Writes of Spring!

No more excuses. This year I’m taking part in the Writes of Spring, the annual February (okay so it’s not quite spring, but we’re a hopeful bunch) writing challenge organized by my writing group, the Pocono Lehigh Valley Romance Writers. My goal was to finish most of the first draft of a short story I’m working on for submission to Ellora’s Cave, entitled, Winter’s End. I have the characters, the plot, the big black moment and the end worked out so 25 pages was an achievable goal. So it seemed until the first edits for my novel, Palace of Dreams arrived. So now I’m juggling 2 goals—complete the edits and keep working on the short story. The Writes of Spring are supposed to be a challenge. I just didn’t think they would be quite so…well, challenging. 

I’m not alone in my struggle to reach my goals.  It seems as if half my fellow writers are running into unanticipated roadblocks.  Life just keeps getting in the way which is often the reason why so few people at the end of the year have achieved the goals they made the previous New Year’s eve.  It helps to write goals down, as does being part of a group working toward the same end.  The WOS authors post frequently, encourage each other to keep plugging away and celebrate even the tiniest victory.  Keeping goals realistic and breaking them down into manageable chunks is another good way to stay on target.  I’m trying to follow all the tips.

 Check back at the end of February to see if I succeeded.

Something New

It’s official.  My latest book, an erotic futuristic entitled, Palace of Dreams has been accepted by e-publisher/small press, Ellora’s Cave.  Since my first book was a paranormal romance and the next two were historical romances, writing erotic romance is a big departure for me.  So how did I end up writing for ‘the dark side’ as a fellow EC author calls it?  To be completely honest, I’m not sure.  It certainly wasn’t part of my original plan.  I’d never even read an erotic romance until meeting my critique partner and fellow Cerridwen/Ellora’s Cave author, Kathy Kulig.  She’d published several erotic short stories and was working on a novel for EC at the time.  Reading her pages was certainly enlightening.  She lent me a few books.  Then I bought a few from Ellora’s Cave and started reading the free ones I received at conferences.  What I discovered was there were some pretty good books out there—steamy and explicit, yes, but also with great plots and engaging characters. 

Although I was learning more about my company and the huge success of Ellora’s Cave’s ‘romantica’, a word coined and wholly owned by them, I still had no intentions of writing for their line.  None of my story premises lent themselves to the careful blend of hot sex, plot and character required by the genre.  That is until the idea of a dream palace set far in the future where tourists could experience all their wildest fantasies popped into my head.  Some of those dreams (knowing human nature, more than just a few), I surmised would be of the erotic variety.  Shortly afterward, my main character, dream guide, Inari Rau began to take form, along with her love interest, the slightly younger, very hot, new guide, Kastel Fane.  Before I knew it, I was writing an erotic futuristic. 

Now reading or writing women’s erotica isn’t for everyone.  And of course I’ve had to put up with the endless jokes, comments and raised brows from friends (and some writers) who think erotic literature is nothing more than dressed up porn.  Since I pretty much had the same opinion before I began this adventure, I can’t exactly blame them.  Not that it’s deterred me.  I just started to work on my first erotic short story, a medieval entitled Winter’s End. 

Will I write ‘romantica’ forever?  Probably not.  But for the moment I’m enjoying stretching my writing wings and trying something new.

Saying Goodbye

I’m not good at good-byes.  When I’m with friends I always linger at the door chatting for a few more minutes, hating to say the words that signal the end of good times shared with each other.  So you can imagine how difficult it is for me to bid farewell to Pumpkin, my beloved furry companion of twenty-four and a half years.  That’s a 114 in human years, an amazing run any way you look at it. 

My husband and I have known for a few months that she was slowly going into a decline.  But no matter how carefully you try to prepare yourself for the inevitable; it’s still heart wrenching to watch them take that final breath.  For me it’s even more poignant as Pumpkin was my writing buddy and furry muse.  The consummate lap cat, she followed me everywhere.  Since sitting on my lap while I typed didn’t work (believe me she tried), Pumpkin finally resigned her self to curling up on the chair next to me.  That is when she wasn’t sitting on the desk in front of the computer or trying to help me type. 

Saying good-bye is hard and I’ll miss her company.  My office seems empty today as I write this.  But I have hope.  We have two other cats, Scamp and Sami.  Often they’d sit in the doorway and look longingly at the chair where Pumpkins sat ensconced in her special place of honor—next to mommy.  I suspect it won’t be long before one of them decides this being a muse thing is a good deal.  Pumpkin sure thought so.

Pumpkin and Scamp (new contender for the role as furry muse)

And They Lived…

On the 17^th of January my husband, Neil and I celebrated our 40^th wedding anniversary.  We celebrated the event by a mini-vacation that started in Lexington, VA where we joined friends from the 5^th VA and took part in the annual Lee/Jackson Days.  PBS was there this year filming a special about Lee and Jackson.  Don’t know if we’ll show up in any of the footage, but it will be fun to watch the program and look for ourselves when it airs.  Afterward we spent several days in Washington, DC.  Monday morning we wandered through the African exhibit.  In the afternoon we saw the National Geographic exhibit of the Terracotta Warriors from China.  Amazing!  If you have a chance, go see them.  We spent most of Tuesday at the National Archives doing research on Neil’s 2 great-great grandfathers who served during the Civil War.  Afterward we completed our trip through time and around the world with a stop at the Sackler museum of Asian art. 

A few years ago I read about a study that showed that married couples spent less than 10 minutes a day in meaningful conversation.  Obviously the researchers didn’t know us.  Some nights we have a hard time shutting up and going to bed when we should.  Some younger couples have asked us to share some of our secrets of our connubial bliss.  There’s nothing really secret about it—common values, shared interests, respect and a great sense of humor are important ingredients.  Most of all I believe you need to really like the person you’ve married.  After all these years, there is no one I want more to spend time with than Neil.  He’s my dearest friend and biggest cheerleader. 

Is it any wonder I write romance?

Kick up the Heat in the New Year

Baby, it’s cold out there!  Looking for a way to warm up these bitter winter days?  Then check out Kathy Kulig’s latest release, Damned and Desired.  It’s literally hot off the press today (well ready to download to your favorite e-reading device) from Ellora’s Cave.  Steamy and action packed, you’ll enjoy getting lost for a few hours in Kathy’s second paranormal book populated with a host of sexy demons and their human partners.  Take a peak at the blurb and then go check it out for yourself.

 

 

 

She’s a demon, he’s a shapeshifting leopard. From their first meeting in the Arizona desert, passion ignites and trouble begins. As a demon, Sakari Lock must harvest lifeforce energy through sexual seductions to sustain her exiled world. But when Sakari meets Brad, she breaks the number one rule of Anartia—don’t get personal with your quarry.

 Physician’s assistant Brad Montag is drawn to Sakari’s lustful advances with a blazing desire he can’t explain, unaware of how dangerous she is. No matter how enticing, she’s a complication he doesn’t need until he can conquer his past and regain control of his shapeshifting abilities. Sex this wicked and good can only lead to disaster.

 When immortals from an alternate dimension try to free their exiled world, Brad is caught in the middle of a battle that could destroy not only him, but the land he loves. 

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8075-damned-and-desired.aspx

 

Beginnings

Beginnings are important.  They crackle with hope, anticipation and the promise of starting anew.  This is I suppose part of the allure of starting the New Year off with a list of resolutions.   A lot has already been said about goal setting in other blogs, so I’ll pass on the topic, other than to say that keeping them realistic and writing them down really does help.  Rewarding ones self occasionally when a particular goal has been achieved is important too. 

Beginnings are equally important in the opening of a book.  The goal of every writer is to capture their audience in those first few pages. Finding the right way to do that, now there’s the rub.   Typically it takes the average reader, (include agent and editor here) about 15 seconds to decide to either keep reading or to pass and move on to another book.  If you doubt this, check out the process the next time you purchase a book.  Most people, unless they have a specific book in mind, will browse an area, selecting those books whose titles or covers attract their attention, check the blurb on the back, open and peruse a page or two—about 15 seconds worth of investigation.  After that the book either goes back on the shelf and they move on or it ends up tucked under the purchaser’s arm as they browse further.  Readers know what they like and it doesn’t take them long to say yea or nay. 

There are reasons why all this beginning stuff is on my mind at the moment.  For one thing, I’m waiting to hear whether or not I managed to hook my editor with my latest book, Palace of Dreams.  For another, and more importantly to me at this moment, I’m about to begin another project, an erotic short story slated for Ellora’s Cave, called Winter’s End.  I’m also researching for my next novel, an erotic steam punk with the working title of Clockwork Heart.  And I’m working on several workshops using power point, a new technological adventure for me.  It’s clear I have a lot of beginnings to think about this year.  The task is a bit daunting, but I’m excited to dive in and begin.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress.  I’m happy to be your cheerleader as well.  As the song says, “we can all use a little help from our friends.” Never truer, I think, than right at this moment, as we take the first steps to making our resolutions a reality.  Here’s to beginnings and to remaking ourselves and our world!

Auld Lang Syne

2009 is fast fading away into memories past.  Mostly it was a good year—great conferences, a trip to Florida with my husband, my third book in print, graduations, interesting Civil War events, an engagement, a wedding and the completion of my 4^th book.  Still, I’ll shed a few tears as I listen to the familiar words of Auld Land Syne and watch the ball drop in Times Square.

2010 is full of promise.  As the New Year begins I have a short story, another book and a workshop idea in the works.  This will be the year of celebrating my 40^th wedding anniversary, getting a passport, signing up for social security and flying to Las Vegas for my son’s wedding.  My only real resolution is to get on a plane (first time in 20 years since I’ve been on one) and I really, really hate to fly. 

As midnight approaches on December 31, 2009, I’ll lift my glass to all the wonderful memories you’ve helped me make this past year and wish you all the best in the new one. 

Happy New Year!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Whiskers on kittens and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string…so the song goes.  Add to that list anything having to do with Christmas—the music, the food, the scent of fresh greens, candles in the window, Christmas trees with their sparkling lights, spending time with friends and family. Did I mention the food? 

 As a former school librarian, this was the time of year for my students to research holiday customs from around the world.  Here are a few of my favorites that my students shared with me:

 Spider Ornaments – Normally I’m not a fan of the members of the arachnid family, but I love this custom that is based on a tale about a poor woman who brings in a tree for her children but then has nothing to decorate it with.  Later, that night a kindly spider hiding in the corner, spins a web over the tree.   The weather was so cold frost covered the strands. In the morning, the woman and her children wake to the wonder of their tiny tree covered with glistening silver threads.  Hence the tradition that brings us tinsel. 

Sheaf of Grain for the birds – In Scandinavian countries, families set out a sheave of grain for the birds during this time of the year.   The Christmas feast is eaten after the birds are fed. 

Holly and Ivy – Using these greens goes back to pagan England.  When Christianity came to the isle they were transformed into new symbols.  The holly’s jagged edges represent the crown of thorns Christ is fated to wear, the berries represent his blood and the clinging ivy represents unswerving faith and fidelity. 

Burning the greens – The 12 days of Christmas officially end on Epiphany, January 6, also known as 12^th Night.  In Medieval England, the revelry ended at midnight when all the greens in the castle, manor or home were gathered and burned for luck in the New Year. 

Whatever holiday you celebrate, may you and yours enjoy all of your favorite things.  Oh, and a quick reminder.  The Solstice edition of my newsletter, Hopeless Romantic is now available.  For more interesting customs and a fabulous recipe for plum pudding, subscribe at groups.yahoo.com/group/Hopelessromanticnewsletter/

Endings

2009 is almost at an end. This past weekend my Civil War unit held their last event of the season at the Daniel Lady farm in Gettysburg, PA.  We do Christmas of 1863 in the beautifully restored farmhouse that historians are just beginning to discover played a pivotal role during the battle in July of 1863.  I’ve done all my Christmas cards and shopping. And final edits on Palace of Dreams, my first erotic futuristic romance are almost complete.  Lots of endings. 

Book endings in particular can be pesky things.  Nothing is more disappointing to readers than to follow characters and their story for several hundred pages only to get to a resolution that either leaves them with a flat feeling, or worse yet, causes them to fling the book at the wall while cursing the author for wasting their time.  It’s important to construct your plot so that all its conflicts, both inner and outer converge at the same time and place.  As the big black moment is faced, the protagonist must choose to act or not act so that the conflict is resolved and the character’s growth is revealed, leaving the reader to sigh with contentment at the satisfying conclusion. 

So imagine my dismay, when I thought the first draft of Palace of Dreams was complete, to discover (thanks to a conversation with fellow author, Chris Anson, on the way to RomantiCon in October) I had to rethink the entire ending.)  Somehow I had allowed another character resolve my female protagonist’s external conflict.  Wow, couldn’t believe I missed that one. 

Fixed now, so “all’s well that ends well.” Hope all of your endings are as satisfying.

Word Clouds

Thanks to a recent blog by fellow author, Terry O’dell, I’ve discovered word clouds. If you already know and use them, you can skip the rest. For those of you who’ve never heard of them, by now you’re probably scratching your head and asking, so what is a word cloud and what can one do for me? 

Word clouds are a toy or a tool, depending upon how you want to use them.  There are several internet sites where they can be generated, but the one Terry recommended, and which I used, is www.wordle.net.  The site is fun and easy to navigate, both important criteria for those of us who remain computer challenged.  The purpose of Wordle and similar sites is to create a cloud(visual diagram) using a section of text that is copied and pasted into the indicated box.  The more frequently a word is used, the larger and bolder it will appear in the cloud. Many bloggers use them as a fun visual.  I wanted to display mine here, but due to technical difficulties it refused to load.

The truly exciting part about this site is its potential as a tool to use in editing.  I pasted the first two scenes of my wip into Wordle (the source of my word cloud) and before my eyes, my oft repeated word choices bloomed like weeds in my garden (to use a simile from Terry).  In minutes, I was plucking those nasty weeds. 

Now, not all of my words are weeds, some are necessary additions to my garden.  My characters’ names for one and some key words that let me know my conflict is showing up right at the start of the story.  Some are commonly used by most of the other authors I read and to find an uncommon word replacement could create more of a problem. Readers tend to flow over the words they know, but they might get hung up on an unfamiliar term.  Sometimes a less familiar replacement is just plain awkward. 

Check out the site when you have time to play and create your own cloud.  Whether you are simply looking to amaze your friends or want to use the site for editing, it won’t be a waste of time.