Category: Writing

Observations on the writing life

Things I Don’t Get

I am a writer.

I am also an introvert.

I have never learned the art of small talk. I don’t “get” it. Either you have something to say or you don’t.

But as an author in the early part of the 21st century, I am expected to self-promote. OK. I get it. I just don’t get how. I think if I post in all the Facebook book promo groups, it’s spam and it’s reaching only other authors.

Experts say to “engage” on social media. That’s asking introverts to do something they don’t understand.

Small talk is only one of many things in life that baffle me. Here are some others:

Camping: a lot of my friends and family love camping. Why can’t you do the same thing at home? It would be cheaper, warmer, and there is indoor plumbing.

Cars as more than transportation: as a former co-worker once said: “I’m driving it, I’m not living in it.”

Going out to bars/clubs: I did this for a couple of years when I was very young. I was never comfortable. It’s loud, overcrowded, and the action doesn’t start until past my bed time.

The need for noise: I know a lot of people who have to have the television or radio going for background noise. I don’t understand the need for that. Silence is golden.

Movies as a first date (thank goodness this is behind me): Why? You can’t get to know someone sitting in a movie theater. A first date should involve the ability to converse. Unless you don’t understand the art of small talk. Then you have a problem.

Not “getting” something is not the same as not liking it. I hate football but I get it. I loathe eggs, mushrooms, and green peppers, but understand why people eat them.

How about you? Is there something in our society that you just don’t understand?

 

 

 

WIP Wednesday: Larynn Ford

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This week I’m delighted to have Larynn Ford as my guest on Work In Progress Wednesday.

MJ: So let’s get to know a little bit about Larynn the person. If you could travel anywhere in the universe, what would be your top three destinations?

Larynn:  I’d love to be able to travel the US extensively and see the beauty of our great nation. I’m not so much the bright lights, big city kinda girl, but I do find the wonders nature has to offer fascinating.  Though I’m not a world traveler, outside the US, I would love to visit Ireland and Scotland.

MJ: Do you have any recurring dreams you’d be willing to share with us?

Larynn:  None currently, but when I was young, maybe five or six, I had a similar dream numerous times. I was always outside playing in the front yard. My mama would come to the door, check her watch, and say it was time to come in. I begged for more play time of course, but she’d warned me to hurry because it was almost time. ‘It’ was coming and this happened everyday at the same time.

 I don’t know what ‘it’ was but I remember looking up the road and hearing ‘it’ roaring toward me, like a tornado or the Tasmanian Devil. Fear seized me, my feet became weighted, making it difficult to move. I’d look again and ‘it’ would be coming closer and closer.

I always made it safely inside the screen door just in time. ‘It’ would pass by the house, the wind blowing, accompanying the whirring, frightening, roaring sounds. For another day, we were safe.

Maybe I’ll turn my ‘it’ into a book one of these days:)
MJ: That sounds terrifying, but good for you for thinking of turning it into fiction fodder.  Let’s say you weren’t a writer. What would be your creative outlet?
Larynn:   I love gardening. Never said I’m good at it mind you, but I would love to be. My animals are fun and I wish I had more time to spend with them. A pot-belly pig named Oreo, two goats, Ethel and Tinkerbelle, and Chrissie the cat, would love it if I was able to spend more time with them.

Tinkerbelle and another goat, Wendy (no longer with us) can be seen in the banner on my Face Book page.
MJ: What is the one thing you won’t leave home without?
Larynn:  It’s everyone’s answer these days, the iPhone. How did we ever get along without them?
MJ: True enough. What do you normally eat for breakfast, of do you skip it and get straight to work?
Larynn: I always take breakfast with me and eat at my desk. If it’s from home, it might be a peanut butter sandwich or a couple of boiled eggs to go with coffee from the break room. If I stop at McDonald’s on the way to work, it’s a Sausage McMuffin and a large coffee with three creams.
MJ: I’m too fond of Sausage McMuffins myself.  Tell us a little about your ideal writing space.
Larynn: Anywhere quiet but preferably home, in my recliner, with my laptop, my iTunes playlist, and plenty of coffee.
MJ: And how do you get to your recliner?
Larynn:   Since I work a regular job, my only full writing days would be the weekends and that only happens if there are no other plans–family, holiday, and such.
I feed the cat and the fish and make a pot of coffee. One would think the writing would commence at this point, but as you well know, there are emails, Face Book, and such that must be tended. After an hour or so, the writing, or editing as is the case for me this weekend, will begin.
MJ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Larynn:  I  wish there were a choice in between the two. I start out with an idea and write that (pantser). As ideas pop into my head, I’ll start a list at the bottom of my word doc and add new thoughts or bits of dialog as they present themselves (plotter of sorts). Then as I come to the spot in the story for one of the ideas, I’ll pluck it from my waiting list and write it into the story.
MJ: Name 3 things on your desk right now.
Larynn:  My cast iron fairy (picked her up on vacation in a little country store in North Carolina when I was writing In My Wildest Dreams), posters of my book covers (4), and my prized copy of Wild About You. Autographed by Kerrelyn Sparks at RWA Nationals 2013 in Atlanta.
MJ: Would you consider self publishing?
Larynn: I consider it from time to time, but I would need to do so much research to be able to decide. I don’t do change well and tend to stick within my comfort zone until my frustration level pushes me to make a decision.
MJ: Time for the Lightning Round.  Wine- red or white?
Larynn: Red
MJ: Beer: bottle or can?
Larynn: bottle
MJ: Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day?
Larynn: Cinco de Mayo
MJ: Paper or e-books
Larynn: e-books!
MJ: Coke or Pepsi?
Larynn: Coke
MJ: Introvert or extrovert
Larynn: Introvert
MJ: Favorite ethic food
Larynn: Chinese
MJ: Now for the meat of the interview. Can you share the first five to ten sentences of your current work-in-progress?
Larynn:  This is from A Place to Belong.

Carly’s SUV sailed through the air. Her entire life flashed before her eyes, displayed across the windshield like a movie on the big screen. She relived every painful moment . . . her struggle to fit in as she was bounced from foster home to foster home, defending herself from school bullies, double shifts in numerous burger joints that paid her way through college, her whirlwind romance–.

Treetops slapped the windshield and brought her out of the trance as she watched what had been her life. “You bastard! This is all your fault.” The SUV began its descent, snapping limbs as it careened through the air on its way to the inevitable crash. She squeezed the steering wheel in a white-knuckled death grip as if maintaining her hold would change her fate. Her head smacked hard against the side window. A gazillion stars filled the inside of car around her. Pain vibrated from one side of her skull to the other.

MJ: I know I want to read more! How can we buy any current releases you have?

Larynn:  IN MY WILDEST DREAMS: http://www.amazon.com/My-Wildest-Dreams-Larynn-Ford-ebook/dp/B00CE3B11I/

“CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS” in ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A SOUL MATE: http://www.amazon.com/All-I-Want-Christmas-Soulmate-ebook/dp/B00GH2I458/
MJ: And how can readers find you on social media?
Larynn: Here are my links:
Twitter @larynnford
MJ: Thanks again for stopping by, Larynn. Good luck with your book!

Cover Reveal! Cari Quinn’s Sneak Attack

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I have some really exciting news to share! My friend Cari Quinn has a new book coming out! And you know what? I have a sneak peak at the cover. Yowza!

BOOK & AUTHOR INFO:
Sneak Attack by Cari Quinn
(Tapped Out #1.5)
Publication date: June 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

 She thought she’d fought her final match…but the bout isn’t over yet.

Mia Anderson found more than she ever bargained for when she set up a fight with reigning king of the underground MMA fighters, Tray “Fox” Knox. Five months have passed, and both have walked away from the sport that brought them together. Now they fight for love, not blood. Until a voice from the past comes back to haunt Mia, causing her to struggle with her secrets and her need for Tray.

Tray’s tired of battling to be with a woman who keeps pushing him away. He loves Mia, but maybe he can’t love her through this. Not unless she will let him put his back to hers, all or nothing. He’s ready to slay any demon she has—except the one she refuses to share.

One opponent will walk away the victor. And one will lose…everything.

Sneak Attack is book 1.5 in the Tapped Out series, a short novel that follows Shadowboxer.

Warning: please be advised this book contains content some may find triggering (past sexual trauma) and also contains graphic sex and language that may not be suitable for underage readers.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22025111-sneak-attack?ac=1
AUTHOR BIO:

USA Today bestselling author Cari Quinn wrote her first story—a bible parable—in 2nd grade, much to the delight of the nuns at her Catholic school. Once she saw the warm reception that first tale garnered, she was hooked. Now she gets to pen sexy romances for a living and routinely counts her lucky stars. When she’s not scribbling furiously, she can usually be found watching men’s college basketball, playing her music way too loud or causing trouble. Sometimes simultaneously.
The only thing she loves more than writing is hearing from readers! Visit Cari at www.cariquinn.com
Author links:
http://cariquinn.com/
https://twitter.com/cariquinn
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3372702.Cari_Quinn
ARE YOU READY?
::INSERT DRUM ROLL::
CariQuinn_SneakAttack800
Isn’t it amazing! Only befits the amazing author.

WIP Wednesday: Gayle Callen

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Today I am delighted to welcome my good friend (and critique partner) Gayle Callen. Gayle is a USA Today best selling author of historical romance for Avon.

MJ: Gayle, can you tell us something about you that most people don’t know?

Gayle: Most people don’t know that I majored in aerospace engineering in college. But I took all my electives in writing, and realized that I preferred creating stories to creating technology.

MJ: So, it you didn’t write, you’d be an astronaut or building an International Space Station? Or does something else strike your fancy?

Gayle: I love to sing and act. Right now, I’m in my church choir, which makes me feel fulfilled. But if I didn’t write, I’d have time for community theater again. I’d love to be in another musical. The last was when my son was in middle school, and we did “Oliver” together. So fun!

MJ: Sounds like a lot fun. Next question: what one item won’t you leave home without?

Gayle: Like everyone else, I wouldn’t leave home without my cell phone. And not just for phone calls, texting, or Facebook. I love having access to data when I have a question. And the maps! Be still my heart—I’m a closet map geek. I also keep all my lists on there, everything from what I need at the store, to a list of the sweaters I own (so I don’t double-buy) to the crochet hooks I already have as I contemplate a new project. Christmas lists, my kids’ Easter candy favorites—I have it all.

MJ: If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be and why?

Gayle: I’d love to be J.K. Rowling for a day, just to see how her brain works. The world of Harry Potter is so brilliantly created. I just finished rereading the series for the third time now, and I kept finding new things to be amazed at.

MJ: Is there a particular movie that you preferred over the book version of the story?

Gayle: I can only think of one: Jaws. Saw the movie first as a kid, was totally creeped out and wowed by story. Then read the book as an adult. Major characters had a pointless affair, and other things distracted from the focus of the story, that the movie was able to home in on so brilliantly.

MJ: Describe your ideal/dream writing space.

Gayle:  Oh, I’d love to work in an office with huge windows overlooking a beautiful countryside, mountains in the distance, gorgeous landscape close by. Right now I can see trees and birds, and believe me, I appreciate that, but I’d love so much more. Beautiful scenery helps my mind relax and focus on the writing. And of course, every wall would have to be floor-to-ceiling bookcases!

MJ: What book do you wish you could have written?

Gayle: I wish I could have written Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels. The hero is brilliantly created, flawed and tragic. The opening prologue, where you see his childhood and discover WHY he’s so flawed, is a masterpiece in itself. But the romance, the sexual tension of the rest of the book… {blissful sigh}

MJ:  Oh, I love that book! Okay, I have to ask: Plotter or Pantser?

Gayle: Plotter, big time! I need a blueprint, an idea of where I’m going. Things can change as I go along, but I need to have a path to follow, big scenes to work toward.

MJ: Do you believe in writer’s block?

Gayle: No, not really. But I do believe in writing problems. When I have a problem writing, I know it’s because I’ve made a mistake somewhere, either in my plotting or POV or executive of the scene—something. So I’ve learned over fifteen years of being a professional writer (and thirteen years of working toward that goal) that I have to clear my mind for a while and let my subconscious work. I do the dishes, go for a walk with my dogs, watch TV. Miraculously, my brain eventually comes up with the solution. If that doesn’t happen, then I talk out my problem to my writing buddies, and eventually, we come up with an idea to jumpstart the flow of words again.

MJ: Name 3 things on your desk right now

Gayle: Index cards (which I use to plot out a book), my logbook (where I log in my daily writing time and accomplishments), and, of course, my laptop. Speaking as a writer who began on a typewriter, retyping out the same book numerous times, I believe computers are a true gift to writers.

MJ: Do you listen to music when you write?

Gayle: No, I don’t listen to music when I write. If the music has lyrics, I get distracted singing. Even if it’s instrumental, I find myself choreographing dances in my head (I was a figure skater in my youth). I like the peaceful sound of quiet—although I don’t mind the sounds of others in the house, as long as I can’t hear the actual conversations.

MJ: Now for the lightning round.  Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day?

Gayle: St. Patrick’s Day—I’m Irish!

MJ: Last movie you saw in a theater?

Gayle:  The Monuments Men—eh, a little boring.

MJ: Favorite TV Show?

Gayle: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or Buffy the Vampire Slayer—so hard to choose!

MJ: Paper or e-books?

Gayle: Both—I listen to audio-books, too!

MJ: Favorite band when you were in high school (Marching band doesn’t count)

Gayle: Styx

MJ: Introvert or extrovert:

Gayle: Introvert. Crowds tire me—I need alone time to recharge and work.

MJ: Now for the meat of the interview: Can you share the first five to ten lines of your current work-in-progress with us?

Gayle:  I haven’t begun writing the book yet, but I’ve written a synopsis, a short story version of The Wrong Bride, coming out in summer, 2015.

Conor is the new laird of his remote Scottish clan, where time seems to have passed them by. On his father’s deathbed, Conor was told that there’d be salvation for their people, a match contracted with a wealthy Scottish lord (with lands nearby) for the hand of his daughter. His father wouldn’t say what the clan had had to give up for this marriage and impressive dowry, and Conor fears the worst. But he has no choice if he wants to better the lives of his people. It doesn’t matter that he’s giving over his own life, his own freedom–his own happiness is unimportant.

So off he goes to find his Scottish bride in London, a world as foreign to him as a fantasy land. The bride’s uncle looks grim but does not deny the truth in Conor’s words. When the bride’s aunt tries to object to the betrothal, to delay, he feels perfectly justified in stealing their niece away in the middle of the night. Since they’ve never met—and his future wife objects quite loudly—he’s forced to gag her until they’re well away from London. When he finally frees her mouth, she protests that he’s got the wrong bride, but he doesn’t believe her.

MJ: Wow! That sounds fabulous. Now how can we buy your current release and stay in touch with you on social media?

Gayle: Redemption of the Duke  (Book 3 of the “Brides of Redemption” trilogy)

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJ376TQ/?tag=gaylecallenshome

B&N: http://tinyurl.com/oqakel9

BAM: http://tinyurl.com/nql4c42

iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/oyyk9hk

You can follow me on my website, http://www.GayleCallen.com

on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GayleCallen

and on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GayleCallen

INTRO: WORK IN PROGRESS (WIP) WEDNESDAY

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Starting next week, I’m going to be hosting authors of all genres on my blog in a feature I’m calling Work In Progress (WIP) Wednesday.  To give you a taste of what is to come, I’m featuring myself this week. After all, it’s all about me (see far right column).

So here are some things you might not know about me.

On the Personal Side:

My top three dream destinations are 1) Greece, 2) Spain, 3) the south of France. I long for sunshine and warmth (no humidity); these are the lands of olives, crusty breads, hearty red and rose wines. Mary Stewart’s three Greek novels put Greece at the top of my bucket list (My Brother Michael, The Moonspinners, This Rough Magic). One of my favorite books to read in the summer is Peter Mayle’s delightful A Year in Provence.  As for Spain, I remember a line from a poem I read in high school: cinco de la tarde. Don’t ask me why five in the afternoon intrigues me. Maybe because of tapas bars.

My secret talent is the ability to whistle through my rolled tongue, using it as a flute.

The top book on my TBR pile (not counting the Kindle) is Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark, Jr. I heard about it on Facebook and checked it out of the library.

I have a recurring dream in which my family and I move into the apartment in which I lived for 10 years, several years before I got married. A one-bedroom apartment. Love the wallpaper and the claw foot bathtub, loathe the turquoise refrigerator.

If I didn’t write, my creative outlet would be musical in nature . . . I like to sing (even though I can barely carry a tune); I play a couple of instruments and always wished I knew how to play piano.

If I didn’t write, my dream job would be owning a business that catered to people’s religious dietary needs, and I’d call it Kosher for Lent.

If I had to chose a theme song for myself, it would be a toss up between Simon & Garfunkel’s “I Am A Rock” or the Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Gray”.

I have seen two movies I thought were better than the books on which they were based: The Bridges of Madison County and Contact. The main character in Bridges never would have written the letter to her children the author had her write. Never. Ever. So the movie handled that part much better. As far as Contact goes, the book was fiction, written by a brilliant scientist, so it was a little . . . deadly. The movie is also the first time I ever saw Matthew McConaughey (he played opposite Jodi Foster).

I’m not a fan of breakfast, so I tend to skip it more often than not. Eggs are disgusting. I will stop at McDonald’s for Sausage McMuffins and hash browns on occasion; when I’m on a writing retreat, I’ll eat fresh fruit & berries.

On the Writing Side:

My ideal/fantasy writing space would be a big bright room, lots of book cases, a desk large enough for things other than my laptop, a rocking chair in front of big windows. And it would be painted pale pink. And I wouldn’t have to share the space.

One writing-related website I can’t do without is Grammar Girl. She explains the tricky nuances of the English language in a way I can easily understand.

I am a pantser (style of writing), but even though I don’t plot, I do plan.

I do not believe in writer’s block. For me, it’s either lack of motivation (within me) or a plot/conflict issue (with the story).

Three things currently on my desk: my grand-hamster (in her cage); a treasure chest filled with glass florist beads; photos I borrowed from my parents to scan.

Would I ever consider self-publishing? Absolutely, especially once I have a back list in place. In fact, my current WIP is a novella for an anthology my crit partners and I have been discussing.

I listen to music when I write. I create a playlist for each book, which helps me stay connected to the story.

Lightning Round:

Addams Family or Munsters? Addams Family.

Wine: Red or white?  Red

Beer: Can or bottle? Bottle

Stephanie Plum or Eve Dallas? Eve. She’s grown throughout the course of the series, whereas Steph is more comic relief to absurd situations.

Cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s Day? Cinco de Mayo. Not a fan of corned beef.

Last movie I saw in a theater: The Winter Soldier. Loved it!

Books: paper or e? Paper!

Favorite band when I was in high school: Bob Dylan and the Band

Introvert or extrovert? Introvert

Favorite ethnic food: Italian.

WIP

Here are the first 10 sentences of my current WIP (tentative title The Mating Game)

He’s staring at me.

Men usually stared at Diana—it came with being a model—but this was . . . different. Uncomfortable. Or maybe she was just tired.

She scanned the crowd at the MEN-toring League Chicago Division award banquet, using the attendees’ faces to tick off the seconds until she could leave the event. She had an eleven p.m. flight to catch and was already feeling the dread. Plus her overworked body was doing some kind of meltdown thing, which concerned her. Prickles and heat raced through her. The symptoms resembled what she’d heard about influenza, but the flu was impossible.The strange sensation had to be a clue she was overdue for a vacation.

Here’s the buy link for my current release,  Moonlight Serenade, available only on Kindle at this time.

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