The Way to a Man's Heart

Just thought I'd post this since it's one of my favorite

contemporaries, re-released now as an ebook with

Cobblestone Press.

It was originally a Kensington Precious Gem .

I love the cover and the story goes:

It’s getting hot in Christy Evans’ kitchen! Kyle Warren, the boy next door she made sure to avoid in high school, has moved back home and he’s turning up the heat. Keeping her distance has never been so difficult. This time around Kyle’s helping her with her catering business, Edible Delights, being a good neighbor and refusing to take no for an answer. Her defenses are crumbling like undercooked cobbler ... can she keep denying the gorgeous man who looks at her like she’s his next “edible delight”?

It's a fast-paced, emotion-packed story about the girl-next-door-who-got-away.And was recently nominated for the CAPA award.

Hope you check it out at Cobblestone Press and enjoy!

To Blurb or not to Blurb ...

Here's the back cover copy for Bodine's Bounty!

A hard-bitten bounty hunter
has no time for love…
Heiress Emma Marie Rourke is naive, innocent and
very, very determined. She’ll find her outlaw father
and make it as a singer.
Bodine—just Bodine—has promises to keep. And
looking for some spoiled flibbertigibbet runaway isn’t
top of his list. But, dammit, his conscience won’t let him
rest until he finds her. And at least there’s a reward for
retrieving her.
Protecting Emma isn’t the easy job he expects it to be.
Bodine is startled when he can’t get his mind—or his
hands—off Emma’s diminutive figure! He’s sworn to
keep her safe—but who will save her from him?
No spoiled heiress will stand in his way!

How many of you know what a flibbertigibbet is?

This was a new word for me, so I looked it up --

certainly not a word I've used before. This is what it means:

Main Entry: flib·ber·ti·gib·bet

Pronunciation: "fli-b&r-tE-'ji-b&tFunction: nounEtymology: Middle English flepergebet: a silly flighty person - flib·ber·ti·gib·bety /-b&-tE/ adjective

It wasn't in my Thesaurus either so I searched further

and found this in another dictionary:

A silly, irresponsible or scatterbrained person,

especially one who chatters and gossips.

Emma Marie Rourke isn't really any of those things. She's determined and a bit confused in how to go about achieving her goals, but she's a strong young woman. Can you tell I didn't write this back cover blurb? I thought it would be interesting to see how many of you have heard this word used before?

Come Visit Me Today

Hi All.

I'm blogging today (Friday) at Petticoats and Pistols.

Stop by and say hello!

Learn what Elvis, Bon Jovi and Bounty Hunters have in common!

No Reservations

It took me weeks to go see this movie. We're not the movie-goers we once were. Mainly because either there aren't as many movies out there that interest us or because the quality of selections has gone way down hill. Maybe a combination of both. I'm looking forward to seeing Russell Crowe's 3:10 to Yuma, but other than that, the movies this summer have fallen flat, imo.

So when this movie came out, I said "Yes", a romantic comedy about food and chefs. My husband was not overly thrilled to take me to see this "chick flick" but finally last weekend we saw it and I loved it. I love the cooking channels on cable, so what can I say?



The story appealed to me on many levels. It spoke of an intelligent woman, not looking for love - she already had a brilliant career as a chef and seemed married to her work. Then her neice comes unexpectedly into her life, and her whole world changes. She's suddenly enmeshed in taking on a mother's load and a career. She certainly has no room in her life for romance. But the new male chef she works with has other plans. He's a good guy - definitely not an alpha hero, and somewhat of a contradiction at times. You can't help but like the guy.

But the real star of this movie is the young actress, Abigail Breslin. She's got such great appeal. She's adorable and so believeable as the little girl who has lost so much and has to deal with a new home and new life. I don't know - I guess I was just in the mood for an emotional, enjoyable, pull-at-your heartstrings romance.

Free Giveaway on Friday

Hi all,

I'm blogging about Country Western Music and my favorite artists and how they inspire my writing on Petticoats and Pistols on Friday. Stop by and say hello. I'll be holding a drawing for a book from my backlist and one set of Harlequin coupons.

But for the record I have 3 sets of Harlequin Coupons I'd like to pass on to my avid blogger readers here on this page. You just have to be one of the first 3 to email me at charlenesands@hotmail.com and I'll pass them along to you. Send me your address and I'll put them in the mail to you!

Hope to hear from you tomorrow here or at Petticoats!!

Have a Safe Labor Day Weekend!

Winner of Men Are Just Happier People Contest!

And the winner of my last weekly drawing for August is:

Cherie J

Congratulations!

Contact me at charlenesands@hotmail.com with your address and your book preference from this list of available titles!

Bunking Down with the Boss
Heiress Beware
Like Lightning
Fortune's Vengeful Groom
Between the CEO'S Sheets

Happy Friday everyone and Happy Reading!

Writer's Block Anyone? -- Contest Continues

I've never experienced it before, so when it happened to me, my nerves went raw. When the ideas don't flow, when I can't think up a plot, when my characters aren't aren't talking to me, their lips sealed and I can't get into their heads that's writer's block and it's what makes my heart race like crazy.

Not in a good way.

It's been days of me trying to work out a plot. And I think to myself "Tonight, I'm gonna sit my butt down and finish the synopsis. I won't go to bed, until I do."

Three attempts later, I find myself lying on the sofa, eyes shut, trying to sort out my character's conflicts. I'm close, I know I am, but it's not working. My partner in crime and masterful plotter, my husband tries to help. He's great coming up with ideas. He's great to bounce ideas off of, but nothing's working. My head clouds up. I can't think. Nothing's coming and everything's coming, all at once.

I console myself. Start on the synopsis, get something down. Didn't Nora Roberts say to put garbage on the page, then fix it?

Finally it dawns on me. I'm trying too hard. I need a break. It's been 21 books over 10 years of writing and for the past three years, back to back to back and double deadlines. Maybe I need a break. I need to free up my mind. I don't mean a vacation, because writers know that even when we're on vacation, we're writing in our heads, accessing situations for suitable storylines, noticing surroundings and people -- it's obsessive, it ridiculous and it's wonderful. For most of us, it's truly what we were meant to do.

Most writers are compulsive and if I may, slightly neurotic. There's always the devil in your head questioning you, what if I can't do it anymore? What if I am fresh out of ideas forever?

So, I backed off. I didn't think about writing. I read a book, (always good for inspiration). I went for frozen yogurt, did normal things, got away to the beach, tried not to think at all. I freed up my mind. I didn't press. I didn't demand.

And guess what? The story came to me. It uncluttered in my mind and I saw the characters for who they are. I have the story now. It's there and it's exciting and I'm over the block and the panic. I never thought it would happen to me. It's wasn't pretty. My husband was great, comforting and tried to help. The support meant so much.

So now I'm off- to finish the synopsis and start my story. I'm back in the saddle. It's where I'm supposed to be.

Remember --contest continues: Post why you think Men Are Happy People from Monday's blog and you'll be entered into a drawing on Friday!

A Monday Morning Funny-- Contest Continues

Men Are Just Happier People

(For women who love and write about men- for men who want to smile this morning)

What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves.

Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant.

You can wear a white T-shirt to a waterpark. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth.

The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Graying hair adds attraction. Wedding dress~$5000. Tux rental~$100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars.

You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life.

Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier!

Random Drawing! Which one of these do you agree or disagree with most? Do you have another one to add to the list? Your post will enter you into my last weekly August Blog contest. You'll win a free autographed book from my list of available titles and Harlequin/Silhouette Coupons worth $5.00. Good luck!

Winner of This Week's Blog Contest

Thanks all for posting. I hope you liked the
new western Petticoats and Pistols site.
The winner of the random drawing is:
Kathleen!

Next up on this blog:
More on Getting Summer Write and one last August weekly contest.

Sneak Peek at Bodine's Bounty - Getting Summer Write!

Here's a peek at my November cover.

I love the snowy background of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and it's the first time I've had a horse in the forefront of the scene. That's Lola - she's with my hero/herione for the entire story.

In the story, Bodine is a little older than the man here and more embittered by life, a bounty hunter by trade, but Bodine looks determined and rugged enough on this cover for me! I think the artist captured the essence of Emma well - she's a young woman who's run off on her own for the first time in her life. Our hero is secretly being paid by her protective grandmother to keep her unharmed and untouched.

STARTING BODINE'S BOUNTY IN THE RIGHT PLACE

I really struggled with the opening to this story. Did I need a prologue to explain some of the backstory and set up the book? Do I start with Bodine making the secret deal with Emma's grandmother? But after all my deliberation, I knew I had to START MY STORY WITH ACTION.

When in doubt, an action scene never fails to grab the audience getting them involved from early on. There's a brief set-up in the first few paragraphs, then WHAM! Emma gets herself in big trouble and Bodine comes to her rescue. The first scene tells a whole lot about both characters, their motivations and keeps a a fast pace for most of the first chapter. After three tries, I finally got it right and was happy with the result.

When starting the story, I really gave a great deal of thought on how to best depict my characters and their conflict in those first few scenes. Each character was on their own separate mission in the story, but their lives become entwined early on. I knew I wanted to begin the story there - at the point where they are thrown together. Their FIRST MEET was memorable. I put Emma in a position where she was forced to trust Bodine and from the start she wasn't sure she made the right decision. It was the right decision for me. Once the first chapter was written and it worked beautifully, I figured all the time and attempts at getting it just right had panned out.

Contest Continues --

Visit me tomorrow (FRIDAY) on Petticoats and Pistols and post a comment on my blog, MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS ... and their trusty companions. You'll be entered in a drawing for an autographed book and Free Harlequin/Silhouette coupons.

Starting the Story in the Right Place -- Getting Summer Write and Contest

It's essential to start a story in the right place, but how do we know where that is? The best and easiest way is to start in the middle of a scene, with some action or something provocative happening. Sometimes, dialogue works very well. You need a sentence, a phrase, a paragraph or even a whole scene that will immediately draw the reader in.

The best example that come to mind right now, are the James Bond movies. When you see the opening scene, it's usually Bond in a dangerous situation (one that has nothing to do with the upcoming story, btw) with lots of action and stunts. It's fast-paced, draws the movie-goer in immediately, your eyes are glued to the screen.

Now, when writing romance, we CAN'T write a scene that doesn't directly relate to our story. Every scene has to move the story forward. It has to be intriguing enough to engage the reader and make them want to read the rest of the story.

In Janet Evanovich's first Stephanie Plum series, One For the Money, after reading the first line, I knew I'd read the entire collection, no doubt.
"There are some men who enter a woman's life and screw it up forever. Joseph Morelli did this to me -- not forever, but periodically." The next paragraph had me glued and then I was a goner.

In Susan Mallery's Sizzling, her first line went like this, "Until 6:45 on that Thursday morning, women had always loved Reid Buchanan." This statement makes you ask a question, why? What happened? You already know something key about the hero.

In Sharon Sala's Deep in the Heart, "For all intents and purposes, Samantha Jean Carlyle was dead. It was just the when and how of it that had yet to happen." Again, a very intriguing opening that makes you wonder, what's happening to this woman right now.

An opening line, paragraph or scene takes a good deal of thought and time. Although sometimes, it just comes to you. Those "oh yeah" moments are wonderful when they happen. You just KNOW it the right place to start the story. But if that doesn't happen, you must ask yourself, how will the opening tell enough of the story, make it exciting and yet leave the reader intrigued enough to continue reading. Give it a good deal of thought. Then plunge in and see if it works. Here's the opening to my Work in Progress. I played with these lines until I was sure they worked. They tell you just enough about the character to hopefully make you want to read on.

He was good at throwing things.
He knew how to throw a great party.
He knew how to throw his fist into a reporter's camera.
He knew how to throw on Armani to make an impression.
Mostly though, Luke O'Conner knew how to throw a baseball at 95 miles an hour.

Already from this opening, you know a good deal about my character, his nature and maybe some of his character flaws. Are you intrigued? Hope so.

Often a new writer opens with too much backstory. They tell you all about the main character's history and what happened to him/her. Often its a lackluster opening with "too much information." Facts and history are better off placed later on in the story, woven in by small threads that fit the story together, piece by piece. It's an art and really good writers do this to perfection.

What stories have you read lately that have drawn you in immediately?

Answer that question and be included in my weekly drawing for a Desire from my backlist of available titles.

And if you visit our new all western site and make a comment on
Petticoats and Pistols all this week, especially Friday when I make my blog debut, you're name will be entered once for every comment you make.

Be sure to let me know about your comments at charlenesands@hotmail.com to be entered.

Up Next on the Blog: A sneak peek at my new historical Bodine's Bounty and how I started that first chapter.

Petticoats and Pistols Launch Day!

Today's the day! We're launching our new site for Petticoats and Pistols! You have to stop on by and take a peek. It's really fun and we're really proud of the way it turned out.

Visit our town of Wildflower Creek, see the Larkspur Library, play a game in the Sunflower Saloon and enjoy the whole experience! Post a comment on my blog today for the launch and stop by and see me on Friday too!

http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/

Hope to see you there!

Contest Winners!

Yes, it's Barry Manilow!!

He was in line in front of me and he bought tickets to the Bourne Identity. Little did I know he'd sit right behind me. He was trying for a disguise with a hat and his hair was real straight, not full when you see him on TV. I LOVE his music, always have. So it was a big treat. And no, I didn't say anything to him. I could tell, he just wanted to see the movie. He dashed out quickly during the ending credits.

Okay - because of my GOOF, everyone who posted here this week WINS!

But you have to contact me with your email address at

charlenesands@hotmail.com

Let me know which book from my available titles you'd like.

Thanks for guessing and posting this week!

And look for our all new, all western author website launching next week at

http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com/.

Have a great weekend!!!

CONTEST CONTINUES .. And A Bleep -

We're guessing who sat directly behind me at the movie theatre when I was watching the Bourne Identity. And I GOOFED - He was on American Idol's Top Ten LAST season! He's a Las Vegas Headliner and has ties to Dick Clark.

I wondered when you all came up with great answers, but none were right. My apologies! My memory is fading, bloggers. Because of my goof, everyone who guesses corrrectly now will WIN!

Good luck! And check back tomorrow!

7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE YOU A BETTER WRITER- Contest Continues

7 Things You Need To Know to Make You a Better Writer -- Getting Summer Write! Contest Continues Below...

1. Always trust your OWN instincts. Critique partners are great sources for other sets of eyes and ears, but ultimately it's your story and your career. Always listen with an open mind - then go with your gut.

2. Put your work aside for a few days -- take a breather or start on something else. Then go back to read your story. Ask yourself and be brutal -- Would I Want to Read this Story? Then ask yourself Why or Why Not?

3. If you feel your "middle" is lagging, STOP! Write down 20 Things That Will Happen in the Story. They can be silly or serious - then draw a FEW ideas from those twenty and get back to writing your story. ie: Blow something up, burn something down, someone unexpected shows up, natural disaster, the circus comes to town, there's a murder, etc. Force yourself to put 20 things down on paper. Think about your characters and how your new ideas work in the story.


4. Try to let go of your internal editor. Go for broke. Make your story edgy. Be Brave. Be Daring. Be Bold. Then read the scenes you've written and pull back the reins a bit if you need to. It's far better than writing "safe". The most memorable stories are ones that fill the reader with a sense of surprise, wonder and shock.

5. Remember that Good Storytelling is a must. Beautiful prose fill the pages and if you can do both, great. But ultimately it's the story that wins out.


6. Remember to keep your "voice" constant. Too much voice can cloud the story just as much as too little voice kills the story. Keep your style fresh, open and honest. Don't mimic. Finding your voice is freeing.


7. Remember writing is your passion! When you struggle, think of it as a challenge, not a chore. You have a gift that you share with others. You should love the process and enjoy the journey. You're the creator of your own destiny. It's the best job in the world!


Contest Continues .... so who do you suppose sat right behind me while I was watching Bourne Identity? (Hint: he was the guest/singer on American Idol and also a great songwriter) Keep guessing here and I'll post the name on Friday.

The Bourne Ultimatum - Getting Summer Write and Contest continues...

Are you one of the 70 million who saw this movie this weekend? What did you think? How would you compare it to the first and second movie? If you're a fan-- and I am, I really like Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. He's perfect for the role - well, he created it after all. And I liked the whole premise - that his identity was taken from him and he's fighting to stay one step ahead of the people trying to kill him.

So why am I writing about this movie today and not talking about writing per se? Well, I am -- really. I walked out of this movie with a small sense of satisfaction that ,"Ah, okay- now I know why he was being chased and why they want to kill him." But I was left totally unsatisfied in other ways. A good book can do that to you too. It can answer all the questions, satisfy your curiosity, but at the same time, not really leave you feeling like you got your money's worth.

Perhaps there are many who would say that the 3rd Bourne movie is the best. I'd have to disagree. Why? Because there was no heart and soul to this movie. I had 2 movie's worth of time and expectation invested here and I wanted more. There was a scant amount of dialogue. The movie-goer never got "involved" with Bourne. He hardly spoke to anyone. Every time I thought he might come close to displaying his emotions, to letting us know what he was feeling, to getting close to someone, another long-lasting action scene ensued. The director felt it necessary to jar the camera so much (to display the gripping stunts and action realistically) I had to turn away. It hurt my eyes to watch. Those incredible stunts were fast and furious and hardly recognizable. And it wasn't just my take on it -- others in the theatre felt the same way. So for the 3rd installment we get lots and lots of rapid action, fight scenes, but very little plot, very little emotion. If I hadn't seen the first 2 movies, I wouldn't have known anything about Jason Bourne. And I probably wouldn't have cared about him.

There needs to be some down time in a movie, where the movie-goer can take a breath, get to know the character, feel what he feels, to truly get involved. The same holds true for a good book. This goes hand in hand with the last two weeks where we've talked about character and emotion. Let us see "who" the character is, what he wants, what his motivation is, through dialogue and interaction with other characters and introspection. Let us "feel" what he feels. To do that, the writer has to let emotions speak for the character. That involvement was missing in this movie. At least for me. But it ended well, answered questions and because I'd seen the other two, this sequel held up. But it could have been much better.

When writing, that's the ultimate goal -- to make your story the best that it can be.

Contest - Guess who sat directly behind me in the theatre when I was watching the Bourne Ultimatum? (Hint: male singer who was a guest vocalist/instructor to the American Idols Top Ten this season)

Win a Book from my backlist of Available titles if you guess correctly.

Be Sure to check back on Friday when I post the winner.

Winner of GETTING SUMMER WRITE Blog CONTEST

And the winner of the first weekly drawing picked randomly of an autographed copy of Bunking Down with the Boss or any other of my available titles is:


Blessed_Blue_devil.

Congratulations!
Please contact me at charlenesands@hotmail.com to recieve your book and thanks for blogging.

The Blog Contest Continues on Monday!

Getting Summer Write - More on Emotion.. Contest continues

When I began thinking about Bunking Down with the Boss, I knew I wanted to write a story that had more depth and emotion than any other book I'd written to date. Granted, my westerns have a good deal of emotion. There's more time and more pages to get into the character's heads. The westerns have a bit more humor in them at times, but they are deeply rooted in conflict as well.

I'd like to think that Bunking Down has both, a deeply-rooted conflict and some sassy humor. I know I always enjoy a book that can grip your heart tight and still make you smile.

A writer knows they've done their job, when they have evoked emotions in their readers. Here's what reviewers have said:

I was drawn into the story and I felt the grief and tears came easily. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see if these two people could find love at the end of this story. Helen Slifer Writers Unlimited Reviewer

Bunking Down with the Boss is one of those stories that will tug at your emotions. Charlene Sands shows us that taking a chance on love is always difficult. Both Caroline and Sam are dealing with issues that make taking that chance even more difficult. Loveable and realistic characters, you can't help but root for them to be true to their hearts and take that chance. Debby Guyette-Cataromance Reviews

The emotionally charged scenes and torrid lovemaking will pull you in and make this story on to savor and enjoy. Patti Fischer - Romance Reviews Today

When I received these reviews as well as some nice fan mail, I knew I'd hit my mark. The subject matter of this book automatically pulls you in. Sam Beaumont is a handsome, sexy CEO, who lost his wife and child in an accident that he feels responsible for. The guilt eats at him daily. He hates the man he's become and leaves his company behind, not to find peace. Sam doesn't think he deserves peace, but to remain "dead" inside. He drifts from place to place, keeping annonymous, taking on odd jobs and trying not to "feel" anything but the death of his soul. Then he meets Caroline -- and their lives become entwined. Their first encounter leaves him cold, and he figures he can accept a job from the widowed woman -- there's no chance of him feeling anything for her. Caroline has trust issues. She's wary of men, after a disatrous marriage to a man who abandoned her and their small child and destroying her family business. But even though we never see Caroline's young daughter, Annabelle in the story, her presence is felt - the child is visiting her grandparents for the month - convincing Sam that he's not the man for Caroline. He's failed over and over at fatherhood. Put those elements together along with magical, sizzling chemisty between the two and you have a story that can't help evoke emotion.

Humor is also a great way to evoke emotion. Sometimes, it's slapstick with falls and crazy scenarios, like in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and sometimes it's done with witty dialogue. Sometimes, the circumstances themselves, lend to humor. Some authors don't do any humor at all. It's not their style and that's okay. They have a more dramatic side to their writing. And for some authors, like Maureen Child, the humor automatically comes out. She's witty and funny in real life and it's reflected in her writing style.

If you want to evoke real emotion in the reader and make them care you must tap into genuine feelings that make your reader identify. Here are a few examples from author Cheryl St. John that provoke immediate reactions:

animals of any type
orphans
abused women
abused children
underdogs
step-mothers
step-fathers
mental imbalances
babies
strangers
money or lack of money
uniforms

The last Susan Mallery story I read tapped into:

uniforms (military man)
underdog (heroine)
babies
strangers
money
lack of money

Bunking Down tapped into these feelings:
babies
strangers
lack of money
money
underdog
animals

What are you reading or writing that taps into those above feelings?

The Blog Contest Continues!
Check back on Friday to see if you've won from my random drawing.

Getting Summer Write - Emotion/Blog Contest

I was thrilled to have received this wonderful inscribed marble plaque last week for winning the 2006 National Readers' Choice Award for Bunking Down with the Boss. It was unexpected and quite an honor because of all the books I've written thus far, this one ranks up there with highly-packed EMOTION.

And for fun, I'll be running a weekly CONTEST about the Writing Topic of the Week. This week it's emotion -- so all you have to do is post here Monday through Friday about what book you've read recently or in the past that really hit you hard with emotion. What emotions did the book evoke and why?

One winner will be picked randomly from your comments and I'll send out a signed Bunking Down with the Boss, or any other of my available titles you'd like. Read the blog all week and I'll post the winners on Friday.

I'll go first. I just finished Susan Mallery's SIZZLING. It was a great story about a famous jock baseball player and his grandmother's nurse, a sort of plain Jane. Susan has a way to suck you right into the story immediately with intriguing characters that you instantly care about. Why? Well the heroine has lived all her life envying her "perfect" sister and as a result, she feels inferior. It's something we can relate to on a very elemental basis. We've all known someone close to us,that seemed to have it all. But our heroine isn't a wilting flower - she's good at her job, feisty and takes no bull from the handsome hunk who's had women adoring him all of his life.

Immediately our hero sees something different in the heroine. And she makes him sees that living the good life, isn't good enough. Through her, he believes he can be a better man. There's heart tugging emotion when we learn the "perfect" sister is dying and the sacrifices our heroine makes because of her love of the sister she'd always envyed. There's a scene in the story that is so heartbreaking, that I talked myself out of crying, "I'm okay. I can handle this." But the words and the emotion evoked were too much for me and soon I found tears running down my face. And just minutes later into the story, I'm cheering and happy again. That's the benchmark for a good story - make the reader feel emotion, make it real and make it believable.

When writing a story, put your whole heart into it. Dig deep inside and flesh out all the emotions you can. An easy way to do this is to really "know" your main characters. Know who they are and what's most important to them. Feel what they feel, see what they see. Know their perceptions and what's underneath the facade that they show to the outside world. Most often when I see unpublished works the key element missing in the story is that, I don't care. I don't care about the character. I don't care about what they want in life. I don't care to continue reading the story.

Putting a level of emotion in the story from the very beginning is fundamental. The opening line or opening few paragraphs should give the reader a real clear sense of who the characters are - on an emotional level. Emotion shouldn't be resigned to just dialogue. Put it in description, narrative action and certainly in introspection. Think about some amazing opening lines of books you've read. Didn't they make you want to read the entire book in one sitting? This is Susan's opening line in Sizzling. Note how it immediately tells you something about the hero and the line makes you want to continue reading to find out more. "Until six forty-five that Thursday morning, women had always loved Reid Buchanan. "

Okay, we've all known men like Reid Buchanon, right? But what happened to him that day? Why did everything change for him? The author's next few witty paragraphs go into detail about Reid's life to date, very briefly, but immediately we feel something about this man. We've already formed an opinion about him. That's a good thing. We care.

So what book have you read lately that evoked a good deal of emotion in you? Why? Remember to post here and check back during the week.

Next up on the blog: More on emotion! Contest continues...

Getting Summer Write - Emotion!

Speaking of emotion - I was thrilled to learn that my 2006 Bunking Down with the Boss won the 2006 National Reader's Choice Award! The reception was held in Dallas at our national convention and I hear the ceremony was lovely. Though I wasn't there to personally accept the NRCA, I couldn't be more thrilled and excited.

And it fits perfectly in the tips on emotion this week. That book, Bunking Down with the Boss, had the highest level of emotion of any book I'd ever written.

So what do you do if: YOUR STORY DOESN’T HAVE AN EMOTIONAL PUNCH. Emotion, emotion, emotion. Without making the reader “feel” something for the characters, you can’t have a compelling story. Readers must love the characters, or love to hate them. They must want what the characters want and care about whether they achieve their goals. Readers need to be “swept” away. This is after all, romance. Pacing, dialogue, conflict, characterization, description all lead to emotion. It’s important to “Show, don’t tell.”

Telling: Claire was afraid to see Joe at the prom.

Showing: Claire’s heart skipped a dreadful beat the moment she noticed Joe enter the room.


The first sentence is okay, a bit bland, but has no emotional value. It’s classic telling. The second sentence has a sense of urgency, using time and vivid description to say basically the same thing.

Laura Baker says in her workshop, “Top Ten Tools in a Writer’s Toolbox”, - “Always write to evoke an emotion.” That’s great advice because so often we hear, there’s not enough emotion in our stories. If you write each scene to evoke some emotion you’re laying the groundwork for that big emotional turning point or upheaval in the story.

We must feel what the characters feel and be able to express that on the page without telling. Here’s a good example:

“She nodded and tried to swallow, but couldn’t. Her eyes were now so dry it hurt to blink. The emptiness inside her burned and burned.”
Penelope Williamson, “The Outsider.”

“Although she hadn’t laughed again, since he’d come around the back of the barn, he kept hearing the echo of it. He felt the echo of it in the pit of his belly. It made him uneasy like the hot chinook wind.”
Penelope Williamson, “The Outsider”


Emotions deepen a character’s humility. It makes us care. If emotional layering is missing in a scene, go back and try to understand what each character is feeling.
In one of my stories, the heroine who is in love with the hero listens to him toast his sister’s engagement amid a roomful of friends. When the confirmed bachelor raises his glass and jokingly says, “I’m glad it’s you and not me, sis,” the heroine slowly lowers her champagne glass without taking a sip.
No words were spoken, there was no introspection in this scene, but that one gesture says it all. We feel what the heroine is feeling, and know she feels he’ll never believe in love, he’ll never commit. We feel her devastation -- with that one small gesture.

Jo Ferguson, our past RWA president says, she puts herself in the character’s head. She also says “write what you know best”. And that doesn’t mean just events, but also “how we feel” and “how we react” to those events. We need to break down the barriers within us and free those memories of emotion.

Emotions don't stand alone. They are complex. They integrate with other emotions. For instance what do you suppose might go hand in hand with

Anger? --- regret
With honesty? ----- embarrassment
With loneliness?----- sadness

Use all the tools at your disposal to put emotion in your story -- Dialogue, introspection, description, pacing and characterization.
Don’t force it, let it come naturally
Be true to your characters.
To me the greatest compliment an author can receive is to hear from a reader, “The story made me laugh, the story made me cry, the story made me feel.”

Here is another example of great emotion:

The tongue-and-groove wood floor threatened to come up to meet her, so Brynna collapsed onto a chair and closed her eyes until the light-headedness passed.

A few minutes later, when she could see straight, when the room had stopped spinning, she found the letter on the floor and read it again

She and Dev weren’t legally married.
Their marriage had been a sham all along.

As if she hadn’t suffered enough pain and humiliation, now this on top of it? And she’d thought things couldn’t get any worse. She couldn’t let this news get out or everyone in Rumor – and soon enough Whitehorn – would know of it. The gossips would have a field day!

Brynna thrust her fingers into her hair and closed her eyes as if not seeing would make this go away.


Marry Me ... Again,
Rita Nominated Author, Cheryl St. John

Here’s what Cheryl has to say about emotion:

AUTHOR QUOTE: The reader must feel the story. The more real or genuine the feelings you tap into, the more the reader will identify. Tap into a comfort zone, a childhood security or insecurity. Several years ago, a promising new writer in my critique group wrote a battered child into her romantic western. He hid a dirty worn-out stuffed dog under his pillow. Each time the boy got out the dog for comfort, half the critique group fumbled for tissues. It got to the point that the writer placed the tissue box on the table before she read the scenes involving the dog. A publisher snapped up that book and my friend is now a multi-published author. Why? She hooked into the readers’ feelings.

Same goes for insecurities and fears. Familiar things stir memories. Ground the reader in what he knows, then take him where you want him to go.

Tap into a feeling and the reader’s memory accompanies it. Use preconceived notions. Here are a few basic ideas that come with built-in feelings, but the possibilities are unlimited: animals of any type, orphans, abused women, abused children, underdogs in any shape or form, step-fathers, step-mothers, mental imbalances, grandparents, babies, strangers, money or lack of money, uniforms.


From Charlene – Yes, Cheryl is a dear friend and she knows how to evoke emotion in her stories so expertly, you immediately get drawn in and don’t want to stop reading. Small wonder she’s been nominated twice for a Rita and has won numerous awards through the years.

What I want to say is in your stories, MAKE EVERY SENTENCE COUNT. Does it move the scene forward? Does it evoke emotion through description and dialogue? Does it define the conflict? Each sentence has value. Don’t just throw them up there, hoping they’ll stick. Give thought to why you wrote it, and how does it help make the story compelling.

Up Next on the Blog -- Some insights on how I used emotion to make this book work. And A NEW Blog Contest to celebrate winning the NRCA!