Better than sex?

That heading got your interest, didn’t it? Perhaps it’s an age thing but I really have found something that eclipses sex. That feeling when a good story comes together really gets the juices flowing, especially for someone like me who can start a book with only the vaguest idea of where the story will take me.

True to form, that happened with my latest release, Finessing the Contessa. Lord Robert is established in previous books in the Forsters series as being a champion chess player. I thought it might make a good start to the book if he was travelling to play against other masters, including the elusive Sicilian widow, Electra Falzone. He also just happens to be carrying a secret report for his brother, the marquess, and is supposed to deliver it to the Home Secretary. He overhears the contessa agreeing to steal the report from him.

This is how she goes about it.

 

Rob always slept naked and saw no reason to change his habit simply because a lady planned to pay him an unannounced visit. Nevertheless, he pulled the coverlet up to his waist to spare her blushes. He left the bed hangings open, and a full moon together with the dwindling fire supplied some light in the chamber. A leather pouch containing his notes on a chess gambit protruded from the pillow next to him—the best method he could think of to gain a close-up view of the contessa.

A considerable amount of time passed. So much time that Rob began to think she’d had a change of heart. “Come along, sweet lady. We have a game to play that has nothing to do with chess.”

As though she’d heard him, the soft rustle of her clothing and a waft of gardenias alerted him to her eventual presence even before she lifted the door latch.

“Ah,” he muttered with a taut smile. It begins.

The latch squeaked, sounding unnaturally loud in the silent building. Rob opened one eye and saw her poised on the threshold, candle in hand, looking ready to flee if he stirred. Obligingly he closed his eye again and manufactured a series of gentle snores. Apparently satisfied that she hadn’t disturbed him, she emitted a soft sigh as she closed the door soundlessly behind her. One eye again open, Rob watched her put her candle down, well clear of the bed, and examine the room.

She moved towards a small desk in the corner and rifled through the papers Rob had left for her to find. They didn’t detain her for long. She turned in a tight circle, nibbling the end of her index finger as she tried to decide where next to search. She’d hardly spared a glance for the bed and appeared to be deliberately avoiding it. As she rummaged carefully through his valise, Rob saw a profusion of dark curls escaping from a long braid and a slim yet curvaceous body beneath a high-necked gown. Unfortunately, that was all be could see without revealing his conscious state.

Finally, she approached the bed. Eyes closed again, Rob heard her gasp. Obviously she’d seen the pouch. The scent of gardenias pervaded as he sensed her leaning towards him. When she didn’t immediately reach for the pouch he would have given much to know what she was doing.

Making sure he really was asleep, presumably, since something about him obviously engaged her attention. She stood there for a long time, and Rob was sure he could feel the warmth of her gaze focused on his face, the lightness of her breath peppering his naked torso. Had she undergone a last-minute change of heart? He willed her to continue with her thieving intent. How else could he find out what she was up to? The desire to open his eyes and look at her face grew steadily more urgent, and Rob was hard-pressed to remain in his supposedly unconscious state.

Come on, contessa. I don’t bite.

Eventually Rob felt the pillow move, his cue to open both eyes. Before she could react, he snaked out an arm, caught her round the waist and tumbled her down on top of him.

“Arghhh, what do you think you’re doing?”

Rob elevated a brow. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that question?”

 

I had no idea why she turned thief when I wrote that opening, no idea what was in the report and why it was so important. I let the characters make up their own minds about all that stuff as the story progresses. That makes it all the sweeter when the loose ends get tied up and the story gels.

Finessing the Contessa – available now from Carina Press http://bit.ly/1d86Cpx and all good etailors.

Okay, so the feeling of achievement is better than sex, but is it better than chocolate? Now that is a tough call.

Wendy

 

 

 

November is National Novel Writing Month

November is National Novel Writing Month. It's commonly referred to as NaNoWriMo and it seems everyone in the world is participating. Except me. Not me. Not this year. This year is my personal NaNoWri-NO.

The idea behind NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. This gets ideas down, helps aspiring authors develop the habit of writing and it builds community and fellowship between budding wordsmiths and established authors. NaNoWriMo can be a ton of fun. It can also make you twitch and feel kind of stabby. No? Just me then.

This would have been my fifth year attempting NaNo. It also would've been my fifth year failing. I'm not sure if it's my hardheadedness or what, but I hate the pressure of tracking my word counts. I don't feel camaraderie as I log my daily numbers on the site or answer questions about how it's going on social media. I feel frustrated for having to account for what I'm doing. I get twitchy as I watch the word count bars soar from some of my fellow authors while mine stagnates. I get angsty and cranky and to be completely honest, I quit. Somewhere mid-month, I throw my hands in the air and scream for a while, then I quit.

It's okay. NaNoWriMo isn't for everyone. This year, I'm moving past the guilt. Normally, I chastise myself for not loving the experience. I feel inept for quitting. I eat my weight in pumpkin donuts and spiced chai lattes. Fifteen days ago, I gave myself permission to say No to WriMo. And it was liberating. Who knew?

It's funny how many things I've learned about myself since the day I opened Google and typed in "How to write a book." I think that's one of the best parts about writing. Discovering who we are. Learning the truth about ourselves that we never thought to ask. Some things make perfect sense, like the fact I'm a fierce feminist. Other things make no sense like why I can write 80,000 words in six weeks on a deadline, but can't bring myself to finish 50,000 in November despite the entire world of friends cheering me on. *shrugs*

So, this year, I'm taking time off to cheer others on. I'm an absolute fan of the event. Picture me typing with a big foam finger. Hey, if you're NaNoing this month, I'm rooting for you. I am. You can do it! You've got this! *high kicks* *pom poms*

I'm changing gears. Instead of writing this month, I'm plotting a project for the new year. I'm outlining and brainstorming and doing something I've wanted to do for ages....I'm writing fan fiction. Tell me, are you writing this month for NaNoWriMo? How's it going? Can I encourage you today? Are you a Fan Fiction writer or reader? What's your story of choice? Tell me what you're up to this month. I'm listening :)

Lying Fallow

I haven’t been writing. It’s been about a month now. Not one single new word of fiction. It started slowly, with growing dissatisfaction with what I was writing. I was increasingly, bitingly, critical of everything I wrote. I was working on a new novel, the second in a series, and I couldn’t stand it. So I put it aside and started work on a short story I’d been thinking about for a while.

It was even worse. Not only did I hate what I was writing, I realized I was deeply unhappy.

I had no idea where that had come from. Unhappy? With writing? Writing has always been a joy—my happy place, my can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens-next place. I looked forward to coming home from work every day so I could play in the story. Looked forward to the weekends because they meant long, luxurious, uninterrupted hours of writing.

I finally realized that my subconscious was trying to tell me to take time off.

I’d taken time off, of course. Holidays. Busy times at work where I’d come home too pooped to write. Times where I thought: the heck with this, millions of people spend their lives not writing and they’re perfectly happy—I can do it, too.

It never lasted more than a week.

But this time, the malaise went deeper. I was exhausted—from life, work AND writing. So I gave myself permission to stop writing (since I couldn’t quit life or work), for however long I need to.

I gave myself a pass on the guilt, too. You know, the “I really should be writing” guilt whenever I found myself with a spare minute. Instead, I’m working on publishing my e-novels in trade paperback format. And I’m having fun again. I find it deeply satisfying to play with cover images and fonts—a totally different area of creativity that I hadn’t suspected I would like.

I think of it as lying fallow, like the farmer’s field that isn’t seeded and is just left to regenerate and build up its nutrients. I’m regenerating my creative energy. Or maybe it’s like the farmer who plants a completely different crop, a nitrogen-building crop that will help the soil regain its fertility.

Does this happen to you? How do you deal with it?

I know I will be getting back to writing, probably sooner rather than later. Already I feel the odd tingle of an idea tickling my subconscious. But until then, here’s what I’ve been working on:

 

HEA - what's that all about?

HEA - what's that all about? by Clare London

I’m currently celebrating the release of my new book FLYING COLORS. It’s the fifth book in a kind-of series, starting with True Colors, through 3 sexy shorts called Ambush, Payback and Switch, and now Flying Colors. All the stories feature erotic romance, and elements of sexual tension, drama,theft, danger, angst, joy, misunderstanding, confession and reconciliation. And – of course? – an HEA.

Now most of us know what HEA stands for – Happy Ever After. It’s the mainstay of many a romance novel. And as an author, I love to bring my characters together by the end of the book. Most of my stories are get-togethers, where two apparently unlikely-matched characters are originally at loggerheads, but are forced to work together, and gradually find desire and admiration overcoming their prejudices. With more than a tad of erotic tension, shared danger,and intimacy along the way. *Happy sigh*.

You see, I have an HEA of my own in real life, so I hope I know what I’m talking about. But does that really transalet into fiction? Is an HEA either realistic or achievable? Does life for the protagonists really stop on page 200 with a declaration of love and (probably, for me) another tumble in the hay?!

Hell, I hear you say, no!

Of course, we all know that love - REAL LIFE love - is a journey, not a specified number of chapters. It requires time to mature. The deepest feeling doesn’t always cancel out all the past misunderstandings – or the future ones. A rewarding, fulfilling sex life rarely happens after just one night. Has anyone else had their fair share of bumped noses and awkward wriggling and unstoppable laughter as you get used to each other? The road to HEA is one to travel together, to build shared experiences, to strengthen the core values that made you go gooey for each other in the first place, to create the whole new delight that is a pair.

And all of that has to take place within an author's framework of suspense - crime - villainy - injury - mystery ... ? I'd need a LOT more word count LOL.

So sometimes the end of my book is really only a beginning. The characters are together, but it’s not the end of their adventures and/or struggles. I may not even let them declare love, because in my genre, some of my characters are – you know – tongue-tied men LOL. But I’m sure the readers know where things are going! Even though our characters are *obviously* mad for each other, there are things to sort out before they can really understand and enjoy it to the full. So often, that’s only just beginning as the book fades reluctantly towards “The End”.

But – you may also say – I love my HEA! This is fiction, this is my escape, my pleasure, my vicarious pleasure. Don’t let TOO much reality get in the way.

And that’s why I write it – because I agree wholeheartedly :)

Thanks for dropping in!

(a version of this post also appeared on another blog earlier this month, forgive me if you already read it there but I wanted to explore the theme some more :)) 
 
Clare London  
Writing ... Man to Man 
 
         

Conference Memories

by Janis Patterson

It couldn’t have been any better. A lovely resort right on the water’s edge in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A wonderful conference of professional writers. The Husband beside me the whole time, absorbing and learning. Seeing old friends and making new ones. It really couldn’t have been any better.

The conference was for Novelists, Inc, more familiarly known as NINC, an organization of multi-published writers. I have been a member for a while, but this was the first conference time and finances allowed me to attend. This was also the first conference where Author Support Teams (read assistants) could attend – not just professionals who handle lots of authors, but family members and friends. Professional, multi-author assistants have always been allowed to come as Industry Guests, and they had/have a different fee from both authors and AST people.

Yes, The Husband has decided that my time is better spent writing than doing a lot of clerical chores like posting excerpts, seeking reviews and tracking sales. (Of course, his decision was very much urged by me, but in the end it was completely his decision.)

I don’t think he realized how exhausting writers’ conferences could be. Accustomed to the regulated pace of military and public health gatherings, he seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by the frenetic energy of a hotel full of writers.  Generally solitary creatures who sit alone in rooms with lots of imaginary people, when we writers actually get together with others of our kind the results are electric. We don’t have to worry about someone calling the cops if they overhear us talking about the best way to poison someone undetected or gape in unabashed curiosity as we talk about the tangled lives of our characters. They are writers, and they understand.

But it wasn’t just writers. Sharing the magnificent hotel with us was the South Carolina chapter of the barbershop singers’ (can’t remember the exact name) organization. Perhaps writers aren’t the only unusual people out there. In the hallway we had to edge our way past masked men singing cowboy songs. In the morning, in the elevator going down, we were serenaded by men in tuxes singing Lida Rose. That evening going back up we were treated to a group in the worst looking arab costumes I’ve ever seen (one was a bathrobe!) complete with cheesy plastic swords belting out an enthusiastic version of The Riff Song by Romberg. It was definitely a surreal experience. 

The writing workshops, however, were all business. There were reps from the major self-publishing platforms, a traditional publishing editor or two, a couple of agents, a TV packager and more. We had in-depth sessions on audio books, the interrelationship between story and life, how books become movies, and of course several workshops on both being and working with an assistant. It was all fascinating.

Then there were the Early Bird and Night Owl sessions. There were several Early Bird sessions I wanted to attend, and I’m not sure if I did nor not. They begin at 8 am, and my brain doesn’t go online until 9. I hear they were great, however, and contradicted my long-held belief that nothing good ever happens before 10 am. The Night Owl sessions began at 8 pm and ended at 10, and they were just as splendid. Among other things, I learned secrets of blogging more efficiently and how to use the Tarot as a plotting device when I’m stuck.

I hate to handwrite anything and have not yet mastered the art of taking notes on a computer, but still managed to use almost a full legal tablet for notes. I ran into old friends not seen for years and met lovely new ones. The Husband and I even managed a few romantic dinners alone and a couple of walks on the beach. Yes, it really couldn’t have been any better. The conference was the most professional writers’ conference I’ve ever attended; it was so impressive that we’ve already registered for next year!

As for The Husband… I think he enjoyed it. He said he learned a lot. When I asked him what was his main take-away from the conference, he thought for a minute, then announced, “I’m glad I’m not a writer.” 

Those Matchmaking Algorithms

 

 

 

Matchmaker, matchmaker. Make me a metadata...

Say what? Who could have foreseen that today's matchmaker would be metadata?  Then imagine dating at hyperspeed and you have algorithms.  You don't see them, but algorithms bring readers and authors together on Amazon and shape what you get in your Facebook news feed.

You know how you get reads recommended for you when you log on to Amazon? That's an algorithm at work. Same for the bestseller lists. It all begins with the book's metadata. The core is the title, price, author and category. Layer on the enhanced metadata such as blurbs, bios, review quoters and sample chapters, and Amazon's algorithms ping into action to match a reader and author. Every time you write a review, every time you buy a book, Amazon feeds this into its algoritm, bringing you closer to us. [And we love being closer!]

From the author side of the equation, every time you write that five-star review about one of our books or buy our latest release, it fuels the algorithm that places us on the bestseller or recommended reads lists. [We really love this.]

Wonder why your Facebook newsfeed only displays certain updates? That's its infamous, constantly changing algorithm at play. [The darn algorithm can't even keep a nickname. Its most recent,"The Edge," was just declared dead.]  It's like a credit rating: invisible, important and unique to each user.

Every click, like, comment, tag, share or friend has weight. Think about it. Once you've visited a person's 'page' for the first time, how often do you actually go to that page? If you say 'never', you're not alone. One statistic is 96% of fans don't return to a brand's FB page. We rely on our newsfeed to keep caught up, but the newsfeed is all all about a statistical analysis determining our interaction with each other. 

Consequently, if we want to know what's going on with each other, an occasional comment is a winner. Daily, short, relevant posts with photos get high marks for engagement, but a quick like works for me.

Mathematics may bring us together, but its the human interaction we all strive for.

What FB news/story gets you to do more than 'like'? Photos, book updates...what? 


:) Carol Stephenson
JUSTICE AT ALL COSTS
HER DARK PROTECTOR, 2013 EPIC & IDA finalist
Website; Facebook; Twitter; Not Your Usual Suspects

I SPY: Writing Challenges

Join the authors and friends of Not Your Usual Suspects for an occasional series of posts about their world of reading, writing and publishing.

Short and sweet, hopefully both informative and entertaining - join us at I-Spy to find out the how's and why's of what we do.


TODAY'S POST: I-Spy something beginning with ...

WRITING CHALLENGES

Today, a couple hundred thousand writers are embarking on an annual challenge known as NaNo, or NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel WritingMonth. A month known by the rest of the world as November.

The goal? Starting November 1^st, write like mad and produce 50,000 words by 11:59 p.m. on November 30^th. Yes, with the holidays and madness of everyday life, participants are expected to throw caution to the wind and write whatever words come out of their fingertips. The final product isn’t expected to be coherent, but it is hoped to give the author something he/she can shape and mold in the coming months.

NaNo’ers aren’t the only writers motivated by a challenge. There are other challenges out there, designed to encourage productivity. I’m part of the Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood, a group of writers dedicated to sharing our experiences and tips on the craft. Each winter for the past few years, we’ve hosted the Winter Writing Festival from early January until the last day of February. For people who thought it was insane to follow through on a 50k-word project during Thanksgiving and Christmas-shopping season, this is a good place to get re-committed to their manuscripts. Plus, YOU set YOUR OWN goals. Need to catch up on reading industry/craft magazines? That could be a daily goal. Have to finish judging a packet of contest entries? Goal. Need to crank out 50k? Goal. And we offer prizes to keep participants motivated, and checking in to motivate others. (The WWF site is only maintained during the festival, so check back in mid-January, or check the Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood site for more information on how to sign up, closer to the start date.)

Why does one sign up for these descents into madness? Writing challenges offer a shock to the system that can rebalance and recommit a writer.

Here’s a list of the benefits I’ve noticed via participation:

• Sparking new ideas by becoming immersed in a project. You eat, breathe, and dream your manuscript when you’re dedicated to it. When your brain is spending so much time processing your story, ideas can come at you anytime, day or night.

• Sense of accomplishment. When, at the end of the specified time period, you look up and notice your word count—like, really step away and notice the world again—you’ll be shocked by how productive you can be. It can be done. You’ll never again believe, “I can’t do this.”

• Finish the project! Thought 50k isn’t always long enough to complete a project, for many writers, that kind of word production is a HUGE accomplishment. And many writers I know, who want to become published but have been working on the same book for years, never reach “the end.” NaNo and other challenges go a long way toward reaching those goals, and showing the writer they can succeed.

• BICHOK and narrowing your world. While committing to NaNo, it is perfectly okay to tell the world to leave you alone because you are a serious writer. The permission to BICHOK ("bottom in chair, hands on keyboard") can be freeing. You're even encouraged to let housework slide.

• Setting goals and building on them into the new year. Some people think NaNo is much like throwing a person into a pool to teach them to swim. But really, it’s all about developing habits, pushing yourself to the limit, and seeing what you’re truly capable of. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, right? So are you tough enough? And if you learn to make writing a daily habit, well, that's really the ultimate goal, right?

• Supportive community. The NaNo site has a library of supportive letters (called "pep talks") from fellow writers, as well as links that can connect you to a NaNo group in your local community, where you can meet up to support each other, sprint, and commiserate. The Winter Writing Festival hosts online chats that allow sprinting in short increments (usually twenty or thirty minutes, several times over a couple-hour period) that encourages word production and provides writers a community in which to vent, brainstorm, and connect.

But if a commitment of a month or more seems daunting, there are other writing challenges that are much shorter—as in a week, or even an hour. One of my online RWA® chapters hosts BiaW (Book in a Week) four times a year. Each installment is a week-long program where participants sign up to write as many words as possible within a week. But you set your own pace, report your word count daily, and contribute to a “team,” whose total is compared to the opposing team, so there’s a bit of friendly competition to keep motivation going.

Need an even shorter commitment? If you’re on Twitter, seek out other writers using the #1k1hr hashtag to connect with those wanting to pop out 1,000 words in an hour-long sprint.

Or, if you're looking for a different kind of commitment, pair up with an accountability buddy—someone to whom you email your word count daily, weekly, or however you choose to set it up. Someone who will cheer you on as you progress or take you to task if you're letting yourself slide. And you can reciprocate by doing the same for them.

If you’re up for the NaNo challenge, come “buddy” with me. I’m user name “Anne Marie B.” I hope to see you there, but if these programs don’t work for you, I encourage you to find some way to challenge yourself. The writer within will thrive!

Have you done NaNo before? How about other writing challenges? Or have you used similar techniques to face other challenges for other passions/goals in your life? Please share! 

Anne Marie has always been fascinated by people—inside and out—which led to degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Counseling.  Her passion for understanding the human race is now satisfied by her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and award-winning author of romantic suspense.  

She writes to reclaim her sanity.

Find ways to connect with Anne Marie at www.AnneMarieBecker.com.

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FUTURE POSTS will cover:
Kindlegraph / the art of research / writing male/male romance / rejection and writer's block / building suspense / writing love scenes / anti-piracy strategies / audio books / interviews with editors and agents / using Calibre.
We welcome everyone's constructive comments and suggestions!