Category Archives: Writing

The Reason I’m a Writer

When I was little – maybe 7 or 8 – I learned about poetry in school. Later, sitting at the counter in my Nunnie’s (grandmother) kitchen, I told her that I was going to write a poem about her. I don’t remember much about that poem. I know it was indeed about my Nunnie and that I wrote it very quickly. And I’m fairly certain I rhymed the words pink and think.  

But the big thing about this moment in my young life is that Nunnie took one look at that poem and declared that I was a writer. She thought it was truly an amazing feat of literary proportions. Think James Joyce meets Jane Austen.

Nunnie called my mom and my two aunts and informed my entire family that I was a writer. That was it. Based on this little poem, I had the talent of writing. So I always believed it too. After all, Nunnie said it was true, so it must be. In fact, this belief in my ability as a writer is the one and only thing in my life that I have never questioned. (Even during my darkest Debbie Downer-I just got rejected moments.)

Nunnie passed away on Christmas morning at the age of 97.

I’m at an interesting place. Obviously, I have a lot of feelings and memories and emotions swirling around right now. But in terms of writing, this crazy talent I apparently have because Nunnie said so, makes my path seem clearer than ever. Nunnie never got to see a published book with my name on the cover. I think I might always regret that.

So I am now moving forward with my writing. I have a finished manuscript and I am putting all of my effort into getting it published. Because Nunnie was right: I am a writer!

Happy New Year’s Dedications

Welcome back to the pond everyone!  I’m honored to have the first blog spot of the New Year!!   Beings this is the first post of 2012, I thought for sure it would be a great idea to write about our resolutions.  I’ll be honest; my first resolution was to be less judgmental.  Then I spent the day at Arlington Cemetery and found it impossible not to be in judgment of those around me who couldn’t put down their cell phones while on the sacred grounds, or couldn’t wait until later that day after they’d left the tomb of the Unknown Soldier to tell all those hilarious, laugh-inducing jokes to their buddies.  Oh, and those who apparently had no clue what the “Silence and Respect” signs posted all around President Kennedy’s gravesite meant.

Since I couldn’t stick to that first resolution, I came up with a second one.  To be more thoughtful of others.  I like this one.  I can do this one.  And I can tie it into both writing and music.

In order to kick start this New Year’s mission, I’m spending today thinking about you all, and then dedicating a song to you by my favorite band, Depeche Mode.  I’ve started with my fellow mermaids and then if you’d like to join in on the thoughtfulness parade, leave me a comment letting me know how you’re feeling today and I’ll come up with your DM song dedication! All songs written by Martin L. Gore.

Princess Alethea: “Little Soul” You recently mentioned letting our inner lights shine through.  This song has you written all over it!

Avery: “A Question of Lust” Two words for you: Claire and Jake from your fabulous Up a Dry Creek novel!  They would never let what they’ve built up crumble to dust…

Dana: “Here is the House”  When I hear this song, I can’t help but think of your short story, Garden of Knight, and Grandma Emily and Great Aunt Margaret’s home where so much happened to Gemma.

Denny: “Stripped” On the surface, with words like metropolis and breathing in fumes when we kiss, I instantly think of your hip, urban writing style.  But also, as my critique partner, I appreciate the underlying message of this song which is to strip things down so the truth can be seen better.

Kerri: “Precious” Those writers as special as you deserve to be taken care of.  Period.  And with a splash of glitter just for good measure.

Kim: “Get Right With Me” Ever since I read your “Things You Love to Hate” post, I have appreciated your spunky sense of humor.  This song tells it to us straight with cleverness and subtlety—just like you!

Loni: “I Am You” With this song’s chants about dark obsession and hearts bound by chains, I think of two things that remind me of you…your Wanted: One Ghost story and your love of Sherrilyn Kenyon and all things paranormal!

Masha: “It Doesn’t Matter Two” This is such a powerful and well-written Depeche Mode song.  A little harder to explain, but your wonderful intensity and way with words reminds me so much of it.

P.H.: “Little 15” This song not only honors you but your audience.  I smile when I think of those who will escape into your writing someday!

Robin: “Dressed In Black” When Martin L. Gore writes that it’s all there to see if we’ll only give in to the fire within, I’m reminded of the time you said you love the push and pull of attraction, whether it’s acceptable or not.  Fearless and refreshing, just like you.

Susan: “I Feel Loved” This is one I cannot explain but it comes from my heart.  There is just something about you, Susan, that makes us feel at ease–loved, if you will.

So Happy 2012 everyone!  Don’t forget to tell me how your day is going so I can hook you up with just the right song!  And feel free to share your resolutions if you’d like!

 

Just Show Up

It takes a brave man to swim in the mermaid pond but I think today’s guest is up to the task. Derek Dodson has a Master of Education in professional counseling, and was a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for a number of years working with at risk kids and families. He is an accomplished musician (guitar/bass), has a number of black belts in martial arts and is knowledgeable in Chinese, Okinawan and Japanese weapons. Derek has been a college athlete, a rodeo rider, fought as a semi pro kick boxer, and even worked as a bouncer in some really bad bars when he was working his way through grad school. This has probably come in very handy as Derek is also married with four—yes, you heard me right—FOUR beautiful daughters.

And did I mention he also writes romance?

Derek has published several “forgettable articles and lots of academic crap” in his areas of interest, as well as written music and poetry. He began writing fiction a wee bit more than a year ago and is taking that on like he does everything else—full steam ahead. Today he’s here talking about the long road to mastering any skill. Take it away Derek…

The past 30 or so years I have had two great loves in my life beyond family, martial arts and music. During these three decades, I somehow managed to complete a couple of college degrees, get married, raise 4 kids, and change careers three times. All through the demands of job, school and family, I found time for the two pursuits I love the most. Martial arts and music. Certainly there were breaks during times of illness, births, etc., but for the most part, I continued to show up.

Teaching has always been a favorite activity, and with the many years I’ve invested in my two hobbies, I am now viewed as a bit of an authority by some. I think maybe it is just because I am getting old. Over this span of time I can’t tell you how often I have heard people say they wished they could do martial arts or play guitar, but they don’t have the time, talent, money, etc. They often go on to opine about how gifted/talented/blessed/unique I am. BS.

In Geoff Colvin’s excellent book, Talent Is Overrated He lays out all the research done thus far around the topic of talent as it relates to things like business, science, music and other arts. What he so convincingly shows is there is NO evidence for what we call talent when it comes to these interests. What the research does show is those who are considered “talented” in their field are individuals who have a single-minded focus on their one activity to the exclusion of others.

One of the books Colvin cites is Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell takes a close look at the habits of those who are highly successful in their field. He is most often quoted for coining the 10,000 hour rule. That is, mastery of most subjects require approximately 10,000 hours of focused practice.

As a novice writer, I am swimming in a sea of amazingly talented people for whom writing seems to flow as effortlessly as breathing. Since I have chosen romance, most of these uniquely gifted people are women. Being active in two local and two online RWA chapters, attending over a dozen online workshops, and reading several of the “must have” books on the topic, I have come to a conclusion. Writing is no different than anything else.

The reason I am surrounded by this chorus of amazingly talented writers is because you ladies put in the time and work your butts off. Jobs, kids, spouses, PTA, etc., all pull you in different directions. Still you find the time to write. The 10,000 hours is no guarantee of success, as there are other factors involved when it comes to publication. However, the self pub world has exposed us to wonderful writers and to those who haven’t reached the 10k mark yet.

Perhaps there is some hope for me as a writer, as I spent 500 words to basically say “just show up”. I would love to hear what others think.

 

 

 

Megan Hart Swims with the Mermaids

The moment I walked by the shelf and was stopped in my tracks by the beautiful, haunting cover for Megan Hart’s novel, Precious and Fragile Things, I knew I had stumbled upon something special.  I was not leaving the store without that book.  That was last year’s New Year’s gift.  This year’s will be Megan’s upcoming January 1st release, All Fall Down.  The thing I admire most about Megan and her writing is that she’s refreshing and honest and not afraid to go where the story needs to go—beginning, middle and end.  Oh, and did I mention she’s a fellow Depeche Mode fan?  Yep, she’s just sort of fabulous like that.  Without further ado, let’s welcome Megan to the pond!

Getting a tattoo of your favorite band, or any tattoo for that matter—a yes or a no?

I’m all for tattoos, but I’d caution anyone thinking of permanently marking their bodies to make very, very, very, VERY sure that what they decide is something they can live with forever. 🙂

You strike me as a girl who may have a soft spot for the darker things.  So…in Phantom of the Opera, would you have chosen the Phantom over Raoul?  Why or why not?

Hmmm. I’ll admit, I’m only vaguely aware of the Phantom of the Opera’s plot points, so I can’t say for sure I’d pick the Phantom. I do have a soft spot for the darker things, no doubt on that. But I’m also practical. Not so sure I could stand living in the catacombs or sewers, or whatever…!

While writing Precious and Fragile Things, (I’m being careful not to put a spoiler in here.) did you ever consider things ending differently between Gilly and Todd? 

No. There really was no other way for it to end.

Are the processes any different for you between writing your mainstream fiction and romance? 

Not really. I approach them the same way, how am I going to tell this particular story. What is important about it. What do I need to include (or not!) to tell the story in the best way possible.

How do you feel about happy endings? 

I think they’re great! But not always realistic or truthful. Or necessary, really. Not everything has to be tied up in a perfect package to be meaningful. Sometimes we learn more from things that end badly.

Do you have a favorite constellation?

I guess I’m partial to the Little Dipper since it’s the only one I can really ever pick out. But I always can.

What was the last book you read that you’d recommend?

I just finished Hourglass by Myra McEntire about an hour ago, and really enjoyed it. I re-read The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub just before that, and I would always recommend it.

What is your favorite Depeche Mode song and why?

That’s a tough one. I love so many of them. I really like World in My Eyes because it’s very sexy. The entire Violator album is. I guess you’d have to ask me if there’s a Depeche Mode song that is NOT my favorite, really. And I can’t say there is!

I love the warning on the back of your erotic novel, Passion Model.  That being said, is there any topic you would feel uncomfortable writing about?  If not, kudos to you!

I wouldn’t write about degradation. I like a little D/S in my fiction, but not of the “grovel at my feet you worm!” sort. I’m just not into humiliation. I think it would be a tough stretch to get me to incorporate any sort of super hardcore kinks or fetishes in my erotic writing, too. Beyond that, I don’t think I’d limit myself too much.

What can you tell us about your upcoming novel, All Fall Down, to be released January 1, 2012?

All Fall Down is the story of Sunshine and her three children, who are told to leave the commune where she was raised by her mother just before the entire commune commits suicide at the request of its leader. Sunny ends up living with her biological father and his wife, who desperately wants children but discovers getting what you want can be worse than not.

 

***Megan, you’ve made many a mermaids’ day by stopping by our pond today!  Thank you so very much!  I absolutely cannot wait to pick up All Fall Down in ten days!!!!  Happy Holidays!

Find out more about Megan and her fabulous fiction here.

 

 

 

Janet Evanovich Swims with the Mermaids

Sometimes you just connect with a character. That’s me with Stephanie Plum – of course, I finally married my Jersey boy, but Stephanie and I definitely have the car problems in common. Don’t even get me started on the time I was stranded on a lonely stretch of  I-80 in Nebraska with a smoking engine. Not good.

So imagine how excited I was to get to interview Janet Evanovich. Yeah, I squealed and I’m only slightly ashamed to admit. The woman is a writing hero of mine. Reading her books featuring Stephanie Plum, Alex Barnaby and Elizabeth Tucker make me happy. Usually, I tear through them in one sitting carried along by the action, humor and story twists.

“It turns out I’m a really boring workaholic with no hobbies or special interests. My favorite exercise is shopping and my drug of choice is Cheeze Doodles,” Janet writes on her website. “I read comic books and I only watch happy movies. I motivate myself to write by spending my money before I make it. And when I grow up I want to be just like Grandma Mazur.”

Can the world really take a real-life Grandma Mazur? Oh hell yeah. I for one can’t wait for it. But until that happens, grab a cup of coffee – or if you’re like Lulu a plate of ribs – and spend a few minutes with Janet.

Set the scene for us, where are you and what are your three favorite objects within arms reach.

Coffee cup, computer keyboard and my pet bird Ida’s cage. I’m in my office in Naples, FL.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?

I’m both. I start with a brief outline that gives me room to roam.

How often do you write and do you keep a set schedule? Do you ever start to get the shakes if you don’t write? 🙂

Seven days a week — usually eight hours at a clip. I don’t get the shakes, but I do feel the hot breath of the next deadline on my neck.

What is your celebratory treat for finishing a book?

Shopping!

For the sake of this question, your best friend is single, which one of your heroes would you set her up with?

I suppose Ranger. Then she can fill me in on all the details.

Stephanie Plum is such a popular character, do you find it challenging to break out and write non-Plum books? What kind of push back do you receive from your readers?

Yes, it is challenging, but I love the other characters and the worlds they inhabit. With regard to my new Diesel series, the vast majority of feedback is positive.

What was the last non-romance book you read that you’d recommend?

Anthony Bourdain’s Medium Raw.

What are your favorite pair of shoes and how do they reflect your personality?

My canvas tennies. I like to be comfortable.

What kind of support do you have as an author to help you with your website, e-mails, promotion and all the other non-writing parts of being a successful author?

I get great support from my daughter Alex who handles everything electronic and my son Peter who runs the business side of things.

With the increase in e-books, digital publishing, self publishing and all the changes in New York, where do you see the industry going and what are you doing to prepare?

I think we’re going to see more e-book publishing as time goes on. But whether they’re digital or ink on paper, readers will continue to read. I just have to keep writing the best books I can.

***

Janet, thanks so much for stopping in at the Waterworld Mermaid lagoon! I can’t wait to read Explosive Eighteen. And for those of you who are as big of fans as I am, visit the Avery Flynn website to watch the trailer for One for the Money, which will be out Jan. 27. I think that calls for a Mermaid night out.

Romantic Suspense Rules and All the Others Drool

Yeah that’s right, I’m throwing down the gauntlet you historical queens, contemporary babes, urban fantasy badasses, chick lit divas, inspirational ladies, m/m wenches , paranormal chicks, science fiction damsels, erotica dames and every other romance genre out there. Why? Because today, Dec. 1, is Kiss of Death Day and Kiss of Death members everywhere are celebrating the romantic suspense genre.

To celebrate romantic suspense day, here are some of my favorite quotes about suspense.

“This suspense is terrible, I hope it will last.” – Oscar Wilde

“We all live in suspense, from day to day, from hour to hour; in other words, we are the hero of our own story.” – Mary McCarthy

“What great romance doesn’t have suspense in it? Whether a spy thriller in Regency times, a paranormal romance with a revenge-seeking zombie, or a traditional serial killer after the heroine, romance relies on suspense, leading the reader through the trials of the heroine and hero to see if they will get their happily ever after ending.” – Kiss of Death President A.J. Brower

Often, I’ll find myself reading with one hand clamped over my mouth as my heart pumps so fast blood is rushing like a tsunami in my ears. The only down side is not getting enough sleep because I have to know how the hero and heroine will catch the serial killer/kidnapper/madman and finally figure out they were meant for each other.

Over on Twitter, Kiss of Death members and romantic suspense lovers are Tweeting about why they love romantic suspense using the hashtag #romanticsuspense. Help us to make that hashtag trend on Twitter by Tweeting about why you love romantic suspense.

Carol Ericson Swims with the Mermaids

I have been lucky to belong to the GIAM writing communities for a couple of years now and the support, motivation, and friendship I’ve made has been amazing.  One of my support network is the very lovely Carol Ericson. Besides being one of the most popular Harlequin Intrigue authors, she has ventured into the area of self-publishing and has had great success with that as well!

And . . . you gotta love a woman who jumps in the middle of the Mr. Romance contestants and gets a pic for drooling posterity . . . sigh . . .


 ***

1. Set the scene for us, where are you and what are your three favorite objects within arms reach.

I’m on a tropical beach and the objects within arm’s reach are a Georgette Heyer or Victoria Holt book, a Diet Coke, and my husband (not necessarily in that order).

2. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?

I’m a plantser!  I need to have some kind of outline so I know the direction of the story, and I can sit down and have the words flow from my brain to my fingertips.  But I’m not wedded to my outline.  If the story takes an unexpected turn or a character decides to do something off the map, I go with it.

3. How often do you write and do you keep a set schedule? Do you ever start to get the shakes if you don’t write? 🙂

Since I also work a day job, I try to write a little bit every day.  I try to keep to a schedule of writing 3-4 pages every day (some days are more successful than others).  I bring my AlphaSmart to work and write a few pages at lunch; then at night I transfer the Alphie pages to my computer, tweak them, and add a few more pages.  If I’m not writing, I’m definitely getting antsy.  I start talking to myself more than usual.

4. What is your celebratory treat for finishing a book?

Ah, I zone out in front of the TV for a few nights, usually watching enlightening fare like Dancing with the Stars or The Bachelorette.

5. For the sake of this question, your best friend is single, which one of your heroes would you set her up with?

One of my best friends IS single, and I’d set her up with Jack Coburn from Green Beret Bodyguard.  Jack is smart and literate and best of all…he has amnesia, so no pesky baggage to deal with.

6. What was the last non-romance book you read that you’d recommend?

I’ll leave off the political stuff here, although I do read a lot of political books.  I would recommend The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.  It intertwines the stories of the construction of the Chicago World’s Fair and America’s first serial killer, H.H. Holmes, who had set up a house of horrors near the World’s Fair. A fascinating juxtaposition of two minds:  one that soared to create and one that was compelled to destroy.

7. What are your favorite pair of shoes and how do they reflect your personality?

Hmm, my favorite pair of shoes right now are low-heeled, aqua-colored, and pointy-toed.  I can wear them with jeans or skirts.  They reflect my personality because they’re a bit sharp, a bit quirky, and a bit practical.

8. What kind of support do you have as an author to help you with your website, e-mails, promotion and all the other non-writing parts of being a successful author?

Not enough!  I do have a website designer, Rae Monet, who is fabulous.  Rae also designs my indie pubbed ebook covers, which totally rock!  I answer all my fan mail personally. (I even got a handwritten letter forwarded to me by Harlequin from a reader who does not have a computer or email.  I sent her a handwritten letter back, along with copies of two of my Intrigues that she was missing.)  I also do all my own promo; however, I’m a member of several amazingly supportive groups who share a wealth of information about advertisers and promo sites.  But I still believe the most important part of being a successful author is writing good books, so most of my blood, sweat, and tears go into producing the best book I can write.

9. With the increase in e-books, digital publishing, self publishing and all the changes in New York, where do you see the industry going and what are you doing to prepare?

I think the explosion of ebooks and Kindles and Nooks and iPads is fantastic.  The more ways to read, the better!  I don’t believe hard copy books will ever go away.  There are too many people who enjoy the look and feel of a book, paperback or hardback, for them to disappear completely.  (OMG – have you seen the covers on the Sourcebook reissued Georgette Heyer books?  They’re lovely, and I don’t think you’d get the same effect of the cover on an e-reader.)  I believe the publishing industry has already sat up and taken notice of the trend and they are reacting to it in a variety of ways.  I can only speak specifically to Harlequin, and I know they are changing the way they are approaching digital books.  Personally, I’ve prepared by getting my ass on the bandwagon.  Last summer I self-published three romantic suspense books and a romantic comedy.  I’m especially thrilled with the progress of the romantic comedy.  For a book I could not sell to a traditional publisher, it took off last summer, making the Kindle top 100 bestseller list for contemporary romance.

10.  Writing sex scenes – agony or ecstasy?

I love writing sex scenes. 😉  I used to write erotic romance, and when I first started writing for Intrigue, I’m afraid I got a little carried away with the sex scenes.  Intrigue sex scenes are fun to write because if the hero and heroine are about to have sex, having sex, or have already done the deed, you just know something bad is about to happen!

 

Carol is giving away a copy of Green Beret Bodyguard to a lucky commenter and if you want a chance to win another book and read the rest of the answers to my question and another giveaway, hop on over to my blog, Burning up the Sheets.  See you there!

***

Bio:  Best selling series romance author Carol Ericson suffers from a lack of privacy.  She always has a few characters floating in her head as well as snippets of dialogue and several “what if” scenarios.  She periodically purges all these voices and images by writing stories of romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and recently for self publication.  When she’s not writing, Carol is busy reading other fabulous stories or running to her teenage sons’ soccer matches, water polo games and basketball games.  Carol and her family live in Southern California near the beach, where Carol is now officially the shortest person in her household.

Thanks for stopping by!

Robin Mermaid

 

Bad Boyfriends, Old Lovers and Ex-Husbands

Robin Mermaid’s post last week (Love It or List It? Nov. 17) got me thinking.  She had started with a book review, but then she mentioned an unfinished story that was haunting her.  She put aside a project that was giving her trouble when another idea caught her attention.  Now she’s had a chance to take another look at the unfinished manuscript and wonders if she dares to take it on again.  Can she fix it?  Will it change?  Do they have a future?

I know that story all too well, as I’ve had more than one abandoned (relationship) manuscript in a checkered, challenged and generally lackluster (dating) writing career.  There was the hero intent on restoring a vintage Tucker automobile.  The other hero who rode a motorcycle.  The heroine left at the altar (she kept the ring).  The flirtation with inspirational fiction.  The heroine escaping an abusive husband (no, not from personal experience!).

Not one of these stories saw daylight. The floppy disks and hard-drive files are long gone or reused for other projects.  But they all had their moment.  They all served their purpose.  Only one of those ideas has hopes of being resurrected (not the abusive husband!)

In being unfinished, abandoned, left behind or dropped, they are a lot like the bad boyfriends, old lovers or ex-husbands we may have experienced.  Those relationships taught me a lot (well, not the ex-husbands, since I’ve had just the One True Love).  But the others let me learn – about what love is, how to maintain it, how to know when it is over, how to survive its loss.  I certainly had plenty of boyfriends before meeting the OTL who can put up with just about anything.  I’ve dried my share of tears.  I’ve done plenty of mourning, for good relationships that faded and bad ones that cheated or lied and moved on.  Even when I didn’t want them to go.  And I learned.

The same ideas go with stories that start out well and then seem to just lose their zip.  Or have flaws that only show up after years of struggle.  Try as I might, they won’t behave and I can’t get them to change.  I’ve cried over those, too, and mourned them and wished they would come back.  We would make it work!

I believe now that those unfinished stories are lot like those bad boyfriends and old lovers.  They taught me to let go and not believe that I’m the best match for that work.  They also taught me how to write a better story.  There’s a lot of satisfaction in finally getting a scene right, a plot point made and achieving crisp dialogue.  I learned how to write better stories because of those pages.  Would I go back to them?  Not on your life.  And we won’t discuss the men.  For all you know, they’ll end up as characters in a future book…

Have you ever had a story that fought you, or seemed to misbehave when you thought you had it under control?  Did you ever just give up and move on?  What did you learn about yourself and your writing?  Or, did you find a way to compromise, so the two of you could have your own authorial HEA?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J.R. Ward’s Covet – POV on the Deep Side

A book about redemption with an angelic twist—fallen angels with a mission, demons with secrets, and two people falling in love—lives intertwine at the right time in all the right ways as well as a few really wrong ones…

J.R. Ward’s Covet, the first book of her fallen angel series, is about “a savior who doesn’t believe and a demon with nothing to lose!”  (That’s straight off the back cover.) Released in 2009, it’s not spanking new on the bookshelves or via Whispernet, which may or may not be a prerequisite for writing a review, but I just finished it recently and loved it. But for me, at this stage of my writing career, I read with a purpose.  And with this particular book, I was struck by J.R. Ward’s choices with POV or point of view.  But I’ll get back to that in a moment.

Covet has a number of my favorite things—heroes with major flaws, heroes and heroines with hearts of gold, secrets, passion, fear, guilt, falling in love, falling in lust, and demons (yes, a good demon tale gives me a happy:). The protagonist in this story is Jim Heron. A journeyman, or so we are led to believe initially, who soon discovers he has a mission and he must straddle two worlds to complete it. Before we know it – we are hip deep in fallen angels, bad girls, good girls, and a man who needs Jim’s help, but has a lot to learn before he can be saved.

But what pulled me into this story, as a reader who writes, was the intensity of J.R. Ward’s characters (and not just the supernatural stuff). J.R. was able to immerse the reader (me) in her story with memorable characters that were people, funny, sad, silly, hot, brittle, and a major tool she used to accomplish this was her expert use of Deep POV or third person limited. She also used it selectively, and those choices enriched the story even more for me. Now, I am not an expert on Deep POV, but I hope to be in the near future:). In the meantime, I read and I write, and I read and I write. But if you’d like to explore  POV with an expert, I recommend Alicia Rasley’s book The Power of POV.

So tell me what POV do you find yourself writing in most often? First person, third person, Deep POV? Second person (oh my:)…here’s your chance…also, have you read J.R. Ward? Covet? What do you think?