The Writers Vineyard

A Little Bit of Exposure

2012-02-12T13:00:00.030-05:00

I always admire people who are brave enough to expose themselves in public (in a good way, of course). They have courage…or are perpetually inebriated. Either way, they can still go out there and show themselves off to the world.

Since entering the realm of the literary world, I’ve delved deeper into the cyber world, leaving my electronic signature in all sorts of places. That’s a good thing, especially if your goal is to get noticed as a writer. But sometimes, it can be a bad thing. To say the electronic signature is indelible is but an understatement. One has to remember to be careful about what you say, because everything online is a search-engine-click away.

Having some measure of control in what people know about you is imperative. From year dot, I developed an innate aversion to disclosing (or showing off) information about myself. I’m very private. But as I got older, I let go some of my inhibitions. I’m still very private. (Of course, you still can’t get me to do the funky chicken in a crowded room, not matter how much alcohol is involved).

Unfortunately, being a writer in this era (or in any profession where world domination is the goal), people seem to expect you to disclose everything about yourself. They want a buffet spread rather than an al la carte listing. I find this tasteless and unsavoury. I don’t need to know everything, and neither should you about me. Most know I’m married, but you’ll never see a picture of my hubby because my online presence has nothing to do with him. (Plus, he has middle-finger issues with every picture taken of him). That being said, I’d still like to appear personable and approachable to my audience. So, this leaves me in a dilemma. Well, not really. As I said, a measure of control is imperative.

One of my goals this year is to try my best to give a little bit more of myself. Perhaps this will help me get some lighthearted exposure, and people will want to talk about me in their household as the funny writer from Barbados who has amazing, action-packed books. (Boy, do I sure hope that!)

So let me begin with some controlled information about myself…

• I'm short. Vertically challenged. Preconditioned genetically. A Hobbit in a land full of Gandalfs. Being Japanese has caused this unique condition, and I'm afraid I'm stuck with it.
• I hate cooking, but I hate starving more. That being said, I don’t cook crap. It has to taste good because we’re back to the point about me not liking to starve.
• Bugs and creepy-crawlies have never really bothered me in the past. As a kid, lizards and insects and worms (including grass, dirt, mud and puddles) never fazed me as I picked them up or tromped around. But as I grow older, I prefer they understand my personal space requirements. As I keep telling people: I love my creature comforts, and not the comfort of creatures.
• I was born, raised, and still living in Barbados. A Bajan, as we're called. 100%, like salt fish cakes, flying fish, cou cou, and pudding and souse. I just don't look the part...again, another preconditioned genetic trait, but hey, the world is fast-becoming a melting pot of all kinds of life forms.
• In the cyber world, I've been mistaken for a dude (a few times). I suppose having an androgynous name like T.K. Toppin might mislead some. But in case you're wondering (and last time I checked), I am most definitely a dudette.
• Even though I live on a tropical island, I hate the sun (and too much sunlight). Think cave-creature...Gollum...anemone. Why sweat when you can stay cool and comfortable? And it's trendy to be the reclusive writer...
• The last post brings me to this one: My car has cobwebs. Really, it does. Along with an accumulation of dust from its last yearly wash. I hardly drive around anymore. In the last year, if I've done 5K, that's a lot. Since working for myself, since becoming a self-imposed recluse, since I started writing, I have no reason, other than bothersome errands, to leave the house. That's what hubby is for. He does the groceries anyway...so why should I?

Okay, that’s enough about me.

Cheers!

T.K. Toppin

http://www.tktoppin.blogspot.com

Available from Burst Books

Date Night

2012-02-11T00:04:00.000-05:00

My husband the action-thriller-movie-kind-of-guy and me, the scare-the-crap-out-of-me-movie-junkie watched the romantic comedy, Date Night. Although, out of our typical choices we enjoyed the humor and could relate to the couple trapped in their routine and busy lives. My husband and I work opposite shifts, so we make an effort to do something together every weekend. Because I work full-time and juggle my writing on nights and weekends, we’ve picked Saturday mornings for our dates. We enjoy going to the EAA air museum, train museums, the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame, or sometimes it is as simple as bumming and looking at furniture or going to a Harley Shop. It doesn’t really matter what we do, but we’re together, talking, keeping connected.

Although, Date Night was not our usual type of movie we really enjoyed the romantic comedy. We’ve been married twenty years, and humor is very important. With Valentine’s Day on the way, it is your turn to offer suggestions. What are some of your favorite romantic movies or romantic comedies?

Bolt Action: “The State Quarter Killer” is selecting victims that appear to have nothing in common except for the State Quarter placed under their lifeless bodies. When her sister goes missing, ride along with sarcastic Detective Leslie Bolt as she uses forensic science and sarcastic humor to capture a serial killer.

Feel free to visit me at http://www.victoriaroder.com/ where you can read an excerpt of Bolt Action. View the video trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqcYL_G7h7s

WHAT CAME FIRST THE CHOCOLATE OR THE PHEROMONES

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

A: So, what came first the chocolate or the pheromones?
Z: What?
A: (Between words, she munches on a nutty piece of chocolate candy) I'm interchanging the word chocolate for love.
Z: What? (Looking even more confused)
A: Love is like chocolate. Being in love is simply a fabulous feeling, like eating a piece of chocolate, but do people fall in love because of a chemical reaction that exists because of pro-creation? Or does the chemical reaction happen because one person is drawn to another person, and then bingo-bango, the pheromones go crazy?
Z: And we are talking about this cauuuussse???
A: It's nearly Valentine's Day, so why not? (Holds out a heart-shaped box with half the treats gone)
Z: Didn't your hubba-bubba just give that to you five minutes ago, an early V-day gift? (Indulges, hesitates, and takes another candy)
A: Maaayyybbbbeee.
Z: You are a certifiable chocoholic! (Scoops up two more sweets)
A: Hmmm, I believe this is a case of the honeypot calling the beehive sticky.
Z: Maaayyybbbbeee. (Pops a treat, muttering how he doesn't get the connection Ang is making between chocolate and love and alters the subject a bit) Answer me this and that, do you think a person can really be addicted to chocolate? Is love just a chemical reaction, or is there something more?
A: More...More...More....
Z: Explain.
A: (Holds up her empty candy box) I need to go shopping for more candy. We're all out. (With that, Ang flees the office)

Seriously, folks, what is that crazy little thing called love. According to science, our brain creates phenyl ethylamine when people are falling in love, followed by norepinephren and dopamine when people just think about that special other person. These chemicals are what helps us feel excited and fascinates us enough to want to kiss, touch...etc.

But why one particular person over another? Yes, there is that initial attraction, but in a crowd of equals whether it is the beautiful people or the average Janes and Joes, with no one singular person standing out, we would still be drawn to one person over another. Therefore, does love have more to do with emotion and that soul to soul thing? Is it magic? What?

Think about the first time you went gaga over someone. You could have been just a child. Out of the blue, the moon hit your eyes like a bigga pizza pie, to paraphrase a once popular song, and suddenly everyone else faded away. It could have been the gal on the swing in the playground or the boy snapping his gum in study hall, and as you grew up, the guy/gal across the room.

We believe, there is something to be said about our souls and spirits knowing each other better than we do, meeting and engaging in a different dimension, and something even more to be said about the need for one other, the constant yearning to have that significant special other. It is why there are romance readers. It is a way to continuously trigger the chemicals that make us feel so darn good...like chocolate.

Then again, what do we know except that Angelica is addicted to chocolate, and Zi has a secret stash he didn't tell her about.

What do you think, what comes first?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S MONTH

****

We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at writingteamcw@yahoo.com (Write - Blog - in subject line) and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY
CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL ~ Christmas 2012
www.champagnebooks.com

STEEL EMBRACE by Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
August 2011 http://www.carnalpassions.com/

THE FABLE OF SIN-SIN CINDERELLA Series
angelicahartandzi.com

Re-inventing the wheel

2012-02-09T04:49:00.001-05:00

I have this strange and overpowering urge to rewrite the first five books I ever had published. Will I? Probably not, but the urge is still there. Why?
I think the reason I feel this need is because I keep learning; I keep growing in my abilities as an author. I recently went to a workshop led by Mary Buckham, an awesome motivator/speaker. What I learned most from her was that I needed to revisit my skills. See - everything she told us I basically knew but have I been implementing it? Well - after her session, I realized I'd gotten lazy in my writing. I hadn't meant to.

But then, I see this with some of my favorite authors as well. Craft that is drilled into fledging authors and unpublished authors seeking that first contract is often overlooked by some of the New York bestsellers. Did they mean to start their novel with back story? Probably not, but sometimes it's easier to ignor the more difficulty rules that make a story stronger. But as Mary pointed out, the authors who continue to gain followers do so because they "hook" the reader from page one all the way to the end.

It's all about the hooks. Making sure hooks are in place throughout the story and at well placed intervals is not easy. Easy is just plowing forward without thought to hooks, showing vs telling, or active vs passive. Hard is making sure the writing flows seamlessly with all the bells and whistles that make an engaging story a page turner.

Crazy Author Superstitions

2012-02-08T05:00:00.002-05:00

I have this strange little thing. Insignificant really. But I can't read one of my own books after it's been released. I just can't do it. I've tried and gotten a couple pages in, sometimes a couple chapters, then I have to stop. no more.

I'm just too afraid. It won't be perfect. I'll find a grammar error, a misspelled word, a phase that needs to be reworded, a line I should've deleted. And what's worse, it'll bug me to death because I know it can't be changed now; it's already out there for all the word to buy and see. But if I DON'T read it, then in my head I can believe every word is just right.

I also can't talk about my plot on the current story I'm working on. Any story I'm unfinished with. I've heard people brainstorm in critique groups, needing help to work out a problem they're having in their plot, but I always feel silly if I try to explain what the story I'm currently writing is about because it's not finished, not completely flushed out, it's MORE than imperfect.

Another thing...the first person to read everything I write is my sister. Everything just feels off if she doesn't read my story as soon as I finish. Why? Who knows. Maybe I feel like it'd throw off my muse.

Okay, so I confessed, those are my strange writing quirks. My life as a writer would probably fall to pieces if I didn't follow them every time. Now, it's your turn. What're writing superstitions. What do you HAVE to do before, after, or during your writing process.

WHY TALKING IT OVER IS A GOOD THING - OR WHY CRITIC GROUPS WORK

2012-02-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

I’m working on a new book! Nothing new there. At first it wasn’t working, so in the middle of the night (not unusual for me) I figured out what was wrong and spent a couple of days making corrections. I really wasn’t completely satisfied with my ideas, so I talked it over with my husband, who reads everything I write, makes corrections, and criticizes those sections he doesn’t think work well. I spent an hour last night talking about my new work and what I planned.

As usual, he thought about it for a second or two and then said, “Doesn’t sound like much of a romance to me.”

“Okay,” I spouted, incensed. "What's wrong with it?" After all, I’d lost a lot of sleep over this idea.

He thought for another moment then commented,”Romances shouldn't begin with that kind of violence. Why don’t you…”

We spent the next half hour discussing why his idea wouldn’t work well with the theme of the book. But from those comments, both his and mine another idea developed. There’s a little bit of violence, but not of the heroine’s making which is what my husband objected to. It does play well into the theme of the book and makes the beginning even more realistic.

Not only that, but it does work now as a romance.

The whole point to all of this is sometimes another opinion is warranted. When in doubt, which I was, ask a writing friend, a critic partner, or someone you trust to give you an honest appraisal. I did that. I live with my critic partner. No, he doesn’t do any opf the writing, but he’s proved to be ‘right on’ with his criticisms. And yes I do know how lucky I am.

REWRITING HISTORY

2012-02-06T00:30:00.000-05:00

This February, I’m featuring daily posts on the History of Slavery on Rita Bay’s Blog (ritabay.com). It has always been an area of interest, even took two college courses and own several books on the topic. You can imagine my chagrin, therefore, when I began to research a post on the slave trade route in North Africa and couldn’t locate data I knew existed.

Timbuktu was a thriving community, a center of Muslim scholarship in North Africa. Timbuktu’s wealth, however, lay in it’s location at the crossroads of trade routes. The main products that passed through the city were salt and slaves. For hundreds of years, slaves taken in sub-Saharan Africa suffered the march along the route that passed through Timbuktu on their way for sale in the markets of North Africa and the eastern markets of the Muslim kingdoms and Empires.

When I searched the internet, however, Timbuktu’s role in the slave trade had disappeared from Timbuktu’s main page. Salt remained, but the slave references had been removed. Lots of money to be made in salt. How could this happen?

Without getting too boring, there are the several different sources used for historical research. Primary sources are contemporary records, eyewitness accounts or diaries, photographs and physical evidence from the period. More recently, you can add DNA data to that category. None are perfect – the writer might have held a grudge or was an enemy. Julius Caesar, for instance, wrote a very damning account of the Celts and their foul customs to justify conquering and enslaving them. (See pic of Celts burning people in the Wicker Man as a sacrifice-only Caesar described this)

Secondary sources include books based on primary sources, usually written by researchers or historians. Secondary sources, regardless of how objective the writer may attempt to be, are written through the prism of the writer’s perceptions, biases, nefarious intentions or cultural perspectives. Which brings us to the sad tertiary source. Textbooks, often produced by a writer who is more familiar with textbook construction than history, are based on secondary sources. In the United States, textbook content falls prey to the writer’s level of expertise in the subject and the state course of study, usually that of Texas which has the largest book order. Like I said, sad. So much for historiography.

The lesson to be learned? Evaluate the source when you’re researching. Look at multiple sources. Avoid textbooks. Sometimes, however, the prejudices that you find in primary and secondary sources provide valuable insights into the subjects/characters, you’re researching. Next month, Avoiding the Dreaded Anachronism.

Rita Bay

"Celebrating Romance Across the Ages"

ritabay.com with Rita Bay’s Blog

southernsizzleromance.wordpress.com

thewritersvineyard.com

"Into the Lyon's Den" Champagne Books, August, 2012

Truth v Fabrication

2012-02-04T07:14:00.088-05:00

When my son was small, his way of asking if something was true was, “Is this for reals or fishtishous?” I recently wrote a “for reals” book profiling the Welsh immigrants who made a difference in Southern Arizona in the territory’s journey to statehood—the Centennial of which is on February 14, 2012.

It’s different writing nonfiction—but not as much as I would have thought. Both have their challenges and restrictions. I write historical fiction, so I center my stories around true events. Actions have to be realistic, but often what really happened is less believable than anything I could invent, so having the documentation to prove that truth is weirder than fiction is a must.

I probably do more research than is necessary, but the smell of parchment and old books is an elixir I can’t resist. I had four years of research involved before I started writing Dragon & Hawk, with bits of daily life from newspaper ads and articles. By the time I wrote Book Three in the series, I had bookshelves and file cabinets full of maps, interviews, and eyewitness accounts of different Welsh immigrants who made their mark on Arizona. I decided to put at least part of that information together in one place. Cactus Cymry: Influential Welsh in the Southern Arizona Territory was published this past November by Open Press Books, a mainly educational press in Bloomington, Indiana.

Nonfiction doesn’t have to be “just the facts, Ma’am.” Those sorts of blah, blah, blah tomes bore the hell out of people and turn them off of reading about those who came before. So I added a little background information about what nudged people to leave Wales, along with a few wry—some might say sarcastic—observations.

I miss footnotes. Who the hell thought it was easier to put reference notes at the back of the book so the reader has to flip back and forth to see where that information was found? I liked glancing down at the bottom of the page to see the source right there. But the current style is putting all references at the end of the book, without footnote numbers, listed solely by a phrase used in the text. That’s what the publisher wanted, so that’s how it is. Sigh.

Don't forget photos. If you can find pictures that support your research, great. Remember to honor all copyrights, especially for historical photographs. Be warned: it'll cost ya. Some of the immigrants I discovered as mayors or respected citizens were ghosts in the stacks--names and stories but no photographs, or there was but one in the archives. The publication fees for photos from the Arizona Historical Society just for North American print use were not cheap, and my publisher would not pay for them. I did. But I can't afford the "digital publication fees" of $150 per photo to make Cactus Cymry available on Kindle and the like. Regretfully, this book cannot be published as an ebook. So, like many reference books with rare photos, it's print only.

Writing nonfiction is like a treasure hunt: you dig for documents and proof of the truth. Finding little-known facts about a famous event is like striking gold. As long as you can show the sources of what you’ve found are reputable, reporting the facts can be pretty darn exhilarating. Tell the story just the way you would tell a friend about what you found, with all the enthusiasm and excitement you felt when you first researched the information to bring it to life. The structure is the same: you have to have a beginning, middle, and end. You want your readers to be anxious to learn what happened next. The big difference is only that you have to list those documented sources.

How fun it is to have real people interact with characters I've dreamed onto paper! And to combine my fictional series with the culmination of years of research is simply another way to establish credibility and market my work. Those who don't like to read fiction can peruse the real stories and those (like me) who love to learn about history through historical fiction can look forward to a trilogy of exciting novels.

Still, I’ll continue in my fictional ways—until I amass another research pile of dirty little secrets or unsung heroism.

Either way, I’m having a great time avoiding housework.

~Jude

Jude Johnson

Author

Cactus Cymry; (nonfiction) Open Books Press

Dragon & Hawk; (fiction) Champagne Books

Website: Jude-johnson.com

Cactus Cymry: Influential Welsh in the Southern Arizona Territory is now in print, available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

From Science Fiction to Fantasy

2012-02-02T02:48:00.000-05:00

Or, "Why not continue an SF series?"

There is no question in my mind that my SF "Dancer" series has legs - I could keep milking both the rich world and deep characters I created until the cows come home. Several spin-offs come to mind, not to mention extending the main character's own story. I've seen many well-established authors do this with one book after another...after another.

I don't like being a one-trick pony. The world building part of me starts to rust when I've already an established house to build off of. This was part of my thinking when I took the step from writing SF into Fantasy - my current work in progress. No, I wasn't following the masses. No sparkly anythings. No were-this and were-that. Wizards? Fae? Nope, not going to find them. Instead, I wanted to revisit a core interest I've always had - one that didn't in the slightest mold itself into an SF venue. I also wanted to dabble lightly - enough fantasy to stretch the reality, but only a step away.

The premise is easy, too. The battle for free will. The craftsman against the assembly line. The long chains of guilt that pin us down. Oh, and that core interest of mine from my early teen days of watching the train yard outside of the salt factory where my father worked. The tentative title is "Trains." A twelve year old boy watches as a steam train rushes by and sweeps up his younger sister - right before the tracks disappear along with her. Ten years later a torn young man finds those tracks again, and heads down them to reclaim both his sister and his self-worth.

The rails of America are rich with stories, from the hobo camps to the rail barons. It doesn't take much to nudge them a bit more into something more, and add in a slight hint of steam punk while I'm at it. I'm sixty-five pages into the first draft, and have a whole new world and cast of characters to work with. I had forgotten how slow and tedious creating these things can be, but the change of genre has woken parts of my writer's mind that have been sleeping far too long.

Oh, I will return to SF. Right now, however, there is this long haunting whistle rebounding off the bluffs that can't be ignored. I even brought a tear to the wife's face with my latest installment - always a good sign (and yes, I gave her a good hug and took her out to lunch).

So, fellow writers, if you start feeling burned out - try another genre. Who knows?

Kerry
www.kmtolan.com

A Real Writer At Last

2012-02-01T01:00:00.053-05:00

Several years ago I read an interview with Laurel K. Hamilton. She was talking about how embarrassed she was to interview a detective for her first Anita Blake novel because she needed to ask him what the police would do if they found dug-up and partially eaten corpses in a graveyard. Apparently the question didn't even faze him; he eluded to worse things that have actually happened, though I can't imagine what that could be.

What I took away from the interview was a kind of jealousy for her courage and success before she was published. I'd often wanted to interview police or certain professionals for research on my novels, but I felt that as an unpublished writer, I hadn't earned the right to be taken seriously. I didn't think they would have time for a nobody. Even after three published novels, I still felt that way becuase I wasn't "famous" or published by a big house like Penguin. And I'm sure some of my novels have suffered for it when I glossed over details to hide my ignorance. Then earlier this year I wrote my first YA novel, and because of the sensitive subject matter, I was forced to grow some balls.

Subjects like teen suicide and bullying deserve more than a "glossing over" of facts. It's real, it's pervasive, and it's terrible. Aside from being burned by critics for not doing my research, I also feared I would be doing a kind of injustice to teens who had been affected by bullying, or the ones who had committed suicide because of it. So I put out a request on Facebook, asking if anyone knew cops and detectives that I might be able to interview. The response was overwhelming; because I'd made so many connections with other authors, everyone knew someone connected to a police force. Soon I had more than enough leads to follow up on, and settled on a classmate's retired dad, and a friend of my sister's who works for the local police department. The first interview, with my classmate's dad, was conducted by email and was therefore pretty easy. The second, which ended up being with a detective with the Phoenix Police Department who specializes in teen bullying, was done over the phone. Needless to say, I was a nervous wreck.

I came up with a list of questions because I knew I would be too nervous to remember everything, and I even practiced my opening "monologue." I psyched myself up by reminding myself that I had three published novels with a traditional publisher, one of which won Novel of the Year. I had published articles, short stories, three plays. But in spite of all that, I couldn't quell this underlying fear that I was just a big sham. I felt like I was twelve years old, writing a "book" on a lark, and that a real detective would see (or hear) right through me. The fact that he was so willing to talk to me was the key to my eventual success in going through with the phone call. Without knowing anything about me and my publishing history, he was very interested in talking to and helping me, which told me he took me seriously enough to give me his personal cell phone number which I could call when he was at home. Talk about trust! I was still nervous as hell throughout the conversation, and mortified myself at the end when I got choked up telling him how much it meant to me, that he'd taken me seriously. "You've made me feel," I told him, "like a real writer." To which he responded, "You are a real writer."

Anyway, I learned a lot about investigations into bullying and suicide, most of which I hadn't known. I'm sure I'll still get some things wrong because I was so nervous, but at least I have a chance of getting away with looking like I might know what I'm talking about. More than anything, I came away from the interview feeling empowered, like now that I had gotten that first important interview out of the way, I could request interviews with just about anyone. It's really more about a writer's own confidence than their experience that will garner interviews with "important" people, and that was the big difference between Laurel K. Hamilton and myself. She knew she was worth someone else's time.

At the end of the phone conversation, the detective even expressed interest in reading my novel once it's finished. Now that's being generous with his time, especially since that came after I had to confess the main plot of the novel. "Well, see, there's this alien that takes over a teen's body." He was very polite: "Oh. Um...okay."

Ashley J. Barnard
Dark Fantasy with a Contemporary Twist
www.ashleyjbarnard.com

The Gift Giving Season

2012-01-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Christmas last month and have Valentine's Day coming up next month. Flowers and chocolates are commonly given and the easiest to purchase. And then there is jewelry and lingerie. These are great gifts, and jewelry can be a lasting memento. But I thought it might be fun to talk about finding and giving the perfect gift, one that shows you put a lot of thought and effort into your choice. The answer I'm sure will vary from person to person. What I think of as the ideal gift might be considered junk by others.

Years ago, my husband mentioned he'd like to have a pipe with the Prince of Wales shape and a meerschaum bowl. He had to go back overseas, but I was determined to find that pipe. I did and sent it to him for his birthday. He was thrilled and couldn't believe I remembered those details. Knowing the likes and dislikes of the person you're buying for helps. Does the woman like to collect perfume bottles? Does she collect glassware and could you add to the collection? Does he have a knife or pen collection? Gifts that require thought and time are much more appreciated than one grabbed off the shelf.

Selecting gifts can be hard, especially for men. Some women give hints to help their significant other know what to buy. I know my husband has struggled over the years and I've finally started telling him what I want. He knows not to give me kitchen or home appliances. But, ever once in a while, he's surprised me with something that thrilled me--a ring guard for my wedding set, a music box. Then there was the Christmas that one of my gifts was a certificate for a cleaning company to come out. That was one of the best gifts I've ever received.

We could talk a long time about some of the worst gifts we've received over the years, but I'd prefer to remain positive. What is one of the best gifts you've ever received? Do you still have it?

Thanks for participating!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/
http://www.lindalaroque.com/

Editing is just a thing called love

2012-01-30T01:00:00.001-05:00

I’m having a relationship with my editor this very moment. Don’t worry, my husband knows about it.

If you love your work, you must love your edit. Note I said edit not editors. But if they don't agree with what you are trying to portray, it could be because you didn’t make it real or believable for them. The editor is your first reader, your best defense against failure. If they don't “get it” most of their readers won't either. Your editor stands between you and the failure to communicate.

Recently I sent off a flash fiction story to one of my favorite editors. He has published seven of my other stories with various degrees of editorial assistance. This specific story he didn't get, partly because it wasn't typical of my brand and partly because, based on his readership, he knew a few unanswered questions would be misinterpreted when translated in his clients’ minds. In one spot it was so bad that it turned my grieving mother into a geezer slut, or at best a loose woman.

We tossed this subject back and forth for three days—time zone issue—and finally came to a compromise. My grieving mother retained her virtue and we both retained our integrity.

Editors are your friends. The writers at Champagne have been praising and criticizing editors. The consensus is that we need them, and most of us love them. We’re in this relationship together, for good, better and the best.

Julie Eberhart Painter is the Champagne Books author of Mortal Coil, Tangled Web, and Kill Fee. See her Web site at www.books-jepainter.com;
Flash fiction appears at http://www.bewilderingstories.com

Onward to Valentine’s Day

2012-01-29T01:24:00.000-05:00

I'm not cheap! Or at least that's what I tell myself as I pursue my latest hobby: treasure hunting at the local thrift stores. The truth is, I'm nosy. Seeing what others discard tells me a lot about people, and about society. How else would I find out that my whole wardrobe went out of style about a decade back? It's a sure cinch my husband isn’t going to tell me! Nor do I spend enough time hob-knobbing with the famous and fashionable to find out from them.

Jeans are t-shirts are about the only mischief I get into these days. And they're too darn comfortable to be stylish. But heck, I swapped high fashion for comfort when I stopped working in a California high rise . . . awhile ago. And I've been better satisfied with the whole universe ever since. Aching feet caused by wearing three inch heels with skinny skirts or power suits tend to make folks downright hostile. Maybe that's what’s wrong in Washington DC these days. But I suppose not; I really can’t believe all those politicians suffers from hammer toes and bunions.

So be kind to yourself. Pull on some ahhh-inspiring comfort clothes, turn off the news -- it’s too depressing, anyway -- and escape into a book of your choosing, preferably one that’ll leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling. If we'd all do that, just think what a better place this grumpy, old world would be. At least for a little while.

And, if I may be so bold, I’d like to suggest my novella, Border Heat. Travel agent, Caroline Cody, knows that with one misstep she could plummet to the bottom of Mexico’s mile-deep Copper Canyon. Meanwhile, tour leader, Jess Hightower, swears to protect her and the whole tour group from local bad guys. But he can’t be everywhere. Or can he?

If you like danger and humor sprinkled in with your romance, then Border Heat is just the read for a cold winter eve.

Enjoy,

Ramona Butler

RamonaButler.com/

Resolution or Goal? What’s in a word?

2012-01-28T01:00:00.025-05:00

Here it is the end of another January, another new beginning slowly changing into the path of the future, and many who made those ubiquitous New Year’s resolutions already carry the guilt of a broken commitment. Individuals have made these types of pledges for centuries, perhaps as far back as ancient Babylonia. Made with optimism and perhaps the help of a glass or two of champagne, resolutions often fail when faced with day-to-day challenges. Once broken resolutions are seldom renewed until the next New Year, perhaps because of the sense of failure attached when commitment fails. They’ve become something of a joke about ambitions doomed to failure, a tradition tied to the New Year about changing, in the resolver’s viewpoint, a less perfect aspect of their life.

Taking time to reassess life, examine the past, its achievements, and failures, seems a good idea while planning for future desires and aspirations. Self-examination is a part of the mental growth cycle that leads to knowledge of inner self. It’s an important process. That’s why I don’t make resolutions, I form goals. A broken resolution is often met with shrugged shoulders and a laugh when asked about its success, yet maybe a lingering sense of “I couldn’t do it” follows with accompanying excuses.

What’s the difference? Isn’t the definition of a resolution a commitment to a goal? Yes, but it’s about words. They have power. To me, resolution seems carved in stone and means from this moment on I will achieve this goal. If I fail, I’ve broken my pledge, my will power has failed. A goal is a challenge not yet achieved. If I have a goal, it is something I am working toward, a standard that can be set down when necessary and taken up when I’m ready to move forward with renewed energy. Goals can change, be redefined and adapted. For me, this is a more achievable alternative. This I can achieve. It’s all in the wording.

Rhobin L. Courtright

Learning to Juggle

2012-01-27T11:57:00.000-05:00

The hardest part of being a writer for me has always been juggling. I never realized that becoming a writer was becoming a juggler. I had to keep my day job as a psychologist and most of my writing occurred after work during hours I should have been sleeping. This juggling only got worse when I had children. It was like I added an extra ball. Suddenly, I found myself juggling book reports and my writing. Of course, I hadn’t had any successes at that point so I could write or not write as I pleased.

Over the last few years this has gotten worse. Success as a writer lead to an unexpected difficulty, suddenly I had deadlines. When I started writing I hadn’t imagined the joys of deadlines. My column had to be in every month on a specific date and my editor liked me to turn things in to make the publication schedule. So things got harder. My blog needed weekly attention and more books meant more deadlines. I wasn’t even that successful. I still am not, but the deadlines are there.

I guess what I still haven’t entirely learned to juggle is the unexpected life events. I had another baby recently and despite guest posts on my blog and forgiving editors, I still found myself struggling. Constant illness, surgery, and a newborn slowed me down to a point where I began to worry my editors would give up on me. I guess this is more of a question post than an answer post. I figure other writers have to have figure out some method to deal with this. There must be some way to juggle life and writing without one being sacrificed. I haven’t really figured it out yet. I have somehow muddled through by writing even when I don’t feel like it and staying up even when I only get a few hours of sleep already, but I know there has to be a better way. I hear other writers talking about juggling and they sound so much less crazed by it all. All I know is, I keep juggling and hope that someone shows me a better way, even if I drop a few balls now and again.

Jessica Penot

http://www.ghoststoriesandhauntedplaces.blogspot.com/

http://www.jessicapenot.net/

The “ah” affect

2012-01-27T01:12:00.000-05:00

Michael W. Davis

Davisstories.com

There is nothing like the exhilaration of typing the last chapter, then page, then last word of a novel you've sculpted for months. I just completed my eight full-length story and I noticed two things this time.

First, it's getting harder to sit down and commit myself to the twenty weeks of isolation needed to create and live in my fiction world. Second, I still get that rush of bringing a new group of friends into the world. Not sure that will ever grow old.

Sometimes I complain to my wife, "OMG, will this thing never end?" yet at the instant I reach that final keystroke, I'm just so darn proud.

In a strange way it's similar to my kids. Sometimes their messes, push back, nights of not calling while we worried at home, and all the other pains of raising kids take a toll. Yet once grown you examine what they became and you beam with pride.

Yeah, something like that.

Michael W. Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 2008 & 2009

Shadow of Guilt, “To each crossing of paths, there is a reason.”
Blind Consent, “The answers are buried in the secrets of the past.”
Forgotten Children, “Only Sara knows the truth.”
Tainted Hero, “Sometimes good people do bad things.”
The Treasure, “A lonely heart can impair one’s judgment.”
Veil of Deception, “Sometimes truth cuts deeper than a lie.”

Fuel for a Weary Soul

2012-01-26T06:10:00.004-05:00

As writers,we are expected to show up at the page every day, just like any other job. If the plumber or the lawyer or the roofer only showed up “when the muse strikes” -- they’d all be fired. So will we. Even if it’s our second job, and we love the “day job”, too -- we still need the dailiness in order to be both professional and productive.

However, we get tired,too. We have the right and the need to take breaks and vacations, and refuel both body and soul. When we plan it, the way we would plan any vacation from work, or take a day or so for “mental health” to do something fun, it serves us well.

If we don’t write because “we don’t get around to it” or life “gets in the way”, it creates a cycle of sabotage. The longer you stay away from the page WITHOUT planning it, just letting it slide, the harder it is to get back both into the draft’s rhythm and your own.

But when we’re weary -- of everything, not just writing -- how do we replenish the soul?

What interests you?
Look at the events calendar in the paper. What, in your area, is going on that interests you? You don’t have the excuse of “not having time”. Pick something that catches your eye, especially if it’s a new experience, and go! Give yourself the chance to experience something out of your regular routine. See where that leads. Was it completely satisfying unto itself? Or do you want more? And then see how you can fit it into your life. If we want it badly enough -- whether it’s writing or anything else -- we find a way to make it work. If you “don’t have time” -- it means you don’t WANT to have time badly enough.

What soothes you?
What makes you feel special and pampered? Getting your hair or nails done? Lying in a scented bath? A walk on the beach? Yoga? Meditation? Pick a treat for yourself and schedule it. It’s not what someone else thinks you SHOULD do -- it’s what you WANT to do. One person’s hot yoga session is another person’s lying on the couch reading a book. It’s whatever YOU want.

What fuels you?’
When I get tired in my writing life, I read other writers whose work inspires me. Whether it’s a published journal (Joyce Carol Oates, Louisa May Alcott, Virginia Woolf), a book on writing (such as Elizabeth George’s WRITE AWAY or Terry Brooks’s SOMETIMES THE MAGIC WORKS or Carolyn See’s MAKING A LITERARY LIFE), or something like the WRITERS AT WORK series edited by George Plimpton -- it helps remind me why I do this, and makes me eager to get back to the page.

Get Visual Rather than Verbal
One of the best ways to refresh my soul is to go to a museum and look at paintings. I can leaf through an art book, but standing in the room with a wonderful painting is more effective. The proximity to the brush strokes and the color provides energy. The visual makes me look at the world in a new way. Museums aren’t just for fund-raisers and school trips -- they hold treasures to be enjoyed. Make use of them!

Whatever you do, log off, get those earbuds out, and really experience it. Stretch all your senses, be in the moment, and appreciate the vital, energetic world around us. The best writing is filled with life, not separated. Live an integrated life rather than a compartmentalized one, and your writing will take on fresh energy of its own.

--Annabel Aidan is a full-time writer, publishing under a half a dozen names in fiction and non-fiction. Her romantic suspense novel, ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT, is available from Champagne Press. Website: www.devonellingtonwork.com/annabelaidan.html.

Shyness

2012-01-25T01:17:00.001-05:00

I just read a blog about shyness vs. introversion and discovered I’m neither Well, I guess I knew I wasn’t shy. But I did think of myself as rather introverted, but it turns out I don’t really fit the criteria for that, either. I was sort of figuring I had to be because I was a writer. Which is silly. Did I think all writers had to be introverted?

I should have know better. About writers and about myself. When I was still able to go to conferences, hadn’t I volunteered volunteered to be on panels--and even be a theme speaker sometimes. Yet, at the same time, I did feel more comfortable in the company of writers I already knew and liked.

I was like an only child in that my brother was nineteen years older than I was--in college when I was born. I think not having brothers or sisters to grow up with does isolate a child, but

in my day every kid played outside, because that’s where the fun was and I was eager to go out and participate in it. I did learn to like to be alone, though. This, even though I do like most people I meet.

It’s true every writer spends a certain amount of time alone by definition, or a book would never get written. That’s if you can describe a writer as being alone when she or he has windows mail constantly pouring in and needing to be at least scanned for anything that requires immediate attention.

So what’s the point of all this? I guess it’s that writers, though they may be physically alone, are really not in many ways. This electronic age makes it hard to isolate yourself. And yet we do really need to be alone to be able to write. Alone in the sense that we’re not paying any attention to what’s going on around us. It has to be a lonely business in order for us to get a book finished.

I’ve heard many writers describe themselves at being amazed at what was happening around them when they “came up for air.” It’s happened to me as well. But literally being in another world when we write doesn’t make us shy or introverted. Kinko, our calico grandcat knows I go someplace else when I’m at the computer, so when she wants something, she reaches up and puts her paws on my upper leg. If I don’t say something to her, she digs a claw in, just to remind me she’s there and in need of attention,

So do some writers consider themselves introverts or shy ? I wonder how many of us do.

Book news: Ellen put Taken In, Book 1 of the Dagon House Trilogy, up on New Year’s Day!

Blurb for Taken In:

With a hit man in pursuit, Gail flees after witnessing a murder. Secret agent Jason finds her first. Eluding the hit man causes a crash. Gail and Jason escape the exploding car just in time, but when they take shelter in Dagon House they face a far worse danger… And now I’d best get back to writing Where There’s Smoke, Book 2 in this ghostly trilogy.

Jane

2012-01-25T00:30:00.000-05:00

DESCRIBE OR NOT DESCRIBE

I recently read a bookthat provided an interesting experience. I consider every book an experience,some more memorable than others and for different reasons. The reason thisparticular book stood out is that it left me with almost no sense of “travel.”Let me explain. The single biggest reason I was captivated by reading thebetter part of sixty years ago, was that by reading I could escape my ordinarylife and travel to amazing places. I could be in Antarctica with Shackleton oron Venus with Ray Bradbury. I could join the gold rush with Jack London orsuffer the long days in a dark dungeon with Dumas. My point?

In the present culture,we have invested ourselves lock, stock, and barrel in instant gratification. Ifa movie doesn’t have a chase scene or some type of special effects catastrophewithin the first three minutes and every five minutes to follow, the film doesn’tachieve “blockbuster” status.

Our publishers andeditors tell us the same thing about books: “If it doesn’t advance the story,leave it out.” Or, “We need a murder or sex scene the first few pages.” I admit with some quick read beach books thismight be advisable, but what I worry about is; are we losing our ability todescribe in some detail the awe-inspiring beauty of the Himalayans, or themanic pressure of a major drama taking place on a crowded downtown street? Moreimportant are we losing the “travel” in modern literature? I admit there is a fine line between enoughand too much detail. I further admit it is a good thing authors are no longerpaid by the word. That alone spares readers from tons of useless padding. Fewauthors possess the talent to walk the fine line between too much and toolittle, while still being able to transport us to another dimension.

What I miss is becomingso engaged , so captured by a writer’s ability to describe, that I am in his world, in that point in time. I amthere with the characters: suffering, enjoying, and feeling cold, or wet, ortired or afraid. I miss that in many of the books I read today. Granted thereare some, but it seems as if we are moving farther and farther away from juicydescriptions that make your mouth salivate for more. What is the answer? Idon’t know. Perhaps it is more my perception brought on by the staggeringamount of books now being published. Perhaps a significant number of new bookswith this characteristic are lost among the massive flow of bookspublished. In the even more rushed world of e publishing,I doubt we will find an answer. My hope is that collectively we will grow tiredof books without “travel” and maybe someday enough enlightened souls willdemand more literature and fewer beach reads.

I would love to hear youropinion, please write.

CC Kaufman - Author -
Reconcilable Differences 'R' @ http://www.carnalpassions.com
Night of The Machetes @ http:// www.champagnebooks.com
The Invitation (R ) @ http://www.carnalpassions.com

My web- http://www.cckaufman.com

A Room of Our Own

2012-01-21T04:22:00.000-05:00

"Every female writer should have a good wife" - I’ve heard that said a few times about the problems married women sometimes face when trying to devote enough time to their craft. Virginia Wolfe recognised the problem long ago when she advocated that a woman writer should have "a room of one’s own".

I have a good, supportive husband, but I’ve had to train him along the way! Not with helping around the house – he’s better than many women at housework. It’s that problem writers sometimes have when partnered with a non-writer, if they don't fully understand our need for uninterrupted space and time, whether thinking or writing. It was fine when husband went to work from 8am until 6pm, and the growing children were at school. But a few years ago, on the same week our youngest finally moved out to a flat of her own, husband started working from home.

So I hit upon a plan: since he’s a much earlier riser than me and works upstairs, while I work downstairs, I asked him not to talk to me on weekday mornings. Sometimes we speak in passing, but mostly he stays upstairs at his desk and I stay in my study, and never the twain shall meet – until lunch time. Fortunately, he gets engrossed in his own work and peace reigns, until he has a problem or question that won’t wait. After 36 years of marriage and countless years of child-rearing, I reckon I deserve that room of my own. But I wonder what will happen when we downsize in the next year or two - watch this space!

Rosemary

http://ros-readingandwriting.blogspot.com/

http://romygemmell.blogspot.com/

Dangerous Deceit, Champagne Books and Amazon

SOFA... I mean, SOPA

2012-01-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

I don't like pirates (except perhaps for the person above). I'm sure everyone who writes and distributes screenplays, songs and books agree. Pirates steal gold coins and jewels, and throw them around indiscriminately. They download artists' work and distribute them free (or for money) to a greedy or cheap public. I get it. They're bad.

But I wonder if this SOPA thing is the right way to combat this plague. From what I can understand, they want to exercise the right to shut down any website or server that posts copyrighted material, whether by accident or design. I don't pretend to be an expert (on anything), but I get the sense that there are opposing views about this situation.

What if we, as writers, wanted to research on the Internet for our books? What if Wikipedia was completely shut down because someone found material that didn't have the proper permission to post a snippet of a song, or a quote from a piece of literature? What if Tumblr was completely erased because some kid decided to post some fan art? What if my website went dark (not that anybody looks at it) because a server somewhere in Lithuania inadvertently hosted a pirate site? What if Champagne Books got sued because a small detail was overlooked while editing a book and they can't afford to have a team of lawyers to deal with such things?

One writer compared the bill to eradicating a disease with a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel.

I'm sure many readers, authors and publishers know more about the implications of this bill than I do. I'm still new at this, of course. What are your opinions? Is this a tempest in a teapot (that is public domain, right?)?

What if The Writers Vineyard got nuked because I put a picture of Jack Sparrow at the top of this post? (Don't worry -- it's only me in a Halloween costume and I hold all the rights to the picture. But the mascara might have been Johnny Depp's)

Sandra Cormier is the author of Bad Ice, a hockey romantic suspense published by Champagne Books.

What a Character!

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've always been hesitant to post blogs in the past which made me out to be an expert in writing. But that was the past, and if you've read my most recent posting, then you know that it's time for an attitude change. And this isn't to say that I'm going to make myself out to be something I'm not...but I've been at this writing gig for a while, and have a lot of wisdom that can be helpful to authors, both new and experienced.

So, today I plan to discuss characters. How do you come up with good ones?

One would think that you need to figure out what your character looks like. Maybe that's important to you, but to the average reader, they're going to fill in most of the blanks you leave. If it's important to the plot, or is indicative of your character's life, then put it in the story. Heck, even if it's not, you can still put it in. Just remember, the more important details need to have a greater exposure in the narrative. What I mean: Something that's important, spend more time on. Something not so much, then give it the briefest mention possible.

Take my space pirate Aston West, for example. I give a little bit of a mention of his "extended" gut, because he's a heavy drinker and gets no exercise. I might mention his hair when he runs his hands through it. But if you were to have ten people who count themselves as loyal Aston fans describe him from head to toe, you'd likely get ten different looks. Why don't I blather on about his looks (and quite often in my series of short stories, I barely describe him at all)? Because that's not where the story is, and story is what people are reading for.

So, we've established that looks aren't all that important. So what is? I'd say you need to figure out what makes your character tick. Why does he do the things he does? Why does she react to life the way you have her do so? What does he like or dislike? If you don't know these things about your characters, it's going to show in your writing. And as a result, your characters are going seem flat and uninteresting.

Take Aston as an example again. He absolutely hates getting involved in anything unless he absolutely has to. Why not? Because of his back story...he served in his planet's military as a plan of last resort, and nearly died as a result. Getting involved is a great way to get yourself killed, and he has a big helping of self-preservation. Will he get involved? Only when he feels that great moral imperative that was instilled in him by growing up an orphan with his two (since deceased) brothers. Do I come out and tell the reader all this when he's declining the chance to get involved? No, and that's not my job. My job is to present facts along the way, sprinkling the back story in as appropriate and letting the reader connect the dots and come up with the "aha" moment. [Spoiler] So, at the end of my novel Heroes Die Young, when he ultimately has to decide whether to get involved, he ends up doing so (despite not getting involved at any other point in the story) because he feels responsible for the pain and suffering that is going to be inflicted on people (i.e., that great moral imperative I mentioned before).[/spoiler]

Why your characters act the way they do is going to directly relate to how they handle themselves throughout the plot and with other characters (thus hopefully developing conflicts), both of which will end up being future posts. Make sure that your characters react believably (so that readers will believe it) based on their backstory, and you'll have characters that readers latch onto and love for a lifetime (as so many have claimed about Aston).

So, to recap, it's as people always claim and what you have on the inside (of your character) is what really matters...and looks are just skin-deep.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you have different opinions, feel free to share in the comments.

Good writing!

The Immense Value of a Literary Quote

2012-01-17T05:55:00.002-05:00

I have an admitted fondness for quotes. I find these little gems of wisdom are just the ticket to give my mind wings. They take me away from the everyday and refresh what it is for me to be human. It’s interesting how such a few words or phrases can do that. I think quotes demonstrate the power of the human word by distilling ideas down to their essence. Our minds then approach things in a way that reflects our own essence.

I’m providing some of my favorite all-time quotes today for your perusing pleasure, starting with my favorite quotes man, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:

“All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own.”

“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”

“All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to think them again.”

And from Albert Einstein:

“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

“A question that sometimes drives me hazy; am I or the others crazy?”

“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin, what else does a person need to be happy?” (I might add a good book here!)

Wishing you all a good day. May your mind have wings... Best, January Bain

Forever Man
Champagne Books
July 2012
First in the Forever Series
www.januarybain.ca

Do We Really Do What We Say We Will?

2012-01-15T13:00:00.026-05:00

Recently, a young family member (cousin-in-law) announced his decision to enter the Marathon Des Sables. He and his friends banded together and formed Because We Can, and have decided to run the Sahara Desert to raise funds for cancer research.

My initial reaction to this was the full version of ‘WTF.’ But then I thought what a brave thing they would be doing—to be able to do—because they can. The race is a full-out, unrelenting, sun-scorching, dehydrating trial of human endurance on the driest place on earth. Just a minor inconvenience, in the great big picture, compared to someone suffering the ordeal of cancer. How many of us have already been touched by cancer’s horrible, greedy fingers? If we haven’t ourselves been touched, we know of someone close enough who has been. Some have survived, too many we’ve lost. But affected by it, we are. And here these young people are doing something truly remarkable to help lash back the sickly reaches of those fingers.

It got me to thinking of how many times we actually do what we say we will. Even a simple thing like “I’ll call you tomorrow”—but you never do. I truly try my best to do what I say I will, but admittedly, it doesn’t always happen despite my best intentions. Or I will push it off for another time. Or think, someone else will do it. I’m sure a lot of you have done that. But I’m sure it’s everyone’s goal to be able to achieve a higher moral standing (I’m hoping so because that’s how I feel despite my cynicism on certain things). We all want to do good, we all aspire for good things, we all want to be better people. But it’s hard work.

And nobody likes hard work without some kind of payback in return. The only payback for this kind of hard work, is the feeling of self-accomplishment. Of doing good. Of doing something right. Of just doing something.

With the start of the new year, I see it fit to put my foot down and do what I say I will. To change from thinking about doing something, to doing something, in any way I can. From simple things, to complex things. I will try my best, in whatever I do, say, or plan, to see it through to the end. To start, I will help my young friends with their cause. While I don’t have rainfalls of money showering upon me to donate, I have something else that I can use. I can write about it. I can spread the word on the social networks, tell my friends, acquaintances, what have you. It’s a start and I hope it will make a difference where I can be proud to be accountable for.

What will you do that you say you will?

Cheers, and happy new year.

T.K. Toppin

It's Still Illegal to Kick the Crap out of Stupid People

2012-01-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

I was told that sarcastic humor is a form of anger and a personality disorder. Well, Detective Leslie Bolt in the action thriller, Bolt Action uses sarcasm to relate to people because kicking the crap out of stupid people is still frowned upon in the U.S. Check out some of the stupidest lawsuits I came across in my research. I’m relieved to report that each of the cases were dismissed.

In 1991 a guy sued Anheuser-Bush for false and misleading advertising. He suffered from emotional distress when he drank their beer. He was sure, that according to the commercial beautiful woman and tropical locations would appear. Apparently he didn’t drink enough beer I thought everyone looked good at closing time.

A man in prison for breaking and entering and burglary used himself for 5 million dollars because he violated his own civil rights and religious beliefs by allowing himself to get drunk and commit the crimes. He believed because he was in prison, the State would be responsible for paying the 5 million dollars. He thought wrong.

A woman sued Universal Studios for $15,000 because she suffered extreme fear and anxiety while visiting their Halloween Horror Nights Haunted House. What? I don’t think anyone forced her to take the tour. She didn’t realize it would be scary? The title has the words Halloween, Horror, and Haunted House included, how much more information do you need?

Detective Leslie Bolt is a smart talking, gun hording, Harley riding investigator forced to work a serial murder case with her sexy ex-lover. After a childhood of abuse suffered at the hand of her father, Leslie sleeps with a Ruger Blackhawk .357 under her pillow, has a Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker rifle in her broom closet, and a Saturday Night Special stashed in her road-hog cookie jar. The body count mounts, and Detective Bolt must conquer her own past, as she races to capture “The State Quarter Killer” before her sister is the next victim. Ride along as sarcastic Detective Leslie Bolt discovers secrets of the past, murder, deception, sexual tension, and “The State Quarter Killer”.

www.victoriaroder.com

BACK THEN ~ A Short Story

2012-01-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

It's a new year, so we thought we change things up a bit and present a short story that isn't a romance but a love story none-the-less.

BACK THEN
By:
Angelica Hart and Zi

August, tears squeezing past lashes, stood on the hill, watching the mourners, and knowing she should be with them. It was her gramps that was being buried this day, he of the assortment of bird-whistles and the bread making by hand not machine and the tall-tales of dragons and toads, space and infinity. So many walks through every season, so many kitchen sessions through every holiday, so many games from checkers, monopoly and chess to little league. Living in the garden cottage behind their house, he was there for every holiday, birthday and celebratory event as well as that not so great ones like the day she discovered her singing voice was so bad the choir director told her to lip sync, or when Thunder, her hamster, passed. It was Gramps who dug the hole and had given the Eulogy.

‘ere lies our true and dear friend
who ran ‘round the wheel until the end
We will miss him true and sure
And still look for ‘im dashin’ across the floor
But we will never forget the little rodent pet
we’ll celebrate your life every year on the day we met

The memory beckoned a brief smile, very brief. She should go down and be with her family. Only, they were there to say goodbye, and August didn’t want to do that. It was too final.

“Whatja doin’ all alone up ‘ere,” a familiar voice announced itself.

Like an amusement park teacup ride gone array, August spun about so quickly she nearly lost her footing. “Gramps?”

“In the spirit,” he said with a grin, and indeed he was a spirit. August could look right through him. “Gramps?” she said again, knowing her imagination must have taken on bonfire status, or was she just plain coo-coo.

“You’re not nuts, kiddo.”

He moved closer. A tree branch cut through his face, giving it a distorted look. She flopped on the ground, just like that, no warning. Shock was like that. “Can’t be…”

“Bit strange,” he agreed, holding up his hands and examining them. “But I feel great. No aches or pains, and that cold sore that was workin’ its way to full-blown pit status just ain’t there any more.”

“You’re a ghost.”

“I am?”

“I don’t believe in ghosts,” she said as if that alone could negate what she was seeing.

“Neither do I come to think of it,” Gramps said, and then laughed as he examined his hands once more. “Guess we gots to reconsider.”

“What are you doing here?” And then quickly as if knowing the answer, “I’m not going to say goodbye. Not ever.”

“That’s just it, kiddo. I’m ‘ere to tell ya you don’t have to.”

She brightened a little. “I don’t?”

“Nope,” he reiterated. “In fact, why don’t wes take a walk, you and me, out to the ole mill.”

“I’d like that,” she said, rubbing away her tears. “We haven’t been out there for at least two weeks.”

“More like eighty-five years, kiddo. Back then, we used to take lots of walks and talk ourselves silly.”

August blinked. “What do you mean eighty-five years?”

“It’s not me they’re puttin’ to rest down there. It’s you. You lived to be a hundred and one, kiddo. And when you breathed your last, you came out the other side here to your happiest age, when you and me had our time.”

The memories flooded back, fully, and she saw the faces below and knew her children, grand and great-great children. She had a good life, a wonderful one, but the time before her Gramps had past had been the best, and it seemed she was getting a chance to relive it.

With a smile, she took Gramps hand and they began their stroll into their forever afters.

We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at writingteamcw@yahoo.com (Write - Blog - in subject line) and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY
www.champagnebooks.com

CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL ~ Holidays 2012

STEEL EMBRACE by Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
August 2011 http://www.carnalpassions.com/

THE FABLE OF SIN-SIN CINDERELLA Series
angelicahartandzi.com

A little thing called Tribe

2012-01-12T04:00:00.003-05:00

Actually it's called Triberr and it's the newest thing out there for spreading the word. And let's face it, authors wanting to get their books seen are all about spreading the word.

So what is Triberr? It's a social group that allows you to form tribes. And what do tribes do? They support each other. How? By tweeting and retweeting information. That's the basics. I'm still learning it, but basically Triberr is connected Twitter.

I got invited to join a tribe. I check my tribe page each day for new blog posts. You can feed your blog through Triberr and all the members in your tribe can see that you have a new blog up. Hit the approve button for each blog listed and you've automatically tweeted the blog and it's url to all your followers. Of course to be effective, you have to be willing to blog pretty consistently. And we all know, I'm not the best blogger in the world but I've been doing better since joining the tribe. With 43 tribemates, we have the potential to reach 54,922 folks with each tweet. Kewl!!!!

And of course, we all like to feel like we belong so being in a tribe is another way of gaining another support group. There's a chat room built into the Triberr for each tribe so we can talk amongst ourselves as well. Gotta luv feeling loved.

Hickory Sticks

2012-01-11T01:07:00.000-05:00

By guest poster: Veronica Helen Hart
(VeronicaHelenHart.com)

“Reading, writing and ‘rithmetic, taught to the tune of a hickory stick.”

I resent spending time and money on a poorly written and/or edited book, hence the title of this blog. I have decided to create a new rating system of assigning Hickory Sticks instead of rewards such as stars. This rating system will rate negatives in writing. The worst writing will receive ten Hickory Sticks, the best, none. Reading, writing and arithmetic were the fundamental lessons in America’s early school days. With those skills new worlds opened to every student, each able to further his own education by going to a university or by reading. Open any book published before the advent of on-line publishing and look for errors. You will find very few.

Now flash forward to the current milieu of publishing. A potpourri of opportunities exists for every level of writer, from the most elementary beginner to the high achieving best selling author. We read best sellers from the major publishers and find an occasional typo and we can forgive the error because the story is so compelling. We probably also forgive an occasional error in a self-published book, as well as those from an independent publisher.

What I will not forgive, and will take my hickory stick to, are writers who self-publish, or pretend to be traditionally published by calling themselves a publishing company, who have not had their work professionally edited for content or typing errors.

Recently while in a self-imposed exile, I downloaded several books to my e-reader for company in the evenings. I chose a few free books, a couple of inexpensive self-published books, plus two books from best selling authors. Out of that group, the best, Hickory Stick free, were three traditionally published books by Anne Rivers Siddons, Nelson DeMille and Rosemary Gemmell, and one self-published by Maureen Fisher.

Hickory Sticks will go to:

• Stories that did not meet their promise.

Example: A romance/mystery with the promise of thriller-like chases and tension in the first few chapters, but it dwindled down to a predictable romance and lost all its conflict. Eight Hickory Sticks

• Obvious errors because the writer depended on a spell-checker.

Example: a book about a female ob/gyn whose father was “tinkled pink” about her joining his practice. Five Hickory Sticks (for more reasons than that one error.)

• Books with blatant errors, poor grammar, weak story.

Example: There are too many to put in here, but I had downloaded the “free” books, hoping to find some for which I could provide positive reviews. None of my free reads fell into that category. Two were allegedly produced by a publisher—turned out to be each author’s own company; two were unashamedly self-published. In the two self-published free books, I found I did not have the patience to read all the way through to find out if there was even a point to the writing. They contained major typing and formatting errors, and an incredible number of incomplete sentences and incorrect word usage. If I reviewed them in Hickory Sticks, going from bad to worse, the last two would receive ten each. The self-published, for which I paid, ranged between five and eight sticks.

On the positive side, I find that most of the small, independent publishers provided quality material. There is such joy in opening a well-presented volume and knowing that it will be “Hickory Stick” free. Self-published authors seeking editorial services face a common problem; how do they know a good freelance editor from a bad?

Traditional publishers provide excellent and comprehensive editorial services for the good of their own reputations. They carefully examine manuscript submissions, most of which have already been screened by an agent. Accepted manuscripts are subjected to several rounds of editing covering all aspects of the product.

Self-published manuscripts seldom receive such close scrutiny, so how is an independent author to compete? How can freelance editors be rated, bearing in mind that they must provide services equivalent to those of several editors in traditional publishing? There is obviously a need for a system of editorial evaluation. Perhaps even a register such as those for agents.

I am launching the Hickory Stick rating so maybe if the authors get enough Hickory Sticks—or a lack of them—they will report the results by blog, Facebook and Twitter. That will be a start. First, I have to screw up the courage.

About the author: Veronica Helen Hart, raised in a vagabond family, never had time to make friends as a child, so she turned to books as travelling companions. They became her best friends. Now settled in Daytona Beach, Florida, she is slowly collecting a friend here and a friend there when she is not being grumpy about reading. Her book, The Prince of Keegan Bay, is available at Champagne Books.

What exactly influences an Author?

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Years ago, my little sister and I played opera. So what on earth does that have to do with being a writer? Why, I was into pretend. Of course, I was always the heroine. As I grew, I read. One of my greatest joys was sneaking off to a private corner where I could read. Once a week, we'd go to the public library and during those years I read every Cherry Ames Nurse books. Okay, so right away you can tell I went for romantic stories.

It was about then I began to write, at first poetry. In the eighth grade, one of the local organizations offered a scholarship award, a whole fifty dollars, based on the best essay. I abandoned poetry and turn to writing essays. I won the scholarship and I knew then I would be a writer. The question - what would I write - never entered my mind. I would be a writer. I do have to smile though, remembering my college English professor. Nothing about my writing ability pleased her. In fact, if I remember correctly, she begrudgingly gave me a "C-" for a final class grade.

After college, I began to teach, and met the love of my life, married and began our family. I discovered the romance genre. I found I loved the feel good, happy endings you always got with romances. One day I began a book which became the genesis for my passion to write historical romances. The book was well written - I thought. But I found problems with the book. The heroine's eyes changed color twice. A mother-in-law who played a small part disappeared, never to be heard from again. An important character suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and I remember thinking at the time, where did he come from. I sat in our bedroom, my reading corner and stared at that book. I just knew I could do a better job.

I dragged out the typewriter and announced I was going to write a book. My children thought it was hilarious and my daughter told me, "Oh, yea, Mom. When cows fly."
My husband didn't crack a smile, bless his heart. He built a place in the basement of our home so I had a special place to write. When I started having trouble planning the action, he suggested I plot the story out using a time line. He even supplied the paper. When I sold my first books I came home from school to find a stuffed toy cow, adorned with a set of wings flying around the family room attached to our ceiling fan. It seemed "Cows could fly." I dedicated that first book to my children, telling them to look up.

I've learned a lot over the years but I do believe if I hadn't read so much and didn't love books, I would never have tried to write. And I found you can never learn too much. If you don't continue to grow, to develop, to improve, you can not succeed. Looking at each of my seventeen books I can truthfully say, I have learned, I have grown, I have improved. Am I finished developing, learning? Nope, not a chance. There's still a lot more to learn.

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MISS JANE AUSTEN

2012-01-09T00:30:00.000-05:00

Wishing to express my appreciation for the gracious invitation to blog with the authors at The Writers Vineyard, I determined to invite an incomparable guest to share her thoughts on writing and publishing. I retrieved my well-worn Ouija board from the basement where it had resided for decades, dusted it off, and invoked the spirit of one whom every writer of romance esteems above all others. Miss Jane Austen, the genetrix of all writers of romance, graciously consented to an interview to be published exclusively with The Writers Vineyard. Allow me to present Jane in her own words.

     Miss Austen, could you share your thoughts on writing romance? “I could no more write a Romance than an Epic Poem.–I could not sit seriously down to write a serious Romance under any other motive than to save my Life, & if it were indispensable for me to keep it up & never relax into laughing at myself or other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first Chapter.” 1

     But you have had great success with your books. I hesitate to mention gauche matters such as money but I understand that your books are selling rather well. “You will be glad to hear that every Copy of S.&S. is sold & that it has brought me £140–besides the Copyright, if that should ever be of any value.–I have now therefore written myself into £250.–which only makes me long for more.” 2

     In my humble opinion, your literary endeavors merit the highest approbation. What has been your experience of the matter? ” . . . there seems almost a general wish of decrying the capacity and undervaluing the labor of the novelist, and of slighting the performances which have only genius, wit, and taste to recommend them.” 3

     I appreciate your support of your fellow authors and admire your insistence on upholding only the highest standards in literary endeavors. I should not have been surprised, therefore, to discover that you have been very hard on your critique partner, your niece Anna. Her “Henry Mellish I am afraid will be too much in the common Novel style–a handsome, amiable, unexceptionable Young Man (such as do not much about in real Life) desperately in Love, & all in vain. But I have no business to judge him so early.” And her “Devereux Forester’s being ruined by his Vanity is extremely good; but I wish she would not let him plunge into a ‘vortex of Dissipation’. I do not object to the Thing, but I cannot bear the expression;–it is such thorough novel slang–and so old, that I dare say Adam met with it in the first novel he opened.” 4

     I find your Elizabeth Bennet entrancing. Do you have a personal favorite? “I must confess that I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print, & how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know.”5

      Have you considered following the emerging trends in the romance market? “No–I must keep to my own style & go on in my own Way; And though I may never succeed again in that, I am convinced that I should totally fail in any other.” 6

Miss Austen, please accept my sincere appreciation for visiting The Writer’s Vineyard. I regret that you will be unable to respond to comments and I would never presume to channel you, so return to your blissful sleep content in the knowledge that you are the idol of many and exceeded by none.

Today in honor of Miss Austen, Moonday's Heroic Hunks in History at southernsizzleromance.wordpress.com will feature gorgeous hunks in Regency attire from Miss Austen's works in film. Join me also at ritabay.wordpress.com for daily posts on this month's theme, Discoveries & Inventions.

Next month, Rewriting History.

Rita Bay
"Celebrating Romance Across the Ages"
ritabay.com
ritabay.wordpress.com
southernsizzleromance.wordpress.com
“Into the Lyon's Den” from Champagne Books, Summer, 2012

References
1 Letter to James Stanier Clarke (April 1, 1816)
2 Letter to her brother Frank about the success of Sense and Sensibility (July 6, 1813)
3 Northanger Abbey, Chapter 5
4 Letters to her niece Anna Austen, critiquing her WIPs (1814)
5 Letter to Cassandra on Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennet (January 29, 1813)
6 Letter to James Stanier Clarke (April 1, 1816)
Source of Quotations: "Daily wit and inspiration from Austen," compiled by Lori Smith, author of A Walk with Miss Jane Austen.

The Bucket List

2012-01-07T11:59:00.002-05:00

One of those "just for fun" emails that makes the rounds periodically is The Bucket List. The idea is to mark what you've done in your life and share it with six friends. I just completed one a friend from Australia sent and what struck me is that a few of the selections are no longer possible for the coming generations, such as "go to a drive-in movie" or "talk on a party line" or "put a dime in the jukebox".

Now before you nod and say, "well, of course, Jude. That means you are now officially OLD," let me explain. The technology change is what grabbed my attention and tied in with Linda's post yesterday about the advantages of ebooks.

(And yeah, my son is constantly reminding me that I am old. So what? Kiss mah grits.)

Technology is always changing. And yes, I envision a time when the ereaders we espouse now will go the way of the eight-track tape player, but that's the beauty of human curiosity always asking, "How can I make this better?" How will the hardware/software change? How will it be easier, more interactive, smaller, faster, individualized? It's rather exciting to contemplate.

But what will not change is the Human Reader. The mind will always yearn for stimulation. There will always need to be a beginning, middle, and end--whether happy or not. Good writing will always be the driving force behind the love of a story. Punctuation rules will bend and change and break. Sentence structure and semantics will definitely shift, but the elements of a good story will remain constant.

Just for fun, here's a Writers' Bucket List. Feel free to respond in the comments.

As a writer I have:

( ) Written a manuscript in longhand
( ) Typed on a trypewriter
( ) Used a word processor
( ) Saved work on a Floppy Disk
( ) Submitted a paper mss to an agent or editor
( ) Used Corel lWordperfect
( ) Filled a wastebasket with crumpled paper balls that have only one scribbled line
( ) Spilled whiteout trying to change one typewritten letter
( ) Bought more than one "manuscript box"
( ) Learned DOS
( ) Took "typing" in school
( ) Hand-counted every word on a page
( ) Sharpened a quill
( ) Owned--and used--a dictionary that sits on a shelf
( ) Made editing corrections on paper
( ) Put two spaces after a period

( ) Written a webpage in HTML
( ) Taken discs to a print shop to print out a mss
( ) Broken pencils in frustration
( ) Stared at a blank page or screen for more than fifteen minutes
( ) Wondered how to set a margin
( ) Hidden reams of paper
( ) Kept every rejection letter
( ) Had a posted query letter returned as "undeliverable"

Happy writing!

~Jude

Jude Johnson

Author, Dragon & Hawk

Available from Champagne Books

Website: jude-johnson.com

Paper or plastic?

2012-01-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

Change—it’s inevitable. David Bowie even sang about it: “Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…” I’ve lived long enough to see a lot of change (hence, my reference to David Bowie)—from paper to plastic, typewriters to computers, film to digital cameras, and the advent of digital books. Remember when the only question about books was, “Hardcover or paperback?” Seems likes that was eons ago. Now we talk about books in ‘formats’—pdf, epub, mobi, prc, html, lit… And then we have e-readers—Kindle, Sony, Nook, Kobo—to name a few. And as if that isn’t enough, we have apps—downloadable programs that allow us to read ebooks on our PCs, Blackberries, iPhones, and wristwatches (not really, but I’m sure that’s coming soon.)

The challenge today is keeping up with the ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. There are times when I want to cling ferociously to my paperback books. But, then, there are times like a few weeks ago when I had to wait an hour for work to be done on my car. I carried my Kindle along and was able to switch between books with the tap of my finger. The added bonus was that, when the cashier asked about the device, I could tell her about e-books, including my own. (I try to never miss a promo opp.)

I love the opportunity to enlighten those who say, “I’ve seen ebooks, but I like real books instead.” What makes a book real? A good story, engaging characters, an attractive cover? Ebooks have all those things, too. Unlike the argument between paper or plastic and which is better for the environment, ebooks are both ecologically sound and economical. You might wonder how you will use all those empty bookshelves. Start a collection of teacups or knick knacks. Display family photos. Write a novel in the accumulated dust. And carry your entire library along whether you’re going to the repair shop or Europe.

If you haven’t yet, give ebooks a try. You’ll see just how real they are.

Linda Rettstatt
http://www.lindarettstatt.com/
Writing for Women

Publisher Wakeup Call

2012-01-05T01:11:00.000-05:00

With the rise of Amazon's self publishing arm, and the soon-to-be announced copycat venture with Apple's iBooks (betting, here), publishers can no longer rest on their laurels. Especially e-pubs. We are rapidly approaching the point (if we haven't already) where conventional publishing no longer the end goal for writers.

From a strictly business sense, the services provided by a publisher are editing, cover art, some marketing, and distribution. A publisher also provides exposure to a loyal following of readers, as well as credibility for the author as a genuinely published author (i.e: someone felt you were good enough to make money off you).

Every one of these advantages, however, are being eroded.

Lets start with editing. True, a professional editor can cost you several hundred dollars, but if you are fortunate enough to have a reading group consisting of other successful writers who line-edit each other's work, then you can produce a manuscript with the same quality (most editors are/were writers themselves). Free of charge, save for your time editing the other folks in your group.

Cover art. Another expense, but do you know anyone who is handy with Photoshop? There is plenty of free art out there that can be fashioned into an attractive collage by a knowledgeable weekend artist. The current version of Photoshop can quickly turn even a mediocre graphic artist into a suitable cover creator.

Distribution. This is where the publisher's advantage all but dissolves. Amazon will get your e-book out there. Apple is on the way, and we have SmashWords. Their royalty split is not only competitive, in most cases a publisher is well behind the eight-ball.

Marketing. Even with a publisher you are often stuck with the lion's share of marketing your work. Facebook, Goodreads, Scribd...all of these can help you get the word out.

Credibility. Sell a thousand or more titles in a month, get on Amazon's top sellers, and you'll get credibility enough in most cases.

Now, before you think this is just another rant for self-publishing, let me explain that I am not self-published and don't plan on heading down that road just yet. The fact that I don't say "never" should be a warning to any publisher, however. I used to say that, but no longer.

So what, in my opinion, does a publisher have to do in order to combat these in-roads into its business. Simple. Offer a better suite of services.

The publisher that has a robust marketing program will win over one that relies on the author for most of the footwork. Up till now, they didn't have to. It was a enough of a privilege for the author to be brought into their fold. That attitude has to change. The privilege works both ways these days. The publisher who can crow along with me about my books at conventions will be the one getting my submissions.

Readership is another "must". The publisher should have, or be in the process of obtaining, a loyal following of readers. Branding is essential to stand out from the flash-pan outfits.

Distribution. Time to step up. There are many independent online bookstores. The publisher needs to be in all the ones that count besides Amazon, B&N, and the rest. Get international.

Editors. Don't hire hacks who might change a word or two and let the crippling plot mistakes go by. If quality is not on the agenda, what does that say about the publisher willing to let this stuff go out flawed?

Cover Art. Here's a thought - engage the writer in the decision making process. Don't toss up covers that have zero to do with the story or are otherwise of less than professional grade. I see a poorly executed cover, I stay away from that publisher. If they can't do covers right, what else can't they do?

Credibility comes from putting out great products and earning one's self a reputation as a publisher. Having authors who win awards. Authors who say "I'm with that publisher" earn real bragging rights. If I am reluctant to even give out a website for the publisher because they put out a terribly done front-end, then what kind of author am I for submitting to them?

When the time comes that the extra amount I earn from self-publishing exceeds the value of a publisher, then I'll head out to Amazon with the rest. That time hasn't happened...yet.

Kerry
www.kmtolan.com

Susceptibility

2012-01-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Among many other things, my husband has developed an interest in western movies. He's always liked a handful of them, but for some reason he's more focused on them than he has been in the past. Over winter break, we watched Rio Bravo, The Magnificent Seven, Silverado and Appaloosa. I've always liked Rio Bravo; it's one of my dad's favorite movies. I don't, however, usually like westerns in general. Nevertheless, as we were watching them, I started getting ideas for novels. Not so much westerns per se, but incorporating similar plot devices and such. After watching Rio Bravo for the umpeenth time, I wanted to recreate the character dynamic between Dean Martin and John Wayne's characters -- only in a fantasy setting. I could see them as hardened warriors or knights. For each movie we watched, something different influenced my thinking. Over the weekend I saw War Horse and wanted to write a fantasy based on World War I. All of this in the midst of trying to do a massive rewrite for a new YA novel I've written. It made me realize how susceptible I am to just about everything, and how important it is for me to stay focused.

My major influence, of course, is other novels. I tend to absorb the writing style of whatever author I'm reading at the time, and I can see it in my writing. I had just finished a book a few years ago when I read an Updike novel. I realized how bare bones my novel was in comparison, and went back and added some of the best passages in the entire novel because of Updike. Contrastingly, if I'm reading a YA novel for instance, I tend to skimp on description or flowery writing because I'm influenced by that.

Clearly I need to keep myself in line, so I've developed a rule I try to stick by as often as possible. I try not to read anything that doesn't teach, influence or enhance me in some way. The better the book is that I'm reading, the better my writing is. Over the years I've gone from reading mainstream to enjoying instead John Irving, John Updike, Thomas Hardy, Charlotte Bronte, Graham Greene, Ian McEwan and Michael Chabon. To me, these are some of the top masters of "literary" faire, and fifteen years ago I would have groaned if someone told me I'd be reading them like crazy. I had the misconception that they were stuffy and droll, when quite the opposite is true. It's difficult now to go back and read some of my old favorites as they make me cringe. It does, however, make me realize how far I've come as a writer.

As a New Year's resolution, try expanding your book collection. Read something that's considered literary or a classic (or both), and see if it grabs you. More importantly, see if it doesn't influence your writing, and in a good way. There's always going to be someone out there who can teach us something about writing. It might as well be a fun lesson!

Ashley J. Barnard
Dark Fantasy with a Contemporary Twist
http://www.ashleyjbarnard.com/

Do You Watch Television?

2012-01-03T02:00:00.003-05:00

You can tell I really struggled for a blog topic this month. But, hey, I do watch some television so thought it would be interesting to poll folks and see what they like to watch.

I admit, I do like some reality shows, like American Idol and Dancing With the Stars, much to my husbands derision. But my real love is the CSI shows, especially the real ones. It's exciting to learn that some of those unsolved crimes are finally solved and victims get justice. The tv series make solving crimes look so easy and we all know it's not that way in real life, but they're entertaining.

Perhaps I'm telling my age here, but I always enjoy the Antiques Roadshow, Pickers, and Pawn Stars. It reminds me of all the things I got rid of in the 1970s that would now be collectable. I have held on to a few things, things that my mother passed down to me. One prize possession is this Northwood Carnival glass bowl in the poinsettia and lattice pattern. It was my grandmother's. I wish I knew if this color is just blue or the ice blue.

Do you watch any television, and if so, what are your favorite programs?

Linda

http://www.lindalaroque.com/

http://www.lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com/

“Bridge over troubled agendas”

2012-01-02T01:00:00.003-05:00

Once again I’m here at the receiver of all works, my old XP, and wondering what kernel of wisdom I can impart to my writing friends. I look over at my desk, my table really, heaped with supplies. This Green Stamp purchased table has been with our family since 1956. It has held the laughter of card players and the wheels of a friend’s chair while I pushed her over the makeshift ramp into my living room from the garage through the kitchen. But first and foremost it was called the bridge table. And I think, darn, it’s been a long time since I played bridge; I love it. What happened?

Writing happened. Writing is a fulltime job regardless of the monetary returns for spent time. It takes as long to promote a book—or seven—as it does to write one.

Bridge takes three hours, plus driving time, or if you are a certified ACBL (American Contract Bridge League) director as I was for many years, it takes all day once or twice a month. There is set up and clean up, organization, watching, monitoring the rules, score tallying, and sometimes playing. As it is for my main character, Penny, in Kill Fee, it is an avocation.

Penny runs the ACBL game for her uncle because she wants him to have it to come to and play with old friends, most of whom live upstairs in the assisted living quarters. She believes it shouldn’t dissolve in his presence. He had taught her to play; her parents had played socially, so although Penny is not the generation that played serious bridge, she grew up with the game.

I’m reminded of my youngest daughter who came home from school and stopped off at the game to report in. She was six, and stood behind Maybelle McMullen, a delightful Irish lady well into her eighties who was playing with her best friend Marge. (If the names sound familiar they should, I have transplanted these ladies, offered them new last names and slightly different lives so they can have roles in my book. They’d appreciate the immortality, having been gone from this world for 25 years.)

Daughter Lynne stood behind Maybelle’s hand then walked around the table and watched Marge. She didn’t speak. When the hand was being put back in the board, an aluminum tray where the hands are kept intact, Lynne said, “Do you open four card majors?”

“No,” Marge and Maybelle answered in unison.

A satisfied look crossed Lynne’s face. “Neither do we.”

I was thrilled. She said it as if it were a family rule, like no jumping on the beds. My husband and I were so “into” Bridge that we talked about it all the time, washing dishes, eating dinner, in the car, anywhere we were together. The children grew tired of it and began teasing us with “System. Uh-oh, I said it.”

That gives you an idea of the dedication bridge players have. My Kill Fee seniors are equally dedicated. They take their cards seriously, some cheat, and some write nasty letters to the ACBL when they don’t like the results of a ruling Penny must make.

The entire bridge atmosphere is background for the opening scene in Kill Fee. Everything changes when Penny’s uncle dies at the table.

Is it murder? You betcha. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And that’s only the beginning.

Julie Eberhart Painter is the Champagne Books author of Mortal Coil, Tangled Web, and Kill Fee. See Julie’s Web site at www.books-jepainter.com

Having A December Birthday

2011-12-30T04:00:00.002-05:00

Post note - my apologies to Jane. We had a snag and her post was suppose to go life two days ago (her birthday). It was too good to delay another month so you lucky readers get two posts today - mine and hers. Sorry Jane. Big Mike

December is not the greatest month for a birthday. It’s not quite so bad before Christmas Eve or Christmas Day because folks are shopping anyway and picking up something for the birthday person and having a little celebration doesn’t seem quite so much like a after-thought. My oldest son, Jim, has a birthday on December 10, so we made that the day we put up and decorated the tree, thereby making it special for him while he was still at home.

But mine is December 27, two days after Christmas. By now everyone is sort of feeling the Christmas blahs. My mother always made cupcakes for dessert after our main meal and put a candle on mine, plus always a present, so it wasn’t as though I didn’t have a little celebration. But it was an aftermath one and always sort of felt like that. Not that those who knew when my birthday was hadn’t put Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday on my Christmas present--as I suppose those who have birthdays on the 25 must get. Still, they have the satisfaction of knowing they share the 25 with the star of Christmas, which counts for something.

Jim married a gal whose birthday was December 28, so I made a point of always remembering to send her a birthday card and a gift. I still do. Still she and I both agree that the 27 and the 28 are rotten times to have a birthday.

When I was a child my mother always had my “birthday party” in the summer, which was fine with me. For her, too, I realize now because it could be held outdoors where we played games and kept all the mess in the yard for the birds and insects to enjoy finishing off later. So as a child, when it matters most, I didn’t actually miss out on parties.

Actually now that I’m an old bat, I find it really doesn’t make any difference what time of any month my birthday is because I hate to see them roll past, always making me a year older. A year wiser? Hey, guys, that’s a fallacy, if ever there was one.

And so I’ve written a poem for myself called:

Too Old For Birthdays

Every year they come around, no matter what the weather,

Love ‘em, hate ‘em, they don’t care, birthdays come forever.

Yesterday you were a child, and birthday parties were fun

Today you’re an adult, but not ready to be done.

If no one remembers, you feel it’s not fair

Because no matter how you protest, you still do care.

Italians call it domoni, and say tomorrow never will come

But soon time marches on and gets you under its thumb.

Now it’s my tomorrow, so up to the belfry I’ll flit

And write my stories up there, instead of trying to knit.

Old bats have long memories of how hot it used to be

Never think that I’ve forgotten how she plus he equals we.

I know each step on love’s turbulent raceway

Where the truth beats the odds, come what may.

Be you dragon, human, eldritch or fay

Alien, witch, were, demon or gay

Love leads even the devil astray.

So be sure that from my belfry high above

This old bat will always celebrate love.

Feedback

2011-12-30T01:27:00.001-05:00

Michael W. Davis

Davisstories.com

From time to time I’m fortunate to get feedback from readers or those interested in writing fiction. It’s not everyday, rather at intervals of two months and usually they provide some comment or question about one of my books or the process of becoming an author. A week ago I received correspondence from an English teacher, Ms. Hernandez, at a school in Northern California. Her students were preparing essays on writing and used my website as a basis to help point them to sources on a plethora of topics related to creating fiction.

I’ll admit, I spend a lot of time maintaining the link page for the purpose of sharing what I’ve learned in the last six years; specially the good, bad and ugly of the fiction world. I do enjoy sharing, so much that I assembled all my lessons learned and provide them in a DVD entitled, “So you want to write a novel,” but to have a teacher and her class use my website to foster the minds of the next generation, wow, that is neat. Even for an old turkey like me, it did warm my innards.

One of her students, Anna, even discovered her owe source pertaining to famous historical romances and forwarded it to me in the chance I’d like to add to those I reference on my website. So, if you visit Davisstories.com, take a glance at the link page, search for the new source “Famous love stories” and thank young Ms. Anna and her teacher. Talk about irony. There’s a scene in my romantic suspense novel SHADOW OF GUILT dealing with the eternal bond between men and women and I wanted examples that would stand out as historical paragons of such commitment. I even used all the authors at the writer’s water cooler to help. Boy could I have used Anna’s help then.

To Anna and her terrific teacher, Ms. Hernandez, back at ya and good luck in all you do with your life and wonderful inquisitive minds. Thank you.

Michael W. Davis (Davisstories.com)

Author of the year, 2008 & 2009

Shadow of Guilt, “To each crossing of paths, there is a reason.”

Blind Consent, “The answers are buried in the secrets of the past.”

Whispers of Innocence, “Things are not always what they appear.”

Tainted Hero, “Sometimes good people do bad things.”

Veil of Deception, “Sometimes truth cuts deeper than a lie.”

Forgotten Children, “Greed is blind to human suffering.”

Final Solution, “How far is to far.”

Writing in Waiting Rooms

2011-12-29T07:26:00.002-05:00

I've spent a good portion of the last few days in waiting rooms --at the ER, in doctors' offices, etc., due to my elderly mother's recent fall.

I always tell my students that, during stressful times when "life gets in the way", your writing provides a sanctuary, a place of refuge. It's like a daily yoga or meditation practice -- you may feel resistance on the way to the mat or the cushion, but if you do it any way, you feel better and get results.

That's what writing does, too.

I'm under extreme deadline pressure -- getting a book out to one publisher, while also prepping a series for another publisher. I have a heavy roster of classes to teach, and other freelance work that also pays the bills. Writing is not just my vocation and my passion -- it's how I pay the bills.

I can't make excuses, I can't "not write", or there won't be a roof over my head.

I'm taking notebooks with me, for several different projects, and switching between them during those interminable waits. I'm taking galleys and going over corrections. For just a few minutes at a time, I escape into my fictional worlds, and they help me deal with the decisions and stresses of the "real world" when I'm pulled back.

I'm also eavesdropping shamelessly in all these locations, gathering material on situation and character for future pieces.

Because, when you're a writer -- everything is material.

With best wishes for a peaceful, prosperous, and healthy new year!

Annabel Aidan

Annabel's Champagne release is the paranormal romantic suspense ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT. She can be found at www.devonellingtonwork.com/annabelaidan.html

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

SUNDAY DECEMBER 25, 2011

MY FIRST 'REAL' CHRISTMAS

Greetingseveryone! I wish you all happy holidays on this Christmas day. I am CC Kaufmanan author associated with Carnal Passions and Champagne Books. I would like tothank the folks here at TWV for the invitation to participate by writing amonthly blog.

Ihave spent quite a bit of time this week thinking about a good topic for myfirst ever blog. I know this is supposed to be about writing or at least connectedin some way, however, dredging around in the recesses of my strange little braincan be dangerous, the results often mystifying, and always unpredictable. Withthat in mind, I thought the safe choice would be an obvious subject consideringthe day. We humans tend to identify changes in our lives and philosophy withoccasions of some sort. My approach to today’s holiday changed on Christmas daymany years ago. As a child I often felt disappointed on Christmas, which led toa general feeling of discomfort about the whole thing. We were not dirt poor,but neither were we that well off. Isuppose my folks did their best to impress me with the deeper meaning of theday but unfortunately fell short on that subject. I remember seeing most of myschool-mates receiving new bikes, Levi’s, (a hot commodity in those days!) and a lot of things my parents could notafford; you get the picture. Fast forward many years. I was living in a smallmill-town along the river outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania called Verona. Aquaint little town with big oak trees, cobble-stone streets, and a railroadthat ran right through the center of town. I rented a third floor two room walk-upapartment in a big, old house right on the river. My best friend and I workeddays in a little forge shop down the road a bit, both attending school atnight. We had no money, living payday to payday, eating a lot of rice andbeans. We chose to ignore the fact Christmas lay dead ahead, and that we had notree, no decorations, and certainly no gifts. On Christmas Eve we debated those hard facts over a bottle of Scotch ‘borrowed’from my friend’s father. We were best friends, both feeling sad that we had nothingto offer the other on this eventful day. Maybe it was his idea, maybe mine,maybe the Scotch, or most likely a combination of all three, but we stumbledupon a solution to our dilemma. We decided we would exchange one item from eachthat the other admired, desired, or coveted. He occasionally wore a thick woolarmy jacket that I liked very much, (to say nothing of the fact it would keepme from freezing while walking to work), I asked for that. He thought only asecond before he asked me for my new Beatles, “Abby Road” record album (it wasvinyl, does that date this story!). Agreed on and sealed with a handshake, weexchanged our chosen gifts on Christmas day. It was at the time, and willforever be, the most meaningful gift I have ever received. That mutual act offriendship, of giving something so valued to someone else, taught me whatChristmas and the exchange of gifts on that day really means. I wish you allthe best this holiday and a great and prosperous New Year.

CC Kaufman - Author -

Reconcilable Differences 'R' @ http://www.carnalpassions.com
Night of The Machetes @ http:// www.champagnebooks.com

The Invitation (R ) @ http://www.carnalpassions.com
My web- http://www.cckaufman.com

Writing’s Gifts

2011-12-24T01:00:00.009-05:00

This Christmas Eve, with all its promised gifts and with the year’s end soon to urge individuals into introspection, I find myself reflecting on what writing has given me. My ninth-grade teacher would be gratified to know improved grammar is one blessing. To be published one needs to know grammar, plus all the proofing and editing involved demands it. This gift led to a teaching job, a huge gift, but there are many others.

Writing lets me give my imagination free reign; for once the world is mine (insert evil laugh) and I can do with it what I like. Writing gives me a voice. Does that equate to imaginary power, or power through imagination?

Having a book published, even one not on the NYT Bestsellers list, gave me innumerable insights. The biggest gift is not the celebrity or notoriety some writers receive, but satisfaction. Satisfaction found in finishing a work and conquering the struggles that erupt throughout the project. (Don’t you struggle at some point in every writing project?) Satisfaction came when a publisher accepted my manuscript, and those readers who have bought my books seem to enjoy my words! Along with satisfaction are closely related aspects of pleasure, perseverance, and accomplishment.

I’ve received more than satisfaction. When I began to recognize my mistakes and learned to correct and improve my work, I learned craft. As I now tell my classes, writing teaches thinking, like following a logical order, and looking at all aspects of a situation to discover both the subtle as well as the obvious choices. I also learned about criticism and rejection, and while difficult to accept, they offer a challenge to do better.

Once introduced into the publishing world, another gift emerged -- a community of writers as varied and interesting as the characters found on a library’s bookshelves: some helpful, friendly, and supportive, some spicy with strong opinions, and others quiet and slow to engage.

Everyone believes they have a story inside them. (If you think the plural pronoun agreement with indefinite singular antecedent is wrong – check out Merriam Webster’s Ask the Editor – it’s such a relief!) I was determined to write mine. I’m sure many writers on this list have similar feelings, and most likely have discovered other gifts. What is stopping your from writing your story?

A Christmas Beyond My Memories

2011-12-22T07:00:00.007-05:00

Years ago, I picked up an illustrated hardcover copy of Cider With Rosie, Laurie Lee's recounting of his early days in west country England just after the First World War. Originally published in 1959 (the year I was born), my copy was released in 1984.

I don't know how I came by the book - I think I got it because of the illustrations. It sat about the house for a few years before I read it.

It took me to a place and time I wish I could have visited, with its hardship and beauty. One particular passage comes back to me every Christmas. I hope I'm not breaking any laws by inserting this excerpt, but I feel I must share it with you.

The boys set out on their annual caroling trek, visiting the various manors around their little village. Their last stop is Joseph's farm.

"We grouped ourselves round the farmhouse porch. The sky cleared, and broad streams of stars ran down over the valley and away to Wales. On Slad's white slopes, seen through the black sticks of its woods, some red lamps still burned in the windows.

Everything was quiet; everywhere there was the faint crackling silence of the winter night. We started singing, and were were all moved by the words and the sudden trueness of our voices. Pure, very clear, and breathless we sang:

As Joseph was a walking
He heard an angel sing;
'This night shall be the birth-time
Of Christ the Heavenly King.

He neither shall be borned
In housen nor in hall,
Nor in a place of paradise
But in an ox's stall...'

And two thousand Christmases became real to us then; the houses, the halls, the places of paradise had all been visited; the stars were bright to guide the Kings through the snow; and across the farmyard we could hear the beasts in their stalls. We were given roast apples and hot mince-pies, in our nostrils were spices like myrrh, and in our wooden box, as we headed back for the village, there were golden gifts for all."

I wish all of my writer, reader and publishing friends a magical Christmas and a Happy Holiday. I hope everyone meets with success in 2012.

Sandra Cormier is the author of BAD ICE (Champagne Books), a hockey romance.

Some Common Writing Issues

2011-12-21T19:14:00.000-05:00

Nearly forgot that today was my posting day, what with the holidays and all the hustle and bustle associated with them. In between all the gift purchases, and trying to get work done on my own projects, I've had several editing requests come in. So, for today, I'll post a small number of items that I've seen coming up a lot lately in all of these edits:

Repetition: This actually goes for two separate issues that many writers stumble upon, possibly without even noticing.
The first is when you unknowingly repeat words or phrases within close proximity to each other. When we're writing, and even reading, we often gloss right over this issue. But try reading your material aloud, and see whether you notice something amiss. A recent writer's group meeting I attended had a read-along where I noticed that the writer was repeating a *this and that* phrasing over ten times in a single paragraph. Others I've noticed over the years have been where people begin every sentence in a paragraph with I, he, and it. So, take a closer look. It's quite possible you'll find a few of these little tidbits as well.
The second is a little bit trickier to detect, but with a closer read, it comes out. In this case, the words we use are unnecessary because they repeat the same information that is given elsewhere. Some examples would be the phrase "fall down" (when have you ever known something to fall up?), or telling the reader that the character is holding something in their hand (which is usually the obvious place to hold somewhere). Giving sounds or smells, and also describing them with the words "sound" or "smell" (such as "a clapping sound") are also some big ones.

Wishy-Washy Words: Readers like action, but they like it to be strong...and quite often we write in ways that aren't so strong (or as I like to refer to them, "wishy-washy"). Some really good examples of this involve the phrases "started to", "began to", "almost" "somewhat" and other phrases, when paired with verbs, that imply only a partial action. Unless your character truly only partially conducted their affairs, you can usually remove these wishy-washy words and not impact your original intent.

Descriptive verbs: We're all guilty of it. We want to rely on our old standby verbs like walked, grabbed, said, and other such standards. In addition to getting in on the repetition issue previously mentioned, we also run the risk of not being descriptive enough with our words. Did your character truly walk, or did they inch, creep, or saunter? Did they grab something, or did they clutch it, or maybe even snatch it away? Did they just say their words, or perhaps they whispered, screamed, or maybe even choked up over their words?

Hopefully these have been useful for those writers reading this post. And I hope that when you take a look through your own material, you'll catch a few of these and strengthen your writing accordingly. So, good editing, and enjoy the ride!
T. M. Hunter
http://astonwest.com

2011-12-20T05:00:00.003-05:00

Season Greetings, Everyone,

I wanted to share with all of you what my characters in The Time Key (my book on time travel and my first foray into the realm of Science Fiction and my current novel–in-progress) have been thinking about this past month.

“You know what blows me away about our known universe. It’s how it’s so ideally suited for life as we know it. For example, if the protons in an atom were just 0.2 more massive than they actually are, they would be unstable and decay into smaller particles. Atoms would not exist and neither would we! If gravity were just slightly more powerful, the consequences would be nearly as grave. It would cause stars to run through their fuel at a fraction of the time and sputter out before life as we know it had a chance to evolve. In other words, the universe is life-friendly. Too many coincidences to be mere accidents according to many scientists.”

She picked up on his expansive thought-wave. “It’s like the universe is adapted specifically for us, not the other way around. This colossal fluke, deepest mystery, or stardust magic or whatever you want to call it is paradoxically our biggest headache in physics. And this is why so many of us are thinking that there must be multiverses out there, to account for ours being so perfect for us. But, of course, this cannot be proved. Maybe it would just be easier to think there is a benevolent creator that did all this just for us.” She smiled at him in wonder, feeling the pure magic of the moment engulf her in its sweetness. Never before had she truly experienced the profound insight to life that this man in front of her invoked. How had she gotten so lucky. . .

Wishing all of you the very best of the holiday season and a warm thank you for your camaraderie on The Writer Vineyard this past year! It has meant a lot to me.

Best,
January Bain

Forever Man July 2012
Champagne Books
First in the Forever Series
www.januarybain.ca

A New Name for the New Year

2011-12-18T13:00:00.002-05:00

I've posted about this before on my blog. But as the time draws closer, I thought a little reminder might be in order.

So, I have reached a decision...like I do every time the year inevitably draws to a close. This of course, is something that I've been debating for some time. But I feel the time has come now to finally enforce it.

I've decided to change the name of my blog page to tktoppin.blogspot.com. I know, right? It's been a long time coming.

It makes sense for this change over to my own name, rather than the name of my first book. After all, I will be writing more books, and I will be chattering about things other than The Lancaster Rule books. It's also fitting that come next year, the final of the Lancaster trilogy will be released into the world, and so comes the end of the tale. It simply won't be relevant to hold onto the blog page name.

My decision to change the name has not come lightly. In fact, I even considered creating a new page in Wordpress. But then I thought, why should I? I already have a blog that also serves well enough as a website if any one is interested in learning more about me. And why should I have more things to manage? I like keeping things simple.

So, come January 6th, 2012, I will be switching over to the new name. Don't worry, I'll be sure to inform everyone -- ad nauseam -- well before the change over takes place. The only tedious part of this change, is that I'll have to update ALL my links to ALL the places I'm linked to. May the force be with me.

And if I don't get a chance to say if before... Hope everyone has a wonderfully merry Christmas, and I'll see you in the New Year!

Cheers.

Stupid Gifts for 2011

2011-12-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Are you panicked about Christmas yet? I am. Or, are you one of those organized (sick) people that have been collecting things for family members since last year’s after Christmas sale? We celebrate Christmas with my side of the family this coming Sunday. That leaves me two days to prepare. So far, I have my Mom done. On Christmas Day we celebrate Christmas with my husband’s family, that’s nine days if you’re keeping track. I only have my husband done.
I hate crowds and I hate shopping. So, I thought I would check the internet for ideas. Armed with a list, I plan to arrive at the store, and get in and out of chaos without aimlessly wandering around in a panic. I Googled the top Christmas gifts of 2011. I wasn’t sure if the stupid gifts on the list were the top gifts purchased in 2011, or if it is all the crap left from last year that the merchants desperately need to peddle.
For the low, low, low price of $39.99 I could purchase a remote control pillow. Huh? Do you move the pillow around the bed with a controller? No. It is a universal remote for you television, so you don’t misplace it. Too bad I have a Husky with separation anxiety that chews on anything fluffy.
Just in time for Christmas for the criminal in your family, a $35.00 beanie hat. What’s so special about the hat? It has an adjustable beard. Wear the hat and beard. Rob the convenience store. Fold away detachable beard. Run.
There is a microbrew of the month club for $31.95 a month. For a year the recipient will receive 12 bottles of beer each month. Well, for $15 a month I can buy my brother-in-law a 30 pack and that would at least get him through a night.
Perhaps a variety of e-books would be a better, easier, one size fits all gift. Champagne Books is having an amazing sale going on in December. On Thursday December 22nd, Bolt Action will be available for 0.99! Check it out, there is a book for everyone
In Action Thriller, Bolt Action Detective Leslie Bolt is a smart talking, gun hording, Harley riding investigator forced to work a serial murder case with her sexy ex-lover. After a childhood of abuse suffered at the hand of her father, Leslie sleeps with a Ruger Blackhawk .357 under her pillow, has a Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker rifle in her broom closet, and a Saturday Night Special stashed in her road-hog cookie jar. The body count mounts, and Detective Bolt must conquer her own past, as she races to capture “The State Quarter Killer” before her sister is the next victim. Secrets of the past, murder, deception, sexual tension, and “The State Quarter Killer”, Bolt Action offers it all.

TO BE TECHIE OR NOT TO BE

2011-12-16T06:31:00.000-05:00

By:
Angelica Hart and Zi

A: Have you ever considered that technology has changed our outlook as well as our relationships. I have a friend who's grandson's name is David, but he shortened it to DVD. Plus, the other day, while out with a couple of gal pals, one was complaining that her husband wasn't paying enough attention to her, the other recommended a new perfume, thinking pheromones. The former woman considered it a bit, then went up to the perfume counter and asked if they had anything that smelled like a computer.

Being a writer, I sometimes feel as if I live on the computer, and when I'm away from home, my mini-computer comes with me. I spend more time with it than any member of my family. So I'm thinking this is not good. It is time to take a stand, to be set free of tea brewing in my Bunn Tea Brewer, a pot and stove works nicely, no cells, if I'm not at home or the office, they can call back, radio rather than Nano, pocket calendars rule, and fax machines never work anyway. (Angelica folds her arms, staring at the heavens as if this profound announcement will change her destiny) It is time to restrain the techno-monsters. I'm not that tech savvy anyway.

Z: (Zi gives the hairy eyeball look, brow down almost to his cheek.) You know just enough to be dangerous when it comes to technology.

A: Be nice.

Z: It's a compliment. It's not like I'm letting everyone know about the time in the computer store when you asked the sales clerk for a mouse pad, looked it over and said, ‘will it be compatible with my computer?’

A: You lie!

Z: Did. Been wanting to tell that joke.

A: At least I wasn't the one to call tech support and when asked if I was running the system under Windows said, 'No, my desk is next to the door. The one under the window is working just fine.'

Z: I didn't say that.

A: (Grins.) Been wanting to tell that joke. (A dual eye roll ensued with Angelica giving up first.) Seriously, what do think? Should I give up some of my technology? Is it overwhelming my reality?

Z: Let me ask you this, do you want to want to whether or not Champagne Books will pick up our latest submission?

A: Of course.

Z: How do we get the news?

A: Through email.

Z: Ta da! Your answer. The tech world is where we live. It makes writing easier. Correspondence easier. Our books are initially e-books. It is the Google Dance of our life. Yes, we need to make time for life outside it, but... (He looks at Angelica gravely) Consider life without spell check.

A: (Angelica shudders, takes a long breath) I had one of those rare moments of crazy.

Z: Rare?

A: Oh, go blog something.

A and Z: Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good blogging blog!

****
We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at writingteamcw@yahoo.com with blog in the subject line and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY
www.champagnebooks.com

STEEL EMBRACE by Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
August 2011 http://www.carnalpassions.com/

THE FABLE OF SIN-SIN CINDERELLA Series
angelicahartandzi.com

Rejuvination

2011-12-15T04:11:00.001-05:00

Four more days and counting! Besides writing, I teach so this time of year is crazy. Finals start Friday and run through Tuesday. After that? It's Rejuvination time.

Lately I've been sitting at the computer and staring at my current manuscript. I eek out maybe five sentences a night due to the fact that mind is awhirl with other stuff. Day-to-day stuff involving work, family and the many other obigations I've signed up for. But the coming break will give me a chance to clear my thoughts and get pumped back up to write.

So yeah, the best gift Santa brings me each holiday season is time. God bless and may you all have a wonderful holiday season.

Gearing up for for the Big Day!

2011-12-14T05:00:00.001-05:00

Every author starts to prepare for their book's big release day a couple months beforehand. One thing I like about working with Champagne Books is that I know what my release day is going to be very soon after signing my contract. I have plenty of time to prepare. From that point on, the count down clock begins ticking.

The first thing I do is announce the sale (of course!) on my blog, website, and all the social media sites I'm in. I set up a special page for it on my website and as I collect more information (like the completed cover, ISBN number, blurb, excerpt, book trailer, and such) I'll add it to that book's page.

Last month, I received my cover for The Right to Remain Mine, which is coming out in February. (I know, YAY!!!) It's one of my favorite covers; I just love the purple tones.

Once it arrived, I got started on a book trailer. I used to use Windows Movie Maker, but then I bought a new computer and I couldn't find the Movie Maker on Windows 7, so...I bought a picture/movie program maker called ProShow Gold and started making videos from that. It's a little different, but I'm slowly learning the ropes. Here's how that went over:

In November (about three months before the "big" day!) I began to contact blogs for a guest post/interview tour. So far, this is what I have scheduled:

-Jan 24 (Tues) Interview at Books-N-Kisses

-Jan 31 (Tues) Guest Post at The Roses of Prose

-Feb 13 (Mon) Interview at You Gotta Read

-Feb 20 (Mon) Guest Post at Romancing the Book

-Feb 24 (Fri) Interview at Fallen Angel Reviews

-Feb 2012 Interview at Joyfully Reviewed

-Mar 06 (Tues) Interview at BookWenches

I will also be doing something at Book that Thing, Books-N-Kisses, and Bookerella but final plans have not been made there yet.

It seems like with ebooks, online promotion is important. In the past, I've been interviewed by my home town newspaper, I've printed out postcards for my stories, I've contacted local libraries but since the story sells online, those ventures haven't panned out as well as I'd hoped.

Group chats are fun; I like to participate in those every once in a while.

And I've tried buying cover ads on review sites for that extra promotional effort.

I enjoy adding my books to my author pages on sites such as The Romance Reviews, Manic Readers, and Night Owl Reviews. Once the book releases, I'll add my book information to my Goodreads and Amazon Pages.

Then the contests will start to give away free copies.

By this time, I'm usually exhausted about talking about my book, but really, it's only the beginning.

What are some of the trials and tribulations you go through to get your book out there and noticed?

Reminiscing

2011-12-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

As we get older and the holidays grew closer there's a tendency to reminisce about the past. So, I'll ask your patience while I remember Christmases that make me smile.

As the kids grew older themselves, devising a way to keep them from guessing what they were getting for Christmas became a challenge. I came up with a code which I hid. Each package had a letter which corresponded to a name on my list. Little did I know that code and list was useless, because several years ago the oldest admitted, they'd slit the scotch tape and peek. Lesson number one - don't try to out smart your kids.

We lived in the north of the US and often had snow long before Christmas, a lot of snow.
We also cut down our own Christmas tree, so that meant bundling the kids up and tromping through cold, wet snow to find the 'perfect' tree. It also meant hot chocolate with marshmallows after we got home. I'll have to comment here. The 'perfect' tree was always bad on side, leaned in one direction or another or was too tall and had to be trimmed to fit in the living room where it held the place of honor for several weeks. Lesson number two - It's the little things the kids remember. They still talk about cutting down the Christmas tree and the hot chocolate I made.

Then there was the midnight Christmas snacks that were a tradition in our house. After midnight mass, we came home to wake the kids because Santa had come while we were at Church. We'd enjoy a late snack while the kids attacked the gifts. Cheeses, crackers, dips, lunch meats and lots of the cookies and candies we'd made to shared with the neighbors. The kids would open their gifts and then hit the table to feast mainly on the cookies and candies. While we went to bed, they played all night with their new toys. Lesson number three - there really is such a thing as a sugar high.

It a bit early, but may each of you make the kind of Christmas memories that will make you smile as you grow older. Have a wonderful Holiday and a blest new year.

How to Avoid Being Attacked by a Trojan

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone. Rita Bay checking in with a first post at The Writers Vineyard. Just contracted with Champagne Books to publish my paranormal novella, INTO THE LYON’S DEN, which will be released next summer. Thought I’d share some timely seasonal advice on ---

How to Avoid Being Attacked by a Trojan

While the title might inspire salacious images for some, this is a serious story that offers up some gift-giving advice for every blogger, writer and internet user. In the last year while writing my Moonday’s Heroic Hunk in History blog at Southern Sizzle Romance, I was attacked by a Trojan. Not once, but twice.

Imagine surfing the internet looking for an Elizabethan marzipan recipe when a warning in what looks like a Windows message pane pops up on your screen saying your computer has been infected, then the next message requests permission to launch a program to save your computer’s virtual life. If you click OK, you’ve just allowed a virus in disguise to infect your computer. The lurker records your keystokes (including passwords) for thieves who will empty your accounts, max out your credit cards, and steal your identity OR maliciously crashe your computer.

Each year, I hit the Black Friday sales to buy a computer program suite that protects me from viruses, malware, and other malicious critters. Some programs also provide free online data storage, cleans up your register, scarfs up your cookies, and performs other esoteric activities to keep you well. When you’re out shopping or online this holiday season, buy some protection. Mine, an annual special, at $20 was 75% off and included free installs on two additional computers. SO, be safe and choose a gift that will keep you and your loved one(s) disease free in 2012.

Join me at ritabay.wordpress.com to check out Holiday Celebrations each day throughout December with current events, old memories, and random trivia. Until next year when we interview Miss Jane Austen about the trials and tribulations of writing and publishing,

Rita Bay
"Celebrating Romance Across the Ages"
ritabay.com
ritabay.wordpress.com
southernsizzleromance.wordpress.com

“Into the Lyon's Den” from Champagne Books, Summer, 2012

Wondering...

2011-12-09T23:59:00.000-05:00

As an author, it's a challenge to market your work. The old days of "when I get published, Simon & Schuster will blast out the news of my book" died with rotary phones. Writing a novel is the easy part. The rest is a hard slog.

I see cheerleaders for other authors and I wonder how I can get one. Google was not helpful; I do not want a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (hell, I'm a Steelers gal born and raised) nor do I want the cheerleading outfit for the boudoir. If you saw me in real life you'd know how totally ludicrous that notion is...

No, the notion is to have a reader or groups of readers out there on the social media touting your work and singing your praises. I must admit, I'm a little shy about asking people to do that for me. It seems...crass. Might be my upbringing, but I think if someone really likes my work that much, they'll tell their friends without me begging them to do so. In real life, I know that isn't true. You have to ASK people for them to know what you'd like them to do. I don't mind asking for reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but this sort of cheerleading is even more than that. It's having your readers brag about your work on all the social sites they visit, telling everyone how much they loved your work, and how your book should be the Number One book on the Internet. It's asking them to post about it on all their groups on Yahoo, Google, and whatever else, maybe blog about you. Going beyond guest blogging on other author sites. Doing all the work of alerting the world about your book. It's awesome if you can get someone that excited. The question is, how can you do it without sounding like the biggest egotist this side of Charlie Sheen?

What do other authors think about asking readers to market for them?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-09T00:01:00.011-05:00

It seems I’ve been hearing Christmas carols since mid-November—around the same time Walmart set up their Christmas trees and decorations. Now, all of a sudden, it seems Christmas is upon us. To be honest, though, I’ve been in Christmas mode since last December when I started writing Reinventing Christmas for release this year.

I’ve learned that the spirit of Christmas created by songs and decorations can only survive for so long in one hundred and four degree heat in July. Then it becomes downright annoying. At this point, the challenge for me has been to find a resurgence of Christmas spirit now that the book is finished and published.

In my ‘day job,’ I’m a social worker with a non-profit organization. This is the busiest time of our year and the time I most love. Why? Because we have an Angel Tree and collect and distribute presents for children to thirty or more families—usually over 100 kids. We work like crazy and at a fever pitch those last few days before Christmas, including the weekend, and I find myself filled with sympathy for Santa’s elves. But then I see the kids—the gleam in their eyes when they look at a lighted Christmas tree. The joy when Santa rode by on a fire truck at last week’s Christmas parade. The anticipation when they talk about what they want Santa to bring. And I look forward to the innocence of the voices of the childrens’ choir at Christmas Eve mass. Always makes me a little weepy.

Of course, I see the other side, too—the parents who say they’ll have to tell their kids Santa can’t come this year because they’ve lost their jobs and are struggling to pay their bills. But that’s where I (along with my co-workers) get to make small miracles happen. Not on our own, by a long shot, but through the generosity of donors who buy everything from mittens to bicycles.

In my own childhood, I never had a Christmas without gifts. Even when my father’s work had been cut back, my grandparents came through. If anything, I was spoiled. And I can’t bear the thought of a child without a gift at Christmas, though I know that will be the reality for many kids in these hard economical times.

A five-year-old came into our office today with her mother who was there to get a voucher for food. I asked the little girl if she was excited about Christmas. She grinned and nodded, her eyes lighting up as she said, “Santa’s bringing me a Barbie.” And I knew that to be true, because I had written it down on our list to ‘Santa’ myself.

Yep, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Something else to help you get into the Christmas spirit is my new sweet contemporary romance, Reinventing Christmas. It’s available in ebook now at Champagne Books and at Amazon.com. Visit my website at http://www.lindarettstatt.com/ to read an excerpt and reviews.

Have a wonderful Christmas.

Linda

Looking Back

2011-12-07T01:00:00.015-05:00

Lately I've been feeling a bit of the writers' blues. I quit my day job so I could devote more time and energy to writing and marketing, and while I'm so glad I did -- I did, after all, write a whole novel in two months -- I'm just not seeing the spike in sales I was hoping to see. All around me are writers in the same boat: we're all trying to find the magic blog/Twitter/FB/chat/review formula that will ignite a windfall of sales. For awhile I pretty much lost sight of what was important, and how, for so many years, all I wanted was to be published, and that every sale, regardless of how few, would be an unimaginable blessing.

Then as I sat down to think about what I should blog about this month, it occurred to me that it's almost two years to the day -- December 9th -- that I first found out I was going to be published. My husband awakened me at 6:00 in the morning and dragged me to the computer so I could read an email from my agent that read, "Get your ass out of bed! Santa left you a huge present under the tree!" The rest of the day was a complete fog. I called my parents and ran around the house screaming. Later that day a package from Amazon arrived. My husband told me to open it early: it was an HP Netbook, which he wasn't supposed to buy for me until I got published. The fact that he'd done it anyway, and it arrived on the day that I found out I was published, was too much. I got so dizzy I had to lie down for awhile, and daydreamed about what my cover might look like, how wonderful it would feel to hold the print book in my hands, how terribly far away the release month of October felt.

Now, two years later, I have posters up above my couch of all three book covers from the Shadow Fox series. All of them are out in ebook and in print. I've received some great reviews, and while sales haven't been steller, they've been stable enough to give me confidence. Earlier this year Champagne Books awarded Shadow Fox Novel of the Year for 2010, and I've gotten fantastic feedback, as well as true friendships, from some of my fellow Champagne writers. I also have two other novels that are out in ebook, with a third coming in another month or so. My agent is helping me edit my new book, and I'm now looking two things I said I would never do in the eye: one was writing a novel for teens, the other a vampire novel (still in the planning stages). Last month I had a drink with my favorite author of all time, Guy Gavriel Kay, at the World Fantasy Convention. I sold 28 books at a book signing in my hometown, and sold a handful at my first fantasy convention. A couple of local business people think I'm famous, and my eight-year-old daughter tells everyone her mom writes wonderful books (not that she would know).

So I ask you: what the hell am I complaining about? If my past self, say ten years ago or so, saw me now, she would throw a fit. All she wanted, more than anything, was to get a book published. And here I have all this and more, and yet I'm still complaining. So as a favor to my past self, not to mention my present self, on the eve of my two-year-publishing anniversary, I promise to spend December feeling grateful. I won't let the doubts and fears encroach and dampen my spirits. I'll remember how it felt when I got that email December 9th, and how it felt to see the covers for the first time, and to open the packages that contained the first print copies. I'll remember every nice review and comment I've ever received, and I'll think about all the strangers who took a chance and bought a book from an author they'd never heard of. I'll be grateful for my new writer friends all over the globe, and I'll look forward, with relish, to the new books I have yet to write. And hopefully, if I do this enough, it will flow easily into the new year and become a habit. After all, feeling grateful will only bring new gifts to be grateful for.

Ashley J. Barnard
Dark Fantasy with a Contemporary Twist
http://www.ashleyjbarnard.com/

Born in Ice is now Out!

2011-12-06T06:00:00.003-05:00

To celebrate the release of Born in Ice I'm having a blog tour, giving away an ecopy of A Way Back each day, and at the end of the tour one lucky winner will receive a Kindle. The tour started on November 23, but there are 10 days remaining. Each day you leave a comment, you're entered into the drawing. Today I'm at Dawn Alexander's blog/

I've received permission to post a snippet of the story each day. By December 14th, readers will have experienced the Prologue and Chapter One. So, join us and read more of this story.

Blurb:

Pulled from an icy grave…into a world of doubt and danger.

Frozen in ice for seventy-five years, Zana Forrester suffers the agony of
rebirth to learn her son is dead, and her daughter's whereabouts is unknown. The year is 2155. A man's soothing voice and gray eyes haunt her drug induced dreams. When she recovers, she meets their owner and finds her heart in danger.
But, a relationship isn’t a consideration; she must find her daughter.

Brock Callahan is drawn to the beautiful woman taken aboard his salvage ship. He's determined she'll be his wife and a mother to his young daughter, but he vows not to love her. All the women he’s loved died. While
Zana searches for her daughter, Brock must protect Zana from the evil that threatens.

Tour Schedule:

Dec. 6 – Dawn Alexander - http://www.chasingsomeday.blogspot.com/

Dec. 7 – Jennifer Wilck - http://jenniferwilck.com/blog/ Fried Oreos

Dec. 8 – Nikki Duncan - http://nikkiduncan.com/blog/

Dec. 9 – Jennifer Jakes (A Marshal of Her Own) - http://www.authorjenniferjakes.blogspot.com/ Cooking in the Victorian Kitchen.

Dec. 10 – Allison Knight - http://www.allisonknight.blogspot.com/

Dec. 11 – Holly Hunt - http://rhythempoets.wordpress.com/

Dec. 12 – Lisa - http://www.lisasworldofbooks.net/

Dec. 13 – Liz Flaherty - http://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/

Dec. 14 – J.D. Revezzo - http://harshadpassion.wordpress.com/

Dec. 15 – Rachel Ferasek - http://www.rachelfirasek.com/ - Christmas Wish 3 books I’d like to have and blurb, etc.

Kindle drawing on December 16, 2011.

Thanks for Reading and Writing!

Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/
http://www.lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com/

TWV Contest - Final winners from last week

2011-12-05T01:09:00.002-05:00

Winners from author(s):

T.M. Hunter & Ciara Gold

Last weeks winners

Congrats to Debby - You won a signed print copy of FRIENDS IN DEED from T. M. Hunter. Email your mailing info to engrboy@msn.com and claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Congrats to follower Pablo - You won an E copy of DRAGON KING from ciaragold.com. Email your name to author at ciara_gold@yahoo.com and claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Pets and people

2011-12-05T01:00:00.002-05:00

Pets teach us a lot about ourselves. They don’t just look like us; they act like us. We’ve loved and lost many beloved “family members” over the years. Now we have a new mascot, Inkie

She is entirely black, but her heart is as pink as bubble gum soufflé. She makes our hearts lighter just watching her. In only two weeks she knew her job. She learned “English,” and stopped trying to climb into the oven and the freezer. On average she’d have been comfortable, as the old joke goes, but we’d have been devastated.

She’s eight-months-old at this writing and has us all figured out. She likes her bed—and us. Now she has both together. We put her bed between our pillows. She keeps watch overnight.

As to looking like us, well, her face takes on my expressions and her long graceful legs resemble my husband’s. Yeah, I’m a leg woman.

We’re convinced Inkie was sent by her great aunt, Kitty-kitty, who passed from our lives after 20 years of faithful friendship.

Penny Olsen, the main character in my new Champagne release, Kill Fee, has a pet Indian Hill Mynah bird, Bilgewater. He’s not only a crime fighter. He’s a good judge of character(s). As an observer of flawed folks and violent vixens, he knows whom Penny can trust. He also doesn’t suffer fools. His arch-rival is hero, Cole Martin’s cat, Cufflynx. Bilgewater is not above a little drama to keep Cufflynx in his place.

To read more, check my website and upcoming excerpts. As to Inkie, she is the first cat we named ourselves. She’s all ours, every enthusiastic adventuresome bit, paw to jaw. I think she has my eyes. Umm.

Julie Eberhart Painter is the Champagne Books author of Mortal Coil, Tangled Web, and Kill Fee released in October. See Julie’s Web site at www.books-jepainter.com

The Journey

2011-12-03T01:00:00.003-05:00

We are all on a life journey, and when we write, so are our characters. This always makes me think about where characters come from. The truth is they develop from many factors: people the writer knows, personal experiences, news reports, portrayals, exposés, and other public personalities -- all mixed with imagination. It is in the imagination, however, that archetypes dwell, and like it or not, they inevitably emerge in each character an author develops.

Joseph Campbell in his book The Power of Myth led me to Vladimir Propp and his Morphology of the Fairytale, and Jungian psychology with its collective unconscious and archetypes. From these sources I learned our stories contain not only heroes and heroines, but also gift-bearing mentors, journey-blocking gatekeepers, challenge-bringing heralds, devilish shadows, and mocking jokesters. If the hero is successful, he or she earns the ultimate treasure and it seems every character along the way has a job to accomplish.

Were ancient storytellers psychologists? I don’t think so, but they must have been keen observers of human nature. Their audiences demanded good stories, and like many authors today, those storytellers believed in their dreams and used their imaginations. Another interesting snippet of information I read claims myths and fairy tales developed similar stories in every culture, and that when a significant change took place in a fairytale in one location, it usually took place in all locations. It’s all fascinating stuff about dreams and journeys.

What does this mean? Only that while characters seem infinite in their variety they are tied together in a collective imagination ready to provide readers entertainment and to perhaps help them on a personal journey. Perhaps that is why at any particular time in our own life journey, certain characters speak so fervently to us.

Available from Champagne Books

Did ya know? – stats on publishing industry

2011-12-02T01:24:00.001-05:00

Michael W. Davis

Davisstories.com

Eighteen months ago before my cancer, I presented a mini workshop entitled “So you want to write a novel?” Now that I’m a human again, I decided to expand the mini discussion into a three part series. At the presentations so many came up and asked, "Where can I buy the DVD?" to which I'd reply, "I don't have one?" To which they'd ask, "Why not?" How can you answer a question like that (g).

So, in responses, I had a session recorded (150 minutes) and its now available on DVD (wasn't that a smart idea I came up with, LOL). You can view a trailer and video of the workshop, along with where to purchase, at Davisstories.com.

Anyway, while updating my material after the cancer, I found some interesting stats on the publishing industry that you might enjoy. I need to put forth a few caveats first:

1. The sources for these estimates is available via the link page on my website (Davisstories.com) but I warn you, there are a ton of details to weed through to get to the snapshot below.

2. The data on the industry is VERY fragmented. Go to four sources, you’ll get four different answers, so I picked stats that appeared close in agreement.

3. The numbers change each year so consider these as “representative” of 2009 through 2010.

4. I selected strictly the USA industry since stats were more prevalent for that sector

Thus, you may find different stats doing your own search, and that’s great, but these are instructive on their own and provide a quick snapshot. So here we go.

Publishers – The following figures are ball park numbers:

· Six large publishers out of New York (Random House, Penguin, Time Warner, etc)
· 400 medium companies (Pocket, Tor, St Martin, MIRA, Bantam, etc)
· 86,000 small Indie publishers (Champagne Books, Wild Rose, Cobblestone, Changeling Press)

Titles and sales – Ever wonder how many books are published and sold?

· Roughly 1 million new titles are released in the US each year
· 87% of retail store sales come from 7% of all released titles
· 93% of titles sale less than 1000 copies
· 80% of titles sell less than 100 and only 500 titles sold more than 100,000
· Average book sells by AAP publishers are considered successful if 5000 for fiction and 7500 for NF
· Average total sales for a self published book are 200 copies

Gender Demographics – Here are some interesting numbers on reader gender stats:

· 65% of all book sales go to women
· Women account for 80% of sales for fiction
· The average American female reader buys 30 books/year & spends roughly $450

Genre Demographics – Every wonder about which genres readers prefer?

· 25% of book sales are for fiction
· 23% of fiction sales are online
· Distribution of total fiction sales: 22% Rom, 8% SF/Fan, 7% Mystery, 53% Religion/young/child
· Distribution of best seller sales (26 million books): 33% thriller/suspense, 28% Romance, 8% Mystery, 6% SF/fantasy, etc
· Romances – 65 million readers, 90% female
· SF/Fantasy – 50% men (If it were just SF, more like 90%)

State of book sales (2009/2010)

Paperback
· Aggregate sales declined 4% to 36% based on genre
· Borders closed 16 stores
· B&N closed 10 stores
· B&N sales declined 3.3%
· Waldenbooks has decreased from an original 1200 stores to 175
· Dalton has gone from 797 stores to 4

Electronic
· Sales grew 110% to 140%
· 37% of all Electronic buyers bought first E book last year (this have broad implications)
· In 2010 Amazon E sales exceeded other media by 11%,
· BN.com Electronic sales rose 60%
· Amazon sold 70% of all E books
· Half of E sells are readers over 50

As I stated in the beginning, these estimates should be considered general in nature, given the variance across the sources I researched, yet they are informative in turns of basic trends. There are three personal observations based on my gut reaction:

- Why the difference between paperback and electronic sales? It’s simple; average E books cost roughly $4 and paperbacks $16. Also interesting to note that from their beginning earlier in the decade, growth in the E market was slow, as the big six have tried to play up. Yet, if you look at the growth from 2008 to 2010, it’s exponential and the shape of the curve for 2004 to 2010 indicates it will continue to escalate in that direction. If you read articles from the industry controllers (New York agents and publishers) they denial the storm on the horizon, yet it’s coming regardless of their attempts to cover the truth. Cost of readers has decreased significantly and even old timers like me are adapting to new technology (bought my first I phone last month).

- Another interesting trend is the change in senior readers that are adopting E format. I saw that change across several data sources, which surprised me. My wife and I often observed that readers in their senior years would never accept E format because all their life they had enjoyed the touch of parchment. Still, when I read the number that half of E sales are to readers 50 and over, it appears that presumption was wrong. The cost is coming down for readers, but in this economy how many have 150 to 400 for a reader? Old farts that are retired, like me. We have more discretionary income. Also, three years ago, none of my 50 and older friends had readers. Now 1 in 3 does. Even a friend that has a standing order for every paperback I’ve written, he now buys them in E format. His reason? Cost and the fact that my paperbacks come out 3 to 5 months after the E version is released. So, the storm is just over the horizon, regardless of the mainstream publishing weenies going through cognitive denial.

I know this was a long post, but I hope you found it enlightening like I did. Later.

Big Mike
Michael W. Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 2008 & 2009

Shadow of Guilt, “To each crossing of paths, there is a reason.”
Blind Consent, “The answers are buried in the secrets of the past.”
Forgotten Children, “Only Sara knows the truth.”
Tainted Hero, “Sometimes good people do bad things.”
The Treasure, “A lonely heart can impair one’s judgment.”
Veil of Deception, “Sometimes truth cuts deeper than a lie.”

TWV mega contest - week of 11/28

2011-11-28T01:07:00.007-05:00

Showcase author(s):

T.M. Hunter & Ciara Gold

First Book giveaway (leave a comment)
Prize: Paperback of DEAD OR ALIVE from T.M. Hunter at astonwest.com
Type contest: Leave comment here
How do I win: Leave a comment on this post NLT Friday midnight, a winner will be drawn randomly from those visitors that leave comments
Winner announced: Right here, next Monday
Rules/limitations:
(1) No purchase required. Leave comment on author's website.
(2) To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.
(3) Because of postage, only US/Canada residents can play this one

Second Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of DRAGON KING from Ciara Gold at ciaragold.com
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.

Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.

Last week's winners
Congrats to January Bain and Debby - (Since there was some miscommunication on how winners were selected, you've both won a print copy of FRIENDS IN DEED from T.M. Hunter. Email your name and mailing address to engrboy@msn.com and claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Congrats to follower Bookjunkie00 - You won an E copy of THE CURE from T.M. Hunter. Email your name to engrboy@msn.com and claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Speaking to Writers

2011-11-26T04:46:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure, and privilege, of speaking to a large writing group further down the Scottish coast the other evening. My subject was historical fiction, and I’ve been asked to judge the club’s competition for the first chapter of a historical novel. Although I’ve spoken to groups before on market research, and have judged many short story competitions, this was a first. And historical fiction is a wide subject.

In the event, it went very well and I even sold some print copies of my own historical novel, Dangerous Deceit, while others had read the e-book. After talking about all the different types of historical fiction, I gave them a fun excercise to do - a sheet with five paragraphs from novels in different periods. They had to decide roughly what time the novel was set in, which was fun as we went over the answers together. One of the main concerns some writers had about trying historical fiction was the shear breadth of research needed for a particular period. So I came up with this advice:

Choose a background period with which you are already familiar, through books or film
Research from primary sources as much as possible: books and diaries of the period, paintings and drawings, maps, guides and newspapers (if possible)
Find your characters and begin the story, filling in any further detail as and when required

I think we sometimes have to remember we’re writing historical fiction and not a serious academic book. Having good background knowledge of the period should allow a writer to get started. We can always leave a space if we need to check a fact and fill it in later, rather than stopping the flow of writing. It also saves us doing so much research we never begin the story!

At the end of the evening, a few writers seemed enthused to get on with their own historical novels, so hopefully I’ll get a good selection of first chapters to read. Although I’ll enjoy the task, it’s quite a responsibility to comment on their work and award a first, second and third in the competition, but that’s another subject!

Rosemary Gemmell (Romy)

http://ros-readingandwriting.blogspot.com/

http://romygemmell.blogspot.com/

Dangerous Deceit, Champagne Books and Amazon

Burning Bridges

2011-11-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

An Open Letter to Bridge Burners Everywhere:

I remember when you kicked me in the shin for saying, "Hey, what's the big idea"

I remember when you took a leather strap to my hand in first grade because I kept pushing a boy's hand off my desk.

I remember when you showed up an hour late for our movie date and I missed all the best parts because of you.

I remember when you didn't visit me in the hospital, even though you said you would.

I remember when you grabbed my pigtails and pulled them, hard.

I remember when you told me I was beautiful, but I then discovered you were just playing me like a gullible violin.

I remember when you made fun of my book on Twitter.

But guess what? I forgive you, my best friend, my teacher, my first boyfriend, my book reviewer. You're lucky you were only cruel to me because I'm not the kind of person who holds onto a good mad.

Some people might not be so forgiving. If you choose to be insulting, abusive or hostile in person or online, you might get the attention of the wrong person -- like an agent or editor or employer. Remember that when it's your turn to query or apply for that job, because they'll sure remember you.

Sometimes I think writers have a distinct advantage because they can exact subtle revenge by incorporating their past nemeses into their fiction. Too bad plumbers, shopkeepers and wait staff don't have such an outlet. But... maybe they do. *Checks soup for spittle*

People say stupid things, all the time. I've said them and I almost instantly regret them. Sometimes people say stupid things and they don't remember, or don't care.

People can be hurtful and cruel, or just plain ignorant. It's too easy to be careless online and cause pain to another person. You might think it's a passing moment, but that moment is burned in, forever. Not just in someone's memories, but on the world wide web.

Think before you type... and if you're ever on the receiving end of a careless post or email, I hope you can forgive your adversaries. Or at least turn them into trolls on paper.

On a lighter note, I'd like to wish my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving. May your tables groan, and later, your stomachs.

Picture credit: I don't know... this picture is EVERYWHERE!

Sandra Cormier is the author of BAD ICE, a hockey suspense. Hockey. Passion. Jealousy. A hat trick that could lead to danger.

A Few Words on Self-Promotion

2011-11-23T06:00:00.002-05:00

As a writer with a small press (and/or some self-published titles), the burden of promotion falls upon you. Of course, if you're like me, there aren't enough hours in the day to promote yourself 24/7. So, here are a few pointers when it comes to promotion:

-Utilize comfortable methods of promotion: If you're good at talking about yourself, do it. If the very thought of talking to people makes you physically ill, find something else. Granted, you are the only one who knows your book better than anyone else, so if you're not certain about your comfort level, try it out and see. You may surprise yourself.

-Use natural promotional environments: I've seen more than a few folks propose that you should take advertising materials with you to restaurants or send them with your bills through the mail. Although this may work for some, it's not likely to be a conducive (or cost-effective) method. Servers at restaurants, or those processing your bills, are performing a job and won't be eager to stop what they're doing to look over your material. If you have a desk job where people are sometimes waiting for you to finish a phone call, for example, you may be able to place a copy on your desk to grab their attention while they wait.

-Make determinations on future promotion efforts based on sales from present ones: This is going to be more difficult for those small presses where royalties and sales are presented on a less regular basis (some provide monthly reports, others every six months). It's far easier when you're working with self-publishing methods like Amazon's KDP and/or Smashwords, which give a constant record of sales. Of course, there's no guarantee that your sales today came from promotional efforts yesterday, but taking a look at trends will give a better idea on what you should spend your time and/or money on. If after three months, your paid online advertisements aren't netting enough sales to justify the expense, dump it.

-Don't assume that someone else's successes in promotion will mean successes in your own: Readers are a fickle bunch. Sometimes a particular book will strike a nerve with readers (Twilight, anyone?) while another won't, even if you go through the same promotional efforts. In addition, sometimes specific promotional efforts lose their effectiveness once everyone begins flooding those outlets with advertisements.

-Join forces with other authors: Writing itself is a solitary and depressing business. Self-promotion can be even more so, especially if you don't see results immediately. So, try joining forces with other authors who are looking to do promotion. Do a group chat, split the costs of a table at a convention or a print advertisement, or even just share each other's advertisements on social networking sites. A group of authors helping each other out means that you reach the sum total of acquaintances for the entire group, and that improves your odds.

And I'm certain there are other great ideas (please share!)...and there may be some that don't concur with these suggestions. Feel free to discuss in the comments section!

*

As a writer of science fiction, T. M. Hunter’s short stories have appeared in such publications as Ray Gun Revival, Residential Aliens and Golden Visions Magazine, and have received critical acclaim, twice (2007, 2009) receiving a top ten finish in the P&E Readers Poll. He currently has two novels with Burst Books, HEROES DIE YOUNG (Champagne Books’ Best-Selling Novel of 2008) and FRIENDS IN DEED. He also has a short story collection, DEAD OR ALIVE, with ResAliens Press. His self-published titles include his novella SEEKER, a sci-fi thriller THE CURE, and the first Aston West Triple-Shot (three-story collection) featuring “Dead Man’s Forge” and other adventures. Learn more about T. M. Hunter and read plenty of free excerpts and short stories at AstonWest.com. You can also follow him on Twitter and join his Facebook fan page.

A time travel novel journey

2011-11-22T05:00:00.001-05:00

A new door has opened on my writing journey with time travel being the glorious package revealed. It’s been like Christmas for a month around our house as I have spent every waking moment (and many sleeping judging by my dreams) unraveling this package layer-by-layer. I have had the luxury of contemplating such amazing ideas as the following plausible choices (just a few of them listed here) for building a “Time Machine” in 2011, according to some noted physicists and engineers that have spent time pursuing the possibilities:

(1) The most popular choice tends to be traversable wormhole like the one featured in the novel Contact by Carl Sagan. The hardest part—getting your hands on one! It would take a very advanced civilization to pull off the feat of selecting a wormhole out of the quantum foam and enlarging it to classical size. Then, it has to be stabilized with exotic (negative) energy against collapse by “threading” it with the equivalent of converting a planet the size of Jupiter into pure energy! (E=mcˆ2 to be specific.) Then, this is the most important part, if an advanced civilization had created it that civilization would have had to live before the time it was discovered to use in my story to allow backward (to the past) time travel.

(2) An intriguing choice I am also pursuing is Cosmic Strings. Discovered in 1991 by Gott, cosmic strings are thought to have been around since the Big Bang. They stretch the length of our universe and have a diameter millions of times smaller than that of the smallest atom. They too can warp space-time to the extent that closed timelike curves can be created. Perhaps a character can be accidently swept away by a cosmic string like an avalanche sweeps away a mountain climber? But not controllable enough for my story where I need my character to travel back to an exact place and time, a world-line to be specific.

(3) Rotating Cylinders (thanks to Frank Tippler) can create a time machine if we can construct a sufficiently large one that appears infinite at the center. (piece of cake, right!) However, keep in mind that you cannot travel further back than the creation date of the cylinder and it’s travel to the past I’m most interested in. (I want to have one of my characters “fix” their past. Sounds easy, right! Well, it’s not going to be easy to pull that out of my hat.)

(4) Rotating Black Holes or Kerr Holes has a ring singularity through it which a time traveler can theoretically pass to enter other universes and/or to time travel in ours. Means there are past or future versions of our universe. Now, those portals are the doors into time machines! Okay, there are lots of objections to this idea that a writer has to speak to in their work to show they understand the implications, but then, that is true of any time machine conjecture, this essential need for technical verisimilitude.

And, if that’s not enough, here are other issues one needs to delve into and confront in writing a novel that hopefully will stand up to the scrutiny of most intellectuals: paradoxes, world-time lines, slip-time, causality, Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity as well as his Special Theory, split universes, time tracks, Quantum Gravity, Quantum Mechanics and the unknown granddaddy of them all, The Theory of Everything! (sometimes called the Universal Theory)

This has been but a tiny snapshot of the wonders of pursing the concept of time travel.
Thanks for travelling a small part of the way with me.

*If you wondering about the ecover above, it's for my first book.

Forever Man
Being released July 2012
by Champagne Books
First in the Forever Series
http://www.januarybain.ca/

TWV mega contest - week of 11/21

2011-11-21T01:06:00.005-05:00

Showcase author(s):

T.M. Hunter

First Book giveaway (leave a comment)

Prize: Paperback of FRIENDS IN DEED from T.M. Hunter at astonwest.com
Type contest: Leave comment here
How do I win: Leave a comment on this post NLT Friday midnight, a winner will be drawn randomly from those visitors that leave comments
Winner announced: Right here, next Monday
Rules/limitations:
(1) No purchase required. Leave comment here on the post.
(2) To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.
(3) Because of postage, only US/Canada residents can play this one

Second Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of THE CURE from T.M. Hunter at astonwest.com
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.

Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.

Last weeks winners

1. Congrats to follower Kim Smith - You won an E copy of THE MASTER KEY from TK Toppin. Email your name to author at tktoppin@gmail.com to claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

2. Congrats to follower Ellis Vidler - You won an E copy of ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT from Annabel Aidan. Email your name to author at annabelaidan@devonellingtonwork.com to claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Sidetracked with a New Cover

2011-11-20T13:00:00.118-05:00

So, I had written up something I was going to post for this month's posting, but that went zinging out the window (I'll use it for next month) the minute I got my new cover art for The Eternal Knot.

I am pleased with the design, keeping to the original theme of The Lancaster Rule cover. While it may look very similar, it still has its own look and feel. And the woman now looks like she's "matured" somewhat...sort of like what happens in the book.

And, well, I can't show off a bright and shiny new cover art without giving you a little blurb, now can I? So here goes:

Unable to resist the lure of finding her niece, Josie picks up the crumbs of clues left behind. With her old friend and savior, pod-hunter Quin Aguilar at her side, she seeks out Fern Bettencourt who is assumed to be sleeping for over a hundred years.

From an unlikely source, Fern's location is discovered, and together with her husband, Josie seeks out her last link to her past. Will Fern want to be found? And will finding Fern be enough to bury the ghosts that haunt Josie? Can Josie bring herself to destroy her last remaining family in order to save herself?

Every question answered, every truth revealed. Will Josie finally rest in peace in the new future she lives in?

So, there you go. The trilogy ends, and I hope, like me, you can't wait for its coming out party. The Eternal Knot is slated for a January 2012 release by Champagne Books (and Burst Books).

Cheers,
T.K. Toppin

I Am Thankful For Crocks®, Diet Mountain Dew® and Chapstick®

2011-11-19T00:01:00.001-05:00

It seems, when you ask most people what they are thankful for their responses include freedom, faith, friends, and family. Well, thankful for your family except for that one crazy relative we all seem to have. Sorry if that’s you.

Anyway, for Thanksgiving I thought I would randomly ask people what they are thankful for. My stipulations included, it can’t be one of the answers from above and had to be something you would have a hard time living without.

Crocs® (shoes)
Diet Mountain Dew®
Coffee
Chocolate
Wine
Football
Hugs
Quiet
Cell phone
Music
Running Water
Tears that can express joy as well as sadness
Chapstick®
E-mail
Warm Fuzzy Blankets
Computer
The Past, good and bad
Eyeglasses
The gift of sight, hearing, and being able to speak

Next time you are feeling sad or down on your luck, look around and be thankful for all the little blessings that surround you everyday.

In Action Thriller, Bolt Action by Victoria Roder, Detective Leslie Bolt is a smart talking, gun hording, Harley riding investigator forced to work a serial murder case with her sexy ex-lover. After a childhood of abuse suffered at the hand of her father, Leslie sleeps with a Ruger Blackhawk .357 under her pillow, has a Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker rifle in her broom closet, and a Saturday Night Special stashed in her road-hog cookie jar. The body count mounts and Detective Bolt must conquer her own past, as she races to capture “The State Quarter Killer” before her sister is the next victim. Secrets of the past, murder, deception, sexual tension, and the “State Quarter Killer”; Bolt Action offers it all.

EVEN AN ARMADILLO NEEDS LOVE

2011-11-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

By:
Angelica Hart and Zi

The singular most important emotion a human spirit craves is to be loved. It seeks it out. It needs it. It craves it. Walk into any book store and check out the romance section, it dominates. There is a reason for that which isn't just about sensual romance. It goes back to that basic need that we long to be loved. There are many romances that play down the aspects of sexuality, take that of a story about a boy and his armadillo, a generational family saga, even a story about war, all play the emotional gambit yet somewhere in each, you will find love, be it for a pet, a child, or your country.

The further we are from love, of feeling loved, of being loved, the more isolated we become, cynical sometimes, and at its worse a life without being loved can poison the body. The closer any emotion comes to love, the more that emotion vitalizes and nourishes the body. Negative emotions seep into our spirit and spread emotional distress that could actually make us ill. Therefore, it is empathically accurate to say that love can cultivate well-being, and in well-being there is joy.

The human spirit constantly searches for that connection, that cannot be found in a new electronic toy, although, one wouldn't mind having that, or a cruise, or a piece of pecan pie. Ok, maybe, the latter is true love. Seriously, no material or emotional love in this world can touch us, encourage us, protect us, fulfill us, strength us, bless us, provide for us, care for us, feed us, house us, clothe us, or heal us like love that comes from inside us, love that we wish to share.

As authors, we choose to share our love with the world though our writing. In our books from Champagne Books, starting with KILLER DOLLS, the love is more mature, more dynamic, more intense, that snap that comes with instant attraction all centered around the possibility of loss and death. Whereas, in SNAKE DANCE, the love is fresh, new, just as instantaneous but with a connection born from something mystical. CHASING GRAVITAS cuts into the ache and desires of the heart, a yearning that might not be realized, a mysterious truth that might destroy. Yet, in each of these stories there is one truth, the characters have a basic to love. It isn't just the sexual attraction, or the culmination of that passion, but about the real reasons one loves, about see the soul and knowing that soul melds perfectly, that the yin of one cannot exist without the yang of the other.

Some say the romance genre is just a disguise for soft porn. We strenuously disagree, reading romance is partnering with love, championing it, recognizing the fact that love will win out, every time. Maybe, that isn't always the truth of reality, but dang, isn't it wonderful that there is a place where we can play and know for certainly happily-ever-after does exist?

We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at writingteamcw@yahoo.com with blog in the subject line and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY
www.champagnebooks.com

STEEL EMBRACE by Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
http://www.carnalpassions.com/

THE FABLE OF SIN-SIN CINDERELLA Series
angelicahartandzi.com

Past endeavors still generate curiosity

2011-11-17T04:32:00.001-05:00

I had a new release on Monday of last week amidst getting a magazine off to the printer, taking students on a not one, but two field trips and attending a state conference for art. Yikes, no wonder I'm a bit frazzed.

I had intended all sorts of promo to help get the word out about the new release but of course, time is precious so I only managed two blog posts on other authors' blogs, I arranged a spotlight type ad at Romance Junkies and I tweeted.

In the meantime, I've been checking statcounter to see what kind of traffic I've had on my website. What amazes me is finding out where folks are coming from in terms of finding me. You just never know just how important those interviews are or those spotlights. I shared a spotlight with Phyllis Campbell at Love Western Romance in 2008 and I just recently had someone click the link on that post. Wow, that was four years ago, but that's the beauty of the Internet. I've had several hits recently from having my name listed with Coffetime Romance. I think I arranged this way back in 2007. I'm still getting hits from a tailgate interview I did with Romance Junkies in 2007.

In August, AReBooks published a short of mine, which has resulted in a bit of traffic as well. Bottom line is that you just never know what promo will result in others becoming curious and wanting to learn more. So .... I guess my best advice is to try a little of everything when it comes to getting the word out.

Darn that Little Green Bug

2011-11-16T05:00:00.002-05:00

A little green bug I like to call ENVY bit me this weekend.

My husband and I dropped our kid off at Grandma's house to spend the night, then we tarried along to a birthday party for some friends of his--twins!

Being the timid, quiet person I am, I pretty much shadowed the hubby around the entire night. It was a lonely two minutes that one time he had to make a pit stop at the restrooms!!

Anyway, I found myself longingly glancing at all these people deep in animated conversations around me, laughing and teasing each other. And I wished I could be just a bit more loud and outgoing. I was still feeling all drab and too-shy-to-be-healthy the next morning when we picked up my twenty-one-month old. But low and behold, the moment we walked in the door and she saw us, her face lit up, her arms started waving, and she yelled, "Mommy, mommy!!"

When I picked her up, she hugged me so tight, I forgot all about being a boring, shy, un-socialite. It made me think of that one quote that goes a little something like:

To the world, you're just one person, but to one person you could mean the world.

So, I was browsing around the internet recently, looking into promotional opportunities for my next Champagne release, The Right to Remain Mine. And as I saw so many authors around me, having tons of success with their stories, that little green bug started crawling up my arm in search of a nice juicy vein to chomp on.

When I start to compare my sells, and contest results, or my Klout score, I tend to get majorly bummed out because let's face it, I'm no JK Rowling in that department! But then I received a personalized email from a reader that said:

I just wanted to let you know that **A non-Champagne Book** is one of my favorite books of all time. I couldn't put it down! It was sooo good, that I read it twice! and recommended it to all my friends. Is there any chance that the book will turn into a movie?

And suddenly, I didn't care so much if I only sold one copy of my book. To bring joy to that one person, it was worth it.

Next time you feel a little green bug scurrying around on you, just remember you really are important to someone, and all your hard work really is worth it!!

Have a great Wednesday!

Treats For The Holdiays

2011-11-15T06:00:00.034-05:00

With the holidays coming, I thought I would do something a little different. I'm going to give you a couple of my recipes for Holiday Treats.

First to start the meal how about some Scrimp Scampi: (Since we live in the south we have access to fresh scrimp, but scrimp thawed, deveined and shelled will work.)

In a large skillet
Melt 1/3 cup butter over low heat.
Add 4 large garlic cloves chopped fine
When the garlic is soft but not brown
Add 1/4 teaspoon celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley) 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Simmer for one minute.
Add a pound of deveined and shelled shrimp. Cook over low heat until the shrimp becomes opaque and curls. Time will depend on the size of the shrimp, from seven to twelve minutes.

Bake a juicy Ham (shank half from 7 to 10 pounds) Preheat oven 325 degree F.

Score the fat side of the Ham in a crisscross fashion, forming diamonds.
Place the Ham in a 9 x 13" baking pan with the fat side up.
Insert a whole Clove into the center of each diamond. (Approximately 10 -15 cloves)
Pin Pineapple rings with toothpicks to cover the top (One whole #2 can)
Reserve juice of Pineapple
Pat 1 cup of packed brown sugar over the Pineapple (watch out for the toothpicks.)
Pour the Pineapple juice over the brown sugar.
Add 1 cup of Rose or Zinfandel wine over the Ham. Reserve another cup of wine to add while baking.
Bake for 3 hours basting every half hour adding 1/3 cup wine during the first three bastings. (You can also use most white wines, but I like the added sweetness of the Rose or the Zinfandel. You also might want to plan to have extra wine to sample while you baste.) Allow the Ham to rest for approximately half hour before carving.

Finally for dessert, how about some cookies. These are called Mexican Wedding Cakes, or in French, Petits Gateaux Tailles which sounded like Petticoat Tails to the English. (It means little cakes cut off)

1 cup Butter softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 Tablespoon Bourbon or Rum
2 1/2 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 chopped nuts
Mix thoroughly. (fingers and hands do best) shape into two long rolls about 1" in circumference and wrap rolls in waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight. Slice into 1/8" slices, place on ungreased cookie sheet an inch apart and bake at 400 degree F for approximately 8 minutes. (Should be slightly browned around the edges) Dust cooled cookies with additional powdered sugar.

TWV mega contest - week of 11/14

2011-11-14T01:04:00.006-05:00

Showcase author(s):

TK Toppin & Annabel Aidan

First Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of THE MASTER KEY from TK Toppin at thelancasterrule.blogspot.com
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.
Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.

Second Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT from Annabel Aidan at devonellingtonwork.com/annabelaidan.html
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.

Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.

Last weeks winners

Congrats to follower Zahra Youssry - You won an E copy of SEEKER from T.M. Hunter. Email your name to author at engrboy@msn.com and claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Choosy Writers Choose What?

2011-11-11T23:56:00.007-05:00

I receive an ezine from a local nonfiction editor named Barbara McNichol that I find quite enlightening. Called "Word Tripper of the Week", it highlights words that are often misused. It's interesting for instance, to see the difference between esoteric and eclectic explained. While I knew how to use each correctly, it's nice to see a clarification spelled out in layman's terms.

One of the Word Trippers I filed away to refer to often is the use of lie versus lay. I know people lie and objects lay, but the past tenses always mess me up. What is accepted in conversation locally isn't always correct, and then I get caught up in whether to have my character say what he would if he was standing in front of me or say what is right. Most of the time local custom wins out if the character is participating in a dialogue with another, and I try to use the proper form if it's in the narrative. But sometimes it just doesn't read right and I agonize about it for some time before giving up and finding another way to say they could have remained in a supine position on the sofa for most of a day.

This is one of the aspects of writing I find challenging. Which word will give my reader the most vivid image, the richest flavor, the most intensity? A thesaurus is wonderful, but it doesn't always give me the full nuance of usage I'm after. Should I use fewer or less, over or more than, further or farther? When is it okay to bend or break the rules?

I know I'm a bit of a nerd about this but if you're interested in the Word Trippers ezine here's the link:
http://barbaramcnichol.com/wordtrippers/buy_word_trippers.php

Happy wordsmithing!

~Jude

~Jude Johnson

Author, Dragon & Hawk

Available from Champagne Books

Website: jude-johnson.com

My profiles: Facebook Blogger Blogger

Thank A Veteran

2011-11-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

I was going to blog about Christmas and my new book and writing about holidays. But here in the USA on this November 11, we celebrate Veteran’s Day. Regardless of our personal position on war, I think most all of us bear a deep respect for the men and women who serve. Christmas will come soon enough, and you can check out my newest book, Reinventing Christmas, on my website at http://www.lindarettstatt.com/ and find it at Champagne Books http://www.champagnebooks.com/ in ebook on November 15. For today, I want to call us to be mindful of those who serve or have served our country.

My father, Dale Rettstatt, Jr., was a veteran of World War II.

He was injured twice, receiving a Purple Heart for the second injury that left shrapnel in his head and made him subject to sudden and nearly-debilitating migraines. But even after returning from active duty, my dad continued as a life-long member of the Army reserves. I remember the pride I used to feel at watching him march with his reserve unit in parades in our small town. He took a quiet pride in being a soldier and packed for his two weeks of annual Army reserve training like a kid going off to summer camp. He never talked about the war, but he and I would sit together and watch movies like Bridge On the River Kwai and Run Silent, Run Deep. For me, it wasn’t so much a matter of enjoying war films as it was a means of trying to get a glimpse into my father—the soldier.

I didn’t learn much about him through those movie sessions, but I did learn a few things by watching the way he lived out his commitments to both country and family. I learned that you don’t give up when things get tough. I learned that, sometimes, you put yourself—your life—on the line for something you believe in. I learned that war isn’t fought for the sake of the fighting, but for the sake of the family back home.

On this Veteran’s Day, honor the vets in your life with a special memory, and give some thoughts to those serving today, whether here in the US or abroad.

Linda Rettstatt
http://www.lindarettstatt.com/
Writing for Woman

Available at Champagne Books