My Creative Process

Earlier this week I completed a manuscript. I feel equal parts relief that I’m done, excitement because I can start another project, and sadness because although they’re not real, I know the characters just as well as I know myself. I’ll miss them because it feels like I’m leaving them behind.
I’ve had some people ask me where I get my ideas. Truth is, I don’t have an answer for that. I get them everywhere – from the news, from overhearing conversations around me. I love playing the “what if” game. I mostly get ideas when I’m not looking. Song lyrics can spark an idea, and sometimes it’s difficult for me not to abandon my current project and switch to another. Writing with two names it’s easy to do. I’ve gotten much better at sticking with my current WIP, only starting something new once the other is completed. One thing I can feel assured in is that I’ll never run out of ideas.
Before I start something new, I look through my long file where I’ve compiled ideas. Here I have potential titles for future books, ideas where I just write a sentence or two, or in some instances, entire paragraphs devoted to the story. I’m constantly adding to this file. Whether I’ll use the idea or not all depends on what I’ve written down. Thankfully I’m the only one who reads this messy file with all my odd notes and blurbs. LOL I’ve been fortunate enough to remember the jist of the original idea. Even if I don’t use it, I might flesh out an idea before moving on.
Once I find something that holds my interest, the real fun begins. I love fleshing out my characters. I’ll write an autobiography for my hero and heroine letting them tell me their story. It’s amazing the things you’ll find by just closing your eyes and letting your characters guide you. It’s a fun way to learn their back story, their values, and experiences with past relationships. This information is good in helping you discover their goals, motivations, and conflicts.
I’m neither a plotter nor a panser. I tend to fall in the middle between both. Therefore, after I’ve fleshed out my characters, I move on to working out the main points of the story. While writing my hero and heroine’s life stories, I have a pretty good handle on their goals, motivations and conflicts (both external and internal.) Since I like letting the characters guide me through the story, I only figure out the main points, which for me are when the HH first meet, first kiss, first love scene, points of rising conflict, (which for me there are 3.) The turning point for the main character, (when either the he realize their original goal really isn’t what they truly wanted,) black moment and finally, the resolution.
I then write a rough draft of a synopsis. Some of you are probably cringing, but including a synopsis is required for many publishers depending on story-length and publisher. For me, writing one before I start the story acts as another guide for me to follow. I don’t revise and add more detail to the synopsis until after the story is done.
I know it seems like a lot, but I have to know where the story is going. I use this structure as a guide, but I let the characters tell the story. I have the freedom to create as I will, without feeling confined to one plot. If the story changes as I’m writing, I must, on a subconscious level, know where it’s going. However, as long as I stay on track with the plot points I’ve set down, anything can happen. It took me a while to understand this, and to not let it frig. I’ve had to learn, and am still learning through trial and error. What makes writing fun is we all have our process. The amazing thing is, with all our creative ways specific to each of us, we all manage to create wonderful stories that entertain and satisfy.
So, what’s your writing process? Are you a plotter or a panser? How do you familiarize yourself with your characters? Does your process change with each project? The process I’ve shared is the one I use for novellas and longer works, but if I’m going to write a short story I write a little down for the characters and get their goals, motivations, and conflicts. What is the most difficult part of the creative process for you? Is it your characters? Plotting?

Things I Wished I Knew Before I Started My First Novel

When I started writing I had no clue what I was doing. Writing by the seat of my pants was my method. If you can write this way and don’t write yourself into a hole, that’s great, but for me it just turned into a ton of rewrites. I was constantly going back and fixing things. The reality and stress of being a panster was overwhelming. So I learned the hard way, writing takes planning and you have to learn the rules that go along with it. So here are some of the things I learned, the hard way.

Plan Your Book Out

Some writer’s think an outline boxes them in and I thought the same thing. I was just going to write it as it came to me. After awhile I would hit a brick wall and think why did my character do this? What was going to happen next and so on? It became exhausting. I have realized an outline is very important. It gives you guidance and yes sometimes things will not always follow the outline. But you know where you want the story to go. I am currently planning my next book; it will be planned out completely before I start to write. I also find a character chart helps tremendously.

Plan your book- http://www.ehow.com/how_2308086_plan-novel.html

Character chart- http://www.epiguide.com/ep101/writing/charchart.html

Know The Rules

The first draft of my book was a mess. I had no clue what POV was or shows don’t tell. There are many rules in writing but these are the most important. Head hopping ran amuck in the first few chapters of my novel. I wanted everyone’s POV in the story, when I was told I couldn’t do this, I was lost. How do I get the other characters thoughts and feelings across to the reader? That’s when I realized dialogue and actions are a big part of relaying their thoughts and feelings to the reader. Now I am able to express my characters feelings without head hopping. I still make mistakes but I am more aware now than before.

POV- http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/what_pov.htm

Show vs. tell, was a hard one too. I wanted to tell the reader what everyone in my book was feeling and seeing. This rule went right over my head. If I don’t tell the reader, how will they know? But it makes sense. Do you want me to tell you how beautiful something is or describe it? When you paint a picture for the reader they are drawn into your story. They want to see it in their minds vividly. It brings the story to life. We have to convey to the reader what we want them to see.

Show vs. Tell- http://www.bookhooks.com/showdonttell.pdf

Know What You Write

Research is key in writing a book. Some novels need more than others. Remember there is always someone that will notice if you don’t have your facts straight. I write paranormal so in this case you have more freedom but if you are writing a historical for example research it and know what your talking about.

Know what you write- http://ezinearticles.com/?Writing-101:-Research-that-Novel&id=174634

These are just some of the major things I have learned. There are many rules to learn and live by. I decided to take a writing class that has help tremendously; I do recommend this to new writers. I wish I had taken the class before I started writing. But we all live and learn, unfortunately I do everything the hard way. Hope this helps and if nothing else you realize all writers go through this and we all started somewhere.  I’ll leave you with, common mistakes new writers make. Hang in there and keep writing.

Common mistakes of a new writer-http://foremostpress.com/authors/articles/mistakes_beginners.html

Happy Reading and Writing,

Tabitha Blake

Setting the Scene

Last week, I went on my honeymoon. Yep, I have my happily-ever-after ending now, finally… I’m going to be 40 in a couple months, so it’s about time!

This post isn’t about my honeymoon, though. Well, of course I’ll probably find little excuses here and there to mention it, but it isn’t the actual plot of the post. (Wait… do nonfiction posts have plots? Probably not, huh. Guess I need more coffee to be coherent.)

Anyway… I’m posting today about setting scenes in novels. As in, location, location, location. Sometimes where the story takes place can be just as important as who it happens to and what happens. Especially if you’re writing about a real place. If you have something wrong about a real-life location, some readers might say, “Oh, well, it’s just fiction, we’ll let it go,” but others will not be happy, especially if you mess up something big about their hometown.

In some cases, the setting of a novel doesn’t have a huge impact on the story itself. The story might take place in, say, upstate New York, but your imagination could change all the references to New York into mentions of Arizona, and other than the differences in climate that might affect the characters’ clothing choices, it wouldn’t make a difference. In stories like that, the plot and/or characters are the main focus, and the author made an arbitrary choice of location, maybe because they live there. Which is great, in my opinion. I like reading plot-driven or character-driven stories.

But some stories depend on their setting as much as the plot and characters, and some locations just plain aren’t interchangeable. If a romance novel is set in Bangor, Wales, it would definitely have a huge impact on the overall story if you tried to change it to Bangor, Maine. In some stories like that, the city or town becomes almost a character itself, and if an author can write like that, they have my admiration.

A lot of my stories have very vague locations. For example, right now I’m writing a new romance novel about a woman who takes a job with a “marine assistance” company. (Think auto road service, but for boats instead of cars, and with tow boats instead of tow trucks.) My fi–I mean, husband (taking me a while to get used to that) works for such a company; his dad owns the Boston franchise of it. Because of that, and because I also work for my father-in-law, in my head the story takes place in Boston. However, nowhere in the story do I mention a location, other than describing the place as a big city with a harbor. Could be Boston, could be Portland, Maine, could be anywhere. Except for the necessity of being on the ocean, the location wasn’t important to the story.

On the other hand, my novella Deep Down was originally written for a special call for stories about large cities, and the city was expected to be a big part of the plot. (That publisher rejected it… Siren published it, though.) I chose Boston, which has been my favorite city since I was about 10. Because of the requirements of the special call, I had to make Boston actually be Boston. I had to describe it accurately and try to give the reader a feeling of what Boston’s really like. Harder than it sounds… Just before publication, I discovered that I’d completely bollixed one of Boston’s subway routes. Since the hero is a subway musician and both he and the heroine frequently ride the route in question, and I’d set his apartment near one of the stations, I definitely had to get that right.

While I was on my honeymoon, I stayed on Cape Cod for a week, in a gorgeous, half-glass cottage on a cove. (Thanks, Auntie!) The scenery was beautiful, and my husband and I took a couple drives around the area just to see it, since I’d never been to Cape Cod before. A couple story ideas popped into my head while we were there, and they’re on my project list now. Since they take place on Cape Cod, in real towns and locations, I’d darn well better do my research and make sure I describe the place accurately. If I get it wrong, someone will notice.

Hmm… that might mean I’ll have to go back there. How sad. LOL

When an author chooses to make a location part of a story, rather than just having a location because the story has to take place somewhere (which is the case in a lot of my stories), the author needs to make sure they know the location well enough to write it realistically and accurately. Otherwise, a reader will notice, and might not be too happy. If you don’t live in the place you’re writing about and aren’t able to visit it (say it’s across the ocean or something), at least research it thorougly online. In my novel Eternal Love, which is due out in July, part of the action takes place in Wales, in a fictional town that’s in a real part of the country. Since I’ve never been there, and a European visit wasn’t in the cards for me, I contacted a friend who lives in Northern Ireland, and she got in touch with a friend of hers who lives in Wales. Between the two of them, they gave me enough information and internet links that I was able to describe the area in which I imagined the town accurately.

Sometimes the setting can make or break the story. Sometimes, if an author gets it too wrong, it can make or break the author. So in writing, make sure you know where you’re talking about.

And if you’re a reader, enjoy the books that take place in locales you’ve never been to–consider them a vacation.

Something new/Free read

Since my brain has been out to lunch lately and I haven’t been able to come up with many posts, I’ve decided to share with you one of my books. Free. Mind you, I shouldn’t be too hard on my brain, It’s had a lot to deal with lately, family issues, but back to the topic. Free read. Each Tuesday I will post a chapter from my previously published romantic comedy, Kidnapped. Your job: read the chapters, let me know what you think of it, or tell me what you think will happen next. Simple as pie.

Here is the blub and first chapter.
Enjoy!

Elizabeth Cromwell is rich, gorgeous and doesn’t have a care in the world. Until she’s whisked away in a van, blindfolded and gagged. Liz is helpless and completely unable to fight against her abductor. Or so he thinks.

Mackenzie Tyrell is a good man in a desperate situation. About to see all of his hopes and dreams die, Mac gets caught in a web of deceit that may become his undoing.

The plan was simple—abduct the beautiful blonde and hold her for ransom. But when the feisty Elizabeth escapes and then turns the table on Mac, all bets are off. Now he’s tied up and at Liz’s mercy. Was this the worst mistake Mac’s ever made? Or, will the choice lead him to discover something and someone that will change his life forever?

Her head throbbed with the mother of all headaches. And who wouldn’t have a headache after listening to the incessant nattering of the two most boring people in the world? Liz pushed through the restaurant doors and into the hot mid morning sun, looking forward to spending a good three hours at the spa, relaxing.
She simply didn’t know why she continued these weekly brunches with Bonnie and Moira; the two irritated the hell out of her. Actually, she did—it was for her father, who insisted Liz align herself with the ‘right’ sort of people. What on earth could possibly be right where Bonnie and Moira were concerned, aside from the fact that they came from money and everyone knew them? They were the epitome of snobby rich and so not like her.
She pulled the keys from her purse and noticed her handbag looked a little worn. Maybe after her spa treatment she should go shopping for a new bag. She was entitled, after all, having to deal with the gossipy twosome for the last few hours.
Flipping her long hair over her shoulder, Liz hurried to her car, her Prada heels clicking as she walked. Pressing the button on the remote, she engaged the engine, which would automatically start up the air-conditioning. There was nothing worse than getting into a hot car.
She was going to enjoy being pampered.
Approaching her car, she frowned, seeing the dark, dusty, blue van parked unforgivably close to it. Squeezing through the minimal opening, careful not to soil her slacks on the dirty van, Liz reached for the car door. She heard the van doors behind her slide open. A hand clamped over her mouth and another grabbed her around the waist. In the time it took her to think to scream, she was yanked into the van and the doors slammed shut. Before she had a chance to utter a single word in protest, someone shoved a cloth in her mouth and tied it tightly around her head. For a split second she saw the hands as they lifted a cloth to her eyes, covering up her sight. As the shock began to wear off, Liz came to the alarming revelation.
She was being kidnapped.
Despite the rag in her mouth, she screamed, though it came out muffled. Using her best defense, she began to kick wildly with her legs, her fists stabbing at air. There was no damn way she was going to sit still and let this happen to her.
Her foot connected with something solid and when she heard the wild cursing, she knew she’d hit her abductor. So she kept kicking and flailing with her hands.
“God damn bitch.”
The force of the blow to her jaw knocked her back, hitting her head on the floor as she fell. Stars exploded before her covered eyes as the pain ricocheted from her jaw to her head. The nausea began to build in her gut and she thought she might vomit as he rolled her onto her stomach, then held her.
She yelped when he yanked her arms back and tied them roughly together by the wrists.
“Serves you right.”
His nails scraped her bare feet as he ripped the shoes from her feet. What the hell was going to happen to her?
What did he have planned to do with her? She began to panic, her breathing rapid as she rolled herself over. Pulling her legs to her chest, she prayed for someone to save her.
It startled her when the van began to roll and she realized there was more than one abductor. She felt every bump as the vehicle bounced on the road, making her already jittery stomach swirl like a tornado. She swallowed it back, demanding her body not expel the contents of her breakfast because she knew the outcome would not be a pleasant one. Not with the gag over her mouth. It seemed that they drove forever, stopping here and there for moments, then rolling along again.
She knew he was near because she could hear his breathing. Her mind foggy, she couldn’t think above the pain. What should she do? What should she do?
When the van stopped and she heard a door open, then close, she sucked in a deep breath, her stomach tense as she prepared for the worse. The screech of metal startled her as the sliding door opened. Her heart began to race so fast she thought she might pass out.
“Grab her legs.”
“Her mouth is bleeding.”
“Yeah.” He laughed.
She felt hands sliding under her back as another set grabbed hold of her ankles. Her body tensed as they lifted and shifted her. Where were they taking her?
“Let me go,” she mumbled through the cloth in her mouth, jerking her body in an attempt to break free.
“Hold her.”
“I’ve got her.”
His hands slid under her armpits and grabbed hold of her breasts. She felt the nausea rising up in her throat.
“Cut it out.”
“Oh come on, I’m just having a little fun.”
“There’s no need for that.”
Liz heard a door creak, keys jingling, then another door opening. There wasn’t another sound to be heard anywhere. Silence still in the air, Liz wondered where she’d been taken.
“I can take her from here.”
“I’ve already got a good grip.”
One voice was deep, the other whiny and higher in tone. The one with the higher tone had been in the back of the van with her, and the one who’d hit her. How many others were there?
The way they shifted her, she judged that she was being carried up a flight of stairs, and from the sound of the stairs, they weren’t carpeted. The one holding her feet wore boots of some sort that made a clomping sound as he stepped. And the one near her head wore softer soled shoes, maybe running shoes. His hands were soft, despite the brutality, and he wore something with buttons down the front. He smelt like cheap cologne and sweat.
Everything she could, she put to memory. Even if she couldn’t see her abductors, at least she could identify them by smell and sound.
“Set her down on the chair.”
The deep voiced one. She felt the chair beneath her butt, then hands pressing her down. The instant the hands slid from around her chest, she bolted up, attempting to break free. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t see, she wasn’t going to sit still while they did God knew what to her.
“Hold her down, damn it.”
“I didn’t think she would make a break for it.”
The hand that grabbed her viciously yanked her down, planting her hard into the chair, and when he leaned down and whispered in her ear, she knew it was the snooty one. “Try that again and I’ll knock you so hard you won’t remember your name.”
“Hey, settle down.”
“Just tie her up already.”
The one with the deep voice didn’t seem to care much for the snooty voiced one. She felt something brush over her chest and she tensed up. When it pulled against her, she realized they were tying her up with a rope. “Please, let me go,” she mumbled through the cloth.
“Not going to happen, sweetheart.”
The deep voiced one was tying her up. He had a different smell to him, something familiar. Calvin, he wore Calvin cologne and he wore boots of some sort, his voice was deep and he didn’t seem to like his partner.
Remember it, Liz, remember every detail.
“There, that should hold her.”
She flinched as the hands touched the back of her head, then realized they were untying her blind fold. It slid away and she blinked rapidly, trying to get her eyes to focus. The hands worked at the back of her head once more, untying the gag.
“Please, please just let me go.” She wished she could rub her eyes to make them focus.
“Maybe you should have left the gag over her mouth.”
Her eyes shifted to her left where the voice came from.
Through her blurred vision, she could make out the figure standing at her side. Blinking her lashes, she saw he wore a mask, a female mask, and he was tall and thin. He wore a silk green shirt with buttons running along the front. And as her eyes focused she looked into the mask of Betty Rubble.
“She’s secured, we can go now.”
Her head turned to her right and to the big man moving out from behind her. He wore a white polo style shirt, blue jeans and work boots, and as he turned to face her, she saw the Bart Simpson mask that covered his entire head, save the eyes and mouth.
She’d been abducted by Betty Rubble and Bart Simpson.
“What are you planning to do with me?”
Betty Rubble turned to her and when he laughed her body tensed up. It reminded her of a creepy murderer’s laugh she’d heard so many times in the movies.
“Everything I possibly can.”
Her heart thundered with fear and as she watched them leaving the room, she wished she could wake up from this horrible nightmare.

……………………………………………………………………………..

“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I’m just having some fun.”
“Well, lay off it already. This isn’t real, Terry, remember that.” Pulling the mask from his face, tossing it on the table as he passed it by, Mac ran a hand through his dark hair in frustration. Pushing through the screen door he stepped out into the hot sun and looked out at the property before him.
He couldn’t understand why the banks wouldn’t give him an extension on his mortgage and he again wished there’d been some other way to get the money to save his property rather than abducting a woman. He’d had no choice, he reminded himself as he slid behind the wheel of the van. He had a month to come up with the money to save his father’s farm, his home, and this just fell into his lap at the right time.
He started the van and pulled it around back to the garage. And besides, she was safe with him. It wasn’t real, like he’d told Terry.
Then why did he have this sickening feeling in the pit of his belly?

Shiela Stewart
www.shielasbooks.ca

Interview – Stephanie Beck

Today we are interviewing Stephanie Beck. Welcome Stephanie.

How did you get started writing?

As a teen I started reading romance novels and didn’t always love how they ended, so my mom told me to write my own and quit bellyaching, so I did. I’d work for hours in my room as a teen on my old computer or in notebooks. Recently, I got into writing again because I’m home with my kids and figured I might as well try to see if my hobby could be more. 


Writing in SLOMO.

This happens to me every time I get close to finishing a book. The earth begins to slow on its axis. Cars on the road and people walking along the sidewalk seem sluggish. Even my dog takes more naps.

I realize full well what is happening. I am nearing the end of my WIP. I will soon have a completed manuscript. But what should have taken days to complete has turned into weeks, and still those last few chapters remain unwritten. I have only pages to go. I continue to rework a number of scenes, adding narrative in, editing it back and then adding more in again. All of this putzing rather than push ahead to the finish line.

What is wrong with me? I like my ending. I don’t have writer’s block. And I am looking forward to completing the novel. I just––dawdle. I think this reluctance, on my part, to finish the manuscript has something to do with the end of the journey. Some sort of twisted form of writer’s separation anxiety.

I know very well, that no mater how slow I write, the plot will eventually resolve and my characters will live HEA. Or in the case of my latest novel, they sail off into the sunset, literally. And I can always revisit them in rewrite and revisions, right? Actually, this little end-of-the-novel drama makes me smile. I’m glad I care about my characters. And, as odd as this sounds, I will miss interacting with them every day.

I’m not really worrried about getting to that last page. I know that eventually, over the next days or weeks the voice in my head is going to get louder and louder. JUST FINISH THE DAMN BOOK!

And I will. Slowly.

G. Jillian Stone

There are fields in time that burn with desire. Meet me there.

Jillian is currently finishing the second book in The Yard Men Series. Set in late Victorian London, Scotland Yard detectives have never been as wickedly sexy or as brilliantly clever. To read more about her latest work in progress, THE SEDUCTION OF PHAETON BLACK, please drop by her website: www.gjillianstone.com

ONE MAN’S THOUGHTS: Word Selection

The next couple of weeks my wife and I are preparing to compete in a mounted orienteering events. We will be loading up the horses and hitting the trails with our maps and compasses in some thrilling competition.  I have not forgotten my responsibility of my blog and will leave you with following.

As every writer knows word selection is vital. It can be a challenge to at times to not write the way we speak. There is a wonderful book called 12oo Words You Should Know and I use it frequently. Here is one of two lists of the top fifty useful selections.

aberration(n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1974, Poland won the World Cup, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and Poland have not won a World Cup since).

abhor(v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up getting hit in the head when he tried to play cricket, Marcin began to abhor the sport).

acquiesce(v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Pospieszny wanted to stay outside and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner, he acquiesced to her demands.)

alacrity(n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Simon loved to help his girlfriend whenever he could, so when his girlfriend asked him to set the table he did so with alacrity.)

amiable(adj.) friendly (An amiable fellow, Neil got along with just about everyone.)

appease(v.) to calm, satisfy (When Jerry cries, his mother gives him chocolate to appease him.)

arcane(adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane Kashubian literature.)

avarice(n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass an enormous personal fortune.)

brazen(adj.) excessively bold, brash, clear and obvious (Critics condemned the writer’s brazen attempt to plagiarise Frankow-Czerwonko’s work.)

brusque(adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (Simon’s brusque manner sometimes offends his colleagues.)

cajole(v.) to urge, coax (Magda’s friends cajoled her into drinking too much.)

callous(adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.)

candor(n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the politician’s speech because she is usually rather evasive.)

chide(v.) to voice disapproval (Hania chided Gregory for his vulgar habits and sloppy appearance.)

circumspect(adj.) cautious (Though I promised Marta’s father I would bring her home promptly by midnight, it would have been more circumspect not to have specified a time.)

clandestine(adj.) secret (Announcing to her boyfriend that she was going to the library, Maria actually went to meet George for a clandestine liaison.)

coerce(v.) to make somebody do something by force or threat (The court decided that David Beckham did not have to honor the contract because he had been coerced into signing it.)

coherent(adj.) logically consistent, intelligible (William could not figure out what Harold had seen because he was too distraught to deliver a coherent statement.)

complacency(n.) self-satisfied ignorance of danger (Simon tried to shock his friends out of their complacency by painting a frightening picture of what might happen to them.)

confidant(n.) a person entrusted with secrets (Shortly after we met, he became my chief confidant.)

connive(v.) to plot, scheme (She connived to get me to give up my plans to start up a new business.)

cumulative(adj.) increasing, building upon itself (The cumulative effect of hours spent using the World English website was a vast improvement in his vocabulary and general level of English.)

debase(v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity.)

decry(v.) to criticize openly (Andrzej Lepper, the leader of the Polish Self Defence party decried the appaling state of Polish roads.)

deferential(adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (Donata is always excessively deferential to any kind of authority figure.)

demure(adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.)

deride(v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The native speaker often derided the other teacher’s accent.)

despot(n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws.)

diligent(adj.) showing care in doing one’s work (The diligent researcher made sure to double check her measurements.)

elated(adj.) overjoyed, thrilled (When he found out he had won the lottery, the postman was elated.)

eloquent(adj.) expressive, articulate, moving (The best man gave such an eloquent speech that most guests were crying.)

embezzle(v.) to steal money by falsifying records (The accountant was fired for embezzling €10,000 of the company’s funds.)

empathy(n.) sensitivity to another’s feelings as if they were one’s own (I feel such empathy for my dog when she’s upset so am I!)

enmity(n.) ill will, hatred, hostility (John and Scott have clearly not forgiven each other, because the enmity between them is obvious to anyone in their presence.)

erudite(adj.) learned (My English teacher is such an erudite scholar that he has translated some of the most difficult and abstruse Old English poetry.)

extol(v.) to praise, revere (Kamila extolled the virtues of a vegetarian diet to her meat-loving boyfriend.)

fabricate(v.) to make up, invent (When I arrived an hour late to class, I fabricated some excuse about my car breaking down on the way to work.)

feral(adj.) wild, savage (That beast looks so feral that I would fear being alone with it.)

flabbergasted(adj.) astounded (Whenever I read an Agatha Christie mystery novel, I am always flabbergasted when I learn the identity of the murderer.)

forsake(v.) to give up, renounce (I won’t forsake my conservative principles.)

fractious(adj.) troublesome or irritable (Although the child insisted he wasn’t tired, his fractious behaviour – especially his decision to crush his jam sandwiches all over the floor – convinced everyone present that it was time to put him to bed.)

furtive(adj.) secretive, sly (Claudia’s placement of her drugs in her sock drawer was not as furtive as she thought, as the sock drawer is the first place most parents look.)

gluttony(n.) overindulgence in food or drink (Helen’s fried chicken tastes so divine, I don’t know how anyone can call gluttony a sin.)

gratuitous(adj.) uncalled for, unwarranted (Every evening the guy at the fish and chip shop gives me a gratuitous helping of vinegar.)

haughty(adj.) disdainfully proud (The superstar’s haughty dismissal of her co-stars will backfire on her someday.)

hypocrisy(n.) pretending to believe what one does not (Once the politician began passing legislation that contradicted his campaign promises, his hypocrisy became apparent.)

impeccable(adj.) exemplary, flawless (If your grades were as impeccable as your brother’s, then you too would receive a car for a graduation present.)

impertinent(adj.) rude, insolent (Most of your comments are so impertinent that I don’t wish to dignify them with an answer.)

implacable(adj.) incapable of being appeased or mitigated (Watch out: once you shun Grandmother’s cooking, she is totally implacable.)

impudent(adj.) casually rude, insolent, impertinent (The impudent young woman looked her teacher up and down and told him he was hot.)

incisive(adj.) clear, sharp, direct (The discussion wasn’t going anywhere until her incisive comment allowed everyone to see what the true issues were.)

indolent(adj.) lazy (Why should my indolent children, who can’t even pick themselves up off the sofa to pour their own juice, be rewarded with a trip to Burger King?)

inept(adj.) not suitable or capable, unqualified (She proved how inept she was when she forgot two orders and spilled a pint of cider in a customer’s lap.)

infamy(n.) notoriety, extreme ill repute (The infamy of his crime will not lessen as time passes.)

inhibit(v.) to prevent, restrain, stop (When I told you I needed the car last night, I certainly never meant to inhibit you from going out.)

innate(adj.) inborn, native, inherent (His incredible athletic talent is innate, he never trains, lifts weights, or practices.)

insatiable(adj.) incapable of being satisfied (My insatiable appetite for blondes was a real problem on my recent holiday in Japan !)

insular(adj.) separated and narrow-minded; tight-knit, closed off (Because of the sensitive nature of their jobs, those who work for MI5 must remain insular and generally only spend time with each other.)

intrepid(adj.) brave in the face of danger (After scaling a live volcano prior to its eruption, the explorer was praised for his intrepid attitude.)

inveterateadj.) stubbornly established by habit (I’m the first to admit that I’m an inveterate cider drinker—I drink four pints a day.)

I’ll give the second half of the list next week. Until then happy writing!

Michael Matthews Bingamon

Winner Spotlight – Lillian Sullivan

Our newest spotlight is on the winner of our recent writing contest- Lillian Sullivan.
Visit The Spotlight and see what the judges were talking about.
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Sorry it took me a day to get this fixed. I’ve been really sick lately, and I didn’t get on the computer at all yesterday because my son was sick as well. Thanks for being patient.
April Dawn

Voice: The Story’s Music

This week I spent a lot of time reading. I reacquainted myself with Leanna Renee Heiber’s The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker as well as Elizabeth Peters’ The Curse of the Pharaohs.

I have read both books before. This time I wanted to read them as object lessons in good writing. There is a lot to learn from award winning writers.

From the very beginning, I was once again swept away. How easily I got engrossed in each story. Why? How? I started over and realized that each story had a unique voice that drew me in.

Ms Heiber’s Gothic, romance, fantasy, ghost story’s dialog and exposition never step out of character. From the opening sentences until the climatic ending, each word is wonderfully placed, thoughtfully chosen and keeps you in the moment. The story she weaves is filled with personal pain and somber sensations outside the Athens Academy that is juxtaposed to everything that is enlightenment and safety for Ms Percy inside the Academy walls. The picture she paints never falters.

Similarly, Ms Peters’ first person, Victorian, mystery, adventure, (romantic elements included) keeps her readers entranced. Amelia Peabody’s passion for Egypt cannot be denied. Her descriptions of Egypt are a riot of sights, sounds, smells, color, and tactile sensations as opposed to the gray watery England that she depicts. She too holds her reader enthralled passionately attending to every detail.

The voice of each story is consistent and true to their time and place whether in narration or dialog. Donald Maass said it best in his book, Writing the Breakout Novel.

“…not only a unique way of putting words together, but a unique sensibility, a distinctive way of looking at the world, an outlook that enriches an author’s oeuvre… An original. A standout. A voice.”

The eighteenth Amelia Peabody story A River in the Sky, was released April 6 this year. The second in the Ms Percy series, The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker, will be released this week, April 27. In addition, The Strangely Beautiful Take of Miss Percy Parker has been optioned for a musical theater production. I can’t wait!

… Ruth Seitelman

SAY IT

SAY IT.

Hello. Grab a seat and a coffee or tea, and relax. There are donuts and cookies on the tray. Help yourself.
Today I would like to talk about dialogue.
Dialogue is a great way to get to know your characters, show the setting, the theme and plot. Dialogue adds texture to the story elements, and coupled with action, helps pull the reader into your novel. The readers are with your heroine and hero as they argue, laugh, struggle to overcome their conflicts, and as they make love.
As great a tool as dialogue is, you must achieve the correct balance between dialogue, action, and narrative summary. The balance can vary from target audience, to genre of your story.
Also, conversations within your novel should be relevant to your story. If your characters are wordy and like to talk about mundane things such as the weather, and it isn’t important, then you may have to go back and cut and tighten. Your characters conversations must move the plot forward and contribute to characterization.
This brings me to dialogue tags or tag lines. Use them only when it is unclear who is speaking. If there are only two characters speaking, tag lines and dialogue tags may not be needed. Also, remember to break up large chucks of dialogue with beats. Show what your characters are doing. Remember, a large part of language is body language. Watch people around you in your real life and note how they use their bodies to speak.
Another issue to avoid is over explaining. What I mean by this is if the dialogue says it, no need to explain beforehand. This is another form of clutter that can be cut.
Example: Claire wasn’t sure he understood what she meant. “Do you understand what it is I need you to do?”
The dialogue above is all that is needed. It says exactly what Claire thought before she spoke.
When writing dialogue, try to make it sound as natural as real speech. Most people when talking use contractions and slang. Read your dialogue out loud to check if it sounds natural or stilted. Also, avoid the use of LY’s. Most times they are not needed. The dialogue should show how the person spoke. LY’s are a form of telling, and if written correctly, the dialogue should be able to stand without them.
Example: John brought his lips close to hers. “I love you,” he whispered softly.
In this sentence softly can be removed since a whisper is already soft, and it is save to say that since he is so close to her, he wouldn’t be shouting. Also, the dialogue tag is not needed. The beat before the dialogue shows who is speaking.
I hope this helps. Until next Saturday, happy writing.

The Importance of Nurturing Friendships And You

This past Tuesday, I attended my local Romance Writers of America’s chapter meeting. Due to personal commitments – work, family and life in general, I’ve been unable to attend any prior meetings this year. Normally when I enter the room, I feel this underlying thrum of energy, which was still very much present, but there was something else in the air too. I felt like I’d come home from a very long absence, and waiting for me were all my friends. It was as though I’d never missed a meeting.
While away, I’d forgotten how much interacting with everyone there really fed my creative spirit. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy sitting around chatting before the meeting came to order. And, I’d forgotten how, after every meeting, I’d walk away feeling enriched and invigorated by all I’d learned. I didn’t realize, until after the meeting adjourned, how much I missed well…everything.
This meeting was no different. I left feeling positive and uplifted by our speaker and I was so happy to see many of my friends again that I haven’t seen in a few months. I had a blast catching up with everyone. I loved celebrating with those who made a sale, or who had great news to share.
I think sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in the many responsibilities we all have, we forget how doing the simplest, smallest things for ourselves can be more beneficial than we realize, and we take many things such as friends and acquaintances for granted. We have obligationns to family, work, household chores, and kids. If we write, our writing alone can take up dozens of hours each month. And if we’re published, add promoting to that, and for some, that takes up even more time.
When all is said and done, where does that leave us? We need to get away, to do something for ourselves that is unique to who we are.
I joined Romance Writers of America four years ago, and made some great friends along the way. I have many online friends who, like my local RWA chapter mates, enrich my life just as much. But there’s something to be said about personal interaction.
I love seeing the excitement of someone reaching a career milestone. Everyone there can share in that member’s euphoria, or give a hug when someone is struggling through hard times.
This month I was glad to climb from my little bubble and venture to somewhere familiar. Lately, I’ve allowed myself to get rapped up in the craziness that is my life, and I neglected doing something so simple, yet so fulfilling.
So whether you’ve missed your local organization’s meeting, catching up with friends over coffee, calling an old friend or acquaintance, renewing an old friendship, or just taking time for yourself, don’t do what I did. Take that first step, and set aside everything crazy in your life for a few hours. Put you first. Keep those friends you hold dear close. In your own way, show them you care. You never know what could happen. Your experience could be just as rewarding.

Knight at Knuckle Draggers Excerpt

Knight at Knuckle Draggers I hope you enjoy this fabulous excerpt

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Beth had thought it would be romantic to surprise Brad after his month-long business trip to London. She wondered why she even cared about pleasing him. Never had he thought about her or her needs. His incessant teasing about her prudish ways annoyed her. He’d spent the majority of their relationship goading her into expanding her sexual experiences, often in ways which only pleasured him. A deep sadness washed over her while she recalled Brad’s selfishness. She wanted to feel the sexual ecstasy her girlfriends spoke of, to abandon herself to physical indulgences, not care if it made her a slut, a whore, a freak. Her girlfriends made it sound so easy. Beth had wondered more than once if something was wrong with her. Why couldn’t she enjoy herself and let go. Just once, she yearned to give in to the pleasure and not care what anyone thought.

Wrong with her? Why couldn’t she have seen it before? It was as obvious as the nose on her face. She wanted her own fairytale—the knight coming to her rescue to protect and honor her. Most importantly she wanted to live happily ever after. Beth was a romance junkie from the word “go” and had been a source of amusement for her friends. Shy and bookish, she preferred to get her experiences through the pages of her romance novels. The heroes in those stories fueled her imagination and her fantasies. She knew she needed to bridge the gap from fantasy to reality and bring forth the lust and desires she felt when she read about her favorite characters. Unlike what her friends thought, she did not live in a fantasy world. Beth knew that happily-ever-after was a rare occurrence, and there weren’t any knight’s waiting to rescue a fair damsel in distress, but she could dream

Over the weeks while Brad had been gone, Beth decided to use their phone conversations to tear down her sexual hang-ups and even began to get into the sexual fantasies they’d discussed. One such fantasy entailed Beth, clad in a trench coat, a smile, poised and ready to service Brad in any number of ways. She envisioned herself in the coat and black stiletto heels standing at his door, awaiting him to answer more than just the call of the doorbell. Every time she

would start to picture the scene, a smile would play across her face at the shock she would create.

As she drove to work, she happened past Naughty Nan’s and caught sight of a sexy black number in the window. She knew it had to be a sign. On her second time around the block, she found a parking spot close to the store, but it took her several passes of walking by before she built enough nerve to go inside. Each time she approached the door, she felt as though the pedestrians condemned her as a whore and she’d feign off at the last moment. It took a deep breath, and sudden burst of courage before she managed to push the heavy entry door open.

The store smelled of strawberries and roses, which strangely reminded her of those card stores full of odd collectibles. Beth gave the store a quick scan looking for the negligee from the window display, but couldn’t see it anywhere. Amazement befell her as she took in everything the boutique had to offer. She had no idea so many sexual aids and toys existed. Her gaze kept wandering to the far wall. Whips. All sorts of whips and paddles hung from pegboard, awaiting the arrival of master or mistress. She could almost feel the leather of the riding crop in her hands. Biting down on her lower lip, she stepped toward the display, reached out and, with a measured touch, stroked the cool leather handle. A smile crept into the corners of her mouth despite her attempts to remain neutral. It felt good, felt right. She grasped the woven leather handle and swished it through the air a few times.

“Oh, honey. Nice choice. I’m partial to the cat o’nine tails myself, but that one is a good starter whip,” the woman behind the counter said. The sales girl seemed to know more than just a little about S&M. She was tall and carried a few extra pounds, but they were in all the right places. The extra weight softened her masculine angular facial features. Her skin, hair and bone structure harkened to a Native American heritage. She appeared to be the type that would cut just as soon as kiss you. Beth was more than a little afraid of her. Her nametag announced her name to be Mistress Tawnee.

“No, no, I was just…um, looking and wondered what it felt like, Miss…Tawnee.” Beth just could not bring herself to call the woman Mistress.

“That one has a nice sting to it, but not too bad. You won’t hurt yourself with that one.”

“No… Oh God no. I meant I wanted to know if it were leather or vinyl, not what it felt like to be hit with it.” She could feel the blood rush to her face and the sudden desire to disappear jumped to mind.

“Nothing to be ashamed of hon. It ain’t a crime to like being spanked. You should try it. Who knows? You might like it. You look like you could use some loosening up.” She gave Beth a knowing wink.

Oh my God! I so don’t want to be having this conversation. Hell, I don’t even want to be here.

“Actually, I came in to get the black lace outfit in the window, but I don’t seem to see it.”

“Well, it helps when you are actually in the clothing section and not the toys.” Amusement played across Mistress Tawnee’s face as she sauntered over to the negligees. “You look like a medium,” she commented while she sorted through the rack looking for the right size. “Lucky you, this is our last medium!” She dangled it on her finger. It swayed back and forth, taunting her in a way, daring Beth to take it. “Go ahead honey, it won’t bite you. I promise.” The sales girl traced an X over her heart.

At first, she thought the girl picked up the wrong outfit. She had wanted the sexy little number in the window, but this one consisted of mesh and leather with small silver studs. No way could she wear that! It was…too racy. It screamed naughty biker chick or exotic dancer. It was everything Beth wasn’t.

It was…perfect!
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Thanks Margie for sharing this yummy excerpt. I always love a taste of a great new novel.
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Want more freebies? Check out my free toys.
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Ava Delany
The Homecoming series – The Soldier’s Return, The Librarian’s Love, and The Wedding Night.
Also watch for the Fetish Club series – Captivated May 14, Dominated June 11, and Fallen August 6.

To Read For Better Or Worse

Well this week I broadened my horizons and did my first beta-read. I had never done one before so I had to take a crash course in beta reading. I have done my fair share of crits but needed to know exactly what is expected from a beta-reader. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. I do have to give credit where credit is due and say it was an easy read. Afterwards I spoke with the author about the questions and concerns I had. She was very responsive and I was able to point out things she hadn’t noticed. We discussed what actions would help get rid of some of the wholes and things left unresolved. All and all this was a great experience I would definitely do again. So I thought I would give a little crash course on beta reading. Lets start with what a beta reader is and go from there.

Beta Reader:

Is a person who reads a written work, generally fiction, with what has been described as “a critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, spelling, characterization, and general story prior to it’s release to the general public.”

Why Do Authors Need A Beta-Reader:

A beta-reader is your editor, proofreader and sounding board for ideas. Yeah you have spell check and grammar checkers but a beta-reader goes beyond that. A good beta-reader can point out if your plot has more holes than Swiss cheese. They can tell you if you are using a fanfic cliché, look at technical details like over use of certain words. They can also be your cheerleading section and provide encouragement when you have writers block. Writers with beta-readers will almost always turn out better stories.

What Should A Beta-Reader Expect From The Author:

1: The author to incorporate some changes. Notice I said some.

2: You should expect a thank you note or a thank you in the intro of the book. But this all depends on how much work you put into the project.

3: You should expect to talk to the author. They may have questions about your comments.

4: You should expect the author to tell you their expectations on what you are about to do. If they don’t tell you, ask. You want to be on the same page.

What Should An Author Expect From A Beta-Reader:

1: Communication is key. If you don’t tell your beta-reader what you want, you may not get it. Communicate; it will save you a lot of exasperation and time in the end.

2: You should expect your beta-reader to take your story seriously.

3: You should expect them to be thorough. They shouldn’t just give it a pass and only make one or two comments. They should try and catch as many errors as possible.

4: You shouldn’t expect your beta-reader to find every single mistake. They may miss something. After all we are only human.

5: You shouldn’t expect your beta-reader to comment on things outside of their expertise. If they don’t have the best grammar skills, don’t expect them to catch these errors. Instead, they could look for plot holes, characterization issues and loose ends.

6: Expect your beta-reader to complete the read in a timely manner. Discuss this and come to terms about what time frame you expect.

7: Do expect your beta-reader to be honest. The honesty will help strengthen your work.

8: Do expect some opinions to creep in. Remember opinions are just that opinions. This is where the author makes a judgment call.

9: Expect things to be said about what your beta-reader liked. They should let you know what they think works in the story. That way you don’t loose the good stuff in the editing process.

So now that you know what a beta reader is, here are some tips for being a good beta reader.

Tips For The Beta-Reader:

1: Be specific. Point out the exact spot where things don’t work, not just vague generalities.

2: Make suggestions (Which are free to be ignored) as to how the problem can be solved.

3: Point out the good bits too. You need to point out you favorite part not just for encouragement but so the author doesn’t end up losing the really great parts in the editing process.

Tips For The Author:

1: Thank your beta reader even if what they said wasn’t helpful. They took time out to read your story and for that they should be thanked.

2: Remember what your beta reader said is only an opinion and isn’t gospel. This is your story and you have the final say. On the other hand listen to your beta reader, because what was the point if you won’t take the time to listen.

3: If a suggestion is made you don’t agree with then explain why. It may be that when you explain your reasoning, or the intent, you may be able to figure out between you something that works for you both.

Never take on the role of beta-reader lightly, it is a big project and requires a lot of time. This isn’t nightly reading. It’s very important to the author, you are the first person to look at their story and give them feed back on their work. You are the person that will help them fix all the holes in the story and show them things the may not have noticed.

Authors remember to listen to your beta-reader; they have put a lot of time and effort into reading and trying to help you. Remember to be open to their thoughts, should you change everything they bring to your attention? No, but a good beta-reader can make a great story even better. Talk to them and bounce ideas off them. After all two minds are always better than one.

I recently had a criter advise me to change the POV of one of my chapters and at first I was skeptical. But it took my chapter to new levels, it reads better and is so much more interesting now.

I hope this helped to explain the process of beta reading and the roles the beta-reader and author play in the process.

Happy Reading And Writing.

Tabitha Blake

Till Death Do You Part

This week, I’m away on my honeymoon. No, I didn’t write this blog while ignoring my new husband. LOL.

It has me thinking about weddings, though. Not just my own and other real-life humans, but weddings in romance novels. Are they required?

Publishers of romance do require either happily-ever-after or happily-for-now endings to the stories they publish. That’s kind of the definition of a romance, in my opinion. The characters have a happy ending. That ending might mean that they commit to a long-term relationship, or that they agree to continue the relationship they’re already in (going under the belief that a story about an already-existing relationship constitutes a romance, which I blogged about a few weeks back). It might mean that they move in together.

Or it might mean that they wind up married.

I’ve read a couple reviews of romances by one of the big name publishers that made a little bit of fun of the publisher’s tendency to put out novels that include the heroine becoming pregnant by the hero, and the hero then proposing marriage. Instant happy-ever.

I’m not so sure the situation would work out that way if it’s a couple who’s just begun dating and an unexpected pregnancy occurs, though I do know one or two couples for whom that was the case and they seem pretty content together. If the couple in the story is already in love and a baby happens along, I can get behind that idea. I’ve written one or two like that, though at the moment they’re languishing on my hard drive because they have issues beyond the “Oops I’m pregnant” ones.

This entry’s supposed to be about weddings, though, not pregnancies… This is me doing my “Ooh, shiny!” topic thing again. Sorry about that.

So on with the wedding thing. Yes, romances have to end with happiness, either ever after or for the moment. Do they have to end with the characters pledging undying love to one another in front of a preacher, though?

The most committed relationship I’ve ever known of was a triad. Three men, living together in a relationship that lasted from the late 1960s until one of them passed away in the mid-1990s. The two surviving men are still together. Of course the three of them had issues and arguments and so on. They stuck things out and worked them out, though, and to be honest, they, not my parents, provided my template for what a good relationship should be. If they still lived in this state today, two of them could be legally married. Back when they lived here, though, that wasn’t possible, and even today the three of them wouldn’t be able to form any type of legal commitment. (Marriage is still two people, even if you’re fortunate enough to be in a state that disregards the gender of those two.)

What about other religious or spiritual beliefs? Not everyone stands in a church and says “I do” according to the word of God. ***DISCLAIMER: I am not attempting to start a religious debate here. If you have strong opinions on the subject, fine. If those opinions involve disrespecting others’ beliefs, please keep them to yourself.*** (Really not happy that I have to say that, but I’ve seen similar discussions devolve to mudslinging, and I won’t have that here.)

So anyway, not everyone is married in a church by the traditional Christian ceremony. Aside from civil ceremonies, which still often include some reference to God, there are pagan handfastings, ceremonies from other religions, and even commitment ceremonies that aren’t considered legal marriages. There’s a pretty wide range of diversity in the way people can be married. However, in nearly all the books that I’ve read that involve a wedding, it’s the traditional church thing. Is that because that’s what the author is most familiar with, or because it’s what the reader demands?

Personally, I’d love to read more books that end with some type of commitment ceremony other than the traditional wedding. My husband (dang, I keep wanting to type fiance, this is gonna take some getting used to) and I had a ceremony at a local yacht club, performed by a justice of the peace, that included a unification piece involving my children from my first marriage. The JP used vows that didn’t include any religious references, out of respect for my husband’s self-described “apathetic agnosticism.” (He doesn’t know if there’s a God, and he doesn’t care.) The unification ceremony involved each of the four of us pouring sand into a jar, a different color for each of us, to show that we’ve blended together into a family. I’m definitely going to be including that in a story in the future.

I’d be interested in hearing whether you’ve read or written a romance that involves a different type of wedding/commitment ceremony, whether it’s from a religion other than Christianity or some other type of spirituality (or lack thereof) altogether. Not fantasy or sci fi stories in which the author invents a ceremony; I’d like to hear about books that present things people do in real life to legalize and solidify their commitments to each other, but that aren’t often shown in fiction.

And if you want to bounce on over to my personal website, I’ll be blogging about my own wedding there.

interview ~ Michele Bardsley

Margie helped me out with another interview. Thanks Margie.

Michele began her writing career when she sold her first book, a romantic comedy called Daddy In Training to Hard Shell Word Factory in 1998. She states that luck was on her side in 2003 when she won the Grand Prize in the 72nd Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition for her dark suspense short story, “A Mother Scorned.” She met and signed with Stephanie Kip Rostan with the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency during her grand-prize-winning trip to New York. Just a few months later, Stephanie sold Michele’s erotic romantic comedy, Cupid, Inc., to New American Library.

Where would you like to go from here?

I want to keep writing. I very much enjoy writing the Broken Heart series, and I hope to write those for as long as possible. I also hope that my new series will draw in readers the same way, even though it’s very different in concept and tone. Also, I’d love to hit the New York Times Bestseller list. I don’t know if it’ll ever happen, and I’m certainly very blessed in my current career. The NYT list is just one of those shinies that all writers want one day.

What do you love most about what you do?

I work in my pajamas, I can take Rock Band breaks whenever I like, I take as long a lunch as I want, and I spent all day in a fantasy world. And people pay me to do it. What’s not to love?

Is there anything you would like to share about yourself or your work?

How about a slight case of the nerves about my new series? NEVER AGAIN (tentative title) is set in the Texas town of Nevermore, and in this new world, there are people who can access the living magic of all things (magicals) and “normal” people who can’t (mundanes). The heroine is Gray Calhoun, whose ex-wife tried to sell his soul to a demon lord to protect herself against a curse, and the hero is Lucinda Rackmore, his ex-sister-in-law, who is desperate to escape her abusive ex-lover and the curse he put on her. It’s so different from Broken Heart … I just hope everyone loves it as much as I do.

What are you working on now?

With NEVER AGAIN (almost) done, I’m working on Book 8 in the Broken Heart series, which is FINALLY a werewolf story, and not just any werewolf, but the crown prince himself, Damian. He loses his memory and ends up in a psychiatric facility where he meets the heroine, Kelsey Morningside. She figures out that he suffers from lycanthropy, which is an actual psychological condition. However, in Damian’s case, he really is a lycanthrope … with amnesia.

Any professional advice for other authors?

Persistence is the key that unlocks the door to your dreams. Don’t give up. Not ever.

What is your favorite television show?

Currently, I’m in love with The Mentalist, Supernatural, and Ghost Whisperer. Of course, I love Burn Notice, Human Target, and OMG, Castle RULES!

What is the most memorable book you’ve read?

A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS by Dave Eggers. It’s made of awesome. And every writer should read it. I need to also mention my two all-time favorite romance novels (among many) are SHADOWS AND LACE by Theresa Medeiros and TEARS OF GOLD by Laurie McBain.

Do you have any pets?

I have three cats that my children rescued from a box on a front porch. They were starving, dehydrated, and flea-ridden. And that “good home” my kids promised to find? Yeah. Mine. LOL. Lionheart, Daisy, and Miss Fortune are all my babies now. And I have two other fur babies, my Shih Tzu Cassanove and my Chihuahua Tito.

Where can fans follow you?

I have a Facebook fan group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=9106151450

And of course, I Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/michelebardsley

Yahoo Group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MicheleMinions

Erotica

1. Shadows Present (Ellora’s Cave, 2004)
2. Cupid, Inc. (NAL Trade, 2006)
3. Fantasyland (NAL Trade, 2007)
4. Diary of a Demon Hunter (Changeling Press, TBA)
5. Shadows Past (Ellora’s Cave, TBA)

Paranormal Romance

1. I’m The Vampire, That’s Why (Signet Eclipse, 2006)
2. Don’t Talk Back To Your Vampire (Signet Eclipse, 2007)
3. Because Your Vampire Said So (Signet Eclipse, 2008)
4. Wait Until Your Vampire Gets Home (Signet Eclipse, 2008)
5. Over My Dead Body (Signet Eclipse, 2009)
6. Come Hell or High Water (Signet Eclipse, 2010)

Romantic Comedy

1. Daddy In Training (HSWF, 1998)
2. Wild Women (HSWF, 2003)

Novellas and Short Stories
Erotica

Changeling Press

1. A Wolf In Santa’s Clothing
2. Tucker’s Paradise
3. Witch Magic series
4. Diary of a Demon Hunter series
5. Vampire Kisses series
6. Miller’s Lake series

Ellora’s Cave

1. Bride Portal
2. Wizard’s Moon
3. A Taste of Honey
4. Saving Sarah (Two Men and a Lady)
5. Redial 1-800-Sex
6. 1-800-Sex4You
7. Redial 1-800-Sex4You

Loose Id

1. Nefertari 9.0
2. Wish Upon A Prince

Romance & Mystery

1. A Mother Scorned (The Year’s Best Writing, 2004)
2. A Perfect Murder (Beyond the Mundane: Unravelings, 2004)
3. Heart of Grace (Treasures From the Heart, 2006)
4. Heart of Obsidian (Tales from the Treasure Trove II, 2006)

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Thanks so much for the interview. And thank you to Margie for interviewing this fascinating author for us.
—
April Dawn -Author of Crushing Desire and
Bound by Love available now through Breathless Press.

http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/timeless.html

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=April+Dawn

http://aprildawnbooks.com – http://letstalkromance.wordpress.com/