Today at the Scribes, my guest is contemporary romance author Rebecca Rose – A Rose By Any Other Name . . . Our Guest, Rebecca Rose.
And check out her killer red shoes. Yes, she can actually walk in these and not break anything!!
Archives
A Chance to Win Mystic Ink!
I’m part of a giveaway at Book & Trailer Showcase. I’m giving away an e-book copy of Mystic Ink to one lucky person. Head over to their site by clicking here and follow the directions on the site. Good luck!
Guest Blogger:Donna Shields- Do You Remember the First Book You Ever Wrote?
Happy Friday everyone. Don’t forget to visit me at the Scribes today. We have a special guest – Australian Visual Artist, Glenise Clelland. Be sure to leave a comment. One lucky person will win a copy of her book - LOVE FALLS IN LOVE WITH LOVE.
I also have a special guest blogger today. My fellow Soul Mate sister - Donna Shields. Donna will also be visiting the Scribes on 2/17 to answer our interview questions.
Take it away Donna!
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Do you remember the first book you had written? I don’t mean the first published. I’m talking about that first completed story. The one you shoved under your mattress or stuffed onto a shelf in your closet never wanting it to see daylight again. So afraid to show your masterpiece to the waiting world.
After a while, you get brave. Maybe join a critique group or sign up for a writing workshop. And little by little, eventually you make connections and show off your baby. And that’s just the beginning of the nail-biting experience.
Secrets of Jenkins Bridge is my baby, my first love of writing. And just like your first child, you have a very hard time letting your story go. And that’s me. Even though I already have one published novella, it’s just not the same as this one. I have taken my time with Secrets of Jenkins Bridge.
My experience from the beginning was a bit backwards. I began writing it in the fall of 2007. Within six months, I had finished, edited it, and sent off a query letter to Harlequin. Mind you, this story was vastly different back then. It had only taken them two weeks to reply back requesting the full manuscript. I was over the moon! I sent it in and waited. And waited. About a month later, I received a reply. A semi detailed rejection. And being the first, it hurt. A lot. I did the worst thing a writer could ever do. I tucked it away and didn’t write at all for almost two years. Please don’t do this. I’m still kicking myself in the bum for wasting all that time.
But, I eventually began to write again. I joined a critique group whom I wouldn’t give up for anything now. I revamped the story and passed it along to my critique partners. They really helped in so many ways. I also joined Savvy Authors and took some workshops. And finally finished Secrets of Jenkins Bridge November 2011. My editor loves it. She can’t wait to see it published.
My advice to new and unpublished authors? Don’t ever give up on your dreams of writing. Keep going. Join a critique group. Take a workshop. Polish that baby and learn that eventually you will have to let it go and rejection is part of the process. Before you find the perfect home for your special story, you will go through a few rejections. But, you can’t become published if you don’t write.
You can find me:
At my blog: http://donna-realworldwriting.blogspot.com
On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/shieldsdonna
On Twitter: @Donna_Shields
On SMP’s Author Blog: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/
You can buy Secrets of Jenkins Bridge at: http://soulmatepublishing.com
Coming soon to Amazon and Barnes and Noble also.
Thanks Donna!
How about you? Have you ever been tempted to give up your dream? Or even take a break for a while?
Into The Groove
Happy Friday everyone! Please remember to join me at the Scribes today. Today’s topic – Let’s Hear it for the Doubt Monster. Yup, you read that right. I might just have something nice to say about the pest this time.
It’s taken all week, but I’ve finally gotten back into the groove.
Now that I’m convinced the power is staying on, I’ve been able to work on my NaNo novel (I hate it, the book is crap, but I’ll get over it). I’ve also been critiquing several of my fellow writers books (keep those pages coming, ladies). And I’m finally making edits to The Undead Space Initative.
One fringe benefit to no power last week, I actually read an entire book – Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth (highly recommend it - who could not love the President’s Vampire?). After I devoured that book, I read Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins (another home run – a great read – fantastic job Kristan!).
Overall, it’s been a fairly productive week. My only regret - I haven’t worked on plotting the sequel to Mystic Ink. So much to do, so little time…
So tell me, how was your week? Share please! I’d love to hear how you’re all doing.
We Have Kristan Higgins!
Please join me today over at the Scribes as we welcome NY Times/USA Today bestselling author Kristan Higgins . She graciously answered our interview questions and brought an excerpt from her fabulous new book UNTIL THERE WAS YOU.
- Read this book!
Much to my delight, she also provides a suprisingly different insight on my nemesis, The Doubt Monster.
Stop by leave a comment, ask a question. Don’t miss out! Hope to see you there!
Here comes Soul Mate Publishing!
Today’s a special day!
Soul Mate Publishing has officially launched!
Stop by and check out these amazing titles:
Love’s Guardian
Prince Charming, Inc.
Blood and Kisses
That Carrington Magic
Trust of the Heart
Hunted
Legacy of Olympus
Bizarre Life of Sydney Sedrick
And these are just the beginning. More great books are waiting in the wings!
Stop by and be sure to let them know – Casey sent you!
We are also having a Blog Hop. Click here to participate.
Evil Plotting
Yay! Another Friday. Don’t forget to check out my post over at the Scribes - I’m late, I’m late…for what exactly? and meet the Naggy Bunny.
Another week has come and gone. And I’m sad to say, not much plotting has happened for Devil’s Advocate.
I spent most of the week helping my fellow writers. I’ve been honored to read their works in progress and provide my feedback. I’ve read some sci-fi, paranormal romance, middle grade adventure and contemporary. I have such talented friends!!
I’ve received feedback on The Undead Space Initiative. So far, no one has told me the story is bad. I’ve gotten mostly high marks, which is always nice. Still, I’m not resting on my laurels. There will be edits. I’m not sure what form they will take yet.
I’ve been mostly reflective this week. Thinking about my new characters. What do they want? How will they achieve their goals?What happens next (my favorite question to answer). Not all that different from talking to my sons (what do you want to do with your life?).
Just thinking about the word “plotting” brings to mind a different word – scheming. When you think about it, as a writer, you really are contriving an entire story out of thin air – creating a whole new world that didn’t previously exist. Totally cool and frightening at the same time. And once the story is published, then that world is shared with your readers. They bring their own expectations and realities. Your world isn’t only in your head anymore.
It’s a big responsibility, which is why I spend more time on plotting, character creation, etc. than I do writing. I’ve learned the hard way that planning ahead works best for me. In a few weeks NaNo WriMo will begin and I plan to be prepared (like a good Boy Scout mother).
It’s hard to believe Fall is almost here. I’ll leave you with a photograph I took last October at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. If you live in the area and you’ve never been – plan a trip. Right now.
Here comes Autumn
All’s Quiet on the Writer Front
Happy Friday everyone. Please remember to visit the 7 Scribes today – I am the Author Goddess.
Here’s how I’ve been keeping busy while I wait for feedback on The Undead Space Intiative.
- A few days ago I received some awesome news – I finished first place in another contest. While it’s excellent news to receive, winning contests hasn’t really brought any offers from the editor judges. But that’s okay. As I reported last week, I have actually submitted to more publishers and plan to continue to do so.
- I have spent most of this week working on the synopsis for The Undead Space Initiative. And I use the term “working” loosely! For some reason, writing an entire novel is easier than a two page synopsis. I’m down to the basic information and now all I need to do is polish it up.
- Completing the synopsis (and, drat, I need to do a query letter -groan!) frees my mind to work on Devil’s Advocate. I have the main characters but not a fully formed plot. The plot is stewing in the back of my mind this week.
- And I am taking two classes with a third one starting next week.
None of the aforementioned activities includes my full time job, family (also a full time job) or time spent doing other things like reading, Scribes stuff, Twitter. etc.
And speaking of the Scribes – we have been very busy booking guest bloggers including: Frankie Roberston, Sandra Orchard, Julia Rachel Barrett, Kinley Baker, Jennifer Fusco, and Kristan Higgins.
I hope to see you all next week. Until then – happy writing!
Good Read: Beauty and the Feast
Recently, I had the pleasure of reading a fantastic contemporary romance – Beauty and the Feast by Julia Barrett. This book has it all, great food, sizzling sex scenes and engaging characters.
- Smokin’ hot good read!!
Sparks fly when Eva Raines, a country girl with killer cooking skills, is hired by wealthy entrepreneur, Gabriel Abbott. He is quickly seduced by her amazing culinary creations and she is a bit overwhelmed by the handsome man’s interest in her.
Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. The sex is hot and had me squirming in my seat.
If you’re looking for a romance with spicy scenes, witty dialogue, and a heartwarming plot, this is the book for you. Check it out!
Breaking News!
Third time’s a charm, right? I finaled in another contest - Mystic Ink in the Dixie First Chapter Contest. I actually jumped up and down and did a happy dance.
