On the Road Again: Ongoing Writing and Learning the Craft

First a mini squee because I love my new blog design and couldn't be more proud of the College Kid for her hard work. She's beyond talented and reasonably priced. I love the clean lines, the cool signature line and the beautiful colors. They combine the look of my website, my tumblr, and soon to be arrive brand new business cards.

Talent exists in many forms. I couldn't doodle my way out of a paper bag, but the CK is gifted in design and all things technical when it comes to creating beautiful computer coded blogs and more. I expect one day I'll have to have her take over the website and combine the elements, but for now I love having this blog as a separate entity. It's easier for me to into it and make changes to the pages.

So new blog look, but same me. The only thing that's changed is that I have more responsibility now to make sure that I continue to hone my craft and work hard at creating new stories. This weekend I'm super excited because I'm reconnecting in person with my Critique Partner Pam Mantovani in Birmingham. She lives in the Atlanta area so most of critiquing and brainstorming is done over the phone or via email exchanges. And that's all great, but we have a higher output of synergy/story/zany stuff that pops into our heads when we are in the same room.

We meet today and will spend time writing, brainstorming, making plans for the future, discussing the biz, and just plain enjoying each other's company.

Tomorrow we will attend a plotting workshop at the Southern Magic meeting from 12-3P. I've been taking the course online and it's fantastic. Another tool in the writing arsenal for me to use when I start generating new stories and during revisions. Today's lesson is a tough one so I'll start it this afternoon after I arrive at the hotel. I'll probably wrap it all up next week. The best part about this class is I literally started the story from scratch again so now I've got solid plot (external and internal) points to create an outline. I hope that means the story will be easier and faster to revise.

Ongoing growth as a writer is vital. James Scott Bell continues to learn about the craft. And he writes books about the writing craft. I think the main thing is never to sit back and think that you're so wonderful that you don't need to learn anything new. I love learning about the craft, incorporating the new information into my growing stack of lessons about plot, structure, body language, deep editing, you name it!

So I'm hitting the road, looking forward to a fun and productive weekend, and continuing to grow as a writer on this journey of mine.

What's on your agenda? Do you take craft classes? Does the idea of plotting and outlining freak you out? What's the best course you've taken that you would recommend to me?

Makeover Madness on the Veranda

The Veranda has been undergoing a lot of reconstruction ever since I got "The Call AKA the Amazing Email." I'm really excited about the changes that the College Kid is implementing to the Veranda's design and the logo. There have been discussions about Roses versus Hearts, font names bandied about (which the College Kid has memorized and I have not), and sleek lettering to look at when she's finished coding stuff (which is my fancy way of saying "doing something I have no idea how to do and if I tried my brain would pop").

Stay tuned. This work is still in progress. Kind of like my current novella and my other draft in revision.  So while the College Kid has been working on my blog, my tumblr site and more, I've been doing what I know best: writing and revising and studying my craft online via a wonderful course offered by my Southern Magic Writing Chapter.

Oh, and when I haven't been Digging Out of the Distractions of reconstruction noise, I have been working with the website designer and there are a few minor changes to the site. Check it out at www.christinegloversite.com. Press my shiny new Entangled Publishing button and pop over to see their fabulous new titles.

If you're in the mood for something different, then my new Tumblr site might be the ticket. Though I originally joined it to follow the amazing John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars (which is an amazing, beautiful soul-searing read), now I'm having fun exploring my new tumblr world. Here's the link: www.christinejhglover.tumblr.com

The College Kid designed the site for me. I think it looks amazing. I'm so lucky she's got this crazy math and designer gifted brain. That way she can do cool computer-like stuff while I do what I love to do: write.

I'm stoked about the novella's direction. I have been pre-writing Jessie and Blake's story. Jessie is tough, but Blake is the perfect Alpha-licious hero and I know he'll release her from her prison of pain, frustration, anger, and grief. Of course, I have to do this in a quick way, which will be a challenge. But I'm still researching her background thoroughly and can't wait to learn more about her career which means conducting an interview or two about her dangerous profession. Meanwhile, my plotting class has given Roxy & Stefano's story a great new direction for the revisions. I'm sensing a little suspense and action, but the core of the story is their romance. And that's what brings a big grin to my face when I'm writing. I love *love*.

So be on the lookout for the grand unveiling of the new look and title for the blog. The contents will likely evolve, but all in a good way. And one thing will always stay the same: me. I'm still a writer who loves to write and is constantly figuring out how to squeeze in more time to do what she loves.

How about you? Any big changes? How do you handle change? Do you like it, embrace it, or run from it?

Great Expectations

On Monday I wrote about my tools to battle back the world pressing in and battling the demons of doubt and despair. Part of the reason I'm so tough on myself right now is I have set the bar very high this year. And another large part of the reason I am driving myself so hard is I've redirected the focus of my writing energy.

This is the first year I have taken a sabbatical from entering contests. I love contests. They give me deadlines. They validate me as a writer. They provide useful feedback. Last year I was a Triple Finalist and winner of the Linda Howard Award of Excellence. I've experience lots of high moments with other contests as well. I love contests so much I decided to help my Southern Magic Romance Writers out by coordinating the Linda Howard Award of Excellence this year.

So why have I sworn off contests? Easy answer: they focus my energy only on the first three chapters of the book and, in some cases, the synopsis. And I have a different goal this year. I want to polish and hone three full manuscripts to the best of my abilities at this point.

I want to take what I've learned during the last two years and implement that knowledge. I want to revise my full manuscripts with my new writing eyes. Eyes that see things differently. Eyes that understand what is expected of the manuscript's promise. And eyes that are HONEST about the quality of the writing.

I also want to take two monthlong online courses that will require me to expend my energy in learning more about the business side of the publication industry and more about the craft of writing a complex novel.

My critique partner says I'm harder on myself than anyone else. She's right. I wouldn't be where I am as a writer and as a person if I didn't push myself to succeed. But I also strive to have a balanced life. A life that includes hanging out with people who aren't writers, spending time with the Physicist on the Veranda, and building my relationship with the College Kid as she transitions from home to the world.

So if I want that balance and I want to achieve all of my goals, I must say no to something that isn't necessary to my life as a writer. And as much as I crave the validation of a contest final, I know in my heart that my time is better spent shaping my novels into amazing stories and generating new stories and building strong bonds with my family.

Have your personal and professional goals changed? Why?

Separation Anxiety: Juggling My Two Worlds

As many of you know, I've been on social media for about five years. Originally, I signed up for the Big Daddy of Social Media because I had moved AGAIN, and I wanted to keep up with my long distance friends. Then my Social Media world grew because I became very active in my writing world. After four years, I created a fan page off of my original site because I knew I'd need one when I finally get the "call." Or the "email" or the "you've done it Sister!" shout out.

My Social Media profile began growing with new contacts via the writing world, the College Kid's friends, the Physicist's family and friends, my new writing friends, and so forth. Pretty soon I wasn't able to see all of my close friends' posts because I had too many people flowing through my newsfeed. And I had all these writing chapter groups that I belonged to and that ate up my newsfeed. I tried to manage it all, but it was becoming very difficult.

Add to the mix the fact that I couldn't mention my kid's name, my husband's name, etc. and it was getting super crazy. I knew I had to separate the Writing World from my Personal World (really, who wants to see posts by my husband's cousin thrice removed about when he was ten?), but I was at a loss about how to do it.

Enter Sarah Wendell AKA Smart B*tch Book Reviewer and an awesome Southern Magic Chapter meeting about Digital Media and Promotion. I expressed my concerns to her and she waved her magic wand of knowledge which gave me the key to untangling both worlds. Thank you very much!!

I came home jazzed about how to untangle my worlds and begin again. But let me tell you, it was hard and I'm still figuring out how to complete the changes. Here's what I have learned:

1. Unfriending people is hard -- it takes a lot of effort and I needed to have two computers side-by-side to do it properly. Then I had to re-friend people on my new personal page. Somehow during the process I accidentally unfriended someone in my writing world, but thankfully that person checked in with me and I explained my issue and we are re-friended. Frankly, I've NEVER unfriended anyone deliberately--even if I have a tiff with that person--because I just don't think relationships should live and die by the push of a button. But that's just how I roll.

2. I'm still not sure I have my original email address for the Linda Howard contest up and running because I had to get a new email addy to create the new personal profile. So I'm running a test on that even as I write this blog.

3. Now I have yet another Social Media world to keep up with and it means keeping my new passwords with me and switching back and forth by signing in and signing out. I manage it right now by keeping one Social Media world on my iPad and the other on my laptop. We'll see how that rolls when I'm traveling.

4. I am enjoying being able to converse freely in both my worlds because they are really important worlds to me. I love my writer friends. They have great senses of humor, are super supportive of my writing efforts, and they matter to me. Many of my "professional" friends are really dear and important to me. But it's also nice to keep my family and long distance non-writing friends in a separate world because now I can say their names, see their news and updates, and be more relaxed about my posts. So it is a win-win for me all around.

Social Media is important. It's part of my life because I love being able to connect with the people I love and the people I admire. So now I'm liberated in both worlds.

How do you manage your Social Media? Do you need to play with more than one profile? Is it a love-hate relationship? Or is it a love-love relationship?

Juggling Books: Act Two

It's hard to believe I started writing books eight years ago. Well, I've always been a writer, but I dabbled in poetry, wrote fan fiction before there was such a thing as fan fiction, dreamt about stories, made up stories, but in the end I never really sat down to write books until I was an adult.

My stats aren't necessarily reflected in My Books page in this blog spot. I have a couple of under the bed books, or "drawer books" that shall remain in the drawer. However, I'm just as proud of them as I am of the ones that I think have real potential to fly. Why? They taught me I could FINISH a book. Do you know how many people say they are going to write a book? Lots. Do you know how many people start those books? Not many. Do you know how many people finish the books they start? Even less.

Do you know how many people keep writing more books after their first "epic novels" are rejected once? A few brave souls.

So if you've finished a novel PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK. Well done. If you've picked yourself up off the floor after your first rejection and continued writing more books BREAK OUT THE BUBBLY. You're a winner in my eyes.

Now comes the tough part. Continuing to write and revise and LEARN YOUR CRAFT while you get ready for your big opportunity and get published. Oh, that leads me to continue to QUERY and SUBMIT. Yes. Query a lot. Submit wherever you can that makes sense for your genre and your career.

Most of all HAVE  PLAN. One cannot operate without a clear, flexible plan in place. I have one. Every year I sit down and make a list of attainable goals (okay getting a New York agent and/or editor to love my work is not completely in my hands, but I can take care of the writing and submitting part, then let it go).

Every quarter of the year, I review my plan. I revise my plan. I reset my goals. As I approach the end of this quarter year, I know I have to be very careful with my time and use it with clear focus. A lot of the places I want to submit to have different requirements than in the past.

I have nine fully written books. I have fleshed out three different continuing series book outlines and have pursued the writing of them during breaks from revising for requests and so on.  I have two new shiny stories to write with interesting characters and premises to flesh out. Seven of my books have pretty strong partials ready to whip out the door (a partial is the first three chapters along with a synopsis--though the synopsis requirement isn't always in the guidelines for submission). I have two strong full manuscripts to send out to the world. They are strong in that my most recent writing eyes, the eyes that have learned a lot of new things, are looking for deeper elements when I read through them. The rest are in the "polish to the best of my ability" stage.

Therein lies the caveat: polish to the best of my ability now. Because I've grown as a writer. What I thought was my "best" a year or two ago isn't my best of my ability now. All this leads to my current juggling act. I've got editors on the hook. I've got interest in my writing. I'm close. Oh. So. Close. Now I'm working on getting my missiles ready to launch by using the abilities I have strengthened within me as a writer and polishing, revising, and polishing again.

The goal? Four books ready to launch. I'm lining them up like rockets on a pad. Lighting the fire. Counting down the minutes until they lift off one-by-one toward the stars I've aligned them to shoot toward. But oh my, is it ever daunting. My head has been spinning with the various books I want to get ready. And I have those two shiny new stories that I want to write. I'm desperate to write them. I want to get to know these new characters, but I must hold back. I have to get my rockets ready to fly.

Yesterday, after polishing all day, I sat down and printed out my calendars for April and May. I also did weekly calendars. Then I marked off the days I know I will be unable to write at all. After that, I made a power plan for which books to work on and when I needed them to be at various stages of revision.

April is a weird month. May is even stranger. Life is happening. Lot's going on: travel, medical stuff for me and the College Kid, and a major contest to coordinate for my Southern Magic writing chapter. But no matter what I've volunteered to do, my writing will always come first. So my schedule has to change to reflect that maxim as well. My blogging has become more sporadic as of late due to the focus on the books, but I still love to pop in and blog because it frees my creative soul. Plus, I love celebrating my debut author friends when they release their first books. Who doesn't love a party?

But in the meantime, just making a plan released me from juggling anxiety. I know I can do this if I remain focused. I know that I may have to readjust my plan should an event pop up that I have no control over (like tornadoes, illness, etc.). But I know that this year the hard work will pay off. I will take charge and make something happen. But I will do it smart. I will do it with clear intention. And I will continue to make something of my writing career because my focus is and always will be writing and revising books to the best of my ability.

What's on your writing docket?

Writing Life & Tidbits & Sneak Peek Interview: Latoya Smith, Editor, Grand Central Publishing

I've been working on a new story that's challenging me as a writer. I want to write it fast, but the characters and the emotional journeys they are on toward deserving each other are taking a long time to unravel. In addition to the characters's journeys being very crucial to the development of my WIP,  I've had to deal with making the core emotional development occur in a very short amount of time.

Time is compressed. That means I have to figure out how to compress time in more pages without being BORING. I want to engage the readers's senses and emotions and raise the stakes at the deeper level during the compressed time. It's not easy. But I'm having fun figuring it out. And that just brings a smile to my face even now.

Another thing that brings a smile to my face is the interview I had with Latoya Smith, editor at Grand Central Publishing. She's the final judge for the Linda Howard Award of Excellence's  Paranormal/Urban Fantasy. I'm very excited about what she had to say about her life as an editor. As part of her interview, I asked her the following question:

If you were to give an aspiring author one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Promote, promote, promote and remember to stay humble.

  

Remember to stay humble. No matter who you are or where you are in your writing journey, that is a most excellent thing to carry forth into your publishing career. To find out more about what Latoya Smith thinks about the "slush pile" and read the rest of her interview, go to www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com tomorrow, February 21st. Polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Happy Writing!

Writing Life & Tidbits & Sneak Interview Preview : Beth Miller, Agent, Writers House

I've been teasing you about my current WIP. And it's been fun. I think part of the reason I'm being coy is that my characters are behaving exactly the same way. This hero and heroine are driving me batty. He's a stoic, only child who buries his emotions. She's the youngest of five and was neglected so she's learned to be a spark of light.

They're perfect for each other, right? But they aren't making it easy for me. I'm working hard to figure out what's driving them together and pushing them apart. At heart they are more alike, than they are different. It is in the differences that the conflict occurs. The EMOTIONAL conflict. And that's why this story is a little different for me. Instead of external devices and turning points being used to drive the story forward, internal revelations and emotional responses are driving the story. THE CHARACTERS are in charge.

And whenever I try to put them somewhere to make the story move a bit more, they fight me. But then she's a rebel and he's an alpha male who wants to control everything. Trust me, there's a lot of hair washing going on at my house just to shake loose what they want to say.

Agent Beth Miller at Writers House took the time to speak with me about her writing background and how she ended up becoming an editor with a very unique skill set. You'll have to tune in tomorrow, February 19th at www.romancemagians.blogspot.com to learn them. But I do want to share who we both go fan-girl over in the Romance Writing world. Here's what she said when I asked her this question:

Have you ever become star-struck when meeting an author? If so, who?

Nora Roberts.  I may have drooled.  J

I still can't stop dropping my chin to the ground and gaping at Nora Roberts whenever I see her at the RWA National Conference. She's just amazing to me. And so is Linda Howard. She supports our writing chapters at the local and national level. How awesome is that? So polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Break Out the Bubbly & Dark Chocolate--Celebrating Carla Swafford's Debut Novel CIRCLE OF DESIRE

Fabulous Cover!

I am delighted to have a very special writing sister on the blog today. I met Carla Swafford 3 years ago at a Southern Magic Romance Writer's meeting. Carla's always been active in the group, a wonderful mentor, a contest coordinator for the Linda Howard Award of Excellence, our web mistress, and and and... she just helps all the time. She's a wonderful writer and a great friend, so I'm excited to announce that she's got her first book release coming out this week! CIRCLE OF DESIRE. And after reading her 4 1/2 star book review in Romance Times, I bet she'll have lots of books releasing in the future. A fabulous debut for a fabulous writer! *PoP* PouR* *Cheers!* 

Welcome to the Veranda, Carla. Thanks so much, Christine, for the invitation to talk about my debut book, CIRCLE OF DESIRE. 

I'm honored to have you here, Carla. Tell me, are you a plotter or do you follow the muse?  

I wish I was a plotter. Maybe most who write by the seat of their pants feel that way. Though I do have to mention, when I reach the halfway mark in any of my books, I’ll often write out parts of what Blake Snyder (SAVE THE CAT) called his Beat Sheet. It’s fifteen “beats” to a story. For example: Opening Image, Theme Stated, Set-up, Catalyst, etc. Plus I use Michael Hauge’s Six Stage Plot Structure and Christopher Vogler’s THE WRITER’S JOURNEY to flesh out what I’ve written. This also pushes me to finish my book.

I have all three books in my writing shelf. Love to use them. Great reminder to dust off my craft books, Carla. When does your new book release and where can we find it? 

My debut book, CIRCLE OF DESIRE, will be out October 18 by HarperCollins, Avon Impulse.  It’ll be in e-format and later in paperback through print-on-demand. You can find it at Amazon and on-line at Barnes and Noble.  Here’s the blurb for it.

As the top assassin at The Circle, a shadowy group of mercenaries, Olivia St. Vincent can hunt down anyone. She's been trained since she was a teenager to kill without feeling, to interact with men without love. But when she's kidnapped by the enigmatic leader of a rival organization, she learns she's been lied to for years. She never worked for the good guys.
Collin Ryker believes the sultry woman he's abducted knows more than she's telling about The Circle and its plans for complete domination. Over time, as they work together, Olivia's tenacity and vulnerability captivate him. But if he isn't careful, Collin will fall into the biggest trap of all: caring for a woman who can betray him to his greatest enemy.

Oh, this book sounds so thrilling, dark, and sexy. I can't wait to read it! What is your current project? 

I’m actually writing the second book in the series, CIRCLE OF DANGER. It’s due out the first half of 2012. Like a lot of readers, I love to find out what happens to supporting characters from a previous book. This will be the story of Collin’s brother.

I love reading books in a series. Visiting my "people" again. Where do you get your ideas for your stories? 

Oh, everywhere. From newspaper articles, TV shows, and my favorite way, from songs. I’ve written two books (unpublished) that were based on songs: THE PREACHER’S SON is from LeAnn Rimes’s “Probably Wouldn’t Be This Way.” I loved the beginning and ending of the song in particular. It goes “Got a date a week from Friday with the preacher’s son. Everybody says he’s crazy.” And it ends, “Got a date a week from Friday with the preacher's son. Everybody says I’m crazy.” Love it! 

The other one was A SHERIFF TO CALL HER OWN and it was based on an Eric Clapton classic, I Shot The Sheriff. The heroine shoots the sheriff in a fit of rage. Thankfully it was only a nick, and he’s very understanding. It was so much fun to write. Maybe one day they’ll be published.

When it comes to CIRCLE OF DESIRE, it came from my love for the TV series from the 90s, Le Femme Nikita. The characters in the series had so many layers, and the show was so sexy even when no one was naked.

I hope your other books get published, too, Carla. How long were you trying to get published before you got the “call?” 

I’ve been a member of RWA since 1993, but my usual answer is nine years. Let me explain. Though I received my first rejection in 1992, I waited ten years before trying again. Like a lot of writers, family obligations and a day job got in the way. Then in 2002 after several more rejections, I turned to my local RWA chapter, Southern Magic, to find out what I was doing wrong. I quickly realized I had so much to learn about writing and the industry. Everyone should go to those meetings. You’ll hear what editors are looking for, which agents to avoid, how to pitch your manuscript, and so much more. There’s a wealth of information given out that you can never learn on your own.

I completely agree about the romance chapters being crucial to getting ahead in this business. My writing soared after I joined RWA. Attending the meetings is vital to developing craft, networking, and making friends who "get us." Tell me, was the “call” an actual phone conversation or an email or a snail mail? 

The initial contact was by email. A few minutes after five in the afternoon, I was about to leave work to go to a hair appointment. Since I wouldn’t be home until late, I decided to check my email. I noticed one of the subject lines read, “Out of the Shadows” (later changed to CIRCLE OF DESIRE). At first, I thought it was something to do with one of the writing contests I’d entered. I swear it took me a minute or so before I realized what I was reading. Avon Impulse wanted my book, and the editor wanted to call me if it was convenient. CONVENIENT? Heck, yes! It was so exciting. I rate it up there with holding my children for the first time. Not higher, but pretty close to equal. My kids might read this. :-)

Well, our books are like our babies, aren't they? So wonderful to see all your hard work rewarded! What advice would you give aspiring writers? 

I have lots of advice as I had aspired for years. So my top five: 1) Don’t give up; 2) Keep it simple; 3) Learn everything you can; 4) Be polite to everyone; 5) Follow your heart; 6) Pass it forward (help others to become published even when you’re not). Karma can play a role in getting you published.

Yes, helping others and being polite are so important. And I'd add another one, remember to say "thank you" to those who've helped along the way. Which I know you do! What encouragement can you give writers who face rejection? 

Anything worth having is hard to attain. Of course, there is always that author friend who had their first book published. They’re the exception and not the rule. Overall, if we want something bad enough, we’ll keep working, keep trying something new and keep improving on our craft. That rejection can mean many things. It may have nothing to do with your writing. The editor may have just bought a story with the same basic plot line. Or she may not like stories with witches or heroines with pets. Editors and agents rarely have time to give you details. If you continue to get rejections for one story, write another and start sending that one out after you finished and have it critiqued.

Excellent advice. What is the most surprising thing you discovered after you received the call?

That everyone won’t bow down and kiss my feet. I just don’t understand it. LOL!

This is why I love you, Carla. You're make me laugh and I'm so happy for you!! Congratulations again on your wonderful debut release CIRCLE OF DESIRE! 

You can find Carla at the following addresses online. I know she'd love to hear from you.  Meanwhile join the excitement all week with Carla. She has a blog tour that starts today and ends on October 25th. On the 25^th  she’ll draw names from all the commenters for 4 prizes.  $25 Amazon gift certificate from Avon Impulse.  And 3 $10 gift cards to Barnes and Noble.  One prize per winner. I know I'll be following her all week. :-)

 www.carlaswafford.com

http://carlaswafford.blogspot.com

Twitter: @carlaswafford

www.goodreads.com/carlaswafford

http://www.facebook.com/CarlaSwaffordAuthor

Contests and Deadlines Oh My!

I love writing contests. They force me to sit in the chair and get the job done. I've entered two different contests to push my *shiny* in front of the computer and get my manuscripts polished.

Four manuscripts are entered in the prestigious Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest. I'm polishing two of them and fine tuning the other two. I entered the Linda Howard Award of Excellence because Southern Magic is committed to excellence in first round and final round judging. I expect solid feedback and fairness from this contest that I can use to fine tune my WIPs for future submissions. I believe there is still time to enter the contest. If you're on the fence or worried about the costs, offer to judge the contest and get a $5 discount on your entry!!

I'm also officially entered in the Mills & Boon New Voices Contest. I haven't submitted my entry because I'm still polishing my chapter, but I've got the blurbs ready and a short one posted on the Mills & Boon Website. I'm super excited about the story. Last year I entered the contest with another story and I had so much fun. Even though I didn't win the Mills & Boon contest in 2010, I ended up writing a brand new story and it's placed 2nd in the 2011 FAB FIVE contest and has been requested. So I feel like I won by entering the contest.

This is why I enter contests folks. Yes, it's great to win or to final, but the reason I enter is to discover a new story, give myself deadlines, force myself to sit in the chair and see if my new ideas are going in the right direction.

But I am also careful about which contests I enter. There are some that don't match my writing style. Others may not have judges in the final round who fit my targeted line. Or I may have had a bad experience with the contest and have decided to put my money somewhere else. I usually enter 5-6 contests a year. I keep track of the finals/wins/placing and whether or not the final judge requested my material as a result of the contest. My spreadsheet helps me determine where to put my contest money.

For fun I am going to keep you posted on the Mills & Boon contest with little additional blurbs and bits of the story.

Here is my Mills & Boon short blurb for THE MAVERICK'S RED HOT REUNION:

Maverick Zach Tanner returns home to rebuild his dying friend’s resort, but he doesn't count on the woman he once loved to handle the construction contract. Now he's determined to satisfy his craving for Kennedy Gibson without losing his heart.


Here is my longer version which gives a bigger picture about the story:

Corporate Maverick Zach Tanner returns to North Carolina to rebuild his dying friend’s resort. He’s got the money, the power and the will to transform Sweetbriar Springs into a premier spa for the glamorous, but he doesn’t count on the woman he once loved and lost to handle the construction contract. 

Construction company owner Kennedy Gibson is eager to bring her best friend’s last wish to life, but when she realizes Zach is her new boss she’s terrified he’ll learn the truth about their breakup. She denies the attraction sizzling between them and works with the one man she vowed never to hurt again. 

Zach thought he’d buried his desire for Kennedy five years ago, but he’s still drawn to her. He’s determined to seduce her and satisfy his craving for her until the project is completed to get Kennedy out of his system. 

Kennedy yields to Zach but protects her heart. When their friend dies, the barriers to their emotional union drop and they turn to each other for comfort. But Kennedy’s secret threatens to destroy their red hot reunion. Only the power of love can heal the wounds of their past and give them the future they deserve. 

I love the longer version, but the trick to writing and submitting is to learn how to carve away the words to get to the heart of the story. I'll use both these versions to create different elements for my new story. I can build a synopsis out of version 2. I can build a query letter out of the 1st and 2nd versions. I can build a story out of a sentence if necessary.

This is why I write. I write to discover stories about two lost people who find each other and discover home. Love matters. Romance isn't dead. And I love Romance!

Do you enter contests? If not, what's holding you back? Tell me why you love or don't love contests.

Pattern Recognition

On Saturday July 23rd, I drove down to Birmingham, AL so I could attend the Margie Lawson EMPOWERING CHARACTERS' EMOTIONS daylong workshop which was hosted by the Southern Magic Romance Writing Chapter.

I'd read Margie's lecture packet with the 8 lectures in it prior to going to the workshop so my brain would be ready for her lessons. And I'd completed a "clean" first draft as well. I didn't want to bring something I'd worked on and sent out before because I intuitively knew that would make me feel like my writing sucked. Bringing a new, clean, SHORT first draft that I knew needed revision seemed like the way to go.

And it was. I learned so much that my brain went insane with a desire to head home and apply everything she'd taught to me as I revised my MS. The first assignment Margie gave us was to work on 50-75 pages. I have about 100 pages in the short first draft, so I am tackling the entire mess. My instructions were basic:

1) Take out the five highlighters and apply the EDITS system to my MS. Look for patterns in my writing. Do I have too much green, not enough yellow, a bit too much blue?

2) Take out my handy, dandy red pen and apply the DABS system to my MS. Look for action, dialogue cues, senses, and more.

3) Circle tired, worn out cliches and pump them out. Delete them, or twist them into a new, fresh sentence.

Sounds easy, right? Highlighting the MS and looking for what is and isn't there is easy. That's easy peasy. That's so easy anyone could do it. After all, it's just analyzing the work. But fixing the work? Not so easy.

As I highlighted I realized I had a lot of all blue and a lot of all yellow scenes. I had very little pink and green in the scenes. I didn't even bother to drag out the orange highlighter because first I have to fix the other four colors. And the red pen? Well, I have boxes around paragraphs that I know I will shift around and move. Boxes that indicate where the paragraphs will go. I have notes and circled words. I have a lot of work to do.

I learned that in a clean first draft I tend to write all yellow, then all blue scenes. Usually the yellow stuff has to be woven into the blue scenes that are before or after the yellow scenes. But I had a feeling that would be the case. I am a revisionist style writer. I have to get the story down, my way, even if it is the wrong way and then I fix it. I've been intuitively weaving yellow into blue for 5 years! I knew I'd be low in green. What I didn't know is how low I'd be in pink. And that is where the fun starts. Adding powerful pink to key scenes will punch up my writing and take it to the next level.

Oh, I am excited. I can't wait to braid together the yellow and blue. I can't wait to add more green and pink where necessary. I can't wait to apply the orange pen to the pages after I print and go again. This kind of editing is right up my alley ("cliche alert!").

I've learned more than a better way to edit and revise my work. I've validated my process, my natural writing process, with this workshop and Margie's lecture packet by applying her lessons to my manuscript.

Now some of you may be wondering what the colors mean. Others may already know because they've graduated from one or more of Margie Lawson's workshops or online classes. A select few may have even gone to her total immersion class. Wow, I'm green with envy ("cliche alert!").

If  you already know what the colors and DABS system mean, then you've given yourself a great gift and are probably an NYT published writer or on your way to becoming one. If you don't know what the colors and the DABS system mean, then I highly recommend taking one of Margie's classes.

And here's a challenge to all of you. Take my two cliches and rewrite them in a fresh way. I can't wait to read the results!!

Monday Morning News & Views

Last week I kept myself super busy with all kinds of errands planned and unplanned. Keeping busy helps me to move past my sadness over losing the Dowager Feline Clancy. I'm still sad, but it is getting easier. I know she is playing now and one day we will be reunited. I believe that in my heart.

My planned errands included touring our final college: Vanderbilt. A private university with lots to offer a college student. But that all comes with a hefty tuition and price. There's a lot to be said for the cost's payoffs, and the campus is absolutely beautiful and located in Music City, USA aka Nashville so it's in a great location. But there are drawbacks: no car the first year, got to live on campus all four years, and oh yeah, the price. Darling Teen loved the look and the feel of Vanderbilt but she decided not to apply. She wants the freedom of being able to attain some adult life skills when she's at school. I agree. I think part of going away to college is to learn how to be an adult in the adult world.

Meanwhile, our brand new dishwasher has one problem that is highly annoying. Sure it works. It runs beautifully. It is amazing. It should be for $1000. But it doesn't do one thing that I paid for it to do. The four hour delay does not work. I've had 4 service calls to the house, 1 where parts were replaced, and the four hour delay is still broken. Now if it were you, what would you want to do? Me? I want a new dishwasher because obviously this one can't be fixed. My time is worth money. I'd rather be writing and exploring the world than be waiting for a technician to come to my house during a four hour window of time and then have nothing better for the wait after the technician leaves my house. Am I miffed? A little.

We experienced some unplanned events last week. We had plumbing issues requiring lots of work. Oh yay!! $500 to fix a pipe that leads water away from our house. That means "Yellow is Mellow and Brown goes Down" until the plumber can come today and excavate the area around the pipe to fix it. We've also been very creative about our dishwashing and cleanups. The good news is that I can't do laundry or clean the bathrooms till after the pipe is repaired. Hallelujah!

We also had to fix the Escape. It needed a new fuel pump. No fun paying all that money for a car repair, but it beats having a monthly car payment. The Escape is 8 years old and I've piled a lot of miles on it. I need it to run reliably and safely. I trusted Woody Anderson Ford with my literal "Escape" vehicle. I especially needed it ready to escape to the Saturday workshop I attended at the Southern Magic Chapter in Birmingham. Margie Lawson's workshop was amazing. MORE ABOUT THAT LATER THIS WEEK. But here's a bit of a teaser: if you get the opportunity to take one of her workshops, run to take it without any hesitation. You'll be a stronger, better writer for doing so. I feel I have the last missing piece of the puzzle to apply to my own work. You will, too.

So stay tuned to the blog this week. I can't wait to share my experiences with you on Wednesday and Friday.

Lucky Charms

As I clicked the "accept charges" buttons the RWA web page, I knew I was taking a gamble. Again. I was spending a lot of money, money I hadn't earned, to go to New York City and attend the RWA National Conference 2011. But I had a good feeling about this conference and I'd earned the money to go via saving money by doing a lot of home improvements myself (and with the help of friends). Plus I'd been typing for quarters for a while and I'd payed myself for "trying to get published" letters. Every one of those letters garnered another $1, $5 or $10 in my savings for the trip.

My good feeling turned out to be better, initially, for other people going that I would room with while I was in NYC. My CP Sharon Wray finaled in the Daphne and the Golden Heart. Another friend finaled in the GH. More people finaled that I knew and I was thrilled for them.

I did NOT final in the GH. That kinda stung for a bit, but then I figured at least I KNOW great writing when I read it. Besides, I was beginning to feel like a good luck charm.

Apparently the cosmos thought so, too. And out of the blue, two very special people, published in different genres, asked if I would pick up their prizes for the Readers' Choice Awards in one case and in the Daphne in another if they should "by some miracle" win their category. Of course! Why not? I figured it would be fun as long as I didn't hit the champagne till AFTER they won.

So off to the conference I went via a long drive to DC to see old friends and give my darling teen time with her BFF in Centreville. Then I hopped on the Vamoose bus in Arlington, VA and rode up to NYC with my CP and future roomie, Sharon.

The first night we were in town, we chilled, and I met a lot of amazing published authors in my favorite category line, HQN Mills & Boon Presents/Modern Heat (Riva), and Medical. I had a serious fan girl moment when I met the delightfully charming Carole Mortimer. I think my tongue just went haywire and danced around the room, but in the end we had a lovely discussion about her heroine in one of her Duke series -- her favorite and I loved this heroine, too. So we just talked about our favorite subject: writing. I had the great fortune to meet Sandra Marton, Melanie Milbourne and more fabulous authors during that night and the rest of the week. MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.

Any rate, Wednesday morning arrived and I went to the Readers' Choice Awards. This was a swank deal put on by the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Champagne Mimosas, breakfast, coffee, and a 20 year celebration. Two of my Heart of Dixie Cohorts joined me from OKAY LISTEN HERE, Kathy Bone and Jean Hovey aka Alicia Pace. I sort of got confused when the final was announced for our friend Melanie Dickerson's books and thought she'd won, but apparently I handled my confusion well. OKRWA likes we southern ladies.

Anyway... MELANIE WON! Best New Book for 2011!!! THE HEALERS APPRENTICE won!! Woohoo. I got to go back up and say thank you for real. It was a great moment. I truly enjoyed it.

Later that night, Sharon and I got ready for the Kiss of Death Romance Chapter's Death by Chocolate party during which the winners of the Daphne would be announced. Wow. Sharon was nervous. I just hated wearing my Spanx, but hey, I looked fabulous in my new blue dress so all was well. We went down to the party, got platefuls of goodies and I got wine and we chatted at the finalist table with other finalists. They were all in different categories so we could cheer happily for each other!

So finally, my dear friend and CP, Sharon WON THE DAPHNE for best Romantic Suspense, Single Title, in 2011 for unpublished writers. That was the best news!! The best win for an RS writer. It capped our day and set the tone for the rest of the conference. Then it was time to wait for my friend, PAULA GRAVES' published category RS announcements.

And lo and behold SHE WON THE DAPHNE for Category Series RS for her book, CHICKASAW COUNTY CAPTIVE!! How cool is that? I was so stoked for her. Another win.

Two other dear Southern Magic Unpublished authors I love were also at the Daphnes. Heather Leonard placed second in the unpublished paranormal RS category and Louisa Cornell WON the unpublished Historical RS category.

Wow! This was beyond exciting. By Thursday the news had gotten out. Apparently, my Lucky Charm status had reached epic proportions. Another friend and fellow GIAMx4 buddy, rubbed shoulders with me and guess what? Yup. She WON THE GOLDEN HEART FOR CATEGORY SERIES. Woohoo. There are more stories, more cool wins, more amazing victories.

I had a great time at the conference. Wonderful and amazing people opened up to me. I learned a lot. I laughed a lot. And I really enjoyed my status as a Lucky Charm.

Stay tuned! More Lucky Charm stories on Friday!!

Monday Morning Views and News

Hi Everyone. I had to say goodbye to the stalwart Dowager Feline Clancy on Friday, July 15th. I am still too emotional to write about it now, but I promise I will share as soon as I've had enough time to grieve her loss. The outpouring of support I've had via Facebook, Twitter, and phone calls has been very comforting. Thank you very much.

The Dowager Feline developed quite a following when I posted about her here and here. In the end, she taught me more about life than a thousand prophets or seers.

I have filled my weekend with family, cleaning, and movies. Now I am looking forward to my upcoming week of writing. I've been reading the Margie Lawson lectures and am almost ready to dig in with the homework. I'll be using my current WIP, first draft, for the work. On Saturday I'm heading to Birmingham's Southern Magic Romance Writing Chapter to take Margie's all-day intensive workshop EMPOWERING CHARACTER EMOTIONS. Can't wait!! And stay tuned for a recap of my day-if my brain survives the learning curve!

Those of you who visited on Friday were treated to a special blog post by Margie. And one of the commenters won a packet! Heather Leonard!!!

This week on the blog, I'm posting about my recent travels to DC and NYC. I have a lot of busywork to catch up on in the office, too. I'm sending thank you notes, transcribing conference notes from the workshops I attended, and I'm cleaning out the junk drawer.

For those of you who followed me on the 4 Hour Body Diet, I have news. It didn't work for me. As soon as I stopped following it. I gained back every inch. It also didn't work for my daughter. So I've switched over to Weight Watchers. Darling Teen, Darling Hubby, and I are losing weight together. I'm really excited about it because we're in it together AND there is a super cool phone app I can use to track my points. The best part is that I already lost two pounds. Hopefully I'll be Skinny for the Moonlight & Magnolias Conference in two months. Stay tuned.

I'm really looking forward to this week. Hope to see you all on the Veranda. And if you're setting goals or just hanging out, come visit me today and tell me what you're doing this week.

Monday Mash Up

I've been a busy bee over the weekend. First I went to my Heart of Dixie Romance Writer Chapter meeting. We celebrated all kinds of wonderfulness in our writing world. Two of our PRO writers have joined the ranks of published writers which continues to give this writer hope for her own writing future. One of our board members made Coconut Cake. And I had some. Well, I ate a good sized piece. Delish!

I blogged about my journey from feeling tied down to having no strings on Sunday on the Romance Magician's blog. You can read about it here. I am eagerly hosting two guests this week. On July 12th, I'm celebrating Adrienne Giordano's debut novel and on July 15th the fantabulous Margie Lawson is visiting my blog and posting a guest blog. I'm very excited about both events.

Heart of Dixie's Online workshops are gearing up for the month of August. We are holding a class about FAT FREE WRITING taught by the Grammar Divas. For more information, visit our HOD Website here. I'm looking forward to trimming my own writing as well as to learning how to Empower My Characters Emotions during the July 23rd all day workshop held in Birmingham by my wonderful Southern Magic writing chapter. You can still sign up for it and learn more about it here.

So that's my Monday Mash Up. I'll be back on Wednesday to blog about my new tornado shelter. I need decorating ideas!

Hiatus is Coming to An End: Fun Things In Store

Hi folks! Miss me? I have been out of the blogger world for a few weeks now due to travel, the RWA National Conference, uber expensive Internet charges at the Marriott Marquis (boo), and more travel!!

Next week I plan to post my 3 blogs a week again. I can't wait to share the travel news with you as well as my experiences at the National Conference. If you want to get a sneak peek, you can take a gander over to the PETIT FOURS AND HOT TAMALES and see my post about all my conference confessions. I'm also super excited to be hosting the wonderful and gifted Margie Lawson next week. She is coming to Alabama to teach an all day workshop about EMPOWERING CHARACTERS EMOTIONS at the Southern Magic Romance Writing Chapter.

This year is turning out to be one fantastic year with wonderful debut authors and friends sharing their experiences. Stay tuned for more fabulous authors coming to visit the Veranda with their tales and stories.

I've had a great summer. I actually took time away from writing. I know. Unusual as I usually write every day. But I really needed a break. As many of you know, it has been a long and difficult spring. In addition to my daughter's mono (yay, she's cured!) and the horrific tornadoes, I've also been battling an ongoing sinus infection. I'm finally back to my normal self. "Normal" being as sane as one can expect me to be considering I write for quarters and I pay myself for "trying to get published" letters.

Now I'm starting to get pumped up about writing. Not selling. But writing. Nationals was a great way to juice up the writing genie. And being around my super friends in this business, new and long term, jazzed me even more. Plus I got to be part of other people's successes in the Golden Heart, the Rita, the Daphne and The Readers Choice Awards. Sometimes being at the game is enough. I showed up, I smiled, and I felt my old happy writing self come out of hiding.

So stay tuned! I can't wait to get back to action on Monday.

A Spirit of Peace

A lot of terrible things happened while my darling teen and I were snowbound. The shooting in Tucson, the deaths of innocents, the devastating floods in Australia, the ongoing wars, and the tensions between nations.

I can't help everyone, but I can try to advocate giving where we can to those who are affected by these situations. Yes, I have my personal beliefs and political leanings, but I believe we are all more alike than we are different. Most people want to do good, not evil. I blogged about Peace on Earth on Christmas Eve with the Romance Magicians, my Southern Magic blog group. You can read about it here. If you want to help the people affected by the floods in Australia, check out The Pink Heart Society's efforts to get books to Australia.

This year as we pursue our goals and our reach for our dreams, let's try to live a life filled with a spirit of giving and a heart filled with understanding. Let's look for ways to connect with other people. Building bridges is so much better than tearing them down.

Petits Fours & Hot Tamales-My New Ongoing Guest Blogger Gig

I'm really excited to announce my new guest blogger gig with the Petits Fours & Hot Tamales blog hosted by some fabulous writers with the Georgia Romance Writers of America. I joined GRWA almost two years ago after I attended my first Moonlight and Magnolias Conference in 2009. Sure, I was already a member of two groups in Alabama, but I'm a social girl and this group was so welcoming I couldn't resist becoming a part of their vibrant writing chapter. 

I learned about PF&HT while I was there and I've followed their blog ever since. They keep things hopping with interesting blogs and four amazing events including the Brenda Novak Auction to benefit Diabetes. I've met several of the members during my visits to Atlanta for the meetings. They are gracious, kind, and fun-loving. So when Debbie Kaufman, a 2010 MAGGIE WINNER, called me to ask if I wanted to become part of their online blog world, I felt very honored by their request. 

Now I have a tangible way to be a part of my GA writing chapter via an online commitment. I seem to have an online trend going which works well for me given my time and distance constraints. I'm also the online workshop moderator and coordinator for my wonderful Heart of Dixie Chapter. And I love blogging once a month for my super Southern Magic Chapter on their Romance Magicians blog. Now I will blog once a month with PFHT and, even better, I get to help out with the Brenda Novak Auction. 

Here are some of the things that make PF&HT a fabulous blog.

*Author Cara Marsi is doing a travel post on Rome, Italy on January 16th.  

*February 6th, PF&HT blogger, Marilyn Baron, has a travel post on her cruise to New England.  This is a feature they started as a way pass on some inside information to authors that they might not have known about a location or to maybe give them an idea for a new location for their books.

*There is a new feature for the Guest Chefs where she is featuring The Call story (I got this from Carol's wonderful The Call post).   

*They post book reviews each weekend and even share a spot with another review blog called the Romance Dish. They have a special page listing all the reviewed books as well as a page for all the locations we've featured on our travel page. 

*There is a free reads page and they are planning another story to come out this year.

So come over and visit me tomorrow. I'd love the company at my new ongoing blog gig!

Blogging on Romance Magicians Today

I took a side trip to visit the Romance Magicians and blogged about Necessary Losses I incurred in order to pursue my writing dream. Come visit me at the Southern Magic Blog site and share your sacrifices with me.

A Great Southern Magic Chapter Event on June 26, 2010

Southern Magic's June 26 Meeting 

Angela James with Carina Press will be at the Southern Magic June 26 meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. As a member of Alabama's Southern Magic Romance Writing Chapter. I try to attend as many of the meetings as I can despite living an hour and a half away from Birmingham. First of all, I love catching up with  my friends and I love learning about the writing world through their fabulous programs.

However, I can't attend June 26's meeting even though I had planned to attend due to a travel conflict--darling daughter is touring colleges and I am her chauffeur. But I really really really wanted to attend and I believe that if you are in the Birmingham area and can make it to the Southern Magic meeting, member or not, you might want to as well. 


Why? Because even if you never plan to be published by an E-Publisher, you might learn that this is a viable option for you as a writer. Yes, we’ll always have paperback and hardback books. But those are getting more expensive each year and electronics (expensive on their own) will become more popular. 


E Publishing is part of our writing future. I know I need to find out everything I can about it to be prepared for this future. And I must confess, I actually tried to persuade my daughter (okay, I BEGGED) to wait one more week to head north because I desperately wanted to attend this meeting.


But I didn't convince her and I don't blame her--part of the caveat of this trip is to head north to see her best friend in Virginia. I promised her we'd find a way to get her and her BFF together despite moving her to Alabama and I've kept that promise. Yes, I chose motherhood over writing life because I don't get to do any revisions if I mess up in the mothering department. Promises made are promises kept (tho' I did stoop to begging, she and I knew that I'd miss that meeting).


So please go to this meeting for me! Take copious notes if you attend--share them with me. 


This is me, shamelessly begging again....

Southern Magic Readers Luncheon

Yesterday I drove down to Birmingham with a friend, and writing partner, to attend the Southern Magic Readers Luncheon. The chapter did an amazing job of providing great food, hosting a wonderful program with Anne Stuart as the keynote speaker, giving us lots of cool author goodie baskets to try to win, and offering plenty of opportunities for readers to meet the authors. Afterward, we were able to buy books and get them autographed as well.

I love this luncheon because I see how much the readers love the romance genre. The spirit in the room is sparkling with energy. To know that one day my books might bring readers joy and give them the HEA they deserve to discover is a great and heady feeling. I know some people may pooh pooh the romance genre, but it deserves more respect than it receives. These books give women HOPE. And I love the idea of giving my readers that gift.

As a writer, the luncheon is immensely important to me. I get to reconnect with my fellow writers, published and unpublished. I get to celebrate my friends' most recent successes. Whether it is the first book sold (go Naima!) or the 10th sold, each milestone is recognized. And I get talk about writing with my CP, published authors and my writing partner on the way down and back again to Madison.

We need this time to reflect and connect with the people in our field. The writing world is one where we're usually boxed up in our offices battling revisions, or where we're sitting in a coffee shop downing too much java, or driving down demons of doubt when we receive yet another rejection. Being able to sit with other writers and published authors and just talk about it is a gift to me.

I was privileged this year to sit at Lynn Rae Harris's table. She's a HARLEQUIN PRESENTS author, newly published, and on her way to great success. When I first met Lynn, she was a Golden Heart finalist and had won a yearlong book editor through the Mills and Boon contest in London. In the year that has followed, she has received her call. Her contract! And I am so pleased for her.

She's a gracious and generous person who answered all our questions and shared a wealth of information with those of us who still stand on the unpublished side of writing.

That's the other thing about being a romance writer. Romance writers want to see other romance writers succeed. And the southern chapters I belong to make it their mission to help us all. Both Heart of Dixie and Southern Magic, along with my newest chapter, Georgia Romance Writers of America, give me professional support. In the year I have lived here, I have learned more about how to pitch, compile a synopsis, and SFO Green Berets than ever before.

These chapters and the people who make them run smoothly get a high five from me!!

Now I am energized and ready to hit the next round of revisions for the GH.

Onward ho!