The Box

My dear friend Raine has issues with the box. You know the ones that are “genre specific”. Well, here are the few I wish weren’t so set in stone and some that I wish were a little more accepted.

1. Single mother who isn’t a widow.

2. Long-term releationships that just didn’t work out. The ex didn’t beat or cheat on her, making him the eternal bad guy and woe is the heroine.

3. If she had sex with more than one guy they were all bad guys or those relationships are skimmed over or it was BAD sex.

4. If she’s overweight her first experience sucked or she’s just had one experience.

5. The hero is a ho, but the heroine’s Glittery Hoo-Ha will change him and he won’t cheat on HER.

6. Just stop saying the man’s teeth flashed. PLEASE.

7. He’s a felon, but he didn’t do the crime or it was for an honorable reason.

I guess what I want are people who aren’t so perfect. A little more complexity. Let me sink my teeth into a character who I can’t just say they’re good or bad. Let me decide through the story. Here’s some books that I’m talking about:

Agnes and The Hitman
Homeport
Once a Thief
Smoke Thief

So on and so forth.

Now tell me which genre rules would you like to see less of or what type of stories would you like to see more of.

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

In the nine years I’ve been a parent I’ve had to apologize to my parents on numerous occasions. The stories I’ve heard about myself as a child raised my the hairs on the back of my neck. Most times it just starts to make sense. I had one of those moments yesterday.

A little backstory…

My sister and I, at a tender of age of YOUNG loved this song by Changing Faces. R. Kelley produced it, but this was before the scandal broke out. (Heck, the Aaliyah scandal could have still been going on.)

We were in the car one day singing the innocent words, “Do I mind if I stroke you up? Do I mind if I stroke you down? All through the night.”

My parents turned with horror on their faces. “You can’t sing that song.”

“Why?” we asked in protest.

“You just can’t.”

At the time I didn’t understand.

Of course until my son was running around the house singing, “Ya, Trick, Ya.”

It’s really a song. I had to explain to my son he couldn’t sing that song anymore. “But why?”

*head-to-desk*

Mom and Dad I formally apologize….

CROWS OF DOUBT

You know I think I might have split personalities or maybe manic depressive when it comes to writing. One day I’m up. My writing is brillant. I’m a genius. The next day MY WRITING SUCKS. Who do I think I am? What made me think this might be a viable career? And these characters…don’t get me started.

And then of course the next day I’m a literary genius.

Go figure. I’m having one of these days. I’m sure I’m going to have a rocking writing time later, but it’s sitting my butt in the chair and letting the words come. Be it crap or golden or golden crap.

I think a lot of it has to do with I have someone waiting at the other end of this ms. My career as a writer won’t be over, but if I don’t do well I’m going to miss a great, great, great opportunity.

Again, I ask what made me think this might be a viable career?

Because I love it isn’t washing today. And I know I’m not the only writer to deal with these feelings. So, I’m just going to tell myself I Am a Great Writer and slink back into the shadows.

A BUSY LITTLE BEE

So, research, a drool worthy man–heck, just the drool worth man–should have left me exhausted. Nope. I’m on a roll and I’d rather not stop it. I think my writing mojo is making up for lost time. Thank you writing Gods.

I now have a sucknopsis done. 4 pages double-spaced. The longest sucknopsis I’ve ever written. It will stay as is until I finish the story. I also have blurb. I also wrote 3 pages in the my notebook. I’m thinking my characters aren’t going to meet until the beginning of chapter to. In romance, especially a novella, they should meet in the first few pages. I’ll angst about that later, because the words are coming, so who cares.

Because you read this far here’s the shoddy blurb I slapped together*it’s way too long. I’ll angest about that later too*:

Hazel Garvey doesn’t like to think of herself as a workaholic, but then again she gets her home mail sent to her job. It’s how she ends up reading the Spam mail that promises her “We’ll provide everything you need”. Right. Like giving her back the spark in a career she used to love—and a woman does have needs. The Spam letter gets more promising after Hazel’s boss tells her a vacation is in order or else. A surprising demand since she’s the top Interior Designer for their company. She must be bad off. Hazel grudgingly takes the vacation and the offer for a month long—free—stay on a secluded island. This break from her interior designing career needs to work or she’ll be in the unemployment line.

Brice Creed is already standing in that unemployment line after getting sacked from his last job. Being raised in a large family has at least given him the ability to have a plan B, which for him is starting his own renovating business. How he’ll make enough money is still a little fuzzy. Then opportunity knocks in the form of a woman who can change his life—Hazel Garvey, Interior Designer to the Gods. If she can decorate his house he’ll be swimming in enough money to start his own business. Now all he has to do is convince her.

Yes, way to long.

Other than that how’s your Monday going?

SO LOVING THIS BOOK ALREADY

Besides the fact 120 pages is beyond doable, I’m doing research for deserted islands, interior designing and men you ruin keyboards over because you can’t stop the drool.

Here’s where I’ll be, mentally, for the next month and a half.

It’s natural to envy me. Just don’t throw tomatoes. I’m allergic.

BECAUSE IT NEVER ENDS

Yes, I finished a book last night. I know. It’s insane, I should be resting. I will, but I needed to find my hero. I’ll be writing an interracial romance. A first for me. I needed to see him in my head and on paper. Mainly, I needed to know why my character would stop and look at this man. *Heck, I need to know that for every story I write.* Consider him for more than a passiing glance. And you know have her ovaries sit up and pay attention.

I think I did good. What do you think of Brice Creed?

THE END

That is all I have to say in this post.

THE END

AN AWARD-SIZED DILEMMA

One thing before I start: I hate getting involved in the talk of politics, especially on my blog. Not that I don’t enjoy great debates. It’s just that there are too many ways to start a flame war. I’d rather not be in one of them. Yes, I like to watch from the sidelines and watch 90 percent of the people involved make idiots of themselves. And most of the topics I just don’t have the passion to dig in and fight the good fight.

But the the politics surrounding a certain award, a prestigious award is bugging the heck out of me. To the point I called three times until I heard from the horses mouth before I blogged on this subject.

As you know my first book came out this year. I’m darn proud of this book. So, much so, that if I died today I’d want that book to be bronzed and buried with me. I decided that I would enter this prestigous award with that book. And you know enter See Megan Run on the fly since they would both have a 2008 copyright. *not sure if by the the deadline if I’d have the printed copies in hand*

Now I heard through the grapevine if you were published by an e-pub or a small press you couldn’t enter unless your story was 20k or under. Of course the WTFs rang in the air. Hence the reason I called three times to get clarification. This is not so, but now there are new barriers. Let me list the ones holding me back: (Paraphrased)

1. I don’t consider How Much a single title by any means. It just doesn’t seem to fit that category. You get knocked down points for entering the wrong category.

2. My book doesn’t fall under the “series” definition which is: must be number sequentially, must be under a line that has the same amount of books each month, basically it must be printed by Holy Grail of Romance.

3. Can’t enter it in the novella category because it’s 2k over the limit.

Yeah, I’m pretty much screwed and going on a prayer by entering this book. But now listen to this one and it just made my head explode.

4. Must be mass market produced in print i.e. it must have a print run. Which means your book needs to be sitting in a warehouse ready to go out to the readers. It cannot be POD in essence.

Which in my opinion knocks out most e-published books that use POD to print their books.

What this means for me is that if my publisher doesn’t have a print run for my book then I can’t enter this prestigious award. *I mean the paralegal student in me can make an argument if is a print-run even if it’s only six books*

So, what you are telling me is that if I’m not pubbed with a Big NY or with the Holy Grail then my book isn’t good enough to be entered into this contest?

Of course I’m taking this the wrong way. And the rules are there for some insane reason, but how can I not feel like the above when I know I’ve written a book that I want to be buried with because it’s that good. I’m not being vain or tooting my own horn. I’d admit, at least to myself if I think a book is crap. I’m not even saying I’d win, but I’m not even getting the chance. All I’m saying is let the book speak for itself not the way a publisher PRINTS their books.

Right now I’m disheartened and angry. Yes, there are other contests that don’t discriminate against e-pubs, but this place is about supporting romance novels. I could have sworn that’s what I write, so why can’t my book be supported?

Oh, it doesn’t have a print run. Forgot myself there for a moment.

*kicking soapbox back under the bed*

A MILLION THINGS TO POST ABOUT

And I can’t pick one. So, let’s call this an update on my life post. Of course since I love to number things…

1. Still buzzing from release date, but now the idea of promoting is starting to sink in. When is it too early? When is it just last minute? What am I going to do this time around now that I’m not a newbie?

A. Expect an e-mail from me if you own a blog. Yes, I will call up the friendship card on you. Please don’t be annoyed with me. I’m trying to do what they call networking?

B. I’ll run a contest. Giving away How Much You Want to Bet? But I’ll make it harder this time around. And if you ask real nice *which just means mention in a round about way* I’ll post the prizes you would have won if I wasn’t a selfish shrew.

C. I’ll start making plans now, but won’t do anything until my actual book is released so there is a buy link. Makes sense. Why tease you with a book you can’t buy yet?

2. I’m writing a big scene today. I have high hopes, but I know I’m going to miss the mark. It’ll just be loosely disguised barbs thrown back and forth. My goal is to just make everyone have indigestion at the Thanksgiving dinner after these two characters are done with each other.

3. After I’m done with that scene, I get to write a sex scene. I have to figure out the goal so it doesn’t turn into Tab A into Tab B.

4. I’m going to have to revise the hell out of this ms. *le sigh* It’s bad when even I don’t believe these characters should be together. I have a feeling both Jorja and Eric will need a personality upgrade, but I’m just getting the bones down…

5. Still having some writing foreplay with the story I will write after this. If the words keep coming like they are I’ll be done in October. I promised to have the first three chapters, a synopsis and a blurb by mid-September.

6. Yes, I’m insane. It takes me at least 6 months to write a synopsis. Why, oh, why must I always put my foot in my mouth?

7. No, I’m not thinking about my submission at all.

8. Yes, I have a bridge I can sell you, too.

9. Just some subliminal messaging: Go buy my book.

Hey, I mentioned promotion, you should have seen that one coming. Maybe next time I’ll actually blog about something with substance.

JUST PUT ME OUT OF MY MISERY

And give me a release date, already. You know, not that I’m impatient or anything.

EDITED TO ADD:

When you speak of the devil…

Release Dates:
10/29/08- E-book $4.50
12/12/08- Print $11.99

WOOOT!!!!!!!!