Friday's Finds

What I'm finding today -- in Friday's Finds, is that there isn't enough time in the day. It's the same old thing I've struggled with in the past. Sometimes I think I'm spinning my wheels, yet I do get a lot accomplished. It's seems that with the creative and business end of writing, I could spend 24 hours a days working, and still have something more to accomplish. It's what I love and what I hate about the process. For one, there's always something to do. There's always another page to write, another chapter to edit, research to be done and rewrites, of course. These are things I love. I love the actual process. But then we have our email to go through and respond to, a valuable and enjoyable source. I've managed to curtail my loops to ten, and believe me, I could be a part of one hundred. So on any given day, I might receive fifty to eighty emails -- mostly important stuff I need to know. And then there's the upkeep on my website which I've turned over to a professional. She does a great job, but I have to provide the text, the changes, send in the pics, the cover art, etc. Yesterday a great deal of my time was spent working on that, along with making contacts to get my latest release LIKE LIGHTNING reviewed. I'm planning on running some ads as well on online sites. All necessary, all time-consuming and all that takes away from writing. So I figure there will be days when I feel like I'm am just spinning my wheels, but then there are those wonderful times, when the entire day can be devoted to writing.

Thursday's Thoughts

I've been looking over my Reno Shining Bright RWA conference schedule for our national convention this July. What I found mostly is a wide variety of workshops offered to both published and unpublished authors. Research titles, Poison 101, I guess if you're writing suspense and mysteries -- is not for me, but then I see When Bad Covers Happen to Good Books -- might be interesting to hear, unless my Like Lightning cover grows on me. Playing Nice with your Dragon -- catchy title, but what does that mean? I guess I'll have to read further. Falling in Love without Falling into Bed? What's the point? No, just kidding. There's a career workshop titled, Arriving, Surviving, Thriving: It Ain't All Chocolate, Sex and Cheetos. It isn't? What a shame. But there's no decription on that one, so I guess I'll have to check that one out in person. All in all, I'm excited about our convention this year. It's closer to home and sounds like a lot of fun. And with Keynote speaker, Debbie Macomber and Luncheon Speaker, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, it'll be a barrel of laughs over some, hopefully, good meals and good company.
Can't wait!

Wednesday's Words

It's hard to write my heroine when I don't have a clear picture of her in my head. I didn't really know her when I started on this proposal, so I had a mish-mosh of details with nothing really clicking. I've learned my lesson, not to start on a story until both of my main characters are straight and decided in my head. Because now, going back over the three chapters and changing her, I'm finding isn't easy at all. I'm still a bit murky and will spend more time reworking her character, trying to develop a strong conflict and have all the other necessary elements to make this book sellable. It seems to never get easier -- and a very smart author once said that every sale is a labor. That's so very true. This isn't an easy business and it's so subjective to what an editor finds compelling and marketable, that there's very little room for error.

So, I'm reworking and building my heroine from the ground up, so to speak, and hoping that she's real and believeable. Luckily, I have a great handle on the hero. He's well defined and his conflict comes through loud and clear. It's a great challenge, but the process is slow for me and I'm ready to finish this so I can move onto something else.

Tuesday's Tidbits

I'm still thinking about the high school baseball game I went to yesterday, where my nephew, Eric pitched almost perfectly against their longtime rival team. It's amazing how good the players on both teams were, this match up being the game of the week and televised. The atmosphere amongst a huge crowd was one of a championship game, though this game is the first of three that the two rivals will play. And as I watched the replay on television last night, I kept hoping that one of the seven players who reached base, would magically get that much needed run to tie the game in the last inning. Silly. I know THAT could never happen, but I'm such a big baseball fan and a bigger fan of my nephew, who I know is headed for great things. A loss of 1-0 is hard to take on a pitcher who held the rival team to almost five scoreless innings. But no one's at fault and someone had to lose. Too bad it was our team. I know I should be thinking about writing, and get down to business, but that will come later. Right now, I'm still reading the newspaper articles and remembering a very memorable game.

Monday's Musings

I had a minute today and picked up Annie LaMott's book, Bird by Bird, to reread a few pages. I just opened to a page and began reading, knowing that her words are inspiring, no matter what the subject. And of course, in just three pages I was reminded of the value of metaphors and how I've loved using them in my historicals. In Lily Gets Her Man, I used the garden. And Lily's growth as a woman was defined by the blooms in her garden. The original title, Lily Blossoms, actually was perfect in my estimation because it depicted the theme of the story. Gangly, awkward Lily, blooms into full womanhood when she is allowed to grow and open her heart. And in another historical, I used the powerful metaphor of a river and how it ebbs and tides, rushes and flows, to show the changing emotions in my characters. Funny, how Annie LaMott had spoken of the two metaphors I enjoy using. And I'm hoping that my Desire, Like Lightning will show the power of the metaphor again, this time using both the treacherous weather and a feisty stallion named Storm, to parallel my character's growth. I get it and if I've done my job correctly as a writer, so will the reader. Happy Monday!

Friday's Finds

It's Friday already. The week flew by and I missed a post or two. It's good to get back. And talk about the value of doing something for the community. Yesterday I donated part of my day to teach middle school children how to do Adult CPR. In my other life, that's what I do. I teach Baby Care, Childbirth and Pediatric CPR, mostly at my local hospital two nights a week. The rest of my work time is dedicated to writing. But I love being out in the community and hope to do more and more to help educate others. I've been a high school mentor and that was an eye-opening experience for me. And I've done some other charity work, but as I get older and maybe wiser, I find that I want to give back to the community I live in. I've thought about and have been invited to work for a hospice organization. Those people are live-savers for the families taking care of their ill loved ones. I know when we used their services, it was a blessing to our family.

But back to the middle school kids. They were great for the most part and they learned how to save a life. Hopefully, they won't have to use what we've taught them, but at least they know how to call 911 and start CPR giving the victim a much better chance of survival. Tap and shout, call 911 and begin CPR. Just a reminder!

Tuesday's Tidbits

Time is precious. And we have so little of it really. It's important to make the most out of each and every day. I've learned that since the loss of both of my parents and seeing friends and family members deal with illness. I've also learned that it's important not to let things go. To nip things in the bud, to deal with adversity head on. It's usually better overall and at least you don't go through life thinking, I wish I'd done ... I wish I'd said... I'm an optimist at heart, but also a realist. I think both things are important to be a good writer. We see the world as it really is and if we are lucky we can relay that on paper. Today, the sun is shining and I plan to have a nice warm sunny day, enjoying my friends and family and doing what I love to do. Write. So off I go. Time's a wasting!

Monday's Musings

It's Monday and time to get serious again. I was so thoroughly taken by our own Rebecca Forester's workshop on Saturday at my OCC meeting. She spent the afternoon explaining about how to fix your manuscript when you know that something is wrong. She used a pyramid/cupcake analogy which helped define what she meant. The crux of your story is the bottom layer or cake itself, that's the foundation which means the story/plot and characterization. If that's not right from the beginning, then your story won't work. Next is the frosting- meaning the cutting, tightening, continuity. You must show not tell among other important things, all of which we know, but must be reminded of on a daily basis. The cherry on top, is the writing style. Make if flow, make it beautiful, but we must always remember that even the best, most beautifully written story isn't going to work if the foundation isn't sound.
Very good advice and if you read my Friday post, you know I struggled with my plot. Well, thanks to Rebecca, I was able to find and fix all my flaws! On Sunday no less!

Friday's Finds

I need a Plot Doctor today. I'm struggling with my story, trying to decide which way to go. I've got a good beginning to my synopsis, but I'm trying to do something "different" and not write a cliche story. I want to add a twist, a surprise, something to make the story flow. But nothing is coming. I've decided to do what I do when I'm stymied. And that's leave the computer, pick up a few good books and read. Reading has always helped stimulate me, it opens mental doors and keeps the create juices flowing. And that's what I need right now. Tomorrow is my day at OCC, my RWA chapter meeting. Those meeting always help to energize as well. So I think I'll lay off writing today, maybe for the entire weekend, and simply unwind, and allow the mental process to work unconsciously. See you all on Monday!

Friday's Finds

I need a Plot Doctor today. I'm struggling with my story, trying to decide which way to go. I've got a good beginning to my synopsis, but I'm trying to do something "different" and not write a cliche story. I want to add a twist, a surprise, something to make the story flow. But nothing is coming. I've decided to do what I do when I'm stymied. And that's leave the computer, pick up a few good books and read. Reading has always helped stimulate me, it opens mental doors and keeps the create juices flowing. And that's what I need right now. Tomorrow is my day at OCC, my RWA chapter meeting. Those meeting always help to energize as well. So I think I'll lay off writing today, maybe for the entire weekend, and simply unwind, and allow the mental process to work unconsciously. See you all on Monday!

Friday's Finds

I need a Plot Doctor today. I'm struggling with my story, trying to decide which way to go. I've got a good beginning to my synopsis, but I'm trying to do something "different" and not write a cliche story. I want to add a twist, a surprise, something to make the story flow. But nothing is coming. I've decided to do what I do when I'm stymied. And that's leave the computer, pick up a few good books and read. Reading has always helped stimulate me, it opens mental doors and keeps the create juices flowing. And that's what I need right now. Tomorrow is my day at OCC, my RWA chapter meeting. Those meeting always help to energize as well. So I think I'll lay off writing today, maybe for the entire weekend, and simply unwind, and allow the mental process to work unconsciously. See you all on Monday!

THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

Right now I'm contemplating the importance of naming your characters. It seems when you start a new project, you need to find the right name to fit each and every character or the image in your head of that person, won't fit. It's amazing how that works, but it's true. And today, I had to set up some new characters. Drawing a blank, I went to my THE BEST NAME FOR YOUR BABY book. While sometimes, the names of your hero and heroine jump out at you, often times, that doesn't always hold true. And then you find ways to locate the name that fits the personality. I've used baby name books, gone to professional rodeo websites, when doing cowboys and when really desperate I pause the credits at the end of a movie for good first and last names to use in my story. Sometimes, I get a good feel for the main characters, the hero and heroine, but those pesky secondary characters needs names too and they also must fit your image of them. So, if there's any other tricks in naming your characters, please send them along. Those baby name books don't have them all!

Wednesday's Words

Okay, so I should be talking about writing, but I'm not going to. Not today. I'm a happy camper that baseball season has finally started! I'm a huge fan, love watching the games on TV, love going to them. My team, now called the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, (I wish they'd change it back to Anaheim Angels, BTW) have won their last four games and last night I watched them win their season opener. I know it's crazy but I love the team and love the game. I go thru major withdrawals in October when the season ends and it seems that April is a long time coming. Not a golf fan, not a basketball fan, wish we had a football team in LA, but when the baseball season opens, I'm thrilled to watch. Now, it's just a matter of pacing and timing and major organizing, so I can get in all the games AND find time to write. Thankfully, most of the games are on at night, when I'm ready to fall onto the sofa and relax.

Friday's Finds

It's Friday again and it seems that the weeks are flying by. I'm anxiously awaiting the cover of my next Silhouette Desire, LIKE LIGHTNING and hoping that the cover works. Though we send in our Art Fact Sheets and give suggestions and descriptions, we never know what our book is going to look like. It's April 1st too and I just realized it's April Fool's Day. So, maybe I
DON'T want to get the new cover today, just in case the Fool's Day Gods decide to play on trick on me. Have a good one and hopefully you won't get "fooled" too badly today!

Thursday's Thoughts

I seem to drop the ball on Thursday. It must be the approach to the end of the week and getting caught up on all my tasks, that keeps me from posting. So, here I am with Thursday's Thoughts. I've been working all morning on a Desire proposal, getting a feel for the characters, their likes and dislikes, their personalities and mainly, deciding and creating the conflict that will spur the story on. It's always a challenge, one that I enjoy. But I tend to lose myself in the story and time flies. This story is a departure from the cowboy/small town story I love to write. It's set in Malibu and revolves around a playboy type CEO of a large company. Talk about a challenge. The only part of this story that's easy for me is the location. I'm a beach goer and spend a lot of time in the area, knowing the different restaurants, street names etc. That part is easy, it's developing a hero without a twang in his voice, who isn't around horses and a ranch, that keep me up at night. Looking back, only two of my earlier stories, the Precious Gems, were about someone other than a small town rancher type. I guess we all know where my heart truly lies!

Wednesday's Words

I got off to a late start today writing this, because I had a scene that just couldn't wait. I finished it and worked on email for a while and found this great blog on Romancing the Blog written by Melissa Senate. Now, some of you might have heard of her, but when I first started writing, Melissa was a big deal in the publishing business. She was an editor with Harlequin a long time and recently she left that part of the business to write Red Dress Ink books. Her blog goes on to speak of authors and their covers and how we really aren't all that crazy when the book inside, the one you sweated, loved, hated and basically poured your heart and soul into, isn't the book on the outside. The cover is meant to depict the story, but often authors become disappointed. Melissa's take on this was great -- speaking from a point behind both sides of the fence. Yes, an author can make an editor crazy with their demands and expectations, but the other holds true too, when the editor, marketing department and pub house, doesn't "get" what the book is really about. And usually the cover doesn't relay the author's message. It's a two way sword. And except for two rather bland looking covers with nothing more than hills and trees on them, I haven't been overly disappointed in my covers. In fact, I loved the last one-- The Courting of Widow Shaw -- it's an amazingly beautiful piece of art. Check it out on the homepage and see if you don't agree.

Tuesday's Tidbits

It's finally spring! I think we've had our fair share of rain in California. In fact, we broke a few records this season. The weather is beautiful outside, sunny with blue skies and white clouds. Since I'm a sun worshipper, good weather puts a smile on my face and I find that I'm more productive. I wake up earlier and get more things done, when the sun is shining. I'm off to rework my new story now. Found some hitches I need to iron out and then I'm off. Tuesday is bowling day with my good friends and I ususally don't get a whole lot of writing done but I try to squeeze in some work on these days, whether it's just to edit or reread my work in progress. I think I'll even sit outside and enjoy the sun later in the day.

Friday's Finds

I'm off and running on a new story. I love the title on this one! And I find that the title often
helps set the entire tone and pace of the story. After 13 books, it's hard to believe that I've only
kept one of my original titles! Only one. Some I liked better than the ones I had to use, others I'm glad were changed. Some writers hit the nail on the head the first time out. They have a knack with getting the title just right. I'm not one of those authors, unfortunately. But luckily, I have back up with my wonderful Hussy and Desire loops. They are always there to help me in time of need. I'm hoping I sell these new proposal, title and all.

Friday's Finds

I'm off and running on a new story. I love the title on this one! And I find that the title often
helps set the entire tone and pace of the story. After 13 books, it's hard to believe that I've only
kept one of my original titles! Only one. Some I liked better than the ones I had to use, others I'm glad were changed. Some writers hit the nail on the head the first time out. They have a knack with getting the title just right. I'm not one of those authors, unfortunately. But luckily, I have back up with my wonderful Hussy and Desire loops. They are always there to help me in time of need. I'm hoping I sell these new proposal, title and all.

Wednesday's Words

The book is done! The book is done! It's always a great feeling when the story is finished and you have a good feeling about it. Now, on to proofreading and edits. Usually, that part of the work is minimal, because of the way I write. I don't do drafts. I write the scene, and go over it until I'm completely satisfied before I move on. So, usually the scene is pretty clean, without a lot of grammatical errors and/or omissions of words and misspellings. I always read through the entire book in one sitting to make sure the story flows. On a short contemp it usually takes about 3-4 hours. On a longer historical, it might take me two sittings, since it might take as long as 6-7 hours to get through the whole story. I'm looking forward to moving onto the next project now and the excitement flows when I begin something new.