Category Archives: Writing

Welcome Home–to Spiridus House

 

 Hello! Loni Lynne here today. I have been working lately, not only on novels but on novel ideas (pardon the pun). I will let my post explain it all but this is something I’ve been working on with all my heart for writers/authors and the great people in the industry that I’ve gotten to know as ‘family’ over the years of writing professionally. I’ve learned so much (and there is so much more to learn) that I wanted to share it and pass along the chance for everyone to share their wisdom, wit and support to each other in this crazy wild ride we share. So I bring to you my article, explaining a bit about me and about Spiridus House:

SHlogo3-mergedandcroppedI have  been writing longer than I can remember, dreaming about the ability to write and someday be published by the big publishing houses. Thirty some odd years later and I’m published but the industry isn’t what it used to be. Six years ago I started writing professionally. Three years ago I was finally offered a contract with an Indie Publisher. An exciting day for me, for sure!

But then came the ‘work’ and I don’t mean writing the next novel. I found out I had to be my own marketer, get my name and my books out there to the readers. I listened to my friends and mentors in my writing groups, read blogs and books on how to market, what you needed to have, etc.  But as things changed, so did my ability to stay up to date, find the links and programs I needed and spend countless hours on the Internet hunting for just the right people and links to get me where I needed to go.

I just don’t have the time. Not if I want to write, too. Which is my main goal.

So after months of having this idea niggling (is that a word…I like it, so it’s MY word) at the back of my brain, I decided to do something about it. I have met so many writers and authors in the same boat as I am, but I’ve also met wonderful people who serve the writing industry.  Why not combine the two into one site in which both people can socialize and network?

Spiridus House is a network based site in which there is no one person. It is a home for each of us, sharing ideas, about our skills and what we have to offer each other.

Spiridus House is looking for you to become a family member if you:

  • are a fiction writer or author (any genre as long as it is fiction or related to fiction writing)
  • design websites and graphics
  • format ebooks and print novels
  • run a book blog
  • plan online parties
  • review books
  • promote
  • design covers for books
  • anything and everything having to do with the world of fiction writing and publishing (focus is on those who self-publish and are Indie Published but all are welcome to share)

 

Spiridus House is looking for all offers and price ranges in the service industry. Pages for links are set up to guide you to someone who can help you and your budget. We are looking for pro-bono workers just starting out, all the way up to professional grade businesses who’ve been in the industry for many years. This way, depending on your budget as a writer/author you connect with someone who can help you and in return, receive your business to grow.

We are also looking for those of you who could share  your experience and information in insightful blog articles and formats. Please see the contact page for further information.

I hope you find this house a friendly, helpful place in a business where working alone is essential, but where feeling alone is never an option. I look forward to growing our house by sharing ideas on how we can make Spiridus House a strong foundation in the ever changing world of writing and publishing.Loni Lynne1

 

Hugs!

Loni Lynne

 

Please check out Spiridus House at http://www.spiridushouse.com

 

I’m a Swinging Sprinter

I’m a cheater. There. I said it. I’m admitting it right here on Waterworld Mermaids. I’m cheating on my sprinting partner. Actually, I’m cheating on all of them.

I’m the type of girl who needs someone to always keep me accountable, or I drift away. Like a woman married to a great guy that just can’t be with her all the time. Apparently I’m a lot more needy than I thought. I can’t be happy with just one partner.

I’m a swinging sprinter!

There you have it. I’ve opened up my writing relationships to other partners. Each one gives me something I need that another one can’t. One is published and is working on edits, and that’s great, but I need someone who’s looking to create new words and meet goals and stuff like that. One is struggling right along with me, and I love that we’re on the same page. One is on vacation, and one of my grandma’s favorite sayings comes back to me: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder…for somebody else.”

Yesterday I had so many sprints going that I felt like Mrs. Doubtfire when she/he kept showing up at different tables in the restaurant, forgetting who she/he was supposed to be. I had to start keeping track on paper! At one point I had two going at the same time.

My Young Adult chapter started a #YARWAsprint, but I was in the middle of trying to finish up one with a friend. In the end, I had to split my word count between them.

Then I realized…MORE IS BETTER! Now I’m introducing all my partners to each other so we can all sprint together. I’ve found that when we’re all working toward the same goals and trying to lift each other up and encourage each other to keep at it, we all succeed. It’s easy to get distracted with the internet and social media, but it’s a hell of lot harder when you’re supposed to make yourself accountable to somebody else. Somebody who is actually working when you’re scrolling through Twitter feeds and you’re checking emails and clicking on one link after another. And by “you,” I totally mean me.

If anyone wants to sprint with me, I’m your girl. Don’t feel guilty about cheating on your own partner. Ask them to join. We can all be “Swinging Sprinters.” The more, the merrier. You can find me on Twitter at @KimMacCarron. Or just comment below.

Here’s my very favorite saying in all the land to help us get motivated and get those books either finished or started or polished: “When we are dreaming alone it is only a dream. When we are dreaming with others, it is the beginning of reality.”—Dom Helder Camara

Let’s dream together and get it done. Happy Writing. Happy Sprinting.

Do you have a favorite motivational saying?

Follow me on Twitter @KimMacCarron if you want to sprint

Follow me on Twitter @KimMacCarron if you want to sprint

Letting Your Moments Breathe

Mermaid-Carlene-300x225Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one replaying that spark-filled first date a zillion times in your mind or reliving that soul-clenching performance by your favorite band the whole two hours long ride it takes to get home from their concert? Do you ever wonder if the experiences in your life mean way more to you than they do to the other people who experienced them with you?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how deeply I’m affected at times in my life by certain people and experiences. Sometimes I worry that I’ve put a more-than-is-normal amount of time and thought and energy into not letting go of the moments. Am I starved for interaction? Is that a bad thing? I just don’t want to lose the inspirational feelings, the inside-smiles, and most importantly, the connections. I also, however, don’t want to be that person who can’t move on. The person whose today is not quite up to par with their wonderful yesterday. That’s all. I think, at least I hope, this is something most of us do and can relate to. As a writer, I feel so incredibly blessed because when I feel powerless against time and the gradual fading of these memories, I can always write them down and capture them and keep them in that very special way that writers do. 

Writing 1

 

Perfect moments don’t need expectations put on them afterwards, so don’t do that to yourself or the moment. Just let it be perfect. Just let it breathe. If you leave it alone in this way, it will live on in your memory and serve your heart, soul and mind as it was intended to do. It may even revisit you sometime in the future when you’re least expecting it. It will never leave you. It will always be a part of you, there when you need it, affecting your present and future right there from the everlasting past. 

Your true souvenir? Yourself. You’ve come out of this affected and therefore different, stronger, quirkier, better. 

The time I met my musical heroes, Depeche Mode, I printed out a picture from our meeting and wrote along the top of the frame, “This moment in time was mostly mine, but it was a little bit yours too, and that makes me smile.” That was nine years ago. I can still feel and smell and see everything that happened that day. I also wrote a five-books-to-date series about that experience. That moment is forever mine and forever theirs and now, forever my readers’. It’s okay that I’ve thought about it a million more times than anyone else has. 

Writing 3

I’m thankful everyday for the gift of being a writer. Without it, I think I’d be so locked in my head, trying to never let go of the past, that I’d forget to open my eyes and see and be a part of today. I can make a very heartfelt promise to any and all who cross my path that I will remember you. I will take what you’ve given me, whether it was a passing smile or a life-lasting long conversation and hold it close to my soul. But I also promise to let you breathe. Because ultimately, I want the best for you. Breathing is good, breathing is life. If you’ve touched my life, imagine the wonderful lives you have yet to touch. 

Friends, how do you cherish and hold onto your most precious memories? 

 

Got Perspective?

pintip-mermaid-300x231I recently reread a manuscript I hadn’t touched in over two years. Because I wanted to experience the story as a reader, I loaded the manuscript on my kindle and curled up in bed with it. The results were fascinating.

First, as I was reading, I literally couldn’t remember what came next. Sure, I knew the overall arc of the story, but I’d forgotten the details of how the events played out. I even surprised myself a few times — which was pretty fun. It was definitely the closest I’ve ever come to experiencing one of my own books as a reader.

Second, and more importantly, I had a startling realization. The story in my head was not the story on the page. I still thought of my characters the way they were originally conceived. But I had revised the manuscript so many times, so many scenes had been moved or deleted, that some of them bore little resemblance to who they were supposed to be. And the people they became on the page? Not nearly as endearing.

It wasn’t a hard fix, since many of the scenes already existed in some version of the manuscript — and thank goodness I’d saved all those files! But I never would’ve seen these problems without distance.

I’ve heard for years the importance of fresh eyes. And I did try to give myself a break from my stories. A day, sometimes. At most, a week. But I was always in such a hurry, and more time always seemed like a luxury.

Now, I know better.

The time won’t be any easier to find, but at least I know where to aim.

Please share. Have you ever read something you’d written and surprised yourself? How do you find the time to gain the proper perspective on your stories?

Immortal Wounds–A Novella Idea

I have never been one to write ‘short’… that’s for sure. Just ask anyone who receives a letter or message from me, four page letters and full detail messages. I get irate when my children respond to my texts with ‘K’ and ‘Yes/No’.  I want details, people! I had a love/hate relationships with my English teachers in high school. Only 10 page report on the British Monarchy? *sigh* Yes, I was one of those, nerds/geeks.

So when an issue came up with my work in progress, Immortal Angel, in which I needed to introduce the couple’s situation before the actual story took place I came up with a ‘novella’ to do just that.

Some would say it’s more of a novelette since it’s roughly a 16,000 word little piece of work. But God, did I have a blast writing it!

Now I want to do more…but after I finish Immortal Angel, now.

So without further ado, I would like to present my little story which is now out on Kindle, Nook, Kobo and a few other sites provided by the wonderful people at Draft2Digital.

Cover4 fixed copy--smaller   Immortal Wounds

(A Guardians of Dacia Novella)

  Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone…

Vietnam never stopped for Mike Linder—and it never will. As an immortal being, Mike is    doomed to face his issues of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder he suffered in combat for  eternity. The darkness in the seventy year old vampire is swept away by the sweet spirited  Christina Johnston who he is called upon by his boss to protect from clan enemies. But  keeping his sunshine around would only lead to extinguishing her light, permanently.

 His Sunshine…His Only Sunshine…

Tina Johnston always believes the glass is half full. The eternal optimist, she wants to help  Mike find the peace from his horrors of war and she believes she’s the one to give it to him.  Unfortunately, Mike won’t let her. Haunted by his past and suffering terrors mixed with his  present, is she strong enough to endure his tortured past? Can she heal his Immortal Wounds?

Rated R—Language, graphic combat scenes, spicy sex.

Available only on eBook format at these fine stores, for only .99:

  Amazon. Nook, Kobo, Scribd

I hope you enjoy!

Immortal Angel to be released, March 30, 2015

(God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise) 🙂

Hugs!

 

 

The Solitude of Writing–It’s ALL Good!

Writing to some may be considered a lonely profession but for me…it’s never lonely. Which is not necessarily a good or bad thing–it just is.

Working from home to write is not all it’s cracked up to be (no, I do not spend time in my jammies–unless it is a snow day or I am sick).  But you would think I would get a heck of a lot of writing done in my secluded basement office typing away all day long.

NOPE!

Working from home has some people thinking you have all the time in the world to do things like, run errands, pick up sick kids from school, volunteer for that PTA thing, go on field trips, housework, pick up prescriptions, make doctors appointments…

WAIT! That sounds like the job of a stay at home mom! (Well, technically in a round about way, I still am even though my girls are grown now.)

So when the hubster asked if I would like to go with him on one of his month-long business trips to do nothing but stay in a hotel room all day while he is at work what did I say:

HECK YEAH!

“Won’t you be bored?”

“I have two books I’m working on, marketing, social media, updates to my website/blog, reading, reviews and a few millions of other things that come with being a self-published author…I don’t think I will have time to be ‘bored’, sweetheart.”

Just the past few days in this ‘boring, extended stay hotel’, I have achieved more of my goals than I could have done in two weeks at home in my office. I also don’t have to worry about taking time to drive to the gym, as they have a fitness center only around the corner from my room. Breakfast is free (though I’m Gluten-Free I’d really love to have one of the waffles but settle for yogurt and fresh fruits and occasionally scrambled eggs if I am in the mood). I have a kitchenette that I have fresh strawberries, bananas and milk for lunch and Kind bars for snacks. When hubs gets home, my day ends and we share quality time.

So am I a bored, lonely, social recluse?

YEP! And I’m loving every minute of it.

Hey everyone, I’ll be back on Facebook as soon as I post this…still have a few minutes of social time before I get back to the novel! LOL

HUGS!!

Distilled Spirits Release

Yes, the long-awaited sequel to Wanted: One Ghost is finally going to be out. And I couldn’t be more excited!

What started out as a short story (that became revised and reformatted) on our site back in October of 2013 is now a full-fledged novel about Wanted: One Ghost’s hero, James Addison’s former tavern lady, Millie Taylor.

Millie is still haunting his old stomping grounds, Old Town Tavern and Inn but she’s got ‘spirit’ all her own. Here is a snippet from Distilled Spirits:

Didn’t believe in ghosts? Well that was a fine, “How do you do!” Millie sat quietly in the rafters looking down on the two men discussing business.

She huffed in disgust, blowing a curl out of her face.

As handsome as the new guy was he was also a royal pain in the arse! He and his crew were fixing up her tavern. They’d poked and prodded the old girl, painting and tearing out parts and pieces and replacing them with others. Now they were discussing renovating her old room. It had been updated a time or two since she’d originally been here in the 1700’s. What was wrong with it?

 The Rogers had been the owners of the Old Town Tavern and Inn since before she came to the colonies. She’d watched as each generation took over, seeing the differences and similarities throughout the years. Dave reminded her of old Hank, the man who hired her off the boat from England. As tough and burly as he looked, he was a good man with a kind heart. He’d married his high school sweetheart, Claire, and they’d raised two fine sons. But when Claire died over five years ago, a little bit of him died, too.

Why he’d turned to Jillian Chambers, their local accountant, in the following years, Millie would never know. That woman had more talons than a falcon and for some strange reason, very few facial expressions. For as youthful as she tried to be, she looked a bit odd and it didn’t help that she never really sDistilledSpirits-1600x2400upported Dave in his efforts to make something of the tavern. The woman hated the place with a passion and made sure everyone knew how she felt in words and actions.

The scrape of wooden chairs alerted her to the end of the meeting between Dave and the younger man. From her perch she could get a good look at Sean. What she’d seen of him this past month, he wasn’t someone she’d kick out of the haystack. She grinned at the wicked thought. Perhaps that was why she found herself in his room today. But what was it about him that intrigued her so? Was it the way his blue trousers formed to his limbs? Or the jacket and shirt that hugged his chest? He pulled the look off very well.

His sandy colored hair was short, trimmed close to his head, not long and tied back as men wore it in her day. But there was something rugged about the look and it suited his muscular frame and his angular jaw. Millie’s fingers itched. Oh, to be able to trace those lines.

Still, it perturbed her that he didn’t believe in ghosts. She would really like to be able to speak to him about the tavern, let him know what it meant to her that he was helping Dave with renovations.

Well, if he didn’t believe in her then she’d just have to find some way to make him believe.

 

Distilled Spirits releases Monday, December 15th and is available now on Amazon for pre-order and Wanted: One Ghost is available for just .99 until the end of the year. So you can enjoy Wanted: One Ghost and read Distilled Spirits soon after!

You can catch up on more information about Distilled Spirits on these sites and links:

Loni Lynne’s website: http://www.lonilynne.com

Loni Lynne’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lonilynne

Loni Lynne’s Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/LoniLynne1

Loni Lynne’s Goodread Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7115619.Loni_Lynne

Loni Lynne’s Mailing List: http://www.lonilynne.com/mailing-list.html

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone out there from Loni Mermaid and her sisters at the Mermaid Lagoon!

 

 

A Lifelong Student

Highlighters: green, blue, yellow, orange, and pink. Check.
Three-ring binder with printed-out manuscript. Check.
Lecture packets on how to write fresh, use rhetorical devices, and assess my writing for weaknesses using a rainbow-colored system. Check, check, and check.

Can anyone guess what I’m doing today? That’s right! I’m attending one of Margie Lawson’s Immersion Master Classes.pintip

I am so excited to meet Margie, to hang out with fellow writers for the next four days, and, most of all, to learn!

I love school. From kindergarten through college through law school, I adored exploring new subjects and acquiring the skills needed to think about old subjects in a new way. But just because I’ve graduated doesn’t mean my days of study have to end.

This morning, my son asked where I was going this weekend.

“Class,” I said.

“What?” He scrunched his eyes the way he does when I tell a particularly funny joke. “You mean you’re going to be the teacher?”

“No, honey,” I responded. “I’m the student.”

“But you’re an adult! You can’t be a student!”

“Of course I can,” I said, ruffling his hair. “I plan to be a student all my life.”

good student. A punctual one. Which means I’d bet
ter get going before Margie rings the tardy bell. Wish me luck!

While I’m making the mad dash to class, please share. How do you feel about learning? What was the last class you took? Would you rather be student or teacher?

Conference Magic: MerSisters, New Friends, and life altering moments

SusanMermaidI will confess: I live via nega-talk too often. The devil on my shoulder whispers, “Why do you even bother going to the gym? You never get anywhere, and then you cop out. Save yourself the trouble: stay home.”  She says, “Why do you keep banging your head against writing? You start and stop, change your mind, and doubts are your best friend.  Nobody will miss you…” And “Why in God’s name are you going to a conference? You spend so much money and you spend too much time being I didn’t know that last Friday and Saturday were days to change a life:  getting up early, driving with The Man down the New Jersey Turnpike and over to Iselin for the NJRWA Put Your Heart in a Book conference

put-your-heart-in-a-book Nor did I realize Sister Mermaid Denny S. Bryce, fresh off her Golden Heart win, would stroll into the hotel lobby around noon and we would get to be MerSisters for the next 36 hours. SoFreakinFine!

NJRWA DENNY I hadn’t realized Roxanne St. Claire would offer such an amazing pre-conference workshop. She didn’t realize she would talk herself into laryngitis and have to hire/persuade/inveigle a substitute reader/speaker for Sunday’s Novelists, Inc. engagement. Poor dear! She has my heartfelt sympathy and thanks.

More than anything, I learned that a small conference can be a hidden trail to change your life. The National conference is a tremendous opportunity, to be sure. But these small conferences are a little more casual, a little less intense, and a lot of fun. I saw people I’ve known for years and made new friends (a special shout-out to Kathleen Ann Gallagher – yes, it was meant to be!). The pubbed author’s roundtables offered in-depth insight into the challenges we’re facing today, with the changes in publication formats, the shrinking market, the possibilities, the challenges, and the JOY of a career in writing a romance.

Have you been to a conference you felt changed your life? Share!

 

johannes-vermeer-dutch-1632-1675-a-lady-writing-c-1665-1349363744_b

Days Like These…

http://t.co/sgvHLs4o

Okay, I have to admit lately this video makes a ton of sense to me.

With a recent book release, Immortal Heat (self-published), Distilled Spirits, the sequel to Wanted: One Ghost coming in December, and the sequel to Immortal Heat, Immortal Angel to be written and released in January my head is about to explode! But it’s for the Greater Good….’the Greater Good’.

So if you see me around with a weird smile on my face…it’s just the Zoloft taking effect.  (LOL).

Seriously, it’s a great time but crazy. Trying to wear all the hats in a business (and anyone who tells you being an author isn’t a business should be boiled in peanut oil and salted…because they are NUTS!) is not an easy task. That is why there are so many ‘helpers’ out there (and no, I don’t mean the happy pills).  There are editors, agents, and promotional specialists who are out there to help take the burden off some of our duties and they are a godsend!

I also have my daughters who are big helps when I need my kitchen cleaned because I’m on deadlines or meals prepared. But still, the job can become overwhelming. I’ve always been a person who deals with To Do Lists, and even they are starting to look like a jumbled mess of manuscript needing to be edited.

So yeah, it’s a job and days like these…well they happen.

What do you do to get through “Days Like These” ?

Hugs!