A Summertime Puck Drop

I'm happy to announce that my romantic suspense Bad Ice is now available in e-format from Champagne Books. On Canada Day (release day) I hosted a Canadian Trivia Contest and a fellow blogger won a copy. I also received word of one sale due to a recommendation by a fellow blogger. A Canadian fellow living in Iceland bought a copy and told me he liked it; even if it was a 'sappy romance' he felt less alone. I'll call that a positive comment.

You can have a chance to win an e-copy by visiting Book Roast, a blog that promotes books both big and small on the last week of each month. It's a fun week of kooky questions, wacky answers and a bit of roasting on the grill. Bad Ice will be featured on Thursday, July 24th. Drop by for some fun and a chance to win!

A brief blurb (okay, not so brief) about Bad Ice:

When hockey fan Christina Mackey prevents a murder attempt aimed at her idol Jason Petersen, the hockey scene she'd always worshiped from the outside suddenly surrounds her.

Jason had entertained a succession of beautiful women since his rookie year, but none were a substitute for his first relationship, which had ended in tragedy. When he meets his saviour, Christina's gentle spirit reawakens him, and her daughter Mishayla reminds him of the child he could have had.

Jason discovers his girlfriend Sheila is behind the attempt on his life. He breaks off their relationship but Sheila won't let go. Her devotion to drugs and alcohol are second only to her obsession with Jason and his lifestyle. She uses lies, threats and manipulation in trying to get him back.

As Jason's feelings grow toward the widow who saved him, his past threatens not only their happiness, but Christina's innocent daughter as well.

Here is an excerpt:

Jason glanced at the nurse and shifted from one foot to the other. He mumbled something Christina couldn’t quite catch.

She raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

He tried again. “Could I take you out for coffee or lunch or something after you get out of here?” His stage whisper was clearly intended to escape Phil's attention, but the nurse only chuckled and hummed louder.

Christina thought about the phone call. She silently argued with herself, but eventually, curiosity overcame caution. She leaned back on her pillow and said, “Hmmm.” What the hell, I’m all grown up. I can take whatever comes my way. It’s only coffee...or lunch...or something. "Of course, I'd be delighted."

Jason’s blue eyes lit up. “Great! I’ll give you my number. Or you give me yours. No, you won’t be home yet. I’ll give...” He patted his pockets, searching for something to write on.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere for a while.” His flustered behavior amused and surprised her. Not your typical super jock. “Just drop by again in a few days. We’ll probably have something written down by then.”

He sketched a brief salute and pushed at the door. It didn’t move.

“I think you’re supposed to pull it,” she said, hiding her smile behind her hand. He looked at her with a shy, embarrassed grin and violently yanked the door open to rejoin his friend.

She glanced across the room at Phil. He raised his eyes innocently to the ceiling and sauntered from the room. Off-key strains of “Love is In the Air” drifted from the hallway before the door closed with a soft clunk.

Hockey. Jealousy. Passion.
A Hat Trick that could lead to danger.

--Sandra Cormier

Critique vs. Criticism

Look up 'critique' and you'll see such words as evaluation and assessment. Look up 'criticism' and you'll see disparagement and disapproval. As new writers, we eventually find it necessary to offer up our work for critique. This isn't the same thing as asking friends and family to read your book. Your family will love it no matter what.

Your friends may like it. If they don't, they'll merely tell you they were too busy to read it. Maybe they were indeed too busy. Howver, you suspect they couldn't choke it down because your writing wasn't up to par.

You may not be getting an honest critique of your work if you don't enlist the help of other writers. If your mom says it's great and you jump the gun and start querying and sending partials willy-nilly into the publishing world, there's a good chance you'll be disappointed by the results. Rejections will likely pour in with the regularity of an electric bill. Maybe you'll give up, convinced that you suck.

Or maybe you'll realize that there are people out there who can really help. So, you join a writers' group or forum. You get tips on making your work better. You discover flaws like passive voice, showing not telling, info dump and wooden dialogue.

Some critique groups can be particularly harsh, and you might take their negative feedback personally. Perhaps you lash back, telling everybody you know that the critiquer is mean. If that's the case, you have a lot to learn about the critiquing process. Resist the urge to diss the critiquer. Don't flounce off in a huff because your brilliant prose didn't blow the socks off everyone who read it. Some people who think they're helping you are not necessarily professionals, and not all of them know how to assess another writer's work with an objective eye.

Take each comment, positive or negative, and store them in a safe place. Take some time to cool off and look at the comments again.

Some will be inconsequential, like: "I thought that joke was in poor taste and I don't think you should use it." So what if the reader didn't like the joke? A thousand others will. Disregard.

Some will sting: "Using excessive 'there was' is the sign of an amateur". Okay, that could have been worded differently, so take it in its intended context -- omit excessive 'there was'.

Some will be extremely unhelpful: "This sucks. You can't write." Or: "I didn't like the plot." Ignore these people and move on.

Most suggestions will be helpful, and eventually their advice will percolate into your psyche. If you see the same observations over and over again, there might be some validity in their opinions.

Above all, whether you agree or disagree, take the time to thank your critiquer. I love the people in my writers' group -- they all helped me hone my rudimentary writing skills until I was eventually published. Now they are helping me in my quest to obtain an agent. They are the sweetest, most generous and kind ladies I'd ever met online. Together, we help each other learn, we lean on each others' shoulders when tragedy strikes, and we laugh together on a regular basis. I don't regret joining the group, and I wish it could be open to the whole writing world, but it can't. They can't accept everyone, just like a dedicated couple can't adopt a whole orphanage.

Take advatage of the expertise of writers' advocate sites like Absolute Write, Writer Beware and Preditors & Editors. They carefully research any claims against agents, publishers and writers' groups, offering both sides of the story if available.

You might read complaints about blogs and forums who may have rejected a writer's work. A random blog has every right to complain about individuals in the industry, but it may backfire on the owner if they don't back up their claims with facts.

There are great critique groups out there, too. Run your first pages through Elektra's Crapometer and you'll get honest and helpful opinions. Give your query letter or opening paragraphs a shot at Evil Editor's blog and you'll laugh your ass off while he picks apart your pitch in a most hilarious fashion, followed by a revised letter that will likely be 300% better. Join in the office party at the Absolute Write water cooler and you'll get lost in a whirlwind of opinions, jokes, critiques, writing exercises and just plain fun (and a little flouncing).

Hopefully, you'll fit in some writing, too.
On another note, the cover for my Champagne Books romantic suspense Bad Ice is ready. The e-book will be released in July.

--Sandra Cormier

A Thirsday Thirteen - Fun With Words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. Head Butt - Where exactly is the head?

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

9. Low-Rise - 'Nuff said.

10. Veggie Dogs - Ew.

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

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

13. Poor Little Rich Girl - Yeah, right.

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