Agent Shop pitches

QUICK UPDATE: JILL MARSAL HAS COME AND GONE AND SHE REQUESTED MORE MATERIAL FROM 7 PITCHES!

CONGRATS PITCHERS!

HOPE TO SEE MANY OF YOU NEXT MONTH!

 

Good Morning everyone.

Thanks for all the great pitches.

Here’s the quick stats:

Pitches received:27

Pitches ditched:3 (THAT’S A NEW RECORD – WELL DONE!)

1 – Missing info

2 – Too long

Our top pitch winner is: Mary Anne Landers (Congrats!)

The winner of a copy of .38 CALIBER COVER-UP is: Kristen (Please e-mail me your e-mail and post address so I can let Angi know.)

So here they are. Good luck!

Welcome Jill and thank you so much for sending Angi our way. .38 CALIBER COVER-UP is on my TBR list. Can’t wait to read it.

The pitches are below. Please e-mail me the number of any pitches you’d like to see more of, and what you’d like to see at Candi_Agent_Shop@yahoo.com . As always, thanks for coming and happy shopping.

~~~~~~

#1 ((Top Pitch slot Winner))

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.

***

#2

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?

***

#3

Trouble in the Brew

Young Adult.

88,000 words

After, Jake’s mother was vanished into another world; he came to live with his grandmother.  He has no idea that his grandmother is going to try to defeat RayAnn to get her deceased mothers objects back. Once he lays eyes on RayAnn for the first time, it was love at first sight.

Cindy and RayAnn are best friends; Cindy is with her friend throughout the defeat between her and Mrs. Ghoul. Find out how Cindy deals with reject spells that her friend and Mrs. Ghoul duel between one another. Nevertheless, the conflict between the three of them will intensify, throughout the story.

After the duel RayAnn’s trunk awaits them in her bedroom. They were in a situation the trunk was using its prevailing magic to vanish the girls into a world, they never knew existed.

***

#4

The Dating Game

Contemporary Romance

100,000 Words

As she approaches middle age, widow JENNETTE RILEY believes all she needs is work and her long term relationship with her late husband’s best friend…until her brother infers the man is running from commitment like an escaped convict desperate to remain free. When her lover rebuffs 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 high-powered career takes precedence over their relationship, TYLER MORGAN decides he needs a diversion from his problematic personal life. 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.

***

#5

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?

***

#6

Beacon and Loss

Modern Romance

60,000 Words

The Fortress is a modern romance without the graphic romantic encounters. The opening book of the series finds two remarkable ladies and their journeys to find love.

Fort Beacon is an unusual modern romance which takes place in a 17^th century fort in modern day New Jersey. Jenevia Werden is an unusual woman whose life revolves around her love of history. Unexpectedly the fort’s financial support is in jeopardy when its benefactor Herbert Mann passes. Jene finds herself suddenly in the public limelight struggling to keep her heart and mind intact.

Fort Loss is a complex story for the battle of when to let old loves go. Jessie is the daughter of Gavyn Mann and a youthful protégé. At the age of seventeen she completed college and now finds herself as an underappreciated college professor. A chance encounter with an old flame brings back painful memories of what could have been. Years later she finds herself battling new relationships, old loves and an understanding of why the desire of one man keeps her from moving on with her future.

***

#7

The Mischievous Lady Moorecroft
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, the Duchess, gives Evangeline an ultimatum: end the marriage or the Duchess will use her connections to end Geale’s life.

***

#8

A LESSON IN TEAMWORK

Single Title Contemporary Romance

80,000 words

English teacher, Emma Dawson, is not a team player. She depends on no one, stays out of the fray, and blends in with her surroundings. Until she’s thrust into a position she neither wants nor knows how to handle, and her control on life starts slipping away.

Nate Campbell is the ultimate team player. From the Major Leagues to his new job as high school coach, he’s all about working with others to make things happen. Until he meets one stubborn English teacher who refuses to let him in the game.

Caught in the classic battle between sports and academics, Nate and Emma face off against each other, an unscrupulous principal, and an attraction neither of them can deny. But when these enemies become lovers, the rules of the game are changed, and there’s more at stake for Emma than just her heart.

***

#9

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.

***

#10

Maiden’s Veil

Upmarket women’s fiction

101K words

In 1720 England, a remote village is beset by floods and disease after a fertility ritual goes wrong. Blame falls on tapestry weaver Clarinda Asher, who performed the sacred marriage with Benjamin Keane despite not being virginal. Outcast to a hilltop cottage, Clarinda weaves in solitude until the day Benjamin returns from his self-imposed banishment. Old wounds reopen as the two attempt a tortured reunion. When Clarinda defies her 12-year exile to attend the midsummer bonfires, she sets in motion events and revelations that test even Benjamin’s faith in her, and it is this last blow that Clarinda may not withstand.

The ritual vanishes from memory until, 300 years later, an American tapestry weaver, Jessamine Barlow, arrives in Maidenvale. She falls for Owen Calder, the “king” of the village’s May Day festival, a diluted version of the long-ago celebrations. A different form of imprisonment confines Owen: a soured marriage. When he oversteps his own boundaries to rediscover – and ultimately re-enact – the ancient rite with Jess, his life is ripped apart. Still, he chooses to stay with his abusive wife, and Jess is left stunned and adrift. But the ritual’s potency has been revived, and events take an unexpected turn.

***

#11

The Earl, the Pirate & the Vampire

Historical Romance with paranormal influences

95,000 Words

Alexander inherited a title with no income so he secures a position in the Royal Navy. His ship is taken by pirates who ransom him with no payment thus he is forced to join them. As a pirate, he becomes unwittingly involved with a vampire who turns him. As an imortal, he excells at pirating, becoming the scourge of the seas thus exiling him 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 dark world.

Laurel, the only heir of a Viscount, is kidnapped by villians in the West Indies and Alexander, sentenced to hang 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 return her back to England, a place he’s avoided. She is betrothed to another (Alexander’s half-brother) and he considers himself damned and unworthy of love. The longer they are together, the more they can’t fight the attraction between them even though evil awaits them in England. Can Alexander risk everything to protect her from this evil and from himself?

***

#12

ASHES TO SKY

Women’s Fiction, Fantasy

86,000 Words

Kadriel Montague is practical, realistic, and mule stubborn. Settled in a small coastal valley, she’s determined to enjoy a stable lifestyle. Her remaining relatives helped her run a small café, she has one problem, her daughter Mariah. The woman turned psycho on her and the rest of the family they possessed. Kadriel’s nephew Ira and two nieces Dorsey and Jessie became targets of assassination when they came to her café one morning.

Kadriel has a secret past. Once a Demiod, a demon subspecies, and high ranked General, and since outlawed and exiled. She had excelled in rising through ranks where cannibalism ran rampant and determined who survived and didn’t. She chose to leave that life behind, but committed a terrible crime to achieve that separation.

Now her past returns to haunt her.

In that moment, she, three relatives, and a couple of visitors faced supernatural reality that takes hold with vengeance and a prophecy fulfilled. Donovan Rangoon saves them through simple measures. He flies them to a Sanctuary.

Kadriel faces a choice. Assume control or die, it was as simple and complicated as that.

In the end, she chose to take responsibility, with Donovan and relatives standing at her side.

***

#13

The Some Day List

Single title contemporary

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. Methodical and sensible, Quinn demands organization and detailed directions, but this list blows her out of her comfort zone. If she can complete this list, she is sure 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.

***

#14

Surfacing Slowly

Commercial Women’s Fiction

100,000 words

Tina Alton’s husband, Hank, is presumed dead from a Hawaiian surfing accident but without a body, hope won’t die. Gory hallucinations have the Maui scuba shop owner terrified of the ocean as her dive business perches on the brink of bankruptcy. When portentous life-like dreams blur the edges of reality, Tina fears sleepwalking at best and insanity at worst.

Jamey Dunn arrives from Afghanistan where he’s part of a secretive paranormal unit in which he visits prisoners’ dreams for information. A near fatal jump has depleted his ability and he’s on Maui to recharge. An ex lover, Jamey feels partly responsible for Tina’s anguish but she won’t let him close enough to help. Both her domineering parents and ill-intentioned friend, Noble, insist she leave Maui to recuperate in Seattle and when Tina’s resolve disintegrates Jamey kicks into action. He resurrects his dream jumping skills to enter Tina’s precognitive dreamsand together they dive the perilous caves of Hawaii in search of Hank’s body. But what they uncover about Hank’s nasty past and Jamey’s real reason for leaving her ten years earlier has Tina questioning all she knew to be true.

***

#15

The Bruised Sky

Historical Romance

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.

***

#16

The Scarmap

Middle Grade/Young Adult fantasy fiction.

57,000 words

The main characters are thirteen year old Timit, an orphaned runaway who must live by her wits alone in the wilderness, and fifteen year old Connor, a boy whose body is a map of mysterious scars. Their chance meeting and subsequent friendship begins a chain of events that will force them to confront their greatest fears, and that will change them both forever.

I have been offered a full publishing contract by a US publisher for The Scarmap, which is the first in a trilogy; and a separate contract by a UK publisher for my Crime Fiction novelBiteMarks, the first in a series. So far I haven’t signed either contract, but each publisher is ‘blown away’ by the strength of my marketing plans and by the quality of my writing.

***

#17

Alexia’s Pen

Fantasy YA
80,000 Words

Fifteen-year-old Alexia loves the colorful pen the mysterious Artex, a recent transfer student, gives her. The pen is special – anything it writes comes true. When the pen writes of its own accord about a mystical Land of Imagining, Alexia learns she’s not just an ordinary girl, she’s an All-Knower. So is Artex, and her mother.

The rest of the magical All-Knowers are in terrible danger. The Head Demon seeks to enslave and kill them, determined to rule the Land of Imagining. Alexia is able to control the All-Knowers with her pen, but the power comes at a cost – each time she writes with the pen, an All-Knower becomes a demon. After the Head Demon kidnaps her family, Alexia must find a way to go to the Land of Imagining. She will do anything, even if it means giving up her power, to save her family and her people, including Artex whom she might be falling in love with.

***

#18

Lost in Mumbai

Contemporary Series Romance

55K Words

For Hollywood screenwriter Daci Bishop India has been a dream all her life. When her latest script is optioned and she is given the chance to join the production in Goa, she looks upon it as astroke of fate. Little does the curvy redhead know she is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

Ramu Khanna is Daci’s ultimate idea of a hero. Little does the naive American know; he is all of India’s as well. Ramu is known as the Ram of Bollywood and is the reigning box office king.  The fact Daci has no idea of his hero status provides Ramu with a refreshing break from his life in the spotlight. He is more than happy to play tour guide for the beautiful Daci.

But when Ramu’s  fans found out about his tryst with the pretty American tourist, the Bollywood star ends up in hot water. Can Ramu keep Daci in his life and still be the Ram of Bollywood? Can Daci come to grips with the fact her perfect man is really a star and splashed all over billboards? Anything can happen in Bollywood!

***

#19

Insight

YA

97,722 Words

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.

***

#20

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?

***

#21

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

Regency romance
80,000 words

Scarred by her governess’ suicide, debutante Julia St. Claire must marry to save her family from financial ruin, so she seeks to guard her heart in a civilized, sensible union. When such an arrangement is offered by the man of her sister’s dreams, Julia must either betray her sister or risk giving her heart to childhood friend, Benedict Revelstoke. But Benedict, a second son, fears he has destroyed her trust by revealing his love for her–until she turns up at his townhouse with a scandalous proposal.

***

#22

Mystique

Contemporary/futuristic romance
80,000 Words

Alida is an amateur collector of unusual artifacts.  She has stumbled upon the discovery of a lifetime, that of an angel.  But since its discovery, she has had a rash of break-in’s and strange occurrences.  Now that her assistant has disappeared, she must decide to either run herself or trust the handsome stranger who claims to be an interplanetary monitor.  Will this tall and handsome stranger be the death of her?  Or the chance of a life time?

***

#23

What She was Missing

Romantic Suspense

89,900 Words

Someone once said, “Running from your problems never solves anything.” That someone – was a liar.

At least that’s how Alisa Leighton sees it. She ran away from her problems and opened a shelter for battered women. Life was great until Donovan Marshall showed up. Now she’s rocked by long dormant desires, not to mention the realization that she turned his little sister away from the shelter – a week before her brutal murder.

When the deadly intentions of a madman put all their lives in danger, Alisa and Donovan have to set aside their mistrust and anger to work together.

***

#24

Man of her Dreams

contemporary romance

65,000 words

When Leslie Stone discovers her fiancé in bed with her bride’s maid, she heads to her cabin in Sleeping Falls, planning to toss aside those good-girl values. Her car breaks down and the scrolling marquee above the biker bar is a blessing. Maybe she can win the cash to repair it by riding the mechanical bull.

Jay Westfield grew up in a carnival where his mother was the star attraction and knew women used their body to distract a man. When she ran off, he learned to fend for himself. Unfortunately, since he’s the mechanic fixing Leslie’s car, he feels an obligatation. But the last thing he needs is an involvement with a skimpy-clad woman on a mission. Things heat up when he sees her on the back of Old Iron and is forced to protect her from the unwanted advances of burly biker named Spike.

New-found friend, Sally Cooper, convinces Leslie in order to find real happiness; she needs the advice of an expert, who happens to be Madame Luella. Renowned tarot card reader and Jay’s long lost mother.  

Agent Shop Go Day with Author Angi Morgan and .38 CALIBER COVER-UP

SORRY I’M LATE – Animal Control call this morning that HAD to be taken care of. Now on to the fun stuff!!!

It’s Pitch Day! Hope you’re all ready!

We’ve got author Angi Morgan here today with her new release, .38 CALIBER COVER-UP!

By commenting, you could win a copy of .38 CALIBER COVER-UP (mailed to North America only, an electronic ARC to international winners.) Leave a comment using COVER-UP and you’ll be entered to win. One lucky ‘pitcher’ will also win the top pitch slot!

AN UNDERCOVER AGENT, A BEAUTIFUL COP…

AND THE BULLET THAT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER

Undercover DEA agent Erren Rhodes was used to working alone. So the very idea of teaming up with Officer Darby O’Malley to search out a killer wasn’t exactly how he thought this critical mission would go. But thanks to information only the beautiful cop possessed, finding whoever was responsible for shooting Erren’s friend made Darby a valuable—and irresistible—partner. Digging into the case, though, revealed a far-reaching conspiracy…and angered all the wrong people. Now, trying to bring a killer to justice while keeping Darby safe was making Erren remember why he was better off on his own. Especially when Darby made him long to hole up together in the safe house and never let her out of his sight.

*

Candi: Can’t wait to read this! Where did the idea for .38 Caliber Cover-Up come from?

Angi: When I was writing Hill Country Holdup, the hero of .38 Caliber Cover-Up jumped into a scene and started taking over. So I stopped writing and wrote a fight scene (opening chapter) of his own story to capture part of him. It took several years to come up with the right story to fit his character. During those years, he also grew up and was ready to leave undercover work. When I sold to Intrigue, I wanted the perfect story for him. But he was still illusive. When I say a picture of Jake Gyllenhaal for PRINCE OF PERSIA…everything clicked, including the story-line. I had a hero who wanted to leave undercover work and created a heroine who desperately wanted to be undercover.

Candi: What’s one piece of advice you would pass on to other aspiring authors?

Angi: “Never give up. Never Surrender.” Okay, that’s not my original words, it’s the mantra from Galaxy Quest. But it’s true. Finish the book. Then finish another. Then finish another. Just keep writing and submitting. And find a great agent who believes in you and your work.

*

Great words to live by! Thanks so much for visiting us at Musetracks, Angi.

The release date for .38CALIBER COVER-UP is February ‘11 and you can find it at eHarlequin.com, any book store or website.

Check out Angi’s 38 DAYS of .38 CALIBER! You could win prizes including 3 DVDs, 12 books, & chocolate. Drawing on March 6th. Rules & details on website.

Here’s where you can find Angi:  AngiMorgan.com / GetLostInAStory.blogspot.com / Facebook: Angi Morgan / Twitter: AngiMorganAuthr

Don’t forget to comment using COVER-UP for a chance to win a copy of .38CALIBER COVER-UP and the top pitch slot for Agent Day tommorrow with Jill Marsal.

And the moment you’ve all been waiting for….

…

GO!

Writer Inspiration: 3 Articles of Faith by Keri Stevens

Articles of Faith

by Keri Stevens

Once upon a time I was not a romance writer. I knew no romance writers. I lived, in fact, in a romance-novel-less world. How sad is that?

Now I’m a debut author, and romance writers have become some of my closest life-friends. I read mostly romance novels (and the IRS even lets me deduct them). When I tell people I’m a romance author, they look at me in surprise. And I’m surprised by their surprise: Doesn’t everyone write romance?

Well, no. But many more people than I ever suspected have books in them. It may take them a couple hours or a couple months, but sooner or later, the math professor, the garden supply sales manager, the TV producer and the insurance actuary tell me (usually sotto voce) that they’ve been thinking of writing a book.

Article of Faith #1: Everybody has a story within.

Sooner or later, some of us decide to let that story out. Because I’m a guest here, I won’t take up Marie-Claude’s space on my book-writing highs and lows, drama and trauma. But I will say that if it weren’t for Jenny Crusie, I wouldn’t have finished Stone Kissed. At my Ohio Valley RWA chapter meeting two years ago, she said something that has become my mantra, my prayer and…

Article of Faith #2: The story is complete within your subconscious.

I’ve taken some great classes online and in-person over the last few years, including Bob Mayer’s Warrior Writer class, Todd Stone’s Novelist’s Boot Camp, and a couple workshops with Virginia Kantra. I’ve made great friends at conferences, workshops and online. But at the end of the day, everything you need to know about writing a book is in Helen Oxenbury’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Its chorus is my

Article of Faith #3: “We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. We can’t go around it. Oh, no! We have to go through it.”

Stumble-trip, my friends! And surround yourself with writers to help you get back up and go on to the next page.

Writer Inspiration: Who Says The Snail’s Too Slow? by Eve Knight

Who Says The Snail’s Too Slow? He Has Nothing On Me

by Eve Knight

     I wish I had some wonderful inspirational story to share with you about my journey as a published author, but truth is, my journey has just begun. I’ve been creeping along one small step at a time down my own bumpy path. For the past several years, I’ve been learning the craft, reading, writing, networking, ending critique relationships and forging newer and stronger bonds, while striving to maintain the motivation to press forward when at times, I wanted to throw in the towel. I’ll tell you what works for me in the hope that it might help you.

     I have a core network of support, both in the writing community and out. To me, that’s crucial. I don’t know what I’d do without the encouragement of my family. If however, those closest to you aren’t very supportive, surround yourself with people who are. There are several online communities that offer support to creative people and to writers especially. Join and volunteer for writing organizations like Romance Writers of America and your local chapters. If you can’t make it to a local meeting, there are numerous online chapters where you can find the kinship of fellow writers. There are even groups for writers not linked to RWA chapters. Charlotte Dillon started a community several years ago where you can give and receive critiques and interact with other writers. There are several loops found within this community, something for every writer at every stage of their career..

www.charlettedillon.com

     Another online writing community is the Writing GIAM community. GIAM stands for goals, Inspiration, Amnity and Motivation. Founded by Amy Atwell in 2004, this community caiters to writers at all levels. I’ve been a member since 2009, and I don’t know what I’d do without the support from my fellow GIAMers.

www.writinggiam.com/about

     also apart of my support network are my critique partners. Critiquing is very subjective. It can be difficult to find the perfect partner or group. If you feel that critiquing is right for you, once you find your perfect match, hold on tight. N ideal critique relationship should be one based on complete and total trust. Your critique buddies should be there to encourage you, but to also tell you if something isn’t working and to help guide you back on the right path. I see them as a partner of sorts. They can help you become a better writer and help you spot and fix plot holes and character inconsistencies you might’ve missed on your own.

     I seriously began persuing publication in 2006, but the idea to write a novel came out of nowhere while I was attending college in 2002. I was taking a sociology course on serial killers, and naturally my story was romantic suspense. I spent the following summer pounding out a first draft. I look back now and see how horrible it was, but I remember the feeling of utter joy and elation I felt to be creating something from a simple idea. That idea set off a spark in me that at times has dimmed, but never died. Never let your passion die! Try writing something everyday for at least five minutes or until you’ve written at least one hundred words. Keep your creative spark alive!

     It used to be difficult for me to read of other writers successes because I wasn’t where I wanted to be in my career. And I’m still not, but I’m making my way there. It isn’t that I wasn’t happy for them, I was frustrated. Why wasn’t I published with publisher A? Why didn’t agent X want to represent me? We all have a process, a journey we must go through. We must always learn and grow, not just as writers, but as human beings. We don’t know of the trials and tribulations other writers go through. Never worry about what others are doing. It’ll drive you nuts. Keep your eyes on the prize. Stay focused. Celebrate when someone receives a contract or is signed with the agent of their dreams. Don’t let jealousy or fear stop you cold. You’ll only be hurting yourself in the end.

     At the same time, reward yourself when you reach a milestone. Whether you’ve just signed with the agent you’ve always wanted, gotten that contract you’ve been hoping for or completed your very first manuscript, celebrate all your successes. You’ve earned them!

     When times get really tough, and when you feel like giving up, think back to why you wanted to be a writer in the first place. Have your feelings changed? Are you more focused on writing for the market rather than for your own enjoyment? Have you lost sight of that joy you once had? Try re-creating those original feelings. When you write something you love, your true voice will shine through. Editors and agents can tell if your heart’s in a book, and so can the reader. Stay true to yourself and your voice.

     So, I’m a snail and proud of it. *g* I wouldn’t have my journey evolve any other way. I have a core network of support, fabulous critique partners, a creative spark I won’t let fade. I’m extatic when a writer has great news to share. I know that one day I’ll have much more of my own, and when that day comes, my friends will celebrate with me. I’m focused on my goals. I reward myself when I reach a milestone. When fear or jealousy rear their  ugly heads, I crush them. And when I feel like giving up, I take a good hard look at myself and my writing. Asking myself why I write puts me back on track. Even if I have to dig a little, that joy’s still there.

 

Writing as Eve Knight

www.eveknight.com

The Pleasure Club: The Park Rangers

Now available from Cobblestone Press

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/parkrangers.htm

Blurb:

Could letting go of her inhibitions change her future?
Julie works to pleasure others. As a sex phone hotline operator, it’s her job, not her joy.

She’s tired of living without pleasure or happiness in her life. Acting on impulse, she decides to venture beyond the familiar and partake in her deepest darkest fantasy. One which requires the skill and patience of two rugged and rogue rangers.

Can Julie stop hiding and learn to except this wilder, more wanton facet of herself? Can letting go set her free from the regrets of past mistakes and guide her to a more prosperous future?

Hump Day Kick Start

Song of the day: Fall Into Sleep by Mudvayne

Excuse me. May I borrow your towel?

Today’s prompt is full of possibilities. Any genre will do.

Who is he? Where is he, and why is he there? Is it daybreak or sunset? What do his tats mean?

And, for heavens sake, why is he naked?

I’d love to hear for you.

13 TO LIFE author Shannon Delany

Welcome to the MAX-imum Exposure Tour for the 13 to Life Series!

Check out those awesome covers!

(I met Shannon at Textnovel.com in 2009. She’s a super gal, and is very supportive of other writers, both aspiring and published. Both her novel and her approach to promoting her novels are the perfect example of thinking outside the box. I highly reccommend getting to know Shannon and her wonderful characters.)

Each site throughout the tour will have swag and an individualized interview with either Pietr, Max or both! Shannon has also included an audio download for each interview so you can hear the Rusakova boys! (Due to technical difficulties – on my end – the audio download isn’t functional right now.)

And here’s today’s interview!

Candi:

Hello, Max.

 

Max:

Privyet.

 

Candi:

We all sighed (well I know I did) whenever you flirted in 13 to Life. Is there a love interest we should know about, or are we all in for another novel with you as the bachelor?

 

Max:

I do not know if I’m ready for love… I like to keep my options open. But, from what I understand, love is not an easily scheduled event.

 

Candi:

13 to Life ended on an amazing set-up of unexpected events. Feelings and beliefs were betrayed and we all learned a significant reality about your mother. (I’m trying to be careful with the spoilers for those who haven’t read 13 to Life yet and should – soon!) Can you tell us how you feel about what’s ahead?

 

Max:

We are in for more trouble, that is certain. I am concerned about my family’s future. To have discovered a traitor in our midst and danger closing in on all sides… These are dangerous times for my family.

 

Candi:

How are Pietr and Jess and have you managed to ‘teach’ your brother a little more about flirting or talking with her? (That was one of my fav parts of 13 to Life) He’s so reserved and you’re the opposite, it almost seems to drive you crazy. 🙂 What would you change about him if you could?

 

Max:

Pietr and Jess are as messed up as ever. This Sarah situation… How crazy is that, da? Pietr is trainable, but I do not think he puts much stock in my methods. I do not know if I would change anything about my little brother, really…Da, he is difficult. Da, he is annoying. But if i changed him to improve him–you know, make him more like me… Well, I do not think the world is ready for more than one of me. I am quite a lot to handle.

 

Candi:

Okay, I have to know, and please understand, I torture all my guests this way, so you’re receiving equal treatment. What’s one ultra-embarrassing moment you’ve had?

 

Max:

My first kiss. Let’s not get into the details, shall we?

 

Candi:

Interesting… Okay–just because you asked…and thanks for being such a good sport, by the way. Here’s a fun list I know all Shannon’s readers would love to have you answer. We want to know about your Favorites:

 

Candi:

favorite Sport?

 

Max:

American football. Being able to properly tackle someone has many useful applications.

 

Candi:

color?

 

Max:

red–the color of passion

 

Candi:

Favorite food:

 

Max:

a nice rare steak

 

Candi:

Favorite book?

 

Max:

The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss–a classic about the Arms Race. And it rhymes.

 

Candi:

Your favorite movie?

 

Max:

The Bourne Identity

 

Candi:

celebrity?

 

Max:

I do not have time to give much thought to things like celebrities and Hollywood. My attention is split enough between survival and girls.

 

Candi:

And last but not least – swimming and fishing in a country lake with a few friends or a night out on the town under the city lights?

 

Max:

Why not skinny-dipping with one girl in particular?

 

Candi:

Thank you so much for this enlightening chat, Max.

 

Max:

As always, it is my pleasure.

 

Shannon Delany is the winner of the first-ever cell phone novel contest in the western world and the author of the 13 to Life series through St. Martin’s Press. 13 to Life is already available and Secrets and Shadows hits stores 2/15/11 with Bargains and Betrayals landing on shelves 8/16/11 (already available for pre-order!)and two more as of yet unnamed novels coming out in 2012.

For more about Shannon, visit her author website: www.ShannonDelany.com or her series website: www.13toLifeseries.com You can also find Shannon on Facebook and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Shannon_Delany

 

Want a fun freebie you can print out and use with a web-cam to make a bookmark much more than a bookmark? Go here and check out the Augmented Reality bookmark:http://ht.ly/3KgG7

Motif Madness

Song of the Day: Fine Again by Seether

I had the pleasure recently to attend a workshop hosted by my ‘home’ Romance Writer’s of America© chapter Northwest Houston RWA featuring author and editor Alicia Rasley. Among the incredible advice she gave on strengthening a manuscript, she spoke of something I hadn’t been familiarized with – motifs.

Now, I had heard of themes and my head still aches over symbolism due in part to my sophomore year in high school and mining the imagery in The Great Gatsby. But I admit, my first thought was armchair doilies, toile wallpaper, and the awful geometric, Day-Glo T-shirt patterns of the 80’s. I shutter.

Turns out, I’m not too far off in my thinking.

Motifs are recurring elements that help develop the theme in fiction. This could be an image, person, concept, keyword, or pattern which reappears throughout the story. The motif unifies events, characters, and plot points at varying times, the connection linking something of symbolic relevance to different scenes and occasions.  And it happens no less than three times. For the savvy reader, it can provide an ‘ah-ha’ moment, recognizing the motif coincides with a change either in the character or the plot.

Examples of motifs can be just about anything your crazy little mind can think up. Crime, celebrations, tragedies, births, weather, the elements (earth, wind, fire, water), science, music, phrases, battles,  animals, contrasts, tears, illness, clothing, color, family, prophecies, secrets, failures, success, flowers, and the list goes on.

Often the motif is very subtle. Ever notice how the grand staircase in the movie Titanic recurs at specific points of the unfolding story?  Jack greets Rose at the bottom of the staircase before their dinner in first class. Cal shoots his pistol at both Jack and Rose as they escape together down the steps. And the kicker, Rose joins Jack on the staircase after passing away, after living the full life he inspired her to live. Good grief, I need a hankie.

Other times, motifs are more noticeable, such as in It’s a Wonderful Life.  Celebrations mark George Bailey’s despondent, bitter reflection on how his dreams of seeing the world had always been derailed by the needs of others. This bolsters the theme that George’s small town life had significant and positive impact on other people’s lives. Where’s my hankie, darn it?

Need another example? Let’s use Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. One of the motifs in the play is light, or rather the avoidance of light. Blanche evaded direct light. She covered an exposed light bulb with a paper lantern in the apartment, avoided being seen in the daytime, and stuck to the shadows whenever possible, that is, until her suitor Mitch forced her to stand under a bright lamp post. One can argue that light represented Blanche’s youth and innocence and her intolerance of light meant she was losing her grasp on reality. The dim light represented her illicit past and fading beauty and her downward spiral from sanity.

After giving this motif thing some thought, I realized I had motifs woven into my stories.  The phase of the moon plays a big role in my 2009 Golden Heart finalist manuscript Upon A Moonlit Sea, recurring at moments when there are shifts in character growth. In A Kiss in the Wind, my second novel, sunlight is a frequent device popping up in subtle yet integral scenes that seem to be representative of new beginnings. I’m certain once I begin edits, I will come across a motif or two in my current WIP.

I bet if you analyze your stories, you’ll discover you, too, have repetitious imagery, components and/or narratives. See if you can’t find a motif in your masterpiece.

Happy Valentine’s Day

From all of us here at MuseTracks.

Smooches!

Hump Day Kick Start

Song of the day:  Away by The Toadies

Hmm…what does this prompt say to you? What’s this couple’s story?

Note her expression, his lips grazing her ankle, and the cigarette.

Who are they? Is she a dominatrix? Or is he in control?  Who’s trickin’ who? Are they strangers giving in to lust, lovers keeping it fresh, or that tentative first time together?

Maybe she just twisted her ankle. 🙂 Poor girl.

I’d love to hear from you.

Story or publisher first?

Here is a question I answered yesterday on one of my writers loop.

Do you write your story and then look for a publisher who takes your kind of story- or do you do research and find where you want to sell and shape your story to their guidelines before writing it?

I do a bit of both. When I decided to write I had just read paranormal romance for the first time (a few Sherrilyn Kenyon and Christine Feehan) and I started on something a bit like them by studying how the story was constructed, how many love scenes, the heat level, how the POV was handled etc. I looked at the market for para and decided I wanted to do something different from vampires and sifters and did sorcerers instead. So I wrote the novel, ANCIENT WHISPERS, knowing it would fit in the paranomal romance section of the bookstore. So I guess it was “more of the same but different” since it sold to Dorchester.

I just finished a Steampunk UF. I wrote it the way I wanted it, and to me it now fits more with Tor, Ace or Roc. I wouldn’t even think of submitting it to Avon, for example.

I also decided to try a HQ superromance for fun. So I followed the guidelines. But Super just changed their word count requirements to 70K while I wrote it. So now at 70K, I think my story may still fit HQ but perhaps also some NY imprints that are currently asking for small town contemp. I didn’t plan to, but now I may query other houses with it along with HQ.

I am currently writing a YA fantasy. I don’t know where it will go. I wrote it to be “similar” to the Percy Jackson story (a boy’s adventure) but I have no idea where it could go. I did however study similar books for the content and length, just to have an idea of what is out there. And I plan to query only agents with that one.

My next project, which I have brainstormed is definitely geared with a specific genre and editors to submit to. It’s a Steampunk romance, very similar to my first novel, same heat level and all, but with a Steampunk twist. It will definitely be shaped with what I know those editors like.

I saw a call for Novella the other day at Samhain. I was very tempted to take a month to write that. But I decided against it because I didn’t know where the story could go if Samhain rejected it (quite likely!). So I do try to write stories that can go to more than one publisher.

So it all vary. It does help to do your research I think. Even if you do write something that ends up not fitting general guidelines, it is a good thing to know before you do your submissions.

It works fine to just write something, then decide where it will fit. But you should know the general expectations of the genre your story end up being. i.e. your romance better have a happy ending and your fantasy better have well-thought-up world building.

And the first thing agents and editors want to know is, where in the bookstore would your book be placed. This is after all a money making business and they have to know how to sell your book.