I Hate the Stuff in Between

Learning to write is a journey. Even after being published the evolution continues but every writer has their likes and dislikes when it comes to creating stories.

One of my favorite kinds of scenes to write is THE BLACK MOMENT.  The main character has struggled through every conflict I’ve thrown at them. Battled for love and life to obtain their happily ever after, then it happens, they hit rock bottom where “The only way to go is up.” I never start a story without mapping the black moment. Delving into a deep point of view so I can do my best to draw the reader on this path.

Example:

My feet were running for the mansion before my brain registered what was going on. The door slammed open as I hurled myself against it then ran toward the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time, I raced to our bedroom. Tears burned behind my eyelids and a hard lump constricted my throat, which made it hard to breathe.

Please, please, please...

I turned the doorknob and entered. The empty, unmade bed greeted my arrival. No...please. No. A sob heaved my chest and the tears streamed down my cheeks. They took him too. My lover, my friend, my heart--and Tane’s biggest weakness. I crossed the room and moved the blankets as if he hid under them.

Just when I thought I hit rock bottom, someone handed me a shovel.

from Catch

But with the good comes the bad. I struggle so much with THE STUFF BETWEEN or the transitional scene as some call it. The easy going parts between intense moments where the reader gets to know the character and gets a breather.  It’s a struggle to write about them having lunch and passing the sugar as they talk about significant things yet there are no ninjas falling from the sky.

The hardest scene I’ve written was just as above, having dinner. My two female character needed to have a ‘chat’. One of those read-between-the-lines kind of conversations that women can do so well with veiled animosity. This chapter took me F.O.R.E.V.E.R. to get it right because I wanted you to love Gwen as well as Connie.

Small snippet:

“Master Tane is very generous.” Gwen eyed me from across the table. “You need to get use to addressing him by that title.”

I snorted then bit into my supper.

She set her half-eaten pastry on the plate. “I don’t understand. You are aware of the bond you share with him?”

“Vividly.” I sipped the coffee and closed my eyes to savor the flavor. “I don’t see a collar and tag around my neck, so I’m nobody’s bitch.”

“You don’t like him.”

“No shit.” I hated him. He wrecked everything. I opened my eyes and finished off my defenseless meal.

“Why did you agree to the bond?”

I choked on a mouthful of salad. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as little bits flew from my mouth and landed between us on the table. “I-I...” Grabbing the cup of coffee, I washed down the rest of my bite. “I never agreed to anything. He forced it on me.” The cup rattled as I slammed it down.

She sipped her drink and watched me. “I find that hard to believe. Some of Dragos’ cronies maybe, but not my Master. He allowed Rurik to keep you since he is so fond of him. It’s a mark of favor.”

My meal sunk like a lead anchor. Tane had that effect on me. He twisted the truth and made himself look a martyr. “I don’t see much of a difference between Dragos and Tane. One crazy Nosferatu took the place of another.”

from Catch as well

What types of scenes do like reading?

Some lucky follower will be winning a book from my backlist this week! So comment, comment, comment…

World-building causes a migraine or two!

This week’s theme question is what scenes we like to write, dislike, and the hardest we've ever written and why?

The answer to that is world-building. It is by far the most difficult scenes for me to write and usually cause a headache when I’m done with them. But it’s not even the beginning stages that I find hard. The hardest scene I’ve ever written is in my upcoming release First and Last, the final Magical Sword book.

Without getting into stuff that will spoil it, I go into how the Otherworld and Underworld were created in this book to finish off Nexi’s journeys. Let me just tell you it was exhausting. That one chapter took me over three days to write while I weaved all the history into the story.

But the end result was one seriously fantastic back-story. I couldn’t have been happier with how it all turned out, so the sweat over it was worth it. Like I said, they are tough for me and I usually do not enjoy any minute of it. Creating worlds, history from nothing more than your imagination is a very tough thing to do.

I suppose, only time will tell if my effort, curse words at the computer, hours spent thinking it over, were worth it. With the release coming soon...I can’t deny I’m excited to see what the reaction will be to this story.

Congrats to Kristabel Reed for being the winner of last week's giveaway! Keep your comments coming to be entered to win!

http://www.staceykennedy.com

Resolutions?

No.

I have goals. Goals I set when I start a project. As I go I check to see how I'm doing, adjust my course and keep going. I have goals for everything. Work, physical health, my art...writing.
Since this is a writing blog, I'll talk about that.

My writing goals look something like this.
Get published--check.
Get a novel published--check.
Get a novel published in print--check.
Get an agent--working on that one.
Get into a large publishing house like St. Martins or Penguin Press.
The ultimate goal--get on a bestseller's list.

Though lofty, they give me focus, help me to keep my eyes on the ultimate prize. I recently realized I've passed my halfway mark and I'm still in shock. Four years ago I wouldn't have believed I could get a novel published, much less the three novels and five short stories I have published today. I plan to continue with two of my series. Slipping the Past and Blown Away. For these two series, I have three novels going at the moment that are 3/4 way finished.

I believe in babysteps. Four years ago I started from the other end of my list, sending out query letters to agents with a story that wasn't ready, bombing time after time. Discouraged, I almost gave up. But a chat with a friend convinced me to change tactics and start small. I wasn't ready and I'd tried to bypass some of the important stuff in my impatience. I've learned to slow down and take baby steps. Thank God for friends who aren't afraid to give you a kick in the ass when you need it. I'll aways be thankful for mine.

2011 brings challenges, the biggest for me will be the next step. The story I plan to send out is almost done. I've been writing it for four years, coddling it, tweaking and playing with it. Though not the same story I tried to sell before (I've hidden that one under the bed), it's one I started the day I changed my tactics. So as I get ready to take my next step, I smile. Maybe this year will be my year, maybe not, but at least I'm moving forward and that alone gives me reason to celebrate.

Here's wishing everyone the best for the new year. May we all achieve our goals and heart's desires.

D L Jackson

Resolution...spell that!

It's wrong, no...no...no...no! It has to be wrong. Right? How can the New Year start in winter. Who set this calendar up anyway? And why, oh why, do I have to follow it? Ah hah--I don't!! *grin*

I'm not one for resolutions at any time of year, and I don't do well with setting goals. Things I'd resolved to do, goals I had set, almost always changed. Life gets in the way of both. Resolutions, I can't think of a single one I made--and kept. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so. For me the bad thing was making it, and breaking it. That made me feel bad, so I stopped making resolutions. And that's that.

I celebrate the beginning of a new year when trees bloom, when tulips pop up in my yard, and when birds sing a new song. For me the year begins when Spring arrives. I don't resolve to work in my garden, I don't plan to plant a new flower, I don't have to--it happens. It happens because I simply love springtime!!

Everyone has a time that they feel new, refreshed, and alive. Use that time to grow and flourish, resolve only to use that time to do what you want to do!

And in finishing, I found some pics of plants, after all--it's Friday! *grin*

Photos courtesy of Bentboy's Place

Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out.-© J. Hali Steele

You Want to do What in 2011?

I've never been one for resolutions at New Years. If there's something wrong in my life that needs fixing, why do I need a special day to kick off the start of it? I do, however, set goals for myself. A few years ago those goals were really simple. Finish a full length novel. There was no set time frame, just do it whenever. So...I did.

In fact, I ended up writing three. O_o

All right, hotshot, you wrote some books. Whatcha gonna do now? Are you going to do something with them or they just going to collect dust somewhere? 

Since I had enough doorstops in the house, I figured what the hay--new goal: get published.

Are you insane?

Why yes. Yes, I am, thankyouverymuch. Hrmph. I wasn't under any sort of illusion it was going to be easy, believe me. When that very first rejection came in, my skin was already thick enough so that the worst thing about the rejection was the fact it arrived on my birthday.

Happy 34th Birthday, you reject!

Sure, I may be a reject, but I've got a goal to accomplish. So, I dug back in, played a little with the manuscript and flung it back out into the world. And waddaya know? Is that an offer letter I see sitting there in my email? Fancy that.

The like me! They really, really like me! /poor Sally Field imitation

Wait! Stop! New goal time!! Sell another book before the end of the year (2010). Well....just call me overachiever. I had five picked up for publishing, four of which published in 2010.

Score! Goals: 4, Failure: 0

I do NOT expect to have another year like last year. Why? Well, all total, I wrote five books in 2010 for a whopping word count of approximately 538,000 words. (Yeah, that number boggled my mind when I sat down to count it up.)

For 2011, I'm scaling back a little--

HA!

--I simply want to try to get an offer on a book from a different publisher. I have three in particular in mind, so those are the ones I'm working toward. It's January, so I have all year to work toward this. But really, to be honest, I already started working on this goal several months ago. And already have a ding to show for it. Not so much an outright rejection from one of those publishers like I used to get, but a revise and sub and we'll take another look. So, maybe just a little ding in--what I call--my tarnished suit of armor. 

Happy New Year to everyone!

2011 is gonna be big!

Now that Santa's taking a well-deserved vacation, it's time to turn our sights on the coming new year.



2010 has been a long year and a fast year at the same time. Personal highs were hit, terrible lows were witnessed and everything in between. I'm glad to welcome 2011 into my life and see where it takes me.

So, here's list of what I hope to accomplish in my writing life:

I want to write the follow-up novel to Damaged Cargo. It will be another sci-fi but will follow Tomis' story after he was taken in the transport ship.

I want to write the sequel to Wedgie Tales and Panty Lines. This book was reviewed the least by "professional" reviewers but it was the best well-received among readers. lol The sequel will still be in Kate's perception and she'll get into more trouble in her work and personal lives :-)

I want to write a parody on the typical Regency novel and have this idea mapped out. It'll be...interesting.

I want to write another Strange Hollow novella. This will turn the little town upside down.

I want to write a historical short novel as an unconnected follow-up to one I wrote this year (more info forthcoming soon)

And also in the sparkling horizons of my mind is a new plot line for a sequel to my sci-fi Blink. At this time it's still an apple in my eye though lol

Finish my half-written historical, Kitty LaSalle.

And who knows what else will burst from my imagination during the year. That's the most exciting thing.



In my personal life, these are a few of the things I'm hoping for:

Learn how to be a better editor in order to do justice to the stories that come across my desk.

Keep on learning the craft of writing to make my own works more compelling.

Try to keep up with housework so the cobwebs don't become a permanent part of the decorating scheme.

Actually fold and put away the laundry so the hubs and I aren't living out of laundry baskets.

Lose at least 30 pounds. Yeah, I know everyone says that, but this is needed. The treadmill and I will become intimately acquainted soon as well as kissing the sweets goodbye.

Be more vigilant at taking vitamins/supplements daily.

Turning off the computer earlier and getting more sleep (more than 6 hours)

Make a greater push to accept my limitations and be confident about my work.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg :-)



So, that's what I'm hoping for.

What's on your agenda this year? Did you surprise yourself while making out your list?

Celebrating Paranormal Fiction...Still Going Strong!

Though its imminent death has been proclaimed on a continual basis over the last several years (mostly by purveyors of other types of literature), paranormal romance fiction is still going strong. The current crop may lean more toward light paranormal than the yummy, dark, steaminess of the recent past, but millions of paranormal fans are showing no inclination to give it up any time soon. Because, let's face it, paranormal is pure, unadulterated fun! What better way to escape from real world woes than immersing yourself in a world that is wholly fantastical, where nothing is impossible and, although the characters’ problems might be much bigger than ours, they always find some magical and interesting way to deal with them. It’s pure fun without guilt to watch the hero and heroine deal with saving the world and beating back evil while trying to conquer their own self-doubts and personal challenges in the midst of it all.

Especially in the current climate, where escapism is more than fun…it’s almost an imperative…readers need to feel as if something larger than life can be controlled. We need to believe that, though the odds seem stacked against us, good and justice will eventually win out over evil. In fantasy fiction, problems can often be solved with a flip of a magic-infused hand, or the blink of a power saturated gaze. Bad guys can be obliterated without a crisis of conscience...good guys almost always beat back evil...and cultural gray areas only make for more interest in the reading. When you add in a sexy, darkly brooding or breathtakingly competent hero, and a heroine we can all identify with, it’s enough to make a romance reader swoon with delight!

Let's face it, good versus evil carries an age-old fascination for mankind. The pages of our history only come alive when a classic story bends along the lines of this type of battle...and good wins out over all. So it's no surprise our reading fare trends in this direction. Nothing brings good versus evil to life like a good paranormal. The idea of magic isn’t new to our time in history, but our treatment of it in the pages of popular fiction is unique. And whatever happens to our sexy, brooding vampires and muscular, sensuous, werewolves, I know one thing…they’ve more than earned their place in history, and they’ll be around for a long, long time!

~~*~~

Hey everybody! I wanted to share a taste of my newest paranormal with you. I hope you enjoy it!

BLURB:

Astra Q. Phelps is turning twenty-five in a few months and she’s starting to feel the effects of her Settling, the time when a half angel, half devil Tweener decides whether to embrace her dark nature or her light.

The delectable Dialle, king of the Royal devils, really needs Astra’s help in Hell to deal with an insurrection. But Astra’s Settling pretty much has her thinking of only one thing—S.E.X.!

Sex with Dialle, sex with her yummy partner Emo, sex with a molten-hot dragon slayer she meets along the way, and sex with assorted other randy Royals cavorting among the fires of Hell. It’s a constant struggle just to keep her mind and body pure so she can concentrate on the business at hand, but Astra Q Phelps is definitely up for the challenge. And Good versus Evil has never been this much fun!

EXCERPT:

I was lost. Toasted. Sucker punched by my hormone-crazed body. My slut monkey side had beaten my weakened conscience into tattered, bleeding submission. I would have consumed him then and there, right on the floor of the throne room of the Royal Devil Court, but our skin sparked and it startled me.

I pulled away.

We never used to spark. Only my daemon hickey used to spark, and that, only when we communicated from a distance, or another male came too close.

But lately we’d been creating literal sparks whenever we touched in a sensual way. It was a bit disconcerting to say the least.

I pulled away and licked my lips. His taste lingered on the swollen flesh and my body clenched with desire. “I’m going to have to buy fireproof clothes if that keeps up.”

Dialle’s grin was wicked. “Or you could just go naked all the time.”

“Har! In your dreams, bud.”

“Actually, yes, that has been a central theme in my dreams on many occasions.”

I couldn’t help sharing his smile. Then I remembered the conversation I’d been trying to have before he kissed me. I crossed the room and sat down. When he made a move to join me I held up a hand, palm out, to stop him. “You stay over there. So I can breathe.”

His black eyes sparked with mischief but, for once, he did as I asked.

“Now tell me about this crowning ceremony.”

He inclined his head and dropped his perfect, well rounded ass onto the arm of a nearby chair. “Since my father has been recalled to Hades I must serve as king until he returns.”

I nodded. “I’m with you up to that point.” Dialle and I had recently intercepted a plot by King Dialle the First to overtake Saint Peter and breech the Pearly Gates. The happy result of that fight was that King Dialle had been reimprisoned in Hell for the foreseeable future, his “get out of Hell free” pass rescinded by the Big Guy.

“I am, of course the most obvious choice to succeed him—”

“Wait a minute. The most obvious choice? Aren’t you the only choice?”

He cocked his well shaped head, the silken, black curtain of his hair drifting to rest against one broad shoulder. The strands curled enticingly where they touched the black silk of his shirt. His smooth, golden pecs showed in the deep vee of the unbuttoned shirt. My eyes glazed a bit and I had to do a metaphorical head shake to get my focus back.

The hormonal consequences of my Settling were…well…unsettling.

“Lovely, Astra, you of all people should understand that things are never that simple in the devil court.”

I lifted my eyebrows and shrugged. “Right. I forgot for a moment that I wasn’t talking about rational beings.”

“Devils are rational, Astra. Just not in the same way you are. We have our own rationality.”

“Whatever. Anyway…”

He slid into the seat of the chair he’d been resting against and crossed one long, slimly muscled leg across the other, ankle to knee, man style. I licked my lips as this new position gave me a prime vantage point to the nicely rounded package at the juncture of his thighs.

I blinked. Why was I fighting having sex with him again? Oh yeah, twelve hundred horned and horny voyeurs. Got it.

“To become king, I must undergo the crowning ceremony. The words of the ceremony create powerful magics that ensure the loyalty of my subjects.”

I nodded. All that made perfect sense to me. The sex in front of strangers part though, not so much.

“Unfortunately for you, the ceremony isn’t complete until I consummate it with my chosen mate.”

“I’m not your mate.”

“Ah, but you are, lovely Tweener. You bear my mark on your neck and you carry my heart in your pocket.”

Glaring at him, I got up to pace. “The mark was given against my will.”

“I would dispute that assessment, my love. But even if it were true it would not diminish its meaning…or its effect.”

I stopped pacing long enough to fix him with an angry frown. “This mark was given to me in a weak moment of passion. I had no idea at the time what it entailed. It wasn’t very nice of you to lock me into all of this without even asking if I was interested.”

He lifted his hands out to the sides and cocked his head. “Devil, Astra.”

I sighed. What could I say? He had a point. When you hung out with devils you kind of had to expect to get screwed.

Fortunately it was usually a frunkin’ fine experience.

~~*~~

Sam Cheever’s published work includes 18 books of romantic suspense and fantasy/paranormal. Her books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, a CAPA award, and eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award. Sam is published with Ellora’s Cave, Red Rose Publishing, and Aspen Mountain Press. Visit her website (www.samcheever.com) to learn about her work, her life, and her upcoming activities.

Flash Backs and Goals

I don't spend too much time on resolutions but I do pick something in my life to work on in some small way. Last year I chose to concentrate on promoting my writing. Looking back, I've blogged my little heart out, been published in a few magazines, and had both electronic and paper book ads. Picking something difficult to change in myself wouldn't ever get accomplished. This year I plan to concentrate on my health. No big plans, I haven't signed up for a marathon or *gasp* bought a gym membership but I do plan on walking more and driving less. Both my boys think this is a grand idea, which will just ensure that I will do it more. I live close enough to everything that this is actually do able. Except for work and Blockbuster, I can manage to walk to all my errands. If this pans out maybe we'll sell our second car. (Like that would ever happen LOL)

What I truly believe in is SETTING GOALS. I accomplished my 2010 list. *shines fingernails*

2011 List:

• Add a new publisher to my list
• Find a home for my novel (once finished)
• Write two Vanguard novellas
• Start my Sci-fi story

Flash Backs for 2010

New to me authors I loved:

• JR Ward
• GA Aiken

Best book I read in 2010: 
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah Maclean

Best Movie:
You know I can't think of any that really affected me. I'm kind of disappointed about the releases in 2010.

Worst Movie:
The Last Airbender. Can I have my money back, please? I loved the TV show, though.

Most Memorable Moment:
Cross country skiing with boys during a snow storm. I didn't lose either of them. *pats own back*

What are your goals and flash backs?

New Years has come and gone, and the resolutions are set in stone. Or are they? Let’s have a look at the top ten New Year’s Resolutions.

1. Spend more time with family and friends

2. Exercise more

3. Get rid of the love-handles

4. Quit smoking

5. Enjoy life more

6. Leave the booze alone

7. Save money instead of spending it

8. Expand your knowledge and try new things

9. Help others

10. Stop hoarding and clean up your junk

As you read over that list do you think...yup, sounds about right. Well, I admit I could put a check mark on nearly all of those! So, what does that tell me? That I’ve been a lazy bum! You’d think that would get my butt in gear after such a realization, but I hate to say it, it’ll never happen. I do NOT do New Year’s resolutions.

Why you ask?

Well...that’d be because I never follow through...EVER! Sure, it might last a month or so, but eventually, I fall back into old habits and busy life. So, a while ago I decided to just kill the idea. Why lie to myself. I know the only exercise I like to do is walking the dog. That if I have money I like to spend it. And that if the need calls for it, a good beer is just damn good!

So, are you like me? Do you shy away from making New Year’s resolutions? Or do you dive right in, and if you do, do you actually succeed?

Looking to stuff your Kindle or Nook?

Happy New Year!

Dawn's top E-picks for 2010 with unusual and different plots. (In no specific order.) Why go to the bookstore when these are right at your fingertips?

Wedgie Tales and Panty Lines--Funny and I wish I'd thought of it.

Strangers by Barbara Elsborg--A rollarcoaster ride that will make you laugh and cry. Her best IMHO

Song of the Scarabeaus--Amazing scifi world building with a sweet romance plot.

The Iron Duke--Go Steampunk!

The Warrior--Location, location, location. And who doesn't love a man in boots?

Blown Away--Because I've read it 1000 times. (Really) LOL and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of mine. EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) in space and on alien worlds.

Slipping the Past--*Clears throat* One more of my novels, an Urban Fantasy that crosses genres and has reapers. Get it before it's out of publication.

Screw Superman--I want a hero! Luv the concept.

Eostre's Hare, by Arlene Webb. Her voice is the most unique voice I've read. If you'd like an intellectual read that forces you to use some brain mass, this is the book for you. Brilliant!






So if you're looking for something a little different, where the writer really stretched their imagination, look no further.

Now, I'm turning the tables and I'd like to know what novels and stories you'd recommend. I need to stuff my Nook and it says I can save 1500 novels to it (If I don't get a memory card--say what. I can store more?)

Now that you know what I like, name some unique stories that you loved in 2010!


Best,

D L Jackson