Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 19: How to write 20 pages a day by Donna Grant

How to write 20 pages a day by Donna Grant

This post was inspired by conversations I frequently have from others asking me how I became a prolific writer. I think the main reason is because I’m a bit OCD. J

However, it started about 15 years ago when I was just beginning to write and I had a newborn. I had already written my first book while I was pregnant and still working. I – foolishly – believed that it would be just as easy with a baby now that I was a stay-at-home-mom. Ha!

I found out quickly enough that that wasn’t the case at all. Then my husband, who had been reading a book from Stephen King about writing, told me how SK wrote 10 pages a day and that he didn’t get up until those pages were done.

I realized then that I needed to do something similar. I was all over the place in how many pages I did. Sometimes I did 10. Other times, 1 page. So I set a realistic goal of 5 pages a day (Monday – Friday).

5 pages/ day = 25 a week.

25 pages/week = 16 weeks (for 400 page book)

I was determined to write a book meeting those goals. And I did.

Putting those goals down on paper and meeting it every day inspired me to keep writing and see if I could keep it up. I wrote one more book with that same 5 page/day goal, just to be sure it wasn’t a fluke.

The next book, I bumped it up to 6 a day, and the next to 7/day. Every book I continued to bump it up by 1/day.

By the time I was at 10 pages/day, I was writing a book in eight weeks. But I didn’t stop there. I kept going until I hit 20 pages/day.

I’ve stayed comfortably at 20/day for about 15 books now. It’s ingrained in me now. If I don’t write that much, I feel as if I’ve not worked. However, there have been tight deadlines due to life getting in the way where I’ve had to do 25-30 a day. It’s not fun, but it’s doable.

The thing is, doing X/day became a habit for me. I slowly worked myself up to my desired pages per day. Because of that, I know I can write a book in four weeks, giving myself 2 weeks for revisions. I can turn a 400 page book around in 6 weeks.

Moral – goals can keep you focused and on the right track to your dreams!

**a side note: I don’t plot out my books. So if you’re a plotter, you might need to add in however many weeks you need to plot out the book.

Thanks so much for joining me today! Feel free to ask any questions you might have. J

Hugs,

*****

Let’s take a look at Donna’s up coming release:

Burning Desire

Dark Kings #3

Amazon| B&N

The Dark Kings have fought for centuries to preserve their dragon magic. But can one warrior resist the greatest temptation of all?

A DESIRE THIS POWERFUL

In his quest to destroy the Dark Fae—his nemesis—the Dragon King known as Kiril goes to Ireland as a spy. When a gorgeous, mysterious woman tries to seduce him, Kiril instantly sees through her glamour to the Dark Fae beneath. Shara isn’t just any Dark; she’s from one of the most powerful bloodlines—and despite the dangers, Kiril can’t stay away from her. He’s enthralled by her smile, enslaved by the undeniable passion…

IS A WAR WORTH FIGHTING FOR

Shara has one chance to make things right with her family—and to prove her worth. It seemed like such an easy mission…until she actually meets Kiril. His charm, his sexual magnetism is too much for her to ignore. Shara knows that falling into Kiril’s arms can bring her nothing but trouble. Yet she discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had…and an attraction that knows no bounds. But is her desire for Kiril worth the risk of eternal doom for them both?

A little about Donna:

Donna Grant is the New York Timesand USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels and novellas spanning multiple genres of romance.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Her childhood dream was to become a professional ballet dancer and study under the amazing Mikhail Baryshnikov. Though she never got to meet Baryshnikov, she did make it to New York City and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Later, Donna’s love of the romance genre and the constant stories running through her head prompted her to sit down and write her first book. Once that book was completed, there was no turning back.

Donna sold her first book in November 2005 while displaced from Hurricane Rita, a storm that destroyed portions of the Texas Gulf Coast. Since then, Donna has sold novels and novellas to both electronic and print publishers. Her books include several complete series such as Druids Glen, The Shields, Royal Chronicles, Sisters of Magic, Dark Sword, Dark Warriors, and her new series, Dark Kings.

Despite the deadlines and her voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two young children, four cats, three fish, and one long haired Chihuahua. She’s blessed with a proud, supportive husband who loves to read and travel as much as she does.

Find out more about Donna and her books here: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

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September 24, 2014September 24, 2014

Writers Tips & Tricks Day 18: Rejection: What should I do by Karina Cooper

Rejection: What Should I Do?

If you’ve so much as stuck a toe into the writing world, you know that rejection is waiting in the wings. It’s part of the industry, from the very first query—or, if you’re a masochist and want to start early, from the very first contest—all the way through to landing the agent, the publisher, the reviews, and readership.

When I asked on twitter what sort of things they’d like to read about in regards to rejection, I got such a sea of answers that I realized picking one would be all but impossible. So I figured, hey, why not go for a lightning round? (Haha, twitter did my work for me, suckers.)

So here are the questions flung at me willy-nilly.

Is yours here? Ask me anything about rejection—coping, fielding, pressing on—and I’ll answer in the comments!

Rejection: Does it hurt more or less than heartbreak?

Never ask a Virgo that. We’re pretty focused on whatever immediate tragedy lies at hand, and cut off the things that hurt us like an infected limb.

Okay, okay. Serious answer: It hurts more. That once. For that time. Until the next one.

Also, people that break your hearts are jerks and don’t deserve your attention. Pour everything into that manuscript, babies, and laugh at said jerk all the way to THE END.

Come on, it’s just one ‘no’ in a glorious future. Does it really matter all that much?

For a lot of authors, it really does. Picture this—you’ve spent days and days, weeks, months, polishing your manuscript. Your art. You’ve poured time and effort at the least, and heart and soul at the most, into something that some stranger—some professional stranger—has just told you isn’t good enough.

This taps into every neurosis we have as human beings who remember being kids in school.

But hey, maybe you aren’t one of those. Maybe you’ve already developed a will of iron and armor like the thick, callused skin of a veteran armadillo. Congratulations, you are three steps ahead of the class.

…What I meant to say was that my self-esteem kind of took a beating. What do I do?

You take a day and baby yourself. Go outside. Watch a movie. Read a book. Rant and rave—offline, my love, offline where no one can screenshot your words and reveal them later as the words of a terrible, terrible human being—and stuff your face with tacos. Cry as you consume them, for the Taco gods are capricious and a little salt will go well with that margarita.

Take that day, and then shake it off. Chuck Wendig of Terribleminds once said something along the lines of “take that rejection and staple it to your chest like armor”. While I don’t really recommend stapling anything to your flesh, the metaphor stands—you were rejected, but it didn’t kill you. Like that sexy, sexy armadillo, let it toughen your hide a little more, take a deep breath, and stride determinedly into traffic.

And by that, I mean send out another round of queries. Try to write another book. Keep brainstorming. Whatever it was that slapped you like rejection, slap back with more projects, more writing, more, more, more.

You’ll never succeed if you don’t persevere.

So…I shouldn’t Twitter about it?

No.

Facebook?

God, no.

Blog about it?

No!

Why?

The real reason? Because many agents and editors will Google you, look for Twitter and Facebook, and see what kind of person you are before signing you on. And the industry is a lot smaller than you think.

Be very clear on this: no matter how subtle you think you are, someone in the industry will know what you’re talking about—who, what agency, what house. And that person will talk to others, and so on. You will gain a reputation as being unprofessional, indiscreet, unable to take the pressures of the industry.

Also? The sting of rejection is fleeting. The internet is forever.

Think about that.

I never got a response from my queried agent/editor. What does that mean?

That depends. Does the agent/editor’s website say to give them a certain amount of time before you follow up email? Does it indicate that follow-up emails are welcome? If so, then take a deep breath, wait the allotted amount of time, and if you still haven’t heard anything, send a very polite email asking as to the status of your query.

If there is nothing about a time limit, or if the guidelines say that they can’t respond to everyone, then I’m sorry, precious. It’s a no.

…Assuming you’ve waited longer than six months.

Six months? Are you kidding me?

Nope. Look, everyone’s got a different timeline for how they handle queries. Some turn around that day, if they’re caught up, some wait 6 months or longer. Generally speaking, the guidelines for where you submit will give you a rough estimation, however not all will.

I have heard back from folks more than six months later—with a rejection, usually. I have also heard nothing ever, full stop, and that kind of sucks because it feels like such a passive slap assuring me that I am not worthy of time or effort, but let’s face it: it’s not about you. It feels like it is, because it’s your work, but you have to understand that agents and editors see upwards of thousands of queries a year. Hundreds a month.

You are you. There is only one of you. But to agents and editors? You are one of many, and unless someone has Hermione’s Time-Turner on lock, it’s impossible to always personally respond to everyone efficiently and not bottleneck the process. Some are better at this than others, but the fact is: you can have it fast, or you can have it thorough.

I saw an agent on twitter saying they always decide in a day, but wait four weeks to send a rejection? What crap is that?

Once upon a time, there was an author who was super excited to send queries out for a manuscript. Author did all the research, all the right things, had a great book, and couldn’t wait to get all the yeses flowing in.

One of the agents Author pitched to sent back a polite rejection within an hour of sending the query.

Wait, Author thought, stunned. A no? So soon? How could this be? Everything was there—the characters, the hook, the plot, the polite query, the right name. Surely, there was a mistake. Could it be that the agent didn’t actually read it?

OMG. That’s it exactly. The agent didn’t read the query before sending off a rejection! Agent couldn’t have possibly read the query, the sample pages, and taken the time to digest what was read. If the agent had, well then, the agent would obviously have seen what a great book it was!

How dare the agent not read the query?? Well, Author decides, just write an email back reminding the agent that it’s the job to properly read and digest the material coming in, and just to be extra thorough, Author adds a note of concern: I just wanted to write you just in case, because what if you miss an amazing book?

Yeah, that’ll do it. Author has just helped the agent in her business and reminded the agent that a great book was written by this helpful author at the same time. Win!

Are you serious right now?

No. Don’t do that. Seriously.

Look. It’s all part of rejection. Sometimes, an agent rejects within five minutes because the query is for a fantasy and the agent is up to here with fantasy. Sometimes an agent’s entire office talks about a pitch in the course of one day, and is in the end rejected because it’s not selling in the market. Or the sample pages weren’t quite there. Or whatever.

Problem is, agents and editors who reject quicker than average are often accused of “not really giving the work a fair chance” and other such nonsense, and rather than field shirty replies from rejected authors, they have taken to waiting a certain amount of time before sending a pass.

But doesn’t that make the wait longer for everyone?

Yes. And some of us are a little annoyed about that. Those of us who want to know sooner rather than later want this for two reasons: 1) so we can rip the band-aid off, and 2) so we can then proceed with our next plan.

Hurt feelings are valid, but they shouldn’t affect your business, okay? So don’t be That Author. Wait your allotted time, and even if it’s shorter than you think, don’t get snarky, shirty, or “helpful” when and if that rejection comes in.

Just… don’t.

Because I can promise you that that is the stuff chortled over with wine.

Wait, wait, let’s go back a second. What do you mean “it’s not about me”?

Exactly what I said. Rejection isn’t about you, the person. There are a lot of factors that go into a rejection, and unless you have made a habit of being a terrible person online or in your queries, who you are is not one of them.

I’m sure you’re a very lovely person. Thing is, as I said, you’re one of thousands of very lovely people. And one of thousands who get rejected. I promise you, delicious ones, agents and editors aren’t all clustered around communal dinner tables, chortling over wine about the you who got rejected.

Rejection feels personal, but it isn’t. It’s up to you to figure out how to separate the feelings from the reality. (See: “wine” Also, how to bounce back, above.)

Okay, can I get personal?

Go for it.

You’ve been very open about your struggles with depression. How do you cope with rejection?

I’m a talker. I have to talk things through. Therapists love me, because I go to talk at them—not to them, but at them—and the good ones have figured out how to use the fewest words to steer me in the right direction, and then let me go. I eventually work it out myself.

The husband is working on learning how to deal with this, because as a fixer, he wants to, you know, fix it, and you can’t.

Basically, for the first few rejections, I talk it over—rant and rave, swear, cry a little, talk privately with author friends because they get it—and then by the time I’m done, it’s turned into another bit of armadillo hide.

But too many rejections in a row whittles away at that, and it can lead me down a dark path.

Which is nobody else’s problem but my own, right? Because I’m the one who chose this industry, and my failure to cope is not the industry’s fault.

So at that point, I take a couple days off. I watch movies or anime, I read books, I go outside. I do things that allow me to separate completely—cut off that infected limb, right?—and maybe I work on completely separate projects. It’s not always easy or efficient, but it works for me. Time really does help.

No matter how many rejections, there will eventually be a victory. I just need to remember that.

And so do you.

And wine helps, right?

Um… So. Okay, look. Writers and alcohol are sort of like movie stars and cocaine. You’re pretty sure not everyone in Hollywood does it, but stereotypes are awesome, so everyone does it.

Don’t rely on alcohol, okay? You have to tan that armadillo hide yourself.

Dude. You got serious.

Alcoholism runs in the family. I joke, and I drink, but I actually know people who take what we writers say as gospel and believe that it is a compulsion to drink if you write.

So be good to yourself, and enjoy yourself, and do what you need to in order to cope, but don’t forget that in the end, if you’re driven to alcoholism by your hobby or job, maybe you’re in the wrong field.

Rejection is harsh, but it shouldn’t ruin your life.

So… to sum up: expect rejections, don’t lose your mind, take a day off to deal with it, then keep on.

By Jove, I think you’ve got it!

Keep trying. Not just with one project, but with several. Slap that armor on—maybe use eyelash glue or something, don’t staple it, unless you enjoy pain and tetanus, okay?—and sally forth up the next hill!

Because this industry is what it is, rejection will be part of the process forever. So do what you need to in order to mitigate the sting. You’re good at what you do. Remember that, and keep putting yourself out there.

So, did I touch on your question? Do you have any more I didn’t answer? Let me know, and I’ll answer you in the comments!

*****

Make sure to check out Karina’s newest release:

Engraved

The St. Croix Chronicles #5

Released August 11, 2014

Amazon|B&N

Cherry St. Croix returns to the fog-ridden streets of Victorian London, where the balance of power threatens all that she loves.

I will not wither without laudanum. Sober and determined, I have chosen another way—alchemy, and the pursuit of wellness it embodies. My name is Cherry St. Croix, and though freedom is finally at my fingertips, I return to the blackened streets intent on righting the wrongs I’d left behind.

All is not well in London low. Caught in a war between gangs, men are torn limb from limb, and I am called on to ascertain how. The immoral Karakash Veil is no doubt involved, and Micajah Hawke, a prisoner in his own Menagerie, cannot soften the danger this time.

Armed with the alchemical arts I have learned, my ever present guardian, and what few friends are left to me, I embark on a campaign to rescue the ringmaster I cannot abandon, save the Brick Street Bakers from annihilation, and finally face that which frightens me the most—my own heart.

A little about Karina:

After writing happily ever afters for all of her friends in school, Karina Cooper eventually grew up (sort of), went to work in the real world (kind of), where she decided that making stuff up was way more fun (true!). She is the author of dark and sexy paranormal romances, steampunk adventures, crossover urban fantasy, and continues to write across multiple genres with mad glee. Her award winning steampunk series, The St. Croix Chronicles, has been nominated for multiple RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards.

One part glamour, one part dork and all imagination, Karina is also a gamer, an avid reader, a borderline hermit and an activist. She co-exists with a husband, a menagerie and a severe coffee habit. Visit her at www.karinacooper.com, because she says so.

Learn more about Karina here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 23, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 17 part a: Tips to Build in Emotional Stakes in Your Book by Jennifer Apodaca

Tips to Build in Emotional Stakes in Your Book

by Jennifer Apodaca (Also writes as Jennifer Lyon)

The emotional stakes in a story will hook a reader and keep her invested in the book to the very end. An action-packed plot is fantastic—but all the action or twists in the world won’t keep the reader interested if she isn’t invested in the characters.

Let’s ramp up the emotional stakes so the reader is living out the story right there with our hero and heroine! We want her to feel their hopes and dreams, their fears and heartbreaks. We want readers to be rooting for the characters to triumph.

We do this by weaving together the external conflict that drives the plot, and the internal conflict that drives our characters and their decisions. That way the character’s goals mean more to the reader. She will know the heroine’s desperation to save her baby from a brutal ex stems not only from a mother’s love, but also from the fact the heroine lost her family to a house fire at six. The heroine’s baby is her only family. Now the reader is deeply invested with the heroine, nearly as desperate as she to keep the baby safe.

To understand our characters internal conflict, we need to understand their goals (usually part of the external plot), their deepest desire, and their greatest fear. I’m going to use my recent release HER TEMPORARY HERO to illustrate how internal conflict increases the emotional stakes, and ramps up the overall tension in the story because the readers are more invested in the characters.

Here is the opening set up: Logan Knight, a former Marine struggling with PTSD comes home to his ranch to find a beautiful woman and baby hiding in his house. He quickly learns that Becky Holmes is a desperate woman on the run from a brutal ex and needs a temporary hero to help her get full custody of her baby. She could be the answer to his problem as he needs a wife before his thirtieth birthday to secure the land he wants to build Camp Warrior Recovery for veterans suffering from PTSD. The problem? Logan’s trigger for his PTSD is children, especially babies. He can’t ever have a real marriage and family because of that.

But if he can manage a temporary marriage, then they can both achieve their external goals: Logan will get his land and Becky will get full custody of her baby.

I have three main tropes in this book. Tropes are easily recognizable themes repeated over and over. For example; billionaires, cowboys, secret babies, marriage of convenience, best friend’s little sister, redemption, vengeance…you get the idea. Here are the tropes in HER TEMPORARY HERO:

1.) Marriage of Convenience

2.) Baby on Doorstep

3.) Tortured Alpha Hero

Now to deepen the impact of the story we weave the external conflict (tropes/plot) with the internal conflict and motivations. To do that we must ask ourselves what are each character’s deepest desires and greatest fears, and why?

In HER TEMORARY HERO the heroine and hero’s greatest fears are:

Becky lost her father, brother, home and way of life in a house fire when she was six. Her greatest internal desire is a family, and her greatest fear is losing her family.

Logan spent his first eight years with his mom, then his rich and powerful father decided he needed a son and fought for custody. Logan’s mom gave up the fight, choosing her career as a singer over her son. After that, Logan never really fit anywhere. His greatest secret desire is to be loved enough to fight for, and his greatest fear is abandonment.

Now we take these two characters and put them in a marriage of convenience with a baby on the doorstep. Then to bring out the emotional stakes we do this:

1.) Tempt them with their greatest, possibly secret or unrecognized, desire:

–Becky: She desperately wants a family. A marriage of convenience gives her that, at least temporarily.

–Logan: To be loved enough to stay. Note: Logan doesn’t fully realized he wants that, but this time with Becky is showing him the temptation of love. By the end of the book, he knows that’s what he truly wants.

2) Terrify them with their greatest fears:

–Becky: Losing her family. She’s suffered that before, and family is more precious to her than ever.

–Logan: Abandonment, not being loved enough, and now he’s so damaged now by PTSD, that he can’t see how anyone would love him. Note: This is Logan’s perception and it’s very real to him even if we don’t see him that way.

3) Lure them into false hope that they might actually get their dream, making them want it all the more. They can taste, feel and touch it:

–Becky tells Logan she loves him attaining her family.

–Logan wants to try, believing that he might really be enough to be loved. He’s hopeful and trying, but can’t quite commit. Fear holds him back.

4) Destroy them with the Black Moment: This should be where the external plot explodes and collides with the character’s internal conflicts.

–A secret is revealed and Becky comes face-to-face with losing her family again. She’s emotionally devastated and desperate to save her baby from her brutal ex, and that forces her into actions she wouldn’t normally take. Logan had told Becky over and over to trust him, and she did…now she’s worse off.

–Logan comes home from his business trip and is faced with his greatest fear of abandonment. He’s furious that Becky would do this to him, that she didn’t trust him…until he realizes that this is really his fault (not entirely but he needs to shoulder his part of the blame). That moment is an absolute turning point for him. And he’s forced into action.

A note about the black moment: This is where characters are backed into a corner and will make a decision that their internal fear would have prevented them from making previously. Change is NEVER easy for humans, so we force them into it with the black moment. Logan is now willing to sacrifice his original goal at the beginning of the book (securing his land to build his camp for veterans suffering from PTSD) to save Becky and the baby he has come to love. It’s a light built moment fraught with tension because we don’t know if Logan will be in time to a) save Becky from the external plot and b) will she be able to forgive and trust him again?

5) Payoff Scenes: Bring it all together in a Happily Ever After

–I won’t reveal how it works out in this book, but this is where the external and internal conflicts are resolved into at least a potential happily-ever-after for romances. The payoff scenes are the reader’s reward—that sigh moment when all the strife and pain they experienced through the hero and heroine is worth it.

In closing, to ramp up the emotional stakes, use your characters internal conflict to:

–Tempt them with their deepest desire.

–Terrify them with their greatest fear.

–Lure them into false hope.

–Destroy them with the black moment.

–Then save them with the payoff scenes in a happily-ever-after.

Building the emotional stakes creates memorable characters that will live on in readers memories long after they finished the book.

*****

Make sure to check out Jennifer’s latest release

Her Temporary Hero

Once A Marine #2

Amazon|B&N

Former beauty queen Becky Holmes and her baby are on the run from her dangerous ex. With her dreams of love and marriage destroyed, she’ll do anything to protect her child…even agree to hide out in her boss’s cousin’s house while he’s away.

Wealthy, sexy, and emotionally haunted Logan Knight needs a temporary wife to get his land, per his dad’s rules. No wife, no inheritance. But when that wife lands on his doorstep and comes with a baby, his darkest memories are triggered. He tries to keep his distance, but his efforts are shattered when he starts to have real feelings for his fake wife and child.

Just as Logan begins to think he may have a future with Becky, his attempt to have it all backfires into a betrayal that forces Becky into a heart-wrenching choice no woman should ever have to make.

A little about Jennifer:

Award winning author Jennifer Apodaca grew up in Southern California and met her very own hero at the dog pound. She worked there, he came in on a business, and it was puppy love. They married and had three wonderful sons.

While her husband worked on his master’s degree, Jen did the mom thing by day and went to college at night with the intention of perusing a marketing degree. But her true passion was writing. With time at a premium, she had to make a choice.

Choosing writing, and with the full support of her husband, she poured herself into her dream. A mere eight years later, she published her first book DATING CAN BE MURDER. In her career, Jen has written a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances. Taking the pen name of Jennifer Lyon, she also created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and most recently, The Plus One Chronicles, an emotional and sexy adult contemporary series.

Jen has achieved many of her dreams except for attaining a self-cleaning house, a latte delivery service, and finding the holy grail of nonfattening wine and chocolate. She can live with those disappointments as long as she can keep writing the stories she loves to share with readers.

Jennifer would like to giveaway e-copie of The Baby Bargain and Her Temporary Hero to one lucky reader!

To Enter for a chance to win.

Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Apodaca.

Along with your email

(please use (AT) and (DOT) we don’t want any spam)

*this giveaway is sponsored by the author*

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

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September 23, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 17 part b: Three Ways to Build Your Novel’s Foundation by Macy Beckett

Macy Beckett wanted to share a post that she wrote for NaNoWriMo on self-editing for beginners.

Please check out her post about Three Ways to Build Your Novel’s Foundation HERE

*****
Make sure to check out Macy’s up coming release Make you Remember

Amazon| B&N

Coming November 4, 2014 from Penguin Group

Ten years ago, Beau Dumont made the biggest mistake of his life by letting his high school sweetheart, Devyn Mauvais, slip through his fingers. Now the reformed bad boy will stop at nothing to get her back. Even if it means tricking her into taking a job on his family’s riverboat, The Belle of the Bayou.

When Devyn’s old flame offers her a stint at the boat’s day care center, she sees it as a chance to prove she isn’t just the descendant of Louisiana’s most infamous voodoo queen. Besides, it beats leading ghost tours around New Orleans. Yet when it comes to Beau, Devyn’s all business. She won’t give the sweet-talking playboy another chance to break her heart.

But there’s no escaping temptation in such close quarters, and Beau won’t be satisfied with a few hot nights with the girl he’s always loved. As he strives to make Devyn remember the good times, will his passion and heart be enough to regain her trust?

A little about Macy:

Macy Beckett has lived in two countries and eleven different states, but she abandoned her nomadic lifestyle and now resides in Loveland, “The Sweetheart of Ohio,” with her husband and three spirited children. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas State University and resigned after nine years of teaching to write novels full-time.

Twitter @MacyBeckett | Facebook | Website | Goodreads

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 22, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 22 part b: Creating Simple Timelines by Paige Tyler

Creating Simple Timelines by Paige Tyler

When it comes to writing my stories, I always tried to put together an outline to work from. For most of my previous stuff, that outline was typically nothing more than a Word document in which I write out individual paragraphs to cover each big sequence in the book, then separate the paragraphs with asterisks. It was a simple method to come up with a beginning, a middle, and an end to the story, then add in a few pertinent details in between as needed.

But when I started writing the first book in my X-OPS Series called HER PERFECT MATE, I started to run into problems keeping plotlines and character interaction straight. My story idea was too complex to simply write out in a single Word document, so I needed a better system.

You see, the X-OPS Series involves a special covert organization called the Department of Covert Operations—DCO for short—buried so deep within the Department of Homeland Security that few people know about it, not even those in our own government. The series is supported with a decade of backstory that gets us to the point where the current books are occurring. The reader doesn’t get hit with all that stuff, of course, but I had to create the events and timelines necessary to get a feel for how the DCO came about.

Plus, while each book has its own hero and heroine (with their own individual adventures that required me to lay out a day-by-day chain of events in some cases), there are also multiple secondary characters being introduced in each book. I needed to be able to keep track all the little events that were occurring with them in each book because those things would support their individual stories later on. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a series of larger plot arcs that span three or four books at a time. I needed to be able to keep a track on them as well.

This all meant that I needed to have some kind of flexible timeline system that would allow me to really get down into the weeds in some parts of a the story (what time does the hero have to finish up in one part of town if he has to be somewhere else before the bars close at midnight, for example) while also letting me track big events that span from one book to the next.

Let me also say at this point, I wasn’t really keen to go out and buy some kind of fancy planning software that would cost me money and force me to take time learning it.

My final solution was simple. I went with something I already knew—Excel Spreadsheet.

It was already on my computer as part of the Microsoft Office Suite, it’s a simple program (i.e., I knew how to use it), and it’s flexible as all get out. Below I’ll use a couple peaks at the second book in the X-OPS Series—HER LONE WOLF (releasing November 4^th but already available for pre-order!) to highlight exactly how I used Excel to help me keep the story straight.

In the first snapshot, I show how I made a few simple boxes to form a timeline of major events. The great thing here is that if I suddenly decide to add some kind of detail in between two boxes, all I have to do is add a couple of columns. If I need a bigger box, I can do that, too.

In the snapshot below, I show how you can get more detailed if you need to, including parts of the timeline that are “backstory” vs being part of the “Current Story Line.” I could even break up the timeline, showing which events happen on Friday, for example, and which events happen on Saturday.

This is just a brief look at how I used Excel to create a simple timeline to help keep the story straight. I couldn’t show you too much of course—might give away too many secrets!!!

But I hope my idea helps some other writers out.

*****

Let’s take a look at Paige’s upcoming books:

HER LONE WOLF (X-OPS 2)

HER LONE WOLF releases Nov 4th from Sourcebooks in ebook and paperback, but is already available for pre-order from Amazon and B&N!

Pre-Order from Amazon | B&N

Leaving him was Impossible…

It took everything she had for FBI Special Agent Danica Beckett to walk away from the man she loved. But if she wants to save his life, she has to keep her distance. Now, with a killer on the loose and the stakes higher than ever before, the Department of Covert Ops is forcing these former lovers into an uneasy alliance…whether they like it or not.

Seeing her again is even worse…

The last thing Clayne Buchanan wants is to be shackled to the woman who broke his heart. She gets under his skin in a way no one ever has and makes him want things he has no right to anymore. All he has to do is suffer through this case and he can be free of her for good. But when Clayne finds out why Danica left in the first place, everything he’s tried to bury comes roaring back—and there’s no way this wolf shifter is letting her get away this time.

*****

You can also check out HER PERFECT MATE (X-OPS 1) here!

Buy HER PERFECT MATE here! Amazon | B&N | ARe | iTunes | Sourcebooks

He’s a High-Octane Special Ops Pro

When Special Forces Captain Landon Donovan is chosen for an assignment with the Department of Covert Operations, he’s stunned to find his new partner is a beautiful woman who looks like she couldn’t hurt a fly, never mind take down a terrorist.

She’s No Kitten

Ivy Halliwell isn’t your average covert op. She’s a feline shifter, and more dangerous than she looks. Her feline DNA means she can literally bring out the claws when things get dicey. She’s worked with a string of hotheaded military guys who’ve underestimated her special skills in the past. But when she’s partnered with special agent Donovan, a man sexy enough to make any girl purr, things begin to heat up. He doesn’t think she’s a freak-and he’s smokin’ hot. Soon they’re facing a threat even greater than anyone imagines…and an animal magnetism impossible to ignore.

A little about Paige:

Paige Tyler is a USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic fiction. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kickbutt heroines who fall in love with them.

She is represented by Bob Mecoy.

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 22, 2014September 22, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 22 part a: Melinda Leigh’s Tip of the Day

Melinda’s writer tip of the day:

I often find myself struggling with plot hole issues in the middle of a manuscript. Instead of staring at my plot board and taking Facebook quizzes for three days, I should reach out to a writer pal right away. Sometimes the answer to a problem is so simple I haven’t seen the resolution because I’m too deep in the book. I’m buried in the pages so deeply I can’t see the overall plot arc.

Last week I wasted three entire days on what-happens-next. I had a loose plot so I knew where my story needed to go, but how it was going to get there remained elusive. How did I bridge the gap between my first turning point and my mid-point? I reached out to a friend and explained my issue. In three texts, she pointed me in the right direction. THREE texts. <face palm>

Her answer was simple and logical. Why hadn’t I thought of it? Because when I’m 25,000 words into a project with another 75,000 still to write, it’s easy to get lost in the details. There is no substitute for a fresh set of eyes. Also, there have been occasions when the act of explaining my problem has triggered the solution in my own head, as if I just needed to talk it through.

A week later, the same pal called me with a road block in the emotional resolution for her characters. In about five minutes, we talked through the problem and resolution. I saw her plot lines much more clearly than I saw my own.

So my writer tip of the day is to cultivate writer peeps.

They will get you. This applies to a whole host of career issues from dealing with a horrible review to marketing to the writing process. Your author besties are your “safe place” to vent. They know what it’s like to spend a week locked in a room with imaginary people. Your writer friends will know what you’re doing even when you don’t. (Writers’ brains function don’t function like those of normal people.) Other writers understand the elusive magic inherent in the writing process, the way you have to trust your instincts and have faith in your ability. I’ve written twelve books, and I still hit a wall in every story where I think I’m not going to finish. My book is the worst ever. No one will ever want to read it.

My family does a collective eye-roll. But my writer friends know exactly what I’m feeling. Every time.

*****

Let’s check out Melinda’s newest release

Midnight Betrayal

Midnight #3

Amazon| B&N

Curator Dr. Louisa Hancock left behind Maine and her troubled past for Philadelphia and a job at a prominent museum. Just when it seems that Louisa’s new life is safe from her dark secrets, the body of a museum intern is found—the victim of a brutal and baffling murder.

Louisa realizes this is no random crime. And when another intern goes missing, the abduction is linked to the only man who has ever tempted Louisa’s heart—Conor Sullivan, the sexy owner of a Philly sports bar. Louisa’s past has taught her to be wary, but her heart refuses to believe Conor is guilty.

Now Conor and Louisa must dodge a police investigation—and their growing desire—as they race to find the real killer before another girl turns up dead. But trusting Conor could be deadly, especially as the evidence against him mounts…and as a merciless killer targets Louisa as the next victim.

A little about Melinda:

Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker, wife, mom, lifelong dog lover, and second degree black belt in kenpo karate. She is a 2012 Thriller Award nominee and the bestselling author of romantic suspense novels. Her next book, Midnight Sacrifice, releases in April 2013. Find out more about Melinda: website / facebook / twitter

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 19, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 15: Why Stubborn Matters by Kate Douglas

Why Stubborn Matters—Kate Douglas

Kelly, thank you so much for the invite to blog with such an amazing group of authors. You know that I’m doing this mainly to see what they have to say (well, and because I really like you) —but there has to be a secret password somewhere that helps us get the contract of our dreams, right?

Uh, no? Well…damn. Of course, I actually figured that out a long time ago. I started submitting stories back in the mid 1980s, and when I won my first contest I thought I’d be published within the year. Little did I know…

Things obviously have changed. I started in the days when you printed out a manuscript and mailed it to an editor (since finding an agent when you were unpublished was just about impossible) and then waited up to a year for a rejection. Now a writer can go ahead and write a story, put it up on Amazon and call themselves an author. A lot of those writers are serious about their craft—they find skilled editors to help them make their work as perfect as it can be, they learn the important aspects of business that can help them find success in this crazy world of writing, and they never rest on their laurels. They don’t have time, because they’re busy writing the next book. They’re too stubborn, too driven, to quit.

And those are the ones I’m talking to—the writers who take their craft seriously, who understand that there’s not a writer alive who doesn’t benefit from good editing.

First of all, I really believe that there are those among us who can’t exist without writing. I come from a long line of writers, though the writers in my family weren’t published authors. No, they kept diaries that were handed down, diaries I’ve read and marveled at, reading those penciled entries until I feel as if I know their authors intimately.

My favorite is an entry my grandmother wrote back in late 1905 when she was a nursing student in San Francisco. “He walked with me along the beach until almost 11:00, and then I bade him take me home.” Transfixed by the poetry in her prose, I read this to my dearly beloved, hopelessly pragmatic husband, whereupon he said, “And if she’d stayed until midnight, you might have been somebody else.”

The power of words…

But I have those diaries, and on occasion I will pull them out—not because the stories are so amazing, but because the stories are…well, yes, they’re amazing, but they’re also descriptive of the everyday lives of people trying to be good parents, trying to make it, trying to survive.

People who found the time to write even when times were tough–in fact, more often when times were tough. But they knew those stories were important, and so they wrote.

And, as usual, I’m getting off track. Sorry—I’ve had a rough few weeks, learning to write on a MacBook Pro when I’ve always been a Microsoft girl. Which leads me back to the place where I digressed—something I do way too often—but that’s also something I want to talk about, and that is, how being stubborn often leads to the most wonderful surprises.

I wanted to write romances. I love the happy endings, the strong-willed women and the tough-as-nails men who can still be vulnerable enough to open their hearts to love. I wanted to write them, and I did, but I also wanted to be published, which wasn’t as easy as it looked. Remember, this was the early 1980s, but I didn’t quit. I must have inherited some of that stubbornness from my predecessors, because I kept at it until I finally sold to one of the very first epublishers, but it wasn’t until 2005 that I signed my first NY contract. Twenty years after my first submission–I was 55 years old, which, to be honest, from my current age, looks pretty darned young!

But I didn’t sell one of those traditional romances I wanted to write. No, I sold Wolf Tales, which, for its time, was a rule-breaker. You name a “romance rule,” I broke it. Now my Chanku tales are pretty tame by comparison, but not in 2005. They released in January 2006, and since that time you’re seeing more and more truly amazing, unique, and totally original books. I’m not taking credit for that, because it was an evolution in publishing forced on the traditional publishers by the demands of readers. Readers who didn’t quit asking for sexy, off-the-wall stories, and writers willing to take that leap from what was, in the beginning, a very high wall.

So first tip—break the rules. Write stories that aren’t like anything else you’ve seen. I remember when we were told that first person storytelling was a deal breaker, and yet those have become some of the most popular books out there. Same sex relationships in books were taboo, and yet I fully believe that those stories of romance outside of the traditional male/female dynamic have helped break down barriers and that they’ve had a role in changing minds over the ongoing fight for marriage equality.

Second tip–you can’t break the rules until you know the rules, and this is where I get back to what I said earlier about editing. The rules I’m talking about here are the basic rules of writing–you know, the ones your teachers should have taught you when you were probably dreaming over that hot guy or gal in the next row of seats?

Yep. Those rules.

I receive emails from people all the time asking me to help them get published, and yet those emails are written without thought to punctuation, spelling, or even the most basic language skills. Know the language, know what makes a sentence, a paragraph, even a phrase, work. Once you know what good writing sounds like, you can get more creative with the rules, breaking them in a way that moves your story forward.

And I guess my third tip would be more a gentle slice of reality: if you have to force yourself to sit at the computer and write, maybe you aren’t cut out to be a writer. Your stories have to come from the heart, not because your buddy is making money self-publishing and you want to make money, too. For many of us, writing is a career, and if we’re lucky, it pays the bills. (Or at least pays enough to help us buy the tools of the trade. You know what I’m talking about: coffee, alcohol, and the occasional computer upgrade.)

But it’s our love of the written word, of the characters we create and the stories we tell that keeps us coming back to our projects day after day. We write whether we sell or not. We do it because we can’t NOT do it. We do it because it’s the only way to silence the voices in our heads, the anxiety that hits when we’re out walking and an idea pops into that convoluted brain and says WRITE ME NOW! (and yes, my characters do tend to speak in all caps…)

I hope you have that love, that desire to write the kinds of stories that you love, but if you’re not a writer, I also hope you can get just as lost in a good book as many of us do in our writing. I’m a voracious reader–that was my first love, what drove me to want to write my own stories. If you think that’s a path you want to take, don’t let anything or anyone stop you. Back to my topic–stubbornness is as important to a writer’s as any other tool of the trade.

Which reminds me–I have a new operating system to figure out. And a book to give away–Dark Wolf, the first in my Spirit Wild series. I’ll leave the details up to Kelly. Enjoy!

*****

Let’s take a look at Dark Wolf

Dark Wolf

Spirit Wild #1

Sebastian Xenakis is still coming into his power as a wizard. He can shapeshift by magical means and runs as a wolf using the power he draws from the elements. But young women are dying—raped by a human and then slaughtered by a wolf. Suspicion falls on the shapeshifting Chanku, but Sebastian wonders if he might somehow be guilty of the crimes.

Then he meets Lily Cheval, the uncrowned princess of the powerful Chanku, and realizes he will do whatever it takes to clear his name and win her love. But evil walks where Sebastian goes, and there are mysteries neither Lily nor her father, the powerful wizard, Anton Cheval, cannot unravel. Is Sebastian the perfect mate for Lily, or is he instead, one she should fear?

*****

A little about Kate:

Kate Douglas was first published in contemporary romance and then successfully moved to erotic paranormal romance with her long-running Wolf Tales series at Kensington Publishing. In 2010 she was awarded RT Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding body of work in erotic romance. Kate continues to write within the world of her sexy shapeshifters with her new Spirit Wild series which follows the second generation of Chanku shapeshifters from Wolf Tales, now published independently. She has her first romantic suspense novella with St. Martin’s Press coming out in May 2015 in the Hot Alphas anthology with Lora Leigh. Kate’s first novel in the series–Intimate–which is set in California’s wine country, is due to release in November 2015.

Learn more about Kate and her books here: Website | Facebook | Twitter @wolftales | Goodreads | Email kate@katedouglas.com

*****

To Enter for a chance to win.

Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Douglas.

Along with your email

(please use (AT) and (DOT) we don’t want any spam)

*this giveaway is sponsored by the author and US only*

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 18, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 14 part b: Finding Inspiration to Write When You’d Rather do Laundry by Rebecca Zanetti

Finding Inspiration to Write When You’d Rather do Laundry–by Rebecca Zanetti

Thanks to Kelly at Books-n-Kisses for this awesome month-long event, and thanks for including me!

Anybody who thinks it’s easy being creative on demand is freaking crazy. In addition, many people (who haven’t written a word yet) believe there’s a magical muse who sits on a writer’s shoulder and whispers pure brilliance into her ears. Crazy, right?

The muse is on vacation, the kids need lunches for school, the husband can’t find his dress pants (probably because they’re still at the cleaners), and you have three editors waiting for content. So you have a few choices. Wait for the damn muse to show up (could take months), grab a glass (or bottle) of wine and go hit the beach, or try to get inspired and meet your deadlines.

I know. It’s a tough choice.

So I’m going to say something here that a few people might disagree with. Let the creative brilliance of others inspire you. I know some authors don’t read books while they’re writing because they don’t want to be influenced, and I kind of think that’s crazy. Your voice is your voice, and even if you love somebody else’s book, I don’t think you’ll copy them. Not even subconsciously.

So, read a good book that you love. Think about the characters and why you like them. Or why you don’t really like them. Think about the plot, about the twists, and about the ending. What inspires you in that? What parts did you skip?

Or…and this is my favorite way to kick the creative side of my brain in the butt: watch a television show or movie that you just love. If you’re struggling with a sex scene, go watch something sexy. It doesn’t have to be explicit or even R rated. Some of the sexiest, tension filled scenes don’t have naked parts in them. It’s the tension that’s inspiring and intriguing. There are a couple of scenes in Weeds with Mary-Louise Parker that are, rather, um, hot. The one with Mark-Paul Gosselaar in the bar does have naked moving parts, just so you know. And he plays a surly bartender perfectly.

Having problems with your villain? Go watch a good villain. Timothy Olyphant in Live or Die Hard is awesome because he’s sexy, smart, and complex. Study him. Think about your villain. He or she can be nothing like Timothy and yet be complex in totally different ways.

I almost have my husband believing that when I’m watching a long-running marathon of Supernatural that I’m working. J

If you really don’t want to read or watch television, study the people you know. Don’t just think vaguely about them, figure them out. The blond football mom who always has a flirty smile for your husband? Go past your annoyance. Figure out (feel free to make this stuff up) why she’s so flirty. Maybe she’s insecure. Or maybe she likes to flirt. Or maybe she just needs a kick in the face. Who knows. But figure her out, and maybe create a character with the same qualities.

People are everywhere. The stranger at the grocery store hovering near the gossip magazines. Why does she do that? Get inspired by her struggle of whether or not to buy. It’s intriguing.

And at the end of the day, what you need to do is write. Sit down, put on some music, and let your subconscious take over.

If you’re a writer, if you want to be a writer, you must write. Read all of these articles by so many amazing authors for this Books-n-Kisses event, and then, if you take nothing else away, know that you must sit down and write.

You can do it. I promise.

*****

Let’s check out Rebecca’s upcoming releases:

Marked

Dark Protectors #7

Release Date December 22, 2014 Preorder here: Amazon| B&N

Janie Kayrs has known Zane almost her whole life. He was her friend in the dream world. She trusted him. But that was before he kidnapped her, spiriting her away to an isolated cabin to learn what her dreams never told her. Like how dangerous he looks. How he got on the wrong side of the negotiating table. And how much sexier he is in real life…

Zane is a battle-hardened warrior, used to command and solitude. But Janie has drawn him from the minute they met. His need for her could destroy everything he’s worked for, but the risk is too sweet not to take it. They call her the Chosen One. But when it comes down to the questions of peace or war, life or death, safety or passion, it will be Janie who makes the choice

*****

Total Surrender

Sin Brothers #4

Release date: March 31, 2014 Preorder here: Amazon|B&N

A fight he must win…

Piper Oliver knows she can’t trust him. They warned her that the tall, dark, and sexy black-ops soldier Jory Dean would try to win her over with his steel-gray eyes and deadly charm, but she won’t be conned by this man they call a traitor. All she has to do is figure out the science necessary to save his life, and she’s done. Something isn’t adding up, though, and she won’t rest until she uncovers the truth-even if it’s buried in his deep, dangerous kiss.

A passion she can’t resist…

Jory will do anything to reunite with and save his brothers-even kidnap the gorgeous woman who’s working to deactivate the deadly chip in their spines. But the forces determined to destroy his family won’t let them go so easily. Keeping Piper alive is more than he bargained for-and so is his burning desire for her. But with every second bringing him closer to certain death, can he afford to lose himself in her hot and willing embrace?

A little about Rebecca:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti writes dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and contemporary romances. She’s sold from the slush pile, from auction, from pre-empt, and most recently from a short conversation with an editor that turned into a five book deal. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Currently, she is writing the bestselling Dark Protector series from Kensington, with the tenth book, MARKED, being released in December; the bestselling Sin Brothers series from Grand Central, with TOTAL SURRENDER, book 4, being released in March of 2015, and finally, the Maverick Montana series from Entangled, with RISING ASSETS, the third book, hitting the New York Times and the USA Today Bestseller lists. Find Rebecca at: www.rebeccazanetti.com

*****

Rebecca is kind enough to offer two copies of Claimed to two lucky readers.

To Enter for a chance to win.

Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Zanetti.

Along with your email

(please use (AT) and (DOT) we don’t want any spam)

*this giveaway is sponsored by the author*

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 18, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 14 part a: How my desk got a dent in it by Dani Harper

HOW MY DESK GOT A DENT IN IT – or The Importance of Editing

by Dani Harper, www.daniharper.com

Writing is one thing. Editing is another thing.

Most of my career was spent in communications, including radio, newspaper and magazines. After that I did something totally crazy and began writing fiction. In August, I finished my seventh novel, and started plotting number eight. If it sounds like I might have learned a thing or two about writing, I have.

I’ve learned the hard way that A GOOD WRITER DOESN’T TRY TO DO IT ALONE!

Sure, I’m the person creating worlds on my laptop. But let me tell you, after I’ve stared at all that text on the screen for hours or days or weeks, my perspective isn’t worth spit. That’s why – both during and after the construction of a story – I can’t express enough THANKS to the people who fill the following roles in my writing life:

BETA READERS
STORY/CONCEPT EDITORS
COPY EDITORS

These roles tend to overlap a lot – it’s tough to draw a definite line between them, or even title them properly, and some people wear more than one hat. Whatever you call them, the wonderful folks who do these jobs are dedicated to saving me from total embarrassment… er, I mean making sure that YOU have a pleasant reading experience. Actually, it’s the same thing.

THIS IS WHY –

An error in your novel can make you look unprofessional, sure, but that’s not the worst of it. A MISTAKE TAKES THE READER OUT OF THE STORY! Whether your novel is like a pleasant Sunday drive or a white-knuckle roller coaster, you want the reader happily involved right to the very end. Something as pedestrian as a spelling mistake – or heaven help you, a hole in the plot – are like scattering nails on the pavement, or cutting the power to the amusement park. It interrupts the experience. Many promising stories are never finished or, if they are, they’re not fully appreciated, because the ride wasn’t smooth.

BETA READERS –

My first line of defense is my test audience, the Betas, and they have the unenviable job of reading the story IN PIECES. Here, please read this scene…. or this chapter…. or this segment of the book which I’ve now rewritten four times…. Their feedback is absolutely vital, and most it has to do with how they feel. Do you LIKE the characters? Is the world believable? Would someone really say this, or do that? Are there any bumps that “take you out of the story”? Is the ending satisfying?

STORY/CONCEPT EDITORS –

The story editor is like an engineer inspecting the STRUCTURE of the story, however. Does the anatomy of the novel hold up throughout? Is the pacing consistent? Is there a soggy middle? IS THERE A PLOT HOLE? Does the ending deliver what the beginning promised? Are the characters developed enough? Did the story follow the rules of the world the author built, was some detail forgotten, or did something go off the rails entirely (and if so, where?).

COPY EDITORS –

Grammar, punctuation, and spelling have to be inspected by a human eye. (Yup, your computer’s Spell Check not only doesn’t catch everything, sometimes it makes it WORSE – and it sure as heck can’t spell the Welsh and Fae languages in my stories.)

Like most writers, I have my personal punctuation demons too. I’m totally reliant on my copy editor to catch the incorrect usages of dashes and commas.

TO ERR IS HUMAN

Just because you’re striving for perfection doesn’t mean you’ll reach it, because you’re human, and your team is human. Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, it’s not only possible but likely that there’s still a mistake or two lurking in your story. Hopefully, it’s just a comma or a typo, but sometimes it’s bigger than that. After your novel comes out, you just might bang your head on the desk because something got overlooked.

Yup, my own desk has a large forehead-shaped dent in it. I wrote a story where no less than SIX people read the completed manuscript, and not a single person caught a major plot hole before it went to press.

To say that I was utterly mortified by that experience would be an understatement. I even wanted to quit writing for the first few days…. However, a good friend pointed out that such things have happened to the Big Dogs too, those writers whom I look up to and admire. If they could live through it, then so could I.

But here’s what I learned from that experience – NOT ALL EDITORS ARE CREATED EQUAL, and sometimes you haven’t got the right combination of skills on your team. I certainly had enough bodies per se – but I didn’t have a story/concept editor at that time. That’s where I made my mistake, and believe me, I’ve fixed that since.

Just because someone has hung out a shingle, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a good editor – or a good editor for YOU. Not even if they used to work for a publisher (or still do). There are some fabulously gifted editors out there too, who have never been “trained”, but have an eye for story like Tony Stark has an eye for innovation. You might have to do some asking around, some testing and trying, before you find the right story editor for your work. This goes for Betas too. The trial and error can be painful, but this is like assembling an Avengers team – it’s gotta be the right combination of talents to be effective.

CONTEST –

Now that I’ve lectured you to death, here’s something FUN. I’m giving away a $20 Amazon gift card. (Open to US/Canada) To enter, just leave a comment, and I’ll choose a winner at random from the commenters on September 25^th. (PS – Be sure to include an email address where I can reach you if you win!) Good luck, all!

*****

Let’s take a look at book 2 in Dani Harper’s Grim Series

Storm Bound

Grim #2

Amazon|B&N

From the bestselling author of Changeling Moon, this thrilling and sensual novel adds a new chapter to Dani Harper’s Celtic folklore–themed Grim Series.

Kidnapped on his wedding day in the twelfth century and forced into a thousand years of servitude by a cold-hearted faery princess, rugged blacksmith Aidan dreams of nothing but revenge on his captor. Then the spell of a beautiful witch awakens him to the present day—and a passionate desire. But to build a future, he must first confront his past…

Modern witch and magic-shop owner Brooke doesn’t think her life is missing anything, until a wayward enchantment lands a brooding medieval blacksmith in her spell room—and in her arms. Yet even after their passion proves to be truly magical, Aidan’s first commitment is to vengeance. Now Brooke must team up with friends and ancient warriors alike—and push her own powers to their limits—to save her love from the wrath of an evil fae

A little about Dani:

“There isn’t anything Dani Harper likes better than exploring myth and legend – unless it’s writing sizzling and suspenseful fantasy. Of course, all of her stories have at least one foot firmly in the netherworld!”

Right now I’m bringing ancient Celtic mythology into modern-day America! The inspiration comes partly from my Welsh gramma, and partly from the many British storybooks I had as a child. I grew up on tales of the Fair Ones, the Fae, the Sidhe, and the Tylwyth Teg. So it seems natural to revisit that world as an adult. Plus, I get to write about one of my all-time favorite creatures – the Black Dog, herald of Death! STORM WARRIOR and STORM BOUND are Books 1 and 2 of my new GRIM SERIES. Book 3 is STORM WARNED, and it’s on my editor’s desk as I write this.

To purchase the first two books in the Grim Series click on the title here: Storm Warrior and Storm Bound

Learn more about Dani and her books here: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER or @Dani_Harper | BLOG | NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP – (All subscribers are automatically entered in monthly giveaways!) | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – (I’m always grateful for a “Like” on this page – it’s in the upper right)

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Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

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September 17, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tip & Tricks Day 13: Staying Motivated by Cynthia Eden

Staying Motivated

Hi, everyone! It’s a pleasure to be participating in this “Tips and Tricks” fun! For my turn, I thought I would talk about motivation. I mean, writing is fun—please, don’t get me wrong on that! It’s an absolute dream job. But everyone can use a little motivation now and then. ESPECIALLY writers. Our profession is very solitary. In order to stay at the best level of performance, we all must remain motivated!

So here are a few of my tips:

Don’t write alone. One of the best ways to get inspired to write (get those words on the page, baby!) is to write with other authors. I love signing on to Twitter and asking other writers to participate in the #1k1hr fun with me (that’s writing 1,000 words in an hour). When several authors all sign up to write at the same time, it’s a great method of accountability. At the end of the hour, you can celebrate your progress…and then feel energized to keep going for another #1k1hr.
Reward yourself. When you hit a particular word count (whether it’s finishing a chapter or even finishing a book), be sure to reward yourself. Positive reinforcement is the best! I like to reward myself with good books to read. If I finish 100 pages of text, then I can take a break and read a new thriller. Or if I finish a book, then I can finally read that big pile of great TBRs that I collected over the last month while I was writing. (This is a little side note—I rarely ever read within my own genre when I am actually writing—I save all of the romances as my “reward reads” when I am done with a book.)
Feel the beat, baby! If you’re sitting at the computer and the words just won’t come, then take a music break. Listen to music. Dance to the beat. Just get lost for a little while. Music can relax and refresh you. By the time the song is over, you can try attacking that story again. For me, I like to listen to music that will set the scene I want to write. For example, if I am about to write an intense action scene, then I want to listen to some hard, pounding music.
Surround yourself with things that make you happy. At my desk, I’ve got all kinds of little goodies—dragons, Snoopy figurines, and even snow globes that include covers of my books. I made my desk area into my writing sanctuary. When I sit down, I can’t help but smile. I want to work at my desk, and being in that right frame of mind makes a huge difference to me.

So there you have it. A few of my tips and tricks for staying motivated. If you’ve got some tips to share, please do! And best of luck to you on your writing endeavors!

Cynthia Eden

www.cynthiaeden.com

New York Times & USA Today best-selling author

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Let’s take a look at Cynthia’s upcoming release

Mine to Have

Mine #5

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Cynthia Eden continues her sexy “Mine” romantic suspense series with…MINE TO HAVE.

Is he a hero…or the villain?When Elizabeth Ward sees Saxon Black rushing into the backroom of The Blade—a low end bar in Miami—she isn’t sure if he’s there to save the day…or just to raise some hell. But she’s being held hostage, and he’s her best hope of survival. Within minutes, she’s away from the jerks with the guns and riding fast and hard on the back of Saxon’s motorcycle.Death stalks them.Saxon has been working undercover for far too long. When he finds sexy Elizabeth—with a gun to her head—he knows he will do anything to keep her safe. But once he gets her away from her abductors, the threat to her isn’t over. Someone has put a price on Elizabeth’s head, and if Saxon can’t keep her safe from the danger stalking her, then she’ll be dead.Their lives are both on the line.As their enemies close in, Elizabeth and Saxon must go on the run. And the longer they are together, the hotter their attraction for one another seems to burn. Saxon vows not to let anyone hurt her, no matter what he has to do, because he’s falling fast for Elizabeth. He’ll stop the killers on her trail, and then he’ll have her. Forever.

A little about Cynthia:

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is aNew York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, andIndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas.

Cynthia is a “hybrid” author. She has published extensively with New York (her New York publishers include Kensington, Grand Central, and Harlequin), and she has also enjoyed success in her indie writing career.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

You can find Cynthia chatting daily on Twitter or on herFacebook page.

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To Enter for a chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card.

Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Eden.

Along with your email

(please use (AT) and (DOT) we don’t want any spam)

*this giveaway is sponsored by the author*

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

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September 16, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 12: Writing-What a ride by Maggie Wells

Writing – What a ride!

When I started my writing career, I did it with the kind of breathless anticipation one feels when they are boarding a roller coaster. In the four years since I pulled the harness down, I’ve experienced every kind of extreme—the highs, the lows, the twists that left me dizzy and the sharp turns I never saw coming.

We live in a fast-paced world. This is a tough business, and it’s changing every second. There’s a lot of pressure for an author. Even more than many people realize, because many of us are working a full-time day job, raising families, and trying to manage our own romances while cranking out the juicy stuff for our readers. It can be a bit…much. Things got so overwhelming that just a few months or so ago I dipped into a valley so low I thought about quitting.

For about a minute.

I don’t think I could if I wanted to. At the moment, more ideas running around in my head than I have hours to write them. And I don’t want to let them go. Therefore, I needed to find a way to balance my writing with my life.

Here are a few ways I’ve learned to roll with the flow:

1) I bought a hammock. Sounds counter-productive, right? Wrong! Staring up at the sky from a hammock is the perfect way to let the imagination soar.

2) Word count. Yes, most authors have a daily word count goal, but I did something radical with mine. I lowered it. You see, on most days I can write about a thousand words in an hour. I used to think that meant I should be able to crank out a minimum 3k a night. You know, between dinner, laundry, yard work…. Uh huh. Couldn’t pull that off for very long. Now I aim for a thousand words her night. I usually end up with more, but with a lot less pressure.

3) I’ve given myself permission to say no. As writers, we hear the word with heart-wrenching regularity, but we don’t often use it. For every hour we spend writing, we spend just as many working on branding and promotion, but I’ve finally given up on trying to be everywhere all at once. The writing the best story I can is my priority. Period.

By taking a step back, I feel like I’m giving myself room to grow. So yeah, that clicking sound you hear is the lift chain catching the undercarriage of this roller coaster train once more. Hang on and hands up!

Bio:

By day, Maggie Wells is buried in spreadsheets. At night she pens tales of people tangling up the sheets. She’ll tell you she’s a deep down dirty girl, but you only have to scratch the surface of this mild-mannered married lady to find a naughty streak a mile wide. The product of a rogue and a shameless flirt, she just can’t help herself…that’s part of her charm.

For a dose of heart and heat with your happily ever after, check out Website | Twitter @MaggieWells1 | Facebook

Maggie would like to giveaway an e-copy of her newest release The Last First Date.

Let’s take a look at The Last First Date

Amazon| B&N

First date number forty-eight comes to a screeching halt for detective Langley Sheppard when his date lifts a pack of gum from the local convenience store. But things start looking up when he encounters spunky damsel in distress Jessica Vickers, who’s stranded in the store parking lot. Now Lang is about to discover that on a night when everything goes wrong, falling for Jessica feels spectacularly right.

To Enter for a chance to win.

Please leave a comment or question for Ms. Wells.

Along with your email

(please use (AT) and (DOT) we don’t want any spam)

*this giveaway is sponsored by the author*

*****

Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

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September 15, 2014September 17, 2014

Writer’s Tips & Tricks Day 11 part b: Never give up by Erin Kellison

Never Give Up by Erin Kellison

Never give up! Never surrender!

Writing, promoting, and publishing books is (crazy) time-intensive, and the highs and lows are a roller coaster ride that can leave a writer disoriented. And then there’s regular life beyond writing—kids, jobs, houses, car payments, etc. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. And somehow in there…you’re supposed to write a book. And usually at first, it’s not for a lot of money.

So how do you cope, stay sane, and still write?

My recommendation is to track word count. Everything else (writing related) doesn’t matter unless your word count for the day has gone higher.

I’m not really talking about goals here. I’m a big goal-setter/goal-forgetter. In fact, setting goals is one of my favorite time sucks because I get to plan out meticulously how I’m going to write x number of books in x time to invigorate algorithms and supercharge sales. Whee! But honestly, if I have not added word count to a story, I don’t have anything.

Word count can be a refuge. In the midst of all the publishing chatter and networking and promotion, good reviews and bad reviews, as well as general life joys and crises—word count is the thing that got all of us into writing in the first place. It’s the story. When you had that idea about the vampire or cowboy or family that runs an inn, I’m guessing you didn’t first imagine sending support messages to Facebook asking why they refused to boost your post. When the going gets tough (or tedious) and the To Do list gets long, the one thing to hit is your word count. That’s what saves me. (I also have chocolate on hand.)

It’s a common axiom that the best promotion is to write the next book. The rest (well, mostly) can be done in the commercial breaks while watching MasterChef.

What’s a good word count to get per day? It’s easy to be intimidated when you start to hear what some people can accomplish in a day. I know authors who can write 10k in a day. (Can you hear me laughing?) Good for them. Power to the fingers. Choose a word count that you can meet. Be honest with yourself about it. And hit that number every single day (unless something big happens, then no worries). But I’m serious. The magic secret to writing a book is Butt in Chair, Fingers on Keyboard.

For those just starting out, I recommend 250 words per day. That’s a page. Try dialogue if nothing is flowing. Get a conversation going and see how the characters feel to you.

If you’re already writing, don’t get intimidated by the huge numbers others do. You have no idea what their writing process is. I’ve heard about this strange animal called a Fast Draft. I’ve never been able to do it myself. Find your own process. It will be individual and suit your own quirks—and it may change over time. 1k per day will write you a full-length book in three months.

What about editing/revision? There’s nothing quite so painful as spending the day writing and achieving a negative word count. This will happen at some point in every project. Some writers revise along the way (me) while others get a full draft and then go back and rework with the whole in mind. On revision days, try setting a different benchmark, like revising ten pages.

A warning to the perfectionist fiddlers: If compelled to go back and spend two hours making that one sentence perfect with the era-appropriate language, research, etc., okay. Knock yourself out. BUT (maniacal cackle) still get the daily word count, even if it’s not perfect. If you have a ton of on-going research to do, consider lowering the daily word count so you don’t get so immersed in the time period/physics of space travel/criminal profiling that you don’t actually write the book.

The idea is to make forward progress. And in the noise and stress of the business and daily life, the story is where the passion is. Nurturing it helps with the rest. And the best part is…those words add up to pages really fast. It’s an awesome feeling to realize you’re a quarter…a half…holy crap, two thirds!…then finished with your book.

A little about Erin:

Erin Kellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the Shadow series and Shadow Kissed series, which share the same world, where dark fantasy meets modern fairy tale. Delve into dreamscapes in her new Reveler series, releasing Summer 2014.

Learn more about Erin and her books here: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | G+ | Goodreads

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Let’s take a look at Erin’s newest release

Bring Me a Dream

Reveler #5

Amazon | B&N

The madman and the nightmare…

Vincent Blackman is a little…unhinged. He recently fought a nightmare from the world Darkside and won. Now he fears nothing and wants revenge on the man who had his father brutally murdered. And how convenient to find an ally in Mirren Lambert, his enemy’s gorgeous and sexy daughter. Unfortunately, she’s made a few enemies of her own.

She might be a nightmare, but she’s also his ultimate fantasy.

Mirren was born half human, half nightmare. She was on the run from her ruthless father, but when he abducted her young son, she knew he had to be stopped once and for all. Dangerous Vincent is just who she needs to help her, though she has a perilous part to play as well, infiltrating her father’s circles to discover his secrets. They learn something dark is stirring in the dreamwaters, and it’s reaching toward the waking world. Vincent might be holding on to the last of his sanity, but that’s okay, as long as he holds on even tighter to her.

Bring Me A Dream is the fifth installment in the Reveler serial, a hot paranormal romance set in a world where shared dreaming is a new pop culture phenomenon that allows people to indulge their wildest fantasies. But there are also unknown dangers Darkside; nightmares are slowly infiltrating not only dreams, but the waking world as well. And behind them all is a shadowy entity called the Sandman.

Revel with me.

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Make sure to check out all of the other stops on this month long tour HERE and enter the grand prize giveaway.

All winner’s will be picked at the end of the month and announce the 1st week of October.

a Rafflecopter giveaway