Thursdays at Hastings

Thursdays have become our unofficial writer's coffee get-together at Hastings Books & Music store. Today we had quite a crowd - Anne Connors, Tom Novak, Gina Olsen, Karen Wright, Dave Bellomy, Heide Hirsch-Gros, Jo Schlad and me. We started with a review of a cover letter that Anne had composed to send to a prospective agent. I thought it looked very professional and effective. Gina shared some grammatical upgrades. I sure hope it works. Anne is determined and her book Anzak is worth a chance at the big time. After the review of her letter, the conversation veered all over the place with lots of talk of Europe, the problems of aging and just funny stories. It's a couple hours of real camaraderie and I sure do enjoy it.

This evening I attended a meeting for the Mohave Community College Foundation of which I am a member. Another member, Gloria Ackland, is a member of a book club and they read my book Abby. She reports that her group loved it and they would like to read more of my work. I am so stoked! They would like a sequel as there was lots of talk about whether the Indian woman, Swan, had died or not. My intent was that she had and that Tommy had regained his memory and would find his way back to Abby. But, I just love hearing how others interpreted the story.

Again, did not get a chance to work on The Band, so J.J. is still in a mess. Hopefully, I'll get to him tomorrow. Always we look forward to tomorrow, but for now, I leave you with this tidbit from William Arthur Ward about the value of today. "Today is a most unusual day, because we have never lived it before; we will never live it again; it is the only day we have."

Reader Comments

Had a great day today. Went to our local library for a talk by my dear friend and fellow writer, Dave Bellomy. He talked about the Mohave desert and all its flora and fauna. His book, Tude, is about a desert turtle making his way across the desert while having to dodge many man-made caused threats to his life. It was a very informative and well-attended event.

Didn't get a chance to work on The Band today. Poor J.J. is about to get into real trouble and I've left him hanging. I can almost hear him yelling for me to move him along.

Sold another After the War, Before the Peace today. And, I still need to deposit that last royalty check. It is such a good feeling to know that the book is still selling after all these years.

Oh, talked with a friend who just finished reading Hannah. She was upset because of Sunrise, Hannah's horse that was lost in the river. She commented that she kept expecting for the horse to show up alive all the way to the end of the book. It is so surprising to me how each person finds something different in my books. I just love it.

So, tonight I'll close with this little quip from Charles Caleb Colton. "There are three difficulties in authorship: to write anything worth publishing, to find honest men to publish it and to find sensible men to read it."

Meet Author Christine London!

We are so fortunate to have author Christine London as our guest blogger this week. Christine pens Contempory Romance Novels. She peoples them with very defined characters that will keep your interest high as they struggle through the types of life challenges that so many of us face. In addition, Christine also takes some of her characters through challenges that we all hope we never have to face in real life. Each case makes for exciting reading. So read on and listen to her thoughts on some very important aspects of good writing.


Great to be here today Sharon. Thanks for hosting me. One of the wonderful things about participating in a blog tour is meeting other readers. *waves to Sharon's readers* Please feel free to chime in and share your point of view. What kind of story do you like to read? Let's have a bit of fun and begin.

Sharon has asked me to answer these thought-provoking questions.

1. How important is point of view in a story? (1st Person, 2nd Person, 3 Person or Omniscient)
Point of view, simply stated, is through whose 'eyes' the reader is witnessing a scene. First person, or using "I" as the narrator and a character within the story, and seeing the fictional world through one character, has been said to be difficult to pull of effectively. Even well done, it limits the ability of the reader to see and know not only what is happening outside the immediate sight/thoughts of the main character, but disallows getting inside the thought processes of other characters.
That said, it can be used well to create suspense and a partnership with the reader in trying to figure out what is going on.
Probably the rarest mode in literature (though quite common in song lyrics) is the second person, in which the narrator refers to one of the characters as "you", therefore making the reader feel as if he or she is a character within the story. While creating a sense of intimacy between the implicit author as narrator and the reader, it can give the reader a sense of loss of control as he is being led through the plot without gas or brakes.
Third person (he, she it, they) gives the author the greatest flexibility; to make use of getting inside the head of the most important characters. Far from limiting suspense, it can actually contribute to it as one character misinterprets intentions or actions of others eliciting much potential angst.
Omniscient is often frowned upon in modern popular fiction largely because the use of an all knowing narrator voice ( a narrator who knows time, people, places and events) can engendering the divulgence of too much information, too fast. and the unrealistic flavour it can add to the storyline. It nearly eliminates the author's ability to hide or delay information in a fair or believable way.
Point of view is incredibly important. Done poorly it can leave a reader puzzled and in need of Dramamine to quell the shifting ground beneath him. "Head hopping', or changing point of view too suddenly or often is one of the marks of a plebian author and is the surest way to confuse or lose your reader-pulling him from the story, question marks flying from his head as he tries to figure out who is talking/thinking or to be trusted.

2. Which do you think works best for the reader of your work?
As my work often has elements of suspense, I have found third person most conducive to creating a sense of team, whether that be rooting for a character's decisions, or booing them. The reader has the benefit of judging for his or herself whether he would do as the characters do. It enables not only the fun of seeing a situation through more than one set of eyes, thus putting the reader more in the driver's seat. It does not lend itself to the clandestine preaching, whining or self centered aggrandizement possible when seeing the world through one set of eyes. It is easier for the reader to figure out the intentions of a character and whether he/she is reliable if seen through more than one point of view.
I have considered employing first person to bring my readers closer to the heart of a character driven tale. To date I have avoided it because of warning of its pitfall and lack of favour in the romance community.

3. Can a man effectively put forth a woman's POV; can a woman do justice to the male POV?
Absolutely. A competent author is a student of human nature and an observer. I believe it is the reason many competent authors are middle aged or older. The wealth of experience and years spent interacting with all kinds of people lends itself to a rich catalogue from which to draw.
In the romance genre there is a pitfall and tendency to idealize males, making men as we would like them rather than as they are. This does not mean that the author can not paint a man as believable. He may be on the further end of the bell curve, but any decent observer of human nature can animate the opposite sex through truthful reflection.
Conversely, men have been accused of portraying women as cliché paper cut outs. This is either lazy writing or an attempt on the author's part to hearken back to previous times when women were not seen as the equals they are today. Either reason would be easily seen through and rejected by most readers (if not editors before the work ever sees the light of day). Perhaps there has been a tendency to portray females as more aggressive in recent years to offset the bodice ripper cliché and more legitimately portray the modern liberated woman. Even the well written historical shows the power a woman can exert using her equal or greater cunning and resolve.
The vast majority of books written today are excellent and balanced portrayals of the wide variety of personality types within both genders.

3. Can you cite an example for your own writing?
I have been told by men that I write men very well. Some even ask if I have elicited help to make the males so real. Often these comments are in reference to my intimate scenes. I tend to have my men convey their feeling through actions rather than words. even when in his head, he thinks in a more linear male way.
In my novel, Shadows Steal the Light, rock singer and recovering alcoholic, Colin Dunolw has just lost the woman who raised him--his beloved Grandmother. He has been six months sober and is trying to make a come back in his until now, skyrocketing career.


These scenes are all in Colin's point of view:

Colin skidded on the gravel of the driveway, his bike going down, sliding the last ten feet with him remaining intact on the seat. He swore and pushed his way off, dragging his leg out from under it. As he struggled to stand, he barely noticed his seeming lack of injury. He unbuckled and threw his helmet to the ground, hobbling the first few steps in disorientation. Two sobs escaped his lips and he clenched his fists and shot a glance of fury toward the moon. “God damn it” he howled and turned around in a circle of helplessness, contracting his shoulder and arm muscles in anger and grief.
He began to run, at first, blindly. It wasn’t until he was outside the Green Man that he realized he had taken his old familiar route, one so ingrained in his psyche that it was as automatic as going to the corner shop or newsagent.
He pushed the pub door open. The dimly lit wood paneled room smelled of stale beer and leather. There was still a smattering of patrons washing down their last pints. He stood by the door, eyes red rimmed, gut in a knot and stared at the bartender as he pulled the spigot on the keg, expertly filling a foamless pint of amber brew. The smell of the liquor crammed his head with confusion and piercing need. A visual burst of Kyle’s lips firmly planted on Jenna flashed before him. Then he thought of his gran, lying cold and still in some hospital morgue drawer. Nausea swept over him. He coughed and ran the back of his hand over his mouth. Lips parted, his breathing was uneven and labored, as though the
internal struggle going on was as physically taxing as a foot race. He approached the barman, eyes burning in intensity and pain.

* * * *

Standing in his living room, brown bag in hand, frustration filled him. How difficult it had been, talking the bar owner into a small grocery bag of hard liquor. He uncapped the vodka and swigged it as though it were bottled water. Closing his eyes with the rush of the burning liquid, he held tight to the neck of the bottle with one hand and pounded the wall with the other. He guzzled another three gulps and threw the cushion from the couch across the room. Putting the bottle down on the end table, he tore at his leather jacket, throwing it to the floor. The rush of warmth spreading over his body compelled him to peel his T-shirt off over his head. He threw it blindly across the room. Picking up the open booze, he sobbed, abdomen contracting in violent bursts of emotion. He drank until the liquor ran in rivulets out the side of his mouth and down his neck. Another blind punch to the wall split his knuckles open. Pain. Good. Still alive. Shit. Spinning. Nausea. Grey to black, then nothing.


* * * *

And later when Colin's AA sponsor has found him ..

As sunlight streaked across the sky, Colin sat, elbows on the table, head hanging. Robert appraised him in compassionate familiarity from his chair seated directly across from him. “You’re having a time that would do in the toughest of men, lad. Don’t be so downcast. It took me two years before I got it straight. Two years.”
Colin looked up, red eyes burning, hair a mess, tears pooling. “Six months bloody out the window. I’d been sober for six fuckin’ months.”
“You’re goin’ to be okay, lad. You’ve had a slip, that’s all.”
“I’ve got to go back to Phoenix House. I can’t do this yet, can’t face it. You were right, Robert. I’m too raw…too selfish a bastard.”
“You need to bury your dear gran. You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t give her a proper goodbye.”
The tears had nowhere else to go. They streamed down his cheeks. “I’m too fucked up. I don’t know what to do.”
“That’s why I’m hear, man. I’ll help you make the calls. We’ll get through this
together.”
Colin pressed two fingers between his brows and rubbed in a slow vertical motion. “And what about tomorrow when I wake up and have the same bleedin’ need drivin’ me down the road to the Green Man?”
“We’ll worry about that tomorrow. Today we take care of today.”
Dropping his hand to the table, the lid on the sugar bowl rattled against its base. “God damn it, Robert, but I’m weak.”
“No, you’re not. You’re human. You’re an alcoholic and you’re a man in a lot of pain. We will get through this, I promise ya. Look at me, man, straight in the eyes.”
Colin looked up, grasping his mug of tea. The connection to Robert was so real and tangible; he had been in the same place. More importantly, he had survived and thrived. On a wing and a prayer, Colin said in determination, “Okay. Let’s do this.”
Robert put a warm hand on Colin’s forearm and squeezed. “One day at a time, man.”



****

Colin is an incredibly strong man, yet full of doubts about his strength. As the hero of the story, he has both faults and challenges. He stumbles and falls, but his tenacity and love for the heroine push him on into an unseen an most assuredly one day at a time future...

Thanks for hosting me today, Sharon. I hope your readers will feel inspired to give us there view on point and view. What is your favorite to read? Why? Did you find Bella in Twilight to self absorbed as a first person point of view? Does the thought of being a character in a story (second person) make you squirm? What's your favorite third person work?

You can read more about Christine London on her website at www.christinelondon.com
Come along with her on her international travels. Hollywood adventures and everyday musings on her London Blog at http://christinelondon.blogspot.com/

Christine's Bio:
Christine London was born in Chicago, Illinois, but left the long winters of the Midwest as a child to find her roots in the sun and charm of California, both North and South. Her adopted home became Great Britain when she spent a year of college in the east end of London with three male flat mates; one from each country on the main island. Her fascination and love affair with all things British has grown over the years, facilitated by summers spent trading houses.
Graduating from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Chris continued with family, teaching, singing in a jazz sextet and running foot races (and winning) before discovering her true passion….the romance and adventure of writing.
It took one Scot to awaken her poetic appreciation of Scotland's natural beauty, and another Scot to ignite her passion for writing. Thank you, gentlemen.






Christine London's Awe Struck Publishing Novel:
Leap Of Faith
e-ISBN: 978-1-58749-735-3
Buy Here: http://www.awe-struck.net/books/leap_of_faith.html
Blurb:



Film student Faith Holmes is on an Italian holiday bought and paid for -- a familial inducement to finding an Italian husband. She wants none of it. Boredom and curiosity make for a volatile mix and Faith is lured into the heart of the island of Forio's exclusive international film festival not as guest, but crasher. Hollywood's premiere publicist Hunter Jameson has more than enough on his plate when his client, English film sensation Alex Winslow decides he's departing from the straight and narrow. One American party crasher should be the least of his worries. He has no idea that Alex’s growing feelings for Faith rival his own. The only thing for certain is his life will never be the same.


Thanks for stopping by Christine!

Meet Author Susan Roebuck

Let's Meet Susan Roebuck!

Well, everyone, we are in for a treat today. Susan Roebuck, author of “Perfect Score”, published as an e-book by Awe-Struck Publishing in Sept 2010 and as trade-paperback in May 2011, is stopping by today to share her thoughts on writing with us. And, congratualtions are in order. Susan's novel 'Perfect Score' has been nominated as a finalist in the Mainstream category for the 1012 EPIC eBook Awards. Nice Work! Let's keep our fingers crossed for her.

Hi Sharon. Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. This tour is proving excellent in getting to know other authors and their books. I love to hear from fellow authors and also readers – it’s rather lonely just sitting at the computer J

1. Are you a plotter or a spontaneous writer. Why does your chosen method work for you?
Sharon, that is a million dollar question. But I do know the answer and that is – I’m a pantser. I fly by the seat of my pants in other words. All the plotters in this world will now turn their noses up at me. But pantsers aren’t so rare – almost 50% of writers work like I do. And how do I work?
When I have a story in mind, I do know quite a bit about it before I start. I have bits of paper and “post-its” stuck all over the house with little snippets I don’t want to forget. Ten minutes ago I was checking through my diary and found a page covered in bits of inspiration that I’d completely forgotten about!
When I was writing “Perfect Score” (my first novel) I tapped gaily away for hours; went back over what I’d written; deleted most of it and wrote it all over again. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and the days sped by. But it might explain why it took so long to write. By the time I’d finished, “Perfect Score” had seventeen versions!
Nowadays I’m more organized (for a completely disorganized person, that’s an incredible thing to say). I have another novel out on submission and I did plan it better – although there were still multiple versions by the end. My current novel is underway and I’m so looking forward to getting down to version number three.

2. What genre and which authors do you like to read for fun and relaxation?
Fun and relaxation! What’s that? When I’m not reviewing, I do so look forward to just settling down to read without having to consider the plot, characterization etc., etc. I’ll read anything wacky and out of the ordinary and tend towards more literary genres perhaps. My favourite novel of all time is the Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake. Now that’s a weird one, but I just love the characters. And since I’m a character-driven writer, I think that’s what attracts me. Let me tell you what’s on my Kindle at the moment: The Morville Hours, Katherine Swift; The Stranger’s Child, Alan Hollinghurst; An Irish Country Christmas, Patrick Taylor; Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, Fannie Flagg,; Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs; Breath, Tim Winton.

3. What would you like your readers to know about you?
I’d like them to know that I’m open and ready to have contact with all of them. If they like my stories, then I’d dearly love to know. Likewise, if they hate them, I’d also like to know – because I believe authors can evolve to suit the reading-public.

Susan's Bio:
I was born and educated in the UK (I am British!) but now live in Portugal. I've been an English teacher for many years with the British Council and also the Portuguese civil service where I developed e-learning courses.
My first love is, of course, my husband, my second writing, and my third painting. And now I have time to be able to indulge in all three.
My debut novel, "Perfect Score" was published by Awe-Struck Publishing on Sept 21, 2010 and the paperback was launched on May 11 2011.




Blurb for “Perfect Score” :
"Perfect Score" is set in mid West USA in the 1960s and is a story about family relationships, corruption, growing up, integrity, responsibility, and being a man of worth in a society of the worthless.
The two main characters are Alex and Sam. Alex, who lives with a wealthy uncle, is a blend of musical genius, stubbornness and firmly believes in his fantasy that his love for Sam is reciprocated. Sam has more direction in his little finger than Alex has in his whole body. He’s strong, yet of small stature and has developed a tough outer-coating after the knocks of a traumatic up-bringing which left him homeless. His one aim in life is to earn enough money to look after his disabled sister. He has no time for a spoiled, rich, guitar player. Sam also stutters and has what is probably a severe form of dyslexia.
When Sam unexpectedly disappears, Alex begins a somewhat bungling quest to find him, only to discover that Sam has a fearsome enemy: Alex's powerful and influential yet sociopathic uncle.
As Alex spirals downwards towards alcoholism, many questions need answering. Just why did Alex's evil uncle adopt him at age eleven yet deny him any affection? And what's the mystery behind Alex's father's death?

Two short excerpts:
Here’s a bit of ditzy Alex (from the beginning):

Bongo drums. How the hell did a guy like me, with straight As in
acoustic guitar and piano studies, end up on a stage playing bongo drums
for chrissakes? I had a reputation to maintain and being wild, woolly, and
wicked just ain't easy with those things wedged between your legs.

“It'll be a blast,” Jamil, who came from Arabia or someplace, had
said. “We'll conjure up the spirit of the shifting dunes, the limpid oasis.
We'll sock it to the judging committee—they've never seen anything like
this before. We'll be a first in the Academy's history.”

Damn straight. I'd been in half a mind to do something more
traditional along the lines of Floatin' Cornflake followed maybe by The
Lady Came from Baltimore with some pretty nifty acoustic guitar riffs.
But Jamil had pouted and lifted irresistible soulful eyes.

“You got great rhythm,” Jamil winked at me now, and I flashed a
bright grin back.

“If you reckon that's good, wait 'til you see my rhythm when the
action really gets started,” I sparkled. He raised his dark eyebrows in reply
which made me shiver in expectation.

While I slapped the drums with the knuckly part of my palms in an
attempt to sound like a lumbering camel, I admired his dopey, dark beauty
and his arm muscles rippling as he picked away at the strings on his oud.

He half closed his eyes and looked sultry. “Come on Alex, you're a
nomad, constantly on the move in mesmerizing, undulating, never-ending
sand.” He upped the plucking and created a sound like a pebble in a tin
can which was anything but mesmerizing. The vibration unhooked the
banner hung over the stage and Verdigris Music Academy—Graduation
Talent Contest wafted delicately to the ground where it lay in a heap.

Yeah, we were nomads all right, dressed like fatheads in tunics and
towels. We hadn't rehearsed, we weren't in harmony, and we had no idea
what either of us was doing. Jamil said improvisation was the name of the
game, that's how they did things where he came from, that's how they
captured that special tone. Special tone, my ass.


And here’s a bit of Sam:

“So, what do you want to hear? I can play anything,” Alex said.

“Anything?”

“Well, how about something by Simon and Garfunkel?”
“Garfle and...?”

Alex strummed a chord. “Never heard of them? I thought they were as
famous as Jesus Christ. Never mind, perhaps you never heard of him
neither. Okay. Let's try someone else.”

He tried out a couple of chords, his head down, concentrating and
then settled in. The drifting lyrics and melody sent Sam into a dream. He
watched Alex's fingers stroke the frets, captivated by his long slim fingers
and neat nails on the strings.

Wasting time.

As the last chord echoed and faded, Sam blinked. “Did you w...write
that? It's good. Time w...w...wasting time.”

“Yeah right. And the fact nothing's ever gonna come my way. That's
not my song, old buddy, that's by Otis Redding, died a few months ago.
You not heard it?” He strummed a lower register. “Now if you want to
hear something by me, here's just some music—no lyrics yet. But this is
mine. Listen.”

He started out with a lazy scale, descending, tumbling and then
swelling. To Sam, who knew as much about music as he knew about the
Swedish Royal Family, the sounds that shimmered through the night air
were stunning, a kaleidoscope of notes that rippled rainbow-like, sparkling
into his mind.

“What?”

Sam blinked and realized Alex had stopped with his hand in midair.
He was looking at him curiously.

“What?” Sam asked, his mind a dazed fug.

“You looked like you were focused somewhere between here and
there. Like you were watching something. What was it?”

“The pattern in...intri...cate?”

“Intricate pattern?” Alex took his hands from the instrument and sat
straighter. “Where?” He looked at the sky.

Sam sighed. He'd goofed up again. “No. I didn't see any...” He started
to get to his feet.


To Read More:
Another excerpt can be found on the Awe-Struck site: http://www.awe-struck.net/books/perfect_score.html
My blog: http://lauracea.blogspot.com

Welcome Ann Tracy Marr!

My guest author today is Ann Tracy Marr. Ann writes award-winning paranormal Regency romances. To His Mistress, the third book in her Banshee Brigade series, debuts in paperback October 25. Keeper of the Grail is in the works. A computer consultant in the Midwest, Marr lives with her husband, two cats, and plots that bounce off the wall. I asked her to share some details about herself and her writing with all of you. Here are her thoughts.

From Ann Tracy Marr:

As I write this, it is past midnight and the cat won’t come in. I hate cats that stay out all night; they yowl at other cats and disturb the peace. So I have to stay up and try to get the cat in. Humph.

BTW—that humph is the way I sound. Not a literary device, but literally the noise I make when I am disgusted. That is how I do dialogue. I stick my head in the clouds and imagine I am this character I am smearing all over the fake Microsoft Word page, and try to figure out what that character would say and how she would say it. What inflection would she put on the words? Would she say, “I hate cats that stay out all night,” or would she say, “I hate cats that stay out all night.”

If the character puts the emphasis on the first part of the sentence once in a while, it doesn’t matter. But if she emphasizes the beginning of her sentences over and over again, it’s a character trait. Convey that trait on the page and you have the start of a person who comes alive for the reader.

When you, the reader, catch the cadence in sentences, you start to imagine a real person. If she stresses the first words, you guess she’s the type who blurts things out. She becomes a forceful (dare I say it?) bitch who dominates the conversation. She is impulsive, opinionated, pushy. Take your pick. Any or all of the above can fit; it all depends on how the writer wants that character to come across.

Here is an example from my latest book, Keeper of the Grail. It starts as a conversation between Lord Brinston and Sir Sloane Johnstone and adds Mrs. Maud Silvester. Look at the dialogue and tell me what these people are like.

~~~
Ah, there she is,” Sloane gloated.

“Your Frampton? Which?” [Brinston said.]

“In the back of the group.”

“Which?”

“The one with her back to the wall, talking to the potted palm.” A crash resounded through the ballroom. "The slain potted palm.”

Brinston winced. “For Merlin’s sake, Sloane, stay away from her. Only part you got right was her description and her antecedents. Not only is she a Frampton, which is bad enough, she is barmy, talking to plants like the Green Man. Unless the palm talks back, she’s going to acquire a reputation that will see her exiled to Skye.” He tipped his head. “I don’t know her. Never seen her before. Egads, she is shaking her finger. Scolding a plant? Sloane, it’s really too much. Her Fra Angelico must be imaginary.”

“No.” Sloane slapped his gloves against his hand. “This one is special, Brin. Different.”

“On that, I have to agree. She is certainly different. But different doesn’t do justice to a woman who talks to palms.”

“Will you forget the palm; doesn’t mean a thing. It won’t survive being knocked over anyway. I need her name. By Merlin, if you cannot provide it, how am I to learn her name? Can’t ask my mother; she’ll have banns posted.”

“Maybe my sister knows.”

“I have to find out somehow; I contracted to take the lady driving tomorrow. Deuced awkward knocking on the door not knowing her name.”

“I’d like to see you do that.”

Ostrich feathers whipped across Sloane’s face as Maud Silvester spun on her heel. “Will you two hooligans keep your voices down,” she demanded. “You are giving me a bilious fever.”

Sloane summoned up every bit of the charm he was born with, which was not a large amount. His talents tended more to the prosaic. “Sorry, Mrs. S.”

“Wipe that nauseating grin off your face, Sloane Johnstone. It does not impress me. Brinston, don’t say it. You look like a fool,” Mrs. Silvester snapped. The sharp angles of her face, bisected by wrinkles and spleen, caught the candlelight and lent a devilish air to her words. “Her name is Sarah. Miss Sarah Irene Frampton. And I suggest you treat her with a degree of respect. As you said, she is special. Her surname may be Frampton, but she takes after the Hempstead’s, her mother’s family. And you,” her nose pointed like a dagger, “are so muddleheaded you will never learn her address. The Frampton’s are at No. 5 Hay Street, by Audley Square. If you are to take her driving, mind you are on time for once. Her aunt is hopeless, but she is a stickler for the proprieties. Wear a better jacket. Now, begone.”

The men slunk away. A pencil in hand, Sloane scribbled in a small notebook. “S-a-r-a-h Frampton, No. Five Hay Street.” His head rose. “What's wrong with my jacket?”

Brinston grinned. “It is old, outmoded, and ill-fitting, but that is what I like about you, Sloane. You’re no slave to fashion. Gads, Mrs. S makes me feel like a snotty nose brat snitching tarts off the tea tray.” He veered toward the hall. “By the way, you had better watch yourself, asking this Miss Sarah Frampton for a drive without knowing her a’tall. She might be as mean as Mrs. S as well as being barmy. Never ever put yourself on the block.”

“It’s only a drive.”

“And it’s only the little season, but that don’t stop husband hunting. She’s a miss -- means she’s not married. Looks close to being an ape leader. She’ll shackle your ankle and drag you around Hyde Park, just to escape the shelf. If you ask my opinion--”

“Which I did not.”

“--You need to learn how to say no.”

Sloane shook his head. “She needs help; I can’t just turn my back.”

“Never could.”

“And you have this one pegged wrong. She didn’t approach me; I offered. All she wants is to be rid of me so she can find her art.”

“And I’m the Sultan of Arabia.”

“Well, Sultan, I’m hungry. Let’s find food.”

Brinston eyed his friend’s waistcoat. “You are always hungry. Eat more than any other man alive.”

~~~
Copyright Ann Tracy Marr

Lord Brinston and Sir Sloane Johnstone are old friends; their banter shows how relaxed they are with each other. You also might notice that Brin is more light hearted – Sloane is the serious one, although he is not a prig.

Can you tell that Maud Silvester speaks in capital letters? That every word is gospel? Maud is one of the grand ladies of the ton. A dragon who eats timid people for breakfast. It is the cadence of her sentences – abrupt, not always complete, like newspaper headlines – that conveys her character. The two men also use incomplete sentences, but they are not abrupt – not demanding.

I came up with the dialogue by putting myself in their heads -- imagining how each character would react in the situation. Brinston and Maud Silvester were easy because I know them better – they have appeared in other books. Sloane is a new acquaintance, but I did know that he had dug a bit of a hole for himself, and that he is not one to panic.

Would you believe it? 20 minutes after I give up and start writing, the cat shows up. He hissed at me, the little brat, when I picked him up to bring him in. In case you are wondering, emphasizing hissed indicates irritation.

Ah, peace and quiet for one night.

Thank you to Sharon Poppen for allowing me to take over her space this week. She is at http://janarichards.blogspot.com meeting new friends.

~~~
Visit Tracy at http://www.anntracymarr.com/
Buy her books at http://www.awe-struck.net/authors/ann_tracy_marr.html

Round Table Magician Ebook ISBN: 978-1-587496066
Thwarting Magic Ebook ISBN: 978-1-587496479
To His Mistress Ebook ISBN: 978-1-587497209
Keeper of the Grail Awaiting release

Jennifer Cloud Stops By This Week!

You are all in for a treat today as author Jennifer Cloud stops by and shares some of her thoughts on writing. We are indeed lucky to hear from such an accomplished author. Here are just a few of her accomplishments. The 2008 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice nominated her novel Her Eyes for Best Paranormal from a Small Press. Her Eyes was also nominated for Best Comtemporary Book. The Wicked Witch won 2004 Preditors and Editors Reader's Choice for Best Horror. It also won a Reviewer's Choice Award. Her novel Wanting More received a CAPA nomination and an honorable mention in the Golden Rose Awards. Restless Shadows placed number eight in the top ten for Preditors and Editors Reader's Choice for Best Horror. After reading her list of accomplishments, we know that checking out Jennifer's thoughts on writing is going to be fun and certainly worth our while. We are lucky she is joining us this week.

I asked Jennifer a couple of questions about her writing and here's what she shared with me.

What does your writing schedule/routine usually look like?
I get up early and try to get in as many words as possible. There are times I write all day, when my Muse is kind. Others, I can stray from the computer unable to string two words together. I learned a trick from a friend. Always stop writing when you have more to say. That way it's easy to start writing again.

Do you write a little every day or do you block out large chunks of time to devote solely to your writing?
I used to write every day. I now try to steal time when I can. Real life and family keep me from doing large blocks of work. I do miss the times when I could just write and have no other concerns. Sigh. Now writing is like an addiction. There are times I almost feel guilty for taking the time to indulge because it takes time from my family.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
Oh, I was a child. The first time I confessed my desire to write was in the fifth grade. I remember the look on my teacher's face. He was concerned then told me that writing was expensive. I could only imagine that he'd self published or something because he told me that you had to pay per copy to get them published. I knew that wasn't right but wouldn't correct my teacher. My mother had told me that correcting your elders was disrespectful so I grinned and nodded.

Here's Jennifer Cloud's bio :
Jennifer Cloud was born in Asheville, North Carolina. There she met her husband who encouraged her to write after finding a partial manuscript. She now resides in Missouri with her husband and two daughters.

She is the author of many novels in both print and electronic versions. She's also had two dozen short stories published and many novellas.

For more information check out her website at www.JenniferCloud.com or www.jlmccale.com

Her current releases are:
Sweet Jane
Magic Rising: Dragonfly
Coming soon-Her Eyes

As J.L. McCale
Finding Flesh
Liar, Liar
The Other

Welcome to Jana Richards - Author of Till September

Hi Everyone!

I have a treat for you today. Author Jana Richards is stopping by to share her thoughts on writing and to give us a sneak peak at her latest novel. Self-Promotion is a necessary fact for authors. Authors love to write and it's like ice cream on the cake when a reader takes the time to write a review or contacts the author to share their reading experience. But, in order to do those things, the reader has to know about the book and how/where to buy it. So, when asked about how she approaches Self-Promotion, here's what Jana has to say.

Self-Promotion & the Introverted Writer

I’d rather have dentistry without anesthesia then stand in front of an audience at a book reading. I taught a couple of classes in romance writing a few years ago, but I gave it up because public speaking was giving me nervous palpitations.

The introvert in me cringes at putting myself out there. I feel as if I’m standing naked outside a bookstore hollering, “Here I am! Buy my book! It’s good! Really it is! Honest!”

Can’t I just stay in my room and write? That’s what I really want to do. Why do I have to spend so much time on promotion?

The answer is simple. I can write the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one is going to read it.

So self-promotion is a necessary evil. If you’re an introvert like me, what are the best ways of promoting? What gives you the most bang for your buck, and what forms of promotion are the best ways of selling books, without actually having to make a live appearance?

Lesley Anne McLeod (www.lesleyannemcleod.com), a writer of Regency romances, says that sometimes promotion is frustrating, “like trying to get someone in another Universe to notice you.” She uses various introvert-friendly forms of promotion, such as creating book trailers, participating in online live chats, writing a blog, and having a MySpace page. Of all her online ventures Lesley Anne believes her website is her most successful.

“I think the website is my best tool, and of it, the contest and the free stories the best hooks for customers. Building my mailing list is always an aim of mine, and promoting the website where I can.”

Tina Pavlik of The Romance Studio (http://www.theromancestudio.com) agrees. I recently participated in Tina’s online class “The 42 Most Common Promo Mistakes Authors Make”, and she feels that some of the biggest mistakes center around websites. These mistakes include the following:
- Not having a website that she owns as opposed to a website hosted at a free host
- Not paying attention to the content of your opening page.
- Not having a simple, easy to navigate menu.
- Not updating the site often enough.
- Not auditing the site to make sure links and images work, and there are no formatting or spelling errors.
- Having a flashy website that takes too long to load.
- Not giving any thought to how easy the website is to find.

That last one was a biggie. Tina talked a lot about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), metatags and descriptions tags that will help get your site noticed. If you are unsure what any of these terms mean (as I was), I recommend taking Tina’s class and whipping your website into shape.

What about buying advertising? I asked writer and editor Judith B. Glad (www.judithbglad.com) whether paid advertising is worth the investment.
“I think the answer is yes and no. You do have to spend some money to promote, but you don’t have to spend a fortune.” Jude says that when she was first published she bought some ads in Romantic Times. “I saw a tiny blip in sales with each review, but we’re talking just a few more sales than the previous quarter, so who’s to say that wasn’t due to pure chance.”

Do bookmarks sell books? Does it matter if your books are only available as ebooks? Jude says, “I think if you have books in paper, then having bookmarks to insert…is worthwhile. Having bookmarks for ebooks seems kind of contradictory.” Lesley Anne, whose books are available as ebooks, disagrees. “I really think bookmarks are worthwhile—just for getting the name out and about.”

In 2008 I attended the EPIC Conference ( www.epicorg.com ) One of the workshops I took in was called “Promotion: You want me to do what?” put on by Sherry Wille (www.derr-wille.com ) and Susanne Marie Knight ( www.susanneknight.com/mainpage.htm ) Susanne had some interesting and mostly stress-free ideas about promoting online that suits the introvert in me:
- Having a great website (of course).
- Using an email signature line. Be sure to use it and vary it.
- Reciprocal links: Share links with other authors and place on your “Links Page”.
- Offer free excerpts on your website. You can also post them to lists that allow excerpts such as www.groups.yahoo.com/group/romanceexcerptsonly Be sure to create your excerpts in PDF before sending them out.
- Write articles and post them on your website and other websites.
- Write free short stories and post them on your website to entice readers.
- Join forums, bulletin boards.
- Participate in author days on web groups. Try events scheduled by publishers and review sites.
- Start a blog and comment on other blogs you enjoy. Find great sites to guest blog at.

One word of caution from Tina Pavlik. She recommends that writers spend three-quarters of their time writing and one-quarter promoting. Sometimes writers, even introverted ones, get so caught up with all the blogging, online chatting and forum visiting that their writing suffers. Eventually they have nothing new to promote. Work hard to keep a balance between writing and promotion.

Thanks Sharon, for letting me do a little promoting on your blog today! It didn’t hurt a bit!

Jana's Bio
Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, along with two university aged daughters and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.net/ .



Till September - Book Blurb

For the first time since her husband’s death, Hannah Kramer can imagine herself with another man. But then she discovers the truth about Quinn Anderson’s reason for staying at the bed and breakfast at her farm. He’s there to buy farmland from her cash-strapped friends and neighbors and resell it to foreign buyers. How can she love a man bent on destroying the way of life she loves? Will Quinn convince her that he wants to build her community, not destroy it? Can he make her believe he loves her before time runs out in September?

Thank You, Jana, for stopping by!