TURNING 21 FOR THE THIRD TIME AND A FAVOR

Well folks today is my birthday. YAY! My breast are still fairly perky. I’ve yet to find a gray hair. And I went on a shopping spree yesterday so all is good in my world.

But you know what I really want?

My greatest desire is to have my favorite-tess podcast, Will Write for Wine to be number one for 24 hours. What you haven’t heard of Will Write for Wine? Please lift the rock you’re living under and go here. You can find hilarious podcast on how to write, how to deal with reviews, how not to jump the shark in your world building. Not only is it hilarious, but it’s the greatest excuse to drink wine every Friday. But what I really want is for you to vote come April 1st.

ACCORDING TO DMV I’M A GOOD DRIVER

*snort* Today I went down to renew my license. If I didn’t go down today on Monday I’d be screwed. (My birthday is on Sunday and that’s when my license expires.) Now let me explain, when I’m actually doing something illegal, like u-turns in front of fire stations or residential streets or when I’m half-way through a yellow light and it turns red, the police are no where to be found. But the moment my tailight goes out I’m stopped at least ten times before I can make it home. So I had one of these tickets, I paid it off, but it was still on my record. Here’s how the scene played out.

Perky DMV Lady: That’ll be 28 bucks.
Me: I thought it was 21
PDL: The rates went up recently.
Me: mumbling what I think of rates under my breath
PDL: Now if you’ll just go over there to get your picture taken and oh, make sure when you’re done you go take an 18 question test.
Me: What?
PDL: An 18 question test.
Me: (thinking of 80 year olds who keep getting their license renewed and they can’t see out of their left eye.) And when did you guys start that policy?
PDL: Well, it’s standard if you’ve had a ticket or accident that you have to take another written test, just 18 questions.
Me: It took me two times before I passed the first time I took that test. I haven’t even read a recent book.
PDL: We won’t be open on Monday. It’s a national holiday.
Me: My license expires Sunday.
PDL: Good Luck!
Me: mumbling about the damn fix-it ticket, explicits included
PDL: Have a nice day.
Me: refrainining from telling her where she can put her nice day.

Out of 18 questions you can only miss three. I pulled out a quarter and flipped it for the answers I didn’t know. I passed. Me. *snort* This is why I pay my tax dollars. Have a great weekend.

THE SOUND OF CRICKETS

I don’t think I ever told ya’ll how I came across the idea for SEE MEGAN RUN, formerly known as OVERWORKED AND UNDERLAID. (god, I still love that title). I believed it was in 2007 (or 2006) that I used to walk around with a notebook. I’d put story ideas in it. I’d work on description and moving character’s around a room. (which I still have trouble with.) But one day I got the idea for a woman to go home only to get the news her mother is going to sell her deceased father’s home. If that wasn’t bad enough before the end of chapter 3 she runs into her ex-boyfriend. I had three full chapters.

Of course I lost that damn notebook with beautiful description and the character’s moved gracefully and the dialogue was witty and the character’s leap off the page they felt so realistic. (Okay, things get better with faulty memories.) Then I forgot the idea. I went on to write The Book From Hell (PROTECTING DELLA, that is still rotting on my hardrive.) I even went on to write I SAID NEVER. (Now that book I absolutely love. The same one that I want Beta Readers, hint, hint, hint)

But that’s not the point of this post. I’d been living with that fabulous memory of a book. The characters must have been waiting for me to finish ISN, because one day I got this first line, “Half down the driveway to the home she grew up in Megan said to her assistant manager, “Think Mommie Dearest minus the wire hanger.”

That’s the best first line I’ve written to date. I started that book in September (technically, unless you count the year I wrote and then lost the first three chapters.) and finished it at the end of November.

So…I wrote all this to say I’m loving my book again. The jury is still out over the cover.

p.s. If you came over from the Wild Rose Press blog. Sorry. Scroll down, you’ll find funny there.

BETA READERS, AGENT SEARCHES, AND ANXIETY

First let me explain what a Beta Reader is. A B.R. is someone who reads your book and they will tell what worked, what didn’t work, what the hell were you thinking while penning this novel, because really you had to be on drugs.

Last week I sent I Said Never to a Beta Reader. The person has never read my work before and I’m kind of glad, because ISN isn’t like anything I’ve written. Neil was head strong and prickly. Phoenix is just prickly. I know not everyone is going to like her or find her morbid humor amusing. And since I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read ISN since I finished it in September (October?), I can’t tell you whether or not it’s a good novel or even if I caught I the damn typos.

As for my agent search…I’ve receieved two rejections and two have been sent back with for failed delivery. The rest I’m not sure if I’ll ever hear back from them.

Can someone say anxiety?

I hear it’s good for writers to have anxiety. I think that’s just a lie. And since I’m anal, I’m going to put a call out for other Beta Readers. You can e-mail me at melissablue (at) melissablue (dot) net. From what they say you can never have enough anxiety.

WRITE QUESTIONS: Jewel Adams

Sorry about the small font and the weird spacing. My HTML is pms’ing. That’s neither here or there. Without further ado…

When did you start writing?

It seems as if I’ve been writing my whole life. I always wrote stories even as a child. I began writing romance novels in the late 1970’s because I kept reading wall bangers and decided I could write better than what I was reading. That book is still under my bed and will probably remain there forever LOL. Writing wasn’t quite as easy as I thought it would be.



What was the defining moment that made you sit down and start writing a book?

That came after about my third try at a novel. One thing about writing, it gets in your blood and if you don’t write you just aren’t complete. I remember that I sent out this one story to various publishers, following all their guidelines. Weeks turned into months and months into over a year until I finally received answers. The rejection letters just made me more determined to write the perfect book.

What made you take yourself seriously?



The internet really became my jumping off point in my writing. I found a wonderful group of fellow romance writers and we started the Angels Critique group. I think we all finally received honest evaluations of our work. Problems in our writing became clear and they were fixable. If an author can find a group like this it can be very beneficial.

Because of the internet I took my writing one step further, I wanted input from readers. I began to serialize my novels, for free, on the internet through email. I sent installments out each week and received feedback from hundreds of readers that for me proved invaluable. The installments were really popular in Pakistan .

What have you learned about writing that shocked you the most?

That no matter how well you write, how great your characters and stories are, you still need to reach the readers. The internet has brought readers and authors together in a way that has never been done before. It is wonderful, you can talk to your readers and hear what they think of your stories.

Yet, even with this wonderful communication tool an author must still find ways to get their books into the hands of readers. When you write that book, do all the edits and finally finish it, most authors think they are done. Promotion is the hardest part of being an author on the net or in the stores.

What sub-genre(s) did you gravitate to when you first started? Is it the same as now and why do you think it’s changed or stayed the same?

I always loved the gothic and historicals, and all my first tries were historicals. But when Time Travels hit the shelves I was hooked from the get go. I read every time travel I could get my hands on and then I wondered if I could write one. My first one was DREAM LOVER, that one proved to me that I could write them and I haven’t stopped. There is just something exciting about a character being thrown back in time and having to survive. The adventure brings the era to life. They have modern knowledge, but can they use it? If they do, will it change history or get them thrown into an insane asylum? Worse, accused of being a witch.

I do write in many of the other romance genres: erotica, gothic, paranormal, fantasy, suspense, contemporaries, westerns. I love to write them all, but Time Travels will always be my favorite.

What advice have you gotten that you live by?

To believe in yourself. It is the hardest obstacle for an author. You have to believe you can write and do it, don’t hesitate and never doubt your own ability or imagination.

What advice would you give a newbie (if it’s not the same as above)?

Follow your heart and believe in you.

What’s you’re writing process? Has it changed since writing your first book?

I think every author/writer has their own method in writing, there is no right way only your way. For me a story starts with the title and the first sentence. I don’t outline, I write the story as it unfolds in my mind. Sometimes I can’t write fast enough to keep up, thankfully I can type faster than I write lol. But there is nothing more exciting that those hand written note paper pages. I can usually write anywhere from 3 to 10 thousand words at a sitting when I’m into a story. I never worry about spelling or grammar, the important thing is to get the story down on paper.

As I write the story and after it is finished I do a huge amount of research for the story’s setting, the era politics, what the country is like, wars, disease and clothing, clothing is a big one especially for our modern day heroine who is now forced to wear a corset or other binding device.

I weave the history and research into the stories so that it becomes part of the whole, remember above all your story is a romance. Once the story is completed the hard edits take place and there are always more than a couple.

What keeps you writing?

I love it. For me writing is my life, when I am not writing it usually means that life has taken over lol. I don’t think the day goes by without a story or multiple stories running through my head. The one that yells the loudest usually gets my attention. I write to share, I would give my stories away just to have readers to enjoy what I’ve written.

Do you have a support system? Do you have a writing community? What valuable lessons have you learned from them?

My writing community is the internet and all the wonderful and supportive people I have met.

I’ve learned that they all aren’t going to love every story, but they always have a favorite and that is all that matters.

Define success for yourself?

Success is having a reader tell you how much they love your story. Or that they are in love with your character, usually my dark heroes lol.

What’s your comfort reads?

When I write I never read the genre I’m writing in. This usually means I will pick up a contemporary novel as I’m writing historics with the time travels or gothic.

Who are you reading right now?

I’m actually reading a book on Quantum Touch and another book on Folk Tales. I think I’m always researching

What book(s) that makes you want to write better (or stop writing because you’ll never be that good)?

Constance O’Day Flannery is an author that started out doing a series of Time Travels. If I ever write as well as her I would have accomplished my goal. She is a fabulous story teller.

Plug away…



I just finished my next Time Travel, SCARLET RAVEN and what an exciting adventure in time! This story took over eight years to finish and research in all areas. I started writing this one long before Pirates of the Carribean came out, I think my pirates are much more realistic and they do a lot more than just kiss, lol.

SCARLET RAVEN by Jewel AdamsCorin McCloud stows away on a refurbished schooner, the Raven. The journey barely begins when a violent storm rolls over the schooner, throw-ing her world upside down and lands her in Charlotte Amalie, 1725.Rogan Drake spent the last two years building his reputation as the infamous pirate Dragon, in order to revenge his brother’s murder. He forgoes following the pirate Billings, to keep an eye on a girl that just entered the city. She certainly wasn’t from here, not dressed so openly. “Brave little woman, but hardly wise.” The exotic shape of her eyes reminded him of a wild cat. Add in the sensual blend of amber and chocolate, and a man could drown in their depth. “Are you untamed my little stranger?”

Can Rogan give up his quest to revenge his brother’s death in order to keep Corin safe? Will she accept her new life as his wife? Can they both survive the anger of Black Diamond, the most notorious pi-rate in the Caribbean? SCARLET RAVEN is an adventure in Time that will fill your heart with love and your soul with life that once roamed the open seas!

HELL EVEN I FORGOT ABOUT IT

Well, I have a blog post over at Killer Fiction. It’s about the secret to getting published. I never revealed this on my blog before. So it’s worth checking it out and leaving a comment. And tomorrow there will be a Write Questions interview from Jewel Adams.

BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO POST ABOUT

You must suffer through an excerpt of the new book, See Megan Run. I’m still having bi-polar symptoms about this book. One minute I love it, the other I’m weeping on the inside because it’s going to be the book to ruin my career.

*It’s copy written dammit.*

Oh, and you get 10 brownie points if you find how I flipped the thing that makes my eye twitch when I read it in a romance novel.

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Not able to take the silence a moment longer, Megan spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me about Shep?”

“Didn’t think you’d want to hear it from me.”

Another silence. What did you say to an ex? If you were lucky the most you’d ever have to say to an ex was oh, that’s nice and find the nearest exit. The only place to escape was the dinner table… sitting across from Aiden. There was no escape. She tried again. “How have things been here?”

“Good.”

Megan glanced at him. She squelched the thought that maybe he hadn’t been fine after she left. “Your mother?”

“Heart’s still ticking.”

Megan sighed. No, not fine, certifiable. “Why don’t you just ask?”

He crossed his arms. A mirthless laugh escaped from his lips. “Ask what?”

Ah, yes, she remembered now. They both could be stubborn. No wonder they had gravitated toward each other. She summoned all her patience and said with a calm voice, “Why I left.”

“Is asking going to change the outcome?”

Megan realized it wouldn’t. She looked back onto the lake. “We used to be friends.”

“Now we’ll be family.” He scoffed and she brought her gaze back to him. “Fancy that. You’re here for the house, and once you’ve got the deed I’m sure the only thing left will be dust in your trail.”

To think for a moment she’d let herself feel guilt. Megan stood up, recognizing the temper but not knowing how to stop it. He knew what to say to get her riled up, but so did Megan. “Try not to get in the way of it. I don’t want you to choke on that dust.”

“Still self-righteous, I see.”

Oh, that did it. How many times had her mother muttered those same words when she didn’t fade into the background? He knew this and yet he still said it. She stepped up to his face, feeling the heat of him. She let her anger feed off it. “And what are you now? A choir boy?”

The shades blocked her view of his eyes, but Megan knew her comment made a direct hit.

“Still can’t come up with a decent comeback, either. I guess city living hasn’t improved you any.”

Megan narrowed her eyes, not able to hear over the roar of temper in her ears. She pocked his chest. Aiden didn’t back up and that pissed her off more. “Looks like the backwoods breeding hasn’t made you any smarter.”

“You used to like this backwoods boy.” The words came out deep and strong but caressed like a feather against her face, and because once she’d really loved the backwoods boy, Megan knew to back up. Aiden caught the edge of her shirt and pulled her to him.

“Scared?”

“No.” Even Megan heard the tremor in her voice. Aiden laughed, then stilled against her. She felt the hard planes of his chest that he’d turned into muscle since the last time she’d been this close to him. That damn zing had replaced the roar in her head. Her lips parted with a shaky sigh. Aiden cursed, then brought his lips to hers. Her nose bumped his glasses off his face. They thudded near her feet, but he didn’t seem to care. And, oh, neither did she.

This she would have remembered. This was not how he used to kiss. He cradled her head in his hands, and changed the heat level of the kiss by delving his tongue deeper in her mouth. Oh, no, he definitely didn’t used to kiss like this. If he’d kissed her like this when they were young, she’d have been pregnant every year until menopause set in.

Instead he’d grown into this man with wide shoulders, rough hands, and a mouth that made her want to sin. Her breasts felt full and heavy against his hard chest. Anger and passion made the kiss last longer than it should have. Oh, and it didn’t feel like he was trying to punish her with his lips. No, more like he was laying claim to what was once his. The passion spread like a drug through her veins, making her head reel. It made her want. The alien emotion shocked her more than the moan rising in her throat. The sound must have brought Aiden back to his senses, because he tore his mouth from hers.

The sound of their breath coming out in hard gasps filled the silence. She stumbled back, trying to get her thoughts to congeal. The intensity of the kiss rendered her mute. Aiden rubbed his hands over his face. His amber eyes took her in and she wondered if her shock resembled the expression on his face. He shook his head, disgust clouding his features. Without speaking, he turned and headed for the road. Megan placed a hand over her speeding heart.

“Welcome home to you, too.” She said to his fading shadow.

SOME SOUL SEARCHING

Amended to add: I have a new review Romance Junkies.
I’ve been doing some soul searching, in technical terms agent searching. I’ve been looking for the one that is going to fall in love with my writing and hopefully will bring me the big duckets because of it. Well, I have low standards. If I can garner 5k after the 15 percent they’ll be my BFF. So, borrowing from my fellow blogger, The Booklady, I’ve composed a letter to all potential Agents.
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Dear Agent,

I have the most marketable novel you will ever be asked to represent. (Well, not really. It’s a first person women’s fiction/romantic comedy/contemporary romance with light paranormal elements.) And today I’m offering you the one time chance of representing this novel. (Well, maybe not one time, because if you don’t accept me now you’ll probably be seeing my name again when I have a new novel to pitch. Trust me that one REALLY will be marketable.)

Out of the thousands of agents I could have picked, I’ve chosen you. (Well…not really, but that’ll be my little secret of how many other queries I’ve sent out that reads just like this one.) It’s a 1,000 page long winded saga of a women who discovers her libido. The heroine breathes from the page she is so realistic. The hero will blow your socks off he’s so sexy. (Depending on if this query is for a male agent I’ll edit accordingly.)

When Sheba goes home she is faced with an ex-boyfriend, her crazy mother, and her evil twin sister Twanda. Will she ever find love?

We’ll you’ve got to request my book to find out. I have absolutely no writing credits to speak of, except that one time I was a reporter for my school’s newspaper back in the fifth grade. When you Google my name just ignore the porn star named Melissa Going Down South and you’ll find a million blog post and comments. My grammar is stellar even on those.

I’m looking forward to hear from you, but just in case I’ve decided not to put a stamp on the SASE in case you’re not interested. I might as well save up for the agent I really want to represent me and put the stamp on that envelope.

Sincerely yours,

Melissa Going Down South Blue

WRITE QUESTIONS: Liana Laverentz

Without further ado…

When did you start writing?

In 1977. But I didn’t start writing with the intent of getting published until 1988. My first book was published in 1993.What was the defining moment that made you sit down and start writing a book?

I was an avid reader. I was working part time, going to school, and was reading and reading and reading, like 1000 pages a week–and one day I said to myself, you know, I could do this!

Actually, I was working on my MBA at the time. I was exactly halfway through the program, and I said to myself, “You have as much work ahead of you as you have behind you. Do you want to go on and rejoin corporate America, or do you want to stay home and write a book?” I chose writing a book, in part because I thought it would be easier. NOT!

What made you take yourself seriously?

Interesting question. I mean, why would you do this if you didn’t take yourself seriously, but yet the reality is, when we first start out, most people either don’t tell anyone what we are doing (in case we fail), or we do tell people but get all shy and embarrassed about it. I’m an introvert, so most likely there are others out there who took themselves seriously from the outset and announced their plans and goals to everyone, but I’m not one of them. I can’t say when that changed. My best guess would be when I wrote an article about writing and it was accepted by a magazine for writers.

What have you learned about writing that shocked you the most?

It never gets easier. Quite the opposite, in fact.

What sub-genre(s) did you gravitate to when you first started?

Is it the same as now and why do you think it’s changed or stayed the same? Long contemporary romance and romantic suspense, what used to be called mid-list books, as oppose to category romances. That hasn’t changed. I write about drama and issues in the lives of people as real as I can make them. Category books have drama and issues in them, too, but I can’t seem to successfully write a book that short J.

What advice have you gotten that you live by?

When you spend your life doing what you love to do, you are nourishing your soul. It matters not what you do, only that you love whatever you happen to do. – Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and writer

What advice would you give a newbie?

If you don’t write your stories, nobody’s going to do it for you. Don’t wake up one day and wish you’d had the courage to follow your dreams. Do it now. Make the time, and be persistent in your efforts. Polite, but persistent. Never give up. Ever. If it’s important to you, if it feeds your soul, then find a way to do it NOW. Today. Don’t put it off until you have the time, because you will never have enough time in your life to get everything you want to do, done. It just won’t happen. Which is why I host a discussion the first Thursday of every month at the Long and Short Reviews Yahoo Loop on Finding Your Balance. It’s important that we all find the balance we need between our writing and Life. To read my articles on Finding Your Balance go to http://longandshortarchives.blogspot.com/2008/01/article-finding-your-balance-pt-1.html then mark your calendar to join us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LongAndShortRomanceReviews/?yguid=306787988

What’s your writing process? Has it changed since writing your first book?

I write in layers, and yes, it has evolved over the years. First I write the dialogue, straight through, until the book is done, so I know how it ends, where I am heading. Then I go back and decide who has the most at stake in each scene, and write the scene from that character’s point of view. Then I add in the stage directions (who crossed the room, or gripped the glass too tightly, etc.). Then I go back and make sure I have the five senses covered, then I go back and add in clues, or foreshadowing. Last, but not least, I go in and tighten the focus, cut out every word that doesn’t need to be there, and pretty it all up.

What keeps you writing?

I can’t not write. I have a need to express myself, and I tend to do that best in writing.

Do you have a support system?

I have friends who keep me on track. Accountability is the key.

Do you have a writing community?

My writing community right now would have to be The Wild Rose Press.

What valuable lessons have you learned from them?

Too numerous to count, but one thing I am learning is great things happen when writers come together to support each other, and The Wild Rose Press is doing a great job of that.

Define success for yourself?

To be the person on the outside that I want to be on the inside. To have the two images of who I am—the public perception of me and who I see myself as–match.

What’s your comfort reads?

Who do I read when I need to be comforted? Eileen Dreyer, LaVryle Spencer, T.D. Jakes, Sue Monk Kidd, Barbara Delinsky, people who have a love for language and it shows. The Secret Life of Bees was a pure joy to read. As was Eileen Dreyer’s Sinners and Saints.

Who are you reading right now?

Eileen Dreyer’s Nothing Personal. I am so behind on my reading it’s not funny.

What books make you want to write better?

Any books by the authors listed above.

Plug Away….My second novel, a contemporary romance titled Thin Ice, was published by The Wild Rose Press in 2007. http://www.thewildrosepress.com/. Last October it won the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award for excellence in writing, and it’s currently an Eppie finalist. My third novel, Jake’s Return, a contemporary romance with an element of suspense, has received Five Angels and a Recommended Read from Fallen Angel Reviews.

Here is a snippet. “Ms. Laverentz has written a spellbinding story of intrigue, mystery, and love. The characters Rebecca and Jake are so powerful and well thought out that the reader instantly wants these two to find that they not only deserve to be together but that they also are each other’s halves. I was immediately caught up in the story with the first sentence, ‘Rebecca Reed would never forget the sound of Jacob Donovan walking back into her life.’ I could not only see it but feel it and smell it also. Thank you Ms. Laverentz, I can’t wait until I read more from you, and you’re definitely on my keeper shelf.” Reviewed by Donna. To read the full review, please go to:
http://www.fallenangelreviews.com/2007/September/Donna-JakesReturn.htm

Here’s a snippet of what Brenda Talley at The Romance Studio had to say: “This book was an absolute treasure—surprisingly in-depth with an original plot and characters to die for! I knew from the blurb that this should be a good book; however, I had no idea it would be such a find. This was my first Liana Laverentz novel but it definitely will not be my last.” To read the full review, please go to: http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/jakesreturnlaverentz.htm
And to read what Author Jane Richardson has to say about Thin Ice, please go to: http://janerichardsonhomethoughts.blogspot.com/2007/08/liana-laverentzs-thin-ice.html

THE BOOK BLAH’S

I was going to try and make Fridays all about the readers. I was going to blog about things they can relate to. This post may be border line, but I need to do an impromptu intervention for all the writers out there who know what I’m going through. It’s sort of like post partum depression, except it deals with how you feel about your book after its conception.

I’m sorry readers, but this the truth, sometimes that book you love, the one you read twice or three times a year, the one you told all your friends about, the one book that made this particular author became your auto-buy author, THAT BOOK, the author hates. They couldn’t wait to see that sucker go out to their editor and never, ever, ever have to read or see again.

Sorry.

Authors, you are not alone. It’s okay to admit to yourself if no one else that you hate that book. It’s okay to wish you could go back in time and write another story idea so you didn’t have to experience that ONE book that you felt was going to end your writing career. That one book (or it could be several depending on how prolific you are) you hated one moment, loved the next, and spazed out the whole entire time you edited.

Am I speaking from experience? *looks around for readers, spots one* Of course not. Yes, dear baby Jesus, yes, like RIGHT NOW. No, I love every book I write. Someone save me from this book from the hell that ruins every writer’s career. I have absolute fun writing every word I write and creating stories that a reader can love. My writing career is over before it has started with this book.

Now, I’m heading back to edits where I will wax poetic and try not to weep. And you know if you are a writer who has ever experience this you can wax poetic in the comments. If you are a reader, well, sorry about this blog post.