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Christmas, Crafts, and More By Danniele Worsham Each year we plan a collaborative effort for our Christmas article to introduce you to some of our individual Christmas traditions. This year, since I’m in charge, I asked for contributions in the gift giving arena, to help our readers put together nifty Christmas gifts for their loved ones. I hope you find these inspiring. From Problem Child: I’m not crafty, so I don’t often make presents. If you’re hard to buy for or don’t send me a wish list, you get a gift certificate to Starbucks or Books-A-Million. Wait too long, and you won’t even get a “real” one – it will show up in your inbox for you to print at your leisure. Call me sad or lazy, but at least I’m honest about it! J But Angel wants homemade ideas for her article. Sigh. Easy for the Crafty One to say… Here’s the best I can do: As I find myself time-challenged (and overly pudgy) these days, all that Christmas-time baking is taking a backseat. But AC still loves to make something at Christmas. I’m cutting back, but this recipe from writer Ann Roth is quick, easy, tasty, and fun to do with small children. Make a lot and you can give them as presents, or just make enough to have a little tasty snack in the fridge. Peppermint Patties: 2 TBS unsalted butter Mix the first four ingredients into a Play-Doh like consistency (if you have small helpers, this can be done in a Ziplock bag to cut down on clean up). Roll into balls, then flatten into patties on wax paper. Melt chocolate and Crisco in microwave or over a low heat until smooth. Dip patties (I do a double-dip for extra chocolaty goodness!), place back on wax paper, and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. The dipping can get a little messy, but AC loves doing it, and it’s a chance for us to spend a little time together doing something in the kitchen. Now I’m off to Starbucks for the rest of my shopping…
From Playground Monitor: On the crafty scale, I fall somewhere between Problem Child and Angel in skill level, but I’m getting tired of wracking my brain and surfing the internet to find some new crafty thing to make. So I’ve fallen into the Gift Card (GC) trap. It’s easy, it’s always the right size and color, and it costs so little to mail. Heck, if you shop at Publix, they have a rack with Gift Cards from a variety of places. Its one-stop Gift Card shopping! And GCs come in all denominations, so there’s one to fit any budget. Some folks think GCs are a cop-out, and I suppose in a way they are. But in some cases, it’s the perfect gift because it isn’t another doo-dad to dust. I shop for a lot of family members who already have plenty of doo-dads. As a matter of fact, they’re trying to get rid of doo-dads, so I certainly don’t want to add to the collection. So the GC is perfect for them. Gift Card shopping should be done wisely, though. Don’t just buy any old GC. Make sure it fits the recipient. My nephew, who is newly graduated from college and starting his career in Kansas, received GCs from us for both his college graduation and his birthday. His were from the big superstores, where he could buy either food, socks, a wastebasket for his new apartment or put gas in his truck. Speaking of starting new careers, it’s expensive to get out of college, move to a new town, set up housekeeping and go to work every day looking like a professional instead of a college student. So for the new career guy or gal in your family, a GC from their favorite clothing store would be a blessing. Are you struggling for an idea for teacher gifts? I’m sure they’d love a GC rather than another poodle-shaped bottle of bubble bath or “World’s Best Teacher” coffee mug. I bet they’d enjoy a GC from a nail salon or the local coffee shop. If you’re shopping for elderly relatives who are living on pensions and Social Security, how about a GC from their grocery store or pharmacy? Food and medicines aren’t cheap, you know. Or perhaps a gift card from the quick oil change place would fit the bill. Since the economy is in turmoil, many folks have had to cut out luxuries. Why not put a little luxury back into their lives with a GC from the local movie theater or their movie rental store. If they like to read, give them a GC from the book store in their area. Others enjoy nice body care products, so get a GC from the bath products store in their mall for them. Many restaurants have GCs, so treat someone to dinner. Have a crafty person on your shopping list? Give them a GC from the local hobby and crafts store. Someone who enjoys gardening or is into home repairs or do-it-yourself projects? The home improvement store has a GC just for them. One caveat: Gift Cards with a credit card logo often have expiration dates and inactivity fees. If you don’t use the card, they begin deducting from the balance on the card. Cards purchased directly from retailer don’t usually have this condition. When you purchase the card, ask if it comes with any special conditions. Merry Christmas, and have fun spending those Gift Cards! From Smarty Pants: I call it a Movie Night Basket, but technically, it’s actually in a big bowl. It’s filled with everything they need for a night in watching movies. I go buy either a large plastic or ceramic bowl big enough for a mountain of popcorn. Then I fill the bowl with movie night goodies – a box of nice microwave popcorn or tin of gourmet popcorn, a couple boxes of candy (movie size boxes if you can find them), a beverage or glasses of some kind...anything that fits. Then I get a gift card to their closest video store. I guess if you know them well enough, you could also just buy them a DVD or two you know they would want. The nice thing about this is you can manipulate it to cost anywhere from $10-$15 up to $45 or $50 or more if you buy really nice stuff or get a larger gift card. My favorite discount and dollar stores always carry good items to include, so you don’t have to spend a fortune on candy and such. The theme can also be changed to suit the person. If they are a lover of romantic period films, you can give them a bottle of wine, a pair of wine glasses, cheese, crackers, a box of tissues and a copy of Pride and Prejudice. Maybe put it in a pretty antique looking hatbox instead of a popcorn bowl. The possibilities are endless. From Instigator: I will admit that I am the worlds worst at present shopping. I always want the gift I pick for someone to reflect the love I have for them and to say that I pay attention to what they like and want...the problem is that I don’t pay attention. Not because I don’t care but because I am NOT a detail oriented person. These things just slip past me. So if I can’t figure out something meaningful for the most important people in my life, what am I supposed to do for the teachers and extended family I hardly see? In the past I’ve used my talents in the kitchen to make homemade candies, cookies and treats with the girls. However, this simply highlighted the fact that I only use these talents once a year... This year we’re utilizing one of my husband’s hobbies. He’s been growing plants for the last several months, carefully cultivating something that our friends and teachers can enjoy long after the holiday season is over. Do you scrapbook? Are you good at making t-shirts or art work or music or poetry? When thinking of gifts don’t forget that sometimes the most appreciated ones come straight from your own hands and heart. From Angel: This year I’d like to share a recipe that PM sent out, that I’ll be using for my teachers’ gifts (with a few modifications). I plan to mix the dry ingredients in a holiday candy bag and tie with a ribbon. Then place it in a holiday or pretty coffee mug with the recipe and one of those chocolate filled coffee spoons. DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-MUG (Dangerous because it’s so easy!) Happy Holidays to all of you, from the Playfriends! Pictures, Posters, and Post-Its,Oh, My! A couple of years ago, after listening to Problem Child discuss the differences in individual learning styles, I realized I was primarily a visual learner. I work really well with lists, clutter totally distracts me, and motivational quotes hung around my office keep me, well, motivated. COLLAGES Hoping to utilize this knowledge in the writing of my books, I decided to start making poster collages of my heroes and heroines to deepen my characterization and allow me to remember what color my hero’s eyes were every couple of chapters. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget those little details, and how easy it is to remember them with that poster board right in front of you. Here’s a character collage for my last book:
For myself, I included pictures that embodied how I felt my characters would look. Usually I find little known actresses, actors, or models, but sometimes actors cast in certain roles will appeal to my sense of the story. You can find an abundance of pictures on the internet to print yourself or track down magazines with your chosen hero/heroine and cut them out. I also print out and include my characters’ names on each side and words that might have significant meaning for them. For my current hero, the words family and trust play a large role in his growth, so I included them. For me, words are important, because I am, after all, a wordsmith. They remind me of the theme of my stories and the goal of each character’s growth. Other pictures that might be helpful would be spaces that play a large role in the story, like one of the character’s homes, a restaurant/club, garden, or beach. Is there a piece of jewelry, talisman, or tattoo that carries significant meaning to the book? Any or all can be displayed here. Also, I choose colors for the background that fit the mood or theme of the story. Some authors go for more extensive, even 3D collages. Instead of poster boards, items could be adhered inside a shadow box, hat box, or trunk, anything that appeals to you or your characters. Instead of pictures of important items, the actual pieces can be displayed. Jewelry, photographs, fabrics, wooden letters, candles, or small models add depth and a sense of reality. All of this can go as deep as you need it to, as long as it isn’t used to postpone or distract you from the actual writing. Remember, this is all only as helpful as the book it inspires. Alone, it does you no good whatsoever. STORY BOARDS As with the collages, storyboards can be as plain or as elaborate as you like. These devices work best for plotters who already do this sort of graph on regular paper, or semi-plotters who like to sketch out the general direction and major points of their story to give them a destination in their mind’s eye. A large poster board will work for this project, or a sturdier, fold out display board usually used for science project displays (found in the school supply section of local stores for $3 to $5). The entire board can be marked off into squares designating chapters. For instance, mine has four squares across, with five rows down. This helps me see where major turning points should arrive (at the end of each row). I fill in the squares with post-it notes, (1) because I can color-coordinate with my hero/heroine, and (2) because I can move them or remove them if my plot changes as I write. This puts my whole plot within easy access, right where my visually-attuned brain needs it. Additional colored notes can be used for secondary characters who make an appearance, the villain’s point-of-view, or subplots. Then it’s very easy to see when you haven’t introduced a different point-of-view often enough or you dropped a thread by accident. COMBINED EFFORT My newest plotting device is a combination of my collage with my story board, so I can have all my visual aids in one inspiring place. This is my current book:
Like the collages, you can also make these as elaborate or simple as you like. As you can see, I’ve added a color background to mine. I’m not a big fan of white backgrounds. A fellow author added her characters’ GMCs along the edges and pirate memorabilia reminiscent of the pirates in her historical. Another added pictures of secondary characters who would later be the hero and heroine of the sequel. In contrast, one of our friends has a basic board with just small pictures of her hero and heroine, and her sticky notes. Very bare, but it works for her. That’s the point. You can put as much effort into this project as you feel will be beneficial for you. For some writers, they simply need a reason to work through their plot, but the look of the finished project isn’t that important. This is especially true for kinesthetic learners, who gain the most value from the actual creation, not the end result. For more visual writers, the final product can become a touchstone that keeps them focused on both the overall picture and the details of their story during the actual writing process. So have fun with these new plotting devices and the richness they add to your writing process. The Sophomore Slump: Making that Second Sale by Juliet Burns When Kira asked me to write an article about surviving the time between sales, I thought, “You’ve come to the right person.” Not because I’m an expert on making a second sale, but rather, because it was such a long time between my first and second sales. When I got “The Call” I had only been writing three years. And the book I sold was the first book I’d ever written. And I’d spent that whole time revising it. I had started a second manuscript, but it was in the very beginning stages and…well, let’s just say I still had a lot to learn about writing. With my naturally glass-half-full personality, and a Harlequin editor on the other end of emails, I set about finishing my option book. I was new. I was naïve. I was way too confident. Because I was still so new to the business, I took too long to turn in the book (9 months) and during that time my editor received a promotion. I was very lucky, however, that I wasn’t orphaned, but was given a new editor. Unfortunately, two weeks after I finally mailed off the full manuscript and a proposal for another, the Sr. editor for the line I sold to sent out an email informing authors that the line would now have new guidelines. Silhouette Desires would now feature mega-rich heroes “with a sense of entitlement”. She went on to describe what was acceptable. The hero—for instance—could OWN a ranch, but he could not be a ranch hand. Well, guess what? My hero was a ranch hand. I emailed my editor and told her she could just trash my option book. Nevertheless undaunted, I picked myself up, dusted off my keyboard and started over. Three months later, with the green light from my new editor, I turned in a partial and 2 more synopses for an Italian prince trilogy. My editor asked for revisions. I revised. She loved it and sent it up to the Sr. editor. I got my hopes up and finished the manuscript. By this time it had been two and a half years since my first sale. Then came a crushing rejection. I’d received rejections before. But those had been part of paying my dues, pretty much expected. This wasn’t. I had a hard time bouncing back. I decided, for the family finances, I needed to apply for a job outside the home once school started. My editor and I decided to switch lines, try to write for Blaze. I read every Blaze I could get my hands on trying to get a feel for the tone of the line, which was totally different from Desire. I submitted 6 blurbs to my editor to get her feedback on which ones might work and again, with her go ahead, I started over and within a few months, submitted a partial. While I was waiting, I kept up with chapter loops, continued learning the craft. Tried a romantic suspense that got rejected. And I wrote an erotic romance novella for Candy Haven’s Fast Draft class, and submitted it to Red Sage. It sold to their Secrets anthologies in March of 07. Over three years since my first sale. A novella doesn’t count as a second sale to RWA, but it did keep me believing in myself. I kept writing, hoping for good news about the partial I’d submitted for Blaze. Over the summer, my editor was promoted. I didn’t hear from her. Finally, in September of last year, I got a call from a different editor saying they wanted to buy the book. And that call was almost as thrilling and exhilarating as the first one, three and half years earlier. I learned a lot in those three and a half years: Nothing is for certain. You gotta have good writing friends who understand the ups and downs of this business and who stick with you through the good times and the bad. And last but not least, you can’t stop believing in yourself. Even if you have to apply at Wal-Mart, don’t give up. Juliet’s first Blaze, titled LET IT RIDE will be released in May 09 under the pen name Jillian Burns. In the meantime, her first novella for Red Sage comes out THIS December THE SPY’S SURRENDER in Secrets, Vol 26: Bound by Passion. You can view the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4rhlLMdnMw Every year, the Playfriends put together a taste of conference for those who couldn't attend or those who did, but just didn't seem to fit all the great workshops into their schedule. This month, we bring you four workshops that were good enough to lure us away from our jam packed social agendas. If YOU give it, they will come – Workshops that Wow! I had not been in this workshop more than a few minutes before I heard a squeaky toy and someone in the audience was presented a little koala bear prize. Whoa! That got my attention, and that’s precisely what it was intended to do. Noisemakers and prizes are but one of the tools these women used (and taught about) to grab your audience’s attention and keep it. Sooner or later all of us are asked to present a workshop on some topic and we want to be able to connect with the audience. This interactive workshop explored ways to engage the audience and present a workshop people will remember. The first step was the three P’s: purpose, preparation and passion. I believe they’re pretty self-explanatory. They also used a fill-in-the-blank handout (or gaps notes as they referred to them) to the audience members listening. By placing a sticker on one or two handouts and giving a prize right away to the person(s) who had that handout, they immediately began a reward system that continued throughout the presentation. Their attitude was more prizes equals a happier audience, and a happy audience is more open to learning. The next step was CSI – Content, Setting and Implementation. Deliver your subject matter in a form that is easily remembered, make sure your audience is comfortable and implement the workshop efficiently. Tips for doing online workshops were also covered as well as how to handle questions from the audience. I’m happy to say I’m already using these techniques to prepare a possible online workshop and a workshop for next year’s national conference. Take Five! The Agent Cartel Reveals Its Top 5 Pearls of Wisdom for Career Success
I will admit right up front that I could only attend the 2nd hour of this two hour workshop. But when a panel full of agents gets together in one room to reveal their pearls of wisdom I thought it well worth jumping in and getting as much as I could. And I wasn’t disappointed. Here are the topics they covered: 5 Mistakes Unpublished Make 5 Things to know about an agent 5 Things an agent does beyond the deal 5 Things authors do to their career detriment Pump Up Your Productivity
If there was one thing I could use going into conference this year, it was the magical key to unlock my productivity. I'd hoped that in this workshop, Cindy would give me the super secret writers code that would flip my creativity on like a switch the moment I was ready to write. That was not what this workshop offered, however. Of course, I couldn't be disappointed as I'd wanted the impossible and instead, what she did offer was a solid approach to finding the time to write and maximizing what you do during that time. The basic concept included the use of a schedule. In a way very similar to a food journal for a dieter or a spending chart for someone trying to create a budget, the schedule encouraged you to write down how you spent your day for one to two weeks. Using the template she provided, attendees were encouraged to chart their time, then take a hard look at how they're really spending their day. The truth is that huge blocks of time can be sucked up with unnecessary activities - checking email, reading blogs, watching television, talking on the phone (all the good stuff.) You can't complain that you have no time to write when you're spending an hour and a half every morning piddling on the internet. Like a budget, after analyzing your schedule, Cindy recommended cutting back, rearranging your time and using the extra minutes you gained to write. It isn't easy. She shared that she doesn't watch television when she has a deadline. She waits until she finishes a book, then gets her favorite series on Netflix and watches everything she missed. She also recommends disconnecting the internet if you have to. As with anything else, making the time to work isn't easy, but the payoff can be high. It just requires the discipline to make the changes and use the time you have to write wisely. Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Rules for Making and Breaking It This was, hands down, the BEST workshop of the entire conference. The presenters—Kira Sinclair, Andrea Laurence, Kimberly Lang and Blaze editor Brenda Chin—really know their stuff. All the tips and rules were spot on, plus it was presented in an extremely amusing format (complete with headgear for Kimberly and Kira). Prizes were given out as well for participating, and heavy-hitters like Linda Winstead Jones, Beverly Barton, Kelley St. John and Rhonda Nelson in attendance. While I highly recommend you get the official RWA recording and listen to it in its entirety, I’ll list a few of the high points here. Write what you know: Follow this rule. After all, you know your strengths and your process better than anyone. If you have a comedic voice, don’t try to write angsty weepies. Start your story with action or dialogue. Break this one. You need to start your story in the right place for that story. Make sure that bang-up action scene or that great opening line sets the correct tone for your book as a whole. Do what your editor tells you to do. Break this one, too. Do more than your asked. The editor is giving you ideas to spark your imagination and get the story going in the correct direction. Take those suggestions and run with them. As Brenda Chin says, “I can always bring you back, but I can’t take you out there.” Use the feedback from your CP and contest judges revise your WIP. Break this one. Books can’t be written by committee. You’re also going to get wildly differing advice. Keep the good and ditch the rest. Make your submission stand out. Follow this one, but be sure your submission stands out for the right reasons—strong writing, professional presentation. Don’t get cutsey with pink unicorn paper and fancy fonts. There’s no need to bind your erotic romance with handcuffs. You’ll be memorable in a bad way. The one rule they stressed the most is possibly the best advice you’ll get in your career—Be polite and professional. Be the writer folks want to work with—not the one who’s difficult or blog fodder. Two thumbs up for this workshop! I hope these talented presenters will come up with another great workshop idea for next year in DC! The (Not So) Dreaded Synopsis by Danniele Worsham Is there anyone out there who abhors writing a synopsis as much as I do? It’s easy to tell there is, considering how many articles on writing a synopsis have the word DREADED in the title. Quite a few, let me tell ya. Unfortunately, this is an essential part of being a writer. A synopsis isn’t some useless task editors thought up to torture us. Before our stories see the light of day, a great synopsis can help sell our work to that coveted editor or agent. Some contests require a synopsis with submissions, because it allows judges to see the evolution of the story beyond the few pages in front of them. After publishing, a synopsis is often used in marketing, as a basis for advertisements or foreign sales. Since there’s no use continuing to bemoan this task, we might as well get down to it. Writing the synopsis doesn’t have to be that bad, as long as writers approach it with some very basic tools. First, have a plan. (That’s my organizational side coming to the fore.) I don’t know about you, but I always proceed faster and with more ease if I know where I’m going. This requires a map that gives me direction and guidance, instead of wandering lost in the convoluted darkness of my storyline. Not all plans work for all people, though. We’ll discuss that a little more later. Second, approach writing your synopsis with the expectation that you will rewrite it at least two, if not more, times. Girded with this realization, you won’t be quite as frustrated when rewrites, then more rewrites, are needed. After all, we are stripping this story that we’ve worked so hard to embellish and ripen to its original naked state. What writer would enjoy doing that? Now, let’s discuss the way I approach writing a synopsis. It is no better or worse than any other approach. It just happens to work for me. 1. Opening Hook Paragraph* * by paragraphs, I mean 3 to 5 sentences 2. Characterization Paragraphs (Heroine, Hero) 3. Plot Points 4. Black Moment, Climactic Event, and Resolution 5. Wrap It Up 6. Other Important Information 7. Other Plans www.Lirw.org/synopsis.html www.lisagardner.com/tricks/synopsis.htm www.charlottedillon.com/synopsis.html www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.shtml http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/artsynrevision.htm www.lindaneedham.com/synopsistwn.htm It is my hope that you take away just one tidbit of information that will help turn your experience writing a synopsis from DREADFUL to DELIGHTFUL, if only when you view the final product. Good luck! Passive Voice for Dummies by Marilyn Puett Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I entered an online writing contest. I fretted over my entry and finally got the courage to paste it in that little window and click “submit.” I thought I’d sent in pretty clean copy along with a scene that had a good hook. I had no illusions about winning. My main goal was the feedback. Imagine my surprise when I received the critique and it had “Passive Voice!” inserted everywhere. It’s been a loooooooong time since I sat in a grammar class so I had to go to an online grammar site and jog my memory about passive voice. I vaguely remembered something about subjects and action but it was pretty fuzzy. According to the Capital Community College Online Guide to Grammar and Writing (http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm) passive voice is when the subject of a sentence is “neither a do-er or a be-er.” The focus is more on the action than on who performed it. Common Myths1. Passive voice is grammatically incorrect. Let’s debunk those myths. Passive voice is NOT grammatically incorrect. It’s a style issue. Because it takes the focus off the person or thing doing the action in a sentence, it’s viewed as weak writing. “The report was presented by John” is an example of passive voice. The report doesn’t do anything, but John does. Passive voice is also often used deliberately to divert attention. In the sentence “The video games were designed to appeal to children,” the focus is on the games, rather than the evil genius who designed them and got your children hooked on the X-Box. The verb “to be” in and of itself is not passive. It’s how the verb is used that makes it passive. “The girl is reading the book” is not passive because the subject (girl) is the do-er; she’s reading the book. Stories written in first person can contain passive voice just as easily as those written in third person. “I was called by my attorney” is passive and first person POV. I ran grammar check on this article and because I have it set to standard writing style as opposed to formal style it didn’t pick up the examples of passive voice. Why not use passive voice?Sentences written in passive voice are less direct and sometimes unclear. In that sentence about video games, it’s unclear what the subject even is. I just guessed that it was evil genius toy makers bent on separating you from your money. “The sale is being negotiated by Jim.” This is wordy and awkward. “Jim is negotiating the sale” is much clearer. “Mistakes were made” leaves one to wonder just who was making the mistakes. “The CEO made mistakes” leaves no doubt. Why “to be” gets flagged as passive voiceAt this point we move from fact to theory so please don’t quote this to a contest judge or your critique partner, even though I believe it’s a pretty darned good theory. As writers we are encouraged to avoid using adverbs and instead to use strong verbs. “The sheriff was walking quickly across the room” is considered weak writing (and will often be incorrectly flagged as passive voice). “The sheriff stalked across the room” might be a better suggestion because the verb paints a more vivid picture of the sheriff’s action. The verb is stronger or more active. So if “stalked” is active, then “was walking quickly” must be the opposite, right? And what’s the opposite of active? Passive, right? Wrong! What’s the subject? The sheriff. What’s the verb? Was walking. Who performs the action? The subject. Passive voice? No. Passive or weak writing? Probably. Sometimes walk is the best verb to use. Overuse of “strong verbs” can be a weakness too and make your writing appear amateurish. I’ve read contest entries where it’s obvious the author made liberal use of a thesaurus to use anything but a common verb. Here’s another example: “A pen holder was given to me.” The pen holder doesn’t do anything and there’s no obvious subject to the sentence. “The Playfriends gave me a beautiful pen holder for my desk to celebrate my fifteenth sale.” Okay, that’s a self-serving example but it’s more descriptive, isn’t it? :) Much of what gets tagged as passive voice is really weak writing. It’s telling rather than showing, and it fails to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. This doesn't mean you should go on a search-and-destroy mission and eliminate every "was" in your manuscript. Sometimes it's the only word that's right for the sentence. "The tire was flat." How else do you say it without getting wordy or ridiculous? "The tire deflated" just doesn't mean the same thing. “They had spent the night in Montgomery and were going on to Panama City the next morning. It was raining. It was Sunday, and they were in a rural area. There wasn't much traffic. A dog ran out into the highway, and they hit it, and Matt lost control of the car. The car left the road and rolled at least twice, then came to a stop, on its right side, in a stand of trees. Evie was pinned on the bottom. Matt was hanging in his seat belt above her. She couldn't get out, couldn't get to him, and he b-bled to death in front of her, his blood dripping down on her. He was conscious,” she said. Furiously Becky dashed the tears from her cheeks. "No one saw the car for a long time, what with the rain and the trees blocking the view. He knew he was dying. He told her he loved her. He told her goodbye. He'd been dead for over an hour before anyone saw the car and came to help." Notice how many times the author used "was?” Did you notice the -ly adverb? I didn’t notice the first time I read it and I’ve remembered this passage from Linda Howard’s Loving Evangeline since I first read five years ago. The scene painted such a vivid picture in my mind -- the wrecked car on its side, a man held in place by a seat belt, blood dripping onto the woman below him, his poignant goodbye, her anguish at watching her new husband die before her eyes. Quick summaryPassive voice isn’t wrong, but it’s not always the best writing style. Don’t depend on grammar check to catch it. Keep using forms of the verb “to be” but do try to use strong, active verbs when appropriate. And remember the simple rule: in passive voice, the subject isn’t a do-er or be-er. It is acted upon by someone or something else. Oops! That’s passive voice. Someone or something else acts upon it. Marilyn Puett has a fairly decent grasp of passive voice and has set her sights on conquering comma usage. She recently sold her seventeenth short story to Dorchester Media, which publishes the confessions and romance magazines. She serves as secretary for Heart of Dixie RWA as well as being part of The Writing Playground (www.writingplayground.com). Finding Balance in Everyday Living When you were a kid, did you ever play on the teeter totter at the playground? My sister and I, being twins and thus the same size, could each get on opposite sides and, with a little maneuvering, balance the board. Unfortunately, life isn't as easy to balance as child's play. Sometimes it's a little wobbly; at other times one end weighs everything else immobile. Recognizing this struggle in my own life, I decided to experiment with some balancing acts this summer in hopes of becoming a happier, saner wife and mother. Set Firm Priorities Most of us have a vague idea of our priorities or realize how they "should" fall, but do your everyday activities actually live up to this ideal? To firm them in your mind, sit down and write them out in order. This may mark me as obsessive, but it took my priorities from this nebulous ideal to reality. And I had to face the fact that, while I may claim my writing was a priority, I wasn't actually giving it a proportional share of my time. As a matter of fact, most of my time was going toward things that fell at the bottom of my list, like email, cleaning, and running errands. Taking a long look at this was the first step into slowing down my life enough to make changes. It helped me see where balance was lacking in my life and which direction would help me the most. Create Space in Your Life These days, we seem to run constantly. As mothers especially, we are ever on the move. Work, household, obligations, kids and their activities, church, writing... our time is continually eaten away by chores and unfulfilling minutaie. I used to think that I had to keep my house spotless. My Mom was a constant cleaner and the inlaws went for white-glove ready. I'd be so embarrassed when they showed up and the house was trashed by kids' toys, dirty dishes, and cat hair. With kids, I definitely outgrew this. I'm the sole cleaner in my house, and honestly, as long as we aren't growing mold, I don't really care. I'm the type of person who can live with some dirt to a certain point, then I must clean. And that's ok. The housework gets done eventually, when I can get to it, and that works for us. If anyone complains, I hand them a broom and say, "Have at it." Letting go of high expectations is the number one way to add space to our lives. Those extra pockets of time that can be filled by small, meaningful things, like cuddling with my children, having an actual conversation with my spouse, or, heck, just breathing. Save the high expectations for things that honestly matter beyond a moment. Set Multi-tasking Aside I became the queen of multi-tasking when my first child came into our lives. I started out by reading while I was nursing. Now I can clean while I talk on the phone, pour juice, cook dinner, and fold laundry. While I do believe this ability can save time, I've gotten to the point that I multi-task everything. Focusing on just one thing at a time has actually become HARD for me. As a result, I'm constantly rushed and anxious. If I'm relaxing, I feel guilty. Watching a movie--just watching--equals being lazy. And heaven forbid someone should catch me piled up in the bed reading. How mortifying! By letting go of the need to multi-task, I'm easing off the pressure and hopefully, stress. One way to do this is to plan ahead. Now, don't start obsessing over details, that's just a different type of pressure. Instead, create a moment for yourself to pause and decide logically what steps to take next. On www.flylady.com, the Flylady suggests spending fifteen minutes of every hour taking a break, thinking about what you need to do for the next 45 minutes of that hour. Taking the time to hug a loved one, have a cup of tea, or admire the sunshine and flowers in your backyard. I think fifteen minutes per hour might be a bit too often for me, but several times per day helps me regain focus and release that Go, Go, Go feeling. That's a good thing, right? Live Fully in the Moment This goes hand in hand with the last section. I've trained myself to do two things at once if I can. So now, I my mind is always running or feeling guilty for not running (yes, I recognize my neurosis, thank you very much!) So I find myself not savoring experiences or focusing very well. The time with my children has especially suffered because so many precious moments with kids are unexpected, caught only during careful observation. Now I try to remind myself to actually be with them fully when I'm interacting with them. To savor the feel of them snuggled up against me. Listen and marvel at the things they say. When I allow myself to relax, truly relax, I'm more refreshed afterward. When I actually pay attention to what I'm eating, I'm actually satisfied quicker. When I'm just writing without worrying about what else needs to be done, the words flow faster and make a whole lot more sense. You get my point? Many times we don't give our dreams priority because there is too much other "real" work to do. (Think day job versus writing before selling.) But that attitude also lacks balance. We're honoring our outer needs by doing what it takes to pay the bills, but what about our inner needs? Acknowledging and placing our dreams high on our priority list provides the emotional equilibrium and energy to then focus on the rest of our priorities. While paying the bills must come first, use that first bit of downtime to focus on your dream of becoming a writer. Honoring it will not only make you a better writer, but also a better wife, mother, employee, and friend. Take It For a Test Drive Despite all this advice I'm throwing out, I'm far from an expert. These are just steps (and reasoning) I'm attempting that I hope will make a difference in the chaos that can often be my life. Creating a balanced life is a lifelong journey, I'm coming to realize. If this is an area that you struggle in (probably so if you've read this far), consider taking some of my suggestions for a test drive. Summer is a great time to stop and smell the roses. The Pits of Pitching Hell You’ve signed up to give a pitch to Brenda in June, or at the national conference in San Francisco. And now you’re panicking because you have no idea what to do next. The first thing to do is to take a deep breath. And follow these simple steps. 1. Research the editor/agent you’re pitching to. This is the most important rule of pitching! If you don’t do anything else, make sure you do this. There is no reason to pitch an inspirational book to Brenda just like there’s no reason to pitch a self help book to an agent who only represents fiction. You must know that the person you’re pitching to is interested in buying/representing what you have to offer otherwise you’re wasting not only your time but theirs. That’s not a very good way to make friends and influence people. 2. Don’t take up the entire 5 or 10 minute slot with your book blurb. Your actual pitch should take no more than 2 or 3 minutes. It should be similar to the blurb that you would include in a query letter or the cover copy you’d see on the back of a novel. You can take in notes – I recommend note cards. 3. Open with your hook or high concept. Hooks:
High Concept:
4. Description of your characters – not necessarily their names but WHO they are. What makes them different and sets them apart?
5. Goal, Motivation and Conflict – you can weave the who into this statement : A by the rules Air Force Public Relations Officer will stop at nothing to succeed in her high profile career because she craves the approval of her Major General Father. But if he ever finds out that she accidentally married the hot shot pilot he’s never liked she’ll lose his respect...not to mention her career.
8. After the pitch wait for the editor/agent to ask you questions about the story. Be sure to have
9. Be prepared to ask the editor questions of your own – about her line, her job, her likes/dislikes, anything that makes you sound intelligent and informed. 10. When you’re finished be gracious and appreciative whether the editor/agent asked to see Kira Sinclair knows firsthand the ups and downs of pitching. She sold her first novel, Whispers in the Dark an August 2008 Harlequin Blaze release, from a pitch session. The Waiting Game by Smarty Pants Congratulations – you’ve done it! You’ve mailed off your baby, be it a query, a partial or a full manuscript. Somewhere an agent or editor has it in her hot little hands, and I’m sure she just can’t wait to call you and tell you she wants to buy it. Er...or not. Odds are, even if it’s the best book she has ever read, you’re not going to hear back for a while. First you have to wait in line. Then, she’ll read it. She’ll have staff readers or assistants read it again. Then maybe a senior editor or agent will read it. If you’re lucky she will put together revision suggestions (because although you might disagree, you aren’t perfect) or you’ll get the dreaded “R” back in your SASE.
So, there you go – my top ten things to do while you wait. If you take the time to do even a few or all things on the list, you might even forget (for an hour or two, at least) that you have a book out there. You’ll pass the time, be productive, and be fully prepared to tackle the next writing challenge ahead. Alexandra Frostlives in Huntsville, Alabama and is a member of Heart of Dixie RWA and The Writing Playground (www.writingplayground.com). She has spent many a sleepless night worrying about her submissions and is willing to go as far as to plan elaborate and unnecessary parties to avoid confronting plot problems. This article can not be reproduced without the author’s consent. What happens after that first sale? After the parties, the screaming and the joy? The waiting begins. But while you wait months or even a year for your first book to hit the shelves there are several things you can do to position yourself for the moment your sale becomes reality – not to mention the million things you’ll need to do for your publisher. The first thing you should do is write another book. For me it was months of being in limbo. My publisher didn’t want to talk about another book until we’d gotten the first one through production. This makes sense for them. But for me it was torture. It already felt like forever before my book would hit the shelves and without something to focus my energy on time seemed to slow to a snail’s pace. So I wrote another book. Ultimately, my publisher has asked me to focus on two other projects. However, that doesn’t mean the one I have stashed away is dead. It just means it’ll be awhile before I do anything with it. I do not consider that time wasted. There will, of course, be a laundry list of requirements from your publisher – art fact sheets, revisions, line edits, bios, head shots, dedications...the list is endless depending on their needs. The problem is that these things trickle in. Two or three now and then nothing else for two or three months. The key is to handle each of these things quickly and professionally because you are establishing your relationship with not only your editor but also other employees at your publisher. And if you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask! You’ve handled your publisher’s needs. Is there anything you can or should do to help position your book for monster sales? The most important – and cost effective – use of your time and money at this point is establishing a good web presence. As soon before your release as possible take steps to set up a website and/or blog. Getting an electronic presence can be expensive, not to mention time consuming if you design the media yourself. But don’t skimp here! This is the place your readers will come to interact with you, where they’ll learn more about you as a person. If blogging isn’t your idea of fun then consider finding other authors to share the burden with you. But remember the most important rule about a web presence is to keep it current! Change the content of your blog or website on a regular basis – even if it’s just to add a picture of your favorite pet. One question I’ve struggled with personally is whether to place any ads or buy promotional items. Ultimately, for me, the answer came down to cost effectiveness. I would have to sell an additional 667 books in order to break even on an ad or promotional campaign that cost me $200. Now, I’m no marketing genius but I know that sending 200 items into the big, bad world can not gain me three times that amount in sales. I’d be lucky if it netted me five. So, for the same $200 I’ve decided to invest in a promotional item that I can use for the next several books – changing the sticker I apply for each book I have out. While I’m still spending the money I’m also stretching the potential return and increasing the likelihood that the item results in sales. I’ve also streamlined my target audience. I’m going to focus on booksellers and librarians – people who will potentially hand sell all of my books once I’ve established myself as opposed to someone who might only purchase one book. I’m electing not to place any ads at this time. I may change my mind for subsequent books but for right now I think this is a strategy that will work for me. Of course, my release will be part of a category line. If I were publishing single title then my choices would quite possibly be different. I am, however, planning to design a book trailer through a free or mostly free site. This trailer can be placed on my website, blog and My Space page. The cost is minimal so the potential for a return on my investment is pretty good. Ultimately, the time between that phone call and the moment your book appears on the shelf can feel like a time of hurry up and wait. Before you know it you’ll be scheduling signings and writing your next book, take these months to tackle time consuming tasks like web design that you might not have time for later. Don’t rush to action simply to fill the void of impatience. Do the math before spending any money and evaluate potential gain against cost. If you do these things you’ll be well prepared to tackle that year. By: Kimberly Lang (with help from Kira, Marilyn, Alexandra, Danniele and Kelley St. John) Ah, I remember my salad days… the days when you’re so green you don’t even know you don’t have a clue and you wouldn’t know where to look for one either. Education is often painful, and the learning curve in this business is steep. I’ve been very lucky to have a very supportive group of authors who do know lead me out of the depths of my ignorance. So, in the tradition of passing it on, I have here for you Seven Things All Newbies Need to Know.
Broadway and Walt Disney -- The Secret to Achieving Your Goals by Marilyn Puett You got to have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true? -- Bloody Mary in South Pacific (1) When you wish upon a star your dreams come true. – Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio (2) January is the month when everyone begins to utter the question “What are your goals for the new year?” Last January you may have said “This is the year I’m going to ___insert favorite goal_____.” Yet here it is a year later and you didn’t do it. Why not? It’s something you’ve dreamed about for ages. Broadway musicals and Disney movies are full of lyrics expounding on the power of dreams. Dreams are the passions that guide us through life. They are what get us out of bed in the morning and make us put one foot in front of the other, or in the case of a writer, put the butt in the chair and the hands on the keyboard. Dreams Heed the cautionary tale of an only child of a man who was an auto mechanic and car salesman and a woman who was domineering and narcissistic. He was raised in New Orleans and after earning undergraduate and graduate degrees, his teaching career and doctoral studies were interrupted by the draft and a two-year stint in the Army. After his discharge he returned to New Orleans, lived with his parents and taught college. He also wrote a novel, drawing on some of his life experiences. Simon and Schuster expressed initial excitement in the book but eventually rejected it saying the book “isn’t really about anything.” Hello! Seinfeld! But this was a different century – a different time. The author began drinking heavily and believed the book would never see publication. He also quit teaching, dropped out of his doctoral studies and sank into a deep depression. In 1969 at age 32 he hooked a garden hose to his car’s exhaust pipe and ended his life. Seven years later his mother insisted a Loyola professor read the manuscript. The professor hesitated but relented and fell in love with the book. In 1980 A Confederacy of Dunces was published and a year later John Kennedy Toole was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. History is also filled with stories of those who didn’t listen to the naysayers. Walt Disney refused to listen to the people who told him to get a “real” job. Without his dreams we’d be living in a world without Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. And without the determination of Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, the Barbie doll would never have come into being. Goals Motivational speakers Zig Ziglar and Anthony Robbins tell about a study of the 1953 graduating class of Yale University. Researchers asked the seniors if they had specific written goals for their lives. Only 3% of them did. Twenty years later they were studied again and that 3% of the graduating class had accumulated more personal wealth than the other 97% of the class of 1953 combined. That’s a tremendous vote of confidence for the importance of writing down your goals. Or it would be if it was true. Fastcompany.com as well as the secretary of the Yale class of 1953 debunked this story that has been told from stages around the world. That doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t write down your goals. Putting them on paper keeps them in front of you and gives you an easier way to visualize them. It also creates a level of commitment on your part to meet the goals, especially if you’ve shared them with an accountability partner. Another story often told from stage by motivational speakers is the true story of Napoleon Hill. He was an American author and one of the pioneers of the genre of personal success literature. Hill was a newspaper reporter who was assigned to interview steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was so impressed with Hill that he commissioned him without pay to interview 500 successful men and women including Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Eastman, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and Theodore Roosevelt. Hill was already a believer in success principles and was more than willing to work without pay in order to have access to these great people. His job was to discover and publish their stories of success, which Carnegie believed could be distilled to a simple formula that could be duplicated by the average person. That distillation was eventually published as the book Think and Grow Rich, which has sold more than thirty million copies worldwide. What Hill discovered was that these successful people all had a “Definite Major Purpose.” In simple terms, they had dreams, goals and a plan to achieve them. A plan of action
Affirmations “I am” goes back to that deal about the brain not knowing the difference between the truth and a lie. The adverbs tell your subconscious that the goal won’t be difficult to achieve. Stating the goal in the present tense creates conflict between what you are saying and what is true. Your subconscious then acts to eliminate the conflict. Adding the words “or more” to the statement nudges your subconscious to realize that it’s possible to do more than just the five pages. By saying the affirmation first thing in the morning you start your day on a positive note. By repeating it right before bedtime, you command your brain to work on it while you sleep. Write down your affirmations not only as a writer but as a spouse, parent, employee or any other roles you have and tape them around your house. It takes twenty-one days to make a new habit. Repeating affirmations is a habit worth developing. Quotes
Belief There’s a story about a young girl whose father died and left her in the care of his second wife. The wife wasn’t thrilled at being responsible for this child and relegated her to a life of misery. Yet despite her abysmal lot in life, the girl kept a positive attitude and believed that one day she’d find a way out. Then an opportunity presented itself. She had held fast to her dream and now had a deadline to aim for. With a little help from her friends, she acquired the tools to achieve her goal and despite a lost glass slipper, a coach that turned back into a pumpkin, a nasty stepmother and two ugly stepsisters, Cinderella found her Prince Charming and lived happily ever after.
Happy New Year and here’s to your success! (1) Music and lyrics by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer I take my life into my hands writing this. Twilight has a rabid fan base that only the strong or crazy would risk riling. Of course, the recent regressions of Instigator and Smarty Pants into fifteen-year-old girls with an Edward crush means that I need to step carefully around Twilight on the Playground as well. Good thing I’m not planning on panning the books. :) The series as a whole is very easy to read. While the books are thick, they’re not dense, and since the series is targeted at a YA audience, an adult can move through them pretty easily. Only in a few places does the action seem to drag – Bella’s mooning over Edward can only be understood and appreciated by teenage girls (and those of us who remember what it was like to be a teenage girl in l-u-v.) Those scenes wore on me after a while, and they nearly killed the Darling Geek. Aside from the fact Edward is dead and could eat her, he’s the perfect teenage boyfriend – totally focused on her, treats her like a princess and the most fascinating person on earth, and he’s not pressuring her for sex. Adults might see Edward as bordering on stalkerish and be tempted to side with Bella’s father when it comes to the intensity of their relationship, but I can see why teenage girls swoon for Edward. Since I’m not a huge fan of paranormals in general, and vampire romances just can’t compete with Buffy/Angel/Spike in my book, I must admit I started these books at a disadvantage. But I did enjoy Meyer’s twist on vampire lore and the way she handled the romance and the love triangle. I was primed for more action scenes – the books always seemed to be building up to an epic battle, and I never got that release I was expecting. But this is romance, not action-adventure, so the focus is where it should be in that sense. Characterization is everything, and readers can overlook a lot when they are emotionally invested in the characters. And that’s where the strength of Meyer’s series (and her rabid fan base) comes from. The use of first person means you’ll connect with Bella – even if you don’t quite agree with the decisions she makes – and because you connect with her, you come to care for the whole Cullen clan. That’s what keeps you turning pages and starting another 700-page book when you should be in your office working on your own book. :) So do I recommend Twilight? Definitely. It’s an entertaining, easy read with some very emotional moments. I wish I could create characters that compelling, and it’s worth the investment of time just to get to know these people. But make sure you’re not on deadline when you start reading… A Little Bit Wicked by Victoria Alexander I love a big, meaty historical. I couldn’t write one to save my life, but I love reading them. How then, did I miss Victoria Alexander? It wasn’t until I heard her speak at the RWA Conference this summer and fell in love with her sense of humor that I picked up one of her books. And I’m very glad I did. A Little Bit Wicked isn’t your usual historical – how often is the heroine considered “scandalous” because of her actions with members of the opposite sex and it turn out to be mostly true? I really liked Judith – she’s independent and living her life, even if that means she’s outside the strictures of society. And when Gideon sticks his foot in his mouth, she calls him on it – and it was great! Gideon is dreamy – everything an Alpha hero in a historical romance should be. While he starts his pursuit of Judith for some very wrong reasons, his thinking gets turned around pretty darn quick. And it’s HOT. Two slightly scandalous people who aren’t looking to get married and just want to have a good time on their own terms. It’s a great premise for a book and Victoria Alexander has a great time thwarting them both. A Little Bit Wicked is part of a set of connected books, so be ready to invest the time to read them all. You won’t regret it. The Barefoot Princess and the Prince Kidnaps a Bride by Christina Dodd Reviewed by Kira Sinclair I’ve heard so many people recommend books by Christina Dodd over the years but somehow one never made it to my to-be-read pile. Since Christina will be the featured speaker for Southern Magic’s Reader’s Luncheon on November 1st (both Kimberly and I will be there too) I decided that it was high time for me to read one. And boy was I impressed! So impressed that I immediately ran out and bought the next book in the series I’d jumped into the middle of. In The Barefoot Princess Amy, Princess of Beaumontagne, has been in exile since she was a little girl. She might have started her life with every advantage but civil unrest has stripped her of everything – including her family. Angry at how the people of her new home are being treated, she kidnaps Jermyn Edmondson, Marquess of Northcliff, in order to right his wrongs. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned and his uncle refuses to pay the ransom that could save the village he’s neglected. Her rash acts open Jermyn’s eyes to things about himself he doesn’t like. As the days progress he finds it increasingly difficult to ignore the tempting beauty who holds him captive. How could one daring act turn so wrong…or is it right? In The Prince Kidnaps a Bride Sorcha, Crown Princess of Beaumontagne, finds the convent where she’s been hiding the last several years is no longer the safe haven she once thought. Forced to leave on a treacherous journey home, she accepts the offer of a simple fisherman to accompany her and keep her safe – from her own impulsive friendliness and the assassins set to hunt her. Only the fisherman isn’t who he claims. He is Prince Rainger, exiled ruler of Richarte, and the fiancé Sorcha has long thought dead. Can both of them overcome their fears in order to find happiness, find the strength to topple a ruthless usurper and discover the courage to rule? I enjoyed both of these books immensely and look forward to reading Christina Dodd’s next release. Night Keepers by Jessica Anderson Reviewed by Angel The Playfriends who went to National Conference without me this year did a really thoughtful thing. They mailed me a box of books and goodies. Inside I discovered an absolute gem, Night Keepers by Jessica Andersen. Confession time: I’m a true lover of paranormal romances, even though I can’t write them. But I devour books about vampires, werewolves, and magic as much as any other paranormal junkie. While this book delves into magic, it’s different from anything I’ve seen before. Based on the Mayan calendar and the 2012 doomsday prophecy, Andersen created the Nightkeepers, a society of magis and their protectors destined to protect humans from the evil that will infiltrate and destroy the world in 2012. But their numbers are decimated by a massacre that leaves behind only a handful of children, now adults, who have five years to hone their warrior skills and save the world. Their king, Striking Jaguar, attempts to thwart a demon from unlocking the door to the underworld, and finds himself face-to-face with his greatest love and the woman who will become his greatest sacrifice. Now he must find a way to stop the demon, save his true love, and become a willing King. Whispers in the Dark by Kira Sinclair, Harlequin Blaze - August 2008 Dr. Desire has met his match! Karyn Mitchell once thought she’d never let another man touch her. It's taken five long years to work through the trauma of her past, she just needs someone to help her break through that last barrier to a real relationship. Listening to the radio talk show host, Dr. Desire, Karyn knows he can be the one to help her. Now, if only she can convince a total stranger to sleep with her... Christopher Faulkner, aka Dr. Desire, has built a career as a man who knows just how to handle a woman. When he's propositioned on the air by a caller, he has an unexpected reaction - he wants to say yes. But will doing so put his career and reputation at risk? And is he even qualified to take on a damaged woman when he, too, has wounds that need healing? I had the privilege of being one of the few people that got to read a draft of this book over a year ago. Revisions have come and gone since then and the story turned out even better than I imagined it could. I am envious of Kira's gift for creating seductively real characters and ability to write scorching hot love scenes. This author is one to watch and I can safely say it has nothing to do with Playground bias (although she is fabulous!). Shameless plug time - get your copy here! THEN YOU HIDE by Roxanne St. Claire Reviewed by Marilyn Puett Southern gentleman Wade Cordell is the best marksman in the military. Or he was until he left because he was tired of killing people for a living. When Lucy Sharpe offers him a full-time position with the Bullet Catchers instead of the part-time consulting work he’s been doing, he waffles. He knows Bullet Catchers protect their clients, but he hasn’t forgotten that sometimes they have to kill in order to protect. So Lucy offers him a “gimme” – a simple assignment to find a woman who’s on a vacation in the Caribbean. Find her and take her to meet the woman who gave birth to her and then sold her to a black market adoption ring. The woman who’s serving a life sentence for murder. The woman who is dying a needs a bone marrow transplant from a relative. Wade tracks her down on St. Kitts, but Vanessa Porter is a keen negotiator. Before the Wall Street investor with the killer instincts will agree to visit this woman, Wade must help her find her work associate who’s decided to drop out in the islands. What follows is murder and mayhem that takes Wade and Vanessa from island to island, following a trail of clues, which might be leading them to their man – or not. And while Wade is falling in love with the woman he’s supposed to find and protect, Vanessa is fighting the emotions because she can’t possibly love a man who killed for a living, any more than she can care for a woman who is not only serving time for murder, but who sold her like an unwanted lamp. Rapid-fire dialogue and a plot full of twists and turns highlight this second book in Ms. St. Claire’s 2008 Bullet Catchers trilogy. This bodyguard is to die for and he steams up the love scenes like rain on asphalt in August. He’s met his match in Vanessa, a spitfire with a brilliant business sense but who considers herself unworthy of anyone’s love. You won’t be disappointed in this fast-paced romantic suspense. Nobody Does It Better by Jennifer LaBrecque (Blaze, July 2008) The very obvious statement I could make here is that nobody does it better than Jennifer LaBrecque, but that might get me in trouble with my other writer friends! So, I’ll just say that Jennifer’s new book ROCKS! Set in Venice, this book pairs an everyday American schoolteacher with a sexy British spy. Holly and Gage are an unlikely couple, but it works so well here. Like in all of Jennifer’s books, the characters are funny and likable, and when Holly’s germ phobia helps her be mistaken for a notorious international spy, I spit my drink all over my book. The sex is hot, hot, hot –so hot, I didn’t want to stop reading in order to do the revisions to my manuscript. There’s a restaurant scene that sizzles, but it was the gondola ride that won me over. I’ll never think of Venice’s most famous icon in the same way again. But the book has a heart—and I’m not just talking about the love story. Holly’s personal journey had some very unexpected twists, and my heart broke for her. Gage is suave and works that international spy vibe without any 007 cheesiness. And, yes, I’m a sucker for Jennifer’s British heroes. This book gets the Problem Child seal of approval for a hot and fun book that’s a perfect way to while away a hot summer afternoon. Make sure your drink has ice—you’ll need it. The Loner by Rhonda Nelson(Blaze, July 2008) In one stupid moment of inattentiveness, Lucas “Huck” Finn’s career with the Rangers was over. He lived and breathed the work he did and wondered how he’d live without the Army. Then he was offered a position with Ranger Security, a top-notch firm founded by three former Rangers, and he’s a little less worried about his future. Well, he is until he learns he’s being assigned to babysit a spoiled heiress who’s received several threatening letters. Huck figures he’ll suck it up and handle the assignment until he sets eyes on Sapphira Stravos and (1) he reacts to her in a visceral way that’s way more than a bodyguard should feel and (2) he has a gut feeling that something’s not right. Sapphira hates having a bodyguard, but her father has insisted. She’s run off three already, but she’s met her match in Huck Finn. The sparks she feels toward him are strong and she’d love nothing more than let them burst into full flame. But if she does, then Huck will learn the truth about her and he’ll probably tell her father and her secret life will be over. THE LONER is trademark Rhonda Nelson fiction: strong alpha drop-dead-gorgeous heroes, smart sexy heroines who can hold their own; brilliant snappy dialogue, smart, sophisticated humor and sex that would scald an iron skillet. This latest release in her “Men Out of Uniform” series is sure to please. It’s a terrific hot read for a hot summer day – or night. To Seduce a Bride by Nicole Jordan Reviewed by Instigator I’ve been on a historical kick lately and Nicole Jordan is one of my new great finds. Her Courtship Wars trilogy, a trio of books I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, ends with To Seduce a Bride. Lilian Loring, the youngest of the three Loring sisters, has vowed she will never marry. Turning over her happiness and freedom to another person is simply too risky – especially when it involves a man who could leave her broken and desperate the way her father left her mother. The fact that her two older sisters have recently found love and marriage doesn’t sit well with her... Neither does a run-in with Heath Griffin, the Marquess of Claybourne, at her sister’s wedding. Telling him no and running away is the best response she can come up with to the unwelcome attraction he stirs inside. But Heath isn’t the type of man to take no for an answer, going so far as to follow Lily to a boarding house for women of ill repute. In the end, this book is a wonderful story of persistence, finding the best things in the most unusual places and trusting our instincts over our fears. This book is a fantastic escape, the entire series well worth the read. Pick up To Pleasure a Lady, To Bed a Beauty and To Seduce a Bride today! First You Run by Roxanne St. Claire Reviewed by Marilyn Puett When Adrien Fletcher agrees to help his best mate, ousted Bullet Catcher Jack Culver, find a baby adopted through a black-market ring thirty years ago, he never dreams he’d be thrust into the world of Maya culture. He’s given a name – Miranda Lang – and a clue – she was marked with a tattoo. Together, they may be able to solve a thirty-year-old murder. Miranda, an anthropology professor at Berkley, is promoting her book which debunks the theory that the Mayans predicted December 21, 2012 as the end of the world. But someone is out to stop her. Signings are disrupted or mysteriously cancelled, books disappear by the case and her life is threatened. If Miranda is indeed the adoptee Fletch is looking for, he must keep her safe from the lunatics who seem determined to stop her. And if along the way his attraction to Miranda turns into more, he’ll just have to deal with that too. Fletch, a former member of the Tasmanian Special Ops, is the most engaging Bullet Catcher to date. He’s fearless in the face of danger and known for his ability to get a woman horizontal and naked in under five seconds. Miranda is his intellectual match, but she’s a woman hounded by fears. Who better to help her conquer them than Fletch? Watching these two in action was pure bliss. Sexy, thrilling, spellbinding, romantic – FIRST YOU RUN cover all the bases of a great romantic suspense while including a little history and geography lesson as well. The plot and characters hooked me from the first page and kept me hooked until I finished at four in the morning. This book – especially the hero – was well worth losing a night’s sleep. His for the Taking by Julie Cohen Reviewed by Problem Child Most of the romance reading and writing world cut their teeth on Harlequin Presents. I’m one of the exceptions, but even I’ve read a few. It’s never been an auto-buy for me, though—sheiks and virgins just aren’t my thing. So why am I reviewing a Presents this month? Because it’s not really a Presents. Yeah, the cover looks like a Presents. The title sounds like a Presents. It’s part of the Presents line. Between those covers, though, it’s a Modern Heat. Miss the old Temptations? Then Modern Heat is for you—and they’re being released in the US now as part of the Presents line. Yay! (Presents has moved to twelve books a month, and rumor has it that four of them will be Modern Heats. My fingers are crossed that’s really the truth.) Julie Cohen’s His For the Taking is the US release of Driving Him Wild. Cab driver Zoe and park ranger Nick mesh like chalk and cheese at first, but the friction makes for much fun. A missing father, a deceased aunt with a secret (and a large estate), and a wounded NYC pigeon round out our major characters, and set Nick and Zoe on the adventure that leads them from the city to the backwoods to HEA. It’s a fun ride (pun intended). Both characters have emotional baggage, but it’s on wheels and fits in the overhead bin—just the way I like it. Neither one is so wounded or stunted that they evoke pity from the reader; instead, their motivations are understandable, believable, and totally relatable. So Julie Cohen gets rave reviews from me this month, and I’m recommending His For the Taking to one and all. I’m hoping all of Cohen’s books are in the same vein, and I’ll be checking into her backlist. The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks,
Love at Stake Series Book 4 In The Undead Next Door, Kerrelyn Sparks's brand of vampirism meets Parisian fashion design in a small Texas town. With her unique blend of wit and flair, Sparks once again revisits the Love at Stake series. This is the story of Jean-Luc Echarpe, the Parisian coven master, who must go into hiding for 25 years to protect the secret of his immortality from the world. He chooses the sleepy town of Schnitzelberg, TX, where he inadvertently endangers the lives of Heather Westfield and her daughter. His attempts to protect the feisty divorcee are thwarted by her determination to stand on her own two feet after ditching her controlling husband. This story updates readers on a beloved cast of characters and introduces some shocking surprises. Skye O'Malley by Bertrice Small Reviewed by Alexandra Frost Few books can shape someone. I’ve been a part of several online discussions about someone’s first romance novel or what book turned them on to the romance genre. Katherine Woodiwiss is always mentioned, as is Bertrice Small. Her story, Skye O’Malley, was that book for me. I read it far too young, then proceeded to devour the entire 6 book collection. I recently tripped across it online and the book has been re-released as of December 26th, 2007. I’m so glad to see this book has been reprinted. In the past, it has been difficult to find and even more difficult to keep. (Be careful who you loan it to, I’ve lost 3 copies.) Appropriate, I say, that I write a review for the book that changed by life in a way. Skye O’Malley is no ordinary woman and this is no ordinary romance novel. This is the first book in a saga that follows an extraordinary woman’s journey through a tumultuous time in history. From the coasts of Ireland, to the harems of Algeria, to the court of Queen Elizabeth herself, you travel along with a woman ahead of her time. Unlike your standard romance, there is no one hero, no predicable plot arc, but a roller coaster of love, betrayal, loss and joy as Skye navigates her way through a life few could imagine living. If you enjoy rich historicals, this book is a must. Small goes above and beyond in her descriptions of the clothing, the food, and the settings. It makes the character’s surroundings come alive. I picked up most of my Elizabethan history from reading these books. If you fancy a tale with pirate ships or sultry locales like Africa, the Middle East and India, you’ll find that too. If you like an erotic story with a plot where the sexuality makes sense and don’t mind a bit of the purple prose early romances are known for, this is the book. My only warning is that you block off enough time to finish not only this story, but the 2nd novel All the Sweet Tomorrows so you can complete Skye’s story. (The remaining 4 books have Skye in them, but the stories focus on her children and other family.) |
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