A Lesson In Paranoia…They Really Are Watching

The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction.  By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is you really want to say.  ~Mark Twain

 

I believe that anyone who is involved in the writing world has heard about the incredible meltdown an author had after a critical review. I don’t want to talk about that. We can all agree that she didn’t handle it well. We can all agree that she damaged her career. Enough said.

What I do want to discuss is that I found a few interesting items sprinkled throughout the 307 comments. (Yes, I slogged through every single one.) The first thing that caught my attention was the side argument rippling through over the idea of indie publishing.

What is indie publishing?

It is a gloriously vague term. Being so, it is open to interpretation. Many of the folks felt there was a distinct difference between being a self pubbed author and being an indie pubbed author. For them, the word indie refered to small, independent presses that accepted submissions and then published. Righteous indignation ran amuck when a different understanding was applied. “There’s self- publishing and commercial publishing, all the rest is smoke and mirrors.” Those in this camp think self published writers are using this word to give credibility to their work when, in fact it isn’t good enough for traditional publishing. Ouch, that’s harsh.

Others weren’t bothered with the interchanging of self-published and indie. Many thought it was a buzz word flung about in an attempt for writers to equate themselves with the hip alternative music scene that brought us great music from artists like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. However, the buzz behind the word was that it was still an attempt to bring more credibility to the arena of self pubbed authors.

There were a few who offered a concrete definition for both. “Indie was one who publishes without the aid of any sort of publisher and self-published was one who publishes with the aid of a pay-to-publish company.” A commenter who has a doctorate in language forensics states that terms in culture shift and that direct publishing is now considered indie. It may have been used differently before, but the meaning is expanding and encompassing all meanings- like it or not.

The best comment: “It doesn’t really matter though, no one cares except other writers. Readers just care if the book is good.” Enough said.

Besides arguing over the meaning of a word, a more serious notion was raised. Did she only harm her career? The answer is no. There were agents, editors and other book reviewers that chimed in on this debacle. Let’s start with the agent. “…as an agent actively looking for clients who has the manuscripts of some of the posters here, I have been turned off from all of you. Furthering this discussion is as unprofessional as beginning it.” Ouch again.

Just because you weren’t the one having the temper tantrum, joining in on the condemnation just got you sucker punched. The lesson here is to not stoop to a level that is obviously not professional.

Book reviewers were out spoken when it came to the topic of self-published authors. “I’ve sworn off reviewing self pubbed because I had two writers that did that. It’s a shame, but burned twice and I had enough.”

Readers also jumped in. “You and others like you have long since turned me off to indies forever.” How about another? “I’m now on an all-indie boycott.”  Still another. “This is the very type of behavior that will continue to tar self- published authors as hobbyists.” Big ouch!

What you put out there on the world wide web will come back to bite you in the tushie because they ARE watching. Agents, editors, our readers, book reviewers, librarians, and book store owners are reading blogs, tweets etc. Be professional. Be courteous. Be intelligent with your comments. Working at your keyboard, you are standing on a world stage. Enough said.

Rubbernecking – Behaving Badly

Song of the day: Re-arranged by Limp Bizkit

I had another blog queued for this week but after an unfortunate, if not absurdly comical, incident this week, I felt compelled to write about authors behaving badly.

I’ll briefly touch on said incident. But out of respect for all parties involved, I decline posting the link to this messy debacle.

An author submitted an e-published novel to a blog for review. The reviewer issued the author two stars out of five citing many grammatical errors. The reviewer did not bash the author and, in fact, commented that the story itself was quite good. However, the author needed to work on her craft. This undoubtedly upset the author as she launched into what I can only describe as a temper tantrum. She accused the reviewer of not downloading the correct copy of her book and vehemently disagreed with the reviewer’s judgment. Sadly, her rebuttal was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, thereby, reinforcing his rating. She then followed up with posts pointing to links where favorable reviews could be read. Did she stop there? Nope. She then demanded the bad review be removed. The critic stuck by his guns, and rightly so.

At this point, blog followers began their own assessments, calling the author petty, childish, and unprofessional. Some were sympathetic, calling for her to take a deep breath and step back, but most were not. And really, who could blame them with all her backbiting and name calling. She even went so far as to tell posters to f*** off not once but twice. Thus, a viral train wreck was born. It was so bad, you just couldn’t look away. Editors and agents tweeted about it. Loops and forums lit up with chatter. This author became fodder for social networks everywhere, including a YouTube video. In truth, from the outside, this meltdown was just as hilarious as jaw-dropping. But amid the face-palming, head-shaking, and snickering, there is a smidgen of pity. The poor lady, in her fit of anger, committed career suicide. I could almost hear TAPS playing in the background.

The publishing industry is not at all like Hollywood. Bad behavior does not equal increased sales. Just the opposite. The offensive author proved that. She collected 58 one star reviews on Amazon in two days. That speaks volumes on the power and speed with which people rally. Did all those people actually read the book? Who knows. It could be argued the author profited from 58 downloads. In the long run, future readers will take note of the overwhelming amount of low ratings and skip her book. Behaving badly sank her ship.

Get a bad review? Thank the critic for their time. Leave it at that. Say no more. As the old saying goes, you’ll catch more bees with honey than vinegar. Shaking the hive will get you stung. Do NOT defend yourself. You’ll appear wet behind the ears and immature.

Never EVER bad mouth a reviewer, agent, editor, or another author in a public forum. Ever! (You really shouldn’t do this among friends either. Karma can be a bitch.) Once it’s out there, it’s out there forever, for anyone to see. There are no take backs. You’ll only look like a big fat ass, and who needs more fat asses? What’s worse is you’ll lose integrity and the respect of your peers. And for the love of Pete, don’t tell people to f*** off. Instead, take a time out. Get cozy with a bottle of whiskey. Scarf a tub or two of ice cream. Scream, kick, and sob into your pillow. Call a 800#. Then pull up your big girl/boy skivvies and slather on a generous amount of sunscreen for that thick skin you’ll be growing.

Everyone has a voice and an opinion. Chances are, at some point someone is going to ruffle your feathers. Just remember, people are listening. Conduct yourself with the highest level of professionalism.

Give me a shout. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Agent Shopping day @ Agent Shop

UPDATE – ALL REQUESTS HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE AUTHORS. GOOD LUCK.

It’s Agent Shop day!

I’ve had a great month and I have to share my good news.

My young adult novel Ceres Wrath is an ABNA quarter-finalist! I also learned that it took first place in the Great Expectations contest and received a full request from the editor. Okay, now that I got THAT out of my system – onward!

Quick stats:

Pitches received 58

Pitches accepted 30

Pitches deleted 2

• 1 – Missing title
• 1 – Too long
• 26 – Came in after the first 30

WOW – Authors, way to go! This is the first time I’ve had this happen. So many people followed the rules.

Our top pitch slot winner is Cheryl!

UPDATE – Angelica has won the copy of CATFISH ALLEY!

Good luck to everyone.

A huge thank you to Kevan Lyon for participating today. As always Ms. Lyon, if there are any pitches you’d like more information about, simply e-mail me the number of the pitch along with any instructions you’d like me to pass on to the author.

Special thank you to Lynne Bryant and best of luck on the release of CATFISH ALLEY!

And now – the pitches. Good luck to everyone that made the cut.

***

#1 – TOP PITCH SLOT WINNER!

OF DREAMS FORGOTTEN

CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

55,000 words

When Kendi Morgan stumbles upon the victim of a would-be murder, she has no choice but to help him back to the safety of her secluded country home. Wounded DEA agent Gage Chandler is a man with nothing to lose and nothing to fear—until he finds himself falling for a beautiful woman who risks everything to save his life. Can their newfound love survive as they are targeted by a powerful drug lord seeking revenge? Gage knows he’s all that stands between the cartel and Kendi in a sting operation that has gone awry. Will he sacrifice his partner’s life and his own in exchange for Kendi’s safety?

Gage Chandler is a loner who wants to keep it that way. After losing his first love in a home invasion, he has a score to settle, and he doesn’t care what happens to him–until Kendi Morgan saves his life. Now he has a choice to make–will he continue the fight against the drug cartel he’s infiltrated, or will he embrace the love he’s found with Kendi…if he lives.

*

#2

SHADOWS AT MOOSES RUN

Mainstream Women’s Fiction

110, 000 words

Maddie has spent her twenties creating the perfect life in New York City, far from her mother and the terrors of an abusive childhood.  But when her mother dies and her father begs her to come home, Maddie must return to Mooses Run, a secluded house in the Colorado mountains.

Maddie discovers that her father is posting his profile on singles websites and marketing himself as the most eligible bachelor-about-town, only two months after his wife’s funeral. Seeing her own chance for the home and family she’s always wanted, Maddie falls head-over-heels and straight into bed with childhood friend Brad.  But she cannot embrace her new life while her mother’s spirit lingers at Mooses Run, laying claim to Maddie’s future and evoking memories Maddie would rather forget.  Maddie reveals her troubled past only to Jackson, the cynical artist who asks her to become his model and muse.

As Maddie throws herself into the role of maid-of-honor to both her sister and soon-to-be stepmother, she finds herself in a final showdown with her mother’s shadow, and with the one man who asks her to choose between him and her dreams.

*

#3

BETRAYAL

Thriller

105,000 words

There were four things Gerald “Jet” Jameson never saw coming:

·      Murdering 1700 people could be worse than a nuclear holocaust

·      Advances in science and technology, no matter how helpful, always comes at a cost

·      Children are the most unpredictable force in the world

·      and finally, the unimaginable, a narcissist repulsed by his own actions

When Jet, an aspiring astronaut, loses control of his perfect life he agrees to murder innocents to stop an escalating nuclear war. His reward. Raising a son he didn’t want, doubting an ego he can’t risk, utilizing technology he can’t possibly understand, while hiding a secret where the only solution is a hangman’s noose.

Add in:

·      An engineered virus, guaranteed to be a slate wiper, leaves two survivors behind

·      A world wide manhunt

·      A secret facility that uses humans as telepathic guinea pigs

·      A harvesting operation that steals organs from the dregs of society

·      An impossible space program sold as the only hope for mankind

·      and man’s first contact

This is BETRAYAL.

*

#4

Helena Goes to Hollywood

Women’s Fiction-Suspense

90k words

It’s not Hot In Cleveland, it’s Ordinary in Hollywood. When your black belts aren’t Gucci, it’s hard to fit in with the Hollywood crowd.  Helena isn’t in Tinsel Town for fun…she must protect her superstar sister from a stalker. Surrounded by kooky characters with out of control egos, Helena stands out like an A cup in the Playboy mansion. It’s the craziest place she’s ever been. But when the brother-in-law turns up murdered, Hollywood seems less like a joke. Helena must find the killer before she and her sister are wearing body bags instead ofRed Carpet fashions. Helena goes to Hollywood is the first in a proposed series about an average 40 year old divorcee who becomes infamous in Hollywood for solving crimes by her own rules!

*

#5

Demon Reincarnate

YA Urban Fantasy
72,000 words

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. Although DEMON REINCARNATE is the in a series, the story stands alone, and explores the uncertainty and change of being a teen on the cusp of adulthood.

*

#6

ANOTHER NIGHT FALLS

Historical Romance

90,000 words

Sumner Meador walked in a world of wealth and privilege of Charles Town’s elite, but that was years ago. Now he fights in the Southern backwoods driven by the passion he holds for the Patriot cause, shadowed by his past.  Reeling from a devastating defeat at the hands of the British, Sumner seeks haven at his farm, only to find an interloper, an unwelcome and unwanted distraction. He has no time for the young woman or the complications she brings with her, but soon discovers he has no option but to give aid to the stubborn, courageous beauty whether she wants it or not.

A widower, Sumner has been haunted by the death of his wife and is consumed with a desire for revenge. Jane Kilmer has been violently thrust into the midst of the civil war ensuing in the backwoods. Hiding from one of the most dangerous vigilantes, Jane trusts no one. Suddenly, she has no choice but to put her life in Sumner’s hands. Both desire revenge, but neither wants what happens-to fall completely, undeniably in love with each other- so much so, that both are willing to die for the other. And they might have to.

*

#7

WHISPERINGS OF A SOUTHERN HEART

Historical Romance

170,000 words

Set against the backdrop of Antebellum Charleston with the martial clash of brother against brother looming on the horizon, this explosive sage follows the life and loves of Josephine Buchanan Wright. As a young orphan, Josephine is taken back into her wealthy Charleston grandfather’s home where she is swept into world of pageantry and show. She accepts the world as it is around her. Her future seems certain until all she has placed her faith in falls apart; her fiancé’s betrayal, her grandfather’s death, a will that pulls her apart from the man she loves, her cousin’s atrocious attack on her companion, the cold and brutal war… leaving her torn between two cousins, the unconstraint and debonair, Wade, and his bold, brooding and Yankee cousin, Cullen. As her life spirals out of control, she tries desperately to cling to the honor and duty that has been instilled in her. But how can she do so when all she has known is no more?

*

#8

SeaStruck

Women’s Fiction – Paranormal

92,500 words

Encounters with mortals brought Lura nothing but grief. All the same, when the mermaid sees a man drowning in the Gulf of Mexico off St. Pete Beach, the words of the Law of One ring through her mind and she swims out to save him. Seven Sacred Laws rule the mer world; ignoring them leads to corruption and self-destruction. Mermaids have stopped following these laws to their own detriment. As Lura learns the forgotten laws, they test her at every turn.

Before the moon cycle ends, she must mate with a human in hopes of conceiving – her only chance to preserve her ancestral memories.

The slim, muscular man found in her waters has the genes she seeks for her offspring. Lura shape shifts into a leggy blonde to seduce him. Tyler isn’t about to get careless, though, not with an accidental pregnancy and a failed marriage behind him.

When the mermaid is captured by a treasure hunter, he triggers an ancient curse that keeps her in his power. It’s Tyler she wants.

Only unlocking the secret of the last Sacred Law allows her to use the power of love against the curse and accept Tyler’s help in her escape.

*

#9

Second Chance At Love

Historical Romance set in the Regency Period
85,000 words

Lady Beatrix, a strong-willed 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 independent beauty, Whitby never expected Beatrix could free him from 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.

*

#10

The Embroidered Pussycat

Contemporary, erotic romance with humor

31,785 words

JENNIFER starts a horse riding school for kiddos. BRIAN opens a tack supply store. Both are based at the same horse stable.

Brian needs to find a new nanny for his son, Drew. He assigns the task to his new assistant. She enrolls him in Jennifer’s school. One day, Brian has to pick up Drew. Remembering Brian from the CATFISH incident at a lakeside resort, Jennifer initially accuses Brian as a stalker.

Eventually, Brian enters Drew in an equestrian event that leads to a sequence of unexpected events. Turmoil ensues. Drew asks a blunt question about his deceased mother causing more turbulence.

Jennifer has to reconcile her negative reaction and the desirable Brian she didn’t recognize before. How will Jennifer find a way to let Brian know that she forgives him?

Brian insists that he’s let go of the memory of his deceased wife. He has to reconcile those residual feelings with his growing feelings for Jennifer.  How will Brian let go of his past and acknowledge his new feelings for Jennifer?

*

#11

‘Evil Has No Place’

Romantic Suspense

75K words

After eight years, Nickelle Carson, a mafia kidnapped victim escapes her captor. A normal life is all Nickelle wants for her son—that, and to keep the family she remembers safe. To protect them she needs to disappear, but when she is captured by a handsome U.S. Marshal, her only choice is to keep her true identity hidden and remain silent.

Before more young lives are lost, U.S. Marshal, William Haus vows to do anything to unearth the secret that keeps the beautiful Karina (Nickelle) from testifying against the Russian War Lord.

Will the sparks igniting between the two blind them to the evil that stalks their shadows?

*

#12

Sworn to Love

Historical Romance set in the Regency Period
84,000 words

Lady Juliette Langston, an innocent beauty must marry well to replenish her family’s coffers and unwittingly captures the heart of an alluring war hero, LT Colonel Brendon Amherst who secretly promised to watch over her before he returns to the fight to avenge the death of his men.

When Brendon asks for her hand in marriage, her father prohibits the match and thrusts his daughter into the arms of a lecherous old duke, striking a killer into action.  Bitter over the past, Juliette struggles to stay alive in a world filled with danger while Brendon vows not only to save her but to renew their love and ensure a future, together.

*

#13

Spirits from the Vasty Deep

YA historical/ghost story

95,000 words

Spirits from the Vasty Deep is a ghostly young adult historical novel set in the 1850s–it’s Blossom Culp meets the Pirates of the Caribbean.

En route from Spain after her father’s death, 17-year-old Olivia sets a ship afire while escaping its murderous crew—dooming all hands aboard. Now their ghosts want retribution, and Olivia will need to reclaim her forsaken abilities to speak with the dead in order to withstand the vengeful spirits. If she fails, she could lose her own soul, and open the way for sinister shades to invade the world of the living.

*

#14

Young Adult Fantasy

The Book of Ruins

197 words

Ever wonder what a numah and a Murfle have in common?  Know how a top notch Troll Bowler called Uran landed a plush job at a resort of sorts located in a tiny town called Adder and became infamous for his incessant and persistent insistence that the Devil is in the Deer Tails?  Have you played a Gnome Course lately just for the fun of being chased and bitten by one of What Not’s be-speckled balls or one of the gnarly Gnomes who live there?

Since the war between the states of service and servitude the Murfles have become the servers and the numahs require constant service.

Enter BeJewelled, a main character in this plot who is constantly plotting to help the Murfles overthrow the system at Bard’s Lair, her once beloved home which now lays in ruins and you have the beginnings of a story called The Book of Ruins.

Did I mention BeJewelled is a ghost? This simple story involves complex plots surrounding current issues. How we treat each other, what we value in life and how we can make a difference by changing our attitudes are currents of thought which prevail throughout this story.

*

#15

The Brat Files: History at Stake

Young Adult

50,000 words

Like most teenagers, Lily Adams hates being the ‘new kid.’ Unfortunately, that status pretty much sums up her life. Only this time Uncle Sam has gone too far. Not only has Lily been to seven schools in nine states in fourteen years, but now her dad is getting stationed in Germany. This is nothing unusual for a seasoned ‘army brat.’ What makes Lily really strange is that she’s a Traveler…as in Time Traveler.

All Lily wants to do is survive her freshman year in a boring country of sauerkraut and leather overalls. A few friends would be nice, but when Lily meets her neighbor, Nick–an odd German kid who happens to enjoy traversing through history–she gets way more friendship than she bargained for. After a Halloween dare in the village cemetery ends in disaster, Lily and Nick are sent back to15th century Romania to rescue a classmate–who just so happens to be the biggest snob in the entire school. Their mission leads them to a castle deep in the Carpathian mountains, where they meet face to face with the legendary prince of Transylvania himself–Vlad ‘the Impaler,’ also known as Dracula. This is one history lesson Lily won’t soon forget.

*

#16

Experience My Only Authority: The Wife of Bath’s Guide to Love

Non-Fiction

60,000 words

How medieval are your ideas about love? And what can the most scandalous woman of the Middle Ages teach you about romance?

You might be surprised to find that a number of our notions about romance and relationships date to the fourteenth century or even earlier.  Did you know that it was Geoffrey Chaucer who started the tradition of lovers meeting on Valentine’s Day?  Or that it was his brassy Wife of Bath who first set the standard for the “cougar” lifestyle? Experience My Only Authority: The Wife of Bath’s Guide to Love will detail medieval notions about love and how they’re continuing to hold lovers back in the 21st century.

*

#17

The Some Day List

Single title contemporary romance

93,000 words

After finding out that her irresponsible ex-husband is going to be a father, Quinn Adams is determined to change her life to get the thing she wants most – a family. She tosses aside her practical nature and allows her friends to put together a list of frivolous adventures for a summer of fun. She figures if she can complete this list, she will either find The One or at least be prepared to become a single mother.

Ryan O’Leary is the person his large family relies on for everything, so when his friend Quinn struggles with her list, Ryan naturally steps up to help. As they tackle Quinn’s list together, Ryan’s involvement shakes up Quinn’s life more than the adventures themselves. When their relationship evolves beyond friendship, Quinn fears losing a great friend while Ryan struggles to find a balance between the demands of his family and his desire to have a life of his own.

*

#18

Guitar God

YA—Contemporary Fantasy

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.

*

#19

The Pirate’s Deception

Historical/paranormal

90500 words

Alexander Barrington is an untitled relative of the Duke of Somerset.  As such, he secures a Naval position to explore his love, the seas. His boat is taken by pirates who ransom him with no payment thus he is forced to join them. Along his traves, he becomes involved with a vampire who turns him. As an immortal, he excells at pirating, becoming the scourge of the seas thus exiled from ever returning home and the Society he was raised in. He considers himself damned for eternity and refuses to drag anyone else into his vampiric world.

Laurel is the only child of a Viscount. She is kidnapped by villians in the West Indies and Alexander, sentenced for hanging as a pirate (a fate he must avoid or be discovered as the undead), seizes the opportunity to rescue the girl only to find he must take her back to England, a place he’s avoided. She is betrothed to another (Alexander’s half-brother – the next Duke) thus Alexander places her at a distance to protect her. Though he considers himself damned and unworthy of love, she is a strong temptation. The longer they are together, the more they can’t fight the attraction even though evil and betrayal await them in London.

*

#20

A Demon’s Redemption

Paranormal Romance

90,000 words

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?

*

#21

The Dating Game

Contemporary Romance

100,000 words

Can a widow on the edge of approaching middle age find love a second time?

JENNETTE RILEY is content with work and her relationship with her late husband’s best friend–until her brother infers the man is running from commitment like a convict desperate to stay free. When her lover discourages her suggestion she spend an evening watching his band play at a nearby club, she realizes she needs to know if he will ever move their love affair forward and contacts her brother to accept his unconventional offer of help.

When his fiancée’s dynamic career takes precedence over their relationship, TYLER MORGAN decides he needs a distraction. When a co-worker tells him of a classic car collecting dust in his sister’s garage, 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 is a case of mistaken identity and an intriguing offer he chooses not to 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.

*

#22

PLAYING FOR KEEPS

Single Title Contemporary Romance

80,000 words

English teacher Emma Dawson has enough complications in her life with an alcoholic sister and a son on the brink of teenage-dom. The last thing she needs is her high school crush waltzing into town and setting up camp in the middle of her life.

Thanks to a knee injury, professional baseball player, Nate Campbell, finds himself back in his hometown, coaching at his alma mater, and enjoying sparring with one stubborn English teacher way more than he should.

Caught in the classic battle between sports and academics, Nate and Emma face off against each other, an unscrupulous principal, and an attraction neither can deny. But when enemies become lovers, Nate is determined to convince Emma he really is playing for keeps.

*

#23

Pink Lady

Cozy

49000 words

A Haunted House , hidden wealth and a murder all these things combine to make Anna’s life more complicated than she thought it ever could be. Returning home after discovering her fiancée doing the horizontal tango with a museum board member, she decides to convert the home her uncle left her into a bed and breakfast. As she and her contractor peel back the layers of grime, they discover clues about the gruesome murder of the former owners. Can they solve the mystery before they meet the same fate?

*

#24

AMBUSHING THE HEIRESS

Historical Romance

93K words

“The sacrifice of one spoiled heiress for the good of many…” at least that’s how tarnished war-hero Major Vicks Geale quiets his conscience. Newly returned to England, Vicks finds his pay and commission forfeited, he’s inherited a crumbling estate, worthless title and a mountain of debt. With a band of wounded men depending upon him, Geale chooses the feckless and rich Lady Evangeline “Mischief” Moorecroft.

Gorgeous over-indulged Lady Evangeline delights on dancing the razor’s edge between scandal and infamy. Unable to resist Geale’s bait of a notoriously naughty masquerade, Evangeline awakens to discover she’s been ambushed into marriage. As an uneasy alliance forms between them, Evangeline has second thoughts about dissolving the marriage. Their fierce attraction is put to the test when Evangeline’s treacherous and well-connected mother, theDuchess, gives Evangeline an ultimatum: end the marriage or the Duchess will use her connections to end Geale’s life.

*

#25

RARELY THE CARROT WITHOUT THE STICK

THRILLER

86K words

There’s some sick twisted shit that goes on in small towns. I know. I live in one. Raised in dysfunction, more smart-aleck than smart, I’m as ordinary as toast… except for a freakishly elevated Kinesic ability. My brain processes a person’s microscopic tics and twitches so clearly, they may as well be texting me what they’re thinking.

I exploit it as best I can, telling fortunes and selling love potion, careful to mind my business, flying below the radar. Or so I thought until the muscle showed up. Now trouble’s buzzing around me like flies to road kill. Since then, I’ve been robbed, assaulted and inked a deal with the devil. Rock bottom, right?

Not even close. Tug Shelby–the man I hadn’t yet decided whether he belongs in a shallow grave or in my bed–is missing. Vanished, unless you count a little finger and a helluva lot of blood. All I’ve got is a belly-full of fire, an arsenal of parlor tricks and a family that may or may not have my back. I don’t know how I’m gonna find him, but I’m prepared to die trying.

*

#26

Camp Awakening

Young Adult Paranormal

85,000 words

When sixteen-year-old Melody’s father is killed by psyfons—power-draining psychics—she’s driven to join the fight against these evil creatures. This takes her to a boot camp for psychic kids to master her telekinesis. Although focused on her psyfon-destroying goal, she makes friends with trainees who have other abilities and catches the attention of Jonas, the gorgeous junior trainer whose very presence makes her feel dizzy and distracted.

When a few trainees collapse, Melody begins to suspect that the evil psyfons have infiltrated the camp. The dizziness Jonas makes her feel whenever they’re together starts to become less romantic and more suspicious. Is it possible that the boy she’s falling for could be one of the monsters who killed her father?

*

#27

When Time Stood Still

Futuristic romance

85,000 words

In 2076, 3-D artist Beryl Hesketh falls in love with astronaut Roger Kemp.  But he leaves on a dangerous mission—lasting forty years.  He will not age due to time dilation, but much goes wrong.  He returns one hundred and sixty years later.  On an intrigue-ridden moon colony, he spots a woman who looks exactly like Beryl.  But how can she?

He discovers this is indeed Beryl—now Hildegard Heidt.  She went into suspended animation to await his return.  But her memory of her past is gone, replaced by a disgruntled scientist’s programming in a plot against the authorities.  Even so, Hildegard falls in love with Roger.

It takes all of Roger’s might to rescue her from both sides.  But even that cannot save their relationship.  He insists on seeing Hildegard as his lost love, not the woman she now is.  They break up.

When Hildegard is nearly killed in an earthquake, and he saves her, she has a near-death experience.  Her life passes before her; she finally learns of her lost years.  Again she wants Roger; he can now love all of her.  The two are married, and depart for a new life on an Earth-like exoplanet.

*

#28

‘Lady of Coventry’

Historical Romance-very sensual

100,000 words

Lady Godiva is in a real mess.  A solemn promise to her father has her wed and forevermore bound to a castle replete with all kinds of onerous domestic duties.  Add an overbearing, albeit, devastatingly handsome husband into the mix, and Godiva is even more determined to gain her freedom.  Godiva and her oaths!  What trouble they get her into! The independent Saxon lady finds herself truly shackled for life to Leofric, Earl of Mercia.

He expects nothing more other than to keep Godiva safe and very possibly pregnant at the hearth.

So he thinks!  Godiva would much rather swing her sword at his side, and get a piece of all the battle action and intrigue of the earldom.

The more he tries to subdue and protect her, the more the lady resents him.

How does one respond to a woman wanting to lead the life of a warrior, and how, for heaven’s sake, does one react to a wife who rides nude through a village for all the world to see?

Will these two very strong-willed lovers learn to accept each other and learn to unleash the love that grows between them?

Yes!  But what a journey it is.

*

#29

Don’t Cross the Line

Paranormal Romance

100,000 words

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.

*

#30

‘Promises from the Sea’

Fantasy Romance/very sensual

100,000 words

Caspia de Mer notices a man approaching her as if from out of the blue—the deep blue, that is.  He spouts nonsense, saying things like ‘he has come to claim her’, and, ‘she is his lifemate’.  When Caspia realizes that the handsomely exotic  man is not kidding–she does everything in her power to thwart him.

Aqualus of Ionia is horrified to find that his beautiful bride wants nothing at all to do with him.  Determined, he encounters a few problems. One major one being—Caspia does not know she is a mermaid—and discovers that Caspia is under the spell of a mysterious and nefarious wizard.

To confound his situation, he has to convince Caspia that he wants to love her, but try convincing that to a mermaid whose best friend is an earth-witch who supplies his lifemate potions to resist his courtship of her.

It’s an unsettling situation for the legendary merman who never knew the resistance of any female.  Should he use his own magic to woo his one true love, or should he just sweep her off her feet—er, fins—and take her with him into his world beneath the waves?

It’s GO day at Agent Shop

Welcome to another round of Agent Shop.

Our attending agent is Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary agency.

Our author spotlight today is Lynne Bryant with her soon to be released

CATFISH ALLEY

A moving debut novel about female friendship, endurance, and hope in the South.

Roxanne Reeves defines her life by the committees she heads and the social status she cultivates. But she is keeping secrets that make her an outsider in her own town, always in search of acceptance. And when she is given a job none of the other white women want-researching the town’s African-American history for a tour of local sites-she feels she can’t say no.

Elderly Grace Clark, a retired black schoolteacher, reluctantly agrees to become Roxanne’s guide. Grace takes Roxanne to Catfish Alley, whose undistinguished structures are nonetheless sacred places to the black community because of what happened there. As Roxanne listens to Grace’s stories, and meets her friends, she begins to see differently. She is transported back to the past, especially to 1931, when a racist’s hatred for Grace’s brother leads to events that continue to change lives decades later. And as Roxanne gains an appreciation of the dreams, courage, and endurance of those she had so easily dismissed, her own life opens up in new and unexpected ways.

Thanks for being here Lynne!

Can you tell us where the idea for CATFISH ALLEY came from?

Lynne: The real Catfish Alley in my hometown of Columbus, Mississippi, was a gathering place for African Americans from the late nineteenth century through my growing up years in the seventies. In its heyday, in the early 1900s, it was a short block between Main and College Street where locals could bring their catfish catch and sell it in the alley. The story is that the Alley got its name from the wonderful smell of fried catfish wafting across Main Street on any given day.

While doing research on the antebellum homes in Columbus, I ran across the list of sites for the Columbus African-American Heritage tour. Catfish Alley was one of those sites. I began to wonder about the stories of the men and women who might have lived during those early years of the twentieth century. I started to research places that I’d grown up around but never really noticed, and I began to ask myself “what if a white woman and a black woman were thrown together, not necessarily by choice, to examine the history of the Columbus African American community?” So, out of all of this imagery, memory, and life experience, the story of Catfish Alley was born.

Care to share your ‘call’ experience? Either from when you were offered representation or when you got the call saying CATFISH ALLEY had sold?

Lynne: Finding my wonderful agent, Kevan Lyon, was a combination of a twist of fate and learning to listen and pay attention to details. I signed up to read for Kevan at a Read and Critique session during the Pikes Peak Writers Conference in April, 2009. At the time, I did not have an agent and I read from a completed Southern novel of mine which I had been trying for several months to sell. I’m now happy to say that Kevan didn’t find that story very interesting–“sounds like kitchen table conversation,” I remember her saying. But what I did notice that day was how intrigued she was by a very tiny historical detail in the excerpt that I read, and I took notice when she said how much she loved historical fiction.

I went home that day discouraged, but curious. What if? In November, 2008, during NANOWRIMO, I had started writing a story that moved back and forth between contemporary Mississippi, and the 1920s. The novel wasn’t finished, and I knew that if I pitched it, I’d be breaking one of the rules of pitching: “Always pitch a completed manuscript.” However, I decided it was my “go big or go home” moment, so I cancelled my pitch appointment with a different agent for the completed novel, and took a chance that Kevan might have a cancellation in her pitch schedule. And I got lucky! She had a cancellation, and when I pitched the story of Catfish Alley, she liked it! I did start my pitch with the caveat that the book wasn’t finished yet. I still have a vivid memory of that conversation. Kevan said, “I’m intrigued. Send me a hundred pages.” I, of course, agreed—trying to remember to breathe—especially when she continued with, “You know that if I like this, I’m going to push you.” I nodded, and smiled, and shook her hand, then proceeded out of the pitch room so that I could have a small nervous breakdown. A hundred pages! I had close to two hundred pages written, but none of it was polished and ready for anyone else to read—not even my mother!

Here’s when the next twist of fate happened. I attended the conference dinner that evening and sat at a table with some really nice folks who had recently published a non-fiction book together. She was beginning a novel, and he was pitching a mystery. The woman, Elizabeth Roberts, said to me “Whatever you do, before you send that hundred pages, have an editor read it—not your relatives or your friends—a real editor who doesn’t know you.” I took her words to heart (more of the paying attention).We shared our elation over being asked for pages from agents, and generally enjoyed the evening together. The next week, I realized that I didn’t really know any editors, so I consulted one of my students who had been an editor, and was starting a second career in nursing. She graciously agreed to get in touch with her contacts. One of the names she came back with was Elizabeth Roberts, her neighbor and an editor! Elizabeth, in a very short turn-around time, helped me hone those first one hundred pages into something I was willing to share with Kevan.

Kevan called within a couple of days with a message for me to send her the whole book. Again, I panicked! I called her back and said, “Um…I’m the one who doesn’t have the book finished. Remember?” And, miraculously, she said, “Oh, that might be even better. I can give you feedback as you finish it.” That was when I knew that I had found a jewel for an agent!

The next several months, as I completed sections of the novel and sent them to her for feedback, were not so much about being pushed as about being encouraged. She believed in the story, and her constructive feedback helped me to make the novel stronger. I finished Catfish Alley by Labor Day of 2009, and by October, Kevan had sold it to Ellen Edwards at New American Library, a division of the Penguin Group. What a fabulous present for my fiftieth birthday!

What a wonderful way to find Kevan! What else do you have in the works?

Lynne: I’m just completing the manuscript for Alligator Lake. The novel is set in the Mississippi Delta town of Greenville. It’s the story of a young woman who flees Mississippi right after high school, trying to leave behind a tragic event that arises out of racial segregation. When she leaves, she is pregnant with a mixed race child. She returns to Greenville ten years later, accompanied by her daughter, to grapple with some unsolved mysteries of her life, and in so doing, ends up getting immersed in her grandmother’s history. It’s a story of four generations of women—each of whom deals with Mississippi in her own way—part love story, part mystery, and a lot about that Southern sense of place. Like Catfish Alley, the story moves back and forth in time between contemporary time and the past.

Excellent. Good luck! Care to share one piece of advice you would pass on to other aspiring authors?

Lynne: I consider myself very much a novice in the world of writing. Writing is the thing I have done in my life that scares me the most, making it paradoxically the most satisfying thing that I’ve ever done. If I were to offer any advice, it would be to take to heart every bit of feedback you receive and consider how that feedback could make your writing stronger. This doesn’t mean you’ll always use it, but always consider it. The other thing I would say is to carve out time to write regularly. It’s challenging when you work full time, but if nothing else, writing feeds your soul, and a writer must feed her soul!

CATFISH ALLEY sounds wonderful and I’m so glad you came to visit us today. I’ll be adding this to my TBR pile for certain. Look at these great reviews!

Praise for Catfish Alley
“…her tale will appeal to readers who enjoyed The Help. The author accesses her own tumultuous Southern history to lend her enchanting tale much local color.” — Publishers Weekly

4 and1/2 stars–TOP PICK–”Beautifully written and extremely poetic… full of tales of courage and endurance that may bring you to tears with their intensity, this is not a novel you’ll soon forget.” — RT Book Reviews

“A tender, wise, unique story of life, love, and southern women, crafted by a skilled writer who understands the struggle to find happiness and the healing power of friendship.” — Lisa Wingate, author of Beyond Summer and Larkspur Cove

“In the tradition of The Help, Lynne Bryant’s Catfish Alley tackles the racial divide of both 1920s and current-day Mississippi in a page-turning narrative that has, at its heart, the search for personal connections as the path to both survival and understanding.” — Lalita Tademy, author of Cane River

“Catfish Alley is a bittersweet love song to the union of women, and a heartfelt meditation on the old and new wounds of a South that still must tiptoe, still doesn’t always know how to move forward, but is determined to try. Lynne Bryant writes honorably and earnestly about women facing each other and themselves.” — Barbara O’Neal, How to Bake a Perfect Life

“Catfish Alley is Lynne Bryant’s first novel — and in reading it, I feel as if I’ve stumbled on a rare gem! …an extremely captivating story that unfolds and will keep you hooked until the very last page.” — Dreamworld Book Reviews

Release Date: April 5, 2011
Lynne’s website and blog: www.lynne-bryant.com
Where to buy: www.amazon.com; www.barnesandnoble.com; www.borders.com; www.indiebound.org; www.penguin.com; www.booksamillion.com

Lynne Bryant
Author Bio

A love of storytelling and a desire to follow humbly in the footsteps of the great Southern writers prompted Lynne Bryant to write her debut novel Catfish Alley, to be released by New American Library (a division of Penguin Group USA) on April 5, 2011. Lynne was born and raised in rural Mississippi, where her maternal grandparents farmed cotton and her mother is one of their fifteen children. Catfish Alley weaves together historical and contemporary characters in a unique story about female friendship, endurance, and hope in the South. Lynne is at work on her second novel, Alligator Lake, due to be released April, 2012. Lynne is currently a college professor in Colorado, but the home of her heart will always be the South. For more information, visit Lynne’s website at www.lynne-bryant.com.

As I’ve done in the past, I’ll be awarding the first pitch slot to one lucky comment that uses the word CATFISH! Lynne is also going to give away a copy of CATFISH ALLEY to one lucky person. Both will be randomly selected.

Good luck to everyone!

And that means – it’s time!

Send your pitch to me candi_agent_shop@yahoo.com

Remember to check, double check, and triple check your pitch to make sure it follows the rules exactly.

GO!

Let Your Senses Do The Walking And Talking

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.  ~William Wordsworth

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.  ~Anton Chekhov

Last week I focused on finding terrific bits of information to add a new level of interest to your stories. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to simply add something cool you found on the internet or in a book. Readers demand that we write with something more than an encyclopedic litany of information. How boring to say, “The maiden ate her oat seed cake and followed it with a cup of ale.” While this gets the information across, the words don’t allow us to be fully in the moment.

I’m going to slip off on a tangent and tell you a story that happened to me a few days ago.

This is the one year anniversary of my mother’s death. Throughout this time, I’ve been fairly stoic. I’ve talked a lot about it, but haven’t had big cry sessions. At least, not until now.

I was walking through a casino over Spring Break and I smelled my mother’s perfume on a lady sitting at a slot machine. Grief swamped me. She smelled so much like my mom, a lifetime of memories instantly played within my head. I finally walked over to my friend who was several aisles down with tears streaming down my face. My time to cry had come.

It was a silly place to cry, yet there I was bawling like a baby. The familiar smell triggered my emotions and that’s what we have to tap into when we write.

Writers have a magnificent tool called the internet- information at our fingertips. While this has made researching easier, it has also made us lazy. I’ve discovered that my writing improves tenfold when I employ “the sensual art of research”.

The characters (Sarah and Caleb) in my first novel are asked to work in the rain forest of Malaysia. I’ve had the luxury of growing up in that country, but it was a long time ago. I could watch a few videos, try to remember what it was like, and read a few articles. What if I did that, plus added a few sensual exercises to bring in a more vivid dimension to this book? My Malaysia box was born.

First stop was the rainforest located at our local aquarium. I smelled and felt the plants, took notes on the animals I saw, listened to the sounds they made. Next stop was the steam room at my gym. I needed to know what it felt like to be in plus 100% humidity in clothes and trying to work. I timed how long it took for my clothes to become saturated, and discovered the inner part of my thighs chafed and blistered after “hiking” in shorts. I also took photos of what my hair did- SO not pretty…you should have seen my make up!

There was also a scene where my characters ate at open-air food stalls. I filled my box with bags of tangy spices commonly used in traditional cooking. I made a Malay dinner that Sarah and Caleb ate while taking note of the vibrant colors on top of the dark green banana leaf that served as a plate. I went to a large electronics store that had great World Music and Nature Sounds sections. Malay music and sounds of the rainforest played in the background as I wrote. A store that carries imports from around the world provided me with examples of batik and other local arts. By the time I finished, my box was full of great items that let me delve into the world of my book.

We are sensual creatures.

We process the world with our fingertips, nose, ears, eyes and mouth. Let your research lead you down a sensual path- I promise you won’t regret it.

Hump Day Kick Start

Song of the Day: Pain by Three days Grace

Thirsty?

Need help with that shower?

How’s this for a writing prompt? Tell me who he is and what he is doing.  There are many avenues to take o this one. Is he a mercenary? Training in martial arts? A cop who just finished working out his frustrations in the gym? A Greek God?  Are those just wraps on his fists or are they bandages?What is in the box?

Let your imagination soar. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Agent Shop – What is it???

It’s been some time since I last posted about the reason we started ‘Agent Shop’ here at Musetracks.

A LONG time…

When Jenn, Marie-Claude, John and I were first starting out, we were lucky enough to find a wonderful resource in Charlotte Dillon’s Romance Writers Community. You could call it luck, fate, kismet… Whatever stars aligned for us, we came together in Charlotte’s online critique group and fell in love with one another’s writing. The rest as they say, is history. Now we’ve welcomed Stacey into the madness and I’m happy to say she fits right in.

We helped each other through the varying stages of learning our craft, held numerous in-depth discussions about everything from rule breaking to finding and keeping our voice during edits. We shared link after link and resource after resource in our attempts to become better at our writing and push toward our goals to become published authors.

As most of you are aware, the lines to publication take so many forms.

At any rate, we found an amazing community of writers out there willing to help us newbies get on our feet. Musetracks is our way of paying it forward.

Agent Shop is another way. I’m happy to say that since Agent Shop started, we’ve had well over a 600 pitches come in during our 15 ‘Agent Shop’ dates. Not all of them were viable pitches, only about 410 of those made it through, but of the ones that made it through we’ve had 57!!! requests for more material.

THAT’S HUGE!!!

 

This weekend will mark our 16th Agent Shop. We have Kevan Lyon from Marsal Lyon Lit as our attending agent, and she’s bringing along Lynne Bryant with her soon to be released CATFISH ALLEY. We’ll be giving the top pitch slot to one lucky visitor that uses the word CATFISH in their comment, and Lynne will also give away a copy of CATFISH ALLEY.

So here’s a quick recap:

Mar 27th – Be here around 10:00am EST and wait for me to post the word GO.

Leave a comment using the word CATFISH to be entered to win either the top pitch slot OR a copy of CATFISH ALLEY.

Make sure your pitch follows the rules:

• 200 words or less
• Pitch – Agent Shop in subject line
• Your pitch should look like this:

TITLE

GENRE

WORDCOUNT

PITCH

(Placing your info anywhere in your pitch does not mean you’ve given me the information. I don’t have time to read through and figure out your info! Auto delete if I do!)

• Make sure the attending agent is looking for your type of project/ms.

Then, send your pitch to: candi_agent_shop @ yahoo.com

I’ll post the pitches that made it in on Monday Mar. 28th, for Kevan to ‘shop’. She’ll let me know which pitches she wants more of, and I’ll contact all the lucky pitchers.

 

I often receive upwards of sixty pitches on pitch day. (Highest #102, lowest # 20)

Here’s how I do things.

• Pitches come in
• Any pitch that is sent as an attachment is deleted.
• I separate the pitch and info e-mails and try to answer all questions
• Then I check for contact info, title, genre and wordcount (Any that are missing info are deleted)
• Next I check the wordcount of the actual pitch. (Any that are over 200 words are deleted)
• Then I list the viable pitches in order received until I reach 30.

Sounds simple. It is, in most cases. And fun too. I admit to occasionally being late to post the word go. I’m an animal control officer for four towns, and well, animals don’t wait! But most days, I’m right on time.

So that’s the skinny.

Hope to see you all here on Sunday and pass the word!

 

Writer Inspiration:The Silent Partnership by Alayna Williams

The Silent Partnership

by Alayna Williams.

Writing can be both a joyful and challenging process. There’s the satisfaction of conjuring something from nothing: building a world and bringing characters to life from nothing. There’s a great deal of freedom in that process. And power. A writer is Queen (or King) of the universe, able to defy the laws of physics (and sometimes common sense).

But there are also things that scare me. And one of those things is being exposed. Publishing a story creates a covenant between the writer and the reader, in which the writer exposes her way of thinking. Despite what we say about it all being fiction, I think that most writers convey an intimate piece of themselves in that exchange. Some fragment of one’s inner self is in each story.

It’s a lot like being naked in front of a stranger.

That’s a bit disconcerting, at first. I wondered if I’d get goosebumps and back out of the arrangement. Write something distant from me. Something sanitized, without that connection, and appear before the reader in a winter coat, hat and gloves.

But I don’t think that’s what readers are looking for. That’s not part of the deal. Part of the agreement is sharing something with the reader that is unique to the writer. Something that they haven’t exactly seen before. It’s about stripping bare, standing before the reader with toes curled and holding one’s breath.

It’s disconcerting, at first. But I’m learning to get used to it. To allow people into my head. I’m a pretty private person in my day-to-day life. I don’t want people close to me reading my work. I don’t want them knowing me that well and taking the mechanism of the story apart to know what makes me tick. I don’t want my parents reading my sex scenes. Or my co-workers wondering why I know the exact temperature it takes to incinerate a body. I draw the cloak of pseudonyms around myself and have that distance with them. I’m not stripping down for them.

But I’m willing to stand naked before a stranger.

Because it’s for them. It’s a special agreement, that knowing. It’s an invitation into a world. It’s a collaboration, creating a world at the intersect of ink and the reader’s thoughts.

That’s a unique relationship. Invisible. But also more familiar.

–

Alayna Wiliams (a.k.a. Laura Bickle) has worked in the unholy trinity of politics, criminology, and technology for several years. She lives in the Midwestern U.S. with her chief muse, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats. Writing as Laura Bickle, she’s the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket – Juno Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, she’s the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE. More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here: www.salamanderstales.com

ROGUE ORACLE:

The more you know about the future, the more there may be to fear.

 Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around – and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn’t need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way. 

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards – and Tara’s increasingly ominous dreams – suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationships with the mysterious order known as Delphi’s Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen… 

ROGUE ORACLE is available now from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

This Ain’t Your Grandma’s History Lesson

Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors.
Rhys Alexander

Brrrring! The school bell has rung.

Welcome children.  Come into the classroom of all things interesting, grotesque and unusual.

Interesting tidbit number one- Did you know that the oil of swallows was popular for repairing sunken muscles? No? I thought not. “Take young swallows out of their nests, rosemary tips, bay leaves; cut off the wings, and tails, put them into a stone mortar and lay the herbs upon them and beat them all to pieces, guts, feathers, bones and all…” This was groundbreaking medicine in the 1600’s. I found this scientific discovery in a book called Weird History 101 by John Richard Stephens.

I’m sharing this with you, not because I want you to grind up a swallow, but because we can use interesting  bits of information like this throughout our stories. For instance, one of my characters is from a rich southern family and uses old sayings and odd snippets of history to make his persona unique. I’ve slowly compiled several of these sayings into a homemade dictionary of sorts for Ghost to pull from when the time is right. He also finds great wisdom in the stories his grandfather told him when he was knee high to a grasshopper.(I’m channeling Ghost.) I drew on tales told in Weird History as well as in Lost Treasures of American History by W.C. Jameson. The quirky nature of his speech offers a depth to Ghost that would have been difficult to convey by more traditional means.

I came upon this idea as I perused the bargain racks in some large book stores. How do I add something original, something that makes my story just a little bit more interesting to read? I found the answer scattered throughout half price cookbooks. Who knew? I’ve now started a collection of “textbooks” that you wouldn’t find in a regular classroom.

One day I discovered a book entitled The Element Encyclopedia of 1000 Spells by Judika Illes. What if I wanted Odilia, a mystical healer in my second book, to create Marie Laveau Water? Ms. Laveau was the undisputed queen of Voodoo in New Orleans in the early 1800s and used this for cleansing spells. Well, this was right up Odilia’s alley. You need one cup of rain water, spring water, rose water, and Holy water coupled with twenty drops of essential oil of lavender. All this great information and for under $8! I also had 999 other items I could slam into my book to create a wonderful, spiritual woman I loved writing about.

What else do I have in my unusual collection of textbooks? How about 101 Incredible Experiments For The Weekend Scientist by Rob Beattie. And you wonder where McGyver got his scientific know how. There’s also Criminal Investigation-Evidence, Clues, and Forensic Science by John D. Wright (found that one behind a book on making earth worm farms.) It has step-by-step guides on examining a body at a crime scene and how DNA is matched to the bad guy.

One of my new favorites is by Geoffrey Abbott called What A Way To Go. The book lists the history and methods of putting people to death. 66 ways of torturous death to be exact. Maybe my bad guy can employ the Bastinado method- the victim is lightly caned in an exacting rhythm until they lose their mind which is then followed by precise strokes designed to tear long strips of flesh away from the body. It takes a very loonnnnnnggggg time to die. Oh yes, I almost forgot, if you were particularly naughty, they would pour boiling water over the exposed sinew before allowing you to die. Wow! I don’t think I could come up with bad guy material like that if I tried.

Brrring! There’s the bell again.

Your homework is to find something extraordinary to infuse into your story. Research is the key to bringing it alive. I expect you all to get As.

Kung Fu Scene Play

Song of the Day: Hip to My Heart by The Band Perry

So there you are, staring at a computer screen, and are having trouble. You’re just not feeling it. It could be with an opening or any scene in your manuscript. The words aren’t coming to life, the scene is flat, or you simply can’t move forward.

What you need is a swift kick in the pants. Okay, may not. Maybe you need to try something different. I picked up this effective exercise from a workshop I attended featuring Alicia Rasley.

Get into character. Become one with their surroundings.

No, you don’t have to hire a kung fu sensei or take acting lessons. But if you can nab Ryan Reynolds as an acting coach, I say go for it! Especially when learning love scenes.

All you really have to do to become the character and anchor yourself to a scene is jot down answers to a few questions.

First, the basics. Keep in mind this exercise is done from the point of view character. Where are you? What do you see immediately around you? What time of day or night is it?

Become aware of your senses. What sound do you hear at this very moment? What do you smell? What do you taste on your tongue? What is the temperature, by which, are you hot, cold, or clammy?

Go a little deeper. Are you standing? Sitting? What do you feel in your hands? What do you feel on your cheeks? Are you barefoot or wearing shoes, and what do you feel under your feet?

Go deeper still. Are you alone? If not, what is your immediate feeling towards the person(s) you are with? What is your mood? What do you feel in your heart? What are you afraid will/will not happen? What do you hope will/will not happen?

These answers will help place you squarely in the scene – any scene. With the emotional and physical elements of your character fresh in your mind, you should be able to bring the words to life.

You’ll make your scene vivid with your kung fu roundhouse kicks. Of course, having Ryan Reynolds whispering encouragement in your ear might help, too.

What do you think? Do you have an exercise you’d like to share that helps you make your scenes more tangible? Let me hear from you.