Wednesday, May 29, 2013

HEROINE TOUR: THE WISE VIRGIN AND THE FOOLISH VIRGIN


This is the final stop in RWA/NYC's Heroine Blog Tour!
Join us next month for our Hero Blog Tour.



THE WISE VIRGIN AND THE FOOLISH VIRGIN
by Louisa Rawlings


What do you do when you have TWO heroines and TWO heroes?

You make them as different from each other as you can.

That’s the situation I encountered when I was writing my book about the Adirondacks in the 1870s. I had visited the mountains with my family, toured the beautiful museum at Blue Mountain Lake, and seen a fancy vintage railroad car with a velvet and gold braid-swagged bedroom. “Aha!” I thought. “I can write a great sex scene there!”

And so began the adventures of Marcy Tompkins, a country girl, smart and beautiful, knowledgeable in the ways of the woods, open to new experiences. She helps guide a group of “city slickers” and falls in love with Drew Bradford, a rich man’s son from New York City. Scorning his father’s vast wealth and businesses, Drew is an artist who yearns to go to Paris and paint. Their romance is filled with laughter and loving teasing, culminating in Marcy’s willing surrender to Drew’s lovemaking.

And then there is Willough Bradford, Drew’s sister, who yearns to be taken into the business by her father. Prim, constrained by Victorian conventions, clueless about most things sexual, she imagines her perfect hero as a proper gentleman. When she meets Nat, a foreman in her father’s iron forge business, she is attracted yet frightened at the same time. His raw sexuality is something she has been taught to fear.

Of course there is a villain, Arthur Gray, a slick New York politician, who manages to mess up both Marcy’s and Willough’s plans. WIllough particularly nearly destroys her life by favoring Arthur’s sly, but gentlemanly seductions over Nat’s more physical approach.

This complicated plot allowed me to explore the logging as well as the iron industries that flourished in the Wilderness at that time. I was also able to explore Paris, since Drew and Marcy go there. He even exhibits his work at the first Impressionist show. (What fun to bring in Renoir, Degas and the others!) And Arthur’s connections to the corrupt political world of New York at that time allowed me to expand on that theme as well. (Happily, my research revealed that the Impressionists exhibited in Paris in the same year that the notorious Boss Tweed was convicted of his crimes and went to jail.) And the overarching theme of the book is the destruction of the Wilderness, a theme that will resonate with many environmentalists today.

It was fun to bounce back and forth between these two women’s stories. Interestingly, when I had finished the book, I checked the pages and discovered that I had devoted exactly the same number of pages to each woman!

Incidentally, the title of this article comes from Roberta Gellis, who characterized the women in that fashion---very accurately, I might add.♥



FOREVER WILD was nominated for a RITA award, and earned five stars from Romantic Times. It will be released as an e-book in May by Samhain. Louisa Rawlings, a/k/a Sylvia Halliday, can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SylviaHallidayAuthor. Two more of her books, STOLEN SPRING and PROMISE OF SUMMER will be released later this year by Samhain. Seven of her books are available now on audio through Amazon. Link to FOREVER WILD in audio: http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Wild/dp/B00BQNZHUS/ref=sr_1_2_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365440572&sr=1-2&keywords=forever+wild+audio.


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JOIN US ON JUNE 14 TO KICK OFF RWA/NYC’S
HERO BLOG TOUR!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

HEROINE TOUR: WRITING THE FLAWED HEROINE



This is the fourth stop in RWA/NYC's Heroine Blog Tour!
Join us again next Wednesday.



WRITING THE FLAWED HEROINE
by Katana Collins


Your story is her story. Without her, there is no tale to tell. She is the axis on which your world spins. Your heroine. She is also your reader's alter-ego. When your job is done well, your readers will feel everything she feels. And while your readers don't have to always identify with your heroine, they do need to care about her. And “care” can be a very general term.

How I care about about Dorothy from THE WIZARD OF OZ is completely different from how I care about Scarlett O'Hara in GONE WITH THE WIND. But both are captivating and wonderful heroines, even though one is so sweet you'll get a cavity while the other, we simply love to hate.


Now, I personally can't relate to either character. I'm not overly naïve and sweet, like Dorothy. However, she grows into so much more by the time she finds home. On her journey, we see her mature and kick some ass to protect, not only herself, but also her new-found friends—all in a pair of fabulous shoes.

As for Miss Scarlett: She is raised to be a lady. Spoiled—gets whatever she wants whether through wiles or grit. Her entire world revolves around pretty clothes, social gatherings and she has perfected the art of wrapping men around her dainty little finger.

It was probably a huge gamble to write such an unlikeable character, right? Mitchell ran the risk of alienating a large group of readers. However, I think the key to success with Scarlett specifically was the fact that though she reads as shallow, she feels complicated.

Writing a flawed heroine is a delicate tap dance on a 2x4 wood plank. At any moment, you could easily slip off the edge causing your readers to snap that book shut and toss it into the “donate” pile. The key to this balance—with your imperfections must also come complementary strengths. For example, we love Scarlett's spirit; her chutzpah. But hate her narrow-minded selfishness. We accept that she is selfish because she is independent and headstrong and not bound by convention.

With a lot of contemporary books, we see a large number of heroines who are 99% great; sweet and adorable—with maybe one character flaw that is super easy to overlook. And don't get me wrong...I love some of these ladies, too...however, with Scarlett, she is real. And I don't know about all of you, but I certainly don't have only one easy to deal with flaw (just ask my husband!). It is refreshing to read a character who is honest and layered and just as exasperating as some people I meet in real life.

The bottom line is most readers can't identify with a perfect heroine. We love flaws (usually when they're within someone other than ourselves) and seeing how people overcome these problems. And finding that balance of imperfections as well as positive attributes will help you create that three-dimensional rounded heroine that you not only want to write...but the rest of us want to read.♥



Katana Collins is the author of the paranormal erotic romance series SOUL STRIPPER (June, 2013-Aphrodisia). She splits her time equally as a writer and boudoir photographer in Brooklyn, NY where she lives with her husband, two rescue pups and a gaggle of unwritten heroes and heroines in her head. She also drinks coffee—lots and lots of coffee. Visit her at www.KatanaCollins.com or follow her on Twitter (@katanacollins) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/KatanaCollins).


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JOIN US NEXT WEEK FOR LOUISA RAWLINGS'
"THE WISE VIRGIN AND THE FOOLISH VIRGIN."



Monday, May 20, 2013

A SENSE OF TIME & PLACE – The Importance of Research

by Lisbeth Eng



Nothing can jolt a reader out of the “zone” of your novel faster than an egregious error in the text. Such blunders by an author are more likely to be found in historical fiction, where accuracy in both era and locale is crucial.

I was on an airplane a few years ago, reading a World War II novel, when I suddenly uttered, “He’s not dead!” (Fortunately, the stranger sitting next to me slept through my outcry.) A character in this book had stated that Mussolini was dead.

The book takes place in 1943 and I knew that Il Duce did not meet his demise until 1945. Perhaps the character intentionally misspoke, in an effort to deceive, or the author wished to demonstrate his (the character’s) ignorance. I continued reading the otherwise well-written novel, awaiting an explanation. It never came. Even more infuriating was my realization by the end that Mussolini’s presence, whether alive or dead, had no impact on the plot, so the erroneous reference was completely unnecessary.

I did enjoy the novel overall, but have never forgotten that incident and it would make me just a little less likely to read another by that author. The research for my Italian-set World War II romance novel IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY came from various sources.

I had visited Italy over twenty years prior to starting my first draft, and had the good fortune to visit that country again while in the midst of an early revision. My more recent journey contributed the following details, which I would not otherwise have thought to include:

Shivering, she hastened toward the piazza, passing rows of houses painted in muted shades of saffron, wheat and terracotta. Some were adorned with the remnants of faded frescos; others revealed exposed brick beneath crumbling plaster façades. When she reached the deserted marketplace, her only companions were pigeons, huddled in niches where stones had fallen away from ancient walls. Their soft cooing, like lovers’ whispers, penetrated the early morning silence.

Had I not visited Verona, the setting of my novel, and had the opportunity to hear the cooing doves and see the faded frescos, that description would not likely be included in my book.

Of course, not every writer has the opportunity to visit a foreign locale and we certainly can’t travel back in time to experience the actual historical setting. But one can read non-fiction, as well as fiction books on the subject and surf the Internet for ideas (but beware the source – there is a lot of false information out there in cyberspace). If I hadn’t been able to travel to Italy, a visit to the European paintings section of the Metropolitan Museum of Art could have been a great source of inspiration for my setting.

I possess an entire library of books about World War II, as well as Italian and German dictionaries and grammar books to double-check the foreign words and phrases I have sprinkled throughout IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY.

But a word of caution there, too – don’t count on your cousin who studied a foreign language in college or the Google translation tool. If you’re going to use foreign words or phrases try to find a native speaker to make certain you are using them correctly. I’ve found cringe-worthy foreign language errors even in novels published by traditional houses. It may seem unlikely that your reader will notice a small mistake in historical fact or in a foreign phrase but many readers are knowledgeable, and chances are your historical romance reader knows her period – be it Regency, Medieval or World War II. And she may have studied a foreign language or two. So, as they say in German, “Achtung!” ♥




An English major in college, Lisbeth Eng has also studied Italian, German and French. Lisbeth is a native New Yorker and works as a compliance officer in the finance industry. Her first novel, IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY, is available in e-book and paperback at The Wild Rose Press, as well as Amazon and B&N. Visit her at www.lisbetheng.com.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

HEROINE TOUR: WHEN SECONDARY CHARACTERS BECOME HEROINES IN ANOTHER STORY



This is the third stop in RWA/NYC's Heroine Blog Tour!
Join us again next Wednesday.



WHEN SECONDARY CHARACTERS BECOME HEROINES IN ANOTHER STORY
by Catherine Greenfeder



Some time ago, I wrote a book which remains in the revision stage. I shared it over several months with my critique group. For some reason, the ladies enjoyed the concept and the conflicts, the subplot, and the setting, but they had a hard time with the hero and heroine in that book. However, they so enjoyed the hero’s daughter, a child from a previous marriage, who was a feisty, rebellious teenager with psychic abilities, that they told me she should have her own story. Or, that’s the message which came through after awhile. So, I began to plot out ideas for a story for the teenager with an attitude.

I also teach in a middle school, and several of my students who knew I had been published in romance fiction written for adults asked when I would write something that they could read. With their encouragement and the challenge of my critique group, I decided to work on a draft for my first young adult paranormal novel during National Novel Writing Month or NANOWRIMO in November 2010. The book originally titled A PORTRAIT OF A GHOST went through several revisions in the next two years. I also changed the title based on an idea from events in the story and at the suggestion of a couple of teenage girls to A KISS OUT OF TIME.

So, Georgina Claythorne will get to tell her story about working during her seventeenth summer for her Grandma Bess in her grandmother’s Ocean Grove, New Jersey antique and consignment shop. Expecting a rather boring summer, recovering from a break-up with a boy she met the previous year in Italy, Georgina focuses on helping her aging grandmother who is more spry than frail, and she discovers that the shop has a lot more than vintage clothing and antiques. It’s haunted by the ghost of a young Confederate soldier who happens to be confused about his death and attracted to Georgina who is gifted or cursed with the ability to "see dead people". What ensues is the basis of the plot and the decisions Georgina must make when her best friend, Jake Hanlon, comes on the scene to help her out with another ghost bust situation.

I found it interesting in the writing process that a secondary character can become a heroine in another book. I’m not inclined to write series romances, but I’ve thought about Georgina a lot and whether or not to continue her story since there is another haunted house, the one in the original story. I’m going to gauge my readers’ reactions to the book when it’s released and my own feeling about the heroine. I’m glad I allowed her to tell her own story in this young adult paranormal. Yes, I wrote it, but Georgina took off once I started. Writers understand these things! So, maybe she’ll come on stage again for the next book. There’s another NANOWRIMO coming, and if not then, sometime soon. I have a feeling that Georgina has more than one story to tell!♥



Catherine Greenfeder is the published author of WILDFLOWERS, SACRED FIRES, ANGELS AMONG US, and the soon-to-be published A KISS OUT OF TIME. When not writing books, Catherine tries to inspire young writers as a language arts teacher in a middle school in New Jersey. Visit her at www.catherinegreenfeder.vpweb.com.


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JOIN US NEXT WEDNESDAY FOR "WRITING THE FLAWED HEROINE" BY KATANA COLLINS.



Monday, May 13, 2013

WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF YOUR (WRITING) CAREER

by Addison Fox



“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
--Steve Prefontaine



I love haunting quote sites and I find great joy in those quotes that simply leap out and speak to me. This one above, by Steve Prefontaine, was one of those delicious blends of words that just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. (I will confess to not knowing who Steve Prefontaine was until I did a quick search. He was a famous runner in the early 70s who was sadly killed in a car accident at the age of 24.)

What struck me about Prefontaine’s words was just how applicable they were to any task you can think of. We’ve all heard since an early age about “giving our all” and “doing our best,” but what does that really mean? Does every endeavor we enter into have to be a masterpiece? And in a business as subjective as writing, we already know going in we won’t please everyone, so why work at it all that hard?

In my opinion, what the quote really illustrates is that we must give our gifts – whatever they may be - the time and attention they deserve. While we all readily admit that writing is a gift – a talent that burns inside of us, pushing us toward a career in publishing – we often shortchange that gift amidst the realities of life. Spouses, jobs, health, small children, aging parents – you name it and everyone’s got something in their life that demands their time and attention and focus.

But what about the things that aren’t so important? The clean house or the stacked up episodes on the DVR? The weeds in the garden and the lure of that great sale at the mall? While I don’t want to suggest the things in the first category should suck up all of our time as human beings, nor do I want to suggest those in the second have no value or are somehow frivolous and unimportant. However, in both cases, all of those things affect how we spend our time.

What about our talents and the dreams we have for ourselves? Aren’t we shortchanging our talent when we don’t give it our best effort? And how often are we guilty of sacrificing writing time to the first category? Or…to the second? One of the most important steps on any author’s journey is understanding what type of writer you are and how you can maximize that talent in your life. For some authors, that means writing each and every day, publishing three, four, even five or more books a year. For others, that means a slower pace, writing a book a year, perhaps even less.

Is either right?

I’m of the opinion the answer to that question is a resounding no. Instead, each writer has to look inside of themselves and decide who they are and how they want to structure their career. We live and work in a time where opinions are a dime a dozen (and this piece is no exception.) But for all the noise on the internet, in social media and at our local writers’ meeting, none of that noise knows what each and every one of us is dealing with when we go home, close the door and stare at that blinking cursor.

Instead, I’m of the opinion that every writer can give themselves three gifts. First, give yourself the gift of time. Take an hour for yourself every day to focus on your writing. Not writing websites. Not writers’ loops. Writing. If an hour is too much, make it fifteen or thirty minutes. Get up early or stay up late. Do it on your lunch hour. You deserve the time.

Second, stop worrying about others around you. There will always be those who can write faster and there are those who never put fingers to keyboard. Neither is your problem. And truly – neither is your competition. The only race is with yourself and the only time that matters is the time YOU invest in your work.

And finally, give it your best. To the point above, stop worrying about your chapter mate who has won industry awards or the contest final you didn’t make. Ignore the chatter and noise about deals and promo and all of the other things that really and truly don’t matter in those moments when you are crafting your story. Focus instead on writing the best story you can. Work on your craft, hone your skills and revel in the joy of creation.

Every writer has something to contribute with their words. Don’t sacrifice your gifts or let the image of another writer influence what you think your career should look like. Instead, be the writer YOU are called to be. The world is waiting for you.♥




Addison Fox can't remember a time when words weren't a part of her life. An avid reader, she can be found with a book in her hand nearly every time she has a free moment. Her latest release is TEMPTING ACQUISITIONS. Visit Addison at www.addisonfox.com.



Sunday, May 12, 2013

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!


Best wishes to all our Members who are Mothers and 
all our readers who are mothers.

Have a beautiful day!





Wednesday, May 8, 2013

HEROINE TOUR: OBSERVATIONS OF MY HEROINE

This is the second stop of RWA/NYC's Heroine Blog Tour!
Join us next Wednesday.



OBSERVATIONS OF MY HEROINE
by Michael J. Molloy



For my contemporary romance novel THE DIAMOND MAN, soon to be released by Gypsy Shadow Publishing, the main focus is on the hero, Jim Monahan. If it were the other way around, the book would be called THE DIAMOND WOMAN. But I do want to draw attention to my heroine, Anne Finley.

We learn that Anne was told by a physician, when she was a very young teenager, that she was incapable of conceiving children. It didn’t bother her at that time, but it became an issue for her when childhood girls she knew became pregnant themselves years later.

This led her to depression. Then to make matters worse, a handsome, virile man proposed marriage to Anne years later, only to call it off once she told him of her inability to conceive. He needed to pass his genes down naturally because of the high conservative and religious viewpoints he held. This pulled Anne’s self-esteem down even lower. But Jim only saw the sweet and passionate woman Anne was and not someone who couldn’t be a natural mother. And the fact that he was already a father of a teenage girl from a previous marriage didn’t weigh into the equation. Jim preferred Anne the way she was and would’ve accepted her just the same two decades earlier.

In this work, I want women who are in the same position as Anne not to feel any less of themselves just because of this physical problem. As I have illustrated, there are men who will love them and cherish them just the way they are. Becoming a parent is truly a blessing, but it should not be the all-consuming objective of a marriage. And so I reach out to women like Anne to offer comfort and support, and to never give up hope in seeking true love.♥

A graduate of St. John’s University, Michael’s contemporary romance novel THE DIAMOND MAN will be released this year by Gypsy Shadow Publishing. He is currently working on his suspense novel SADISTIC PATTERN, which he hopes to complete by the end of this year. Michael will then work on his next project—a contemporary romance novel entitled GREETINGS FROM CARTHAGE.  Visit him at www.authormichaeljmolloy.com.


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JOIN US NEXT WEDNESDAY FOR CATHY GREENFEDER'S
"WHEN SECONDARY CHARACTERS BECOME HEROINES IN ANOTHER STORY"




Monday, May 6, 2013

TO SELF-PUB OR NOT TO SELF-PUB, IS THAT YOUR QUESTION?


by Jean Joachim



I have both self-pubbed and had books published by a publisher. Here are some pros and cons to both self-publishing and going through a publisher:


SELF-PUBLISHING


PROS

• You make more money per book for self-published books. For example, Amazon will pay you about $2.00 for each $2.99 book you sell on your own. A publisher only gives you a percentage of that income, not the entire amount.

• You have total control over your editing, cover, title, heat level, character names, release date, everything.

• You can get your book up on Smashwords affiliates, like Kobo, Apple, Sony and so on – sites some publishers ignore. These sites are generating more sales all the time.

• You can read your sales accurately every day. It’s not possible to get totally accurate sales figures from novel rank.


CONS

• You have to pay for editing, a cover, maybe formatting, pictures for your cover and other out-of-pocket expenses. Can you afford a proofreader, too?

• You have to find good sources for those tasks. Reliable, talented, affordable people.

• You have to do all your marketing yourself.

• You don’t have a group of ready-made, supportive people. You have to gather your own group.

• You don’t have the marketing clout that your publisher may have. And you can’t participate in the author group activities scheduled by some publishers.

• You have to find your own book reviews.

• You cannot benefit from the experience and wisdom of a publisher and a group of authors.

• Within your own publishing house it’s much easier to find authors to exchange blog guest spots rather than to hunt up those opportunities on your own.



PUBLISHER


PROS

• You have access to experienced professionals, editors, proofreaders, and cover designers with proven track records and they don’t cost you a dime.

• You’re part of a group of people whose writing has been given the stamp of approval by your publisher, as opposed to writers you meet online, whose work you don’t know.

• By sharing information throughout your group, you can take advantage of new marketing opportunities, new research sources, and industry news, as well as learn from the experiences of your peers.

• You don’t have to do all your own marketing – though many publishers today don’t do much in the way of marketing.

• Authors are readers, too. I buy and read many books from my fellow SCP authors and they do the same with mine. Sales you don’t have to work for.

• You can rely on your publisher to get you some reviews.


CONS

• You receive less money.

• Your publisher has the final word on your editing, cover, release date, and so on.

• You may only receive payment quarterly instead of monthly.

• You are locked in for several years and if you have a dispute it may be hard to get your rights back.

• You can’t track your sales accurately from day to day.

• You have less control overall.


I’m sure I’ve missed issues and I don’t mean to tout one method over another. Everyone has to make the choice that’s right for them. I hope these guidelines prove helpful.♥




Jean Joachim is an award-winning author, a wife, a mother of two boys and owner of a rescued pug named Homer. She writes contemporary romance and has been writing non-fiction for over twenty years and fiction for three. A native New Yorker, she still lives in New York City. Visit her website at www.jeanjoachimbooks.com.



Wednesday, May 1, 2013

HEROINE TOUR: WHEN YOUR HEROINE IS A MOTHER

This is the first stop of RWA/NYC's Heroine Blog Tour!
Join us every Wednesday this month.




WHEN YOUR HEROINE IS A MOTHER
by Maria C. Ferrer



The Ides of March are past, the April showers are over, and now we have May flowers popping out everywhere. Flowers are a great gift for Mother’s Day (May 12, don’t forget!).

My heroine is a mother.

Jessenia Lopez is a single mother of a precocious five-year-old, Antonio. She is also a sexy modern woman who runs a day-spa and drives our hero Rafael Quintero crazy with lust. The two spent three wicked nights in bed following their cousins wedding and Antonio was the result. Unfortunately, after their wild weekend they parted ways. Now, six years later, Rafael is back in town and furious that Jessenia kept his son from him. He gets even by moving into the apartment above her and starting his campaign to claim his son and the woman he has never been able to forget.

So the battle of the sexes is on, but with a child in the house it has to be covert.

I have scenes where Jessenia and Rafael awaken to the lust between them. It never died, but there is a child present so it’s not like they can have sex at the drop of a hat, and certainly not in an open room where their son may walk in on them. (Yikes!)

Readers must see Jessenia as a Sexy Mama, after all, they will identify with her. I want my readers to see my heroine as a combination of Marilyn Monroe and Clair Huxtable – sex goddess and mother.

While many of my scenes are between Jessenia and Rafael alone, Antonio still plays a big part because he is the bone they are fighting over. However, once they agree to “joint custody” that part of the battle is over and now the true battle for sex begins. Rafael wants a marriage of convenience; Jessenia wants a lover not a martyr. It is so much fun to write scenes where Jessenia pushes Rafael’s buttons, and of course, the ones where Rafael pushes back are equally hot.

However, I also want readers -- and Rafael! -- to see the good mother Jessenia is so of course I have to have scenes between her and Antonio, with her being nurturing and motherly. Like when Jessenia wakes Antonio in the morning with a game of spiders and drums; when she cuddles him after a traumatic rush to the emergency room; when she reads to him yet one more story at night; when she turns a blind eye to the dog that he slips into his bed.

When your heroine is a mother, the writer must have a good mix of scenes where the heroine is shown as a sex goddess and then as a mother. The writer must always remember that they are writing a romance novel. Readers will want more Marilyn than Clair so most of the scenes should be between the heroine and the hero; maybe 30 percent with the child. Whatever the percentages, a writer cannot shortchange the heroine or the hero or her readers. If they do, mother will be angry!♥



Maria C. Ferrer is not a mother, but she is an aunt and godmother to nine brats. She loves that she can send them home to their real mothers at the end of the day! Her secret baby book is entitled, DADDY FOUND. Maria is the President of the RWA/NYC. She writes contemporary romances under her own name, and erotica under her pseudonym of Del Carmen. Her work has been published by Cleis Press and Ravenous Romance, and has appeared in magazines, including Star, Penthouse and Cosmopolitan for Latinas. Visit her at www.mydelcarmen.com, www.marializaferrer.blogspot.com and www.4horsewomen.blogspot.com.