Musings by Wink

Split by Tara Moss

2012-01-25T08:00:00.004+08:00

ISBN 0-8439-5643-7

Dorchester Publishing, New York

Reviewed by Lesley Ann Smith, January 2011.

This is the second book by Tara Moss and the second of the Makedde Vanderwall books.

Recently returned to Canada from Australia, Mak is continuing her studies in forensic psychology. She is plagued by nightmares of her encounter with a serial killer in the first book, Fetish. Several girls go missing from the university where Mak is studying and their bodies are discovered in a nearby forest. Mak seems to have an inbuilt attraction to danger that she can’t escape.

She’s also attracted to Detective Andy Flynn who rescued her from the serial killer in Fetish. Andy is in Canada for training with the FBI and is assigned to case of the murdered students. Andy tries to warn Mak but she avoids him and her feelings for him and is plunged into danger.

Split is a pacy psychological thriller with a satisfying romance subplot. The characters are authentic and the emotional pathologies ring true. The protagonists are empathetic and keep the reader’s interest. The danger and suspense are vivid and sustained to the end of the story.

Split was shortlisted for the 2003 Davitt Award for Best Australian Crime Novel.

Tara Moss is a multi-published author and information on her other books can be found at her website. http://www.taramoss.com/novels/index.php

This review has been written as part of WInk Girl’s commitment to the 2012 Australian Women Writers Challenge. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Women-Writers/176862202396763

http://www.australianwomenwriters.com/p/australian-women-writers-book-challenge_25.html

Turbocharge Your Writing

2012-01-18T08:00:00.003+08:00

Continuing our goal setting theme for January, I thought I'd move on to the practical question of how to deliver on all those words that we've promised ourselves for 2012.

Late last year I went to a seminar delivered by Hugo Kearns. He travels the world helping academics to get their work down on paper and I thought many of his techniques were also relevant for writing popular romance fiction. His seminar was a lot of fun and as he described the many excuses and avoidance behaviors that writers employ I felt he’d been watching me.

He gave some great advice.

Work out where you are with the various writing projects and decide on the next thing that has to be done and do it. Make the writing goal specific and small.

Writing is a creative process and your thinking will become clearer as you write.
Don’t wait to be motivated. Sit down to write and don’t do anything else but write. Practice doing this every day and the words will come.
Snack write – write little and often and before you finish decide on the next important thing that has to be written.
Set specific times to write.

Hugo said that anxiety stops people from writing and that the best way to deal with the anxiety is exposure. Write for at least 45 minutes each day even if at first you produce very little. Keep at it and don’t do anything but write in that 45 minutes and the words will come. This ties in neatly with the snack writing concept.

All of this advice is contained in more detail in his book Turbocharge Your Writing which is available from his website http://www.ithinkwell.com.au. The book is written for an academic audience but the tone is humorous and engaging and it’s an easy read.

Let's get moving on all those words we've promised ourselves in 2012.

My goals for 2012

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000+08:00

I’ve always made a list of goals. Some short term some longterm. Since Wink began as a crit group I’ve tried to put work out to eachmeeting. When my kids were little getting out and talking to adults aboutsomething other than sleep cycles and nappies was a blessing.

This year that goal of putting work out to every meetinghasn’t changed.

My other goals have. It’s not about submissions any more somuch as about juggling edits with new work ( this seems obvious but realisinghow much time edits can take was a learning curve) and promo commitments.

I’d like two write two novels this year (depending on contractsI might have to write 2 novels)

I also still love novellas. They are short and fun—I like itwhen reviewers say they wished they were longer as it means they were drawn inand loved the characters. So I’d like to write a couple of them. I’m sure my Edat Ellora’s Cave will be happy to hear that J

I have several stories that need to be polished before I cansubmit them. They are my short term goal as I’d like to send them out before Igo to RT in April.

My special challenge for the year is to write a Christmasthemed story. I realised in December I’d never done one. NEVER. Not even a hintof a plot or a whiff of an idea. Actually looking at my list of goals I’d behappy just to come up with an idea.

So this year I shall be writing, lots!

Shona

Good, better, best

2012-01-12T20:14:00.002+08:00

Like some of the other Winkettes this year my only resolution has nothing to do with goals. Nope, not a one. Ready for this? Here it is;

I will do the best I can.

That's it. End of New Year's resolution. I already feel better. No guilt. Here I am completing Tuesday's to do list on Thursday night and that's okay. It was the best I could manage this week.

That's not to say that I don't have goals, I do. They're the usual, start new contemporary manuscript, lose weight, finish the paranormal, exercise more, be a better Winkette, eat more healthily etc.

What's more, thanks to Bob Mayer's fantastic workshop at conference last year I have a better idea of how to set up my goals in a practical way for working day to day. If you ever get the chance to go to one of Bob's workshops GO! Even if you have to give up chocolate for a year to save up for it. (Yep, that good.) (And yes, I do eat that much chocolate.)

Now, I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I get away with all sorts of stuff because I'm "creative". Lateness, procrastinating, vagueness and generally being a bit dippy. I know I'm not the only one. A certain fashion designer I know is late for everything and makes me look like a model of having it togetherness. However I come from a creative family, we have a couple of photographers, an actor, an artist and numerous artisans and musicians. Not many of us actually manage to make our livings from our chosen areas. In my family being creative is no excuse for anything.

So, if I'm to do the best I can, I have to stop using my creative left brainedness as an excuse for not getting stuff done.

I'll do the best I can.

H! :)

New Year, New Year's Resolutions - Not this Chickie!

2012-01-08T07:05:00.001+08:00

As the New Year is 8 days old (well 7 for me as I'm a day behind in the US) new year's resolutions are still shiny and sparkly and are probably still being adhered to. Not this little black duck,sorry I don't set resolutions and, hang on to your seats, I don't really set goals. I have a lot of maybes and hopes and wishes.

I know a lot of goal setters out there are going, well no wonder she's not getting anything she doesn't set goals. Well I guess I'm different. I know I should set goals but then I feel the pressure and that pushes me back even further. So I don't set them and I go along on my way.

I often review what I've done over the past year on my own blog (link on the side) I like to look back and I see the things I've achieved and I feel pretty proud of what I've done. Last year I traveled a bit - something I've not really done before. Did I set goals for that? No! Was it a good experience - heck yes!

So even though I don't set goals and don't set resolutions I still achieve what I'm happy to achieve. Could I do more - Yes. Will I do more? Who knows what tomorrow holds for me. I do know that I'll tackle whatever is thrown at me this year to the best of my ability, and that's all anyone can ask for.

Nicole

Happy New Year = Resolutions

2012-01-04T08:00:00.003+08:00

It's that time of year again. Where many of us reflect on the year gone by and make promises about what we can change in the coming year.
Generally my resolutions are about more. Exercise more, write more, live more, socialise more. I start them and I finish them; usually within the same month I started them.
I'm doing something different this year.
I'm making affirmations.
The key is to make it current and make it positive. Instead of saying "I will write every day", say instead "I am talented and make time each day to be creative". Write these affirmations down and stick them somewhere obvious or, even better, stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself them every day.
Are you brave enough to make your writing goals part of your pysche?

I've learnt this past year that life is a whole lot shorter than you would wish it to be.
So what about you? This year, are you going to make resolutions or affirmations?

Good luck and have a wonderful year.
Kym

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T09:00:00.001+08:00

Season's Greetings to you all!!

We'd like to take this opportunity to say a huge THANK YOU for your readership this year.

We wish that you are surrounded by love and truly feel its presence over the coming weeks. Here's to many happy memories over the Christmas season!

Merry Christmas from all of us at WINK.

4 things I’ve learned this year

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000+08:00

1) I still struggle when filling out cover art forms. Ithought it would get easier with practice but it hasn’t. I am so grateful forthe cover artists who read it and turn it into something amazing. (I bloggedabout it here: http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/2011/11/im-thankful-for-cover-artists.html )

2) No matter how fun and exciting the new story is, anythingwith a deadline comes first.

3) Waiting to hear back from my editor(s) on a submission isstill nerve racking.

4) Some books are easy, some books are hard work. But theend result of seeing my name on the cover is totally worth it.

What have you learned about your writing this year?

Shona

2012 Australian Women Writers Challenge

2011-12-01T10:28:00.000+08:00

There are so many great Australian women writers.

Let’s join the challenge to read those great books in 2012. I’m committing the WInk girls to read 12 books by Australian women in 2012 and post the reviews.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Women-Writers/176862202396763

Feeding the Inner Student

2011-11-14T06:28:00.001+08:00

In the last two months I've spent two days focused solely on my craft - one day in October and one day in November. It's like feeding your soul when you spend a full day learning and soaking in new ideas. Some ideas float off your back others stick like glue.

The first all day workshop I did was with Alexandra Sokoloff - she was a great speaker and now I really can't watch a movie without thinking of all the high points the movie is hitting and which part of the movie they are occurring in - ie. 15 minute mark, halfway through, three quarters. I swear the first movie I watched after her workshop I timed it and it hit every point she mentioned. It was a great way to look at your novel too. Using the 3 act structure isn't a new concept but I didn't really get it, until I saw her workshop. So now I'll be looking at where in my novel I'm at and which high points I need to hit. She's a great speaker and check out her website to see if she's speaking near you. Definitely worth checking her out!

The second all day workshop I did was with the fabulous Michael Hauge. Fellow WinkGirl Lesley-Ann Smith loves Michael and his workshops - now I know why. Man did I have so many moments where, I finally get it! Yep I can definitely use that! He was very friendly too and when I wanted clarification on something he was more than happy to give my the answer to help me along. His principle was very similar to Alexandra's. I guess he was the original person to use screenwriting and transferring it to novel writing as he's been in the industry for a long time. Again definitely check out his website and find out where he's speaking next, it won't be a waste of your time.

Even though the two workshops were very similar I got different things out of both of them. And that is what happens when you go to national conferences. So many workshops which may have similar themes will resonate for some but will leave others cold.

Now for me what I have to do is put into practice what I've learned.

N

Guest Post: Stephanie Draven

2011-10-31T08:00:00.006+08:00

I'm thrilled to welocme Stephanie Draven to Musings by WINK. I love dark paranormal romance and her newest release DARK SINS & DESERT SANDS sounds like my kind of read. But why is dark paranormal romance so popular?

Paranormal Romance: The New Face of the Bodice Ripper

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, a common trope in romantic fiction was the forced seduction. These books were filled with heroes who either seemingly or actually ravished the heroine against her will...and they were extremely popular. These types of stories were eventually condemned for glorifying bad, or even criminal, behavior. A new awareness of damaging stereotypes about women took hold of the industry and the romance genre transformed.

But the fantasy behind the success of these books didn’t disappear quite so easily. There remains a perpetual allure to a hero who is so dark and dangerous that he might not be able to control his animal instincts. The thought that a woman might be able to tame such a man is something deeply rooted in our most primal understanding of our gender. It’s a very old, if unenlightened, courtship dance between men and women.

In the modern world, of course, there is no place for this kind of interplay between men and women. Behavior that might have been seen as sexy and seductive even fifty years ago, is now a mark of a man who doesn’t respect women as equals or perhaps a man who needs to spend some time in jail. We all get that.

But instead of exploring gender dynamics as they existed in their historical contexts, bodice rippers went underground. These days, every Duke in every Regency Romance is a gentleman who never violates the consent of his lady love (nevermind that she lives in a world in which her consent is entirely suspect if not irrelevant). All the lords and ladies and Viking marauders and pirate captains and knight errants that populate the historical romances of today conform quite nicely to contemporary standards of love between men and women. (You certainly won’t see anything like Beatrice Small’s Kadin, where a sultan quite naturally takes on several wives and lovingly keeps them in his harem.)

So, where did the monstrous men go? They transformed into vampires whose supernatural urges might lead them to pierce the tender flesh of the heroine without her consent because of hunger. They transformed into werewolves and shapeshifters and magic-wielding immortals for whom the normal rules of civilized behavior toward the heroine no longer apply. The heroes in paranormal romances seldom force the heroine into sexual intimacy, but they often do horrible, nearly unforgivable things to her before she finally redeems them with her love.

This isn’t a bad thing. Paranormal romance carries with it an overt message that this is not real. This is all play-pretend. The rules of this world are not the rules of our world, so it’s safe to read about heroes behaving badly. (But it should leave readers to wonder why historical settings aren’t fanciful enough to give this same message. History is a foreign setting; it’s as much a strange world as the ones paranormal romance authors invent, so why can’t we acknowledge it as every bit as much a fantasy?)

Just as interesting about the paranormal romance genre is that while it has become a bastion for the baddest boys of romance, it has also embraced some of the romance genre’s most liberated women. Reflections of contemporary women’s equality abound in these books right alongside the most sexist attitudes. A vampire hero who rips the bodice of his heroine to drink her blood might just as well find that she’s a succubus who has enticed him to his own demise.

In my latest novel, DARK SINS & DESERT SANDS, there’s a good deal of this kind of behavior from my hero. He’s an Arab-American soldier, wrongly accused of treason and tortured. He blames our heroine, Layla Bahset, and he has good reason to. She was his interrogator. So when he goes looking for her, love isn’t the first thing on his mind. And he’s certainly not gentle with her. If seducing her is the only way to bring back her lost memories, he’s happy to use his mind-control powers to do it.

While I certainly don’t glorify his behavior, both my hero and heroine are deeply flawed characters who are able to find redemption in one another, and paranormal romance gave me the ability to explore their story in a way that I otherwise couldn’t.

That paranormal romance gives authors this kind of freedom from the baggage of the real world seems to work in all directions to create new romantic fantasies right alongside the old. If this accounts for the popularity of the genre, it might well foretell its longevity, too.

Coming up...

2011-10-28T08:00:00.001+08:00

Stephanie Draven will be guest blogging on 31 October about her new book DARK SINS & DESERT SANDS.

Wrongfully accused and broken by torture, an American soldier transforms into a mind-controlling minotaur bent on revenge…

Escaping a hellish Syrian prison, U.S. serviceman Ray Stavrakis emerges with uncanny powers and an eerie ability to morph into a mythical Minotaur, half-man, half-bull. Only one woman can prove his innocence and soothe the savage beast inside–the same woman who’d driven him to the brink of insanity with her cool-eyed interrogation and her hot-blooded sensuality.

But Vegas psychologist Layla Bahset has no memory of Ray or her past. Only a feeling of being stalked by a nonhuman predator. Is it Ray…whose eyes condemn her soul even as his hands ignite her body? Or is another evil force hunting her down like prey?

Now nothing can stop Layla from remembering what she really is…and what her evil creator has planned for her and her soldier lover…

Giveaway Winner

2011-10-22T17:12:00.001+08:00

By random draw:

Congratulations Tom...which is really Ingrid.

email me (shona at shonahusk dot com) your postal address and I'll get the prize pack to you.

Shona

Giveaway-The Goblin King

2011-10-16T09:09:00.000+08:00

For the past two weeks I’ve been blogging all over the place and Sourcebooks has been giving away copies of The Goblin King, Shadowlands book 1. The catch was they were only for US and Canadian residents.

But not today!

Today I’m giving away a Goblin prize pack which includes a signed copy of the book, some sticky notes and bead earrings and its only open to Aus/NZ residents because we like free books too (well I know I do :)).

I’m going to make it really easy--just leave a comment. That’s it.

Closes Friday the 21st October at 1pm EST, winner announced on Saturday 22nd October.

THE GOBLIN KING BY SHONA HUSK – IN STORES OCTOBER 2011

Once Upon a Time…
A man was cursed to the Shadowlands, his heart replaced with a cold lump of gold. In legends, he became known as… The Goblin King.

For a favored few he will grant a wish. Yet, desperately clinging to his waning human soul, his one own desire remains unfulfilled… A Willing Queen.

But who would consent to move from the modern-day world into the realm of nightmares? No matter how intoxicating his touch, no matter how deep his valor, loving him is dangerous. And the one woman who might dare to try could also destroy forever his chance at a … Happily Ever After.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debut author Shona Husk is a civil designer by day and an author by night. She lives in Western Australia and through history, myth and imagination she creates heroes that are armed and dangerous but have a heart of gold-sometimes literally. For more information on Shona and The Goblin King, and where to download the FREE prequel, The Summons, please visit: http://www.shonahusk.com/.

Taking care of the future me

2011-10-09T14:29:00.000+08:00

Kaizen is a Japanese word for the concept of continuous improvement. It means using small, gradual improvements to make a change. I use it a lot in my working life and this site http://smallstepstobigchange.com/ applies the technique to writing. I subscribe to their regular emails and this week's email hit me right between the eyes.

Many of us live with the assumption that somehow we'll have more time in the future, that things that worry or distract us now will have been solved. So our natural response to this belief is to put off things to that time when we believe that we will be less busy. But the opposite happens. By not dealing with things today we add to the burden we have to carry in the future.

The best reason for setting realistic goals now and following through on them is that we are creating a better life for our future selves.

As a talented procrastinator of decades experience I think at last I've found a worthwhile reason for doing things now.

What's on in October

2011-09-25T09:00:00.003+08:00

The Goblin King is released on the 4th and I'm doing a book signing at 10:30am on October 8 at Temptation the Romance Bookstore in Subiaco, WA.

But if you don't live in Perth there's plenty of other places to find me as I'll be blogging all over the place (I'll be updating Twitter and facebook as the posts go live).

All Things Urban Fantasy is have Spooky Legends 2 and Roan (from The Goblin King) will be sharing his view on the the Black Shuck.

Night Owl Reviews is having a scavenger hunt so if you haven't joined in it's not too late and there's plenty of prizes.

Whose Story Is it?

2011-09-09T22:04:00.001+08:00

There’s a new, independent bookshop, Crow Books, just opened in my neighbourhood- let’s hear it for the true believers in books!! Once a month, there’s a “Meet the author and have a taste of a local wine-maker’s produce” evening. How very civilised.

This week, Lesley and I went along to meet and listen to Liz Byrski talk about her new book, Last Chance Cafe. Liz, author of ten Australian novels, writes about women entering the third age of their lives: in their fifties and sixties, these women have new beginnings, opportunities and adventures.

I was fascinated to discover that Liz, whose books I enjoy very much, is a ‘panster’ with a difference. Somehow, I’d always assumed she plotted her characters adventures and growth, but she doesn’t. Liz brings together a framework of issues about which she is passionate- the vibrancy of women’s lives after the family-raising stage, the quest to redefine self, take that adventure always put aside for others, revisit turning points and set them in perspective, among others. Then her characters introduce themselves to her, create themselves and set out along the roads that they define. Liz writes of their journeys, never quite sure where that will lead, only that each action, decision and turning point is true for that character. When her stories bog down, Liz says, she knows she isn’t listening to her women.

It was an important lesson for me to carry away from a very enjoyable event. Writing historicals, I can become carried away with the facts and realities of the period. I need to listen more, hear what my characters are feeling, follow their journeys and stop bossing them around!

Heroes and Dads

2011-09-04T17:53:00.000+08:00

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there.

I thought I would devote this blog to Dad’s, Grandpa’s and men in general.

With this in mind, I began to think about the heroes in books and which one was my favourite. It might be cliché but Mr Darcy is at the top of the list. Not because of his brooding quality, his money or his devotion to Elizabeth but that I can relate to him. I, like Mr Darcy, can be misunderstood. Being in a room full of people makes me uneasy too and often people who don’t know me call me a snob rather than shy or reserved. I say things with tact (mostly) but don’t suffer fools. And I envy the Elizabeth’s of the world who can laugh at themselves and ‘converse easily with strangers’. Perhaps that is why I too am drawn to them in a partner.

My favourite character that is a Dad would have to be Steve from Debbie Macomber’s ‘This Matter of Marriage’. He’s a fun father of two and leaps to the rescue when Halle’s niece comes to stay and won’t stop crying. You’ve got to love a capable man!

My favourite Grandpa character is Stanley from Rachel Gibson’s ‘The Trouble with Valentine’s Day’. I like his keen observations on his granddaughters’ affair and his oblivion with his own budding romance.

So for all the heroes out there – no matter your age – thanks for being memorable words on the page.

And to my Dad – you are an amazing man and I will love you forever.

Who are your favourite Hero/Dad/Grandpa characters?

Dark Vow (sneak peak)

2011-08-28T07:00:00.001+08:00

Dark Vow (Carina Press November 14) is a Western style fantasy, so there's magic guns, vampiric horses, a vow, a quest, a duel...and of course a happy ending.

Since I received the back cover copy this week, and the good news that it will be available as an audio book, I thought I'd share:

Jaines Cord plans to kill the man who murdered her husband, even though killing a Bounty Hunter is said to be impossible. One bullet took away her livelihood, her home and her love. One bullet made by her. Fired from the gun she completed for the Arcane Bounty Hunter.

Obsidian wears the scars of disobeying the powerful Arcane Union. He barely escaped with his life and now lives quietly, in a town the lawmen forgot. When Jaines arrives asking too many questions, he's faced with a decision. Help her or run…again. Obsidian knows that if he flees he'll always be looking over his shoulder. His name is one of the first on the Bounty Hunter's death list.

Yet when Obsidian is offered an opportunity to stop the stone taking over his body in exchange for retrieving the gun, he asks Jaines for her help. Now Jaines must choose: a dead man's vengeance or a living man's hope?

RWAustralia Conference

2011-08-17T17:07:00.001+08:00

I spent the weekend in Melbourne (it was freezing as expected). As usual it was great to put faces to names and catch up with other who I hadn’t seen for a while.
Some of the highlights for me were:
Author day—very interesting listening to others speak about their journey and learn from their experience, I also got grilled by Jennifer St George in the media training.
Going to the Harlequin dinner for the first time—everyone was so welcoming and I sat with some lovely ladies including fellow Carina author Janni Nell.
Bob Mayer did the Friday workshop and the take home for me was that naturally we play to our strengths. So I need to look at my weakness and find some courses/books to help with them (no, I’m not sharing what they are)
Friday cocktail party…
Saturday I shopped, but it was for research (and an awesome pair of jeans, three pairs of shoes and a couple of tops).
Sunday I went to the King Tut exhibition. Very interesting and while ancient Egypt fascinates me, it doesn’t inspire me—not in the same way Celtic mythology does. Also on Sunday the Carina Press authors had lunch and it was great to meet them and talk to them and Angela James (who was the first editor to tell me ‘not this but send me something else’ 3 years ago).
By the time I left Melbourne I was exhausted and I have yet to read the conference notes in full.

The overall message was persistence, and it doesn’t matter how you publish it's about reaching the readers—they’re the people that count.

The advice that changed your writing

2011-08-09T09:35:00.000+08:00

I’ve read or tried to read a large number romance novels, many of them poorly written. I’ve lost count of the number of books I’ve thrown at the wall after one chapter or even one page. All the writers of romance I know say the same thing and the comment is shared across manuscript length and genre. A lot of unsatisfying books are being written, published, read and discarded.

There’s also a massively greater number of wonderful romance novels that satisfy readers all over the world.

In writing my stories I didn’t want to add to the number of unsatisfying stories.

Important books for me in developing as a writer were The Hero With A Thousand Faces (Campbell 1949) and The Writer’s Journey (Vogler 1998), a writing guide based on Campbell’s monomyth. The twelve-stage journey based on Campbell’s mythic studies across cultures describes the personal growth, or life principles, of the hero in earliest storytelling and provides a means of sense-making of the experience of life by the reader. The more a reader is able to relate to the characters and their journey the more satisfying the reading experience.

I’ve tried to use the journey of the hero to improve my own writing.

What’s your pivotal craft book?

Winner of ‘In A Treacherous Court’

2011-07-25T18:45:00.001+08:00

The winner of In A Treacherous Court by Michelle Diener is Annie Seaton.

New York! New York!

2011-07-24T06:14:00.000+08:00

"Start spreading the news...."

"The neon lights shine bright on Broadway.."

Just a couple of classic lines that really epitomizes the city of New York. It's a bustle of activity that doesn't slow down, even when it's raining.

On 28th June 2011 three WInk members ventured into the mecca of "the city that never sleeps" and we were really in the mecca. Cath, Lesley Ann and myself found ourselves in the heart of Times Square for the Romance Writers of America annual conference.

For the next three days we surrounded ourselves with women who were like us, had imaginary friends that didn't go quiet until we'd told their story. Even though the three of us had been to the Romance Writers of Australia annual conference, we weren't quite prepared for the sheer amount of people that would attend.

We attended different workshops and learned a lot. For me there was one thing that stuck in my mind. It was an underlying theme of all the workshops that I attended "Give yourself permission to write rubbish in your first draft". What they meant was, just write, if the scene drags on, keep writing it. Put all the cliches in that you want, because you can go back and make it shine.

So that's what I'm doing now. I'm writing and as I write if I think it's going on I keep going, because as we all know you can't edit a blank page.

On a personal note, after the conference was over I stayed and did some sight-seeing with my family. There was one thing that stood out to me. The one landmark that I will NEVER EVER forget seeing. The amazing lady of New York. The Statue of Liberty. She's awe-inspiring.

Keep writing, even rubbish!!

Nicole

Getting in the Romance in Romantic Elements

2011-07-17T08:00:00.002+08:00

Thank you so much to Shona for inviting me to guest blog at Winkgirls today! My debut historical novel with romantic elements, IN A TREACHEROUS COURT, is due for release on August 9th, and I thought I'd explore the concept of weaving romance through a book that could work without it, but not, in my opinion, nearly so well.

My two main characters are based on real people (as are many other characters in the book) and one of the things that drew me to their story was their romance. If they hadn't had one, it wouldn't have gone in the book, but they did marry in real life, so I am able to weave a love story through the main plot with a clear conscience. Of course, their marriage could have been a cold, dispassionate contract for political gain, but as my heroine was not the daughter of a courtier, that seems extremely unlikely. In fact, given Parker, my hero's, position at court, it is almost amazing that Henry VIII did not marry him off to another courtier's daughter. Instead, Parker marries an artist from Ghent (which is in modern-day Belgium). A mystery indeed. And I took that as full evidence of a love match :) .

One clear difference from a straight romance to a novel with romantic elements, is I did not see the need for a lot of conflict between the two main characters. I'm providing them with a lot of external conflict, and their relationship is something of a port in a storm for both of them through most of the book. They work out early on they can trust each other, and they do not hesitate to do so. That trust helps them, and furthers their cause, in a way that makes the whole so much more than the sum of its parts.

Also, because there is a lot of action, and a great deal else happening, as well as their growing relationship, I haven't added a a lot of dialogue between them about their feelings. Actions most definitely speak louder than words and there is an understated sexual tension, and a delight that they take in each other's company, that I hope permeates the book.

I think it's safe to say the book would not have been half as interesting if Parker and Susanna did not have a romantic relationship, and I think that's true for most books. Which is why romance is the biggest seller and so many mainstream books have at least some romantic element to them. Vive l'amour!

Michelle Diener lives in Australia with her husband and two children. She's worked as an editor, a publisher, managed a small IT business, and now writes full time. Her debut historical novel, IN A TREACHEROUS COURT, is due out with Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books on August 9th, and the second book in the series, KEEPER OF THE KING'S SECRETS, is due for an early 2012 release. You can find out more about her at her website http://www.michellediener.com/, her group blog http://www.magicalmusings.com/ or follow her on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/michellediener or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Diener/196593580366013

If you leave a comment you will go in the draw to win a copy of IN A TREACHEROUS COURT.

I'm Delusional

2011-07-13T22:48:00.003+08:00

According to recent articles that have been bandied around on the internet because I read romance books I'm delusional, living in a fantasy world, susceptible to an unplanned pregnancy, expect my billionaire husband is going to run into me at the supermarket and whisk me off to Paris for a weekend of romance, etc etc etc.

Seriously why do the so called professionals think that Romance books will rot our brains? Do they think we are really that dumb? Maybe they could do with reading a few romances, bring some entertainment to their lives.

I've been reading romance novels since I was about 11, I started with the Sweet Dreams romance books. The very first one was called 'PS I Love You' and the hero in that book died at the end. That's not a real happy ever after is it? There was another one I can recall where the girl had a huge crush on the male protaganist, who was a movie star, ended up being in his late twenties and married. I moved on to Francine Pascal's Sweet Valley High series. Read them through most of my high school years. But as I progressed up to the Mills & Boon and Harlequin/Silhouette books I also read Robin Cook's medical thrillers, Sidney Sheldon's books, Jackie Collins. I believe I'm well read and I'm definitely not delusional about romance, marriage and love.

My hero may not be a billionaire, but he spoils me on every birthday and anniversary. But not everyday is a romance novel, we have our tough days.

I've got my feet firmly planted on the ground and not in the clouds.

My name is Nicole, I read Romance Novels and I'm PROUD OF IT!!!

Nicole

Writing Romance

2011-07-05T19:20:00.002+08:00

While Nicole, Lesley and Cath were in New York for the Romance Writers of America conference I was at home working on Kiss of the Goblin Prince (2012). Working on the romance, specifically, to bring it more into focus.

So I was spending a lot of time thinking about romance and what it is and how to make it work on the page. What works in one story doesn’t work in another as every relationship is different.

But all have the first glance and shimmer of attraction and the delicate tension that builds between the characters, and the reader, as they anticipate what comes next.

What makes a romance work for you?

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-06-26T08:00:00.005+08:00

Take one Vampire who can’t feel , one Vampire who won’t bite and add lust…

“I don’t date Vampires.” They stood in the doorway, their bodies almost touching.
“I don’t date.” His hands moved but didn’t touch her. “So why are you here?”
She’d asked herself that question and didn’t like the answer. He brought out the worst in her and she was enjoying it.

Ellora's Cave
All Romance ebooks

For more six sentence sunday fun: http://www.sixsunday.com/

Winter Solstice

2011-06-22T13:24:00.003+08:00

http://www.bom.gov.au/calendar/annual/seasons.shtml

Tonight is the longest night of the year (in the Southern hemisphere)
If you believed in goblins, then you’d leave a gold coin in the front yard (so they take the gold and pass by) and stay inside as tonight is the night goblins can cross from the Shadowlands and into our realm to steal and wreak havoc.

Most people will pass any damage done off as a storm, or some other mundane event safe in the knowledge that goblins don’t exist. They can’t exist.

Goblins are just a fairy tale…

101 days until the story begins with The Goblin King

The Over-40 Heroine – do we care?

2011-06-13T17:03:00.003+08:00

The heroine in most romance novels is in her mid-20s and often younger if it’s historical romance. Yet readers of romance cover a wide age range with over 40 percent in the 31-49 years age group.

It’s clear that the more mature heroine is under-represented in romance novels…but is it a problem?

The strong readership in more mature age groups suggests readers of this age are finding a lot to enjoy in the current offerings.

We know mature women are interested in romance, enjoying romances or seeking a romance if they’re not in one but as readers we seem happy not to read about those journeys.

As writers of romance are we writing heroines younger than we are and if so why?

Is the issue with the publishers? Some imprints have focused on the romantic journey of the older women and not enjoyed the market success that the demographics might have suggested. So we’re back with readers of romance.

I don’t especially look for books where the heroine is a particular age for my reading. It’s the story that’s important for me.

The heroines I’ve created are mainly somewhere in their 30s but I’ve never felt the need to specify an age. I don’t set out to write a heroine younger than me it just seems that 30s is sort of an ‘every age’, neither too old nor too young and so the story seems more accessible.

Goblins on YouTube

2011-06-06T11:12:00.003+08:00

Most ads on TV are annoying, but this one I always watch. It came out a while ago on SBS and they now have a sequel which is just as awesome (I might be biased because it features goblins, but the animation is also excellent).
Here’s the link to the video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0quyCn_FeI
And part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okOAUix-BF0&feature=relmfu

The Goblin King has been included in a video wish list (I'm so thrilled to be included!). You can check out all the books here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD0UuAMOaBQ

And one last video also on a goblin theme is from one of my favourite bands Birds of Tokyo. This song is on my playlist for the goblin series and when I saw the film clip I loved it a little more. The snow makes me think British winter and of course the heroes are cursed Celts.
Wild at Heart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_QmJvNWHW4

Enjoy!

What If....

2011-05-31T08:49:00.002+08:00

It's something we sometimes constantly ask ourselves, what if I didn't do that? What if I did that? etc etc etc.

It's the 'what if's' that we, as writers, use a lot. Sometimes we read a newspaper article and think 'what if' and then a story idea develops, characters come to life and a story is created. We create a scenario that could be out of left field. We may create a new world if we write fantasy/paranormal. We weave our story and the reader never knows that the story they are enjoying came from asking a simple 'what if' question.

Sometimes those 'what ifs' are the best things that happen in our lives.

So I say embrace the 'what ifs' in life because you never know where that 'what if' is going to take you.

Nicki

Twists and turns and plotting

2011-05-22T19:54:00.001+08:00

I was chatting to Shona today on fine-tuning plots and turning points in our WIP’s and she reminded me of the very insightful Donald Maas task: ‘What would your hero/heroine never say, think or do? Then make them do it.’

It seems so simple but is anything but. It can provide a turning point when the H/H recognises the choice between the external goal and the internal desire. When I thought about it, I could see such a scene for my hero before the ‘black moment’.

In my story, he’s totally committed to regaining and restoring his estate. His feelings for the heroine are real enough but less important until he realises she might marry another man. Then it hits him. He would exchange his estate for her love. He takes a risk to secure her love that puts his estate in jeopardy. A much better plot twist than the one I’d been planning on.

Now, I have to think about a similar twist for her. What would she find herself doing to gain or keep his love even if it is contrary to her beliefs, goals or assumptions? Dunno yet-but I’m working on it.

Sometimes I sit on the bus or train into work, lost in the minds and actions of my characters. Something brings me back into the “now” and I wonder with a quiet giggle what my fellow passengers are thinking about as we all head for the day ahead. Plots and twists?

Advice needed

2011-05-14T19:47:00.000+08:00

I was hoping I could use my blog as a request for advice...

How important is a bio and photo to an unpublished author?

Is it money that could be spent on bills or is it putting it out to the universe that I'm ready to be published?

Please comment and tell me your thoughts.

Thanks.

Kym

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-05-08T18:00:00.000+08:00

Attraction can be very inconvenience if you’re posing for a life drawing class like the stranded merman hero, Nik, in An Elemental Tail…

Her gaze met his, cool and gray. A storm waiting to happen. He glanced away, pretending not to notice the accidental eye contact that had sent his blood surging, again. Desire raced over his body, threatening to expose more to the class than a model should. He forced all the breath from his body and thought of plankton.

Lots of plankton.

Amazon
All Romance ebooks

Without an ending there is no beginning

2011-05-07T07:35:00.000+08:00

There is always a mix of relief and sadness when I reach the end of a story. Relief because I’ve managed to finish the first draft and sadness because the character’s story is written and aside from editing and polishing I won’t be spending any more time discovering them.

While I’m counting down until the October release of The Goblin King, and book 2 (Kiss of the Goblin Prince) is with my editor, I’m working on book 3 (For the Love of a Goblin Warrior). So while I was thinking of endings I realised that for my readers it’s the beginning.

You haven’t met Roan yet, or discovered the curse, the bleakness of the Shadowlands and the hope he finds with Eliza.

But I can share the rather delicious cover.

If you want to have a sneak peak at the opening it's here: http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/2011/01/critique-your-best-beginning.html

Patience, Patience and More Patience!

2011-05-03T08:03:00.002+08:00

When you're writing you have to have the patience of a Saint. The name of the publishing game is waiting. And waiting and oh hey, waiting.

The first time to wait and be patient is for inspiration to strike. Sometimes it strikes instantly and you get straight into it. Sometimes it takes a little bit then you're off.

Of course there are days when you're sitting patiently waiting for the words to come and some days that's an intolerable wait and your patience wears thin. The cursor is blinking at you, almost like its mocking you, saying, "Come on, you know you want to. Write something!"

Then it's the waiting patiently for the comments from your critique group. You wait for the words "I love it!! It's an awesome story, but you need to fix this, this and this." That wait is probably one of the most valuable.

Now you've edited it and it's shining brightly like the sun hitting a piece of glass. You've polished it and then you take the plunge, you send it off. Then you either wait for the mailman to bring a letter, or you wait for the email or you wait for a phone call. All the while you are doing this patiently, thinking each day the phone doesn't ring, or the email doesn't ping or the mailbox is empty - No news is good news - right! Each wait becomes more excruciating each time and your patience is probably non-existent.

And when you're published the waiting doesn't go away but by then you should have mastered the art of patience. That's what I'm trying to master now, patience. I'm not succeeding so far, I'm still checking the email every five minutes for an email. Something I'll need to work on as I go along this journey.

Nicki

How to have a successful Crit Group

2011-04-09T15:41:00.002+08:00

With all of us recently riding high on Shona’s successful well-earned publishing wave (go Shona!), I thought it would be a great time to talk about our wonderful journey together as a crit group. I met everyone through our common bond of being members of Romance Writers of Australia. We met in a café in Applecross. Although a nice social atmosphere, we decided it would be too noisy for our future get-togethers and that it would be better to meet in each other’s homes on a rotational basis.

In the early days although we had fun, we didn’t really have a set meeting format. We often spoke over each other, had no real deadlines for work submitted and our critiquing mainly consisted of discussing the plot a bit and editing punctuation/spelling mistakes. Several years have passed and through many discussions, courses, books read, emails and meetings I believe we have taken our critiquing to a more sophisticated level.

So, what have we learnt that works?

1. Set your meetings for the year – we have our meetings once a month, always on a Wednesday at the same time.
2. The person’s house the meeting is held is the host – they serve the refreshments, email the group the order of work submitted (which is critiqued in the order it was emailed to the group) and they also chair the meeting on the night to make sure everyone receives equal time.
3. Work to be critiqued must be submitted by midnight a week before (often there’s a lot to read…)
4. Maximum submission per person of 10,000 words to be critiqued per meeting
5. Not to get ‘personal’ with work being critiqued and not to take things ‘personally’. We are all there to help each other on the road to publication and we’re mindful of each other’s feelings.
6. Everyone is given the opportunity to have their say about each piece of work submitted
7. We agreed on a set of rules that we all abide by
8. Chocolate is our friend

Through our group ‘wink’ we have formed lasting friendships and I would encourage anyone who is serious about enriching their writing to join a critique group.

For WA romance writers looking to join a crit group a great place to start would be at the Romancing the West conference (through Swancon) at the Hyatt on Saturday 23 April 11 – for further information, see Lesley’s facebook page called ‘Romancing the West’. We hope to see you there.

Happy writing.
Donna

What is new in the market?

2011-04-03T00:24:00.000+08:00

I did a blog a while ago, maybe a year or more on knowing your market. Well that has become very important to me at the moment. I need to know what is out in the market for the line I'm now targeting.

I recently received a rejection about a story I submitted but in the rejection the editor said she'd like to work with me on my next submission - so excited. I have to come up with 3 proposals to present to her, which I did, but she came back and goes I need something more unique. Something that's happening now in the world. So it's back to the drawing board.

I was a little disappointed but it highlighted to me, that while I've been reading a variety of books at the moment from historical to contemporary I really need to know what is happening with the line I'm targeting.

Now it's time to buy the latest releases and see what's happening. Also reading the first three chapters isn't going to help me I need to read the whole book.

If you are now targeting a new line or even branching out and trying perhaps a short story, or novella. Before you submit you need to do your homework. You may not want to but you don't want to waste opportunities. See what they're buying. Do you very best. I'm going to say it again. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!! That's what I'm doing now.

Nicki

An action synopsis in 3 minutes?

2011-03-26T06:00:00.000+08:00

Yep! And it kept me laughing all the way. No character development, emotional journey or love story mind you, just the skeleton of the action story line. In 3 minutes. This is a little gem is worth considering when you’re set to tackle the full synopsis and pitch. Where to find it? YouTube Star Dudes-episode IV. Loved it!!

My thanks for finding it go to Karel Segers of The Story Department. Recently the Winkgirls went to a 2 day seminar, The Hero’s Journey, presented by Karel. The weekend was arranged by WAnimate and they generously opened it to others. Thanks guys!! Much of Karel’s presentation was via short clips of animated and regular film and was beautifully done. It gave us much food for thought and discussion about, of course, the heroine’s journey and the love story.

For me, this little 3 minute clip is a funny and stern reminder to balance my stories. I’m a plotter and I write historical romances. For me, it is fatally easy to get drawn into the externals of the story, the social and political realities facing my characters and, in particular, my H/H. If I can’t strip the action plot to 3 minutes and then focus on the emotional, internal story arc and the love story, and take at least 3 minutes for each aspect, then I’m in for a re-think!!
Check it out and have fun.
Hey Dude.

Creativity

2011-03-20T12:33:00.000+08:00

A quote for those losing faith in their writing:

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action. And because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open... Whether you choose to take an art class, keep a journal, record your dreams, dance your story or live each day from your own creative source. Above all else, keep the channel open."

I hope it inspires you to go on.

Kym

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-03-13T20:00:00.001+08:00

When a sexy Inanu (genie) appears out of a bottle what’s a girl to do?
Josie is about to find out…

Her mouth moved without permission from her brain. “How do I…complete the spell?”
“A kiss.” A hint of a smile graced his lips.
As lips went, they were close to perfect. Wide and sensual.
“And then what?”

Boyfriend in a Bottle

paranormal erotic romance
Amazon
Samhain Publishing

Want more snippets? Go to six sentence sunday

Messy Middles

2011-03-12T06:00:00.004+08:00

I plot, so I know what all my big turning points are. I know what my characters want and I know what they need. Yet somehow once I pass that first turning point something happens. I get what I call the messy middles.

The scenes I write leading up to the mid-point (point of no return) get jumbled. My first lot of edits is untangling what I’ve written and putting them in a better order.

I think part of the problem is after the first quarter of the novel other plot threads and characters have come into play and lots has to happen before the event that changes everything happens. Once I’ve hit the PONR it’s relatively smooth sailing to the black moment. Of course black moment to HEA is the easy bit.

What happens in your middle? Does it sag? Does it get messy?

Magical Gains - winner

2011-03-09T16:51:00.002+08:00

The winner of an e-copy of ‘Magical Gains’ by Nicola E. Sheridan is Jenny Schwartz.

Please email Nicola at: nicolae dot sheridan at gmail.com

“Magical Gains – the smell of Genies.”

2011-03-05T19:38:00.004+08:00

Nicola E Sheridan is visiting to celebrate the release of her first novel Magical Gains with a sneak peek behind the scenes and a giveaway.

It is with much excitement that I announce to you (and anyone else who’ll stand still long enough to listen) that my debut novel “Magical Gains” (e-book) will be released 12:01am PST 8th March! The trade paperback will be available around the 14th. Yay!

As a writer and a reader, I have an enduring love for mythological creatures. I like manticores, satyrs, sirens, sylphs and any other that comes to mind, but, I really love Genies. There is something enduringly sexy and desirable about a man (hopefully semi-clad) who appears when you rub a lamp, and offers you anything your heart desires. Thus, it’s no surprise that “Magical Gains” is a romance between a woman and a Genie.

It’s set in a world where all Magical and Mythological beings are real, and considered minority ethnic groups. The main characters are Primrose and Imran, mistress and Genie respectively. Primrose is a pretty but inhibited woman, whose conservative and repressed existence is shattered by Imran’s gorgeous but unwelcome appearance. As wish-taking is illegal and magical gains tax is exorbitant - Imran finds himself stuck with a mistress who will not take his wishes. Suffice to say, the path to true love never runs smoothly. Combined with a jealous fiancé, a plethora of magical beings – each with their own agenda, Primrose and Imran’s journey is no exception!

I was inspired to write “Magical Gains” and indeed the 2nd and 3rd books by this television advert; (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3tK0MulHDI) – and I can tell you, I wouldn’t have wished for chocolate biscuits if he’d appeared in my bedroom!
Part of the seductive allure of the Genie, I believe, is the telltale smoke that comes from his magic. I’m a huge fan of using smells in literature. Whether it be body odour like a putrifying onion or the gentle waft of brewing coffee – smells are essential in my world building. Subsequently, I made my Genie’s smoke exotic and spicy to smell. Each Genie’s smoke is unique - Imran’s holds the aromas of cinnamon and allspice, whilst my other Genies smoke is slightly different but still exotic, and immediately evocative. Delicious! Really I should start a perfume business with the signature scent eau de Genie, in a little lamp shaped bottle...possible merchandise perhaps!

Now comes the give-away! What is the most interesting smell you’ve read about, either in your own writing or reading? Best answer wins a digital copy of “Magical Gains”.

Excerpt:
…when Imran, a Genie, finally revealed himself to his new mistress, it wasn’t to the gasp of pleasure he had first expected. Instead, the rather fetching Primrose Brasco turned a decidedly unfetching puce and clutched at her throat. Her first strangled words to the Genie were not “Oh, my God!” or “Hooray! Three wishes for me!” but the rather uninspiring “Are you registered?”
Imran, despite having a rich knowledge of all things magical and political, was not registered. In fact, he had made it his life objective not to be.
“No” was his first word to her and it dripped from his mouth, heavy with irritation.
Primrose’s puce complexion deepened into an undeniably ugly crimson.
“Then you’ve got to go!” she exclaimed.
“I can’t do that,” Imran replied, his white wolfish teeth glistening in his tanned face. “I’m your Genie,” he said. “I can’t go until you’ve had your three wishes.” He spoke softly and his voice had an indefinable accent, though he spoke in perfect English.
“It’s illegal! The granting of wishes has been banned in Australia for three years! I could be put into a detention center or worse. Try and pay Magical Gains tax! No one can afford Magical Gains taxes!”
Imran sank down onto the squeaking leather sofa, apparently disappointed by Primrose’s unfriendly response. He ran a hand through his short spiky hair and the gesture was ripe with masculine sexuality. Primrose quite involuntarily felt something flip in her stomach.
“Just make three little wishes. No one will know,” Imran urged smoothly. “Just little things, you know, a new pair of shoes, maybe a necklace, and a puppy.” He grinned.
Primrose looked aghast.

If you’re looking for something new, give “Magical Gains” a read. Filled with interesting creatures, exotic (and sometimes bad) smells and tastes – it’s exciting, funny and a totally different take on paranormal romance!
Thanks Wink girls for having me!

(winner to be announced on 9th March)

Writing a short story that sells

2011-02-13T07:00:00.000+08:00

I’ve had quite a few short stories published in the Romance Writers of Australia anthologies and national publications such as Woman’s Day and That’s Life magazines. I thought I’d share a few pointers with you that might help your short stories make that leap to publication as well.

In short stories, I have found less is more. You need to get in and get out of the story as soon as you can to keep the interest of the reader with lightening pace. My published stories have all been 1,000 words or less and there have never been more than three characters. If extra people are involved to move the story forward, I never name them – eg. mother in law, friend.

The common thread has almost always been a small fragment of time in the main character’s life and usually occurs from a misunderstanding. If you look back all the clues have been planted, but they don’t come to light until the end, which is my twist. I don’t like to dupe the readers, I just put them on a journey that leads them to believe things that aren’t true because of the words I use and manipulate. I get a big kick when people tell me they didn’t get the twist until the end, even though it was in ‘their face’ all the time. I also like to lead people to believing in a false resolution and coming up with something else. Eg. In a recent story in That’s Life I wanted the reader to believe that they are clever in thinking the main character’s companion is a dog instead of a man, but it was a GPS navigating system instead.

Therefore, I usually get my idea for the end and work backwards. Eg. In my short story ‘Easy as Pie’ that won the National Woolworths Fresh Short Story competition years ago, I wanted the reader to believe that she had poisoned her fiancé with an apple pie because he was having an affair. The banal was important in this story and I focussed on her getting the ingredients together, talking about the apples, the cream and everything except what her fiancé was doing to her and it infuriated her girlfriend who had told her what he was up to. The whole thing was a set up to test his faithfulness, but the reader thought she was planning on murdering him.

I make every word count. The word count in most of my stories is brutally cut in half and I get back to the bare bones. I also like white space, using believable dialogue instead of a lot of narrative. I always read my work out loud to make sure it sounds natural. (Or as natural as one can be talking to herself!)

I hope this helps. Wishing you every success.

Donna

The Next Step

2011-02-06T02:47:00.002+08:00

You've completed your manuscript. You've typed the magic words "The End" and you feel fantastic! What next? Well you've done your research and you know exactly where you want to send it. You just need to print it out and send it off, right? Wrong!

I'll admit to being very naive when I finished my first manuscript, I thought all I had to do next was print it out and then send it off. Then a friend mentioned, "You need to edit it." Edit it? I wondered, why would I need to do that, the story is fabulous, it's fine to go. To be honest, again, I had no idea how to edit. What does editing entail? Where do I start?

I've learned a bit over the years with regards to craft. There are soooo many craft courses out there. A lot of conferences main speakers concentrate on scene structure, GMC, good opening lines. They are all important but so is editing. Editing is paramount to make your baby shine. When you edit you have to take a step back from your baby. You have to forget that you slaved over it for hours.

I recently did a month long workshop with Savvy Authors called Editpalooza. It was based on the book "Revision & Self-Editing" by James Scott Bell. It was an intensive month and it gave me ideas and processes on how to get the most out of editing. How to remove scenes that don't work. How to increase the pace and deep POV. It was excellent and I recommend the book.

In the end editing is just as important as writing. The only thing is you really do have to step away and be impartial when you're reading through. The trick is also not to over edit the life and voice out of your work. It's a fine line.

I think there should be as much focus on editing strategies as there are on craft strategies.

How do you edit?

Nicki

Free Romance Reads

2011-02-05T11:00:00.000+08:00

Everyone loves a free read right?

Join truly madly deeply romance authors for a new free read each week.

Shona

Release Day!

2011-02-03T06:00:00.001+08:00

Kissing Phoenix, is released today!

It is my most explicit romance to date, so if a sexy Vamp who'll risk everything to save his lover aren't your thing look away now.

Otherwise here is the blurb and if your over 18 a link to the excerpt:

When Lilith fell into lust with musician Aidan, she never expected it to last. And she was right. Her doctor has given her months to live, and telling Aidan is the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Aidan has been keeping his own secret. He is a Vampire…but he can’t turn Lilith to save her. The solution he proposes is illegal and dangerous and breaks every rule set up to protect non-humans from humans. He doesn’t care. He will do anything to save the woman he loves.

Discovering the kiss of a Vampire and reveling in the erotic thrill, Lilith realizes her feelings are deeper than lust. But is giving up her humanity worth it?

Excerpt

HISTORY, HEALTH AND MOTIVATION

2011-02-01T06:00:00.001+08:00

Let me immediately acknowledge two people responsible for my wandering down this path. The first, Dr. Norman Swan, a fascinating, erudite guest broadcaster for the ABC , once gave a series of speculative talks on the medical conditions of famous figures and possible historical consequences. For example, Bloody Queen Mary Tudor had at least 3000 of her subjects burned alive and goodness knows how many more flogged, tortured and branded as heretics. She was known to have suffered from painful teeth. Imagine for a moment the ongoing agony of a mouth full of rotting teeth, abscesses, ulcers and being faced with the daily diet of roasted meats and inedible dishes suitable to the royal table. You might be tempted to burn a few really annoying heretics yourself.

The second is Donald Maas, who argues for 3-dimensional villains with their own motivations and goals. His wonderful Workbook has you asking ‘what if’ into the small dark hours. What if the beautiful young daughter or dependent, financially burdensome sister could be sold off in marriage to the family’s advantage? Witness poor Jane Howard, chained to the gross, syphilitic Henry V111 or the ambitious, intelligent Margaret of Anjou married to the strange, possibly autistic, Henry of Lancaster, King of England. Among the less exalted, everyday folk, some of these women must have plotted revenge for their betrayal. Under the guise of womanly dependence, why not use your ignored intelligence to re-arrange matters for your own purposes? Social functions provided marvellous opportunities for innuendo and rumour. Whispers about mental stability, hidden health problems or sexual preferences could prick another’s intolerable conceit and cause plans and dreams to go awry. Of course, your hero or heroine might be caught in the consequences but that’s not really your villain’s fault is it? She has good reason for her actions.

Working out the story arc for my villains is always a lot of fun and it’s surprising how often it makes me re-think a twist or turn in my hero and heroine’s journey towards eventual happiness.

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-01-30T18:00:00.001+08:00

Here’s a snippet from Camea and Matai’s first meeting in How To Breathe Fire, a fantasy romance:

The man with burning red eyes rocked back on his heels. “You argue with me?”

She did, but she couldn’t admit it, not to this being who stalked like a wounded skiff, all muscle and anger. He may not be the Fire God, but he held more power in his palm than every witch who had ever lived. She shivered at the memory of the flames tickling her skin with kisses that didn’t burn but that melted something inside her. Her tongue swept over her lip as she composed a reply.

You can read more here: Samhain Publishing

For more Six Sentence Sunday go here: http://sixsunday.blogspot.com/

Tips from an agent

2011-01-23T20:27:00.002+08:00

I recently did a webinar through Writers Digest University on how to make your first chapter sparkle. I thought I'd include a few questions from the agent who took the online seminar.

I hope there's something there to answer a question you've always wanted to ask an agent.

Q: When do you know if it's the concept or the query?

A: If you are sending out queries and getting no requests for sample pages, it’s likely the query. If your query is resulting in requests for sample pages, but no requests for full manuscripts or offers, likely it’s the book itself. As for the concept itself – that’s a hard call. Most any concept can sell if the writing is superior – a generic concept is a red flag, but even vampires will still sell if the writing is amazing.

Q: Why do you only ask for the first 3 pages? Why not the first 10? Or the first chapter? My novel doesn't waste time hooking the reader, but, even so, I find it hard to believe that anyone could be truly hooked in such a short space...

A: I know – it’s hard for me to believe sometimes too, but that’s the way it works. The editors will only read the first page or two before they pass too, which is why I make my decision so quickly. If I like the first pages, I will keep reading and may still pass. But, if I don’t like the first pages (or an editor doesn’t like the first pages), then it’s an auto no.

Q: I've been told not to start off with dialogue on the first page. Is this true?

A: The trick is not to start out with too MUCH dialogue. Yes, I agree – be super careful about that as it can make the opening sequence feel like a beginners’ novel if you rely on dialogue too much in order to “tell” the reader what’s going on.

Q: How much does the writer's ability to market their own book play into your decision of whether or not to accept a writer?

A: As of right now, I can honestly say that I consider a writer’s online presence VERY heavily before considering offering representation. It’s not a deal breaker, but I do consider it. I would recommend having a professional author website up and running before starting the submission process.

Q: what is the difference between exterior conflict and interior conflict? Which one must the writer identify near page one or should both be identified up front?

A: External conflict is a flood that threatens to drown a character

Internal conflict is a character’s fear of water

Right up front I want to know the inciting incident (external conflict) and read compelling characterization (internal) – so both right up front.

Q: Corrected question: If you send queries but have NO responses, then totally re-do the query, can you send the new query to the same agents that received the original query?

A: Only if you have totally (TOTALLY) redone the novel itself.

Q: What do you like to hear in a live pitch?

A: The same thing that I like to see in a query letter – a clear inciting incident, compelling characters and a unique and interesting world.

Q: If a novelist doesn’t get three out of ten requests for more from a query, that's a larger percentage than Nelson uses according to your stats. Thanks. What percentage of queries should come back with a request for more pages?

A: Roughly 3 because you wouldn’t be submitting to us 10 times. ;) It’s a guideline. If you don’t get “any” requests for sample pages based on your query, redo the query. If you get 100% requests for sample pages from your query – AWESOME! If you get even 1 or 2, that’s great. If you are turning in sample pages left and right but not getting offers of representation, then rework your novel. It’s not a perfect science, but that’s the general idea.

Thanks for reading.
Kym

How to Breathe Fire winner

2011-01-18T20:00:00.002+08:00

The winner of the e-book How to Breathe Fire is Suzanne P. A copy of the e-book will be emailed to you.

Thank you to everyone who entered.
How To Breathe Fire is released today!

Shona

12 months on from the call

2011-01-15T08:00:00.003+08:00

About a year ago I sold my first and second novella. Since then it has been a rather steep learning curve. And I thought I’d share a few things I’ve picked up along the way.

Writing the book and submitting it is actually the easy part of the process—you’ve edited the manuscript, and its perfect right?

Uh, no.

First there are content edits, things like more world building, strengthen relationship and…er more ‘heat’ for my Ellora’s Cave release Kissing Phoenix.

Then there are the more detailed edits. My favourite being …'I don’t what you’re trying to say' (Neither do I. I wrote it over a year ago. Scratch that line and come up with something fresh.) These also include finding more typos—who knew so many could slip past the multiple edits/read throughs?

Those funny little warnings on the Samhain books take forever to think up (that could just be me).

Revision emails are best read (peeking through your fingers is allowed) and then closed. Review the next day while armed with the poison of your choice (mine is chocolate). Makes notes. Is there a common theme? Any ideas about how to incorporate the changes?

Seeing my name on cover art is really cool.

Getting the call is still exciting...but it’s followed by “holy cow now I have to get back into the story and edit it.”

Deadlines. Those cute little numbers that start out as really distant totally doable things grow up really fast if you blink.

Since Tuesday is release day for How To Breathe Fire I’ll give away a copy to one lucky reader. Simply read the blurb and tell me where Matai and Camea live. Send your answers to shona(@)shonahusk(dot) com. Winner will be drawn on Tuesday 18 January, and posted here.

How To Breathe Fire
For as long as she can remember, Camea has longed to explore the world beyond the island kingdom of Adar. It is an impossible dream, especially if she follows tradition and marries the farmer her parents have selected for her. But then, Camea has never been one to follow expectations.

When the village witch announces she has been selected to be the Fire God’s next bride, Camea has no intention of sacrificing her life to appease the volcano. She plans to escape and follow the Stars to her dream.

Matai, once a prince of Adar, now pays a fiery penance for seducing one of the Fire God’s witches. He must take a new bride each year, then kill her—or condemn Adar to the lava. Unlike his past brides Camea doesn’t shed one tear for her fate, nor does she beg for her life.

In the face of death she sees the remnants of the man he used to be—and a way to save them both from the Fire God’s never-ending cycle of wrath. If Matai has the courage to trust his heart.

Read the except here

What to do?

2011-01-11T09:19:00.003+08:00

As a writer that's a question we tend to ask ourselves a lot. Probably the biggest one is "What to do next?" - start something new, edit, enter a contest, search for an agent or give up. I find sometimes I lean towards the very last one but then I hit myself and go, 'You are not a quitter! Keep going!". So I do. But for others it can be all too hard. You have to admire them for realising that perhaps it isn't a career for them, but merely a stress reliever.

There are pros and cons for all the other points I mentioned. Starting something new is always exciting, if not a bit daunting. That moment you delve into your idea notebook or box or even better inspiration hits you and you sit down and after an hour you have a very rough idea of what you want to do. Nothing like the creative process!

Editing, well that's when you have to, using a favourite term of lots of people, put on your big girl panties, put on the armour and take a REAL good look at your work. Be objective with your work. A scene may be beautifully written and you just love it, but if it slows the pace, cut it baby or move it some place else. You have to detach yourself from your writing at some stage and the early editing stage is the time to do it.

Ahh entering a contest. Now that's scary. That's putting your baby out in the world for others to see and comment on. Some are going to say they love it. Others may say, it's good but needs tweaking and you may even get the I hate it and couldn't relate comment. Harsh as it is, it's the reality of writing. Even when you have a book published and your editor gushes over it, there may still be the odd person that hates it. Again, put on your big girl panties and armour. Take the hit because it's only going to make you stronger!!! Never ignore the comments, let them sit for a month or six and then go back and maybe the points they mentioned are valid.

Searching for an agent is just as hard as getting the book published. You can trail through lists and lists of agents but, as was mentioned to me by a published author. Agents generally will take a better look if you have a history in your writing. I'm not necessarily talking about being published, but that you've submitted regularly, you've had revision requests. You've consistently entered contests and you've finaled regularly and you've even won a couple. Or maybe when you get that offer from a publisher and you want someone else to handle things, then go to an Agent and say I've got this offer - will you represent me. Agents in the early stages of your careers may not be the be all and end all. There are plenty of publishers you can submit to, e-publisher and print, that don't need agents.

In the end whether it's starting something new, editing, entering a contest, searching for an agent or even submitting what you have to do is take a deep breath, cross fingers and take that leap of faith. You are really only short changing yourself if you don't.

Nicki

Wink Goals 2011

2011-01-06T08:42:00.002+08:00

With 2010 behind us and a new year in front of us I asked the Winkgirls what their goals were for 2011:

Nicki: To finish the two manuscripts I’m working on and start another two new books :)

Cath: Get a website, and get Silk (my current WIP) finished.

Lesley: Finish first draft of second novel and have another short story published.

Kym: My NY’s resolution is, of course, to be published. That being somewhat out of my control, I want to edit the last book I’ve written to totally shine and be, in Maas terms, a breakout novel.

Heather: Enter all RWAus competitions relevant to my writing, and as many other comps as I can manage.

Shona: To edit the 5 novellas I have sitting on my desk waiting to be cleaned up and submitted. And to finish writing the proposal for my next novel.

Did you achieve your goals in 2010? And what goals have you set for 2011?

‘Scary Kisses’ recommended reading

2010-12-21T18:39:00.003+08:00

When something that shouldn't work - does!

2010-12-12T05:02:00.003+08:00

There are many do's and don'ts with writing. You find out about them as you go along. But when you look back on some old works you find that those authors were doing the things you're told not to do. How come they could do it and not me? Times change, perspectives change and their successful. I guess that's the only way you could explain it.

There are also occupations that aren't supposed to be used - like actors, sport stars etc. Over time that has been proven to be wrong. Look at the whole Nascar line with Harlequin. Market research showed that the demographic of women following Nascar also enjoyed romance - voila let's combine them both and these stories are extremely successful.

I recently read a book that had the two occupations you shouldn't use. Heroine was an actress, hero was a Major League Baseball player. With the amount of 'trouble' sport stars and actors get into you can understand why they are a bit of a no-go area.

However, this story was wonderfully written. The characters were believable and I totally got that they could have a happily ever after. It was a book written by Jackie Braun and it was called "Amercia's Star-Crossed Sweethearts". I loved it and it showed me that sometimes breaking the rules does work. If the story is fabulous and your voice shines through, an editor or agent will over look the breaking of the rules, because the story speaks to them.

Maybe we should all try and break a rule every now and then. You never know it could be the story that starts your career flying.

Nicki

Winking at 2010

2010-12-05T16:56:00.001+08:00

So soon it seems that our Christmas lunch at Lesley’s is happening and then our last WINK meeting for the year is hard on its heels. What a year we’ve had.

Shona on fire with an avalanche of contracts, requests and edits- such an exciting ride to be shared with glee by all of us. Lesley and Nicki flying the flag of achievement for NaNoWriMo . Well done you two. Kym flying her flag of her Dip.ED- no mean feat while working fulltime- and now freed from assignments to write again. Two of us sneaking second and third place in the Little Gems Contest. Lesley with a request. Donna knee deep in another great story after what? two, three short stories published this year? Hot to trot!! Heather too with changes looming, experiences tucked away for the stories yet to be written.

It’s had its moments too, 2010. Work issues, health issues, life in general issues all part of the ride. It’s a cliché I know, to talk of doors closing and others opening, but like so many clichés, grounded on experience.

New pathways seen and opportunities explored promise a 2011 full of fun. Three of us planning to be in New York for the RWA US conference, others eyeing off the RWAussie bash. Deadlines for manuscripts set and goals clarified. Lets celebrate a fabulous year and plan for another!

Happy Christmas everyone and a joyous New year.

Cath

NaNoWRiMo - It's Over

2010-12-02T10:33:00.003+08:00

Well it's the 1st of December for me, and 2nd of December for the Aussie WinkGirls. Yes the tyranny of distance plays its hand on many occasions and makes our monthly critique meetings interesting to say the least!

At the beginning of the month, Lesley did a post on NaNo about how she was going to compete and win. And she did! Yay Lesley!!

I started unofficially but by 4th November I had 'officially' joined up and am pleased to say that I too, won. I wrote 51,178 words for the month of November. I am stoked that I managed to achieve this goal. Interestingly enough what got me over the line was switching between two manuscripts for two different category lines.

The thing I found about doing NaNo was that the more I wrote the more the words flowed. It became easier each day to reach the word count goal. In fact I think there was probably about 2 days where I didn't achieve the goal at all. There were also 6 days where I didn't write any words. I reached my goal on the 27th and wrote the next day but gave myself the last two days of November off.

So now that December has hit, it's time to keep writing as both the manuscripts need to be finished and then time to let them sit before I tackle the task of editing them both.

Who out there 'won' NaNo and who tried but, as it does, life got in the way!

Nicki

Writing Retreat

2010-11-22T06:53:00.002+08:00

Last weekend was the first Winkgirls writing retreat. None of us had ever taken a weekend away from the real world to focus on our writing before and it was an interesting experience. Without the distraction of daily life we interviewed characters, made them suffer, redeemed them, worked on plot and romantic conflict.

When I started all I had was a title and a hero. By the time I came home I had a query letter and synopsis for book 1 of a new series and a rough outline for the next 2 books (I like a trilogy).

I was thrilled to be able to come away with so much. The writing retreat is definitely something I’d love to do again.

Jade Lee Interview

2010-11-18T06:26:00.003+08:00

This week we have a special guest, author Jade Lee! This month her alter ego Kathy Lyons has a new Blaze out called Taking Care of Business.

So should we call you Jade or Kathy?

I will answer to anything, even Hey You! Because Kathy is so new, most people in the writing world know me as Jade. So it's up to you!

Thanks Jade. As a writer with a bit of a split personality myself I’m wondering how you organize your different writing jobs. Do you need to separate your work with a break between? Or are you able to swing from one to the other?

I'm terrible at switching projects midstream. I will do it, but I hate it! So when I'm writing as Jade Lee, I totally immerse myself in the historical world. Right now I'm writing my next Jade Lee historical and almost have to blink when people walk by me in regular clothing. I can go that deep (or maybe that's because my coffee hasn't hit yet). And then when I'm writing as Kathy Lyons, I actually feel younger, funnier, and welll...not sexier. My Jade Lee historicals are pretty sexy too!

Your incredibly hot hero, Sam, in Taking Care of Business is also James S. Finn. How do you think your own life helped you to make his duality so convincing?

Sam is at heart a geek who is trying to cover for being vision impaired. I got glasses at the age of six. Sure, kids get them younger, but I was always squinting, always breaking my glasses, and just generally felt awkward as a kid. I was able to bring those feelings forward, imagining what it would be like to be shy, extremely near sighted, and a geek all rolled together. That became Sam. A great guy (and yeah, I think he's hot too!) but someone who built a comfortable world inside the walls of his lab. It becomes Julie's task to bring him out into the world. And into her bed, which is fun too!

As well as being super sexy, Sam is quite forceful without ever being an obnoxious jerk. You inspired me to get out my thesaurus and look up forceful – the results surprised me. Sam personifies all the good things in forceful, unlike some other heroes I’ve read lately. How do you write a fabulous hero like Sam rather than one who has my fingers itching to pick up my cast iron frying pan?

I've always kinda wondered about the romance heroes who are so alpha male, so obnoxious that I want to slug them. Historicals can be especially guilty of that because the time period allows for more arrogance, more high handedness in the heroes. But do you respect a woman who allows herself to be treated like that? Early on in my career, it became my mission to learn how to write a strong hero who wasn't obnoxious. I'm glad you think I've succeeded. Honestly, I think the answer is in making him human--flaws and all--and giving him a real understanding of what he wants. He's reasonable, he's kind, and he's even flexible. But he's not going to compromise on his most important goal. Of course he does. In the end, he'll compromise on his Most Important goal the moment the heroine becomes more important than his career.

In Wicked Surrender, your latest Jade Lee release, Scher has to choose between two gorgeous cousins. I thoroughly approved of her eventual choice; Brandon is on my list of heroes who make me go mmmmmm. However I believe you’ve been torturing Kit since he was thrown over and when his story comes out next March I just know he’ll make the list too. Do you fall a bit in love with your heroes when you write them?

You know what? I fall a little in love with all my characters, even the villains! But yes, most especially with my heros. Brandon was in such a tight spot. What do you do when you make a mistake in your youth that haunts you for the rest of your life? And continues to hurt someone else? He has to give it all up. Everything. (That's the surrender part of the title). And once he does, he discovers that he can have everything that he ever dreamed of and more: true love.

I know that sounds really hoaky, but that's the way I planned that book. A hero who has to surrender everything before he can have true love. And he does...

You’ve been in the writing business for quite a while now and seen some changes. Do you have any tips to share with us about how to survive?

YES! the main thing to remember is that a writing career is a marathon not a sprint. You can't do everything all at once. Neither can you expect to have a straight line career to the top. It's a two steps forward, one step back kind of business. Or two steps forward, completely tanking and starting over, then building up again. It all depends. Do a little every day. Every day. And you'd be surprised how far you can go!

Thanks so much for your time and for letting us have a glimpse of your life as an author.

H! :)

READING DISCOVERY

2010-11-07T21:40:00.003+08:00

I've been reading a lot lately.

I got the flu, luckily after I'd just found most of Stephanie Laurens Bastion Club series sitting at the second hand book shop. Bad luck for Ms Laurens but good luck for me. So I spent a week lounging on my sofa, sleeping and reading. Adored the series so much that I finished it after I recovered with only brief distractions provided by Anne Gracie's 'The Accidental Wedding' and Jade Lee's 'Wicked Surrender'. (Never let a new release by a fave author go by.) So I spent a couple of weeks wallowing in the Regency. I loved all these books, but the three authors are very different. Hmmm . . .

My bookshelves are full of 'keeper' books, I'm sure yours are too. Beside my bed is a staggering pile of books 'To Be Read'. Sound familiar? Me being weird however, inbetween I have a 'do I really want to keep that' pile. That Man would possibly suggest I have commitment issues. But I'm about to move half way around the world, I had to deal with those books I'm not sure I want to commit to.

There's a wide range of sub-genres in that pile, as there is on my shelves. Certain authors appear again and again but some of them write light fun frothy books while some of them write dark themes. Is this why I can't quite figure out what I should be writing at the moment? Do they have anything in common? Hmmm . . .

Last week I read one of those books that made me want to grab the heroine, shake her and demand to know how she could possibly love an *#**$#!! like the hero.

Luckily just before I read that book I'd been reading Kathy Lyons' 'Taking Care of Business' where the love scenes are hot, hot, hot and the hero is sexy and forceful, but not a cast iron frying pan deserving jerk. Hmm . . .

I learnt something by thinking about what I read and what makes it work for me. What has your reading taught you about yourself lately?

H! :)

NANOWRIMO 2010

2010-11-01T10:01:00.003+08:00

National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) started today. 50,000 words in the month of November. It's a great way to get those words down on the page. In the month of November there's no place for the internal editor. Just write what you have.

This is my fifth attempt at NANOWRIMO; I've won twice is 2006 and 2007 and missed out twice in 2008 and 2009.

Here are my tips for a successful NANOWRIMO.

reschedule as many other commitments as you can
write with a friend
write from as detailed plot as you can develop
decide which scene you'll write before you sit down to the computer
no edits - they take time and you don't get many words on the page
don't try to write chronologically - write the scene that grabs you
avoid all caffeine drinks
never read back over more than one sentence
don't move from the chair until you have reached your word count for that block of time
keep in range of your daily target
don't get caught up in blogs etc - you can't count those words

I'm interested in your tips.

cheers

Lesley

Darkside Downunder

2010-10-25T18:58:00.005+08:00

If you'd like to get all your Aussie paranormal news in one place along with giveaways come and visit the Dark Side Downunder blog.
The launch is on halloween of course.

See you there!

http://darksidedownunder.blogspot.com/

There's nothing quite like ....

2010-10-17T10:11:00.004+08:00

In a world where no one seems to care and everyone is looking out for themselves, there are groups of women around the world who are the opposite. They share their knowledge, friendship, guidance, honesty and warmth. Those women are romance writers-published and unpublished and I had the privilege of spending Saturday 16th October 2010 with a group of them.

I attended the Northwest Houston RWA conference and spent a fabulous day learning new techniques with the insightful and knowledgeable Randy Ingermanson. I learned new ways to make my scenes pop, and what to look for in others scenes. I also learned about, how in this current economic climate, the importance of marketing and getting yourself out there and known, all before your book comes out or even before you are published.

There is nothing quite like learning new things and when you are in funk, like I was, a day like this is valuable to your creative soul.

But on top of learning new things I made some fabulous new friends (Hi Amanda!!). Women who were willing to make me feel welcome. Women who were willing to give email addresses out so I could pick their brains about things. Women who were extending the hand of friendship. For me, that was the most rewarding part of the day. To feel part of a community that is NOT afraid to share knowledge. A community that welcomes everyone. I'm not sure there is another group of people that are so open.

Romance Writers of the World - I salute you!

Nicki

Absent Hearts

2010-10-09T10:38:00.001+08:00

In the last yea while, I’ve been rather distracted from my normal pursuits and found writing pushed lower than usual on my priority pile. Life happens.

What also happened was that my heroine packed up her bundle, slipped out the back door and followed a twisty path over the hill to parts unknown. At first I didn’t notice. When I did, I pouted a bit, sulked for a while and then shrugged in acceptance. After all, I thought, I’m a plotter not a pantser so when the chance does pop up to write, I’ll plan each scene and just write it. That assumption was a slippery slope to a thorough ducking in the village pond.

My medieval heroine starts her journey in a prosperous provincial French city. I know the streets she walks to go to church, to market and to celebrate holidays and harvests. I know how she earns her living, what skills she has and what artisans and trades are prominent in her city. I know the rich merchant houses she passes and the work-a-day world of the craftsmen and women around her. And it’s all as flat as pitta bread.

The yeast of her presence is missing. Street scenes feel like old postcards in an album. I’m not walking those streets at her shoulder, experiencing what she is seeing, touching and smelling. I don’t feel her awe at soaring church splendours or her excitement at the beauty of silks, brocades and exotic fashion. I can’t capture her dream as it unfolds not can I follow her gradual realization of what the hero really means to her. I can’t write her story when she’s not here with me. But I’ve started smiling again. I got a pigeon post the other day.

“I’ve missed you. I’m on my way home now.”

Hot Cover Art

2010-10-03T11:15:00.004+08:00

Two weeks ago I woke up to an email from my lovely editor at Samhain, asking for my opinion on some prospective guys for the cover art of How To Breathe Fire. Hot half nekkid guys.
Yeah I know what you’re thinking…what an awful way to start the day *grin*
Track back a couple of months and I was struggling to fill out the cover art form. I know, I wrote the story so I should have some idea about what I’d like on the cover, right?
Uh, no.
I never know what I’m doing when it comes to the cover. Sure I know what the hero and heroine look like, I know the setting and the tone, but that little section reserved for suggestions gets me every time. Aside from the book’s title and my name, what makes a good cover? What I like may not be what the others like.
So I end up writing something all the while praying the cover artist will read the included blurb and make the cover awesome. I wrote something about the hero being fiery this time.
Oh yeah, he’s fiery. And the cover is all kinds of awesome! Thanks Kanaxa!

Freedom comes with a blistering price…
For as long as she can remember, Camea has longed to explore the world beyond the island kingdom of Adar. It is an impossible dream, especially if she follows tradition and marries the farmer her parents have selected for her. But then, Camea has never been one to follow expectations.

When the village witch announces she has been selected to be the Fire God’s next bride, Camea has no intention of sacrificing her life to appease the volcano. She plans to escape and follow the Stars to her dream.

Matai, once a prince of Adar, now pays a fiery penance for seducing one of the Fire God’s witches. He must take a new bride each year, then kill her—or condemn Adar to the lava. Unlike his past brides Camea doesn’t shed one tear for her fate, nor does she beg for her life.

In the face of death she sees the remnants of the man he used to be—and a way to save them both from the Fire God’s never-ending cycle of wrath. If Matai has the courage to trust his heart.

How To Breathe Fire will be out on January 18 2011

How long does it take to write a book?

2010-09-26T10:32:00.002+08:00

I was recently asked in an interview how long it takes me to write a book. It sounded like an easy question and one that should have an answer something like 5 months, 3 days and 2 hours.

Err, not really.

I can’t say exactly how long it takes me to write a book…well it depends on your definition of ‘write’. For me a book isn’t written until its ready to submit to my editor until then it’s still a WIP.

Today I thought I’d share how I work so you can see why I can’t give a straight answer to how long it takes me to write a book.

I’m a plotter. If I sit down for a weekend I can usually get the whole story arc plotted, get to know the characters and do a really rough ‘for my eyes only’ synopsis done. Then I do a fast first draft, for a novella that takes about a week. I can usually get a novel down in 4-6 weeks.

Sounds like I know how long it takes me so far. But then the edits start and this is where things vary, a lot. Some stories are easy to write and the changes I make during the edits are easy and maybe only require a couple of passes. Other stories…well let’s just say they need a whole lot more untangling so the edits take a lot longer.

Do you know how long it takes you to write a book?

Nicola E. Sheridan--author of 'Magical Gains'

2010-09-18T17:55:00.004+08:00

Today I'd like to welcome Nicola E. Sheridan, author of “Magical Gains” (up-coming release March 2011, Eternal Press), to tell us how she became a writer and the details of her call story.

Little over a month ago, I had an unexpected gem waiting for me in my inbox - an offer to publish my book, “Magical Gains”. My writing journey, I think, has been quite a long one.

I have always been a very imaginative person. As a small child, I was absolutely certain that Unicorns, Trolls and magical beings existed. In fact, when we used to go mushroom hunting (my mother is Polish, what can I say?!) I used to spend the time searching for “Troll Holes”, and fairy houses – and if I couldn’t find any, well I’d make some, so the fairies and troll’s had somewhere to go. So it’s little surprise that as an adult I write Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

I always wanted to be an author, and I sent my first novel to a publisher at the ripe old age of 15. “Tears of a Warrior” was more of a power-ballad than a novel, written whilst listening to the angst ridden harmonies of the Cranberries. Suffice to say, it was rejected in the most gentle of ways. The publisher very kindly stated that my writing needed to “mature”, but not to be disheartened because I showed great “promise”. They were kind words, but to the fragile teenage ego, quite devastating - I didn’t send another novel out for nearly ten years. I did, however, continue writing, and mostly wrote romantic fantasy to titillate and amuse my school friends.

As school turned into university, and university into work, I kept writing. During a rather frustrating time at work, I wrote an office related ‘thriller’ novel. A veritable monster at 90, 000 words, “After Hours” was a work I was proud of. Gritty, exciting and a little amoral - I was certain it was a work worthy of publication. So, just to test the waters, I sent it to an Appraisal Agency. The response was less than heartening. The Appraiser waxed lyrical about how well I’d created a ‘world’ and believable characters within that ‘world’. He then went onto say, that he hoped I wasn’t going to be disheartened by what he had to say next – and like the proverbial knife in the back, he went on to explain in 7 hideous pages of vitriolic poison how much he hated the story. I was gutted, disheartened and was beginning to think maybe I can’t write. Maybe I’m just crap.

After that, I started writing fantasy again – with absolutely no intention of sending it out. I wrote a tweenie novel to read to my children when they were older. That was a lot of fun, and I rediscovered the joy of writing again.

Inspiration I find, happens at odd times and it happened when I was watching television. An advertisement came on for chocolate biscuits. A Genie was reclined on the bed, looking sexy, and all his mistress wanted was a box of biscuits that never ended... It got me thinking, “What would you do with a Genie if wishes were illegal? Surely the government would find a way to tax magic” - and with that, my Genie Imran was born and the world of “Magical Gains” evolved.

“Magical Gains” was a pleasure to write, it took a little over a year, and again, I was certain I had book worthy of publication. This time, however, instead of sending it publishers, I sent it into a few competitions. When “Magical Gains” won Highly Commended Best First Book” in the IP Picks 09 competition, I finally had the reassurance I was looking for. I couldn’t be all that crap if I was Highly Commended! As part of my prize, I was given an editor to mentor me. This was a difficult and tortuous process, but eventually well worth it. I edited “Magical Gains” for six months with the hope of publication with IP. However, as things do, situations change and I found myself with a finished manuscript and no offer of publication.

A little disheartened I shelved “Magical Gains” for a while and began writing the second book in the series “Magical Creations.” It was then that I fortuitously became aware that a friend of mine was also an aspiring author (hello Shona!). She was actually the one who encouraged me to send “Magical Gains” out and told me not to worry about the rejections. On her advice, I sent it out – quite a few times, with vary degrees of interest and response. When Eternal Press contacted me and asked for the full manuscript, I was excited, but it wasn’t the first time I’d sent the whole manuscript in only to have it rejected – so I was cautiously optimistic.

My optimism began to wane after four weeks of no-response. Then, after ignoring all emails for over a week and a half, I checked them. There in the inbox was that magical email we all dream of - “Submission_Magical Gains_ Contract.”

“Magical Gains” is due for release in March 2011 – and the editing process is just about to begin again. It’s strange really, getting a contract is amazing and very exciting, but it’s also changed something. Writing is what I have always done, and loved. Now it is suddenly something more than just a hobby, which is what I always wanted, kind of expected, but never really prepared for!

So to any aspiring author out there, I give the same advice that Shona gave to me. Send out your manuscripts, get people reading them and enter competitions. Firstly, the right editor will never find your story if you hide it in your desk-top. Secondly, rejection isn’t personal (they don’t know you!) but every time you are rejected, revise that query letter and send it out again that same day!

If you would like to see what I’m up to and follow my progress to my release date, check out my blog http://magicalgains.blogspot.com/ or my facebook group. My website http://www.nicolasheridan.com/ is currently a work in progress! Agh!

Thank you Shona, for the invite, and all your advice!
Happy writing!

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

2010-09-13T13:51:00.003+08:00

Julie clutched the edge of the vanity and vomited into the basin. Her knees buckled as her stomach heaved again. Nothing. She dragged herself upright and stared into the dead eyes of her own reflection.

The thin blue line of the pregnancy test wouldn’t be ignored. She flushed it away.

Her hands went to her stomach. She remembered the joy a moment like this had brought when she’d discovered she was pregnant with her son. Not this time.

She picked up the packaging and tore it into tiny squares. She flushed those away as well.

Her unborn baby would soon follow.

I recently submitted this text as an exercise in for an online class.

When I wrote the final sentence of the first paragraph I hesitated. I was using a mirror to describe someone. I tried to think of another way of doing it and couldn’t. I finished the scene and had another think. That sentence still bothered me but I couldn’t improve on it and thought the scene worked well overall. I sent it off.

Sure enough the online lecturer told me that ‘professionals believe that using a mirror to describe a character is one of the most amateurish things a writer can do’.

I've certainly read some toe-curling examples of the use of a mirror to describe the too-beautiful-to-be-true heroine but is it always wrong?

Writing characters out of my comfort zone

2010-08-29T15:12:00.000+08:00

I’ve learned a lot of wonderful things being with my crit group ‘wink’. One of my earliest lessons but perhaps one that hasn’t resonated with me until recently is to try and ‘walk in my characters’ shoes and not in my own. In my earlier manuscripts my friends have told me that my characters are ‘me’. I didn’t believe them at the time. But in retrospect it’s true. I still think it’s great to ‘write what you know’, but my recent goal is to write a character that (or should that be ‘who’ or ‘whom’ hmmm) is nothing like me. Now that I’ve started, it’s kinda fun and liberating. My characters can do all those things I’ve always wanted to do, but have been out of my comfort zone. My next character is going to be outspoken, not shy in crowds, happy-go-lucky, a flirt and has…blue hair! Wish me luck – my next step is then to give my characters flaws – ouch!

Donna

The Question is Why???

2010-08-22T01:13:00.004+08:00

As a writer we come up against that question often. So often it's like the proverbial brick wall we keep banging our heads against. That lovely word "Why". Why is your character doing this? Why did you put that in - what purpose does it serve. Why? Why? Why?

Perhaps the biggest one is "Why do I continue to write?" The answer to that is fairly easy - because as writers we can't stop. It's in us and now that we've started we can't stop. It would be like cutting off a hand. It's something that EVERY writer goes though, even multi-published. Not just newbies.

For me I asked that question last Monday "Why am I still doing this? Why don't I just give up?" I was frustrated. I was lost. I was floundering. What am I missing in my work? I'll admit to almost feeling like giving up. But I'm not a quitter! I was determined not to let it beat me. I was going to get through this and I have. Plus having made a promise to enter a contest with some others is reason enough to continue.

So what was missing? What had left me momentarily?

What I was missing was the belief in myself. I was letting opinions and thoughts of others get to me. So much to the point I was questioning everything I was writing.

So I decided to do what I've always done and just sit down and write. I'm sure there will be questions that will need to be answered but as it's in the early stages, there is still plenty of time to answer all the whys. Imagine reading a book if you had all the whys answered in the early chapters - why bother reading on.

My case in point is this, I just finished a book. The heroine agreed to be the hero's fiance in the second chapter. They'd only just met that night. I didn't find out until almost halfway through the book that the reason she said yes was that she wanted to get a bracelet back that her half sister had taken. That half sister was dead and had been married to the hero.

Did it bug that she said yes in the second chapter without any real indication - no. Do you know why? It's because I had faith in the author that she would answer the question and she did. Having said that there was one book I read recently where all my questions weren't answered. Or maybe the questions I thought were important to me, really weren't all that important in the whole scheme of the story.

As a writer we have to have faith in ourselves in the ability to answer all the questions and what we hope is the important people who help us on the journey have that same faith in you. After all the people who share your dream are your main supporters.

RWA Conference

2010-08-07T19:55:00.004+08:00

What would you do to go to the Romance Writer's of Australia National Conference?

I'd love to go but as a struggling student not being able to work because I am on prac, it is impossible. It got me thinking; if someone told me they'd pay my way but I'd have to do something shocking in return (a kind of indecent proposal), what would I be prepared to do?

Demi Moore's choice would be out - regardless of how cute the guy is.
I can't go naked anywhere - I am wanting a job at a Christian school next year.
Giving up technology is not possible - I need to be online for my uni studies.

My options are: walking backwards for a whole day, giving up food for a day or wearing old lady dresses for a week. These may not seem much but currently I am the teacher of a group of nine and ten year olds - you can imagine the grief I'd get.

What would you be prepared to do?

The Medusa List

2010-07-31T13:54:00.004+08:00

I’m a list type of girl. I like the satisfaction of crossing things off. I have them at work, at home and one specifically for writing. I don’t like it, however, when my lists get a life of their own.

My writing to do list has mutated into a monster of mythical proportions and I‘ve named it Medusa because if I look directly at it I will freeze up and turn to stone.

Here’s a portion (about 1/3) of what’s on my list:

•Polish GM
•First draft GKn
•Edit DHG
•Write notes for world building chat
•ML-1 plotting (have hero, no plot)
•Guest blogs/interviews

Editor revisions for How To Breathe Fire and The Goblin King aren’t on there. I know they are coming and they will get top priority, until then I’m trying to cut other items off the list. The trouble is as I cross things off I add more, because as I write the contracted books I have realised I need to also be getting the next ms ready. I need to keep the ball rolling and if I stop and clear my list there will be a long wait between releases in a couple years.

As long as I don’t look at the whole list all at once I should be okay. So I’ll glance at the items on the bottom, or sneak a peak at the things at the top. And every time I cross something off it’s another snake dead.

Scary Kisses

2010-07-24T09:01:00.006+08:00

Today I’d like to welcome editor Liz Grzyb to musings by WINK to chat to us about scary kisses, paranormal romance and short stories. Liz is the editor of ‘Scary Kisses’, a paranormal romance anthology. After its very successful launch in April 2010 Ticonderoga Publications decided to follow up with a sequel ‘More Scary Kisses’, again to be edited by Liz (who btw is a lovely editor).

But what makes a ‘scary kiss’?
A "scary kiss" is a romance story with paranormal spice: a kiss that is out of the ordinary. It might be a vampire love story, a torrid ghostly romance, a tale of two zombies... The emphasis is on the kiss, but there needs to be something otherworldly about it to make it more than "just" a romance. It doesn't have to be serious though - a rollicking demonic snogfest is great too!

There was a wide range of stories in the first anthology, both in tone (humour to horror) and subject (shape shifters, vampires, demons and zombies). So what aren’t you looking for?
Stories that don't take the characters anywhere. Romance is very character-driven, so there needs to be a reason for the characters to be together and grow together. We need to be interested in the characters' motivations and want them to succeed otherwise there isn't a story.

While reading all the submissions for the first anthology what surprised you the most about those stories?
The humour and the genuine immersion within the worlds of the stories! I was expecting a lot of blood and sex, but these stories impressed me by taking their characters a lot further than that. These weren't stereotypical vampires, zombies or ghosts by any means.

If empathetic characters and strong world building are central to great scary kiss what was the most common reason for rejecting a story?
Some stories just weren't "alive", if you'll forgive the pun.

Haha. We don’t want to start a debate on weather Vampires and Zombies are technically alive. As an editor what is your favourite part of the job?
Reading new ideas from authors and helping them to make their stories even better.

And your pet hate?
When people don't proofread their stories or at least use spellcheck.

Because ‘More Scary Kisses’ is all about paranormal romance I’d love to know the last paranormal romance that you read.
Molly Harper's "Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs", about a librarian who is inadvertently turned into a vampire. Lots of fun.

Do you have a favourite romance of all time?
It's got to be a tie between Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and Georgette Heyer's "Devil's Cub". Both of these have interesting, independent heroines who aren't afraid to speak their minds, and brooding heroes who need their worlds shaken up a bit.

Thank you Liz for stopping by is there anything else you’d like to say?
Get to work on those stories! You've got until November 1st to submit stories for More Scary Kisses.

Of course the best way to see what Liz is looking for is to read the first Scary Kisses.

The full submission guide lines can be found at Ticonderoga Publications.

Shona

Australia’s top books

2010-07-12T10:45:00.002+08:00

The ABC has compiled a list of Australia’s top books http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritebook/top10/100.htm.

Here’s the top 10.

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
3. The Bible (Various Contributors)
4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
6. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (Book 5) by J. K. Rowling
7. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
8. The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
9. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
10. A Fortunate Life by A.B. Facey

Romance and romantic fiction is well-represented by Pride and Prejudice at number 2, Wuthering Heights at 13, Jane Eyre at 17 and more modern books make the list as well.

I’m pleased to see some of my favourite authors, Ken Follett and Colleen McCullough, acknowledged too.

There are also some surprising omissions. Where’s my favourite romance author, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and my favourite suspense author, Minette Walters.

The list seems to be heavily influenced by books that have been made into movies. Can’t books stand on their own? A great read is such a different experience to a great movie. I enjoy both but they’re different. My favourite movie of all time is Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

It all comes down to personal preference and group personal preference equals mass marketing. It’s not a whine…just a plea for all talented writers to get the appreciation they deserve.

Lesley

Fresh Eyes, Opinions and Twists of Fate

2010-06-27T07:41:00.001+08:00

Some months ago I did a blog about how long should you let a manuscript sit before you edit. There was a lot of opinions. Some believed once you’ve finished your manuscript you’ve spent enough time away from the first chapters that it’s easy to go back and edit them. Other’s work on another project for a couple of months and then go back. And there are some people who leave it for a year before they look at it again. The latter is probably not possible when you have a book contract and deadlines to meet. But then again you’ve also got an editor to help you see the light.

For me I received a rejection for a manuscript I’d submitted. It was a good rejection with some feedback as to where the story was falling down. Recently I decided to try and dust it off and send it to an e-publisher. I only had to send the synopsis and query letter so I thought - plenty of time to review it later and tweak it. As I looked at the synopsis I realized, yes there were a few plot holes and places where it didn’t work. So guess what? I’m not sending it to an e-publisher until I sort it out. See Fresh Eyes on the project highlighted the problems I hadn’t seen before.

Opinions also play a big part in the road to publication. What one critique member loves another one may not like it at all. That is the beauty of a critique group, you take on board everything. You shouldn’t just dismiss the opinions of the one who doesn’t like it. While it may hurt, their points could be very valid. It always pays to keep an open mind and consider everything.

It’s the same with editors, it’s been said numerous times the first person that saw Harry Potter’s story must be kicking themselves that they didn’t take it on board. But maybe the timing wasn’t right. Maybe it needed that few years between the first rejection and final pick up for the story to hit the market at the right time to make it the success it is now.

Our fellow member Shona Husk knows all about timing. She has just signed a three book deal with Dorchester. The editor LOVED her story and had been looking for a story like Shona’s for a long time. Right time and right place for her story! If she’d sent it a year ago, it may not have had the same outcome.

Timing is everything - right place, right time. And fate, well fate plays a huge part as well.

Congratulations Shona you deserve this and long live the Goblins!!

Love Dust

2010-06-20T17:20:00.001+08:00

Have you ever dredged up old photos of yourself in what was your heyday – for those of us old enough to have comfortably passed this fondly remembered era- and winced? Without revealing too much, BIG hair and strangely tailored pants were NOT a good look in retrospect. Sigh. But spare a thought for history’s fads and the wondrous ability of love dust to blind the lovestruck.

Imagine if you will, Mildred tidying the parlour and setting out an embroidered tea-cloth, fine china and a moustache cup. Handsome Oswald is adorned with an impressive, well waxed moustache as are most of his male contemporaries. Unfortunately the steam of hot tea melts wax. Mildred wishes to spare her hero from the indignity of having wax drip down his chin and into his tea. Hence the moustache cup. This was a covered cup with a small opening for sipping hot teas. How dashing!

As the well dressed courtier beguiles his object of seduction, does he really notice that she smiles only slightly at his wit? Oh, her eyes dance and she flirts with her fan but the stiff pancake make-up court ladies wear tends to craze and crack if one laughs too recklessly so Elenore is demure. If brave Sir Ralph is successful and spirits his lady behind the brocade bed curtains, will he make passionate love with his wig on? If not, does she notice the spiky prickle of his shaved head? Perhaps he’ll don a night cap.

When ladies had elaborate coiffures, the hairdresser visited and charged handsomely for his skills. Powdered towers of twists and curls and ornaments took a whole morning to create. And were meant to last. Everyone knew hair washing was an invitation to illness, especially in winter, and after all one couldn’t have the dresser every day unless you were royalty. If her lover leant close to whisper sweet nothings in her ear, did he notice the wildlife that snuggled well into her curls? Perhaps not, since his wig housed a similar collection.

And when Elsbeth plucked her eyebrows completely as well as the front inch or so of her hairline, her hero didn’t think bald egg, he saw fashion and beauty. When Frederick came courting with a lavishly decorated codpiece well displayed and the toes of his shoes curled up and tied to his garters, she saw manly beauty and style.

What will the grandchildren really think when they drag out the family photo albums on the wet Sunday afternoon? They won’t see the romantic heroes and heroines we know are in those snaps. We know, however, how very romantic we were and, don’t tell them, still are! Love dust makes the eyes see what’s really there underneath.

Merlin and Arthur

2010-06-13T23:08:00.002+08:00

Has there ever been a conversation you'd love to have read about between 2 characters?

Like Edward and Bella's discussion when she meets the human that smells irresistible to her?

Or Batman and Robin's discussion when Batman tells Robin his 'Holy Whatever, Batman' lines are dumb?

Since I'm thoroughly addicted to Merlin Season 2 at the moment - I thought I might post on that theme. For me its Merlin and Arthur's conversation when Merlin's secret powers are revealed.

(Imagine Bradley James and Colin Morgan...)

Arthur: You mean all this time you've just been pretending to be an idiot?
Merlin: I wasn't pretending. I mean I'm not an idiot. I've saved your life a thousand times.
Arthur: You have?! Name one.
Merlin: The gryphon.
Arthur: I threw the sword that killed it.
Merlin: I enchanted the sword to fly straight.
Arthur: The wraith?
Merlin: Me.
Arthur: The vilderath?
Merlin: Me.
Arthur: Did I kill anything on my own? What about the gargoyles?
Merlin: That was you.
Arthur: Really?
Merlin: No. Sorry, that was me too.
Arthur: The dragon?
Merlin: Me...

Comment and let me know what conversation you'd want to read or hear. Or better yet - write it.

Thanks for reading.
Kym

Interview @ Bitten By Books

2010-06-09T18:45:00.002+08:00

I'm being interviewed at Bitten By Books on June 9.
The link for pre-registration is http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=25665.
Otherwise the interview starts at 3pm central.
Hope to see you there!

Boyfriend in a Bottle - winner

2010-06-08T19:38:00.004+08:00

Hi,
I’m Chantal, Shona’s sister.
I chose Courtney because I felt a lot of us would react that way to seeing a naked man tied to our bed. I know I would...before running back in and taking advantage.

I’d just like to let the Universe know I’m still waiting for my Audi.

I hope you enjoy the book Courtney. Please send shona your email address so she can send you the book, shona at shonahusk dot com

PS. If you have a writer for a sister never tell her anything.

Boyfriend in a Bottle

2010-06-05T18:21:00.004+08:00

To celebrate the release of Boyfriend in a Bottle I have a copy to give away!
All you have to do is read the excerpt and in the comments write the next sentence.
The winner will be drawn on Tuesday June 8 (release day) by my sister who inspired Josie’s love of the Audi TT with red leather seats.

Chapter 1

“Come on, Josie. Just for laughs.” Karen leaned on the kitchen counter, eyes bright, cheeks flushed from too much wine.

Josie fingered the ruby red glass bottle.

“Do the spell.” Emily turned over the paper tag that hung around the neck of the bottle. A lick-and-wish spell.

Josie rolled her eyes. “It won’t work.”

“So do it.” Karen said. “Lick. Lick. Lick.”

Emily joined the chant.

She could blame it on the wine, and that she’d been single for twelve months—ten if anyone asked. A full year without sex made her sound like she couldn’t get any. Her friends thought she needed help and had resorted to magic.

“Okay! One lick. That’s all.” The only thing that was going to happen would be gastro from licking a bottle that had been handled by God only knew how many people in the Ye Olde New Age Shoppe.

Josie let out a breath and stuck out her tongue, then swiped bottle over it before she could have second thoughts. Orange and spice clung to her taste buds.

“Happy?” She set the bottle down and glared at her well-meaning but misguided friends. The bottle made a hollow thunk, spun once, but remained upright. She needed to brush her teeth and scrub her tongue for germs, but the lingering taste was so delicious she almost wanted to try again.

“A hot lover was supposed to appear.” Karen looked around the lounge-room-kitchen area. There wasn’t anywhere for a man to hide in her one-bedroom flat.

“Did you wish?” Emily peered under the dining table.

Yep, it was her fault no man had appeared out of the bottle. It couldn’t possibly be her friends had been conned out of twenty dollars by the fake gypsy.

Josie pointed. “Look! There he is, reclining on the sofa and he’s sooo hot.”

Both women turned to the red sofa. “Very funny, Josie.”

“I’ve managed this long without a man. I’ll be fine. Truly.” Josie put her hand on the kitchen counter to steady herself. What she needed was to lie down. The wine had rushed to her head, and the room was moving without her permission.

“Madam Rae promised it would work.” The soon-to-be married Karen frowned. “I knew we should have got the bath Nessie instead.”

A monster in her bath. That would really please her no-pets-allowed landlord. “Stop going to that shop.”

“She predicted I’d get married.”

“Karen, you’ve been with the same guy since high school. You have two kids with him. Anyone could’ve predicted you were going to get married, eventually.” The room was hot, too hot. Josie wiped her hand over her forehead. Her palm came away damp. Could she have gotten sick this fast, or was she really, really drunk?

“She predicted my pregnancy.” Emily patted her slightly rounded tummy.

“If you have sex, you get pregnant.” As she spoke her tongue became heavy. She shook her head to clear the low hum now residing in her ears. “I think I had one too many glasses with dinner.”

“We’re going.” Karen held her hands up. “I promised I’d be home by one anyway.” She kissed Josie’s cheek. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you for dinner. It was just what I needed.” Josie hugged Karen. She meant it—the girls’ night out had been perfect. She was tired of only seeing her friends with their partners. As happy as she was for them, it reminded her of what she’d failed to find.

“I’ll see you on Monday.” Emily hugged her. A few more months and Emily wouldn’t be at work. Maybe it was time to take a chance and find a new job. Re-invent herself.

“Only if I’m not sick from licking strange bottles.” Josie opened the front door. A cold breeze swept over her skin, her clothes too thick for it to slip beneath and cool her down.

There was another round of hugs and kisses before Karen and Emily left. She watched Emily pull away, driving Karen home in her fancy black Mercedes, then locked the door. She didn’t let envy unsheathe its claws. Instead she made herself open the pantry door, where she stared at her vision board like she had done every night before bed for the past twelve months. She fanned her face and closed her eyes, but the images and words stuck to the door were engraved on her eyelids. She’d pasted the pictures together after Grant had left her for a woman he worked with. The longer hours at work had been extra hours with the girl from filing. All those work dinners and functions he had insisted on attending alone—because they would “bore” her—had really been dates with his new girlfriend.

Her muscles tightened as the old anger resurfaced. Grant had used her, kept her until the new girl was a sure thing. She was always “Plan B” Josie.

It had been long enough that nausea no longer surged in her stomach when she thought of him. Not long enough for her to forgive and forget. Josie rolled her shoulders and flexed her fingers. Her vision board wasn’t working.

No house. No Audi TT. No boyfriend.

Better single than a sucker.

“Think positive Josie, positive.” She glanced around the board, looking for something that had worked. The fake cheque made out to her, signed “The Universe”. She nodded to herself. She’d got the pay raise she’d asked for; that was something to be grateful for.

Obviously right now The Universe was busy answering the needs of other people. She had a car and somewhere to live. Her life wasn’t bad…it just wasn’t brilliant. She wasn’t where she’d wanted to be at thirty-two. She huffed out a breath, closed her eyes and tried again. The buzzing in her ears intensified. She ignored it and focused on her fantasy life.

Josie imagined driving the car, parking it in the double garage of her beautiful house, her hot husband greeting her at the door. Her daydream spun, a glittering whirl of colour. Exotic wood smoke filled the air. She reached out a hand to stop herself from falling over.

“Lay off the red wine.” She must have drunk Emily’s share as well as her own.

Using the back of her sofa for support, she toed off her heels, not trusting herself to balance on one leg. Her bed beckoned, the pull irresistible. She walked around the flat, flicking off lights. Beneath her bedroom door light pooled. Josie frowned—she didn’t remember turning the light on after coming home. Maybe she’d left it on when she went out, but it had been still been daylight then. She padded over and opened the door.

Her mouth fell open. She stepped back and slammed the door closed, breathing hard.

There was a naked man tied to her bed.

WHAT MAKES A HERO?

2010-05-24T08:40:00.002+08:00

I pulled an action hero down the middle of a fairly main road a few days ago. I'm sure the bystanders were amused, or perhaps bemused. It's not every day you see a short, fat, middle-aged woman who thinks she's Bruce Schwarzenegger.

It got me thinking about what makes a hero.

That Man used to accuse me of putting form above function when I admitted a liking for Rob Thomas, but I truly like his music. What makes him a hero though is more than his melodies and lyrics. I like the way he stands by his wife with her health problems.

Celebrity heroes aren't difficult to find, I'll name just a few. Glenn McGrath, Rove and Pierce Brosnan, who all have far more in common as heroes than you'd expect for a sports legend, a comedian and an actor.

I'm sure we all know of everyday heroes in the same mould. Those who can and do deal with the hard parts of love.

Of course there are other things that make a hero. Mostly far quieter than the 'in sickness' examples above.

What makes That Man a hero? Well, let me tell you about an acquaintance of mine. Let's call her Nameless.

Nameless has moved half way across the world for her man's career. Her man had a dream car he wanted to own when he got to their current location. So he bought it. Leaving them with no money for her to have a car AT ALL. They live out of town.

That Man made sure that D1, D2 and I have a reliable, suitable vehicle that was the best we could afford, that I liked, that did what WE needed it to. He drives a beat up piece of junk that he insists he enjoys doing lots of maintenance on . . . it's just one of the reasons he's a hero.

Tell me what you think makes a hero, or tell me a story about your hero or a celebrity hero. I'd love to hear everyone's stories and thoughts.

I do love a hero.

H! :)

Romancing the West

2010-05-19T16:33:00.001+08:00

Getting the chance to work on craft and network with other writers boosts your own writing. Writing is such a solitary occupation. Writers spend a lot of time alone with imaginary people who spend a lot of time dealing with conflict and overcoming challenges and then we’re with them for only a short time to share in their happiness.

It’s pure pleasure to come back to the real world and talk writing with writers.

I had that opportunity just recently when Romance Writers of Australia auspiced and sponsored the Romancing the West conference in Perth. Four accomplished writers, Fiona Lowe, Juliet Marillier, Nikki Logan and Fiona Palmer gave freely of their knowledge and experience and we learned about tension, branding, writing the first chapter, backstory and more.

It also generated new members for RWA and new critique groups that will be an on-going support to those who joined.

Now it’s time to take what I’ve learned back to my own writing.

My take away was from Juliet Marillier who said that she edited by writing three chapters then editing them, writing the next three chapters then editing all six and so on. If she has new ideas, sub-plots, characters as she’s writing then she can work them into the whole book and when she types ‘THE END’ she knows she’s close to submission standard.

I think that could work for me.

Lesley Ann Smith

And the winner is ........

2010-05-14T21:52:00.003+08:00

Hi Everyone

Thanks for taking the time to come and read Robyn's interview. So without further ado the winner of the wonderful autographed set of Outback Billionaire and Baby 2010 books is .........

SERENA!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Serena. We'll get in contact with you and then arrange for the books to be sent your way.

Don't forget to keep coming back each week to read all about our adventures as we strive for publication and achieve that goal!

Shona Husk will have her debut book coming out in a few days An Elemental Tail with the Wild Rose Press. Make sure you check out her website for a blurb and when her next novella will be out!

Thanks!

Nicki

Author Interview with Robyn Grady

2010-05-09T01:47:00.006+08:00

Today is Mother’s Day and I’d like wish all the mums a wonderful day!

Visiting us on the Wink Girls blog is the wonderful Silhouette Desire and Mills & Boon Modern/Sexy Sensation Author Robyn Grady, who is also a super mum to 3 beautiful daughters. Thanks so much for joining us on such a special day Robyn.

Your beginning lines and scenes of your books hit the reader between the eyes. How long do you work on the opening lines and scenes?

Ooh! Thank you. I actually spend oodles of time on the opening three chapters but particularly the first. Once I have an idea for the opening scene, I try to work it so that the reader will be compelled to turn that page! Some first pages feature action (ex: Devil in a Dark Blue Suit where the heroine witnesses her ex’s expensive car being pummeled with a baseball bat by an outraged girlfriend – or so she thinks…) and some opening scenes totally rely upon the draw of high-octane sexual tension and anticipation (read The Billionaire’s Fake Engagement for a spin on ‘a stranger’s gaze catching yours amidst a crowd’). My opening lines I will change (fiddle with) a zillion times, honing and making them just right. I’m sure I go over the first three chapters so thoroughly because it’s a way for me to really get to know the characters and get a good handle on their motivations and conflicts.

Those two opening scenes you mentioned are amongst my favourite! On average how long does it take you from when you conceive the idea to have that first draft finished?

Each book is different. Depends a lot on the deadline! I have books that have taken up to eight months from conception to final manuscript (ex: Bargaining for Baby).

I’ve also written a book in three weeks (The Australian Millionaire’s Love-Child). BTW, the three week deal is not recommended. Lotsa stress

To give you a better idea, I write between four and five books a year.

When you’ve finished your manuscripts do you let it sit for a bit or get right back into editing it?

Now this is interesting! I edit heavily as I go so that when I come to the end I’m pretty much happy with it (of course there’s lots of honing and beautifying of words still to be done ) I used to write from chapter one right through, editing each chapter to death until I reached ‘The End’. But an author I thoroughly respect and admire once gave me some insightful advice. She explained that, if she has a certain scene playing in her mind, she will jump ahead and write out of sequence. That buffoozled me at the time – how do you know how a character will be feeling, or what they will be thinking, when you haven’t yet written what’s come before? But now, working from a synopsis, I can write the final scene and middle scenes out of sequence, although I will go back again and again to trim and add and polish. That advice has been invaluable because it not only gives me a sense of freedom within my writing process but it also helps me to understand my characters better earlier!

You write for both Silhouette Desire and Mills & Boon Modern Heat/Sexy Sensation, what is the main difference between the ‘feel’ of the books? Do you find that one line is easier to write than the other or are both a challenge?

I totally love writing for both lines! I think my basic voice is the same…a regular reader would probably recognize my voice in either line without seeing the author’s name on the cover. But, yes, the ‘feel’ and tones of Desire and Modern Heat/Sexy Sensation are different. Desires have more of a classic feel. The hooks are tried and true (and much loved!) although great twists are always welcome. Some Desires are lighter reads, particularly now with a new senior at the helm. But the intensely passionate stories that don’t shy away from high drama are still a staple (ex: Bedded by Blackmail – revenge, murder accusations, there’s even a shootout!). Continuities featuring mega rich, uber influential families are a fave!

Modern Heat/Sexy Sensation are more of a lighter, sassier, but still emotionally gripping read, and are aimed at younger audiences as well as stoic Harlequin fans. The guys are still wealthy but they exhibit a sense of humor and the stories must be “feel good”/”uplifting”. Doesn’t mean the couple can’t have real issues to work out – sustainable, believable conflict is a must! But heavy dwelling on the tragic past isn’t recommended. And the Hero and heroine are absolutely evenly matched! They are very much contemporary reads, dealing with issues that affect today’s women.

You have a May US Desire release, June in Australia, “Bargaining for Baby” which is part of the “Billionaires and Babies” series. Two other Australian authors Maxine Sullivan and Paula Roe are also involved in this series. Did you work closely with them and bounce ideas off one another?

Being invited to contribute to this special series was a total buzz! All three stories share the Australian Outback Billionaire and Baby theme, but each is a stand alone story. Maxine, Paula and myself have been in contact almost daily with regard to the series website, contests, and, yes, bouncing some ideas off each other too, including titles and locations.

Did the three of you approach your editors with this idea or did your editors approach you?

Another interesting question! Maxine Sullivan pitched a series idea to Melissa Jeglinski, Desire’s Senior Editor at the time. Melissa loved the idea of some of her Australian authors joining forces again (who can forget Diamonds Down Under?!) and suggested we work on projects that would fit Desire’s already popular Billionaires and Babies series. Desire readers adore their cowboys, so the Outback became another integral hook.

The Desire series often have continuities revolving around families. Would you like to be part of a continuity like this?

Ask me a year ago and I would’ve quivered in my boots! For years I’ve admired so many of the Desire authors. Honestly, I didn’t feel quite worthy to be part of a continuity with some of these outstanding writers. But early this year I was asked to be part of a Modern/Sexy/Presents continuity along with seven other authors, including Abby Green and Jennie Lucas. I took a big breath and said, “Yes please!”

My wonderful NA editor also suggested this year that I might like to be part of a Desire continuity. Now that I’ve seen how well their bibles work (the stack of info the editors put together so all the bits and pieces of each story fit, including lots of history on each character), I’m thoroughly excited and ready to write!

I’ve always wondered about those bibles I’ve heard continuity authors talk about. One day I’ll see one myself. Have you considered writing a linked series of your own?

Uh-huh! But I would want to come up with a fabulous twist. So for now, I’ll keeping thinking

Tell us about your hero Jack. He has closed himself off to feeling love again. Was he a challenge to write?

Oh, I love Jack Prescott! It was a challenge to get his motivations versus what the heroine, Madison Tyler, saw and perceived of him just right. To the outside world Jack is rather terse, withdrawn, as well as man-of-the-land super sexy! But at his core, Jack is a family man who has been deeply wounded and needs the perfect heroine to challenge him enough to want to feel, and love, again.

What’s next for Robyn Grady?

Well, I found out last week that a Robyn Grady Bestseller’s Collection will be on Australian and New Zealand shelves in November. That’s pretty cool. My next story stars a doctor hero who featured in The Billionaire’s Fake Engagement, a book that won a CataRomance Best Desire for 2009. (Yay!) At the moment I’m writing my sixteenth novel and am daydreaming constantly about a lazy tropical island holiday.

Congratulations on the Bestseller Collection AND your CataRomance win. I’m dreaming of a tropical island holiday too! And to finish a totally quirky question. What is the quirkiest thing on your desk?

Other than numerous Pepsi Max bottle wraps with chances to win a First Class TopGear UK trip for four (I told my husband if he’s very good I might take him along), probably the quirkiest thing is a ‘Just Sold!’ present I received from a critique partner. I have a terrible weakness for shoes so Rachel bought me a purple high-heel picture holder – purple being my favorite color. Fanned out on the clip are photos of my Gran and each of our girls when they were very little, as well as a beautiful shot from my wedding day. Makes me smile every time I look across and also reminds me of what’s most important

That clip sounds beautiful with all your memories on it. Robyn, thanks again for joining us and giving us an insight into the processes of how you work. I love finding out how different authors work.

Readers, Robyn has generously offered an Autographed Set of Outback Billionaire and Baby books to the person who correctly answers this question “Who are the three Australian authors contributing to the Australian Outback and Billionaire Desire series on the shelves in 2010?” If there are more than one correct answer all names will be put into a hat and the winner will be drawn out randomly

House-keeping

2010-05-04T00:14:00.002+08:00

I had a great time at the Romancing the West Roadshow on Saturday- congrats. again to those selfless souls who put it together-and took away matters great and small to mull over. These included my lamentable house-keeping habits. Over a coffee I was laughing with another writer over the myriad ways to avoid the scene that’s not working, other than admit that it’s not working of course. There’s the otherwise avoided supermarket shopping, rinsing out the wheelie bin that’s been smelly for weeks, dusting the tops of doors or, heaven help us, cleaning the oven. At which point, deciding to ditch the scene or subject it to radical surgery seemed the preferred option.

This brings me slowly to house-keeping. Of the writing kind. With one manuscript almost ready to go, I looked back at the hours wasted trying to find that scene I knew was worth keeping but has now disappeared somewhere among badly named and misfiled bits and pieces, groaning as I realise I’ve renumbered some chapters and not others, so now I have to scroll through five to find one. And when I’ve found the re-edited chapter I want, I’ve forgotten which scenes are in it. Ring any bells? Am I the only one?

I remember a Hearts Talk article dealing with logging scenes within chapters which also becomes a chapter summary. YES! When I find it, I’m going to master this trick and create more karma in the study. Experienced authors on Saturday recommended a separate file for edited bits- a sort of limbo for beloved scenes which sadly had to face the chop- removed but not forgotten in the ‘special file’. There must also be a way of combining a dozen files into a single document that’s better than the slow, painful method I now use. Ditto for removing strange lines which magically appear in bits of text and refuse to be eradicated.

Heartened and inspired, I’m resolved to clean up my act and apply method and order to the next manuscript. No more dust balls lurking in mystery files the computer has designated Scrap for some reason, progressive summaries, consistent chapter names so the GO can find CHAPTER TEN rather than chapter 10, a gentle resting place for truncated scenes and a less wild eyed sloppy writer who might even approach deep editing with calm and confidence.

It costs nothing to dream.

Cath

"First" of all...

2010-04-25T17:36:00.002+08:00

Trying to find that elusive outstanding first line, I went in search of others.

There are the classics:

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, 1984

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity...
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Midway in our life's journey, I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself alone in a dark wood.
Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy - Inferno

There are the ones that slam you into the setting:

The drought had lasted now for ten million years, and the reign of the terrible lizards had ended.
Arthur C Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey

The well-written mood setter:

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.
William Gibson, Neuromancer

We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall.
Louise Erdrich, Tracks

And the just plain clever:

It was the day my grandmother exploded.
Iain M. Banks, The Crow Road

Every summer Lin Kong returned to Goose Village to divorce his wife, Shunyu.
Ha Jin, Waiting

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Stubb, and he almost deserved it.
C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Zach Freeman woke out of a deep sleep to see his bum perched on the ledge of his bedroom window.
Andy Griffiths, The Day My Bum Went Psycho

And my personal favourite:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

So, what makes it memorable? In my opinion, for a first line to be memorable it needs to throw the reader into the setting, tell them something in a way they've never read before, or make them laugh.

The first line is a promise that you're going to take the reader places they've never been before.

How about you? What's your favourite first line of a novel? What do you think it takes to make a great first line?

Thanks for reading.

Kym

The Anagnoretic Moment

2010-04-18T08:56:00.005+08:00

I was recently fortunate to attend a 3 Day Feature Script Development Workshop presented by internationally recognised consultants Simon van der Borgh and Jonathon Rawlinson. They were very giving with advice and individual encouragement.

I learned every movie should have an anagnoretic moment – a moment that moves the audience and creates total empathy with the main character and we connect.

Eg. In the movie The Others it is the moment towards the end of the movie on the stairs, when Nicole Kidman hugs her children and is reunited emotionally with her daughter before they face the unknown together.

It got me thinking. If movies have it, why can’t books? Why can’t we, as romance writers embrace the anagnoretic moment and make sure every manuscript we write has one? Sure, you can have several moments that lead up to it, but the anagnoretic moment should be very clear.

I’m now aiming to have this moment in everything I write. I believe it will strengthen my stories and add a dimension that may have been lacking.

I encourage you to ask yourself the same question with your work once you have finished it – What’s your anagnoretic moment? If you can’t figure out which one it is, it isn’t strong enough. Make it one to remember.

Donna

The 'Scary Kisses' Book Launch

2010-04-11T13:40:00.007+08:00

Last Friday night was the launch of the Scary Kisses paranormal romance anthology. It was also my first book launch, reading and book signing—a lot of firsts for one night, but very exciting.

Did I bring a pen? No. In my defense I couldn't have fitted one in my little handbag.

Fortunately the editor Liz Grzyb had brought pens for all of the four authors attending (Annette Backshall, Ian Nichols and DC White were also there for the launch).

The WINKgirls, my sister and author JD Cregan also came along. As I sat on the other side of the table it was great to see friendly faces in the crowd. And there was a crowd, it was standing room only and I’m sure they didn’t just come for the free champagne and red kiss cupcakes (which I hear were very good).

So what did I learn?
Bring a pen.
Bring friends, a friendly face in the audience is like gold.
Practice reading.
Smile.

And because this launch was so much fun, I’m having an online launch party at Bitten By Books for Boyfriend in a Bottle on June 9 2010.
Hope to see you all there!

Scary Kisses is available at Indie Books Online.

INFINITE CREATIVITY?

2010-04-05T06:19:00.004+08:00

I had an epiphany about the wip the other day. It was while I was drafting a pattern to make something for D2. All of a sudden something that I had been struggling with, something that had been blocking me, became clear. It was almost like one of those moments when you're doing a left brain activity and it frees up your right brain to tell you the solution to some problem , except I was doing a right brain activity.

It got me thinking about my creative process. I already know that I can't work without feeding the muse. I feed him (yes, him) art and music and all the usual things that a muse needs.

In the past I have noticed that the most creative periods in my writing and hobbies occur together. There is a school of thought that suggests we can't 'use up' our creativity in other activities if we want enough left over for writing (or painting, or whatever your non hobby art is).

I think that for me it might almost be the opposite. The more creative activities I'm doing the more I seem to be able to do. It's almost like they help feed the muse.

Norman Lindsay seems to be an example, he painted, he sculpted, he wrote, he made models, I wonder if there was anything the man couldn't do? Then again Elton John doesn't even (usually) write lyrics.

I'm guessing this another one of those things that is different for everyone. Obviously my brain does better when I do more things. Given the fact that there is a school of thought out there telling people not to use up their creativity on pursuits other than their main one there must be people out there who find that their creativity doesn't feed off itself, but instead gets used up and needs time to replenish.

I'm intrigued. How many are there of each? Who's in between?

What works for you?

Leading lines from movies

2010-03-28T14:40:00.003+08:00

Powerful dialogue makes a book memorable. There's been some great lines in movies that bring romance to life. Here are some of my favourites.

From Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), "I just met a wonderful new man. He's fictional but you can't have everything."

From Camille (1936), "How can one change one's entire life and build a new one on one moment of love? And yet, that's what you make me want to close my eyes and do."

From Pride and Prejuduce (1995), "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

From To Cathc A Thief (1955), "Not only did I enjoy that kiss last night, I was awed by the efficiency behind it."

From Gone With The Wind (1939), "You should be kissed and often by someone who knows how."

From Palmy Days (1931), "Baby, you're the key to my ignition."

Do you have a favourite?

Seeing the Light - well sort of

2010-03-20T10:52:00.004+08:00

I recently started to do a synopsis course. Unfortunately a sock eating dog and a traveling husband got in the way.

The synopsis course was a real eye opener for me. For the purpose of the course I started to use a story I'd written about 18k words of. I was changing things up as I edited it in the hopes of submitting it soon.

The more I progressed with the course the more I realised I had absolutely no idea what my characters wanted. I thought I did, but it seems I didn't.

As I stumbled through the first couple of exercises I'll admit to feeling really down. I was wondering what to do. How was I going to get this story to work. Fortunately the following week was a WInk meeting and with the help of the fabulous WInk Girls I was able to get clear in my mind my characters GMC.

Now to go back over what I'd previously written and work their goals etc back in. Or alternatively start with a clean piece of paper and start from the beginning again. That may be the way to go.

So the synopsis course helped me see the holes in my plot and my characters. I didn't finish the course but it is going to be run again in May and I definitely will be attending that course again. This time hopefully the sock eating dog is over her fascination with socks and my hubby won't be away.

So thanks to Camy Tang and her synopsis course. I would recommend to anyone who struggles with writing synopsis to try this course. It opened my eyes!

Nicki

Scary Kisses

2010-03-11T15:21:00.003+08:00

My short story Black Widow is tucked inside this cute cover. The Scary Kisses paranormal romance anthology is available for pre-order now from indie books online , and will be out on the 4th of April.

The launch party will be at Swancon in Perth on Friday the 2nd of April

Black Widow

A man with a soul.

A demon with a heart.

A match made in Vegas.

Cover Art

2010-03-09T18:36:00.005+08:00

This is my first ever piece of cover art. Yep, you only ever get this moment once, that moment when you first see your name on the cover of a book. Cool or what?

I have no release date yet, but you can gaze at the hero and read the blurb.

Blurb:
Four hundred years ago, Nik was tricked by his lover and left stranded as a powerless, but immortal, human. Now he craves only one thing: to reclaim the book that was once his tail and become a water Elemental again. Unfortunately, he can only locate the book when someone touches the pages. This time he won’t be left high and dry.

Isla is left a beautiful leather-bound book in her great-aunt’s will, perfect for using during her life drawing classes. However, she can’t bring herself to mark the translucent pages until a compelling crimson-haired stranger strips for art.

Nik is torn. Years of enforced humanity have given him a conscience. Despite his best efforts at remaining a heartless water Elemental, he is failing. He is falling for Isla, who has no idea she holds the power of the oceans, and his heart, in her hands.

Basic Storylines

2010-03-06T14:57:00.003+08:00

I heard somewhere that there were only 7 basic plotlines/storylines in the world. Not believing that hundreds of years of literature could be fit into such small boxes, I resolved to do some research on the matter.
So during one of my sojourns into the internet world, I googled major storylines and came up with more responses than I'd expected. Apparently, there aren't just 7, there's 3, 8, 20 or 36 (depending on where you look or who you believe). The following is one that made the most sense to me, in other words it was the shortest list that I actually understood.

Eight Basic Storylines - according to an English teacher somewhere in the world:
1. The Cinderella Story - where unrecognised virtue is finally given credit.
2. The Achilles Story - a fatal flaw in the main character which leads to tragic consequences.
3. The Orpheus Story - what happens when former or apparent good fortune is taken away.
4. The Romeo and Juliet Story - a love story (doesn't have to be tragic).
5. The Irrepressable Hero Story - the main character has to deal with a series of obstacles and always succeeds.
6. The Circle Story - the character is drawn, unsuspectingly, into a devious plot by a villian.
7. The Tristan Story - a love triangle.
8. The Faust Story - a pact made with the devil, who must be paid.

I pondered the list and tried to fit in all my stories and the ones I've read. Granted, most of the books I read and write fall into the category of #4, except for my YA novel which is a cross between #5 and #6.

Harry Potter - #5
Twilight Series - #4 and #7
James Bond - #5
Robert Ludlum books - #6
A tonne of Romance books - #1 and #4
I didn't know of any for #8 (tell me if you know of any, I'd be interested to read it).

So, apparently, hundreds of years of plots can be boiled down to a few boxes. Although I will always endevour to find a story that doesn't fit the above, because that would be publishing gold.

Your homework...
Leave me a comment and tell me:

Where does your novel fit in?
Can you think of any of your favourite novels that don't fit into any category?

Thanks for reading.
Kym Brooks

Through the looking Glass

2010-02-27T11:03:00.006+08:00

Once upon a time there was a writer who was offered three contracts in eight weeks and tumbled into published author land. A place where the road are paved with contracts, cover art grows from trees and heroes walk past offering champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries...
Err not so much.

But it is a strange place when you first arrive. Signing the contract is just the start, the ticket that gets you through the gate. Once through the paper rushes you, there are revisions (even if you did some before the contract), blurbs, author bios, cover art forms and if your an Aussie who sells in the USA there’s something called a W8. All of this has to be turned in to your editor in a timely manner or you’ll run the risk of being told, ‘you’re late!’.

Then there’s promo and blogs and don’t forget to write the next book. There is a next book, right?

Dizzy yet?

Take a breath and enjoy the blurb for my June release from Samhain Publishing .

Boyfriend in a Bottle

Be careful what you wish for. It might come with an expiration date...

Josie’s well-meaning friends just don’t get it. It’s not that she’s overjoyed to be thirty-two and celibate since her boyfriend dumped her. She’d love to settle down, but she refuses to settle for just any man. After all, better single than a sucker. Nevertheless, she humors her friends and follows the instructions attached to the gift they’ve given her—a beautiful bottle from a new-age shop. Lick, and the perfect man will appear.

It works. The naked man she finds tied to her bed is everything she’s ever wished for. Except Mr. Perfect comes with a time limit.

Kede is tired of living life by the hourglass. Once, fulfilling the desires of the women who freed him was enough, but now it’s just another job. Josie is different, though. She sees him as a real man—a man she wants for all time.

Kede wants more than a moment. He wants a chance at life outside the bottle, and he wants a life with Josie. But he belongs to the goddess Inanna, and his time is running out…

Winner of Free copy of "Outback Hero"

2010-02-26T17:39:00.002+08:00

Congratulations Jo Mc!

You are our lucky winner of Elisabeth Rose's latest release, Outback Hero, as chosen randomly from the list of people who commented.

Please Contact Me by clicking here and provide your postal address so that your prize may be sent to you.

Thanks once again to Elisabeth Rose for a great interview!

Chatting with Avalon author, Elisabeth Rose

2010-02-21T12:15:00.006+08:00

For today’s blog, I have the pleasure of chatting with fellow Avalon Author, Elisabeth Rose.

Welcome to the WINK blog site Elisabeth and congratulations on your fourth release with Avalon Books “Outback Hero!”

Thanks for the opportunity to talk about my books. I much prefer to talk about them than me. I'm still amazed I have five books out--four with Avalon and one with TWRP.

The cover is lovely. Did you have any input into how it would look?

Avalon always asks for cover suggestions and it's always difficult. I only came up with one idea for Outback Hero and it was from an ad for an outback farm holiday. They used the profile of a typical Aussie farmer against a vast blue sky. I thought that might work--the silhouette against a sky with a few gum trees as well. My editor sent me a draft version and asked about the trees. The artist was worried they weren't Australian looking. They weren't--they had no leaves for starters and were the wrong shape. I wandered outside with my camera and photographed some typical gumtrees and sent them off. She ended up using a stock photo of a tree and it's perfect. I love the cover, too. Apparently the man is a relative of my editor and he is thrilled to be a cover model! LOL

What attracted you to this story in particular? How did it come about?

The idea came to me in two parts. The little girl Nikki Webster who featured in the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony made me wonder what happens to children who rocket to stardom so young. I invented Stella who as a fifteen year old had become an overnight sensation and now in her mid twenties has begun to realise she knows nothing about who she really is. She knows the public persona but not the real girl and she's sick of doing things for everyone else--her manager, her fans, her newly divorced husband,the media. My working title was Please Yourself because that's what she decided to do in a rather dramatic and initially disastrous way. She missed out on her socially formative teen years so is rather naive when it comes to love.

The second part was developing my hero Jonathan. Quite by chance I saw a documentary on TV about a cotton growing family in Goondiwindi NSW who literally saved their town by involving everyone in not just the growing of the crop but also designing, and manufacturing clothing. They cut out the middle man and the business became very successful. Perfect hero material. I made up the town and the nameKoologong but used the business idea for Jonathan's company 'Koolwear.'

Outback Hero features a heroine who is a singer? Music is another great interest of yours, would you say you get a lot of your inspiration there?

Only one of my books so far has no musicians and that one is 'Stuck.' Music has been a major part of my life so naturally I know a lot about it from a classical musician's point of view. Musicians can be very single minded and emotional -- it comes with the focus and drive needed to perfect the art.
My daughter gave me a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche which sums it up:
'You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.'

What are you working on now?

At the moment I'm writing another book based around the City Symphony Orchestra which I invented in my first book The Right Chord. It's not a series but it gives me a large pool of characters--my orchestra has about eighty members--and minor characters plus other heroes and heroines can pop up again and again. I like that, seeing how previous couples are faring.

And what’s in the near future for Elisabeth Rose?

My next release is The Tangled Web, also based on the orchestra. In this one both main characters are in the orchestra so the story is set around rehearsals and concerts more than the other books where only one person is a musician.

Sounds great! So when do you write? Do you have a set routine?

I have two part time jobs which means I have the bulk of the day free -- some whole days and afternoons on other days. I write any time I can. I seem to be best in the afternoon or mid morning on. I spend a lot of time in the car so I have ABC Classic FM on all the time and find the music inspires ideas. It's also good thinking time.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Definitely a pantser.

Me too! Why is this your preference?

I love starting out with an idea and seeing where it leads. All sorts of things happen along the way. I think ahead a scene but not much further although sometimes I know how I want the ending to go or know another scene or incident has to occur later.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Probably about a year. It's hard to say. I write very clean because I'm constantly revising as I go and I can't stand having spelling and grammar mistakes--old school here :) Plus there's the fact that I can't type properly so I have to tidy up the most horrendous typos or later on I wouldn't have a clue what I'd written. When I reach the end I reread and tweak then put it away for a few months and either start something else or go back to my two non romance stories --one thriller, one mystery. Then I pull it out it again, reread tweak some more and away it goes to my editor.

What is the best thing you have done for your writing?

Without a doubt joining RWAustralia is the very best thing. That, plus having the internet LOL. I've been to about six conferences and learned something at every one. And the romance writing community is the most supportive friendly bunch of people you could ever hope to meet. This is my second year as a committee member (as Contest Co-ordinator)and I really enjoy contributing something to this wonderful organisation. I also run the Little Gems contest and produce the Anthology.

Thanks so much for chatting with me Elisabeth.

If you’d like a chance to receive a free copy of “Outback Hero,” leave a comment about this interview. The winner will be drawn on Friday and announced on this blog.
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If you enjoyed this interview, you may also wish to check out my new solo blog where I discuss the trials and tribulations of a newly published author, ways to improve your writing and my journey building a career in this industry.

Loretta's Blog A tale of life... after publication.

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2010-02-14T21:40:00.002+08:00

Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress.

Holding Out For a Hero
Dream Lover

My Guy
Heartbeat
I Can't Get You Out of my Head
Love Has Got a Hold of my Heart
Knowing Me Knowing You
Love Don't Come Easy
Stupid Cupid

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
You Always Hurt The One You Love
You Can't Hurry Love
You Made Me Love You
Where Did Our Love Go

Daydream Believer
Ticket to Ride
Paint it Black
There Goes My Heart
I'll Be Seeing You
It's My Party

If I Can't Have You
I Will Survive

Love Me Do
The Power of Love
Only You
Third Finger Left Hand

H! :) Happy Valentine's Day