2015 ~ The Year In Review

It's time for the end of year blog post.... 

This year has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I took a break from online life, which included social networks and blogging. I made a comeback mid-November and was touched by the outpouring of love and support I received from my friends, readers, and fans. It was humbling to see that even if I didn't think so, my presence made an impact in some people's lives. 

Due to a severe bout of depression, my gaming increased tenfold. I even started a gaming blog. Okay, that's not exactly true. I'd already started the blog, but this year I added a lot more to it. In a strange way, it helped me work a few things out in my head. Not many will understand that, but I know some of you will. That's enough. :) If you're into games and are curious, go ahead and check out the blog. It is public, but I basically have the thing turned "off" so to speak. Not sure I'm really ready to put my gaming self "out there" yet. So I do a lot of talking to.... myself. lol

Oddly, this was one of my best years for writing. My word count went over 110,000. Granted, that wasn't one story; more like eight different stories. Three of them got the coveted "the end" on their first drafts, though. One is a Regency short that will be published early in 2016. That one's been to beta readers already and the cover only needs a few more tweaks before it's officially revealed. 

I think that's it. Not much happened this year. Oh, yeah. I got a new laptop when an unfortunate accident destroyed my old one. Forgot to mention that. 

I'll be back tomorrow with my goals for 2016. Much ♥ to you, my faithful readers!

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ OneRepublic ~ Stop and Stare

Taking a break...

It's been a while, hasn't it? I haven't dropped off the earth, or died, or anything equally dramatic. I'm taking a break. A really, really long one. From blogging, writing, cover design—basically, from everything except my family. I have written some since I disappeared, but the last few months have been virtually "written word" free. It's strange and I can't say that I like it. But things are settling down around here, so I hope to get back to writing again soon. The cover design, however, will remain on the backburner, with only a few exceptions. I am sorry about that, but something had to go.

That's all. I just wanted to let you know. I should have done so earlier than this, but I couldn't face things at first. This was a really tough decision. 

I might be making an online appearance November 10. My bestie's next book is coming out and that's the day of her book release party. I don't really want to miss that. She's so awesome! ♥ 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ Imagine Dragons ~ Demons

"My Writing Process" Blog Tour

There's this blog tour going around right now and it's all about the writing process. I've been tagged to share the ins and outs of my particular process and I will, in turn, tag a few others to participate. There are four questions involved and I will do my best to answer them. 

Before I get into the questions, however, I should mention who decided to include me in this fascinating tour. The talented and always delightful Anna Katmore (who was known as Piper Shelly when I met her, lol) tagged me. I met Anna at the 2013 Romance Novel Convention in Las Vegas, NV. We had a lot of fun. More recently, I helped bring to life the cover for her upcoming release Neverland. That was a true pleasure and I'm thrilled that we'll be working together on the sequel's cover as well.

Now for those questions...

1. What am I working on? 

I'm always working on several things at once, but my current inspiration involves the serial Regency I'm writing for InD'tale Magazine, Death Becomes Her. Here's the little blurby thing about it: 

Melly lives in darkness, stealing bodies by moonlight to support her sisters and herself. Coming face-to-face with a new doctor, one who doesn't view the resurrectionists with quite the same acceptance as his predecessor, she must decide what is best for her family—a family who desires to choose for themselves.

Part 1 appeared in the June 2013 edition of InD'tale and the final installment will be in the June/July 2014 edition. Subscribers can go back through and read every installment by accessing the magazine archive. Subscriptions are currently free. (hint, hint) 

That said, I'm also working on a short story called Samantha's Sin that is related. I plan to release it with the compiled edition of DBH. A tentative release date is set for early August 2014.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre? 

I write traditional Regency romance: romantic stories set in early 1800s Britain with no sexually explicit details. Seems simple and rather common, right? 

The romance isn't always the main theme in my books. It's a major one, sure, but there's always something else going on that ends long after the romantic thread is tied, not always, but quite often. While I do leave out the sexual details, thus qualifying my books as "clean" or traditional romance, I often touch on certain subjects that are not sweet, and certainly not for young readers. Thus the reason I never refer to my books as "sweet" romance. 

3. Why do I write what I write? 

I enjoy a fluffy, sweet, positive romance, I really do, and I'm glad there are so many authors out there writing them. BUT...

I was tired of "clean" romances being nothing but fluff. I wanted romances that included some reality, especially of a time period that is often portrayed as idealistic, but I really didn't want to read the graphic sexual details. So I write dark and edgy Regency romance in the traditional style, stories with some grit, sometimes disturbing, but always with a "happy" ending. (Anyone who reads my books will see some recurring characters, and while those characters got their happily-ever-after in their own stories, their appearance in another story may not be so happy.) 

4. How does my writing process work? 

Most of my books started with a character. A face and name popped into my head and the character just took shape. Some started with a scene and a fairly clear character in mind. Some started with an idea based on a book I'd recently read. (For example, my book Honor was written because of how angry I got at someone else's book. I wanted something more realistic, something that made sense to me.) Some stories started with a title and one in particular (My Lady Coward) was initially inspired by a song. (Subsequent parts of that story were inspired by writing prompts from Clever Fiction, a site for readers and writers of short fiction.) So inspiration varies for me.  

After the initial idea blossoms, I "pants" it. I write until inspiration leaves me and then I work on another story. I have folders of character bios and story ideas, handwritten scenes that may or may not make it into a final product, and research tidbits on specific aspects of the Regency. I try to write down anything that pops into my mind, then add that note to the proper folder for that book. It sounds organized, but it's really not. lol

At the moment I have over a dozen manuscripts started. Some will be finished and some will not. The ones that don't receive their ending are ones I view as practice of a sort. While I'd love to make every story in my head come to vivid life, time is not on my side. 

And now I'm supposed to tag a few more writers to take part in this tour. Their articles will be posted on their blogs or sites April 7. ☺ 

Rachel Rossano ~

Rachel's one of my favorite authors, one who lets me beta read her books and who beta reads mine in turn. I guess that sort of makes us critique partners, though we've never put a label on our authorly relationship. Her stories are mostly medieval romance set in a totally made-up world, aka medieval fantasy. And they are EXCELLENT! Her talents extend into book cover design too. 

Linda Boulanger ~ 

Linda's my bestie and has been since we met online a few years ago. Our friendship started after she read one of my short stories and offered to publish me. It was a fabulous beginning to an indescribable friendship. We met in real life for the first time last year. She's a great author whose mind positively thrives on the happily-ever-after of romance. Book cover design is also a passion of hers.  

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ Sixx: A.M. ~ Life is Beautiful 

~General Updates~ InD'Tale, RNConvention, Writing

Time for another catch-up post. Here are a few general updates in my world.

InD'Tale:

The new issue of InD'Tale Magazine is out! Part VII of my serial Regency is in this issue, just waiting for your perusal. I haven't read the mag yet but I've heard some GREAT things about this particular issue.

◄◄◄◄ And check out this stunning cover! I ADORE it! ♥ If you haven't subscribed or your email went astray, click the image to go to the site. And don't forget to vote in the cover contest while you're there. ;O) Voting for this particular round ends tonight (1/28)! 

RNConvention:

If you are an author planning to attend the RNConvention in Las Vegas, NV, this August, then take special note of the new promotions page on the site. You might want to consider taking advantage of one or more of these options.

Writing:

I've been a busy little bee in my writing cave, tackling my planned anthology of Regency-era short stories. Included in one of these volumes will be a short story for Michaella, the sister of Heartless' heroine, Leandra. You remember Michaella, right? She went through so much in Heartless that I felt she deserved her HEA more than most.

That's all for now! Until next time.... 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Final Fantasy XIII-2 ~ An Arrow Through Time

Fantasy Dreamin'

"Dragon Whiskers"
Chainmalle-inspired collar
designed by Jay T Lyons
of JaysDesign Jewelry 

This past weekend I read my fantasy manuscript. You remember me talking about that, right? I wrote it in 3½ months; the first half of the book (55k words) was written for NaNoWriMo '09. 

I'm thinking about breaking the book into two books (and fleshing out certain scenes more—they need it). One story would be the dragon hunter's (Raena, at the moment, though her name may change) and the other being the dragon's (Darok/Bental). The stories would run concurrent, though, and that could be an issue when the stories converge. 

Or.... 

I could make it three books, the convergence being the the third book in the trilogy. Thoughts? I'm probably missing some MAJOR hurdle in this plan... 

Incidentally, though this book contains romance(ish), it is not a romance. It's supposed to be more like epic fantasy: life, death, trials, tribulations, joys, sorrows, failures, and triumphs. Some fall in love along the way and some fall into a sort of love/lust, I guess. In short, it's life with dragons, mermaids, and other creatures that don't exist. But there's not an orc in sight!

There is a sequel started, as well, but it happens 20 years after the events in this first MS. It might end up its own series, trilogy, etc. It's definitely a story I want to finish. 

Oh, and in case you'd like a taste of my fantasy writing talent (lol), there's two places you can sample my fantasy offerings. There's a short story in the UNLOCKED anthology (called Survival) that can be downloaded for FREE and there's a short story called The Dragon's Birth (approximately 5000 words) available for $0.99 wherever eBooks are sold. The one for sale is actually the prequel to my fantasy novel(s), so might be a better example as far as the novel itself goes. The titles are linked to the matching book pages on my website, which contain excerpts. 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ Adele ~ Someone Like You

On the Topic of Blog Updates

I hate when I get so distracted that I end up having to do an update type of blog post instead of a normal one. Oh well. There's no help for it sometimes, as life often gets in the way. 

On the Heartless front: 

I've just posted my progress report on my Heartless blog. Click over to find out where I am in this endeavor. (The link will open in a new tab or window, depending on your browser settings.) In addition, I've announced the official release date for Heartless, the new revised edition. Watch for it to hit the virtual shelves August 31. 

On the writing front: 

I've been working on my prison hulk story, the serial for InD'Tale Magazine, and My Lady Coward. Coward will have to take a backseat until I get Heartless back out there, though. The 11th Commandment, on the other hand, will go forth as planned, since readers of InD'Tale will want to know what happens next. I'm curious about that myself. If you'd like to get in on this Regency serial, click on over to InD'Tale and subscribe. Subscriptions are free. If you subscribe now, you'll get access to the July/August issue which includes part 1 of The 11th Commandment. 

☺

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Savage Garden ~ Universe

Time is ticking away...

There are only a couple days left to subscribe if you want in on Lady Katherine's adventures in Regency Society. Go to www.indtale.com and subscribe FREE. Subscriptions will only be free for a limited time so take advantage while you can. ☺

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Lee Ann Womack ~ Something Worth Leaving Behind

There's just no understanding...

The Muse Clio Writing History

...the muse. 

Mine started whispering in my ear while I was on vacation this past weekend. I was in the most romantic little motel (with my hubby) across from Lake Michigan and I had this sudden urge to write. Early morning, hubby still sleeping, I pulled out a notebook. The story I worked on was the sequel to my unpublished fantasy novel. Of all the things I'm writing, why in that moment did the muse demand the most unromantic one??

Like I said, there's no understanding the muse.  

Good Morning, Lake Michigan! 

Goodnight, Lake Michigan! 

The Final Winner & Regency Wednesday

Deception's release was accompanied by giveaways and the final one just ended August 1. Paige Ray won the lovely pearl and turquoise daisy pendant, a replica of the pearl daisy Levi gives Aurora in the story. Paige knew she was the winner before I knew and her excitement was palpable. Now, she's patiently waiting for me to get off my writerly butt and get it in the mail.

Joseph Grimaldi as Clown "Joey"
c.1820

Regency Wednesday has been conspicuously absent from my "mindless blog" (as I call it) and some of you may be wondering why. Honestly, I'm just busy. I did post a brief bio of Joseph Grimaldi, the Regency clown, on Deception's blog. Pop on over if you need a Regency "fix."

On the writing front, I recently added about 3500 words to a novel I haven't looked at in almost a year, a novel closely connected to Spellbound. A scene popped into my head and I ran with it, writing it out longhand since I'd made the computer off limits during daylight hours. The scene was not consecutive, rather an important bit that happens later in the story. It is definitely a story that I want to finish and share.

As for editing, I've been working on Honor all morning, eager to get it done and submitted to a few beta readers for some harsh criticism. (How will I get better if I don't know my weaknesses?) After that, I'll submit it to TreasureLine and await their verdict.

So that's what's going on in my little corner of the world. What's happening in yours?

The Writing Process: A POV Q

If you've never been told there is a problem with the POV (point-of-view) from which you write, should you change it? What if the "experts" say it's wrong? (And just who are these "experts" anyway?)

This is a subject I think about a lot. When I started writing, I just wrote the thoughts and actions in my head. It wasn't always the same character's POV for an entire scene. Sometimes, I felt it was necessary to know what was going through the mind of the other person(s) in the room. I never gave much thought to the process itself.

The four books I have out are all written this way. I've never had a complaint about the POV. Even the few 1-star reviews I've received never mentioned a POV that was hard to follow. (Although now that I've said that out loud, I'm sure the next one(s) will, LOL.)

Later, reading back over what I've written, I realize I've done what some experts say is actually acceptable. I usually put a POV neutral paragraph between POV switches, easing the reader into the next POV, many times without their conscious knowledge. This POV is called 3rd person omniscient. Some get it confused with head-hopping. Head-hopping is an entirely different bag of worms and literally leaves the reader's head spinning.

Most writers are influenced by other writers. I admit, I have read many, many traditional Regencies that employ the 3rd person omniscient POV. Perhaps this is holding me back as a writer...?

I am currently editing two more Regencies. I have undertaken the time-consuming task of changing the POV. I am curious to see what the difference will be to my readers. Will the straight-up 3rd person POV be more popular with my readers or will they prefer the omniscient POV I've previously employed?

What do you think? Should a writer change the way they write even if no one complains?

First Post

Hmmm. Yet another blog. These seem to be taking over the internet.

There are so many things on my mind, I hardly know where to start. So, I write. Endlessly. Nonstop. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night to jot down scenes, characters, storylines, even cover designs. I don't think I've really slept for years now. Of course, five years ago, the first of my two children was born. That could have some bearing on the lack of sleep issue, as well. :o)

More later, after I've worked out all the details and pinched this blog into something more indicative of me.