Sequels - Good or Bad?

Every good story deserves a follow-up, right?

Just look at Hollywood. The aging Harrison Ford is back in the latest installment of Indiana Jones, Sylvester Stallone reprised his Rambo role last year, and news has been released that Eddie Murphy signed on for “Beverly Hills Cop 4”.

Obviously all of these original movies were big hits and of course Hollywood wants to capitalize on past success. It is often the same in the publishing world. One great book just begs to be written into a second, a third, maybe even a fourth. But is it always a good idea?

Back in the old days, I remember reading my first romance novels by Rosemary Rogers. Sweet Savage Love was one of my favorites (and I still love it today). The tale of Steve and Ginny was timeless and oh-so romantic. Of course I wanted more. I bought every Rosemary Rogers book I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, the sequels of Steve and Ginny’s romance just weren’t as good as the first book. I didn’t want to read about their marriage and their children – that stuff was too realistic. I wanted to be swept away again into the passion and excitement when two people first meet and sparks fly.

And therein lies the crux of the matter. Sequels are only worthwhile, in my opinion, when they bring something new to the table. Much as I loved the “Sex and the City” series I don’t have any real strong desire to see the movie after reading reviews which state it is really just one long (two and a half hours) episode which continues where the television show left off.

I started a sequel to Golden Enchantment after writing that first book using Kent McCabe, a secondary character who was just so charming and exciting that he nearly begged me to be written. I was almost finished with it when I re-read my efforts and decided it just wasn’t working for me. I hated the characters, I hated the way they acted, I just hated the whole idea. Now, maybe someday I’ll go back and rewrite that sequel and make it better, but honestly, I don’t have any motivation to do so right now. I’d rather move on to other, more interesting concepts.

And sometimes that’s just the way it should be.

And for the record, I don’t want to see an AARP-eligible Michael J. Fox reprise his role as a high school kid in “Back to the Future 4” or geriatric versions of Mel Gibson’s and Danny Glover’s characters bringing down bad guys with walkers in the latest installment of the “Lethal Weapon” series. Let it go, people, let it go.

Where do stories come from?

[Coincidentally, Michael Davis and I chose the same topic to discuss this month, ahem... which only proves great minds think alike! hehehehe]

Now back to that topic: Where do stories come from?

That's kind of like asking where do babies come from? No, it's not but since that popped into my head I couldn't resist.

Actually book ideas come from many sources. I'll mention just a few. There's the what-if game writers love to play. It could germinate from reading a book or a newspaper; watching a movie or the news on tv. It could start from watching life; much like when children lie on the grass and look up at the sky, playing the game of making figures out of fluffy white clouds.

It could pop out of nowhere just seconds before I'm ready to fall asleep. That's the worst time because if I don't get up and write it down it'll keep me awake all night.

Then there's my favorite; memories. It could be my own as a child, but the ones I enjoy most are memories of things my children did. That was the stimulus for my latest book, Flower of Passion. In real life it was my 3 year old son who did it, but in my fantasy world it was a 4 year old girl. What did they do?

I'd love to say buy my book and find out on page 23, but I won't. During an intimate moment, the precocious child climbs on her father's blanket-clad back and yells, "Gidyap, 'orsey!" Now that's a memory to treasure and share. So I did.

Rose Lerma
roselerma.com

4. Where do storylines come from?

Michael W. Davis

Davisstories.com

Author of: Tainted Hero (Champagne books, 1/08), Forgotten Children (Champagne books, 7/08), The Treasure (Golden Acorn Publishing, 12/07)

A friend once asked, “Where do you come up with these stories you write.” For me, there’s no one place. I can be driving down the road, walking in the woods, listening to the news, or even my dreams conjure up story lines. I’m talking about the main plot, not individual scenes or vignettes (that’s a different post). For example, I wrote a story called “The Treasure” that was part of a dream. Tainted Hero grew out of listening to two separate news reports dealing with human tragedy and global events. Forgotten Children was based on a research report I read, and Blind Consent related to a young girl I knew as a child, as well as my memories of growing up in the south under the caring influences of my aunts and female relatives. I’m working on a new story that derived from events that occurred as I was taking my morning walk, and a different story came to me when I fell and momentarily hurt myself. Because the ideals come from so many different sources, I try not to constraint the genre in which I write. There’s always a romantic core (I’m kind of a big sap for loven), but if it crosses genres, I let it happen (except for horror and gore, not my thing). That’s probably a bad career move (writing hybrid stories) because most publishers like to remain rigid to stories that restraint themselves to one genre. Problem is, that’s not the way the stories evolve for me. I would rather go with the flow and let the story do its thing, then force it into a rigid mold. I read one time (assuming its not urban legion) that the author who wrote Clan of the Cave Bear had a heck of a time finding a publisher because it crossed so many genres (romance, SF, etc). Fortunately, the publisher I’m associated with considers the value and interest of the story itself, versus trying to force stories into a narrow hole.

Till next time.

Firsts

We all remember our firsts. Our first kiss. Our first job. Our first business. Our first love (for me - the hubby, my one and only). Firsts are important, aren't they?

Well, this month has been a whirlwind of firsts for me.

My first novel, Breach Of Trust, has been published. Big, Big, BIG first.

I had my first sale. My big brother, an amazing screenwriter, haunted the Champagne site to capture that honor.

I had my first unprompted reader/author review. Not only that but it was from the hot writing erotica author Wylie Kinson. She said the sexual tension was toe-curling, can you believe it? Yikes and she writes erotic romance! I had to confirm that she read the same book.

I had my first blog ask ME for an interview (rather than the other way around with me begging others for promo face time). Amy Ruttan, author of Love Thy Neighbor (releasing today), wants to ask me questions for an upcoming Six Degrees Of Sexy post. It made me feel like a celebrity. A lot of fun.

Firsts do transition into seconds. They're important too. I have a novel out in February. Now, Invisible is very special to me, don't get me wrong. It was the novel I was meant to write. But Breach Of Trust will always be my first.

You want to be remembered by an author forever? Buy her very first book on the very first day and then email her saying that you did (you don't even have to read it that day, simply buy it).

Do this once a week for the next 10 years and you'll have made a lasting difference in the lives of 520 new authors. I figure that pretty much guarantees your impact will live on in the literary world forever. All from reading first novels. Amazing, isn't it?

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Kimber Chin's first novel Breach Of Trust is now available from Champagne Books.

What to talk about…

This question comes up for me almost every day I blog. Do I post about my new book? Do I post about my next release? Do I share personal news? Do I share professional tips?

Right now I’m working on edits for Tides of Maryna’s Love (July release). Check out the cover:



Isn’t that awesome?

I also did a video:



What do you think? Pretty good, yes?

My family is very close. Especially on my mom’s side. We all live around this area so we get together as often as we can. Each month the women in the family go to dinner just hang out and have fun. I LOVE it! This group is made up of: My grandmother Nanny, my mom, her three sisters, me, my aunt’s daughters (8). We’re a loud group who spend the entire hour (or two, or three) laughing and generally having a blast. Sometimes, since I’m the oldest (my nearest in age girl cousin is ten years younger than I am) I get together with just mom, aunts and Nanny. We have dinner and play cards.

Seem like I’m jumping track? Here’s the reason I mention this. One night I was sitting with my aunts and Nanny playing cards. Watching mom and her sisters, the way they interact, the way they live, laugh and love I had the idea for the Elemental Desires series.

So I fleshed out the idea, I played with the characters personalities and thus the series was born. They are very excited about this project. They know that each witch is based on one of them. They know that all four characters have a combination of their personalities; each witch has a stronger trait that is unique to each of my aunts and my mom. (Am I making sense?)

For the longest time I wouldn’t tell them which witch was which woman (hehehehehe). Eventually I told them if they could guess I’d confirm or deny. It took them three months but they finally got it right.

It’s been three years since this idea came to life and finally the books are being released! We celebrated big time. When the actual day of the release comes, there will be an even bigger party.

Another reason I mention our girls day out is that when we are together I bring along a page with book ideas, with book blurbs or tag lines and we comb through it. Their opinions are appreciated and noted. Sometimes they help, sometimes they don’t.

I have edits that are demanding my attention so I’ll be going now.

Remember you can always check in my daily progress by going to my blog http://donicacovey.blogspot.com or dropping by my website www.donicacovey.com.

See you all soon!
Hugz
Donica

Pick Settings With Care

Setting is the element that starts off each of my stories. It grounds my characters, my scenes and my emotional output. Most often I use a Nova Scotian setting, one that I can visit over and over in the course of writing my manuscript. I love to simply walk around the area absorbing the atmosphere and the natural colors, letting my imagination roam.
The Eastern Shore region formed the basis for Means To An End. The area’s rugged coastal coves and inlets provided the perfect opportunity for a story about drug smuggling. The love story is between a heroine who believes her dreams of love died in a car crash and an undercover Mountie. His sole goal in life is to put a stop to the illegal drug trade, making love a complication he doesn’t need.
Undercover Trouble’s setting was a lake, and what else can more adequately portray isolation of a hero and heroine forced to rely on each other in time of need?
Once again the coast of Nova Scotia plays a prime role in A Spirited Liaison. Tales of ghosts and shipwrecks naturally abound in this area of the province, making my story more believable and easy to write.
Something About That Lady takes place in the Canadian Rockies. That area’s natural splendor provides romance without the characters being involved. Add a stubborn rancher and a feisty heroine and the story flows.
Alaska’s wildness, mystery and native culture is unsurpassed in conjuring up a romance between two lost souls in Alaskan Magic who, though time has moved on, manage to find love and a new life.
Next time you read or write a novel, take the time to absorb the setting for a truly great adventure. Carol McPhee

http://www.geocities.com/carolmcphee2003

Joy of Writing by Angela Ashton

One of the most exciting things for me as a writer is in developing my characters...especially the hero. *grin* A certain image comes to mind with each one, and twice I wrote the particular hero based on a living, breathing personality. First when I wrote Adrian's Angel, (The hunky 'Highlander' himself, Adrian Paul-as my template; and next was when I wrote Once a Rebel...I used the former 'Digging for the Truth' host, Josh Bernstein--pictured below.)

The other heros I've penned--or am in the process of penning--were not based on any real men...

HOWEVER, ...and this is the exciting stuff that gets the heart pumping like a piston...

After I finished my final draft of Corsair Cove, I was surfing around on the net and nearly fell out of my chair when I saw a man the EXACT likeness of Jacque LaFleur!! The glorious man was Even garbed in pirate gear...right down to the red and white ruffled shirt!! Uncanny!

Talk about a surge of deja-vu! Yikes!!
...check it out in this teaser from the novel...

… He was drenched in seawater and the fine white sand glittered like diamonds off his bronzed skin. The long-sleeved red shirt clung to his body, adorned with wide white ruffled lace along where the buttons might have been. Esa couldn’t tell if there were any buttons as the shirt hung open from the waist, exposing a broad, hairy chest and a six pack that would leave any hot-blooded female thirsting for the entire keg.
She swallowed, forcing her suddenly ravenous eyes passed his manly chest and down his body. She gasped. The high-waisted black pants were sopping wet and rather snug, outlining a generous bulge and strong thighs before disappearing into black leather boots mid-calf. Long black hair hugged saturated…

See what I mean?!
I inquired as to whether or not I might be able to use the photo on my website and was informed of who the hunky former romance-cover model was...Cherif Fortin. While he doesn't currently model, I found a few more heart-shuddering similarities between the mystery man & my hero...

Cherif is a painter, Jacque LaFleur is a painter....Cherif is French Canadian, the hero in the novel is French....I honest to God believe Cherif must have been haunting my dreams when I pictured our hero! *VBEG*

To sum up the story, after discovering who the sexy man was, I e-mailed the address provided me from the webmaster where I'd first seen the now infamous picture and received a few emails from none other than the gorgeous hottie himself giving me permission to use the photos! Heavy sigh, what a sweetie! I've also acquired a few more!

Given the nature of my discovery, I decided to give Jacque LaFleur the middle name of Cherif...also blessed by the dreamboat himself!

Jacque Cherif LaFleur....has a nice ring to it, eh?!
In another strange twist...the whole incident reminded me of yet another novel in the works... Thanks Cherif! (waving and blowing kisses!)
And a special thanks to Nancy at RRAH for your help in discovering who the mystery man was!

Here's what Cherif had to say about my adding his name to the hero:

Thank you so much, Angela. I am truly honored to be included in your book in this way. I sincerely hope you have a run-away best seller on your hands with Corsair Cove.
Please let me know when I can go out and buy a copy, if the release date changes from August of 08.
Thanks again,
Cherif

Hmmmm....I think I'd like to run a contest to see if anyone can scout a likeness to Zach in Amulet of Fate...and no, not in cat form!! lol ...Any takers?!

Until next time, happy reading!

Angie

http://www.angelaashtonbooks.com/

Amulet of Fate

Once A Rebel

available now via Champagne Books

Corsair Cove (coming August '08)

A Thirsday Thirteen - Fun With Words

In the spirit of our love of words, I'm going to try to think up some unusual oxymorons. Everyone's heard of jumbo shrimp, but have you thought about these?

1. Genuine Imitation Naugahyde - I imagine a herd of naugas roaming the plains, sporting a variety of pleather pelts.

2. Clean Fill - It's dirt, isn't it?

3. Daily Special - What's so special about it if it's served every day?

4. Gourmet Hamburger - What's the big deal? It's a ground up cow slapped between two slices of bread.

5. Same Difference - I'm sorry, but I HATE that expression.

6. Going Nowhere - Uh, that's just standing still, isn't it?

7. Head Butt - Where exactly is the head?

8. Legally Drunk - Either you're drunk or you're not.

9. Low-Rise - 'Nuff said.

10. Veggie Dogs - Ew.

11. Numb Feeling - I guess we writers had better avoid this one.

12. Pet Cat - Oh, no... he's not the pet, he's the master.

13. Poor Little Rich Girl - Yeah, right.

Photo: No naugas were harmed in the making of this chair.

RT

I tried to come up with something to talk about other than my recent experience going to a large book convention, but I quickly discovered that nothing else compares to it. I attended the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago. The flight to Pittsburgh went smoothly, but the shuttle from the airport to my hotel was less than fun considering I was dropped off in the middle of a construction zone and had to walk through it toting way too heavy suitcases. Promo alley was amazing. This was literally tables upon tables filled with free author promo stuff for the taking. I have a huge duffle bag stuffed full of bookmarks, postcards, and CDs, which I still need to go through. I have a list of e-books I want to order which would wear down the numbers on my credit card.

Wednesday’s RT was spent with me playing stalker…er, fangirl. I met Lisa Jackson, Jade Lee, Marjorie M. Liu, Colleen Gleason and many others. Thursday I attended workshops all day. There was a particularly interesting one with a Harlequin editor, which unfortunately, I cannot remember her name, and Kate Duffy from Kensington. The general consensus was that historicals are not dead, that they’re making a larger than life come back with edgier plots and hotter sex.

Thursday night I went to the famous “Fairy Ball” dinner and dance. I did not dress up, but boy the costumes went from beautiful to the outrageous. I had the chance to sit with a table full of librarians, one from Boston, who said her trip was all expense paid by the library she worked for. Talk about your dream job! I learned so much about what criteria make them order books and the main one was cover then the back cover blurb, but they said cover was the ultimate deciding factor. All interesting stuff.

Friday it was more workshops, one on blogging, two more editor panels, another on e-book marketing which I learned I was already doing everything they suggested. I didn’t go to the famous Heather Graham “Vampire dinner” Friday night because I was completely worn out. A friend once told me large conventions were intense, and I never really understood what that meant. By Friday, I knew.

Thanks for reading!

~ Nancy
http://www.nancyhenderson.com
http://www.nancyhenderson.blogspot.com

Thinking outside the box

Thinking outside the box is one of those educator terms teachers like to bandy about. But what does it mean? For some, it means coming up with a creative solution to a problem. For others, it means the process by which we solve problems. Either way, it deals with creativity, of thinking beyond the mundane.

So, how do we train our muse to think outside the box? I would suggest a healthy dose of exercise. And yes, you can train yourself to be more creative. One of the first art workshops I ever attended discussed methods for getting children to be more inventive with their ideas. The presenter introduced me to two fabulous books; A Whack on the Side of the Head and A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, both by Roger von Oech. He also developed a Creative Whack Pack, a set of cards designed to help solve problems from a different angle.

About that same time, I took on a coaching job for a Destination Imagination team. This is a wonderful competition that encourages the kids to "think." As part of the training and part of the competition, the kids are asked to solve problems in 5 - 8 minutes. These problems are called instant challenges.

So - what does this have to do with writing? Everything. I think one of the biggest challenges a writer is faced with it coming up with "creative ideas." Many believe that there are no new plots, that writers must use basic plots and change them up or present them in such a way that they seem new. Not an easy task.

Discussion has already been presented on pantser vs plotter. I'm a certified pantser, but regardless, my characters often get themselves into impossible situations. To try and think outside the box, I try very hard to throw out my first two solutions. In my opinion, the first solution is the one that most readers will expect and a writer doesn't want to state the obvious. The second solution might also fall into this category. So - my challenge to myself is to find a third solution to the problem created by my contrary characters. I think and hope that this practice helps create page turners and stories that will engage the reader to the bitter end.

In this respect, doing brain exercises, teasers, instant challenges all help develop a creative mind. The best writers in the world will take their creative thoughts and present them in novel format. Some write well, but the story is lacking and some have the most awesome ideas but a writing style that's hard to follow. A marriage of both creative thought and superb writing is what we all strive for.

Writing Methods

If you listen to actors talking about how they get into their roles, you’ll hear things like,
‘method actor’, ‘living the role’, ‘be yourself’ and much more. Writers are not much different because we have our own ways to create the stories we write.

I remember my astonishment when I found that Steven King was what we writers call a ‘panters’. He sits down at his computer – he started with an old typewriter – and with a scene, a character, a thought, he starts a book, with no idea where he’s going. In other words, he writers ‘by the seat of his pants’. Sherrilyn Kenyon does the same.

Then, there are authors like me. A detailed outline and character interview sheets need to be filled out, and my research completed. Even though sometimes my characters take me in another direction, I start with a detailed road map. I write from an outline.

There are combinations of the two. A good friend, and author of dozens of books, always has a beginning and an end, but as she begins she doesn’t have any idea how she’ll get to the final pages of her novel. It works for her.

If you spend time on line, researching the various writing methods, an example would be the classic “W” plot, or the “snowflake” model, I suspect you’d be stunned at how almost every writer has his or her unique why to go from the beginning to the end of a story. As each book, each author is different, so also is the method that individual uses to get the words on paper. All of this verbiage leads to one important point – there is no perfect way to write a book.

Forever Faithful

A November 2008 release.

I'm so excited about this book. I don't have a cover yet as we are still in edits. I added the first clip as a substitute. Hope you enjoy the trailer. Let me know what you think.

Linda

The Long and Winding Road

The Long and Winding Road (with special thanks to Lennon and McCartney)

There are defining moments in an author’s life, or for that matter, any artist’s life – whether they be author, poet, painter or sculptor. Being creative souls, we produce works of art which are a direct reflection of ourselves. We have a great deal fun of creating them. We strive very hard to market and sell them. But when we hear words from someone who has critically appraised our works and finds them worthy of commendation, it brings our art to a whole new level.

We love what we do. Otherwise, how could we possibly be part of the crazy “long and winding road” that is publishing, or creating an artistic piece? I’ll tell you – the answer is “no way”. Unless you’re deemed the current year’s sensation, making a living through creative processes is no picnic in the park.

So why do we do it? To entertain, of course. We entertain ourselves and hope to do the same for our readers.

I recently received my first “fan” message and my first novel review all in the space of a week and I’ve got to tell you – I am thrilled. I am more than thrilled, I am on top of the world. This is what makes it all worthwhile. The validation that what I create is not only fun for me to do, but fun for someone else to read.

For me, it’s taken a decade: from the first time I wrote the manuscript for Golden Enchantment in the early 1990s to the second time of rewriting and finishing in September 2007, to publication in March, 2008, to this day, finally, receiving the validation that someone likes what I wrote!

And that’s what it’s all about. We’ll keep on writing and continue the journey down that long and winding road, as you keep on reading.

“The long and winding road

That leads to your door

Will never disappear

I’ve seen that road before”