What's in a setting?

In fiction, authors use details of setting to define location and character, drawing on readers' knowledge and sometimes cliched impressions about the elements they use. Location and time, for instance, implies climate and sometimes draws on stereotypes of the people living there. Readers might automatically think of freewheeling partygoers in New Orleans, violent criminals and their victims in Chicago, or wealthy retirees, drug lords and Cuban expatriates in Miami.

Beautiful mansions, modest homes and shoddy tenements in whatever location tell readers much about their inhabitants. A character's chosen surroundings can either solidify stereotypes of who he is (a hot, bachelor lawyer with an obviously decorator-done condo that looks like a seduction pad) or a detail that stands away from that stereotype (perhaps a faded, framed photo set unobtrusively on the credenza beside his desk, of a little boy in tattered clothes, standing next to a woman bent over in a strawberry field).

Like the Rolex on his wrist, his custom-tailored suits, his yacht and his gleaming red Ferrari, this hero's condo tells the reader he has achieved success and wealth. The lone personal looking item, in this case a picture, hints that he has known poverty and makes the reader wonder what shaped him into what he is today.

Natural phenomena in settings often punctuate or trigger tumultuous emotions. Is a character apprehensive? Afraid? Uncertain? Or even as wild as the storm? Many times in romance, these feelings in characters will be accompanied by a roll of thunder...crackling lightning in an otherwise black night sky...a burst of hailstones--or a blizzard with snow falling so fast that it seems the lovers may be buried under its frozen depth.

I've pulled an example of using nature to heighten character emotion from each of my Lawyers in Love series books, which I've been revisiting as I write a new, connected series, Courthouse Connections, which I hope will be completed by the end of 2013.

These books can also be bought in two print collections, THE DEFENDERS and THE PROSECUTORS. All of my books are available from Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, All Romance EBooks, Kobo and other authorized online booksellers. Print ones are also available through LSI and Createspace.

"Waves rocked the boat. Thunder rolled. She tightened her hold on his hard-muscled torso. He would keep the world at bay, keep her safe..." (In His Own Defense)

"Damn it, he shouldn’t have to keep reminding himself every few minutes that he had no business lusting after what he could no longer have. As if in warning, the thunder clapped again, louder this time.
"Andi shuddered, a strangely sensual motion that contrasted with the fierceness of the storm. “You know, I’m afraid of lightning. Always have been. I wish…" (Bittersweet Homecoming)

"Sensation sizzled through her brain, the heat of the day bringing sweat up on her brow. Mild heat, though, compared with the fires Craig kindled inside her..." (Gettin' It On)

"For a long time he held her. Shivered with her while the wind pummeled their shelter, reminding him of the danger. Not only that which threatened them, but that which promised to consume him if he gave his raging emotions free rein. If he took her, claimed her now the way he'd been too young and green to take her years ago." (Eye of the Storm)

Conversely, authors will often set the resolution of conflict or its lusty aftermath on a sunny day at the beach, a riverbank with the river's sometimes rushing water running lazily by contented lovers--or a cool evening inside, perhaps in front of a warm and inviting fireplace.  heirloom quilt.


So... There's a lot of emotion an author can show readers by setting. Setting includes not only physical surroundings but also acts of nature that can illustrate the depths of characters' emotions. There's a whole lot to the settings in which authors place their characters.

Ann Jacobs

http://annjacobs.net

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Perfecting Your Pitch

In another month or so, I’ll be heading off to an area writers conference for long weekend of workshops and socializing.  I try to attend whenever I’m able and this year I plan to pitch my newly finished manuscript to an agent.

Many conferences offer the opportunity to pitch your finished story to agents and editors. The prospect of meeting privately with an editor or agent can be both daunting and scary. After all, how do you convince someone in only ten minutes, that the manuscript you’ve sweat blood over for the past year or better is worthy of their time. How do you persuade them to believe that the pages you have in your computer are going to make them money and how do you win them over so they to believe in your work as much as you do?

If you come to your meeting prepared, that should take away a bit of the pressure and give you that extra bit of confidence you need to present yourself as a professional.

First, know what you have.  Is your story literary fiction or genre fiction?  Is it a mystery set in 1850, with paranormal elements? Is it a love story or a romance? If you don’t know what you have, how will an agent know where to sell it, or a publisher know how to market it?

Each agent and editor is looking for certain things. Announcing you have a historical, paranormal, mystery, that is also deeply symbolic of today’s society, is confusing.  The editor looking for literary fiction isn’t going to be interested in a mystery or a paranormal.  But if your manuscript can be presented as, “Book Title”  is a satire reflective of the changes in our society.  “Book Title” begins with the extended family, it-takes- a-village way of life, and ends with a society of individuals, isolated by earbuds and the internet.  Set in the past with elements of the paranormal and a bit of mystery to…”  You see how the focus here shifts to literary fiction?

Next, study the choices presented when you look through the conference information. There is usually a list of all the agents and editors, along with a short bio for each of them. Google their names, the name of their publisher, or their literary agency. See what type of books they are looking for and what kind of books they have out.  Find the agent or editor that is the closest match for your story.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.

I met with an agent who was looking for contemporary romance and women’s fiction.  My novel was a historical western romance, but she was the closest to what I wrote. I wasn’t sure if I should even sign up to talk to her, but someone said you never know, she could really like it and decide to represent it. Instead, she explained that while she wasn’t interested in a western, she had a friend at another agency who loved them.  She wrote down the person’s name and email, and told me to mention her name when I sent my query. So you never do know.

Once you’ve done your home work and you’ve signed up for your pitch session, plan out  what you’re going to say. Most sessions are timed, so don’t go over your limit. It is rude and unprofessional. Realize that if you have ten minutes with this agent or editor, you will not have ten minutes to talk about your book. There will be the initial greeting and hand shake and maybe a word or two about the conference.  Make sure you have your business card at the ready.

You don’t want to walk into the room with your card extended from your outstretched hand. Nor do you want to be digging through your purse or pockets hunting for it when you need it. 

Business cards are fairly inexpensive. Don’t hand over the business card from your day job with wrong information crossed out. A business card with your contact information and web site or at least an e-mail address will automatically let the agent or editor know you are a professional.  It is also a good idea to have the name of the conference and the name of the book you are pitching written neatly on the back to remind them where they met you and what you were pitching.

Plan to leave time at the end of your session for the agent or editor to ask questions. It is better to end a few minutes early than to have the conference time keeper banging on the door, or worse leave the agent or editor without the opportunity to ask you something important.

Make sure you dress appropriately, are neat and well groomed. You are a salesman for your own product. Business casual is usually the best. Don’t stroll in late without a shower, because you were at the hotel bar until closing then fell asleep in your clothes.

Know ahead of time what you are going to say. Write it as you would write a query letter or a synopsis. Think about your tag-line or ten second elevator pitch to start things off and capture the person’s interest.  Then present a brief synopsis. Think of it as a slightly expanded back-cover blurb. Don’t forget to include the Title, word count and genre. If your book is part of a series mention it, but keep the focus of your pitch on one book.

Introduce only the main character and the villain, or the hero and heroine by name. Anymore names will be difficult to remember and you do not want this person to come away confused about your story.  Refer to your main character by their first name frequently after the initial time you mention them. Lots of he’s and she’s blur together and reiterating the main character’s name here and there helps the agent or editor focus on them and remember them. Don’t clutter up your time with a lot of back story, secondary characters, and plot lines. I’m not saying they aren’t important to the story, I’m saying don’t confuse the agent or editor. They don’t have copy in front of them. Remember the principle of KISS, Keep it simple, stupid.  Touch briefly on setting, even if your story takes place on another planet or a parallel universe. Now isn’t the time for elaborate descriptions of your world. Mention it and move on. If they’re in the market for your type of story, chances are they already have the gist of your setting. Introduce your character’s main problem, their main goal and the dark moment when things seem at their bleakest. Then give a quick resolution.

Practice your pitch aloud. Time it and see how long it takes. Present your pitch to your spouse or critique partner. See if they were lost or confused by what you’ve said. Did they understand the goal, motivation and conflict of the story. 

Be comfortable with your pitch. Write it down key points on an index card in case you get nervous and forget what you had memorized. It is better to glance down at a card if you forget than to stammer and hem-and-haw your way through it.

If the agent or editor has questions about your story they will ask. They might request that you send them a synopsis, all, or part of your manuscript. Don’t whip out 500 pages of hard copy from your messenger bag. They probably won’t take it and you may come off as pushy and unprofessional. Hard copy is bulky and heavy. Many people fly and luggage space limited, not to mention heavy and costly. Say thank you and promise to send it. Be sure to ask how they prefer to receive it. Do they want a snail-mail hard copy or an electronic submission? Do they want it sent as an attachment or in the body of the email? Would they like anything special written in the subject line? Jot down the information so you don’t forget.

Once you get home to send it. Don’t decide to rewrite the ending or worse—hurry up and finish your story. Unless you’re presenting a book proposal for non-fiction, your manuscript should always be finished.  Breifly refer to the conference when you write your cover letter with a simple line like, “I enjoyed meeting you at the Blah Blah Conference.” It is just a gentle reminder as they probably have a huge workload and two weeks after the conference they might have forgotten they asked for your manuscript.  And only send what they asked for.

If you pitch your story and they tell you it isn’t right for them, simply thank them for their time.  Don’t argue or try to pitch a different story. If you should have a second novel to pitch, set up a second session.

When your time is up, thank them and leave with a hand shake. If you see the person later at the conference, just say hello and ask if they are enjoying the conference. Don’t hound them about your story or try to pitch a second one or anything.

Remember this is a business. They haven’t rejected you, they have rejected that particular project. There is nothing personal involved, so don’t bad-mouth anyone, it is unprofessional and as my mother always says, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.” People in this industry talk and you will only hurt your career in the long run.

Enjoy the rest of your conference. Attend workshops and learn craft. And when you get home, make sure your manuscript is your best then send it somewhere else. There are always options, especially in today’s publishing market.

Good luck.

Writing Fluff!

Writing Fluff

Author Sharita Lira

Today I wanted to speak about writing fluff. What’s fluff? Well, coming from the word fluffy it means soft and comfortable right? So when writing something considered fluff in my opinion it means the same. What’s wrong with this? In my world nothing at all.

I’ve read plenty of authors who’ve written some fluffy stories that have little tension and they’ve been some of the most enjoyable books I’ve ever read. To me, it matters what the characters say. What do they want and when do they want to get together? At times when I sit down to write out the character outlines and a list of details in chronological order, I already know how quickly my two people will get together for their happy ever after. Sometimes it happens within 30k, other times a lot longer.

In the book I’m editing now, I Like Em Pretty, the characters don’t have sex until around 50k. Its’ filled with tension, a murder, and some suspense along the way. This is one of the few books I’ve written where this occurs but in my mind this isn’t an issue. Whatever an author feels comfortable writing they should do it. To me, being multifaceted is the key. Do I want to write only fluff? No but I won’t be opposed to it. I allow my characters to guide me when I sit down to write. Whatever Nathan and Bryant or even Kajika and Frankie say should be done is usually the way I go. This works for me and I hope the readers appreciate it too. If not, I totally understand. The great thing about fiction is there’s plenty to choose from.

As a reader I look at a wide variety of stories. Sure more tension and angst makes the getting together part if there is one a lot hotter but at times, I want to sit down with “Roger” (my kindle) and read a romance that takes me away from the world. Perhaps it’s a fantasy paranormal or even just a contemporary romance where the characters are together within 20k. Am I mad when this happens? No. I’ve read plenty of romances, some of the het, where I felt the characters story was complete in 100 pages or less. It’s all in the mindset and in my opinion, the same applies to writing.

So in conclusion, do I love the fluff? Yes. Do I love the angsty and tension filled? Still yes. In my opinion, everyone should be able to write and read what they like. If fluff isn’t your thing, then you have the right to move on. If you don’t like a lot of tension, you can skip it. Me, I like it both ways! *smiles*

My fluffy romance Candyman is available now from NNP. Book 5 of the Something New on the Menu Series.43

Blurb: Alain Roux is the new President of the world famous Diamond Candies chocolate factory on the South Side of Chicago. His father, Demi Roux lost his battle with cancer and has left it in his care despite Demi’s brother’s advice to leave it to him. Alain has no interest in the company but to fulfill his father’s last wish, he takes on the day to day of it anyway.Ty Washington is a born and raised Southsider who’s working there to put him through college. Recently, his father threw him out because he confessed he might be gay. When he and Alain talk, his heart soars and as badly as he tries to fight it, the two connect and eventually they decide to give their relationship a try.

In BL’s own humorous way, she’ll tell the tale of a man and his subordinate as they overcome the struggles to build a long lasting commitment.

NNP  ARe   Amazon

Alain tossed and turned until the alarm went off at five-fifty, signaling time for a shower. “Shit!” He pulled the pillow over his head, not even bothering to shut the annoying thing off. “Oh God, who signed me up for this again?” Alain finally reached over and hit the top of it, making the noise stop. Still yawning, he removed the blindfold and rubbed his eyes. “Still fuckin’ dark outside. No one should hafta wake up when there’s no sun out!” Would he ever adjust to these early mornings? Who knew, but he’d have to do it soon.

Slowly, he slid his feet from under the cover, attempting to put them into the slippers that sat at the side of the bed. “Coffee, I need coffee!” Tossing the eye covering, he raked his locks with his hand. “Damn, hair a bit long much?”

The moment he did manage to get his toes into those warm shoes, the door opened and Lucas came strolling in with a big mug and a tray of what looked to be food.

Alain smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Now this might be a good reason to wake up early.” Damn, stop flirting! He knew it was wrong to be making suggestive comments to his deceased father’s lover, but he couldn’t help himself. The man was just too delicious to ignore.

Lucas rolled his eyes. “Cut that out! Sit up and eat this small breakfast that Marisol made for you and get ready to go. I told the staff we’d be there between seven and seven thirty.” Lucas made a production of checking his Rolex.

Still not wanting to move, Alain ate a piece of toast and sighed. “Ack! I hate getting up at this hour!”

“Well, too bad. You need to be at your best Alain, if you wanna beat your uncle.” Lucas sat on the end of the bed and stared at him some more, then he grinned. “God, you look more like Demi every day!”

Alain nodded. His smug grin replaced the grimace. He took a sip of the coffee, then slid closer to Lucas and peered into his grey eyes. “Do you wanna find out how much I’m just like Dad?” Alain couldn’t help but flirt with Lucas. The attorney was hot, hands down one of the hottest men he’d ever come in contact with. Plus, he knew it riled Lucas up.

“Hey, no; you stop that! I told you, never in a million years! Now eat your breakfast!”

Alain glanced at the ceiling and went back to eating. “Sorry Lucas, you’re just so handsome, ya know? I’ve gotta get me a man and quick! I’ve been way too lonely!”

Lucas cocked an eyebrow and drew up his lips. “Obviously!” He got up from the bed and looked at his timepiece once more. “Just hurry up and meet me downstairs. Don’t make me come back up here after you, ya hear?”

“Yes sir!” Alain saluted. He allowed his eyes to follow the hot counselor as he left his bedroom. “Dayum, baby. Dad? Why’d our lawyer have to be so hot? You cursed me!”

 After eating his breakfast, Alain got dressed and finally Lucas got him out the door and on the way to the Diamond Candies building. As soon as he arrived many of the employees stood, as if they were in the military, saluting and greeting him as he walked the floors.

“Morning!” When he went to the management floor; a crowd of workers stood along the narrow halls, stepping outside their offices to say hi to their new boss. Alain nodded and spoke to each one, tightly gripping his cup of coffee.

Behind him was Lucas, doing the same while holding a stack of files – one for each of the employees. Alain had asked for them so he’d know all by name and a little about each of the top workers.

He sipped from his tall mocha latte and removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose. Now I’m awake. He used to only wake up this early when Demi wanted to take him out golfing or if they were on holiday, otherwise he never even opened his eyes before ten. Alain would have to get used to these early starts.

Once they’d made their way to the large office at the end of the hall, Lucas opened the door and Alain stepped in. “Wow! A lot’s changed a lot since I was last here.”

“Demi didn’t tell you he redecorated? After he found out about his uh, illness, he had it totally rehabbed to something he thought you might like more. He wanted to make sure you’d be totally comfortable.”

Dear old Dad!

That last statement brought a small tear in his eye as he glanced at the large space that was now his working area. The picture windows gave a great view of the outside. White walls, mostly bare; one modern abstract painting hug above the mantel of the fireplace. On the other side, a file cabinet with a stereo system on top, and in the middle, the long desk made from fine wood with rounded corners on which sat only a vase full of white roses and a pen set with a nameplate that read Alain Roux, President.

“Ah Lucas, are those from you?”

He blushed, “Yes, I thought you’d like them on your first day. It’ll motivate you to see the title even though it isn’t official. Go on – go sit at the desk and try it on for size.”

Alain returned the smile and did as Lucas suggested. Taking a seat in the leather chair, he breathed a sigh of relief when his buttocks sank into the cushion. “Oh… this chair is fabulous.”

“Gives good massages too,” Lucas added and pulled up another chair from the corner of the room.

Alain cocked an eyebrow. “Does it give hand jobs? I might need that after a frustrating day at the office.”

“Alain, will you stop?” He laughed. “Is that all you think about?”

“Yep. You know that old song by Korn, A.D.I.D.A.S? Shit, that’s what makes the world go ’round, Lucas.”

“Not the business world Alain. Here it’s all about the cash and the power.”

“You couldn’t be more right my dear Lucas!”

Alain’s smile turned immediately upside down. That wretched voice! Jakob had come to pay him a visit on his first day.

Another Full Year of Writing!

Second Full Year of Writing

Author Sharita Lira

Wow! Where the heck did the year go, huh? Can you believe it’s already December of 2012? I know I can’t. *raises eyebrow* Seems like it was just yesterday I mentioned my goals of 2012 which I already read through before doing this post. And now, I have goals for 2013.

Submissions! My biggest goal is to submit 10 full length novels to new pubs this year and hopefully have all 10 accepted. I also plan to push the writing goal this year to 500k. How am I doing on the 40k per month? Not bad. I’m just under 400k  so it’s safe to say I might not make it but that’s okay. I won Nano, doing 50k last month and a little extra, all the books I spoke about last year came out except for one, I did the self-pub last month and will do 3 more this month. And the results have gotten better a well which is a plus.

I believe I’m one of those people that’s goal driven. If I’ve got something to focus on, it pushes me harder to achieve that goal. Without any set standards in mind, I’m sure I’ll slack off but the love to write is still there so it makes it easier to achieve those goals. Actually it’s stronger with the self-publishing as another notch in my writer’s career. Knowing that I can release my own books and build my backlist in other ways is quite satisfying. My editor was always right about building a strong back catalogue so I’m working on that now.

All in all, I’d say this has been a fabulous year and I look to make the goals I’ve set in 2013. It is just right around the corner. *wink*

Okay authors chime in if you’re reading. What goals do YOU have for 2013? Let me know your thoughts and I’ll comment on them! Thanks for listening.

* * * *

One of my last releases this year is under my wicked gal pseudonym who also has a full rock and roll series planned for 2013. BLMorticia presents the sequel to her successful debut m/m novella My Lieutenant, My Lieutenant 2: In His Arms. To be released Monday 12/3 from Rebel Ink Press!

Nathan Ellerby and Lt. Bryant Duncan are at it again. This time, the narration shifts from Nathan to Bryant who’s looking to solidify his relationship with his favorite artist. The Lieutenant wants to take Nathan to visit his naval friends, his parents who still aren’t happy about his decision to come out, as well as his best friend’s bachelor party. Bryant refuses to hide his man from the masses and despite his man’s insistence on the unimportance of the matter, Bryant pushes on.

I dressed for the occasion, in my uniform of black fitted slacks, a white shirt with black jacket, my few medals on my right breast. When I plopped my hat on top of my newly shaven head, Nathan grabbed me from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist. The scent of his Drakkar Noir infiltrated my nostrils and instantly I had an erection poking in my trousers.

“Oh God, I love when you dress up.,” Nathan beamed.

“Mhmm… I like the reaction you give when I do.” Quickly I shifted and picked him up by his buttocks. I pressed my lips against his cheek before going further down to nuzzle the crook of his neck. Damn, he looked so good tonight, wearing his tight black jeans and crewneck sweater that showed just enough skin for me to ogle and lick when I felt the need.

Nathan laughed and those hazel eyes met my gaze. “You know I love the uniform. I’m gonna hafta control myself around ya. I know your naval buds don’t need to see us being affectionate.”

“Well, maybe not overly, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be keepin’ my hands off ya.” I put him back down but continued my affections, licking and sucking on the spot above his collarbone. He swore up and down that was one of his erogenous zones.

“Ooh, baby. Don’t, please. We’ll be late if you keep this up. Then what will you tell them?”

After taking his lips inside mine, I grabbed his ass and pinched it hard. “That I was with my man and we had some, um, business to take care of? Why should I lie to them? I’m a gay man, for God’s sake, and just like they might get sidetracked, I might, too.”

Nathan giggled and reciprocated the kiss. “Ah, I love you. Let’s go on and get outta here, though. The quicker we leave and get there to socialize, the quicker we can come back and enjoy the rest of our Saturday night alone.”

“Agreed.” Despite the feelings of desire that swarmed my brain, I smacked his ass and turned back around to straighten my tie.

I had to admit, I’d been missing the brotherhood of being around my friends from the Navy. A few of us, including Bart and Pete, started in basic together and went to training school as well. Thank goodness it seemed they still wanted to be friends with me and wouldn’t hold a grudge because I was doing something they hadn’t expected. After enjoying about a half hour of kisses and gropes, we rushed out of the house to the bar and arrived about three minutes late. As soon as I went in, Bart chided me about this being the first time I was tardy.

“I had good reason!” Tightly, I gripped Nathan’s hand and winked at him.

Bart nodded. “Good to see ya again, man. You been takin’ care of our boy?”

“That I have, or should I say it’s the other way around? He thinks just because he was in the armed forces that he’s in control all the time.”

“I am…” I removed my pea coat and removed Nathan’s jacket from his shoulders. I walked them over to the coat room and, as I turned to walk out, my old friend Sergeant Miller stood in the doorway with a smile.

“Heya, how’s it goin’?” He extended his hand.

“Real good, man. Lots of recruits comin’ into the center ready to serve their country.”

“Yeah, that’s great news.”

“Means they won’t have to go back to the days of the draft.” I chuckled. “It got a lil’ shaky there for a while.”

“Naw, I don’t think that ever woulda happened, Lieutenant.”

“Good to know Miller, good to know. Hey so how’s the wife?”  I quickly changed the subject so we could talk about other things besides my orientation and why I came out.

Some things were just better left unsaid.

Miller patted me on the shoulder and walked me out of the room.

Once our conversation ended, we stayed for a little longer, ate then said our goodbyes. I think the boys really took a liking to Nathan since he knew everything there was to know about sports, especially college football, which was always a hot topic in our naval circle. Miller even invited Nathan to be in his fantasy football league for next year. Nathan said he’d give it some thought because he really wasn’t into that sort of thing. Seemingly, he’d shown himself to be very knowledgeable and my pals enjoyed talking with him.

“Well…” I gripped his thigh tightly while we drove back to the apartment. “You were a hit tonight and get this…My friend Sergeant Miller told me my appearance at the bar three months ago helped his own brother. How cool is that?”

“Hmm? How did it?” Nathan turned his attention to me.

“Apparently, he told his brother what I did and that encouraged him to come out, too. Miller told me in the coatroom.”

“Oh, while Bart was chastising me?”

I darted my eyes at him. “What d’ya mean, babe?”

“He was just askin’ me all kinds of questions, like how we met, do we go out a lot, and are we gettin’ a lot of flack.”

“Wow, he really wanted to know, huh?” I wondered why Bart inquired so much about us. I’d need to ask him next time.

“Mhmm, like he was asking for his own reference or somethin’. Right when I was about to find out, you came over and distracted us.”

“Hmm, and he shut up real quick, huh? Well babe, I dunno, maybe he’s got somethin’ he needs to say as well.”

“Maybe. No straight guy would ask a gay man all those questions. There has to be another reason besides just wanting to know.”

“Perhaps so, lover. I’ll need to try gettin’ it outta him next time.”

”Maybe so.”

Amazon

All Romance

Bookstrand

B&N

Also check out the free read with this couple

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/261401

Read first chapter here

http://thelittriad.wordpress.com/blmorticia/blmorticias-published-works/free-chapter-my-lieutenant-in-his-arms/

Writing Full Time

I'm a little late getting my post up today because I actually took a break from writing. In the middle of October I lost my job. That's the bad news and it definitely sucks. But the silver lining for this particular cloud is that while I search for another job, I can write full time. And I've been doing just that.

In the last two weeks I've written 20-25K words. In the past, that never happened. But I'm approaching my writing as not just my part time job, but as my full time career. And the alteration of my mindset has made a HUGE change for me. I'm enthusiastic about writing. My creative juices are flowing. And that writing allowed me to complete a work in progress that's been sitting on my computer for at least two years. As soon as my crit partner gets through it I'm going to whip through it again and submit it to my EC editor. I'm really excited about it. I also feel such a major sense of accomplishment. And it feels good.

Not only did I finish a new story, but in early October, EC contracted a shapeshifter novel. It's the sequel to Alpha vs. Alpha and it's called Leader of the Pack. I don't have a cover for it yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and I'm on pins and needles about it!

Here's the blurb:

Surgeon Dr. Per Goldwolf needs a mate to make partner in a prestigious practice.  Predator-Match.com—a matchmaking service for shapeshifters—not only finds him a mate, they match him with his True Mate. Yohana’s long legs and fair flesh make him lick his lips and her scent makes him rock hard.

New packleader Yohana Whitewolf’s life goal is to follow in her sire’s pawprints and lead her pack. Leadership demands sacrifices. To calm her people, Yohana needs a mate. But finding an Alpha male who won’t take over is a tall order. Yohana didn’t want the complication of a True Mate, but Per is a sexy, intelligent Alpha male and she wants to shred his clothes every time she touches him. 

Everything should be perfect—except she’s a packleader— and the Whitewolf pack is nervous. 

* * * * *

I'm so excited about my writing now. I'll be sure to keep you posted about the release date for Leader of the Pack!

Slowing Down

I've been taking a good long look at my writing career lately and have come to the conclusion that I try to do too much, too fast. I've always had a bit of a competitive streak, even if I'm only competing with myself, but that's led to me having too many books out and not enough time to effectively promote them. And promoting is a necessary part of being a published author.

I've also kind of lost some of the joy I used to have in writing. It used to be enough to just sit down and watch the story pour out onto the screen, but now sometimes I get stressed about whether said story will be contracted, whether anyone will buy it, whether my career will be over because all my publishers will hate me, etc. Low self-confidence, thy name is publication.

So I've decided to try--again--to slow things down a little. I say again because I made the same vow at the end of 2011, and yet by the end of 2012 I'll have had *more* releases than I did last year. Even though I was supposed to have fewer. I'm going to write and submit fewer stories going forward, because I'm going to take time to do other things, as well as to just write stories for the fun of it. Writing used to be fun, and if it stops being fun, I'll know I'm finished with it.

A New Journey For Me!

Good morning! Recently I did something I was very afraid to do but at the urging from my close friends, fellow authors, as well as one of my publishers, I decided to self publish my own book.

Not because I have a problem with any of my publishers, all of them have been fantastic but it’s something I wanted to try on my own to see how I'd fare.

So far so good. Nah, it’s not a best seller but in two weeks, my little book has done pretty well in sales. Better on Amazon than any of my other books, except one, A Second Chance by Michael Mandrake but otherwise, its performing about where I expected it to.

You may ask why I did it if I am totally happy with my pubs. Well it’s a journey, a test if you will to see how a work I put together myself could be successful as my other books. Sure my pseudonym Rawiya has done the best but Michael and BL aren’t too far behind. I want them all to have self published works in the near future. Besides that, I hope to get these stories I’ve been wanting to get out of my head published for sometime. 

With self pub, you only wait for the edits back from your editor and or beta. The cover you pay for, in my case especially since I’m not skilled in that department. I learned how to upload with the help of my editor and beta as well as Smashwords and got helpful advice from fellow authors.

The do it yourself is definitely an avenue so that the books and or stories you’re itching to get out can be released in a fraction of the time as opposed to waiting sometimes 8-10 weeks on a submission. Then a rejection. Gah! Haven’t had a load of them but I've had my share.

Of course, with a self pub comes more work besides the book itself. Your own promo which I’m pretty used to doing anyway. Sending out the book for reviews, maybe doing a book trailer. Buying ads if you can or organizing blogtours. This you do all yourself unless you hire a promo person. I’d rather do it myself.

You tweet, Facebook about the book, go on the Yahoo Loops, make announcements, etc and whew I'm beat just thinking about it but I think It’s also good to pace your promo regardless of whether it’s your self pub or a book through a publishing company. Too much promo is overkill in my opinion. Maybe tweet once a day, FB it 3 times a week instead of every single day. Do a giveaway or two.  I plan on doing a free day for the book on Amazon in a couple of weeks. Anything to get people interested in reading. Then you hope they recommend it so the book can be a success.

No, I’m not trying to be EL James, even though I’d like to be. *laughs* Still I try to keep my expectations at a moderate level which is why the book is doing just as I suspected. I’ve only been writing about two years so I’m still fairly new to readers which is fine. Hopefully they’ll know me a little better if they read my romances.

That's what you strive for in self pub as well as books through your publishers. To gain readers and fans in hopes they’ll appreciate your efforts.

So, I can say the journey has been a success so far. I look forward to doing more books and or stories. Some will be freebies, 99 cents and so forth. In my mind, this all helps to build a better body of work. And as all my editors have said, the more you practice your craft the better you'll be!

Amazon

Smashwords

All Romance

Blurb: Over fifty doesn’t mean too old to find love

London Davies desires a man to take care of and despite the advances of his former lover and partner James, he pushes on to search for another to make him turn in his bachelor badge.

Brandon McFerry has been abused and scarred for the duration of his life. His only saving grace is his talent with the paintbrush. Although he hasn’t made his big break in the industry, he pushes on in hopes that one of his paintings will capture the attention of his obsession: London Davies

This is a romance. The kind that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside with some hot smexy sex thrown in. An emotional story between two men of different backgrounds searching for the same happy ever after ending!

Here is an Excerpt!

Brandon and London sat on the couch together as the artist spoke at length about the methods he’d used during the creation of the painting. To Brandon, the object of his desire seemed very interested in everything he’d said. He hoped he didn’t bore him with his babbling. The last thing he wanted to do was make the man tire of him too quickly.

London poured some more of the Cristal into both glasses. He handed the flute back to Brandon. They’d finished half the bottle but for whatever reason, Brandon still felt nervous. He took it and tried his best not to spill it, his hand trembling slightly. “Um thank you.” He sipped a little from the glass.

“You’re welcome.” London lightly smacked Brandon on his kneecap. “Love, chill out, yeah? We’re here just having drinks. Relax.”

Brandon nodded and lay back against the cushions. How could he relax knowing he sat beside the man of his dreams? He took a whiff of London’s manly scent. A mixture of cologne and after-shave, as strong as he’d expected. When it infiltrated his nostrils, he felt himself hardening under the slacks. The goose bumps became rocks on his flesh. He was perspiring a little; he hoped his desired one wouldn’t notice. “I’m tryin’, it’s just...” Brandon bit his lip and set the glass on the coffee table in front of him. “Well, I’ve admired you for such a long time, London, and I... This is really a thrill for me.”

London chuckled and moved closer to Brandon. He took the artist’s palm into his. “I get that, but I’m just a man, like any other. I don’t walk on water. No second coming here, love.”

To Brandon McFerry, he did. London had captivated him for years and now his dreams about being on this sofa with him in private had come true. Deep down he wished he could take London into his arms and kiss him feverishly. He’d envisioned a moment like that too, but he refrained. They had just met. “I know,” he sighed and placed a hand on top of London’s. “Tell me. You really like the painting?”

“I do.” London placed an arm around the younger man’s shoulder. “In fact, it resembles a work of art I have at home. I’d love to take you there to see it tonight.”

Brandon looked at the owner with widened eyes.

Did he just say...?

Brandon thought he just heard London say he wanted him to see a painting he had back at his house.

Could it be? Could the man he’d seemingly desired forever be in possession of a work of art that belonged to him? “I… um.” He swallowed hard. “You want me to accompany you home, tonight?”

London held onto him a little tighter. “Yes, I, I hope that isn’t too forward, it’s just... I really do like you and I’d love to see if that painting is yours. Forgive me for moving too quickly but...”

“No, no, not at all I’m just a bit taken aback by this. I’d love to go, though.”

“Good. Then, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to be my date for the rest of the evening. If it weren’t opening night, I’d certainly just ask James to take over but, since it’s a big event…”

“Yes, yes, I understand. I have no issue with staying here late with you.”

He really didn’t. There was nowhere he’d rather be than here with London and to him, the owner wasn’t moving too fast at all. Just right in his eyes.

“Great, now.” London poured the last two glasses of the expensive beverage. “Let’s finish this off, shall we? Then we’ll go out amongst the people.”

Damn.

Seeing London pour yet another glass of the champagne made Brandon wince. Truthfully, he’d already felt the effects after two glasses coming on quickly and he wished he didn’t have to drink anymore. However, he wondered if he refused London would that upset him. He took the glass. “Thank you very much.”

“And thank you again for the painting as well as your presence this night.” London toasted with Brandon, clinking their glasses together, before he drank the contents.

The painter nodded and did the same, hoping he’d be able to stay up for the duration of this evening.

I have to make a good impression on him if I want a chance at being part of his life.

Once they’d finished drinking the expensive bubbly, London led Brandon by the hand, back out to the main area. The hold London had on Brandon made his head swim, along with the wine.

He just couldn’t believe this. Him, Brandon McFerry, on the arm of London Davies, powerful businessman and owner of the new club, Fantasia. Many of his friends, especially Tyler, had told him to not get so wrapped up in this man, but how could he not? Even though he didn’t know much about the man, he’d long ago fallen in love with him from afar, and the fact that London expressed some interest in him made him happier that he’d never given up his dream of meeting him.