~ Inspiration, Ink. ~

RWA's National Convention

2010-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

With nationals coming up, what are you looking forward to most?

Straight from the site:

Attendees will enhance their writing and knowledge of the ins and outs of publishing at more than 100 workshops; get the inside track at panels and round-tables featuring publishing professionals; schedule a one-on-one pitch meeting with an acquiring editor or literary agent; attend parties and network with the stars of romance fiction; and be a part of RWA's massive, 500-author strong "Readers for Life" charity book signing. And let's not forget the 2010 RITA and Golden Heart Awards.

Best-selling, award-winning author Nora Roberts will be the keynote speaker, and best-selling author Jayne Ann Krentz will speak at the Awards Luncheon. Sherrilyn Kenyon is the Librarians' Day speaker, and Sabrina Jeffries wraps up the conference by emceeing the 2010 RITA and Golden Heart Awards Ceremony.

Unfortunately, I won't be there this year, but I hope everyone has a fantastic time!

Tracy

So Cute I Can't Stand It!!! ;o)

2010-04-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Day ;)

2010-04-14T11:50:00.001-07:00

by: Tracy Stewart

You ever have one of those perfect, soul rejuvenating days? I was fortunate enough to spend one of those rare days with my family this past weekend when we took a trip to the Knoxville Zoo in TN. It was indeed a perfect day. The sun was shining, the temperature was a comfortable 65 degrees, everyone was in a fantastic mood...it was just one of those days when everything actually went right! So I thought I'd share a few pics with you guys to kick off this beautiful spring season.

Have you had one of those "perfect days" lately? Or maybe a not so perfect day? I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a comment and say hello! :o)

Perfect Days to you all!!!

{{HUGS}}

Contest Spring Giveaway

2010-03-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

A brand new giveaway just in time for Spring! Leave a comment on the YouTube video to enter. Either click directly on the video, or click this link to be redirected to YouTube.

Have a great day!

Mary Buckham - Alpha Male Body Language for Writers

2010-02-23T20:18:00.000-08:00

Alpha Male Body Language for Writers
by Mary Buckham

Reading male body language can either be a lifetime of trial and error – or involves a specific study of what sets them apart from women. Knowing and understanding male body language is very important for women writers to make sure their portrayal of male characters are accurate and grounded in ‘scientific’ facts, as opposed to simply being based on personal experience of viewpoint. So let’s have some fun in looking at what makes a male Alpha in his behavior and body language.

Male animals living in packs, such as wolves and wild dogs, compete to be the leader of the pack. This brings the strongest and smartest male to the leadership position and every pack has a leader who dominates and leads the other members of the pack. Thus the human Alpha Male refers to a type of man who is strong, smart and a leader. Others respect his decisions, and tend to not challenge him. An Alpha Male moves and stands in ways that show he expects to get what he wants without being questioned or challenged. After all who’s going to attack the biggest and most powerful?

Men can display some of their Alpha tendencies by consciously using their body posture. Standing or sitting erect with chest out, head up, arms relaxed and not flailing about are signs of dominance, and thus Alpha Maleness. Moving only when necessary, and moving slowly and deliberately indicate great self confidence, pride and determination. So an alpha male can be both the protagonist and villain on the page.

Alpha Males tend to display the following behavior patterns.

1. Aggression. This does not mean to be argumentative, belligerent and ready to fight but involves being dynamic and doing what needs to be done. They don’t wait to be shown what to do—they’ll ask forgiveness, not permission.

2. Assertiveness. Alpha males tend to communicate in a clear, straight forward fashion, respectful of others as long as others are following the Alpha’s direction. Alphas are used to leading and taking responsibility for others so they assume others will acknowledge this by following blindly and without complaint.

3. Courage. Alphas are ready and willing to confidently tackle problems and see them resolved. They take responsibility not only for themselves but for those under their protection—their family, their group, their community. There’s a reason why organizations such as the military or law enforcement abound with Alpha males. There is a structure, hierarchy and willingness to accept responsibility for doing the hard jobs, as well as an awareness of what protection of others entails that attracts Alphas to these fields.

4. Persistence. Alphas can and will keep focused on their goals and apply all resources until goals are achieved. These are not easy men to divert or stop once they’ve determined what they see as the right course of action to take.

Research has found that males, especially young ones in their teenager years, compete in many subtle ways for a perceived Alpha Male position on sport teams, gangs, or in neighborhoods. One way they demonstrate their Alpha Maleness is by taking risks and doing dangerous things. Risk-takers are advertising their fitness to potential mates by showing off their strength and bravery.

Not every man is a natural Alpha Male, and those who are not cannot fake it. A Beta male can be an Alpha male in the making, or can accept a lower position in the pack and thrive there.

More body language cues the dominant person uses can include:

• Directs and controls the conversation. A true dominant steers the conversation without resistance from others in the group. An Alpha Male-wannabe will hog the conversation.

• Freely asks questions and expects a response back but gives little or no self-disclosure. The Alpha male-wannabe will assume the conversation is all about them and steer it in that direction.

• Stands with hands on hips, elbows out to sides. Takes up more personal space that way and wants to look bigger. If sitting tends to also take up more space.

• Stands or sits taller than others subconsciously.

• Freely interrupts others speaking, not to shut down others but because he and others are willing to listen to him. Others don't interrupt him. Alpha Male-wannabes will override others to prove their points and shut others down.

• Long pause when answering a door knock, or replying to someone. Makes others wait. Not as rudeness but as the highest in a hierarchy.

• Freely touches others whereas others don't touch back. Example – a boss would pat an employee on the shoulder or back but the employee does not feel comfortable initiating or returning the gesture. Alpha Male-wannabe will use the touch in inappropriate ways.

• Will stare at others and as a result demand their attention. Others don't do the same back. Think of law enforcement officials in any kind of public interaction.

• Never breaks eye contact first. Others usually break eye contact first by looking down, signifying submission.

• Occupies a bigger personal space and crowds others on purpose but only because they are used to protecting their space and wanting, subconsciously, the strongest offensive or defensive position.

• Takes the lead purposefully when walking and going through doors.

• While sitting, will put hands behind head, put feet on desk, remove eye glasses and put ear-piece in mouth, or turn chair away from others and stare out window. [though many of these gestures are more common to men than women]

To learn more from Mary about the wonderful dynamics between male and female characters check out her upcoming live workshop in Lexington, Kentucky:
2nd Annual Kentucky Romance Writers Spring into Writing Workshop on Saturday, March 20, 2010 - 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 PM

Sex Between the Pages: Understanding and Writing Sexual Tension with Mary Buckham
COST: $25/MEMBERS; $30/NON-MEMBERS
HOST HOTEL: Hyatt Place, 2001 Bryant Road, Lexington, KY 40509 (For reservations call: 859-296-0091)

For more information visit:
http://www.kentuckyromancewriters.com/Workshop.htm

Mary’s Bio:
Award-winning author Mary Buckham has worked with thousands of writers both on-line and in live workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada. She loves meeting writers at all levels of their development. She’s also the co-author of the ground-breaking plotting book BREAK INTO FICTION®: POWER PLOT YOUR NOVEL (Adam’s Media/June 2009).

To learn more about Mary visit her website www.MaryBuckham.com or www.BreakIntoFiction.com

Special Guest: Anida Adler

2009-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Dr Jeckyll, Ms Hyde
The constant battle between the swooning maiden and the snarling dominatrix.

He was an absolute arsehole. The man was domineering, forceful, intimidating and, sometimes, rude. If I’d met him in real life, my alter ego would have sprung to life and… it doesn’t bear thinking of.

I first met that other me when I was about sixteen. My friend Adele and I were visiting her friend, Chrizelda. They had a swimming pool in their back garden - not an uncommon thing in South Africa. What they had which not many others did, however, was an enclosed lapa. A lapa is a thatched roof supported on wooden poles, which is usually open-sided. This one was more like a little house, and inside it was kitted out perfectly for teenagers. A dartboard was mounted on one wall. A fridge behind the bar was stocked with soft drinks. There were cane chairs to sit on. Most importantly, though, it had a pool table.

This lazy, hot afternoon, there was a group of boys visiting as well. In the company of beautiful, slim Adele and voluptuous, blonde Chrizelda, I felt my nerdy oddness even more acutely than usual. However, as the afternoon progressed, I turned from intimidated to annoyed. These boys were not the sharpest tools in the shed. And one of them took a particular dislike to me.

The little snot was good-looking, and he knew it. When he turned his sneering attention to me, something inside me woke up and snarled back. I had a retort ready for every cutting remark, a withering look for every superior glance. Then it came to a challenge of a pool game, and I took him up on it.

How in hell I managed it, I will never know. I’ve never been a great pool player, and the boy was generally considered more than competent at the game. Every other hormone-loaded teen there fell quiet as the competition progressed. I matched him shot for shot, and in the end, he only managed to beat me by a whisker.

The whole group looked at me with new respect. It was time for me to head home, and I did so with my head held high. That same head lowered gradually as the hours passed. What on earth had just happened? How had I managed that? But I did, and though it was very rare, this alter ego appeared again over the years, leaving a few arrogant bastards licking serious wounds in her wake.

Now the type of guy I so despise in real life confronted me again, this time from the pages of a book. And all I could think of was how much I was rooting for him to manage a shag with the heroine. What on earth is going on?

I’m not alone in this, you know. I’ll bet a hundred dollars… okay, wait. I’m broke this month. I’ll bet ten dollars that the vast majority of us would really hate many of the overbearing heroes depicted in romance novels, were they to knock on our doors. I outgrew my nerdyness, and had ample opportunity to prove to myself that a great looker only amuses you so far if he is not compatible with your personality. The man most pleasing to the eye in the whole world will lose his charms if a right bastard resides in that perfect body.

The man for most girls is the one who is great company, has a good sense of humour, is kind, considerate, compassionate and a good father. Thinking of my own life partner, it’s precisely because he gives me freedom and doesn’t dominate me, that I love him.

Why, then, do the guidelines of so many romance and erotica publications tactfully (and sometimes bluntly) advise authors that heroes need to be type A personalities? You know, the anal kind that are a walking target for heart attacks because they’re so… so… growly?

We want our independence, we want our freedom. We want to be respected as equals. And when we get anywhere near a bed with a naked man, we want to be DOMINATED! Tie me up, spank me, or at least take charge, for God’s sake. The whimpering heroine of the tacky novels of old is long gone. Yet in a way, she’s never left. The heroine must be strong, but the hero must be stronger! He doesn’t have to rescue her, she can rescue him… but then he must bed her and shag her senseless to say thank you. We want to read about the feisty lady, and we want to see her conquered by the hero’s inner bastard. What is wrong with us?

I don’t know the answer to this question. We’re all helpless in the face of our dual nature. But in a way, I think it’s fantastic that we have romance and erotica to live out this unfortunate aspect of ourselves. In a story it’s harmless, it’s exciting and fun. We can get rid of the urge to whimper, and get back to real life with a snarl.

The Ancient

By: Anida Adler

Blurb:

What would you do if you fell in love with the goddess of death?

June 1945 - Tadhg Daniels sees a woman clad in strange clothes and a feathered cloak, but she’s invisible to everyone else. He’s convinced his mind has been unhinged by the horrors of the D-day landings four days before, but when she appears to him again, the woman proves she is real. She is Morrigan, goddess of death, come to warn him his life is about to end.

Morrigan is disturbed by the man she meets. He looks in her eyes unflinching, while all others avoid her gaze. She’s never found such a strong will to survive in any of her charges before. He refuses to accept he’s going to die.

There is a way for Tadhg to cheat death, a secret Morrigan has guarded for millennia. Morrigan can save him if she takes him as her lover, but sex with the goddess of death will change him. He needs time to decide if he’s prepared to give up his humanity in order to be with her forever.

But Tadhg is not the only one who knows Morrigan’s secret. Someone else wants to take by force the gift she can bestow. And he’ll stop at nothing to get it.

Excerpt 1:

Rat-tat-tat, rat-tat-tat, and two more German soldiers lay dead on the ground that had soaked up the blood of so many good men. The smell of cordite stung his nose and roiled nausea in his stomach. He glanced down at their faces, a seasoned soldier, judging from the lines etched around his mouth, beside him a boy not much older than Stephen.

Not now, not now. There had to be time enough to let the agony of taking life from others flow through his heart. He shoved past Morrigán. Someone fell beside him, and he pulled the trigger, shot and killed, wounded, maimed, and moved on. Bullets zinged an inch past him, and he tumbled into a shell hole beside Mark, breath racing in his chest.

And she was there, beside him, silent, waiting.

“I will not die,” Tadhg growled, but rising fear clutched cold fingers at his throat.
“You’re right there, my friend.” Mark clapped his shoulder. “We’re going to get through this shit together and go horseback riding when this fuckup is over.” He turned his attention back to the fighting, back to the air cloyed with hatred, anger, despair, and fear, and killed more Germans so they would not kill him. “Come on!” Mark shouted to Tadhg and launched himself over the lip of the hole.

Tadhg glanced at Morrigán and hesitated. Her gaze rested on him, and he saw eternity in her eyes. “No, Morrigán. No.” And with that he followed Mark, lifted his body from safety -- and felt the bullets slam into his chest as if time had slowed to a trickle. He fell and slid back into the shell hole, stared up at the blue sky in stunned disbelief.

Sound receded until he lay in utter silence among screams of pain and anger, in the midst of pounding boots and rattling guns. He felt no pain, but it was difficult to breathe, and something wet bubbled on his lips.

Morrigán crouched beside him. Why did she look angry? “You want to live, poet? You want to live no matter what?”

Again he felt that odd sensation of a part of him accepting, looking forward to entering the land of shades. He could blend with the power of running horses, exist in the steaming joy of early morning gallops across dewy fields. Yet inside him, another part rebelled, struggled for life, even as he sensed the last few grains of sand sink to the narrow waist of the hourglass of his measure of days. And as he lay dying, he rested his gaze on Morrigán’s beautiful, pearl-white face, and the part that wanted to live grew, filled him, became all of him.

“Tadhg, answer me. Do you want to live, no matter what the price?”

He couldn’t speak. Dear God, she offered him a chance, and now, because his lungs were filling with blood, he could not force his voice to reach out for what he craved with his entire being. Blackness tinged the edges of his vision; he fought to hold the receding image of her face. He nodded his answer, and she reacted in an instant, flicked her cloak over his body, and Tadhg felt himself falling, falling into a landscape of terrible dreams.

Special Guest: Sandy Lender

2009-09-25T01:00:00.001-07:00

Abra Abracadabra
By Fantasy Author Sandy Lender
http://www.authorsandylender.com/books.htm

How did I write a fantasy series with magic without using magic in the novel? As luck would have it, the fantasy genre lets me create all kinds of new elements. As a friend used to say to me, “If you need a tree somewhere, in fantasy, you can just put the tree there.” So I made up a “power” for the good guys in my series to wield.

Being a Southern Baptist, I believe that using magic and sorcery is a negative thing. Among other passages, the Bible has a section that warns not to practice divination or sorcery or engage in witchcraft, etc., so I wanted to be really careful not to suggest that the “good guys” in my series were using divination, sorcery, or witchcraft. Well, gee whiz, how to give the good guys an edge? Fantasy is full of magic—that’s one of the things that makes it fantastical, right? In a moment of compromise, I made up my own form of “power” for the good guys. I call it the geasa and it’s a god-breathed power that some people receive after conception.

Now, you can argue that I’m walking a fine line there, but, hey, it’s my fantasy world—I’ll walk a fine line if I want to. (Read that to the tune of “It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to.”) Mwuahahahahaha.

To be serious, Choices Meant for Gods and Choices Meant for Kings are enjoyable for a variety of audiences, including high schoolers, so I wanted to be sure I wasn’t flinging confusing ideas into impressionable minds. I kept the “colorful language” to a minimum; I think you can count the naughty words in each novel on one hand. I kept the physical innuendoes to innuendo and made most of them rather humorous at that. I kept the romance to a sweet romance that doesn’t have characters compromising one another’s integrity. The PG-13 rating (which I noticed my publisher has changed to a PG rating recently) is for violence, which I struggled to keep from going into the “R” category.

What readers may find bizarre is that this nice little So Bapt Chickadee made up a polytheistic society with a not-quite-worthy deity for the coo-el heroine to protect. But, hey, it’s fantasy. Ya gotta make up something fantastical.

“Some days, you just want the dragon to win.”

Choices Meant for Kings

Blurb:
Chariss is in danger. Her geasa is hampered by the effects of a friend’s marriage. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family’s estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette The Betrayer know she’s there, and their monstrous army marches that way.

When prophecies stack up to threaten an arrogant deity, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned-Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

Excerpt:

As the soldier stepped toward him, Nigel reached out his arm and caught him by the neck. He slammed the captain against the far wall. He pinned him there with his body, leaning against the man as if he could crush the wind from him with his presence.

He brought his face close to the soldier’s ear and spoke lowly, fiercely, so that no one could have overheard him. The menace and intent behind the words was as surprising to the captain as the words themselves.

“I asked you to accompany [Chariss] on this journey tomorrow because I have faith in your sword, and until this moment I trusted you to keep your distance from her. Now, I find her down here at your side with a look upon your face that suggests more than you realize. So help me, Naegling, the only thing that stays my hand is how displeased she would be if she learned that I sliced you open.”

“The look you see is merely my concern for her honor. Nothing more.”

“I’m not a fool. And I’ll use every last piece of Arcana’s treasury to pay the prophets to justify my reasons for marrying that woman, so you can unconcern yourself with her honor.”

Hrazon stepped off the staircase then and saw Nigel pressed against his guard.

“I still believe you’re one of the best soldiers Arcana’s ever seen,” Nigel continued, “and I want you at her side for this journey, but, so help me, Naegling, she comes back alive and well and not confused in the least about her affections for me, or I will string you up from a tree in the orchard and attach your intestines to your horse’s saddle before I send it—”

Hrazon cleared his throat. “Excuse me. Is there an issue here I should address?”

Special Guest: C.L. Talmadge

2009-09-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Alpha Heroines

Alpha heroines, where are you? The top protagonists to admire and emulate in books, films, graphic novels, television, and video games are overwhelmingly male.

Alpha heroes abound throughout fiction in all media. These talented and dedicated characters are too numerous to list comprehensively, although any mention has to include contemporary mega favorites Batman, Harry Potter, Spiderman, and Superman. From the past there’s Dick Tracy and Flash Gordon, the Green Hornet and The Shadow. All of them terrific, and all of them are male.

Can’t a woman be an alpha hero, too?

To be sure, a handful of females hang out in the alpha heroism pantheon. They include Lara Croft, X-(Wo)Man Jean, Nancy Drew, Wonder Woman, and Xena the Warrior Princess. By and large, however, the ranks of alpha heroines are thin, and the reasons for this dearth have changed as women’s social role has evolved.

In the past, the creators and consumers of heroic fiction simply could not imagine women as courageous, strong-willed, and pro-active. Females were strictly to be rescued from peril, not do the rescuing themselves. Women provided eye candy and screams of terror-distress at appropriate moments to heighten the tension and help make the alpha hero’s exploits all the more remarkable. Females also could be the source of the alpha hero’s one weakness or play the ever present role of evil temptress (the ongoing rerun of woman as Eve).

Women have a lot more options and a bit more power in some societies today. So now alpha heroic fiction offers its primarily male audience an escape back to presumably happier times (at least for men). In these good old days, men were manly, a few were top heroes, and women knew and remained in their (subordinate) places. Much of today’s alpha heroes and their worlds are a tedious exercise in gender power nostalgia.

How tiresome and boring. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Bring us some alpha heroines!

It just so happens that alpha heroines inhabit the pages of the Green Stone of Healing® speculative epic. First-generation heroine Helen Andros, a “formidable protagonist,” according to Kirkus Discoveries, is an alpha heroine to the max. She is so tall, brainy, opinionated, and accomplished that she scares many men. She’s also dedicated to her calling as a physician and willing to take risks despite her fears to help patients who need her.

Helen is an alpha heroine in a society that is male dominated. Women are strictly second class in Azgard, the lost island nation where she lives. Helen is especially vulnerable in her world because she is a presumed orphaned, illegitimate half breed. Her long lost mother was a Turanian, the subjugated race in Azgard; her unknown father a member of the dominant Toltecs. In every sense, Helen sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb, and struggles to find a place in a society hostile to her very existence for numerous reasons.

The public unmasking of the identity of Helen’s father sets the tale in motion, and Helen’s dangers only continue to grow even though every now knows her father’s identity as one of the most powerful and highest ranked Toltec lords. The state-sanctioned, powerful Temple of Kronos wants Helen dead because its leader fears the mythical gifts and abilities of half-breeds as a challenge to his institution’s authority and prestige.

But Helen grows, too, picking up skills to defend herself and heal others by wielding a spiritual energy known as kura. She and her descendents, who will be alpha heroines as well, hold out a loving, inclusive alternative to theocrats who persecute anyone who does not look or believe as they do.

The priests’ drive for dominance ultimately destroys Azgard. But a descendent of Helen meets the challenge of preventing the total destruction of her people, leading them to a new beginning in what remains of a world shattered by the unloving lust for total control.

C.L. Talmadge is the author of the Green Stone of Healing® speculative epic. The fourth in the series, Outcast, will be published Oct. 1. Vote for the first book, The Vision, by midnight Sept. 25 and get a free e-book on healing, love, and spirituality. Details at her blog: www.healingstonebooks.com/stonescribe

The series features four generations of strong-willed female characters who inherit a mysterious green gem ultimately revealed to mend broken bones and broken hearts, protect against missiles, and render its wearers undetectable.

For more information about each book, please visit http://www.greenstoneofhealing.com/

Special Guest: Lorhainne Eckhart

2009-09-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

What inspires me to write romance?

Life and those relationships that surround me, inspire me to write romance. I love romance and I do believe we all need a little bit in our life. Whatever the story I am writing, there is always that key component the guy and the girl, a love story centered on them. Life is full of so many conflicts, trying times and troubling news. Out of that I see a resolve to a happier ending. So I start creating the story to that happy ending, with all the twists and turns that can arise out of that journey to love.

I believe with everything that we work through in our days one thing that adds that something special, is romance. We all need it to exist, to be happy and it is truly good for our soul.

Whatever bad times may be going on around us, whether it is in our personal life, with conflicts, local economy or a difficult path in your life. The one thing that is inspiring to me is romance and that happy ending which we all want to happen when times are difficult.

So add a little romance to your life, to spice it up, to give you hope.

The Captain's Lady
by Lorhainne Eckhart

Blurb:

Captain Eric Hamilton is a powerful force in the U.S. Navy, having earned himself a reputation of being a hard-nosed chauvinist. He’s commander of the USS Larsen, a destroyer, currently deployed in the Persian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Abby Carlton has just escaped from the man who held her captive for a year. Abducted while travelling in Paris, she was given to an Arab man as a gift, until one night she makes her desperate escape.

While on patrol one morning Captain Eric Hamilton discovers a dinghy floating aimlessly. Abby is found, battered and in an advanced state of pregnancy, lying in the bottom of the dinghy. From the moment she lay on the deck of his ship her innocence finds a way to penetrate his hardened heart. But time is running out. Eric is falsely accused of sexual assault and the CIA wants Abby and the baby for bait to flush out her captor.

Excerpt:

“We have no reports of a ship in distress in the area, Captain.”

“What about fishing boats?”

“No, sir, no reports.”

Looking once more at his first officer, Eric issued curt orders, the harshness grating in his voice. “Send a rescue team to check it out.”

Handing the binoculars off to one of the crew members, he strode with determination off the bridge, heading directly to the ship’s launch. His well-trained crew scurried about. Joe appeared at his side and they watched from the rail as the small rigid hull sped off in the direction of the dinghy. His pulse rose and the dampness on his back soaked through his short-sleeved shirt.

“So what do you think?” Joe leaned on the rail, uncertainty clear in the crinkle of his brows.

“Don’t know, dammit.” Eric focused on the scene unfolding in the distance. Again he commandeered the binoculars from Joe and scrutinized the three-man team approaching, then securing the boat to the dinghy.

His senses were keen; over the years, he’d learned to trust them. The uneasiness that crept its way into his gut, the hairs now standing up on the back of his neck and the racing of his heart; this unshakable feeling was telling him that things were about to change—drastically. Puzzled, he felt the mounting frustration build inside, along with something else he could not quite put his finger on. Shaking his head, he realized it was not a feeling of dread.

The crackle of the radio interrupted his speculation. A voice from the rescue team came over the line. “There’s someone in here, a woman, and she’s in bad shape.”

RWA Board Candidate Cynthia D. Morgan

2009-09-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

First, thanks to the ladies of the blog for hosting my ramblings today.

And second, voting for the 2010 RWA Board Elections started on Tuesday. Voting runs all month to allow those members without email addresses to be notified via snail mail. If RWA has your email address, you should have received a passcode and a link to the voting site. If, as you read this, you have not received this email, and RWA has your email address on file, you might want to check with the national office. Or you might check your spam mail filter. Either way, it’s important to voice your opinion by voting.

Now, all this week, I’ve been roaming around the internet talking about the 2010 RWA Board Elections, specifically my run for PRO Liaison. My bio, vision statement and answers to the board questionnaire are all on my website (http://cynthiadalba.blogspot.com/) so I won’t use up space repeating them here. The last two days, I have been talking with other PROs about what RWA PRO membership means, why the designation was created, and what kinds of issues do PRO members feel need to be addressed. Take a minute and read the posts of these blogs and the comments.

Why does PRO membership exist on EveryoneNeedsALittleRomance (http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/2009/09/02/why-does-rwa-pro-exists/)

and

The importance of volunteering on The Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers (http://pinkfuzzyslipperwriters.blogspot.com/)

From what I’m hearing from other PRO members, they were surprised to discover that PRO was created to enhance knowledge of the business aspects of publishing, not the craft. I know that the ladies of this blog are PRO members. Did you know that? The comments on Everyone Needs A Little Romance are excellent and thought provoking and I encourage you all to read them.

Yesterday when talking about volunteerism, the readers were surprised to discover there were PRO committees they could volunteer for. I’ve heard many PRO talk about what they’d like to see happen with the Pro-Org yahoo loop. Did you know that you can affect that loop by being on the PRO-Communications committee?

So talk to me. What PRO issue is burning a hole in your gut? And if helping grow and improve the PRO element of RWA would require that you volunteer two hours a month, could you do that?

Thanks for reading this and a HUGE thank you to all my friends who have roamed blog to blog with me this week, keeping me company, and sharing their opinions (not that any of them are too shy or bashful to tell me what they think on everything!)

And if you haven’t voted, get out there and vote.

Have a Safe and Happy Labor Day Weekend.

RWA Board Candidate Karen Steele

2009-09-01T06:47:00.001-07:00

Why am I running for a seat on the RWA Board of Directors?

By Karen Steele

When I first started talking to some friends about whether I should run for office as an RWA director, they began showering me with comments and suggestions.

The things they brought up were as varied as they were entertaining. Well they entertained me, but then that's why they're my friends. The conversations went something like this.

"You'll have less time to write. You'd need to get up before the kids do to get anything done."

"Then I'll just have to write smarter. Getting up early or staying up late isn’t anything new - I think I can handle the absence of sunlight with my coffee."

"You're going to have to bury yourself in bylaws, policy, and committee work. Why do you want to do that?"

"I've spent the last 3 years as a chapter officer loving almost every minute of bylaws, policy, and committee work." I do love the blank stare that often generates.

"Are you positive you want to run for the RWA board? I'm pretty sure they don't even have a cover model competition at their conference."

"Yes I'm sure, and no, they don't." (This friend, who has never been to an RWA national conference, went on to say she thinks it would really liven up the Golden Heart / Rita ceremony if we could just throw in some cover models. I suggested she write a letter to the event organizers and maybe try to get to a conference herself sometime in the future.)

"You won't be able to serve on your chapter board anymore."

I paused on this one. I do love my chapters, and working with the chapter board is something I've enjoyed. "I'll still be in the chapters though. And you don't have to serve on a board to be an active part of a chapter."

"Ah-ha. So if you don't have to be on the board to be an active member, why are you running for the board?"

I was starting to think maybe my friends didn't know me very well by now. So I called my best writer friend, the one who's known me since before I even joined RWA.
"I'm thinking about running for the board of RWA" I told her.

"Good. I think you'll do a great job. Now tell me why."

It's a good thing only one person brought up the cover model thing, or this post might have gone down an entirely different thematic road. But that "why" question was becoming my running-for-office theme. With each person I talked to, I became even more convinced that running for a seat on the board was the right thing for me to be doing now.

So, why? For starters, I love RWA. I know I’d still be writing if I had never joined, but I wouldn’t be writing as well. I might still be published, but I don’t think my work would be as polished and professional. If you want to become a comedian, I’m pretty sure you don’t sit in your bedroom telling jokes to no one besides yourself for five years. You head out to the comedy clubs and learn from the pros. Then you get on stage, and see if anyone laughs.

No one laughs when I get on stage, or if they do it’s probably not for the right reasons. So I stick to writing.

When I joined my first RWA chapters I looked at the authors around me. I saw people like me, just getting started. And there were members who had just sold a first book, who were celebrating their twentieth sale, some that were bleeding over a rejection and others celebrating finding an agent. But no matter where they were in their career, they were all focused on becoming the best writer they could be. And they were all there with their advice, support, cheers, and tissues when they were needed.

The chapters I belong to range in size from several dozen to several hundred members. Each chapter has its own sense of spirit, but they all share one common, unifying theme. We support each other and know that as each member grows and succeeds, our chapter grows and flourishes with her (or him). And the chapter board members each work as hard as any volunteer can to make sure their chapters and members keep moving forward together towards success.

Over the past few years it seems this sense of unification has not flourished on a national level. We've seen publisher controversy, eligible vs. recognized disarray, contest confusion, even a complete kerfuffle over something that's meant to be as positive as an awards ceremony.

Except for that last one (I'm still trying to figure out how that one happened myself) some of the most strident disputes have been over issues that build walls between members. Writers have been divided, pushing the membership into labeled groups instead of joining them into a unified organization.

Now I'm not looking to lead a round of Kumbaya around a council campfire. If you’d ever heard me sing – and you probably haven’t, because I don’t sing - you’d know that would probably lead to me drinking alone at the bar when everything was said and done. But I am interested in finding ways to bring the spirit of the membership back to where it started. When those 37 original members formed RWA nearly 30 years ago, I don’t think they felt a need to divide the membership based on where each member was in their career. They just wanted to become successful writers, and to support their fellow writers while they reached for their own success.

It takes a completely different level of leadership to educate and advocate for 10,000 writers than it does for 37. With the growth of membership came a lot of good things. But if it came with the loss of unity, I think we need to ask ourselves if all the growth has come in positive directions.

I don’t have an agenda, or a pet cause. I’m pro-writer, no matter if you are writing with your toes or with a keyboard, published on printed paper or digitally. I truly believe that just as there is no single "right" way to write, there is no single "right" way to publish. I wish to work with the board on educating members to the new choices and challenges that open to them every year, and promoting membership development as RWA continues to grow into an organization that serves and advocates for every one of its members.

And that is why I am running for a seat on the Romance Writers of America Board of Directors.

I encourage you to email me at kasteeleauthor@bellsouth.net if you have any questions.

You can see more information on me at my website, http://kasteele.com, and complete information on all the candidates at www.rwanational.org

Biography :
Karen Steele is currently running for a seat on the RWA Board of Directors as Region 3 Director. She lives with her husband and two children in Florida. Under the name Ember Case, she writes for Samhain Publishing.

Karen joined RWA in 2006. She has served the Passionate Ink chapter as Treasurer, Website Administrator, Contest Coordinator, and on numerous committees. She is also a member of ESPAN, the newly formed YARWA, and the First Coast Romance Writers. An active member of Romance Writers of America, she has previously served as contest judge and conference volunteer.

Karen is also a graphic artist, and has been a small business owner for over 15 years. To learn more about her writing, visit www.embercase.com or www.kasteele.com

Special Guest: Icy Snow Blackstone

2009-08-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

For my blog today, I have as my guest Philip Hamilcar, hero of Earthman's Bride. Welcome, Philip. Thank you for coming. I hope speaking to this many unseen people won't be a daunting project for you.

Philip (The Governor of Tusteya is a tall, blond Earthman. He wears a dark blue uniform similar to the ones : Thank you, Mistress Blackstone. As Governor of Tusteya, I've spoken to the entire population of a planet, so I'll just pretend this is more of the same. (clears his throat) I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Philip Hamilcar, Junior, and I'm the Earthman in Mistress' Blackstone's novel Earthman's Bride.

ICS: And you're the governor of the planet Tusteya.

Philip: That's right.

ICS: Pardon me for mentioning it, Philip, because I’m sure you get a lot of this, but you’re awfully young to be governor of an entire planet. I understand you became governor at a very early age.

Philip: That’s kind of you, Mistress Blackstone, for I’m fed up to here (waves a hand above his six-foot-three-height) with people pointing out my age! I was fifteen when I inherited the position from my father and I’ve been governor for five years now. Actually, no one else wanted the job. The men calling themselves my father's friends refused to accept the responsibility--even my Uncle Alexander. So...it was dropped into my adolescent lap. I became governor by default.

ICS: Uncle Alexander. That would be Alexander McIntyre? Your father's ensign?

Philip: Yes. He's not really my uncle but he helped my father raise me. I'll have to admit he's been a great help. (smiles with fondness) He managed to help a lot of the weight off the shoulders of a young boy who hadn't the foggiest idea how to rule a conquered planet. In fact, Uncle Lex and I got along fine...until I learned how to think for myself!

ICS: Give us a little background here. How did a man from Earth become governor on another planet?

Philip: It's not a pretty story, and--being an inhabitant of Earth, you may not like it but...here's goes: The Earth I know isn't a very nice place. They've used up all their resources and have started conquering other planets and sending their natural materials back to Earth. They call it "taking them into protective custody." The planets called it “invasion.” When it happened to Tusteya, they fought back but they were conquered anyway, and my father... Well, he protested the invasion and for his trouble, he and his men, including my Uncle Alexander, were left on the planet. To maintain Terran control, they were told. (looks angry) In reality, they were marooned!

ICS: That's awful! Was your mother marooned also? Did she chose to follow your father to the planet?

Philip: The Federation doesn't allow women in its ranks, Mistress. Every child born to the Terrans has a Tusteyan mother. There isn't a purebred Terran in the second generation and I'm one of them. I guess that's an old story where invaders are concerned but my father made certain every couple who got "involved" was lawfully married by a Tusteyan priest. Unfortunately, where the others had been love matches, my mother hated my father, hated the child she bore him and ran away to join the rebels in the mountains three days after I was born. She died in those mountains, killed by a wild animal.

ICS: Philip, I'm so sorry. So there your father was--stranded on a hostile planet, a widower with an infant, and--

Philip: --a planetful of natives wanting to kill him. Is it any wonder he died early? But please, let's not dwell on the sad part of this story. I loved my father, he did what he had to do. He raised me as an Earthman and I suppose I might have turned out as he did if Alcin Spearman hadn't decided to call a truce.

ICS: How long had this war with the Tusteyans been going on at that time? Thirty years or more, wasn't it?

Philip: Yes, thirty years. I was born ten years after it started and I was near to celebrating my twenty-first birthday when Alcin sent his representative to me. An honorable gentleman named Dr. Martin Celcius.

ICS: So Dr. Celcius came to you with an offer of peace...?

Philip: (smiling broadly) Oh, he brought more than an offer of peace! He told me Alcin had sent me his most cherished possession to keep until he himself could arrive to go over the terms of a peace treaty.

ICS: His most cherished possession! That must have been something very valuable.

Philip: It was...most valuable...(studies his hands a moment) and it also came my most cherished possession and one I'd die to protect.

ICS: My goodness, what was it?

Philip: My wife. Rebeka. He offered Rebeka to me as part of the peace agreement, and I-- (laughs in embarrassment) --Well, I was a twenty-year-old and not married and... (face reddens slightly) Do I have to go into detail? Let's just say that I fall in lust with her immediately.

ICS: Hmmm.

Philip: And within twenty-six hours of meeting Rebeka, that lust turned to love, though I didn't realize it for another twenty-six! Meeting Rebeka Spearman was the luckiest day of my life--and of the Tusteyan people's.

ICS: How do you mean? I think I understand how it was lucky for her people. After all, you apparently signed the peace treaty but how was it lucky for you?

Philip: Because Rebeka encouraged me to rebel. Don't think I was a wimp or anything but I was still fairly young to have such authority and I'd come to lean rather heavily on my uncle, but for a couple of years I'd been questioning the way we were treating the Tusteyans. And then Rebeka came along. She was the catalyst. You wouldn't think it to look at her rhat she could stir up everything so. I mean, she's so tiny, and delicate...with the most beautiful blue eyes and hair that's like black silk...and when she moves...(stops, coughs slightly) Excuse me, didn't mean to get so poetic. Guess you can tell I love the girl. Anyway, Rebeka kind of tipped the scales, make me recognize the fact that I wasn't an Earthman and I wasn't a Tusteyan but a combination of both. I was part of the conqueror as well as the conquered. She gave me the courage to do the things I later did.

ICS: And what were those things?

Philip: I think, Mistress Blackstone, that at this point, I'll have to be a little coy, and suggest anyone wanting to know about that part of our story should read your book. For a native Terran, you've been a very accurate historian, by the way, recording our struggle with total truth and a great impartiality. I'm hoping you'll stick around to report anything else that happens to us and to Tusteya, also.

ICS: Thank you for saying that, Philip, and that's a great segue for me to announce that Earthman's Bride, the first part of your and Rebeka's story, is available from Lyrical Press as an ebook.

EXCERPT:

He held out his hand, and she took it without hesitation, and when he smiled at that, she smiled back. They continued to walk.

They were behind the high hedge, now, out of sight of the android. Philip glanced towards the terrace. He couldn't see Darius and he was certain the robot wasn't able to see them, either.

Without warning, he caught her by the arms, pulled her towards him and kissed her, thinking as he did it, Fool! Idiot! She'll call for Darius and he'll pound you into the ground and you'll lose your life and your chance to make peace just because you're getting a hormone itch for Spearman's daughter!

But she didn't move, didn't fight, didn't do anything as he pressed his mouth against hers. All he felt was her warm breath floating gently onto his tongue.

When he released her, Rebeka's hand went to her mouth. She was breathing in little gasps.

"I know I shouldn't have done that," he began, thinking he'd better ward off the hysterics he expected.

"You're the first man who's ever kissed me."

He was startled at the--Oh God, was that awe?--in her voice.

Since she didn't appear to be about to yell for her bodyguard, he asked, "Then may I also be the second?" and kissed her again.

This time, her arms went around his neck and her mouth opened slightly, and, he felt a warm, soft tongue brush his lips before darting back into her mouth like a frightened little animal scurrying for its hiding place.

This time, when he released her, they were both breathing rather heavily.

The man who gets you is going to be a lucky devil! Philip thought. He'd felt just a brief hint of the passion Rebeka possessed, probably was holding in check for the man she'd marry. God, he thought, if I could be the one to unleash it! If keeping the girl untouched weren't so important, if only there was some way he could have her and the treaty, too!

Earthman's Bride is available as an ebook from www.lyricalpress.com. See the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIXWZuGtgHU

Villain Archetype: The Parasite

2009-08-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Parasite is always dissatisfied with his own life and wants to live someone else’s, and he/she doesn’t care what they have to do to make it happen.

When I first started thinking about this archetype, I was surprised at how many examples leapt to mind. The first being The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). The movie is based on a novel written in 1955 by author Patricia Highsmith.

Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is working a part time job as a piano player at a party in a borrowed Princeton jacket when he is approached by Herbert Greenleaf. Ripley leads Herbert to believe he’s a graduate of the university and a friend of his son, Dickie. Herbert Greenleaf hires Ripley to travel to Italy and convince his son to return home to help run the family business. Thus the man gives Ripley a taste of the life he’s never known and a hunger for more.

Ripley arrives in Italy, contacts Dickie Greenleaf, and wastes no time ingratiating himself into his life. Throughout their relationship, in both the movie and the book, the reader/viewer becomes aware of the sexual attraction Ripley feels toward Greenleaf and how he covets, the man’s wealth, attention, and charm. But his feelings go deeper than that. He wants to BE Dickie. He emulates the man in every way and becomes desperate to maintain the lifestyle to which he’s become addicted.

Ripley ends up killing the focus of his affection and takes on Dickie’s identity in an attempt to cover up the murder. But when a friend of Dickie’s comes to visit and grows suspicious, Ripley’s parasite persona once more turns to murder to cover up the horrible truth.

He later writes a suicide note to explain Dickie’s death. Herbert Greenleaf pays Ripley off to keep his son’s past indiscretions secret, unknowingly allowing Ripley to avoid prosecution for his murder.

In the end, a chance run in with a woman who knows him only as Dickie forces Ripley to kill his lover, Peter Smith-Kingsley, to hide the secret once again and Ripley realizes the life he wanted has cost him everyone to whom he’s become close.

Similar but less dark is the second example of the Parasite Archetype that came to mind.

In Six Degrees of Separation, (1993) Paul (Will Smith) is a gay con artist. He shows up at Flan and Ouisa Kittridge’s (Stockard Channing and Donald Southerland) door asking for help. He claims to have been mugged in Central park but his lies don’t stop there. He also says he’s friends of their son and daughter at Harvard and Sidney Poitier’s son. This last outrageous lie doesn’t set off the alarms that it should. The couple take him in for the night and are completely charmed by him. But when they investigate Paul’s life later, they learn the truth. They’ve taken a stranger into their midst on face value and been conned. The truth makes them look at the insular existence they lead and turns their perception of it on its ear.

The third example of the Parasite Archetype is DJay ( Terrence Howard) in Hustle and Flow (2005). DJay is a drug dealer and a pimp. A Parasite of the worse kind. He doesn’t just prey on his customers, but lives off the women in his stable while he tries to pursue his dream as a Rapper.

In his quest for his big break, DJay hustles a way into a party where he attempts to give a successful rapper, Skinny Black, a demo tape he’s created. The rapper destroys the tape and DJay assaults him and shoots one of the man’s entourage.

While in prison, DJay learns that one of his prostitutes and business partner, Nola, has succeeded in getting his demo played on the radio. But “Everybody’s gotta have a dream.” No matter what the cost. Right?

The Fourth example of the Parasite Archetype is Jullian Kaye (Richard Geer) in American Gigolo (1980). Julian is a male prostitute in Los Angeles. He’s handsome and polished and works hard to maintain both his outward appearance and his lifestyle. He even takes some pride in being able to please his clients. But he’s a Parasite.

When he meets a politician’s wife, Michelle Stratton (Lauren Hutton), he becomes more involved emotionally than he’s ever been tempted to do before. But he continues to work as a Gigolo.

His pimp sends him to a house of a wealthy businessman who wants him to abuse and copulate with his wife while he watches. Julian’s heart isn’t into the abuse, the one thing that saves him from being completely unsympathetic. But he does perform, though the experience gives him a bad feeling.

A few days later, the woman he was with that night is killed and the police hone in on Julian as the main suspect. He was with another woman the night of the murder, but she won’t give him the alibi he needs to prove his innocence.

His life spirals downward as he realizes he’s built his existence on a house of cards that could have crumbled at any time. He’s not important to anyone. He’s viewed as the Parasite that he is.

He turns to the one person he thinks may view him as a valuable commodity, his pimp, and learns he’s the man responsible for his being framed for the murder. They get into an altercation and the man falls over his apartment balcony to his death.

With the only person who can clear him dead, Julian ends up in jail. He’s humbled by the experience, accepting of his fate, and perhaps even feels that he deserves some punishment for the life he’s led. When Michelle shows up, he’s surprised. She’s laid her reputation on the line to give him an alibi and cleared him with the police.

Out of all the Parasites thus far, I’ve found Julian the most sympathetic because he learns from his mistake and you feel as though he will make an effort to change once he’s set free.

My last example of the Parasite Archetype isn’t human at all, but grew from the imagination of one of my favorite authors, Michael Crichton. Crichton died earlier this year, a real loss to the human, writing and television community (he was the creator of the hit show ER.) His numerous books have always fascinated me because he was able to take the unusual things he discovered about technology and put a wonderful spin on it and make it completely spellbinding. He’s the author of such blockbusters as Jurassic Park, Timeline, The Andromeda Strain, Rising Sun, Congo, The Sphere, Airframe, Disclosure, The Terminal Man, and several others. Most of his books have been made into movies. But I suggest you read them for each one has a warning in it as well as an unusual way of making the technology he’s focused on a character unto itself.

Jack Forman is an out of work software programmer and house husband who’s having trouble finding another job. Because he sought to blow the whistle on an illegal operation at his last job, other companies are wary of hiring him. In the high-tech world of software it doesn’t pay to be honest.

Because Jack has been a house husband for so long, his self-image and his confidence have taken a nose dive. Thus when he grows suspicious that his wife may be having an affair, he’s almost numb about it. Julia has grown increasingly distant and distracted, but also acts almost manic when she’s at the house.

Concerned for her and their children, Jack accepts a job with his old company to iron out problems their having with a computer code he wrote for a game. They’ve subcontracted with his wife’s company, so he’ll be working at the same facility as she and he may be able to figure out what’s going on with her.

When he arrives at the facility in the middle of the desert, he grows increasingly suspicious and concerned. The members of his team (people he’s worked with before) act both glad to see him and wary. Everyone speaks in double-speak but no one wants to come straight out and tell him what the code problem is.

He learns that his wife’s company, Zymos, has been contracted by the Defense Department to use the nanotechnology they have created as an internal imaging tool as a spy and reconnaissance weapon. The nanobots have been released into the desert and have begun to evolve and learn on their own. In fact they have become a swarm who Prey on any living creatures they come across in the desert.

Crichton’s nanobots evolve to the point they become Parasites using living hosts, their creators, to carry out their agenda, to reproduce and conceal themselves in plan sight within the general population. They learn to take the form of the humans they come into contact with and represent a global threat.

To tell you the ending of the story would be a spoiler. You need to read the book and discover what happens. But these small microscopic computers represent one of the most vicious Parasite Archetypes I’ve ever read about.

What makes Crichton’s books remarkable is that they always hold a grain of truth and that makes their impact thought provoking and a little scary.

Thank you for reading my blog on the Parasite Archetypes. What Parasites have you run across in other books and movies, or in real life? Join me on Inspiration-Ink and let me know.

Write on,
Teresa Reasor

Special Guest: Toni Sweeney

2009-08-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

1. How long have you been writing to get published and what do you think finally garnered your success at it?

I started writing at age 6, gained speed in high school, got serious about it in 1975, and had my first novel published in 1989. As for success? I don't know that I have that, yet, but if anything, I'm darned persistent! If anyone ever comes up to me and says, "Toni Sweeney? Yes, I read (insert title here) and liked it (or didn't like it, for that matter), I'll know I've arrived!

2. Since you write science fiction, what differences and similarities to other genres stand out to you?

I guess all stories are similar in that they all have (or should have) plot, characters, and conflict. Placing a story on an alien world, in an alien culture gives the writer freedom to make comments on society by contrasting it to what's going on there, or having the aliens view our own society with scorn, irony, or curiosity, pointing out how absurd, unjust, or complacent it sometimes is. I have one story now that's a horror story but I realized the other day that with a change of the characters' natures from vampire to human, it could be a very entertaining story set in the England of the Plantagenets.

3. What inspires your story ideas?

Anything! Sometimes, it might be something someone says, a catchy phrase, or a play on words. Or an idea that pops into my mind. Or the question: "What if...?" Or just a title.

4. How did you come up with your titles?

I try to have my titles relate in some way to my story, try to make them intriguing, of course, so the reader will look at the title, think "Hm, wonder what that's about?" and buy it to find out. Like in my new book Blood Sin. I'd like the reader to wonder "What's a blood sin? And how does it relate to the hunky guy on the cover, with the beautiful woman clinging to him?" Generally when I choose a title, I stick to it. There have been only a couple of times when my titles have gone through changes. Bloodseek went through four titles before one stuck. Blood Sin went through three. The second story in the series was actually titled Blood Sin and was written first; when I wrote Book One, it was called Blood Ties. Then, I decided that would be better for the second book, so I swapped them. Later, I changed the second title also. (Is that confusing?)

5. Do you use visual aids to help you write? If so, what kind?

Once in a while, I find an online picture which strongly resembles my hero or heroine. I might print that and tape it near the computer to look at while I type. Generally, I just keep things like that in my head. I've done the same thing with scenery, castles, etc. And I'm always researching so if there's a lengthy explanation of something which is integral to the plot, I may copy it out to refer to directly instead of accessing it continuously online or in a book. Saves time.

6. Do you relate more with the hero or heroine in your stories?

My heroine, although when it comes to emotions and secret feelings, I tell myself both men and women experience the same things deep down so there's really no difference. A man can feel the same dismay, elation, and feelings of inadequacy as a woman; he'll just display it differently. I try to make my heroines feisty, so the heroes, who tend to be the domineering type until you get to know them better (or perhaps they change once they meet the heroine) see them as a challenge.

7. Whose POV do you like to write your love scenes from the most and why?

I generally write from the third person POV. Somehow, doing a love scene in the first person feels a little embarrassing. Then, too, that limits the sensation of the act because only the other person's reactions--and not their emotions and thoughts--can be described. First Person always limits the story because nothing can be told that doesn't happen in the speaker's presence. I once wrote a first person love story but before it was published, changed it to third person because that made it flow better.

8. Describe the hero and heroine of your current release.

My latest novel is Blood Sin.

The hero is Aric kan Ingan, a prince of Arcanis, a planet in the Emeraunt Galaxy. At the age of twelve, Aric was taken from his mother and raised by his uncle to be the next Margrave of Arcanis and as a result, he's proud, spoiled, and more than a bit of a snob. He's twenty when the story opens. His uncle astounds everyone by not only opening trade relations with the Earth--a minor planet which has been quarantined from outside contact for two thousands years because of its propensity to violence--but also announces he's marrying an Earthwoman. Aric not only loses his succession to the throne but is expected to accept this graciously and welcome his new aunt with open arms, which--being the spoiled young noble that he is--he refuses to do. This isn't to say he's not a worthy person; he's also brave, an able warrior, and obeys his mother. He just wants to be king!

The second "hero" in the story is his uncle Deroes who became margrave at the age of eight. When Deroes was thirteen, he dismissed his advisors and has ruled alone ever since and is continually in conflict with those same men. They want him to marry...just not an alien, which, of course, is what he does. He recognizes Aric's dislike of his new wife but has no clue how to make his nephew accept what's happened.

Elizabeth Sheffield is more like Aric than she wants to admit. She's spoiled, beautiful, and an opportunist who's accustomed to manipulating men into doing what she wants. At first, this doesn't work with Deroes who's much older and experienced than she, but eventually, even he is maneuvered so that he thinks marrying Elizabeth is his own idea. She thinks she can control Aric the same way she has all the others but it finally comes down to pitting one spoiled young person against another spoiled young person, two personalities too much alike...and the inevitable happens...they fall in love.

9. Is there wiggle room for a sequel and do you have plans to write one?

Blood Sin is the first in the series, the kan Ingan Archives, the premise being that all these stories are in the history of the royal family. (They weren't shy about writing down their faults and foibles for posterity.) The second has now been tentatively titled Sinner's Exile, and there are two to three more, if things work out.

10. What are you up to now? Do you have upcoming releases you'd like to share a little info on?

The next one out will be Blood Sin which will be released in August. I also have A Singing in the Blood, in the Chronicles of Riven the Heretic series, and Sinbad's Pride, from the Adventures of Sinbad, both expected out toward the end of this year. Maybe an anthology of short stories.

11. Tell us something we'd be surprised to know about you.

You mean other than the fact that I'm madly in love with a hunk thirty years younger than myself? Nothing much, I guess.

12. What is your favorite fictional love scene of all time (can be literary or film)?

The first one coming to mind is that famous scene from Gone with the Wind where Rhett forcibly carries Scarlett up the staircase and into their bedroom but I have two others, also. The novel Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong, in which witch Paige Winterbourne and sorcerer/lawyer Lucas Cortez first make love. Also, a novel which I bought decades ago (and, I'm ashamed to admit, no longer remember the title). It was the third in a series, about the Colonies and sailing ships, and the titles had something to do with the ships names and the sea (if anyone recognizes this vague description, thank you!) The first time the hero and heroine make love, he gets very instructional, telling her various names for "things" and it gets very funny. He's trying to be so understanding and gentle and and serious and she's sooo ready!

13. What can readers expect to see from you in the next few years?

Probably more of the same. I'm pretty consistent and predictable.

Villain Archetype: The Evil Genius

2009-08-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Evil Genius has an evil plan--for you. Intricate puzzles are his specialty and he’s contrived one in your honor. This character not only has street smarts but is a walking encyclopedia of just about everything. Brilliant, clever, skilled and determined this bon-a-fide show off has a unquenchable appetite to beat you in his game of life or death. You’ll think you’re a player only to learn your nothing but his pawn. Unrelenting, this villain’s always two steps ahead.

Dennis Hopper in Speed. Recall the crazed bus driving 50mph on the freeway with the huge gap? Sounds like something only an Evil Genius could contrive. Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves were pawns for the hell-bent, retired officer Howard Payne until the very end.

I Robot. Ah, ha. The Evil Genius here is the main computer, VIKI, aka Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence. VIKI controls all the robots in the film, who are commonly used as servants. Will Smith’s character detests the technology of robots and, in the end deactivates her Positronic brain with the help of good robot, Sonny.

Primal Fear. The genius here is played by Edward Norton. OMG, what a creepy sociopath of an altar boy he portrayed. Aaron Stampler and his multiple personality “Roy” played Richard Gere’s character, Martin Vail, like a finely tuned fiddle--until Vail questions a moment of “lost time” both personalities are privy to.

Other movies include Eagle Eye, Fractured, and Murder By Numbers.

Thanks for reading!
Sloan Seymour

Special Guest: Diane Craver

2009-08-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

My Experience with A New Publisher

Since my publisher of Whitney in Charge is new, you might not have heard of them yet. Just this past March I learned about Desert Breeze Publishing from one of my author friends, Lula Thomas/Miss Mae. I immediately went to their website. After reading what they wanted in a manuscript, I felt it would be a good fit for the type of sweet romances I write. I asked others active in the publishing world if they knew anything about this new house, and was pleased to hear only positive things about Desert Breeze Publishing. Their first books were published in April, and I was told by a review site co-owner that the ones reviewed had been well edited and were top-notch.

Early April I emailed my manuscript Whitney in Charge to Gail Delaney, the editor-in-chief of Desert Breeze Publishing. I was happy to receive a contract from her during the same month. At the same time, another small publisher offered me a contract, but I felt Desert Breeze was the best fit for me as an author. I knew I'd submit my future novels to them. I especially liked the fact that they launched their company to provide a place for readers and authors to go where there are only non-erotica/non-erotic romance novels. You don't have to search through erotic romances and erotica that are offered on many other publishers' sites. I haven't regretted my decision in accepting Desert Breeze's contract.

Gail instantly posted my author and book information on their website. After I submitted my cover art form, Jenifer Ranieri contacted me for my input. It was nice to be included so much in the whole cover art process. I'm very pleased with my Whitney cover.

I can't tell you about my sales since Whitney in Charge just released on August 1. I do know that as owners of Desert Breeze, Gail and Jenifer have a great relationship with their authors. Both are available to answer questions and give frequent updates about the growth of their company. Just in the short time I've been with them, they have made great strides in the publishing world. They are definitely getting our books noticed by their aggressive marketing.

If you are an aspiring author or a published author looking for an appropriate home for your non-erotica/non-erotic romance novels to submit to, you should consider Desert Breeze Publishing.

Question for Aspiring Writers or Published Authors: What do you look for in a publisher?

Question for Readers: What do you think of my cover for my new release? What enters into your decision in buying a book by a new author? Is it the cover, reviews, excerpts, or the book jacket blurb?

Whitney in Charge

By: Diane Craver

Blurb:

Whitney Benson is tired of her older sisters’ attempts to fix her up with every single male they meet. Shannon and Regan cross the line when they arrange for her to go skydiving with the simple excuse that more guys like to float in the air than women. Whitney needs to find something else to keep them busy.

When she suggests that the three of them start a family business, the fun begins in their small town. And she thought being a TV producer in New York had been exciting.

Without going skydiving, Whitney meets two eligible bachelors, Jack and Ben, who constantly battle for her affection. Which one will she choose? Both men make Whitney realize, even a heart shattered by her husband’s death, can once again be made whole.

But did she have to fall off a cliff to learn that?

EXCERPT:

Shannon and Regan entered the room with determined looks, immediately making her wonder what they were up to. With her being widowed and their mother gone, both felt she needed direction and had told her so more than once.

“Whitney, we need to talk,” Shannon said.

“But first, let’s go into the kitchen.” Regan smiled, carrying Chinese food. “I brought your favorite.”

“And fortune cookies,” Shannon added.

Well, that wasn’t a good sign. When they wanted her to cooperate with their plans, Regan always thought food was necessary in winning an argument against the youngest sister. Two years ago, she’d been a television news producer for a popular morning program, but those two still treated her like the baby sister. Maybe if she’d had children with Rob, things would’ve been different. Probably not. She’d always be their little sis.

What plans did they have for her? She loved Shannon and Regan but at times they overwhelmed her. Whitney followed them into the kitchen, getting plates from the cupboard while Shannon made coffee.

Regan opened up the containers of food. “We think it’s time you get out of the house and do something exciting. Mom would want you to go on with your life. And…” She grinned as she scooped out fried rice. “We thought of something to do for you.”

Whitney shook her head. “That’s not necessary—”

“Yes, it is.” Shannon put a spoonful of sugar in her coffee. “You quit your job and came back to take care of Mom.”

“I didn’t mind. Both of you have families, and I didn’t have any reason to stay in New York.” Please don’t mention Rob.

Shannon carried the cups of coffee to the table. “Regan and I have thought of the perfect thing for you to experience.”

Whitney broke open a fortune cookie and read from the slip of paper, “You will soon fall in love with a handsome stranger.”

Shannon thumped Whitney on the back before joining them at the table. “That fortune fits right in with our plans for you.”

“I think it fits in with any single woman’s hopeful plans,” Whitney said. “But certainly not mine.”

“It’s a sign,” Regan said in an eager voice. “You’ll see.”

“Not a cruise. Remember, I told you I don’t want to go on another cruise.” Several months earlier, they made her go on a three-day trip while both took turns staying with their mother. They had meant well but going by herself and being surrounded by couples hadn’t been much fun. Shannon and Regan were disappointed that Whitney hadn’t fallen in love on the ship. The only available guy she might have been interested in was the recreational director and he was too short.

“We knew you’d say that, and we’ve heard you say how you’ve done it all.” Regan put a lock of auburn hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “But we thought of something you haven’t done and will be a thrill of a lifetime.”

“And when we tell you what it is, please don’t say no,” Shannon said. “We already paid for it.”

Whitney stared at them. “Okay, you have me curious now. What is it?”

Regan set forks down on the table and mumbled, “Skydiving.”

Whitney gasped, spilling coffee on her hand. Why in the world would they pay for her to go skydiving? Had they lost their minds? “You can’t be serious. Are you trying to kill me?”

“You won’t be jumping by yourself. We talked to the owner about signing you up for a tandem skydive for your first jump. You’ll meet fun people.” Shannon patted Whitney’s hand. “And the female-male ratio is good…”

Regan nodded. “There are more guys than women skydiving. And the men are hot and love any woman who drops from the sky.”

With raised eyebrows, Whitney asked, “How would you two know?”

“We checked it all out before we got it for you,” Shannon said.

Regan grinned. “Shannon, you’re skipping the best part of our visit. We drooled over all the instructors before we signed you up. I did mention I thought you’d be the most comfortable with Nate.”

“Why Nate?” Whitney asked.

Shannon laughed. “Regan couldn’t take her eyes off him. He’s drop-dead gorgeous.”

Whitney swallowed a forkful of rice. If her sisters were correct and there was an overabundance of men, she knew why. Men wanted to act macho, but how many brain cells did they have to think jumping out of a plane made them tough? That wasn’t fair. Just because she wasn’t into skydiving didn’t mean it was stupid. When had she become so critical? She knew when. After Rob’s death, the optimistic, open-minded part of her died with him.

“Maybe you two should go skydiving instead of me.”

Regan shook her head. “No way. We want you to go.”

“But I’m afraid of heights.”

“It’s time for you to overcome your fear of flying.” Shannon took a bite of shrimp. “We want to go to Hawaii sometime. Remember how we promised Mom we would? Just the three of us.”

Whitney shrugged. “That’s different. I can fly to Hawaii without doing skydiving first.”

“I don’t think so.” Regan scooped a heaping spoonful of chow mien onto her plate. “You drove me crazy when we flew to Wisconsin for Aunt Martha’s funeral. You had such terrible anxiety attacks.”

Why did she have to have such stubborn sisters? The last thing she felt like doing was something stupid like skydiving, but she knew they’d never give up on her. They always thought they knew best because they were older and married. Big deal they were a bit older. Shannon just turned thirty-nine, and at thirty-four Regan was only three years older than Whitney.

Shannon nudged Regan, grinning with her eyebrows arched high. “Tell her about Jack.”

Regan shook her head. “Not a good idea.”

“Who’s Jack? Another skydiver?” Whitney asked.

“He’s a paramedic and single. He’s worked with Casey, but Jack’s not a firefighter. He’s not interested in meeting you.” Regan gave Whitney an apologetic shrug. “Sorry. It’s a shame because Jack’s a dead ringer for Matthew McConaughey.”

Shannon raised her eyebrows. “What did Casey tell Jack about Whitney?”

“Not enough obviously,” Regan said. “But I’ll─”

“No.” Whitney put her hand on Regan’s arm. “Don’t say anything. I don’t want to go out with someone who feels pressured.” She grinned. “Although resembling McConaughey might change my mind.”

Special Guest: Christine Clemetson

2009-08-07T17:18:00.001-07:00

Inspiration comes in many Forms
By Christine Clemetson

Early on, I discovered that I loved reading about the relationships in books. I would read the Nancy Drew books, most of all anticipating Nancy’s next date with Ned. As I grew, I enjoyed reading books that zeroed in on a love story—a story that made all things right in the world. I enjoyed learning how the characters could depend on each other, despite the conflicts they faced along the way. Authors like LaVyrle Spencer and Kathleen Woodiwiss created magic between the characters, and those stories inspired me in a way that made me want to write my own stories.

In general, for me, inspiration comes in many forms, from the books I read, to the support from people in my life, to all the events happening around me. I keep a folder of story ideas. This includes everything from newspaper articles to even dreams that I’ve had. I’ll jot the ideas down and stick them in a folder. The thing about inspiration is funny thought—if I’m inspired with a great story idea, in my eyes destined to be The Great American Novel, I won’t need to put the idea in the folder. Good ideas for stories are like first loves….you never, ever forget them.

When my first book came out, “A Daughter’s Promise”, the question I was asked most was “What inspired you to write this story?”. Inspiration came in the form of an article in my local newspaper. It detailed the history of a surprise attack on Anzio beachhead in Italy, 1944, which killed thousands of US soldiers. When I did more research, and learned more about what the soldiers faced, I wanted to give a voice to those lost. In my book, a soldier survives the battle, and through his pain he finds love and unexpected hope with a local woman. The strength of their love is what helps them survive and be able to share their strength with others—and shed light onto a dark part of our history.

What inspires your stories?

**For some reason Christine's lovely cover isn't displaying properly. I uploaded the picture a few different times trying to correct the problem, but it must be a Blogger glitch because it won't show up right. There is a banner on the right side of this page that displays the correct coloring for Christine's cover. (Sorry, Christine!)**

Christine Clemetson – A Daughter’s Promise
Blurb

A Daughter’s Promise, by debut novelist Christine Clemetson, is a sweeping love story of sacrifice and unexpected hope. In war torn Italy, 1944, Serene Moneto made a promise to her dying mother—a promise so haunting that it directs the course of her life. When she chooses to save an American soldier from death, she risks everything—her name, her life, and capture by the Germans. Finding forbidden love with this soldier tears her world apart. Against the backdrop of a war raging right outside her door, can she choose happiness? Despite the promise she made those years ago?
See the trailer at http://www.christineclemetson.com/trailers.html

Excerpt

They both knew Serene’s turn had come. She took in a deep breath and touched his arms in a stiff embrace. She hugged him the way she had rehearsed in her head over and over, the way a mother would hug her son going off to war.

“I don’t care who sees,” he said gruffly, pulling her closer. He pushed her chin up with his
fingertips, and bent his head to kiss her.

She took his lips, his body, all of him, into her heart for the last time. Feeling the rapid beating in his chest, she fought the urge to mold her most intimate part against his.

When their lips parted, his warm breath on her neck made her body shiver. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face into his jacket. “I’m not ashamed about
what I said to you last night or what happened between us.” Her voice cracked. “It’s a sin, I know, but it was the most beautiful—”

“Ashamed? I don’t think I’ll ever have that kind of love again.”

Trembling, she stood back a little, clinging to her emotions with the delicacy of a spider web. “But you were right. We made the most logical decision.”

“Jesus, Serry. I want to tell you so bad that I—”

“You’re all set, then?” Sam said, coming back into the house.

Serene let go of Miles, letting her one finger intertwine with one of his pinky fingers. She couldn’t let him go.

Slowly, he released her and went to the door, putting one foot on the outside pavement before hesitating and turning back. His eyes were red, and she clutched the stair banister to keep from running to him. How much she loved him would be a secret
she’d take to the grave.

Carrying a bottle of whiskey, Marcus passed him at the door and gave him a friendly slap on the back. “I came to give you a goodbye, Coulson.”

Serene stood up straight and froze.

Miles jerked himself away. “Change of heart about me?”

His answer was Marcus’ deep kiss on Serene’s cheek and an arm around her waist. “I realized, Coulson, that I’m proud of her for taking the responsibility for you. I thought it was about time that I offered my apologies for the undiplomatic way I acted. We’re all in this for a cause, no? Why don’t we share a bottle to celebrate?”

“No, your change of heart doesn’t rub me the right way.” Miles offered an apologetic glance to Serene and then shifted his gaze back to Marcus. “You hurt her, and I’ll hurt you. You understand me?”

“Have a safe trip,” Marcus drawled.

Serene watched the driver help him in and her knees weakened. As the truck’s engine started, she braced herself against the wall.

“Don’t worry. Serene. Just think of this as a wedding present from me. No more worries about your American. He is well now and gone for good. Your only thanks is to marry me.”

She couldn’t hear him. Her throat ached and she made no effort to wipe the tears spilling freely from her eyes. She started for the door, but he grabbed her by the shoulders.

It's All About A Drip in the Bucket

2009-08-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

My friend, Lisa Miller, told me about a guest blogger on Zen Habits who wrote about The Power of the Gradual. The blogger talked about turning a water tap on just to drip into a bucket then walk away. Later, the amount of water collected in the bucket surprised him.

Many tasks when viewed from the big picture perspective, such as the following, look simply too overwhelming to begin:

• Cleaning out and organizing a garage, or
• Removing outdated clothes from your closet, or
• Throwing out food in your kitchen cabinets with an expiration date of 2007 (2007? Yikes), or
• Cleaning out a child’s playroom and removing outgrown toys freeing up valuable storage space for new toys (from Gramdma!), or
• Completing a deep editing pass of your current work in progress,

You need a starting point that doesn’t overwhelm you. You need a – drip!

Start with one section of the room or closet. Not only will that give you a sense of accomplishment, but it will also motivate you to move on to the next section, and the next. In a few days, or weeks, or however long it takes, you’ll be able to look from the big picture perspective again and pat yourself on the back, or click your heels together if you happen to be young enough to get both feet off the ground at the same time!

Now that I think about it…if I could just get the clothes that are stacked haphazardly on top of my dresser, back into the drawers they belong, then I’d be taking a small step at solving a larger problem. I don’t have to clean out all the drawers today. Whew! But if I have to remove something old that I don’t wear when I put away something current that I do, then I’ll at least have taken a step at cleaning out all the drawers and all the closets.

Actually, I think I’d rather tackle that deep editing pass. Reading about love and romance is much more fun!

It’s all about a drip in the bucket.
Have a blessed day, Katherine

Villain Archetype: The Devil

2009-07-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

You’ve read about him in the Bible. Seen him on a tarot card. And perhaps wrestled with the temptation he represents on a more personal level. But when we talk about the Devil Archetype we’re speaking about fiction, not a real entity.

The devil is insidious, charming, alluring, and without conscience.

As in Stephen King’s Needful Things, Leland Gaunt (Max von Sydow) moves to the small town of Castle Rock and opens a store called Needful Things.

Leland promises his customers the one thing they’ve always coveted, their fondest heart’s desire. But they must do something in return for him, something that may cost them part of their humanity. And in the end, the entire town erupts into violence that nearly destroys it. The people learn the price they’ve paid is too dear for what Leland has promised them.

The Picture of Dorian Gray, was written in 1980 by Oscar Wilde. The book has been made into many movies over the course of the years. But the theme of both the book and the movies remains the same. Evil deeds scar the soul.

When he sees a painting of himself, Dorian (Ethan Erickson in the 2001 version) is so enamored with his own image that he makes a pact with the Devil (Malcolm McDowell) so he will remain forever young and handsome. Tempted by the fame and fortune his looks offer him, he begins a journey of debauchery that continues for years. And with each sin the portrait takes on the lines and scars of his soul.

In the end Dorian destroys himself because he can no longer live with what he has become.

The Devil offers you success, wealth, and tries to charm you into following in his footsteps. In the movie Wall Street, Michael Douglas plays business tycoon Gordon Gekko.

He seduces Bud Fox (Martin Sheen) into giving him inside information about a small airline. Gordon then shares the wealth through several of his other deals and seduces Bud further and further into his financial net, with money, connections, and an old girlfriend. But Bud runs right up on the one thing he can’t live with—his father losing his job because of what he’s done. He uses his inside information to rectify the damage and ends up losing his career and his freedom.

In The Devil Wears Prada Written by Lauren Weisberger, Andy Sachs is a new journalism graduate who lands what a new writer would think was a dream job, the only hitch is her boss is The Devil.

Andy endures humiliation, scorn, and condescension from her boss and her co-workers, but she sticks with the job because she’s been told it will give her a leg up to the kind of writing job she really wants. She neglects her friends and her boyfriend, she changes her outward appearance, and in the end compromises her moral standards, just to please her boss. In the process, she learns that she doesn’t like the person she’s become and walks away earning The Devil’s admiration and the job she wanted in the first place.

In The Devil’s Advocate, Attorney Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) draws the interest of a leading Manhattan law firm for his win at all cost courtside manner. When he’s offered a job by the firm, he leaves Florida and heads to the Big Apple. His wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) immediately comes under supernatural attack from the head man’s minion.

While Kevin is challenged by the cases his boss John Milton (Al Pacino) gives him, his ego is stroked and he’s cheered on and told how good he is at winning until that drive blinds him to his wife’s desperation and the tentative hold she has on her sanity. After Kevin loses his wife, his blinders are suddenly lifted. He realizes that he’s set a murderer free and is eaten up with guilt over his wife’s death. And SURPRISE!! Daddy dearest is none other than John Milton aka. Old Scratch himself. To keep from embracing Dad’s ways and breeding the next generation, Kevin chooses to end his contract and his life. But Dad being The Devil, he gets a do over to try the whole thing over again.

Do you sense a theme in the popular fiction that depicts The Devil? In every story the person seduced into following the path El Diablo has set for them, ends up giving up everything they’ve gained with their association to break the ties that bind them to him.

In doing so, they all perpetuate the belief that Good triumphs over Evil.

Can you think of any movies or books in which The Devil archetype plays a part? I’d be interested in discussing them.

Write on,
Teresa Reasor

Special Guest: Donna Marie Rogers

2009-07-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

Author Donna Marie Rogers has been kind enough to do an interview with us today. Readers, don't forget to leave a little hello comment to enter yourself to win an e-copy of her new book, Meant to Be! Now on to the interview...

1. How long have you been writing to get published and what do you think finally garnered your success at it?

I sat down at my computer with serious intent to get published in early 2004. I had tried writing a novel several years earlier (in my 20s), but became discouraged when I realized how hard it actually was to write an entire book. (LOL) But with a thicker skin and a stronger sense of perseverance, I sat down in 2004 and wrote the first draft of There's Only Been You, which took about eight months. I can't even describe how excited I was to type THE END after all those partial stories I'd written years earlier. :-)

2. What inspires your story ideas?

Lots of things, really. The news, articles, life experiences. Family, friends, neighbors, people everywhere. Reality shows, I've discovered, are a great source when looking for quirky characters. LOL

3. How did you come up with your title?

Well, I wanted a title I could work into the story as dialogue, like I'd done with There's Only Been You. I honestly don't remember exactly how I settled on Meant To Be, all I know is when I said it aloud, it just seemed a perfect fit for Garrett & Jessica. :-)

4. Do you use visual aids to help you write? If so, what kind?

Maybe a few pictures of stud muffins...strictly to help keep me focused. LOL

5. Do you relate more with the hero or heroine in your stories?

I know it's odd, but I tend to relate more to my heroes. I love writing in the male POV, and sometimes have to remind myself that my heroines would like to be heard from, too. LOL Maybe it has to do with having two brothers, no sisters, and being the only girl born in four generations on my father's side.

6. Whose POV do you like to write your love scenes from the most and why?

Again, I prefer the male POV, even for love scenes, though I do them from both. But I guess...I already know what's going on inside a woman's head when she's making love. LOL So I prefer to hear it from the other side when I can. ;-)

7. Describe the hero and heroine of your current release.

Garrett Jamison is a big, moody cop with a heart of gold. He's 6' 5" and built like a Mack truck with dark brown hair & eyes. He's the oldest of the Jamison brood; then comes Nick, Sara, and Danny is the youngest. Their parents died when Garrett was twelve, and Uncle Luke, their father's brother, moved in to take care of them. But Garrett's always been the head of the family. A job he takes seriously--maybe too seriously at times.

Jessica McGovern is a tiny slip of a thing, just over five-feet tall, with long blonde hair & blue eyes. What she lacks in height she makes up for in feisty. She struggles back from the brink of depression after her ex-husband is convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of their young son. She packs up her old pickup truck, her mammoth gray-and-white tabby, Mr. Louie, and moves halfway across the country for a fresh start in Wisconsin where she’s rented her uncle’s house--right next door to the Jamison's.

8. Is there wiggle room for a sequel and do you have plans to write one?

Meant To Be is actually the second book in my Jamison series, There's Only Been You (Sara's story) is the first. I plan to write Nick's story soon, and Danny's story eventually (he's in his early twenties, so I'll give him a few years ;-).

9. What are you up to now? Do you have an upcoming release you'd like to share a little info on?

My naughty alter-ego, Liza James, has a recent release with eRed Sage titled Hot For Teacher. Is it all right if I share the blurb? *g*

High school teacher Tessa Marshall is at a club with her sister celebrating her 40th birthday when the hunk of her dreams walks through the door. He's tall, dark, and oh-so handsome. He's also ten years her junior, which makes him the perfect candidate for a night of smokin' hot birthday sex. Only it quickly becomes apparent the man is special, which scares the hell out of her since nothing can ever come of it. With regret, she slips from the room while he's sleeping, intending never to see him again.

Scott Chapman is captivated by the beautiful Tessa, and though he swore off relationships several years ago, he finds himself instantly drawn to the blonde stunner. He takes her back to his hotel room for the birthday night of her life, and soon realizes their connection is deeper than he'd imagined. When he wakes up the following morning and discovers her gone, he's disappointed. They both find out, however, that fate has a mind of its own.

10. Tell us something we'd be surprised to know about you.

I can make & can my own sauerkraut. Pie fillings, too. Beef stew, soups, chili. I can can pretty much anything. Exciting stuff, hey? LOL Sorry, I'm an open book, so I can't think of anything surprising...that I can tell you, anyway. *big wink*

11. What is your favorite fictional love scene of all time (can be literary or film)?

Wow, now that's a hard one. Hmm...If I had the time to really think about it, I'd probably come up with tons of favorites because I've read some fantastic love scenes. One that comes to mind is from Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard, which takes place during a thunderstorm. For some reason, that's always hot...LOL Actually, many of Linda's love scenes come to mind. The woman is a master. Lori Foster writes great love scenes as well.

12. What can readers expect to see from you in the next few years?

Definitely the sequel to Welcome To Redemption, a small-town anthology I wrote with my good friend Stacey Joy Netzel. I know lots of people are looking forward to it (and not just our families...LOL). I'm also halfway through Jack Sutton's story. Jack is introduced in Meant To Be, and I knew right away I wanted to write the brooding ex-con's happily-ever-after.

Tracy, thank you for having me. And thank you to everyone who stopped by!

**I plan to give away an e-copy of Meant To Be to a random commenter, so please leave me a comment to be eligible. :-)

Meant to Be

She's running from her past, he's unsure about his future. Maybe together they can figure out what was MEANT TO BE. Officer Garrett Jamison is at the lowest point in his life. He’s lost faith in his ability as a police officer after unwittingly setting his sister up with a dirty cop. Garrett ended up getting shot, and his sister's son kidnapped right out of his own bed. He takes a leave from the force, in need of some time to make a decision about his future. Too bad he can't get a decent night's sleep thanks to his sexy new neighbor and her howling cat.

Jessica McGovern moves halfway across the country to start a new life in Green Bay, Wisconsin after her ex-husband is convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of their young son. Her new neighbor is as infuriating as he is handsome, but when her ex is released from prison early and shows up in town, Jessica discovers she's never needed anyone more...

Exerpt:

"Come here, Miss Crabbypants."

Jessica resisted, but it was no use. The big oaf outweighed her by a ton. "Look, I just want to finish my tea and relax. Today's my last day off for almost two weeks."

He leaned back and frowned down at her. "Why are you working so many hours?"

She rolled her eyes. "Um, I have bills to pay...?"

His gaze became pensive as he massaged the back of her neck. Slowly, she relaxed until she was leaning into his broad chest, eyes closed, inhaling his spicy masculine scent. He always smelled so good...Damn, the man was a magician; she'd already forgotten why she was mad at him...Wait, oh yeah. "So what's with all that hammering?"

"We're building a doghouse."

His busy fingers moved to her shoulders wringing a groan of ecstasy from her. Oh, God, was she drooling on his shirt? Then his words registered. Jessica leaned back and swiped her mouth with the back of her wrist. "A doghouse? But you don't have a dog...do you?"

"No, but Ethan's been begging for a puppy for a couple years now. I guess he finally wore Sara down. And Mike's still in the ‘buy-Ethan-anything-he-wants' phase." Garrett glanced down at his T-shirt and chuckled. He reached out and recaptured the back of her neck. "Liked that, did you? You do seem a little tense—"

"Oh, no you don't." She ducked out of his reach and took a few steps back. He started to follow but she held up both hands. "You stay right where you are."

He propped his hands on his hips. "So do I have a date tonight or what?"

"Or what."

He grinned. "Wear something sexy," he said with a wink before strolling out the back door. The jackass even had the nerve to whistle.

Jessica walked over and slammed the door with a muttered, "Nutjob." Then she headed into the bedroom to search through her closet.

Villain Archetype: The Sadist

2009-07-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

Smart and sly, the Sadist wants you for dinner. He’s waiting just to trip you up. One false move and you are his. Not only is the game rigged in his favor--he invented it, with the cruel intention of watching you suffer. If he’s picked you, applaud yourself for he wants an intellectual challenge.

Prime example is the movie Seven with Kevin Spacey. Spacey plays serial killer “John Doe” who rationalizes his crimes as absolution for the world's ignorance of the Seven Deadly Sins. In the end, Brad Pitt is ensnared by Spacey’s sin of envy and commits the sin of wrath by murdering Spacey in a fit or rage. All of this part of his plan to show people what the world is like and to punish the wicked.

The warped mind of the Sadist views violence and misery as a sport. He may play an active role in your anguish or take a seat behind-the-scenes. Recall the movie Saw? The Jigsaw killer, played by Tobin Bell was a backseat architect of torture yet in the end we learn he was the corpse lying in the center of the room.

The Sadist doesn’t intend human harm or death but will laugh with ease at your demise, though he will likely pout shall you expire before a few thrills. In his game, you don’t want to be the mouse. Trust me.

Thanks for Reading!
Sloan Seymour

Villain Archetype: The Tyrant

2009-07-16T04:28:00.001-07:00

We're kicking off the villains this week with a bang. One of the most identifiable villains, the Tyrant, can usually be found crushing whoever has the misfortune to get in his way beneath his boot heel.

The Tyrant is power hungry, and usually without conscience. Don't interfere with his journey to power or you will be sorry. He is a ruthless bully, above society's grasp of human compassion.

In the 1991 film rendition of Robin Hood, actor Alan Rickman did a fantastic job of portraying this archetype. With King Richard off on the Crusades, Nottingham showed no mercy while attempting to bring down Locksley and steal the crown of England for himself. He stopped at nothing to get what he wanted, and that included Locksley's love, Maid Marian. In the end, his obsession with power cost him his life.

Another notable Tyrant, Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter series possesses an unquenchable thirst for power. Voldemort and his supporters, the Death Eaters, set out to overthrow the Ministry of Magic and take over completely, putting Voldemort in the seat of power. Without morals, without conscience, Voldemort will destroy anyone who stands against him. Anyone. Even school children.

Another shining example of tyranny is The Emperor (Sith Lord Darth Sidious) from the Star Wars series. This guy doesn't even blink at blowing up an entire PLANET as he strives for domination. But in the end, love conquered even the darkest forces in the universe when Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) turned away from the dark side and killed Sidious to save his son Luke. Go Jedi!

But why stop at the human race when examining the Tyrant archetype? (Just for fun! ) In the 2001 feature Cats and Dogs, a maniacal (yet totally adorable) Persian cat named Mr. Tinkles has aspirations of world domination. He lobbies his evil cat army for the extermination of all dogs in this farcical look at the long-standing feud between canines and felines. How will he manage that? With a serum that would make the entire populace allergic to dogs. Eeek!

What Tyrant character springs to mind as having made your blood boil? Can't wait to hear from you.

Best,
Tracy Preston

An Interview with Patrick Dilloway

2009-07-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Hi readers! We're happy to bring you an interview today from author Patrick Dilloway. Thank you for joining us...

1. How long have you been writing to get published and what do you think finally garnered your success at it?

I’ve been writing stories since about third grade. Around seventh grade was when I really started writing novel-length stories. But what I think made me a better writer was in reading good books. It’s so important if you want to be the best to read the best. If you read garbage, well, then garbage in, garbage out as they say.

2. What inspires your story ideas?

Anything can inspire my ideas. A name, a title, a character, or a basic premise. Basically how the story developed was that in watching news coverage of Prop 8 in California and similar measures around the country, I started to get mad. So I decided to write a story about gay marriage, but I didn’t want it to be a preachy stump speech on the subject; I wanted it to still be a story. It occurred to me one day: what if there was a guy so terrible at marriage that he couldn’t make it work with either sex? That’s how it all started. From there I just expanded on this idea that some marriages are just not going to work not because of the genitals of those involved, but because they aren’t compatible for each other spiritually. To me, that’s what’s most important in any marriage.

3. How did you come up with your title?

The original title was No Matter Who You Are, after a Bob Seger song. But when I was working up the second draft, I decided that the theme-like substance for this version would be that Frost wants to find Where He Belongs.

4. Do you use visual aids to help you write? If so, what kind?

No, not usually. I did consult some maps in the library, which was especially important for the opening scene where Frost and his mother are on an Iowa highway. The map helped me figure out which highway they would be on.

5. Do you relate more with the hero or heroine in your stories?

I like to think I relate to all my characters in some way.

6. Whose POV do you like to write your love scenes from the most and why?

I don’t really like writing love scenes any more than the rest of the novel. It’s all part of the whole to me.

7. Describe the hero and heroine of your current release.

The three main characters are Frost Devereaux, an orphan whose face is scarred in the accident that killed his mother and later becomes a writer. In kindergarten he befriends twins: Frankie Maguire, a free spirit who becomes a crusader for gay rights, and her brother Frank Maguire, who is far more uptight and becomes a big-time financial guru. These three lives intersect over the next thirty years. Frost is at first drawn to one of the twins and then later the other.

8. Is there wiggle room for a sequel and do you have plans to write one?

I suppose there could be a sequel since Frost doesn’t die. I don’t think I’d write one.

9. What are you up to now? Do you have an upcoming release you'd like to share a little info on?

Right now I’m working on a story called “Liberation Front,” which is probably just a working title. It’s an old-school alien invasion story, with one difference: the “Martians” invading are actually human colonists returning to the home world. It’s a complete 180 I suppose from Where You Belong, but I’ve always thought that a writer should have a little variety just to keep from getting stagnant.

10. Tell us something we'd be surprised to know about you.

Since we don’t know each other I suppose everything would be a surprise.

11. What is your favorite fictional love scene of all time (can be literary or film)?

I have no idea. They’re all equally awesome.

12. What can readers expect to see from you in the next few years?

I’m not really sure. I don’t think about this stuff too far ahead, pretty much just go whichever way the wind blows me. I just hope that I’ll have some more really good ideas that can equally or exceed Where You Belong, which is easily the best thing I’ve ever written.

Thanks for having me on and asking such interesting questions.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Orphaned at an early age, the closest people in Frost Devereaux's life are the free-spirited Frankie Maguire and her conniving twin brother Frank. Over the years Frost's life takes him from the lush fields of the Mideast to the burning heat of the desert to the sparkling promise of Manhattan. His heart, though, never strays far from the two people who have meant the most to him. Ultimately, Frost must decide where—and with whom—he belongs.

Excerpt:

I wake up again and the hand is gone, but I’m not alone. I sense a figure lurking in the shadows, hovering there like a ghost. I think at first it’s my mother; unable to speak I revert back to babyhood and whimper in what I hope is a reassuring fashion. The figure, caught, shuffles forward and I see it’s not my mother—it’s my father.

“Hey, kid,” he says. “How you feeling?”

This is a stupid question as I’m in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines with my face wrapped in bandages. He hesitates before taking the seat next to my bed. For what could be a minute or an hour he sits there, staring at me as he searches for something to say.

“It’s too bad about your mother,” he says.

Though not quite four, I understand this means something terrible has happened. I whimper again, this time mournfully. This rattles my father; he twitches uncomfortably in the chair. He doesn’t want to be there and I don’t want him there; I want Mommy. My father was only the man who lived in our barn.

His hand reaches out to touch my forehead, but his skin is sweaty and warm, not the cool, soothing presence of my other visitor’s. I try to move my head to shake it away only to find I can’t. “I’m not going to hurt you, kid,” he says. His hand moves across my forehead to the bandages. He peels these back gently and then leans close to me so that he can see what lies underneath. Whatever it is causes him to quickly pull his hand back, letting the bandages fall into place again.

“Oh shit,” he whispers into the darkness. I’m too young to know the meaning of this expression. Still, from his tone of voice I gather something’s wrong and whimper again. “It’s all right, kid,” he says, trying to sound cheerful. I know he’s lying. I know things aren’t going to be all right. Not ever again.

My father pats my left hand with his. “Hang in there, kid,” he says. He backs away until the shadows swallow him again. He pauses for a moment before making a decision. The door clicks shut. I wait a moment for him to come back, but he doesn’t. Not ever again.

Special Guest Liana Laverentz

2009-07-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today I want to talk about freedom—and gratitude. As many of you know, I spent several years in prison ministry, and am still in contact with some of the inmates I met during those years. Each year, they would wish me a happy Fourth of July, and as I sat out in the open, enjoying the festival atmosphere of the annual fireworks show in my small town, my mind would wander—as it tends to do—and I would think about all they were missing and all they gave up when they committed their crimes against society.

I would sit on a blanket or in my lawn chair and watch the children, laughing and running and playing with their sparklers and glo-light necklaces, mothers, fathers, siblings, and grandparents alike pushing babies in strollers, people lined up at the concession stands, ordering their All-American soft drinks and hot dogs, chips or hot cheese pretzels, maybe a brain-freezing popsicle or snow-cone.

Some families would bring their own food and made a picnic of it, while others enjoyed their favorite alcoholic beverages. Music floated on the air, and friends and neighbors alike would stop to talk to each other in small groups and clusters. One year they passed out free American flags. Another year I went to a private party on a lake, catered with an enormous amount of food, and tasted my first Corona with lime in it.

Amid all of these simple pleasures are things so many of us take for granted. The ability to sit out in the open air after dark and see the stars, and to stay out there as long as we want to. The ability to move about freely, and visit and speak with anyone we choose to. The ability to enjoy the laughter of children and the smiles of babies. The ability to carry pointy objects like the flags they handed out that one year, and move about in relative safety. The ability to freely hug and kiss and show affection to anyone we choose to, friend or family. The freedom to eat and drink what we want to, when we want to. The freedom to leave if we so choose. Just get in the car and go.

Therefore on the Fourth of July, my thoughts always turn to my incarcerated friends, and how while the rest of the country celebrates our independence, they do not, because they can not. By their choices and actions, they have given up the freedom to do so. My friend Louis in particular is serving life, and may never again experience the simple joys of attending a small town fireworks display.

So even if your town’s display is dinky, and everyone laughs at it, be grateful that you can even attend. Be grateful for the ability to walk free in the night air, to visit freely with friends and enjoy the music on the wind, or to bring your own pair of earphones and listen to what you choose to listen to. Be grateful for the ability to walk up to a concession stand and order what your heart desires when the urge to eat or drink strikes. Be grateful for the ability to hug and kiss your friends and family members, as much or as little as you want to. Be grateful for the ability to drink responsibly if you so choose, and to stay up as late as you want to.

But most of all, be grateful to the men and women of our Armed Services who will not be able to celebrate our country’s Independence Day with us because they are in other countries, putting their lives on the line to preserve our ability to enjoy these simple freedoms.

Liana Laverentz is the author of three contemporary romances from The Wild Rose Press, the multi-award-winning Thin Ice and Jake’s Return, and Ashton’s Secret, a murder mystery romance which was released on June 26. All three feature small town bad boys, some who made good, some who still struggle. But in the end each is blessed enough to find a woman who will love him into eternity. For more information, please go to http://www.lianalaverentz.com/.

Ashton’s Secret, Blurb and Excerpt

From the moment he'd caught her snooping in the loft of his barn-turned-garage, Meghan Edwards knew Nicholas Hawkinson was the man she’d been looking for. Given his unfriendly attitude, unshaven face and the Harley hidden in the shadows, she was willing to bet this was the man her sister Heather had referred to as Hawk. But would this dark, secretive stranger help her solve the mystery of her sister's death?

Nicholas Hawkinson wanted nothing to do with the city-girl photographer who asked too many questions. He'd had his share of trouble five years ago when the people of Ashton had been so quick to accuse him of murdering Heather. The townsfolk still considered him the town's black sheep, a bad boy at best and a killer who got away with it at most. Both he and Meghan would be better off if they went their separate ways and never spoke of Heather again.

All of Ashton saw Nick as a dangerous man. But Meghan was trained to observe, and it didn’t take long to find the pain of betrayal and unexpected gentleness he hid behind his hard stare. Her sister was dead, and Meghan knew it wasn't suicide. So did Nick. Whether he liked it or not, he was the only one who could help her now. And Meghan wasn't leaving Ashton until she'd unraveled this sleepy little town's secret--or died trying.

Excerpt:

"I think you'd better leave."

"I think you're right. But first--"

"I meant leave Ashton."

She was stunned; he was serious. “Is that before sundown or after?”

“The sooner the better, since I’m sure you’ve collected enough shots for a magazine layout in the last week and you can’t take pictures here.”

Meghan didn’t take kindly to the word, “can’t.” It hadn’t been in her vocabulary for the past four years. “Excuse me, but what makes you think I can’t take pictures of this property?”

He looked startled for a second, as if he wasn’t used to having his orders questioned, then said evenly, “If I understand the law, you need permission from the owner when you photograph property for publication.”

There were loopholes in his knowledge, ones she didn’t care to point out. She nodded. “Go on.”

“I’m not giving my permission.”

She widened her eyes innocently. “You own the whole town?”

He was not amused. “I own this property, as you well know. And you, are trespassing.”

So they were back to that again. Reluctantly, she confirmed her first impression of Nicholas Hawkinson: When provoked, he could be a dangerous man. Clearly he ached to speed her on her way, preferably by tossing her through that set of double doors. But his obvious capacity for restraint told her she was safe—as long as she didn’t push him too hard.

She tried a different tack. “I understand how you feel. I wouldn’t like it either if I found some stranger poking around my home. With a camera, no less. All I can say is I thought the place was deserted, and I couldn’t resist taking a look around.”

“In spite of being warned against it.”

She offered her most disarming smile. “I’m stubborn that way sometimes. But I am sorry for trespassing." She held out a hand. "If you’ll accept my apology, maybe we can start over.”

He ignored her outstretched hand. “I’m not interested in starting anything with you. Now leave.”

Meghan felt her cheeks flame, but held her tongue. Stepping past him with all the dignity of a diplomat's daughter, she retrieved her camera equipment. As she hefted the bag onto her shoulder, her gaze touched on the hanging pitchfork. She pictured Nicholas Hawkinson standing under it, her hand on the rope that released it. The image soothed her bruised ego.

She turned, smiling sweetly. “Thank you for your time. I’m staying—”

His dark eyes narrowed. “Good bye.”

“Of course. Good bye.” Making her way across the loft, Meghan descended the narrow wood steps into the dry, dusty garage. At the bottom of the steps, she paused. Hidden in a corner stood a half-covered motorcycle. She’d missed seeing it earlier, her attention focused on the steps leading to the loft. Her heat beat faster as she recalled a line from Heather’s letter.

He has a Harley, and takes me riding.

“He” was Hawk, the man Meghan needed to find. The man who could answer her questions about what Meghan had believed until a week ago to be an open and shut case of suicide. Despite the coroner’s report and her mother’s firm conviction that her eldest daughter had killed herself, after reading Heather’s letter, Meghan couldn’t help but wonder if her sister’s death had been an accident.

Heather had mailed the letter from Ashton the day she’d disappeared. Three days later, she’d turned up dead. But by then Meghan had been on her honeymoon in Australia, too far away to make it back in time for the funeral. Her mother had collected her mail. Then deliberately kept Heather’s letter from her.

Why, Meghan intended to find out…in Ashton.

Slowly she drew back the motorcycle’s oilcloth cover and brushed away layers of grime obscuring the manufacturer’s name. Her heartbeat soared when she saw the distinctive back and orange bar and shield Harley Davison Emblem that appeared.

If Nicholas Hawkinson wasn’t Hawk, he knew who was.

Heart hammering, Meghan stared at the bike, torn between returning to the loft to demand information about its owner and letting common sense rule. The man was already angry with her. Approaching him now with a barrage of questions could only be a losing proposition. Her own state of mind wasn’t so hot, either. She might have more success if she gave them both time to calm down.

Forcing herself to leave the barn, she spied a battered pickup parked on the street. The license plate had been issued in Texas. The truck’s cooling engine pinged at her accusingly. She recalled Hawkinson’s unkempt appearance, the exhaustion she’d seen in his face. No wonder he’d been in no mood to entertain her curiosity. He’d obviously been on the road a few days.

Her timing stank. Meghan looked up and down the maple-and-oak-lined street, her disappointment at her latest failure to obtain information about Hawk leaving her feeling as wilted as an unwatered plant. The weather channel predicted another week of record high June temperatures for western New York. More bad timing. She sighed. At least the air wasn’t steaming with humidity, like it was in D.C. Just oven-hot and relentlessly dry.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She knew without looking that Nicholas Hawkinson stood at the loft door, watching her. The sensation of dark eyes burning into her back made her want to turn around and wave out of spite, but she didn’t. She couldn’t antagonize the man, not when she needed his answers.

She broke into a smile, imagining the look on his face when he realized she was staying in the bungalow across the street.

Buy Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/liana-laverentz-m-48.html

Liana Laverentz
Thin Ice (NJRW Golden Leaf and EPPIE Award Winner)
Jake's Return (NJRW Golden Leaf Award Winner)
Ashton's Secret (Available NOW)
http://www.lianalaverentz.com/
http://www.polkadotbanner.com/
http://lianalaverentz.blogspot.com/
www.myspace.com/authorlianalaverentz
Balance with Liana
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa/

Heroine Archetype - The Boss

2009-06-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

By: Katherine Lowry Logan

We have all met the Boss! Some of us have even had the good fortune to have worked for one or two. This kind of woman works on her schedule with or without help. She’s direct, daring, and forceful. She enjoys matching her wits and skills against others. Generally charming, she may cause others to experience a conflicting feeling of being drawn to her and yet distancing at the same time. When facing a new problem or decision, the Boss tends to move quickly and directly. And typically doesn’t consider the rights and feelings of other people.

The Boss can become critical of others who fail to meet her expectations. She evaluates them based on the ability to project strength and power. She also can become quarrelsome or even belligerent if she doesn’t get her way on something important to her. And she has little patience for those concerned with things such as details.

The Boss is motivated by verbal recognition, the ability to direct other’s activities, and having control over her environment, which needs to be fast moving and results-oriented. She is uncomfortable and avoids environments with rigid time constraint or situations where she has no control over situations.

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra schemed to gain control over the Egyptian kingdom and in doing so gained the confidence of Caesar. Following Caesar’s death, she struck an alliance with Marc Antony. Determined to do whatever was necessary to secure her position and rule her country. In defeat, she chose death.

Candice Bergen in Murphy Brown: “I was waiting for the universe to dispense some justice but sometimes the universe is just too damn slow.”

One of the more distinctive characters on television, Murphy was smart, determined and difficult. She was ambitious and her stubbornness frequently got into trouble.

Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth – Unschooled in politics, the queen killed all of her enemies and ascended to the throne. Now that was a woman whose bad side you didn’t want to cross!

Sigourney Weaver played the epitome of the Boss in the 1988 film, Working Girl. As Katharine Parker, a glory-hogging boss, she took credit for her employee’s work, smiling all the while.

Have you met or worked for a woman with the Boss characteristics? If so, tell us about your experience. What good qualities did you find in this type of intelligent, professional woman?

Leading RWA into the Future

2009-06-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

After a disappointing response from RWA President Diane Pershing in regards to digital publishing, I found myself at a loss.

(You can find that info here...)
http://espan-rwa.com/rwa-president-pershing-responds/

She basically said if digitally published authors left the organization altogether, it wouldn't matter to them, and suddenly I wasn't sure if I wanted to be associated with RWA anymore. But then I read a few posts from authors in reaction to Ms. Pershing's comments, and I agreed that it is OUR RWA -- we love our local groups, and we should fight for our rights as paying members! We should no longer allow them to ignore us.

This is an issue that concerns all authors. As we move farther into the digital age, even the NY print houses are converting books into digital format. Don't you think RWA should be educating its members on the ins and outs of digital publishing (contract differences, how to distinguish between a good digi-publisher and a bad one, etc.)?

Now is the time to stand up and speak. You've paid your membership dues, worked hard to complete a manuscript (or several), and had it/them published by a royalty paying publisher. Your needs should be considered every bit as important as any other author!

Respected literary agent Deidre Knight (The Knight Agency) has started a Yahoo Group in advocation of RWA recognizing OUR voices.

It's time to make your vote count!

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

Also, you can show your support by signing our petition in favor of positive changes for the future of RWA. You'll find that link here:

(*Must be a member in good standing.*)

http://www.rwachange.com/

Or, if you're interested in signing a proxy vote over to Kristen Painter, ESPAN President, when she goes to the AGM meeting to advocate our cause at nationals (there's strength in numbers), detailed instructions can be found here:

http://www.courtneymilan.com/proxies.php

Heroine Archetype - The Free Spirit

2009-06-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Eccentric and impulsive, the Free Spirit is a heroine ruled by her emotions. This archetype is fun, lively, most often quirky and stops to smell the flowers on the way to her whimsical job of donut-shaping just around the corner. Kate Hudson in Almost Famous played the role of Penny, a band aid/groupie who lives life by the moment. In the film, her only ambition is to love and be loved by the famous lead singer who happens to be married. The movie ends with Penny deciding to be free of heart, as she takes off to travel the world.

A Free Spirit relies on her instincts. She understands social structures but chooses to remain oblivious. She allows her friends to be themselves, with no judgment passed. Renee Zellweger in Miss Potter portrayed such a heroine. Upbeat and unconventional, she played the role of Beatrix Potter as she became a famous author in the 1900’s.

Diane Lane moved her free spirit to Italy in the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. Not about to be disheartened by a cheating husband, she follows her gut instincts and finds serenity in the vineyards of Italy.

Free Spirits possess a certain amount of charm. Though peculiar in habits, dress and hobbies, one can’t help but be fond of her. Often she is a trendsetter because of this. Full of energy, always helpful and a strong individual. Mandy Moore in Because I Said So is another example.

Don’t confuse the Free Spirit with the Spunky Kid archetype, for it’s easy to do. The difference is in the personality of the Free Spirit. A Free Spirit won’t conform as quietly as the Spunky Kid. The Spunky Kid is the girl next door while the Free Spirit is the girl in class you didn’t get to know because she was a wee bit on the edge.

More examples of the Free Spirit: In Her Shoes - Cameron Diaz, Mama Mia - Meryl Streep, Elizabethtown - Kirsten Dunst, Failure to Launch - Zooey Deschanel.

If you think of any others, please let me know! Thanks for reading!

Sloan Seymour

Heroine Archetype - The Spunky Kid

2009-06-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

“Never say never” is the motto for The Spunky Kid. She’s an all-American girl with a butt-load of optimism who doesn’t know how to give up. This woman won’t fret when her jeep runs out of gas in the freeway. Nor will she be a basket case and pitch a crying fit when she notices the radiator is busted. She’ll simply flag down help or call AAA and get her eternal optimistic self on the road again. She pushes forward without a second thought for quitting is not an option.

The Spunky Kid has her own niche, not conforming to a girly-girly or a tomboy but somewhere in between, with the ability to be both. She opts to be herself, whether that’s making wisecracks with the guys over a few beers or shopping with her friends in the mall. When nudged, she can morph into quite a tempting lady, dropping jaws with little effort or makeup.

Determined and uplifting, she has many friends and few enemies. She’s not the life of the party or the center of attention. She’s a supportive and reliable friend. She’ll be the one to make the lemonade out of the lemons when in a pinch.

Her love-life is undesirable and quite jumbled. Blending in, she’s the eternal bridesmaid - as Katherine Heigl was in 27 Dresses. Or the overlooked secretary, like Kate Winslet in The Holiday.

More examples of The Spunky Kid’s moxie can be found in the following films: Fiona in Shrek, Cameron Diaz in Something About Mary, Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet, Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle, Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, and Isla Fisher in Wedding Crashers.

What Spunky Kids have I left out? Cameron Diaz and Meg Ryan seem perfect for this archetype. Several of Julia Roberts’ movies are close calls. Steel Magnolias, for example? Or how about Runaway Bride? Diane Lane in Under The Tuscan Sun? Or is she perhaps more of a Free Spirit? Let me know what you think!

Sloan Seymour

Special Guest Sandy Lender

2009-06-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Sneaky Writers
By Fantasy Author Sandy Lender
http://www.todaythedragonwins.blogspot.com/

Terry Brooks says of writers in his book SOMETIMES THE MAGIC WORKS: “Much of what happens around us goes into a storage bin in our minds for future consideration and possible use in a book down the line. What we observe is as important to us in determining what we write as what we know.”

You’ve got to watch out for writers. We’re sneaky. We use everyday stuff that you might not think is intriguing and turn it into a plot device or bit of dialogue. That’s right—if it happens in front of us, it’s fair game. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the presence of a non-fiction memoir-writer or a sci-fi/fantasy geek like me who makes up worlds that you could never envision a simple grocery store conversation ending up in. Oh, yes. Imagine my poor mom’s surprise to learn that a certain embarrassing moment from the early ’80s ended up in print.

Here’s how it happened. I was probably 12 or 13. Innocent. Naïve. We were in the check-out lane at the grocery store and I stared mindlessly at the tabloids. The headline on one about discussing a sensitive topic with your teens struck me as odd, so I turned to Mom at the other end of the buggy and asked, loudly, “Mom, what’s virginity?” Of course I mispronounced it. Long “I” on the “jine.” Virjinety.

Some people around us snickered, hiding their faces from my blushing mother. She leaned forward and said, lowly, “I’ll tell you in the car.”

Okay.

Years later, that recalled scene struck me as funny, and I knew the young, precocious version of Amanda Chariss, the heroine in the CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS trilogy, had to pull some such stunt on her wizard guardian Hrazon. (I figured Hrazon would forgive me for it.) But the scene would have to be a flashback because my lovely Chariss is 20 years old when we meet her in CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS. She knows what virginity is. And that’s not really the right word to embarrass Hrazon with. I needed something else.

So I wrote a scene from Chariss and Hraon’s early travels laced with a little danger due to Chariss’s age and the condition of Onweald’s social system, but it just didn’t fit in the novel. There wasn’t a place to put it. Yet it was so charming that I wasn’t content to delete and forget it. I wanted to share it with the readers who had fallen in love with Chariss. I pulled it into a short story called “Joveran Border Crossing” for my short story chapbook WHAT CHOICES WE MADE.

That’s how an embarrassing moment for my mom ended up in print in a fantasy story more than two decades later. Seems so easy, doesn’t it? These situations happen daily for writers. We see something that may seem ordinary or mundane to everybody else, but it’s story fodder for us. When you see one of us whip out a notepad and start scribbling like mad, you know something’s going in the storage bin for a future book.

“Some days, I just want the dragon to win.”

CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS
Blurb:
Not even the gods noticed when Chariss was born with the mark of The Protector. Now she and her wizard guardian seek shelter from a mad sorcerer in a household not just full of secrets and false hope, but watched by the god who will unwittingly reveal her role in an impending war.

When an orphan sets aside a lifetime of running and fear to accept the responsibilities of guarding an arrogant deity, can she face the trials in the prophecies she uncovers? Will Nigel Taiman of her latest refuge dare to use his dragon heritage to bind her to his estate or to help her in her duty?

Excerpt:
This is a romantic scene as Nigel Taiman and Amanda Chariss ride from the estate at Arcana to Arcana City. Her wizard guardian has already clued her in to the fact that Nigel wants to court her, and she's upset over it. The scene mentions the bear-like ryfel creature that nearly killed Nigel in the training arena...

Nigel frowned at her. Spurring his horse slightly, he reached out to take hold of Shadow’s bridle. Bringing them both to a stop, he turned in the saddle to face her.

“Hey!” she objected.

“Indeed. Have I done something to anger you?”

Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

“’Manda?”

“You’re staring at me.”

“By the gods, Woman. All right, I’ll look at your horse. ’Manda,” he said to Shadow, “what have I done that’s made you angry?”

“I’m not angry.”

“You’re not a liar,” he spoke to Chariss again.

“All right, so I’m a little angry. It will pass.”

“And you don’t want to tell me what it is?”

She couldn’t blame her reticence today on worry over Drake. She also couldn’t blame her health because she’d completely recovered from her telabyrinth poisoning. With Hrazon and The Master attending the summer festival, she couldn’t blame some sort of timidity at being ‘alone’ in the city. No, she had to take a deep breath and be honest with him. Considering the number of suitors she’d sent packing in the past few years, this should have been an easy thing to do again. It wasn’t. She sighed, closing her eyes as if she could make the scene disappear.

“Do you agree that you’re my friend?” she finally asked.

He watched her open her eyes then, realizing where the conversation must be going.

“Yes.” It was said with exasperation.

“And that I’m your friend?”

“Yes.”

“And does that please you?”

He sighed, but didn’t get a chance to answer.

“You see, Nigel, it pleases me. I appreciate your kindness, and I would be disappointed if we hadn’t built such a…such a…”

“Friendship?” he retorted.

“Such a rapport.”

He rolled his eyes. “A fancier word with even less affection.”

“My stay at Arcana is much more pleasant because I have this relationship with you. But someone has tried to convince me that your…your…”

“Feelings?”

“Well…your…”

“Intentions?”

“Well…your opinion of our relationship might be somewhat different from mine.”

“’Manda, just say what you’re thinking. You won’t hurt my feelings.”

She looked miserable then. “I don’t want to say what I’m thinking.”

“Good!”

“No, that’s not good. Hrazon thinks you’re…Hrazon believes you spend time with me because…” She paused, searching for the words.

“Because I’m in love with you?”

She nearly fell backward. “Just blurt it out!”

He chuckled slightly. “This is uncomfortable, isn’t it? I’m sorry to embarrass you. This conversation would be better in a darkened corner of Arcana’s parlor. ’Manda, I’m not going to lie to you. Hrazon has every reason to believe I’m after his ward because I am. It’s no secret to anyone I enjoy your company. What, where are you…You’re the only woman I know who can scoot that far away on a saddle without falling off.”

“I don’t think you should say those things.”

“Aye,” he sighed, watching her fidget with Shadow’s reins. But he made a decision to press the matter. “I’m going to say them and get them out in the open. Then we can decide if you’re to die of embarrassment, or slap me across the face.”

She couldn’t help smiling, even though her heart beat as if it would burst through her bodice from the tension she felt.

“I enjoy being with you because you’re my perfect match,” he said. “Have you noticed that we agree on almost everything? And the few things we don’t agree on are intriguing to argue because you make them intriguing. There’s no one at that entire estate, The Master and every intelligent student combined, who can hold my attention as you do. None of them compare.

“I’m attracted to everything about you, including your compassion. Even now, when you’re on the verge of falling off a horse with embarrassment, your concern is for my feelings, not your own. Godric, who doesn’t deserve to wash your feet, who finds every excuse to correct you, gets your respect because you remind yourself that he’s your benefactor. Do you know what strength of character that shows? Do you know how it endears you to me to know you bite your tongue after his arrogant remarks to save my mother’s feelings?”

She merely nodded, her eyes cast down.

“And do you know how it endears you to me to know you would fight to the death for little Kaylin?”

She nodded again.

“And do you know how it endears you to me to know you instinctively threw yourself into healing spells to save my life?”

“You shouldn’t assume that means—”

“I remember sliding toward death that night, life spilling out of me, and poison seeping into me from that thing’s claws. But do you know what I remember most distinctly? I remember you commanding me not to bleed to death…and I remember your hands afterward. Once I was healed, once Master Rothahn became preoccupied with the dead ryfel, you crawled over to me and put your hands on me again, as if you had to be sure He’d done a good enough job of healing me. But you would’ve done it for any member of my family. I daresay you would’ve done it for any student in the school. And it’s because you care about others, and you want the best for everyone around you. And you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

The last comment caught her off guard. It didn’t seem to fit with the logical argument he tried to make.

“I fail to see how these things tell you you’re in love. Kaylin enjoys my company. Mia enjoys arguing with me. I saved Sorne’s life once. Does this mean they’re in love with me?”

“If love could be explained that easily, it wouldn’t be real.”

“But what makes you think it’s real now? If you can’t explain your feelings, how do you know you’re not misled?”

“How does the rose know to bloom in spring?”

“Oh, now that talk I’ve heard before. I didn’t believe it then, and I don’t think you should let yourself believe it now.”

“’Manda, I’m telling you the truth and I’m telling you what I know. If I’ve made you angry by falling in love with you, you’re just going to have to deal with it. Because you’re not currently interested in me, you have to give me time to change your mind.”

They were silent then; he waited for some sign that she wasn’t going to cast him aside, she waited for her heart to stop beating so loudly in her ears. As far as she was concerned, she was often a foolish girl, but her intentions at the beginning of this conversation were foolish beyond compare. She realized—with alarm—that the blood rushing through her veins, the lightheadedness, the excitement at getting to spend an afternoon with him, were all signs she had chosen to ignore.

She swallowed hard against the fear in her throat, and, with as much calm as she could muster, said: “What gives you the idea that I’m not interested in you?”

Inspiration, Ink. would like to thank Sandy Lender for blogging with us today, and we wish her the best of success with her book.

Readers, don't forget to leave a comment and share your thoughts. At the end of the week, one commenter will be randomly drawn to win an autographed, hard cover, first edition of Choices Meant for Gods!

Heroine Archetype - The Crusader

2009-06-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

I chose this archetype because The Crusader is probably my favorite heroine of them all. This lady is a fighter. She is the personification of strength and steadfast determination. The Crusader has been given a purpose, and she is willing to die if necessary to achieve that end. Typically her resilience comes as a result of a trauma suffered, or from being forced into a lifestyle or career that puts her in constant danger and demands she stay on top of her game at all times.

The Crusader is a force of nature. She is independence. She is unwavering principle. Simply put, she is fierce. Once she sinks her teeth into a cause, good luck trying to get her to change her course. The Crusader is focused and resolute, and allows nothing to stand in her way.

One example of a Crusader is Xena Warrior Princess. Xena spent years honing her warrior skills, using them without mercy against the innocent people of Greece in her egotistical quest to conquer the world. After a run in with Hercules opened Xena’s eyes to the error of her ways, she is determined to right the wrongs she’s committed against the people of her homeland, even if it means sacrificing herself in the process (which she eventually did at the end of the series). Her crusade – redemption.

Another good example would be Selene from Underworld. Selene is a vampire who was told by her maker and mentor, Viktor, that her family was slain by a pack of bloodthirsty werewolves. When war breaks out between vampires and lykins, Selene gladly steps up to offer her slaying services to gain a taste of revenge. But when she finds out the lykins weren’t responsible after all, instead it was Viktor who’d killed her family, Selene suddenly develops a different set of values altogether. Her new resolve is doubly strengthened when she falls in love with a man who Viktor and the other vampires desperately want to see six feet under. Her crusade – justice.

My third example is Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil. This one rates way up there on my gross-out meter, but it’s a great example of a Crusader. Alice (played by Jovovich) wakes up to find herself locked down inside an underground “city” called The Hive, dodging infection from a genetically mutated strain of virus that creates flesh-eating zombies (which happen to be nipping at her heals the whole way – literally). Alice has to isolate the virus before it consumes mankind, then fight her way past the countless defenses of the supercomputer who holds the remaining uninfected people captive in a ruthless attempt to contain the virus. All this while recovering from temporary amnesia! Now that’s a tough cookie. Her crusade – save the world.

I love this archetype. She is so multifaceted you can do almost anything with her. One thing that’s so great about her is, she can hold her own with the boys. This girl is no damsel in distress. Not to mention she makes for some pretty fiery love scenes, especially when paired with a bad boy.

A few other Crusaders: Charlie’s Angels, Jennifer Lopez in Enough, Angelina Jolie in Wanted, and everybody’s favorite vampire slayer, Buffy Summers.

Have I already mentioned your favorite Crusader, or do you have one I neglected to list? What about a favorite scene or quote from your favorite Crusader? Your input is welcome!

Thanks for reading. ;)

Tracy Preston

Heroine Archetype - The Nurturer

2009-05-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

I chose to blog about the Nurturer because she’s the opposite of my first heroine archetype The Seductress. And I love doing opposites.

The Nurturer loves to be needed. Actually needs to be needed. That’s what fulfills her. Like Michelle Pfeiffer in The Witches of Eastwick, she has five children, makes her own soap, and cooks for everyone.

The Nurturer is forever an optimist. Everything is going to be all right, no matter how bad the crisis. She believes that if you focus long enough, anything can be accomplished. Like Renee Zelwegger in Jerry Maquire. She gives up her job to follow a man she hardly knows but insists that things will be just fine. She believes in Jerry. Supports him and he finally becomes the man she thought he would be by the end of the movie. That’s some serious optimism.

The Nurturer keeps her head in an emergency. Altruistic by nature, she puts others’ needs ahead of her own. And doesn’t know how to say no. She is long suffering and will never give up trying to fix a situation she feels is harmful to others. Like Glenn Close in The Safety of Objects. She nurses her comatose son and attempts to win a car for her daughter by doing a marathon touch fest with the vehicle at the mall.

The Nurturer is a wonderful listener. If you just broke up with your boyfriend or lost your job, call her and she’ll listen to you for hours. She knows what’s important and focuses more on the emotional well-being, rather than the inconsequential. Like Gloria Johnson, aka. Loretta Devine, in Waiting to Exhale. She cares for her son, runs a beauty shop and still has time to give Angela Bassett advice when her husband dumps her. And feeds her, too.

I’ve saved the best Nurturer for last. She’s focused, caring, a born mother and caregiver. Can cook and sew, and is fun with the kids. She’s Maria Von Trap in the sound of music. She faces a grouchy widower with ten kids, a femme fatale who wants to take the man she loves, and the Nazis, and still manages to smile. Who wouldn’t love this paragon of style, talent, virtue, and optimism? People just naturally gravitate to her and want to be around her. Because she’s so generous giving her love. Others just naturally want to love her back. And the best thing is—her story is based on a true person.

Share your views about the nurturer. If you know of any books or movies you recognize this character from, please share them with us.

Write on,
Teresa Reasor

Contest Winner

2009-05-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

The writers of Inspiration, Ink. are proud to announce the winner of our latest romance inspired giveaway -- Michelle Bertholf! Congratulations to you and your mom, Michelle!!

And a special thank you to all our entrants for your inspiring stories of strength overcoming adversity. We appreciate you all (and your wonderful mothers). ;o)

Michelle, please contact me privately at: tracyprestonauthor@yahoo.com to claim your prize. Thanks!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

You know that old saying, “I want to be just like my mother.” Well, I do.

My mother is a very strong person. When I was growing up, my father, who was a career Marine, was overseas a lot. Every time he received orders to leave the country, she had to run our household on her own. If the car had to be worked on, if we had to be taken to the doctor, if the furnace had to be repaired, she dealt with it.

She was the boss. And each time Daddy came home she had to convince him of that. So, while he was on the base he was boss, but at home, he got to take orders or take things easy.

Hum—maybe he didn’t just let her have her way, maybe he planned it that way all along.

When I was six, and my brother and I were both in school, my mother extended her education to get her Cosmetology license. She juggled kids, still ran the household, and finished her degree to be a beautician. She wanted more for herself than just being a house wife. Good thing. With the demands of two kids and two adults hinging on the small income of a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corp, things were tight.

She took on the added responsibility because she had to, but also because it fulfilled her as a person knowing she was more than June Cleaver. So, she wore another hat to go along with Mom and Wife. If you needed your hair done, a manicure, your ears pierced, she was, and still is, your girl.

My father died ten years ago. And while he was sick, he depended on her for everything, looked to her for support and comfort. And seeing him and my mother together during that time, as awful and painful as it was, I saw what devotion and love really was between two people.

My mother is the cog around which the whole family gravitates. Not just to us but to other people in the family. If someone is sick, they call mom. Have a problem that they don’t know the solution for, call mom. Have a crisis and need help, call mom.

She’s always set a wonderful example for me, and the rest of my family. I can only hope to be as strong as she is one day. I love and admire her a great deal. I guess you can tell that. And I don’t know what I’d do without her.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

And to all of you.

Teresa Reasor

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Thirty years ago, or was it longer, I found this delightful book entitled I Am My Mommy. If you turned the book over, upside down it became I Am My Daddy. I loved to read the story to my children. I think I enjoyed it more though. The premise of the story was that for one day the little girl or little boy switched places and became the parent. It never occurred to me that one day I would grow up and become that little girl.

Almost six years ago, I moved in with my mom. After storing my "stuff" for months, I realized I was exactly where I needed to be and made the commitment to stay for the long haul. I emptied the storage units and filled my daughter's house. I still see my "stuff" when I visit, but I have long since lost that emotional attachment to things.

Annie Lyle Poe Lowry was born October 1, 1926 in a small town in South Carolina. After spending her adult life in Kentucky, she still sounds like where she came from. I call her accent a glass of sweet ice tea. When she was seventeen she was a passenger in a car hit by a train. Her boyfriend was killed and she was injured to such an extent that she was told she would never have children. Guess what! She had five, and four were born in six years.

She had her first heart attack in her early sixties. By-pass surgery, multiple stents, occluded carotid arteries, ovarian cancer, ruptured disks, whatever life threw at her she remained strong in her faith. It was her prayer for a long term solution for her care that brought me back home. Of all the things that have happened in her life she has remained faithful, optimistic, positive and most importantly a die-heart Democrat! But, her hardest struggle has been the loss of her vision from Macular Degeneration because it took away her independence. The way she's endured the procedures to treat her Macular has been awe inspiring. It reminds me constantly of how blessed I am to have the gift of health.

For the past two Mother's Days, my siblings and I have felt this could be her last one, but she surprises us with the gift of one more year. And would you believe the biggest joy in her life is listening daily to romance novels, after visits from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of course. But love stories keep her entertained and engaged in life.

On this Mother's Day I send my love and heartfelt thanks to a woman who is my role model, an inspiration, and a long tall glass of sweet ice tea. Happy Mother's Day - Annie Lyle Poe - my mom!

Katherine Lowry Logan

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Ten reasons why my mom rocks!

10. She has the patience of a turtle - something I truly lack.
9. She works like a dog - and has taught me to do the same.
8. She’s the only one who attempts to teach me how to cook.
7. She manages to keep a tan year around.
6. She’s as healthy as a horse.
5. She introduced me to horses when I was seven years old.
4. She loves all my animals as much as I do.
3. She’s the best babysitter in the world.
2. She gave me two sisters and a brother.
1. She manages to love me no matter what.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sloan Seymour

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I tossed around the idea of writing about what it means to me to be a mother for my Mother’s Day entry. But when I sat down to write, I found words could not adequately express how I feel about my son, nor could I compress it into a few tightly knit paragraphs. (What’s the literary equivalent to long-winded??)

As for my mom, Kim Carnes' raspy rendition of Betty Davis Eyes still echoes in my mind to this day. (Coincidentally, nail polish bottles make the best pretend microphones for little hands!) And when I couldn't sleep, probably because I was afraid of something under my bed, she'd scratch my back until I couldn't hold my eyes open.

Later on, when I was a teenager, I'll never forget the late night gab sessions after dad went to bed. They meant the world to me. Even then, she was my best friend.

I remember the look of pride in her eyes when I was getting ready for prom. She stood in the driveway and watched us drive away until we were completely out of site.

I have tons of memories like those, and for that there aren't enough words of gratitude. I dedicated my first book to her in a small way of thanking her for the difference she's made in my life. I wouldn't be the person I am today if not for her.

I love you mom. I'm glad I got to be your baby.

(Yeah, it was the 70's! lol)

Now (*clears throat and reaches for tissue*), here's a simple little poem I found floating around in cyberspace that I thought was sweet. Have a beautiful Mother’s Day everyone!

Tracy Preston

Mother

You filled my days with rainbow lights,
fairytales and sweet dream nights,
A kiss to wipe away my tears,
Gingerbread to ease my fears.
You gave the gift of life to me,
And then in love, you set me free.
I thank you for your tender care,
for deep warm hugs and being there.
I hope that when you think of me,
A part of you, you'll always see.

~Author Unknown~

Deal A Story

2009-05-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

The Pink Ladies and I have been blogging about the Hero and Heroine Archetypes for several weeks now on Inspiration Ink. I just wanted to give credit where credit was due for the information we’ve devised our blogs from. The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines, Sixteen Master Archetypes written by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever and Sue Viders. In 2004, I attended the Smoky Mountain Romance Writers conference in Knoxville Tennessee. They had an area set up where writers could purchase books by the local authors and buy books on writing craft. I honed in on the book and purchased it.

I read it a few days later. Rather I consumed it. It gave me an insight into building characters that I hadn’t experienced before. For weeks afterward, I found myself analyzing every character in every book I read and every movie I watched. And it was fun to figure them out. It also gave me food for thought when I created my own characters. I attempted to keep my characters evolving from one archetype to another as they traveled through my stories. What makes characters interesting is the growth they go through while traveling the paths they’ve chosen. I’m not sure I understood that until I read this book and started analyzing characters.

By chance, Sue Viders, one of the authors of the archetype book, read the Pink Ladies’ blogs and emailed me. She’s created a card game named Deal a Story based on the archetypes. She offered to send me a set of the cards to try them. Well I was thrilled. So, of course I said YES!

I have to tell you, I’ve had a blast with them. There are sixteen cards for the Hero, Heroine, Villain, Flaw, Plot, and Genre. There are five Wild Cards in case you get stuck. But the chances are very slim. You deal out one card for all but the flaws. You deal out three of those, one each for your hero, heroine, and the villain. (Because the flaws your characters have will affect the choices they make.)

So, I’m going to deal myself a story right now and see where it takes me. By the way, each flaw card has several options to choose from, so you’re not limited.

Alright, my hero is a Daredevil. He likes to leap before he looks and take enormous risks. He never looks back. He loves to achieve his goals through flamboyant methods. His flaw is emotions. He has an anger management problem. He does not like to be challenged.

My heroine is The Innocent. She is naïve, yet resilient. She lacks experience and street smarts. Everyone wants to save her because she doesn’t look capable of saving herself and she doesn’t fight back. She’s a clinging vine. Her flaw is she’s afraid of being buried alive.

My villain is a Femme Fatale. She uses her beauty and her body to get what she wants, money, power, knowledge. She is strong, manipulative, and irresistible to men. Her flaw is arrogance.

My Genre is a Thriller. A thriller usually has a time element that plays a part in upping the stakes. Like a virus effecting the world population or a ticking bomb about to blow up the world.

My Plot is The Relationship Plot. This involves two protagonists who are being given a second chance at overcoming obstacles created by social mores or taboos. This can include race, religion, social status, personality conflicts, and etc.

So, what if my Daredevil, my Innocent, and my Femme Fatale, all work at a facility that does biological studies on plants to make them more resilient to pests and diseases. Daredevil has earned a certain notoriety/fame for taking plant gene therapy to a whole new level. He’s taken some dangerous genetic chances, but they’ve paid off. In fact, he’s created a sweet potato plant whose leaves and vines are too tough for potato bugs to eat. He’s also made the plant so resistant to mold or blight that we’ll never have to worry about a sweet potato famine ever again.

Innocent had a brief relationship with the Daredevil, but being the Innocent, he found her too clingy and dropped her after just a few dates. I have an idea that Innocent is going to have to do the most growing in my story. She is also low girl in the lab, and gets the busy work. She doesn’t complain or stand up for herself, so everyone dumps on her. But being a junior lab worker doesn’t keep her from being smart. She discovers something weird going on with the sweet potato plants--the blooms are emitting a strange scent that draws bees to pollinate them, but it also affects people, making them dizzy and nauseous. She goes to Daredevil to tell him about it.

Daredevil doesn’t believe her. It’s sour grapes because he cut off their relationship. And his anger keeps him from acknowledging there might actually be a problem.

In the meantime, some secondary character workers have been instructed to go out into the field and cut back some of the vines that are encroaching on neighboring private property. A housing development with accompanied swimming pools, golf courses and etc. With the first cut the vines spray the men with a toxin that paralyzes them and they die a slow agonizing death. Their bodies are discovered, but the reason for their demise isn’t known. Their bodies are sent to be autopsied.

Enter Femme Fatale. She’s the public relations person for the corporation, and has been building a huge publicity campaign about the sweet potato plants. Whole sections of the desert have already been cultivated to grow the sweet potato plants. Because they can be used for food and also to create fuel for all sorts of vehicles, she has built an entire network of people interested in this new technology and it’s going to be BIG. And she’s going to be rich along with everyone else who has invested in it. She doesn’t want to hear anything about problems. And she doesn’t want the death of the workers to taint the campaign she’s organized.

Also, Femme Fatale sees Daredevil as an up and coming mega scientist and she wants to ride his success (as well as other things) to bigger and better opportunities. She’s used her beauty and her brains to start up a romantic relationship with him.

Innocent, believing she’s on to something, conducts some experiments in the lab and discovers that any threat to the plants causes them to trigger a deadly defense. Animals find the vines impossible to resist. And her poor little goats, intent on eating the vines, are attacked with a deadly vapor ejected from the blossoms. They die a horrible death. And it’s all been videoed so she has proof.

I’m going to stop there because I’ve built the ticking time bomb and you can see where I’m going with the plot.

I’ve also built the relationships. At some point and time, my Daredevil will have to open his eyes and see the Innocent for more than just a clinging vine because my Innocent will have to grow and become more than that. She’ll come into her own to help him discover the solution to the problem and destroy the vines before they destroy mankind.

My Femme Fatale will have to get hers in the end for stalling the alert and causing several deaths. And the ticking time bomb will be the housing development that’s being encroached on by the vines, which can’t be controlled.

Eventually, Innocent will be threatened by being buried alive by the vines and will have to face that fear and overcome it to escape, and to learn she doesn’t have to be a clinging vine because she’s strong enough to stand on her own two feet.

And the whole story began with the luck of the draw or the deal.

If you’re interested in Sue Viders’ card game, go on line and get your own set. You’ll have as good a time as I do with them. And you’ll only be limited by your own imagination.

To order go to www.sueviders.com , www.dealastory.com or www.rdrpublishers.com. Or call or write Robert D. Reed Publishers, P.O. Box 1992, Bandon, OR 97411 -- (541) 347-9882. They’re just $19.95 plus shipping.

Write on,
Teresa Reasor

Special Guest Nita Wick

2009-05-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Judging a Book by Its Cover

Yeah, yeah. I know. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But let’s face it. We all do it. Especially romance readers. I know one girl who simply will not read a book, no matter who the author is, if it has Fabio on the cover. Another friend dislikes the covers with “man boobs.” Me? I don’t mind a shirtless hunk, but I must admit that my favorite covers tend to depict a man with an unbuttoned shirt. And my favorite cover model? John DeSalvo, of course.

Check out this one with John:

No, I haven’t read Escapade. Until I found this cover on John’s web site, I’d never even heard of Kathryn Hockett. But I think I might check it out. I love historical westerns—note the covered wagon in the background. A dark haired, sexy, cowboy hero is quite appealing.

See? I’m already judging this book by its cover. Escapade may be a wonderful book, but it could also be a real wall-banger. My point is that I’m interested in this book simply because of its cover. It’s not the author or the title. It’s the cover that calls to me.

On the other hand, I very much dislike covers with cartoonish, middle school type artwork. Like this:

Or this:

Yuck. Steamy Nights and GreatSword’s Woman may be the best romances ever written, but I will likely never know. I’m just not interested in finding out what’s behind those tacky covers.

It makes me wonder what people think when they see the covers of my books.

My historical western, The Wagonmaster, has a dark haired, sexy, cowboy hero. Will someone overlook my book simply because John DeSalvo isn’t on the cover? What do you think?

Wait… I’ve got lots more questions. ;-) Are you guilty of judging books by their covers? If a cover doesn’t appeal to you, do you skip by it on the shelf? Would you pick up a book by an author unknown to you if the cover catches your attention? Do you have a favorite cover? A favorite cover model? Are you Fabio fan? Not a Fabio fan? What are your pet peeves regarding covers?

I can’t wait to hear your answers. Thanks so much to the ladies of Inspiration, Ink for the invitation to visit!

Nita
www.nitawick.com

Heroine Archetype - The Waif

2009-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

One can't help but love the Waif. Always a damsel in distress, this character archetype is known for her innocence and purity. Naive, kind, gentle, and passive, we root for her knowing she is about to be taken advantage of. Think of the films Splash and Enchanted. Daryl Hannah and Amy Adams make perfect examples of the Waif, both victimized by the greedy.

Fairytale characters are all based on the Waif archetype - Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella. Waifs want to live happily ever after and will patiently wait for Mr. Right to come along. Maid in Manhattan with Jennifer Lopez is another example, along with Pretty Woman. Julia Roberts' character said it best, "I want the fairy tale."

Waifs bend to those around them, doing what others expect, and think nothing of it. This character doesn't realize her own potential. It's all about "him," and getting swept off her feet. And, don’t worry, she’ll wait him out. Because that’s what the Waif is best at, waiting for someone to come to her rescue.

But, let's not forget we are in the modern world. Our Waif character has evolved. Why? Because the Waif's dependent, submissive nature conflicts with today's modern woman. Screenwriters know viewers love the Waif and so they have tweaked her a bit. In Cold Mountain, Nicole Kidman's character is content to starve to death, awaiting the return of her love interest from the war, until she is pushed to take matters into her own hands.

Legally Blonde and Bridget Jones’s Diary are further examples. Both Elle and Bridget focused on their man, with nothing else in sight, until provoked to live a life independent of a fairy tale romance. Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise portrays a modern Waif archetype. Thelma portrays an obedient housewife rebelling in her opinion by taking a simple fishing trip with a friend. When unfortunate events sideline their excursion, she evolves into a free spirit with a pistol. Case in point, a modern Waif.

Who are your favorite waifs? And do you think the Waif is outdated in today's society?

Posted by: Sloan Seymour

Special Guest Alisha Paige

2009-04-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

And now...Inspiration, Ink. and romance author Alisha Paige bring you a special peek behind the veil. Meet Vex Savaker, Alisha's latest hero...

My name is Sha-Sha Snow. See, I’m an avid reader too and I love to interview my favorite characters. I’m in London now, sipping latte on a sidewalk café, interviewing Special Detective for The Metropolitan Police, Vex Savaker, featured in Alisha Paige’s Nocturnally Vexed.

Sha-sha: Good morning, Mr. Savaker. You have a rather interesting ancestry.
Vex: Good morning, Sha-Sha. Call me Vex. I’m King of the Orgulocks, originating from Xurath.
Sha-Sha: Orgulocks? Xurath?
Vex: *deep chuckle* Aye. Xurath is a black planet, void of light, in another dimension. All blood suckers and shifter-rapts were created there by two lesser gods, Folog and Garmut. My clan, the Orgulocks are hybrids, half blood sucker/half shifter-rapt.
Sha-Sha: But haven’t the blood suckers and shifter-rapts been at war forever?
Vex: They have, my lady, but my father, Cole was captivated by an orphaned shifty, my mother, Zephyria. She’d been banished because of her uncommon beauty.
Sha-sha: So, the pairing resulted in the Orgulocks as we know them today?
Vex: It did indeed. My father was a very powerful blood sucker, the leader of his clan. They’re union changed everything on dark Xurath.
Sha-sha: Let me get this straight. You’re a vampire AND a shape-shifter?
Vex: Absobloodylutely! Except the correct term is blood sucker and shifter-rapt. Vamps and shapeshifters are only found in fiction.
Sha-sha: And you’re not fictional?
Vex: You’re here talking to me, aren’t you? Do I look real enough?
Sha-sha: Hmmm…can I touch?
Vex: *Laughs out loud* Go ahead.
Sha-sha: Mmm…nice biceps. You feel pretty solid to me.
Vex: *Sniffs the air* Good, you’re safe.
Sha-Sha: I beg your pardon?
Vex: From Jack.
Sha-Sha: Jack?
Vex: Aye. Jack the Ripper.
Sha-Sha: Whoa! Wait! Jack killed over 100 years ago. Are you saying he’s back?
Vex: He’s back.
Sha-Sha: You’re a man of few words, Vex. Good to know but how can you be sure I’m safe?
Vex: I sniffed ya. You’re clean…er…were clean…actually you’ve been sullied up a bit..no offense, miss, but I can tell you’ve…er….had men.
Sha-Sha: *Laughs nervously* Are you saying you can smell my virginity or lack of virgin snow, rather?
Vex: *Nods and grins* Orgulocks have ultra sensory powers. A most useful tool in dark Xurath. Here too. The law enforcement agencies love the services we offer. That’s why I’m working on the modern day Jack the Ripper case. I think he’s a shifty.
Sha-Sha: That would explain why he eluded the authorities all those years ago. Is it the same guy?
Vex: We know it’s the same guy. We have DNA evidence to prove it. He left a hair in the wax he sealed a letter to the police back in 1888 and we have DNA from his recent killings. They’re one and the bloody same.
Sha-Sha: Wow! But I still don’t understand why I’m safe.
Vex: You’re not a virgin. Jack is after virgins this go around.
Sha-Sha: Virgins? But he killed prostitutes in the 1800’s.
Vex: Aye. I believe he’s doing the exact opposite this time.
Sha-Sha: In order to fool the police?
Vex: Either that or for his sick kicks.
Sha-Sha: Just one more question before you go, Vex. And it’s an icky one.
Vex: Shoot.
Sha-sha: Do you feast on humans in order to survive?
Vex: I’m no blood sucker. I’m no shifter-rapt. I’m an Orgulock. We have evolved into greater creatures, keeping the better qualities of each species, honing our skills in order to survive and thrive, both here and on Xurath. Sometimes I do feast on female humans, though.
Sha-sha: Oh?
Vex: Only if they ask me too.

You can find out more about Vex and the Orgulocks by reading Nocturnally Vexed!

Click Here to View the Trailer for Nocturnally Vexed

Alisha Paige
http://www.alishapaige.com/

Heroine Archetype: The Librarian

2009-04-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

This archetype’s title comes fairly close to summing up her personality. While you won't always find this character sorting through tomes in some musty old storage room, she will exhibit many of the same characteristics you might expect to find in an actual librarian.

The librarian is a proper lady, living her life by a strict code of ethics, possibly embedded in her by a set of quiet, respectable parents. She is typically career oriented, with brains to spare. Her behavior is beyond reproach, and from the outside looking in, it seems she wouldn't have it any other way.

However, beneath the cashmere sweaters and sensible pumps, lurks an urge to break free of her day to day doldrums. Given the opportunity, and just the right fellow, the librarian just might be tempted to peel away her inhibitions (and her clothing) to display the simmering passion she's always managed to keep so well hidden.

Such was the case when sweet-tempered, bookish Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan met ex-soldier, turned adventurer, Rick O’Connell in Hollywood’s most recent adaptation of the classic film, The Mummy. Little Evie, who’s spent more time deciphering ancient hieroglyphics than experimenting in the dating pool, is forced to deal with more than just the resurrection of a thirty-six hundred year old corpse who’s on a mission to kill everything in sight. She must also come to terms with the unfamiliar feelings her bad-boy guide stirs in her. What girl wouldn’t want to be in her shoes? Well…minus the whole plague, mummy, end of the world thing.

Another great example is one of America’s original sweethearts – good girl gone pink, Sandy Olsson from Grease. While she is one of our all-time favorite movie characters, watch her long enough and you’ll get cavities from sugar exposure. This adorable Aussie lost her heart, and her poodle skirt, to a greaser with a heart of gold named Danny Zuko. In the end, a bad girl makeover was just what the doctor ordered, and sent Zuko a crystal clear message that “You’re the one that I want…woo-hoo-hoo.”

Speaking of classics – when we’re discussing the librarian, we can’t forget about Sgt. Sarah Brown, the prudish missionary from Guys and Dolls. Marlon Brando’s gambling character, Sky Masterson, sets out to entice the upstanding Miss Brown into accompanying him on a trip to Havana in this amusing musical. He succeeds, of course, and cool Sister Sarah is never the same. The dancing scene at the bar in Havana is one of the funniest scenes ever…but that’s another story.

The last heroine I’ll mention is probably my favorite. Perfectly prioritized Anne Osborne from The Big Easy, portrayed so eloquently by actress Ellen Barkin. Anyone who remembers this movie can tell you, you could almost feel the heat these two generated on the Bayou when this uptight attorney finally decided to let down her hair. I ask you – who could blame her? I don’t know too many women who could walk away from a smooth talking Cajun like Remy McSwain. Do you, cher?

Who are some of your favorite librarians? And what heroes have been so irresistible they’ve made you want to let down your own hair for a day?

Thanks for reading...
Tracy Preston

Special Guest Jan Scarbrough

2009-04-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Pets

Do you own a pet? I have two dogs, both rescues, and four elderly cats. The fun part about being a writer is creating your own worlds. Often I put bits of my real world into my books by adding my family pets.

In my upcoming May release from Resplendence Publishing Kentucky Flame, I created a white English setter named Major after a dog I had rescued as a puppy from the Humane Society. The real dog, Flops, shared my life and my children’s lives for fifteen years. What better way to memorialize a faithful friend?

The first book in my Bluegrass Reunion series, Kentucky Cowboy, contains two of my current cats. Ginger, a tortoiseshell cat with a peculiar stripe down the bridge of her nose, in real life Gloria, the cat my daughter brought home from college one Thanksgiving. My husband’s cat Jester also stars in the book as Joker, the hero’s black cat. Our late Border collie, Binky, was my inspiration for the heroine’s pet. For Kentucky Woman, I borrowed my daughter’s orange tabby, and I gave the heroine’s son a big, bronze-colored fuzzy dog inspired by my current rescue, Red.

When I wrote Santa’s Kiss, I had fun giving the heroine a traveling companion named Little Bits who is the carbon copy of Lenny, my comical Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

I learned a lot about putting pets in books when I wrote Tangled Memories. Never kill a cat in a romance. I broke the rule! I’m pleased to report the gray cat Munster that met a sudden death in the book is really a domestic long-haired cat named Bugsy. This former blue ribbon winner is now seventeen and spends most of her time hiding in my office.

Do you like to read books with pets? How many family pets do you own? Are you a cat or a dog person? Leave a comment and maybe you’ll win an electronic copy of one of my books.

While you're waiting for Jan's upcoming release, Kentucky Flame, you can check out the other books in the series, including -- Kentucky Woman...available NOW! Click HERE for details.

Heroine Archetype: The Seductress

2009-04-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read correctly...the archetypes are back, by popular demand. We're going to cover the heroines this time, so make sure to check in every Monday for a new type. ;-)

The Seductress

The Seductress knows how to use her beauty, her sexuality, to do two things, manipulate people, mostly men, and get what she wants. The first heroine I thought of that fits this archetype is Anne Boleyn, both in the HBO series The Tudors and the book The Other Boleyn Girl. Since there is so little known of the real Anne, we can only guess as to whether she truly seduced her way to the crown. But in the series and the book, her family drives her toward her death by encouraging her manipulative behavior.

Following that vein, her experiences as a child, and the influence of her family would play a part in the birth of a Seductress. This archetype has been told since childhood that external beauty is more important than intelligence. But the Seductress is very intelligent. She analyzes people and fashions her behavior to draw their attention. She’s a chameleon, able to take on the characteristics guaranteed to draw her target’s interest and get what she needs or desires.

The Seductress is a cynic. Since she is a student of human nature, she uses her understanding of people’s motives and responses to gain what she can from her relationships. She’s not interested in friendships, because being manipulative herself, she distrust other people’s intentions. Or if she does cultivate friendships, she’s only interested in them for what they can bring her.

Sometimes the Seductress is born out of a bad experience. Because of her beauty she might have been molested as a child or a young teenager, or had some other experience that has left her feeling vulnerable and humiliated. Instead of becoming a victim, she becomes a survivor, but it hardens her and makes her distrustful. It also makes her determined that no one will ever take advantage of her again. Such as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. “As God is my witness I’ll never go hungry again.” With that vow she’s grown from the spoiled, playful, flirtatious, tease looking for a husband, to the true Seductress determined to survive no matter who she steps on to do so.

The Seductress who has discovered her beauty can lead to security, power, and adventure uses her beauty as a weapon to gain it. That first taste of success becomes addictive and she wants more. Her eyes are on the prize: money, position, or fame.

The Seductress is a siren. And the siren can get any man she wants. Perhaps she’s been dirt poor and down on her luck and she’s discovered that a sway in her walk and a soft wispy laugh can wrap a man right around her little finger. And men will compete against one another, fight one another, and stab each other in the back to gain possession of her. Yet, they’ll never possess her because she may give her body, but her heart is well protected behind her defenses and her agenda.

The Seductress can be a kind of anti-heroine if the writer neglects to give her enough likeable characteristics, a touching vulnerability, or a good reason for growing into the such an archetype. She can evolve into too hard edged a character to like. But with penning the right balance she can become softer, and grow into a bigger more likeable character.

In Kathleen Woodiwiss’ book Shanna, her heroine starts out being a spoiled, flirtatious, manipulative, tease very similar to Scarlet in Gone With The Wind. But because she grows a conscience and is finally able to look beyond herself and sincerely care for those around her, she escapes that cliché archetype. Through love she grows more as a character than Scarlet ever does, and she becomes someone the reader can pull for and respect.

Tell me about some of the Seductresses you’ve run across in movies or books-- or in real life. Was she likable? Did she have a good reason for growing into such a character? Let’s discuss it.

Write on,
Teresa Reasor

Special Guest Magdalena Scott

2009-04-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

WORK IN PROGRESS

Many thanks to the Pink Ladies for asking me to be a guest, in spite of knowing that I’m sometimes weird..

Ahem. Now for the topic of the day.

When writers talk about their work in progress—often shortened to wip—we’re usually talking about the latest writing project.

“How’s the current wip coming?”

“Added 3,000 words to the wip today.”

“The strangest character just walked into my wip.”

I have that kind of work in progress, of course. Several wips reside in my laptop, in various states of unreadiness. *Sigh* One wip is in final edits, to be released in June, so that’s a cause for celebration.

But I am also a work in progress, even though as far as I know, people don’t call me “wip.” Of course I have been called a mess, unfocused, a failure... On the days when I wake up hearing that voice in my head telling me what a loser I am, I understand why writers drink.

Last fall I started a little blog of my own. It’s called Welcome to Magdalenaville, and the idea behind it is that I’m on a journey to reinvention, and whoever wants to come along is invited! I think we’ve made some progress on the journey, and we definitely have a good time at it. Some days it’s like a tea party with friends, some days it’s free psychoanalysis for me, and one day Spot, our amazingly cute dog, blogged. It has been pointed out that Spot got more comments than I ever have. As if I needed to hear that. Sheesh.

In my novel, The Blank Book, the heroine starts a journey to reinvention, too. Her husband has died in a hilarious (yet tragic) accident, and she examines her life and starts making changes. But when she begins to write a romance novella in a mysterious blank book, her life suddenly turns weird. A hunky movie star shows up on her doorstep in smalltown Indiana, because the story she wrote is controlling both their lives.

Well, shoot, that route to reinvention seems about perfect, right? I mean, except for the book controlling your life. That’s a bummer. And yes, like Alice and Robert, you’d have to figure out what the heck was going on, and deal with it, because otherwise everything you’d worked for was headed down the toilet.

But I don’t want to tell the whole story. Just saying, reinvention can be harder than it looks. And being a work in progress can sometimes make you feel distracted, or frustrated, or scared. But you know what the worst thing is?

When the dog, who isn’t even slightly into reinvention, gets more comments than you do.

Magdalena Scott
http://magdalenascott.com/
http://magdalenascott.blogspot.com/

Special Guest: Author Judah Raine

2009-04-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Thanks to Tracy for the opportunity to blog here – it’s always grand to have a new spot in Cyberspace, and new people to visit with.

As an author, one of the common questions I get is where I get my inspiration from, so I thought that, today, I’d share a little of my life here in South Africa, and also some background on my latest Bookstrand release, The Look, which really is, like all my books, inspired by the same things that have shaped me into the person I am today.

I grew up a farm girl in rural South Africa, with my little bare feet firmly grounded on African soil and my head sheltered by the vast African sky. I learned to shoot when I was about 8, to fish when… I can’t actually remember, but I must have been very young. I learned to milk a cow (yes, by hand) so that the froth sat a few inches thick on top (a rare thing, and one which earned the respect of the men in the cow shed!) I learned the basics of wool sorting – taking a shorn fleece and separating the various sections into grades for sending to the wool markets.

Life was an endless adventure, back then. Somehow things seemed hugely simple. We had no electricity on the farm. Everything was candles and paraffin lamps, and a great big old wood stove in the kitchen that warmed the whole house in winter. We’d pull fresh veggies out the garden, and prepared all our own meat, and even smoked our own bacon.

Growing up in such a remote community was another experience I’ll never forget. Somehow that kind of community was simply there, it was, didn’t need explanations or justifications… Everyone knew everyone, back to a few generations, who married who and how many kids they had and who those kids married. People laughed together, cried together, helped out in a crisis and generally seemed to be there when needed.

Many of those farming communities had their “town” – usually a one-shop affair (which also doubled as a post office, a filling station if you were lucky, and a farmers co-op. My parents grew up in a little place called Bolo Reserve, right in the middle of nowhere. It had the store (yes, which was the post office!) and a hotel (three whole rooms and a bar) which also doubled as a filling station. No co-op unfortunately, though they did have a police station (about twelve kilometres out of town??), a stock auction facility and, wait for it, a jail. Four cells and a cottage attached. In my memory it was empty and the postmistress lived in the cottage.

They also had a tennis club/library, which had a huge hall. The Bolo dances were rowdy, festive affairs, drawing people from other districts. Parents would take their kids, and we’d play outside until it was too dark. Mattresses would be placed under the tables and gradually the kids would crawl in under there and go to sleep. One of our favourite games was peering out under the tablecloths and trying to guess which of the shoes that danced by belonged to who. Then we’d wake up in the car driving home, the sun just creeping over the horizon…

This is the type of world my sassy, streetwise heroine from The Look, Morgan Slater encounters when she heads off into the back of beyond. She’s looking for facts. What she finds is a truth far deeper than anything she’d ever imagined, and which challenges all her assumptions, perceptions and accepted norms. She also encounters the one man in the universe who has the ability to talk to her without needing words, whose uncanny ability to see into her soul creates a conflict and an excitement she never knew existed.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, because it explores the layers – in people, in situations, and in our assumptions about life and about truth and how they all fit together. Morgan's courage lies in allowing the process stripping-away to become a process of adding-to, an intriguing journey that I think almost all of us can relate to.

Here’s the blurb:

With a secret that makes her pretty much a walking time-bomb with the potential to turn her own life and a whole lot of others inside-out, Morgan Slater's plans definitely don't include the suspicions of the determined and dynamic Blake Thornton.

She heads out to the back of beyond on a simple Quest for the Truth, but her first meeting with Blake draws the battle lines for a persistent confrontation that makes focusing on her real reason for being there extremely difficult. Worse, he has this uncanny instinct and a way of seeing beyond her sassy, street-wise confidence that makes their ongoing conflict more than simply a battle of wills.

But Morgan has also not anticipated a lot of other complications and, as she struggles to keep her secret and protect herself and others in a world of shifting boundaries and increasingly difficult emotional situations, The Look rapidly becomes...

You can find The Look at: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thelook-13952-330.html

I’d love you to visit me on my website at http://www.judahraine.com or on my blogs at http://www.judahraine.com/romancewriteup and http://judahraine.blogspot.com.

Thanks so much for having me here!

Happy reading,
Jude

Judah Raine

Special Guest Maddie James

2009-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Glad you could join us at Inspiration, Ink. today cause you're in for a real treat. We're excited to welcome special guest, Resplendence Publishing author Maddie James. But you'd better remember -- Nobody puts Maddie in a closet! Uhhh....unless it's Maddie??

Move Over Maddie

Move over, Maddie, there is another chick in town.

What, you say? You were expecting Maddie James? Well forget about that because she’s not showing up today. Why? Because I told her to stay home. Yes, That’s right. She’s been hogging the spotlight lately all over the ‘net and for once, I’m taking charge.

And oh, how I love to take charge.

With cuffs. Ropes. Silk scarves. A leather riding crop… And usually with more than one man. That’s right. I said more than one. Threesome. More?

Hmmmmm…

You didn’t expect that? Well, of course not. Although Maddie can dish out some pretty spicy sex herself, I, on the other hand, like to push the envelope further and further and…well, definitely to the edge and back again.

So who am I?

I’m Mia. Maddie’s kinky sister, so to speak. Mia Jae, to be exact. Maybe I’m an alter-ego. Who knows for sure? All I know is that I go places that Maddie hasn’t dared to go…

And guess what? I’m soooo glad about that. Hey, I don’t need the competition. Maddie does pretty well for herself in her own right, but me? Mia? I wanna make my own name.

So that’s why I’m limiting myself in some respects. I love ménage a trios relationships. I’m into ropes and cuffs and bondage and stuff. Sometimes I like to be submissive and at times, I like to be dominant. One thing is for sure, I love men.

Yum.

So here is the deal. I’m just moving into the erotica scene here, you know? I’ve got one story already floating around out there. It’s a holiday story but let me tell you, it’s a scorcher for any time of the year. You can find out about it on my website, at http://www.miajae.com/. Just look for my story called, Nice and Naughty.

I know what you are thinking, huh? That I’ve pulled the old April Fool’s joke on you? Oh no, forget that. Mia Jae is alive and well, and ready to make a name for herself. No stopping me now.

Maddie? Oh. Yeah. I’ll go let her out of the closet now.

Both Mia AND Maddie's books are available now. Click here for more info on Mia Jae's Nice and Naughty; and here for details about Maddie James's Perfectly Matched (Book 1 in The Matchmaking Chef Series).

Upcoming Fun

2009-03-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

We won't be posting an article today because we have two special guests planned this week! We're excited that Resplendence Publishing's own Maddie James will be with us on Wednesday, and on Friday we'll be posting a very fresh and interesting blog from Siren-Bookstrand's Judah Raine. So we do have a great week coming up and hope you'll join us for the fun!

Also, I wanted to remind readers about our new contest! Enter today for your chance to win...(just click on the Contest button for details)

Before I close, I thought I'd share a few pictures that some of our fellow KYRWA writers took at this past weekend's writers' event in Lexington, KY -- which I had to miss!! (*stomping foot in agitation*) But everyone seemed to have a wonderful time, and came back fully recharged and ready to write. I'm so glad it was such a success...

More Wednesday!

Tracy Preston

Alicia Rasley

Anya Bast

Teresa Reasor

Jan Scarbrough, Anya Bast, Maddie James and Renee Demarcus

Leigh Collett, Magdalena Scott, Jan Scarbrough and Anya Bast

Teresa and Renee

(Note the empty chair where I was supposed to be! Yes, I'm pouting, I admit it!)

Special Guest: Author Keena Kincaid

2009-03-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Paris doesn’t sell.

I’ve heard that statement quoted with the fervor of the newly converted and the weariness of the ancient cynic since I first decided I wanted to write. So me being me, I set my current release, ART OF LOVE, in Paris.

As anyone who knows me will verify: I tend challenge assumptions (and authority, but that’s a different blog). And my perspective from a small coffee shop on the rue Voltaire, there was no reason Paris shouldn’t sell. It’s a fabulous city filled with the scent of age and weighed down history that is a historical romance writer’s nirvana.

And for better or worse, the hero that came to me while I meandered the winding, medieval streets was a Scotsman. I was so excited about Alain of Huntly Wood that I couldn’t not write his story even if it did take place in Paris and even if Paris is the kiss of death for a romance.

But Alain’s story is intricately bound to Paris of the 12th century and the exciting, overcrowded and malodorous Latin Quarter. If set in London or Edinburgh or even the absolute gorgeous landscape between Inverness and Thurso, Alain’s story would be a different tale entirely—and a much less satisfying one—because in ART OF LOVE, Paris is not “wallpaper” but a thriving character in its own right.

So my questions to you, the readers:

• Do you notice setting at all? If so, how much? If not, why not?

• Do you want “place” to be as active and interesting a character in the story as the hero and heroine or are you happy with “wallpaper” settings?

• Do you read stories set in your favorite places or those on your wish list?

About Art of Love

Abigail d'Alene has been sinfully in love with learning all her life. Now a widow, she has the means and freedom to indulge in her passion. Pretending to be Abelard, a fifteen-year-old boy from an outlying village, she heads to the Latin Quarter of Paris and the abbey schools that will one day change the world.

Shocked by her ineptitude at masquerading as a boy, Alain of Huntly Woods takes the young “Abelard” under his protection until she recovers her sense and goes home. But her audacity, intelligence and refusal to compromise spark enough friction between them to burn through his cold logic and carefully laid plans. In Paris as a spy for Henry II, Alain has sold his soul to the Angevin devil in exchange for the king's promise of an heiress, land and power.

As his good intentions bring him unexpected passion, he struggles to ind a way to have it all. Then he discovers Abigail's uncle, confessor to King Louis VII of France, plots against the English king, and Alain must choose between protecting his king or the woman he loves beyond all reason.

ART OF LOVE is available in both print and e-book formats from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon and other booksellers. ISBN: 1-60154-381-6. To read an excerpt, go to:

http://www.keenakincaid.com/artoflove.php

To buy:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Love-Keena-Kincaid/dp/1601543816/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237339570&sr=8-2

Keena Kincaid, author of ANAM CARA and ART OF LOVE from The Wild Rose Press, lives on the frozen tundra sometimes called Chicago. Her only house rule: don’t talk to her before the first cup of coffee in the morning. You can find her at http://www.keenakincaid.com, as well as MySpace, FaceBook and Twitter. Her books are available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, Fictionwise, Barnes & Noble, Sony and other online and offline booksellers.

Mother's Day Contest Giveaway

2009-03-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hello, Readers!

Today I get to post about a subject everybody loves...it's time for another contest giveaway. Yay!

We had a blast with our last giveaway. So much so, we began making plans for the next contest almost right away. Our prize this time will be similar to our grand prize basket from Valentine's Day, with autographed books, a $25 Barnes & Noble giftcard, adorable crafts that Teresa Reasor and Sloan Seymour have volunteered to make with their own two little hands, and more!

For the last contest we had over 50 entrants. We'd love to top ourselves and get even more this time, so don't hesitate. All you have to do is leave us a comment related to Mother's Day. You could write a little paragraph about your mother, or maybe a humorous story about something you did together, or even something about what actually being a mother means to you. As long as it pertains to the holiday, it's up to you.

We'll be choosing a winner the night before, and announcing it the day of, Mother's Day. Good luck!

Here's a picture of our grand-prize Valentine's Day Giveaway basket, won by Melissa.

Some Updates and "Tearing Down the Big B"

2009-03-23T05:00:00.001-07:00

Hello pink thinkers! :) I hope this Monday finds you all doing well, not suffering too much from the instability of the economy.

As for me, my day job was phased completely out last week. But, I'm taking it in stride. I choose the silver lining! Now that I'm off work, I can focus some much needed attention on my writing (which is what truly makes me happy anyway). So no worries!

With that said, on to Pink Lady business. Last Monday's Inspiration, Ink. entry was dedicated to the final hero archetype, The Chief. We had so much fun doing them, and had such a great response, we do intend to go on with the archetypes, doing blogs on both the heroine and the villain archetypes...fun, fun! So you can expect those in the very near future.

This week, however, we're going to post another wonderful article from Teresa Reasor's bountiful archive of goodies. What a fantastic talent she is -- and a wonderful teacher. So kudos to her for taking the time out to write these gems up for us.

Another thing I wanted to let everyone know...the Pink Ladies are planning another contest. We were thrilled with the success of the last one, and have planned another for Mother's Day. I'm going to officially announce all the details on Wednesday, so there's a little something to look forward to.

Before I turn the forum over to Teresa's article, I wanted to remind everyone of the upcoming book signing at Barnes & Noble in Lexington, KY on Friday, March 27 (6:00-8:00pm). Drop by if you can, we'd love to meet you! There is also a writing workshop on Saturday, March 28. It's hosted by our home chapter, KYRWA, and is $20 for members/$30 for nonmembers. It lasts all day, and we have some really great speakers/presentations lined up.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS

And now, on to the article......

TTFN,

Tracy Preston

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Tearing Down the Big B
By Teresa Reasor

Writers Block is a condition that no writer ever wants to think about or experience. I refer to this condition as constipation of the mind. Norman Mailer said it better, “Writer’s Block is a failure of the ego—it’s a matter of not being in charge of your own mind.”

There are several things that cause this condition, but don’t despair, there are things you can do to break though the blocks they cause as well.

Fear of Failure is one of the things that cause writer’s block. You may not even be aware of this fear. In order to conquer it, you must face it. Write down all the things about the writing process that frightens you. (100,000 words to face. How will I begin? How will I end it? What if it sucks? )

Now write down all the things that anger you about the process. (All this time I’ll spend on this story and some editor will reject it.) Get all that negative energy out of your system and face it down.

Now ask yourself, what do you gain by not writing and write it down? (More free time to watch television, eat, and sleep.) Ask yourself, what do you gain by writing? (Fulfillment, pleasure, creative fluency, sanity.)

Just putting all this down on paper will free you from the emotional baggage that prevents you from writing and point out to you all the benefits that you reap from allowing yourself to pursue our dream. Post those benefits somewhere you can read them often.

Find a book that you think is badly written. (There are some out there, trust me.) Keep it next to your computer. Whenever those self-doubts rear their ugly heard, open up that book and read it. You know you can do better.

Fear of Success is sometimes known as Perfectionism run amuck. You’re stuck on those first few chapters and never get any further. You keep going back over the same pages polishing or making minor changes. You spend an excessive amount of time doing research or worrying about minor details.

This is a behavior that is difficult to break, but it can be conquered. Read the pages you’ve written and allow yourself a tweak or two then get on with it. To keep from toying too much, Alicia Rasley has an exercise called the 10 minute Block Buster you can use.

Give yourself time to think about what you want to accomplish with the scene. Call a friend who writes also. Each of you sit at the keyboard and discuss what you are going to write about. Set a kitchen timer for 10 minutes. Say go and hang up. Don’t allow yourself to stop for misspelled words or grammatical errors. When the alarm goes off, stop and call your friend back and exchange results.

This exercise will jump start the process, but it will not dissuade you from editing and polishing yourself back to the beginning again. It will give you new material to edit though and perhaps inspire you to move forward instead of back tracking.

Another thing you can do is to set a number of words, paragraphs, or pages, you wish to get done within a reasonable time frame and stick to it.

Achieving perfection in a first draft is not going to happen. You can train yourself to write as clean a first draft as possible, with practice, but there will still be things that need your attention. Pretend this first draft is going to be the only one and don’t second-guess yourself. Go with your first instincts, they usually prove to be the right ones.

Fear of finishing is a part of the fear of success. You write the end of your story over and over. You send the manuscript to contests but don’t submit it to a publisher. Take a minute to clarify your goals for the story. If it wasn’t to get it into print, then why put forth the effort? Write down all the bad things that could happen by submitting it. It could be rejected. There’s as good a possibility that it won’t be. You’ll never know unless you take the chance.

Set a date that you’re going to submit your manuscript and tell your friends, your family, and your fellow writers and do it. Once you’ve said you’re going to do it, it will be more difficult not to follow through.

You’re overwhelmed by the magnitude of writing a novel. Don’t allow yourself to think of your story in terms of the completed manuscript. Just the thought of that 50,000 or 100,000 words that you have to produce is enough to make every one of your creative urges dry up. Your plum of an idea will turn into a prune without the benefit of a dehydrator. Think in terms of sentences first, then paragraphs, then pages, then chapters. Don’t concentrate on the number of pages you’re producing, but the process of writing instead. After a week or two or even a month, allow yourself to look at the manuscript as being part of the book. By then you’ll be well on your way.

Lack of planning can bring on the next block. You’ve written the first few chapters with little trouble. A wave of enthusiasm for an idea that you feel is wonderful has made every word fall into place. All at once you come upon the next chapter with the force of a runaway freight train only to slam into the big B. What happens next? This is simple enough. It’s time to take a step back and take a closer look at your plot and your characters.

Using a large desk calendar and post it notes. List all the major plot points of your story using the blocks as though they are chapters. This can be planned in as loose or as detailed a fashion as you wish. Just writing it down will fix those major points in your mind. Writing them down on something big so you can see them each time you look up will help you brainstorm for ideas.

Build the imagery of how your characters look and sound in your mind and create for them a background. Step into their shoes and walk around for a while. Pay close attention to their body movements; listen to their thoughts and feelings. Transport yourself to the locale your characters live at. Take a walking tour of the area, historical period, country, or house. Try to see the area through their eyes, hear what they hear, smell and taste what they do. Now conduct an interview with your characters. Ask them how they feel about the things you have planned for them. List all the possible motivations your characters may have and brainstorm for others.

Keep a notebook in which to organize all this new information and the impressions that arise from it so you can refer back to it. Now focus back on the point you’ve reached in your story. Write down what your character’s internal and external conflicts are and what they want. Now try raising the stakes and see what happens.

Help my characters have taken over! This block occurs when all your plotting has gone for naught and your characters are behaving in ways you had not planned. They are making speeches to explain what’s happening rather than reacting to the things going on in your scenes. Somewhere along the way you’ve gotten off track or lost focus.

Read over the entire story and analyze it with the critical questions of:

1. Do I know my characters well enough?
2. Have I depicted their motivations, their thoughts, and their feelings consistently?
3. Are my scenes furthering the plot or are they just so much fluff and filler?
4. Have I begun each scene in the thick of some action or reaction?
5. Have I relied too heavily on predictable answers and painted myself into a corner?

These are tough questions, but ones that will point out weakness or unnecessary side trips. Find the place where your focus began to waver, then cut and do some restructuring.

If none of the afore mentioned solutions destroy the block between you and your writing there are still some techniques you can use that may help.

Keep a notebook in which to organize your research. When you reach an impasse in your work, go back and research details you’ve put off for later. Sometimes new information can jump start a blocked passage of work or inspire a new passage all together.

Think in terms of your book being a movie. Movies depend on their pacing as much, if not more than books. Perhaps the scene you’re stalled on is holding back the flow of your story. Change the scene so that it starts in the midst of some moment of action or emotional intensity.

We are affected by our surroundings and so are your characters. Change the setting of the scene to a different locale.

Try writing the scene from the opposite perspective than what you’ve written it. Or just as a technique to get you going again, write the scene from the perspective of a secondary character as though they are observing your main character’s actions and reactions. This will give you a true reading on your character’s motivations.

Write anything that is related to what you are writing, including your feelings about it.

Brainstorm either alone or with a network of friends and write it down so that the fluency of ideas can be studied.

Write the middle or the end of the story and work your way backward.

Talk to your readers, hypothetically. Ask them what they are most interested in finding out about your story.

Using index cards, write down the main ideas of your scene, and arrange them in the order you think they aught to go. Tape them to a large sheet of paper or poster board. Brainstorm ideas for dialogue, characterization, and narration around them.

Pick out the most outrageous thing your characters could do and allow them to do it.

Switch from a computer to a notebook and pen or change location where you write.

Spend some time meditating and playing your favorite writing music. Let your mind wander over other territory before fixing it upon the problem at hand.

Write a letter to a friend or make a phone call and talk about your story. Ideas will surface.

Allow yourself to play. Inject some unexpected humor in your scene to jump-start it.

Try another skill. Write a poem that describes what you want your scene to convey.

Take a walk. While your body is in motion, your mind will be thinking about your story. (Stephen King did this every day, until a car hit him.)

Take it in small steps. Say I’m going to finish this sentence, this paragraph, this page. Before long you’ll have finished a chapter.

Take a listening tour of your scenes. Read your scenes aloud into a tape recorder and play them back or have a friend read them aloud to you. Ask a friend to read your dialogue with you as though your scene is a screen play.

In his book, How to Write Fast ( While Writing Well), David Fryxell suggests something that will prevent Writer’s Block. He calls the technique building creative pressure. You plot and plan letting your ideas ferment until you can practically read the scenes in your minds eye, then you sit down to write them. This technique takes patience but insures you will always know where your story is going.

He also suggests setting a reasonable time frame in which to work and to be consistent. Don’t work past that time. Get up and leave it even if you’re tempted to continue. This gives you time to think through your ideas and allows them time to incubate. It also keeps your momentum going for the work.

Frank Hajcak makes a profound observation in his book Expanding Creative Imagination Through Active Perception. He says, “A creative thought may come in a flash. A creative act, on the other hand, is formulated over time. It requires patience and effort. The time between conception of an idea and its completion may be weeks or months. Creativity cannot be rushed. It is a labor of love: love of the craft, of the skill, of the idea which engendered the act, and love and acceptance of yourself the creator.”

Be patient, allow your creative thoughts to come to fruition in their own time and love and accept yourself as a person and a writer. Most of all have faith in your self. That alone will allow you to knock down all the blocks between you and your dreams.

Phyllis A. Whitney, Guide to Fiction Writing, The Writer, Inc., 1982.

Nancy Kress, Beginnings, Middles, and Ends, Writers Digest Books, 1993.

Julia Cameron, The Artists Way, Jeremy P. Tarcher/ Putnam, 1992.

Donald Maass, Writing the Breakout Novel, Writers Digest Books, 2001.

David Fryxell, How to Write Fast (While Writing Well), Writers Digest Books, 1992.

Frank Hajcak and Tricia Garwood, Expanding Creative Imagination Through Active Perception, Human Potential Press, 1993.

Kathleen Gerberick, Character Exercise, www.paintedrock.com/library/technique/chara_ex.txt, 1994.

Alicia Rasley, Writer’s Block Buster, http://irwa.hypermart.net/block.htm

Idea Miner, Writer’s Block, http://www.ideaminer.com/writers_block.html

Deane Gradous, Techniques for Getting Started Writing, http://www.mapnp.org/library/writing/drafting.htm

Special Guest Margay Leah Justice

2009-03-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Getting Into Character

I have a confession to make. I hear voices in my head. Now, under normal circumstances, this confession would make one question their sanity and perhaps lead to years of intensive therapy. But I left out an important part of the confession: I am a writer. The voices I hear in my head are those of the characters that live there, in the land of my imagination, toying with my gray matter until I finally tease them out and onto the page. And there is the secret, at least for me, of characterization. I have to be able to hear the voices before I can get a fix on the characters.

As anyone who takes a pen to paper will tell you, characterization is an integral part of the story. You can have a mediocre plot, a tried and true plot, and yet still make it come alive with fascinating characters. Likewise, boring characters can sink a good plot. Just ask any reader what kept them enthralled in a book and more often than not they will give you a detailed description of…the characters. What do you remember most about Romeo and Juliet? The intricacies of the plot – or how passionate the lovers were for each other? What about the movie Titanic? What remains fixed in your mind, the fact that the ship sank after striking an iceberg or the ill-fated love affair between Jack and Rose?

Characters define a story; they are the backbone of the plot. Everything that happens within the story depends upon the type of characters that populate it. So the writer owes it to the reader to give him or her characters they will not forget. Characters that will live within them long after the last page is read and the book is closed. Characters that make them want to revisit that book again and again. How? For me, it is the simple matter of feeling that way about the characters myself. After all, if I can’t feel passionate about my characters, how can I expect my readers to? And so I listen to my characters.

For me, listening to the way they speak, the words they use, is an integral part of characterization. That is how I “get into” character. I playact in my mind. Visualize the character in a scene and play with her emotions. It helps to imagine a certain actress playing the character in a movie, to run the scene in my head like it’s a filmstrip. How does she sound? How does she stand? What does she look like when she’s angry? These are all key ingredients to characterization. You have to think of them as real people, full-bodied and well-developed. When you start wondering how your character would feel about a certain situation or how she would handle a certain crisis, then you have done your job. If you can write a line of dialogue and on a second pass realize that your character would never say that, or at least not in that way, then you’re totally in synch with your character and are one step closer to remaining true to them.

At this point, you might be thinking that’s all well and good, but how do you get so in tune with your characters? Another good tool that I use, in addition to the filmstripping, is the character interview. This is a fun and cool exercise for the writer because we never know just what our characters are going to say until we ask the questions. As evidenced in an interview of one of my characters – Dante, from Nora’s Soul – when he was interviewed by Pat Bertram http://patbertram.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/pat-bertram-introduces-dante-the-hero-of-noras-soul-written-by-margay-leah-justice/. Suffice it to say that Dante’s true nature leapt right off the page from the moment of his introduction – and he didn’t let up once. Not only did this make for an interesting interview, it made the character more memorable.

Why not try it for yourself? You just never know what you might learn when you open up your mind to the voices in your head.

Margay Leah Justice is the author of Nora’s Soul, published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC. To learn more about the author, visit her website at http://margayleahjustice.com/. Nora’s Soul is currently available at Amazon.com.

Hero Archetype: The Chief

2009-03-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

My opinion on “The Chief” archetype is somewhat biased, and maybe could even benefit from a disclaimer….

My belief is that the best Chief prototypes (drum roll)… don’t wear undergarments. Yep, you heard me correctly. As in, naked underneath!

Think, Last of the Mohicans and Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye. What better quintessential alpha hero could there be? This hero was born to lead. He fights for honor and protects the weak. He doesn’t follow rules; he made the rules. He’s the man that takes care of everyone and everything. Dependable and decisive, don’t you dare smart-mouth this fiery lord. Because he can be overbearing and unbendable at times.

Bound by the law to join the militia to aid the British, Hawkeye is forced to leave his family defenseless against the Huron Indians who are allied with the French. Tough, used to being in charge and merciless with his loyalty, I wouldn’t have wanted to be one of the guards arresting him for sedition!

Two other chief examples come from the same motion picture and are why we love the film Troy. Two non-undergarment-wearing, bad-ass chiefs in one climatic feature. Wow. I need a drink. As both these honorable souls fight for their beliefs, we clench our teeth and watch Eric Bana, as Sparta’s Prince Hector, and Brad Pitt, as Achilles, show us examples of what real chiefs should be.

Russell Crowe in Gladiator. Case in point, this hero is lovable. Fighting to avenge his murdered family, fighting for the deceased Emperor, fighting for Rome, and for his freedom, this chief personality rises through the ranks of the arena to become the historical gladiator we all know him to be. A true chief in every sense of the word.

Lastly, let’s not leave out Kevin Costner as John Dunbar in Dances With Wolves. Because he wasn’t wearing much under that Indian skirt-thingy! Devotion defines this hero. With his heart on his shoulder, this chief would rather starve than allow his wild wolf, Two Socks, to go hungry. Relentless courage enabled him to fight off the enemy Native Americans who threatened his own beloved Indian tribe. Talk about conquering the West...

All in all, I think it’s safe to say: ya gotta love the chiefs. Undergarments or not. :)

Posted By: Sloan Seymour

Special Guest: Harlequin Author Kay Stockham

2009-03-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

When Timing Is Everything

I asked Tracy for blog suggestions and her request was to blog about craft or publishing, maybe something career oriented?

Well, that I can do. Because I have a dilemma maybe you can help me with. You see, it’s release week for me. HER BEST FRIEND’S BROTHER officially hit the shelves on Wednesday, which means I’m a busy gal this month. Why? Publishing is a numbers game, we all know that. And during release week you want the sales figures for your book to be as HIGH as they can be. Which means blogging, promoting, chatting, whatever you can do to get those numbers up.

I’ve been so busy here lately though that I feel like I’ve dropped the ball this time around. I’m blogging, but not as much. I’m chatting, but not as much. I’m promoting, but not as much. Why? Because that’s just the way it is. I feel I’m at a very strange stage in my career right now. I’m busy, busy, busy as a still fairly new author, but I could also use the help of an assistant.

That brings up a whole ‘nuther round of questions, the least of which is money. Even after 9 stories in print, I’m a new author, meaning new author money. Can I afford to hire an assistant in an economy such as this? Gotta tell you, it’s iffy.

Then again, if I don’t, I see my writing suffering because I’m doing so much of the busy-work involved in promoting myself as an author that my output is being compromised. And we all know you can’t promote what you don’t have to sell. Timing is everything in this business, so you need to make the right moves at the right times. But is this it?

It’s such a hard decision to make. Can I justify an assistant? Yes. Oh, my yes. I sat down one day and made a list of things the assistant could do that would free up my time. Believe me, it was a long list. But just to play devil’s advocate—we all know how writers are. If I actually have that free time, would I write or would I play?

Ahhh, see?

Before I take such a step I have to make sure I’m committed 100 percent. Not to writing, I am committed to writing, 9 books proves it. But I have to be 100 percent committed to myself and know for a fact that this is a wise decision for me. I’m not the type to jump first and look later. Anytime I’ve ever done that, I’ve paid for the bad decisions. Usually in horrible and embarrassing ways. sigh

Beyond actually paying an assistant, there’s the whole act of actually finding an assistant. I wouldn’t need someone full time, just a few hours a week at first.

Then there’s the whole privacy/trust issue. I have a home, a family. In this day and age, who do you trust? Having been burned in the past with personal relationships of various sorts, I have trust issues. (LOL Yeah, I know. Who DOESN’T?)

So, any suggestions? Most of you here are authors and/or business professionals and I’d love your take on when you think the time is right. I’ll even offer up a copy of HER BEST FRIEND’S BROTHER to one lucky poster who comments.

So…advice?

KayKay Stockham’s latest release is titled HER BEST FRIEND’S BROTHER and is book three of the Tulanes of Tennessee series. HER BEST FRIEND’S BROTHER received 4.5 stars from Romantic Times and was chosen as an RT Top Pick! Kay has also been a RITA Award, HOLT Medallion and Book Buyers’ Best finalist. For more information on Kay’s series, backlist, contest, blog or to read excerpts or check out her book videos, go to www.kaystockham.com.

The Tulanes of Tennessee Series

Available NOW!

The Poetry and Music of Voice

2009-03-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

By: Teresa Reasor

The voice of fiction sings to the reader as clearly as any vocalist who croons a melody. But just as a choir is made up of a variety of strong and pure, or thin and reedy voices, so are the voices that speak through the written word.

Voice speaks through the devices of plot, character, dialogue, description, tone, style, pacing, and theme. But how?

Wanting to strengthen my own voice, I decided to find out. I chose three writers who have distinctive, strong voices: Joanne Rock, Catherine Mann, and JoAnn Ross. All three are contemporary writers. All three have voices that sing on the page.

In her September Harlequin Blaze, Sex and the Single Girl, Joanne Rock’s turns of phrase jump off the page with an energy that’s natural and inherently part of her voice. Every sentence is constructed to convey a story within a story.

Real life collided with the image on the monitor as Brianne walked in on Aiden and the cigarette girl in a liplock to set a woman’s heart racing. The stacked little blonde pressed every one of her considerable curves against Aiden and practically climbed her way up his tall body.

In two sentences Joanne has nearly constructed an entire scene, but she’s also done much more. She’s paced those two sentences in a snappy rhythm that invites the reader to jump from one to the other by using words that convey action--even when they’re not used as verbs. Collided, walked, set, racing, stacked, pressed, climbed. Her words punch the imagery she uses into the reader’s consciousness.

The word liplock, a colloquialism, has an onomatopoeic zing to it. It stamps an immediate image in the reader’s mind of two people kissing one another with the inseparable intensity of a suction cup on glass.

The stacked little blonde pressed every one of her considerable curves against Aiden and practically climbed her way up his tall body.

With the phrase considerable curves, Ms. Rock uses alliteration to enhance the rhythm of the sentence. The sound of the C is repeated in the verbs collided and climbed and the words stacked and practically tying the whole paragraph together.

Do you feel the snappy beat of Joanne Rock’s voice yet? If not let’s continue a little further into the scene.

Instead, she steeled herself against the sultry overload of hormones in Honeymoon Heaven and took command of the room in her best director voice.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Aiden Maddock had been waiting to hear that throaty purr all night.

He hadn’t particularly wanted to hear it while he had Daisy Stephenson clinging to him like a honeysuckle vine.

Once again look at the words that convey action. Steeled, overload, took, command, interrupting, waiting, hear, purr, wanted, clinging.

Listen for the alliteration again. Hormones in Honeymoon Heaven.

Look at the concentrated imagery she conveys in the phrases sultry overload, throaty purr, and the Simile she uses in the last sentence, clinging to him like a honeysuckle vine.

Do you feel that sassy sizzle in the tone she sets in just these few paragraphs with the word choices she’s made? That’s her voice, completely natural for her and impossible to imitate, with any consistency, by anyone else.

Catherine Mann writes for Silhouette Intimate Moments. Her special ability to weave emotional intensity into almost every paragraph through internal and external dialogue makes her voice rich and full. Here’s an excerpt from her Wingmen Warrior release, Strategic Engagement.

“I’m so damned scared, Danny.”

Mary Elise’s thready words barely whispered against his neck until he might have questioned his hearing. But he felt each word and all her fear soak into him along with the heat of her rapid breaths.

“Tell me,” he coaxed. “Tell me what to do for you.”

Look at Catherine’s action oriented word choices. Scared, whispered, questioned, felt, soak, coaxed, tell.

Feel the intimacy building between the characters in the turns of phrase, whispered against his neck, felt each word, fear soak into him along with the heat, and even in the dialogue tag, he coaxed. Even though the dialogue is about fear there’s a sensual push and pull going on the entire time that connects the characters on an elemental level.

She inched back, her hand sliding up his face again. “Oh Danny, can’t you see that you and all this---“ she slipped her hand around his neck in a sensual glide “--- this tension between us that we can’t ignore is a big part of the problem? You need to believe me when I say I just can’t risk staying here with you.”

His arms around her twitched, muscles convulsively tensing to hold her closer, safer. As much as he wanted to reassure her, he couldn’t. He knew himself too well.

Listen to the action words that once again convey sensual tension, inched, sliding, see, slipped, glide, tension, ignore, believe, risk, staying, twitched, tensing, hold, wanted, knew. Her word choices impress upon the reader the sexual awareness between her characters in a tactile, natural tone that is entirely her own.

Catherine Mann’s ability to build strong, tender male characters is one of the elements that make her voice resonate.

But he felt each word and all her fear soak into him along with the heat of her rapid breaths.

“Tell me,” he coaxed. “Tell me what to do for you.”

His arms around her twitched, muscles convulsively tensing to hold her closer, safer.

The character is strong, willing to jump into the fray, and nearly vibrates with tenderness and a desire to protect. He’s every woman’s fantasy, warrior, lover, husband, yet he still comes across as realistic.

Her choice of that kind of character is as much a part of her voice as the words she chooses to convey the emotional attachment between her characters.

JoAnn Ross writes Contemporary Mainstream Romance and is published through Pocket. In her book Out of the Mist, she weaves the element of theme throughout her writing and ties the entire story together with it.

Her character’s are of Scottish heritage, her setting the highlands of North Carolina, the theme interlaced throughout the story Smokey Mountain-Gaelic-Medieval Scot in texture.

To demonstrate what I mean I must jump around within the text instead of choosing a single scene.

Ian had seen that look before. It was the look of his grandfather’s Westie, right before the dog grabbed onto the postman’s trousers and refused to let go. It was also the look Duncan got in his eyes whenever he’d parade some local girl in front of his grandson in hopes of ensuring a MacDougall heir.

JoAnn Ross’s descriptive passage sings with the flavor of bagpipes and tin flutes melding the modern and medieval cultures together. Her use of repetition places emphasis on the words It was the look portrays as much persistent determination as a Scotsman clutching a horn of ale.

Her ability to pen similes with fresh appeal lends a melodic quality to her voice that’s all her own.

Her brain was washed as clear as the Star of Edinburgh tumblers she’d dusted today; color as rich and dazzling as Saxon Falconer’s blown glass flashed behind her closed lids.

She moaned, her hands fisting in the ebony silk of his hair, as he lifted her off the floor to deepen the kiss. Her breasts flattened against his chest, which was as rock hard as the mountains of his homeland, their bodies so close together she couldn’t tell whether it was his heart pounding she felt, or her own.

His teeth nipped at her bottom lip, just hard enough to send desire surging through her like a bolt of lightning from a summer storm.

By tying her character’s emotions to things both concrete and elemental, she anchors their feelings and responses in reality and gives the reader a point of reference making them more visual to the audience.

He flashed a grin as wicked as a devil’s wink, as dangerous as a Highlander’s blade.

The hyperbolic phrasing of this sentence uses dramatic overstatement with playful exaggeration and gives the reader the idea that the character is as larger-than-life as he’s intended to be.

Do you recognize the theme meandering through the story? Do you hear the poetic lyrics penned through the use of similes, repetition, hyperbole? Her use of these devices in her descriptive passages is part of what makes her voice distinctive.

And last of all, look at all the action words that pepper each one of the lines and scenes I’ve just used as examples. Seen, look, grabbed, parade, ensuring, washed, dusted, flashed, lifted, deepen, flattened, pounding, nipped, surging. Those words were chosen with an eye for visual or tactile appeal and an ear for the pacing of the story.

Joanne Rock, Catherine Mann, and JoAnn Ross use all the elements of writing that I’ve mentioned, not just the ones I’ve focused on in their writing. It is their unique way of interweaving them within the structure of their stories that constitutes their voices. Their plots are as varied as their characters and their styles. But the similarities in the components in their writing are there to discover for anyone who picks up their books and opens their pages.

Their choice of words, ensures the pacing of their stories, is always geared toward action, and tactile or visual richness. Their use of similes or metaphors never leans toward the cliché and always offers a new and fresh visual clue to the reader. Their characters remain constant and true to what the reader expects from them. The themes they ribbon through their story lines create symmetrical connections that complete their stories. And their abilities to cast sensual, romantic spells that draw their readers in and capture their imaginations and emotions, through their use of description, are acknowledged by the success of the books they’ve produced.

Johnny Payne, author of Voice and Style, paraphrases an idea first penned by Aristotle when he says, “The ability to imitate, marks the beginning point of art.” As writers, we can certainly attempt to imitate these writer’s voices. But like so many Elvis impersonators who have tried to emulate the King, we’d most likely fall short of the mark.

But by studying their voices, any writer can learn and perhaps discover the poetic music of an original written voice.

Joanne Rock, Sex and The Single Girl, Harlequin Blaze, ISBN 0-373-79108-9, 2003.

Catherine Mann, Strategic Engagement, Silhouette Intimate Moments, ISBN 0-373-27327-4, 2003.

JoAnn Ross, Out of the Mist, Pocket Books, ISBN 0-7394-3824-7, 2003.

Johnny Payne, The Elements of Fiction Writing Voice and Style, Writers Digest Books, ISBN 0-89879-693-8, 1995.

Hero Archetype: The Lost Soul

2009-03-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

The Lost Soul

The lost soul archetype is one of my absolute favorites. Something about this tortured hero calls to my inner Libra, imploring me to drop whatever I’m doing and fix what has been broken immediately!

The lost soul is exactly that -- lost. At some point in his life, be it during child or adulthood, he has suffered great pain in some form, which (in most cases) eventually drove him into a protective shell of solitude. He is typically solemn, passionate, deep, and brooding. But most of all, he seems outwardly incapable of leaving himself vulnerable to the risk of further heartache. This hero has been burned by fate and doesn’t relish the thought of tempting her wrath by reaching out to another person.

One good example of a lost soul is widowed police officer, Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon. This poor hero was so devastated by the premature loss of his wife he became a kamikaze–style cop, immersing himself in the dangers of his job, and often in the bottom of a whiskey bottle. With nothing left to lose, Riggs plowed into criminal cases with an unspoken desperation that courted suicide.

By the end of the movie, however, he’d found some amount of solace in the welcoming acceptance of his partner and his loving family. And by the end of the series, partly because of the growth and healing his partner helped guide him through, he was finally able to trust his heart, and allow himself to love and marry again. (You’ve gotta love a HEA!)

Another good example would be Frank Castle. Talk about your tortured souls…Frank did not consider himself lucky to survive when a crime boss out for revenge ordered his minions to wipe out the entire Castle family at their annual reunion. He was forced to watch helplessly as his entire family was brutally assassinated, including his wife and son. He then transforms himself into The Punisher, completely void of self, his mind set on one objective – to make them pay.

By the end of the movie, Frank viciously manipulates his revenge. But along the way he meets a loveable group of misfits who eventually manage to burrow into his gloomy good graces. Though he doesn’t quite find that happily ever after place that we all love to see our heroes reach, he does find the will to feel again, and leaves you with hope that one day he’ll find that special woman to help put the pieces of his shattered heart back together.

The last hero I wanted to discuss is the consummate lost soul. No discussion of this archetype would be complete without him. He is the only lost soul who became even more lost after his soul was returned to him.

The prime example of a lost soul, Angel is a vampire with a soul, forced to live for eternity bearing the burden of his soulless misdeeds. Dark and solitary, not only is Angel hesitant to open his heart to a woman, he suffers from the knowledge that no matter what, it will always be a lost cause. Because of the Gypsy curse that restored his soul, he is forbidden from experiencing even one moment of peace lest he lose his soul again, returning him to the demon-possessed monster responsible for so many deaths in the past. Simply put, Angel is strictly prohibited from physically consummating any meaningful relationship he might otherwise have nurtured.

The bad news is, even though he found himself involved with Buffy Summers in one of television’s most memorable love stories, it wasn’t meant to be, and the two star-crossed lovers parted ways with heavy hearts. The good news…look at it this way, even though he didn’t find his HEA in Buffy’s arms, he has the rest of eternity to find a way to love again. And Joss Whedon willing…he will!

Tell me about your favorite lost soul, and why you do or don’t love them.

Posted by: Tracy Preston

The Plot and Nothing But the Plot

2009-02-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

By Teresa J. Reasor

According to Ansen Dibell in his book, Plot, How to build short stories and novels that don’t sag, fizzle, or trail off in scraps of frustrated revision-and how to rescue stories that do., plot is a verb. The struggle a writer goes through to hew his plot is certainly worthy of verbal recognition. And the story itself should be as well.

The important points in your story are the Hook, the inciting incident that starts the ball rolling, and the Climax, the moment in your story where the bad has become as bad as it can get. The climax should be the point where the heroine/hero prove themselves worthy of their heroine/hero status. Everything between these two points, the hook and the climax, should build from one to the other.

Most of us are familiar with the Story Arc that some plots follow. This structure divides a plot into increments between the Hook and the Climax in this manner:

1. Hook, Call to Action
2. Choice, Bad Things Happen
3. Gray Moment
4. Black Moment-Crisis
5. Climax
6. Resolution

The above structure is based loosely on The Hero’s Journey by Christopher Vogler which is:

1. Ordinary world
2. Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting the Mentor
5. Crossing the First Threshold
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
7. Approach to the inmost Cave
8. Ordeal
9. Reward (Seize the Sword)
10. The Road Back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with the Elixir

I much prefer the Stairway to Suspense structure which is:

1st step: The hook (the Call to Action.)
2nd step: The decision or choice the heroine/hero makes that turns the story in the direction it will travel. This choice is based on some character flaw that guides the character’s motivation for the choice.
3rd step: The choice creates obstacles to solving the situation.
4th step: The character makes another choice which causes more problems and the situation worsens.
5th step: The more choices a character makes the more obstacles will be thrown into his/her path.
6th step: The climax where the greatest obstacles and the greatest attempts must be made to overcome the situation created in the hook.
7th step: The resolution, which is short, sweet, and should tie up all the loose ends and leave the reader feeling completely satisfied.

During the building from Hook to Climax, the plot should be firmly held in the writer’s mind and everything that happens should be working toward that climatic point of discovery, self-understanding, or solution, or all three.

There are many structures a writer may use to create his/her plot.

The Linear Plot structure is one that moves from the inciting incident (Hook) through a sequence of events to the climax in a seemingly straight line. Sound boring? It shouldn’t be if we do our job as writers. In a linear plot the main plot takes precedence over other things in the story. Between the hook and the climax you can have as many subplots, twists, and turns as your story needs or will allow. But by the moment of climax the subplots should be tied off leaving the hero and heroine to bond together and face the climax together. Most contemporary romances and romantic suspense follow this kind of plot structure.

In a Braided Plot there is a main plot that threads its way through the entire story, but plot lines that move out away from the main plot then fold back in tying the entire story into a cohesive whole. Each plot line that breaks away from the main plot can be an opportunity for the writer to introduce and build a story line for a character. For example: Your story is about three sisters who travel out to Los Angeles seeking fame, fortune, and love. One meets a producer who falls in love with her and puts her in a movie, one meets an architect who seems to be the answer to all her dreams, and one meets a drug dealer who snows her and gets her hooked on cocaine. Say the drug-dealer boyfriend is murdered and all the evidence points to the sister who loved him. The murder may be the main plot, but each sister will have her own point of view, her own story, her own struggles, her own risks she must take, and things she may loose by being involved in the main plot. Each strand must dovetail and loop around the main plot to tie the whole structure together. By the climax of the story all three sisters will have bound together to solve the crime and face the bad guy.

In the Circular Plot structure the Hook and the Climax are bound together by an intimate set of characters, an object, or a location. For example: In my own manuscript, Captive Hearts, the hero, Matthew Hamilton, has been imprisoned unjustly for smuggling. By the Black Moment of the story, he is once again imprisoned, this time for murder. The book begins in the prison and the Black Moment takes us back to that same location.

Most circular plot lines have a conclusion that is quiet and introspective. In the case of Captive Hearts, the villain, Garrett Blake watches the hero and heroine, sail away to America, and thinks, though he has nearly been captured, he will live to fight another day. When he turns to leave the dock he discovers a group of English soldiers waiting to arrest him. Who says quiet has to be boring or without action. (This character and ending were edited from the story before publication.) Captive Hearts, 2007.

A Parallel Plot is where two different plots are traveling through the story at the same time. These two plot lines may mirror each other in terms of action or events, though the characters in each may be totally different. For example: In my manuscript Timeless, a reincarnation/parallel universe story, my heroine in the past, Coira, dies underwater. My heroine in the present, Regan, is a marine archeologist who is studying the monoliths underwater. Coira is a druid priestess who runs afoul of the village priest. Regan runs afoul of someone on the dig. Coira is kidnapped by the priest and his followers. Regan is hunted by the bad guy (can’t tell you, who it’s a spoiler). The two plot lines converge when Regan has to fight off the present day bad guys at the same time Coira is fighting off the bad guy of the past, in the same room. The plot strands become parallel again when Regan is reunited with her lover and Coira is reunited with her husband.

In parallel plot lines, in order for the pacing to be kept quick, the chapters should be kept short, the point of views structured so that there is no confusion about who is speaking or thinking in each chapter, and the points of action in each plot should be strongly established, but mirror each other sometimes. And there has to be some points of convergence between the story lines that tie them together.

A word of caution about the mirroring technique. I’ve explained mirroring in my own plot very broadly, but though similar events happen, they have to be written in a dissimilar fashion in order to add variety to the plot and keep it interesting. Mirroring should be done in such a subtle manner that the reader doesn’t realize that’s what you’re doing.

The most current example of this I can think of is the Disney movie Finding Nemo, produced by Pixar Studios. At the beginning of the film, father Marlin and son Nemo are together. Catastrophe happens and they are separated. Marlin meets Dory, who becomes his support network, Nemo meets all the fish in the fish tank, who become his support network. Marlin risks his life to save Dory from a run in with jelly fish, Nemo risks his life in the tank filter to try and free himself and the other fish. The events mirror one another, but are totally different. At the conclusion of the film, father and son find each other and bond together to save Dory and their parallel plots have merged to end the story.

These Plotting structures and methods are by no means the only ones available to writers, but some of the best I have found. Like everything else in writing, there are a myriad number of techniques to use in plotting and an unlimited number of scenarios to write about. Those can only be limited by a writer’s imagination. Your imagination is perhaps the most important plotting device, so use it well.

Ansen Dibell, Plot, How to build short stories and novels that don’t sag, fizzle, or trail off in scraps of frustrated revision-and how to rescue stories that do., 1988, Writer’s Digest Books.

Teresa Reasor, Captive Hearts, 2007, The Wild Rose Press.

Christopher Vogler, The Writer’s Journey, 1998, Michael Wiese Productions.

Robert Kernen, Building Better Plots, 1999, Writer’s Digest Books.

Walt Disney, Finding Nemo, Produced by Pixar Studios, 2004.

Teresa Reasor, Timeless, Work In Progress, 2008.

ANYA BAST is Our Special Guest Today

2009-02-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hi all – Thanks so much to Inspiration, Ink for inviting me to guest blog today!

My name is Anya Bast and I'm the author of over twenty five published works of fiction, most of them paranormal and most of them scorching hot. I write for Berkley Sensation, Harlequin Spice and Samhain, among other houses.

Today I thought I'd talk about that critical first line. I love writing that very first line of a novel. Actually, I obsess over them, rewriting them several times before I end up with the final version.

The first line is the first impression the reader gets of your work while they're standing in the bookstore deciding whether or not to buy your book. It's pretty important! It needs to hook the reader and make them want to read on. Your objective is to intrigue the reader, make them wonder what's going on and why.

If you can accomplish that much, then it's your job in the next few paragraphs to dig that hook in a bit deeper and add a dash of emotion, make the reader care about one of characters enough to invest even further.

Here is a sampling of some of the first lines from my books…

1. He looked like sin and seemed like salvation. Salvation for her sluggish libido, anyway. (Witch Fire, June 5, 2007 — Berkley Sensation)

2. How to Catch a Warlock 101. Isabelle could teach that class. (Witch Blood, March 4, 2008 — Berkley Sensation)

3. Twenty years as a daaeman's handmaiden had prepared Claire for many things, but not this. Nothing could've prepared her for this. (Witch Heart, January 6, 2009 – Berkley Sensation)

4. Sarafina might've been named for the angels, but she'd always known one day she'd end up in hell. (Witch Fury, June 2, 2009 – Berkley Sensation)

5. Alejandro leaned against the bar and watched the crush of dancers gyrate to the pounding beat in the Blood Spot. Lights flashed through the dark interior of the building, periodically illuminating bodies clad in almost nothing. (The Darkest Kiss, October 2008 — Berkley Heat)

6. The brown-haired businessman beside Cassidy at the roulette wheel held up a chip. “Kiss it for luck?” He gave her smarmy grin and a slow head-to-toe perusal. (The Deal, What Happens in Vegas…. May 2008 — Harlequin Spice)

I guess the reason I feel so strongly about my own first lines is because that's usually how I judge whether or not I'll buy someone else's book. My purchasing test goes something like this if the name on the spine is someone unfamiliar to me:

Cover art…yeah, I'm shallow. ;) A good cover will get me to investigate a book further. Doesn't mean I'll buy it, just give it a closer look.
Back blurb – Does it sound like "my kind" of book? My kind of book invariably being something of the paranormal or fantastical nature.
First line – Does it catch me?

If the book passes all those tests, I skim the first page. If that looks good…GLOM. It's mine. *g*

How about you? What are your buying criteria when you encounter an intriguing book at the bookstore by an author you've never heard of? Some people pay attention to the cover quotes, others have a complicated test of flipping through the book at every forty pages or so and reading.

And how about those first lines?

If you're an author, I invite you to share some of your opening gambits in the comments. If you're a reader, what's your buying criteria and do first lines figure into them? Got any fav first lines you'd like to share from anything you've read lately?

I'll give away an autographed copy of my latest release, Witch Heart, to one commenter.

WITCH HEART

Available NOW from

Berkley Publishing

ISBN-10: 0425225534
ISBN-13: 978-0425225530

Click HERE for more info.

Hero Archetype: The Charmer

2009-02-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Charmer

The Charmer is the ultimate playboy, irresistible and unreliable, the guy who can’t commit. He is sexy and charismatic. He’s the man whose heart-melting smile and charm have you fanning your over-heated face. Hard work is not his mantra, and he tries to get by on his looks and sense of humor. He believes he can talk his way out of anything. He knows how to play people. His parents and friends are just as enthralled with him as he is with himself. Charmers are the life of the parties and appear to have their life together. People are attracted to charmers and are easily persuaded to their viewpoints. Charmers tend to run away if the conversation turns to anything with emotional depth, and they rarely show their true feelings.

In Failure to Launch, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY plays a thirty-five year old who enjoys rock climbing and surfing and suffers from a fear of intimacy. He also happens to live with his parents. He uses them to protect him from developing serious relationships. He always seems to be clever enough to stay ahead of the women he dates. When he realizes they’re getting serious, he breaks the news that he’s not interested in a permanent relationship with anyone. He’s a boat salesman; a perfect occupation for a charmer where a smile can make him a fortune without hard work. He can sell anything, and his customers walk away believing they made the perfect purchase.

JAMES GARNER played Bret Maverick, TV's most reluctant hero. He’d rather talk his way out of trouble by buying a fella a drink, or offering up a cigar. He played his cards close to his chest and always seemed to know the cards in the other guy’s hand. Not a cheater but not afraid to bend the rules either. He was a keeper of secrets with the ability to bluff his way through the worst of situations. While not a fighter by nature, he was never afraid to fight if there was no other way. Afterwards, he’d dust off his jacket, resettle his hat, and walk away the winner. Too often, though, he found himself rescuing a damsel in distress. Gambler by trade, Maverick travelled the West in search of good times and the easy way.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO as Jack Dawson, a devil-may-care artist in the Titanic, is a perfect example of a Charmer. He’s a free spirit and knows how to have a good time. After winning two tickets in a poker game he boards the doomed ship moments before it sails. Rose finds his carefree life alluring. She’s a deeply romantic dreamer and Jack’s life represents freedom and all that she’s never had the courage to live; as seen in the following dialogue from the movie.

Rose: “Teach me to ride like a man.”
Jack: “And chew tobacco like a man.”
Rose: “And spit like a man.”
Jack: “What they didn’t teach you at finishing school?”

How could Rose possibly resist his charm?

CARY GRANT was the quintessential handsome charmer who often played the role of wealthy, privileged man who never had to work to maintain his hedonistic lifestyle. He had technique and charm. He was the suave-about-town man who could punctuate a joke with the lift of his brow. He was quick-witted and won the hearts of women without trying. He was not a womanizer, but he loved women. He was a man of natural intelligence and style who could wear a tux better than any man in Hollywood.

Who’s your favorite charmer? It might be a character in a movie or a book, or a real-life guy who has charmed the beegeebees out of you! Give us a shout back and let us know.

Happy Reading!

Posted By: Katherine Lowry Logan

KYRW Writing Workshop

2009-02-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Spring Into Writing With KYRW!

Have you ever wondered just what goes on behind the closed doors of an RWA chapter meeting? Or maybe you're entertaining the idea of writing a romance yourself (believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds). Or still yet, maybe you've finished that manuscript, and you're looking to fine tune it, but could use a few pointers. This workshop could give you the very answers you've been looking for!

Just to name a few, we've scheduled Alicia Rasley as our featured guest-speaker, and she'll be presenting a workshop on Channeling Your Characters for Dramatic Plot through the Story Journey. Best-selling paranormal author Anya Bast will also be in attendance, presenting a workshop on moving from epub to NY print. We'll also have Leigh Collett, Resplendence Publishing's CEO -- and she'll be taking pitches, so call or email Kathy Logan to set up your appointment ASAP!

What more could you ask for from a writers' event when we've recruited our very own experts in the field of craft and publishing?? And as an added bonus, this time only, KYRW is opening its doors to everyone. That's right, member or not, you're invited. This is your chance to sneak a peek behind the veil, so make it a point to be there! We'd love to meet you!!

CLICK HERE FOR FLYER & FULL DETAILS

(**Permission to forward or repost granted and encouraged.**)

A Slight Change in Plans

2009-02-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

Afternoon Pink Readers!

I just wanted to let everyone know that, due to unexpected circumstances, Virginia Henley will not be blogging with us today. We hope to reschedule her soon. I'll post more information when I have a firm date.

Until then, you can all look forward to next Wednesday's special guest, paranormal and erotic author Anya Bast! I hope you'll join us then.

Thanks,
Tracy Preston

Hero Archetype: The Professor

2009-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Professor

I just watched a movie titled Murder 101 where Pierce Brosnan played a college professor who gets set up for murder. He’s a little absent minded. A little arrogant. A little driven. Very self-absorbed. And teaches a writing class that focuses on plotting and writing suspense novels. And I have to say even knowing all that, had he been a teacher at my college, I’d have never missed a class.

But he wouldn’t have been my choice for either a boyfriend or a husband. And true to the storyline he had an ex-wife who refused to depend on him or take his promises seriously. He’d left her hanging too many times.

When he’s set up for murder, he has to use his superior intellect to think his way free of the trap into which he’s fallen and learns there may be things that are more important than his own little world inside of academia. I’m not going to spoil the movie for anyone, but the stakes are raised higher and higher for our hero and his intellect serves him well.

The Professor doesn’t deal well with change. Jeff Goldblum’s character, David Levinson, in Independence Day is content to use his brilliant talents in small ways in the public sector and has been left behind by his wife who’s followed her own path and kept her focus on a bigger picture.

But David has given his heart and though they’ve been apart for some time, he still wears his wedding band and still loves his wife passionately. He doesn’t waver in that love, no matter how bad things get and he risks everything to save her. So the moral is, the Professor may be absent minded, analytical, and insular, but once he’s let that special person inside his world, he doesn’t stop loving easily.

The Professor is an expert. He feels he was born to do the one thing at which he excels. He’s an acknowledged authority in his area. He has no hidden agendas. Doesn’t try and take on any disguises or try to be anything or anyone else than who he is. He doesn’t understand deceptions, hypocrisy or lies and is confused when they’re used against him. In January Man, Kevin Kline, plays ex-cop Nick Starkey. He’s been forced out of the police department under the suspicion of accepting bribes. Nick becomes a fireman, but his brother, the chief of police, and the mayor look him up when a particular nasty serial killer leaves a trail of dead bodies throughout the city.

Nick has communication problems with the opposite sex, is quirky, and stays inside his head a great deal of the time. But he’s brilliant at solving puzzles. And he doesn’t stop until he gets his man. Even when no one else believes in him, he knows he’s right.

And the ultimate Professor is compulsively organized and obsessive in his need to think things through logically. He doesn’t trust intuitive thinking. Logic and intellect are what counts. He’ll spend hours seeking a solution and be totally oblivious of the woman standing next to him, eager for his attention. Until she grabs him by his pointy ears and kisses his socks off.

The sexy attractiveness of the Professor Archetype lies in his intellect, and his single mindedness. When the chips are down he’ll go the extra mile to find a solution. And he’ll think outside the box to discover it.

Put him in a situation where he finally discovers his lady love, he’ll take care of her with the same single minded devotion as he does to saving the world, the planet, or just the day.

Tell me about the Professor Archetypes you’ve discovered in books and movies you’ve read or watched. I’m eager to hear about them. I’d really like to discover some books where this character is explored. If you have any suggestions let me know.

Write on,
Teresa Reasor

Congratulations Winners!

2009-02-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

A big congratulations to our contest winners!

We deliberated for a long while over all of the wonderful entries, which is why I'm so late in posting. Thanks to all who entered, and if you didn't win this time, be sure and keep an eye out for our next contest. It's just around the corner!

Drum roll please......

The winners are:

1st place - Melissa
2nd place - Natalie
3rd place - Karen H in NC

I'll be notifying all winners by email to request addresses. Thanks again everyone for making our first contest such a huge success!

What's in a Name?

2009-02-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Good day to you, Pink Thinkers! I’m so happy you could make it to the blog today. Watching the site bloom from a seed of thought since January has been a joy for me, and I truly appreciate all of you. (My fellow Pink Ladies included!)

Being that it’s my turn to blog, of course I wanted to come up with something interesting to write about. I thought about it, and considered doing something cute on the best masculine bodies Hollywood has to offer (sorry, couldn’t resist a little eye candy).

But, after a short deliberation, I chucked the puff piece idea for something more relevant, something that’s been nagging at me and rolling around in my head for awhile now.

Out of the masses of authors available in the publishing world, there are basically two kinds. Those who stick staunchly to one genre, and those who dally, dipping their lil' toesies into different genre pools to check the depth and temperature of the waters.

Myself, I’m fond of dalliance, not quite able to tie myself down to just one genre. I find myself volleying back and forth between my first love, the English/Scottish historical, and the tempting lure of my new flame, the darkly sensual contemporary paranormal.

Don’t look at me like that. I know what you’re thinking. But I’m not the only one who can’t seem to practice genre monogamy! More and more authors seem to be strapping on unique nom de plumes and pasting them boldly onto the covers of a shiny new genres…most prevalently – erotica.

Even mega-author Nora Roberts has jumped onto the multi-genre bandwagon, penning futuristic romantic suspense novels under the pseudonym J. D. Robb. And, from what I understand, Jayne Ann Krentz has slipped into not one, but two other alter identities, also writing as Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle.

Nora and Jayne bring me face to face with my latest writing dilemma…taking on multiple pseudonyms. To name or not to name, that is the question. Most authors (or rather most of the ones I know) are writing under pen names. When they decide to experiment with a second genre, many of them are taking on yet another identity.

I’ve toyed with this idea until it’s so muddled I can’t make up my mind what I want to do. Should I take on another pen name to go with my paranormals?

Is it really easier for readers to discern exactly what they’re getting if I go with a different name that’s specific to my paranormal work, or should I just trust that even though they all have Tracy Preston on the cover, readers can flip them over, read the blurb, and decide whether or not they want to read it?

Do all the names just get confusing and more difficult for readers to keep up with who’s who?

I’d love to hear some opinions on this subject from both authors and readers!

Posted By: Tracy Preston

Today, Today, It Could Happen Today! (By Guest Blogger Jenna Petersen - aka Jess Michaels)

2009-02-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Today we welcome special guest, Jenna Petersen. With multiple releases from Avon, including Lessons From a Courtesan, Scandalous, and the Lady Spies series, Jenna also writes for Avon Red as erotic romance author Jess Michaels. And, on top of all that writing, Jenna still manages to find the time to run The Passionate Pen...a valuable web resource dedicated to helping aspiring authors.

All that and she still finds time to blog with us. Thanks so much and welcome Jenna! (And readers don't forget that Jenna is giving away a signed copy of A Red Hot Valentine's Day AND Lessons From a Courtesan right here at Inspiration, Ink! She'll be choosing at random from your comments, so don't be shy! Today's the day to say hello!!)

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be here at Inspiration Ink! I love that this blog really seems to be for new and aspiring authors in some ways (the blogs covering archetypes were great). I guess I know a little about that section of the writing population because of The Passionate Pen (http://www.passionatepen.com), which you guys so kindly gave a shout-out to a couple of weeks ago. But more than that, I know about being an aspiring author because I was one… actually for quite a long time.

So today I’d like to talk about the long and winding road that often takes us to publication. For me, it started in 1996 when I wrote my first romance novel. I was in college, I had never really read romance, I thought it would be “easy” and I wrote it single-spaced, on both sheets and handed it out page by page to the girls in my dorm. I fell back in love with writing (I say “back” because I’d always wanted to write) and also in love with the feeling that people loved reading my words. These girls would knock on my door at all hours asking for “one more page”.

But life intervened. I didn’t think I wanted to be a romance writer of all things! In 1998, I graduated with a degree in psychology, my husband got a great job at a major company and I took a year off to get field experience before returning to school for an MA in counseling. And then I started typing that story back into my computer, editing as I went. All the love came back to me, all the joy of writing and creating. We talked about it for a long time and ultimately my husband’s support convinced me to give up on my return to school and dedicate myself to writing romance full-time.

In my own backwards way, I decided hey… maybe I should read some! Instantly I started to question my decision to pursue my dream. I mean, these books were good. How had I missed that before? Anyway, I decided to keep on, and for years I slogged. I wrote books. I submitted books. I got rejected. I wrote more books. I cried. I got an agent. We parted ways. I cried. Lather, rinse repeat.

One day, four years plus into my journey and more than 12 books in… I gave up. I had parted ways with an agent a few months before. Since then, I had sold a couple of novellas to a small publisher and I was writing more erotic short novellas, but I had this thought that I would never sell a historical romance. Never. It was time to give up the ghost. But I had one little book in my collection that I had never sent out. I made a list of five agents I would love to have and sent queries and proposals out. I figured I’d try once more with an agent, when they all rejected me, I’d query it on my own. When THEY all rejected me, I’d stop.

To my surprise, one agent from one of my top picks called me. She wanted me. And she had faith in my writing as a historical romance novelist. Her enthusiasm picked me up, carried me back to my desk and had me writing books again. And believing, in some tiny part of me, that maybe she was right. She seemed smart enough, after all!

It turned out she was. Within six months of us deciding to work together, she sold two books to Avon, my dream publisher. And here we are, five years and 10 books+ later. There were so many stars that aligned for me to take me to where I am now. I decided to try for an agent just one more time. I reached for the stars when it came to agencies. I found an agent who loved me. She gave me back my faith and I gave her books. My editor was in the right mood and had a slot for me.

So I guess the moral of this winding story (sorry) is that it’s so easy to want to give up in this career. I certainly was on the cusp of doing just that. But it’s at those very moments of darkest despair and fear that sometimes we see a light.

Before I published, I used to wake up and say to my husband, “Today, today, it could happen today.” One day, it did. So even when you’re feeling down and like that magical call will never come, look yourself in the mirror and say, “Today, today, it could happen today!”

I’ll be around… um… today. Stop by and let’s talk!

HER NOTORIOUS VISCOUNT

by Jenna Petersen

Available 3/31/09!

A RED HOT

VALENTINE'S DAY

Featuring:

"By Valentine's Day"

by Jess Michaels

Available NOW

from Avon Red!

(Click covers for info.)

Hero Archetype: The Best Friend

2009-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Best Friend

I wanted to take this archetype because it’s so completely opposite of what I write and I’m trying to expand my horizons. I write Warriors, true alphas, bossy, sometimes brash, stubborn, sometimes arrogant, who are able to face life threatening experiences without flinching.

The Best Friend Archetype is a true Beta. He’s an all around nice guy, kind, decent, who offers his shoulder to lean on, or cry on, which ever the situation merits. When emotionally things are bad, he’ll be there to hold your hand or mop your tears. But he’s so understated that the idea of romance never occurs to you. But it might sneak up on you once you get to know him. I think he's growing on me.

The Best Friend archetype is so laid back and easy going he fits in everywhere. He does nothing to call attention to himself, yet everyone seems to like him. In a crisis, he’s the cool head of reason. In a fight, he’s the negotiator, or the peacemaker. He’s supportive, stable, dependable, and tolerant, but his lack of assertiveness pushes him to the background and denies him the attention he deserves.

The Best Friend Archetype may have dreams he wants to pursue but never shucks the responsibilities of friends and family long enough to follow them. He has a set belief in how he should behave molded by his place in society. His self-confidence bolsters others self-confidence. He’s practical, understanding, and a good listener and can offer level- headed advice.

The Best Friend Archetype is very observant and can read people. He has a need to help others because it appeals to the nurturing side of his personality. He’s the guy next door who’ll come over to help you move in. Or barring that, he’ll fix you a meal after you’re done.

The Best Friend Archetype is drawn to occupations that help others. Vets, carpenters, dentists, doctors, policemen, or teachers. His empathy for other people makes him understanding and generous. He may not be as dynamic as some of the other characters, but his inner strength and stability makes him good husband and father material--once he’s gained the heroines attention.

One of my favorite movies is Dave with Kevin Kline. Dave is a Beta hero every moment of the film, but by the end of the movie you’re cheering him on because of his ability to maneuver through the political shark-infested waters of Washington D.C. and still mange to do the right thing-- without once raising his voice or becoming anything less than what he is.

Tell me about some of your favorite Beta characters in books and in movies. Or some of the Best Friend characters you’ve created. I’m eager to hear about them.

Write on,
Teresa Reasor

When Your Plate Gets Too Full, Buy A Bigger Plate!

2009-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

For the past few days I've been teetering on the balance beam. I've been throwing more balls in the air than I could juggle. I've been . . . well, you get the picture.

It started when the electricity went out and my 83 year old mother wouldn't leave the house. "I'll stay in bed until the heat comes back on," she said. "You run along now and do what you have to do."

Right! Like I'm going to leave an 83 year old woman in poor health in a house without power. "Nope, I'm going to sit right here, Mom, and when you decide to get up we'll go somewhere warm." She finally did, and we went to a friend's house until the power came back on a few hours later. We were lucky!

I had agreed to judge a contest and had read the entries a couple of times, but they needed a final reading and a dreaded score. The deadline was approaching, and I couldn't put them aside another day. My problem was figuring out how to handle a couple of the manuscripts. What do you say when the writing's not good, but the plot has potential? Bless their hearts.

I had a Super Bowl lunch party to plan for the office. I work with seven men. One's from Pittsburgh, PA - "Go Steelers". The others are from Wisconsin, Tennessee, Virginia, and one from Kentucky. I called the caterer, and we decided on chili and pimento cheese sandwiches. Then I went to the store and bought Super Bowl plates and napkins. And, I ordered a DVD of the last Steelers Super Bowl victory. I had this party under control - no sweat.

The UPS delivery didn't arrive because of the weather and none of the guys had ever heard of pimento cheese sandwiches. "Where are the Kielbasa and Knackwursts?" they asked fully expecting the caterer to return with another armload of food.

I had a full day of writing planned for Saturday, so I stopped by the store and bought a rump roast and put it in the crock pot. Yum! Dinner at 7:00 after hours on the computer would make for a nice treat. Well, it was terrible. Took a bite and put it in the refrigerator. Maybe I can throw it in a pot and make soup next week! Anybody got a good recipe?

My daughter wanted me to babysit, but I-75 was still reporting patches of ice, so I stayed home and missed out on sweet little arms around my neck and tiny kisses on my cheek. Sigh, maybe next weekend.

So today is another day of writing and editing, or is it editing and writing? Not sure, but it's never ending, nonetheless.

This morning I saw all the things I had to do as food on a plate. The meat (my manuscript) covered a third of the plate, the vegetables (family) covered a third, and the potatoes (work) covered the remaining third. Then I threw in a salad (KYRW, Pink Ladies, and critique groups), a roll (breakfast with a girl friend), and a second vegetable (the books I've been trying to read) and there was no more room on the plate.

"You have to try my casserole," my sister said.

"It looks delicious, but seriously, I don't have any more room," I said.

"Then get a bigger plate," my brother said.

As women, we tend to keep getting bigger plates because we're not very good at saying "No, can't do it, don't have time. Wish I could, but sorry." We try to be all things to all people and feel guilty as-all-get-out when we drop a ball or fall off the balance beam. We will continue to say, "Yes," until the plate companies agree not to make plates larger than twelve inches in diameter.

Maybe we should form a consortium and buy up all the plate companies!

Posted By: Katherine Lowry Logan

Hey You, Get Off of My Cloud!

2009-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Between housework, kids, and the hubby there's not a lot of time left to dedicate to writing. And for those (like me) who work in addition to that, you just know they love writing so much, lack of sleep and a disintegrating household simply doesn't matter.

Even though it's hard to manage, developing characters and leading them into adventures and steamy love scenes requires a certain amount of time and concentration. Those artful phrases don't create themselves. They require the right kind of alone time, with no kids fighting over the remote and no husband yelling, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Each and every time your muse is rolling along, those eloquent phrases dripping off your fingertips from your creative genius, you're thoroughly engrossed in expressing your thoughts and the scene is just right...knock, knock, knock.

An all too familiar sound.

"Mom, the dog chewed up my shoe again."

Well darn, that takes care of that. How am I going to write now? Gotta go buy shoes.

Back from the shoe store, and here we go again.

He raised his hand to caress her cheek, still damp with the tears of his unexpected arrival. She never thought she'd see him again, thought he was lost to her forever. But now here he was, smelling of expensive cologne and chicory coffee, and looking as handsome as he had at nineteen. If she knew that look in his eyes...

Knock, knock, knock. "Honey, do you know where my keys, are?"

"They're on the kitchen counter, beside the bread basket."

Where was I? Thought he was lost forever...yada, yada, yada...If she knew that look...Oh, here we are. If she knew that look in his eyes, and she was pretty sure she recognized the hungry expression in those all too familiar baby-blues, she knew he was about to...

Knock, knock, knock "Did you remember to call the cable company today?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes, the repairman will be here on Tuesday."

Now I ask you, how's a gal supposed to think romance during all this chaos?

Later, the house is settled and quiet. Dinner is over, kids are in bed, hubby is snoring contentedly, an aroma therapy candle puts off a soft glow from the table, peace at last...

...pretty sure she recognized...baby-blues...he was about to prove exactly how much he'd missed her. Her fingers curled around his in a silent gesture of welcome just before his arm, much larger and more muscular than it had been the last time he'd held her this way, snaked around her waist to pull her toward him...

Thump, thump, thump. Is that a tail wagging? Oh no, they forgot to walk the dog.

Ok. Dog walked, I resume the writing position, laptop poised for optimal word-count annialation. At last, maybe this time...

But wait...after all that, I can't quite concentrate. Maybe a nice relaxing bubble bath would help put me back in a writing frame of mind.

Ah. Much better. Now that darned hero can finally kiss the heroine... Now, where was I? Skim, skim... Hands fall away from keyboard... "Zzzzzzzzzzzzz..."

Oh well, maybe tomorrow I'll be able to call upon my muse and the time will be there. I know I can manage it. I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...

Just me, my muse and prose...

Posted By: The Blog Fairy & Tracy Preston

Hero Archetype: The Bad Boy

2009-02-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Bad Boy

Who among us hasn’t known, or maybe even fallen in love with, a Bad Boy at some point in our lives? My first encounter with a Bad Boy occurred, oh… a long time ago. Who was he, you ask? Well, he was Elvis as Vince Everett in Jailhouse Rock (not that I mean to date myself or anything). He had me the moment he leaped onto the bar and started singing, “Young and Beautiful” to an infatuated Judy Tyler. To this day, whenever I see a snippet of that movie, I get a silly grin on my face.

Why do we find this archetype so appealing and memorable?

The Bad Boy projects raw sexuality. When he walks into a room, all eyes turn in his direction. His bold stare holds a challenge, daring all he encounters. But his cocky stance and bad attitude are nothing more than camouflage, cloaking the real man and his well-guarded secrets. He never goes looking for trouble, it just naturally gravitates to him. Perhaps it’s because he’s not too keen on following the rules. Instead, he thumbs his nose and forges onward, making up his own as he goes. When trouble comes calling, the Bad Boy never backs down, no matter the risk. His survival skills are honed by years of hard knocks and his intuition is seldom wrong. He’s grown accustomed to stepping up and taking the blame. He seems hardened to it, but deep beneath his façade of indifference beats a tender heart that aches for the injustice he’s seen.

When the Bad Boy turns on the charm, no woman can resist. But he’s a player, a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy. While he has an eye and appreciation for the sweet bloom of youth, at the end of the day, a world-wise woman is more to his taste. No strings and no promises, because on the rare occasion he does give his word, he’s honor-bound to keep it, so he avoids that trap at all costs.

Although he works hard to preserve his “I don’t give a damn” image, deep inside, the Bad Boy needs to love and be loved. Only a woman who can withstand the inferno of his sarcasm and bitterness has a prayer of touching the true heart of the man. The ride is certain to be wild and the closer she gets, the more he turns up the heat to drive her back. But, oh, what a lovely way to burn!

The Bad Boy is the survivor of a tragic youth. He’s seen too much, been betrayed, or beaten, and finally abandoned by all the ideals he once held dear. The wounds of his past go soul deep and never truly heal. They’ve ravaged and shaped him, and made him into the man he’s become. Rage simmers just beneath his calm, ready to erupt at the slightest provocation. He fights hard and makes love even harder. So, beware the Bad Boy, for he feels he has nothing to lose.

So… there’s our Bad Boy, my favorite type of romance hero. All my heroes tend to have some of the Bad Boy characteristics. There’s just something irresistible about a man who needs saving from himself. Who’s your favorite Bad Boy character, either in print or on film? Or, maybe you know a real-live Bad Boy. Tell me about him, I’d love to know.

Posted By: Devon Matthews

The Workshop Willies

2009-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

I’ve turned into a Nervous Nelly. And I’m not normally a Nervous Nelly at all. BUT-- Recently I agreed to do a workshop on Story Boarding for my home chapter of RWA, the Kentucky Romance Writers. I have a couple of months to get it together before our yearly retreat-workshop. It’s not until the 28th of March. But being the teacher I am, I have to obsess over it for a few weeks and get my thoughts together.

Story boarding is an easy process and I do it because I’m such a visual person it helps me keep my plot advancing, encourages me to brainstorm, and enables me to track my character/romance development. But doing it, and teaching it to others are two different things. And trying to make it interesting and entertaining for them—well—I’m not ready to go there, yet.

I stand up before six hundred and sixty elementary children every week and teach them about art history and art. In the fall each year, I teach a college class, people who want to be Elementary Teachers. So public speaking isn’t normally a big deal.

But standing before a group of your writing peers, published and unpublished---

All right I’m going to say it out loud —it’s a whole different STORY. It’s like the dream you have when you’re under lots of stress that you’ve shown up for work naked and no one will offer you their coat and you try and hide behind a waste basket the size of a toilet paper roll. And – well you get the idea.

So I’ll do my pretend confidence thing for a while. It’s no big deal—I can do this—I’m the teacher—I can teach anything. But to be honest, once I get up there to give my presentation, I’ll have bats in my belly. I’ll break out in a cold sweat. My breathing will be quick and labored. I’ll be wondering if I’m going to barf in public or just pass out. God forbid either should happen. Or maybe the passing out thing won’t be too bad and I’ll be able to get out of –naw- I said I’d do it, and I will.

The dread of waiting my turn will make it worse. Let me do my presentation first thing, like while everyone is out in the lobby getting coffee. That would be the perfect time.

But once I get on my feet and hand out my visual aids—got to have visual aids since story boarding is a visual process—I’ll take a deep breath and settle into my teaching rhythm. And I will survive the experience. And I may even have fun. I AM going to have FUN.

I’ve given birth three times and survived. It can’t be any worse than that. CAN IT?

RIGHT?

Tell me how you survive your public speaking nerves. I’m open to any suggestions.

Write on,
Teresa Reasor