Cherry

Spotlight Author with Rogenna Brewer

2011-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Kid’s are back in school and everything is falling back into place at home now that they are back on a schedule. Crazy thing is I’m not doing that “Happy Mom” dance that I usually do when they go back to school. I don’t know what it is this year, I already miss them. I have Rogenna Brewer to keep my company today! ;-) She will be giving one lucky commenter a copy of MITZI’S MARINE. So make sure to stop in, say hi, and ask questions!

Tell us a little bit about yourself Rogenna and what you write.

Hi, Micole! Thanks for having me.

I write long contemporaries for Harlequin Superromance. I’ve been married for too many years to admit to in writing and have three boys somewhere between the ages of adolescents and adulthood.

I’m a working mom and a writer, who has yet to find a way to balance family and writing. Though I keep hoping one day I’ll get it right.

I always knew I wanted to be a writer, I just didn’t know it would be so hard or that the odds were against me. I’m glad I didn’t know any of that when I first started out.

Oh, and once upon a time I was in the Navy. I’ve traveled the globe, even crossed the international dateline without ever needing a passport or stepping outside of US territory.

I hope to remedy that some day. I’m kind of tired of bragging about that.

What do you think makes your writing unique?

I write military heroes and heroines from the perspective of someone who’s actually been there, done that. A lot of my fan mail comes from readers either in the military or with a family member in the military who thank me for getting it right. And if I don’t or if my experience was different from theirs they let me know that too.

Can you share with us what you are currently working on?

I just finished a marriage of convenience story between a single mom who wants desperately to join the Marines and a Navy SEAL struggling bitterly with being medically discharged after losing an eye in Iraq. Needless to say he’s none too happy being the Manny while the wife goes off to war.

The book is called Marry Me, Marine and comes out in February 2011.

I’m on a bit of a wounded warrior kick. The hero in my May 2010 release Mitzi’s Marine lost a leg in Iraq.

To me the real heroes are the men and women who serve.

What is your process? Are you a plan every aspect before you write kind of gal or the one that flies by the seat of her pants and lets the story and its characters take you for a wild ride until THE END?

Process? You mean there are writers that actually have that all figured out?

I have written each and every book by the trial and error and pulling out hair method.

I love the freedom of writing by the seat of my pants. That’s not always possible once you’re published. In order to write under contract I have to submit an outline (or sysnopsis) and chapters.

Sometimes getting those sample chapters polished take you out of the story. And some of my longest and most complete outlines have been my hardest books to write.

What do you do when you get stuck?

Haha. You really do ask the tough questions. Usually, taking a step back is key for me. Letting go of the problem and taking a walk or a shower can get me back on track. Unfortunately I’m usually on deadline when I get stuck with no time to stop and think.

If I try to jump ahead of the problem or work around it I usually make matters worse.

Give us a glimpse into the day in your “writer’s” life?

I’m coming off a deadline, which looked like this… Up at 6am. Day job from 7am-4pm. Home by 5pm. Up in my office until midnight or 2am (with a 5 hour energy break at 7pm—which I would not recommend). Bed. And then start all over again.

Weekends were 16 to 20 hours in a chair.

I was tired all the time. I gained about thirty pounds. This is not a schedule I would recommend.

No matter what I did I could not get even a page an hour. So I had to keep to grueling schedule, which I’m pretty sure compounded the problem, because I was losing ground daily while on deadline.

How long was your road to publication?

April 5th 1995 was my butt in the chair date. That’s the day I made up my mind to sit down and write every day in order to get published. I got the call June 1st 1998.

Did you receive rejection letters during your journey to become published? If yes what is your best advice to someone who’s received their first one?

No, I’m perfect . I’ve never received a rejection letter that read something like, this book is too category. And same book, this book is too single title.

When I won a contest and Supers bought the sequel to that book, I was like, duh. Why didn’t I think of that?

I write long contemporary category romance.

And the rejections haven’t stopped just because I’m published, but they’re usually phone calls or emails from my editor.

Do you have any advice on writing, getting published, or finding an agent?

I’m really bad a picking out agents so no advice from me there. It’s true what they say about a bad agent being worse than no agent.

As far as writing advice; make today your butt in the chair day and write a little something every day.

Thank you, Rogenna. I am so happy you were able to make it by Micole Writes Romance.

Make sure to leave a comment for Regenna to be entered in her giveaway of MITZI’S MARINE! ;-) Thank you for stopping by Micole Writes Romance.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Cynthia Eden

2011-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has been enjoying their summer. Mine has been filled with craziness, though it’s been a good craziness. ;-) I have Cynthia Eden here with me today. She is sharing her upcoming release with us as well as giving away an ARC of the ANGELS OF DARKNESS. So make sure to stop in and say hi in the comments section at the bottom.

Tell us a little bit about your latest release NEVER CRY WOLF.

NEVER CRY WOLF is sexy paranormal romance about one fierce alpha. J Lucas Simone is the alpha of his pack, but Lucas has a big weakness—ladies in distress. So when Sarah King comes to him for protection, what’s a wolf to do? (Trust me—he does a lot!)

What are you working on now?

Right now I am working on the fourth book in my Fallen series (a series about Fallen Angels of Death). These angels are dark & dangerous & they can kill with a touch—I love them! (And I sure hope readers do, too!)

Where does your inspiration come from?

Everything. I get inspired by songs, movies, walks on the beach. Story ideas can hit me anytime, and when they do hit, I try to write them down as quickly as I can so that I can develop the stories more later.

How long does it take you to write a manuscript?

It takes me about 2 months to do a draft of a 90,000 word novel. After that draft, I put the manuscript away for a week so that I can get some distance from that story. That distance helps me to go back with a more objective eye. I use that objective eye to edit/revise for about 2 weeks—then I send the story to my editor.

Do you have any advice on writing, getting published, or finding an agent?

The best way to learn about the craft of writing is to read stories in your genre. What do you like about those plots? Those characters? How is POV handled? Read to learn…then write the story that appeals to you. Don’t be afraid of rejection (that’s just part of the business). Keep writing, keep submitting, and never give up on your dream.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

That’s tough!! Okay…I really enjoyed Niol, my all-powerful demon from MIDNIGHT’S MASTER. Niol was a bad guy—very bad. I guess I just have a thing for bad boys. They make life interesting & more than a little interesting.

Now pick a character that you wished you had created from one of your favorite stories.

I wish I’d created Spike! I love both the Buffy shows & books, and I absolutely wish I had created the sarcastic and sexy Spike.

Cynthia, I am so glad that you joined us today at Micole Writes Romance. Thank you for all of the information as well as inspiration. I wish you many sales. Where can we find out more about you and your books?

Thank you, Micole! I really appreciate you inviting me over. Readers are welcome to visit my website (www.cynthiaeden.com) in order to learn more about my books. Thanks!

Spotlight Author with Nicola Cornick

2011-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have the pleasure of sharing my blog with the delightful, Nicola Cornick. Welcome Nicola, tell us a little bit about you and your latest release.

Thank you so much for the warm welcome and for inviting me to the blog today!

A little bit about me… Well, I’m British and I live in the English countryside with my husband and my pets. I write Regency historicals for HQN Books and I also work as a historian in a historic house, which is very inspirational.

My latest release is NOTORIOUS, book 4 in my Scandalous Women of the Ton series. Each of the books in the series is about a strong woman doing something that Regency society considers outrageous, whether that is traveling, taking a job or, in the case of Susanna, the heroine of NOTORIOUS, breaking hearts for a living! The hero is James Devlin, who featured in the very first book in the series and is a rake and a real bad-boy. In Susanna, though, he definitely meets his match. They have a “can’t live with each other, can’t live without each other” type of relationship, very hot and fiery with lots of verbal sparring and sparks flying!

What are you working on now?

I’m currently writing the final book in the Scandalous Women series and loving it. It’s a rags to riches story of a servant girl who finds herself the heiress to a grand estate. It’s called FORBIDDEN and it’s out next year. I’m also working on a short story for a Christmas anthology, which is quite a challenge to the imagination during a hot summer!

What is the hardest part about your job?

For me the hardest part of being a writer is working primarily on my own. Before I became a full time author I worked in an office with lots of people and I really miss that social contact. Fortunately I have lots of very good friends online and lots of contact with readers and this motivates me and keeps me going.

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

There are so many things I enjoy about being an author. I’m very lucky that I am able to do a job I love. That’s very special. Plus I love writing happy endings!

What is your secret to success?

I’m not sure I have a secret, but I do work very hard. This seems to be mainly to the surprise of some family and friends, who, if they happen to be around during the day can be heard to say: “You really do work very hard!” in tones of amazement, as though they secretly suspected me of sitting around watching daytime TV! I also believe that if you want to be successful you have to keep reading, learning and polishing your craft and that you need to write the very best book you can.

How long was your road to publication?

It was a long one! I started to write in my teens and began my first Regency romance when I was eighteen and at college. I submitted it to a publisher when I was about twenty- three and didn’t hear anything for over a year. Eventually it was rejected for having too much adventure and too little romance in the plot. I re-wrote it and sent it in again. This time I got a straight rejection. So I tried again… I was in my thirties by the time my first book was accepted for publication. Hence my advice to aspiring authors never to give up!

Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration comes from all sorts of places, from snippets I read in historical research books to historic houses I visit. Sometimes I might see a gown in a costume collection and that can inspire a story idea when I start wondering who might have worn it, or I could overhear a couple of lines of conversation and start speculating on the relationship of the couple talking. Although I write historical romance I get quite a few of my story ideas from modern newspapers and magazines. For example, celebrity has been a theme in a number of my books. I find that there are so many parallels between the past and the present.

What is the most important advice you can give to aspiring authors?

I would tell any aspiring author to believe in yourself. Believe you can be successful. Sometimes it’s hard to keep going if your writing is rejected and if you have so many other demands on your time. Keep polishing your writing, keep reading, keep learning and above all keep trying.

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

I find integrity, resourcefulness, humor and intelligence essential in any hero. They have to be strong and brave in their own way and have a code of honor no matter how deeply it might be buried. I particularly like heroes who are protectors. And although in real life I am definitely not attracted to bad boys, in fiction I do like seeing a bad boy reform!

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

Good question! I love the character of Patrick Jane in The Mentalist. He fascinates me. He’s a tortured soul and he is so clever – arrogant at times – and yet he’s compellingly attractive.

I have to agree Nicola. I just love him and the show. ;-)

Thank you Nicola, for taking time to spend with all of us here. Where can we find out more about you and your books?

Thank you so much for inviting me! It’s been a lot of fun.

As I mentioned, I love chatting to readers, writers and history buffs and you can find me on my blog at www.nicolacornick.co.uk/blog

I’m also a member of the Word Wenches blog:
www.wordwenches.com

I love chatting on Facebook and Twitter too:
http://www.facebook.com/nicola.cornick
http:// twitter.com/NicolaCornick

Thank you readers. See you next week.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Nina Wright

2011-07-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to share my guest Nina Wright with all of you today. To be honest, I happened upon Nina’s work because of Facebook and am pleased that I found her. She has some great insight on the writing world and wonderful advice.

What has been your biggest fear that you have had to overcome as a writer?

That’s an excellent question, Micole. I think the biggest fear I ever had occurred after reading the first draft of my first novel: I realized that the book I thought I was writing was not in fact the book that I was now rereading. To put it bluntly, my first draft was awful! So I had to figure out how to close the gap between the quality of what I wanted to produce and the quality of what I had produced. That involved not only writing many revisions but also overcoming much self-doubt.

What makes your writing unique?

I’d like to think that a writer’s well-honed voice is what makes her unique. Mine is infused with breezy humor as well as snappy dialogue and plots that keep the reader in her seat until the end.

Tell us a little bit about your books.

I currently have five books in the humorous Whiskey Mattimoe mystery series that begins with Whiskey on the Rocks. This is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys Evanovich or dog mysteries. My amateur sleuth is a recently widowed 30-something Realtor who inherits her late husband’s diva-dog, an Afghan hound inclined to steal shiny things.

I also have two paranormal novels, Homefree and Sensitive. And I’m a playwright with about 20 produced plays to my credit. I’m thrilled that Ampichellis Ebooks has just made all five Whiskey Mattimoe books available on Kindle. The paranormal novels are coming soon. . . .

What are you working on now?

I’ve got two freestanding paranormal novels under way, one with a humorous and sexy slant, the other much darker. And I’m thinking about writing a sixth Whiskey Mattimoe title.

What is your writing process? Plotter or Panster?

Every book is a different journey for me as a writer. Generally, I begin writing as soon as I know who the key characters are and what the central problem is. I may or may not know how the book ends, but I usually know at least a couple major plot points or complications. Then I start writing. I keep track of possibilities and questions as I draft, pausing periodically to “micro-plot” to the next crisis.

How long does it take you to write a manuscript?

When I could write full-time, which unfortunately I can’t do at present, I completed two books a year. Now, juggling a demanding day job (as most working writers do) and other major responsibilities, I strive to set aside whatever writing time I can grab. Last year I managed to complete a full-length play and see it on its feet in Chicagoland. This year my goal is to complete the rough draft of one novel. If I can accomplish more than that, I’ll be thrilled.

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

When I was in my 20s, I worked in the theatre and thought that being a professional actor was the best job in the world. Now I know that being a full-time author is the best job. Yes, it’s hard, lonely work, but if you’re a born storyteller, there’s nothing you’d rather do. Writing a novel is more about magic than logic: once you start building the world of your story, your unconscious joins the process and you become a medium, channeling sources you can’t explain, as well as a craftsman. I honestly enjoy all the tasks and skills that a writer is called on to use at some point in a book’s creation.

How long was your road to publication?

The third novel I wrote, revised and shopped around was the first novel I succeeded in finding a publisher for. I think I spent about five years directly working on becoming an author, but I had already been a professional playwright and business writer for more than a decade.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

If you know you are a writer, then you must write. If you can walk away from it, you’re not really a writer. Keep writing, keep believing and keep sharing your work!

Thank you Nina, for stopping in and spending time with us here on my blog. Where can we find out more information about you and your books?

This was fun, Micole. Thanks for the chance to talk about what I most love doing. My website is www.ninawright.net. Readers can also find me on facebook and Twitter. I teach writing workshops and coach individual writers, too.

Thank you friends for coming. I hope you enjoyed the interview as much as I did. See you next week with Nicole Cornick’s interview.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Leanne Banks

2011-07-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Good morning friends. Today is my birthday and I am celebrating it with author Leanne Banks. Here she is to tell us a little bit about her latest release.

Tell us a little bit about your latest release THE DOCTOR TAKES A PRINCESS.

This book features an underestimated princess. Bridget is often thought of as the lighthearted charming sister, perhaps even a bit self-centered. In the story, she has one last assignment before she gets to take a long overdue break. Her assignment is to work with a doctor at a medical center to bring new doctors to her island country of Chantaine.

Dr. Ryder McCall has no intention of letting his prize doctors take off for some island country. It would be bad for their careers. Plus, he has his hands full since he has taken over the care of his twin six-month old nephews.

What I love about this book is the way that both characters grow and change. Princess Bridget isn’t really a baby person. She’s more of a call-the-nanny person, which she does. But the nanny isn’t always available, so Bridget has to deal with the twins on her own.

Dr. Ryder McCall’s career has always been first with him. Taking care of his nephews and meeting Bridget turns his world upside down. He’s forced to take a different point of view and along the way, he learns what is truly important to him.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a follow-up to THE DOCTOR TAKES A PRINCESS. This book features Bridget’s sister Phillipa, aka Pippa, and hey, I named this character LONG before we had Kate and Pippa!:)

Every author that I have spoken to has their own writing process. Some spend weeks working on character building charts. Some use post it notes to plot their entire book. Other’s pull pictures from magazines and make a story board of sorts. What is your writing process and how long would you say it takes you when a new idea is sparked from sketching out the details to getting to THE END?

I’ll try anything!lol I’ve used post it notes. I’ve tried creating a collage. I enjoy character building. I hate plotting. I almost feel that a root canal would be easier than plotting. It’s mostly my fault, though, because I believe the plot needs to come as a result of the character’s growth. I think writing an autobiography from the main characters’ pov helps. I find the critical questions are: What does my hero/heroine most fear? What is my hero/heroine’s secret wish? My writing process involves a lot of brooding, cursing at the cursor, and making lists. Lists of ways to express conflict. Ways to get the hero and heroine together. I especially love using the brainstorming technique of the list of 20. What you do is list (WITHOUT EDITING) 20 ideas to solve your problem, or 20 scenes, whatever assignment you’ve given yourself. How long does it take me? Too long. I don’t schedule myself to write more than 3 books per year because I have found, unfortunately, that I’m not writing faster with each book.

Where does your inspiration come from?
My curiosity about a character and a story. Where will it go? I get to know the characters and I want to see how they evolve. I’m not a complete pantser or plotter. I often get to the end of book and say, “Oh, so that’s what it was all about.” That means I spend a lot of time driving in the dark!

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

I loved the characters from EXPECTANT FATHER. The hero is a genius with anger management issues. He was so tortured because he was a research scientist trying to cure Alzheimers.

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

I prefer a man with intelligence and a sense of humor. I have no use for a man or hero, who doesn’t have those qualities.

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?
The growth, the struggle and the happily-ever-after. I like it that our heroes and heroines must earn their happiness.

Tell us about the classes that you offer.
I’ve given several presentations, but the one I enjoy most is on Brainstorming. I present 17 brainstorming techniques, then the class divides into small groups to solve problems. Everyone leaves that class feeling empowered.

Where can we find out more about you Leanne?
http://www.leannebanks.com/ You’ll get my most current updates on facebook.

Thank you for sharing your time with us here at Micole Writes Romance.

Hope to see you all next week.

Hugs

Micole

Storyboarding with Vanessa Kelly

2011-06-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Summer has started and the kids are out of school. I thought I would share Vanessa Kelly’s Storyboarding technique with all of you. Just a little something to help get your motor running if summer time has you distracted from your writing.

Vanessa Kelly on Storyboarding…

Before I begin plotting, I usually spend several weeks doing research for the book and brainstorming with my critique partner. When the story ideas start to come together in my head, I then start on my plot board. It's divided into two rows horizontally across the middle. Then I break it down into scene or chapters. It can be either one - just something that is a finite scene or piece of action in the book. For each scene I have four stickies, which I layer one on top of the other, moving scenes horizontally across the board. For each scene I have:
1. a yellow sticky, which states where the scene is located and what the main action of the scene is.
2. a pink sticky, which sets out in one or two sentences the heroine's goal for the scene, or her emotional arc or issue for that scene.
3. a blue sticky, with the hero's goal for the scene, or his emotional arc or issue.
4. a purple sticky, which is my goal for the scene, i.e. First Meet, First Sex Scene, Turning Point, Advance Sub-plot, etc... Obviously, if the heroine or hero isn't in the scene, I don't include that sticky.

I try not to over think it, pushing myself to work quickly so I can get some kind of flow. And I don't stress. The beauty of working with stickies is that you can rewrite or change them, even shuffle them, any time. I'm always rewriting stickies as I go along, getting different ideas or refining the characters' goals. And by forcing myself to reduce things to one or two sentences, I can really home in on goals and motivations. It's a great brainstorming exercise, and can be a lot of fun if you just let it rip.

It only takes me a day or so to do it. It's a focused brainstorming exercise more than anything else, and your plot will change - often quite a bit - once you start writing. But it's a good safety net, and I can also write a synopsis based on the plot board before I even start the book.

Here is a picture to give you a visual.

This was very exciting for me to see. Hope it helps all of you as well. Thank you for stopping in.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Caris Roane

2011-06-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning friends, I have another great author here with me today, Caris Roane.

Micole, thank you so much for having me on your blog today. And I especially want to welcome my Goodreads and Facebook fans who have responded to my event invitations. So, please, those of you who are familiar with my Guardians of Ascension series, feel free to make comments and ask questions! I’d love to talk about all of the upcoming books...without, of course, giving away too many spoilers!

Tell us about you and your books.

Well, I’ve been out of my mind for paranormal romance for a long time now. And though I’d written Regency romance as Valerie King, after reading the first few novels of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series, I knew I had to write my own series based on hunky warrior vampires.

What are you working on now?

Right now, my vampire series, Guardians of Ascension, takes up all of my time. The first two books have been released: ASCENSION and BURNING SKIES. The third book, WINGS OF FIRE, releases in September and the fourth, BORN OF ASHES, in January of next year…which means, I’m working on the fifth book, OBSIDIAN FLAME! It’s been an absolute blast to write and for those who are following the series, the fourth book belongs to Warrior Jean-Pierre and the fifth, to our beloved Thorne, the leader of the Warriors of the Blood.

How long did it take for you to get the call?

After submitting for the first time (though that submission was my second completed manuscript of many moons ago), I got the call within the first year from Kensington who then published all my Regency romance work for years afterward. It was a great relationship and a wonderful ride!

Maybe that seems fast or fortuitous, but the reality was that I had been writing for a good long while before that sale. I’d say the whole process of selling the first book took me about 9 years and two babies to complete. A good part of that time was spent experimenting as well as trying to determine if this was the right path for me

When you are writing, what is your process? Plotter or Panster?

I confess I’m a weird combination of both. I’ll do some plotting then the pantser part of me has to have a field day and take over, then I rework my plot, then let it go so that my brain can play, then back to plotting. What’s even weirder…about a third of the way through the process of understanding what my book is about I absolutely have to know how the story ends, from the climax all the way through to the resolution chapters. And yet even with all that said, I also work hard to structure my stories around the hero’s journey.

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?

My favorite thing about writing romance is the romance. It’s watching two people find each other, not just in the first pages, but really find each other all the way through the story, discover each other, know each other, truly fall in love…then of course have a Happily-Ever-After!

What do you do when you are not writing?

That tends to change. Right now I’m stuck on watching Divine Design, Design Inc., and Sarah’s Summer House. And I know there are many of you out there who know exactly what I’m talking about. For those who don’t, these are interior design shows and I’m addicted! Go figure!

Do you have any advice or writing secrets for aspiring authors?

I think the best advice I can give is to really feel passionate about your subject. You’ll enjoy what you write and all that enjoyment will automatically translate through your words and straight to the reader’s heart.

Where can we learn more about you and your books?

I can be found at my website, http://www.carisroane.com/, I’m on Facebook as well under Caris Roane, and you can contact me personally at carisroane@gmail.com.

Thank you for being a guest here on Micole Writes Romance.

Thank you, Micole. It’s been great being with you today!
Blessings, Caris

Make sure to comment and tell Caris what you think of her books or ask her a question. She is giving away two signed copies, one of ASCENCION and one of BURNING. See everyone next week when I will be talking about storyboarding.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Alexa Bourne

2011-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Alexa Bourne is my guest today. She is a pre-published author who loves to help teach other writers the things she has learned along her journey to becoming published. I had the opportunity to take her class KILLER OPENINGS a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it. She is a great teacher and has a lot of knowledge and support to give to all of you writers out there! So here she is to share a little bit about herself, her writing, and her life with us.

Tell us a little about the classes you teach and why you decided to share your knowledge with other writers.

Actually, a couple of writer friends suggested I look into teaching online classes. I’m a teacher in my day job and those friends thought I might be interested in and good at teaching online classes. (Turns out I DO love it!)

Shortly after those conversations, I saw a request for class proposals and decided to explore what I might be able to teach. As I put the first proposal together, I started getting excited and started looking into other class ideas.

At the moment, I have 3 classes that I teach: Killer Openings (about the importance of the 1st line, 1st paragraph & 1st page), Contests: The Basics, and Finished That Manuscript…Now What? (about what the next steps should be once a writer finishes a manuscript). I taught Killer Openings for the first time in April and had a blast. I’ll be teaching Contests: The Basics next month through Hearts Through History. Here’s the blurb:
With so many writing contests out there and so many details to consider, it’s easy for a writer to be overwhelmed! Contests: The Basics will take students through the contest process, step-by-step---from choosing a contest, to preparing the entry, from dealing with the emotional aspects of “contesting” to deciphering the results. Students will leave class with a better understanding of the process and with a list of resources for making the most out of their contest experiences.

When you are writing, what is your process? Plotter or Panster?

Pantser, all the way. I get a scene idea and I run with it. I write a really, really, REALLY rough manuscript draft in one month. (After completing NaNoWriMo, I found I really enjoy that process.) This is where I learn about my characters and the plot ideas. I write the rough draft on paper, too. (I know, I’m one of the few!) After the rough draft, I go back and organize my plot and my characters’ GMCs. Then comes the next draft, which happens a bit more on computer. I usually go through 4-6 drafts. The last draft is actually me reading the entire book out loud. I find I can pick up missed words, misspellings, and awkward phrasing that way. Then once the manuscript is submitted, I spend 24 hours celebrating- watching a movie, shopping, having a margarita!- and then I get busy with the next story.

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?

I’m a sucker for a happy ending! I love watching two people who want nothing to do with each other learn to trust each other and fall in love. I love writing flawed characters that grab the readers from the first page. I figure there’s enough violence in the real world so I make sure justice is done and the hero and heroine are stronger together by the end of my manuscripts.
What is the hardest part about your job?

I write mostly romantic suspense, so the hardest part for me is achieving a balance between the romance and the suspense. Also, making sure all the suspense elements are logical, flow and are wrapped up by the end of the book.
What type of hero do you find irresistible?

Hot ones! LOL! Flawed, rough around the edges heroes. I like the ones whose words may be rough, but their actions are sweet and tender. For example, my current hero snaps at my heroine, but then she sees him gently playing with a puppy.

Do you have any advice or writing secrets for aspiring authors?

Don’t give up! You’ll never succeed if you quit!
For newer authors, finish your first manuscript before moving on. It’s so important to write THE END. For everyone, know when to say when. We could all keep revising the same chapter, partial, manuscript over and over, but there comes a point where you’ve got to let it go and start something new.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope to be published! LOL! I’m working on building my own tutoring/editing/critiquing business, so I hope that is up and running well enough that I can stop teaching full-time. Other than that I really have no idea.

Where can we learn more about you, your writing, and your classes?

I have a website- www.alexabourne.com. There you can find out more about me, my manuscripts, and the classes I’ll be teaching. I also have a blog that I post to pretty regularly- http://alexabourne.blogspot.com. And I’m on Facebook!

Thank you so much, Micole, for having me!

It was my pleasure Alexa. Good luck with your classes as well as your journey to publishing.

See you back here next week.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Kaily Hart

2011-06-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Kaily Hart is my guest today and boy is she an author on the move. Let’s see what she has to share with us today. Welcome Kaily, can you tell us a little bit about your latest release?

My most recent book is PLAY ME. The official blurb reads:

Lily Hamilton had her quiet, predictable life all mapped out, including a hot-shot attorney for a fiancé. That is until she catches him screwing around and takes off in his prized Mercedes, for once not giving a damn where she’s headed. How clichéd is that?

Gabriel Jackson is raw and disillusioned. Driving a tow truck is a far cry from the dangerous career he turned his back on, but when he finds the classy blonde in a dangerous part of LA, he’s immediately back in the role of protector.

Lily is hot and sweet and so out of his league it’s not funny, yet Gabe can’t deny the sizzling heat between them. He thinks he wants hard, fast and rough—until he gets his hands on her. He knows he should stay the hell away, but Lily makes him feel, really feel, for the first time in two years. Is she just slumming or can she see beyond the harsh, broken façade to the man beneath? A man who dreams of making her his?

I loved writing PLAY ME. Gabe is rough and tough, but he’s been impacted by what’s happened in his past. He doesn’t realize it but he needs Lily in a way he would never have imagined. Sigh…

What are you working on now?

Gosh, what am I NOT working on LOL? Generally, I work on a ‘primary’ book and will often get ideas along the way that I’ll quickly capture and then move on back to the main book. One story is usually stronger and talks to me more. It tends to be the dominant story. Unfortunately, this time I had two stories that seemed to want to be told. At once and really bad!! So, I’m working on 2 books that I’ll finish up within the next couple of weeks. They are both contemporary romances. Hot and steamy ones, of course! I’m also outlining a paranormal book and working on a longer, full length contemporary story. Busy, busy, busy!

What is your writing process? Plotter or Panster?

Well, I’m a bit hard to classify I think. For longer stories, I do a lot of character preparation. I usually create what I call a ‘character map’. It’s a very detailed spreadsheet on the hero and heroine. By the end of that I know them so well, I can throw them into any situation and know how they’ll act. I also have a rough outline when I start and know the main scenes. Sort of LOL. But what happens between those? I figure the detail out when I write. I like some surprises along the way J.

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?

I think it’s the feel good nature of it. It might be tortuous to get there, but there’s a happy ending – good triumphs over evil and love conquers all! Nothing wrong with that, right?

What is the hardest part about your job?

Trying to figure out a way to write all the stories in my head faster! My ideas file is bulging.

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

OMG, I just love an alpha hero, the rougher around the edges the better. By alpha I mean strong with a core of honor, protective to the point of sacrifice and a guy who will only let his special woman see how vulnerable he can be to her. Sigh…

Do you have any advice or writing secrets for aspiring authors?

I wish I had writing secrets to share! The best advice I can give is to write. Write and finish a book. Write another one. Only 3% of people that start out to write a book actually finish it. If you’ve done that you’ve already reached a huge milestone! The next big hurdle is getting it out there. Fear of rejection probably keeps some of those books under wraps. You can’t get published unless you put yourself and your work out there. Every authors that’s published got rejected, probably in some form or another. You have to believe and persevere!

When you aren’t writing steaming hot romances what do you do in your spare time?

Thinking about writing steaming hot romances? LOL. Seriously, I am. I plot a LOT. Probably when I shouldn’t be - like when I’m driving. I love to turn my books over in my mind and I’ve been known to jot ideas down on just about anything because the good ones always come when it’s least convenient. Recently I didn’t have a piece of paper with me so I ended up writing down a line of dialogue on a used snow cone cup that was in the car from a birthday party the day before, sticky raspberry residue and all! When I’m not thinking about writing, I’m usually rounding up my 4 kids. Or tying to J.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Still writing! My goal is to make writing a career and to be successful doing it. I don’t necessary have tangible goals in mind but simply I’d like to continue to write books that people read and enjoy and I’d love to become an ‘auto buy author’ for readers!!

Where can we learn more about you and your books Kaily?

PICTURE THIS, PAY UP and PLAY ME (yeah, I may have a “P” fetish) are all available from Ellora’s Cave and all other ebook outlets! I’m also often on FaceBook and Twitter and I keep my blog current with what I’m up to. I would love people to stop by or reach out to me!

Web – http://www.kailyhart.com/
Blog - http://kailyhart.blogspot.com/
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/kaily.hart
Twitter - http://twitter.com/kailyhart

Thank you for being my guest today, Kaily. Good luck on all of your writing ventures and sales!!!

See everyone next week when I will have Alexa Bourne as my guest.

Spotlight Author with Diane Story

2011-05-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Back after the long weekend. There are times when I think I go to my pay check job so I can rest. ;-) Busy! Busy! Busy! But that’s how things are in this day and age. Today’s guest is a fellow member of our local writing chapter as well as our Vice President. I am happy to have her here with us today. Welcome, Diane. Tell us a little about yourself and what you write.

I grew up in a small mountain community situated in the foothills just outside of Clovis with three of my sisters. But I actually have eight sisters and one brother. My love of romance novels started in the early seventies when I got hooked on Harlequin. Often times I found myself lost in the author’s version of life and love. It was then that I knew I would one day write romance. Thirty-three years, one husband and four grandbabies later I finally sat down to my lap top and started writing. My fist manuscript still sits in a drawer and one day I might submit it. My next three manuscripts were submitted to Whiskey Creek Press, and subsequently published. I also have a fourth scheduled with them as well. My current projects are well under way and I can hardly wait to share them with my readers. After attending college in the 80's I began a long career working with medical insurance, and now after what seems like a lifetime, I am able to work on my goals as a romance and horror/fantasy novelist.

Share your books with us.

Romance on the Overland Trail (Oregon Trail) would seem to most observers as non-existent. In fact, it was a part of everyday life for the emigrants, our ancestors. Along with the perils of travel in a small farm wagon for four to six month Polly Sawyer is a spoiled rich girl from the lush farmlands of Missouri in 1862. Daughter to an influential and charismatic man who owns the area’s largest steamship business, Polly is forced to run away from home after she is betrothed to a man that she does not love. Disguised as a gentleman so she can travel without being married, Polly secures travel with a wagon train bound for the Oregon territory. Joshua Adams is trail captain and second cousin to Polly’s fiancé, a pious man built with a strong will of determination and sweat. Imagine Joshua’s amusement when he learned that one of the men on his train is a woman. Nearly two weeks into the trail, Joshua is convinced the only way to ensure Polly’s safety and her return to his cousin, is to marry her. In an ironic twist of fate, Polly finds herself married to a man she does not love. The very thing she ran away from home to avoid, she now faces. Follow Polly and Joshua through their adventures across the frontier as their marriage of convenience blossoms into romance on the Overland Trail.

Salem, Massachusetts in 2002 would seem to most romance seekers to be a fun adventure. With witches and hauntings everywhere, what woman wouldn’t want to cuddle up for a little romance and intrigue? In “Bewitching My Love”, our hero and heroine find that things aren’t always as they appear, and time can posses not only our lives, but our hearts as well. Fern Abbott is a local antiques dealer. With her mind set on an old broken down wardrobe from the seventeenth century, she prepares to risk all to own it. But who would have guessed that the dashing Rowen Nichols would steal it away from her? Overbidding her for the wardrobe, Rowen takes possession of it. Unbeknownst to Fern, Rowen has plans, plans that include her death, and his assured survival. Travel with Fern and Rowen as they leave our time behind to travel back to Salem, Massachusetts 1692, the witching time, where love was fresh and witchcraft was new and spellbinding.

Chantel Aubuchon is Mayor of Elkhorn. Taking on the job handed down to her from her father, she manages her position with pride as she attempts to keep her town afloat. But when gold is discovered on the Powder River she soon finds her small town threatened by the approaching mines. Destruction of the land surrounding her town is slowly turning Elkhorn into a ghost town. Searching for a way to insure her town’s survival she resorts to desperate measures. Harper Barnes is the source of Elkhorn’s problem. Owning nearly all the mines along the river, he is the only one that can stop the destruction before it reaches her town. In her desperation, Chantel finds herself hidden underneath a bandana and behind a pistol. Little does she know that by robbing the man responsible for her town’s demise she will set off a series of events that will not only prove to her that first impressions should never be trusted, but that love can oftentimes be found where we least expect it.

"Crystal Dreams" (Publication date T.B.A)
A calendar built by the Mayans sets a prophecy in motion. For humans to move forward, the third and fourth dimensions must merge on December 21, 2012
Jillian is a fourth-dimensional woman who lives in a world where life and love coexist in metaphysical harmony. When her father, begs her to marry a man she does not love, she reluctantly agrees.
Ellery is a third-dimensional man who has the gift of metaphysical healing. However, Ellery’s spirit is torn. His physical being still lives in the third dimension, but his evil counterpart is in the fourth.
As their worlds begin to crumble, Ellery and Jillian realize that fate has brought them together. However, two men with the same spirit cannot co-exist. Putting aside their own beliefs, they must decide if they will allow their worlds to end. Or will love guide them to a harmonious resolution.

What are you working on now?

I have completed book one of my new Urban/Fantasy (romance) series “The Gargoyles Female” and am looking for representation. Book one is called “The Gargoyles Female – Katharine” here’s the blurb.

Central park in the fall is supposed to be a lovely time of the year. But for Katharine and Behlem it is the season that hands them hell on earth. A battle between the Gargoyle’s and the Narcoblix might be the seed of their love. But deceit, blood and anger soon get in their way. Had it not been for the filthy cravings of a mugger, and Katharine’s fear of Squonk’s, they might not have ever met.
The Gargoyle’s, their younglings and their un-hatched eggs have been without human protection for far too long. Will the love between a human and a Gargoyle give them what they need to survive?
Most humans couldn’t see Katharine’s true beauty. Nor could they have guessed that her father was a SkinWalker and that she was the great-great granddaughter of Princess Katharine of Avalon. But for the humans to know about her past, Katharine had to understand her past. And up until meeting Behlem, she didn’t.
Behlem is a Gargoyle and he is Katharine’s prince charming. He is handsome and flamboyant. One day he and his brother will vie for their father’s crown. Only one problem, Behlem wasn’t born a full blooded Gargoyle. His mother is human.
The Gargoyles must protect their younglings from the ravenous appetites of the Narcoblix. To do so they must once again learn to trust the humans.
What will it take for Behlem to realize that Katharine is his female!
The second book of the series is called “The Gargoyles Female – Trina” and I am about 5 chapters in to it.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Family first, then my imagination and dreams. I have always had an over active imagination. Sharing it in my books is what I love to do.
What type of hero do you find irresistible?

Hero’s come in all shapes and sizes. Some are handsome some are not. I love a hero that makes the heroin feel good about who she is. He must be accepting and loving. Supportive and strong. Big shoulders for her to cry on, and a nice thick chest for her to wipe her tears on.

What has been your biggest fear that you have had to overcome as a writer?

I’ve never been afraid of rejection. It’s just one of those things that come with writing. So I would have to say my biggest fear would be meeting deadlines. I hate it when I’m under that pressure. Otherwise, I don’t have any other fears.

How long does it take you to write a manuscript?

When I’m really into it, about 3-4 months. I have gone as long as 3 years. But that was only because I had to take time off for a family death. Mostly, about 3-5 months.

What is your writing process? Plotter or Panster?

Definite Panster. I never plot or plan. I always fly by the seat of my pants. It’s what works best for me.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

57 years old! Haha…. Really! I never look that far forward. I believe in living for the day.

Give us a glimpse into your writer’s life.

Hmm, well let me see. I normally get up around 6:00AM and start work at 7:00AM. I live where I work, so its nice and convienient. When my morning is set, I pull out my lap-top and write in-between customers. Since both myself and my husband work at the same place, he often times takes care of shop so I can write. My writing life is never scheduled. It happens when it happens. And that’s fine for me because I know that I am lucky to have the time that I do.

Diane, Thank you for sharing stopping in today. Where can we find out more about you and your books?

Feel free to visit me at my web-site. http://www.dianesstorys.com/ or my publisher at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/. My books are available at amazon and many on-line book stores.

Thank you Micole! It was my pleasure to be invited.

Until next week my friends.

Hugs

Micole

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

2011-05-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of the men and woman who serve our country. And to the ones who have lost their lives while we stay safe here at home. God Bless.

Spotlight Author with Joan Swan

2011-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Joan Swan is my guest today. Joan and I go way back… well sort of. ;-) I first met Joan about four years ago. She was actively working to form an RWA Chapter within reasonable distance to herself as well as other writers who were passionate about getting their writing published as well as those who had already made it. Though we have only met once, we have chatted over the years. She has been a pleasure to work with and her hard work and determination has finally paid off!! Her books will finally grace the shelves of the bookstores in 2012. So here she is to share a few things about herself with us.

What is your writing process? Plotter or Panster?

I was a diehard plotter in the beginning—right down to working out scene cards for every step of the story. Then, my critique partner, the diehard panster, wooed me into what she so fondly calls writing into the mist, which basically means you don’t know where the hell you’re going. That’s how I wrote FEVER.

The over-plotting method created burnout from all the work involved and frustration when the story changed directions, as they inevitably do, and all my diligently plotted scene cards from that point forward in the story became moot. The Mist method created a lot of corners and dead-ends during the writing process and revision hell once the first draft was finished.

Now, I employ a little of both, which is how I wrote the second book, BLAZE. I generally have a big picture in mind and write toward the different plot points floating in my. That way, if the story veers, the plot points can shift with the new direction. I’ve also discovered that no matter what system you prefer, some scenes need more plotting than others. For those I’ll do the nitty-gritty bullet points of this happens, then this happens, etc.

In the end, each writer is so unique and the writing process so personal, a writer must find their own system. I’ve tried everything out there—plotting boards, the W, scene and sequel, you name it. I even tried some of my favorite authors’ techniques, like Dean Koontz who writes straight through a book, revising as he goes, each page/paragraph/sentence 20-40 times until it’s just right before moving on. Wow, that really didn’t work for me. But it sure works for him!

How long did it take you to write the first book?

The first book I wrote? Or the first book I sold? Those are very different creatures. J

It’s hard to remember how long it took me to write FEVER now. Plus, FEVER wasn’t a straight forward project where I got the idea, worked out the details and plunged in.

I had actually written FEVER in completion as a straight romantic suspense, which I think took me somewhere between 7-8 months with revisions. After querying about 10 or 12 agents and getting the standard rejections from all, my critique partner had an epiphany. She said that if I added a paranormal element, the story would sell. At that time, RS had really slowed in popularity and paranormal was in the white hot stage. I resisted at first, but after talking it over, I found a paranormal element that I felt comfortable writing and one which fit the story perfectly, one that opened up a whole new window of complexity within the novel. That turned out to be the selling ingredient.

Only, I had to take the risk and invest the time to rewrite the entire novel before I discovered it was the selling ingredient.

So…all in all, I’d have to say FEVER was a long project. Probably 12-15 months with all the revisions and rewriting.

Do you have any advice on writing, getting published, or finding an agent?

· Learn your craft. There is no substitute for good craft: structure, storytelling, voice.
· Never stop learning. You can never know too much.
· Read:
o Within or genre or outside – I prefer to read outside my genre.
o Accomplished, talented authors – learn from the masters.
o Good works – if a book isn’t holding your attention or is holding it for all the wrong reasons (as in, I can’t believe how bad this is), stop and pick up something else. Time is precious, don’t waste it reading lousy writing.

How long did it take before you got “THE CALL”?

I had been writing about 8 years when I got the call from my agent that she wanted to represent me and the call that I’d sold about 8 months after that. I guess 8 is a good number for me.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

I wish I’d created Dexter! A serial killer who kills serial killers—simply brilliant!

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

Tortured alpha guys with a compassionate streak. I like heroes who are real men with an extra dose of all the things that make women love men—sexiness, wit, intelligence, strength, drive and protective instincts.

What does your family think about you becoming a published author?

Because my books are still intangible, I think the whole publishing thing is mystical to them. My husband has been endlessly supportive of whatever I’ve wanted to achieve, as I’ve always supported his interests and career directions. Our daughters think it’s pretty cool that their mom is a published author. For my part, I’m grateful I’ve had the opportunity to show them they can achieve their dreams if they have passion and perseverance.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself writing full time – no day job. I see myself writing in several different romance subgenres: paranormal, contemporary and suspense, and for at least two different houses. And I see myself thinking about adding mainstream subgenres of suspense and/or thriller to my writing repertoire.

Where can we find out more about you and your books?

Website: http://www.joanswan.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/joanswan
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ultraswan
Craft Column: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/content.php?901-practiced-mastery-with-joan-swan
Blogs: http://www.joanswan.blogspot.com/
http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/
http://www.bravaauthors.com/

Thank you Joan, and all of my readers. Next week I will have Diane Story visiting the blog. Until then….

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Vaness Kelly

2011-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Vanessa, it is so nice to have you back. I am so excited to announce the arrival of your newest release, MY FAVORITE COUNTESS, which was released on May 3, 2011. We would love to hear a little bit about this book.

MY FAVORITE COUNTESS is the third book in my Regency-set historical series, and I had a great time writing it. The heroine is a bit of a departure for me—Bathsheba was the villainess of my previous book, SEX AND THE SINGLE EARL. I always liked her, even though she is a bad girl, and I thought it would be interesting to reform her. It was! But I wanted to pair her with someone a bit different from your average duke or earl, so I came up with Dr. John Blackmore.

John is a physician who practices midwifery—an obstetrician by our definition. Even though he has a flourishing practice among the aristocracy, his real passion is caring for the impoverished women and children of the slums. He and Bathsheba want very different things out of life, so they both have quite a journey to reach their HEA. But I had a wonderful time creating a strong yet compassionate hero who would challenge Bathsheba’s values and way of life.

I also really enjoyed bringing back the hero and heroine of my first book, MASTERING THE MARQUESS, to appear in this novel. Stephen and Meredith are now two years into their marriage and they play rather prominent roles in MY FAVORITE COUNTESS, facing almost as many challenges in this book as John and Bathsheba do.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on the fourth and final book in this series. It’s untitled right now, but the hero is introduced in MY FAVORITE COUNTESS. He’s Major Lucas Stanton, a career soldier who is forced to give up his commission when he inherits an earldom. The really fun thing about this book is that it’s a Christmas story. The entire Stanton family will appear in it because when I think of Christmas, I think of families!

Do you have other releases expected out this year?

I have a Regency-set short story called His Wicked Revenge, which will be e-published this month. In February, I had a novella appear in an anthology with Jo Beverley, Sally MacKenzie, and Kaitlin O’Riley. The antho is called AN INVITATION TO SIN and it’s still in stores. I think all four stories are great, and it was a thrill to be in a collection with Jo Beverley.

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?

I love making up exciting stories which are passionate and sexy, and always have a happy ending. I really enjoy being able to give my readers books that can transport them to a fun place, and perhaps even give them a break from a tough or annoying day. Nothing is better than getting an email from someone who tells you that you made a difference in her life.

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

I love the classic alpha male, and by classic I mean strong and heroic in the traditional sense. My heroes are very masterful, but I also want them to be loving and protective toward their women and basically worship the ground my heroines walk on. I like big, sexy guys, too, who are uber-competent and confident and who know what they want.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

I have to say, I really love Bathsheba. She was nothing more than a throwaway line in my first book, but she just kept growing in my head. Not that she’s easy to love—she’s not. Frankly, she was pretty awful in SEX AND THE SINGLE EARL, and she had to go quite a ways to redeem herself. But I just knew she had an interesting story to tell and a good reason for being who she was. Discovering that backstory was a really cool process, and I had a great time developing a flawed heroine who is also smart, courageous and, at the end of the day, has a very big heart. I think she is by far my most interesting character. As a runner-up, I would pick Meredith Burnley from my first book, MASTERING THE MARQUESS.
Where can we find out more about your writing?

Three places:

My website: http//www.vanessakellyauthor.com
My blog: http://vanessakellyauthor.wordpress.com/

You can also find links to Twitter, facebook, and Goodreads on my website.

Finally, you can find me at my other website, VK Sykes. That’s the pen name for the contemporary romances that I write with my husband for Carina Press: http://www.vksykes.com/

Thanks for stopping in and sharing your book. Can’t wait to get my hands on it. ;-) Next week I will have Joan Swan as my guest.

See you then.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Mimi Barbour

2011-05-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Boy how quickly time is flying by. We are already halfway through the month which makes us almost halfway through the year. Before we know it, it will be Christmas again. All I can say is WOW! The past few weeks I have been working on a new project. A non-writing project, I know shame on me. I have been working very hard to start my own photography business, in hopes that some day soon, I can quit my day job and do photography and writing full time. They are my two loves. Unfortunately my writing has been taking a back burner to the photography while I do photo shoots of my daughter, trying to get advertising material. I am so happy that I booked up my calendar and was able to get my next guest Mimi Barbour to come and chat with us. So Mimi, tell us a little bit about you and your latest release.

My Name is Mimi Barbour and my newest release “Together Again” is the 4th in my series called The Vicarage Bench.

You might wonder where I came up with the name for the series and I can’t take the credit for it at all. You see, way back when I wrote the 1st story called “She’s Me”, my editor said that if I wrote two more novellas along the same story idea, they could put the three shorts together, produce an anthology, and call it something like The Vicarage Bench. New writer here, remember? When an editor offers a gem like this, I really didn’t care what they called it, now would I? Truth be told, there is a vicarage bench that’s sort of paramount in each of the tales so…it worked.

Together Again - Traveling ten years forward in time, Dani Howard's spirit becomes magically united with reporter, Troy Brennan. He's everything a girl could want in a man, and during their time together, she falls deeply in love. Though she must return to her own pregnant body, she gains his promise to come to her birthday party in seven days time where they will meet in person and continue their romance.
Troy can't believe he's fallen for a sixteen-year-old spirit invader. He's so infatuated that when renowned author, beautiful Ellie Ward, comes on to him, as attractive as he finds her, he's honor bound to stay true to his young love—or is he?

Excerpt:

He dropped to his hands and knees beside the
white-haired lady where she lay next to a heap of
cloth. Lowering his glasses, he got really close. Blood
streamed from a cut on her forehead. Ashen, blueveined
skin scared him into checking for a pulse.
“Troy, she’s alive. My God, the poor dear is
dreadfully pale. We’ll have to take care. Can you
carry her?”
Breathing was becoming more difficult for Troy.
He tried to take shallow breaths so he wouldn’t
cough or draw smoke into his already afflicted lungs.
“I don’t think so. It’s difficult breathing, and if I try
to stand and pick her up, I’m scared we’ll be
overcome. Dani, I don’t know what the hell I was
thinking, bringing you in here, taking such a crazy
chance with your life.”
“Give over. I wanted to come. How could we
ignore the old bloke’s grief? We have to save her. For
him. But I don’t think we can drag her. She’s
bleeding a lot and her leg’s angled strangely. What
can we do?”
With sudden realization, Troy saw that the soft
heap pooled on the floor by Mary was a quilt. He
scooted over, grabbed it, and flipped it across the
prone body, then awkwardly rolled the woman into a
cocoon and onto her back in seconds. Now fully
enclosed in a pink-flowered shroud, she became
easier to move. By grabbing one end and twisting it,
he could haul it over his shoulder. Then he crawled,
slithered, and wiggled, with the blanket skid
bringing up the rear.
Flames burst from a room on his right,
encouraging him to move even faster. The tail end of
the quilt flapped open, sliding through red embers.
Like a tease, a flame caught, only to fizzle out again.
The open door loomed about ten feet ahead.
Choking, gagging, hot tears pouring from his eyes,
he found in Dani the encouragement and strength
that kept him going.
“Troy, love, almost there. You’re wonderful. My
God! You’re fantastic. Don’t stop now. Here’s the
door. You’ve done it! I love you, you ruddy great
darling, do you hear me?”
“I hear you. You’re screaming so loud it’s a
wonder I’m not deaf. Couldn’t have done it without
you, and I’m rather fond of you too, brat.”
Gnarled waiting hands helped Troy pull his
precious cargo through the last foot of the hallway
and over the sill. The sobbing entreaties that had
coaxed the exhausted young man through the final
effort of the rescue stopped as he collapsed—his
strength gone, used up, depleted.
Troy lay face down on the cool grass,
concentrating on controlling his breathing by pure
will power. Coughing hurt, so he took small breaths
and swallowed repeatedly, trying to bring moisture
into his dry throat.
Cradled in loving arms, Mary soon came around.
She looked up into the rheumy eyes of her man, and
she smiled. “There ya are, you old tosser.” The
words, whispered in a voice raw and grating,
produced a relieved smile.
Hearing her speak, Troy scuttled over to where
the old couple were cuddled together. As he
approached, two sets of streaming, red-rimmed eyes
peered his way. The old man reached out to Troy’s
cheek and patted as one would a child.
“God love ya, sir!”

What makes your writing unique?

One of the reasons I feel my work is unique is because I can’t remember anyone else with the same concept of spirit-traveling I’ve used…where two souls exist and interact inside one body.

But, I guess we all think our writing is unique, and certainly I fit in with everyone else in thinking I’m different, and you know what? I am! We all draw from various experiences and emotions that make us individuals, and since no one else has the exact same background as I do, that sets me apart.

Also, I’ve always enjoyed being entertained when I read, and to me books can be the best forms of diversion. Since I’m a rather upbeat creature who loves to laugh, I tend to search for a bit of humor in what I read—especially if it’s dry and done well. (Darned if that doesn’t sound like the turkey I cooked for Easter!)

Where does your inspiration come from?

Since the first book I sold “She’s Me” was in response to a contest with guidelines that I had to follow, I endeavored to meet their conditions but still make the story and characters mine. Seems I succeeded as Wild Rose Press sent me an e-mail saying that due to my not staying within their set rules, they couldn’t accept the story into the contest, but they would like to publish it as a stand-alone book. The contest wanted a heroine to go through a garden gate and back in time to one of four eras. I had my heroine go through the garden gate, sit on a vicarage bench and prick her finger on a magic rose bush. Her body fell into a coma, and her spirit went back in time to invade the body of another woman sitting on the same bench, but forty-three years earlier. (It’s quite humorous what our heroine, a top model from 2006, can get into with a shy, chubby librarian from 1963). By the conclusion, they both end up with their heroes—happy and in love.

This scenario became the essence for the rest of the series.

Before I wrote the first story, I remembered a program called Quantum Leap where the hero Sam Beckett would leap into another’s body during each episode. Only difference is, he would completely take over and the other soul would disappear. In my stories the two have to commingle and work things out. Makes for some great dialogue and lots of fun plots and conflicts.
And that’s where my motivation kicks in—my goal is making each tale unique. I have no idea where this inspiration comes from. It’s there all the time. In fact I have to turn it off, or I’d be plotting scenes all day long and late into the night.

I guess I’m lucky! I know I’m lucky…

How long was your road to becoming a published author?

In a way, I consider myself very fortunate. I do remember buying a book some fifteen years ago about “How to Write Romance and get Paid for It” but at that time the idea never stuck. Move ahead a few wasted years of frivolous pursuits, and I was living in Africa, bored with playing games with the other ladies, and so I enrolled in a correspondence Creative Writing course. Then when I returned home to Canada, I took four years of writing children’s literature, where only one story I wrote ever got published. (See a free read on my website called ‘Run for Joy’).

In the meantime, I was learning the craft, and when I finally decided to write a romance book, I knew it was a best seller. When I think of how puffed up I was after writing the words “The End”, I’d like to change my name…arghh! Of course no one else agreed with me, and the poor manuscript is still buried in the bowels of my closet. Have to admit that every error an author could make is between those pages. With each contest I sent it to, and each rejection I got, I followed through on the welcome advice and took workshops, one after another. I found out what they meant by POV, active versus passive verbs, sequel and sequence, summarizing, and on and on. The more I learnt, the more I leant how much I needed to learn…. sigh! Then along came the contest with Wild Rose Press and the old saying – that’s all she wrote comes to mind, except in my case, that wasn’t all I wrote. I kept adding more and more stories and they kept contracting them.

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?

The happy endings!

Have you ever read a book where by the end, you felt as if you had wasted your precious time? Or thrown the book on the floor and pouted? Or gave it to the one person you never really liked and raved about how good it was? (My bad!)

Maybe the author dredged up wonderful plots, heavy conflicts, pathos and lengthy descriptive passages, but by the end your dogs’ rear-end was in jeopardy, and so was your hubby’s pleasant evening with his happy-go-lucky wife. I begrudge anything that makes me feel this way. So I’m pretty choosy about what I read. Many suspense, mysteries, paranormal, women’s fiction are now falling into the romance genre, and I love it, because I do like variety. Knowing the author is winding her way to a happy ending makes me comfortable in spending my hard-earned money.

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

I love the bad-boy, smart-ass, humorous kind of guy. Of course he has to be mouth-watering gorgeous, incredibly intelligent, and have a hidden sensitivity that saves him from being a bit of a jerk.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

One hero I created that I totally fell for would be Marcus, the fellow in my new Christmas book called “Together for Christmas” I’m just editing that story now, and I’ve gotta say, my hero’s a real doll. Of course, if you’d have asked me this question when I was editing “Together Again” I would have told you that Troy Brennan, my hero in that story was my favorite. I guess I fall a bit in love with each new male character I create.

A man I didn’t create but have a bit of a glow for is Castle. Something about his mannerisms, the way he interacts with his mom and daughter, and mostly the sparks between him and Becket make me look forward to each episode. And, I guess he’s got me hooked with the humor.

What is the most important advice you can give to aspiring authors?

Writing a book is only the first step into the world of a published author. It’s the big one, the most fun one, granted, but not the only one. Once that book has been produced and released, the hard work starts. All of us write because it’s a part of who we are, but for many of us, our talent stops there.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, we also have to take on a lot of other mantles. Ones such as publicist and promoter. And forgive me if I sound a bit depressing, but the reality is that those jobs aren’t much fun - just a lot of hard work. If you can’t afford to hire someone else to do it for you, the extra burden falls to you. Chances are even if you can farm it out; you’ll never get enough return with the first few books to cover the expense. But then if no one knows about your book, who other than a few best friends will buy it. So here you sit, clutching this wonderful creation, facing untold hours of slogging through innumerable sites, and looking for all the help you can get in understanding technical jargon you’ve never even heard before.

The bright side is, if I can do it…anyone can. It’s taken a few years, but I now know how to set myself up on different writer sites. My website is running smoothly (that resource I did pay to have done for me) and I’m gathering lots of new friend on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Book Rix, Romance All, Romance Reviews, Savvy Author, Coffee Time Romance, and on and on and…. groan!!

For example today as I was checking out some e-mails on one of the many loops I’m on, I found a link to a new site called Writer’s Marketing Group that offers support to members with Blogs who need guests. And here’s me desperate to get the word out to as many people as I can about my new release ‘Together Again’. What a perfect match. I quickly joined, as it’s free (thank you Lord!)

Look, if you’re enthusiastic about producing a book, then I truly wish you good luck in your endeavors. And as soon as you’re finished the first, my best advice would be to get busy and start writing your second. From what I’ve leaned, the way to make a living in this industry, whether being e-pubbed or by the old standard, is by having a big backlist. Eventually that will be your best form of promo…and will be a huge point in your favor should you ever get looked at by a mainstream publisher. So get plotting! Also, please remember the e-publishers are constantly requesting short stories. And as much talent goes into producing a well-written novella as goes into a full-length, and it’s the perfect way to hone your craft.

Thank you for being a guest on my blog Mimi. Where can we find out more about you and your books?

I’ve so enjoyed visiting with you Micole. It’s been my pleasure.

Please know that I love visiting with readers so come and say ‘Hi’ on my website at http://www.mimibarbour.com/ and join my newsletter for a chance to win a free copy of my latest release.

Or follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/Mimibarb

Or on Facebook…
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mimi-Barbour-Fan-Page/203964072966134

Hugs…

Mimi

Hugs to you too Mimi. Make sure to stop back tomorrow when I will have Vanessa Kelley as my guest.

Micole

Spotlight Author with Candace Havens

2011-05-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy belated Mother’s Day to everyone. For all of my readers who are mothers I hope your day was special. Today I have Candace Havens visiting the blog.

Candace tell us about your latest/upcoming release.

She Who Dares, Wins came out in late March. It’s about a private investigator and bodyguard, who protects a professor when his life is threatened. Truth and Dare is my late April release about a forensic anthropologist who is involved in solving a crime and falls in love with a handsome rancher. Both books are fun, have a mystery element to them and they are sexy.

Besides writing, you are also very busy teaching workshops on writing. What sort of workshops do you have to offer?

I offer a variety of craft and career workshops on the Write_Workshop yahoogroup. You can get to that through my website. I teach classes and I bring in other authors, agents and editors for classes. We teach everything from the basics of writing to how to promote yourself as a writer. I also teach paid classes that are really intense workshops where I work one-on-one with the writers.

Every author that I have spoken to has their own writing process. Some spend weeks working on character building charts. Some use post it notes to plot their entire book. Other’s pull pictures from magazines and make a story board of sorts. What is your writing process and how long would you say it takes you when a new idea is sparked from sketching out the details to getting to THE END?

For the most part I’m a pantser. I just sit down and write. But my new editor likes to have some kind of a synopsis so I have something to work from if I get stuck. I’ve occasionally used the arch Jim Butcher talks about in his writing process where you hit the major story points and small scenes in between. But every book I write I do it differently. It depends on my mood and the type of book it is. Sometimes I write the end first. Sometimes I do a hodge podge of scenes and throw them together. Sometimes I write chronologically.

What is the hardest part about your job?

Time. I’m an author but I’m a TV and Film critic with weekly deadlines. And I’m going to graduate school to get an MH in Humanities. But it’s good because I can tell my students, if I can find the time, you can.

What is your best advice for aspiring authors?

Just sit down and write. Study your craft and take as many GOOD classes as you can. Spend your money wisely and invest in yourself.

You write several different genres, do you have a favorite genre out of the ones that you write? Maybe one that comes a little easier to you than others? Or do you love them all the same?

If I didn’t love everything I do, I wouldn’t do it. A year ago I had no idea it would be easier for me to write in my hero’s head, which has really surprised me. I’d pretty much done first person up until the first Blaze book, Take Me If You Dare. Now I love writing third person too. I love that we evolve and change as writers. I think that’s a good thing.

If you could pick one character that you wished you created from a movie, book or TV show who would it be and why?

Hands down it would be Selene from Underworld. When Kate Beckinsale came on the screen crouching down in that leather, I was sold. Love those movies, even when they are bad and she’s one of my favorites. Oh, and Mary Poppins but that’s a long story for another day.

Give us a glimpse into your writers life.

I’m not sure what you mean by this. But pretty much my dogs wake me up at 7:30 and I usually go until about 1 a.m. I sometimes have to write 18 hours day to keep up with everything I do. That’s why it’s important I love it. (Smile)

Where can we find out more about you and your writing?

http://www.candaceahavens.com/

Readers thank you for stopping in and Candace, thank you for being a guest on my blog.

See you next week.

Hugs

Micole

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

2011-05-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Lidsey Hutchison, congratulations!!!! You are the winner of Anna Campbells MIDNIGHTS WILD PASSION!!!

Thanks for stopping in on my blog!

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Anna Campbell

2011-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Anna. It is always a pleasure having you here. I can’t wait to hear about your latest release, MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION. So please let’s not waste any time. Give us all the assorted details.

Hi Micole! Delighted to be back. I had a ball last time. Thanks so much for inviting me to blog about MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION. I’m really excited about this book. It’s the only book of mine that seemed to come as a gift from above – usually I really struggle with first drafts but this one just wanted to be told. Mind you, I adore my two principal characters, Antonia Smith and Nicholas Challoner, the Marquess of Ranelaw. They’re both strong people, some might even saypigheaded, and it was great to watch the sparks fly between them. When Ranelaw sets out to wreak revenge on his sister’s seducer, he doesn’t count on encountering opposition from the intriguing Antonia Smith who knows all about rakes and their tricks. Actually that makes the book sound much lighter than it is – there’s a lot of emotional upheaval before these two get their happy ending. It’s the closest I’ve come to writing a classic Regency romance – there are balls and house parties and a duel and an elopement – but there’s still plenty of drama as well. You can read the official blurb and an excerpt on my website here: http://www.annacampbell.info/wildpassion.html

Are your books considered a series? If yes how many more are expected to grace the shelves?

Each book is a stand-alone although there’s a very loose link between CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, TEMPT THE DEVIL and MY RECKLESS SURRENDER. More in terms of, “Oh, I get that reference,” than a continuing story.

What do Anna Campbell fans have to look forward to in 2011?

Lots of Facebook posts? Seriously, I’m addicted to Facebook. By the way, if you want to find me there, I’d love to see you on my Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/AnnaCampbellFans I do a lot of giveaways there and basically shoot the breeze. Oh, you mean books, Micole? Why didn’t you say so? MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION is just out now. I’ve also got a Regency ghost romance story coming out in THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF GHOST ROMANCE in September. You can read an excerpt here: http://www.annacampbell.info/chinesebed.html

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

I like courage, intelligence and a sense of humor. I want him to become a man of honor in the course of the story even if he isn’t one at the start. I like flawed characters if they learn the error of their ways by the end! A certain amount of self-deprecation is always attractive – Ranelaw definitely mocks his pretensions. One of the things I find irresistible in a hero is that he’s passionately fixated on the heroine. That always works for me – especially if he wishes he wasn’t! It never hurts if he’s gorgeous physically but what really grabs me in a hero is his character not his looks.

Do you ever think of expanding your stories and writing another genre? If yes, what genre would it be?

You know, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE historicals. I really have no ambitions to write anything else. I love the way a good historical sweeps you away into a dramatic, larger-than-life, glamorous world. And hey, the clothes are great in Regencies too!

Where does your inspiration come from?

Inspiration is everywhere! Things happening around me, books (I read a lot of nonfiction which I find is wonderful for sparking story ideas), films, the odd quirks of the imagination.

Do you have any advice for writers about submitting your work?

Don’t rush. Do the hard yards to make sure that piece is as good as you can make it before you send it to an agent or editor so the chances of them saying yes are as high as possible. That means putting the work aside for long enough to get some distance from it before you start editing, that means taking a long hard look at it when you DO edit it. You might like to get some feedback before you submit if you’re lucky enough to have a trusted reader or a crit group. Writing contests are great too – you’ll get feedback from total strangers. It can be a nasty shock but it can also be extremely useful.

Please tell us where we can find out more about you and all of your amazing books.

So glad you asked, Micole. I’m pretty easy to track down. The best place to find out about me and the books is definitely the website – www.annacampbell.info As you’ve gathered, I’m a Facebook maven - http://www.facebook.com/AnnaCampbellFans HarperCollins have a page with fun things like what I’m reading and what’s the last good film I saw - http://harpercollins.com/authors/31961/Anna_Campbell/index.aspx I’m also on Good Reads -http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/296477.Anna_Campbell I blog with some great writers over on the Romance Bandits. http://romancebandits.blogspot.com I do a book review on the 24th of each month on the Romance Dish - http://www.theromancedish.com/

Thank you again for being a guest on my blog.

Thanks, Micole! I’d like to give away a signed copy of MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION to someone who leaves a comment today. So just a question to get the conversation going - I listed the many places you can find me on the web. How do your readers like to follow an author? Website? Blogs? Facebook? Other? Or would you rather authors remain mysterious creative beings at a far distance?

Okay readers, you’ve read the interview and now the questions she would like answered. Make sure to comment! Maybe you will be the lucky winner of today’s giveaway! Good luck everyone and thank you for stopping in.

Hugs

Micole

JUST FOR THE NIGHT By Tawny Weber

2011-04-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Tawny Weber's latest book JUST FOR THE NIGHT is hitting shelves on May 1st, but if you look hard enough, you might just find it in stores already. I did today while I was shopping at Borders. Here's a little teaser for you. Also Tawny has a really cool new "Members Only" section on her website, where she shares exclusive excerpts, free reads and members only contest. Make sure you drop in www.TawnyWeber.com and sign up.
May 2011

JUST FOR THE NIGHT
By
Tawny Weber

ISBN: 978-0373796168

Things to Do in Blackout…

Power outages happen, and you have to be prepared. After all, you could be trapped somewhere—like in an empty store—with your ex.

Who is still irresistible. And hot.

And who knows how to make the most out of a dark situation....

Checklist for: Larissa Zahn
 Food
 Water
 First aid kit (With condoms. Be prepared. Very, very prepared.)
 Someone you’re still overwhelmingly into (Jason Cantrell, I’m looking at you.)
 Plenty of time in the dark (Read: hot nookie. Lots of it.)
The ability to walk away without regrets in the morning.... (Uh oh!)

24 Hours: Blackout
No lights. No power. And no holding back…

www.TawnyWeber.com
email: Tawny@TawnyWeber.com

Spotlight Author with Gabi Stevens

2011-04-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their Easter. Mine was fabulous! I have Gabi Stevens visiting us again here today to tell us all about the book that she has hitting the shelves as we speak! Welcome back Gabi. Tell us about your title, AS YOU WISH that is being released today.

Imagine being part of a family where everyone has a special ability except you? That’s the set up for my latest release, AS YOU WISH. Born in a magical family Regina Scott has no powers of her own. She was content to live out her life as a Groundling until she discovers that she is next in line to be a fairy godmother. Needless to say, her life becomes complicated. In the space of a few days, she has to deal with a bad guy, a curse, an all too enthusiastic mother and a new love interest.

It’s a story about looking past appearances and finding the true heart of both people and an issue. Doing the right thing is never easy, and Reggie faces many challenges before her happy ending.

What inspired you to create this three book series?

I love the Grimm Brothers’ Fairy tales. I studied them in college, in, and in German. When I knew I wanted to write a paranormal romance, I looked beyond the vampire and werewolf stories and wanted something different. Magic has always been a subject I’ve loved to read about, so witches and wizards was a natural progression. But I still wanted something more unusual. Viola. The fairy godmother.

I also like having villains in my stories and planning out a three book series with the same villain sounded challenging. Could I sustain a story arc for three books, yet still fulfill the requirements of the happy ending? AS YOU WISH is its own romance, yet the second part of a greater story. It absolutely stands alone, but also flows and continues from THE WISH LIST and continues with WISHFUL THINKING next year.

Can you tell us what you are working on now?

WISHFUL THINKING, book three, is already finished and turned in. I have a couple of proposals out with my agent, both paranormals, and many, many ideas for other books that I’m getting ready to think out (No, I don’t plot, I think).

Often time’s writers describe writing a love scene like being an intruder in something so very personal. Do you feel this way and how do you get through the dreaded love scene?

If the love scene is intrusive, than it doesn’t belong. There are so many varying degrees of heat in romance today that no author should feel forced to include more than she is comfortable with. Discomfort shows. That’s why you don’t write one if it doesn’t flow from the story. Sex for sex’s sake is pornography, not a love story.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

I have two very special characters in AS YOU WISH. Tommy and Joy are Arcani, bakers, and have special needs. Tommy has Down syndrome and Joy is...well, Joy is just Joy. Reggie, the newest fairy godmother and the heroine of the novel, has set up a bakery for her friends and works beside them, taking care of the business aspects because she doesn’t bake. Tommy and Joy are very capable and talents bakers. And yes, they are realistic. I should know. My daughter was the inspiration for Joy. Give her the rules and instruct her, and my daughter can do most things. Oh, she requires supervision for her daily life, but she’s fiercely independent—heck she’s a typical teenager in more ways than not—but she makes her own lunches for school, cooks some, and makes all the brownies for the family. In AS YOU WISH, Reggie truly regards Tommy and Joy as her friends—friends who need perhaps a little more care, but friends first. In honor of Tommy and Joy—and my daughter—I have pledged ten percent from my royalties from AS YOU WISH to Best Buddies International, a group that strives to overcome the prejudices and loneliness that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities face. If you want to find out more about Best Buddies™, please visit them at www.bestbuddies.org.

Give us a glimpse into your writer’s life.

What life? I work a day job and try to get as much done in the evenings and on the weekends that I can.

What does your family think of your job?

My husband is completely supportive of me. He always has been. Even when I hadn’t yet sold and when I wasn’t making money, he always encouraged me to go to conferences, take the time to write, do what I needed to do. It helped that he’s a computer fiend and was more than willing to get me computer equipment too. The kids love that I write and am following my dreams. They’ve told me that they have made many important decisions in their lives based on that knowledge. I’m thrilled I could actually be an object of admiration to them. At least sometimes.

What’s one thing that you know now that you wished you knew when you started your journey as a writer?

That getting published doesn’t mean you’ve “made it.” There are always roadblocks, from not getting another contract, to personal issues, to lines folding, to the big questions in publishing right now (the role of e-books, self-publishing, etc.). So much is uncertain always. The only thing you can control is your writing.

Thank you for returning to Micole Writes Romance. Tells us again where we can find out more about you and your books.

You can visit me at www.GabiStevens.com, read my blog at www.GabiStevens.blogspot.com, find me at Facebook and at Twitter.

Thanks so much for having me here, Micole. I truly enjoyed my time.

Spotlight Author with Jennifer St.Giles

2011-04-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Spring break has officially started here in California! My kids are doing what kids do during spring break and me, well… I’m doing the same thing I do everyday. Work, run around like crazy, work some more, run around a little more. I thought I would take a minute from all of the craziness to introduce my next guest, Jennifer St.Giles to all of you.

First I’d live to give a big shout out to Micole for taking the time and spending her energy to connect authors and readers. It is sincerely appreciated.

Thanks Jennifer. I enjoy it. It is my pleasure.

Going over your backlist, you have a long list of books, all different genres and written under three different names. How do you keep it all straight?

I love story so much that when I am writing one my mind becomes submersed in the characters , their problems, and their world. Sometimes I will be working on two books simultaneously. LOL maybe I am a bit ADD and actually like delving back and forth between genre’s and stories. I have three pen names and each genre I write has a different style or feel to them. Jennifer St. Giles started out being gothic murder mysteries and then branched into paranormal with my Shadowmen series—werewolves from the spirit world. JL Saint is for my romantic thrillers, edgier stories, still have romance but a lot of action. Jennifer Saints is for sexy contemporary romance. And yes I have even other genre stuff in the works, but my Agent has declared no more pseudonyms. Three is it. I’ve always said writers don’t develop split personalities, they develop pseudonyms….I may be in trouble now. LOL

Is there one genre that calls to you more than another?

The story of love calls to me, no matter the genre, so no to that question, although some books are easier to write than others.

Tell us a little about your latest release

Recently, Collateral Damage was released in e-book and will be out in print Nov.2011. This is the first book in my Silent Warrior Series featuring military heroes. The books currently center around a Delta team who were injured in a mission in Lebanon. In Collateral Damage Jack Hunter puts his life and his heart on the line to save Lauren Collins when they discover she and her children have been sucked into a terrorist plot that has the world on the edge of war.

Also out on April 12th is the e-book of Midnight Secrets with a totally fabulous new cover. It is a historical romantic suspense with a lot of heart. This is the first book in the Killdaren Series about two cursed brothers and a sea captain living under the shadow of murder and three sisters with paranormal gifts and a determination to the truth no matter what the cost. Book 2 in the series, Darkest Dreams, will be out in ebook in August 2011. I am so excited that this series is being given a second chances at finding love in the hearts of readers.

What are you working on now?

I am currently working on Book 2 in the series, Tactical Deception where hero, Roger Weston goes beyond the call of duty to save Mari Dalton, the pregnant wife of one of his men killed in action. They foil a plot to kill the president of the United States. In the process Roger falls irrevocably in love with Mari, but knows any future they could have will be doomed when he confesses that he ordered the bomb that killed her husband.

What I plan to write this year after this book. Is book 5 in the Shadowmen Series titled Bewitching the Wolf. Book 3 in my Weldon Brother Series about sexy Southern bad boys, titled Hot Irish. Then just to let you know how crazy I am. I have a Steampunk series in the works and another contemporary romance that I want to finish. Will I get all of that done? NO, But I always say shoot for the stars and you might get the moon, but at least you won’t be stuck in the mud.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Everywhere, life, songs, news, odd events. I can’t seem to find the time to write all that I want to. I wish I didn’t have to worry about finances or writing to make money but had the freedom to just focus the stories that I am bursting to tell.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

Can a mother just choose one of her kids? LOL Love them all. As for one character that I WISH I HAD created????? Easy, Harry Potter! Her genius has made her the richest writer ever!

What is the most important advice you can give to aspiring authors?

NEVER NEVER NEVER Give up on your dreams, keep writing and keep honing your craft and YOU will make it.

How long was your road to becoming a published author?

NINE YEARS

Give us a glimpse into your writer’s life.

If I only had to worry about writing, then it would be great. I’d write an hour or two then go take care of a few things then come back and write some more and repeat the process. Over the past handful of years I have had to deal with major health issues, major personal issues, major financial, issues, and have moved twice. All of which hound at your mind and make writing harder. But I don’t give up I still keep chipping away at the story and somehow make it happen despite the odds against it.

Where can we find out more about you and your books?

You can go to jenniferstgiles.com. It’s all there! And for all of my latest news you can go to betweenyoursheets.com!

Thank you so much for inviting me. I really appreciate it and hope that you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy my stories and love!

Remember Every Day to Dream, Believe, Create, Inspire, Love, and Heal

Love
Jennifer St. Giles/J.L. Saint/ Jennifer Saints.

Thank you so much for visiting Jennifer. It has been great getting to know more about you. Hope you will come back and visit. And a big thanks to all of my faithful readers.

Hugs

Micole

Debra Salonen & Micole Black She said/she said

2011-04-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

She said/she said--two views are better than one

Q: What is your Best and Worst writing habit?

BEST HABIT

Deb’s answer:

My best habit: I write down everything, no matter how silly or trivial.

Even the most innocent comment can lead to a fresh insight or take you someplace you didn’t even know you needed to visit. Small insights can lead to big “A-ha” moments.

For example, when my 85-year-old father-in-law was visiting last month, he and I were talking about growing old. One of the pearls of wisdom that fell from his mouth was: "I know that one day I'll wake up and I'll be dead. And I'm okay with that."

The comment made me laugh, but I also grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled it down. Later, I placed the note on my bedside table, planning to add it to a folder on my lap top. But, before I got around to that, my husband chanced to read it. The look on his face--horror, concern, fear, bemusement--when he asked me about it was truly priceless.

Naturally, his reaction went straight into my WIP. In fact, it led to a key insight of my hero’s back-story. All because I scribbled down a note that probably would have slipped away unremembered if I hadn’t taken the time.

Micole’s Answer:

My best writing habit… hmmm (she scratches her head, wink) If my daughter were here she would tell you that I make a story out of everything. Every person that I see walking down the street, sitting in their car, the kids walking up to her school, every person is my subject. I have verbally crafted some pretty interesting stories about why the guy next to me, sitting at the traffic light, is so impatient in his car. I see everything as an opportunity to make a story, because that is what life really is. It’s everyone’s story.

I think that helps me when I am writing, because if my characters are acting a certain way, (maybe sitting at a traffic light and nervous) I am able to remember just exactly what that gut looked like. It’s a memory trick for me I guess.

My kids have fun while I’m doing it too. At least someone is being entertained by my stories! ;-)

WORST HABIT

Deb’s Answer:

My worst habit? Letting go of perfectionism. I remind myself all the time that a first draft can--and probably should be--fast and loose. Some characters reveal themselves incrementally. The more I write, the more I learn. Maybe I have to earn their trust. I don’t know. But I do know that it’s easy for me to get bogged down in the early chapters, re-writing and fine-tuning scenes that might--in the final draft--not even be included.

Micole’s Answer:

My worst habit is re-writing a manuscript fifty times. But I am sure I could come up with at least ten more bad writing habits I have. ;-)

How do you handle rejection and/or extreme revisions?

Deb’s Answer:

My April and May releases, RETURN TO THE BLACK HILLS and A FATHER’S QUEST, both required extensive revisions. This is not the norm for me. In fact, I can point to several books out of the past 28 that required no changes. So, dealing with massive revisions required more than a few tourniquets applied to my ego.

Basically, a revision is a rejection (of what you initially offered) with some direction on how you can improve your story to make it acceptable. How does a writer deal with that?

Number one, you have to acknowledge that each book is unique. As romance writers we work hard to bash the widely-held belief that “all romance books are alike.” We know that’s not true. And the more books you write, the more you know that each book brings with unique obstacles you have to clear to get that story on paper. The hurdles can be as unique as the book. They can also be problems that originate in your “real” life and keep you from fully committing to your characters’ story.

That’s what happened with me. Not surprising given the emotional duress I’d been under in my real life--first, losing my mother, then a year later, helping my beloved sister fight a losing battle with lung cancer. As my editor said, "I hit a wall." But a contract is a contract.

My advice is to read your rejection or revision letter thoroughly. Use a highlighter to mark the key points. Then set it aside for a day or two to let the comments and concerns gel. When you sit down to start work, break the issues into a bite-size increments. Focus on one piece at a time. One scene. One character flaw. One hole in the plot. And keep at it until you’ve reached “The End.”

I just saw the RT review for the May book. Four stars! That helped assuage any leftover agony of those painful revisions.

Micole’s Answer:

Well let’s see. I have only been rejected once, not because I am just that good, but because I have only turned my manuscript in to one editor. My initial reaction was tears, then it turned into anger (at myself), then of course denial. I ran the gamut of emotions.

Now I look back and am so happy I was rejected, because I know I wasn’t ready to be published.

What is your best advice for aspiring authors?

Deb’s Answer:

Read what you want to write.

If you're an eclectic reader, you probably think that means you're an eclectic writer. Maybe you are, but that is not what your potential editor wants to see. She wants to know that you are well-versed in the line she publishes. She isn’t going to care that you read mysteries and vampire books unless she publishes mysteries and vampire books.

I speak from experience. I love historicals. I used to read tons of them. But I lack the conviction to do the necessary research to write one. I love mysteries and true-crime stories. But I have no desire to write either of those. I love all kinds of romance, but it wasn’t until I narrowed my focus to one line--Superromance--and immersed myself in the most current titles available, that I began to understand the focus, hear the unwritten rhythm and could feel the invisible fabric of the line.

Quite simply: read to write.

Micole’s Answer:

Write, write, write and write some more. The more you write the better you will be and the more confident you will be.

Deb, thank you so much for doing this interview with me. It was a lot of fun. It is my first interview (blushing)

Now here is a sneak peak at Deb’s new books that will be hitting shelves this month and next month. Deb has also offered to do a giveaway to two lucky commenters to win a book off of her backlist! Thanks Deb!

RETURN TO THE BLACK HILLS, 4.5 stars!

Back cover copy:

A risky attraction!

What do a South Dakota rancher and a Hollywood stuntwoman have in common--outside their landlord-tenant relationship? Not much. But from the moment Cade Garrity meets Jessie Bouchard, he's captivated. Although he knows a woman who is paid to take risks is the wrong role model for his impressionable daughter, he can't keep away.

From the start, Jessie is very clear that her stay is temporary. Can Cade be content to let her leave when the time comes? The more he knows about the woman behind the stunts, the more he's sure that she's the one for him. So now he has to convince her to take that big leap into commitment...without a safety net.

A Father’s Quest

April 2011

Is he ready for what he might find?

Jonas Galloway wouldn’t show up on Remy Bouchard’s doorstep without an excellent

reason. Not after a secret destroyed what was so good between them. In this case, though, locating his daughter trumps unfinished business. He hopes he can persuade Remy to see it the same way.

Working with his high school sweetheart makes Jonas want to pick up where they left off. Especially because Remy is more tempting than ever. But he is a father and his little girl has to be his priority. Then an exposed lie hands him and Remy a possible future. And he can’t leave Louisiana without finding out if second chances are all they’re cracked up to be.

Debra Salonen

www.debrasalonen.com

www.superromanceauthors.blogspot.com

Spotlight Author with Linda Wisdom

2011-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

In Central California, where I live, spring can’t decide whether to stay or go. That’s good and bad for me. I love the winter as well as the spring, but know the longer this weather holds out the worse my chances are of having a nice long spring, with coastal breezy days. Last week it hailed in my neighborhood for thirty minutes. By the time the storm had passed it looked as if it had snowed. It was super cold too. Two days later the sun is shining and I am planting flowers in my yard! Next week it will be hotter than heck and I will be dying to turn the air conditioner on. ;-) Go figure!

Speaking of hotter then heck, my guest Linda Wisdom has witchy books that are just that. She has dropped into my blog today to tell us all about what she has stewing.

Linda, you have written for a couple of different lines, with different genre’s. Is it hard for you to shift from one to the other?

In some ways it is, Micole, but in other ways it’s not. I think my brain is set up in compartments that allow me to shift. Plus, it’s a nice way to write something very different.

Tell us about, DEMONS ARE A GIRLS BEST FRIEND.

Maggie is my kick ass witch who’s with the Hellions, the security force that protects all the supernatural creatures. Right now, she’s battling her attraction to a super sexy half fire demon named Declan and discovering that an ancient Mayan curse is meant to destroy the world. Her major headache is the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a snarky teenager. Maggie also has a diamond-encrusted tattoo of a black widow spider named Elle who’s very French and irritated that she can’t keep a boyfriend for long. Elle also helps protect Maggie and searching the World Wide Web for a spell to ensure her lovers don’t die after she has sex with them. It was a totally fun book to write.

What makes your writing unique?

I don’t know if I’d call it unique. I love writing characters that I hope my readers can identify with. Want to hang out with. I have a demented sense of humor and that tends to show up in my work. Luckily, my readers like it.

Can you tell us what you are working on now?

I finished up my next witch book, A Demon Does It Better, which will be out in January 2012 and I’m reworking a Young Adult Urban Fantasy along with a Young Adult paranormal and plotting out a new book.

What do Linda Wisdom fans have to look forward to in 2011?

Along with Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend out this April, I’ve been putting up my backlist books at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, and Allromanceebooks. I’ll also be putting up an enovella starring witchy Thea.

How many books do you have published?

Close to 80.

What is your writing process? Are you a plotter or a panzter?

Definitely a pantser and sometimes that’s not good when I write myself into a corner that I wonder if I’ll get out of! Luckily, I do.

When you aren’t writing steamy romances, what do you do with your time?

I’ve got an energetic white mini Schnauzer named Barney who loves walks. He’ll be showing up in a future book. Naturally, I love reading and getting together with friends.

Do you have any advice on writing, getting published, or finding an agent?

With writing, make sure your work is super clean and believe in it. Do your research, see where your work best fits and above all, be professional!

What’s the one thing you know now that you wished you would’ve known when you started your journey as a writer?

LOL! Probably a lot. There was nothing out there for writers. No Internet, no way to check on agents unless you knew someone with an agent. I flew blind for awhile and I paid for the ride. Sharing of information is very important, but you also have to follow your own instincts.

Thank you Linda, for a being a guest. Where can we find out more about you and your work?

Definitely my website www.lindawisdom.com, http://linda-wisdom.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/lindawisdom, www.twitter.com/lindawisdom

If you haven’t read Linda’s books make sure to check her out. Again thanks for stopping by y blog. See you on Thursday when my guest will be Debra Salonen. Until then…

Micole Black

Spotlight Author with Emma Lai

2011-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Back again on this fine Thursday! Today Emma Lai is my guest. She has lots to share with us about herself and her writing.

Thanks for having me visit, Micole!

Tell us a little bit about your books.

I currently have four short stories, which vary in length from around 5K to 20K, available. His Ship, Her Fantasy (set on a spaceship) and His Hope, Her Salvation (set in Georgian England) are part of a series entitled, Mates of the Guardians. They show how Guardians, tasked with preserving their society and the time continuums on other worlds, find their mates. The stories are tied together by and ongoing intrigue. My other two stories are erotic romances. Slave to Innocence is set in Ancient Greece while Twice is Not Enough is set in Regency England.

You write two very different genres, do you find it hard to switch from one to the other?

Only when edits come in and I’m writing something of the other genre.

I have at least a dozen works-in-progress that cover a variety of genres, not just paranormal and erotic. Finding I’m more productive when I’m not forcing myself to work on a story, I generally work on whatever I’m in the mood to write. When edits come in, I have no choice but to address them, regardless of mood.

What makes your writing unique?

Tough question. I don’t confine myself to one genre, for one thing. I am a complete panster and defy defining my story and characters ahead of time. I can start with the intent of writing a straight contemporary, but I’ll end up with a time travelling dog making an appearance (though I don’t actually have a story like that in progress). I’ve also been told I have a knack for writing action scenes as well.

How long does it take you to write a manuscript?

I crank out a bare bones short story in a day. Depending on length, it will take another day to four to flesh it out and polish it. I send it out to my CPs. Make whatever revisions are necessary. And voila. The whole process takes anywhere from a week to two. Then it’s out for submission, and while edits may take only a few hours total, it may be over the course of a few months, depending on the publishing house.

It’s so simple, makes one wonder why I only have four stories out. The problem is I also have a couple of full-length books I’m working on. I’ve put about a month into each (both are +40K) and then I get distracted by ideas for other stories. Since I have no discipline, I go where the muse takes me. The result, a dozen wips.

What is the hardest part about your job?

Revisions. Edits. Finishing a story. It’s as if once I’ve got the gist of the story down, my muse looses interest. Though I will admit that lately, I’ve found a lot of satisfaction in finding just the write word/sentence/paragraph to improve a story.

So, maybe I should switch to promotion because it takes so much time. Though I always love reading what others have to say. Oftentimes it’s my only contact with the outside world.

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I, of course, like knowing others are reading and hopefully enjoying the stories I write. I like the idea of putting positive thoughts and emotions out into the world.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

First, write. I’ve talked to a lot of people who say they want to be an author and have a great idea, but haven’t written one word. Without a completed product, a writer can’t get published.

Second, find someone honest and familiar with the industry to critique the work. Friends and families are great for support, but a writer needs someone who’s can tell her when something’s not working in a story, why and provide some clues on how to fix it.

Third, submit. If the story is finished and polished to a high sheen then get it out there. If it gets rejected by one publisher, move on to the next.

When you aren’t writing steaming hot romances what do you do in your spare time?

Writing steaming hot romances is what I do in my spare time. :) The rest of the time I’m a full-time mom with a very, busy 18 month old and a full-time business owner. It’s amazing I get any sleep.

Wow! Sounds like you have your work cut out for you Emma. I don’t know how you do it all! Thank you for sharing yourself with all of us. I wish you tons of success in your career!

See everyone on Tuesday when I have Linda Wisdom as my guest.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Barbara Silkstone

2011-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon Barbara’s blog space simply by accident and was so happy that I did. It is very entertaining and I think you will think the same. Today she’s here to share all of her secrets… well sort of ;-)

Barbara, tell us a little bit about yourself and what you write.

I’m a freelance writer with a quirky sense of humor. I frequently find myself in the right place at the right time. If I just stand still for five minutes… wham! Something funny and worth writing about will happen to me. I’ve accidentally sky dived, been stalked by crazies, and ran off with a real life White Rabbit.

I’m the author of The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three Quarters and the nonfiction chronicle of my adventures in to the hearts and minds of over 500 men - The Adventures of a Love Investigator, 527 Naked Men & One Woman. For six years I traveled the country interviewing men about women, love, and commitment. I nearly lost my mind. I had no idea they would talk so much.

I live on the edge in South Florida and write 8 or 9 hours a day. Yikes!

Can you give us a peak/back cover blurb of your latest release?

Written very much in the style of Janet Evanovich, but with a strong dash of the surreal, The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters is an entertaining jaunt through a mad world of Miami real estate, pill-popping neuroses, and would-be English Lotharios.

What do you think makes your writing unique?

I enjoy sharp one-liners and write as if I were creating for Sam Spade. My heroines have the ability to laugh at themselves even as they are going down for the count.

What are you working on now?

I’m launching a series of funny romantic mysteries spinning off of fables.
Wendy& the Lost Boys will be released on Kindle and Nook in June. It’s a romantic comedy with a strong influence from Peter Pan.

Where does your inspiration come from?

It comes from my ability to laugh at myself. I’ve made enough mistakes in life and yet each one reminds me of the heroine in a fairy tale. If I lost my glass slipper, it would be found by a frog with no chance of Princely redemption. Sometimes all you can do is laugh.

What do Barbara Silkstone fans have to look forward to in 2011?

Once Wendy & the Lost Boys are flying loose, I’ll begin to work on Snow White and her seven short men. I write two humorous blogs and fans are invited to take a peek. I never know what I’m going to say… so we can all be surprised together.

What is your writing process? Plotter or Panster?

I usually panster it and let my characters surprise me. But Wendy involved some plotting as there are pirates, Indians, and super-yachts. Three men madly involve with the heroine. I had to plan her future before she got in too deep.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Just write, write, write. You get better with every page. The publishing industry has changed so radically in the last 24 months. It’s the most exciting time to be an author. Reach for the stars. They’re not that far away.

If you had to pick a character that you have created or one you wish you created, who would it be and why?

I think Wendy because she gets to rediscover her first love, pilot a super-yacht and run around with a bunch of boys. How bad is that?

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

John Cleese. He’s my hero. He is so lovable in A Fish Called Wanda. I like my men vulnerable. I love when they screw up and then rise to the challenge. That thin crust of British reserve that hides complete absurdity. Delicious!

Where can we find out more about you and your writing?

Please visit my blog:

Barb’s Wire – eBooks & More
http://barbswire-ebooksandmore.blogspot.com/

The Secret Diary of Alice in Wonderland, Age 42 and Three-Quarters
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BIGFSE/

Thank you!
Barbara Silkstone

Make sure to stop by on Thursday when I have Emma Lai as my guest. Thanks for dropping in.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Pam McCutcheon

2011-03-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

THE WRITER’S BRAINSTORMING KIT: THINKING IN NEW DIRECTONS and WRITING THE FICTION SYNOPSIS: A STEP BY STEP APPROACH, are two of Pam McCutcheon’s books on the writing craft. I am excited to share my interview with Pam with all of you. Both books are great so if you are looking for a way to brainstorm your next plot or write a selling synopsis she’s your girl!

How did you come up with the idea of THE WRITER’S BRAINSTORMING KIT: THINKING IN NEW DIRECTIONS?

I came up with this book primarily because I need it! The need for brainstorming strikes me at odd times, usually late at night. My friends wouldn’t appreciate it if I called and insisted they drop everything to help me with a plotting or characterization problem. So, I created this to help me brainstorm. Luckily, it helps others as well. :-)

As for how I came up with it, I have a friend who does tarot reading for characters. So, I wondered…what would it be like to have something similar to a tarot deck but designed specifically for writers? I contacted Michael Waite to help me with it because he’s fabulous at graphics. He designed the book as well as the cards.

I have this book. It is awesome, and very simple to use. Can you explain to us a little bit about how to use it?

There are fifty cards, each with a single word on it such as “Build,” “Faith” and “Rescue,” plus a book that goes along with it, hence the “kit.” Let’s say you want to create a character. You would draw at least seven cards. The first would be for Role/Pursuit and you’d look up the word in the book to get a list of potential occupations or a “Role/Pursuit” that might go along with that word (or its opposite) for your character (protagonist, antagonist, or secondary character—it doesn’t matter). For the “Build” card, some of the options are architect, construction worker, demolition expert, designer, mad scientist, raider, etc. Choose one or let the word spur your imagination to come up with something different. Next, choose one card (or more) for character traits. The card’s options will give you a list of character traits, from positive to negative, that may be associated with that word. You can then choose cards for goal, motivation, internal conflict, external conflict, and the character’s growth or realization at the end of the story. Each aspect of character development has five choices to go along with it. Plotting works the same way. You would draw cards to help determine the Ordinary World, Trigger Event, Turning Points, Black Moment, and Resolution.

Even if two people draw the same cards, they won’t come up with the same story. I conducted a workshop with a writer’s group in Denver, and separated them into groups. Each small group drew five cards and came up with a story using this system. One came up with a dark, angsty historical romance. When I commented on how dark the story was, they blamed it on the cards they drew. But in my experience, it wasn’t just the cards, it was the mindset they brought to it. With the same cards, I came up with a contemporary romantic comedy. And if the card(s) you draw don’t work for you, just draw again.

What is your favorite part about the brainstorming kit?

I love the fact that it can help you create a story from scratch or just draw one card to help with a story problem. It doesn’t matter what genre, what kind of plot, or what kind of character you’re writing, it can help anyone. Most of us have a few different kinds of stories we write and go to those standards again and again. This kit helps us break out of our ruts and think in new and exciting directions. It helps me all the time.

You have also written a book called WRITING THE FICTION SYNOPSIS: A STEP BY STEP APPROACH. Can you tell us a little bit about this book?

As the title suggests, this is a step by step approach to help you figure out to put into your synopsis and, what’s sometimes more important, what to leave out. I use movies as examples and provide several sample synopses at the end of the book so you can see what one looks like.

Why is writing a synopsis important?

Because editors and agents want them. Seriously, the synopsis is your chance to tell your story in a compelling manner that will make the agent want to represent it or an editor want to buy it. Even if they don’t read your whole story at first, they will want to see a synopsis so they know you have a good grasp of story structure. They will also want to know how the story ends. NEVER tell them they have to buy the book to read the ending. Your manuscript will be rejected so fast you’ll get whiplash.

How do you think your book can help aspiring authors to get their work published?

Every writer needs to know how to write a synopsis. If you don’t have a clue where to start, or what should go into one, this can help you figure that out. In fact, I’m always surprised by how many published authors attend my workshop on writing synopses.

What is the best advice on writing, getting published, or trying to find an agent?

The best piece of advice is the one that works for you. That can be different things for different people. Sure, it’s important to learn the mechanics and the market, but the advice that worked for me is to write what you love. Don’t just write what you know, what you think is popular, or what you think will sell. Write about something you feel passionate about. That will shine through in your writing, and that’s the best thing you can do to increase your chances of selling.

Where can we find out more about you and your books as well as how can we purchase these books?

My website (http://www.pammc.com) has more information about my writing books and my fiction (under this name and my two pseudonyms). You can purchase my writing books through my publisher (http://www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com/). Thanks!

Pam McCutcheon

http://www.pammc.com

Besides writing books on craft Pam writes romance, young adult, and fantasy.

Look for her latest book as

Parker Blue

Author of the Demon Underground Series, edgy urban fantasy that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction.

FANG ME

The vampires want it. The demons want it too. And someone is willing to kill Val for it.

Val and Fang have to find the powerful Encyclopedia Magicka before either of San Antonio’s warring underworld factions locate it, or the consequences will be deadly for the entire city. As usual, Val’s vampire enemies (they still call her The Slayer), want her dead, and even some of her fellow demons may be less than trustworthy, since they'd like to grab the legendary book of spells before she does. Val has a personal claim to the Encyclopedia--her demon father left it to her when he died--but someone stole it recently. And that can’t be good.

Battling vamps and dodging demons, Val struggles to unravel the mystery and find the thief. At the same time, she's fighting her attraction to sweet, sexy Shade, her favorite shadow demon. Rumor has it that Val will lose her part-demon, vampire-fighting powers if she gives herself to him.

With a crowd of vamps and demons out to trick her or kill her, it’s not a good time for her to risk her job as the city's best vampire hunter by falling in love. The stakes are high and aimed right at her heart. But Lola, Val's hungry little lust demon, doesn't like being denied. Will Lola finally get her way?

What’s a part-lust-demon-teen supposed to do? Whatever it takes.

Thanks to Pam and to all of my readers. Make sure to check out Pam’s books. See you back here on Tuesday when I have, Barbara Silkstone as my guest.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Autor with Beth Ciotta

2011-03-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

The weather is finally starting to warm up. I am sitting at my sons baseball practice while working on this blog. I love this time of year. Everything is so bright and colorful everywhere you look. Today I have Beth Ciotta visiting us.

Hi, Micole and thanks so much for having me here.

It is my pleasure Beth. Tell us a little about your latest release INTO THE WILD.

INTO THE WILD is a romantic adventure in the style and spirit of Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone. I had a blast researching the Amazon jungle and Andes Mountains as well as a real life legendary Inca treasure. Not to mention bringing together a thrill-seeking hero and quirky heroine. I’ll share the blurb with you as it really does sum up the story well!
When River Kane's fiancé abandons her at the altar for being too conventional, she's heartbroken. But everything changes when her estranged archaeologist father sends her his journal—filled with cryptic maps and a note indicating he's in mortal danger. Worried, River faces her greatest fears and flies to the Amazon to find him. But she needs a guide. Someone completely unlike danger-seeker Spenser McGraw.
A charismatic treasure hunter who thrives on risk, Spenser hosts the popular TV show Into the Wild, dedicated to locating lost treasures and mythical icons. But River's father's life depends on discretion, and too-sexy Spenser is all about publicity. Forced to team up, they embark on a jungle adventure ripe with temptation and danger…ultimately discovering a hidden treasure that could alter history—and a steamy love neither expected.

What are you working on now?

I’m thrilled to announce that I recently contracted with St. Martin’s Press to write four books in a new series called THE CUPCAKE CLUB. Contemporary romantic comedies set in a small town, featuring eccentric lovable characters, too-die-for heroes, dynamic heroines and the antics and accomplishments of The Cupcake Club.

I also contracted with NAL (Penguin) to write a new series: THE GLORIOUS VICTORIOUS DARCYS. Steampunk romantic adventure. What fun!

I’m presently writing the first book in The Cupcake Club and simmering on book one of The Darcys. Needless to say, my days are crammed. But happily so.

What do Beth Ciotta fans have to look forward to in 2011?

Four books from my backlist—JINXED, CHARMED, SEDUCED, and LASSO THE MOON will be available this year for the first time on Kindle, Nook, and various other ebook formats. The first three titles will be issued with exciting new covers! Also available this year in ebook formats, three paranormal romance novels that I wrote (SCANDALOUS SPIRITS, KINDRED SPIRITS and KNIGHT OF MY DREAMS) under the name CB Scott, along with my critique partner and friend, Cynthia Valero. I’m hoping readers will discover and enjoy these previous works while waiting for my new releases—coming in 2012.

Give us a glimpse into your writer’s life.

Well, it’s not as glamorous as some may think, but it’s a satisfying and happy life. Since I presently work a full time day job, I do all of my writing at nights and on weekends. That’s also when I take care of writing ‘business’, including promotional efforts and social networking. It’s hard to fit booksignings into my busy schedule, but I do attend various writer and reader conferences. I love interacting with readers and fellow writers as well as attending workshops. Conferences are almost always the highlight of my year!

How do you think that your life experiences in have influenced your writing career?

My background in entertainment has played a major part in many of my novels. So have my small town roots, my travel adventures, and experiences as a PR coordinator and library assistant. My fears and insecurities, dreams and beliefs also factor in. And then there are the people I’ve met, the relationships I’ve developed. Drawing on life experiences lends realism to my stories. On the other hand, I also research and write about what I’d like to experience, for real or on a fantasy level.

What’s one thing that you know now that you wished you knew when you started your journey as a writer?

Hmm. That’s a hard one. I’m not really sure. Perhaps…. It never gets easier. The writing or the business. Publishing is always a challenge on one or another level.

Do you have any advice on writing, getting published, or finding an agent?

Always strive to hone your craft. No matter how much you learn, you can always learn more. No matter how well you write, you can always write better. Other than that… the key ingredients are determination and perseverance.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

I’m in love with quite a few of my characters, but my favorite is probably Evie Parish from ALL ABOUT EVIE, EVERYBODY LOVES EVIE, and EVIE EVER AFTER. I identify with her in so many ways and had so much fun living vicariously through her. Not to mention I absolutely adore her hero.

What is the Romantic Times Convention that you will be attending?

The RT Convention is an annual book lover’s convention attended by writers (pubbed and pre-pubbed), librarians, booksellers, publishing industry professionals, cover models, and lots and lots of readers! The days are packed with worshops and the nights feature fabulous parties and other special events. This year the fun takes place in Los Angeles. For details visit http://www.rtconvention.com/

I read in your bio that you wrote and directed the Mr. Romance Pageants for the Romantic Times Conventions. I can only imagine how fun that must’ve been. Are you still involved in doing that? Can you tells us a little bit about it?

Fun, yes, but also a lot of hard work. Because of my hectic work and writing schedule these past few years, I passed the baton as writer/director of the show. However, I’ve co-hosted the show with musician/actor and former Mr. Romance, Mark Johnson in the past and will do so again this year. Mark and I always have a blast and this year will be even better as we’ll be joined by actress/author Harley Jane Kozak and model (also a former Mr. Romance) David Alan Johnson. The contestants (several handsome, talented models) compete in three categories and the winner will pose for the cover of a major NYT publishing company’s release. Basically, we’re searching for the today’s ‘Fabio’.

Thank you, Beth for sharing yourself with us today. Where can we find out more about you and your books?

Here are my three main hangs:
My website: http://www.bethciotta.com/
My blog: http://bethciotta.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Beth-Ciotta/1314141007?_fb_noscript=1
You can learn about past, present and future releases at any of these site, but for the most and latest action, join me on Facebook.
It’s been a pleasure Micole. Thank you!

Readers… I will see all blog you here on Thursday when I have Pam McCutcheon talking to us about the dreaded synopsis. Until then…

Cyber Hugs

Micole

WINNERS OF FIRST AND LAST CONTEST!!!!!

2011-03-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone,

I'm sorry, I was away from my computer all day yesterday and didn't get the list of winners until this morning. Yikes. Okay so here we go... can I get a drum roll please.............

FIRST PLACE GOES TO: MAEVE GREYSON

Maeve will send her fell manuscript for consideration to Donna O'Brien.

SECOND PLACE GOES TO: ELIZABETH FROST
THIRD PLACE GOES TO: EDEN FRANCO

Elizabeth and Eden will send the first three chapters for consideration.

CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!!!

Thank you for stopping in to my blog.

Hugs

Micole

Acquiring Editor Donna O'Brien from Crescent Moon Press

2011-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Donna, I am so happy to share my blog space with you today. Can we start off by having you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Thanks so much for having me Micole! Let’s see condensed version…I’ve got four kids, and two grandgirls. My husband and I will celebrate our 25^th Anniversary this year and he is my real life hero.

Tell us about the publishing house that you work for, Crescent Moon Press.

Short version: Completely awesome! A little longer version: Crescent Moon Press was formed as an independent boutique publisher and prides itself on writing out of the box story lines as well as its professionalism. We support our authors and provide assistance with marketing, publish simultaneously in print and digital formats and allow considerable input as far as cover design and titles.

Does Crescent Moon Press accept non agented writers?

Yes we do. We believe that diamond in the rough deserves a chance as well as the polished gem. So both agented and non-agented writers are welcome at CMP.

Is there something specific you are looking for in a manuscript?

I am actively seeking urban fantasy, sci-fi, time travel, high fantasy, a great new twist on an old myth, anything dark, dangerous and full of beings with that something extra that bring make believe to life, fast paced YA, and New Adult (17-25 y/o protags) with more on their mind than school and dating. If the premise is powerfully unique, the voice unforgettable, and the writing pristine, then I want to see that story.

What do you not want to see?

I do not want to see the same old, same old or a fabulous plot poorly written. That’s sooo disappointing.

Once you have fallen in love with a manuscript, where does it go from there?

I send a desperate plea to my publisher to let me buy the manuscript with a description of the story and why I think it would be marketable. If I get the approval, then I send an offer to the author.

What does a day in the life of an acquiring editor look like?

BUSY!!! LOL Reading submissions and queries, requesting fulls if I like the query. Editing manuscripts. Responding to authors questions about the progress of their book. Calming their anxieties if they are a new author. Rejecting queries. E-mails galore! Attending a conference here or there to accept pitches. Approving blurbs and bios. Um….I’m sure I left something out. Maybe eating something once and a while and then there’s the mom stuff too. ;)

Thank you Donna, for spending the day with us here at Micole Writes Romance.

Thanks again for having me Micole! I’d also like to invite any of your readers out there who are going to attend the RT Convention in April, to look me up. I’ll be available at the Crescent Moon Press Publisher’s Spotlight as well as taking pitches on Wednesday!

And because I had such a busy week and didn’t get a chance to pick a winner for the contest yet, we are going to extend it until Friday!! So if you haven’t entered yet, get your first and last line entered!! Good luck!

Make sure to get those pitches in readers. I can’t wait to announce the winners!!! Thank you all for spending your precious time with Donna and I today. Take care and I will see you her tomorrow when we announce the winners!

Until then. Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Micole

Contest extended for two more days

2011-03-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! The contest with Acquiring Editor, Donna O'Brien of Crescent Moon Press has been extended for 2 more days. If you didn't get a chance to enter, now is your chance. Today is your lucky day!!!! Details are on the side bar of my blog!!! If you have any questions, make sure to leave them in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as I can today! All winners will be announced on Friday!

Thanks

Micole

GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS FROM THE GROUND UP by MARTHA ENGBER

2011-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I hope all of my writer friends and everyone out there who is thinking about writing has been enjoying all of the guests that I have been bringing for you. I know I can always use writing tips and the people that I have brought are some of my favorites! Martha Engber is another one of my very favorites!!! Her book GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS FROM THE GROUND UP is awesome! She is here to talk to us about it today. So please read through and if you don't already have a copy of this book, run and get it! You won't be sorry.

This excellent book is our topic of discussion for today.

Q: So tell us Martha, how do you grow great characters from the ground up?

A: The idea behind my book is that a great story — because who’s interested in writing just an okay story? — should stem from within a great main character. Despite her outward appearance of beauty, wealth, confidence or other public persona, the character should be deeply afraid of something, whether it’s of being abandoned or being alone or being unlovable. Then throughout the book, the character must confront obstacles of ever-increasing size and intensity that push her closer and closer to that fear until she has to face the monster.

GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS takes authors by the hand and shows them how to develop such great characters from inception to maturation in a process that once learned, writers can then apply to all of their characters so that stories become peopled with vibrant, deep, interesting characters.

Every chapter of my book involves both fiction and nonfiction writing examples to demonstrate concepts, along with writing exercises, which if followed, will help writers develop a character from start to finish.

Q: What made you decide to write a book about writing great characters?

A: The seed of the idea — if you’ll pardon the pun — stemmed from a rejection letter from an agent who wrote, “I just couldn’t connect with your main character.”

I puzzled over that very frustrating remark until I realized that while I knew a lot about my character, I didn’t know her.

Writers tend to develop characters by throwing a lot of details onto one big heap. Hair color, where they live, their profession, their favorite colors, what they like to read, etc. Yet these details are often pulled at random, so that when the reader sees all of these facts put together, the picture doesn’t make sense. We tell readers characters as supposed to be shy, yet their actions and dialogue strike readers as pushy to the point of snooty. Or those who are supposed to be organized instead seem to rush around in a very disorganized, inefficient way. Still other characters are supposed to be smart, but then act dumb.

I realized that maybe instead of throwing together random pieces of information, I should instead choose one very specific detail that would serve as a key for readers, allowing them to understand the simple internal rule by which my character lives.

I wrote about the concept for a magazine for writers. A man who subscribed to the magazine, Harvey Stanbrough, contacted me, saying he’d written two books for Central Avenue Press’s Thorough Primer for Writers series and that the publisher was looking for a book about character development. I wrote a proposal and sent it in. The process of actually writing the book then made me think through every stage of the character development process to a breathtaking degree.

Q: Being a writer of fiction yourself, what is your favorite part of the process of creating a character?

A: It’s the moment when the character takes on life. In that moment, the story is no longer in my hands, but in hers. Now I have to follow where she leads. In that moment, she’s usually off like a shot, so that I’ve got to race along behind her in a journey that’s startling and unbelievably exhilarating.

Q: What would you say the hardest part of creating a character thoroughly is?

A: The hardest part for most characters is what I’ve just described above, allowing their characters to take off and be their own people, acting as they must according to the natures they’re born with.

Writers are usually extremely hesitant to let characters out of their hands, which I address in my chapter titled Freedom to Grow. The reason writers are typically unwilling to unleash their characters is because the writers don’t really know their characters, which is usually not what writers want to hear!

That’s why I take pains in my book to show readers the means by which they can truly come to know who their characters are and what makes them tick. Once writers understand that, they realize they can relinquish control, because they’ll be able to follow no matter where their characters go or what they do.

Q: What do you do or what should we do as writers when a character just won’t cooperate with us?

A: Usually I find that when a character is not behaving as I want, I’m attempting to force the character to do something that’s against her nature because I’ve already determined where the story is supposed to go. This is why so many writers find that they love all their side characters, whereas their main characters are flat. The reason is they don’t expect anything from those side characters, who are then free to act according to their natures, whereas our main characters are lumbering under all of our expectations.

Therefore it’s crucial for writers to unload those main characters and allow them to take the lead.

Q: What steps as writers can we take to get to know our characters better to make our readers connect with them 100%?

A: Read my book! Read many books! The bottom line is that creating a great character is not a simple task. We writers have to hunker down and keep burrowing until we find our characters’ greatest fears, which will in turn show us what’s most important to them and how they’re motivated to act.

Typically we writers can be impatient to an incredible degree. We steamroll over countless nagging clues that indicate we don’t yet know our characters and then wind up frustrated when our readers complain they can’t really connect with the characters, when really, neither can we.

Therefore, pay attention to what I call the nags!

In my book, I counsel writers to use a variety of methods to check their thinking at every point in the process to discover and take care of weak spots at the time their occur, rather than attempting to deal with them once they’re embedded within the manuscript.

Q: Besides writing books on craft, Martha you also teach workshops. What kind of workshops do you offer and where or how can one participate?

A: I teach a variety of workshops, all of which are described on the For Event Planners page of my website. I teach 8-lesson, month-long online classes through such organizations as SavvyAuthors.com and Women Writing the West and in-person workshops at conferences and bookstores. If you’re interested in having me teach at your next conference or online via an RWA chapter, please contact me at martha@engber.com. Also feel free to join Growing Great Writers From the Ground Up, my Q & A blog for writers, or contact me/connect via any of the following methods:

Martha’s website

Martha’s blog

GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS FROM THE GROUND UP

Amazon Author Central

workshop testimonials

Martha, I always love having you here on my blog. Thank you for returning, and for sharing your books with us. You and your books are truly inspirational.

A: Thanks for having me! I love talking to fellow writers.

Thanks to all of my readers. I hope you enjoyed this learning experience. make sure to drop in on Thursday when I will have Acquiring Editor, from Crescent Moon Press here with us. See you then.

Micole

CONTEST ALERT!!!!

2011-03-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Good morning friends… WOW two blogs in two days!!! Pretty exciting right??? Well I thought you all might be interested to hear about a contest that is going on right here on my blog. My good friend, and acquiring editor, Donna O’brien has agreed to do a contest. The entrances must be ROMANTIC TALES OF FANTASY, SCIENCE FITCION, OR PARANORMAL stories. One lucky entrance will win a read of their full manuscript by Donna. Two lucky writers will get to submit their first three chapters. You will find all of the details below. And if you lose track of this blog post you can always check the side bar of my blog. All of the important stuff will be there! ;-) I am so excited. All of you writers out there get your first and last lines ready! Make sure to share the contest details with all of your writers friends and tell them to stop by the blog and enter. Good luck!!!!

How important is that first sentence? Extremely! But so is your final sentence because it’s the last thing your readers take away from your novel. Your final chance to make a lasting impression, if you will. ;) So enter your First Line AND your Last Line for a chance to submit the full manuscript to Crescent Moon Press!

1. Submit the first and last sentence only of your manuscript to Crescent Moon Press Acquisitions Editor, Donna O’Brien via e-mail: donna@crescentmoonpress.com by midnight on March 22, 2011.
2. Check the Micole Writes Romance blog @ http://www.micolewritesromance.blogspot.com/ on March 24, 2011, to see if you won.
3. There are three chances to win: 2nd and 3rd place will be able to submit their first three chapters and a synopsis and 1st place will be able to submit their full manuscript to Editor Donna O’Brien.
4. Crescent Moon Press publishes high quality fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal romantic fiction. See their website @ http://www.crescentmoonpress.com/ for more details.

If your full has that all important first line that will hook a reader and make them want to continue and a last line that will keep them coming back for more, then what are you waiting for? Submit them to Donna O’Brien, Crescent Moon Press Acquisitions Editor today!

Mary Buckham visits Micole Writes Romance

2011-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

I told you that I wanted to give back to all of my writing friends over the next couple of months. I am so excited about my guest!!! Today I have brought Mary Buckham and she is blogging about creativity as well as doing an a giveaway.

FIVE STEPS TO EMPOWER YOUR CREATIVITY

I’d like a share a few thoughts on creativity. Because being creative, and living our creativity, is at the heart of every writer.

“Every child is born an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso.

Were you aware that 90% of five-year olds see themselves as highly creative? That in itself is not amazing, but wrap your minds around the concept that by the age of seven, 80% of us who saw ourselves as creative no longer believe we are. That means only 10% of seven-year olds believe they are creative. By the time we reach our teens that number drops to 2% and remains fairly constant throughout our adult lives.

So if you’re a writer, or a painter, or sculptor, etc., count yourself among the few who have never, ever given up on a gift given to many, but realized by few.

To savor and honor that gift here are five steps to continue to empower your own creativity.

Step 1) Remove Creativity Killers. Sometimes the words are said by others, sometimes from within, so if you catch others, or yourself saying any of the following then you’ve run into a Creativity Killer. Follow the Rules. Don’t Ask Questions. It’s Hard. Be Practical. Be Serious. Think of [fill in the blank]. You Can’t Afford [fill in the blank]. Yes, but. You Don’t Have the Time. You Don’t Have the Money. Don’t Be Foolish. The list goes on and on. Great news is you don’t have to buy into the Creativity Killers.

Step 2) Develop a Creative Environment. You know best what spurs ideas, fuels your passion, creates energy. Is it color? Certain objects? A wide horizon? A secluded space? Honor your sacred creative space, whether it’s a desk top, a room or something else, and it will honor you. So take a good look at your working environment. Does it foster your creativity? If it doesn’t, how can you change it?

“A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man’s brow” – Charlie Bower

Step 3) Surround yourself by people who support you and challenge you to be the best at what you want to accomplish or do, not what they want you to accomplish or do. The more time you spend with creative people engaging in creative activities, the more creative you will become. Conversely, the more time you spend with nay-sayers or limited thinkers, the more time . . . you can fill in this answer. Who are you surrounding yourself with?

“Reaching new goals and moving to a higher level of performance requires change, and change feels awkward, but, take comfort in the knowledge that if a change doesn’t feel uncomfortable, then it’s probably not really a change.” John C Maxwell.

Step 4) Challenge yourself constantly and be willing to feel uncomfortable. Delight in exploring something new, something different for you. What have you done lately to push your comfort levels? To challenge yourself? When have you broken your routine? Driven a different route home or read in a genre different than the ones you usually read? When have you tasted a new cuisine? Explored a new location? Daily we’re given opportunities to push our limits, so what’s holding you back?

Step 5) Creative thinkers don’t fear failure. Why? Because they hold a different expectation of what failure means. Didn’t achieve what you had hoped for? For many this is considered a failure, but what if it meant something different? Any situation holds the seeds of new knowledge, self-awareness and new direction.

“The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.” – John C Maxwell

Creativity requires a willingness to look stupid. It means getting out on a limb, knowing that the limb often breaks! And if it does, take that opportunity to spread your wings and fly!

So what about you? What does creativity mean to you? How have you faced the highs and the not-so-highs of being creative or wanting to feel creative? Feel free to comment and out of those who do comment one name will be drawn for a copy of BREAK INTO FICTION™: 11 Steps to Building a Story That Sells or a Fiction book of your choice depending on the genre you love.

Mary’s BIO:

Mary Buckham is an award-winning fiction writer, co-author with Dianna Love of BREAK INTO FICTION: ™: 11 Steps to Building a Story That Sells from Adams Media, co-founder of www.WriterUniv.com and a highly sought after instructor both on-line and at live workshops around the country. To find out more about Mary, her Manuscript, Synopsis and Query help, her Lecture Packets, Workshops and Writing projects visit www.MaryBuckham.com

Thank you Mary for all of the great creative advice, and thank you readers!!!!

Happy writing and being creative! ;-)

Micole

Spotlight Author with Loucinda McGary

2011-03-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello readers. Today I have Loucind McGary visiting the blog.

Loucinda, tell us a little bit about your latest releas THE WILD IRISH SEA.

My latest book The Wild Irish Sea, like my previous two books, is a contemporary romantic suspense with paranormal elements. This one is set in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland and is about a pair of twins who have always had mental telepathy. When one of them inadvertently witnesses a murder, his life is in danger and his sister rushes to Ireland to try and save him. There’s also a sexy but anguished Irish police detective, some precocious kids, dangerous smugglers and the legend of a selkie prince all thrown into the mix as well.

What are you working on now?

The first book in what I hope will be a series. It is a romantic suspense set on a cruise ship.

Also, my book, The Wild Sight was recently offered as a free download on Kindle and hit #1 on their Free Bestseller list. So I’m working on a novella that is a bit of a prequel to The Wild Sight that I hope to offer on Kindle.

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

READERS! Nothing is more gratifying than to hear that someone read and enjoyed one of my books. I’m amazed at how far away some of my readers are! I’ve received fan mail from Australia, New Zealand, Romania, and Malaysia to name a few places.

It is a dream come true for me to be able to share my stories with readers near and far! Readers definitely make all the crazy parts of the publishing business worthwhile.

When did you know you wanted to pursue a writing career?

I always wanted to, and I wrote off and on for many years. But I didn’t get serious about pursuing publication until I quit my Dreaded Day Job (DDJ) at the end of 2003. I made my first sale almost four years (and many many rejections) later in September, 2007.

Some writers say that they have a story that has to be told other’s say that the characters come to them and demand that their story be told… how does it work for you?

Generally my characters come first. They arrive in my imagination with their names and looks intact. Then they start to reveal their backstories to me, and eventually I get an idea for a plot for their current story.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Everywhere! No really, I never quite know what will inspire me.

For The Wild Irish Sea, I was inspired by the beautiful movie The Secret of Roan Inish and an interest in twins spurred on by my twin grand-nephews. My second published book, The Treasures of Venice was inspired by an opera The Jewels of the Madonna written by Venetian composer Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari. My first book, The Wild Sight was partially inspired by a genetic anomaly called the Niall Marker that I stumbled across while doing research on Ireland.

Do you have any advice or writing secrets for aspiring authors?

I wish I had a writing secret! Unfortunately, there is no secret other than hard work and persistence.

My advice is to keep learning and improving your craft. Finish what you start! Don’t sit around and wait for your muse, just keep showing up every day and plugging away. And keep sending your work out. Rejections are hard, but you have to stay in the game to get to that one yes.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Still writing and I hope readers will still be enjoying my stories.

Loucinda, thank you for being my guest today on Micole Writes Romance. Where can we find out more about you and your books?

My website is: http://www.loucindamcgary.com/

I also blog with the Romance Bandits: http://www.romancebandits.blogspot.com/

And I have my own personal blog, Aunty Cindy Explains It All: http://www.auntycindy.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much, Micole, for having me as your guest today!

Loucinda has offered one lucky commenter a copy of her book, THE WILD IRISH SEA. Thank you all for stopping by, now make sure to say hi.

Hugs

Micole

Will the REAL Jake Morgan please stand up...

2011-03-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

I promised three-parts to my hero blog’s. So here you have it… #3. Yesterday, you read about “my” character, Jake Morgan. A character that I crafted myself, spent days thinking about, hours writing and re-writing, and well... perfecting. When I was through, he was what I wanted.

There is an interesting story that goes along with that crafting of my character. Like many writers I do what I can to create a character in my mind, I mold and shape their personality, even the way they look. While I was working on Jake, I had a vision of who he was and what he looked like. A clear vision like no other character I have worked with before. I searched through magazines trying to find a man that looked even just a little bit like the man that I saw so clearly in my brain.

More than a year had passed and I was still searching through those magazines, yet I found nothing. Until one day at the grocery store. I happened to pick up one of my favorite magazines and thumb through it, trying to decide if I wanted to buy it. I thought I was going to have a stroke when I opened the cover of the magazine. Right there staring back at me was Jake Morgan. What the heck was he doing in there when I had been searching so long for him? Hiding between the pages of a magazine apparently.

My heart raced as I quickly put the magazine into the cart. I could hardly believe Jake Morgan was between those pages. This man I had been living with in my mind for so long, finally I had his picture! As soon as I got home, I tore the picture from the cover and put him in the front of the binder that held all of my info on Morgan Ranch. I felt like everything was complete.

A few weeks after I made the discovery, I happened to be on myspace. I was new to the site and searching for writer friends to connect with. When fate stepped in and I happened to stumble across Jake Morgan again, this time it was his myspace page. Interestingly enough, his name wasn’t really Jake Morgan, he called himself Joshua Smith. What did I do you asked? What any other normal person would do. I messaged him on myspace and begged him to be my friend. Well sort of… I did really message him, but I told him that I was working on a book and that I had seen his picture in the COWBOYS & INDIANS magazine and using his image as a hero in my book. He responded by accepting my friendship and asking me to give him a call. So I did. We’ve kept in contact since and he was even nice enough to let me interview him. So here you go… “MY” Jake Morgan who calls himself… Joshua Smith.

Joshua, tell me a little bit about what you do…

- “Goodness, there is quite a bit to that question. I would first and foremost, I would say I am a horseman, I truly have been blessed with a gift to understand animals. I have worked on and managed equine facility’s for the past ten year’s which comes with a lot of different jobs rolled into one, which would include; feeding and nutrition values of feed, stall management, pasture management, carpentry, welding, fencing, haying, irrigation, plumbing, and electrical. Not to mention working with horses that have people problems, giving riding lessons, starting horses, and training horses. I was raised working a commercial cattle outfit, so I know being around horses and cattle have been the greater part of my life. So, at most equine facility’s I have had to take care of cattle, too.”

What was your reaction when you heard that your picture inspired me to make “you” a character in a romance novel?

-“I was a red as anything has ever made me! I blushed, my heart raced, I thought to myself… she’s got to have the wrong guy, when you found me on Myspace! I think it was about two years after the photo shoot for Stetson so every now and again someone might recognize me, but not very often. Mostly just friends would call and tell me they saw me here or there; NFR, Horse Congress, magazine’s, in a store somewhere… but I could never have even begun to think about that!! I had never even read a romance novel… Louis L’Amor is about the only fiction novel’s I’ve read!”

Having read most of Morgan Ranch, do you feel that you have any similarities to the character your photo inspired, Jake Morgan?

-“I would have to say in reading Morgan Ranch, I found myself picturing the ranch setting with other ranches I have worked or visited. Thinking about a father I had lost half-a-lifetime ago (if he left me a ranch), what feelings would I have in Jake’s shoes… and the more I read, the more I saw many similarities!”

If yes, what would the similarities be?

-“First off, my father and I never saw eye to eye. He and my mother where divorced very early on in my life and had a very strained relationship and he never made the effort to try to understand me. He came to one of baseball games growing up… I played all the way through a Jr. College. He was never into ranching like I am, I had to learn from my uncle…my stand in father! So, the conflict with my father, although not exactly like Jake’s… I really understand.

Secondly, Jake was not in his father’s life when his father past and they were not even speaking. I can understand that all to well! My father called me when I was fourteen and told me to tell my older sister (who he adopted at 4 yrs old) to not expect to see or hear from him again in the most matter of fact tone and hung up the phone on me. He did called me again when I was seventeen and wanted to talk, so being the mature kid I was… I hung up, twice! He passed away twenty some days later from Leukemia. After calling my mother at work and her rushing home to get me to go see him, we had a very short and strained relationship. I had many years of drinking too much, partin’ to hard, and heaps of women... like Jake from that absence in my life. I just need to find that one gal for me!

You have been on television, been an extra in a movie, as well as the Stetson model, and now a rancher. Out of everything that you’ve done what has been the most satisfying and why?

-“Well, thank you for taking notice of the some of my most recent accomplishments! Being on the T.V. was great… but, forgotten quickly if your show is not in re-runs. I have been in several movies… but if you’re not the star, you’re just in the background. I really liked being the spokes model for Stetson… during the shoot they didn’t want me to smile… and I like to laugh a lot! They wanted me to just stare into the distance, so I thought of all those days I spent out to sea in the Navy… just being lost in the loneliness of the oceans! I have ranched with my family as far back as I can remember and have had some of the closest, fun, hard working times I can remember… and that is what has made me who I am today! I really think that I have found who I am by being around horses, I can’t make them do one thing if it is not their idea to do it. I have had to learn from horses to be able to teach horses! I had the desire to be around them, not for horse to be around me… and that is why I can say the most satisfying thing I’ve done is to live on ranches and start horses!!

Thank you Micole,
Joshua

Life is crazy sometimes. I think it was fate that we connected the strange way that we did. Without the Internet it would have never happened. I am so happy that we have become friends. Joshua is a great guy and he has been so kind to let me interview him as well as borrow his pictures for the work on my book and my blog. The picture I am including today, (at the top of the blog) is the one I want to be the cover of my book if it is ever published! I just love it. Thank you, Joshua.

Thank you all for reading. see you on Tuesday, when I have Loucinda McGary visiting.

Hugs

Micole

All This Talk About Hero's...

2011-03-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

After all of this talk about hero’s I’ve decided to make this a three-part blog. Yesterday’s re-run blog of WHAT MAKES A HERO HUNKY being the first of the three.

With all of this talk about heroes I thought I would bring one of my favorites out of the closet. His name is Jake Morgan. Many of you who have gotten a peek at my manuscript, Morgan Ranch have been introduced to him. In fact, if you stopped by my blog yesterday for the hunky hero bit, you caught a glimpse of him. That picture that I posted at the top of the blog is “my” Jake Morgan. Just in case you missed it, I decided to include another picture of him. (see picture at the top of the blog)

In my interviews, I ask many of my guest authors to pick a favorite character of theirs that they have created. Most reply exactly the same. “It would be like trying to pick a favorite child. I just can’t do it.” I understand. I really do, and maybe because I only have one finished manuscript at the moment and I am not published, it is a little easier for me to pick. Out of all of the characters that run through my head on a daily basis, Jake Morgan is my favorite.

He is a very complex hero. A man that was so closed off to me and to the rest of the characters in Morgan Ranch. It wasn’t until I got close to finishing the book that I realized how well I really knew him. I knew what he wanted, and what he was all about. I don’t even think he knew until the end of the book that all he really wanted was to settle down with Cody on Morgan Ranch and start a family. He spent so much of his time trying to get away from the ranch, from his past, and from his father’s ghost that it caught up with him. He spent so much of his time trying to prove to himself that Cody was not the woman for him even though his body deceived him every time she was around. It wasn’t until he almost lost everything that it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was a tortured soul, but only by himself. And he left a trail of bleeding hearts wherever he went. Mine especially!

He was a character that I spent many hours a day dreaming about, because of course he was my vision of loveliness. But he also had all of the qualities that I described in yesterdays post. He was old fashioned and up with the times. But most of all, he loved his lady, more than life itself, and when he figured it out, it brought him to his knee’s. By the end of the book, he would’ve done anything she asked.

I think that’s all any of us want in the end.... someone to love us so much they would do anything of them that we ask.

The next installment will include an interview with the real Jake Morgan! Thanks for stopping in.

See you tomorrow.

Hugs

Micole

What makes a hero hunky repost...

2011-03-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

What makes a hero hunky?

This blog originally posted October of 2010, but I am bringing it back, because I thought it would be fun to do a segment on Hero's. I am in the process of reworking my first manuscript and loved my hero in that book. I was finished with the book before I started blogging, so I never really got the opportunity to let all of you drool over him. So enjoy the blog again and come back tomorrow for the second installment of a three-part blog mini series! ;-)

Hero’s come in all shapes and sizes. Thanks be to God for that! The best thing about being a writer is that I can shape and form my characters into what I want out of them. For example… I love a tall (6’5”), rough and rugged, hard-working, hard-to-tame, cowboy. The more stubborn the man the better I like him. I want a man who thinks he knows what he wants until he meets his heroine and then he falls to his knee’s (in a not so noticeable way to the heroine) in love with her. He fight’s his feelings but in the end he is tamed by his lady.

Call me primitive. Hey, maybe I am. That’s what I like. I am all about that Alpha male. You know… the one beating his chest. Ha ha. Maybe that’s going a little too far. But I still want the man to be the one in charge (or at least think he is)(wink). Now a days when writing a book, we are told that our heroine has to be strong, able to take care of herself. And yes I do agree with that to a certain extent. But let’s be real. How many of you ladies still want a car door opened for you or the door of a building? A man to take your hand, or pull out a chair for you? How about paying for dinner? What the hell is this going Dutch crap all about? Or the woman paying for the meal? I’m not sure where that came in?

Hero’s are usually defined as someone who serves and protects us everyday, someone who rescues kittens from a tree, people from a burning building or fights for his life and our freedom in a war. Hero’s are roll models to all of us. They are who we hope our children will take lessons from. They are such amazing people. But not everyone can be pulling someone from a burning building or fighting for our country. God Bless all of our everyday hero’s.

There are also the hero’s that teach us things about ourselves. The one’s that take care of us and show us how to love ourselves and that we can be loved—the prince that rides in on his white horse to save the day. A hero can be so many things. He is something and someone different to each individual.

And what makes a hero attractive can be so much more than just their hunkiness, ie. tall, dark, handsome, Mr. Muscles, dark hair, blond hair, wavy or straight hair, blue eyes brown eyes, eyes dark as coal, dimples, bronzed skin and well even that all famous cowboy hat. All of those things are just an extra incentive. (wink)

So this is what I want to know. What makes your hero hunky? Think about this and leave me a comment.

I am looking forward to hearing from all of you. Make sure to come back tomorrow when we talk more about hunk hero's, namely mine!Thanks for stopping by Micole Writes Romance.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Barbara Baig

2011-03-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello friends. I have a wonderful author with me today, Barbara Baig. Remember I told all of you at the beginning of the year that I was working on some things to improve my blog? Well this is one of them. I thought it would be nice to help out my writing friends as well as those of you who have always wanted to write a book, but never have. Over the next couple of months you will see interviews from authors of books on writing. Today Barbara is here to share with us. She is also giving away a copy of her book!!! Yeah. Good luck everyone!

HOW TO BE A WRITER BUILDING YOUR CREATIVE SKILLS THROUGH PRACTICE AND PLAY, is Barbara Baigs latest book. Barbara, tell us how your book will help us become better writers.

Hello, Micole, and thank you very much for inviting me to your blog. My book, How To Be a Writer, will help aspiring writers in two main ways. First, unlike many writing books and workshops, which focus on the psychology of the writer, my book presents learning to write in a very down-to-earth and practical way. The book's premise is that writing is a certain kind of work, the work of communication, and that everyone can learn how to do this work. The book explains some of the basic skills people need in order to do this work. Then, second, the book shows how aspiring writers can learn their skills--through practice. The book removes the focus of becoming a writer from the realm of the psyche and puts it where I think it belongs, in the realm of learning.

Do writers ever stop practicing?

I think that writers never stop practicing, as long as they are always learning. There's a story I love (it's in the book) about the Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy. One day he was visiting a friend and picked up one of his own published books and started reading it. After a few minutes he exclaimed, "Oh, this is terrible! Now I see how I should have written this!" Even the writers we call "great" are always learning and developing their skills.

In your book, HOW TO BE A WRITER, you have many practice exercises, which one is your favorite? And why?

I particularly like the practices in the section on imagination, because they are so much fun to do!

Does writing ever get any easier?

Absolutely! If you see writing as work which requires certain skills, and you set yourself to learn those skills, then once you have developed them the work of writing becomes much less difficult, because you know what you are doing. The more you practice your skills, the more using them becomes second nature to you.

How do you help writers find their voice?

"Voice" is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot in writing workshops, and it's usually considered to come from the writer's psyche. I have a different view of what voice in writing is: it's skill in the use of language. To acquire that skill you must learn everything you can about how diction and syntax work in English, so that you can make choices about words and about how to put them together into clear and powerful sentences. Mastery of diction and syntax skills is the subject of my next book, which I'm working on now.

What is the most rewarding thing for you about teaching others about the craft of writing?

I believe that having skill in writing is tremendously empowering, whether people want to be professional writers or they need to write in school or at work. I have taught all kinds of writers, not just those who are aspiring creative writers--for example, I spent twenty years teaching graduate students at Harvard Divinity School, and I've also taught graduate students in management and other fields. I just love to help people acquire the power that writing skills can bring!

What is the best advice you can offer to aspiring authors?

Understand that becoming a writer is a lifelong journey in learning. Take the time to learn your skills before you attempt to break into the business of writing. Make a place in your life now for learning your skills: when you sit down to write, instead of spending all of your time trying to produce finished pieces, spend some of it in practice writing that will help you develop your skills. Professional athletes and musicians spend much more time practicing than they do in performance; that's why they get so good at what they do. Writers who spend time developing and perfecting their skills through practice will eventually be ready to compete in the professional business of writing--and they will stand out because they have become expert at what they do. You also offer workshops.

What kind of workshops do you teach and where do you teach them?

I teach workshops in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Lesley University: one is on the art of the English sentence; the other is on story. I also give talks and workshops elsewhere: for example, I will be in Portland, Maine on March 5, 2011, for a conference on the business of writing hosted by the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. I'm always interested in giving workshops; I can be reached via my website.

Where can we find out more information about you, your books, and your workshops?

You can get more information at my website (which features free writing lessons): http://www.wherewriterslearn.com/. My book is widely available, in local bookstores and online.http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Writer-Building-Creative/dp/1582978050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297791413&sr=1-1
Barbara, thank you so much for spending time with me on my blog.

It was a pleasure, Micole. Thanks for inviting me.

If you don’t have Barbara’s book, I suggest you take a trip to the book store, or skip the trip and head to the computer to order it. I have this book, have read it, and worked through most of the exercises. It is a wonderful learning tool. For those of you feeling stressed about your writing. Take a break for a couple of days and go through some of the writing practices in Barbara’s book. You won’t be sorry.

Thank you all for stopping in. Barbara was kind enough to give a copy of her book to me to give away. So comment away!!!! One lucky commenter will win the book!!!! I keep forgetting to ask that when you do comment for a contest to please leave your email address so I can get in touch with you if you are a winner. Also readers... don't forget about the contest Aquiring editor, Donna O'brien has for you. If you missed the post last week scroll down to find it or you can look on the side bar for all of the details! Check back with me tomorrow… right here for a four-part series on hero’s. ;-)

See you tomorrow.

Hugs

Micole

My writing...

2011-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog, I promised to give you interviews with amazing authors… done. I promised to throw in some giveaways… done. And I also promised to share my characters, my writing and myself. I haven’t “done” so much of that. As a writer, some of us tend to feel self conscious about who were are, what we like, or how our writing will be judged. I know I don’t speak for all writers when I say that, but I happen to fall into that category more than I should at this point in my “writing” life.

With any form of art, there is a considerable amount of putting yourself out there, especially when you submit your work to contests, editors, and agents. You get my drift. When I started really focusing on my writing about ten years ago, I would sit at my computer writing and when anyone, be it my family (kids, especially my husband) or anyone else, came into the room I would quickly minimize my screen. I would cover any paper I might have notes on. Sometimes I would just completely shut the computer off and go onto something else. I didn’t want anyone peaking over my shoulder and laughing at what I had written.

Over the years I toughened up a bit and even read a couple of things to my husband. I let a few friends read what I had written. Most of the time I got rave reviews, but you never really know if those people just love you and want to make you feel good. (Thank you to all of my friends who loved me enough to take the time to read my work! It means the world to me!) So I started to venture out. I got online and looked for ways to connect with other writers.

Eventually I found the Writer’s Digest school on the internet and began taking some classes, mostly for the interaction, not because I thought I needed the help. ;-) Just kidding. I was in desperate need of help and the plus side was now I had an audience. People that I didn’t know, people that had never read any of my stuff, people that would give me a straight answer.

Things went well in the classes. I learned so much that I started to wonder if writing was really my cup of tea. I just liked to write to hear the stories in my head. I liked to write the way I wanted to and I started to realize that there was so much more to writing than just putting words on a page. Instead of walking away from what I loved, I dove into it deeper. I put together an online writing group with some amazing woman. We have never met in person, but met weekly on a one-hour chat. We talked about writing and we critiqued each other’s work. I met some amazing people in that group. And I grew up a lot. Or maybe I should say my writing grew-up.

I started to enter contest. I even won first place in the, Colorado Romance Writers Heart of the Rockies Contest. Now things were starting to happen. There was just one problem. I am such a perfectionist that I felt I had to re-write my work every time the wind blew a different direction, which kept me from typing THE END (approximately 50 times).

It took me over five years to finish my first manuscript, Morgan Ranch. Once it was finished, I went to, Belleview, Washington for the Emerald City Romance Writers Conference with a good writing friend of mine. There we both got the opportunity to meet with editors and agents. I had a meeting in the morning and pitched my book. The editor requested the first three chapters of my book and I was on cloud nine!!!

It took a couple of months for me to receive what would be my first rejection letter. It tore me apart, even though in my heart and in my head I knew I wasn’t ready to be published. It was that risk of putting myself out there and being told NO. It was a nice no, in fact it was a no that simply said your writing needs a little work and this manuscript just isn’t for us.

That is a good NO, but still a NO. My dreams of standing in the spotlight and paparazzi chasing me around town to snap my picture were gone. Ha ha as if that really happens to writers. Well I guess if your Nora Roberts or Stephanie Myers maybe, but not little ol’ me. ;-)

So what have I done for the last year after my rejection letter? Let’s see… my husband and I have bought our first home, packed up and moved in. My oldest child graduated from high school. And the other two children have kept my schedule so jam-packed that there are days I don’t know if I am coming or going. Am I still writing you ask? Yes, I am still writing. I started this year off by writing 1500 words every day which works out to be seven to ten pages a day. I did that routine five days a week (plus my day job and the normal everyday stuff) for a whole two weeks straight before I made myself terribly ill.

Good news was that I wrote 15,000 words in those two weeks. I proved to myself that I could stay on task with everything life threw at me and was still able to write those pages. And then I crashed and burned in weeks three, four, five… well I guess some would say I am still smoldering a little. I haven’t written in weeks.

I have still been trying to recuperate, more mentally than physically. As an active writer there is so much pressure on you. Pressures you put on yourself as well as pressure from others. How many pages or words did you write today? All of your peers ask that question. Don’t get me wrong… that’s good. They are doing their job as friends. And in all honesty they probably just want to see how your writing compares to what they’ve done or haven’t done that day as well. I am just one of those people that likes being able to say… “I made my word count for the day.” I do not like to answer with defeat. “I haven’t written a word in weeks.” I love to see the gleam in a fellow writers eyes when I tell them, I knocked out 2000 words today and have already done 10,000 for the week. There’s just something about that look of admiration that makes me sooooooo happy.

Unfortunately I haven’t seen that look in a couple of months, because it’s that same look that puts the pressure on. By me not anyone else. I hate to let people down, and even though these people are not waiting specifically for me. I haven’t held them up in anyway, they are waiting to hear just how many words I have accomplished. Not many since my illness now over a month ago.

I have been reading a lot and getting myself geared up for the next couple of scenes in the book I started at the beginning of the year. I guess what I have learned and maybe it’s something I have always known, is that I am not a speedy writer. I am speedy at a lot of other things and good at being speedy too. But writing speedy is not my thing. I am what you might call a Sunday driver. I am that annoying person that makes you cuss on Sunday when all you really want to do is be happy. ;-) I may come around and write my heart out for two weeks straight and walk away from my writing for a month, because that’s what I need to do. I just have to learn to deal with it and learn that, that is my style of writing. I may never be prolific. (Lord help me be prolific.) I will probably be that one book a year writer, ha ha, that may even be a stretch, if you were paying attention above, I said it took me five years to write Morgan Ranch. ;-) But I promise to be a little bit quicker than that.

Friends that have read Morgan Ranch, don’t give up on me. Be patient. You’ll be happy to know there is another book in the making called Donovan’s Journey. It just may take me a little longer than you or I want it to. Thank you all for your support over the years. It has meant the world to me.

So now I have caught you up on what’s been going on, I have shared a little bit of my, not so exciting life with you. I will try to keep you updated on my progress and maybe even some of the research I am doing for my book. I promise to stay in touch more often as long as you promise to keep reading.

Hugs

Micole

CONTEST ALERT!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-02T08:22:00.000-08:00

Spotlight Author with Jennifer Ashley

2011-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

March 1st! Besides starting the third month into the year, it holds a special day for me. It’s my hubby’s Birthday!!! So Happy Birthday to him. So today I am celebrating by sharing my guest, New York Times Best Seller, Jennifer Ashley with all of you.

Looking through your backlist, you write several different genres of books. How do you keep everything straight? Characters? Stories? Ideas?

That's a good question! I write several genres and subgenres and I have I think five series going at once.

How do I keep track? A couple of ways. I'm very bad with notebooks and storyboards and that kind of thing. I might start a notebook, but then I'll misplace it or bury it on my desk and forget about it.

I'm much better at using my computer to organize. Every series has a folder. Within the folder, each book has a folder. I keep every version of the book I write (calling it BookTitle1, BookTitle2, etc). That way if I revise something and then need info I cut, I haven't lost it.

I also make a file called "SeriesTitle Characters" or "BookTitle Notes" (I don't always name the files the same things, but I know what I mean). In those files I make notes on each character (such as dates/ how old they were for significant events in their lives). If I do character "autobiographies," which help me get into the character, or backstory notes, they all go in here. For world building I keep notes on the "rules" for that particular world, and how they evolve. I change these files as things change while I write.

When I go back to writing the series, I review the notes on the characters and the world as I go.

Some of my world notes end up on the web pages for each series, such as my character notes on the Stormwalker series (http://www.allysonjames.com/stormwalker.html) or the "Humans Guide to Shifters" on my Shifters website (http://www.jennifersromances.com/NewSite/shifters/SU_details.html). I also have a family tree for the Mackenzies http://www.jennifersromances.com/NewSite/Mackenzies/familychart.html.

When you hear Jennifer Ashley, New York Times Bestseller how do you feel?
Great! When I first got published, I fully believed my first book would hit New York Times right out of the gate. LOL! No.

I didn't realize that hitting a list is a lot about timing, how much the publisher backs your book, how enthusiastic readers are about *that* thing *right* now, how quickly the stores reorder the books, how many books are printed and how many the stores order in the first place. All that plus a lot of luck!

It's highly unlikely that a lower midlist book (which my first one was) will hit a major list, because it's not earmarked for reorders (it might get reordered, but it's not priority). Such a book *can* hit a list, but the deck is stacked against it. When I did hit New York Times, everything was in place: the cover was great, and the readers were ready for that book, the orders were there. Plus I'd built up a loyal reader base. All of this factored into the book's success.

And yes, it was very, very exciting!!

Tell us about your latest release, Primal Bonds, that will be hitting shelves this month.

Primal Bonds is a Shifters paranormal romance. Sean Morrissey is the Guardian of his Shiftertown, which means it’s his job to send the souls dying Shifters into the afterlife. An important job, but a lonely one.

When half-Fae, half-Shifter Andrea Gray flees an abusive would-be mate, the only way she is allowed to relocate to the Austin Shiftertown is if a Shifter there claims her as mate.

He volunteers to claim her, sight unseen, but doesn't realize that one look at the gray-eyed, dark-haired Andrea will stir the mating frenzy in him. Even though the mate-claim isn't finalized, official, or yet blessed, Sean will do anything to get Andrea into his life and keep her there, forever.

That's the blurb, now a little more about Shifters:

Shifters: Shape shifters of all species, mostly predatory: Most commonly Feline, Lupine, and Bear. The Fae bred Shifters millennia ago from the best of each species to be hunters and fighters for the Fae. Shifters rebelled during the human Middle Ages, fought the Shifter/Fae war, and thereafter lived independently of the Fae.

Collars: Developed by a half-Fae, Collars are both magical and technological. Tied to the adrenal system, they send shocks and pain through the Shifter's body if he starts to get violent.

Mates: Pairings recognized by the pride or clan leader in two rituals, one under full sun, one under the full moon. Shifters are not allowed to be legally married under human law, but the sun and moon rituals are recognized by Shifter law as a marriage.

Pride: Mates and cubs plus closely tied family members living with them (e.g., parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, first cousins). (Lupines=Packs; Bears=clans)

Clan: A collection of prides or packs that are related, though the relationships may be very distant (e.g., cousins to the 12th degree). The clan leader supersedes the pride or pack leader, although no clan leader can interfere with issues between mates or between parents and cubs. Females and cubs are protected from the clan or pride leader by the male mate. (Note: Bears only have clans, but they distinguish between immediate family and extended family.)

Shiftertowns: Enclaves in inner-cities or remote rural areas cordoned off by humans where Shifters must live. Shifters are not allowed to live outside Shiftertowns.

Shiftertown Leader: A new position created for Shifters by humans. The Shiftertown Leader is chosen from the clan leaders in that Shiftertown, and has final authority over the entire Shiftertown--over all species. He can supersede clan- and pride leader decisions when necessary. The Shiftertown leader usually has a second (and often a third), to take care of detailed Shiftertown business.

Sword of the Guardian: A mystical sword made of magically hardened silver and bronze forged by a Shifter and spelled by a Fae. The sword turns a dead Shifter's body to dust and releases the soul (see "Shifter Made" in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance, Running Press, Feb., 2010).

The Guardian: The member of the clan chosen to use the Sword of the Guardian to dispatch a dead Shifter's soul into the afterlife (the Summerland). Before the Collar, each clan had its own Guardian (and own sword); at present, each Shiftertown has a Guardian that is responsible for everyone in that Shiftertown (across all clans and prides).

What are you working on now?

Many, many things. As Jennifer Ashley, I have another Shifters book in the works (Wild Cat), and it looks like there will be more. I’m working on the Mackenzie series (the next one The Many Sins of Lord Cameron will be out in August). Hart is next, and there will be more to come of the Mackenzies after that.

In my Allyson James life, the third book in my Stormwalker series will be out in June (Shadow Walker), plus a novella in the Hexed anthology.

I’ve also started up on my Ellora’s Cave series again (so happy about that!). Tales of the Shareem: Braden, will be out soon, and the next Shareem is in the works. Plus I have ideas for more series over there.

As my Ashley Gardner persona, I’m republishing my mystery series that went out of print as e-books (Beginning with The Hanover Square Affair in Feb., followed by A Regimental Murder in March). I came across a never-published novella in my files, so that will come out sometime this year, plus I am working on new Captain Lacy books.

Plus I will be writing some short stories for anthologies and a novella or two along the way!

What makes your writing unique?

Good question! I have no idea. I write the weird ideas that come into my head the way I want to write them—sometimes people like them, and sometimes they don’t. I *can* say that I believe in everything I write. I love the characters and enjoy their stories every step of the way. I couldn’t write anything I disliked or was bored with. So every word is from the heart.

Out of the different genres that you write, what is your favorite? Or do you love them all equally?

I'm not sure which one is my favorite. I like working on more than one genre because when I'm tired of, say, paranormal, I can switch to historical and bask in the world of beautiful clothes and horses and mansions for a while. After that I'm ready for the fast-paced action and biting dialog of urban fantasy, then the heat of erotic romance. Then I'm ready again for the magic and fun of paranormal. So I love them all! I'm also very ready to start writing contemporary, and I hope to do that soon (probably as Allyson James, probably erotic romance).

What is your writing process and how long would you say it takes you when a new idea is sparked from sketching out the details to getting to THE END?

Hmm, from the first spark to the end can take years. I first thought of the Mackenzie series in about 2004, but wasn't able to pitch it and sell it until 2007, and then I didn't write it until 2008 (the first book came out in 2009). So that's, what, four years from spark to ms. turn-in?

Most of the books or series take maybe a year between my first excited idea and the end of the book. In between, I'm writing other books, writing proposals to sell more books, promoting releases, and looking over copyedits and proof pages for books in the works. I don't take long to actually write the book once I sit down and start typing (2-3 months), but each book gestates in my head for a good long time. I think about my stories day and night, whether I get to work on them or not.

Give us a glimpse into your writer’s life.

I get up early every morning and go to a coffee house to write. I write there for a couple of hours and am amazingly productive. I return home, go over my emails and answer any immediate concerns. Then it’s back to writing. I write anywhere from four to six hours a day, depending on what’s due soonest and my energy level for the day. I knock off at six or so to have dinner and spend time with my family. I work every day though, weekends, weekdays, holidays. It’s a 7-day-a-week job.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

That question is tough to answer! I have created many characters over the years, and every one is special to me. I truly enjoy writing Janet and Mick, my characters from the urban fantasy series, Stormwalker (by Allyson James). I love the Shifters too, plus I love the Mackenzies, my historical dysfunctional family. A very favorite character is Captain Gabriel Lacey, the hero of my Regency mysteries (written as Ashley Gardner) that I’m now republishing in digital form, with new books in the series to follow. I’m very excited about that.

Do you have any advice on writing, getting published, or finding an agent?

I have plenty.  I have a blog, which I haven’t posted on lately, but I have two-years’ worth of good info on it: http://www.jenniferonwriting.blogspot.com/
I talk about getting published, agents, how much money writers really make, and other good stuff.

The big secret to getting published is to write books and submit them until someone likes your ideas and your writing. Getting published is nothing more than meshing with the right agent and right editor at the right time. You can’t force that spark, but you can write the very best you can and not give up, so that when the opportunity steps up, you’re ready.

You can help your luck along by researching what editors / agents represent what kind of works (where your agent sells most of her / his clients is important too—pay attention to that!). Target who you send what to, and know why you’ve picked them!

Make your submissions “unrejectable.” Finish them and polish them, send them to agents / editors you’ve targeted who represent (and successfully sell) that kind of book. Make your submission so good that if the editor rushed it to print, it would be ready to go and wouldn’t embarrass you (after all, you’re name will be on that book for the whole world to see).

Decide what kind of author you want to be as well. All publishers are not the same—you don’t submit just anything to any publisher and expect it to sell. If you want to be a star of hardback Young Adult books, you wouldn’t submit your manuscript to an e-book only erotic romance publisher. That seems like “duh” advice, but I’m constantly amazed that people send entirely the wrong thing to entirely the wrong publisher and are upset when they’re rejected!

So avoid rejection by doing your homework, targeting carefully, and honing your skills so that everyone wants you.

Then write letters, submit, meet agents and editors at conferences, enter contests with agent / editor judges.

And don’t give up!

Thank you, Jennifer for stopping in and giving us such great insight into your world as well as advice. Jennifer had kindly offered to giveaway a title from her backlist to one lucky commenter. So don’t be left out. Make sure you comment!!!! Thank you all for stopping in, Make sure to come back next Tuesday when I have author, Barbara Baig visiting.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Melissa Mayhue

2011-02-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to have my writing friend, Melissa Mayhue back here at my place. I have known her almost as long as I have been writing. Well, sort of. I guess I should say, I have known her since I picked up writing again after getting married and having three kids. ;-) We met about six years ago. I think it’s pretty close to that if not right on the mark. She has been a great mentor for me, always there when I have a question, always supportive when I need the support, she’s just great!!!!

Welcome back to Micole Writes Romance, Melissa. For those of you who have never been introduced to my friend, Melissa Mayhue, she writes The Daughters of the Glen series. Her seventh and eighth books come out back to back in February and March.

Thanks so much for inviting me back, Micole. I always love an excuse to visit with you!

When we first met you had just sold your first book. You now have seven books out, the eighth on its way in March. What does it feel like when you see all of those covers looking back at you? (They are beautiful covers I might add!)

It is absolutely a dream come true.

Can you share a little bit about the books that we will be seeing over the next couple of months?

I’d love to.

HEALING THE HIGHLANDER releases on February 22. It wraps up what was a mini-series within the series that began with HIGHLANDER’S DESTINY. In DESTINY, a teenage girl [the sister of that book’s heroine] is kidnapped by the evil Fae [the Nuadians] to make use of the powers she has as a result of her own Faerie ancestry. Even after she’s rescued, Leah knows there is no place on Earth where she will ever be safe from them. In the following book, A HIGHLANDER’S HOMECOMING, the family decides the only way to keep Leah safe is to hide her where the Nuadians can’t look –the Scottish Highlands of 1293… seven hundred years in the past.

HEALING picks up eleven years later, finally giving us Leah’s story. She’s adapted to life Medieval Scotland, feels loved and safe, and she’s determined to avoid Faeries and their magic at all costs. As you can guess, rather than avoiding the Fae Magic, she has to learn to accept it.

On March 29, HIGHLANDER’S CURSE releases. It’s time that the last of the MacAlister brothers, Colin, finds his own destiny. His back story was so interesting to me, that I’ve been looking forward to writing this book for a while.

How many more books are planned for the series?

There is no specific number of books. It depends on where the characters take me. I can tell you this: the book I’m working on now [WARRIOR’S REDEMPTION, tentatively schedule for end of 2011] picks up with a young warrior first introduced in HIGHLANDER’S HOMECOMING [Malcolm MacDowylt] and the whole storyline takes a decided twist!

What will you do when the series is finished?

When the stories stop coming or the readers stop reading.

What makes your writing unique?

I’m not sure any author is the best authority on what makes their writing unique. I can say that I try to write stories that appeal to me. I like to think my characters are interesting and I do my best to put them in situations where they’re forced to grow and adapt.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

That’s really hard. I have different favorites for different reasons. One of my favorite heroines in the series has to be Sarah Douglas from HIGHLAND GUARDIAN. Why? Because she’s older than most of my heroines and she’s a romance writer. As far as secondary characters, Rosie MacKiernan [daughter of the hero and heroine from the first book in the series, THIRTY NIGHTS WITH A HIGHLAND HUSBAND] is one of my favorites because there’s so much more to that little girl than meets the eye. She’s a very old, very powerful soul, reborn . And, I’d be totally remiss if I didn’t add how much I’ve loved every scene ever written with Dallyn Aĺ Lyre, High General of the Realm of Faerie.

Give us a glimpse into your writer’s life.

Think total zoo and you’re pretty close.  Both my husband and I work at home – at opposite ends of the house! And though my three sons are out of the house, two of them just became parents themselves this year, so I have three wonderful new grandsons [yes – one set of identical twins who look so much like their daddy it’s almost unreal!] to tempt me away from my writing on a regular basis. I do try to write every day, though I’ll admit to a fair amount of procrastination, which means the closer I get to deadline, the more of a recluse I’m forced to become!

Thanks for dropping in with me Melissa. Good luck with both of your releases.

Thanks so much for having me, Micole. If you’ll be kind enough to choose one of your guests who leaves a comment to today’s blog, I’ll be happy to send them an autographed copy of one of my backlist books of their choosing! They can visit my website – www.MelissaMayhue.com – to choose which book they’d like [keeping in mind that I don’t yet have copies of the two newest releases]. In fact, I’d like to invite all your readers to stop by my website, where I have excerpts from all my books online and available for them to read if they’re not familiar with the series.

See you back here on Tuesday, readers.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Diana Cosby

2011-02-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their long President’s Day weekend. Mine was filled with… hmmm do you really want to hear about my booooooring life? ;-) How about we talk about something a lot more interesting, like this week’s guest, Diana Cosby, who by the way is a revisiting guest.

Welcome back Diana. You were here with us back in October of 2010. Has anything new or exciting happened since we last spoke?

~Hi Micole, my sincere thanks for having me back at Micole Writes Romance. Yes, so many amazing things have occurred since October:
-His Conquest, the 3rd book in the MacGruder brothers series was released and remained on Amazon's Best-Seller lists for over 100 days.
-I was interviewed by Woman's Day for an article on women who achieved success later in life for April 17th magazine issue.
-Interviewed by womansday.com for an article about women finding hope in romance novels.
-His Conquest is a finalist in the historical division of the 2010 Picture Perfect Cover Contest. http://dunesanddreams.org/picture-perfect/
-I started an International Food Bank Donation Challenge in November of 2012. I'm proud to share that 41 entries were received. This will now be an annual event beginning on November 1st of each year.
-I was named as "Accomplished Author of 2010" at Ask A Published Author: http://www.askapublishedauthor.org/
-His Woman was listed as one of the "Best Romance Novels of 2010."
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/best-romance-novels.html

What do Diana Cosby fans have to look forward to in 2011?

2011 Promises to be an incredibly busy year. My current schedule is:
-February 26th I will be giving a workshop for the Dallas Area Romance Writers on marketing/promotion.
-March 25th & 26th I am speaking at the two day celebration open house for the Grayson College Library.
-April, I am attending the National Trust For Scotland's A Celebration of Scotland's Treasures at the Metropolitan Club Gala in NYC.
-April 9th I am speaking to the Yellow Rose Chapter on, "Writing Tight - Editing For Power."
-June: I am attending the 25th Annual Texas Scottish Festival and Highland Games at Maverick Stadium at UTA in Arlington, Texas. I will be signing at the tent of Clan Stewart.
-October 1st, His Destiny, the 4th book in the MacGruder brothers series is released!
-October 13th I am blogging at Borders True Romance: http://bordersblog.com/trueromance
-November 1st blog to kick off the 2nd annual International Food Bank Food Drive at http://magicalmusings.com/
*I am setting up a book signing tour in Scotland for July 2012.

Tell us about your latest/upcoming release.

His Destiny, released this October, is a story about the troubled adopted brother, Patrik. His Destiny is his journey to find redemption, and unexpectedly, love. The back of the book teaser is on my website now!
http://www.dianacosby.com/hisdestiny.html

What are you working on now?

I'm working on what I hope will be the 5th of a six book series of the MacGruder brothers. I've loved Griffin since I first met him in His Captive and have been ultra excited to write his story, one that throws this meticulous planner off balance from the first, and in the end, unexpectedly, he finds love.

For those curious, the sixth book would be the grandmothers, her story and how through her magic is truly woven.

When you write do you painstakingly plan out your manuscript detail by detail, or do you wing it and fly by the seat of your pants letting your characters take you on the journey?

When I began writing, I meticulously planed everything. Now, with exception of the synopsis, I sit down and write.

Besides writing, Diana also gives workshops on writing a synopses, marketing, writing tight-editing, and writing historicals. All of which are great topics for discussion. Can you give us a little sneak of what you teach in these classes?

I love giving workshops on many aspects of writing with my goal to break down what writers often perceive as overwhelming issues into understandable aspects.
For example, many writers dread the synopsis. In addition to reviewing the various aspects of what creates a strong synopsis, I explain that the synopsis is the most powerful tool in a writer’s arsenal because it:
- ensures you have a solid basis/motivation for your novel.
-serves as a selling tool when submitted to an editor along with your first three chapters, which are termed a partial.
-is a story roadmap for you to follow when you’re writing your novel.

What is your best advice on writing a synopsis?

Make your synopsis personal to where the reader, an agent or editor, understands each main character's motive, what drives them as guides the challenges of their each decision in story. When you allow the reader to care, it allows them to connect with the characters and invest in them on an emotional level.

What is your best advice on writing tight?

In each story line know what you're trying to achieve plot wise as what emotion drives your character's decision. If you're writing action, short sentences = fast pace, white space = impact. A slow emotional scene use long sentences = slows the pace, description = visuals for the reader. Pair contrasting words for impact = Silence clattered between them. Show don't tell and many.

What is your best advice on marketing?

Pair your passions. Marketing is hard enough without choosing to do what you don't care for. So, I only do what I love. For example, I love to volunteer, to make a positive difference in others lives, and to inspire people to go for their dreams. So, in addition to volunteering for Habitat For Humanity, Ducks Unlimited and having a Writing Scholarship at a local high school, I donate my books as time to any cause I believe in, as time allows, to help others.

What is your best advice on writing a historical?

Write what you enjoy, what your passionate about. Writing a historical takes a tremendous amount of research in addition to the writing process. You need to love every fiber of what you write to carry you through revisions until you've finally achieved 'The End.'

Diana has so much more to share through her classes, make sure to check out where you can sign up for one of them. Where can we find out more about you and your classes?

I post updates:
-on my website: http://www.dianacosby.com/
-in my newsletter: http://www.dianacosby.com/mailinglist.html
-on my facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Cosby-Romance-Author/150109024636?ref=ts

Thank you, Diana for being a guest once again. It is always a pleasure to have you here.

Micole, it's my sincere pleasure to visit again and have a chance to speak with your fabulous readers. I do have a question for everyone, what aspect of story do you enjoy most? My sincere thanks for your time and have a fabulous day!

Diana Cosby
International Award-Winning Author
www.dianacosby.com
His Captive-Alexander MacGruder/ His Woman-Duncan MacGruder/ His Conquest-Seathan MacGruder
His Destiny - Oct 2011

"Cosby gives you it all - passion, danger, lush history and a touch of magic. Excellent reading." NYT Best-selling Author - Hannah Howell

Thanks again blog readers. You guys are the best. See you back here, Thursday when I will be catching up with my friend, Melissa Mayhue. Make sure to pop back in.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Delilah Marvelle

2011-02-16T17:42:00.000-08:00

Today I have Delilah Marvelle sharing the spotlight. She has three great books out right now and is here to tell us about them.

Tell us a little bit about the Scandal series that you have out.

I wanted every book in the Scandal series to have a different feel. From raw to emotional to intellectual. And each book is written in that order. Prelude to a Scandal is raw. Once Upon a Scandal is emotional. And The Perfect Scandal is intellectual. Because in the end, I would hate for my readers to get the same read over and over from me. It wouldn't be fun to read and it most certainly wouldn't be fun to write. All three books are linked, not by characters but by an object. In particular, a red little etiquette book by an unknown author.

Book 1, Prelude to a Scandal has a hero who is a recovering sex addict in 1829 who is about to discover he is stronger at heart than he thinks he is.

Book 2, Once Upon a Scandal, is a Cinderella in trousers story, where our hero is the ultimate romantic who is forever looking for his Princess Charming.

Book 3, The Perfect Scandal features a hero who is a cutter and thinks he's a freak until he meets the heroine.

What makes your writing unique?

I love shining light on topics that most historical romances edge away from due to taboo. So you can call me Taboo Girl. That's me and that's what makes my writing unique.

What are you working on now?

I'm currently working on another trilogy, so yes, I've got three projects under way. Really excited about these books!!! I'm doing a ton of research. Sadly, I can't share anything about them, yet, until I get approval to do so and all contracts are finalized, but let's just say I'm about to dig into a realm that has always fascinated me.

What is your writing process and how long would you say it takes you when a new idea is sparked from sketching out the details to getting to THE END?

I must have three things when I write:1.) A Vanilla Starbucks Frappunico.2.) My research books have to be within reach so I don't have to get up.3.) Complete and utter silence. Meaning no one in the house and all phones and twitter and facebook off. Or I won't be able to focus.

Once all those three things are in place, I write about six hours straight. It takes me about 4-6 months to complete a book from spark to finish. It varies on the sort of project it is.

What is the hardest part about your job?

Not writing, lol. Seriously. I love to write and so the hardest part is not having enough hours in the day to do it. Writing is a neverending project, no matter if you're working on the same project or starting a new one. There's always something to work on, edit, write and fix.

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

One of my favorite characters to date would have to be my retired elderly courtesan Madame de Maitenon from my School of Gallantry series. She was such a firecracker and smart ass I loved because she went through a lot to get to where she was but never let anything drag her down during her crazy journey through men and life.

I was at the Emerald City Romance Writers Conference in 2009. I saw you at a book signing. You looked so cute all dressed up in costume. Is this something that you do at all of your book signings?

LOL, whenever I have an excuse to dress up, I do. And being a historical romance author lends itself to the flare of dressing up. But I pick and choose my battles. I don't ALWAYS dress up. I decide if it's appropriate first. But yes, more often than not, I like to dress up.

What’s one thing that you know now that you wished you knew when you started your journey as a writer?

I have to say I'm glad I didn't know half the things going in or I wouldn't have been so starry eyed and willing to do what I'm doing right now, lol. Writing is fun but there's so much to learn and so much I'm still learning as a published author, it's a lifetime of never knowing and learning.

When you aren’t writing steaming hot romances what do you do in your spare time?

I love kickboxing, running, reading, spending time with my family, hanging out with my writer friends, researching projects, and cooking. I went to culinary school and so cooking is my second love next to writing.

Delilah, thank you so much for being a part of my blog. I appreciate the time you have spent here and wish you tons of success in 2011. Where can we find out more information abut you and your books?

www.DelilahMarvelle.com

Thanks for stopping by friends. See you Tuesday when I will have Diana Cosby in the spotlight.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Paula Quinn

2011-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines Day and that the most romantic Valentine swept into the palms of your hands, from the most handsome hunk, (or for the men out there) a sassy woman. I hope your day was filled with chocolate, romance, and a lot of LOVE!!!!!

Today, I have Paula Quinn as my guest. She has been kind enough to share herself with us. Paula, can you tell us a little bit about your latest release SEDUCED BY A HIGHLANDER.

Seduced By A Highlander is book 2 in my Children of the Mist series. It’s about a man’s journey to find honor in the arms of his ladylove…even if she does hate him. After causing a skirmish ten years ago between the MacGregors and the Fergussons that left men dead on both sides, Tristan MacGregor no longer believes in quests. At least, not the kind of quests that men take to find integrity…or damsels in distress. But when he meets fair, feisty Isobel Fergusson at the king’s coronation, he embarks upon a journey into his own heart to find the man he had so wanted to become. Isobel will not be easily won by any knight in rusty armor. Especially a MacGregor. Nor will her brood of six brothers. They hate the MacGregors for killing their father and leaving them orphans a decade ago. But when Tristan follows her home, determined, relentless, and ruthlessly charming in his quest to end the feud and bring peace to their clans, her resistance begins to fail her. Does she dare lose her heart to her worst enemy, especially with the secret she has kept for the last ten years…a secret that will not end the feud, but start it up again?
How long was your road to publication?

Like any author, I had always hoped to see my books in print, but I didn’t work on it as stringently as I could have. I was raising three kids and writing was more of a hobby than a career. My husband actually found my first agent. After that, it took about six months to get published.

Often time’s writers describe writing a love scene like being an intruder in something so very personal. Do you feel this way and how do you get through the dreaded love scene?

It depends on the characters and their story, but yes, I do often feel like an intruder in something that should be sacred. I almost want to turn away and give them their privacy. But it’s more than just being a voyeur that I find difficult. I’m writing romance and there is so much more to it than the sexual aspect. The scenes must be built up slowly in order to appreciate the climax. Emotion must be involved and sometimes it’s draining. Some characters fight the initial surrender of heart, body, and mind, while others yield seamlessly. Like I said, it depends on the characters and their story. Usually though, I’d much rather write about a bloody battle. It’s easier.

Every author that I have spoken to has their own writing process. Some spend weeks working on character building charts. Some use post it notes to plot their entire book. Other’s pull pictures from magazines and make a story board of sorts. What is your writing process and how long would you say it takes you when a new idea is sparked from sketching out the details to getting to THE END?

Every book is different for me. Some stories have been in my head for months and everything is already plotted out. Usually though, they all take unexpected turns during the writing process. With some books, I start out with a picture of a character, someone I’ve seen on TV usually. Most revolve around an event in history. I begin with a character analysis to get to know my hero and heroine’s deepest inner needs and goals. I don’t use storyboards because the story is often there to begin with. Research is time consuming, but I love discovering new facts about whatever it is I need to know. I begin writing and go from there. I guess you would call me a pantser. (Writing from the seat of my pants) rather than a plotter. I like quiet time to go through the next scene before I begin typing it. I have notes all over my manuscript and reminders in notebooks of a scene that came to me to be used at a later time. The entire process of a new idea and The End takes about 6 to 9 months. I would love a year but once you’re published, time is no longer a luxury.

Give us a glimpse into your writer’s life.

It’s very uneventful. I still cook, clean, do laundry, etc. I have a busy household with a husband, kids, and lots of pets. I try to write at least five pages during the day, but it doesn’t always work out. I get most of my work done at night, when everyone is asleep and I can focus. Depending on if my muse is at her best, I’m usually awake until 3am. Other aspects of a writer’s life are social networking, promoting my work, answering emails, and doing interviews and blogs. I love connecting with my readers and hearing their thoughts about my books. Good or bad, it’s one of the more rewarding factors of writing.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Oh gosh, I don’t know. I’ll be happy wherever God leads me in five years.
If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

With the exception of two men that I’ve written, my characters are like my children, so I love them all equally. Callum MacGregor from Laird of the Mist and William the Conqueror from Lord of Desire hold special places in my heart. I fell in love with William doing research and his character came alive for me. He made writing my Risande series easy and fun. Callum came to me over and over until his story was finally written, changing my genre to Scottish historicals. I felt a kinship with him and cried so many times while telling his story that I almost didn’t write it.

I read on your site that your least favorite part of writing a book is the beginning. How do you do you remedy this?

I don’t. I still don’t like it. It’s like writing a letter. You know what you want to say, but where to begin? There’s so much going on in my head in the first few chapters that it’s very easy to lose the pace. The characters are new and feeling their way around, meeting one another for the first time, etc. And it’s not just the characters being introduced, but we also must get a first glimpse into the plot. I usually have to go back and rewrite things a few times. It helps to really know my characters before I begin writing….and then, I just write. Editing can come later.

What is the most valuable piece of advice that you have received through out your writing career that you would like to pass along to other authors out there?

Being an author comes with its share of joys and disappointments whether you are just starting or you have been in this business for many years. All of us need advice no matter where we are on this journey. Toughen you hide. Never defend something you’ve poured your heart into. Everyone is different, some will love your work and others won’t. Enjoy every minute of the ride and always work hard to put your best out there.

What’s next in the Children of the Mist series?

My next installment in the Children of the Mist series is Tamed By A Highlander, due out in July 2011. It’s difficult being a woman in a warrior’s world, but Mairi MacGregor has learned to fit in quite nicely. Let her kin believe she’s given up her love of the sword. It’s easy enough to hide daggers in the folds of one’s skirts. Part of a secret rebel militia designed to sweep Scotland free of its Protestant enemies, Mairi has no time or desire for a husband, especially not a lecherous, serpent tongued swine who stole her heart when she was a child and then broke it to pieces. She never wanted to see Connor Grant again after he left her for England. For seven years she has struggled to keep him from her thoughts, but when they are reunited due to events beyond her control, her long battle becomes a war. Fortunately for Mairi, she knows how to fight.
Where can we find out more about you Paula?

Readers can visit me at www.PaulaQuinn.com. I tweet at http://twitter.com/Paula_Quinn and have lots of fun with my readers on my author page on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Fans-of-Paula-Quinn/336691429368

Thank you for joining me here on my blog.

Thanks so much for inviting me 

See all of you Thursday when I have Delilah Marvelle joining me.

Hugs

Micole

BREAKING THE RULES with Tawny Weber

2011-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Are you hunting for a H.O.T. Valentines read, to get you geared up for the big day? Or maybe you’re just looking for a good, little on the naughty side read. Don’t be shy… ;-) Tawny Weber is your girl. Her latest Harlequin Blaze title, BREAKING THE RULES has already hit shelves. If just looking at the cover doesn’t make you drool, you may need to seek medical attention!!! Just kidding, but judging this book by the cover you are in for a HOT read. And I know, because Tawny made sure I had a copy of BREAKING THE RULES of my very own to read. If all of my jabbering about it hasn’t convinced you, take a little sneak peak at it for yourself.

What do you get when you mix a military hero on a mission with an independent artist hell-bent on proving something? A battle that can only be won between the sheets.

Sophia Castillo is finally calling the shots in her life, and she’s determined to stay in charge. The last thing she needs is a babysitter. Not even a babysitter as sexy as US Army Sergeant First Class and EOD Squad Leader, Maximillian St. James. But when someone is sabotaging her art gallery, she turns to Max for help. When he proves to be a challenge to her independence, she lays down their relationship rules. Hot sex, good times and a lot of laughs are all good. Anything involving their hearts is strictly off limits. Before they catch the vandal, Max and Sophia both have to decide just which rules they are willing to break, and how high a price they are willing to pay.

What is your favorite thing about the characters in this book?

I love Max. He’s a good guy, has great intentions and the women in his life are seriously stressing him out But he’s determined to do the right thing, to keep his promise and to stay true to the rules of conduct he considers important. Sophia is so great for him. Because she’s been hurt badly in the past, she doesn’t fall for the same things many girls do – which makes Max have to work a little harder. But she’s so true to her beliefs and ideals, making her a fabulous match for Max.

Where did you come up with the idea?

It all started with a four foot penis. Really! I had this image in my mind of an art gallery, and two women trying to move this huge statue. Just as they, you know, get a hold of it, the sexiest guy in the world walks in. The scene pretty well wrote itself after that LOL. And from there, the rest of the story took shape. I’ve always wanted to write a military hero, as a sort of ode to my husband, so this was a great adventure for me.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on the second story in my Undercover Ops series right now. The first is titled SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE and is out in December, and story I’m working on now is titled SEX, LIES AND MIDNIGHT, due out in January 11. The third book in the series is SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES and will follow in February. These are all about a con-artist family and the FBI, are very fun and very sexy. I’m having a lot of fun working on them.

I know you’ve been a busy girl. What do Tawny Weber fans have to look forward to in 2011?

In 2011 I have my current release, BREAKING THE RULES out this month. In May I’ll have a story that I loved writing so much that its currently my favorite ever *g* It’s called JUST FOR THE NIGHT and kicks off Blaze’s 24 Hour Blackout series, and in December my Undercover Ops will launch with SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE. I’m really excited about all of these stories and hope readers will be, too.

How do we find you and your books?

I’m so easy to find  My website is www.tawnyweber.com and I’m also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TawnyWeber.RomanceAuthor . BREAKING THE RULES is currently available in stores and online, and all of my books can be found on my site at www.tawnyweber.com/books with purchasing links.

Thanks again for coming back to Micole Writes Romance.

Micole, you rock  It’s always fabulous to visit with you! Thank you so much for having me.

And I always love having you here. Thanks for stopping in friends. See you back here on Tuesday, with author Paula Quinn!!!

hugs

Micole

Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate

2011-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back friends. This week I have Lisa Wingate here. She has a new book out called, LARKSPUR COVE. Because Lisa is so sweet, she made sure that an advanced copy of the book was mailed directly to my house for my reading pleasure. And a pleasure it was. I will let her tell you more about LARKSPUR COVE in the interview below. I will say the book had me laughing, made me shed a couple of tears, and wrapped itself round my heart. So please, make sure to look for it. Thanks Lisa!!!!

Larkspur Cove

In February, my fifteenth novel, Larkspur Cove will be released. I'm so excited to see this book hitting the shelves! I love small towns and quirky characters, and I love to write about them. Larkspur Cove begins a new series about the sleepy little shore-side town of Moses Lake, Texas—a place where everything is not as it seems on the surface. Here's the story-behind-the-story from a recent interview about the book:

1. Tell us about Larkspur Cove (Bethany House, available in February).

Larkspur cove is set in the small shoreside community of Moses Lake, Texas, a place where looks can be deceiving. When a backwoods recluse is spotted with a mysterious little girl in tow, local game warden, Mart McClendon finds himself headed upriver with an uppity social worker in his boat.

2. Are your characters all brand-new in this book, and which characters will readers find intriguing?

The residents of Moses Lake are fresh from that mysterious place where characters hang out until the right story comes along. Readers will find the game warden, Mart McClendon and his unwilling partner, Andrea Henderson, to be an interesting combination!

3. Is Larkspur Cove pure fiction? Were any real life experiences involved?

A few years ago, I was chatting with an adoptive mother at a baseball game and learned that her adopted daughter could have been one of those tragic statistics we hear about on the news. As an infant, the little girl had been taken on the run by a relative with a prison record. They moved from place to place, always staying ahead of social services, and weren’t found until a year and a half later, when suspicious neighbors submitted a police report. The little girl was rescued and placed with a wonderful, loving family. All I could think, watching that little girl play beside the baseball field, was, Thank God for nosy neighbors! I wondered what would have happened if neighbors had not intervened. Would that little girls’s fate have been like that of kidnapping victim, Jaycee Dugard, who was held by her captor for eighteen years? Those questions became the basis of Larkspur Cove, in which the town recluse is suddenly spotted with a young girl in tow, creating a storm of uncertainty among the lakesiders and raising questions that must be answered.

Thank you Lisa!!! I wish you tons of success with the sale of LARKSPUR COVE. Thank you for the advanced copy, and for sharing your story with all of us! And thank you for being a guest on Micole Writes Romance once again. To find Lisa's books you can look anywhere books are sold, or you can stop by her website at www.Lisawingate.com

Thanks for stopping by readers. See you Friday when another one of my writing pals Tawny Weber will be here sharing her new release!!!!

Hugs

Micole

Valentines Day Fun

2011-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here we are, February first already. Well, I thought I would give you fourteen fun facts about Valentines Day. Plus a few cute guys to drool over. Starting with Cupid at your left. I guess I should correct that. He is what I vision Cupid to look like! ;-) Enjoy the fun facts, and if there are any that you would like to add, leave me a comment. I would love to hear them.

1. Cupid, another symbol of Valentines Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentines day holding a bow and arrow because he is believed to use magical arrows to inspire feelings of love.

2. During the late 1800s, postage rates around the world dropped, and the obscene St. Valentine’s Day card became popular, despite the Victorian era being otherwise very prudish. As the numbers of racy valentines grew, several countries banned the practice of exchanging Valentine’s Day cards. During this period, Chicago’s post office rejected more than 25,000 cards on the grounds that they were so indecent, they were not fit to be carried through the U.S. mail.

3. Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

4. In the 17th century a hopeful maiden ate a hard-boiled egg and pinned five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep on Valentine’s eve. It was believed this would make her dream of her future husband.

5. The heart is the most common symbol of romantic love. Ancient cultures believed the human soul lived in the heart. Others thought it to be the source of emotion and intelligence. Some believed the heart embodied a man’s truth, strength and nobility. The heart may be associated with love because the ancient Greeks believed it was the target of Eros, known as Cupid to the Romans. Anyone shot in the heart by one of Cupid’s arrows would fall hopelessly in love. Because the heart is so closely linked to love, its red color is thought to be the most romantic.

6. The red rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red stands for strong feelings which is why a red rose is the flower of love.

7. Wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand dates back to ancient Egypt, where it was believed that the vein of love ran from this finger directly to the heart.

8. Casanova, well known as “The World’s Greatest Lover,” ate chocolate to make him virile.

9. Every Valentine’s Day, the Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.

10. Many believe the ‘X’ symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times. People who couldn’t write their names signed in front of a witness with an ‘X.’ The ‘X’ was then kissed to show their sincerity.

11. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other prople to know how you are feeling.

12. In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Heart, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, “You unlock my heart!”

13. In Victorian times it was considered bad luck to sign a Valentine’s Day card.

14. The oldest surviving love poem is written in a clay tablet from the times of the Sumerians, inventors of writing, around 3500 B.C. It was unromantically named Istanbul #2461 by the archeologist who unearthed it.

I hope everyone enjoys the next fourteen days! Especially Valentines Day! Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Cara Elliot

2011-01-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, everyone. So glad you are here with me. I’ve managed to get the awesome, Cara Elliot to give us a few minutes of her time and answer some questions for all of us. Take a minute to come hang with us.

Cara tell us a little bit about you and the amazing stories that you write.

I’ve always loved storytelling—in fact, I’ve been writing books since I was five (or so my mother has told me, and she has the proof lovingly preserved in her scrapbook!) Now, that first story was a wild Western, complete with cowboys, horses and six-shooters. However, after reading Pride and Prejudice, I fell in love with Lizzy Bennett and Mr. Darcy, so now write Regency-set romances. (Ha—I must have a thing for Men in Boots!)

I love Regency England because to me the era is so richly romantic. It was a world a swirl in silks, seduction and the intrigue of the Napoleonic Wars. A time when old ideas were constantly clashing with radical new ones. And seeing as I tend to write unconventional, independent-minded heroines, it’s a perfect setting for their clashes with some equally willful, devil-may-care heroes. In that, nothing has changed since I was a child—I love to see sparks fly!

Cara, you have also been known as Andrea Pickens. How hard was it to transition into a new pen name and why did you change?

The transition was actually pretty smooth. My Andrea Pickens “Spy” trilogy was swashbuckling adventure. (Think Jane Austen meets James Bond!) The three oh-so-dangerous heroines were not afraid to put on breeches and boots, and then kick a little butt!

But my books were getting sexier, and my publisher and I were so happy with the new direction that we decided it deserved a whole new name. So, as Cara Elliott, I slide into a sexy, slinky little black dress. But hey, what girl doesn’t like a makeover!

My current ‘The Circle of Sin’ trilogy features three beautiful, brainy heroines. Each of them is a brilliant scientist—and each of them has a dark secret in her past. Experience has taught Ciara, Alessandra, and Kate that men are dangerous devils. But when an old mistake threatens utter ruin and scandal, each of the ‘Sinners’ is forced to accept help from an unexpected hero . . .

Kate’s book, TO TEMPT A RAKE, which comes out February 1, was such fun to write. Her rascally hero, Marco, has made cameo appearances in previous books and telling his story was a real delight. I’m going to miss him! (Hmm, I may have to bring him back for further adventures.)

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?

Wearing my Patagonia synchilla sweatpants and Ugg boots to “work”!

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

Oh, don’t ask me to pick a favorite character from my books! That’s like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. LOL. I love them all, though some were far more of a problem to “raise’ than others. But after a good scolding—and a bribe of chocolate—they shaped up in the end.

As for the characters of other writers, I’m a avid reader as well as a writer, so there are lots of authors whose creations I adore. (Too many to list here.) I love seeing how my favorites develop the depth and quirks of their various people, and I’m constantly learning how to craft emotional intensity from them.

Staying to my promise of five questions, my last one will have to be this. Can you please lend any advice you may have on writing, finding an agent or getting published?

It’s a crazy business, so the best advice I can offer is to pass on some words of wisdom that Lisa Kleypas gave a few years ago. She said writers have to think of themselves as armadillos, which are really tough-skinned critters that can be hit by a truck and still get up and keep moving. And that’s so true. You have to be prepared to get knocked around a lot, but still believe in yourself. (It also helps to keep a big stash of chocolate in your desk drawer.)

Cara, thank you so much for the time you have spent here at Micole Writes Romance. Please tell us where we can find out more information about you and your books.

Thanks for having me, Micole! My website is www.caraelliott.com, and I have lots of fun research and pictures posted there that your readers might enjoy. Plus there are some pretty cool contests and goodies, so I hope everyone will stop by and say hello!

Spotlight Author with Alexandra Hawkins

2011-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

With all of the excitement of the New Year, somehow I forgot to celebrate my one year anniversary on Micole Writes Romance. How did this happen? Well given the fact that I have been buried in research for my next book, which by the way I started on January 15th, I was also coming off the holiday haze, and well let’s face it… I am a little brain dead at times. ;-) So how about you pull out those party blowers from New Years (hopefully they haven’t collected too much dust yet) and toot your little horn for me and my blog! It is now one year old. Yippy!!!

I have to admit, this is very exciting for me. When I started this blog a year ago, I didn’t know what I would be up against. The experience has been wonderful. I have been blessed with amazing guests and commenter’s. I know I say thank you to all of you at the end of each of my blogs, but I don’t think any of you really understand how much your visits mean to me. This includes the authors who take the time to answer all of the daunting questions I ask.;-) Those of you who make a weekly appearance in the comment section! (you know who you are) And the ones who lurk amongst us. (you know who you are! ;-)) I love you all. Thank you. Without you guys I wouldn’t have a blog.

Here’s to the next year. I plan on beefing up the blog with more writer information for those of you who are already writers and those of you still kicking the idea around. I would like to reach more readers and continues to give you the information that you want to know from your favorite authors. I also would love to do more giveaways! ;-) I know how much you guys like the giveaways.

With that said, I have another wonderful guest here with me today. Alexandra Hawkins. Here she is to share her books and herself with us.

Alexandra, please tell us a little bit about your latest release…

On February 1st, the third book in the Lords of Vice series, “After Dark With a Scoundrel” will be released. This book focuses on Dare (Lord Hugh Mordare) and Frost’s younger sister, Lady Regan.

An innocent kiss banished the fifteen-year-old Lady Regan to Miss Swann’s Academy for Young Ladies for a little social polish. Five years later, she returns to London confident that she is no longer the outrageous hoyden her brother once accused her of being.

Nevertheless, old habits are hard to break—and this time, Lady Regan plans to steal more than a kiss from Dare. All she has to do is beat the master of seduction at his own game.

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I love the fact that I get to spend the day making up stories and I get paid for it!

When did you know you wanted to pursue a writing career?

For most of my life, writing has been a creative outlet for me. I didn’t start to view it was a possible career until I had completed my first manuscript. Once I had proven to myself that I could finish a novel, I was eager to take the next step and try to get it published.

Some writers say that they have a story that has to be told other’s say that the characters come to them and demand that their story be told… how does it work for you?

Excellent question. While it varies a little with each book, I usually develop my main characters first. Stories emerge as I develop each character’s backstory.

What made you decide to write historical romance verses another genre?

I was seventeen-years-old when I discovered romance novels. Regencies were my particular favorite, so years later, when I decided to write a romance, I knew that I wanted to write a Regency historical.

If you had to pick one character in your books, who would be your favorite? And why. Or if you don’t want to pick a favorite… which one do you connect with the most? And why?

It’s difficult to pick a favorite. When I’m working on a manuscript, the hero and heroine are my two favorite people in the world. It’s just part of the writing process. If I can’t connect with a character, I’m not going to be able to tell their story.

So who do I connect with the most? Probably Lady Juliana Ivers from “All Night With a Rogue”. I empathize with her driving need for creative expression, and her frustration that no one was taking her seriously.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Anything and everything. Classical music, while I’m taking research notes, a random snippet of dialogue, and even a few dreams have inspired story ideas.

When you aren’t writing steaming hot romances what do you do in your spare time?

If I’m not working on my TBR pile, I’m tinkering on a home project with my husband, or playing with my kids.

Alexandra, thank you for being a guest on my blog.

My pleasure, Micole! Thanks for having me.

Where can we find more information about you and your books?

Readers can learn my about my Lords of Vice series by visiting my website: www.alexandrahawkins.com

I also post updates on:

www.facebook.com/author.alexandra.hawkins
www.twitter.com/lordsofvice
www.myspace.com/lordsofvice

Make sure to look for Alexandra. She's got a great website and some amazing books. Thanks again friends for stopping by.

Hugs

Micole

Spotlight Author with Josie Malone

2011-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

So how is everyone doing two weeks into their New Years resolutions? I'm hanging in there. I hope all of you are too. I have another great guest here today. She's got a couple of books to tell us about and one to giveaway. ;-) Let's not waste any more time, say hello to Josie Malone.

Hi Micole, thanks for inviting me to chat with you. It’s great to be here.

Tell us a little bit about your latest release…

BookStrand just released A Man’s World, my historical western romance in trade paperback and it’s available at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com What a great Christmas present for me since I didn’t expect to see it in trade paperback until March 2011! Another thrill was seeing the cover of The Daddy Spell, now in e-book from BookStrand.

The Daddy Spell was especially fun to write since I used the memories of my childhood home as a setting for this new story. What happens when two kids decide to find their divorced mom the perfect husband? Oh yeah, and a new dad for them, since their old one should and could be replaced. A pony farm definitely needs an ensemble cast of four-legged critters – in other words, ponies. I drew those fictional ponies from the ones that made The Funny Farm so special. I know that’s a rather strange name for a pony farm, but it came from my grandmother who said that our stories about life on the farm could make anyone laugh until they cried.

What are you working on now?

For my next book which I hope will find a home at BookStrand, I finally decided to revisit the world of Trace Burdette, my heroine in A Man’s World. My newest project, A Woman’s Place allows the marshal of Junction City to meet his match, and Iraqi War veteran/homicide detective Beth Chambers takes no prisoners. I figure she’ll fit right into 1888 Washington Territory. Of course, I had to figure out how to get a woman from 2012 to the old West, but that was part of the adventure.

What do JOSIE MALONE fans have to look forward to in 2011?

Well, if everything goes as I hope it will, then they will get to visit Junction City and the Lazy B, Trace’s ranch again, in A Woman’s Place. The Daddy Spell is scheduled for trade paperback release in June 2011 and as soon as I finish A Woman’s Place, I plan to start a spin-off of The Daddy Spell. It isn’t titled yet, but I know my heroine, hero and the story. So, the writing continues and I get the fun of popping back and forth between fictional worlds. Yahoo!

Where does your inspiration come from?

It depends on the story I’m writing. If it’s young adult, then I draw inspiration from the kids I meet when I substitute teach at the local schools, or the ones who come to the family farm to learn horseback riding. If it’s an adult novel, sometimes it’s what pops in my head during barn chores. That’s when I play the “What-if” game. Of course, I’ve had a lot of life experiences too, but then again I’ve always listened to the stories other people tell, like my grandmother who served pithy putdowns along with her pot roast at Sunday dinners. I’ve served in the Army Reserve, dealt cards in a casino, wrangled dudes, cattle and horses, raised my two sisters, and as one of my first writing teachers quoted, “Everything is grist for the mill.”

What is your writing process? Plotter or Pantser?

I think I’m a total Pantser, but that’s not 100% true. I live and work on the family farm so when I’m doing stock chores, teaching riding lessons, training horses, working at my day job, I also plan out my books. I have to think of something when I shovel horse stuff in the stalls. By the time I hit the computer at night, I usually have the scene that I want to write ready to go in my mind. And I try to write every night – at least that’s my goal although it doesn’t always work.

What is the most important advice you can give to aspiring authors?

DON’T QUIT. Yes, you can do this – write your own book from your heart – and nobody else can tell your story. So polish your words, learn your craft and submit your work to the appropriate agents and publishers, but DON’T QUIT! Accept the fact that some people won’t like what you write – my own family never read my first two books because, “they were kids’ books.” They also complained bitterly when I started writing for newspapers and magazines because people outside the family read my articles and mentioned them “in public.” No matter what the family said, I stuck to what my grandmother told me. DON’T QUIT! I’ve been writing longer than most people. I sold my first two young adult books more than 20 years ago and then my publisher folded. Aargh! If I’d allowed that to stop me, I never would have sold again. So my best advice – DON’T QUIT!
Did you receive rejection letters during your journey to become published?

Of course.

If yes what is your best advice to someone who’s received their first one?

I could probably have papered my office with rejection letters, but I didn’t. I’ve received a ton of them over the past 20+ years. The best ones offer advice to improve the book and if an editor or agent takes the time out of a tremendously busy schedule to offer you that advice, I think you should take the time to consider it.

Maybe, like me, your pacing does need improvement. My wonderful editor at BookStrand had me cut 30,000 words from my historical, A Man’s World and she was absolutely right. All those extra words dragged down the story. Maybe, your hero is like mine from my first novel which I wrote more than 30 years ago – I loved him – but he wasn’t particularly romantic. He was honest, reliable, steady and my heroine’s best friend – the kind of guy a woman could live with for the next fifty years, but he sure wasn’t sexy. That novel will never sell, but I learned a lot from writing it. I also learned that it was time to put it aside and move onto a more saleable project.

You can even learn something from an assortment of form rejection letters – I figured out that nobody liked my historical a couple years ago after receiving several computer generated rejection letters – yes, this was the same book I sold last spring. So, I rewrote it completely, submitted it to contests, got great feedback, but didn’t win, rewrote it again, took classes, rewrote it again – by now it was 115,000 words and submitted it again.

How long did it take before you got “THE CALL”?

Actually for me, it was an e-mail offer from BookStrand last spring, and it had been 20+ years since I sold a book.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Writing a book – okay, I’ll still be learning my craft, polishing my words and writing the best book I can, straight from my heart, telling a story that only I can tell. That being said, I would also love to be on the NY Times bestseller list.

Where can we find out more about you and your books?

Visit my website, www.josiemalone.com

Thank you Josie for stopping by and sharing with us. Josie plans to give a copy of her book THE DADDY SPELL, to one lucky commenter. So make sure to stop in and say hi. See you next time at Micole Writes Romance.