Susan Says

Influence From the Past

2012-01-27T09:17:00.004-05:00

I loved to read from the first day my first grade teacher gave us those 'Dick and Jane' readers. Our little country school didn't have kindergarten, so we dove right into reading. When our little school added a real library a few years later, I spent every morning before school searching the shelves. I couldn't get enough. Entering high school and discovering a library many times the size of my previous experience, I made a good friend of the kind lady who ran the place. How I envied her job, spending the entire day among all those books.

I read nearly every type of fiction I could get my hands on. My English teacher introduced me to Tolkien but in my early reading career, like many young girls, I read every book I could get my hands on that involved horses. I wanted to ride The Black Stallion or Flicka. I read those books over and over again. But as time passed I started reading books where the main characters were people, the plots more about mysteries or the battle of good versus evil. But I never forgot my love of horses and I find myself entering a few animal characters into my own writing. In my epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles, my lead character, Marshal Cage Stone, rides a warhorse named Bayard. There's nothing magical about Bayard but he shares a special connection with his half-elven master. He's a minor character in the books, but he adds another layer to the mystery that is Cage Stone. By having the horse in the story, I get to indulge my childhood love of animal stories but still have my novel be character driven and the plot remain the fantasy mainstay of good versus evil. However, I still want to ride The Black Stallion.

Do your youthful reading habits shape what you write today? What kind of stories were your favorite growing up? Did you read 'Dick and Jane?'

They Know Me Here

2012-01-25T08:54:00.001-05:00

From FB

Later today I'm going to finally make one of the writer's meetings organized by some other writers in neck of the woods. The meeting place is a little inconvenient for me, a library on the other side of a tangle of traffic. I'll have to traverse the busy highways at rush hour to make it to the meeting.

I've only attended one of these meetings before but it was great. Everyone brings a few pages of their current WIP with enough copies for everyone. We take turns reading each other's writing, mark it and give a brief oral critique. There's a great variety of genres represented, thrillers, romances, fantasy, and cross genres between them all. The writers present are at different places in their writing careers and our goals vary as well as our backgrounds. Such a mixed bunch are perfect for getting lots of feedback from different perspectives. I learn as much from listening to the critiques of other people's work as I do from critique of my own. It's a nonthreatening, comfortable bunch of people who are really supportive and nonjudgmental of each other.

There's always a little time before and after to share our thoughts on the world of the word. We talk about publishers, editors, agents and the ventures into self-publishing many of us have made. We'll also likely discuss the upcoming conferences most of us will attend.

Our current meeting place is a meeting room that's part of a library so we'll have to bring our own drinks, but that's fine. It's great to socialize with other writers but most of our time will be spent doing actual work.

Do you have a supportive writers' group you spend time with? Is it mostly for social reasons or does your group concentrate on work? What do you need from a writers' group?

Stormy Predictions

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

The weather reports for this past Saturday called for our area of Penns Woods to receive 1-2 inches of snow followed by a short period of sleet and freezing rain, all to end by the middle of the morning. For lots of different reasons including our day jobs and our recreational interests, my family always checks the weather forecast a number of times per day. As experience weather watchers, we didn't trust a thing the TV said. How often are those reports correct, after all? Around six inches of snow fell upon us with no sleet or freezing rain. We weren't shocked.

From FB

I'm not one of those people who get mad at the weathermen because they're so often wrong. It's a tough job filled with so many variables beyond a mortal's ability to predict. It reminds me of the publishing industry right now and writing in general.

Who can predict what genre of book will be the next hot thing? Zombies, hobbits, fairy tale characters, angels, or something other than fantasy characters? Maybe the entire paranormal thing will go away. Will dystopia lose its appeal if the economy improves? What is next after ebooks? Interactive books? Can everyone become a published author? Will the big NY publishers be able to stay in business?

No one knows. I eagerly read blogs and articles in writing magazines as industry professionals advise wielders of the pen what paths they should take, what preparations to make, to stay afloat and ahead of the stormy weather to come.

But storms, while dangerous, can also be lovely, exciting things. The rapid changes in the world of publishing is thrilling to be a part of as long as one keeps running to keep up with it. So like the weather forecasters, I don't expect anyone to be able to predict exactly what will happen next and how I should guide my career to be safe and successful when changes come. I can only listen and then make my own calls and judgements based on my experience.

Does the rapidly changing world of books leave you feeling adrift in a storm at times? Are you enjoying the thrill of being part of these sweeping changes and the progress of technology overtaking the writing world?

What's Up and What's Down?

2012-01-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

I recently visited my elderly mother and helped her understand her bank statement. New technologies allow the banks to include more and more information on something as simple as her monthly feedback from them. If she would use a computer, she would even need to get that paper statement. Along with her bank statement, she also had her electric bill waiting to be paid. She lives in a small apartment and only heats three rooms yet her bill was nearly $200. Taking a closer look at the bill, I saw she used only $54 dollars of electric and the rest of the bill was fees and delivery costs from the electric company. It was crazy.

From FB

Everyone us can probably come up with many other examples of the price of services and products spiraling upward out of control. Everything seems to cost more. Except for the price of good books.

More and more authors and small publishers are offering excellent products at bargain prices. Books for less than $5 dollars are available in the hundreds and thousands. And lots of them are great. I'm sure there some poor quality stuff among the bounty, but there's also some gems. As more and more people read on electronic devices, writers and smart publishers are going to answer their demands for affordable books. After taking back my rights to my epic fantasy series, I self-published them and have started making some money on the first two books. Even at $1.99 for The Keepers of Sulbreth and $2.99 for Beyond the Gate, I'm seeing profits better than from my previous publisher who held back 75% of all sales against returns. Do you think I'll ever see any of that money? I'm happy to be selling books and the reader is happy to be able to buy quality books at a reasonable price. I wish the rest of the things I have to buy would be priced within sane ranges.

What product's rise in price is really bugging you lately? Are you keeping warm this winter, or cutting back on utilities due to the prices and freezing like me?

The World As Our Characters Know It

2012-01-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

One of the really fun parts of starting a new fantasy series as a writer is creating the world the story will take place in. Some created worlds are so different from ours the world is a story unto itself. Brandon Sanderson is a good one for creating settings that are more than just background noise for his characters. In the first three books of his Mistborn series, the world is a gloomy place on the verge of total annihilation. Only as the reader gets toward the end of the novel, does one come to understand that the reasons behind the harsh conditions of that world and what it will mean to the beloved characters struggling to survive. Sanderson's novel, The Way of Kings, is another great example of a world very alien to ours and I know as that series progresses, the physical and political aspects introduced in the first novel will slowly start to make sense and become like another character in the books.

As an author of fantasy, there are lots of decisions to make. A big one is how much different do you want your world to be from ours? Will gold and silver still be precious? What will the political system be? Will the sky be blue and the sun yellow? Are apple trees still apple trees? It's fun, but also a challenge and that's without getting into how magic will work in the invented world.

In my Futhark series, Beyond the Gate and The Keepers of Sulbreth, some of the creations in the fantasy kingdom of Futhark are demon creatures. I've pulled them from my imagination but made most of them similar to beasts we often fear as children. Some are wolf-like but with bigger teeth. Some run in packs and are like rats with poisonous bites. Some fly and are similar to pterodactyls but all the demons have a taste for human blood and destruction. They're fun to write about.

Scifi authors have fun things to create too, though I would guess they have to follow some scientific rules. But since none of us know what other worlds are like or what ships that zip from galaxy to galaxy will use as fuel, they can dig deep into their own imaginations for their stories also.

What author do you think creates exceptional or memorable worlds? Do you enjoy doing it as an author? Have you read a novel where the world differences bothered you?

Weakness

2012-01-16T12:25:00.001-05:00

We all have things about the writing process we're not thrilled about. Promotion if the big one for me, but I also have a small thing that slows me down writing not just in my 'fun' job but in the day job that pays the bills. I can't spell.

From FB

I've have my theories about my weakness. Even in elementary school when we had weekly spelling tests I scored only average on the durn things even though I led my class in every other subject area. This continued right up through high school and college. And thank the world of technology for spell check. Sometimes though, I've spelled a word so far off the correct mark, spell check laughs at me and asks, 'is this the English language?'

My biggest theory about my spelling-challenged mind is that I don't care. Spelling is easily corrected, especially on a computer, so I don't feel the need to fill my brain with memorized spelling rules. I'm more for higher thought processes like analysis and application. And how's that for rationalization of a weakness?

Do you have a minor weakness you have to keep an eye on in your writing or in your 'other' job? Is spelling easy for you or do you rely on the computer like I do?

If You Want Easy...

2012-01-13T07:43:00.001-05:00

If you want easy, play Wheel of Fortune. If you want challenge, play Jeopardy. Not every night, but many evenings, three or four members of our family sit down and watch Jeopardy on TV. My daughter cleans up on the art categories thanks to her AP art history class. My husband is a retired history teacher and has an unfair advantage. Most of the family has some sports knowledge and I specialize in science and health issues. It's fun and competitive, but it's not easy. None of us would beat any of the champions on our own, but we do pretty good as a team.

The challenge of the game is what makes it fun. Having played sports through most of my youth and young adulthood, the contests I remember are the ones where we had to work for victory. Getting to the top of a mountain is more rewarding than climbing the hill in my backyard.

This is my monthly pep talk to myself. Being a successful writer will be that much more fulfilling for the struggle I've endured to get there. It's not easy to write a novel. It's hard work to edit and edit and edit it. It's time consuming to promote and build a platform. For me, coming up with stories and plots is the only easy part of the process I find easy. The rest is work, hard work. But hopefully the end product makes it worthwhile.

What part of the writing process is easy for you? Do enjoy the challenge of the business or does it overwhelm you at times?

Next Week

2012-01-12T09:42:00.001-05:00

Sorry to talk about my daughter so much. Wait until next fall when she leaves for college. I'll be crying on here every day. But she inspires me a lot for subjects on my blog. Two nights ago she was studying for a history exam and took the time to post her status on facebook. She listed all the ways she was procrastinating on her homework.

How often do we procrastinate when we should be writing? I'm always telling myself my life will be less busy next week. My son will be back at college so less laundry, more writing time. I'll have my doctor's appointment out of the way, so more writing time. I'll be caught up on some overtime stuff I need to do for the day job, so more time for writing. I'm always telling myself next week will be less busy than this week. And it seldom it.

Procrastination is human, but for writers it can be a real career staller especially if you don't have a definite deadline. Doing work on a computer can provide lots of distractions and some of those even let us feel like we're actually working instead of playing.

So I'm not waiting until next week to get back to work on my edits for Book #3 in The Futhark Chronicles, Beneath the Mountain. Because I'm sure next week will bring its own 'extras' to take up my time.

Do you have a favorite procrastination sinkhole? What have you been putting off?

Always the Bad Guy

2012-01-09T08:35:00.000-05:00

I was watching a TV show recently, one of the cops and crooks things, and the good guys were trying to figure out who dunnit. As soon as a clue led them to a state senator, I knew who the offender would be. It's always the politician. It's so easy to paint just about any part of the government as someone looking out for their own personal interest instead of the welfare of the people they're sworn to serve.

It happens in books also. The leaders in the government are seldom portrayed as anything other than self-serving, arrogant and without ethics or morals. This holds true in most genres of fiction, contemporary, fantasy, scifi or historical and perhaps especially dystopian. Why?

There's probably lots of answers to that but I think today's economical and political climate allows for the easy acceptance to the possible reality of our own government being the cause of all our misery. Corruption and greed make for some great conflicts in a novel. In fantasy, a little magic is usually added to complicate the battle of good citizens versus bad rulers.

So do you see the theme of the government as bad guys in lots and lots of novels and other entertainment media? Do you have a theory as to why it's so widely used as the conflict in fiction?

2012 Goodies

2012-01-07T07:06:00.001-05:00

I was very busy with blogging this week and some deadlines fast approaching on the day job. Two meetings after school and one before made for three long days out of five. Then it was so cold most of the week until today.

But on the writing side, I felt pretty good about putting together a blog for the TBR blog kickoff week. I'll announce the winner of my giveaway later this week. Then it was the fun first Wednesday blog for The Insecure Writer Group. I met some new friends and learned how much writers have in common. I feel I should take a sick day from school the first Wednesday in February so I can visit blogs all day.

I visited a blog, forgive me but I don't remember who it was, and enjoyed her list of what she's anticipating for 2012. What a great idea. There are some things I'm looking forward to, professionally and personally.

My daughter will make her decision shortly about what college she'll be attending next year. She's an excellent student with limited only by what we can afford. It will be tough on me when she leaves and I'll miss her twenty times a day, but it will also be a bittersweet joy to watch her move forward toward the dreams she's worked so hard to make reality.

Some of my favorite TV shows will be back in 2012 like Justified, White Collar, Haven and my new love, Person of Interest. In April HBO will bring us the second season of Game of Thrones. Can't wait for that one. Add to that some movies like the next Batman movie and The Avengers. And I can't forget The Hobbit. I'll have eyes on the screen for a few hours this year.

I'm really hoping it doesn't rain so much this year. Our area of the USA had nearly twice the normal amount of rainfall this past year. I hope when warm weather arrives I'll be able to keep up with the outside chores. I usually love doing them, but with all the rain last year the weeds won.

And perhaps my biggest source of anticipation for 2012 is starting my last year of teaching. I'll be retiring at the end of the 2012-13 school year. I love teaching teenagers but there's so much bulls*** surrounding the profession today and it's only going to get worse. I'll be glad to be out of it and be, hopefully, a full time writer starting in June, 2013. I'm sure I'll write more about this in the coming 17 months.

In the book world, I know a number of my favorite authors have books coming out I'll purchase the first day they're available. I'll give shout outs when they happen and maybe some reviews.

On a slight continuation of my vow to do more promotion, I must mention that Beyond the Gate, Book #2 in my epic fantasy series, is finally available on Barnes and Noble for Nook. It's been for sale on Smashwords and Kindle for a over a week but now it's everywhere. That's a lot of places.

What are you looking forward to with great anticipation this year? Will it arrive before the world ends in December?

Insecure Writer: Me, Me, Me

2012-01-04T05:40:00.001-05:00

When I first starting writing, I thought all I had to do was sit down at my keyboard and spew out my creativity for all the world to read. Then I joined a writer's group and learned how much I didn't know about editing, submitting, and the publishing world in general.

The glorious day came when a publisher offered me a contract for one of my manuscripts, and I thought the fame and royalty checks would soon be flying my way. Little did I know how much work I had yet to do. That awful nine letter word, promotion.

Promotion is time consuming, frustrating and difficult. I know some people who do a great job of promoting their work, getting their name out there and building a reader audience. I've tried to absorb the advice they offer so freely and generously and apply it to my own promotional efforts. I admit, except for blogging, I don't much enjoy promotion. Appearances in person are usually fun but I find facebook, twitter and most everything else a chore. I'd rather be writing.

I've noticed some authors appear all over the web when they have a new release, but I have to push myself to even promote on my own blog. This I must get over and do more to make sure my books are seen, lots of places and lots of times.

One of the places I'm doing this is a new blog, called TBR. TBR was started by Cate Masters, my heroine for promotional genius, as a place for a few authors each week to talk about writing and their latest works. We all have 'To Be Read' stacks of books, and after you check out the lineup on the TBR blog for the next few months you're going to add a few more.

Today I'm appearing at TBR promoting my latest release, Beyond the Gate, the second book in my epic fantasy series. Beyond the Gate follows The Keepers of Sulbreth, book #1. To help celebrate, I'm giving away a print copy of Keepers to one commenter over at TBR and for those of you who prefer digital, I've reduced the price of Keepers to only $1.99 on Kindle and Smashwords.

So for today, I've managed to do promotion for my books here and over at TBR, as well as helping other authors by directing my readers to TBR.

So how do you feel about promotion? Are you confident in your commitment to it or do you think you could do more?

New Year: New Deal

2012-01-02T05:04:00.000-05:00

One of my goals for 2012 is to do more promotion and I'm starting today. To celebrate the release of the second book in my epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles, I'm offering the first book at a bargain rate.

Today you can purchase The Keepers of Sulbreth for only $1.99 at all your favorite retailers including for Kindle and at Smashwords.

I've followed closely the debate on the pricing of digital books. It's definitely an ongoing discussion and the decision are tough to make. Hopefully, I'm doing what's best for my career by making my first book more affordable. The plan, of course, if that people will love the first book so much, they'll flock to get the second book.

Beyond the Gate, book #2, takes up the story of Marshal Cage Stone and Keeper Sabelline Shelton the moment after the first book ends. Despite all the training and preparation the two soon face dangers and situations beyond anything they've been led to expect. Meanwhile King Jonared and the remaining Keepers and Marshals discover they have more enemies than their swords or diplomacy can handle. Even should Cage and Sabelline succeed in their quest, they may never be able to return to the lives and families they've left behind. You can get Beyond the Gate at Smashwords and Kindle, soon at B&N.

Ebook pricing if going to be the center of controversy for a long time. I think the time will come when readers will not pay more than ten dollars or even less for a digital book even the author is someone well-known(more famous than me).

I've never paid more than $7.99 for an ebook. What is the top price you would pay?

Thou Shall Not Resolve!

2011-12-31T08:56:00.000-05:00

I've never really made a New Year's resolution and 2012 will be no different. But despite the rumor the world is going to end before 2013 rolls around, I do have some goals. Some are personal and I'll keep those to myself. I'm a pretty self-motivated person so I don't need to post them to the public to keep myself going.

But by talking about my writing goals I know I'll get some good advice and encouragement from my wonderful readers. Perhaps one of my goals will even strike a spark and influence someone else's plans.

My writing goals are few and simple. One is promote more. Two is polish up books #3 and #4 of my Futhark Chronicles and get them up and for sale. Three is find a home for the first book in my second epic fantasy series, The Dragons of Morbunda, or publish it myself. If I get to all that, I intend to complete a new romance book for my publisher, New Concepts.

I read somewhere, that goals are things you work for and dreams are things you wish for. Well, in the dream category, I hope to attend the Pennwriters Conference this year. I hope to develop a steady income with my self-published books even if it's a small amount. I wish to get a new laptop and maybe even an iPad.

So are you making resolutions? Goals? Or having dreams? What does 2012 hold for you if the world doesn't end?
Happy New Year!

BAM

2011-12-29T07:25:00.001-05:00

At the start of December, I shared my excitement that a BAM was moving into the large store standing empty after the demise of Borders. I spent so many hours in Borders, writing in the cafe, browsing through magazines and enjoying ice coffee. Even after I owned an eReader, I would purchase some books and carry a stack to the cafe where I would peruse the first chapters to decide if I wanted it as an ebook.

The first time I visited BAM, they had hurried their opening to attract customers on Black Friday. It was a mess and the cafe wasn't open. Books were stacked sideways on the shelf and often in the wrong genre sections. I reserved my judgement. The second time I went in, the shelves were better organized though not very full. I couldn't find a single book on my list of 'want to read.' The worker in the cafe didn't understand how to make an ice coffee and called a manager. I eventually asked for just an ice tea but they didn't have any. Settled for a bottled juice. I still didn't write them off.

I went in before Christmas to get a requested book for my daughter. Finally found someone to help me. It was a new release by a successful author. They had two copies on the shelf and none on the new release tables up front. Okay. My dear husband bought me a BAM gift card for Christmas so I spend a few hours in there yesterday. I'm still disappointed at the number of books on their shelves. (They don't even have mine! LOL) They have large, messy tables of clearance books that remind me of Sam's Club. I walked around most of the storm to find an employee to ask a question about their calendars.

My daughter and I spent an hour or so in the cafe while she decided which book to buy with a rare 50% off coupon. We didn't buy a drink from the limited menu. We went to Starbucks after ward for our favorites. The cafe has too few tables, giving it a cold, empty feel. And it is empty compared to how it was when Borders ran it. And so was the parking lot, relatively speaking. Borders at Christmas time was packed with the checkout line snaking to the back of the store. I usually had to park at the very end of the big lot. Not the same for BAM.

I want to have a local bookstore, but I'm not a fan of BAM. I'll still go on occasion, but it won't be a can't miss destination for me. And as with my last post, I wonder if it can survive. The service and atmosphere provided by BAM isn't comparable to B&N or the now-gone Borders. Will they last? I'm not going to hold onto my gift card for long, in case I don't get to use it.

Some of you lovely readers shared your opinions on BAM when I first mentioned they were moving into my neighborhood. I know BAM has taken over more Borders than just my own. Any thoughts on your new stores? I already know L. Diane Wolfe's. She's a smart lady and I'm starting to agree with her.

A Lesson Perhaps?

2011-12-28T08:39:00.001-05:00

My daughter and I went to the movies together, the first time I've been to the theater in a while. Though I like the movie, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I remembered all the reasons I haven't indulged in a visit to land of the big screen for a while.

Even though we went to a matinee showing, the price for the two of us was still three times what we would have to pay on demand. We skipped over the food stand, not only because the selections are so unhealthy, but because the prices of the fatty, sugary, salty snacks, are ridiculous. The theater itself was uncomfortably cool requiring us to keep our jackets on and despite the stadium seating, a few people managed to walk in front of us during the movie. The two couples sitting behind us talked through all the previews and the lady directly behind bumped my seat dozens of times during the show. And did I mention, we sat through nearly twenty minutes of commercials mixed in with the previews. The movies was supposed to begin at 3:10 and didn't start until 3:33 Though the seats weren't uncomfortable, they weren't my recliner either. Then when the movie was over, I had to go out in the cold rain and drive home.

I've read numerous reports in the paper and online about the declining revenues at the movie theater. I wonder why? Why should I pay the price to watch a movie I can get so much cheaper ondemand in a few months? Why should I waste money on horrible snacks when I can eat healthy in my own home and perhaps even indulge in a glass of wine during a movie? Why put up with rude strangers when I can watch a movie alone or with my family? Why drive out in the bad weather when I can set a blaze in the fireplace and wear my slippers? Except for a screen bigger than my TV, what does the theater experience offer me? Nothing.

There are still some movies I like to experience in a theater or that I just can't wait to see, but my movie going days are becoming fewer and further between. I think the book industry needs to take a lesson from the slowly dying theater world. What can physical book stores do to draw people in their doors? Over priced coffee? Probably not. Most people won't go in a bookstore just for the coffee when there's likely a Starbucks within a few blocks. Discounted products? Borders offered some good coupons but BAM and B&N are less generous. If their product isn't cheaper than ebooks or getting it from Amazon, why will people shop there? If there are no workers to help me find things in the store, I may as well stay home and investigate it online myself.

I've been reading lots of blogs in the last few days and smiling at the rave reviews by new owners of eReaders, tablets and the like. The numbers show digital books sales are sky-rocketing. I love shopping for my books with a click here and there. What are brick and mortar stores doing to make my experience there better than shopping while sitting at home? I don't have the answers but I wonder where booksellers will be in two or three years.

Have you been to the theater lately? Do you shop at bookstores as often as you have in the past? Do you think either of those business will still be there in five years? Ten years?

A Writer's Christmas

2011-12-26T13:20:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a terrific Christmas. I'm exhausted from all the fun, games, food,(preparation and eating), staying up late catching up with everyone and non-stop cleaning up after everything and everyone. In other words, it was wonderful.

But now it's the day after and time to make plans for the coming year. A few changes I've incorporated already into my writing life I intend to keep. For the last few months, I have stuck to my plan to exercise at least thirty minutes a day, five or more times per week. I'm going to keep that up, for lots of reasons. The second thing I've been doing lately is reading more. I will keep that going. I have a stack of books from the library I'm attacking at a steady pace of about one or two per week. In between those two things plus my day job and my family, I'm concentrating on my writing.

My wonderful family gave me some assistance in my plans. My youngest son gifted me with an iTunes gift card to update some of my running music. I've been working out to the same songs for a few months so hopefully the new tunes will keep the old legs moving, maybe even a little faster. My second son bought me a leather bound journal so beautiful I don't know if I can bring myself to write on its lovely pages. My daughter bought me a multi-disk set of old John Wayne movies. What better background for writing my fantasy novels filled with action and heroes? My oldest son bought me a candle for in my office and a bottle of expensive amaretto to help me through editing. My husband, bless him, bought me a BAM gift card. There are so many things I can use that for, I don't know where to start.

So this next year, I'm going to strive for balance with family, my health and the advancement of my writing career. How about you? Planning on more of the same? Keeping what's working or changing things up?

Cover Gratitude

2011-12-20T09:50:00.001-05:00

Many authors know the feeling of helplessness when it comes to cover art. When you self publish you have control over what cover represents your work but even with small publishers, you may be at the mercy of the powers that be. I've been lucky and liked all my covers but one. My complaint about that one was the heat level. The extremely risque cover wasn't equal to the sensuality level of the book and I thought it mislead readers. Some probably purchased it expecting something erotic in nature and others probably didn't purchase for the same misconception. I'm over it, though that book has been my worst seller of my romance line under the name, Susan Kelley.

Viola today, I received the cover for my newest romance novel, A Tiger's Courage. The artist, Alex DeShanks, got it exactly right. Hair color and length for the protagonists is correct and the overlapping pictures capture the desert setting of the story. To top it off, the title and my name are both in this exceptionally cool font. I love it!

Do you have a great cover story, good or bad? How much say do you have in the final appearance of your book cover?

Hell Week

2011-12-12T08:40:00.001-05:00

I don't say much about my day job except to mention when it's cutting into my writing time. This week there are some exceptional things going on. For instance, out of six people in our department, three are going to be absent most of the week. It will be challenging and hectic, not good for coming home and jumping right into another job.

I also must do some Christmas shopping this week. My husband is taking some of the burden off and buying some things for the adults on my list. I also did some shopping online and the gifts should arrive on my doorstep before the end of the week.

I'm trying to get Beyond the Gate, Book#2 of The Futhark Chronicles, up on Smashwords and am running into the same situation as before but now I realize it's not all my fault. If a lot or people are trying to upload at the same time, it does strange things and claims you've made an error. I still get frustrated.

This Friday, New Concepts Publishing, my romance publisher, is releasing my latest fantasy romance, A Tiger's Courage. I had work to do for that. Sorry to complain but I needed to vent a little. I do need to stock up on the wine this week and perhaps even the strong stuff.

Is holiday planning or the day job work load infringing on your writing time? Any big events happening with your writing before the end of the year?

Insecure Writer: Read More=Write Better

2011-12-07T19:23:00.000-05:00

I don't know any writers who also don't love to read. Probably lots of writers even enjoy reading more than writing, especially when they're stuck on a plot point or in the middle of dreaded editing. Like many writers, I have numerous projects going. I have a book coming out in about ten days. I'm busy getting my second book in my epic fantasy series out into the world of online retail. I want to make even more new friends through insecure writer....you get it. Lots of stuff. And that's only my writing work. Lets not get into the coming holidays and my house being the only one on the blog with no outdoor lights up yet. Or the day job.

But I have a stack of books from the library I want to read. I have friends putting out new books nearly every week I want to read. My son bought the first two books in a fantasy series I'm dying to read. And yet there's the guilt of all those hours with my nose in a book instead of my fingers on the keyboard. We all feel it when we indulge when work awaits. But we also all know that to be a good writer, we need to read.

I believe we need to read alot and widely. I write epic fantasy and fantasy romance, yet I read all kinds of stuff. I love suspense. I'm a bit of a science nerd so I like to delve into scifi. I really want to travel to the stars especially since I read in the paper today that scientists are pretty sure there are lots of other worlds out there capable of sustaining life as we know it. I like historical fiction. Some of my favorite authors write mystery and keep me up to all hours reading.

I know reading these various genre, reading famous authors and newcomers, reading YA and adult, all this will help me in my own writing. So put the guilt away and think of reading as a form of study and education, making you a better writer.

So how big is your TBR pile and will you be pulling a book off of it anytime soon? Do you feel guilt when you read during your writing time?

Absent For a Few Days

2011-12-04T07:20:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't been around much this week to visit blogs despite my intention to use that new smartphone to keep up with you all. I'm been deep into getting Beyond the Gate, Book #2 of The Futhark Chronicles, ready for publication. Some of you were with during my last attempt to self-publish the first previously published book in my epic fantasy series. Now I'm about to delve into those same frustrations again. Yes, I bought a few bottles of wine today. Just in case.

I can't help but dread it despite all I've learned from the first time. Hopefully by next week at this time, it will all be behind me and I can start on the promotion for my next romance coming out in a two weeks. A Tiger's Courage is the third book in The Tigers of Salubria fantasy series from New Concepts Publishing. My publisher is hosting a chat and lots of contest giveaways next Saturday. More on that later this week.

So think of me now and then over the next few days as I pound my head on my desk and use words not usually heard in my writing office. If you notice me visiting your blog everyday, it means I'm too distressed to work on what I should be doing.

No Excuses

2011-11-29T09:40:00.000-05:00

I finally upgraded to a smartphone. But owning one of those clever little devices isn't making me feel smart. Most of the time I feel pretty dumb when I use it. Thank goodness for children. My son also has a droid so he's been helping me learn my way around the touch screen.

from FB

I'm getting much better at using the touchscreen keyboard so now I have no excuses for running around the blogsphere on my lunch break and catching up with my friends. Not only when it give me a fun break during the day but it will free up my writing time at night.

My writing time is usually split between blogging, promotional junk and writing/editing in the evenings and weekends. But there are so many wonderful blogs out there, I have no trouble spending two or three hours just hopping here and there. And it is taking from my writing time.

So hopefully, my smartphone was a good business expense. So a few questions. Do you think I can deduct my phone as business expenses? And how much time do you spend on blog visiting? Do you do it from you computer or an other device?

Vampires Come, Vampires Go

2011-11-26T06:17:00.000-05:00

I visited the new BAM store yesterday but I'm not going to let my first visit form my opinion. I know they were in a hurry to open for black Friday so I'll give them a break. It was chaos. I can't say even one part of the store was organized except perhaps for the magazine displays. So I gathered up a few writing magazines and headed to the cafe to enjoy a cold drink and skim through some articles while I waited for my silly daughter to finish fighting the shopping crowds in the surrounding stores.

The cafe workers, three of them, had no clue what was going on. There were no price lists on the wall but I didn't hold that against them. But between the three of them, they didn't know how to make an ice coffee. I would have settled for a regular coffee but I had gone running about an hour before I left the house and I needed something cold with ice. So I ended up buying an overpriced drink from their cooler.
I'll visit them again next week and see how the store is shaping up.

But I did read an interesting article about mistakes writers make that will hold back their efforts to get published. One I read with interest was the advice to not write only what is currently hot in the market. Not long ago, vampires were everywhere, every new book, all of them competing with the few authors who had made it big with their series about big-hearted vampires. Now we have an influx of zombie books and movies. What will it be tomorrow? Who knows. It's better to write the story you want and have passion for than to try to write something copying today's flash fashion.

I love epic fantasy with lots of swords and some sorcery. But even with the popularity of the LOTR rings movies and the HBO series of Game of Thrones, it's not an easy genre to sell and only a few authors are making it big time in this niche market. But I will continue to write what I love and feel comfortable doing. I'm not going to add vampires or zombies to my world of magic, men with swords and elves.

Do you agree about writing what you're passionate about or do you believe you need to get in on the current trends? Do you feel your particular genre or field of interest is booming or bust in the current market?

Thanks All Around

2011-11-24T09:20:00.000-05:00

Hope you have a little piece of Eden today.

Where can one start to give thanks. I have a wonderful family, live in a free country, have a great day job and a growing career in my second job as a writer. My children are special and very appreciative on this day of all the work I do to get the meal ready. I only had to drive a few miles to shop at a store for last minute things unlike other places in the world where no feast would be possible. I love my students at school no matter how much the trends in public education irritate me. I'm nearly ready to self-publish my second fantasy in The Futhark Chronicles and have a romance novel coming out from my other publisher in the middle of December.

So on this day, despite rising college tuition and concerns about the economy, I'm thankful to live in the US of A. Thank you to the men and women serving in the armed forces, the policemen and firemen pulling duty on holidays, and the teachers who will spend part of this weekend grading papers and making lesson plans.

I wish all my bloggy friends safety, love and happiness. I hope you all have as much to be thankful for as I do.

Distractions

2011-11-22T10:19:00.000-05:00

from FB

I haven't been getting much new writing done lately. I've been distracted by numerous things which hopefully will be worked through soon.

Not all distractions are bad things. I'm taking the plunge to update to a smart phone though I can't really afford it. Of course, I wanted an iPhone but I'm not getting one. Still, it should be a fun new toy, I mean tool, in my busy life. I can't wait until it arrives.

Another distraction I don't mind is preparing for Thanksgiving. I always have a big dinner at my house with my six kids and husband. My oldest stepson brings his wife, the best daughter-in-law in the world, and my other stepson brings his daughter, my only grandchild. My oldest natural son is bringing his latest girl friend. We tease him about how many different girls he's brought over the years. My third son will bring his girlfriend of four years and fill out the table along with my other son and daughter. It's a great bunch and we're a lucky family with no drama going on, only lots of food, laughter, and football. But I still have a lot of work to do.

The day job has been distracting me because I'm teaching a new unit this year. We added some lessons on character education, hoping to build the personal strength young people need to make the right choices, set goals, and all that stuff we wish kids learned at home from their parents. There's so much to be done and there's no way to tell how much you're helping them, if at all.

On top of that, I'm worrying about my mother living alone and struggling a little with every day things. I have to plan a visit to her over the holiday though it's many miles away.

On another brighter note, the BAM opened in our old Border's store, and I must get there. I remember all the conflicting opinions about BAM you shared when I mentioned they were moving in to fill the void of our Borders. I can't wait to see for myself and let you know how our store measures up.

So what things are distracting you lately? Will you get any work done over the Thanksgiving holiday or will it be all play?

Never Grows Old

2011-11-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

I know I'm not alone in loving the movie, The Princess Bride. It happened to be on TV while I was baking cookies. Two of my sons, both in their twenties, drifted into the kitchen, drawn by the scent of fresh baking. But the movie held them there to watch the last half hour with me.

We know the lines by heart and have our favorites. Can such a relatively, silly movie be called a classic? It is for us. I promised by boys I was going to buy the book for all my grandchildren if they ever get around to giving me any. We watched together when my boys were small and still love it. There are a few other movies we all like but not quite like The Princess Bride. I can't wait to watch it with another generation.

What movies are 'classic's for your family? Who is your favorite Princess Bride character or quote? Mine is pictured above.

Series Titles

2011-11-17T07:17:00.000-05:00

Covers and titles can draw in readers is you're not an author known everywhere by your name alone. I write my books in series and I try to make the titles not only indicative of the book content but also somewhat connected to the previous books. Lots of authors do this and much better than I do. For instance, does anyone doubt Alex Cavanaugh's upcoming book, Cassafire, is in a series with Cassastar? The titles let you know the books are related without seeing the author's name.

I tried that in my very first romance series, The Chronicles of Solonia. The series started with The Greater Good, followed by The Lesser Evil, A Ruthless Good and the wrap up novel, One Good Woman. The titles weren't perfect matches but they were connected enough to seem like they went together.

Today my clever publisher is running a special on that last book, One Good Woman, at $1.99, as an early promotion for the my next Tiger book coming out in December. One Good Woman is the featured book today at New Concepts Publishing. I hope you can check it out.

Do you write in series and try to give your book titles similar titles? Do you know an author who is exceptionally clever with titles?

And So We Said...

2011-11-15T07:51:00.001-05:00

The writers' panel at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore was great fun. We had a full house of listeners and lots of great questions directed our way. It was gratifying to watch people scribbling down notes when we spoke. Not so long ago, that would have been me in the audience and it is still me when I have the chance to hear a speaker on writing.

Susan Gourley, Franklin Kury, Cate Masters, Lorrie Myers, and
Don Helin

The wonderful Don Helin led our little group. He worked with Catherine from Midtown to get us all together. Don writes thrillers with a military setting, taking full advantage of his background in the US military and at the Pentagon. Now he's retired and does lots of traveling with his wife. He started his writing career as a travel writer. His first thriller, To Kingdom Come, is a great read about some domestic terrorism.

Lorrie Myers not only has hundreds and hundreds of articles published, she teaches a class on writing for the magazine market. She gave some great hints on writing a query letter and emphasized its importance.

Cate Masters is multi published in fiction with novels and short stories available. She shared her knowledge of the ebook market and made mention of the quickly changing business of writing. Cate knows her stuff and is my 'go-to' girl when I have a question about blogging, promotion and even my venture into self-publishing. You can read the details of her talk on her blog.

Franklin Kury, a retired state senator, spoke on his journey to publication. Franklin worked on his novel for quite a while before someone suggested his write a nonfiction novel on his years as a politician. His book isn't really a biography so much as a story about his fight to pass legislation to protect the environment in Pennsylvania. He's a real hero for our state.

Don asked me to speak about writing fantasy and romance. It was a great opportunity to make people aware of the benefit of looking at small publishers if they get rejected by the big NY houses.

The questions continued well beyond our scheduled time. I could tell many members of our audience were writers in the making.

So the panel was fun and I would do it again if an offer arrives.

What do you feel you could speak with expertise on if someone asked you to present a workshop or be part of a panel?

Author Panel Today

2011-11-12T01:27:00.001-05:00

Today I'm appearing live, from Noon until 2:00 pm at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore second annual bookfest. Catherine, the owner of the store, was kind enough to ask me back to be part of an incredible panel of authors to answer questions and share information for the reading and writing public.

I'm also looking forward to the all natural granola snacks and a tall drink of something cold and caffeinated. I'll have a chance to purchase a few books from my fellow panelists and pick up a used book my sister admired last time we were at the Scholar. It will be her Christmas surprise.

My daughter and a few of her friends may attend. There are great places for customers to lounge in the lovely building housing the bookstore. It's a book lovers dream.

Does you local area have any kind of bookfest? Have you attended or been part of it?

Thank You

2011-11-11T06:36:00.000-05:00

From FB

Today, let's salute all those who have served our country in the armed services. My father was a WWII vet. He dropped out of high school and joined up as soon as he was old enough. Like so many of the brave men who left home behind to protect their families and country after Pearl Harbor, he's passed on from this life. I miss him everyday.

From FB

In our modern world, somethings about war have changed but one thing has stayed the same. There are still brave men and women doing all they can to protect their country and families. They're far from home, under lots of stress and in my opinion, underpaid. They're heroes. I hope we all remember that today.

Thank you, veterans, for what you've done and the sacrifices you've made.

Support Your Local Independent

2011-11-09T08:11:00.001-05:00

I've been very fortunate to be invited back to the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg, PA. I'll be part of an author panel on Saturday, November 12th, from noon until 2:00 pm. Nearly all genres of writing will be covered by our panel. I'm every excited and we'll be signing our books for anyone interested after our presentation.

The owners of the Midtown are hoping to make this book festival an annual thing. Though this is only the second year, I have high hopes that it will be going on for many more years. You can check out the flyer at the Midtown's website. I know most of the readers of this blog don't live near Harrisburg but hopefully you have an independent store near you. Visit them. Support them. With the demise of Borders and the current struggles of B&N, we may soon see the last of the 'big' stores. As readers we'll only be able to get our browsing through the stacks 'fix' at those wonderful independent bookstores and libraries. Even though I'm now making almost all my book purchases as ebooks, I still love being in a bookstore. As an author, I have an even bigger interest in keeping the stores alive.

For authors like me, published with small independent publishers, those small, owned by real people, bookstores, are our only avenues for booksignings. So though I don't expect you to introduce yourself to me in Harrisburg on Saturday, I hope you visit a bookstore today. Buy a magazine, a cup of coffee, a muffin or even better, a book.

I'll report next week on all the good advice my fellow panel experts share. Have you ever been part of an author panel? What was the toughest question a member of the audience asked you?

Blood and Guts

2011-11-07T08:29:00.001-05:00

Have you ever read a book and just skipped over passages? I like to read many different genres and one of them is historical fiction and mysteries. I also have a few acquaintances who write horror so I support them by reading their books, admiring their writing though I'm not usually a consumer of horror. Contemporary suspense also draws my interest. All these books usually have some violence involved, death, war, serial killers or even supernatural means of knocking off a few characters.

I like the mystery and working through the clues along with the protagonists. I like watching the heroes and heroines form their battle plans, knowing it won't go smoothly. I love the tension the authors build chapter by chapter, creating so much suspense I can't put the book down. I know people are going to die along the way when I read certain types of books. But I don't want to read the gory details. I find myself skipping over torture scenes and descriptions of gruesome murders.

Obviously, some people don't mind the blood and guts or we wouldn't have all those movies series that go on forever. I always tell my kids they'll stop liking movies that are so scary as soon as they have to live by themselves. But I look away from the violent fights or gruesome killings on the screen. I might like the story but I don't like to see that part or read that part.

How much violence is too much? I guess an author or filmmaker have to know their audience. I like books that use violence to create tension not to try and gross me out or make me ill. Where is the line between the two?

As an author, I use descriptions of fights and battles I'm comfortable with. If I tried to insert more violence and bloody descriptions, I don't think I could do a good job. Some authors paint such vivid pictures of death with their words I worry a little about how they can describe it so well. Just kidding. I don't think you have to be disturbed to write horror or about evil people.

from FB

Do you have to write violent scenes into your books? Do you get turned off watching films or reading certain books because the blood and guts seem to be gratuitous and not something that moves the story forward?

Writing From the Mind of the Other Planet

2011-11-04T10:16:00.001-04:00

Are men from Mars? I've been married for decades and raised two stepsons and three boys of my own. I teach high school and interact with teenage boys all the time. Do I believe men and women think differently? Do they see the world through a different lens? I bet everyone knows the answer to that, be they male or female.

From FB

So how do you write from the POV of the opposite sex? Carefully. All my books have scenes from the POV of male and female. Am I making my men to 'metrosexual.' How's that blast from the past term? LOL. In epic fantasy, the men need to be manly men. Does that mean he must not only be able to ride wild horses, slay dozens with his sword and eat red meat for six meals a day? Must he be confused by a woman's tears, afraid of discussing his feelings, reluctant to get deeply involved?

How can I get this 'man' brain thing correct? I listen. I watch. I laugh. Teenage males are really amusing as they swing like a pendulum between being boys and young men. One minute they're trying to impress the girls and the next minute they're arguing about some video game with their buddies. And adult guys tend to do the same thing except the topics change a bit.

I often wonder if I'm doing it right. The real test is if men enjoy reading my epic fantasy books. I've had some positive feedback from the male audience, so I hope I'm doing it okay.

Do male writers worry about the same thing? Have you ever read a book where the author didn't hit the mark writing from the POV of the opposite sex?

Insecure Writer: Torture the Hero

2011-11-02T09:37:00.000-04:00

My children and I read a lot of the same books and often they recommend those same books to their friends. My daughter, oldest son and I shared a laugh two days ago when one of their friends complained about one of our favorite books. They came to a part where a favorite character died. Died horribly. Died and left behind a mess for the grieving loved ones to deal with as well as dragged the fantasy kingdom into more chaos. I won't give away what book it was, but the author knows how to make his readers scream.

This was something I had to learn to do in my fantasy novels. If you want to write epic fantasy, people have to die. The ultimate goal is to have the reader so emotionally invested in the characters, that they fear the good guys might lose. Everything can't go the way of good in the classic battle of good versus evil. Sometimes evil wins. Sometimes heroes make mistakes and pay for them. If an author can't stand to make their protagonists suffer, they may as well write children's books.

Demon killer from
The Keepers of Sulbreth

I started the first book in my current fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles, with some important people dying. Not everyone makes it through the second book either, the third book buries more people and well, you get the idea.

Even in my romance series, bad things have to happen to good people. Otherwise you can end the book after the first chapter and type, happily ever after, on about page twenty.

So, do you have a favorite author who knows how to torture their protagonists for great reader entertainment? Have you ever read a book that was too kind to the hero or heroine? Does the superman in your novel have his kryptonite?

Great Trip

2011-10-29T16:14:00.001-04:00

From Facebook

My daughter and I had hours of fun on our trip to visit UNC. I believe she's decided to be a Tarheel unless Boston University or George Washington University come up with some big bucks in scholarships. Even during the horrible traffic around DC there and back, we managed to laugh and keep our spirits high. And we got home in front of the Halloween snow storm.

Hopefully, I'll catch up on blogs and get some editing done today before this wet, heavy snowfall brings down the powerlines as predicted. We have enough firewood in to keep the chill off one room if needed. Usually I found the first snowfall of the season lovely but getting it in October kind of takes the charm off the experience.

The only good news is the weather will keep me at my writing work.

While in Chapel Hill, my daughter and I did our usual routine of investigating any local independent bookstores we can find as well as Barnes and Noble. We found a terrific store called Flyleaf Books. My daughter invested in two thin books of French poetry published in the 1920's and I found an early book by an author I've been meaning to sample. If she decides to attend college at UNC, that store will see us again.

We also made our tour of the coffeeshops. She's of the Starbucks generation but I was thrilled to find a Caribou Coffee shop. I like Caribou better and their cafe was very comfy. I wish we had one of their places around here. Today though is a hot chocolate day.

So Caribou or Starbucks for you? Snow or sunshine today? Hot chocolate or hot coffee or wine?

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-10-27T10:43:00.001-04:00

From FB

So much to do, so little time. The housecleaning will have to wait. I'm traveling to University of North Caroline today with my daughter for a college visit. We did a lot of visits this past summer and this is the last school on her top three list for us to check out. Financially it's the best fit as compared to George Washington University and University of Boston. And it is warmer. I'll be out of blog touch for two days until Saturday.

When I return, I have to jump on my edits for my next fantasy romance. Courage of a Tiger will be released in mid December from New Concepts Publishing. I hope to have the edits done by Monday. Then I need to dive back into the edits for Beyond the Gate, second book in my epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles.

Two weeks from Saturday, I'm part of an author panel at a local independent bookstore, The Midtown Scholar. I'll be speaking on writing fantasy and romance. I'm excited but I have to put together a 5-7 minute talk and be ready for questions. I'll also get to sell my books. (Remember all those remainders)

It's the end of the grading quarter at work so I have some extra work at the day job. But I love being busy and having deadlines.

How busy are you for the upcoming month? Have you visited your local independent bookstore lately?

Remainders....

2011-10-24T08:13:00.002-04:00

A little while ago, I reclaim my rights to my fantasy series from the publisher who had broken my contract. I know I did the right thing by taking them back. I decided to self-publish since the original publisher had already released the first two books and I didn't expect to be able to find a new publisher for a series already started. By next year at this time, I'll let you know if it's worked out in any financial way.

One of the ways my first publisher broke my contract was when they decided they wouldn't publish my second and third book in The Futhark Chronicles in mass market paperback as well as ebook. The first book, The Keepers of Sulbreth, received excellent reviews and sold rather well. After I took my rights back, the publisher offered me an opportunity to buy the 'remainders' of the print run of my first book. I'd heard or remainders but didnt' realize my book would have any.

Of course I had to purchase huge quantities to get the massive discount and pay a big shipping bill. They had over a thousand, but what did I need that many books for? What could I do with them? I purchased a much smaller quantity to use as prizes, send out for reviews and even sell a few at the rare booksignings I have at independent stores.

I've compiled a list of reviewers to send some free books to and today I thought of my blogger friends. I know some of you have already purchased my book(thank you, I love you all) but for my bloggy friends who would consider a review, I'm offering three FREE print copies to the first 3 people(in the USA) who email me at:
sgourleyauthor@gmail.com

No strings or promises required. Hopefully, you'll like The Keepers of Sulbreth enough to say something good and maybe even purchase the second book. I'm waiting to hear from you. In the meantime, I'm almost done with the edits on book#2, Beyond the Gate. Then you all can read about my exploits with Amazon and Smashwords again. LOL

So, have you ever had any of your books go out of print? Have you purchased remainders? How many of your own books to you have sitting in the corners of your house?

Simple Problems

2011-10-22T08:58:00.001-04:00

Sorry for dumping frustration after frustration on my bloggy friends. I actually keep personal problems to myself but I know my blog readers will understand the issues I have with my writing career. Most of you have been there, done that, and offer advice and sympathy.

Some things I've been working on are taking much longer than I expected. Much, much longer. There are other projects I'm anxious to restart and really dig into but I can't until I've dealt with my current frustrating work. It keeps me awake at night, but today I took a deep breath.

I'm not as successful or prolific as some authors I know. I don't have a 'big' contract with a traditional publisher. No writing conferences are asking me a year ahead of time to be the keynote speaker. My laptop is old and slow, my desktop older. My printer has some trouble pulling the paper in. It really doesn't like the expensive stuff.

But, I have numerous contracts for my romance books with a pretty great small publisher, New Concepts. I have been invited to be part of an author panel at a local independent bookstore. My laptop is still kicking and I'm buying more memory for it. And I don't really need to print out much stuff so I'm not investing in a new printer anytime soon. Things are going okay.

Sometimes I overthink problems when the solution is simple. My new mind set is to keep it simple, step away when I get frustrated and ask for help more often.

On the good news front, I read in our local paper today that a 'Books A Million' is taking over the location of our late Borders. I've never been in a BAM, but I'll be thrilled to have a bookstore close to my house again(and a coffeeshop).

Can any of you tell me about BAM? What's your most recent simple solution?

Words I Need

2011-10-20T07:02:00.001-04:00

I hate Smashwords. It's official. I spent a half an hour today with one of our school's tech teachers asking her what the heck a 'field code' is and how did it get into my manuscript? Smashwords told me I need to fix it, but I don't know what the heck it is and can't see it.

So I've interrupted editing work on my next book to try and figure this out. Major frustration and headache. I enjoy the funny pictures and quotes I find on facebook. How am I relieving my stress?

Watching 'Revenge' helps. I love that quirky,creepy show. I'm feeling a little vengeful A little exercise. The last few weeks of stumbling through self-publishing has really increased the intensity of my workouts. I feel so good about the weight loss right until I sit down at the durn keyboard again.

Tonight I'll be putting on some music, perhaps the soundtrack for 'Lord of the Rings' since I feel kind of like the guys on the horses trying to break the siege of Gondor. A little fight music, some hot coffee and I'll be ready to tackle the mystical problem Smashwords has told me I have.

Anything frustrating you lately? Have you ever heard of 'field code?'

Book Give Away

2011-10-16T00:09:00.001-04:00

I write in two different genres. My first love for reading and writing is epic fantasy. I love the medieval settings and the combination of swords and magic. But I have found it more difficult to market my fantasy books than my romance books.

Most of us know the numbers. Over half of all genre fiction being sold is romance. Romance writers do lots of promotion and there seem to be more places to buy or request exposure for your book. Coffeetime Romance in a great site and my favorite it The Romance Studio. An author can join TRS and do lots of free promotion. One of the promos involves giving away one of your books and gaining a list of names to add to a mailing list should you want to keep one.

I've promoted my romance books on TRS and Coffeetime. Did it help sales? I don't know. I also don't know of any such promotional sites for my fantasy books. So today I'm giving away a print copy of The Keepers of Sulbreth at TRS. It's the first book in my epic fantasy series but I'm searching out all avenues of promotion and hoping for the best. You can hop over to the book-a-day giveaway page and sign up for a chance to win it.

Do you know of any promotional or review sites that do for fantasy books what TRS and Coffeetime do for romance? Have you ever paid to promote your book. Was it worth it?

Pay It Forward

2011-10-14T09:08:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh, we have another great day of sharing and networking. Today a whole bunch of bloggers are 'paying it forward' by linking to three other bloggers who have helped us along the way in our career paths.

I'm sure many people are having the same difficulty with this as I am. So many people have helped me, how should I narrow it down to three? There are a group of people who helped me early in my career and a large number of people who have helped me recently. So I'm going to combine some of the old and the new friends.

Natalie Damschroder is my 'go to' girl for so many things. She really knows her way around the publishing world. I've sent her lists of questions and she gets back to me right away with the answers. She's a multi published author, a busy working mother and a good friend. I met her through my local chapter of RWA back in the days when I was a member. You can meet her at Indulge Yourself.

In my recent venture of reclaiming my rights to my fantasy series and self-publishing it, I again turned a fellow, local writer. Cate Masters might be the most prolific writer I know. She has self-published some of her novels and was indispensable to me. I might have sent her a dozen emails to ask her advice and help. She also finds time to blog nearly every day. I can't say enough about her knowledge and willingness to help other writers. She's also the driving force behind a group blog formed by numerous writers from central Pennsylvania, The Susquehanna Writers.

Someone who might not even know how much she's helped me is L. Diane Wolfe. If you have a book to promote or want to know anything about blogging, publishing or just read some speculations about where this crazy business is going, you need to visit Spunk on a Stick. And you'll get a good laugh at least once a week. Probably Alex and Diane gave me the most clues on how to grow my blog audience. Thanks.

I hope you find some more great blogs to follow with this little blog fest. I'll be visiting lots of new blogs but I won't catch up to everyone until Saturday because I'm going to visit my son at college(PSU) today. Can't wait to meet some new friends.

It Takes All Kinds

2011-10-12T07:50:00.001-04:00

Not all writers are the same. We have different processes, work at different speeds and certainly write different stories. We're different in lots of ways, age, sex, political beliefs, and even our nationalities. Yet when we get together either online or in person, we usually find lots of things we have in common.

Promotion, editing, character development, sagging middles, time management, and oh yeah, promotion. We give each other advice, encouragement and help each other promote. Yet we're all different people engaged in similar struggles. This Friday, October 14th, lots of us are going to thank some of those who help us by participating in Alex Cavanaugh's Pay-It-Forward blog day.

Perhaps you can join in and thank some people who have helped you. Even if you don't join in, please visit and perhaps find some new fun blogs to follow.

Magic: Do You Believe?

2011-10-10T08:15:00.000-04:00

I write fantasy so I have to incorporate some magic in there. Many readers of fantasy want magic to be the center of the story and to some degree it has to play a role large enough to distinguish my created world from this one. But how much magic? How powerful should the magic be?

I first fell in love with the fantasy genre in junior high school when one of my teachers lent me her copy of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I didn't think about it then, but now that I write my own books, create my own worlds and define the laws of magic, I wonder about that story. How did the Rings of Power work? Why couldn't the elves and wizards combine their magical powers and take on the Dark Lord? How did the One Ring rule them all?

I can still enjoy the books without knowing these things but I do wonder. I've read other fantasy novels where the magic of one side seems so powerful it seems they should be able to win with a wave of their hand. But that would make for a short book. There must be some limitations to the magic or at least to the person or persons using it. The author gets to determine those limits.

Is the magic limited by the strength of the wielder? Or is the use of magic limited by the damage to the entire existence of life if it's overused? Is the magic limited by some force on the opposing side? Is the magic limited by the knowledge of the magician? What is the source of the magic? Can it be used up? Can its use injure the user? Are there moral reasons for limiting its use?

I would think writers of science fiction have to ask similar questions about technology in their novels. There have to be limitations or it's no fun.

Have you read a novel where the magic or technology was so overwhelming in its power it ruined the novel? What limitations have you used or seen used in an effective way?

Rain, Snow, Sleet and Hail

2011-10-07T09:06:00.005-04:00

One thing I have learned through the terrible weather of the past year, the mail doesn't get delivered during floods or ice storms. Not that I blame anyone. Roads were impassable and too dangerous for anyone to be traveling.

But after our last natural disaster, the flood, we've been enjoying some lovely fall weather. It's been tough to sit down at the old writing desk and get to work when I want to be outside and soak in the sunshine. I do love the outdoors but for the sake of my writing, I'm almost looking forward to the gloom of winter.

I don't mind spending hours at the keyboard when it's cold out and the wind is howling around the corners of our country home. Give me a hot cappuccino and a fire on the hearth and my creative side gets rolling too. December, January and Febuary are my most productive months. I usually start a new book around the first of the year. This year I'll be finishing the one I started last year. My new work has been side-tracked by my venture into self-publishing. Now that I've navigated the ropes once, I hope to get my next three books in The Futhark Chronicles up and available with fewer headaches and many fewer hours.

The need to rake leaves, bring some wood in for the winter and do late season weeding are going to distract me for a few more weeks, but then the season of writing will move in with a frigid howl.

When is your best season for writing? What seasonal chores distract you at this time of year?

Out of Touch: Insecure Writer

2011-10-05T06:17:00.001-04:00

October already. There's no end to the subject matter I can pull up to address my insecurities. One thing I've felt a lot of in the past three months is being out of touch with other writers. Starting in July, I've had on and off computer issues. Viruses, malware, unidentified issues that have kept me off line or forced me to use the old slow desktop. Some days I only had time to visit three or four blogs and my posting fell way off from about five times a week to one or two times. I felt out of touch with the writing community I've come to count on over the past twelve months. I felt alone.

I don't mind being alone 90% of the time but even when I am, I know other writers are out there, just a few clicks away. When I didn't have a computer, I was cut off. I couldn't visit the blogs that make me laugh, the ones that teach me something, the ones I can just totally agree with it and maybe even add something to it in the comments. It was a temporary situation but there are still moments when I feel I need to do more to keep in touch.

A few of the local members of the statewide group, Pennwriters, meet once a month at a local library and have a critique session. I've only made it once since I decided I must have some actual face time with other writers but I'm determined to get there more. By joining this fun blog idea of Alex Cavanaugh's, I'm making more friends and being comforted by learning I share the same problems in my writing career as other authors. Sign up and share your insecurities.

I have a few friends I know I can email when a specific problem or question arises. Many people gave me advice and pointed me to the information I needed to self-publish my book on Kindle. (Nobody had been able to tell me yet how to get through the logjam on Smashwords any quicker though).

There are ways to keep in touch even if you can't attend meetings in person. I'm still building an online circle of support and hope I provide a little to others. So stay in touch. When you feel frustrated and all alone, check out your bloggy friends or other online groups. Investigate writers' groups on your area, usually they have notices in the paper or maintain a website, and try to get some face time. Even attending booksignings can put you in touch with other local writers.

What do you do if the isolation of being a writer starts to get to you? What's your favorite way to stay in touch with fellow authors?

For Better of For Worse

2011-09-30T10:23:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, I recently re-released The Keepers of Sulbreth on Kindle after having a falling out with my publisher. It hurt when my publisher made the decision to break my contract. With my first book released and doing pretty good in mass market and the next two under contract, I felt my career was really taking off and the next big step with a sale to a major publisher was around the corner.

Then the phone call came. My publisher wanted to release my second book, Beyond the Gate, in ebook only. I was crushed. My spirits were low for nearly two months as I tried to make the decision. I made the wrong one. I allowed them to release my book and they made a real hash of it. No promotion, no reviews, and they didn't even get it to the retailers on the release date. So I divorced them.

It's very strange. I was angry, beyond angry, with the publisher when they told me they would only be doing ebook, but I hid it and held on. I tried to work with them on promotion and pin them down on what they would be doing. They did nothing despite their promises. But once I told them to forget it and give my rights back, I felt free and energized. I no longer felt my writing future was out of my control. I no longer felt so helpless before the cold-hearted decisions of a corporation.

Being contracted with a publisher is something like a marriage but it can turn into a bad one. An abusive one where the party holding the power takes advantage of the other member. I'm happy with my separation because I decided I didn't have to put up with the 'Worse.' I deserve better.

Have you had a bad experience with a publisher? Do you know someone who has?

The Keepers of Sulbreth Release

2011-09-28T08:13:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I came home from work and powered up my computer. Couldn't wait to check. And there it was. Kindle had my book up for sale with its new cover and new price. Nothing like seeing your book for sale to get you inspired to work on the next one. I am busy working on the edits for the second book, Beyond the Gate.

The Keepers of Sulbreth introduces the island kingdom of Futhark where a small group of sorceresses called, Keepers, have used their gifts to contain the denizens of hell behind a magical gate. But something is slowly going wrong and more and more of the demons escape into the human world. Working with the young king of Futhark, the Keepers find a gifted warrior foretold in prophecies to help them close the magical seals. Cage Stone reluctantly gets pulled into the dangers facing Futhark. The otherworldly foes force him to reveal his secrets and his heritage. As he bloodies his sword in demon blood, he slowly realizes the dark mind behind the troubles have been controlling his destiny from his birth. He vows to take back his life and save Futhark at the same time.

Cover art by Gayle Bower

Keepers recieved many excellent reviews when it was first released, including from Publisher's Weekly and Booklist. Now my goal is to remind readers of this and restart my promotion.

I have a lot still to learn about self-publishing and the best way to promote the book. The price is another thing I've had to make decisions on. I priced the book at $2.99 to start. I've read JA Konrath's blog many times and absorbed his advice. It's a tough decision.

The price of ebooks is a controversial issue in and of itself. I buy lots of ebooks. Some of the reasonably priced ones written by my friends but I also purchase ebooks from 'famous' authors and I do resent paying the same price as for a mass market paperback. Why should an ebook cost that much when there is no shipping, no manufacturing or storage costs?

What do you think is a reasonable price for ebooks? What royalty rate should authors receive from ebooks? The same as print?

Begin Again

2011-09-26T07:56:00.000-04:00

A little over a year ago, the publisher of my fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles, called me to say they were breaking my contract and not releasing my book in mass market paperback. With my permission they would release my book as an ebook only. I considered requesting my rights back to all three of my books like many of the other authors contracted with them did. I believed even then the way to go in the future would be ebook though the disappointment of not having my book in print was huge. In the end, I stayed with them, mostly because they had already released the first book in my series, The Keepers of Sulbreth, earlier in the year. I feared I would never find another publisher.

Though uneasy about the company's commitment to making my book a success, I dove into promotion and did everything I could to prepare for the release of my second book, Beyond the Gate on January 1st, 2011. The big day came, although my first book was available before its due date, and tada....nothing happened. It was up for sale on Amazon, B&N, or any of the other ebook retailers. I called my publisher on the very next business day. My publisher had the nerve to blame it on the booksellers. Weeks later, Beyond the Gate, finally was available. Some blips still existed like a few days of bleary cover art. So many long days after my blog tour and all the online promotion I did, readers could purchase my book. Was it any wonder word didn't get out?

I nearly pulled my books right then, but I thought I would wait for my first statement. You can guess how it looked. So at the start of the summer, I asked for all my rights back on the three books my publisher had contracted. It was simple since they had broken my contract. Now my options were to either find another publisher who would be willing to take on a book series where the first two had already been on the market though not marketed or to take the plunge and publish them myself.

I dove into the self-publishing chaos storm. I love reading books on my eReader and believe thousands of other people do also. The first obstacle I face was my lack of computer literacy. I read the directions on Kindle self-publishing and felt a little overwhelmed. I lingered over editing, spreading it out over the entire summer months. I talked to colleagues and friends, gathering information on the steps I needed to know before I could get my books back into the hands of the readers. I compiled an entire folder with dozens of emails, blogs and printed instructions from Amazon and other retailers to help me find my way.

So I'm now in restart mode and very hopeful. I realize I had lost confidence in my publisher long before I pulled my rights from the dark pit of their possession. I have lots of people to thank for helping me renew my dreams of a successful career as an author. Let me start with Cate Masters.

Cate answered my call for help. She answered no less than five emails filled with questions, general and specific. And she responded every time within a day and she added encouragement each time. More than a few of her books are in my ebook library. She's a production machine just not in producing new material but in keeping an up to date blog and promoting her books 'every' where and how. Her work ethic shames me when I whine about how little time I have to write. Somehow she gets it all done. So thanks, Cate.

In the next few weeks, I'll be doing a lot of posts on my experience wading through these new waters including introducing the talented young artist who designed my entirely original cover. During that time, I'm hoping to not only pass on what I've learned but also to receive even more tips and advice from my followers.

Has anyone in particular helped you recently in advancing your career or getting over a bump in the road? Have you helped anyone?

What It Means

2011-09-18T07:45:00.001-04:00

My local Borders lingers still. It has a few shelves of books. The adult fiction section would fit in my living room. I often do some shopping in the center where the store is located so I go in and check it out. And then I walk out empty-handed. The best buy I've found in the last few weeks of its slow demise is the stack of AP study guides my daughter needs for her current high school classes. The store is filled with cheap, but still over-priced, towels and other things that have never belonged in a bookstore.

I miss sitting the cafe and if it was still open, I would likely be writing this blog post there with an iced latte sharing the table with me along with a stack of books I was considering purchasing. Instead, I've visited my local library on a more regular basis. Nearly every two weeks I stop in and see what new releases they have and prowl the aisles in search of new authors. Their fantasy/scifi offerings are limited and they seldom updated but I've discovered some mystery/thriller writers I've quite come to enjoy like CJ Box and Jonathan Kellerman. Of course the library doesn't carry their earlier books so I've turned to online sellers.

My husband bought me a Kobo eReader for Christmas last year and I was thrilled with it though I often wish I'd asked him for a Kindle instead. But it's easy to purchase books on and I like reading on it. So I'm still buying books and spending less gas to do so. I make a lot of ice coffee at home and do nearly all my writing at my own desk.

So though Borders is gone, I'm not reading less though I've bought no physical books for my own reading pleasure in the past few weeks. I'm probably going to buy the next Preston and Childs book tomorrow to read at lunch at work this week. I'm over my sadness at the end of Borders and only worry that I've adjusted so well. If all brick and mortar stores go extinct, will I get over it so quickly? Will you? Do you see the end in sight?

Up and Running.

2011-09-13T07:20:00.000-04:00

I finally got my personal laptop back in the game. It's running faster than ever thanks to some simple advice from the great guy at the computer fix-em-up shop. I wish I could tell his boss t give him a raise.

After a few days of using my slow desktop, I really came to understand how irritating word verification can be when visiting blogs. It's just one more step, but that one more step cuts into the time I've set aside to visit blogs.

On the other side of the coin, I've heard lots of chatter lately about malware and spam finding its way unto blogs and disrupting or even destroying lots of work. I guess having the word verification can help prevent some of that.

I use Norton protection on my personal computer, but the guy at the fix-em place told me it does really slow down a computer. He gave me some advice on what to use instead when my subscription expires. It's amazing what talking face to face with an expert can do for understanding something that usually causes me lots of confusion. In the world of writing, we call that networking.

I wish I had the time to network a little this fall by attending a big writers' conference. But I have neither the money nor the time. Face to face can really help clear the fog of confusion at times.

At least I still have all my bloggy friends to network with online. They've helped me so much by answering questions and providing links to even more information. And now that I have my laptop back, I'll be cruising along at high speed to visit them more often.

What was the last memorable face to face networking opportunity you had for your writing?

Can't Get There From Here

2011-09-09T19:19:00.000-04:00

The phrase, 'can't get there from here,' is a running joke in our family. But over the course of the last few days it has become reality. I live in central PA where we had a flash flood on Wednesday bringing nearly six inches of rain to our locale in a few hours time followed by another four inches over night into Thursday.

Wednesday got ugly really quick and our school tried to send the students home early. Teachers were asked to stay in case the buses had to return before delivering their students. Lots of buses did return and by the time I helped check all those frightened kids in, the roads had flooded enough that I couldn't get home either. After about three hours, the flash flood eased off enough for some roads to clear and I made it home to a flooded basement. Then the real flood started and overflowed the creeks and again inundated the roads again. For more than a day, we couldn't go anywhere. We really couldn't get 'there' from here.

Now two days after the flood, many roads are still closed, schools are closed and some areas are going to get worse as the flood moves unto the Susquehanna River. But my basement is nearly dry. I've washed the floor with bleach again and cleaned the baseboards with mildew cleaner. It even smells nice. Some roads are open again so we can go to the store if need be. We can get 'there' again.

So after cleaning the basement floor, I propped my feet up and opened my laptop to visit some more Insecure Writer Blogs, and low and behold, MY LAPTOP HAS BEEN ATTACKED BY A VIRUS! AGAIN!!! This one is my work computer so I can't download any programs such as a security feature. It relies on what they've installed on it. So for the second time in as many months, I can't get to the internet on my laptop. Can't get there from here.

So I'm back on my trusty old desktop, a little slow, but protected by Norton. It's too slow to visit all the blogs I wanted to today so I'm sorry I won't get to meet all those Insecure Writers just yet.

What do you think is the best security program to protect your computer with? I have to get something different on my personal laptop this time. Did you ever pickup a virus and know exactly where it came from? Are there particular sites you avoid because you think they might infect you?

Insecure Writer in September

2011-09-07T08:39:00.000-04:00

We all have some things in this business that makes our stomachs a little queasy. For me the list is pretty long and I'm sure I'll have more than enough material to keep up with our monthly sharing of what causes us stress and discomfort. Thanks, Alex Cavanaugh, for getting out all together.

If you're not interested in my problems, here is a link to the list of other insecure writers sharing their headaches, woes and also the expertise to help each other.

My insecurity this month isn't a little thing. It's a huge one. I'm getting ready to publish my first book using Kindle Direct Publishing. Though I manage to do lots of basic things on my computer, I really don't know my way around it. I'm extremely intimidated by the task in front of me.

A few writer friends have given me starting points and I've ran off copies of the instructions from Amazon but I'm still dithering about jumping into this project. Do I have my manuscript formatted correctly? Have I done enough editing? What have I gotten myself into? Should I pay someone to help me with the first time?

Power of Pen

2011-09-05T09:09:00.001-04:00

Jack Hillman is a PA writer I first met through my membership in Pennwriters. This past July, I spent a few hours with Jack and some other authors at the Saucon Valley Farmer's Market. Jack not only arranged the booksigning event with the management of the Farmer's Market, he provided the shade. We didn't sell lots of books that day, but we had a chance to network and share our ideas, our frustrations with the industry and our speculations of where the world of books is heading.

But let me tell you a little about Jack Hillman. First of all he's a clever man of great wit. It's just plain fun to talk with him. His broad spectrum of knowledge ranges from writing, publishing, marketing and other areas not related to being an author.

His recent experiences with his publisher reminded me a bit of my own, so we had lots to discuss about that. His trilogy called The Giant's Wars, is set in the Saucon Valley and connected to a local legend of a lost river. The young hero, Eric Johnson, encounters all kinds of legendary characters and creatures in his adventures. As you can tell from his cover art, Jack's book is filled with great fantasy action. It's just the thing for young readers, especially those reluctant boys. Buy it here!

Booksigning opportunities are become rarer and rarer. I'm grateful to Jack for sharing this chance with me. Where have you held booksignings? Do you expect more venues for writers published with small presses to close? Are booksignings going to become a thing of the past?

Work Desk vs. Work Desk

2011-09-03T14:11:00.000-04:00

A few authors, I'm not sure of the numbers, make enough on their writing to work only at their career of choice. But most writers are like me. We work another job to help pay the mortgage and put food on the table. For school teachers like me, summer is over and I'm back at work.

While preparing for the start of classes a few weeks ago, I thought about the two different desks I maintain for my two jobs. My school desk is of the old metal variety, probably nearly as old as I am. The floor of my office is painted cement and is in the center of the girls' lockerroom so I have no windows to the outside world. It's a very cold setting, especially when there are no students around. The chattering teenagers do wam the place up a little.

My writing desk at home is in the front room where I get the morning sun. The window overlooks the front porch and the surrounding flower beds. The floor is carpeted, the walls lined with bookshelves and I even have a fireplace. I have two cheap desks I put together to form an 'L' so I can spread out all my 'stuff.' The desktop computer is on one desk and I set my laptop on either. Everything is right at hand. I love that work space.

At school, I have one wall covered in the senior photos my students have given me over 25 years of teaching. I have two different pottery dishes made just for me by students in their pottery class and a few other keepsakes and gifts. I can't count the coffee mugs given to me over the years. If I could retire tomorrow, I wouldn't miss that old metal dinosaur-like desk but I would miss those kids.

If I hit the big time and can spend money on a new, bigger fancier desk where it all matches, I'm not sure I would give up those two mismatched, $99, desks I've spent so many hours at.

Both my school desk and my writing desk have one thing in common. Somewhere on both of them is a folded paper towel where I set my ice coffee. Sometimes hot coffee or tea claim the spot of honor. My favorite drinks help make my work areas comfortable and welcoming.

What makes your workspace a place where things get done? Would you change anything is you could? Is your environment conducive to getting a lot of work done?

At My Best

2011-08-29T18:23:00.000-04:00

Summer's over and I'm back at school and dealing with a new crop of freshmen and returning upper classmen. The kids are fun but I'd rather retire. The odd thing about being back at the day job is the amount of writing work I get done.

Perhaps because I have fewer hours I work with more intensity during those precious minutes. Today at lunch I ate my ranch chicken wrap while polishing my one-liner and blurb for my latest fantasy romance, A Tiger's Courage. I was thrilled last week to receive a contract offer from New Concepts Publishing for this book but of course I received it just in time to be back at work. But today at work I managed to get it done and send it out tonight. I even stopped by the post office on my way home to put the contract in the mail.

I've always liked working under pressure with time constraints. In the summer when I should have hours and hours to write, I seem to get less done than when I'm teaching school for eight hours per day. Why? I do get distracted when I'm working at home by laundry, cooking, yard work but I still have more hours than during the school year. I can't figure it out but there it is. So for the next ten months, I'm expecting some of my best work.

Are you a pressure worker? Do you find time constraints inspire you to work more efficiently?

The Right Choice

2011-08-23T08:03:00.002-04:00

About a year ago, I asked my friends in the blogosphere their opinions on keeping a website and a blog. I collected and weighed the information so generously shared with me by those with more experience in online networking.

I had started up this blog two years previously but I posted less than once per week. In two years I had only a little over 100 posts and at the same time I was spending hours updating my website every few weeks. I had slowly expanded my circle of blog friends and noticed how great their blogs were. They had nearly everything on their blogs that I had on my website and blog combined and many of them didn't have websites. I decided to try the way that had been working so well for so many.

I haven't regretted it getting rid of my website for even one day. I've increased the frequency of my posting, found lots of wonderful blogs to follow and increased my own flock of followers from around forty to over two hundred. Last week marked the three year anniversary of Susan Says and I intend to keep it going as long as blogging remains popular. I not try to post at least twice a week but sometimes manage as many as four posts.

I know from attendance at conferences, agents and editors will recommend keeping a website and a blog, but I'm going to stick with just the blog. I get ten times the visits and page views I ever got on my website and hopefully it will keep increasing. Concentrating on my blog was the right choice for me.

How many of you maintain websites and blogs? Do any of you own more than one blog? Is your blog the main focus of your online promotion?

Many Road, One Destination

2011-08-17T10:32:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have been reading my blog the past few months know I've been doing numerous road trips with my daughter on college visits. We spend Monday and Tuesday in Boston, visiting Boston University. Great school and one of my daughter's top choices if we can work out the money. But this post isn't about colleges.

Driving the six and a half hours to our appointment, we ploughed and floated our way through driving rain and stop and go traffic. I found the interstates from eastern New York State to Boston to be pretty much a road through one big metropolis. Cities just kind of overlapped. It was some tense driving in the early morning hours. Then we get to Boston and, well, doesn't that city believe in street signs. I'm not sure if they were missing or just not there. Thank goodness for the borrowed GPS or we would never have found the admissions office. And parking? I don't really care for cities. Traffic. Noise. So many people! On the up side, lots of Starbucks and other coffee bars.

Then the drive home after a good night's sleep in a great hotel. Doesn't any one work during the day? I swear the entire population of Connecticut and Massachusetts was on the road with us. Stop and go. Frustrating. Then we stopped for gas and asked the GPS to take us home from the gas station. It took us over the scenic mountains and through small towns with strange names. We saw numerous lakes in New York, farms and crossed a really cool bridge over the Hudson. Eventually we returned to an interstate but our moods stayed high after our wonderful trek off the beaten path.

I couldn't help but thing of the many different paths writers take toward publication. Some authors land contracts with big traditional publishers and suffer all the highs and lows of that. Some find homes for their work with smaller publishers and though they may not make the big money with an advance, they have a chance at decent royalties and may enjoy a more intimate relationship with their publisher. And more and more authors are taking the third path and publishing their books themselves. Success for them varies from amazing to not so great.

But the journey to publication is part of the adventure. Hopefully you're traveling a path that isn't as stressful and frustrating as the interstate I was driving on yesterday. My route over the Bear Mountain Expressway provided me with many sights and memories I'll hang onto for a while. It was relaxing while still getting me where I needed to go. Sometimes deadlines, promotional responsibilities and the need to constantly network can leach away the joy of writing. Find the right path and have a fun trip on your way to publication.

Are you happy with the path you're taking in your writing career? Have you ever taken a turn you wish you hadn't or that turned out to be exactly correct?

That's Odd

2011-08-14T07:39:00.001-04:00

I have to share some weird things I've seen over the past week. If you've visited my blog over the course of the last few weeks, you've heard me bemoan the loss of our Borders. Our store was a real revenue maker so it is staying open as they try to sell as much merchandise as they can before closing for good. The workers in the store told me they would be receiving products from other stores that have already been closed.

The book sections are really picked over and fantasy, mystery and the literature sections are still only 30% off but I still stop in when I'm near the store to see what might have been shipped in. Borders has always had a great selection of journals and calendars. I often browsed the game and jigsaw puzzle shelves though Borders' stock was a far second to B&N's. One could always find some pens, gift bags, cups and a few other odds and ends that made cute gifts for the hard-to-buy-for relative.

But today I went into Borders and saw things that made me laugh out loud. I can only guess these items were shipped in from other stores. Stacks and stacks of bath towels, adult bundles and pink and blue infant sets. Not far inside the door was a table full of gift sets of fragrances, male and female scents. I couldn't quite believe it. Was I seeing one of the reasons the business failed? Who buys towels at a bookstore? The aisles near the books were packed with people browsing but I didn't see a single person looking at the towels or colognes.

I know some of you have witnessed the slow, ugly melting of their Borders. Have you seen some odd things appearing as they shuffled merchandise from store to store? What is the most out-of-place thing you've ever seen in any bookstore?

It's That Time

2011-08-11T06:49:00.000-04:00

I know a few, only a few, authors who use their blog only to promote their own work. Most blogs I follow are involved in the business of writing or reading and the content of their blogs varies but most of the time I can read and learn something to help my career. Sometimes, though, those blogs are just pure entertainment and fun to read.

Yesterday I received my quarterly statement from one of my publishers and a check will follow within a week or so. New Concepts Publishing has revamped their website and put together lots of promotions to sell more books. And I can see the results in my statement. So many publishers leave all the promotion to the author and I certainly understand it is my responsibility. That knowledge only adds to my gratitude for the efforts my publisher is making.

If you pop over to New Concepts Publishing Website, you can see the beautiful covers they create for their books and you can see the cool contests and the chats they've organized. I'm honored to have my latest release, Tiger's Mate, as one of the books on the front page now that it's become available in print as well as ebook.

So this is my monthly post to self-promote my books. New Concepts offers reasonable prices for ebooks and I hope I have many more contracts with them. I have some other promotional plans in the works.

As an author, do you ever pay for promotion? As a reader, how do you usually discover new authors? As an author, what do you feel is the best 'free' promotion you do?

Floods, Weeds and Lawns

2011-08-10T09:08:00.000-04:00

I don't usually have to search for reasons to procrastinate and this week Mother Nature provided all the opportunities to avoid the writing chair.

Central PA is on pace as one of the wettest years ever. After receiving six inches of rain in a matter of hours a few days ago, our basement flooded for the second time this year. It's rain every day since so the weeds and lawn are growing like a rabbit running before a greyhound. We can't keep up. Tomorrow I'm going to use bleach to wash the basement floor again. I've almost chased out the odor.

I don't like complaining about the rain because so many people are having dry years. But the clean up chores have been draining the energy I usually put into my writing including my blogging. I've been remiss in visiting and posting. I'm behind in my edits.

I know real life interferes with all writers but June, July and now August seem to be ganging up on me. In a few weeks, days actually, I'll be back at the day job of teaching and my time will be even more limited. I always set big goals for the summer months and consistently fall short.

How have your recent goals been coming along? What recent events contributed to any procrastination issues you've been having? And is it raining there?

Bone-Picking

2011-08-07T08:07:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day I can get the extra 10% discount at Borders. I'm going to visit one last time and pick over the bare bones of books left. Lots of hardbacks are left in the mystery and fantasy rows. A few tempt me but not enough. I want to buy them but even with the discount and sales price most are going to be around fifteen dollars. If they were by authors I put on the keeper shelf I would snag them but I'll probably wait for the paper back or the library to finally get them. Once they're out in paperback I can get them much cheaper for my eReader also.

It's still sad to go in the store and see the cafe closed and that ugly, uncomfortable furniture with bright orange price tags on. My daughter and I spent many hours together there, talking about books and sharing all kinds of talks. We have found nothing to replace Borders yet, at least not within easy commuting distance.

I composed at least a third of my blogs while sitting in that cafe as well as typing 'The End' on two of my novels while enjoying an over priced cup of iced coffee. I already miss you.

Have any of you shopped at your local going-out-of-business Borders? Any good buys?

I'm Going As Fast As I Can

2011-08-05T05:41:00.001-04:00

If you're a fan of books written in series, you know the frustration of waiting for the next book to be released. I read many different genres and there are many authors I eagerly await their next work of fine prose. In mystery and suspense, I love, Preston and Childs, John Sandford, Lee Child, Elizabeth George and James Rollins. Most of these writers produce a book about once per year. I can live with that.

My first love is fantasy and perhaps in no other genre do authors torture readers with long waits between books. Patrick Rothfuss made us wait four years between the first book in Kingkiller Chronicles, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fears. I'm not sure how long I've waited for Terry Goodkind to come out with his next Sword of Truth book. I couldn't even guess how long Brandon Sanderson will make us wait for the book following that ten-pounder, The Way of Kings.

I think a big question on fantasy readers' minds is how long it will take George Martin to write the next book in Fire and Ice series. We waited six years for A Dance of Dragons. The series if a very involved book with a huge world and a cast of thousands but six years? I'm wondering if having his books made into an HBO series will inspire him to write faster. Or, worse case scenario, might it slow him down?

My fantasy books aren't as long as the big stars I mention as examples. Usually they're about 100,000 words rather than 2K. It does take me about a year to complete one. But I'm also working a full time job and raising a family. Could I do better? Probably if I let some things go, but as of right now, I'm working as fast as I can.

How long does it take you complete a book? What is the longest you've waited for the next book in a series? What book, besides your own, are you anticipating right now?

Timeline: From Idea to Publication

2011-08-04T05:13:00.002-04:00

With great pleasure I introduce guest, Maria Zannini, as she blogs about how long it takes to bring a book to market. You can join her on her roadshow as she celebrates her new release, The Devil to Pay.
Timeline: From Idea to Publication

How long does it take to get from idea to publication when we’re talking Indie? You might as
well ask how long is a piece of string.

I won’t swear on a stack of bibles because honestly, I didn’t time myself. But I have a fair idea of
how many months, weeks, days, hours it took me to get from idea to publication for a novella.
The idea

I’ll have to take a gimme on this one. The Devil To Pay was already a done deal. I had even
written a draft, and then rewrote it so I could submit it to an anthology. First draft: 3 weeks
Note: At the time I wrote this, I had no intention of self-publishing.

The writing/editing

Once I decided it was going to be self-published I had to give it a hard look and determine if it
was any good. Usually, the editor or agent tells you this. But since I didn’t turn it in anywhere,
the ultimate decision was mine. Was it crap or could it do a little devil dance for me?
I polished it again after my critique partners returned it to me. Then I sent it to an editor. All in
all it took about 10 days before I got back all my feedback.

After that it was time to polish. Again. Add another ten days.

Total: 20 days to write and rewrite a novella that had grown from 23K to 29.5K.

While I was waiting for feedback, I started searching for cover art. I was an artist in my last life
and I pulled out all the stops. This was no longer about my story, but my cover as well. I didn’t
want my fellow artists to point and laugh at me.

The cover art

Since I started searching for art simultaneously while waiting for feedback, I’ll deduct the
overlap. For those of you keeping score at home though, I spent approximately twelve days to
find and finesse the final art you see.
Six days to pull all the art cuts I liked. Two days to try out various layouts and models. One day to find fonts.

Three days to ‘fix’ the model I eventually chose. The poor girl needed hair, cropping, scars
removed, hair accessories removed, skin smoothed, the background removed, and shadows
created. She had a real makeover. :sigh: If only I could do that for myself.
Note: Except for searching for art, most of those days were 2-4 hours per day. Only the initial
art search took 6-8 hours per day. I looked through three databases, finally choosing one and
began the arduous task of seeing what they had to offer.

Total time not counting the days I used while waiting for feedback: Two days

Total time overlapped with editing: 12 days

Formatting

Let me state right now. I hate formatting. It’s tedious, mind numbing work. It felt like it took
months. In truth, it only took a couple of hours from start to finish.

Total Time for each format, Smashwords and Kindle: Four hours

Total (perceived) Time it sucked the life out of Maria: at least three years.

Add everything up all together and from idea to published novella it comes to 43 Days and 4
Hours.
I am hoping now that I have a better grasp of what kind of stock art is available, the cover will
go faster next time. But there’s nothing I can do about the life-sucking hours of formatting. If
you’re going to do it yourself, you’re going to have to donate your brain cells to the underverse.
So what do you think? Did my timeline give you any surprises? How long do you think it would
take you?
***

I hope you’ll follow along with the rest of the Indie Roadshow as I share the things I learned on
my road to self-publishing.

The Devil To Pay is available at Amazon and Smashwords for only $2.99. It is the first book of
the series, Second Chances.

Synopsis: The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and bad tequila. Shannon McKee finds
herself at the end of her rope, and she bargains her soul in a fit of despair.

Shannon’s plea is answered immediately by two men who couldn’t be more different from one
another. Yet they share a bond and an affection for the stubborn Miss McKee that even they
don’t understand.

When Heaven and Hell demand their payment, Shannon has no choice but to submit. No
matter who gets her soul, she’s not getting out of this alive.

Bio: Maria Zannini used to save the world from bad advertising, but now she spends her
time wrangling chickens, and fighting for a piece of the bed against dogs of epic proportions.
Occasionally, she writes novels.

Follow me on Facebook or my blog.

Thank you for visiting Maria. Good luck with your release.

How Do I Get There?

2011-08-03T06:04:00.002-04:00

More and more authors are investigating the self-publishing route. I only know a few bare bones about it, but tomorrow I'll have a guest who really knows what she's doing. Maria Zannini will be my guest expert tomorrow. I hope you'll visit while she shares a timeline from idea to publication. How long does it take to do all the preparation and then get that book up on Amazon? Maria will tell us. You'll also get a look on the book she worked so hard to produce, The Devil to Pay.

Have you self-published? How long did it take you?

Feedback

2011-07-31T06:09:00.000-04:00

Finally. I put aside all the duties of family and made it to a meeting of a group of local writers. They meet the last Wednesday of every month. A few members of the group have invited me in the past but the timing never worked out for me to make an evening meeting. Since I dropped my membership in RWA at the end of last summer, I've missed meeting with fellow writers face to face. Thank you to Don Helin for inviting me.

The group met at the local B&N since Borders closed. Even though it's about a 35 minute trip in heavy traffic, I felt I really needed some person to person connection. It was great. Twelve writers attended, a multiple of genres represented, and together discussed where to go for the next meeting. B&N didn't really want us there taking up space in the cafe. Scrooges. Next month will be in a local library.

After getting the organization items out of the way, the group hunkered down to the real purpose of their meetings. A number of the attendees had brought up to five pages of a piece of work. They passed around hard copies for everyone. We took a few minutes to read and mark, and then went around the circle and gave feedback. One of the rules is for the author not to respond to what is said. It was very friendly. The scope of knowledge and professionalism makes me regret not getting to this group earlier.

So what kind of feedback should one give? I think it's important to start with the positive. Good dialogue, great characters, interesting setting or perhaps an engaging plot. But you don't really help anyone if you're only positive.

At least one of the things shared was not of a genre I like reading so I tried to only pay attention to the words on the page. If I felt I couldn't relate to the characters or their behavior, I kept my mouth shut unless I could specifically say what didn't work about them. If I thought the pacing too slow, I searched for where the writing could be tightened. It was my first time giving feedback in such a setting. Usually I do this sort of thing online and not in real time so I have more time to figure out the words that are constructive rather than destructive. I did know enough to try and end with a positive observation. Writing is tough and anyone who can stay at it deserves some pats on the back.

Fortunately, the group gathered made few grammatical or punctuation errors. Do you ever do face to face critique sessions? What is the most important feedback you feel you can give or receive?

Rules of Writing

2011-07-28T07:59:00.001-04:00

I'm going to guess most writers have some brand of style book hovering around near their writing desk. You can even find style books online. In them and in any other number of reference sites, books and classrooms, you can learn the 'rules' for writing.

This quote was in the monthly newsletter for Pennwriters:

"There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." - W. Somerset Maugham

The longer I'm in the business of writing the more I believe in that quote. I'm not sure when I realized ending a sentence with a preposition isn't really a sin though lots of editors don't like it. Let's face it though, when we speak we end sentences in prepositions all the time. Some sentences sound better with the preposition at the end. How many of you have had editors who insist you don't have a single of, from, or whatever before the period.

I had an editor who insisted I remove every 'being' from my manuscript even the ones like, 'human being.' She frustrated me a little. Another editor insisted throughout an entire 450 page book that I should refer to the horse in my book as 'he.' She wanted the stallion to always be called 'it.' I threw a few things when I worked with her.

How about not starting a sentence with a conjunction? But I do this all the time. And so do lots of authors, many of them very successful. Because sometimes starting with a conjunction conveys the meaning the author wants.

So what 'rules' of writing do you break on a regular basis? Which rules don't you like to see broken? Have you ever had an editor or critique partners who insisted you break no rules?

Wish List

2011-07-26T08:08:00.001-04:00

I guess most writers have becoming a bestselling author or having one of their novels made into a movie. Those interviews on the morning 'news' shows would be great stuff when our publisher flies us to New York. Ahh, dreams.

But besides those biggies I have some things on my writer's wish list I intend to make happen. One of these days, maybe even next year, I'm going to attend BEA and grab up lots of goodies and meet some of my favorite authors. I've heard you can get lots of freebies, T-shirts, pens, candy, totes and BOOKS! I'm going to do it.

I'm going to attend one of the big 'cons' like the recent ComicCon. I think all my children would love to go along to one of those. That wish is a little further in the future but I'm still going to do it.

Not next year but perhaps the year after, I want to go on a writer's retreat. I'm not sure where or when, but I do know what I want. Writers, a private room, a peaceful outdoor setting for long walks, someone to fix meals and make coffee, and time to write, write, and write.

What things are on your wish list that you can make happen rather than just hope they some about someday? Have you even done a writer's retreat? Where?

Where Do We Go Now?

2011-07-24T08:18:00.000-04:00

I know many of you are mourning the loss of your local Borders store the same as I am. I don't have the fortune of having an independent book store near me. There are two used book stores not too far away but one is inconvenient and the coffee out of the range of even an addict like me. The other is so tightly packed with books one can't move let alone relax and browse.

My daughter and I visited our beloved Borders yesterday as they started their clearance sale. The cafe and even the bathrooms were closed. All the tables and chairs, even the soft ones scattered throughout the store, were gone. The things I usually buy in Borders, fantasy and mystery, were only be offered at 10% off, so I didn't pick up any books.  I thought to look for a new planner for 2012 or a great calendar but they were no where in sight. The special coffees and really cool mugs were also missing. I guess those poor overworked souls who usually hustled around behind the counter in the cafe were the first to lose their jobs.

My daughter picked up three books, two she needed for her AP classes in the coming school year.  The only great buy was 40% off of magazines. I picked up one fitness magazine, one cooking magazine and three for writers. My daughter found three for herself.

The man who checked me out has worked at the store as long as I've shopped there. I gave him my sympathy for the loss of his job. He told me our store was actually a great money maker for Borders but it was going down with the rest of the ship. He also gave me so hope by sharing the rumor that Books A Million might move into some of the stores spot that have had great performances.

As we walked to the car, my daughter talked about how sad it was.  We can still drive for 25 minutes over crowded highways to visit the nearest Barnes and Noble but it won't be like having the bookstore ten minutes away.  The B&N has always been crowded and will be even more so now. I won't retreat there to work on edits or my blogs when the homestead proves too distracting.  There are no coffee shops I know of to use as a quiet though public office. It was sad.

Are you losing your local Borders? Do you have a bookstore you visit for no other reason than the wondrous feeling of being surrounded by books?

Book In Hand

2011-07-17T07:55:00.001-04:00

Most authors remember the thrill of holding their first book in their hand. The UPS guy delivers that box packed with unmarked, perfectly new and untouched books with your name as the author. They even smell good. It was thrilling.

Today my sixth fantasy romance novel, Tiger's Mate, was released in ebook in April and today it came out in paperback. I'm thrilled to have another one of my books in print and I'll be ordering some copies for myself tomorrow. My publisher, New Concepts Publishing, is a small, but successful and well-established publisher. Like most small, independent publishers, you won't find their books in the big stores. Borders (if they're even in business later this week) won't set up a signing for my romance novels. With independent bookstores on the endangered list, it's more and more difficult to find venues to sell my print books. That used to bother me.

I've grown past my need to see my book gracing the shelves in a bookstore, though I still love that, and come to the realization I make more money off the sales of ebooks. And I don't need to search across three states to find a bookstore willing to set me up at a table inside the front door. The number of print books I'll sell won't pay my son's college tuition next year but each one is an extra little treat. I hope some people put it on their 'keeper' shelf.

As an author, do you see more of your earnings from ebooks or print? Do you have a 'keeper' shelf for the books you want to keep and reread over and over again?

Guest Author: Elizabeth Mueller

2011-07-14T06:17:00.001-04:00

Please welcome Elizabeth Mueller today as she talks about the characters in her upcoming release, Darkspell, and also take a glimpse into the writer behind the story. Let's start with a few questions and don't forget to enter Elizabeth's super, wonderful contest for prizes a little bit out of this world.

How do you select names for your characters and do any of those names have a special meaning or origin for you?

I love the name Alex. In my opinion, it has that sexy, rugged feel to it. As for Winter, it feels fragile, beautiful and light. I do what feels right as I write.

You write YA. Are you hoping to provide a momentary escape or do you hope your readers receive something more from reading your novel?

I’m aiming for both! Though our trails weigh us down to the point of devastation, there is always hope. Always. I just love the freeing emotion of triumph after hardships.

Tell us something about your villain and what makes him or her interesting?

Ooh, the villain. He is a twisted, evil thing that shapeshifts into a demonic creature. He rules by magic and great power. Nothing stops him from hunting Winter down once he discovers her secret. Or had he always known?

Most readers want their heroes and heroines to take the high road. Can you give us an example from your novel where this happens?

Alex is forbidden to form a romantic relationship with Winter because of his obligation to his coven and her. He respects both, but can’t help his love for her. I show it through his obvious conflict that only appears to Winter as anger.

Writing for publication can be an uphill battle and often frustrating especially for someone as busy as you. How do you motivate yourself and what kept you going until you sold that first book?

My love for writing and the therapeutic escapism it provides me is potent enough for motivation. Going back over and over for revisions can be trying, especially when I would like to see results and get moving to the next book.

I would have to say that it is my sense of purpose. It feels like the right thing to do, to get my first book published. Getting there is a drive for me like waking up. It’s an integral part of who I am. If I stop, it would be like giving up on being a mother to my four children.

I won’t do that.

Can you give us a blurb about your novel and tell us when we can purchase it.

Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold.

As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magical realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own.

Will love prove thicker than magic?

Darkspell’s release date is fall of 2011! You can keep up at my website. Here are the places where you can buy my books in the near future at: Amazon.com, the TreasureLine Books online bookstore, Barnes & Noble ebook and paperback, ebooks: B&N, Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Borders, Diesel, Sony, and Scrollmotion.

You will be able to order/reserve a personalized copy through my website soon!

Please join me in my celebration for Darkspell’s fall release all July long! A pre-book launch party if you will. Click here for details.

Thank you for visiting today, Elizabeth. I hope all my followers will take time to enter the contest. Leave a comment here and on Elizabeth's blog.

Droughts

2011-07-13T07:39:00.001-04:00

Large parts of the country are suffering from devastating droughts causing irreversible damage to this years' crop of fruits and vegetables. Here in the northeast USA we had way too much rain in the spring but the last two weeks have been rather dry. I'm doing some watering nearly every day to help my plants survive though I'm leaving the poor lawn on its own. I'm doing the minimum of care needed to keep my greenery alive during this minnie drought.

Writers sometimes enter droughts also. Sometimes the muse abandons them or perhaps the world sticks its relentless turning into the time a writer sets aside to be creative. Hopefully the drought lasts only a short time

Fix It and Forget It

2011-07-12T07:04:00.001-04:00

I really enjoy blogging though I've had trouble commenting on some of my favorite blogs while I'm working on the old desktop. Blogger keeps insisting I have to sign in over and over again on any blogs that require verification letters.

I try to prepare the blogs for an entire week ahead of time, usually on Saturday or Sunday, and then schedule them. Each day then I can spend time visiting other blogs and not worry about creating posts for my own. I don't always get the entire week ready, especially if I have an event occurring I will want to post about. But I do love when I have three or four blogs all ready to go. It reminds me of my beloved crockpot. I fix them up and then forget them until the hour they're cooked and ready to consume.

Do you prepare multiple blog posts ahead of time? Do you use a verification code on your blog?

Visions During the Mindless

2011-07-07T06:50:00.001-04:00

Most of us have chores we do where our minds are free to wander while our bodies do work. Running, well slow jogging nowadays, has always been a time when my thoughts bounce randomly about. Especially in the winter when my feet are more likely to be striking the unchanging surface of the treadmill rather than dodging traffic.

This summer I've been doing most of the mowing on our acre plus lawn with a push mower as our tractor works in fits and spurts. I love the exercise but I really like the mindless chore where my mind can work over problems in my writing, plan dinner and dream about making it big so I can hire someone to mow the hilly parts of the back lot.

Two days ago I did some baking while the kids and my husband were all at work. The house was blessedly quiet and I couldn't resist pulling out some receipes I'd saved to try. Once everything is mixed together, I realized baking was one of those chores I only needed a part of my mind to do. Some of my thoughts turned to the grim spector of my laptop sitting all alone in a repair shop but mostly I worked through my writing plans.

Vacuuming, laundry and other household chores are other pursuits I can do with half a thought. Gardening and washing the car are some other outdoor activities that give me lots of time to think.

I tell myself these mindless tasks are actually time spent on my writing. What chores or activities do you do with half a thought for what your muscles are doing?

Back to Work

2011-07-06T07:09:00.001-04:00

The appliance repairman saved us. With my boys home from college for the summer, we have six people filling the clothes hampers. The very nice and efficient repairman took care of my washer problems in less than thirty minutes. Somehow one of my headbands floated where it had no right to be and got stuck in the pump. He took care of it though the headband didn't survive. It was my favorite one. Still a small price to pay for getting the washer running.

And I took the laptop to the repair place. They're going to call me in 3-5 days with a diagonisis. Even if they can't fix it, they're sure they can save my data. The helpful man who took my information said because I had a black screen instead of a blue screen, it might not be a crash but a virus. Little beasties. I have a security program I paid good money for and I'm going to be unhappy if it failed me.

Still the blogging is going okay on the desktop and I'm working on another project off a zip drive so I'm not completely stalled out.

If my cheap laptop isn't worth fixing, I'm thinking of what I'll replace it with. Financially, I hoped to make it last one more year and then replace it with a MAC. The repair shop had used MAC's for sale. My first laptop was a MAC and I've wanted another one but the cost is prohibitive for me.

Are you a PC or a MAC? How about some pros and cons for both?

Melt Down on Two Levels

2011-07-05T07:18:00.001-04:00

I don't usually post a lot of personal stuff on this blog, but today is the exception. First I'll start with an apology to all my blogger friends I haven't visited yesterday or today or probably tomorrow. I'm working from my ancient desktop Dell computer and for some reason every time I try to post a comment on a blog it asks me to sign in again and again and again. I can't figure it out unless it's blogger going berserk and if it is, it just tops off the last two days.

Yesterday I went about my morning chores while all kinds of plans lined up in my head. First thing on the list was a visit to Barnes and Noble with my daughter. The B&N isn't far away but it's on the other side of the city so it means dealing with a lot of traffic including a major road construction project near the store. Usually we only visit there on weekends when hopefully the roads resemble a path to somewhere more than a parking lot. But I am a school teacher which means I'm off for the summer and can go in the middle of a week day. Can't be too much traffic, right? People are at work. So I started a load of laundry and we set off for the bookstore armed with over $50 in gift cards. Apparently everyone working had a travel day because they were all on the road but we made it to the store with only a few frustrations.

We spent a lovely hour with our coffees and teas, found some books by authors new to me. Fun times. We fought the traffic home again. I intended to finish the laundry but when I opened the lid I found it still full of water. No agitating, no, spinning and no pumping the water out. Some of you offered your sympathy when I had trouble with my dryer over the winter so feel free to give a little more. Called the repairman and tried not to think of how much this would cost.

Actually I felt a little freedom, knowing I couldn't do any laundry. So I sat down to work on that WIP. Turned on the old(seriously old) laptop and it appeared to be starting up. But no, it gave me a black screen. What the heck? Restarted. Black screen. Restarted in safe mode. Black screen. Black to match my mood. Of course I had all my documents backed up except the one I was working on. Grrrr.....

So the two most used machines in our house, my laptop and the washer, took the crash and burn route today. I'm going to try to keep up on my blog and visit my friends but difficulties may arise. My washer and dryer are on the second floor, right outside the bedroom, and my laptop lives on the first floor. Somehow the combined catastrophes didn't melt down the house though my temper nearly created some flames.

What was your worse computer quirk? What machine can't you do without in your house? Do you work from more than one computer?

Happy 4th

2011-07-04T06:47:00.001-04:00

And I am happy. The economy is slamming most of us and too many of my former students are in foreign unfriendly places. My profession, teaching, is under attack by many politicians as usual when money gets tight. My children are facing challenges I never had to and I worry they may never be able to afford the physical comforts to their future children that my husband and I provided for them.

But I still feel like I live in a great country with more opportunities than any where else in the world. My son and I watched a soccer game where the USA women trounced Columbia. My son had watched the women play before and said our ladies are mostly faster and stronger than their opponents. But what other country provides the opportunity for their young women to start at an early age and compete at any level they can manage?

So happy birthday, USA, I love ya. Thanks to those who work to keep her strong and growing. Thanks to our wonderful friends at our borders and across the big pond for having our backs when we really need you. Happy July 4th to all.

Elizabeth Mueller's Promo Tour

2011-06-30T09:09:00.000-04:00

Would you like a chance to win some fabulous prizes and meet a special lady at the same time? Do you want a chance to visit some new blogs and make new friends and followers? Do you want to learn more about the craft of writing at the same time? Keep reading.

Join Elizabeth Mueller in her celebration the entire month of July for Darkspell’s release this fall!

The darkness sends his followers, the Watchers, to haunt Winter Sky, but Alex Stormhold battles to keep her safe from the prowling evil. Rather than being dragged into the dark's destruction, Elizabeth Mueller will provide a way for you to protect yourselves.

These are the *talismans that you could win:

Nox Arcana's Shadow of the Raven for the FIRST WEEK

Canvas Wall Scroll Tapestry: 12"X 17" for the SECOND WEEK

Dragons Sculpture Bookends: 4"X5"X8" for the THIRD WEEK

My favorite: 13" tall. Dark Shadows Lamp for the FOURTH WEEK

Here's how to enter so you can avoid the Shadoweaver's clutches:

It is your charge to haunt the resident bloggers--listed below--that are hosting Elizabeth Mueller for the week. Go here to answer the questions posted into the contact form every Saturday:

♥.•*¨

¨*•.♥

♥ Each correct answer will equal one entry.

♥ Every comment in the blogger's post will equal one entry.

♥ Every follower on Elizabeth Mueller's blog will have 2 entries: a must to qualify for 2 entries: please let her know that you're following her!

♥.•*¨

¨*•.♥

She will announce the winner Sunday evening on her blog!

Do you see Mr. Ole Dark Shadows Lamp there? He likes to pretend that he's the venomous Shadoweaver who seeks Winter. Could it be because he looks so much like him?

Elizabeth will enter every person who dares to display his blog button. Just cut and paste the html code from her grab button on her sidebar to your sidebar for a second chance at the lamp.

♥ In order to qualify, you MUST leave comment in this post with your blog address stating that you've posted the button to your sidebar to make it easier for the Watchers to seek it out.

In other words, Elizabeth is giving 2 lamps away!

Enter the daring bloggers:

**July 1 Sue Roebuck
July 4 Charlene Wilson
July 5 S. B. Niccum
July 7 Roland Yeomans
July 8 Deirdra Coppel
July 11 Alex J. Cavanaugh
July 12 M. S. Hatch
July 13 Tristi Pinkston
July 14 Susan Gourley
July 18 Jo Schaffer
July 19 Konstanz Silverbow
July 20 Melissa Kline
July 23 Lisa Turner
July 25 J. D. Brown
July 27 & 28 Anastasia V. Pergakis
July 29 Michele Bell
July 30 Rebecca Carlson

*this is all make-believe in the spirit of my debut novel, nothing has been placed under any kind of spells and the Shadoweaver lives within the boundaries of Darkspell.

** first official Contest Saturday starts July 9th!

Do You Believe in Magic?

2011-06-29T07:28:00.002-04:00

Magic is an integral part of any fantasy novel. From the beginning of civilization, people have believed in the powers of nature and their ability to appeal to those powers. Even in today's sophisticated world of science and technology, we keep our superstitions and enjoy tales of magic and sorcery. How many of us have 'knocked on wood' or avoided walking under a ladder? Does it give you a moment of unease when a black cat runs in front of you?

Religion and magic often become intertwined or perhaps end up at odds with each other. What is the difference between these two powerful beliefs? Religion is an appeal for help or an attempt to appease the gods. Magic is the attempt to do the work of gods or perhaps force the gods to give you aid. Is it any wonder the base conflict in many fantasy novels is about opposing religions or powerful magical beings acting like gods?

In ancient times, probably into the prehistoric, most religions we term pagan relied on natural forces to aid their magic. Every tribe or village might have a shaman who directed behavior and sacrifices to direct the magic inherent in the earth to protect them from disease and famine.

At some point in history, religion and magic drew battlelines and the Christian church declared most of the primitive rituals and beliefs as witchcraft. Today few among us will admit to believing in magic and the things it can do. Yet so many of us lap up fantasy books where magic and magical beings are the heroes and heroines though usually the bad guys use magic also.

I do believe in miracles and perhaps they are a type of magic. I don't believe in curses though certainly bad luck exists. Or is the bad luck just a superstition, a low form of magical belief? Do you have superstitions passed onto you by grandparents or parents?

Perfect Series Length

2011-06-28T06:56:00.000-04:00

I read and write fantasy. Most of the early fantasy I read had been written in three book series. Most epic fantasy followed the standard set by Tolkien. After all if the master could create a story the scope of The Lord of the Rings, would would anyone need to drag the story out for more than three books. But some could argue Tolkien's saga was actually four books if you include The Hobbit. Then along came Robert Jordan and his Wheel of Time series and a new idea of how long epic really is and it's not done yet, outliving even its creator. Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series came along to challenge Jordan's record and he's still going with it.

So what is the perfect length. I don't mind reading ten or fifteen books set in a series unless I have to wait more than half a decade for the next book in a series and if the author keeps the story tight and moving ever deeper into intrigue with escalating tensions and the fate of the world at stake. Some can do this and some can't though I won't mention names. On the other hand I've read three or four book epic fantasy series where I didn't even care if I finished the final book.

My first fantasy series is four books long. I planned it for three but the complications took longer to bring to a head than I expected when I started it. I'm currently a book and a half into my second fantasy series and expect it to also be four books long.

How long do you like for your book series to be as a reader or a writer? Have you fallen out of love with a series after you'd invested time reading the early books in it?

Sharing the Love

2011-06-27T06:31:00.001-04:00

About every other month I spend a few hours on the phone talking to one of my sisters who live far, far away. One has settled on the west coast and one on the gulf coast. We only see each other once a year and sometimes even more time goes by between visits. When we talk, we go on and on for hours. One of our favorite topics is books. We all recommend new authors to each other, share our opinions on the recent works of our favorites and, of course, they mention my books. They're always very kind.

My sisters and I have been sharing books since we were children. I had a favorite aunt who would give us her books when she finished with them. Aunt Louise read mostly short Harlequin romances she bought at the grocery store. We had no public library where we lived in the back of beyond farmlands. Our elementary school didn't even have a library until I was in fifth grade. Each teacher kept a few shelves of battered paperbacks in her classroom. I had a few rich friends who would share books they actually owned with me such as the original Nancy Drew books. Once the school added the library, I think I read every fiction book shelved there. When I moved on to high school and saw the much larger selection I knew I'd found a home. The librarian became a good friend. She would make sure I had first chance on all the new books when they arrived.

My children have much better access to books than I did growing up. It's easy to share the love of books with them. Still, I'm grateful for my friends, sisters, Aunt Louise and those wonderful school librarians for sharing their love of books with me. The librarians are long ago retired and we lost Aunt Louise over thirty years ago but I still have those wonderful sisters and now my sons and daughter.

Who did you share books with in your early years? Are those same people still part of your life? Are you passing the love of books on?

Lightning Bolts

2011-06-23T07:14:00.001-04:00

If you're a writer, it happens to you. Some plot issue weighs on your mind. Perhaps it's a relationship you need to complicate, a character you want to eliminate in a memorable fashion or an event you want to foreshadow in a clever manner. You think about even when you don't know you are. Then out of the blue, the solution strikes you like a lightning bolt. You know it will work.

Driving is a time for me when my mind will dwell subconsciously on my writing. Those lightning strikes of inspiration often find me behind the wheel. In the summer one of the times I consciously search for inspiration is when I'm doing mindless activities like mowing the grass. We have a good-sized property. It takes over an hour even with a riding mower to clip all the green stuff. Lots of time to work through the twists and turns needed to keep a reader turning the pages.

The only bad thing about ideas slapping your overburdened minds during those times is the difficulty of writing it down before you forget it. I usually try to work out the details surrounding the lightning bolt so I don't forget the main part. I've forgotten a few times like the time I got the tractor stuck in a wet part of the yard.

I know some people get those flashes of inspiration as they fall asleep or dream about them. They keep a notepad by the bed so they can write them down. I almost never think of anything useful for my writing before I fall asleep since it usually takes me about forty seconds to drift into mindless slumber.

What about you? When do those lightning bolts strike you? Do you ever forget them before you can write them down?

Laugh Out Loud

2011-06-22T07:02:00.000-04:00

I'm a very lucky mother. My children are healthy, well-adjusted and finding their way in a complicated world. Three of my children love to read. Two of them probably read more than I do and spend lots of their own money on books. The three of us constantly recommend books to each other. It's fun.

My teenage daughter likes some books my son and I don't really care to read. Sometimes she's in the same room with me, reading, when something in the book makes her laugh out loud. I've heard her laughing when she's alone in a room. Sometimes I've read the same book and have to wonder what she finds so funny. It's not that something didn't amuse me, but the prose never inspires me to laughter. Why?

Does my daughter simply have a lighter spirit than me, untouched by the dark parts of life that tarnish joy? Perhaps she falls deeper into the fictional world of the novel and experiences the emotions shown in the story with more fully. Or do I not laugh out loud because of the chains of inhibitions preventing such a public display of enjoyment? Sometimes I cry reading a book but I never laugh except on the inside.

What about you? Do you laugh out loud when you read? Can a book make you cry?

Every Day Writer?

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

Usually when I visit the bookstore I look at the writing magazines and skim a few articles. Usually I'm looking for ideas for marketing and promotion but often I stumble on pieces that inspire ideas for my blog posts. A few days ago I read a short article with two authors debating the pros and cons of writing everyday.

Many experts recommend writing every day. They contend you must develop the habit and treat writing like a job you must work at each day. If you combine inspiration and habit together, chances are you're going to write a lot of words each day.

The other opinion in the article I read believes in taking a day off per week. Instead of setting aside some time every day for writing, set a word count goal and get it done. Taking a day off recharges the drive and enthusiasm to write.

We all develop our own writing habits including frequency and duration of time at the keyboard. Like many people I tend to fall somewhere in between the two extremes of the above options. I don't always write new stuff every day, but I almost always work on something having to do with my career. I visit blogs, edit some work and do other general promotion things. Unless it's a special day like my recent anniversary a day seldom goes by when I don't turn on my computer.

Nearly every interview I read about really successful authors quotes them as saying they write every day. They highly recommend it.

What do you do? Write every day? Set goals and then take time off when you reach the goal? Do you feel guilty if you miss days writing?

Publisher's Websites

2011-06-20T05:52:00.001-04:00

Like many writers, I often visit publishers' websites. A few I visit searching for information on upcoming books from my favorite authors. Some I visit to check out their submission policies but the ones I visit most often are the ones who have published my books.

New Concepts Publishing has released five of my romance novels under my pen name, Susan Kelley. I love working for NCP. Their editors are friendly and efficient. Their author liaison replies to my emails usually within a day if not within hours. In the past few months they've become even more author friendly by trying many new way to help with promotion, always my least favorite part of being a writer. And I have a special place in my heart for anyone who finds a way to get my books in front of the readers.

One of the things they've done is update their website. It's so easy to navigate, has simple buy buttons, along with forums, ongoing contests and place where readers can chat with the authors. Each author has a page with a short bio and all their books in one spot. My Solonian Chronicles, starting with The Greater Good and ending with One Good Woman, are showcased on my page. Tiger's Mate will soon join the page.

So does your publisher help promote your book? I'm especially wondering about those of you with small publishers? Have you visited a publisher's website you found difficult to negotiate? Why do you go to publisher's websites?

Happy Dad's Day

2011-06-19T06:02:00.002-04:00

Here's my wish to all the fathers out there. It's a tough job and not everyone can do it. I think in bygone days it was easier being a father. Before women went to work, men could come home and relax. Many men never changed a diaper or got up in the middle of the night to take their turn with feeding the baby. Dinner was on the table, clean clothing in the closet and the kids had their homework done. Weekends might mean mowing the lawns or doing other chores around the house, but their biggest responsibility was bringing home the bacon. Really, it wasn't that far removed from the days of the cavemen. LOL

But today's dad, hopefully, takes a bigger responsibility not doing the laundry and cooking but also in raising the children. He's more involved with his children including the moment of birth. He can change diapers, bandage a wounded knee and attend a PTO meeting. He reads to his children at bedtime, helps them with their homework and perhaps coaches their sports teams. We sometimes hear about superwomen who have careers and do it all, but we also have lots of supermen.

I was a lucky girl growing up. We lived on a farm so my dad was home all the time. Despite getting up at 4:00AM to milk the cows, he still had the energy to pass baseball with his tomboy daughter. In the winter he played board games with us and as often as not helped my mom with the cooking. He lectured my brothers on keeping the bathroom spotless and would pitch in and help my mother with the laundry when he had time. He remodeled our farmhouse and taught me most of what I know about powertools. We all learned to drive the big tractors, milk the cows and butcher(yuchy) hogs, chickens and wild game. My brothers had to take their turns with the dishes the same as the girls did. My dad taught me more about equality than any textbook or other life experience. He was my hero. He was also a real WWII hero. My hometown honored him and many others of his generation with banners flying from the light posts of the river walk.

My father never finished high school. He dropped out to enlist and fight during WWII. But he loved to read. He kept a dictionary by his reading chair so he could look up words he didn't know. He loved to learn. I miss him every day. Happy Father's Day to the best.

Distractions

2011-06-12T10:13:00.001-04:00

Sorry I didn't visit many blogs this weekend, but yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our wedding aniversary. Our children now that they are older have started a tradition of all day game day for our aniversary. It's kind of like a family reunion with a ladder ball tournament, swimming, cards, basketball shooting contests, and lots of food. It's exhausting and completely fun. So that's where I've been. I'll also be out of town later this week when my husband and I go away for two days alone.

Our aniversay was a distraction or an excuse for not writing or blogging, but it's very easy to get distracted by many other things especially when working on a computer. Facebook, twitter even blog hopping can take up valuable and limited writing time. All this reminds me a program you can download called SelfControl which can be set to shut down your email and social network for a chosen period of time. Really?

I confess to procrastination. I admit to visiting blogs when I should be working on that WIP. And I do check out Facebook when I shouldn't. But I can control it. I don't need a special program to look over my shoulder and 'control' my activities. Have you heard of this? Would you use something like this?

Heroes Must be Heroic

2011-06-10T09:30:00.001-04:00

I recently watched a 'made for TV' movie. I looked forward to it because I enjoy watching the actor staring in the movie in all his roles and I love the books the movie character is based upon. Well, I was extremely disappointed. I kept waiting for something to happen. Not only did the story progress at a snail's pace but the star of the show didn't do anything. Mostly he stared into his coffee or drank himself insensible. Not very heroic.

Whether it's a book or a movie, we like our heroes and heroines to act heroically. As a writer of a book or a screen play, we must give our main character a chance to be heroic. There are classic ways to act like a hero. One of my favorites is when the hero or heroine sacrifices their dream, maybe their life, or their career for the greater good of the world or their family or whatever community is at stake. I even titled one of my books for that very scenario.

And who won't love a hero who stands up for the oppressed or the helpless. Isn't the world a better place with such people?

Sometimes it's heroic simply to turn the other cheek and take the high road. Sometimes being the one who doesn't strike back is admirable.

The best books or movies are those that find creative ways to make the hero act in a way to draw the reader into wanting this person to succeed. We cheer for people we like. We hope we would act like them in the same situation whether it's to save the world or our family or even slay vampires.

So remember when you're writing to give your hero a way to be heroic. Give them opponents or situations where they must be that person we all wish to be. Endless cups of coffee or liquor isn't heroic or interesting.

What plot is your favorite to showcase a hero's brave heart? Do you prefer the emotional or physical call to arms to define your hero?

Time Goes By

2011-06-08T06:16:00.001-04:00

Some of you know I'm a high school teacher. Today is the last day of school. Yippee!!! I always set goals for the summer about my writing. Big plans. Last year was the first time I came close to meeting those goals. But I still dream big.

Things do distract me during the summer. All those cleaning projects, a big yard to take care of, a swimming pool to enjoy and that tempting stack of books to read, combine to steal hours from my writing time. Well, it's not really stealing since I allow myself to spend those hours so pleasantly.

Despite all those distractions, I wonder why I accomplish more during my limited hours when school is in session than over the summer months when I don't have to do the day job thing. Why? Is it because I believe I have tons of time so I put things off? Does this prove I would struggle to be a full time writer because I can't manage my time? If true, there's goes my retirement plans.

Well, I have some big plans for this summer and I'm digging in as soon as I get the tanbark spread, sand the deck and .... No this year I'm putting writing closer to the top of the list. I have one huge project going and two medium ones and a couple of smaller ones. I'll reveal them as I delve into them.

I was always the child who wrote their term paper the night before it was due. I know I do good work under pressure. What about you? Do you work better when you have nearly unlimited time or are you a 'work under pressure' type? Do you need a deadline to keep you on task?

Who Has the Mo...?

2011-06-06T05:36:00.001-04:00

People do things for a reason. Sometimes they fool themselves as to the why, but something motivates people to their actions. The characters if a novel also have to have a reason to act the way they do. Something motivates them.

As often as not and usually in my novels, the hero is motivated by his values. He decides something must be done, a goal reached, on what he believes from his values. He might believe something not obviously true to the rest of the world or his family and friends but completely true to him. His values may lead him to fight an unwinable war or attempt great feats of strength or bravery. Often he desires something abstract that he can't even pinpoint to himself, such as redemption or revenge.

The hero should certainly face many obstacles between him and his goal, but he never gives up though his despair may lead him astray or make him hesitate. The attempt to complete the thing that will help him reach his goal drives the story. Perhaps he wants peace for his world so he must defeat the demonic race over running his people. Many YA dystopian novels have survival as the the hero's only goal although it's usually survival for the hero's family also. That's a pretty strong motivation to propel the hero through a great story.

What's your favorite hero motivation? Have you read novels where the motivation doesn't seem strong enough to drive the hero and story forward?

Back in the Breach

2011-06-04T06:25:00.001-04:00

I've been absent from the blogosphere for a while. The reasons are many though most of them are more like excuses. Things like my daughter's softball playoffs, the chaotic end of a school year, some days of good weather when I could actually work outside, an ill cat...you get my drift. Excuses.

My daughter's team was eliminated from the state playoffs two days ago with a heartbreaking 3-1 loss to a very good team. I still have three days of school but I have nearly all my paper work done. Thanks to some help from my daughter, I'm getting caught up with the outside work. The cat is still a problem.

So no more excuses. I'll be blogging 3-4 days a week again starting today. Despite my excuses for being absent here, I know the real reason. I was feeling down about my writing career. I'm not entirely back on the upbeat trail now, but I'm not very good at quitting when things get rough. It took me a few weeks to get over being angry about something and come up with a game plan to get my career traveling in the direction I want it to go. More about the anger in a future blog.

I'll be around to visit my bloggy friends today and tomorrow. I hope some of them will stop in here too. Though I haven't been blogging lately, I have been working on my WIP and can see 'The End' approaching. A few more weeks like this past week and I'll be ready to send it off to my favorite editor at NCP.

How long have you taken a break for blogging? Did you have good reason or did you just need a break?

What Should Have Happened

2011-05-23T08:23:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year when all the network TV shows are having their season finales. This past week I've watched cliff hangers with heroines sprawled in a pool of their own blood and heroes taking the law into their own hands. Some of the shows will have us wait all summer to know who lives and who dies. Some of them have emotional tension being carried over to the next season. One of my favorite shows, Justified, has left the hero pondering his professional career and his relationships with his pregnant ex-wife and fellow marshals. Now I have to wait until next winter to see what happens there.

But I often wonder when these important last episode of the season occurs on TV shows if I would have written it different. I think 'this is what should have happened.'

The heroine bleeding from gun shot wound is a little cliche for me. I like the ending better if she shots the bad guy but the circumstances are questionable. We know she's not going to die but if its her professional life on the line it will make for some interesting drama as she tries to get out of trouble.

I loved the season ender Mentalist, but shouldn't Red John have been someone we know? Shouldn't he have been visible in an earlier episode?

Blue Bloods didn't let me down with the Regans handling the murder of their family member like the good cops they are. And then the satisfying scene of the family dinner wrapped up a great freshman season.

I finished watching the Showtime series, The Tudors, a few weeks ago on DVD. I wish they wouldn't have ended the series with Henry. Of course, how many movies have been made about Elizabeth?

I also recently read The Count of Monte Cristo on my ereader. I loved the movie with Jim Caviezel and especially the ending. The book ended completely differently. Though I really enjoyed the book, I liked what happened in the movie better.

I can't help but thing about the ending of my books and wonder if readers finish them and then ponder 'what should have happened.' I write my romance books in series but each book is a complete story about a different set of lead characters. Each ending is complete with the HEA. On the other hand, my fantasy series in a continuation of an epic tale progressing from book to book. Each ending has to satisfy the reader yet leave enough questions to convince them they must read the next book. The ending is a fine line between what should have happened and what might happen in the next book.

I've read books where I hated the ending, including some fantasy series of multiple books where I loved it until the last few chapters. I hated that the tale didn't end the way I wanted it to end. I could make a list of what should have happened. I won't name them here because I don't like to do that to other authors or ruin a book for someone interested in reading it.

Can you think of some books you loved right up until the ending? How about movies and TV shows that don't follow the tale you've imagined for the characters?

Starting the Conversation

2011-05-20T08:32:00.001-04:00

I'm working on a scene in my current WIP where the hero confesses something to the heroine. It's the most important dialogue in the book. I'm not a dialogue specialist and I've been putting a lot to time into getting it exactly right without using silly tags or a boat load of adverbs. If the reader isn't crying or at least choked up but the end of the scene, I failed to convey the emotions of my characters.

I have two books on writing dialogue, have read dozens of articles about it in writing journals and sat in on sessions at writing conferences. It helps but I think I've learned the most from two other sources. I have a few authors I think are dialogue gurus. Pick up a Nora Roberts book, a Robert Parker suspense novel, Jayne Ann Krentz or Lee Child and study their dialogue. Sometimes Parker is too stingy with tags but he certainly never overuses them. I keep books by each of these authors on my re-read shelf.

Another place to study dialogue is at the movies or on your favorite TV show. No tags or adverbs there. Facial expressions, body language and tone color the meaning of the words spoken. I try to figure out how to write that in so the reader knows my character is speaking 'hysterically' without using that cursed adverb.

I have a favorite version of Sense and Sensibility I watch on occasion. In one of the final scenes when Edward visits Elinor and her family believes he has married another and broken her heart, the characters are sitting in awkward silence in their salon. Elinor's little sister, noticing the tension but not knowing what to do about it, says something about the weather. It's very funny and her sister pokes her in reprimand.

Writing a conversation about the weather in your book would likely be very boring but in this movie scene it is perfect. I think I'll go watch another favorite movie and study the dialogue. That's not really procrastination before getting back to that difficult scene.

How did you learn to write dialogue? What guides do you use to improve the dialogue in your novels?

Get 'Em Next Time

2011-05-18T06:32:00.001-04:00

I never met a writer who had never been rejected unless he or she had never submitted a piece of work. Submission means the risk of failure and sometimes, perhaps most of the time, and failure happens. I learned early on in my writing endeavors not everyone believes my prose needs to be enjoyed by the entire world. Unthinkable but true.

Last night I had the joy of watching my daughter's high school softball game. It was the first game in their conference playoffs. My daughter was the designated hitter for this game, batting in the fifth slot. Her first time up she hit a grounder and one of our base runners interfered with the fielder and made the last out of the inning. The next time she was up she popped out. Third time up she struck out for only the second time all year. At the end of regulation, seven innings, the game was tied 2-2. The skies had opened up as they seem to do nearly everyday and it was raining pretty good. We were the visiting team and batting in the 8th. Our first two batters got on base with walks and then moved to second and third on a wild pitch. The other team walked our number four hitter to load the bases and set up the double play bringing my daughter to the plate.

Now to delve into my monthly sports/writing analogy. My daughter was without a hit, the game was on the line and there was no tomorrow(though there is next year). The pressure was on. I had seen my daughter's frustration in her previous at bats. But she stepped into the box and got ready to hit. She hit a long fly ball, our runner on third tagged up and scored. We won the game, 3-2.

It's easy to give up after a few failures. Failure can strip us of our confidence. But no one bats a thousand. No one gets a hit every time. But if we stay in the game and keep trying, there's always the chance we'll get 'em next time. Work hard, practice and one day the game winner will be ours. If we keep failing, we need to work on our game, improve our skills and seek some coaching. Then we step up to the plate and take another swing at it.

Hopefully you all don't mind sports analogies but at our house, we're either reading or playing sports. I can't help myself putting them together.

Have you had some winning hits lately to make up for the strike outs?

Location, Location

2011-05-13T08:16:00.001-04:00

Setting the scene is a common theme of many bloggers. I always read those posts and usually find new ideas. Setting helps set the mood for the conflict occurring in the scene.

In my latest released fantasy novel, Beyond the Gate, the first third of the novel takes place underground in a long winding tunnel beneath a mountain. The hero, Cage Stone, and heroine, Sabelline Shelton, are surrounded by darkness and solid rock. How much mood setting can I do with that?

The two characters experience the dark differently. To her the black is complete, the silence deafening. To his superior eyesight, the path is revealed and the voice of the surrounding rocks speak quietly to him. She feels the brooding presence of the massive mountain looming over their heads while he wonders how the wondrous cave was constructed.

The cave's air varies from unwholesome and foul to cool and even refreshing. The fell beasts hunting them make a variety of sounds and fill their air with foul odors.

Hopefully the reader will understand something about the two characters as they experience the setting from their perspective. Cage and Sabelline see the world through the lenses of their own personalities and quirks.

What is the most challenging setting you've had to describe? Do you have an example of an exceptionally well set scene from something you've read?

What Comes After Z?

2011-05-11T07:47:00.001-04:00

Like over a thousand others, about two weeks ago, I finished up the A to Z blogging challenge. And it was a challenge. I've learned many things from my first attempt at participating in such an event.

It's a lot of work to blog six days a week and I have an even greater admiration for those who blog every day than I did before. I know many of them hold full time day jobs like me yet still they manage to create new posts day in and day out. Wow.

It takes a lot of time to visit blogs and comment each day. Before the challenge I visited between ten and twenty blogs every day. During the challenge I stayed with that number during the week and tried to visit triple that number on weekends. By the third week I was falling behind during the week and on weekends. I never made my goal of visiting over half of the blogs involved in the challenge. My loss.

I learned there are a lot of wonderful, informative and clever bloggers out there. I met only a fraction of those participating in A to Z and found dozens of blogs I wish I could visit every day. I read many of them and wondered how some of these interesting people weren't already famous published authors. Talent by the bucketfuls.

Another lesson I learned is how I can be overwhelmed by what I feel are my responsibilities to my writing career. I have a new book released during the last week of the challenge. Suddenly I had too many things to do each night. To top it off, thanks to PA's wettest April ever, water came into our basement. My husband was working nights and I had to deal with most of the problems by myself. And promote my book. Guess what got lost in the chaos? Visiting blogs. I felt guilty about it every day. But I'm back in the grove now and I owe lots of visits.

My book, Tiger's Mate, is now over a week into its published life and doing well I hope. It's difficult to tell with those young ones. This week I'll continue with some promotion, kick a little activity into my blog and get back on track with my WIP which is a third book in the Tiger's series. A great thanks to all my new followers. Can't wait to get to know you all better.

Did you participate in A to Z? What did you learn? Would you do it again?

Know Me?

2011-05-09T07:04:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day has come and gone for another year. My gifts are scattered on my writing desk. How well my family knows me. My husband bought me flowers and a gift card to Borders. Lovely.

My oldest son bought me a gift card to Barnes and Noble. Oh yes, got both big stores covered. My second son bought me a gift card to the local convenience store so I can buy my ice coffee there. Heavenly. My third son bought me a lottery ticket, $5 winner, and a small, beautiful leather portfolio. He received it free at the golf tournament he was in but he is a poor college student. And even if it says Penn State PGA program, it is perfectly suited to me. My daughter bought me an iced tea at Border's and then gifted me with a feather quill pen and ink as well as a genuine Moleskin notebook. Do they know me or what?

Of course they know me and love me as their mother but their gifts demonstrate the way their perceive my needs and desires as well as what they see as my profession. They see me as a writer and gift me with wonderful little things to help me along. Could I be a writer without those things? Yes and I probably wouldn't buy them for myself but they are so cool to have.

Does your family gift you with writing toys? What favorites have you received or wish you would receive?

Z: Zone

2011-04-30T07:07:00.001-04:00

Every runner and writer has experienced it, being in 'the zone.' For the runner, everything is easy. Your breathing is in perfect rhythm to your steps. Your legs feel strong and your feet seem to bounce off the ground. Your body feels like it could run forever.

For writers, it's those times when your fingers can't keep up with the thoughts tumbling from the bottomless well of creativity in your mind. You always come up with the perfect verb and not one adverb sneaks its way into the prose. Scenes come alive on the computer screen with descriptions better than a picture. This is the zone and if you're lucky it could last for days. Even a few hours of the zone can produce thousands of words.

How does one find the zone? For runners I believe training and pushing yourself each time you tie on your sneakers can lead to those workouts where your slip into the zone. For writers? I think knowing where your story is going, knowing your characters and finding enough hours to write can take you to the zone.

Have you ever found the zone while writing? What the best production day you ever had writing?

Y: Yahoo: Book Release

2011-04-29T06:46:00.001-04:00

Yippee, my book is available today. Tiger's Mate is the sixth fantasy romance I've released. I thought about trying to publish this one myself through some of the new programs, but I'm very happy with my current publisher, New Concepts Publishing. They do a great job editing and on the covers for my books. One of my covers missed the mark but the others were pretty great.

My first writing love if pure sword and sorcery fantasy but I dabbled in writing romance before I sold that first fantasy book. Why? I like a good love story as do many people. Many, many people. Romance outsells all other genres of commercial fiction. I write romances to make money. But when you read my romances, you'll see my love of fantasy there. Probably the fantasy elements in my romance novels take up a greater share of the plot than some typical romances.

In my Tiger's of Salubria series, the Tigers are legendary race of warriors. In the distant past, a curse was put upon these warriors so they have to form a magical bond with a person of magic when they reach maturity or they will die. The person of magic then has some control over their fierce will. You can believe these proud men of war resent their magical tethers as they move through society unprepared to meet them.

The first book in the series, To Tame a Tiger, begins the tale and gives some background as to the origin of the curse. It's available in print and ebook. The book released today, Tiger's Mate, follows another of the swordsmen as he fights his way toward his lost homeland. Please take a chance by entering this medieval world of sorcery, adventure and of course, love.

I hope you don't mind my unabashed self-promotion but I have two kids and college. Very expensive investment, those offspring.

Will I make any money on these books? Every little bit helps. I'm a long way from quitting the day job. How about you? Can you or are you close to making a living off your writing? Do you think you will sometime in the future or is it a rewarding past time for you and the money doesn't matter?

X: X Marks the Spot

2011-04-28T07:10:00.001-04:00

In the third and perhaps the best Indiana Jones movie, Jones and his friends are searching for clues in a historic library and they find a large roman numeral ten, X, on the floor. Jones observes, 'X marks the spot' in his wry way. It was funny in the movie and was quite clever but when writing a book, X usually shouldn't mark the spot.

Hopefully as I write my fantasy novels, I include many twists and surprises. The answers sought by my characters need to be difficult to find. Victory must be earned and not by something so easy as finding the X marking the spot. Wrong turns must be taken along the incorrect fork in the road.

I'm sure you've read books or watched movies where the hero stumbles on something way too conveniently. I remember a scene from one of the CSI shows where one of the investigators is buying a cup of coffee from a street vendor and a crow flying over drops an eyeball in her cup. Of course, this leads to the discovery of a body and the show goes on. What are the chances such a coincident would occur?

Can you give an example where a mystery was solved without the hero working for the answers? Or have you read a book or seen a movie recently where the story ending was so obvious it seemed marked with a big X?

W: Wild Wednesday

2011-04-27T07:23:00.001-04:00

It has been a month of wild Wednesday from the weather to challenge of blogging six days a week.

The weather caused a number of changes in some athletic schedules so every day the evening events were up in the air until the last moment. The torrential rains also sent some surface water into our basement. It rained so hard the water ran in around the sliding glass door. We save one section of carpet but the other needs replaced. I know parts of the country have suffered much worse so I'm going to stop whining about it. I only hope we go an entire day without thunderstorms for this wild Wednesday.

Blogging has challenged me. Though I had almost all my subjects selected ahead of time, I didn't have all of them written when April started. So each weekend has been busy as I make sure everything is ready for the upcoming week and try to catch up on commenting on other participants' blogs. Wildly busy.

I've also had a wild time trying to prepare for Friday's release of my next fantasy romance, Tiger's Mate. Today I'm participating in a chat at my publisher, New Concepts Publishing, as a way to promote this book and all my back list. This live chat is a first for me, so I don't know what to expect. I also have no idea how effective it is as a promotional tool.

Have you ever participated in a chat as a promotional tool for a book with as the author or a reader? Do you think it has promotional benefits?

V: Vanguard

2011-04-26T06:38:00.001-04:00

Not long ago my daughter and I were watching a movie and someone was being honored by riding in the vanguard. She didn't know what a vanguard was and we had a long discussion about it. Later I thought about some of the trail blazers who were the vanguard for today's popular fiction in books and movies.

No doubt JRR Tolkien led the way for many of today's fantasy authors. JK Rowling did the same for the upsurge in YA fantasy. I believe she inspired an entire generation of eager readers. Nora Roberts set a standard for prolific and versatile writers of romance and suspense, earning success and fame beyond most who came before her.

The original Star Wars began a new era in movie series. The Superman movies of the late 70's revived the super hero genre and we're still enjoying that today. I would call both those franchises the vanguard of their genres.

What book or movies would you say led the way in their field either today or yesterday?