Hump Day Kick Start

Song of the Day: Best of You by Foo Fighters

How’s this for a prompt? Who knew looking sweaty could be so, um, inspiring?

Tear you eyes away for a moment and tell me his story. Who is he? Hero or villain? Mercenary? Drug Runner? Warrior? Traitor? Demon slayer?

Where is he? What is he thinking?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s kick start.

What is your writing process?

by Marie-Claude Bourque

A little while ago I answered the following questions on my writing process for a writer’s blog and I thought I’d share it with you, so that you could in turn share yours with us!

Please describe your current writing process from story idea to final draft in as much detail as possible.

BRAINSTORMING:

I usually start with my hero and heroine and try to find a couple that would be a good match in terms of both conflict and attraction.

I try to be as clear as I can on both characters goals, motivations and conflicts (external and internal). My style of writing focuses more on the characters internal conflicts due their background and how they come together to resolve the external conflict which comes in the form of a threat to their world, usually a villain.  My general writing theme is that unity conquers.

I try to lay out the main story in a classical 3 acts set-up.

Once I have the core of the story, I daydream scenes that fit my writing style: gritty, sensual and mystical and that arise from the conflicts between all the characters.  I use music a lot to brainstorm.I also like to fill up Donald Maass workbook to think up more intense scenes.

FIRST DRAFT:

Once I have a good list of scenes (maybe 20), I write them one at a time longhand in first person for each POV character. Meanwhile I list all the plots and plot layers to make sure I advance at least one or more plot in each scene. I come up with new scenes as I write for a total of around 75.

Typing all the scenes in the appropriate third person gives me my first draft. I don’t pause to edit during that phase but write real fast and fill the blanks later.

Yes, I'm a dying breed, I write longhand!

SECOND DRAFT:

The second stage is when I do the deep editing. I use my own version of Margie Lawson’s method to add the missing bits such as settings and emotions and research accuracy and I also look at a balance in my scenes between emotions, inner thoughts, dialog, action and setting. I add about 20% more material at this stage. Sometimes, I see that I need to add or cut scenes.

This draft goes to my writing partners (i.e. Mustrackers John, Candi and Jenn)

If I can, I leave this draft aside for a while and later do a one sitting read as a reader to see what is missing.

THIRD DRAFT:

In the third draft, I start by fixing my own comment and my writing partners comments. I may again add or cut scenes then do a style edit, scene by scene, which is a 10-15 checklist I use to look at such as word overuse, tension on every page, using 5 senses, varying length sentences, using active strong verbs, hooks, ect. I also like to read each scenes 3 times with different fonts. Then I cut into chapters where natural breaks occur.

What do you feel are the pros & cons of your current writing process?

The only problem I can see with my writing process is that it takes time to type my work. Almost the same time to type as it take to write. I wish I was faster, but I need the deep connection I feel by writing longhand. Somehow, I can’t do it straight to the computer.

 

Find out about Stephen King's writing process in ON WRITING, his excellent book for writers!

What details can you share about the process of writing your very first published work? How has it changed from then to now?

The process I described was for my first published work which was my first manuscript (ANCIENT WHISPERS) and I still use this now that I am writing my fifth. I tried before to fill characters charts and index cards but I found it was pretty useless.

What advice would you give newly aspiring authors on finding their process?

Just try to find your own process by listening to what works for you but do learn different technique. I am a very obsessive plotter but I have been trying to learn how pansters do it. Never feel like you are stuck into one way of doing thing and try to work extra hard on your weaknesses.

It’s your turn now! If you have a minute, please share your process with us. I love learning new tricks from others!

Agent Shopping Day – with Lois Winston

UPDATE:

Ms. Winston requested more material from SIX manuscripts!!!

Well done all.

I’ve just sent out the requests to the authors, so this officially concludes this Agent Shop.

Make sure you get ready for next months pitch date.

************************************************

 

Good Morning to All!

Here are the stats for this round.

Pitches received: 50

Pitches accepted: 30

Pitch Casualties: 20

11 – Too long

5 – No Title or Word count or Genre

3 – No contact info

1 – No pitch included

So if you look back and you’re missing one of these elements, fix the issue and try again next time.

Welcome Lois Winston!

The pitches that made it through by following the guidelines are below.

Let me know if there are any you’d like to see more of, and how you’d like me to have the author sent it on.

Thanks so much for coming and I wish you huge success with ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN!

*****************************

#1 – Top Pitch Slot Winner!

A Demon’s Redemption

Paranormal Romance

90,000

Lorelei is your typical college student – who happens to have a talent for sniffing out demons and sending them back to hell, kind of like a psychic bloodhound. But once a year, she must help one of the fallen earn their way back into heaven. How do they do that? By atoning for their sins. And so far, everything is working out for her – until she meets Azazel, son of Azazeal, a member of the Underworld hierarchy. Does the demon fall far from the seed? She has a month to find out.

Azazel has always lived in the shadows of his father’s misdeeds. But redemption is his one chance to break free of his father’s sins. If only he hadn’t promised to bring down Lorelei for his bid for freedom. Will he keep his promise to his father – or to the woman he comes to love?

***

#2

The Embroidered Pussycat

Contemporary, erotic romance with humor

31,785 words

When Brian affronts Jennifer she runs away and disappears. Fate brings them back together. How will Jennifer find it in her heart to forgive Brian?

Brian insists that he’s let go of the memory of his deceased wife. How will Brian come to grips with his present and let go of his past?

Brian opens a tack supply store, while Jennifer begins to start a horse riding school for kiddos both based at the same horse stable. Brian’s needs to find a new nanny for his son, Drew, so he assigns his new assistant to find a new one. She enrolls him in Jennifer’s school. One day, Brian has to pick him up. Remembering Brian from the incident at a lakeside resort, Jennifer initially calls Brian a stalker.

Brian has to reconcile his feelings for his deceased wife and his growing feelings for Jennifer. Jennifer has to reconcile her reaction to their first meeting and the new desirable Brian.

Eventually, Drew catches Brian and Jennifer in each other’s arms. He asks a blunt question about his deceased mother causing more turmoil.

***

#3

Who Needs A Hero?
Contemporary Romance
73,000 words

A Heroine in Distress…

In the span of one afternoon, Maggie Sampson lost everything—her job, her fiancé and her inheritance.  The thing she’ll miss most though is her mind.  What else could explain her vision of the handsome and enigmatic stranger who retrieved her engagement ring when she hurled the rock into the Atlantic Ocean? Normal people just don’t do things like that. Sometimes fantasy is better than reality.

A Hero Who Needed Saving…

To the rest of the world, Neil Phillips is a decorated war hero, a Navy SEAL who has what it takes to get the job done.  In private he is a raw wound with two boys, a broken marriage and a nasty case of PTSD, but despite his personal struggles he helped Maggie when she needed it most. Now, Maggie is on a mission and she’s not going anywhere until she returns the favor—with interest.

Who Needs A Hero?

A warrior with a broken heart, a woman with nothing to lose—there are no victims here, only courageous souls, both in need of rescue.

***

#4

Contemporary Romance

The Race to His Heart

Complete at 78,000 words

Love is like a stock car race; once you get going at top speeds, out comes the caution flag to put on the brakes. Well, that’s how Maddie Johnston likes to think of it.

Maddie is a quiet, unpretentious barista trying to make her way through college in Jacksonville, Florida. While slowly picking up the pieces of her mangled heart after the demise of an engagement, Maddie’s life is thrown for a loop when her childhood neighbor shows up to her family’s annual Fourth of July barbecue. Sure, it sounds pretty harmless except Connor Gray isn’t exactly the same kid she grew up with; he’s now a handsome and famous NASCAR driver. Harbored and forgotten feelings soon emerge and the two find themselves thrust into a whirlwind romance. Only too bad for Maddie, as Connor is expected to marry a beautiful socialite in less than a year. Not only does Maddie need to convince Connor that he’s committing himself to the wrong girl, but she also needs to deal with the fallout of his dangerous career and her own grievous insecurities.

***

#5

The Magic of Lavender

Fantasy romance

About 90k

Jocelyn Gibson’s ready to kick start her life following her husband’s death. When she buys an old B&B to restore, she has no idea it sits atop powerful ley lines, or that dark forces want to harness their energy. Once the portal’s open, there’s no telling how far and wide the Lord of the Underworld and his minions might wreak havoc.

Also widowed, local veterinarian Eric Hendricks falls for Joss, but demons trap him in Tartarus in The Underworld. Joss learns about her family’s secret connection to the goddess Iris in time to rally her own forces, but can she save Eric and the town of Boiling Springs?

The Magic of Lavender is the first of The Goddess Connection series. Each will portray a strong heroine who learns to embrace her quirks when she learns they’re actually skills and strengths to help her survive in the paranormal world. Every woman should embrace her inner goddess, and The Goddess Connection series asks: what’s your connection?

***

#6

TWISTED JUSTICE

Romantic Suspense

96,000 words

Assigned to the FBI to stop a sniper who’s targeting wife abusers, Atlanta homicide detective, Leigh McBride guards her son’s birth circumstances with a vengeance.  When his biological father is paroled with plans to kill her and the boy, Leigh finds herself not only the hunter but also the hunted.
A ready-made family, who would need more than he can give, is the last thing FBI Agent, J.T. Noble wants.  His temporary and secretive partner suffers a series of life threatening events, pulling him deeper and deeper into her world.  And into her heart.
Leigh must break down barriers of silence and distrust she’s spent seven-years building if she’s to survive two killers.  One who is determined to take her life and one who may ultimately give it back to her.

***

#7

Guitar God

YA—Contemporary Fantasy

Word Count:  195,000 Words

Polly’s moment had finally arrived, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Barely a teenager, Polly had reluctantly accepted the role of human guardian of the Green. Now, about to begin college and leave her hometown and all the weirdness behind, fate calls her, except to save the Green she must defeat Isaac, the boy she loves.

Isaac was the kid nobody liked until a mysterious faerie granted him his greatest wish. Now bestowed with incredible musical prowess, Isaac is loved and admired by all. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Polly is the only one who can save Isaac’s soul, but her first responsibility is to the Green. Can Polly save the Green and save Isaac as well?

Guitar God is a Jewish, suburban rock and roll fantasy with a 1970s soundtrack. It’s urban fantasy in the suburbs. It’s War For The Oaks meets Portnoy’s Complaint. It’s crossover YA for teens and their parents. It’s a world where the faerie folk walk among us, but we don’t know it. It’s about the magical places where we grew up. Maybe we knew about them or maybe we walked by them every day without even noticing.

***

#8

“Rushes”

Literary Fiction/Women’s Fiction

61,500

Coming of age in the turbulent 60′s of the South (Mississippi), Sara Jones navigates her way through poverty and discrimination, as well as physical and sexual abuse to try to find a way to escape her lot in life (a life shared with her sisters which her mother says has a ‘snake-bit’ fate).

Johnny’s love gives her hope for a bright  future but his death in Vietnam painfully closes that door. After battling a debilitating depression, she meets Pete, who pursues her relentlessly until she agrees to marry him.

She returns to school to earn a college degree because she believes it to be her only salvation from poverty.  The pursuit of a college education spurs her desire for better things but her abusive husband, Pete, forces a halt to that endeavor.

Does murder hold the answer for her?  Is it her only way out?   Are the voices she has come to hear telling her the way out or pulling her deeper into a void that she so desperately wants to leave behind?   Will Sara find a way to break free of her ‘snake-bit’ future?

***

#9

Tangled Web

Steamy SF Romance

89K

When the deadliest assassin in the empire gets too close to her target, two hearts become caught in a tangled web of lies, lust, and politics.

Azurha is offered the ultimate challenge – murder the Emperor. The problem is, Titus is not the tyrant his forefathers were, and his radical ideas offer a glimmer of hope for the future and make her question her assignment. But more than just his ideas hold Azurha captive. Night after night, Titus awakens the desires buried deep within her. As her deadline approaches, she finds it harder and harder to kill the man she’s falling in love with. If she doesn’t complete her job, though, both their lives will be forfeit.

Set in a world where Stargate meets Ancient Rome, TANGLED WEB is a dark and sexy 89,000 word SF romance that has won multiple contests, including  the Stroke of Midnight, Heart to Heart, Golden Gateway, and Hot Prospects contests.

***

#10

Forbidden Fruit- The Sisterhood of Darkness

Paranormal Romance/Erotica

192k

Goddesses of old have awaken to be watchers of mankind. Gaia,Isis, Psyche, Bellona, Diana, Lilith and Kali are The Sisterhood of Darkness. Pain has followed in their centuries old lives. Lilith is the leader of the sisterhood appointed by the gods to protect the realms of the physical and the mythical. When Azarel, his generals and the dammed souls of Hell are released from the prison that the Angels place them in. The sisterhood are now at a battle against time too save the realms and fulfill the prophecy that will save them all.  The prophecy that reunites soul mates long lost by time itself. Lilith is taken on a journey when she is sent on a mission too locate the Goddess Kali to find her human host body, but gets more than she bargains for; her soul mate Adam. Now that time is of the essence Lilith must warm her cold heart and forgive Adam for trying to dominant her; but can Adam survive Lilith intense sexual desires and the coming war.

***

#11

THE HOUSE ON FOREST BEND

Paranormal Romantic Suspense

84,000 words

What does a by-the-book homicide detective do when he discovers the serial killer he’s tracking is really a ghost?

When Detective Adam Skelton learns an antique gun is connected to several murders he’s investigating, he believes tracking down the killer will be as simple as tracing the gun’s history.

When he meets Jillian Whitmeyer, an intriguing gun store owner with spiked hair and tattoos, the case becomes anything but simple. Skelton soon learns that people who get close to Jillian have a habit of turning up dead. The more he investigates, the more deaths there are— both past and present—that lead back to her. Skelton can’t resist her, but as strange accidents befall him, Jillian “confesses” that her sister, who died many years ago in an accident with that same gun, is the true cause of the current mayhem. Skelton’s been a bad judge of women in the past and this one’s obviously a nut case…or is she? When the truth becomes dangerously clear, Skelton must find a solution or more people will die. But how does a just-the-facts detective deal with a ghostly serial killer and the sexy-as-hell sister she won’t set free?

***

#12

LEGENDS AMONG US

Paranormal Romance

66,000

When driving through puddles of blood Alexandra Chance learns a valuable lesson; have plenty of washer fluid.

Alex is given a hard dose of reality as she watches cannibals and harpies reduce pretty much everyone in her world to body parts and rivers of blood. Amidst the chaos Alex meets Tristan, a vampire-in-hiding who was created along with other fiends as an experiment in human development. Shrouded in doubt, Alex journeys with him in search of help, dodging carnivorous creatures along the way.

Alex and Tristan stay one step ahead of ravenous monsters that will do anything to make a meal of them. With a harpy at every turn, Alex discovers her talent as an exterminator. While demolishing harpies is a rush, the real pleasure is her deepening passion for Tristan, even though she fears what his secret may be. But when Alex finds him drinking a body, she’s not sure whether she’s next on the menu.

***

#13

The Dating Game

Contemporary Romance

Word Count 100,000

Widow JENNETTE RILEY’S love life is rusting away at the bottom of the romance scrapyard. Feeling frustrated with her lover’s ambivalent behavior, she realizes what is lacking in their relationship–his motivation to move their love affair forward. Needing to know where she stands with him, she sees no alternative but to accept her brother’s offer of help.

When his fiancée’s high-powered career takes precedence over their relationship, TYLER MORGAN decides he could use a diversion. When a co-worker tells him of a classic car that sits in his sister’s garage collecting dust, Tyler is determined to meet her and make an offer to buy it. When he steps into what turns out to be Jennette’s backyard to ask if she’s willing to sell, what he gets instead is a case of mistaken identity and an intriguing offer he can’t turn down.

What Jennette and Tyler don’t expect is for a chance meeting and one simple date to grow into an all-consuming passion and love neither can deny.

***

#14

Demon Reincarnate
YA urban fantasy with strong romantic elements
Word Count: 72,000

Finding a hunky, three-hundred-year old demon in your bed isn’t so bad. Stabbing that demon in the gut? Yeah…probably not the best way to make his acquaintance.

Lucky for Katriona McBain, the infamous supernatural hit-man, Demetrius Fall, is interested in more than sucking out her soul—he needs her to assume her role as the reincarnated Queen of the powerful, British Coven.

The only person who can stop an impending apocalypse and end a long waging, demonic war, Katriona is thrown head first into a dark, magical world she thought only existed in her nightmares. Together, she and Demetrius must search the globe for the four bewitched pieces of her royal ancestor’s necklace. Bringing the charms together and harnessing their power is the only chance Katriona has to destroy Narcissa, an evil succubus and leader of the Dark Coven. But as the clock ticks will Katriona uncover the charms in time, or lose something more precious than the war—her humanity?

DEMON REINCARNATE is the first novel of my YA urban fantasy series, THE FOUR CHARMS, with the sequel manuscript completed as well. Although DEMON REINCARNATE is the first in a series, the story stands alone.

***

#15

The Transformation of Aurora Sage

Women’s Fiction Paranormal Romance

Word Count  41,293

Aurora Sage is stuck in a tedious and mundane routine.  That is, until on a spontaneous vacation to  Las Vegas, she meets Aleandro Palermo.  His body is more magnificent than a sculpture by Michelangelo and his voice and accent are enough to melt any woman’s heart.  He is charming, endearing and absolutely infatuated with her.  Everything a girl could ask for.  Right up to the point where he bites her.  Her life is nerve-wracking enough without having to worry about killing anyone!  Now, she’s got to deal with her sanguinary urges.  How will she cope?

***

#16

Be Witched

Paranormal Romance Suspense

Word Count 90K

My name is Lolita Vette, a seventh generation seventh daughter of a long line of witches. And I’m a fake. A charlatan. While telling fortunes and selling love potion isn’t as sexy as running a grift, it’s a lucrative and steady business.

I’m not a witch. Just a girl with an elevated Kinesic ability. My brain processes a person’s microscopic tics and tugs so clearly, they may as well text me what they’re thinking. Combine my God-given curse with a decent ability to cold read, and you’d be surprised how many rational people start believing in magic.

After years of scamming marks, I finally signed the deed to my own place. Now trouble comes after me like ticks to a dog. I’ve been robbed, assaulted and Tug Shelby — the man I hadn’t yet decided on whether he belonged in a shallow grave or my bed–is missing. Vanished into the ether, unless you count his little finger and a helluva lot of blood.

Now even I can’t help but search for a little backwater magic in this mess of a world.

***

#17

The Maddening Lord Moorecroft

Historical Romance

Word Count 93K

Infamous rake and gambler, Lord Charles Moorecroft marries cold, calculating Cit Lucy Hembry to avoid debtor’s prison. As his icy wife begins to thaw, Charles finds his marriage of convenience to be anything but when he realizes the flame inside her may burn for someone else.

Can Charles shed his philandering, selfish ways to become the husband Lucy desires or is he forever destined to remain alone?

***

#18

The Mischievous Lady Moorecroft

Historical Romance

Word Count 93K

Major Victor `Vicks’ Geale returns to England with a secret. Surrounded by a band of wounded soldiers, he finds his pay and commission have been forfeited, he’s inherited a crumbling estate with worthless title and a mountain of debt. Geale reckons his only option is to marry an heiress to fund the rebuilding of his estate.

Beautiful and rich, avowed spinster Lady Evangeline Moorecroft is the ultimate party girl of the Regency set. Unable to resist the bait of a notoriously naughty masquerade, Evangeline awakens to discover she’s been ambushed into marriage with hard-nosed Lord Geale.

Lord Geale offers Evangeline a bargain. Get his estate and reputation on solid footing and he will grant her an annulment. As an uneasy alliance forms on the attraction between them, Evangeline has second thoughts about dissolving her marriage.

Her treacherous and well-connected mother the Duchess, however, has little patience for her daughter’s poor marriage and even less for the idea of becoming a grandmother. She gives Evangeline an ultimatum: end her marriage or the Duchess will use her connections to end Geale’s life.

***

#19

A KISS IN THE WIND

Historical

80,000 words

Marisol Castellan will do anything to find her missing brother, but makes a grave error when she steals a prized talisman and finds herself captive of a rogue sea captain. Blade Tyburn has been known by many names – privateer, opportunist, pirate, and his favorite, libertine. All true. What he is not is tolerant. Suspecting the thieving temptress behind the bizarre disappearance of his silver, he keeps Marisol close; unleashing a firestorm of treachery and unbridled passion as they embark ona chase after the mysterious ship thought to hide the silver in her hold. Amid a whirlpool of deadly deception, the thief and the sea captain must learn to trust one another and conquer the veiled enemy hell-bent on crushing them both.

***

#20

THE BRUISED SKY

Historical

80,000 words

A damned pirate captain lures ships to the treacherous reefs off the coast of Florida, plundering their wreckage for valuables. Rescuing a beautiful castaway from drowning may save his blackened soul, but not before the madman chasing her threatens to collect his debt and kill them both.

***

#21

Don’t Cross the Line

Paranormal Romance

Word count 100,000

Don’t Cross the Line is a 100,000 word novel, the first in a series of stories. This one follows Gemma Davies, a were-tiger. She is reaching the age where her alpha and father demands that she must find a mate, or he will find one for her.

However the man that she loves, Cade MacDonald can never be hers, he is of another species of shape shifter, a werewolf, and to be together would mean execution for them both.

When the female heir of a neighbouring pack is murdered, Gemma must work alongside Cade to find out who killed her. It doesn’t look like the murderer is done though. Gemma is attacked in her own home; she escapes and lands in the arms of Cade. While she fights to keep her distance from him, fate keeps on throwing her right back at his feet.

She meets Karl Ellis, another were-tiger like herself, a potential mate. Cade does everything in his power to prove that Karl is just using Gemma. When the evidence from the case begins to build up and it all starts to point to Karl, Gemma considers that Cade might have been correct.

***

#22

Betting on a God

Paranormal Romance

80K

Welcome to Mount Olympus, Sin City’s most opulent casino resort. Here you will be to the finest food, the most decadent wines, and every desire you crave. All provided for you by Dion Eliades, the food and beverage manager for the hotel. Just like most things in Vegas, there is more to Mount Olympus and Dion than meets the eye.

Unfortunately thanks to an ancient grudge and Zeus’s greed, the real Mount Olympus was lost to the Olympians almost fifty years ago.  As if the ennui of having to play mortal and the stress of running Las Vegas’s grandest casino wasn’t enough, now someone is trying to take over the hotel. Zeus and his Olympians are determined to stop whoever it is in their tracks, but their enemy turns out to be as ancient a threat as Zeus.

Dion is tired of playing human wants to go home to Greece, until he lays eyes one Sadie Flynn. The God of Wine is in for an adventure the likes of which he has never experienced, if only Sadie agrees to bet on a god.

***

#23

The Theatre

Single Title Romance

92,000 Words

Thirty-eight-year-old actress Kelly Lawson returns to Texas to choreograph the Glenview Opera House Theatre summer season, putting herself at her at risk of her mother’s matchmaking. Kelly receives odd notes demanding she star in all the shows.  Yellow roses arrive anonymously from someone called “Your Biggest Fan.”  She ignores these until a fellow actor is attacked, and a fire is set back stage.  Convinced someone is trying to shut down the theatre, Kelly is forced to work with her mother’s choice for this visit, the new police chief.

Forty-five-year-old, divorced Josh Kincaid left his job as a Houston homicide detective to help care for his father who suffers from Alzheimer’s.  When Kelly accuses one of his officers of harassing two of her actors, he investigates the allegations.  The season progresses with escalating violence against Kelly and others, including the murder of two gay cast members.  Who’s behind these attacks?  Can Josh insure Kelly’s safety without putting his heart in danger when she returns to New York at the end of the season?  Despite their strong attraction for each other, will their lives take different paths when summer ends?

***

#24

BETTER DEAD

Paranormal/Romance

Word count 97,000 words

Holly Davis believes her cheatin’ husband deserves to choke on his divorce papers and spend eternity roasting in hell after nearly bankrupting her Louisiana bed and breakfast. At least, she’s half right when he turns up dead, but she’s dead wrong when she accidentally calls him back from the grave.  Unless she wants to be stuck with her ghostly ex forever, she has until Halloween to wedge him through the pearly gates by cleaning up the mess he left behind.

That’s just thirty days to stop the smuggling ring he started behind her back at her B&B. But her old flame—Jake McCann, who’s sexier than ever—just checked in, her ghost of an ex is jealous, the whole town thinks she’s nuts, and any guest could be the new smuggler. She must stay alive and out of jail, so she can get her resident poltergeist into paradise if she wants a shot at her own private paradise with Jake.

***

#25

Return to Valley
Contemporary Romance
65,000 words

Carla Johnson has always believed there is one great love for everyone.  When you find it, fate assures it will happen.  Carla believes she found her great love after meeting Tony Collins, a commitment phobic fireman.  However, fate isn’t assisting Carla in accomplishing her dream of happy ever after.  A tragic accident causes Tony to push Carla and growing feelings for her aside.  Carla begins to doubt what her heart is telling her.  Carla returns to her home town of Valley and much to the chagrin of her family and friends she ends up at the altar with another man.  Carla keeps telling herself the right thing to do is become Mrs. Randall Carter III.  As Tony realizes he can’t live without Carla, he also learns she is planning to marry another man.  Can he stop the wedding in time to keep from losing Carla and keep her from make the biggest mistake of her life?  Has fate finally stepped in and given Carla her happy ever after with Randall Carter III?  Can Tony Collins return to Valley and take fate into his own hands changing both their lives forever?  Return to Valley and enjoy the meaning of true love.

***

#26

Insight

YA

Word count 97,722

Some say that dreams are the doorway to the soul. Willow is no stranger to that doorway. Each night she shares a silent dream with a stunning blue-eyed boy. With each new moon she’s haunted by a nightmare shared with a different boy, who is always hidden by the shadows.

In her waking hours she must battle her sixth sense. The one that allows her to feel others emotions as if they were hers. This insight is exhausting, causing her to draw inward, only trusting a few close friends. Oddly, this sense also attracts ghostly images that seem to appear out of nowhere.  With a touch, they take her to wherever they may be, allowing her to change their emotion. This alone would cause most to go insane, but Willow filters her aggression by painting, capturing the emotion.

One August night, a nightmare came days after the new moon. In this dream the shadowed boy marked her wrist with a star, leaving her father no choice but to share a family secret that would tie all of the odd attributes of Willow’s life together. Now, she has no choice but to outrun the fate that is closing in around her.

***

#27

Ceres Wrath

Dystopian YA

Word count 82,200

Losing her parents and surviving impact winter should have been the hardest thing Krista Brewer ever had to do. And at sixteen, it is, until the ‘Ceres Suns’ she helped create are discovered. The ‘Suns’ have the potential to give heat back to a dead planet though their power could give a person control over what remained of humanity.

When her life is threatened, she’s left with two options. Brave the elements and trust the mysterious Jace Reed – or die. But Jace’s blurry memory leads them to his colony and more danger than they left behind. Everyone wants the Suns, and giving up would be much easier than trying to keep them out of the wrong hands. But that isn’t Krista’s way. Or Jace’s.

Jace Reed remembers his identity, the name of a settlement, and pain. Nothing more… He didn’t plan to help Krista. Didn’t plan to fall in love. And he certainly hadn’t planned to help her escape only to lead her into the proverbial lion’s den, though that’s exactly what he’s done. Keeping Krista safe becomes his first goal. Finding a way to bring her ‘Suns’ back to life and give them to the world – is the other.

***

#28

Sworn to Love

Historical Romance set in the Regency Period with elements of suspense

Approx. 84,000

Before Lieutenant Colonel Amherst, a war-torn hero, can return to the fight and avenge the death of his men, he must first honor a promise and watch over his best friend’s sister, Lady Juliette, an innocent beauty who fears she may be coerced to marry a lecherous old duke, to save the family coffers.

Unbeknownst to the ton, the duke’s vengeful sister and a scorned lover are both desperate to make sure Juliette, and any other young lady, do not wed him.  The one wants her nephew to inherit the ducal title while the other one wants the duke to die a lonely, old man for what he did to her many years ago.

When Juliette unwittingly captures Amherst’s heart, he asks for her father’s hand in marriage, but is one day too late, forcing Juliette into a world of greed and murder and a guilt-ridden Amherst into a race against time to save her and redeem himself and renew their love.

***

#29

Second Chance At Love

Historical Romance set in the Regency Period with elements of suspense
85,000

Lady Beatrix, a strong-willed and independent young woman, has no wish to
marry for anything less than love, and becomes quite taken by Lord Whitby,
but soon learns he is a grief-stricken widower who has no desire to remarry for he feels responsible for his wife’s death.  When Beatrix later tries to warn him of a notorious widow’s plot to trap him into marriage, she is the one caught alone instead with him, and they must wed.

Enthralled by the innocent beauty, Whitby never expected Beatrix could free him of the chains that bind his heart and cripple his spirit, nor did Beatrix expect a woman to come between them who would do anything, even murder, to gain Whitby’s love.

Together, Bea and Whitby, united by passion, risk their lives to save
not only themselves but each other.

***

#30

In Sarah’s Shadow

Historical Inspirational Romance

Word Count:  70K

Can her faith save his life?

Roberta Sloan is a God fearing woman on a journey with her brother, Levi, to California . David Rutherford is an alcoholic hermit living in the wilds of Colorado .

When David saves Roberta’s life after she’s separated from Levi during a blizzard in the mountains, she feels a debt of gratitude and is determined to help ease his obvious pain.  He resists her kindness, wanting nothing more than to send her packing back to Kansas . He blames himself for his wife’s death and believes there is no good left in the world for him. Tortured, he has decided to drink away what remains of his life, rather than face his guilt.  And Roberta is wreaking havoc on his plan.

Unwilling to give up on him, Roberta endures his ire, certain her faith in God and her faith in David himself, will be enough to help him get over the death of his beloved, Sarah. But will her acts of kindness save David?  Or destroy her?

Okay – STOP

Thanks for all the great pitches.

 

I’ll have to STOP now, so I can get these formatted and ready for Lois Winston to view.

 

Check back tomorrow to see if you made the cut.

 

If you don’t see yours, remember to go back and see what you did wrong. Were you missing any of the following:

TITLE
WORD COUNT
GENRE
CONTACT INFO

or were you one of the ones with a pitch over 200 words?

Good luck to all and thanks again for making this a fun Agent Shop!

Candi

It’s GO day at Agent Shop

Hello All!

Super excited to have Lois Winston with us for this round of Agent Shop!

We’re featuring her new release:

ASSUALT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN

ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN is the first book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series from Midnight Ink and has received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

Anastasia Pollack is a suburban wife and mother and the crafts editor at a women’s magazine. Her life is just about perfect until her husband cashes in his chips — permanently — at a roulette table in Las Vegas when he’s supposed to be at a sales meeting in Harrisburg, Pa. That’s when Anastasia’s life craps out. She’s left with two teenage sons, a mountain of debt, AND her communist mother-in-law. Not to mention her dead husband’s loan shark  who’s demanding fifty thousand dollars. And that’s before she discovers the dead body of the magazine’s fashion editor hot glued to her office chair.

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You can find Lois here:

http://www.loiswinston.com

Or at

Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers, Anastasia’s blog http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com

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And can find the book here:

The book is available at bookstores nationwide, at the usual online venues, and directly through Midnight Ink. It’s also available as an e-book for the Kindle and should be available soon for other e-readers.

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Giveaway:

Throughout the month of January, I’m doing a blog tour in celebration of the launch of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN and giving away 5 copies of the book. To enter, simply post a comment to any of the blogs on the tour.

You can find the tour schedule at both my website http://www.loiswinston.com and Anastasia’s blog http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com

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ALSO – If you leave a comment using the words, AGENT and GLUE GUN below, you could win the top pitch slot for when Lois comes back tomorrow to look at the pitches that made it!

So there you have it.

The moment you’ve been waiting for….

“GO!”

Surrender the Booty!

Song of the Day: This is Shangri-La by Mother Love Bone

Long before Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl sailed onto the silver screen, I had a great interest in pirates. From Peter Pan, to the Goonies, to Erroll Flynn, to Russell Crowe, and of course Johnny and the POTC gang, these tall sea-worthy tales tickled my fancy. Frankly, I’m a sucker for most epics and adventures. Call it my love for history, especially world events and eras surrounded by legends and fantasy. Much history is based on the writings of those who lived through those times gone by. Mystery and intrigue sometimes abounds as generation after generation retells their stories. Fact or fiction, I adore them.

Recently, I attended an exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. It was a history lesson I simply couldn’t wait to see . . .no, experience.

Real Pirates!

Arrgh! The engagement gives visitors a glimpse of the life of a pirate through artifacts recovered from the only known pirate shipwreck, the Whydah. The Whydah, captained by Sam Bellamy, aka Black Sam, met her end in 1717, capsizing in a terrible Nor’easter. More than two centuries later, in the summer of 1984, the ship was found by undersea salvor, Barry Clifford.

The Whydah’s captain, himself, is someone an author could easily model as a redemptive hero or inspiration for a romance novel. Bellamy arrived in Cape Cod from England around 1714. He met a young woman named Maria Hallett and together they fell madly in love. But he was a penniless sailor and her wealthy family denied him her hand. To win their favor, he set out to seek his fortune by the quickest means – he joined a pirate crew. With a strong will and expertise in his craft, it wasn’t long before Bellamy was made captain. His reign of terror in the Caribbean began and he captured some 50 ships, including a fine slave ship on her maiden voyage, the Whydah. He chased after the Whydah for three days. Without ever shooting his shipboard guns, the Whydah surrendered and Bellamy took the prize for his own. Now laden with riches, Bellamy charted his course north, back to his love, Maria. But as he reached Cape Cod, the terrible storm raged. Just a mere 500 feet or so from the shores of Cape Cod, the Whydah broke apart, taking all but two of the 146 men on board, including Bellamy.

Exciting tales and a colorful crew, counting a 9-year old spitfire named John, make fodder for an author like me.

After a short film, the exhibit opened to a magnificent display of the Whydah’s bell encased in a glass column filled with seawater. I was so taken aback by the bell, my breath caught, my heart raced, and, I admit, I had tears in my eyes. It was as if the bell was sacred. I was that moved. Other artifacts on display were weapons (canons, pistols, and grenades), table settings, buttons, buckles, surgical tools, rigging pieces, navigational tools, and even a lead “shoot” that made up the pissdale, the toilet positioned at the bow or stern of the ship.

No pirate ship is complete without treasure. Hot damn! You could even touch it! Silver and gold coins, gold ingots and real pieces of eight. I did a lot of giggling while my fingers grazed the treasure.

Since I’ve done extensive research on pirates, most of the information at the exhibit I was familiar. Yet, I learned a few new things and took the opportunity to absorb myself in a world I am passionate about. And, I was quite proud of myself when I proved to my DH that I can indeed tie several different sailors’ knots.

So why am I telling you all this? I really believe when you are enthusiastic about something, be it a time, place, character or theme, it comes out in your voice, style and overall storytelling. Immerse yourself in what moves you. You may learn something new. You may be newly inspired. You may giggle until you almost pee in your britches.

Have you ever experienced something that influenced you on a deep level and invigorated you to write? I’d love to hear from you.

Agent Shop with Lois Winston

So it’s coming up on another round of ‘Agent Shop’.

This month’s attending agent is:

LOIS WINSTON with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency

Want to pitch your 200 word max pitch to agent Lois Winston?
Well then make sure you read the Agent Shop rules, refine your pitch, and be here at Musetracks on Jan 23rd at 10:00 a.m. EST when I’ll post the word GO.

As soon as I post, you can send your pitch to me at Candi_Agent_Shop @yahoo.com, and I’ll take the first 30 VIABLE pitches. Meaning pitches that follow the specific rules.

But wait – if you want to take a chance to win the first pitch slot, or a copy of Lois Winston’s new release, ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN, then leave a comment on pitch day using the words AGENT and GLUE GUN! I’ll randomly pick one winner from all the comments that include those words to win the top pitch slot, and you’ll automatically be entered in a drawing for one of five copies of Lois’s book during her blog tour.

Let me know if you have any questions, and please feel free to pass this on to any other writers who might want the opp to pitch.

As always… Keep Writing!

Candi~

How is your middle shaping up?

by Marie-Claude Bourque

So how do you work the middle of your story?

A writer friend was asking me that just that last week and I shared with her what I do. I thought I’d share it here in case it might give someone some ideas.

Now everyone has their own way to write a book, and frankly there are no “right” ways. But here is mine. This is what I told her.

Have you tried Save the Cat to plot your book?

 A fake victory half way through your story.

At mid-point, I have a fake victory. A place in the story where the characters feel they won but it’s an illusion (a love scene there works well).

Find your way from mid-point to climax

So for the last part I need to go from fake victory to the Climax in Act 3. I start with a bad event, something coming out as a consequence of previous decision. Blade Snyder talks about the “bad guys closing in”. I bring in my “really bad guys” in this oart, maybe escalading from one bad thing to the next.

How bad can it get! Escalate the bad in the second half!

Donald Maass talks about the “how bad can it get!” In my current WIP, a contemporary romance, it starts after my heroine finally gets together with the hero, with first her car breaking down, then her ex moves in town, then she lose her job (because of a stupid decision on her part), then she breaks-up with the hero (tied to the job loss), then she gets into a huge fight with her mom.

As far as the bad stuff happening, I try to have the bad events tied to the characters worst fear as defined in the GMC! And make it a consequence of their actions (in my story, it’s her fault she gets fired, then the firing leads to a break-up, she fears being dependant on a man). You have to torture your characters the whole time!  Make them suffer!

Tension and conflict! Lots of it.

After all that bad stuff, we need “the dark night of the soul.”

This leads me to the real bottom and a “dark night of the soul”, where the heroine is all alone and is really really low. Then I come up with some epiphany where she decides to take action towards solving her problem. The decision to take action is what leads to Act 3 and the beginning of “lead into victory” and to the climax.

Tie all loose ends in the climax

And then, as I heard Jane Porter say, it’s just a matter of closing all the doors to make sure all is resolved (in this WIP, my heroine makes-up with mom, get back with the hero and takes action that leads to a new job and dealing with issues with her ex.)

Story boards: See the story in one picture!

Jim Butcher had conquered the swampy middle!

I really like the Save the Cat story boards. I made 3 so far for 3 WIP and it helped a lot. Basically, the first part is all about the “fun and game” promise of your book (say for me in a small town family romance, I have sexy kisses and some cute scenes with family, kids and engaging with the hero) and the last part is the meat and bone serious “how bad can it get” sort of thing. I like to make things deeper and deeper in emotions and/or action (for my paranormals) to escalade the pace, than finish with a bang in the climax.

Have fun with your middle. If all fails, also have a read of Jim Butcher’s The Great Swampy Middle! His writing advice his priceless.

What are your tricks?

Hump Day Kick Start

Song of the Day:  Control by Puddle of Mudd

Photo by Tom Cullis

 

Yowza! How do you like today’s pick?

What does this prompt say to you? I’m not even going to give you suggestions this time. Surely you can come up with your own fantasies, um, stories with this picture. I mean, just look at his, um, face. What is he thinking? What, or who, is he looking at? Why is he, er, wet and naked?

I’d love to hear from you.

8 Tricks to Writing Productivity

by Marie-Claude Bourque

How do you keep track of your word counts and keep yourself motivated.

A writer friend on Facebook asked me this question this week so I though it’d be best to write a blog post on the topic. I have a few trick to get me going. In fact, I used the following since Oct 5 and wrote a total of 63,000 words so far. I am a slow writer, so this is a huge word count for me. But hey, it adds up. I could make it to around 250,000 words in one year if I keep this pace!

(1) I write longhand. So I calculated that I write about 200 words for each page of my notebook. This is actually a bit of an underestimate so in fact my 63,ooo words is probably closer to 70,000 words. I tally my word count for every session I write by counting how many pages  I fill in my spiral notebook.

(2) I use a calendar. I got this trick from Liza Palmer at a writer’s conference. I have a large calendar posted on the wall (I use the awesome calendar put out by artist Tony Mauro who designs Yasmine Galenorn book covers. I write a scene a day, first thing in the morning, anywhere between 500 to 1500 words a day. I just write down the number for the day on the calendar. It sounds simple but it is a powerful tool. If I miss one day, I have to stare at an empy space for a whole month, so this really motivate me to get that day done.

(3) I got my second trick from Megan Crane at a writer’s conference. I started a page for my novel in progress where for each session I write the date, the scene number, the word count and a word count tally.

 

Like this:

• 10/19  — 1  — 900 — 900
• 10/20  — 2 – 1500 — 2400
• 10/21  — 3 — 700 — 3100
• etc…

(4) I also record my word count in a app I have for my iPhone called WriMoDemon which tally my word counts for the month. I usually make my target 20,000 words for the month so this app tells me what I need to do to stay on track. I write my total word counts for the month on my big wall calendar at the end of the month.

(5) I also record my word in another app called WriteChain from the How Not to Write website. It’s based on the idea that you need to write everyday and never “break the chain” to stay motivated. (see how Jerry Seinfeld use a similar idea) I keep my minimun goal at 500 words a day.

(6) I also have a group of romance writer friends from the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America. We started as a motivational group last year where we report our word counts each day and the leader post a spreadsheet with everyone’s progress once a week or so.

(7) I am also part of the “Write the Damn Book Challenge” group run by author Cherry Adair for people attending the ECWC writer conference. We report our word counts every week.

(8) and I am a member of WritingGIAM  (I’m in GIAM group 3) which was created by author Amy Atwell for romance writer just for the purpose of making and keeping writing goals.

(9) I also post my word counts of the day on my Facebook and Twitter status. A little for fun and a little for keeping me accountable. So all of 9 tricks that keeps me in check. It sounds like a lot but really it takes me about 5 minutes a day and an extra 5-10 minutes on Sunday. Little steps get you there!

Happy Writing