Personality Types and Writing

One of the best things about blogging is that I've been able to connect with so many writers.  In every day life it's not often that I run across people that I feel such an easy connection with.  This happens at conferences as well.  Even though I'm shy, I find myself feeling comfortable and relaxed around other writers.  Is this because we have common ground to discuss?  Is it because writers are just naturally friendly and awesome people?  Or is it something deeper?

In school and for a job, I've had to take the Myers Briggs personality test.  Both times, I got the same result: INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging).  This type is called the Protector, the Counselor Idealist, and sometimes The Author.

Here's a general description:

INFJs are generally compassionate, creative, helpful, and are oftenknown for their integrity. They tend to focus their energy inward andreenergize through spending time on their own. INFJs are typically private andgenerally share their thoughts and feelings with people they know. The INFJ mayalso have a high commitment to their strong value system. They are often guidedby their convictions and may become assertive and persistent if these valuesare violated. An INFJ will often reflect on their intuitions andmay be seen as deep and at times complex. They may get a feeling about something and although they experience difficulty in describing thesefeelings, they are often motivated to act based on these inner thoughts, ideas,visions and hunches. They may not share these intuitive feelings with othersbecause they want to avoid scrutiny.

The INFJ generally sees the long-term, big picturepossibilities. They can be idealistic and often look for new ways to do thingsthrough generating ideas. 

They generally have a focus on continuous improvement and may questionwhether they are in the right place in their lives or whether they are livingup to their potential. The INFJ is also able to see what needsto be done and will work hard to accomplish these tasks. They are generallyorganized in their work but may be more flexible and unplanned in theirpersonal lives. (source)

There are a number of careers suggested for this type including social work and human resources (both of the careers I've done).  And although INFJ's are the rarest of all the personality types (1-2%), they are highly represented amongst writers...

An INFJ excels at writing on topics that they are passionateabout and will often infuse their values and ideas into theirwriting. ManyINFJs do well at writing novels and also excel at writing nonfiction thatappeals to the feelings of their audience. They are usually drawn to personaltopics and may experience difficulty in writing on other areas. They are generallysensitive to how people react to their writing and need to be cautious not totake feedback too personally. An INFJ may also potentially designate part oftheir day for writing. The INFJ is the most likely of all the MBTI® types to havetheir writing published. (source)

Okay, that last line makes me happy, lol.

So, I'm starting to wonder if the reason why I connect so easily with other writers is because at a personality level, we're similar.  And since the type is the rarest, we don't run across others like us on a regular basis.  Now I know not every writer is this type.  I've met more than my fair share of extroverted writers, but still I find it interesting.

This also gives me an excuse to use on why I'm a writer--I can't help it, it's ingrained in my makeup, lol.

If you want to find out your type, you can check out a quiz here.

Oh, and before I forget, Suzette and Bethany over at Shooting Stars are doing a fab contest with prizes such as a query crit.  Go stop by and enter!

So what do you think?  Do you know your Myers Briggs type?  Do you find you have quick connection to other writers?

 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Cult of Personality" - Living Colour

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

What Makes Your Story Stand Out?

So I finally got around to reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I know, I know, I'm SO behind the rest of the world.  But I had a feeling it was going to be a book I couldn't put down, so I wanted to make sure I had the time to dedicate before I picked it up.

Well, I was right.  I couldn't put it down.  I read the whole thing over a day and a half.  I'm not going to review it because I know many of you have already read it, but I will say, it was a wonderful page turner.  And the premise was not like anything I've read recently, which got me to thinking about what makes a story stand out.

We all know that everything has been done before.  To come up with a completely original idea is next to impossible.  And not always preferable--if it hasn't been done before, there was probably a reason, lol.  And even The Hunger Games, which definitely feels unique, is standing on the shoulders of the dystopian novels that have come before it like 1984 and Farenheit 451.  It also reminded me of a short story I read in high school called The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell where the guy goes on a hunting trip and find out the "game" are humans.

So what is it about this take that makes it resonate with so many readers?  Why did the Vampire Academy series hook me so well even though I've read WAY WAY too many vampire books in my life?

With many of you writing  YA, this challenge becomes even more difficult.  You have to have teens, which means there is usually (not always) some kind of school involved, there is often first love, angst, casual voice, etc.  If you're going the paranormal route, there are only so many mythical creatures and psychic powers out there.  And romance is the same way--every story is boy meets girl (or boy meets boy in m/m) and they face some conflict, and then they end up happily ever after.  So why is YOUR story so different?

If you haven't already, take a look at Agent Janet Reid's yearly stats.  You have to be in the top 1% of everything that comes in her inbox to get her to consider you at all.  And that's just to get an agent, that's not a guarantee of getting sold.  So if a completely original idea is unattainable, what about your story is going to make you stand out and shine?  Take some time and really examine that.

Ask your beta readers when they are going through your pages, "What does the story/voice/character remind you of?"  It will inevitably remind them of something.  Dig into those answers to make sure you're not too much like whatever they remind the readers of.  And then ask them what is unique about your story, what makes it stand out.  Whatever that is--voice, characterization, heart-pounding pacing--play to that strength.  You can't be a one trick pony, but I think finding your strength gives you something to build on so that you can distinguish yourself from everyone else.

So what do you think is your strength?  What makes your story stand out from others like it?  Have you ever freaked out when you read a book that had a remarkably similar premise to what you were working on?  Did you change the story or keep going with it?
 

**Today's Theme Song**

"To Be Loved" - Papa Roach

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Freewheeler or Rewinder? Editing while Drafting

I know there is the age old debate of plotting vs. pantsing, but I think there is another issue that goes hand in hand with that one.  Most of the advice you hear about that first draft is to just write and stuff a sock in the mouth of that internal editor so the creative muse can sing.  This method can work for plotters and pantsers alike.  Get the words on the page and worry about them later, right?  Hell, otherwise NaNo would be a true impossibility.

However, as I write my first draft of this new novel, I'm starting to realize that I'm not so good at full out freewheeling like I was in my first two novels.  I can freely write whatever scene I'm working on that day without worrying about every little thing.  But, I have a hard time the next day not going back over what I wrote the previous day and doing some tweaking and editing or all out cutting.  I also need time after I finish writing a scene to think through what I wrote and how I want to proceed in the next scene.  Because although I do some rough outlining before starting, I only know the major strokes of the story, so I'm not always sure what I want to happen next.

Therefore, it seems that with this book thus far I'm more of a rewinder than a freewheeler.  I'm not sure what the cause of this is.  Am I not as confident in my story?  Have I been studying craft so much that I'm second guessing myself?  Or is just that each book has it's own personality and the its own way of wanting to be written?  I honestly don't know.

What do you think?  Has this ever happened to you?  Are you able to freewheel or are you more of a rewinder?


 
 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Backslider" - The Toadies

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

No Kiss Blogfest

Alright, so for the Kissing Blogfest, I posted an almost kiss scene, so I don't have another one of those readily available.  However, I think this scene from my current WIP (Constant Craving) fits the bill of having sexual tension with no kiss.  Let me know what you think.  I will put the disclaimer that this is in the very rough draft phase, I only have 13k words of the manuscript hammered out.  So here's my contribution to the No Kissing Blogfest:

Heput his finger against her lips.  “Stop,no more apologies.  I know you didn’t doit on purpose.  But I’d like to know why thehell you would go after someone breaking into your car instead of just runningback inside to get someone.”

Helowered his hand, and she wondered if she’d be able to find words again.  His touch had made her throat go dry.  She swallowed hard.  “I don’t know, I just acted on instinct.”

“Well,that was stupid.  What if you tried to getthe jump on someone and missed with the pepper spray?” he asked in a sharp toneusually reserved for angry fathers.

Shenarrowed her eyes.  “Well, seems like Ihave pretty good aim.”

Hesmirked.  “No sh**.  But I’m serious.  If you misfire, a guy would overpower you ina second.”

Shebit her lip.  Yeah, she knew allabout.  “Look, I can take care of myself,alright?”

“Ohyeah?”  Before she could open her mouthto respond, he grabbed her shoulder, whirling her around in the process, andhauled her back against his solid chest, his forearm in a loose hold around hercollarbone.  The finger of his other handwhispered against the hollow of her throat. “Half a second, Quinn, and a guy could have a knife on you.  Don’t be a hero—it’s stupid.”

Quinnbraced for the panic attack, knowing one would come.  Being held against her will fired off allkinds of fear responses within her.  Shecouldn’t even sit still at the dentist anymore if the doctor leaned over tooclose.  But besides her hammeringheartbeat, no other symptoms came. Instead of the icy claws of panic slicing through her, Sean’s headyscent and warmth enveloped her in a protective cocoon, providing her with along forgotten sensation—safety.

Secondsticked by, making her acutely aware of every hard edge of his body moldedagainst her softer ones.  He should have let her go by now.  If hewas trying to prove a point, she had gotten it.  But his arm remainedaround her, his nose tickling her hair.  Part of her wondered if he wasgoing to spin her around and kiss her.  But of course, that wasridiculous.  He had worn his lack of interest in her like a billboard. Sheopened her mouth to tell him to let her go, but the pressure on her backincreased as his chest rose with a deep breath, and she stilled.  Sean wasinhaling her scent.

Alright, that's all for now.  Enjoy the No Kiss Blogfest!  I look forward to reading the other posts!

**Today's Theme Song**

"These Arms of Mine" - Otis Redding

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Word Verification Balderdash: A Game

I've made no secret about how much I loathe the word verification box for commenting.  It takes extra time, I inevitably type the word wrong, and sometimes the box pops up after I hit the exit button for the window and lose my comment.  However, in an effort to be more positive and look on the bright side this year, I've come up with a fun use for these dastardly things--my own version of Balderdash.

For those who you who aren't familiar, that was the boardgame where you where given a word and  had to define it.  You could give the real definition if you knew it or you could make up one.  Then people would have to guess whether it was the true definition or not.  So, in the spirit of that game, I have started saving the verification words that popped up this week when I was commenting.  And although, unlike Balderdash, we know these aren't real words, I thought I would come up with some definitions for them.

So here are this week's definitions:

Caddlac—the designer imposter version of the Cadillac

Lastrow—where you end up when you wait until the last minute to buy concert tickets

Cessi—sexy with a lisp

Beaddake—like Suduko only with beads

Acownest—where bovine lay their eggs

Crolotli—caveman smoothie chain (Cromagnon + Frulatti…okay I’m reaching)

Decrib—What my toddler tried to do when he climbed over the railing of his bed

Tractiv—halfway attractive

Terrbull—how Texans say terrible

Doskie—a great name for a dachshund

Clenten—our former president

Eviama—a cocktail made with Evian and Zima

Whombut—easy, the business end of a wombat

Hibernex—sleeping during sex

Flattas—the opposite of a bubble butt

Quakivet—a veterinarian specializing in ducks

Macleer (MacLeer)—when the guy working the drive thru at McDonald’s tries to look down your shirt as he hands you your fries

Dazink—how Cajuns say “the sink”

Hammical—Honey Baked, the musical

See?  Loads of time-wasting fun.  Even better than solitaire.  :)  I'm considering making this a weekly feature when I don't have a topic for Face Off Friday.  Let me know if this is something you'd like to see again or you'd rather a different type of weekly feature.

Also, I'd love for you guys to play along.  I know you all have extremely creative minds, so take one of these words and give me your alternative definition for it.  Or, define this one for me:  CONAT or the one from the picture above ANONYBUT

Have a great weekend!  Remember, tomorrow is the No Kiss Blogfest.  For the Kissing Blogfest, I happened to post an "almost" kiss scene, don't know if I have another, but I'll dig.

Hope everyone enjoys the holiday!

**Today's Theme Song**

"More Than Words" - Extreme

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

What's New Year's Without A Few Resolutions?

I'm usually not one to make resolutions beyond the annual dieting thing that last until about mid-February, but this year, I'm going to do a few and try to hold myself accountable.  So here goes...

My Mostly Realistic Writing Goals

I will write 1000 words/day five days a week when I am in the rough draft phase and edit at least 10 pages a day when in editing phase.

I will continue to blog five days a week as long as you guys don't up and bail on me.  :)

I will complete and edit one category length novel and will at least write a rough draft of a full length.

My Reading Goal

I have joined the 100+ Reading Challenge.  I think I'm around the 85 mark for this year now, so I don't think is totally out there.

My Personal Goals

Eat healthier and buy organic and local when I can afford it (I watched Food, Inc. recently which got me feeling all activist-y, that's what happens when I watch documentaries.  I'm secretly a granola munching hippy--just don't tell any of my neighbors.)

Do some form of exercise that involves more than fingers flying over keys and chasing my two year old when he gets a hold of the toilet paper roll..  I just ordered a Wii Fit, so I'm hoping that actually is exercise and not just an excuse to play video games.  If anyone has one, let me know what you think.

I will not let every towel in the house get dirty before I do a load of laundry.

Potty-train my son (fun times ahead)

My Oprah-style, Positive Thinking, Vision Board, Putting the Universe on Notice Goals

I will figure out a way to attend the National Romance Writers of America conference in Nashville.

I will sell Wanderlust to a publisher.

(how cool is this, btw?)

Also, in spirit of New Years Resolutions Karen over at I'm Always Write is holding a contest.  There are great prizes involved, so go check it out!

Alright, so those are my goals, what are your resolutions for the new year?  Anyone putting the universe on notice like I am?


Happy New Years Everyone!  Hope 2010 bring your nothing but love, happiness, and success!

**Today's Theme Song**

"Don't Stop Believin' " - The Glee Cast 

(I love Journey but who can resist the Glee version ?)

-player in sidebar, take a listen-

First Annual You Rock! Book Awards: My Picks for 2009

It's been a busy reading year for me, so I thought today I would share my top picks for a number of different categories.  Not all these books were necessarily published in 2009 because, well, I'm not going look up publishing dates, I do have my research limits.  :)  But I did read them all in 2009, so that should count for something, right?  If I reviewed the book on here, then I have provided the link next to the title.

So now for the first annual Fiction Groupie You Rock! Book Awards...

BEST YOUNG ADULT SERIES

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare (my review here)

The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead (my review here)

The Wake Series by Lisa McMann (my review here)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfeld (my review here)

The Marked Series by PC & Kristin Cast (review here and here)

BEST SINGLE TITLE YA

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (my review here)

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

BEST "SWEET" YA

Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

BEST ROMANCE

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (review)

Freudian Slip by Erica Orloff (review)

Make Me Yours by Betina Krahn (review)

BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE

The Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series by Charlaine Harris (review)

Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon (review)

BEST EROTIC ROMANCE

Laid Bare by Lauren Dane

Wicked Ties and Decadent by Shayla Black (review)

The Sweet Series by Maya Banks (review)

BEST WRITING BOOKS

On Writing by Stephen King

Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld

Hooked by Les Edgerton

Your First Novel by Ann Rittenberg and Laura Whitcomb

The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass

Alright, those are my picks.  So what about you?  Are any of these your favorites, too?  And what are some of your top picks that you've read this year?


 
 

**Today's Theme Song**

"The Best of You" - Foo Fighters

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

 

Sagging Middles Part Deux: Pick up the Pace

Yesterday I discussed how to avoid sagging middles by making your scenes multipurpose.  But that's not the only thing to worry about.  Ultimately, the sagging middle is about pacing.  In the beginning of our book, we're usually very aware of pacing--don't info dump, jump right in (en medias res), hook your reader immediately.  But then when we hit that second act, we often forget all those components and start shoving everything in that we really wanted to put in the first act, but didn't because of the pacing "rules".  If you do that, however, you're going to drag your middle down.

I'm sure you've heard this before, but every page should have conflict on it, every darn one.  And that includes those in the middle.  And I know many of us can think of books we've read that this is not the case, where the pacing was more languid and subtle and were still great books--but that is the exception, not the rule.

Author Anne Mimi suggests that those books with the slower pacing often fall into one of the following categories:

1.  The book is by an already established author who can get away with more.

2.  The author is dead.

3.  The agent picked up the author over ten years ago or the book was published over ten years ago.

4.  The book was first published outside the U.S.  (Brits are apparently more patient with pacing).

5.  The book is non-fiction.

So, in other words, to give our books the best chance, we need to recognize that we live in a fast-paced, short attention-spanned, movie/internet/iphone/immediate gratification culture.  So even if you manage to hook your reader with a terrific beginning, it doesn't mean the person won't put your book down when things slow in the middle.  You have to make them want to turn every page.  And every chapter should end with a hook that leaves them wanting more.  If you can't hook the chapter end, then the scene probably needs better pacing and conflict.

So what happens when you realize your middle is, in fact, drooping?  First, you may want to look at why this could be the case.  Julie Moffett lists the following common culprits for the problem.

1.  You revealed too much in the first part of the book, whether that be about your characters or the plot

2.  Secondary or subplots have knocked you off course or run away with the story

3.  The conflict (internal/external/sexual) is nonexistent or weak or there is no real action

4.  You don't know what comes next so you're meandering around aimlessly

5.  The story is boring you or you realize you have major plot problems that are making the story illogical or unrealistic

Alright, so once you pick out why you're middle is dragging, what are some things you can do?  Camy Tang offers these suggestions:

1. Strive for constant change with increasing tension/difficulty--Picture your character driving down a race track, it can't be a smooth, straight road ahead.  Throw a speed bump in her way, then when she deals with that, put something in front of her that is even more difficult to manage (a herd of cows perhaps), and just when she's maneuvered around the bovine, have the wheels fall off the car.

2.  Give the character new information in small pieces--a hint there, a clue here, a fleeting expression across her friend's face that makes the MC wonder if the friend's being honest, etc.  And make getting those clues hard fought.  Don't just have the clues fall in their lap, make them work for it.  Give your reader just enough to want more, but also let them feel like he/she is closer to figuring out what's going to happen.

3.  Keep your character's eyes on the prize--You cannot lose sight of your characters' goals.  Every scene they enter needs to be striving toward whatever goal they are seeking.  Like DawnB said in the comments yesterday.  Your characters should enter each scene with a purpose--what are they trying to accomplish in this particular scene.

4.  Don't be repetitive--Do not have scenes rehash old information.  Each scene needs to add something new.  And this also goes for having scenes that "feel" too similar in setting, content, tone, etc.  If your hero and heroine are always having "let's figure out this mystery" conversations over a meal, your reader is going to get bored.  Change it up.

And one last tip from author Stacia Kane:  End your middle (or second act) with a bang.  At the conclusion of the middle, the reader should be unsure of what's going to happen and if they are going to get an ending they want.  Pay attention when reading books, this "end of the middle"  or black moment is usually easy to pick out.  In romance, this is often when the characters have a sex scene (truly ending with a bang, *snort*) that makes things worse, or the bad guy in a thriller looks like he's going to elude your hero.  Basically, the worst thing that could happen--happens.

Alright, I hope now you can dive into those middles and make them svelte and strong.  Now if these tips would only help with my other sagging middle--the one from all that eggnog and pecan pie.

So are you overwhelmed at the thought of conflict on every page (like I am)?  Do you have trouble getting each chapter to end on a hook?  Which books have you read that have been slow-paced but worked--do they fit those criteria above?
 
 

**Today's Theme Song**

"Stuck in the Middle With You" - Stealer's Wheel

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

Fixing Sagging Middles: Multipurpose Scenes

I hope everyone had a great holiday.  Mine was low key since hubby is still recovering from the knee surgery (doing better now), but nice nonetheless.  I did get a good bit of writing done, I'm up to 10k in Constant Craving, so that makes me happy.  Since it is a slated for category length (55k-60k) this puts me on the brink of starting the middle of the story, which can come with its own challenges.  So, I thought for the next two posts, I would talk about avoiding the dreaded sagging middle.

Most of the time when we come up with a story idea we get a vision of two parts of the story--the beginning and how we want it to end.  What tends to be a bit more fuzzy is all that stuff that happens in between--the meat of the story.  If that middle isn't give proper attention, you'll end up with meandering scenes that drag and sag, feeding filler to your reader instead of a juicy burger.

And keep in mind for you trilogy/series writers out there, this applies to that middle book as well.  I have seen really terrific authors suffer from this.  I love the first book, am chomping at the bit for the next one to come out, then I get it and *yawn* NOTHING really happens, it's just a bridge to the third book (which typically returns to the kickass glory of the first one).  So annoying.

So what are some things you can do to avoid the saggy middle?  Be the Ron Popeil of scenes.  For those of you who have never been caught awake at two in the morning watching infomercials, Ron is the guy famous for inventing and  pitching those As Seen on TV products.  And there are a few things we can learn from him...

It slices, it dices, it does your freaking laundry!

• One thing is to make sure that your scenes have more than one purpose.  If you write an entire scene just to show your reader that your MC is daring, your reader will see through that.
• Use the 1 + 2 formula for purposing a scene:  The purpose that should ALWAYS be present (1) is that the scene moves your plot forward.  Then on top of that, the scene should serve at least two other purposes.  Here are some ideas from author Alicia Rasley:

Develop character.

Show character interaction. 

Explore setting or culture and values.  

Introduce new character or subplot. 

Forward subplot. 

Increase tension and suspense.  

Increase reader identification. 

Anticipate solution to problem. 

Divert attention from solution (but still show it).  

Show how character reacts to events or causes events. 

Show event from new point of view.  

Foreshadow some climactic event.  

Flashback or tell some mysterious past event that has consequences now. 

Reveal something the protagonist has kept hidden.  

Reveal something crucial to protagonist and/or reader.  

Advance or hinder protagonist's "quest".

But wait there's more!

• Just when your reader things can't get any more complicated for your characters, throw in more conflict.  
• Every scene should have some type of conflict.  It may be as subtle as a character warring with their internal conflict in their head or as blatant as two characters dueling with swords.  But it must be there.
• And don't forget that each scene should have it's own beginning, middle, and end.  You should be able to extract any scene in your book, look at it in isolation and be able to identify the players and the conflict in that particular scene.

And your reader gets all that for only $19.99!  Sorry, that has nothing to do with anything, just wanted to say it.  :)  Alright, I'll cover more tomorrow, but hopefully that gets your gears turning a bit.

Have you struggled with keeping your middle tight?  If so, what have you done to get that sucker into shape?  Have you read books where the middle or a book in the series sags? 

**Today's Theme Song**

"The Middle" - Jimmy Eats World

(player in sidebar, take a listen)

100+ Reading Challenge

There are a good number of reading challenges ramping up for the start of the new year.  I'm not a big fan of picking books ahead of time because I read based on my mood, so I don't want to sign up for anything too specific.  However, I am going to go ahead and sign up for the 100+ challenge.  This year, I've read right at 85 books (although I'm probably missing a few because I wasn't keeping close track early on) and that was without really trying.  That was just my normal reading.  So I figure, I can knock this 100 book challenge out next year with just a little extra effort.

I'll be keeping track of what I read here in case anyone is interested.  :)  If you want to sign up for this challenge or check out some other challenges, visit J.Kaye's Book Blog for the rules.  Happy Reading!

1.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2.  Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly
3.  Heated Rush by Leslie Kelly
4.  The Curse of Culcraig by Dawn Brown
5.  Nicholas: Lords of Satyr by Elizabeth Amber
6.  Raine: Lords of Satyr by Elizabeth Amber
7.  Coming Undone by Lauren Dane
8.  Gone by Lisa McMann (my review)
9.  Sweet Temptation by Maya Banks
10. Delicious by Shayla Black
11. Submission by Lora Leigh
12. Marnie's Secret by Eileen Ann Brennan
13. Masters of Shadowland by Cherise Sinclair
14. Natural Law by Joey W. Hill
15. Ice Queen by Joey W. Hill
16. Mirror of My Soul by Joey W. Hill
17. Songbird by Maya Banks
18. Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun
19. Passionate Ink: A Guide To Writing Erotic Romance by Angela Knight
20. Dare to Surrender by Lilly Feisty
21. Branded Sanctuary by Joey W. Hill
22. Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
23. Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
24. Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
25. Riding on Instinct by Jaci Burton
26. When Alex Was Bad by Jo Davis
27. Tempest by Julie Cross (beta read, but I'm counting it!)
28. Rough Canvas by Joey W. Hill
29. Holding the Cards by Joey W. Hill
30. Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March
31. Riding the Night by Jaci Burton
32. Riding Temptation by Jaci Burton
33. Colter's Woman by Maya Banks
34. Four Play by Maya Banks and Shayla Black
35. Hill Country Holdup by Angi Morgan
36. Seven Day Loan by Tiffany Reisz
37. The Challenge by Megan Hart
38. Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
39. Inside Out by Lauren Dane
40. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Tagged: Writing Q & A

 

This will be my last post for the week (unless I just think of something I HAVE to share) because of the holiday.  This week has been a "light" blogging week for me since I didn't do any of my "how to" type posts, which usually require some researching time and such.  So I appreciate you all reading and commenting even though I've wandered a bit from my normal repertoire. 


Alright, so Gavin over at Insanity's Musings has tagged me with a few questions on writing and I figured today would be a great time to answer them.  If you haven't stopped by his blog to check out his writing, you're missing out, so go say hi.


Alright, so here goes:


1) What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?

The last thing I wrote was part of chapter one on my new WIP Constant Craving.  As for the first thing, I still have the first novel I wrote (which was when I was 14).  It's a cringe-worthy love story, but I'm still proud of the fact that I finished 60k words of anything at that age.

2) Write poetry? 

Not anymore, but I have in the past.  And what I did write was pretty awful.  I've always been terrible at writing and interpreting poetry.  I've gotten a bit better after reading How To Read Literature Like a Professor (which I think every high school kid should read because it's like symbolism cliff's notes--plus it's fun to read) but I definitely still end up with a "huh?" expression after reading a lot of poetry.

3) Angsty poetry? 

Oh, that's the only kind I wrote, lol. 

4) Favorite genre of writing?

Romance.  Even when I writing another type of story, romance always sneaks in.  I know, I'm not breaking any female stereotypes, but oh well.

5) Most annoying character you've ever created?

The drummer in Wanderlust can be pretty annoying--he's usually trying to involve my hero in trouble and he says dude a lot.  But I actually find him kind of endearing in his own way because he has good intentions.


6) Best plot you've ever created?

My plot to overtake the world???  Wait, you mean in a book.  Hmm, I'm most proud of Wanderlust.  I started it as a "fun" story, then ended up adding some threads that I think deepened the plot  adding shades of sadness, loss, and forgiveness.

7) Coolest plot twist you've ever created?

My YA has a number of twists I'm proud of. 

8) How often do you get writer's block?

I try not to call it writer's block because that stresses me out.  I think when I'm struggling to write, it's usually because I haven't had enough quiet time to think through my story problem.  Once I do, I usually can figure out what I need to do and move forward.

9) Write fan fiction?

I honestly had never even heard of fan fic until about a year ago.  I've never written it, but I think the concept is pretty cool.  There are books I've read that I'd definitely be interested in seeing taken further or in a new direction.  And apparently there are a good number of people looking for it.  When I go to Google Analytics for my blog and look at the keywords people search to find me, one that has come up more than once is "Jace and Clary NC-17 fan fiction", lol.  Those are the characters from the Mortal Instruments YA series I reviewed a while back.  (Tina Lynn, my fellow Jace groupie, are you leaving my blog to go google that now?)  


Of course, I also got "ian sommerhalder full frontal nudity" (Damon on The Vampire Diaries) as a search term this week too.  Those people must be so disappointed when they come here and I have no naked men pics, lol.  Okay and now that I just typed those terms, I'm going to get more people coming here for that.  Oh well!

10) Do you type or write by hand?

I outline and sketch out my characters in a notebook, but I always type the actual story.  I'm overwhelmed at the thought of writing out a novel longhand.  My fingers hurt just thinking about it.

11) Do you save everything you write?


I usually save most of it on my computer.  And I've learned the hard way to save scenes I've cut because you never know when you might need them back or need them in a different place.

12) Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?

Yes, I have an idea notebook that I sometimes pull from.


13) What's your favorite thing you've ever written?

I really like my romance.  It's the first time I've written something that even though I know what's going to happen, I still get wrapped up when I'm reading through the story.  And I love my characters.
  
14) What's everyone else's favorite story you've written?

Based on beta reader/critique group feedback and occasional swooning, they agree with my favorite, Wanderlust. 


15) Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?

Romance is my genre and I would say that novel I wrote in high school was DEFINITELY angsty teen drama.

16) What's your favorite setting for your characters?

The bedroom?  Kidding.  ;)  I don't really have a favorite setting.  My romance takes place in New Orleans (where I'm from) and I enjoyed writing that setting.  My YA was in the mountains of North Carolina and that was a good mysterious setting that I enjoyed.

17) How many writing projects are you working on right now?

I'm focusing on Constant Craving right now, but I have Exposure Therapy simmering on the back burner.

18) Have you ever won an award for your writing?

Nothing official, but I did have to win a contest (based on excerpts) to get into my crit group.

19) What are your five favorite words?

Based on Wordle's analysis of my manuscripts, these are my word addictions...
Eyes
Just
Back
Hands
Looked

20) What character have you created that is most like yourself?

Hmm, probably my MC in Wanderlust.  She handles a rockstar way better than I would.  I'd be a bumbling mess.  And she looks nothing like me.  However, her snarky sense of humor and view on the world is very similar to mine.

21) Where do you get your ideas for your characters?

Everywhere, people I know, clients I've worked with, songs, celebrities (in the case of my romance), and sometimes just out of the ether.

22) Do you ever write based on your dreams?

Not yet.  My dreams are usually too screwy to work with.  But I'm still hoping for a Stephenie Meyer-like dream epiphany.

23) Do you favor happy endings?

Yes, I'm a sucker for happy endings.  I read to escape, not to be depressed.  However, if a story calls for a not happy ending and is done well, I'm okay with it.  

24) Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?

Yes, although it's mostly second nature now so doesn't slow me down.  And thank God for spellchecker.

25) Does music help you write?

Music is very inspiring to me, especially in my romance since it's about a musician.  I have the whole soundtrack for the book picked out, lol.  And that's also why I put a song at the bottom of every blog post.

26) Quote something you've written. Whatever pops in your head.


I wrote this yesterday for my new WIP (it's very very rough draft, mind you, and see I told you hands were one of my favorite words):

The musician stopped in front of her, and she had to tilt her head up to see his face.  He gave her an easy smile, one that said he expected her to turn into a driveling mess—which was probably standard operating procedure for most of the women who met him.  “Derrick told me you’re going to be my partner in crime.”

Quinn attempted to match his smile and put her hand out, amazed that it didn’t shake.  “Quinn Jeffries, I’m the social worker for the upper classmen.”

His warm hand grasped hers, his skin a bit rough—no doubt from years of strumming guitar strings.  Quinn imagined what those course fingers would feel like if he brushed them across her face, her mouth.  Stop. Stop. Stop.

“Sean North, here to corrupt young minds,” he said.

Quinn smirked, thinking of her earlier meeting with Gabe.  “The young minds here are already corrupt enough, I’m afraid.”

He pushed a wisp of blond hair off his forehead, and his eyes twinkled with amusement.  “Guess I’ll just have to settle for corrupting yours then.”

A rush of heat flooded Quinn’s cheeks, and she dropped her hand from his.  Had her illicit thoughts been evident on her face?  Was he teasing her?  She cleared her throat.  “Right, uh, well, I guess we should work out a time to get together.”

His eyebrow arched.

 “I mean to talk about the project.  Not to corrupt me.”  She cringed inwardly.  Staggering flirting skills, Quinn.  Gold star.

That's all for now!


Alright, now I'm supposed to tag three people, but I'm going to be lazy and say that anyone who reads this and wants to do a blog post on it, consider yourself tagged!


Also, I have now added the widgety facebook thing in my sidebar, so if anyone wants to befriend me over there, just click on over.


So, feel free to answer any of the above questions in the comments below.  I'd love to know more about you guys as writers.  And I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!

**Today's Theme Song**

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Vince Vance & The Valients

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

My Kissing Scene--A Day Late

Alright, so yesterday was Kissing Day Blogfest, which I participated in by posting my favorite TV kisses.  I chose not to put something from my romance because I've entered it in a few contests that require that it not be published online.  However, idiot that I am, I forgot that I could post one from my YA since it is now buried under my bed and will no longer be submitted anywhere.  I am going to resist editing this excerpt, although, I'm itching too.  So without further ado , here's my contribution...

Setup:  Willow, my MC, has just found out that she has a supernatural talent (aura reading) and that the boy she's interested in also has some special gift.  They each want to find out what the other has.  They are sitting on the couch at her house.

“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” Pierce said. 

            “What?” I asked, my mind plummeting into the gutter. 

            He laughed.  “I don’t mean it that way.  Although, now that I think about it…”  He waggled his eyebrows.

            I smacked him with a throw pillow.

            “Hey!” he said, raising an arm to fend off my attack.  “I meant, I’ll show you my talent, if you show me yours.  I know you must have one.”

            “You first,” I insisted

            He groaned.  “Okay, fine.  But I need you to promise to be quiet during my demonstration.” He pulled his face into feigned sternness.

            “Promise,” I said, crossing my heart with my finger. 

My mind raced with the possibilities, thinking of all the weird questions from the test.  What skill did he have?  I hoped he wasn’t going to channel the dead or something.  That would be a little too much for me.  I didn’t care how cute he was.  If he started talking like my Grandma Betty, I was bailing.

             The couch cushion dipped as he scooted closer and tucked a leg underneath him.  I met his eyes, expecting to find the normal glint of mischief in them, but a stormy seriousness resided there instead.  He reached up and cupped my face with cool hands.  My body stilled underneath his touch, afraid to even take a breath.  What the heck was he doing?

He leaned in until his mouth was mere inches from mine.  I tried to drag my gaze away from his, but his eyes were drowning pools pulling me further in.  What had we been talking about again?  I no longer cared what his talent was.  I wanted his lips on mine.  I wanted him to lay me down on the couch and kiss me so hard I developed a lisp.  He moved in even further, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs, sending tingles racing from my head to my toes.  Warm breath caressed my face.  My fingers flexed, yearning to reach out for his solid chest, to pull him to me, to know what he felt like, but I was scared to move.  I closed my eyes, relishing the body heat wafting off him, preparing for the taste of his kiss. 

Then, all the warmth disappeared.  The couch shifted, and his hands dropped from my face.  A sense of loss rushed through me.  I blinked my eyes open to find him grinning broadly. 

“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded. 

His smile turned downright wicked.  “That was better than I could have imagined."

“What was?”

“You so want me,” he said.  “You would let me throw you down on the couch and put my hands all over you.  That’s pretty hot.” 

Oh. My. God.  I needed a hole to open up in the floor, so it could swallow me.  All the blood in my body rushed to my cheeks.  My fists clenched.  “What the hell did you just do?”

“I’m an empath.  I have the ability to sense feelings, especially strong ones like lust.  Something that you clearly have a lot of.”  He stuck his thumb to his chest.  “For me.”

 “Ugh!  You, you--"

"What?"

"You knew that would happen!  You set me up.”  My voice sounded shrill even to my own ears.  

He held up a finger.  “Correction--I didn’t know that would happen.  I can only read you when I’m touching you.  So, I had no clue what I would get until I tried.  You could’ve been repulsed by me, for all I knew.  I was hoping for a positive reaction, but I didn’t realize I was going to get that kind of reaction.  Although, I understand, I am awesome and all.”

I ran my hands over my face.  “God, stop teasing me.  I’m mortified enough.”

“Don’t be,” he said, leaning back and draping his arm across the back of the couch.  “So you want me.  No biggie.  I get that a lot.”

I smacked him with the pillow again, which sent him into a fit of laughter.  

“You're such as ass.  This isn't fair, you have all the advantage.  You know exactly how I feel, and I have no clue what's going on in that evil brain of yours.”

He gave a solemn nod.  “Yeah, that must suck for you.”

I attempted to hit him a third time, but he caught my arm mid-swing.  Before I could pull away, he brought it to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the inside of my wrist.  He lifted his gaze to meet mine.  “I told you I’m not that subtle, so I’m sure you have some idea what I’m feeling.”

His lips left a seared patch of skin in their wake, and my insides turned all fluttery.  My body was such a trader.

“You’re still a jerk ,” I muttered, then yanked my hand out of his grasp before my feelings could reveal that I didn’t really mean my words.

Alright, there's my late contribution to kissing day.  Hope you enjoyed.  Now the novel goes back with the dust bunnies.  :)

**Today's Theme Song**

"Kiss" - Prince

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

Official Kissing Day Blogfest--My TV Kiss Picks

Today has been declared the Official Kissing Day Blogfest by Sherrinda!  So, being a big fan of kissing scenes (and kissing in general), I have decided to participate.  Many are going to be posting kissing scenes from their WIPs, but I have developed a phobia about posting my writing online.  There are a few writing contests I have entered that require the work not be published in any form and they specify that online counts--so, I will not be doing that.

However, I thought I would post two of my favorite TV kissing scenes from "back in the day" that I still get all warm and fuzzy over no matter how many times I see them.  Enjoy!  And if you want to participate, be sure to sign up on Sherrinda's linky thing.

First, Pacey and Joey of Dawson's Creek...

Then, Ross and Rachel of Friends...

*sigh* I ♥ love between friends.

How about you? What's your favorite TV/movie/book kissing scene? And if you're participating in kissing day, leave your link below!

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

**Also, for those of you who have had trouble commenting because of firewalls and such at work, I have switched to the pop up window comment format (with no word verification).  Let me know if that works.  Thanks!**

**Today's Theme Song**

"Crazy For You" - Madonna

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

Somehow, this makes me feel better...

Agent Kristin posted her stats for this year:  38,000 queries, 55 full requests, 6 new clients.  The numbers are daunting but somehow give me comfort.  This means .00016% of the queries got representation if my math is correct.  So if you get that rejection in the mail, remember it doesn't necessarily mean you suck (although you certainly could), it just means you weren't the lucky one in 6300 to get an offer.  I guess agents aren't lying when they say they have to absolutely fall in love to make an offer.

Also, thanks for all the well wishes from everyone.  My husband's knee surgery went well, so now it's just the journey of getting through the recovery phase.  And playing nurse with a rambunctious two-year old trying to "help" with everything is very interesting, lemme tell you.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

**Today's Theme Song**
"#1 Crush" - Garbage

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

Face Off Friday: Reading Fiction While Writing

Alright, this post will be short because today my husband is going in for knee surgery--yuck--so I will be on nurse duty.  So I'm just going to pose a question that I'm curious about.

Obviously, if you are a writer, you're also a reader.  I can't imagine the two not going hand in hand.  However, I have heard many writers say that while they are in the midst of writing (especially a first draft) they abstain from reading fiction so as not to muddle their own ideas.

I'm the opposite.  I actually find that reading stimulates the same part of my mind as writing and helps me stay in the right mindset.  When I stop reading, I often notice that's when I hit a wall with my writing.  The only time that reading becomes detrimental to my writing is when the book is too good.  Like with those Vampire Academy books I reviewed earlier this week--those were bad news for my writing.  When I was supposed to be working on my WIP, I had my head buried in the books.  Not productive--although quite enjoyable nonetheless.

So how about you?  Does reading interfere with your writing or help it?  Can you be actively reading something at the same time you have a new WIP going?

**Today's Theme Song**
"Read My Mind" - The Killers

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

People Read That? The About Me Section

MySpace background: CoolSpaceTricks.com

As she usually does, Sierra Godfrey got me thinking with a post she did a while back on the About Me section of a website. She argued that bloggers and writers should really give this section some thought because it could make or break someone's interest in you or your site.

I honestly had never considered that. I figured no one really reads that anyway. And I absolutely hate writing about myself. Plus, if you write a big long paragraph about yourself, it pushes all the rest of the information further down on the page on your Blogger profile page and can move your blog link (the most important component) "below the fold"--meaning the person would have to scroll down to see it.

However, Sierra made some good points that made me question my stance. She said that if she goes to a site and can get no sense of who the person is, she's less inclined to stick around. Also, agents and editors you're querying could stop by (it's been known to happen). If they are truly interested in you, then they most likely will want to click on that About Me or profile section. And if that happened to me, what would they find out about me? That I'm a "mom, book junkie, and writer of romantic fiction." Wow, that's real enlightening. It can apply to just about any blogging writer out there.

So, I have given in and followed Sierra's advice. Using one of her examples from a published author's website, I used a fun history style format. And instead of filling up my blogger profile page, I made a separate page (and reserved the site for my name at the same time) then included the link in my About Me section called the TMI (too much information) file. So here's the link: The TMI File. Click over and let me know what you think. It's long, but well, it is supposed to be TMI. And then when you're done with that, go visit Sierra's post where she gives more detailed info about the About Me section.

So have you given your About Me section a lot of thought? Do you think agents/editors/readers will pay attention to that part? When you go to a new blogger's site, do you read that section? Does it sway your decision whether or not to follow them?

**Today's Theme Song**
"About A Girl" - Nirvana

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

Vampire Academy Series: Review and Lesson Learned

We've talked a lot about beginnings, about how you need to hook your reader in the first line/chapter/fifty pages. We've even talked about what page is your cut off point on giving up on a book if it's not doing it for you. I've admitted I'm a chronic finisher. I have a hard time giving up on a book, always holding out hope that I'll like it in the end.

Well, for this series, I did just that. Book one of Vampire Academy didn't really do it for me. The main character was kind of harsh and brash. I had trouble connecting with her. The story was entertaining, but nothing that really drew me in. So, I finished the book, but really had no interest in continuing on with the series. That was about a year ago.

Then I started hearing all the buzz about these books and seeing all the positive reviews on fellow bloggers sites--bloggers who typically have similar tastes to me. So, finally about two weeks ago, I gave in. I decided to give the series one more book to hook me--feeling like the girl who's giving that guy I broke up with one last chance. And boy, was I surprised.

I'm officially in love! Richelle Mead, I'm sorry I doubted the awesomeness of your books. The next three books drew me in and held me hostage. I couldn't put the damn things down and now am so annoyed that I have to wait until freaking May for the next installment. *heavy sigh*

Okay, so now for the official review...

Title: The Vampire Academy Series (Books 1-4)

Author: Richelle Mead

Genre: YA

Heat level: Hot

Rating:

 Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, Book 1) ★★★

Frostbite (Vampire Academy, Book 2) ★★★★
Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, Book 3) ★★★★★
Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4) ★★★★★

Back Cover Book 1(from Amazon):

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

REVIEW:

Things that rocked:

• This is a different take and mythology than most vamp stories. The MC is not a vampire but a dhampir who protects the "good" vampires from the bad ones.

• Rose is a really funny narrator. Like I mentioned it took me until the second book to warm up to her, but once I did, I really loved the character and she makes me laugh out loud at times.

• All aspects of the plot are really engaging. Many times I find myself just hooked by the romance element of a story and not as drawn in by the external plot (think Twilight) but that is not the case with these. With all the action and kicking butt in these, I think even dudes could enjoy this series.

• Having said the above point, the romance part of this story is epic and so worth the price of admission.

• Each book has a solid story that never feels like filler or like she's trying to drag the series out.

• All the main players in the stories are so well-developed. It's not often that I read a book and feel genuinely drawn in by so many different characters.

• It's not about vampires being sexy. In fact, the MC has more interest in dating her own kind than a vamp.

• The love interest is oh-so-yummy and not at all the stereotypical hero for a YA. He's not even a bad boy--although he is badass. :)

• The author is not afraid to make some decisions that break the reader's heart.

• I finished these days ago and am still thinking about the story.

Sour notes:

• As I mentioned, the first book did not totally hook me because I didn't fully connect with Rose by the end of it. But keep reading!

• The occasional language and love/sex scene make this more of an older teen read. Not truly a sour note for me, but something to be aware of if you're a parent.

• Hmm, seriously, I'm having trouble thinking of others. Maybe these books are laced with crack. I'm in a post-reading high.

Favorite Quotes:

"I know how devastated you must be to miss me, but leave a message, and I'll try to ease your agony." --Adrian's phone message, Blood Promise

"Even I make mistakes." I put on my brash, overconfident face. "I know it's hard to believe--kind of surprises me myself--but I guess it has to happen. It's probably some karmic way to balance out the universe. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair to have one person so full of awesomeness." --Rose, Shadow Kiss

"No one ever called me unnatural before, except for the time I put ketchup on a taco. But seriously, we'd been out of salsa, what else was I supposed to do?" --Rose, Blood Promise

"What's up?" I asked

"You tell me," (Christian) he said. "You were the one about ready to start making out with Adrian."

"It was an experiment," I said. "It was part of my therapy."

What the hell kind of therapy are you in?"

--Rose and Christian, Shadow Kiss

"I'd said it before: Alive or undead, the love of my life was a badass." --Rose, Blood Promise

Overall: If I haven't made it clear yet, I loved these books. They have now surpassed a lot of other YA series for me. I'm thinking this series and Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series are right at the top now. I am so thankful for the other blogger's reviews that inspired me to give the second book a try. Sometimes it pays off to be that girl who doesn't break up with a book too early.

So has anyone else read this series, what did you think? Have you ever kept reading a series even though you weren't fully hooked by book one?

**Today's Theme Song**
"Love Bites" - Def Lepard

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

Netflix Knows Me Better Than I Know Myself

When I started my first novel, I didn't give much thought to what genre fit my me or my voice. I just had an idea for a story and started writing. So what did I end up with? Well, on the surface, I ended up with a young adult paranormal romance. But if you dug a little further, the story had a mix of a lot of ingredients: comedy, teen drama, romance, dark/borderline horror elements, fantasy (gods/goddesses), and even a hint of commentary on religion.

Whoa. Yeah, tried to do a bit much there. And it showed. Of course, I'm not saying that a book can't do ten different things at once, but probably not the best idea for me to go for all of that in a first novel attempt. What was I thinking?

Well, after signing into my Netflix account this weekend, I found the answer. For those of you who don't have Netflix, when you go to your homepage, Netflix offers lists of movies it thinks you will like based on how you rated other movies. And the categories they list are often very specific. I always get a kick out of them.

So when I saw what came up for me, I realized what had happened in my first book. I had tried to shove everything I'm interested in into one story. And apparently my interests are a bit schizophrenic. Here is what I learned about myself based on the genres Netflix assigned to me:

I like the dark side...

• Suspenseful Psychological Horror Movies
• Scary Ghost-Story Thrillers
• Dark Dramas based on Contemporary Literature
• Scary Serial Killer Thrillers

I'm a hopeless romantic...

• Romantic Dramas based on Bestsellers
• Romantic and Suspenseful Fantasy from the 1980s

I love to laugh...

• Goofy Opposites Attract Movies
• Raunchy Teen High School Comedies
• Slapstick Comedies

I'm oh-so-mature...

• Romantic High School Movies from 1980s
• Raunchy Teen High School Comedies

I like to pretend I'm smart...

• Political Documentaries
• Mind-Bending Movies

I enjoy a screwed-up backstory...

• Dysfunctional Family TV Shows

And chicks that kick ass...

• Movies Featuring a Strong Female Lead

Sounds right to me. Looks like Netflix knows more about me than I realized. So if you're unsure what kind of story you want to write, first evaluate what you like to watch and read. That doesn't necessarily mean your voice and writing strengths will play to all of your interests. For instance, I don't think I'd be very good at writing a political book. But it's somewhere to start.

So for those of you who have Netflix, what genres does it pick for you? And if you don't have it, what do you think would come up? Have you ever tried to do too much with one story? Of all your interests, how did you know what genre would fit your voice and writing strengths best?

**Today's Theme Song**
"Everything To Everyone" - Everclear

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

The Vampire Diaries (Books & Show): A Review

Title: The Vampire Diaries: (The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle and The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion

Author: LJ Smith

Genre: Paranormal YA
 

Heat level: Sweet (although I'm convinced the blood exchange is a metaphor for sex)

Rating: ★★★3/4
 

Back Cover (from Amazon):

Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.

Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.

Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her.

Collected here in one volume for the first time, volumes one and two of The Vampire Diaries, the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

REVIEW:

First, let me say that I started watching this series on the CW before I read the books--a rarity for me. I usually make a point to read things before I watch them. But this time I was all like...I need a vampire reading break, I don't need to read these, I'll just check out the show. Yeah, okay, that didn't work. I ended up liking the show and that little nagging part of my brain kept whispering, "If you like the show, imagine how good the books must be. Books are always better..." So one day at Target I bought the first book on impulse even though my To Be Read pile was already daunting. A week and four books later, I poked my head up and was like--wait, I should probably sleep, right?

Things that rocked:

• The story moves fast and kept me turning pages.
• It reminded me of old school YA from my day. The story was definitely not as intricate and sophisticated as what you find in YA right now, but that was almost refreshing. A nice, linear fast read.
• I ♥ Damon. Love a good bad boy (and thanks to the show, I had a lovely picture of him in my head already. Ian Sommerhalder is yummy goodness.)

 

• Stefan, the hero, is pretty nice to read about and look at too...

 

• Noticing all the Twilight similarities was kind of fun (and for those of you who don't know, these were written way before and there have been some conspiracy theories that Stephanie Meyer lifted some of her story from these. The stories were different enough for me and as you know nothing hasn't been done before, but you can see the parallels if you're looking for them.)
• Although cliffhangers sometimes annoy me, the ones in these books were definitely effective. And by the fourth book, you have some wrap up (although there are more books that follow.)

Sour notes:

• The 90s were apparently a time of kinder, gentler editors because LJ was able to get away with phrases like "she looked around the room interestedly" and "the fired burned smokily." Seriously.
• Like many YA books, the main characters fell in love super quick, which is fine is the build up was believable. But here, it seemed a bit too quick. I understand a crush is fast, but "in love" should take a little more time.
• The chemistry between Stefan and Elena was a little lackluster. This is where the show does a better job.
• The fourth book seemed a little Scooby Doo in the sense that they were running around as a group trying to save the big bad mystery.
• I wanted to see more of Damon--show does a better job here too.

Overall: Okay, I am going to do something unprecedented. I am going to recommend that you watch a few episodes of the TV show first, then read the books. *GASP* I know, must be a frosty day in hell. But having seen the show first actually enriched the books for me. I already had a good sense of the characters going in and I think that helped, for instance, with Elena and Stefan's quick developing relationship. Also, Elena in the book is blonde, bubbly, and a bit shallow (at first) whereas in the show she's dark-haired and much more serious and likeable. So no matter what the book said, I was picturing show Elena.
 
But wait, you say, I've already missed all those episodes of the show, I'll never catch up! Well, have no fear, the CW has your back (I've found this to be true in almost all crisis situations). This coming Monday they start a Vampire Diaries marathon week where they will replay all the episodes. Go check it out then pick up the books. And warning--get both volume one and two which contain the first four books. You want to be prepared when you reach those cliffhangers.

So are any of you watching the show? Have you read these books? What do you think of either? And have you ever had a show/movie trump the book?

**Today's Theme Song**
"Once Bitten, Twice Shy" - Great White

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)

Interview with Romantic Suspense Author Dawn Brown

 

Today we have a special treat.  Romantic Suspense author Dawn Brown has stopped by to talk about writing, ebooks, and her new release The Curse of Culcraig.  

Dawn was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Her first sojourn into storytelling began when she was nine. She would gather neighborhood kids into her garage and regale them with ghost stories, believing even then that atmosphere played an important role in a good story.

She has a diploma in journalism, but oddly found herself pursuing a career in the less than exciting world of computer leasing. After the birth of her son, she gave up the corporate world to be a mom and write full time, trading in her dreary cubicle for a dreary atmospheric room in the attic.

Now Dawn spends her days creating dark, romantic mysteries with edgy heroes, clever heroines and villains she hopes will keep her readers sleeping with the light on. (taken from bio)

Join me in welcoming our guest!  

Dawn, thanks for stopping by. Why don't you first tell us a little about The Curse of Culcraig?

Okay, a little secret about me. I'm terrible at writing short blurbs and pitches. So here's the official blurb:

After a devastating personal tragedy, history professor Hillary Bennett seeks refuge in the quaint Scottish village of Culcraig, hoping to research a legend and salvage her career. Instead, she finds her hostess dead and her hopes for the future pinned to the woman's black sheep heir.   

The last thing Caid Douglas needs is a decrepit manor house to remind him of his estranged family, but he does need the money selling the house would bring to pay off his debts.  In desperation he offers to honor his great aunt's arrangement with Hillary—if she pays him to stay at Glendon House and view his ancestor's journals, he'll have the money to fix up the family mausoleum and sell it.

But an ancient curse hovers over the village, and the secret to lifting it lies in the journals.  Will Caid and Hillary realize what they have and uncover the truth before a twisted killer silences them forever? 

Ooh, catchy blurb.  Who can pass up a Scottish hero and good curse?  :)  So, where did you get the idea for this story?

Ideas for my stories come from anywhere and everywhere. The idea for The Curse of Culcraig came from watching a television show about a family murdered by an angry mob. I was intrigued by the effect of  the mob mentality out of control and the lingering affect on a town even a century later. I was also interested in the misogyny and hysteria of the European Witch Hunts and felt the two factors would tie together nicely.

Now for the age-old debate...are you a plotter or pantser?  

I'm pantser. Nothing will kill a story for me faster than outlining it. When I start a new story, I usually write a short premise which consists of the hook and the goal, motivation, conflict of my hero and heroine to organize my thoughts--this also usually winds up being the basis for my query when I'm ready to begin submitting. If I think the hook is strong enough, and I have a good feel of who my characters are, then I'm ready to begin writing the story.

Do you keep a writing schedule or do you just go with when the inspiration hits you?

I do have a writing schedule that I try to keep to. For a WIP, I try to write a minimum of 1,000 words a day. From 10 a.m. until noon I work my WIP. If I hit my word goal before twelve (which is rare), I keep writing until noon. If I don't hit my goal, I keep writing until I do. My afternoons are for rewrites, blogging, crits, promotion, etc. I can't always stick to my schedule, but I'm always most productive when I do.  

What drew you to romantic suspense?

 I always wanted to write, from the time I was very young. When I was twelve I read a novel by Phyllis A. Whitney, (Dream of Orchids, I think it was called) and I just loved the mix of spooky mystery and romance. I knew that was the kind of story I wanted to write.

Where on my handy dandy heat sheet do your novels fall? 

 

 Sizzling...if I do say so myself. :-)

Most of my readers are writers trying to make that first sale, so we are learning that persistence is often the key in this business.  So tell us what's tucked under your bed.  How many manuscripts did you complete before selling your first one?

I'd written one other novel, and it was pretty bad. It lives in a drawer never to be seen by human eyes again.

My second manuscript, Living Lies, was still rough after the first draft, but I joined a wonderful critique group and learned the fine art of rewriting. Then I was fortunate enough to sell it to Samhain Publishing.

You've been published with both Samhain and Wild Rose Press.  Tell us what your experience has been working the with e-publishers.  What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of going that route?

 I have had a wonderful experience with both publishers. Both companies are extremely professional, providing terrific information and promotional opportunities. I've been very fortunate to work with great editors, and lucky to receive fantastic covers for my books.

There are a number of advantages to choosing an e-publisher. As a writer you gain experience in publishing and marketing, and you can begin building a readership. As far as disadvantages, e-publishing is still new to a lot of readers and there's always the challenge of getting our print books on the shelves in stores. But the e-market is growing daily.

So with some of the challenges of getting the word out, do you think blogging and social networking (twitter, facebook, etc.) are necessary for writers (both published and unpublished)?

 I think a web presence is a definite necessity for writers in this day and age, especially for e-published writers. Blogs are a great way to interact with readers, and keep them updated about your work, while facebook and twitter provide great marketing and networking opportunities.

What advice do you have for handling the dreaded rejection letter?  I typically resort to large amounts of gummy bears and beef jerky.

Rejections can be demoralizing, especially when you get a few in a row. And yes, I'm speaking from experience. I think it's just really important to stay focused on your next story, and to keep moving forward.

What has surprised you the most on your journey to publication?

I've been so pleasantly surprised by how generous other  writers can be with their time and experience. I've learned so much from other writers, and cultivated some wonderful friendships.

And if you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring authors, what would it be?

 I think the best advice I can give is to never give up. Learn as much as you can and keep writing.

Now once everyone buys and reads The Curse of Culcraig, they'll be waiting with bated breath for your next book.  So tell us what you're working on now? 

I'm currently wrapping up work on another romantic suspense novel called Blood and Bone. It's about a crime writer who discovers the case she's researching isn't as straight foward as as she thought, putting her in the path of killer.

Thanks so much, Dawn, for stopping by!  

The Curse of Culcraig can be purchased from Wild Rose Press in ebook or print.  Or, in print from Amazon.  It would make a great Christmas present for the romantic suspense lover in your life (or for yourself because, let's face it, after all that Christmas shopping for everyone else--you deserve something!)

If you have any additional questions for Dawn, please comment below.  She'll be stopping by later to answer them.  And be sure to check out Dawn in her own "neighborhood" over at her blog.

I asked Dawn to provide a song that inspired her during the writing of this book...

**Today's Theme Song**
"Cast No Shadow" - Oasis

(player in sidebar if you'd like a listen)