Five Star Author Blog

If You Build It, Will They Come?

2008-05-30T19:09:00.000-04:00

At LCC in Denver recently, I had the wonderful fortune of moderating a panel on the creative process titled “Where Ideas Come From.” Imagining the four delightful, witty, smart women on the panel (Donna Anderson, Jane Cleland, Alex Sokoloff and Penny Warner) might have an even greater affinity for the analogy than I, I suggested writing books, mysteries, is a little like being pregnant. The germ of an idea gets planted in a writer’s mind and gestates.

Within six weeks of the conference, I gave birth twice. And now I have post-partum blues.

The first birth was the release of my stand-alone suspense thriller Island Life. I’m not sure I’ll ever get over the thrill of seeing ideas take form in the pages of a published book. Hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, makes no difference. Seeing it sitting on a shelf next to books of authors I read and admire seems to give the ideas within it more validity, more meaning.

In the months before publication, I took off my writer’s hat and put on my marketing cap, doing all the things I could reasonably afford, to spread the word about this new child about to come into the world. I printed up business cards with the book’s stunning cover on one side. I had postcards printed and sent them to bookstores and reviewers. I made sure my publisher sent out ARCs and hired a publicist to send out more.

I designed a web page solely for the book, produced a book video on my own and posted it both on my web page and on all the right sites—YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, CrimeSpace, etc. I engaged in NSBSP (not-so-blatant-self-promotion) on forums like DorothyL and CrimeSpace, careful not to break the BSP rules.

I attended LCC and plan to be at MITG, arranged a launch party at my local bookstore, offered free autographed ARCs on DorothyL and free autographed copies of the real McCoy on authorbuzz.com.

Reviews have been very good. But is it enough? I spent far more than I expect to make on the book in hopes of building exposure, building the portfolio of positive reviews my books continue to garner. I built it, but will they come?

Time will tell. So much in this business is serendipitous. Stephen White, the LCC Guest of Honor this year, said in his interview with Elaine Viets that the reason he became an NYT best-selling author is that the lead title the month his second book came out in paperback wasn’t ready yet. In a meeting to decide which book should take its place, his publisher’s editorial staff decided right before going to lunch to make White’s book the lead title that month. Being lucky is as important as being talented. More so.

All I can do now is continue to look for inexpensive ways to keep promoting it for a month or two until the “new book” window closes. Yesterday, I sent copies to Oprah and Kelly Ripa with sticky notes on the covers that said, “Great beach reading—with a message!” and a press release tucked inside with an unusual hook. You never know …

My second birthing experience happened just the other day when I finished the first manuscript in a new series I’m writing. I spent a few days going through it, fixing a typo here, a rough sentence there. I’m proud of it. I like it. It may have problems, so I’m giving it to a round of first readers for feedback. But I think it’s good enough that I also shipped it off to an agent.

After all the tightening and polishing, after living with these new characters for eighteen months until they told their stories (I write slowly, never could understand how some authors churn out two books a year), I let them go out into the world. Will the book find a publisher? Will it sell? Will it be the breakthrough novel I hope it is?

I don’t know.

All I know is that the only cure for writer’s post-partum blues is a congratulatory glass of champagne before getting back to work on something new.

I write. It’s what I do.

Mike Sherer
www.islandlife-thenovel.com

The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs

2008-03-17T11:15:00.002-04:00

My Next Five Star book comes out next January, but I thought I'd drop in with a note about another book just about to be released. It just became available for pre-order, and it's only going to be printed in a 100 copy run (though hopefully with a cheaper mass market version to follow).

The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs & The Currently Accepted Habits of Nature will be out in July....

Here's the cover, and the back cover blurb...

“Whatever grows, must decompose” — Cletus Jehoshaphat Diggs

When Cletus J. Diggs gets a visit from his buddy Jasper and learns about the dead man sticking boot-first out of the fishing hole, he has no idea what it will lead to. web_ready_cletus_cover.jpg

How could he? Old Mill is famous for a lot of things, good fishing, barbecue, over-sized satellite dishes and disappearing beer; it is not known for genetic research, ancient rituals, or alien abduction.

From the moment Cletus and Sheriff Bob drag the corpse from the fishing hole to the final moments of terror, the action is non-stop, tense, and filled with surprises.

Between the Reverend Dozier and his church, the swamp witch, the albino twins, and the local lodge’s well-hidden secrets, the strange events in Old Mill, NC are pretty much out of control. Only Cletus, ordained minister, common law attorney, journalist, private investigator and jack of all trades can draw together the people and resources necessary to set things right. The question is, can he do it before it’s too late?

New Five Star Book Upcoming - and updates

2008-02-27T15:55:00.002-05:00

Just a note - though this seems to be a pretty dead blog, that I have a new Five Star title due in early 2009 - VINTAGE SOUL - Book I of the DeChance Chronicles. This is an urban supernatural dark mystery...sort of. More info on that to follow.

I've been reviewing books, doing updates on my writing, and generally keeping the masses entertained over at my new WordPress site...thought I'd drop in and provide a link. I have three new books due this year, and I'm nominated for The Bram Stoker Award in three categories - it's a good year!

Drop by! Macabre Ink

-DNW

Wednesdays with Joanne - "Post, anyone?"

2007-09-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

Hi guys,

Every time I read our Five Star loop, I see where more of us are going over to the Dark Side, where no one has gone before ... MySpace. The wonderful Mr. Baxley has given my site a mention on the Five Star MySpace page, but I've yet to create my page. I promise I'll "gird my loins" and learn what I need to do.

Do you "Who Still Post On This Blog" feel this blog is worthwhile or do you think we should all use MySpace and/or the FS loop? Code for, is this site a useful tool for us or not?

Just curious, guys.

Joanne Sundell

www.joannesundell.com
www.squidoo.com/historicalromancewriter
Next: The Parlor House Daughter 12/08

While researching the twelfth century . . .

2007-08-29T23:47:00.000-04:00

My latest romantic suspense release BETRAYAL is set in 1122, England. I did extensive research into that time period so that my people would be true to the customs, everyday concerns, and political climate of the day.

One of the aspects of that time that I found fascinating was the influence of the church. The rules set out by the church were not to be broken, and for those suspected of an infraction, the church's punishment was swift and severe. Suspected heretics, for example, were subjected to impossible tests - called trials, at that time - to prove their innocence. One method used was to tie an accused hand and foot, place him or her in a sack weighted down with rocks then throw that sack into a lake. If the accused floated to the top, alive, then he was judged not guilty of a crime against God. If he did not surface, then it was decided that God's justice had been served.

In BETRAYAL one of the characters who antagonizes heroine Katherine is a bishop. Once she is introduced to him, she soon comes to realize that this particular bishop has an agenda of his own which he furthers by using his power as a member of the church. After reading of some of the methods used to prove heresy, I couldn't resist including a scene in which Katherine's faith is called into question. The scene turned out to be quite powerful.

I won't spoil it by revealing anymore, in case you haven't read BETRAYAL.

Research, I find, triggers thoughts and ideas to deepen characters and further the plot. It also makes for fascinating reading : - )

Regards,
Karen

Wednesdays with Joanne - "You're never too old for Harvard!"

2007-08-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Yep, you can congratulate me. I've been accepted at Harvard College, ie, my novel, Matchmaker, Matchmaker, is listed as part of the Harvard College Library. Okay, admittedly it doesn't take much to get me excited (the beauty of being over 50 is that no one cares what we say or do anymore) but having my debut novel purchased by Harvard College, well ... I'm still trying to settle back down to earth! Sure I'm not the only Five Star author who's in the Harvard Library, I'm still dancing in the clouds on this one. I got into nursing school years ago on my good looks (yeah, right) but I got into Harvard on "my good book!" I know, I'm having fun with this one but why not, right.

If any more of my books are accepted at Harvard College, I'll eat my covers!!! Ummm ... deelish!!!

Thanks for letting me have my Academic Moment in the Sun,

Jo(anne)

Next from Five Star:
THE PARLOR HOUSE DAUGHTER 12/08
www.squidoo.com/historicalromancewriter

Whoops, I forgot!

2007-08-22T14:25:00.000-04:00

I forgot to include on my "Wednesday Post" to you (I know it's leaving you all breathless), that I, like Jon B., would love you to visit my webpage on squidoo at www.squidoo.com/historicalromancewriter , in hopes you might put in a "good vote" for me. I don't think I'll ever hit #30 on the charts in A&E, but I'm oh-so-happy Mr. Baxley has!

Thanks guys,

Jo(anne)
www.joannesundell.com
author@joannesundell.com

Wednesdays with Joanne - "The HOOK in us all"

2007-08-22T12:30:00.000-04:00

Hi guys,

Bet you thought I meant to say the BOOK in us all, but oh contrar`...

What I love about what we do, writing, is that we're all unique; all coming up with our own unique HOOK for our BOOK(s). Not so easily done, as we all know, but do it we must (if we want to sell a book or two along the way.) Every time I meet a new author, I'm struck by the fact that this writer has actually written a book, then gotten it published of all things! It still is amazing to me that any of us get published but that's for another day. Right now I want to celebrate the HOOK in us all.

We are all unique, with our own perceptions, our own way of doing ... well ... just about everything. Geez, does that ever come in handy in attempting a novel. What are we without our uniqueness? Not a whole lot, I'm thinking. That is in fact what we bring to the writing table. We're ever in a daily struggle to combat cliche` and convenient storylines. "When I have fears that I may cease to" write, I do my utmost to remember that there is a HOOK, all our own, just around the corner. I just have to find it. Like Harry Potter, but not like Harry Potter. Don't we all love the wizardry he cooks up! Finding a HOOK is a bit like finding a "portkey" in Rowling's amazing stories. Once we do, we close our eyes, endure a bit of turbulance, then we're there!

Oversimplification? Perhaps. At the end of the day, we get ourselves to the end of our book(s), hoping indeed our hook(s) can withstand reviewers and skeptical readers, appealing to many a librarian and bookstore owner. Whew! The ride can be a turbulant one, but I think we can all agree it's definitely worth it!

Relax, it's just writing!

Hah! Want to know where that came from? I read off a gift bag from the Hustler, their motto: Relax, it's just sex! (For all of you chick-lit writers ... good title for you.) Anyway, my point here is that when we're looking for our next Big Bad HOOK: RELAX, IT'S JUST WRITING!

Until next time ...

Jo(anne)

www.joannesundell.com
www.squidoo.com/historicalromancewriter

The Remainder Table...AndShameless Self-Promotion

2007-08-18T17:37:00.000-04:00

A sad fact of publishing is that books go out of print. These days that happens rather quickly unless you’re She-Who-Is-Named-All-Too-Often or Stephen King or—well, you know. And when books go out of print, publishers first try to sell the inventory they have on hand at cut-rate prices. Copies they can’t sell, of course, are stripped and sent to the recycle bin.

I hate spam and junk mail, too, but please hear me out. My publisher is sending all remaining inventory of Death Is No Bargain to the remainder table. I couldn’t stand to see that happen, so I bought out most of their stock. This is your last chance to get a brand new, autographed copy! This book is officially out of print, so once they’re gone, they’re gone!

Death may not be a bargain, but my latest Emerson Ward mystery is! Get an autographed hardcover copy of Death Is No Bargain at a blow-out price! Hurry! Offer good only until August 31, 2008!

It’s a great book, but don’t take my word for it. Here’s what people said about Death Is No Bargain:

"Think Travis McGee in Chicago, with an Alfa Romeo coupe instead of a moored houseboat, and you have a terrific series." —Jeremiah Healy, author of Spiral and The Only Good Lawyer

"Michael Sherer gets better with each book. I hope he continues the trend for as long as I keep reading. Top drawer." —John Lutz, author of The Night Spider

“Get ready to turn some pages, fast.” —Sam Reaves, author of Dooley’s Back

“… quite amazing storytelling that kept me turning the pages.” —Mystery News

“… never slows down as the sleuth follows a meandering trail that climaxes with a fabulous final spin. Fans will appreciate this solid murder mystery.” —Harriet Klausner

“Sherer is a great storyteller.” —Cynthia Lea Clark, Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine

“The fifth Emerson Ward caper is an unusual mix of straight-ahead and thoughtful discourse on hot-button social issues. The characters are as complex as the issues with which they wrestle, and the mystery is cleverly presented and resolved.” —Wes Lukowsky, Booklist

“I like the Ward novels. I like Emerson himself. You will, too.” —David Pitt, I Love A Mystery

“Sherer is able to combine nearly breathless action with deep insight into the human psyche so well that it is often hard to tell where the action ends and the inner struggles of his well-crafted characters begin.” —Emily Burson, BookPleasures.com

Get your copy of Death Is No Bargain for only $11.99, including shipping! Heck, at that price, get a copy for everyone on your holiday gift list and finish your shopping early! Still not convinced? Check out a sample chapter at www.emersonwardmysteries.com.

Ready to get a copy? Send an e-mail to msherer@emersonwardmysteries.com with your name, address and return e-mail address. Tell me if you want your copy personally inscribed. I’ll e-mail you a PayPal invoice with instructions on how to submit payment through PayPal. Your autographed copy of Death Is No Bargain will be sent via Priority Mail. Free shipping to the first 10 orders.

Thanks,

Mike

Marketer's Dilemma

2007-08-16T16:44:00.000-04:00

The hardest part of our job as writers is to become known, to connect with our readers or potential readers. No matter how big or small your publisher, your marketing budget has finite limits. With small publishers, though, it’s particularly difficult—not only doesn’t the publisher pay for much in the way of publicity or promotion, but advances are so small that it’s difficult to decide where to spend that hard-earned money.

The man who first piqued my interest in writing fiction was John Nichols, author of The Sterile Cuckoo. Back in my college years, before he published The Milagro Beanfield War, I took a creative writing course from John. He told the class about how he’d become a novelist. It all sounded so easy and romantic—write a book, sell it to a publisher and watch it become an instant best-seller, reap the financial rewards of a movie deal and move to Taos and contemplate your next novel. John’s experience, of course, was as harsh as it was romantic.

While trying to find a publisher for my first novel, I used to joke with people about living a scenario similar to the one outlined above. What fascinated me was that when my first novel finally was published, people naturally assumed that my advance would allow me to purchase a villa in Provence and live the high life. Most of us know how far from the truth that is.

So, how to budget for marketing? For my next book, I put on my PR agency account executive hat and developed a plan, including pre-publication activities like sending out ARCs to mystery magazines, major metro daily newspapers and online reviewers the publisher doesn’t cover, developing press kit and book club materials to send out, and writing articles for pubs like Mystery Scene; publicity activities like a publication announcement press release, a book release notice to online sites, social networks and interested pubs like alumni magazines; the usual promotional stuff like sending post cards to bookstores and libraries; and post-pub activities like setting up bookstore signings and attending conferences.

Most of these tactics are relatively inexpensive, but add them up and they start to run into real money. I asked someone who specializes in promoting authors what I was missing, how I could create more “buzz.” She responded:

“…it would be good for you to be more visible. Print coverage is harder to get than ever these days and not being with a major publisher will affect that, as I'm sure you know. The best compensation for getting attention these days is to be pro-active. Get visible within the mystery community and the industry at large.”

Sound advice. When my series was first published, I joined MWA, became an officer of the Midwest chapter, attended national board meetings, went to the Edgars, participated on panels at conferences like Bouchercon and Dark & Stormy, and toured bookstores and libraries throughout the Midwest with several other mystery authors as often as I could. (Travel was relatively cheap as I was married to a flight attendant at the time.)

Did that raise my visibility in the mystery community? Absolutely. Did I sell more books as a result? Nope.

Now I don’t have the luxury of airline passes. And it’s been well more than a decade since I served as an officer of MWA. So, I wrestle with decisions like whether or not it’s worth registering for LCC 2008 in Denver in hopes that I’ll get on a panel, when I know the cost of attending that conference alone will eat up my entire advance.

I often wonder how many authors afford to fly around the country attending conferences and doing tours that their publishers aren’t paying for. I suppose like me, many of them haven’t quit their day jobs.

Wednesdays with Joanne - "The Write Trip"

2007-08-08T13:12:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Summer is trekking along, so get those vacation hours in quick! A special shout-out to CC Harrison ... congrats on your next book with Five Star!!! And yes, the Iron Horse Resort is still The Place in Winter Park (although the developers ARE HERE)!

I just returned from The Write Trip: Author Day at Five Star-Thomson Gale, Thorndike Press, in Waterville, Maine. What an honor to have our publisher create a day just for us! Too much fun. Not only did we have an opportunity to meet our fellow authors with Five Star, but the staff of Thomson Gale and Thorndike Press as well. We were wined (H2O and soda) and dined (lobster and chicken) on delicious fare as well as conversation. My feet are back on terra firma (barely) but I have wonderful writing memories to keep me warm on cold Colorado nights to come.

New England is rich in history, and I'm talking Writing history! For me, a romance lover from Virginia who now resides in Colorado, driving along on my Write Trip, passing signs that read Walden Pond ... well, you can imagine. A literary moment, certainly. Another one came when I stopped in Camden, Maine. For those of you who enjoy my love for The Hallmark Channel, as in Sarah, Plain, and Tall (the series runs often) ... roaming around Camden, where Sarah wrote her advertisement "to make a difference," made my heart skip, yet again.

On my way to the airport in Hartford, my Writing Trip took me through John and Abigail Adams country, where they (thank goodness) wrote so many letters to one another, David McCullough could put them together for his wonderful biography. John Adams is one of THE best books I've ever read! (I'm still reading Harry Potter - Deathly Hallows ... so I'll let you know.)

Hmmm...I'm of the thought that one could step out their door in this great country, go in any direction, via any means of transportation, and suddenly discover they are on their own Write Trip! It IS, America the beautiful!

Until next time...

Jo(anne)

Matchmaker, Matchmaker
A...My Name's Amelia
The Parlor House Daughter (12/08)
www.squidoo.com/historicalromancewriter

RUNNING FROM STRANGERS

2007-08-05T13:21:00.000-04:00

I’m very happy to announce that my romantic suspense novel RUNNING FROM STRANGERS will be released by Five Star in September 2008. Pleased, too, that I’ll again be working with Tiffany Schofield and the wonderful Five Star editors and support staff. Really, they treat their authors like rock stars, and diva that I am, I love it!

RUNNING FROM STRANGERS is the story of child advocate Allie Hudson who is forced to go on the run with a child in her care. In her youth, she’d frequently chosen to ignore the consequences of her free-spirited behavior leaving childhood sweetheart Beck Williams to take the blame. Because he loved her, it was an arrangement that suited them both. Until someone died and Allie disappeared. Now, Allie, a devoted child advocate, disgraced family court lawyer, and widow of a murdered cop, seeks refuge at Beck’s secluded Southwest Colorado ranch.

The events in this book were inspired by my work as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) in the child welfare system, and highlight some of the problems inherent in child protection services throughout the country. Whether due to lack of funding, lack of qualified child welfare administrators, or lack of proper care facilities, these kids don’t have it easy. In the book, Allie becomes emotionally attached to the children she advocates for, going far out of her way to see that they are well fed, clothed and cared for. There’s a lot of action and suspense in this book, and a surprise twist at the end. I hope you enjoy it.

New to my music collection - Beautiful Door by Bill Bob Thornton
(Yes, that Billy Bob Thornton. How many of you knew Billy Bob sang in a rock band? I didn't.)

Monument Valley Revisited

2007-08-01T12:56:00.001-04:00

I went back to the Navajo Reservation to do some research for a follow up book to THE CHARMSTONE. I’m pleased to say that book has generated a lot of interest, and quite a few readers have asked me if there will be a sequel.

So I went to Monument Valley to get back into The Rez mode, to see if anything has changed, and to meet up with my old friend, Don Mose. It was Don’s cultural preservation efforts at Monument Valley High School that inspired the work of Durango Yazzie in the book.

Only a few things have changed in Monument Valley. The tiny grocery store down the road from Goulding’s has tripled (at least!) in size and is now a modern supermarket with fully stocked shelves. What we called The Mall, a row of makeshift plywood sheds featuring splendid Navajo jewelry, pots, rugs, and baskets, has moved from the road leading to the Tribal Park to the side of Highway 163. It’s now called The Indian Market, but it will always be The Mall to me. Of course, I had to add a couple of pieces to my Southwest jewelry collection.

Had a nice chat with Don Mose. We talked a little about my new book idea. It won’t be a sequel exactly, though I will try to bring in a character or two from THE CHARMSTONE. The new story was not fully formed in my mind, but I knew I wanted to include certain plot elements and Don was able to expand on those for me. For the historical plot elements – the old Indian Boarding Schools – he referred me to Robert Johnson at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock. (Robert, I’ll be calling you soon.)

Don and I sat in the shade at the Tribal Park during their fabulous Drums of Summer celebration. There were Native American exhibits, songs and dances from various tribes, recognition of Elders, Veterans and local officials, and music. A lot of music. Two of Don’s sons, Travis and young Don, are in rock bands now. I hadn’t met them before, so I stayed to hear them play.

Imagine my surprise when I saw they looked exactly like the young Navajo rock musicians in THE CHARMSTONE! It was as if Larry and Albert Rainwater had walked right out of the pages of my book! I mentioned it to Don, and he just smiled and said sagely, “Yes, you really had a vision there, didn’t you?” I guess I did, Don. I think learned it from you.

And one more thing. Cell phone service on the Rez is close to nonexistent, at least it was for my AllTel phone, especially in the remote vicinity of the Park. But as I was walking through the lobby of the Park Tourist Center, my cell phone rang. It was my agent calling to tell me Five Star had made an offer on a second book!

I’ll blog more about that later.

A Great Place To Promote Your Books

2007-07-26T08:52:00.000-04:00

Hello fellow authors, writers, publishers and friends. My new lens (webpage) on Squidoo.com is getting a LOT of attention. It's gone from #19,000 to #30 in the Arts & Literature category, thanks in part to some of you visiting and rating the page. I really appreciate that and wanted to let the rest of the group (those not on my private mailing list) know about Squidoo.com.

If you're not familiar with Squidoo, you should take a look. I've been mildly surprised by the responses from the Squidoo users and VERY pleased to see my Amazon sales ranks improve almost overnight. While you're there, you might want to think about a Squidoo page for your books or other writing services. The site seems to get a bunch of traffic and it's a lot easier to use than MySpace or FaceBook.

Thanks for listening. I hope to see you at Squidoo soon!

Jon Baxley
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY (in hardcover and eBook)

http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/referral/FiveStarAuthor

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594144516

Wednesdays with Joanne - "An ArtAffair to Remember"

2007-07-25T09:47:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Hmmm, I've a sneaky suspicion you're "all" over on MySpace making new friends. I am an old-fashioned girl who likes old-fashioned romance, so I'll continue to post on our (what must be now) old-fashioned Five Star Blog.

I hope everyone is having a "knock-out" summer! It's going by pretty quickly, isn't it? Make sure to get those vacations in guys. Annette and Frankie are waiting on the beach!

The ArtAffair council in Winter Park, CO, has been kind enough to allow me to peddle my wares (Matchmaker, Matchmaker & A...My Name's Amelia) in the town square, along with other artisans, for two years now. I really appreciate their allowing me in, as it's not been their practice to allow writers into the ArtAffair in times past. My sales have gone quite well, but the best is meeting new readers. I love it when folks happen by, to "buy!" I've met other Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen groupies at the ArtAffair, which is too much fun. We are not alone.

Admittedly, it's a great feeling when folks stop and chat, telling me they've seen my name at the Colorado History Museum Store, or a Denver library, or on signage at The Tattered Cover, Barnes&Noble, or Borders. It's really, really great if they've read my first book and can't wait to put cold, hard cash down for my second. I love to hear back from readers re their opinion of my historical romances. We are lovers all.

Another quick note. My third historical romance, The Parlor House Daughter, has been "signed and sealed" but won't be "delivered" until the end of next year, under Five Star Expressions.

As I said, have a "knock-out" rest of your summer!

If any of you will be attending the upcoming author luncheon in Waterville ... see you there!
(I'll sign your book if you'll sign mine!!!)

Joanne

My new book cover...

2007-05-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

This is the extremely cool cover Five Star came up with for my book, Fifty-Seven Heaven, due out in mid-December. The book features Kitty and Jack Bloodworth and their trophy winning '57 Chevy, Sadie. Imagine their surprise when they enter Sadie in a contest and find Kitty's irritating cousin's body stuffed in the trunk!

If anyone knows of any antique car club newsletters, please let me know. Hubby and I belong to the AACA and the local chapter, but I'd like to get the word out about this book to other antique car folks. I can't wait to hold the book in my hands!

Wednesdays with Joanne - "Bragging Rights"

2007-05-23T12:17:00.000-04:00

Hi guys,

Happy Wednesday and Happy Writing!

I just wanted to "BRAG" about my shared marketing efforts with other Colorado Five Star Authors. Hey, there IS safety in numbers. We are a group of five: Five Stars from Five Star and just had our first joint signing in Colorado Springs. Just so you'll know, we all "played together nicely."

The talented women of whom I speak, and their works are:

Leslee Breene - LEADVILLE LADY
Patricia Stoltey - THE PRAIRIE GRASS MURDERS
Beth Groundwater - A REAL BASKET CASE
Janet Lane - TABOR'S TRINKET
moi` - A...MY NAME'S AMELIA

Our mix is mystery and romance. Too much fun! (Although I must say, part of the fun is that we romantics outnumbered the mystery gals by one ... heh heh heh.) Picture this guys: we shared a small table, managing to balance our books and bookmarks and buttons and pins and brochures and reviews, and ... whew! ... all the while sharing cappuchino ice cream, chatting it up with readers wandering among the stacks who strolled by our group of five; with some stopping for a chat; some extolling the virtues of romance; some eschewing it (few I can assure you); and some placing our books under our noses (if we were not wandering among the stacks ourselves) for us to sign.

A good time REALLY WAS had by all!

Our next joint appearance (in case you're in "the hood") will be at the Tattered Cover, Highlands Ranch, in Denver, June 23rd @ 3pm.

Until next time ...

Jo(anne)

Check this out...

2007-04-30T20:56:00.000-04:00

Madison Chase posted an interview with Jamie Paul Rivard, the hero of my January release, Obsidian. It was great fun and my thanks go out to her for the great opportunity. If you want to know more about my long-legged, southern-boy, Coast Guard officer with a quest... check out Madison's blog at http://journal.madison-chase.com:80/?p=100

Teagan Oliver
www.TeaganOliver.com
Romance, Mystery and maybe a bit of Murder...

Wednesdays With Joanne - "Historically speaking..."

2007-04-25T17:28:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks,

Any of you out there like to read and/or write historical romance? If so, GREAT! Phooey to the nay-sayers who try to frighten all of us away by claiming "lack of interest" in the historical genre. This reader/writer has nothing but "interest" in the genre.

Yes, I know erotica sells. Yes, I know chick-lit is all the rage. And yes, yes, yes, I know that Christian/Inspirational romance is selling ... selling ... selling. As far as I'm concerned, I have only one little problem with these reality stats: I don't read erotica, chick-lit, or inspirational romance. I like historicals, always have and always will. That's not to say I don't pick up an occasional bio from the likes of David McCullough, the latest horror thriller from Stephen King, or wait on line for the newest (and alas ... the last) Harry Potter. But, it is to say that my favorite books are historical romance. I was raised on Jane Erye and Pride and Prejudice and to this day, keep them close.

As I enjoy reading the genre, I also enjoy writing in the genre. I believe all of us who do, need to join together, forming our own Band of Brothers & Sisters, writing what's in our hearts, telling the stories of old, in new ways. Those of us who are traditional romantics, who love a good love story, conjuring images of gallant heroes and worthy heroines, packed with emotion and heartache, impossible conflict and unsatisfied passion, all the while hoping for a happy ending ... we must give voice to our stories through pen and key, never giving up hope ourselves, for a Happy Ending to the plight of the historical romance.

Together, WE CAN!

Shalom,

Jo(anne)

www.joannesundell.com

Wednesdays With Joanne - "For whom the bell tolls"

2007-04-18T13:56:00.000-04:00

Hi folks,

This morning, with the news of the loss of life at Virginia Tech, then the news of 157 dying in 4 car bombs in Baghdad, it's more difficult than usual to "pick up where I left off in chapter 5." I look to one of my favorite passages in literature for solace. It's by John Donne, Meditation 17, and reads something like this:

"No man is an island; entire unto himself.
Each man is a part of the continent; a piece of the main.
If a clod be washed away, Europe is the less.
Every man's death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls.
It tolls for thee."

Yes, you bet I'm going back to "chapter 5," but I do it with a heavy heart.

Shalom,

Joanne
www.joannesundell.com

Wednesdays With Joanne - "I'm Seeing Stars!"

2007-04-11T14:01:00.000-04:00

Four and a half to be precise, from Romantic Times Magazine for A...My Name's Amelia!

Hi all,

Since Five Star Expressions is a combination of women's fiction and romance, you bet I'm thrilled to have two books published in this line. Like many of you, we've found a home with Five Star-an imprint of Thomson Gale, taking our stories where, perhaps, others have not. We're edgey and take risks, to my thinking. I'm nothing but grateful that Five Star has given me an opportunity to be in print, twice. And, I'm nothing but grateful that some of the Big 4 have reviewed both of my books. No worries here, folks: I'm not "going there" with the whole review magilla, except to say that any review is unexpected and, indeed, appreciated.

While I'm over the moon, absolutely, to have some appeal to the library market, I'm out of the MySpaceStratosphere when the romance market takes notice of my stories! Although I don't need RWA approval to write a women's fiction with romantic elements, it's still nice when they sanction my work. At the end of the day, it's all about the stories that we all want to write. This dictates our words, to my thinking. Just where the fit will be ... well, you have to read the book and find out!

I have a shelf in my office with Five Star books from other authors, all signed! Yea! You're all rock stars, literary rock stars! I'm so happy to be counted among you, and love the energy you all generate every day, on the bookstore beat and on the Big Bad Internet.

Shalom,

Jo(anne)

Wednesdays With Joanne - "You are what you WRITE"

2007-04-04T10:17:00.000-04:00

"So...what do you write?"

How many of us get that question, and how many of us have more than one identifying genre. I say if you do, good for you! We're supposed to write out of our comfort zone on occasion and "go where no writer has gone before," right? We're supposed to be able to pen a few contemporaries, then try out our historical ink, then perhaps cozy up with a cozy mystery or two...or three. I give kudos upon kudos to writers who do just that. It's great and it shows nothing but talent, talent, talent!

My genre, if you will, is historical romance set in the West. The only comfort zone I've stepped out of so far is aspiring "to pen" an even more unique heroine in women's fiction. That's the gold ring I go for on the writing merry-go-round...to chronicle the journey of adventuresome, brave women who helped settle the West. And, speaking of the West...what, exactly, do I mean by "You are what you Write?" Perhaps a better statement would be "I am what I Write."

You know how some folks start to resemble their animals? We've seen the pairings, and not just on Leno or Letterman. It's weird and freaky, but true. Now I have huskies, so...I don't mind going there--my dogs' hair usually looks much, much better than mine! When I glance around my home, animals included, I could be in nineteenth-century Colorado. Running water and electricity aside, my home resembles my stories, easy. I just didn't get the resemblance before.

I enjoy writing historical romances with a Victorian touch or two, and I enjoy living in a home with a Victorian touch or two. If it's an antique, I'm on it! If it's an old book, I want it! If I can get a scroll-top instead of a lap-top, done. If I can buy a functional set of mason jars, I much prefer them to stemware. If I can find a worn quilt with just the right colors, or a settee with just the right cushions, the furniture is moving...again. If I have to don my sorrell boots every time I venture out into the wilds with my dogs, so be it. If I have to stack more wood in our kitchen Franklin stove for "the perfect cozy fire," I happily shun gas heating. If my oilcloth greatcoat isn't in fashion, so what. If I can get black licorice over red ropes, it's in my cookie jar. I think you get my point here...which is...

...I suppose "I am what I Write." It's not so much of a stretch of my imagination to write about nineteenth-century Colorado since that's pretty much where I'm living anyway.

Shalom,

Jo(anne)
www.joannesundell.com

Visit Us At MySpace!

2007-03-13T18:48:00.000-04:00

If you're wondering what happened to all of us, we've joined the MySpace revolution! Check us out and see what we've been up to. The Five Star Author MySpace page will take you to a world of great authors, exciting news, and personal Five Star author MySpace pages.

As for me, I've been busy with marketing, promotion, booksignings, writing, freelancing, and home renovations! Quite a mix, huh? I've also been doing a number of radio interviews, in fact, I have one tomorrow evening with AdviceRadio.com. Maybe some of you will join me. It's at 5:30 Pacific time; 8:30 PM EST.

I've also moved my blog to my MySpace page. Some of you have asked, "Where in the heck did it go?" I posted the move at Authors Den.

Okay, that's about it for now. If you get a chance, stop by and visit us at MySpace and let us hear from you. Do you want us to keep this blog up as well? It's voting time!

My baby has left the nest...

2007-02-24T10:16:00.000-05:00

Officially, OBSIDIAN was released at the end of January. Every writer will tell you that having a book published is a lot like doing publicity for a movie. Actors end up doing the interviews and promo stuff long after they've moved on to the next couple of movies. They have to drum up the same excitement for a project that they may have worked on two years before. Writers tend to get the same thing. By the time our projects hit the shelves we've already (hopefully) moved on to the next project, or the next project... or if we're very prolific then maybe even another, by the time it is time to the promo for the book. If you're like me you spend a lot of time trying to put yourself into the reality of your book. You want to be there and feel what is going on around you and those emotions and intensity that belong to that plot, that book... so going backward can sometimes jolt you out of your self-imposed reality. I suppose if I were working on a series this might not be as jarring, but since the book that I am working on now has no relation to OBSIDIAN other than being another Romantic Suspense I find myself going between the two worlds.

Still, I was offered a great piece of advice from a friend when I sold the book. Advice I intend to take to heart. She told me not to worry about what is going to happen... only to enjoy it because you can only sell one "first" book.

Teagan Oliver
www.teaganoliver.com

This and That...by Lonnie Cruse

2007-02-23T17:40:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

I'm celebrating finishing my current WIP last night, well, actually around 1 AM this morning. Not a lot of sleep, so I'm not my usually alert self. But color me perky! (I hate that word.) I have a few words to tweak yet, because I had to look up the proper spelling/usage online for several words, like Betty Grable and grille verses grill. Not to mention porta potty and if anyone can steer me straight on Fifty-Seven/fifty-seven/Fifty Seven/fifty seven (as in the year we all know and love?) I'd be obliged. Oblidged? Thankful, how's that? This is the second book in my '57 series, and I'm hoping Five Star will want to publish it.

To celebrate finishing, I took my Rewards certificate from Best Buy and bought more Charlie Chan movies today. Ahhhh. Anybody else a Chan fan?

I've been taking some online classes from the Mary Buckham courses and Earthly Charms and the lessons have really helped me work my way through the saggy baggy middle of the recent manuscript. Now to begin anew. I hate middling my way through a manuscript. Wondering if I can get from "here" to "there" and make it all connect.

My first book in the '57 series, FIFTY-SEVEN HEAVEN, is due out from Five Star in December. I have an ISBN, but no cover yet. I can't wait to see what they come up with. Now, to locate a poodle skirt . . . one that actually fits. Sigh.

Researching my next book

2007-02-02T08:53:00.000-05:00

I've just sold my second Dotsy Lamb Travel Mystery to Five Star (Yea!) and they say it'll come out next spring. ('08) Now I'm into book three. This one is set on a cruise ship in the Greek Isles. So, as usual, I'm spending as much time researching questions like "What sort of uniform do the police on Mykonos wear?" as I am actually writing.

The story is about murder, but there's a sub-plot involving the illegal antiquities market. In my research so far, I've learned a lot about how museums end up with stolen artifacts, how many millions of dollars change hands, and what countries serve as conduits for the blackmarket.

There are those who don't see it as wrong. They reason that if the items end up in a display case--anywhere--they are better off than if they were still in a farmer's field somewhere weathering away. The farmer who discovers something on his property can't understand why he can't sell it to whomever he wants.

But the point is, the illegal excavation and smuggling destroys all evidence of where, when, and with what else the artifact was found. There is no record.

I've bought a great CD called Network, and I'm using some good websites, but if anyone reading this knows about the illegal antiquities market, would you respond to this blog and let me know?

Thanks,
Maria Hudgins

"How I Got My Series Published," or "Persistance Pays"

2006-12-07T14:05:00.001-05:00

I sent the first book in my mystery series to more than 40 editors, and received mostly form-letter rejections in response.

One day I got a hand-written note from an editor at Dodd, Mead rejecting the book that said, "Keep trying. This is better than most of the stuff that comes in over the transom." Rarely getting that kind of encouragement, I wrote her and asked if she would be interested in seeing another book in the series. She said absolutely. But I didn't have another book in the series. I did, however, have a couple of hundred pages of a book I'd started years earlier but put in a drawer. I pulled it out and considered how to rework it, sat down and hammered out the second book in four months.

Knowing I would be traveling to New York on business a few weeks after I finished the second book, I sent it to the editor and called her to let her know it was on its way and ask her if we could talk about it over lunch when I got to New York. She said, "Sure. Lunch is one of the things I do best."

When I arrived at her offices a few weeks later, she came out to the reception area to meet me, and said, "I'm taking you to lunch." Well, I'd heard that when an editor takes a writer to lunch rather than vice versa, it means Big Contract. After we were seated at a table in the restaurant she dropped the bomb, saying, "I like this, but I'm not going to buy this book, either."

Before my heart fell completely through the floor, however, she went on to explain that she couldn't possibly make the book the first in a series about a Chicago-based character because most of the book takes place in upstate New York. She asked me to send her the first book again so she could take another look. Then she told me that by the way, the second book couldn't possibly be the second book in the series, either, because I would have to establish my hero in Chicago for at least two books before taking him so far afield.

The upshot was that she looked at the first book again, liked it enough to show it around the shop. Dodd, Mead's national sales manager had seen the book when she was with another house (which shows how long the book had been making the rounds) and had begged her former publisher to buy it. That was enough to sway my editor,and they made an offer.

In the meantime, of course, I'd already started in on a third in the series, thinking I had to do another book to take the place of the second in the series. Ultimately, the series was published in the order I wrote it. The moral, though (of this rather long-winded tale) is: You never know. Just keep believing in yourself.

Mike Sherer
www.emersonwardmysteries.com

Walk While Working

2006-12-07T12:11:00.000-05:00

Have any of you seen this? Better yet, have any of you implemented it? I think I’m going to ask my hubby to build me one for Christmas. This looks like a fantastic idea…if you search the net there are a lot of different designs that people are using. WorkandWalk.com has a product list. What does everyone do to stay in shape while working at the computer most of the day?

~Aris Whittier~

Sitting at their desks is about the last thing workers would do in Dr. James Levine's office of the future. Instead of being sedentary in front of their computers, they'd stand. But instead of standing still, they'd walk on a treadmill. And instead of meeting around a conference table, they'd talk business while walking laps on a track.

That's exactly how Levine, a Mayo Clinic obesity researcher, and several of his colleagues have been working for the past five weeks or so.

"I hate going to the gym, which may be partly why I'm so interested in this," he said, keeping up a 1 mph pace on his treadmill while checking e-mail and fielding questions from a reporter.

That speed is slow enough to avoid breaking a sweat but fast enough to burn an extra 100 calories per hour, or 1,000 a day, given his average 10-hour workdays, Levine said. And it helps the 41-year-old endocrinologist keep his 5-foot-8{-inch frame at 158 pounds.

"We're talking more than 50 pounds of weight loss a year, if I were to keep my diet the same," he said.

Levine is a leading researcher of NEAT — short for "non-exercise activity thermogenesis" — the calories people burn during everyday activities such as standing, walking or even fidgeting.

A recently published study he led showed that thin people are on their feet an average of 152 more minutes a day than couch potatoes. Levine was brainstorming ways to address that 2½-hour NEAT deficit a few months ago when he had the idea for the "ultimate office makeover."

"The response has to be appropriate for the magnitude of the problem," he said. "And so we really thought, 'Is there a completely different way of working?'"

Within four weeks, his team developed an alternative to the traditional cubicle — workstations that combine a computer, desk and treadmill into one unit. It was a refinement of a desk Levine created for himself about six months ago.

The makeover was relatively cheap. Levine says the 10 workstations cost about $1,000 each — about half the cost of a cubicle — and remodeling the space cost about $5.50 per square foot.

Those who don't feel like standing can always pull up a tall stool to work on their computers, he said, but the environment "sends you this message of 'Walking is the norm. Being upright is the norm.'"

Staying fit doesn't appear to be a major concern yet for Chinmay Manohar, a 24-year-old research assistant in Levine's office. A runner and a hiker, he's a trim 5-feet-8 and 130 pounds.

But he's found Levine's setup keeps him more alert and focused. When he's soldering electronic gizmos, he stands at a raised workbench. When he's computer programming, he walks on a treadmill. Somehow, typing isn't a problem.

"It took me only a day or two to actually get acquainted with the system," Manohar said. "Also, it keeps me fit."

Levine has heard from people like Lois Yurow in Westfield, N.J., who wanted to know where she could get a treadmill computer workstation like his after she saw a newspaper photo of him walking on it.

"I looked at it and said, 'I want one of those things!'" she recalled.
Though the treadmill-workstations aren't commercially available yet, Mayo Clinic's technology licensing people are working on that.

Yurow, 42, edits legal papers in her home office. She's at her desk about six hours straight each day — with breaks to fill her water glass or throw in a load of laundry — until her children come home from school. She also puts in another hour at night after her kids have settled down. "It would be great if there were something set up that would let me be standing up all the time ... and let me get my work done," she said.

BOOK COVER REVIEW

2006-11-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

My book, THE CHARMSTONE, won't be out until April, but my book cover got reviewed.

Kate Allan of Red Wave Communications in the UK has begun a book cover review on her blog. She invited authors to submit their covers and I emailed mine. She reviewed it today and had nice things to say about it. I really love it and think the Five Star art department did a fabulous job of interpreting the backdrop and atmosphere of where my story is set. Kate nailed the sense of it right off.

To see the whole review, go to http://www.marketingforauthors.wordpress.com/.

And if you have a minute, check out my website at www.ccharrison-author.com. I've added an author quote and updated my blog.

Bird In The Hand?

2006-11-10T16:38:00.000-05:00

The hardest part of a writer's job may be the writing itself, but next to that is getting published. I've talked about the rejection writers endure before they find an agent or a publisher willing to take a chance on their work. Which is why so many authors will sign practically any contract. Just to get offered a contract is a thrill.

Which leads me to my present dilemma. Five Star has offered me a contract for another book. For those of you who've never written, or those who have and haven't yet been published, this is a big deal. Like I said, any contract is beter than no contract -- almost. The problem is that the book Five Star wants is the best book I've written to date. Which means I think it has real market potential.

Don't get me wrong. Five Star is a great publisher. They put out a quality product, and they're great to work with. But the advances they pay are small, and they really distribute only to libraries. Yes, you can order your book through a bookstore, and yes, Five Star books are available through major distributors like Ingrams. But, let's face it, a Five Star book is lucky to sell 1,500 copies. The few FS authors who have sold 2,000 copies of their books have been the FS equivalent of NY Times bestsellers.

My fourth Emerson Ward mystery -- the first one published by FS -- ended up getting picked up in mass market paperback by Worldwide Mystery. Again, I was happy to see the book out in pb and available to more people, but Worldwide is its own story (for another blog entry). But my latest hasn't been picked up in paperback, and while I like seeing my work in print, I sometimes wonder how long I can continue to put in 12 months of work for $1k.

Two agents are presently looking at the work FS just made an offer on. I've e-mailed them to let them know I have an offer. They haven't responded yet. And close to 150 agents have already turned the book down (and no, for the uninitiated, that's not a reflection of how bad the book is, but rather a reflection of how competitive the market is).

So, the question becomes: the contract in hand, or the two agents in the bush?

Stay tuned.

Mike Sherer
www.emersonwardmysteries.com

Expressions

2006-10-24T11:54:00.000-04:00

Has anyone heard the expression, laid like broccoli? I heard it again today. It got me thinking of other expressions that we use and how we all have our pet phrases. Some are unique to only us. Some we've adopted because they suit our personalities. Some we've adapted to the people in our stories as one means of rounding out their characters and making them more "human".

Today, while I'm out running errands, I'm going to listen for pet phrases from the people I speak with, and in the conversations going on around me. I may hear something that will suit one my characters.

If you have any expressions that you'd like to share, drop me a line at: karen@karenfenech.com

Regards,
Karen
http://www.karenfenech.com/

CATCHING UP

2006-10-19T20:28:00.000-04:00

Time to catch up with my blog. Lots has happened since the last time, most of it not very interesting to anyone but me, so I won't go into it here.

But I have my book cover for THE CHARMSTONE and must say I am thrilled with it. Those Five Star designers are just the best, aren't they? Check it out on my new website at www.ccharrison-author.com.

I'm busy, busy on another book, three quarters of the way through. I'll talk more about it soon.

Do You Keep A Journal?

2006-10-19T13:54:00.000-04:00

I started keeping a journal when I was very young, filling the pages with pre-adolescent events in my life like I went to the beach. I had fun. I stopped when I began thinking of writing professionally and was spending so much time writing.

In the last couple of years, though, I began to journal again, and I've re-discovered the freedom of writing anything that comes to mind and not having to be concerned about revising and editing. I've re-discovered the freedom of knowing that no one other than myself is ever going to read these pages.

I've found another benefit to journaling that has helped in my writing - writing out plot problems. Often writers work alone and we don't have anyone to talk to about a problem with plot or character. I'm "talking" my problems out on the pages of my journal. I'm finding that writing the problem down and through helps me solve it.

I'm no longer talking out writing problems aloud to myself.

Well, not as often : - )

Regards,
Karen
www.karenfenech.com

Gideon's Curse - Nanowrimo Read-along

2006-10-13T08:27:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know (particularly those who remember what I've done in the past) that I'm going to participate for the third straight year in Nanowrimo. As in the past two years, I'll be posting my daily output to a yahoo group, and you are all invited to join up and read along. Just send an e-mailto:

Subscribe: Gideons_Curse-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The novel is titled "Gideon's Curse," a historical dark fantasy set against the backdrop of a cotton plantation on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp.

"In the swamp, you die, or you find ways to survive. Young Gideon Swain knows this; he knows there are older ways than the slave-labor minded Pope Family that he works for can imagine. He has seen his mother’s reflection in the slime-pools of the bog. He’s heard his grandfather, the first Gideon at Preacher’s Marsh, chanting on the night breeze. He has seen eyes, glowing white and glittering with hatred, peering from the trees that line the fields. He has heard voices like drumbeats chanting in the night, and played his blues in time with them.

The dead are rising, and they are coming. Soon."

Join in - read along. There will be weekly (and random) prize drawings...

And good reading. If the novel doesn't get completed in the month of November, this group will continue until it does. Welcome to the swamp...

David Niall Wilson
www.macabreink.com
deep-bluze.livejournal.com

Psychedelic Mushrooms in Scotland

2006-09-24T09:34:00.000-04:00

There's one phase of the writer's life that's completely insane. It would never be believed by anyone but a writer and yet I believe that all writers do this. Every day. Sometimes for hours. At least I do but I find it difficult to talk about because I care what people think about me.

We research goofy questions. Mostly on the Internet. If you walk into my den where I do my writing on any given day you may find me researching questions like these: (These are real. I promise I've actually spent at least an hour on each of these)

Which side of the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence is steep enough to kill you if you fell off?
How much would somebody pay at auction for 14th century B.C. Mycenean vase in excellent condition?
How much would somebody pay for the above vase if they knew it was hot?
Name a castle in Scotland that does not really exist.
Is there a Starbuck's in the Milan airport?
How do you play Texas Hold'em poker?
How late do the bars stay open on a cruise ship?
What species of psychedelic mushrooms grow wild in Scotland?
How many capsules are on the British Airways London Eye?

So far, I've never heard any of these on Jeopardy, but if Alex Trebec ever asks, I'm ready.

So what about you other authors out there? C'mon, 'fess up! What's the dumbest thing you ever spent an hour researching?

Maria Hudgins

Death of an Obnoxious Tourist, Five Star, June '06.

The Worst Thing About Writing

2006-09-20T18:46:00.000-04:00

Quite often, writers are asked about writing. One of the questions most often asked, I've found, is "where do you get your ideas". I blogged briefly on that topic here, at The Five Star Blog in May, and I'll be blogging on that subject again on November 2nd at "The Idea Boutique".

Recently, however, I was asked a question that I couldn't recall having been asked before. It was: What did I feel was the worst thing about writing? After I gave my response, I thought the question had the makings of an article. And so, I wrote one. The result was a first-person opinion piece that appeared in this week's issue of AbsoluteWrite. My agreement with the publisher doesn't permit me to reprint it here, but if you'd like to take a look, the link to the article is:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/freelance_writing/worst_thing.htm

If you'd like to share your own thoughts on what the worst thing about writing is for you, post a response here, or write to me at: karen@karenfenech.com

Regards,
Karen
http://www.karenfenech.com/

Book Covers

2006-09-19T21:48:00.000-04:00

I've been out of touch for a while, busy with new releases due out this month, next, and November. While all this pre-publication prep has been going on, one of the things I've been focused on are book covers.

Waiting to for my book covers is always nail-biting time for me. It's a lot to expect for one image to capture the essence of a 90,000 page book. That's the equivalent, I think, to writers condensing our stories into a one-page synopsis. It's not easily done, and not always done well. We've all seen some terrible book covers out there and felt the author's heartbreak.

I received the cover for BETRAYAL a while back, and am thrilled to write that I was, well, thrilled. Five Star invites authors to submit an idea for their covers. I had a vague one, and after I submitted it, I worried that the artist reading my small offering, might be thrown off a great idea of his own. I was worried that I might have contributed to a terrible cover. The artist, however, included a couple of the elements from my idea and then came up with something so much better than I'd imagined.

I'm challenged when it comes to uploading files etc, so I couldn't post the cover here. It's on my website, though, if you'd like to take a look. Let me know what you think. The link to my site is: http://www.karenfenech.com/ The cover is posted on the "BOOKS" page.

I just received the cover for my September short story release, and I'm happy to write that I like that one too. Two covers down, one more to go. . .

Regards,
Karen
http://www.karenfenech.com/

Life's Journey

2006-09-17T08:34:00.000-04:00

Upon reflecting about my life, I realized…
Mine is no different than others; we are all children of the Universe. All of us have written our personal life stories in and through the lives we have touched. Life is not an easy road for most; it twists and turns with many forks in the road, although always, and inevitably, we are given a choice…do I turn to the left? Or to the right? Do I take the high road…or the low road? Do I take the easy path…or the difficult one? Decisions have not always been easy as I struggled for direction…sometimes the many choices and signs became overwhelming.

While standing at a crossroads in my life, the urge, as with most, was to take the most comfortable path; the road with least resistance—the shortest or most traveled route. I’ve been down that comfortable road before; have gleaned its lessons in life, and learned from my experiences; into my life entered the thought of writing professionally, and I found myself; my soul; drowning in indecision…Do I yet again follow the known? Or does my destiny lie in another direction?

The fear of the road less traveled is tangible and all too real; it manifests itself in many ways, and tends to cloud the issues that might otherwise be clear. It is in these times of confusion, I have learned; that we must seek peace and solitude; time to contemplate on our life, our experiences, and our choices past; time to look back, and reflect on what we have learned without fear or confusion.

For only each of us knows our own personal thoughts; our unique past and personal history; the experiences that brought us to the crossroads we now face. We can always learn a small degree from others experiences, and yet—no one person can walk in our shoes, others know not, the trials and tribulations faced in private—for each is individual…unique…and personal.

And that is why, while standing at a crossroads, only “we” can formulate the decision for ourselves; the true direction that lies within ; the choices we much deliberate on with clarity and wisdom. For it is only through personal reflection, that we can now choose our destiny; our next adventure, and the future we will embrace.

May the true force of your paths and journeys always be with you.

Rejection King

2006-09-11T20:00:00.000-04:00

April's post (The Writer's Life) was timely. My thoughts recently have been wandering down the same avenue as the second part of her post -- how do you draw encouragement from rejection? The fact is, I don't think another profession out there (perhaps aside from acting) presents its practitioner with as much rejection as writing. We've heard tales of job seekers sending out hundreds of resumes with few responses, but often they send resumes to positions for which they are un- or ill-qualified.

That's not to say there aren't thousands of wannabe writers out there who are truly ill-equipped to write a good piece of novel-length fiction. There are. And hundreds of them have found a way to get published through print-on-demand technology. There are also thousands of writers who actually can string together a sentence, some of whom are talented enough to write a book. Even then, they may not be good enough to submit their work to a traditional publisher.

Far greater, however, are the number of writers who work hard at their craft and have enough inate talent to write good, well-plotted books with interesting characters, a fresh voice and intriguing themes. Many of them, like me, are published. But the road to publication is littered with rejection. Like April, I did a quick count and came up with 283 rejection letters in the course of the last 30 years.

The fifth book in my Emerson Ward mystery series was published in hardcover recently. I just completed the manuscript for the sixth. It's the best piece of fiction I've ever written, a result of hard work and years of practice at this craft. In the past two weeks, I've already been turned down by 17 agents.

Why do we endure this sort of rejection? What is it about writers that makes us come back, day after day, and sit in front of typewriter/computer/paper to write? Why are we so compelled to tell stories that will end up receiving jeers from so many? Why do we punish ourselves with not only one of the hardest jobs I know of, but the humiliation of rejection as well?

Perhaps because acceptance, when it comes, is validation of what we knew all along -- we're good at what we do. While most of here on this blog don't yet have legions of fans, if we could find a way to let more people know about us and what we write, we would.

Rejection? Hardly. More like motivation.

Michael W. Sherer
Death Is No Bargain
www.emersonwardmysteries.com

The Writer's Life

2006-09-02T13:46:00.000-04:00

I doubt there is anything more frightening to a writer than a blank screen (or piece of paper). You stare at it as though expecting the muse to appear any minute. But that minute soon turns into micutes, then hours, and still NOTHING. Is this writer's block? Is this a writer's truest frustration and moment of despair? For some perhaps. For me it used to be. Now, however, I find it challenging. The blank screen actually awakens my creative spirit from within and gets me excited about what I KNOW will appear--sooner or later. As I allow these thoughts to become stronger (the excitement and anticipation) it's usually under the hour mark before my fingers are tapping away. I now know how Mozart must have felt before psyching himself up and lowering his fingers to the keys before him. I like to think of it as my new found creative block.

In reflecting over the month past I realized I actually wrote more (and better) by allowing the blank screen to be there. Giving it permission to remain blank. It took my mind OFF the screen and into my heart and soul where the muse eventually awakened, arrived, and created. There's many frustrations and disappointments a writer goes through on their journey to publication. Many of these I have just recently discovered; some I have known about ever since I put pencil to paper to compose that first story at age five.

The most despairing feeling is, of course, rejection. Earlier today I had my "rejection collection" out just so I could actually give myself a sense of accomplishment from them. There are 216 of them. The earliest one dated back to 1976. That's thirty years I KNOW I have been writing professionally. Professionally meaning - NEVER giving up in spite of rejection but rather--honing your craft, learning from comments editors may have made, and making tenacity and perseverance your inner trademarks.

Last night I received a positive rejection from an agent. Yes, there are POSITIVE rejections! So much so that it inspired within me a drive to "go for it!" Here is the message:

Thank you for your submission for the Wanderlust Mysteries. We are actually very aware of your series and think it’s a terrific hook. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to move a series mid-publication, so I will have to pass on this book. Our assistant saw the terrific hook and immediately requested the proposal. I would be very happy to see any new series you decide to work on, or even hear a pitch in an email if you’d like to try something out.

You better believe I pitched something out! I gave it my BEST shot and that's all any of us can do as writer's or anything else we are passionate about.

Missing In Action

2006-08-18T12:57:00.000-04:00

I’m back! Guess you could say I’ve been missing in action—or, more appropriately, missing FROM action.
I’ve been burning the midnight oil (and brain circuits) with writing, research, and becoming my own PR coordinator! Every day I’d promise myself to stop in here and keep you clued-up on what’s happening but then the return of my pesky little shoulder critic convinced me I’d only be boring you guys. The all inspiring and encouraging comments and emails I’ve received from you finally enabled me to squish and silence that critic once and for all. Thank you for being my accomplices to accomplishments.
As to what my over active mind and imagination has been getting into; I’ll briefly outline everything below. The in-depth life and happenings of April Star will be in my upcoming newsletter so if you’re mind is really inquiring over the wanderlust creator and her mischievous and exciting journeys, be sure to sign up from my web site for the “All Points Bulletin!”
The most time consuming quest has been with setting up future events for the introduction of TROPICAL WARNINGS. If you’ve been to the event link on my web site you’re already aware of one firm and solid signing at Camp Florida Resort in Lake Placid (Florida…NOT Lake Placid, NY)! I’m waiting to hear back from the activities director of Cross Creek Country Club and RV Resort in Arcadia, Florida and will post that signing event once everything is penciled in.
I’ve written and sent flyers to 53 other camping resorts and will soon begin pounding the pavement with the books stores. I’m going for the goal of 500 signing events in 2007; calling it the “April 500!” Anyone who would like some of my flyers or bookmarks just let me know! Flyers are ready now; bookmarks should be back from the printer in a couple weeks.
As soon as my ARCs arrive I’ll be shipping them pronto to all those who have agreed to read and give me reviews and/or blurbs. This includes The Miami Herald, The Escapees RV Club, and, unconfirmed as yet—The Toronto Star.
I’m wrapping up a project for Amazon Shorts which I call “Short Cuts.” It’s a collection of four humorous short stories titled: RV Having Fun, Dead Season, You’re Terminated, and A Meatloaf to Die For. I should be ready to submit this within a week and hopefully it will be accepted and available on Amazon for the REALLY low price of .49 cents!
The Dolphin Triangle (my single title gritty suspense) has undergone major surgery and the final restorative touches are just about complete. A sneak peak, never before seen, sample of the rewritten version will also be in my upcoming newsletter—for subscriber eyes only!
The Last Resort has also been going through growing pains. Since visiting St. Augustine last month (the novel’s setting) a lot of changes had to be made in the novel.
The August contest entries have been phenomenal! Thank you for all your kind comments and enthusiasm. Good luck to all!
Okay, that’s a wrap! Thanks for stopping by and not putting out an APB on me! Happy trails and happy reading.

THE WRITING LIFE, or Close Out That FreeCell and Get to Work

2006-08-10T22:00:00.000-04:00

I've always been interested in knowing how writers write their books (their process) and how much time they spend doing it (their schedule).

I know some writers who can write for twenty minutes at a time, get up and do something else, then write for another twenty minutes, and so on. My friend Linda Lea Castle (who also writes as Innis Grace) does that, or she used to do it that way because she home schooled her children. I really envied her discipline and powers of concentration.

My friend Linda Lael Miller writes fast, and it seems she can write a book every couple of months (best sellers, no less.) But I don't think she sits at her computer for eight hours every day, because she also travels, attends conferences, goes to church, works with the Humane Society, and spends a lot of time with her very large family. She used to be on the RWA board, and that alone was a huge commitment requiring a great deal of time.

Some writers I know have very strict work hours. They unfailingly begin at a certain hour and end at a certain hour every single day refusing to be interrupted. Other writers have told me they get up at three or four in the morning and write before the rest of the family wakes, or before going to a day job. That seemed impossible to me.

I'm willing to describe my writing schedule, and will admit in advance that it needs improvement. (I'll talk about process in a future blog.)

Okay. So, I get up between five and six every morning, make the coffee, and sit down at the computer usually while I'm still in my nightgown. I read the news—Drudge Report, then MSNBC headlines only clicking in to the big news of the day. Then the emails. This used to be overwhelming, but I've cut way back on my email lists. When the writing is going good, as it is on my current project, I often let my emails go for days.

I begin the actual writing between 7:30 and 8:00. On a good day, when the writing is really flowing, I'll write straight through with only a break for breakfast and lunch (at my desk) until about 2:30 or 3:00. That's when my back starts to stiffen and my creativity flags. At 3:30, I get ready to go to the gym. During the hour or so I'm on the treadmill, I write in my head. That is, I mentally run through my day's work filling in blanks, working out dialogue, scenes, and plot problems.

I almost never write after dinner. That's my reading time. But I do jump up to make a note if something pops into my head.

I used to keep a time sheet. You know, a log of the dates and hours spent working on a project, but that was too depressing. I got the guilts when I would see that there were days— sometimes many days—between work sessions. So, now I wing it and don't worry about it.

And along the way I've learned that I'm very poor at estimating how long it will take me to finish a book, or even a chapter. No matter how much time I think it will take, it always takes twice as long.

About the FreeCell. The only reason I haven't deleted it from my hard drive is because I need it when I'm on hold with customer service. Any customer service. It's the only thing that keeps me sane.

Albums added to my iPod:

- Freedom Fitness, Christian electronic rock workout music (really!) by Various Artists

Podcasts added to my iPod:

- The Street by Joe Frank
- Suicide Bridge by Joe Frank
- Telephone Prayer by Joe Frank (this one's absolutely hilarious)
- Controlling Your Moods by Joel Osteen

Sage Cane's House of Grace and Favor

2006-08-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

After taking several weeks off to catch up on my reading and regroup, I'm back at work on a partially completed Old West historical romance called, "Sage Cane's House of Grace and Favor," (formerly "Bad Girl of Fairplay Creek," formerly "Wild Mountain Honey.") I'd put the half finished manuscript aside on the advice of my agent when, according to her and everyone else in the industry, Old West romances went out of fashion.

The revamped title came about because Ann LaFarge, formerly of Kensington and now a freelance editor, commented that "Wild Mountain Honey" sounded a bit retro. Well, actually it was. It's from a song by the Marshall Tucker Band popular in the seventies.

So I had to come up with something else. I'm not very good with titles, and by this time, editors were looking for catchier ones. After much thought, I decided on "Bad Girl of Fairplay Creek," but shortly afterward put the book aside.

A couple of weeks ago, I brought the manuscript out again, but was dismayed to discover that while it was on hiatus, Jo-Ann Mapson had published a book called "Bad Girl Creek." So, again I racked my brain for a title.

Hence, "Sage Cane's House of Grace and Favor."

As you may surmise from the title, the book revolves around a parlor house. It's located in a fledging mining town in the Rocky Mountains, Fairplay Creek, Colorado, to be exact. And, as many of my stories seem to be, it's about a young woman who finds herself far from home struggling to make her way in a strange place. How she manages to do that in a rowdy, raunchy mining town where anything goes, and still manage to keep her moral values intact is what the story is about. The fact that it was a town where anything goes is what actually encouraged and allowed her to take a risk. In the process, she turned the tables on the men in town while at the same time turning the town upside down.

The theme of the book is – A town will only rise to the standards of its women.

So, let's hear it for the return of the Old West historical romance. If, indeed, it was ever gone.

Album added to my iPod - Country Falls by Husky Rescue

Tropical Warnings Now Available For Pre Order

2006-08-01T17:16:00.000-04:00

You never know what you'll find with a Google search! Today I did one on Tropical warnings and discovered it is listed on Amazon.Com for pre order! Whoa! What an experience that was! I have since contacted Amazon inquiring as to how I can now become part of their Amazon shorts (short stories written by April Star and available for sale as downloads) and Amazon Connect (a sort of Amazon blog for authors).
I've also been keeping my poor designer at ombience author promotions busy with the promotional flyers, business cards, bookmarks and postcards (mail signature creation in progress now)! Thank you, Lena!!!!
So go ahead, get on over to Amazon and pre order your copy of Tropical Warnings! Amazon.com: Tropical Warnings (Five Star First Edition Mystery): Books: April
Thanks for stopping by! And the August contest is in full gear...stop by my web site and get your entry in today! www.authoraprilstar.com

L. L. BEAN AND ME: Story Characters

2006-07-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

I never, never, never EVER use people I know or any other real people as characters in my stories.

So where do I find my story characters? In the L. L. Bean catalogue. Or Land's End, or J. Jill, or Macy's, or Nordstrom's or any other catalogue that I favor. I flip through the pages and look for smiles or eyes or a hair style or color, or any face that jumps out at me and says, "Use me. Use me." If the look fits with the plot elements I have in mind, I'll choose it.

Then I'll give that character a name. Or if I already have a name, a sort of psychic sense draws my eye to a face that naturally goes with it and with the plot. Then I tear out the page, or clip the image and tack it on the bulletin board over my computer. Once I have the look, I'll give the character flesh and bones and a personality.

Now even though I never use real people, there are times I might be inspired by something I know about a real person and use that to portray someone in a story, like maybe a character trait or some other element of a real person.

My book, "The Charmstone" due for release next April, takes place on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Monument Valley, Utah. I lived there for a time as a VISTA volunteer, and found that I used isolated impressions of the real people I met there to define some of my story people.

In the story, Amanda Bell notices that Durango Yazzie wears a watch with a chunky silver and turquoise watchband. She finds it and the man wearing it very attractive. That watch is worn by my Navajo friend Don Mose, but Don is not Durango.

Amanda herself represents the essence of my VISTA mates, three strong, adventurous, courageous and bright young women. But she doesn’t look like any of them, nor does she have any other facet of their personalities.

My secondary characters come alive to me just as my central characters do. But they are all created in my mind—Jack Rice, Judy and Jeremiah Moon, Elliott Sheffield, Sallie Rainwater and her two hunky sons Larry and Albert, Cammie Drew, Noah Tucker, Buck Powell. The others, the various Navajo Elders and Medicine Men and wannabes, all typify those I met or saw on the reservation, but no one in particular. In the story, they are all true to themselves.

Allbums added to my iPOD:
Graceland by Paul Simon

Podcasts added to my iPOD:
Joe Frank
Joel Osteen

Finding Time To Write Revisited

2006-07-21T15:05:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, I wrote an article called "Finding Time To Write When You Have No Time". It was published in a writers' journal, then reprinted in e-zine AbsoluteWrite where it is currently archived. The subject of finding time to write strikes a chord with a lot of us who are struggling to fit one more activity into our crowded lives.

Some suggest that writing, or not writing, is a matter of priority, claiming that we always manage to find time to do the things we want to do most. That's true in some instances, but I don't believe it's true in all cases. It isn't always simply a matter of deciding to do it. If it were, I believe a lot more people would be pursuing their dream. It isn't the will that may be lacking, but the way.

My life isn't in the same place that it was when I wrote that article, of course. I'm not struggling with the same demands on my time that I was then. Instead, I now have a new slew of demands clamoring for my attention. :-) I'm sure it's no different for you.

As a result of these new demands, however, I'm re-examining how I spend my days, looking to carve time to write.

It's an on-going battle. One that I'm winning. So far. :-)

Regards,
Karen
http://www.karenfenech.com/

GREAT CONTEST - PREORDER ANCIENT EYES!

2006-07-18T20:07:00.000-04:00

The Ancient Eyes Pre-Order Contest & Traveling Fiction Show

Here’s the deal. Anyone who preorders this book from any bookseller will be included in this drawing. I will work with the publisher to make sure we get all the numbers worked out for the different booksellers taking pre-orders. There will be a GRAND PRIZE and four runners up.

The Grand Prize will be a hand-bound manuscript copy of Ancient Eyes, annotated, illustrated and decorated by the author. I intend to cut leather (some of you remember when I hand-sewed pigs for “My Eyes are Nailed…” the chapbook from Delirium. Something like that, I suspect…I have no idea how to do it, or how I WILL do it…but I WILL do it…and the winner will have a one-of-a-kind collectible edition of this book that will no doubt be as odd as it is rare…

That’s the start.

From there I’m branching out. The other four prizes will begin with gift certificates.

The first is $50 certificate for Shocklines.com to be spent any way you like – plus two of my own books from my own stash (my choice).

The Second is a $50 certificate for Cemetery Dance Publications - same deal as above, plus two books of my choice. Thanks to Brian Freeman and Rich Chizmar for helping make this happen.

The third is a $50 certificate with our friend and all around book dealing nice guy- Bill “Alienmotives” Lindblad at his on-line store. This one comes with a copy of “The Mote in Andrea’s Eye,” signed by the author (me) and the following deal. If you are a member of the Shocklines Forum you will receive $75 worth of books for your coupon – if you spend the coupon on works that were either written by me, or that I am a contributor to – you will receive $100 worth of books. How’s that for a deal? Click here to visit Bill’s on-line bookstore and check out the goodies that could be yours!

The final gift certificate is worth $50 with a local bookstore (who also sells on line) named Carolina Moon Books Melanie has some VERY cool antique books, as well as a lot of others that you might not find at the standard genre stores…because she doesn’t run a genre store. This one also comes with two books by me (my choice) as the Shocklines coupon did.

Can you tell I want to SELL this book? I also intend to do a podcast of the excerpt that you can read at My Web Site

So….go. Preorder this book. You know you want to. You won’t be charged at any of these sites until the book ships…some of them not until it’s in the store…

Preorder Ancient Eyes from Shocklines.com

Help me reach 200 copies as soon as possible. The sooner we do it, the sooner the book will come out – the sooner you can WIN.

ONWARD!

DNW

Introducing myself...

2006-07-15T21:20:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

I'm Lonnie Cruse. My hubby and I live in Metropolis, IL. I recently signed with Five Star to publish the first in my planned Kitty Bloodworth, '57 Series, titled Fifty-Seven Heaven. It's about a baby-boomer couple, Kitty and Jack Bloodworth who find the body of her VERY irritating cousin stuffed in the trunk of their trophy winning Matador red, '57 Chevy when they enter the car in a local contest. The book is due out late in '07.

Meanwhile, besides getting ready for the important publishing date, I'm still working on my first series, the Metropolis Mystery Series. I have three books published in that series, Murder In Metropolis, Murder Beyond Metropolis, and Married In Metropolis, which was just released. This series features a male sheriff, Joe Dalton, who solves fictional murders in the real town of Metropolis, Illinois, home of Superman.

As the only Metropolis in the US zip code book, we became the "home of Superman" several decades ago. We have a 15 foot tall statue of the superhero at the courthouse, a piece of kryptonite (large ugly rock sprayed green on a major street corner) and a Planet newspaper. We have a Superman Festival every June and fans come from all over. My new series is also set in the Metropolis area, but with different characters, different, ummm, tone?

I look forward to blogging with you all, and getting to know everyone. I'm uploading a picture of our statue so you can see how big it is. Thanks for inviting me in! Lonnie

What's In A Name?

2006-07-14T00:27:00.000-04:00

I spend a lot of time thinking about names. Actually, I collect them. I write them down in my "name" journal. Since my husband and I aren't planning any more children, that would seem like an odd preoccupation, but the truth is the search for names has become an important pursuit for me.

I wasn't always into names, but as a writer I've found that having the right name for my characters is key. A character named James behaves differently than one named Jim, or Jimbo.

With BETRAYAL, due out this November, I had the great fun of researching names from the twelfth century. One of my discoveries was "Elspeth" a variation of Elizabeth. I couldn't resist giving that name to one of the characters in my story.

If I have the pleasure of meeting you one day, I hope you'll understand if I take out the little notebook I carry in my purse and jot down your name. :-)

Regards,
Karen
http://www.karenfenech.com/

Me and My iPod

2006-07-12T15:21:00.000-04:00

I bought an iPod a couple of weeks ago. It was strictly an impulse purchase. I went to Best Buy for a new stereo, and as an after thought asked about iPods and ended up with an iPod Nano. I didn't know how to use it, wasn't sure what I'd use it for, but omigod! I love this little thing!

I didn't know how to work any of the controls, and it didn't come with instructions, so I bought a "Rough Guide to iPods" instruction book. That helped a lot. Also, the Apple website has instructions and a tutorial, but if you're impatient like me, you won't sit still to wade through it.

To be honest, my iPod purchase was influenced a little bit by Kristen Nelson, an agent in Denver. I'm in the habit of reading her blog and everyday she mentions what tune is playing on her iPod. I'm always interested in knowing what music people listen to just like I'm curious about what books they read. By the way, you might want to check out her blog. She's been explaining and analyzing agent and editor contract clauses.

I probably won't use my iPod while I'm writing, but now that I've learned how to put my own music on it, I'll use it mostly while working out at the gym. Here are the albums I have on my iPod so far:

- Play by Moby
- Indigo Spirit by Higher Octave Music
- Myth by Chorus of Tribes
- Life by Simply Red
- A Decade of Steely Dan by Steely Dan
- Music by Madonna

When Life Gets in the Way...Unless you stop it

2006-07-12T07:53:00.000-04:00

I've been going through a bit of a rough spot. I lost a job I hated on the 2nd of June...and I have been caught in the whirlwind of resumes, worry, etc. ever since. Today I go to lunch with the VP and COO (Chief Operations Officer) of a new company...a new start...and I'm happy to say that, through all of this, I managed to maintain my focus.

I thought I'd take this time to remind folks about my novel, "The Mote in Andrea's Eye." It's pretty cheap over at www.amazon.com - you can get it for a little over $16 (not bad for a nice HC novel). It's filled with action, adventure, a horrible hurricane, a courageous heroine, and the Bermuda Triangle...how could this be bad?

It's gotten rave reviews in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal and has collected several others, so you don't have to take my word for it...

And if you have a spare moment stopy by my live journal. I've conducted some interviews over the past week - bestselling author, filmmaker and entertainer John Mason Skipp - and Gerard Houarner, one of the great modern short fiction authors working h dark fantasy and horror...

The Deep Blue Journal

And finally...as you sip coffee, read and write, think of me today and my lunch/interview and send good vibes. It would be nice to get back to work!

DNW

The Charmstone Edits

2006-07-10T11:42:00.000-04:00

I'm working on the first edits of my romantic suspense, "The Charmstone," scheduled for release next April. I actually enjoyed the process, though it was made a bit more time intensive because the manuscript had undergone some revision since it was first submitted. As a result, I had to go through the edited copy and the revised copy page by page by page, word for word making the changes. There were more than I remembered. Events in the first three chapters had been rearranged. A new chapter had been added at the end, and a chapter in the middle lengthened by half. In between were word or phrase changes, and some minor rewriting.

But I like that kind of intensely focused work. Turn off the phone, put on the coffee, hunker down, and just do it.

I'm not familiar with this edit software, though, have never seen it before, so I'm sure I gave my very thorough and capable editor, Diane Kirkle, fits with all my questions about how it worked. I hope I didn't make a mess of it. She hasn't said anything, so either I used it correctly or she's too polite to tell me how badly I screwed it up.

I also enjoyed reading the story again and becoming reacquainted with my characters, lapsed socialite Amanda Bell, and Navajo Cultural Center director, Durango Yazzie. They found themselves thrown together in Monument Valley, the remotest part of the Navajo Indian Reservation, and had to come to grips with exactly where in the world they belonged. Amanda, on a mission to fulfill her deceased father's last wish, turned her back on her life in a gated mansion in Beverly Hills. Durango, newly returned to the reservation, was committed to reconnecting with his Navajo heritage, a way of life he had previously cast aside.

They work it out, though, but not without a whole lot of turmoil. You'll see when you read the book.

A List of My Life

2006-07-06T06:48:00.000-04:00

Ever have a day when you couldn't think with any clarity? I did and when it happened to me I panicked, afraid that I'd somehow used up all of my ideas. The real problem though wasn't a lack of ideas, I found, but too many of them. I had information overload.

We have so much going on in our lives. There are so many people and things clamoring for our attention every moment and often, simultaneously. It's no wonder that with so much to think about, at times, thinking of even just one more thing, like writing, is impossible.

When this happens, some writers I know take a break from the keyboard and do something different, like taking a walk, or watching a movie, or going shopping. I find that something else works for me: I make a list of all of the things that are going on in my life.

The things occupying, or preoccupying, my thoughts are always about the current events in my life, so I write down all of those things, even the silly and the mundane. Somehow, seeing my life on paper like that is freeing and I find that once I've made my list, my thoughts and ideas start to flow.

Maybe the reason I'm able to think clearly again is that once I've listed these things, I now don't have to worry that I'll overlook someone or something. Or, maybe it's just that once I see what's been consuming my thoughts, I usually end up laughing, realizing how trivial most of it is.

Here's wishing that all of the things keeping you from thinking clearly are trivial, too.

Regards,
Karen

www.karenfenech.com

When Another Project Beckons

2006-06-27T17:30:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been deep in a writing project when another project beckons?

This has happened to me in the past, and usually I'm able to stall the project by writing down a brief summary of the story that came to me and promising it (myself) that I'd get to it next.

Well, it's happened to me again and this time the story won't stay quietly in the background while I complete my current work(s)-in-progress. The new story idea is a sequel for my upcoming release BETRAYAL (coming November 15th). I really enjoyed writing BETRAYAL and very reluctantly said good bye to the characters on the last page of the novel. It was time to let them go, I know, but it was hard for me. I suppose it's natural after enjoying writing that book so much that I'd want to re-visit the place and the people with another story.

I have other works to complete, however, before I can get to the sequel, so the idea will need to simmer on hold for the time being. For now, I'll content myself with adding more pages to my notes on that project. By the thickness of my folder so far, I'm going to have a book made up of just notes before I ever get around to writing this story!

But that's a good problem to have.

I hope your own projects, writing or other, are going well.

Regards,
Karen
http://www.karenfenech.com/

Why do some characters get on our nerves?

2006-06-21T12:24:00.000-04:00

Have you ever read a book whose characters irritated you so much you threw the whole thing across the room?

I have, and recently I've read a couple of books (the first part, anyway) in which none of the main characters resemble anyone I've ever known. Characters so hateful or so disfunctional they don't resemble anyone I know. Folks I wouldn't allow in my house!

So, what's important when you're inventing a new character for a book? I think that you, the author, need to love your characters. You don't have to like them and you probably won't like everything about them. But just as you love a less-than-perfect child or a cranky wife or husband, if your characters are real to you and are the sort of people you won't mind spending some time with, they need to be lovable and you need to try to understand why they are like they are.

Why did "Mommy Dearest" get so roundly panned, in spite of the fact that Joan Crawford was played by the very capable Faye Dunaway?

"NO WIRE HANGERS! EVER!!"

Why was it considered so bad it became a cult classic? IMHO, it was because Joan Crawford was portrayed, by the writer(s), without love or understanding.

I think it's okay to have a total unmitigated villian as long as (s)he is only there as a force to be reckoned with (like a tornado; like Crabby Appleton--rotten to the core). In a mystery, I think it's fine to have a really horrible character as long as they get bumped off early in the book. As readers, we now need to try and understand what make the various (all lovable) suspects tick, but we need not waste time worrying about why the deceased was so bad.

Remember that line from "On Golden Pond"?
"Sometimes you have to look very hard at a person to see that he's doing the best he can." (I probably didn't get that exactly right, word-for-word.)

I think that about says it all.

Maria Hudgins
Death of an Obnoxious Tourist (who, true to the above principle, gets bumped off early on)
www.mariahudgins.com

The best intention

2006-06-20T19:08:00.000-04:00

Last week I blogged about "reading for pleasure" and I mentioned that my "to be read" list is very long. Well, as of last night, it got a little longer, okay, the truth is, it got a lot longer.

I can't resist a bookstore. For me, a trip to the bookstore is the ultimate shopping experience. People who know me laugh about this. For some women their weakenss is shoes, for me it's books.

Last night after dinner, my husband and I took a walk to get ice cream. I know, getting ice cream sort of defeats the purpose for the walk, but that's a topic for another blog entry. Anyway, on the way to the ice cream parlor, we pass a book store. I told my husband I was just going to stop in for a quick peek at the new arrivals. I hadn't planned on browsing, because well, we were out for a walk, not a trip to the bookstore. From experience however, my husband has learned that I can never dash into a book store for a "quick peek". But he's a good guy and nodded agreeably when I told him that I would be in and out of the store in five, and then we would resume our walk. Since he's not much of a book shopper and I wasn't going to be long, I suggested that he wait outside and enjoy the evening.

I had the best intention - really - but once I was in the store, I couldn't help myself, and what started out as a quick browse became a full-fledged shopping event. As luck would have it, there was a sale on paperbacks. Buy three and get the fourth free. Now, how could I resist that? Of course, I couldn't and I didn't.

Forty-five minutes later I emerged with my purchases. My husband took a look at my two bags of books and just smiled.

Oh, well. . .

Regards,
Karen
www.karenfenech.com

The Courage to Create

2006-06-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

In the past couple of weeks I’ve found my mind often drifting; moving… like a mental atlas of years gone by. I think with the realization of having achieved a lifelong dream, and the fact that my dream will soon be part of my physical world, it has caused a sort of self-inventory within me. The passages of time that brought me to where I am today. The many trials and tribulations and struggles I fought to overcome self-doubts and self-sabotage. The courage I mustered to keep on keeping on.

Courage is the refusal to quit. Courage is tenacity. It is TRUE belief in oneself. Any writer who lacks courage in their lives; lacks the main ingredient for success. Before you think to yourself, “What a ridiculous comment! What can take less courage than sitting in a quiet place to write?” Let me define what it really takes to be a writer.

It takes the courage to open a vein. To allow a world who could care less to have an honest and open look into your mind; your thoughts; your soul. It takes the courage to stand before firing lines of agents, editors and publishers who will take the liberties of being your judge and jury where talent or lack of it is concerned. It takes the courage to look at the overwhelming number of impersonal rejections objectively and to read and see them objectively. If they have that infamous scrawl: “Sorry, not for us” or the form salutation of: “Dear Author” it takes the courage to carry on and not crumble because your creative ego has just been crushed. It takes the courage to be alone with yourself, your thoughts, the silence for hours, weeks, months, years on end…daily.

It takes the courage to create and continue in the face of failure after failure. It takes the courage to painstakingly pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and continue after the many falls. It takes the courage of being at the bottom of Mt. Everest, knowing the climb is going to hurt like hell, but also knowing you will make it to that top. It takes the courage to go ahead and quit if you must…for today…but knowing you will be back at it tomorrow.

Chatting

2006-06-15T10:24:00.000-04:00

I participated in an online chat last night at Romance Designs. It was such great fun!

Last night's chat was wild! If any of you reading this were there, I think you'd agree. At times I was laughing so hard, I couldn't type my responses.

Though some writers write with a partner, writing is something that is usually done alone. That's the way it is for me. So much of my time is spent in solitude. I joke with my husband that I spend my days inside my head. It's a real treat for me to go out in the world and interact with the people I write for.

If you know of an upcoming chat, let me know. I'd love to be there!

Regards,
Karen
www.karenfenech.com

The Mote In Andrea's Eye Is OUT

2006-06-10T22:24:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note - because you can read my longer notes on the same subject below. My novel THE MOTE IN ANDREA'S EYE is out now...available at a deep discount at www.amazon.com (a little over $16) so if you are up for a cinematic plunge into the worlds of hurricanes, The Bermuda Triangle, and hurricane "hunting" - now's your chance.

DNW

PS You can read an excerpt of the novel at My Web Site

Summer Daze

2006-06-06T15:15:00.000-04:00

The warm weather this week that came along a little early for summer reminded me that summer is near. For me, the start of summer is typically a slow time in my writing. The first warm, sunny days make me want to sit out on my deck, sipping iced tea, and reading a good book, rather than at my desk in my office, writing. I call this state of being my 'summer daze'.

Though it's not officially summer yet, so today can't really be called one of the first summer days, I'm in a summer daze today. The sun is bright and the breeze blowing across my desk is soft and warm. I know I'm not going to get any work done today.

Once the summer is underway, I don't have summer daze. Strange, I guess, that on the warmest, brightest July day, I'm content to be in my office, and writing happily. It's only the first days of the summer that affect me. Maybe it's the newness of the season that I'm aware of and attuned to?

Whatever the reason, when a day like this comes along, I've learned to go with it and enjoy the moment.

I hope you are also enjoying this lovely day from where ever you are.

Regards,
Karen
www.karenfenech.com

Pitching Agents (And Other Baseball Metaphors)

2006-06-04T20:27:00.000-04:00

The dreaded agent pitch. Those of you who have ever attended a writers’ conference know what I’m talking about. When you have ten minutes or less to convince an agent, face-to-face, to take you on. Or at least to ask for sample chapters and a synopsis of your latest book. You have to convince someone you’ve never met that you’re a good enough writer and have an interesting enough story you deserve to be represented, published and eventually go on to fame and fortune.

I’ve had three agents in the course of my writing career. None ever sold any of my work. I have five books published. Three of them were published by major New York houses. But I’m a little like “Crash” Davis in Bull Durham. I’ve been to The Show, but got sent down to the minors. I want one more shot at the bigs. To do it, I’ll need a break-out book. I know I have one in me. Maybe the one I’m working on.

Last weekend, I attended "Murder In The Grove" in Boise. Participated on a panel, sat at an author’s table during a signing at Barnes & Noble (and watched people line up in front of Anne Perry). And pitched an agent.

I prepared ahead of time. Sent in the first 10 pages of my WIP. Worked with Mary Buckham on my pitch. First thing the big-name New York agent did was ask me if I’d attended the first panel of the day, and then made me feel like a truant school-boy when I said I’d missed it due to a previous appointment. Next thing she said, pulling out the polished, brilliant opening to my latest novel, was, “Weather report.” Seeing my confused expression, she patiently (well, patient in a New York fashion) explained that novice writers always make the mistake of describing the weather instead of telling the story. Then she proceeded to read from the first page of my book.

“It’s obvious you can write,” she said, “but what’s the story about.” I launched into my 25-word pitch. She said, “Now that’s a good story. What do you want to do with it?” I told her I wanted it to be my break-out book. “So what’s wrong with it?” she said. “What’s holding you back?” Slowly comprehending her meaning, I said tentatively, “I’m not telling the story?”

She nodded, smiled sweetly (looking as if she wanted to pat me on the head for being so smart) and then proceeded to tell me all the other reasons the book would never work as is (based on 10 pages and my 25-word pitch). Ouch!

The thing is, I know she’s right. I don’t think of myself as a novice writer after five books, but I still make novice mistakes now and then. And an outside set of eyes often can offer constructive criticism.

The brilliant opening? You can read it in my last blog or on my web site. When I fix it, I’ll post a version incorporating the agent’s suggestions and let you decide if she was right.

Mike Sherer
www.emersonwardmysteries.com

Hazards of Critiquing

2006-06-01T06:06:00.000-04:00

As an author, I’ve grown tremendously through the honest, straight-forward feedback I’ve received from my critique partner in the past several years. She has the ability to point out the weaknesses as well as my strengths in writing and therefore I have benefited. Likewise, she has told me a number of times how I have caught the obvious or pointed out areas in which I thought she could enhance her stories. Before teaming up with my critique partner I had tried a number of groups—some which helped and others which destroyed. I was just about to give up on the idea of critiquing when Julie came into the picture. I had finally discovered, realized and witnessed through personal literary improvement the benefits of finding that perfect critique partner or group.

But (there’s always that but)…learning to depend and rely on critiquing also has its hazards. Not with the work-in-progress but with family and friends. Through the years I’ve discovered that I became more analytical with letters received or sentiments sent. I never realized it until recently when my best friend brought it up to me, “Why do you always have to analyze everything I write? It makes me cautious and leery of speaking honestly.” Now there was a critique that was a real eye opener.

The more I heard, “that’s not what I meant,” or “you misunderstood what I was trying to say,” the more I realized that constructive criticism is meant to stay within the writer’s world—between critique partners and far away from personal relationships. It’s important to critique partners to be constructive, honest, sometimes brutal in a caring sense—but those around us can and do get hurt when we allow the critiquing to flow into letters which were once written with honesty and excitement and, through our critiques or “analyzing” turned our friend into cautious individuals who end up withholding what they want to convey in fear it will be picked apart or misconstrued. Honesty is invaluable amongst friends and I hope I can succeed in letting my friends know that I am sorry for looking at their written sentiments and feelings with a critical eye rather than with an open and grateful heart. From this day forward I pledge to keep critiquing where it belongs—with MY writing—NOT the writings of my friends and family outside my writing world.

Reading For Pleasure

2006-05-30T16:22:00.000-04:00

One of the questions a reader asked in an e-mail this week was do I read for pleasure? That’s a good question. It’s understandable that since so much of a writer's time is spent reading for work, could we want to spend free time doing what amounts to more reading?

For me (and likely most writers) the answer to that is yes. There’s a difference between what I read for my work, and what I read for pleasure. In my work, I spend a lot of time reading as part of my research. For my book BETRAYAL, a historical romantic suspense to be released this November, I read a lot of history about the twelfth century since that was when the book was set. I read a great deal on the customs and culture of that time period and delved into medical practices and treatments since my main character, among other things, is a medical practitioner. I wanted to true to that time and make my characters people of that period of history with twelfth century interests and concerns.

Though reading for work is essential reading, I enjoy it. Often when I’m reading, I find something intriguing that will spark an idea for a scene, or that I can use to enrich a character. Usually, I get so caught up in the reading that I have to stop myself and get back to the actual writing.

When I read for pleasure, however, I read fiction. I’m drawn to the types of novels I write - suspense. I buy a lot of books, far more than I have time to read, lately. My "to be read" list is very l-o-n-g and keeps getting longer, since I can't resist bringing so many of the wonderful books I come across home with me.

What do you read, either for pleasure or for your job? I’d love to know. Post a response or send me an e-mail at: karen@karenfenech.com

We just may discover that we're reading the same book!

Regards,
Karen
www.karenfenech.com

Where I do my writing

2006-05-28T18:18:00.000-04:00

The board with orange stickies on it is my story board. I do one of these for each book, and on it I put pictures of places and characters and what's to happen in each chapter.

Maria Hudgins
Death of an Obnoxious Tourist, Five Star, June 2006
ISBN: 1-59414-467-2

When did you start writing?

2006-05-28T11:51:00.000-04:00

"I saw an angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free."
-Michelangelo

Nearly any artist will tell you that what was once a blank canvas, a block of clay, or a silence that needed to be filled with weeping melody came to be a completed work by hours of labor, bouts of unparalleled joy, and, in many cases, a shedding of tears. They will also tell you that much like Michelangelo's winged companion; the final product is something that was envisioned long before the finishing touches. The same is true of writing. The marble, of course, is the paper (or in many cases, a computer monitor with a blinking cursor), and the words are the angels we unleash. In poetry, in fiction, and even in the carefully arranged words that make up a formal essay, a writer starts with an image in mind; the task, the challenge, the beauty of the thing is in communicating that image.

Here, at the Five Star Author blog, I’m often reminded that before I ever thought of writing I was a reader. And I read all those “adult¨ books long before I was given parental permission! The most frequently asked question I hear is, “When did you start writing?” And, “What is it that drives you to write?” This is my in depth reply and I’d love to hear what the rest of reply or reflect upon when asked the same questions.

I began writing when I was nine years old. I woke up early on a Saturday morning in the bedroom that I slept in alone. My four brothers were still sleeping, and the pale glow of the eastern sky was not enough to chase away the desolate feel of the quiet house. It crossed my mind that perhaps my parents were gone--that they had abandoned us, or that something terrible had happened to them. Slightly frightened by the thought, but more intrigued than anything, I found some notebook paper and a pencil and started a story about the lives that my brothers and I would lead if our parents had vanished. Can you imagine the things a nine year old girl and her four older brothers could do, without parents, making their own rules, basing their lives around their priorities of fun and curiosity? Soon one of my brothers joined me in writing, and we exchanged pages of freshly scripted adventures. We scribbled furiously, racing at times, and traded ideas and settings. The stories themselves were unrealistic, choppy, and immature in many ways. Even so, it became the basis of a passion that would stick with me for many years

Even before that summer morning that inspired me to visit lands of my own design, I loved to read. I was always amazed by the idea that a few hundred pages bound by glue could provide a person with a whole separate existence, how one individual's concept of a character or a place could transfer in such a way. Because of the writer's details, all those adjectives and adverbs, I could envision what began in the mind of another, fact or fantasy, with little inaccuracy. Those inaccuracies were what really fascinated me, though, those variances: Is this exactly what the author saw? Is it what other readers see? So many times while reading a description of a room, or running with a fictional character through a non-existent house, I would picture furniture arranged a certain way and imagine the carpet a particular color. The beauty was the idea that these were my places. Where they had come from I would never really know; sometimes they were rooms I'd seen before, but mostly they were made up of things that were entirely new to me: a pale yellow couch, a deep red tapestry with blue and silver inlays, a statue of a very tall cat. No one else could see them or feel quite the same way about them as I did.

My need to write is very similar to those things that inspired me to read. There are places that are too beautiful to be real, people that I so desperately need to exist, sarcasm and ironies and realizations that simply have to be expressed. These things are just concepts, just thoughts, and they demand to be let out. And so I write them; I let them out. The beauty of it is that as I unleash these metaphorical angels, I am swept away, taken to a place created entirely by me. It is a freedom that I could otherwise never experience. In reality, I may go to France, but I might not drink wine near the edge of a small cliff overlooking Paris, watching the colors of the sunset merge together, melting into sleep. One day, in my real life, I may even know what it is to be homeless, but I will never experience the desperation of hunger so intense that the word "shame" loses all meaning.

These are the places I go to, places that unfold before me as I capture their essence in description and dialogue, and the stay is wonderful. There is life experience in these imaginary escapes, new sensations and insights to be gained. I can live any life I choose, and I can move from one form of existence to another with each character into which I breathe that literary life. I will almost certainly never be rich or famous from my writing, and it will probably never be an activity to which I can dedicate a large measure of my time. Still, it will always be there. That's good enough for me.

www.authoraprilstar.com

Interview about my first Feature Film GODHEAD

2006-05-27T12:35:00.000-04:00

There's an interview with me over at Love To Know Movies about my first Independent feature film, GODHEAD. Thought I'd pass on the link... The direct link to the interview IS RIGHT HERE

Where do the Five Star Authors create their awesome books?

2006-05-26T13:16:00.000-04:00

Aris's hole in the wall...and this is clean. I took out three coffee cups, two bowls, a paper plate, and several forks and spoons before I took this picture. I need a home office makeover… quick someone call HGTV!

What I'm Working On

2006-05-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

After five books in the Emerson Ward mystery series, I took time out a couple of years ago and wrote a one-off called Island Life. The story of a suburban everyman whose wife disappears, I wanted to explore the notion of how you live without someone who's been part of your life for twenty years. Ultimately, the book turned into a suspenseful mystery, and I hope one day it will find a home with a good publisher.

When I finished Island Life, I turned with renewed vigor to the sixth Emerson Ward mystery, Death On A Budget. I realized that even after five books I didn't know that much about Emerson himself. Determined to write a break-out book and do something unusual with the character, I took Emerson back to his home town after an absence of 25 years to look into the suicide of a childhood friend.

The journey has given me an opportunity to explore a number of themes -- small town values vs. big city, urban/suburban sprawl, progress, recreating the past -- as well as the family, friends and environment that shaped Emerson's personality and value system. It's been a wonderful process, but long. I'm now into my sixteenth month of writing, and still have a little way to go.

The question is, will the opening hook you long enough to want to go on the journey with Emerson? Here are the first few paragraphs. I'll post the first chapter on my web site soon. Let me know what you think.

If George Saunders had been lucky as well as cautious that Tuesday, he might not have ended up lying on the pavement, an ever-widening pool of his own blood oozing beneath him like primordial pitch, reflecting black under the leaden sky of early morning. Then again, maybe no amount of luck could have saved him. Whoever had gotten to him had wanted him badly.
His body – most of it – had been found in Montrose Park, near the lake. A shotgun blast had turned his knee to hamburger. SecondA second shotgun blast had torn off his right arm at the shoulder. Probably ended up as fish food – it wasn’t found anywhere near the body. The third load of shot had blown away most of his face. It was several days before the body was positively identified.

That particular day had been dreary and rainy. Maybe the result of warmer than normal Pacific currents and a low pressure system over the Azores. Or global warming, which has become a catch-all for blame of every sort. On such days, the wind blows in off the lake, whipping its surface to an angry froth on careening swells of menacing green water. It forces the waves crashing ashore, blows geysers of spray across Lake Shore Drive, drenching passing cars. It hurtles down city streets, gaining speed as it squeezes between the tall buildings. The keening as it careers past the big bay windows of my house rises and falls with each furious gust. The sheets of glass heave in and out as if breathing, tattooed by rain that sounds as loud as a handful of pebbles thrown against the panes. It finds its way into every crack and crevice, little rivulets of cold that stream indoors like the rain coursing down the window. It is the frosty breath of a callous beast, a moisture-laden cold that seeps deep into my bones, leaving me chilled and shivering.

Spring. In Chicago. An oxymoron to anyone who’s spent any time here. There are usually a couple of weeks in May that are representative of spring, a week or two in October that could be construed as fall. Hard to call them seasons, exactly. Those who live here know Chicago has only two seasons – winter and construction. Metaphors for life.

Mike Sherer
www.emersonwardmysteries.com

Five Star Author Introduction

2006-05-26T12:56:00.000-04:00

(This author introduction is excerpted from my upcoming interview with MagesPages.com.)

Hello. My name is Jon Baxley. I’m originally from Irving, Texas--now living in Hondo, Texas, which is about 55 miles west of San Antonio. I graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and went straight into the Army during the height of the Vietnam War. After that, I served as a “consultant” with the USIA in the former Soviet Union and eventually came back to the states to enter the golf profession.

I went on to start my own business in the hobby and game industry, where I published one of the very first Apple Computer strategy games. It was at this point in 1985 that I began writing on a daily basis—first for my own business needs, then ultimately with the intent to become published.

I wrote and submitted my first fiction work in 1986. Several publishers read the story, entitled Through the Tiger’s Eye, which was about the Hmong freedom fighters in Laos during the Vietnam War. Unfortunately that work never got off the ground—there were simply too many war stories at the time. It’s been in a box ever since.

My next effort was a terrific little fantasy story called The Scythian Stone, which was written for a burgeoning fantasy market. I shopped that story around for several years while working on paying gigs as an editor and ghostwriter. During that time, I produced several books for a nationally recognized speaker, one of which hit the NYT bestseller list.

Unfortunately, it was a work for hire—ergo—no name recognition. But, that success told me I was on the right track and that my writing was readable. Fast forward a couple of years and I entered Scythian in a web-wide eBook contest with Preditors & Editors where it won an award for Best Novel on the Web. Again, that success (be it ever so small) provided great reinforcement that my writing actually appealed to people other than close friends.

That, in turn, gave me the exposure to pursue bigger fish here in the US, which ultimately led to a series of ‘no thanks’ rejection letters because Scythian was simply too short for print publishers. I had already written most of The Blackgloom Bounty, intended to be the second episode in a series of five books, and when I submitted both to Five Star, they suggested that I combine the two into one epic tome. That’s when all the lights went on.

The prospect of a book tour is on the table, as well as a book-to-movie package that is being considered by several major Hollywood players. That part excites me. I would love to see this story play out on the big screen.

People ask me about inspiration and the process of writing. When I sit down to create a new chapter, I have only a limited idea where the story is going. My writing is 80% character driven. In other words, I don’t plot, plan or diagram. I allow the people/beings in the book to do all the work. They act, then react and then create reaction from other characters as the story unfolds. Sometimes an entire section of the book, including new faces I had never thought of, simply jumps off the keyboard and onto the computer screen. That’s the part of the process that I cannot control, nor do I want to. In fact, I love it when that happens. It’s like reading someone else’s book for the first time.

I also use a catalyst in the form of music while I write. I have hundreds of movie soundtracks and if I know the scene I’m creating next will have lots of blood and guts, I put on a heavy soundtrack like Gladiator or Troy. If it’s a romantic scene, I choose something more in that vein. It really helps me ‘see’ the scenes in my head while I blaze over the keyboard creating them. For those unfamiliar with this process, you should try it—the right background music can help you break out of that dreaded writer’s block.

My old classmate, General Tommy Franks, told his troops in Iraq, “Hope is NOT a method.” That’s the best advice I can offer writers. Don’t write something hoping you can get it published. Write something good, edit it until your fingers bleed, let others read and critique it and THEN look for someone to submit it to. Your odds of success go way up when you stop hoping and start working to be a writer. That also means spending a few bucks on a professional editor to polish your manuscript, both for content and presentation. A retired school teacher down the block may be fine as a sounding board or first reader, but when you’re submitting to the big houses, you better have your ducks in a row.

The Blackgloom Bounty is fantasy reading for all ages. Harry Potter is okay for younger kids, but when they grow out of it, I want my books to be where they gravitate. I want them to be able to read a chapter, then get online and Google a term or a phrase to learn more about the time period. Yes, Blackgloom is fantasy. However, it’s also a medieval epic with lots of historical imagery, phrases and geographic locations to make the storyline credible. I was told by experts you could not mix history and fantasy and expect to sell such a book. So much for the experts.

Every reviewer thus far has lauded the book for the fast, unrelenting action, interesting characters and multiple plot lines that all lead to a dramatic (and apparently very satisfying) ending. That’s important to me—to know that people ‘get’ the book—that they understand what motivates the characters. Those two things mean I’ve succeeded with Blackgloom, regardless of how many books I sell. And I plan to continue on that track with The Regents of Rhum, book two in the series, due out in early 2007, assuming the movie business doesn’t sidetrack me.

Readers are encouraged to email me at FiveStarAuthor@aol.com with questions and comments. I’ll do my best to respond in a timely fashion. Visitors to this blog, I thank you for your interest in my work.

Jon F. Baxley

Posted May 26, 2006

*****

Welcome

2006-05-25T16:55:00.000-04:00

Hi, everyone !
For those of you who don't know me let me intorduce myself. My name is Aris. Aris is pronounced (heiress) and I'm not sure what the meaning is. Several years ago, when I was asked what my name meant, I replied that Aris was a Greek Sex Goddess (what can I say I'm a romance writer). Unfortunately, my husband happened to be near, he looked over at me, rolled his eyes, and said very loudly "I wish". I've moved on to another story, which happens to be true. I was born in the seventies to a pair of hippies, real hippies. Having said that, I think I got off lucky with the name Aris. It could have been much worse, Fruit Stand or something like that.
So, Aris it is. I'm a romance writer. My first book with Five Star, Fatal Embrace, is Cosmo's "Red-Hot Read". My second book, Foolish Notions will be out at the end of the year. I'm currently working on a follow-up to Fatal Embrace entitled Soul Stirring.
Well that's all for now...Grab a cup of coffee and browse around—Five Star had some amazing authors with fantastic stories.
~Aris~

www.ariswhittier.com

Spring Cleaning

2006-05-24T11:32:00.000-04:00

Every year at this time, like so many others, I start thinking of doing my spring cleaning. For me though, spring cleaning always involves more than my house, the biggest job for me is cleaning - or cleaning out - my computer harddrive.

I'm a messy writer. Now I'm not talking about leaving scraps of paper and pens and pencils around my home office. I write almost exclusively on computer so the mess I'm referring to literally occurs on the harddrive. That's probably why it gets so out of hand, the mess isn't readily visible - no piles of papers littering the floor of my office for me to trip over.

When I'm writing, or thinking about what to write, I journal and brainstorm ideas on characters, plot, setting etc. If a line of dialogue or a scene comes to me, I make a note of it. Recording my thoughts this way is a process that helps me develop my fiction and non-fiction and lets me see what an idea looks like on screen, rather than just inside my head. It's a process that works well for me.

What results from this process, however, are hundreds of notes that are not in any order. To organize them, I read each one and either discard it for not being the gem I thought it was when I wrote it, or decide it still has potential and file it for easy reference at a later date.

Spring cleaning my harddrive takes a l-o-n-g time and I usually end up discarding more notes than I keep, but doing it takes me back to ideas I'd had and then forgotten about, bringing them once again to the forefront of my mind. When I find a note that sparks an adrenaline rush, and gets my heart pounding, I know I've just found the next book or short story that I'm going to write.

And of course, I now have a clear harddrive that I can spend the next year filling with ideas again!

How is your spring cleaning going this year?

Regards,
Karen
www.karenfenech.com

What I'm Working On: The Orffyreus Wheel

2006-05-23T15:32:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a very cool project currently. It's a serialized novel, offered by www.amazon.com in segments - each downloadable for .49 -- each between 7500 and 10,000 words long. I anticipate it will be about ten sections when complete, and currently the first four are available on Amazon and getting great reviews.

The short version of this book's synopsis is: "In 1712, Johan Bessler invented a wheel that, under rigorous testing, and in full view of credible eye witnesses, appeared to be in perpetual motion. He revealed his secret to only one man, and the invention died with Bessler. Or did it? Now, almost three hundred years later, Elly Kassel has inherited a fortune, and a mystery. Can she protect it against the machinations of Maxwell Black until it can be revealed to the world, or will the secret of free energy be lost forever?"

Think about what a free source of energy would mean in these days of $3.00 a gallon gasoline, and you'll see what my heroine is up against in this one. This takes place half in the past, and half in the present, as it follows the invention of Bessler's wheel, and the re-discovery of it in modern times. If you're interested, click the "cover art" and give it a try ... at half a buck you won't find a better bargain!

DNW

BookExpo America

2006-05-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

I went to BookExpo America in Washington D.C. this weekend. Wow! I'm convinced that the entire population of the country either writes, publishes, or sells books. There can't possibly be anyone left to read them!

Here's what I learned:
1) Selling foreign rights to your book involves a large room with numbers on poles all over and a lot of laptops and chairs and no obvious way to figure out what any of it is all about.

2) Some publishers give away HUNDREDS of books and ARCs to anyone who cares to pick one up. How can they afford that?

3) The autographing section of BookExpo makes "Customs and Immigration" at JFK airport look like a phone booth.

4) If you get too greedy with the free books, you can throw your back out.

I did, however, spend some fun time in the Sisters in Crime booth. Fellow Five Star author Maggie Sefton was there, signing her books. Sadly, it's two more weeks until my Death of an Obnoxious Tourist comes out and I had nothing to sign, so I straightened up the booth.
Mystery writers, I think, are the most amiable type of writers. Possibly because we exorcise all our hostilities in our books?

What's Everyone Working On?

2006-05-21T08:35:00.000-04:00

I'm eager to hear all about everyone's work-in-progress. There's an extreme amount of talent here amongst the Five Star authors. I've spent a lot of time visiting sites, reading excerpts, and the journey and discoveries were sheer delight. Made me run over to Amazon.com and place my order:)

Now that my final edits have been turned in on TROPICAL WARNINGS, I'm hard at work on revising and revamping my second title in the Wanderlust Mystery series. Tentatively titled, THE LAST RESORT. For me, the most difficult writing came with the prologue (which I'm considering dropping as a prologue and changing to "Chapter One). With it I discovered the true experience of research in getting facts correct with ocean navigation. Along the way I received such comments as. "Why waste time with so much factual research? The book is fiction. Who cares?" I CARE! Fiction or not, I certainly don't want some reader down the road saying, "you better check your facts, ma'am!"

So here it is--you be the judge! A sneak peek into my WIP. Oh, and speaking of "peaks" here's the link to my very first press release! http://www.rvnewsdaily.com/article.php/april_star

The cloaking fog appeared strangely protective. There were areas along Anastasia Island’s coastline where no one could hear you scream. And it was in such an area that the bottle was launched, spinning through the air and landing with a splash. It bobbed and weaved quietly eight feet above the sandy bottom before deciding on a direction. Seemingly, it appeared to be floating a quarter mile off the northerly point of St. Augustine Harbor.

As the day progressed, feeling the pull of the tide, the bottle moved imperceptibly westward before making a gradual circuit around the jetty outward along Salt Run inlet. Starting its journey into the path of the sunlight. Glinting through the sparkling Atlantic, the bottle reflected blue, gold and pink.

Three days later it had cleared the inlet area and was moving north by northwest, about two hundred feet offshore, in fifteen feet of water along the Ancient Sand Dunes.

The rolling waves of the Atlantic and gentle westerly breeze blew across the tropics. Despite the westerly wind, the bottle continued to float west. St. Augustine, Florida has over four and a half miles of beach that stretch along the northeastern tip of Anastasia Island. It is situated right in the middle of modern Florida -- a mere 40 miles from the glassy skyscrapers of downtown Jacksonville, 100 miles from the rocket ships of Kennedy Space Center and 100 miles from the fantasy theme parks of Orlando -- but its nearly four and a half centuries of history make it seem worlds away. The bottle had floated aimlessly for over 200 miles and seven days before drifting into an offshore basin where the water circulated in a counterclockwise motion. The bottle was in the extreme south of this basin. The circulation moved the bottle westward, back toward home.

For two days, the bottle washed back and forth against the rock and wooden structure of the south end of the jetty; as if it were uncertain whether to go inside, toward St. Augustine, or outside, back into the Atlantic.

The romantic symbolism of bottles containing proclamations of love and being tossed out to sea have intrigued people for as long as there have been bottles. Oceanographers have charted these romantic journeys; Hollywood has made blockbuster movies out of the tenderness from the notion.

The bottle that had been hurled out in the Atlantic on a balmy spring day from St. Augustine Harbor contained no messages of undying love and passion. Nor did it contain charts or maps of shipwrecks. What it did contain was secrets, lies, betrayals and the most unspeakable of crimes—murder. And just as the journey of the bottle itself, it would alter the course and direction of many lives beginning with the life of whoever discovered this message in a bottle.

Ideas

2006-05-21T07:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday it happened again. A woman told me she had a great idea for a book. She would share, I would write it and we would "split the money."

Several writers I know have had the same experience.

I'm never at a loss for ideas. They bombard me from news stories, a child's observation, an incident.

And dialogue, too. A man opened a door for me yesterday. When I thanked him, he said, "You're all right." To me it was charming and typical of the way we talk in Oklahoma. In the bank, one man asked another how he was. The response, "I'm good." For me, ordinary, everyday conversations make great material and produce compelling characters. Most writers I know are (1) terribly nosy and (2) eavesdrop. That's where I get some of my best ideas.

I try to be gentle with those non writing idea-people, invite them to attend our writers group. Generally, they're too busy. Oh really?

April's a genius

2006-05-21T07:08:00.000-04:00

April, your instructions were perfect. I registered, but didn't realize it, tried to register again only to find the name not available. It was already taken...by me.

Thanks for your patience.

Sharon Ervin

Where do I get my ideas?

2006-05-17T11:36:00.000-04:00

One of the questions I'm asked most often as a writer is, where do I get my ideas? Sometimes they spring from the humor of my life!

Anyone who knows me, or has visited my website, knows that I have curly hair. Well, after living with it for so many years, I've learned to work with it, and enjoy the versatility of it. It's not a problem for me anymore. On most days, that is.

There was this one day, though, a weekday several years ago, and both myself and my daughter had slept in. Since I was going to be driving her and a few of her friends to school that morning, I not only had to get her ready to leave the house, but I had to get myself ready as well. While getting her breakfast, I caught my reflection in the toaster and saw that my hair was as wide and thick as a mop.

I left her to finish eating and went off to fix the problem. Several brush strokes later, my arm was aching and my hair still looked like I should be cleaning my floor with it.

Clearly, there wasn't a quick fix, and I was out of time. I needed to get the kids to school. I was thinking that I'd just have to leave it, and go out into the world with it as it was, when inspiration struck. I grabbed the toque my husband wore during the winter months when he was out shoveling snow from our driveway, and put that on. Now, that should have been the end of it. Problem solved, right?

The thing was, it wasn't January, it was June.

Maybe I just should have gone out with my mop-hair?

One good thing did come out of that - the idea for my humorous short story - Bad Hair Day!

I'm not having a bad hair day today. Honest. See for yourself, if you like. I'm at http://www.karenfenech.com/

Regards,
Karen

More on Inspiration: When Lightning Strikes

2006-05-16T20:56:00.000-04:00

Inspiration is a funny thing: you can be 'blocked' for days and then some dumb episode from your past pops into your head, and there you have it: what I call the 'Million Dollar Idea.'

After reading about Sharon Garner's great LASER 'Cat-toy' idea in a previous post, I'd love to hear other epsiodes of inspiration from the Five Star crew. Which were your personal favorites when writing your book(s)? Which, perhaps, didn't work out as you thought they might?

Here's one of mine from my upcoming July release, Under Cloak of Darkness (minor spoilers ahead, in case anyone wants to read it):

There's a scene where my protagonist, a spy, is in a race against the clock: he must get back to his safe-house before 7 pm--the time of his rendezvous with a colleague--or that colleague will be intercepted and tortured.

My inspiration came from the great Cinema verite film Rendezvous, by French director Claude Le Louche. Here's the tale. In the mid-seventies, Le Louche bought a Ferrari at about the same time he was testing a new car-mounted 'steadi-cam'-like camera. He decided--and this is true, cuz' I've got the DVD to prove it--to mount it on his Ferrari and hire a Formula 1 driver to test-drive it.

The driver's task was to drive from one end of Paris (starting near the Louvre) across to the other side (the Cathedral Sacre Coeur) while the bumper-mounted camera filmed the whole thing.

The catch? He was to drive AS FAST AS HE POSSIBLY COULD! No blocked-off streets. No police notification. Just some nut (I've always suspected the driver was French racer Didier Pironi) screaming across Paris at 6 am in a Ferrari, exceeding speeds of 120 mph!

And he did it, in under ten minutes. But what a ride! People diving off sidewalks, cars honking, lights flashing, near-misses, ventures into on-coming traffic. When I show people this DVD on my big-screen, I swear some of them are about to s--t their pants! You simply can't believe it until you've seen it.

So I thought, What a great idea for the climax of a book! Have my protagonist hijack one of the classic London taxis in Soho and charge him with driving to South Kensington as fast as he can. I won't tell you if he gets there in time, but this ride was a blast to write: dodging pedestrians just done shopping at Selfridges and Marks & Spencer, getting stuck behind plodding two-story red London buses, running vintage automobiles (the story takes place in 1955) off the road, flying past landmarks like the Dorchester Hotel and Marble Arch.

It's said that at the first screening of his film Claude Le Louche was arrested by Paris Gendarmes for his little stunt. My character, I will tell you, didn't get off quite so easily as paying a fine and having a brief stay at a station-house. But if people accuse me of writing something too fantastic to be true, I can say this in my defense:

Stop by my house--I've got a little movie to show you.

If you ever have a chance to see it--please do. I swear, you won't believe they actually did it.

Is Anybody Out There?

2006-05-16T20:14:00.000-04:00

If You Build It ... will they come? That's the real question behind Web sites. The Internet has proved to be an invaluable resource, a terrific means of communication and tool for learning.

Like all communications vehicles, however, it's only as good as its content, and the big problem is weeding out good content from bad. For Five Star authors, the big problem is finding (inexpensive)ways to reach potential readers.

"Create a web page," some will tell you. Great idea. But how do you drive readers to your site? Spread your name around on sites like this? It helps, I suppose. Better still is getting that one review or having that one hook that generates buzz. If anyone knows how to do that, let me know.

Michael W. Sherer
Death Is No Bargain
www.emersonwardmysteries.com

Deep Blue - My first Five Star Novel

2006-05-16T11:00:00.000-04:00

My first novel with Five Star, Deep Blue, is still available in both HC and trade paperback. Here is a little background on that novel, for those who may be interested:

The novel Deep Blue finds its origin in the novelette by the same name published in an anthology titled Strange Attraction. In Strange Attraction, all the stories were inspired by the “Kinetic” Art of Lisa Snelling, each author choosing one of the characters on an intricately detailed Ferris wheel sculpture. I was honored to be among authors such as Neil Gaiman and Gene Wolfe in presenting our separate visions of what lay buried behind her art. From the images presented, I chose a harlequin, hanging by a noose from the bottom of one of the Ferris wheels seats. I took the image, made it the wallpaper on my computer, printed it out and carried it around with me, and let it sink in. I could have written any number of stories that would have sufficed, but somehow I knew there would be more to this work, and so I waited.

The publishers of the anthology, Vince and Leslie Harper, invited me to have dinner with them one night when my mundane job took me to Washington DC. We met for Mexican food and went together to see the movie PI which, at the time, was newly released. On the way to meet the Harpers, I walked down into a shadowed subway, and I was assaulted by some of the most haunting saxophone music I’ve ever heard. It bordered the blues, walked down old jazz roads, and I never saw the musician. That set the mood for what was to come.

I reached the restaurant without further incident, and we spent a pleasant hour scalding mouths and stomachs with jalapenos and washing them down with beer. Then came the movie. I won’t go into detail about PI, but I’ll say it’s a black and white film, very surreal, filled with symbolism, and it left me visually and emotionally stunned. I parted company with Vince and his wife, found my way back to the subway and my hotel, and called it a night.

The next day, a friend of mine and I set out to visit The Holocaust Museum. I have always wanted to see it, but I was not prepared for the intensity of the images, the displays, and the words I would find in that short hour visit. I purchased a book of poetry written by the victims, and left with so much bottled up inside from those two days that I thought it would be the end of my sanity.

That night, I started to write. I started to write about The Blues, and how deep they might really get. I wrote about pain, not my pain, but the pain bottled up inside the world, as the pain had been bottled up inside me, and I wrote a way out. That was Brandt, his guitar, and his blues. The story, like the pain, refused to be bottled up in just the few lines of that novelette, and so I released it into the novel Five Star eventually published.

Everyone comes to their crossroads eventually – the defining moment of life. As Old Wally, one of the novel’s main characters tells us – “Crossroads, or the crosshairs.” Forward or back, but you can’t stay stagnant – that way lies madness. I give you . . . Deep Blue.

Publisher's Weekly said: ON DEEP BLUE: "Wilson's prose is smooth and powerful, carrying its allegorical weight with grace." ---Publisher's Weekly

You can read a short excerpt of this novel at http://www.macabreink.com/dbex.htm
You can order signed copies at www.shocklines.com

David Niall Wilson

Hello world, this is me, Susan.

2006-05-14T08:50:00.000-04:00

Wow, I'm happy to be here. This past week has been so hectic that I wasn't sure I'd make it anytime soon.

Yesterday I attended a class at the Writers League of Texas offices in Austin. Marion Winik, who is an author, commentator for NPR, and teacher, taught The Personal is Political, After All, Exploring Public Positions Through the Personal Essay. What a great gal! Good energy.

I've taken creative nonfiction classes before, but haven't been focused on essays lately and needed a jumpstart. Marion did a good job of that.

After the class ended in the afternoon, my husband and I drove from Austin to San Antonio so that I could perform a wedding ceremony last night for one of my best friend's daughters. As a former judge, I still have the privilege of hooking people up. One of the happier things in the world.

Today I have to conduct the annual congregatonal meeting at our UU church.
Tomorrow, back to writing the sequel to Death of a Prince, entitled Death of a Rancher's Daughter. Life sure gets in the way sometimes! But I wouldn't have it any differently.

Engineering a Romance

2006-05-13T20:01:00.000-04:00

I'm an engineer (civil, most of the time) who writes Romance, most recently for Five Star, so I thought I'd jump on the blog page. Thank you, April, for the invitation. And, yes, I have written a book entitled "Engineering a Romance," but I haven't sold it yet. Gee, I thought the title was catchy!

What makes a good Romance? The same thing that makes a good book of any genre: characters we sympathize with and/or care about, strong conflict, and character growth. Easier said than done. I find it difficult to torture my characters, but I'm learning. In my next Five Star romance, STRENGTH OF A PROMISE (coming out in October), the hero is tortured almost to the point of death. I just love it when the heroine has to save the hero (evil grin here).

While making appearances at libraries and writers' conferences, I've realized how much I enjoy sharing information with aspiring authors. I think it's because I come from a family of teachers and social workers. So I'll try to share insight into the writing process while discussing my books on my own blog. Feel free to visit!

Enough said. I'm thrilled to be part of the group. Go Five Star!

Sarah
*************
Sarah Storme
THE LONG WAY HOME, Five Star Expressions 2005

How a Cat Toy Inspired Both a Scene and My Characters' Personalities

2006-05-13T14:07:00.000-04:00

It was a Christmas present for our cats one year, a laser pointer on a keyring, a cat toy. The cats just didn't get the red mouse outline that appeared when I pushed the button, so I unscrewed the tip for them. They loved chasing the plain red dot.

As I played with them, I studied that dot. It looked like a locked-in laser sight--and I knew I had to use it in a book.

What kind of woman would use a cat toy against a bad guy? A gutsy, clever, independent, quirky, talkative heroine from a military family. And the much-tried, quiet, ex-military hero would have to find ways to cope with her and their situation, ways that didn't include strangling her.

The scene using the cat toy would be a fakeout situation, so she'd have to use it from cover. Why was she hiding? What if she were being hunted and ran into a cornfield like those in the last scene of the movie Casino? I'd already set the book in the tropical highlands of Brazil, the cerrados, which is a vast agricultural area. So who was hunting her and why? How did she end up in this mess anyway?

Therein lies the tale--and I called it Sanctuary.

P.S. My remaining cat still enjoys chasing that red dot.

Writer's Block

2006-05-13T08:49:00.000-04:00

Hi!
This is my first blog and I'll be shocked if I do this right. I'm a new author. My first book, Death of an Obnoxious Tourist, a traditional mystery about an English-speaking tour of Italy, will be coming out next month, June, 2006. Everything I've done recently, it seems, I'm doing for the first time and very clumsily.
I've got a theory about writer's block: I think there are two types. Unfortunately both types have similar symptoms--restless pacing, strong urge to visit the fridge, call somebody, clean house, vacuum the cat, etc. The first thing you have to do is figure out which type of writer's block you've got.
Type 1- Is actually just laziness. Solution: Write something. Anything. Grab a book off the shelf and start copying chapter 1 into a word document. At some point, you'll get really bored with this and say to yourself, "I can do better than this." Close that document (Don't save it. That might be plagerism.) and open the one you were working on when you were attacked by the Type 1 virus.

Type 2 - You're actually stuck. You don't know where your story is going, or you've got a character acting wrong, or something like that. Solution: Road trip. Get in your car and drive somewhere. Anywhere. Preferably on an interstate highway, where only 10% of your conscious brain is required. (I'm not advocating careless driving. It's simply impossible to drive on an interstate without thinking about something else.) While driving along, think about your story. It'll work itself out in 100-200 miles, maybe less.
With the current gas situation, unfortunately, this solution is expensive and environmentally irresponsible to boot, so you might try painting the porch or taking a long walk. Biking is not a good idea, though. That requires 87% of your brain.
Let me know if you try any of this and if it works for you.
Maria Hudgins

Tropical Warnings

2006-05-12T12:55:00.000-04:00

Thank you for stopping in here at the Five Star Blog spot!

I have been writing ever since I picked up a pencil, put it to paper, and discovered the magic of stringing letters and words together to form whatever world I dreamed about.

My audience and readers for over forty years has been made up of teachers, my parents, friends, and later--critique partners and writing groups. Many of you have followed me every step of the way, and for that I can never thank you enough--except through my books and my promise to make each and everyone the absolute best. My apprenticeship in the writing profession has had its share of many bumps and detours in the road to publication. The journey was well worth the effort (and pain) as I stand at the crossroad of my first release. I hope you're not disappointed with my debut novel, Tropical Warnings, A Wanderlust Mystery (Coming December 2006). I gave it my all--as you, the reader, deserve no less. For now (until my site is launched, you can read an excerpt and reviews on my page at The Mystery Club - http://fictionweb.com/authors/aprilstar/tropicalpreview.htm.

Some of you have inquired as to how soon is soon with the "Coming Soon" clip on my website! It should be within the next few days, and thank you for your patience.

I have a contest going on now in which I will have a drawing of the first 30 names who have signed up for my newsletter (http://members.authorsguild.net/aprilsblog/newsletter.htm). On Memorial day, May 29, I will draw from my subscriber list one person who will recerive a $30.00 Barnes and Noble gift certificate. To be used for a Five Star author book only (just kidding--but why would want to read anything else):)

Have a great weekend!

The Mote In Andrea's Eye

2006-05-12T09:09:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd drop by and mention my upcoming Five Star title, "The Mote in Andrea's Eye," which is due out in June. If you click the title of the story above, it's linked to the first chapter of the novel - an excerpt to catch your attention.

This novel is pretty personal on some levels. My family lived through hurricane Isabel a few years back - it roared right over the top of our house. Among other things it ripped the handrail from our widow's walk and dropped it into our pool about twenty feet in front of my face -- and when I went up to secure the access door to the roof, I nearly did a Wizard of Oz flight through the storm, attached to that door. It was a frightening time.

After that, we watched the tracking radar on storms more closely, and one night the love of my life asked a fateful question. "I wonder why no hurricane has ever disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle?"

A novel was born.

Andrea Jamieson is my protagonist. She was a little girl living in the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the 1940s when a huge storm swept the coast. In an attempt to rescue her neighbor, her father dies, and this leaves a mark on Andrea that never heals. She grows up to study storms - becomes a consultant for the government's program "Operation Stormfury," where they tried to control storms by dropping silver iodide into the clouds, and when that program is shut down, she opens her own hurricane center. When they think they are ready, Andrea, her husband, ex-Navy pilot Phil Wicks, and their team go out to try and stop a hurricane. What happens is far from what they expect. They send the hurricane careening out of control, straight for the coast....but then, right off the coast of Bermuda, the storm just disappears. So does Phil, who is flying high above it.

Now, thirty years later in 2006, Andrea is just ready to unveil a new method of stopping storms. Before she can fully test it -- her storm comes back, right off Bermuda where she lost it. It's huge, it's headed for the coast, and they have barely enough time for a last-chance gamble to stop it. One other thing -- high above the storm, a very old plane is still flying.

This is an odd story - part Science Fiction, part science fact - part romance, part thriller. There's a little bit of "Twister" in it for those folks who, like me, loved that movie.

The last thing is the writing. I wrote this during the 2004 Nanowrimo challenge - I wrote the entire novel in 30 days. (Actually, I finished it on the 1st of December, but Nanowrimo only requires 50,000 words in November -- I wrote 86,000) I wrote it very "clean" so my 14 year old daughter could read along - so what I ended up with is far from the dark fantasy, horror novels of my past.

Publisher's Weekly said: “Those who think of Wilson (The Temptation of Blood) as a horror writer may be surprised by the tender tone of this unabashed descendant of 1940s pulp tales. Tugging heartstrings with the expertise of a master puppeteer, Wilson, a former naval technician, adds plenty of authentic touches but never overwhelms the reader with details. The clean prose, romance and fantasy elements, heart-pounding scenes of man against nature, and topical currency (thankfully not overplayed) will appeal to a wide variety of readers . . .”

Library Journal said: "Wilson (The Temptation of Blood) crafts a paranormal thriller that develops with cinematic intensity to its gripping conclusion.
A good selection for sf thriller and Bermuda Triangle fans."

You can preorder signed copies of this novel at www.shocklines.com -- or it's available more cheaply at www.bn.com (Barnes & Noble offers a discount, currently) I'll be signing copies of this book in Elizabeth City, NC and in Hertford, NC in June.

You can find me spouting off more regularly in my own journal: http://deep-bluze.livejournal.com and once monthly at www.storytellersunplugged.com

Thanks for your time...

David Niall Wilson

A Warm Welcome From I. Michael Koontz and John Apparite!

2006-05-11T19:52:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Five Star author's blog, a place for those who enjoy good books--either reading or, perhaps, writing them.

What's my gig? Well, I'm a medical professional with years of useless-knowledge accumulation who put it all together to write a Cold War spy novel set in 1955. Yep--you read that right.

The book's called, Under Cloak of Darkness: The Story of John Apparite, and it comes out in July.

Surely you've heard of Bond...James Bond. Maybe you've heard of Jason Bourne. How about George Smiley? Yeah--I figured.

But I doubt any of you had ever heard of "Superagent" John Apparite before--and there's a reason. He doesn't exist. Not here, not in any government data bank, and not even if you "Google" the name. Sure, there's that little book coming out in July from Five Star with that name attached, but even then, one never knows if what one reads is true.

I mean--c'mon! A super-secret spy that is only five feet six and 141 pounds? That knows Isshin-Ryu karate, the Israeli Army-derived defense method Krav Maga, and the secrets of Soviet death-SAMBO? And, to top it all off, he's from a place called Eckhart Springs, Maryland, which is over near Cumberland. I've looked at a map and let me assure you there's no such place (sure, there's an Eckhart Mines, but the Springs seemed to have dried up!) And don't even get me going on his obsession with the old Washington Senators baseball club.

Nevertheless, this little book coming out in July about that mysterious man just goes to show what can happen when a name pops into a tired medical professional's head while trying to get some shut-eye at 11 pm on a cool April eve. You see, three days later he starts writing, the first sentence into the computer being:

"Your new name is John Apparite."

Six months later, the last sentence is entered:

"And as soon as he was able, he would see that it was done."

Next month, people will learn about John Apparite, whom I call "The smallest, deadliest, and probably the nicest spy in the world."

Unlike many in the Five Star fold, I had never before written fiction. Non-fiction, yes--I had a work on the experiences of seventeen WWII veterans published in 2001 (it did fairly well in its genre, selling 5,000 copies). But writing fiction was more than simply a different kind of animal--it was a different life-form altogether.

There were battles everywhere: How long should a chapter be? I consulted some novels I had in the house. How does one structure dialogue? Again, to my library. How to avoid repitition? Take notes of phrases you might use more than once. Research? Hours on the internet; dozens of sites to add to my "favorites" list (some almost certainly suspicious to FBI investiagtors: The effects of Ricin poison? Weapons pages? The CIA home-page? The origins of the KGB and SMERSH? The derivation of rocket fuels?); paper to buy; printers to curse at; those nasty and expensive Dell ink cartridges to order (why can't they let someone else make them so I can get them at Staples?).

I won't kid you--parts of it were difficult. Every writer has his or her strengths and weaknesses, and I know I found mine (of course, I won't point them out here!) And now the sequel is done, and the sequel to the sequel is basically done, and I'm plotting out the fourth (what happens to John Apparite? If I told you, I'd have to k--well, you know the rest).

Naw, you've never heard of John Apparite, and you've never heard of I. Michael Koontz, either. But do me a favor: go to www.imkoontz.com and check it out. There's 35,000 words of material on the world of John Apparite and Cold War espionage, and from what you'll read there, there's one thing I'm sure you'll figure out:

That I had one helluva' good time doing all of this. More than money and fame, that's the best reason of all to write a book; give birth to a character; create a new world.

And maybe even you'll want to check out the book. If you do--thanks.

This blog will self-destruct in ten seconds.

After that happens, check out my other blog on blogger.com, called "John Apparite, the Movies, and Other Things."

Happy reading--I'll see you again sometime soon.

Hello from Karen Fenech

2006-05-11T14:51:00.000-04:00

I've been hearing a lot about blogging lately. I visited a few blogs and have to say I can see why people are so captivated by them. It's a nice way to communicate, very personal, like having a conversation.

So, here I am now, having a conversation with all of you. I hope someone out there will reply, so I don't end up talking to myself! (grin)

I suppose I should tell you a little about myself. I write books, which you've figured out by now, since you're visiting this particular blog. Specifically, I write contemporary and historical romantic suspense. While my characters are falling in love, they're also facing some sort of life-threatening danger. I'm glad to write that I lead a quiet life with my husband and daughter, and the only danger I experience is through my characters!

I'd love to get to know all of you. Post a reply and tell me about yourselves.

I'm hosting a contest on my website to win a copy of my current release "Unholy Angels" and an "Unholy Angels" mug. I hope you'll visit my site and take a moment or two to enter the contest. The site is in the process of being updated with the new contest information, so ignore the April 30th deadline and send in your entries.

Link to my site: www.karenfenech.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Regards,
Karen

Fellow Five Star Bloggers!

2006-05-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

If anyone out there is reading this who has received an invite but can't post, please let me know! I don't know if there's a little technicality I haven't completed. I don't see any posts!!!

Words

2006-05-10T19:51:00.000-04:00

In words I find a friend. One who can be rich, colorful, exuberant or dramatic and suspenseful. A friend I can shape into almost any form I chose to tell my tale. I ponder over plots and write, reassess and write again all in an effort to channel my release. Yet when the tale is told and my work done I cannot let it be, the words become my true friends; friends I cannot live without.

Who or what inspires YOU to write? Many times I've been asked that Universal and mysterious question. My replies are as various as the seasons of my life. But I think one reply is, in fact, the most honest and direct–I'm inspired by the realities of life–sometimes good; sometimes horrific.

I'm one of those individuals who become deeply affected by the world in which I live and write. And that impact is ALWAYS there. I remember years ago when I foolishly used the excuse "Sorry, can't write today–have to wait for Inspiration to arrive!" It was thoughts like that which resulted in a zero prose production!

Words have a huge influence on us all. They can lift your spirits, make a bad situation better, motivate you to keep going. Written or spoken, words trigger our emotions and are the defining factor in most of our decisions. Be wary of those who abuse words–who use them for means of deception and manipulation. Respect yourself; respect others–and words will become your TRUE inspiration; your BEST and most trusted friends.

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."

- Robert Louis Stevenson