I’m blogging over at Contemporary Romance today. Drop by:
Rejection….not for the soft-hearted
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Life challenges, Romance, Strong Women
Reflections on August…
I’ve been writing daily, non-stop, since January of this year. My word tracker tells me I’ve logged in over 2,000,000 words. I don’t know if that’s a lot, average for a writer, or below the norm. I do know that writing makes me happy, whether it’s my blog, my wip,or a short story I’m working on. I once heard Nora Roberts liken writing to exercising. She said, if you don’t do it for a few days, like a muscle, it begins to atrophy. The “it” is the writing or the work of writing. And I agree.
But…
I decided to take a little break this month after I came back from RWA in NYC in July. I have a life outside of writing – I know, who’d have thought? – and I have several art, craft, and culinary projects that are time consuming I wanted to get started and done. The first weekend in the month I ripped apart every closet in my house, culled, restructured, tossed, donated and generally made all my closets look like new again. It took me three days, 8 hours a day. By day three I had great closets and writing withdrawal. While I’d been culling,etc, several ideas had shot into my head and I needed to write them down, but I’d vowed to have a stay-cation from writing so…
Yeah. If you’re a writer you know where this is going.
Day 4 broke and I wanted to start on a new, large decoupage trunk project I was going to do for a friend’s birthday present. Since her b’day is in September and this was August, I needed to get a move on. 2 hours into the project my hands started shaking because my writing-dormant brain had just solved a plot point problem I’d been having with my WIP. What to do? My non-writing vow slapped me hard in the face and…I slapped back. Yup. I broke my vow. For the next six hours I was able to rewrite a scene that had been driving me nutso for weeks. And it came out pretty damn good if I do say so. And right after that I wrote down all those ideas I’d come up with during closet cleaning. In fact, I sat at my laptop for a total of 10 hours that day -with one or two needed bathroom breaks – and got everything down that had been begging to be let out from my brain. The writing withdrawal symptoms ground me down. Like a meth addict, I was unable to control my “need” but in my case it was a need to write, not do drugs. Just clarifying, folks.
So.
Today is August 16. My word tracker tells me I have written 57,000 words during the past 10 days. That’s 5 blogs, and the rest split up between several WIP’s currently in production. I’ll have to include the 500 or so from this blog as well. Like moths drawn to flames, mosquitos pulled to bug zappers, use whatever metaphor or alliteration you want, I HAD to write. No, I HAVE to write. It is, in its purest definition, who and what I am.
There’s a reason this website is called WRITING IS MY OXYGEN. You can’t life without breathing…and I can’t live without writing.
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Life challenges, Romance, Strong Women
Power = Social Media
I freely admit to all who ask that I am no techie-savant. I don’t have the gene instilled in my DNA like the kids these days do; I find most factors related to computer knowledge NOT to be intuitive to me; and the term “User Friendly” has no baring on my capabilities. So when I entered this wonderful world of published author-dom I had to learn how to be effective on social media in order to self-promote myself and my book.
It has been a loooooooooooog journey.
Initially when my website went live I – in my naivete – thought, “If you build it, they will come.” Yeah, no. You not only have to possess the site, you must introduce it to the masses and keep doing so in order for your site to have traffic and stay relevant. This is the cyber sphere’s version of Word of Mouth. Who knew? Not me, that’s for sure. So, to do this I started listing my recent blog entries on facebook .This helped…some. It was my daughter who suggested I start using Twitter, google+ and Pinterest to broaden my approach. This is one of the reasons I keep her around: her marketing brilliance.
Again, this only went so far because you can’t tweet/face/post/pin/google just ONCE during the day. You have to do so repeatedly to compete with the nine gazilliongillion other posting/tweets/etc uploading every millisecond. One of my New Hampshire RWA sistahs likens Twitter to a “drive by shooting.” Kids, I just don’t have time to stop what I’m doing every hour and post something new. Not only is it time sucking to do this, my memory isn’t what it used to be ( frickin’ menopause!) and I forgot more times than I remembered to post.
Again, brilliant baby told me about a program that could help called HootSuite which allows you to schedule all your postings on social media sights so you can basically click it and forget it. ( Ron Popeil reference, anyone?)
Again, who knew??
I use Hootsuite everyday. It’s one of the first things I do when my insomnia drags me from bed. I set up Twitter, Facebook author page, Instagram and Pinterest post/alerts for alternating hours of the day. I spend from 15-20 minutes doing this in the morning and then basically forget about it the rest of the day, enabling me to devote my time to what I want to do, namely, writing.
My life is so much better now since I don’t have to worry about getting on my social media sites every 30 minutes. Don’t get me wrong – I still check stuff during the day. I love to retweet posts from authors I know, and God help me, I need to see what’s going on on facebook, but as far as my marketing promos go, Hootsuite has been such a blessing.
Check it out and see if it’s for you. It’s free, easy ( must be if I can do it!), convenient and non-time sucking.
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Life challenges, NHRWA, Romance, RWA, Strong Women
A Reflection on the Dark Dance with the Shadow We Call Depression
A piece worth reading, a thought worth remembering, and my own addition, the TAO of NGU NGI for all those struggling – never give up never give in.
I wrote this two days after Robbin Williams’ death and opted not to post it at that time because too often viral messages have a very short life expectancy. Depression, or any disease, isn’t something we should think about only in the fleeting, emotionally-charged moments following a tragedy; depression is like a virus that spreads, slowly, methodically, praying on those who don’t have the means to fight it. It doesn’t mean someone is weak or selfish or desperate. Depression is different for every person who faces it. I’ve been sitting on this post for a year, and now on the anniversary of Mr. Williams’ death, I think it’s time to finally release this into the wind as a reminder that depression is alive and not just lurking in the shadows, but thriving and stealing the livelihood of too many.
Robbin Williams did not have a profound impact on my life…
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Filed under Uncategorized
How does your Hero smell?
I know… that’s a horrible title. LOL. It conveys so many negative images, doesn’t it?
What I really want to know is, what –for lack of a better word – smell or scents do you use to describe your male characters?
I’ve read heroes defined as smelling like sandalwood, natural musk, earthy, woodsy, piney, and like leather. Okay. So he smells like he’s been tramping about in the woods or forest. These are okay descriptions for lumberjacks and Men in Kilts. I’ve also read descriptions stating the hero smelled like cigarettes, booze, hay, horse sweat, and even “like a farm.” None of those descriptions made me want to jump into fictional bed with the guy.
I read a very old romance novel once that said this: His clothes had the odor of the fish he’d caught that day on them. Right away I knew I wasn’t going to finish this book. There was no way a hero should smell like stale-or even fresh-fish.
Ugh.
Sensory descriptions are mandatory when you write romance novels. All five of the senses need to be explored. Sight, taste, and touch have their own separate categories and I could blog for days on just those three alone. Sound is also important to put in a narrative or a descriptor. But smell; smell can form an instant recognition and connection of your character with your reader.
Everyone knows what grass, lemons, and the beach smell like. They are sensory memories stored in your brain and olfactory system for life. So if I describe a hero’s aftershave as cool and lemony, you have an immediate reference and knowledge for what it smells like. If I say my hero brought the smell of fresh cut grass in with him, again, you have an allusion to what I am trying to convey. The line he smelled of sand and sea is fairly synonymous with the fresh smell of a beach. (Note, smelling like the sea is NOT the same as smelling like fish!) These are pleasant scents that, when we read them, elicit pleasant memories.
I’m not big on guys wearing cologne. I’ll put that out there and suffer the wrath of every woman who loves her guy doused in Polo. I tend to favor – and be stimulated by (okay: turned on by!) more natural scents. I love a guy who’s right from a shower and smells clean and fresh; I don’t even mind the normal odor of a sweaty guy – if he’s doing something sporty or physical and working up a nice, decent sweat. This is the smell I usually think of when I hear someone smells manly, or like a man. And there’s something about a guy who’s grilling and the aroma following him that makes my mouth water.
Okay, now that I think about the last one, it could just be the smell of cooked meat I’m getting aroused by.
Speaking of meat, a few years ago there was a study done by some big company about what smell men are most attracted to on a woman. It wasn’t roses, or any kind of flower. It wasn’t the clean, dewy, fresh-out-of-the-bath fragrance either. It was – are you ready for it?- bacon.
I know!
I seems cooking isn’t the only way to a man’s heart. All my single girlfriends out there – invite a guy you like to a meal and then make him something with bacon in it. It’s almost like a guaranteed proposal. I’ll leave it up to you to decide what that proposal should be.
So, when you’re doing due diligence and incorporating those 5 senses into your writing, remember to include something that will stimulate a positive olfactory memory.
And stay away from descriptors for fishy smells.
Best male smell descriptions you’ve ever read…let’s discuss…
Filed under Alpha Hero, Alpha Male, Author, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romance Books
Guest Post: Joanne Guidoccio
One of my wonderful Wild Rose Press Sistahs. Check her out.
Revisiting the Dream
During my 
high school years, I dabbled in poetry while dreams of a writing career dangled before me. But I gave in to my practical Italian side and pursued degrees in mathematics and education. While teaching was a good career fit, in my heart of hearts, I knew that I would write a novel at some point in my life. All I needed was more time and more energy.
Be careful what you wish for…
Five months before my fiftieth birthday, I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer and forced to take a leave of absence. With all my energies focused on healing, I searched for light and breezy novels that would distract me. I was grateful for the bags of books dropped off by well-meaning friends but couldn’t get into any of the storylines. I found the philosophical books too intense and the comedic books unsatisfying.
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What is- or what would you like- your superhero power (to be)
I was asked this when I did an interview and I think it’s such a great question for discussion, along the lines of who is better – Batman or Superman? I’ll tell you who I think it is at the end of this.
Would I like to go invisible like (duh!) the Invisible Man? The thought makes me a little light headed. Have a rope of truth like Wonder Woman (well, what woman wouldn’t want that? Especially if she thinks her honey is fibbing to her??)
Does Thor’s hammer of strength appeal to me? Not really. What about Hawkeye’s deadly bow? Not so much. Captain America’s shield? Um, no.
Spiderman’s spidey sense – can’t even consider this one. I hate spiders. Even super heroes who act like them. Yuk. I might like to control the weather, but then I think about how everyone hates the weatherman and renege on the thought.
X-ray vision might be cool, but then I think about all those man-thong wearers out there and I cringe in disgust.
I would have to say my superpower would be (and in reality, is) my ability to make people laugh even when the situation I’m in is highly charged and emotional.
I’m the type of gal who gets hit with the giggles at inappropriate times. During a funeral once I found something the eulogizer said funny and laughed out loud. I was the only one. I’m that female who always says the wrong thing for the wrong reason due to nerves. At a wake once I was telling a story and said, “Oh, my God, I was so embarrassed I almost died. “ Yes. At a wake. Where there was a dead body a few feet away. And yup, I’m the one who is usually making other people blush with my bluntness because I always feel the quickest way to say something is the way that causes you to get the most bang for your buck.
But even with all that, I make people laugh.
I once had an extremely irate patient yell at me for what seemed like an hour straight but was probably about 5 minutes. I let him rant, never saying a word. When he finally ran out of speed, after telling me all the things that had been done to him and what he was now doing – which BTW weren’t making him any better – I cocked my head at him and said, “How’s that going for ya?” He was so flabbergasted, he laughed. Out loud. A full belly shake. And then I helped him with the problem he was having. When he left my office sweetness and light surrounded him.
I watched a waitress get reamed by a very hostile and drunk customer once. She kept her cool, never once defending herself or yelling back at him. When she came to the table where my friends and I were, she was visibly shaking and had a painful smile on her face, but she was lovely to us and trying to pretend nothing had happened. When she asked if she could help us, I asked back, “Want us to go and beat that guy up? We can do it so no one sees us. Really. My uncle is connected. I know what I’m doing.”
She stared at me for a second and then smiled. The smile turned into a grin, which turned into laugh. When my entire table of people was done laughing, she said, “Thanks, but it’s okay.” When we left I noticed she had comped our drink order so we all pitched in and left her a $100.00 tip.
The Reader’s Digest used to have a column titled, Laughter is the best medicine, and it’s so true. Anytime you can use laughter to diffuse a situation, relieve someone’s embarrassment, or for any reason to make them feel good, it’s worthwhile.
So. Superman or Batman? For me it’s always and forever going to be Superman. Hey, he can fly, has super hearing, sight and smell, is uber-strong and can stop bullets in his hand. Plus he’s a writer like me (Clark Kent anyone?) Batman, not so much. Cut him he bleeds, hit him he falls. Yeah, he may be a mega rich playboy, but he needs a whole cave of techie stuff to get the job done. Unlike Superman who is all-natural.
Besides: Batman looks like…well…a bat.
Thoughts? Let’s discuss…
Filed under Alpha Hero, Author, Contemporary Romance, Friends, Romance, Strong Women
OMG! Looks who’s listed in the #7 spot!
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, MacQuire Women, Romance, Skater's Waltz
Sneak Peek!
Filed under Author, Contemporary Romance, Family Saga, First Impressions, love, MacQuire Women, Romance, Strong Women
What book would you bring to a deserted island if you were stranded and could only have only one?
(And I’m not talking about bringing the Kindle here, loaded with millions of titles. It’s a real, paper and ink book we’re discussing today.)
Tough question? Yes, it is, that’s why I’m asking it. You need to dig deep here, kids.
Answers could include everything from the Bible to War and Peace; David Copperfield to Gone with the Wind; Harry Potter book 1 to The fault is in our Stars.
Depending on what genre you like to read, it could be a non-fiction bestseller, an autobiography, a sports book or even Camping for Dummies (hey, you ARE stranded on a deserted island, you know.)
For myself it’s a no-brainer. I’d bring Pride and Prejudice.
Why would I bring a book whose story is over 250 years old, you ask. Well, I’m glad you did.
As a lover of romance novels – and a writer of the same – Pride and Prejudice for me is the penultimate story of love. It has everything a romance book should have: a strong female lead; a tortured, romantic hero, miscommunication, drama, betrayal, several black moments, a wonderful story-line, and most of all a happily ever after ending that endures for all time.
I think I’ve read this book – no lie – two dozen times since I was 11. The first time I read it the language gave me a bit of difficulty – hey, I was a tween! – and I had trouble understanding some of the plot. I did think Mr Collins was odious, though, even at that tender age, a thought I still have to this day.
I read it again for high school English. This time around, though, I was able to gleam more about the plot and I remember wondering why Lizzy didn’t try to talk Charlotte out of marrying Mr Collins. If she was a true friend, she should have. I also remember it was at this time in my life I began to see Darcy for the hunkadoodledoo he was.
College brought the next reading and by now I loved Lizzy for her strength of character and her loyalty and – even though I knew the end of the story – I prayed she would wind up with Darcy and not the narcissistic Wickham.
The next several times I read the book were after relationship breakups. I’d read the book cover to cover while inhaling cartons of Milano cookies and Pepperidge farm layer cakes. Then I’d watch the BBC rendition with Colin Firth as Darcy. This always made me feel so much better and got me through the downside of the breakups.
After I was married and the Kiera Knightley movie version came out, I read it again a few times and was impressed with how easy it now was to understand the language. Much more so than when I was 11 and had an untrained English lit ear.
Through all of the re-reads, though, I have never once been disappointed with the story. I know some of the page dialogue by heart and can quote Lizzy’s infamous dismissal speech to Darcy verbatim. The story stands up to time and differing cultures, class and age group demographics.
If I could only take one book to read on that island until I was (hopefully) rescued, it would always be Pride and Prejudice.
And in the event I could take two…..
My most recent book, THE VOICES OF ANGELS.
Blurb:
Love is the last thing Carly Lennox is looking for when she sets out on her new book tour. The independent, widowed author is content with a life spent writing and in raising her daughter. When newscaster Mike Woodard suggests they work on a television magazine profile based on her book, Carly’s thrilled, but guarded. His obvious desire to turn their relationship into something other than just a working one is more than she bargained for.
Mike Woodard is ambitious, and not only in his chosen profession. He wants Carly, maybe more than he’s ever wanted anything or anyone else. As he tells her, he’s a patient man. But the more they’re together, Mike realizes it isn’t simply desire beating within him. Carly Lennox is the missing piece in his life. Getting her to accept it-and him-may just be the toughest assignment he’s ever taken on.
Buy Links: Amazon /// TWRP /// Kobo /// Nook
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