What I have learned so far as a debut author

Writing, , , , ,

Hello friends! I am back with another installment of my journey as a debut author.  I have completed my 2nd round of edits and my manuscript is now going into the copy edit stage – yes!  Rumor is that it will be released in June . . . but that isn’t written in stone.

Oh – and the title changed from SOUTHERN COMFORT  to A NIGHT OF SOUTHERN COMFORT.  Cool huh? It evokes more of the “one night stand” trope of my book.

Okay . ..  back to my post.  I decided that I would share with you the top five things that I learned during my edits process. So, here we go:

1. I write like I talk . . . alot!  I’m Southern, so it’s no big surprise there. But, I was shocked when my editor pointed out all of the extra (I say necessary – but she won the arm wrestle) words I use in my writing. So, she was absolutely essential to help me see that. Has it changed the way I write? A little bit but I still use LOTS OF WORDS on my first draft.

2. I can crank it out on a “real” deadline.  Yeah, I set goals for myself but I also let myself cheat, so there was a moment of panic when I saw the deadline. But, I work well under pressure and being the first-born and Type A – I need to please. ‘Nuff said.

3. I am not “hot shit”.  Okay – I never thought I was but this whole experience showed me how much I still have to learn.  I soaked in my editor’s comments and put them into action. No ego. No hard-headedness.  Just being open and honest with myself.

4. Trust is key.  I trust my publisher, Entangled – so I trusted the people they assigned to work me.  My managing editor and editor wanted me to succeed, wanted my book to be great and everything they did and said made that absolutely clear. It was easy to make revisions when I knew that fact.

5. Reading is sherbert for my brain.  When I got stuck or had to work through a problem I needed something to “cleanse my mental palate”.  That was reading for me.  I could shut my mind off and let my subconscious work on the problem while I relaxed.

So, now I’m working on a book proposal for the new Covet line and am waiting to get a R&R letter on a second submission.  Meanwhile, juggling the business side of the of the writing business is taking up lots of time.

So, that is where I am. Thanks for joining me once again as I talk about my favorite topic – me! ; )

As a thank you, I’m giving away a copy of the book that gave me such a boost when I needed it.  Harper Fox is one of my absolute favorite authors and her new release, SCRAP METAL, left me tender, raw, and joyous when I read the last word.  She does that to me every time.

fishy kisses,

Robin

The Slightest Smile

mermaids

As I wander through life, sometimes I feel so confused. So lost. As if I don’t even know the questions, much less have the answers.

And then I look into my son’s face as he drifts off to sleep. In the soft glow of the night light, his toddler features are small and perfectly even, his skin impossibly smooth. His eyelids droop lower and lower until they close, in a motion that is too slow for film but exactly right for real life. His lips curve in the slightest smile.

And I think: this. This is the meaning of life.

What is your meaning of life?

Girl Crushes

mermaids

I recently read an article about some actress (can’t remember for the life of me who she is) who has her agent to set her up on “dates” with women.  No, she’s not a lesbian, not that there’s anything wrong with that.  But rather, she just wants to be introduced or get to know women she finds interesting.    This phenomenon, known as a girl crush, is similar to the bromance we keep hearing about of late.

When I think back on my life, I realize there have been a number of females I have found absolutely fascinating.  There was Stephanie, the girl in my fourth grade class, who had poker straight blonde hair that fluttered in the breeze when she glided across the playground.  She was everything I wasn’t.  Confident, popular, smart.  Everything she touched turned to gold.  I studied her from a far, wishing not only that I could be like her, but that maybe one day she would concede to be my friend.  In high school, I was friends with a girl who again, was the complete antithesis of me.   Jet black curly hair and a face that  Angelina Jolie would have envied, she had a talent for dancing, singing, drawing, writing.  We formed a deep and lasting bond (to this day), but I never gave up that idolization at her ability to draw people to her and command the spotlight.

As I think back on all these “girl crushes,” I realize that when I create my female characters, in some way, they become crushes too.  Yes, we want readers to fall in love with the hero, but it’s the heroine that in some cases may make or break a story.   Women are multi-dimensional creatures and our relationships with women are just as complicated as with men.  Maybe even more so.   To that end, the characters we create must tiptoe on that fine line of being attractive, but not too attractive.  Likable, but not a doormat.  In other words, she has to be the kind of woman an actress will ask her agent to set up on a date.  So in honor of all female crushes, dish on who is your crush.  Here are mine.

Writer Crush (other than a fellow Mermaid):  Sarah Mayberry.  I recently discovered this gem of a writer and I’m green with envy at how she can convey emotion through characters.  Not only that, she is cool as hell.  She actually answered my email, the one where I asked for writing advice and sent back a heap of helpful suggestions.

Envy Crush:  I’m ashamed to confess that this envy crush is strictly superficial.  I once had a friend who was truly disgusting.  5’8” a size 0 with real DD boobs and legs that would put any model to shame.  To make matters worse, she was hilarious, a PhD student in biology and could sew the most amazing outfits.   I couldn’t hate her because she was just so awesome, but boy was I ever miserable when we went trolling for men together.

Fascination Crush:  Okay, I admit.  For some crazy reason I have an absolute fascination with Kate Middleton, or the Duchess of.. I can’t remember what.  I don’t know if it’s the whole princess from a modest background or the fact that she’s so tall, willowy and has that thick mane of chestnut hair.  Or actually, it may be the clothes.  She seems to look good in anything (dang her!).  She also seems so natural and down to Earth.  Again, yes, I know it’s all a fantasy because no one really knows what she’s like except the people close to her, but indulge me.

Fictional Character Crush:  Harper James from Kristan Higgins’ My One and Only.  The way she wrote that character, I actually felt I was in her skin.  I truly wanted to be friends with this woman.  Or at least be there as she traveled the road Kristan so skillfully wove for her.

If I wasn’t straight, I’d be with…Crush   You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine!

 

Evernight Publishing Swims With the Mermaids

Interview, mermaids

 

I have new reason to love my publisher (you can read about it on my blog), so I’m thrilled to invite Evernight Publisher CEO Stacey Adderley into the Waterworld Mermaid lagoon.

Evernight is a digital first house based in Canada with a crack team of editors (mine is the awesome Emma Shortt, based in England) and designers. I won’t lie, one of the first things that really attracted me to Evernight was their amazing covers. However, after publishing two books (and hopefully more) with Evernight, you can bet I love a whole lot more about them now – but the covers are still to die for.

Enough from me, take it away Stacey!

Tell us a little about Evernight Publishing, it’s history and the kinds of books you publish.

At Evernight we publish romance, erotic romance, and some urban fantasy. I started the company because I love romance and also helping authors with their dreams.

The house recently celebrated it’s first birthday, why did you decide to start a publishing house?

I love romance, books, and the entire journey of publication. I’m very proud we’ve celebrated our first birthday and are still going strong.

What have you learned over the past year that you wish you’d known in the beginning?

There are many little things you learn along the way in about every area. Keeping organized is very important.

 

What do you find most enjoyable about being a publisher?

I love making authors and readers happy.

What are some of the biggest challenges of being a publisher?

Dealing with negative or demanding people can be difficult. You quickly learn who to surround yourself with.

Evernight Publishing is a digital first publisher, how do you see the future for digital books? Will they ever replace print?

I think print books will always be around, but digital is really making its mark!

What three things do you wish every author would do?

Promote and brand themselves, keep writing, and have realistic expectations.

If you had been kidnapped by a group of crazed writers and forced to sing karaoke, what song would you pick and why?

I’ve Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas. That song always cheers me up.

You win the lottery, what are the first three things you spend money on?

If we’re talking purely selfish reasons, I’ll say clothing, vacations, and a bigger property.

Where do you see Evernight Publishing in five years?

Going strong with a good reputation 🙂

Check out all things Evernight Publishing on its website and blog

What’s Zmeu with you? Or How Research Helped Me Find My Story Nitch

mermaids, Motivation, Writing

Okay, I know it’s a silly title but trust me on this one . . . it fits!  🙂

As many of you know (from my agony over the past month) I’ve been stuck in a rut with my story.  I’ve known about the story, actually wrote it a few years back, only to find out it just doesn’t have that certain, whatever it is a good story needs to have.

My idea for the original story came from a research session into the history of my ancestors.  My paternal grandfather came from Romania, the land of Transylvanian Alps (Carpathian Mountains), Vlad the Impaler, Bram Stoker’s- Dracula and various other mysterious stories that have been sensationalized.  But with all the fiction and history the general  populace know of, I wanted to delve deeper.

Two years ago I researched a bit into the early days of Romanian history, back before the Roman conquest, and found out about the Dacian clans who had ruled in the late B.C. to early A.D.  What I could find on them interested me–they were known as a powerful, mysterious people in a land infused with darkness and the unknown beyond the Danube where many other cultures and warriors had failed to conquer.  They worshipped powerful gods and prophets who considered them ‘immortal’ warriors . . . hmmm, see where I’m going with this?  I always wondered if this is where Bram  got his inspiration.

So out came some first draft stories based on this culture.  I’ve done a few other stories since then but this one came back to haunt me.  For the past few months it’s been eating into my soul, itching like a rash that won’t go away.  But no amount of lotion could fight it.  Finally I sat down, researched my craft–plotting (with the help of my fabulous Critter group), GMC, Deep Story  and some author friends who sat down with me and encouraged me to write from my heart and plot with my head.

So what does ‘Zmeu’ have to do with this, you ask patiently?  Getting there!

I went back the past two weeks and plotted an 11 page synopsis–for me.  While I was plotting I researched Romania again–everything from cities to ancient Dacian ruins, to airline schedules.  Along the way (as the Internet is known to do) I stumbled across an interesting creature known in Romanian folklore as the Zmeu.

A zmeu is a mythological creature of humanoid qualities that can shape-shift, has extraordinary powers and was always considered the evil creature. He was sometimes known to have taken the shape of fire-breathing dragons–stealing the fair maiden who was always rescued by the handsome youth once he’d conquered the ‘evil-greedy’ zmeu.

Well, pooh!  Who’s to say I had to have a handsome youth as my hero?  Why not a zmeu?  So with my ‘what if’ attitude and my Muse toying with my brain, I excitedly wrote out my story and started in on a journey of  Fast Drafting for the next two weeks–drafting the first 70,000 words to my new/old story with my dark, brooding ancient zmeu and a woman destined to love him.

So far my zmeu has led me on a journey flying high on his winged back into fantasy scene after fantasy scene and though 5,000+ words a day is tedious to accomplish–he seems to keep my spirits soaring.  Research led me to him and he is inspiring me to write his story.

I’m raising my morning cup of vanilla bean latte in honor of research, inspirations, muses and gut instincts that get us through to our goals.

Do you have a personal ‘Zmeu’ to see you through?  I would love to hear about him.

 

Tweet, Tweet, Splash, Splash

mermaids

Weeeeeee!!!!!!!

The Waterworld Mermaids just jumped into the Twitter pond. How exciting. Tweeting in the air is a much different feeling than swimming through our romance lagoon. But how fun to connect with all of our lovely friends.

Come say hi to us @WWMermaids. We promise to splash some water your way.

Many of our lovely Mermaids are on Twitter as well. You can find them here:

Alethea

Avery

Carlene

Denny

Diana

Kerri

Kim

Loni

Robin

Susan

Happy Swimming! Happy Tweeting!

To See or Not to See the Future

Kimberly MacCarron, mermaids, ,

If someone could truly tell you the future, would you want to know?

I know people who have gone to psychics to discover their futures or to come to terms with their pasts. Many have walked away feeling better for having gone. But, me? I wonder how I would feel and if knowing or believing I know would change the road I’m on.

For someone who wants to cry if someone spoils a book for me, I don’t think I would want to know.  Hell, I’d probably cry even with amazing news.  I like the surprises.  I like the anticipation and just the possibilities of something wonderful.

A friend of mine is communicating with a psychic who has predicted unbelievably accurate and specific events in the lives of her friends. Divorce, death, success. This psychic predicted that one woman would cheat on her husband, and she walked away with a disbelieving wave. Later, she did. This same psychic told one man that he needed to quickly check his accounts at work because someone was stealing from him, and if he didn’t, his company would go under. He laughed it off because he owned his own company, and the only other two people working with him were his brother and cousin—both equally trusted. Later, it turned out to be true, and he lost his company.

There are certain types of people in this world. I’ll call them the pessimists and the optimists, and then some people who can fall to either side when the occasion warrants it. I’m kind of like the last one. I sit on a fence, and I wonder which way I’ll fall during a crisis. It’s anyone’s guess.

Take the pessimist. If he goes to the fortune teller or psychic, and she tells him that he only has two years to live, will he go out and live those two years to his fullest? Not likely. He’ll moan about the unfairness of life. He’ll be extra careful when crossing the street. He’ll basically be dead by the time he exits the room with the beaded drapes and crystal ball. He has expected to hear the worst, and he has.

The optimist will look at that two-year death sentence as a license to live. He’ll visit places he always wanted to visit. He’ll skydive and wake up early and go to bed late because he doesn’t want to miss a thing. He’ll—as McGraw croons in the popular song—“live like (he was) dying.”

So, how does this work its way into a writing blog? Well, I’ll tell you. If I went to a psychic, and she told me I would become a successful—no, best-selling author—with many published books under my belt, my life could go one of two ways. I could become nonchalant, knowing that it was just a matter of time, so why work so hard? Or I could feverishly hammer away at my keyboard, ignoring other aspects of my life while expecting that life-changing call.

And if I got the exact opposite news for my future? That I would never be published? How would I take that one? Probably not so well. Let’s face it, I’ve been in a one-girl pity party for myself for months now because of contests and critiques and having to hear everybody else’s good news. If a fortune teller told me that I would never be published while I’m in my current frame of mind, I would drop writing like a hot potato.

If I were told that one of my kids wouldn’t live past the age of sixteen, would I hold them all a bit closer? Would I stress into the early hours of the morning about which one would die and when and how and why? Probably. If I was told that I would cheat on my husband, would I, knowing that I supposedly would anyway? No. I would fight it, and try my hardest to change the future.

So, instead of going to see the psychic, I’ve decided to give myself a look into my possible future. I will live to a ripe old age, with my ripe, old husband beside me with our five kids and tons of grandkids. I will have an amazing group of friends who will stay with me on life’s incredible journey. I will be published. I will be happy.

There. I have a future now. So, I’ll dust myself off, give up my one-girl pity party, and take back my life. I will hold my children closer and tighter and longer because I should do that every day and not because I get a dire reading from a fortune teller. I won’t cheat on my husband because someone predicted it.  I’m stronger than that. And I will be published because I refuse to give up. And if I don’t become published? So what! I’ll write because it has always made me happy to create characters and situations. I’ll get back to writing for myself. I’ll get back to writing because I HAVE to, because I NEED to. Because I WANT to.

If you could know your future, would you want to? Do you believe that sometimes it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy? That if we believe in a certain future, it will come true? Whether it’s good or bad? And if there are people who can tell the future, is it our chance to change it? To make it what we want? Can the idea of fate sometimes be a copout? You tell me.

Although I’m not such a country fan, I will end this in the words of another country singer, Garth Brooks in “The Dance.”

“I’m glad I didn’t know the way it all would end. The way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.”

Excuses, Excuses

Kerri Carpenter, Motivation, Writing

The other day at the gym I told my trainer I couldn’t do a certain leg exercise because my rotator cuff was hurting. I pointed to my leg and made a sad face and everything. He sighed. “Kerri, your rotator cuff is in your shoulder, not your leg. Do the exercise.”

Oops.

We’ve all done it. Made excuses. Sometimes they are better than others. But hey, in my defense, I was an English major not a doctor! Note to self: must do more research for lies excuses.  Continue reading →

How Important Is A Review?

Book Review, Dana Rodgers, mermaids, Writing,

When I was growing up my father used to say, “You can please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you’re never going to please all of the people all of the time, so stop worrying about it and please yourself.” I have found that little pearl to be wise advice because let’s face it, everyone has an opinion.

Reviews are part of every author’s life whether they like it or not. It doesn’t matter if the review comes from family, friends, a critique partner or the intended audience of readers and reviewers. For most of us, those reviews represent a love-hate relationship. On the one hand, it’s nice to know what you are doing right and that there are people out there who love your work. On the other, who enjoys hearing how much someone disliked something that took months to write?

I always find it interesting how different people deal with the negative feedback. Some authors just laugh off a bad review while others take every word to heart and carry those negative feelings around for years. I have even heard horror stories of authors abandoning their writing altogether after being discouraged by a callous critique.

With that said, I’m going to show you why harboring those negative feelings over one person’s opinion may not be the best course of action. As you’ll see from the following reviews what one person loves, another hates.

 

Anita Clenney—”Awaken the Highland Warrior”

“After 20%, the amount of leaps in logic and lack of world building have me at a loss…”

* * * * *

“…the world that Clenney has created is fascinating and has great potential for many books. I enjoyed the fact that the author paid attention to every detail, she gave you enough information to keep you puzzled in one chapter but held the answer until further into the book. I just couldn’t put the book down… I can’t wait for the next book!”

* * * * *

“I am glad I only paid 99 cents, but am disgusted at my wasted hours spent hoping it would get better. It never did. It had a great premise. If it was edited to 1/2 the pages and their attraction was more believable, I may have enjoyed it. Instead I am just angry about my invested time.”

* * * * *

“The storyline that ran through-out this book was fantastic. I really liked the whole Warriors vs. Demons. The story had so many twists and turns, it constantly keeps you guessing. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen and who the bad guy’s are… something else happens and completely throws you off the scent. It was beyond genius!”

 

Alethea Kontis—”Enchanted”

“Basically, the main word I’d use to describe Enchanted is bizarre. Even before I ultimately decided it wasn’t going to get any better and I couldn’t care less about the characters, I thought that this was a very bizarre story… Fairytales are supposed to revolve around circumstances that are unnatural, for lack of a better word. But I’ve never read a story as flippant and (it appears to me), careless as Enchanted…”

* * * * *

“…Sunday’s grand adventure and magical story of love and redemption ensnared me with all it’s glory. Alethea Kontis made me remember why I used to beg my dad to read me fairy tales at bedtime. She reminded me why I still wish upon a star and believe in true love. This enchanted story about a girl named Sunday will make you dream of your own fairytale and yearn for the next installment of this bespelled series!!”

* * * * *

“Rare are the books I find so painful that reviewing them becomes a chore; writing a review means thinking about them when I would rather leave them forgotten. Despite hopes that it would not turn out as such, Enchanted is one of those books.”

* * * * *

“Alethea Kontis’ “Enchanted” is a mixture of all the endearing fantasies we enjoyed as children… I must applaud on the author’s effortless delivery that comes out undeniably appealing. This is the kind of book deserving of your attention and holds it inescapably.”

 

Nora Roberts–“The Next Always: Book One of the Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy”

“…I’ve never contemplated not finishing a book of hers until now. I love how she usually finds an area of interest to focus on in books… I’ve learned so much about ballet, fire jumping, flowers, wedding planning and so much more. However, the detail that she goes into with this book is just ridiculous. I’m about a third of the way through and it feels like I’ve spent about 5 minutes with the characters and hours reading about fence pickets, color schemes and copper tubs. I’m so disappointed…”

* * * * *

“I enjoyed the relaxed pace, the cozy and lovely setting and the lovely characters… Boonsboro is a great place to set the book and thanks to all the little details Nora Roberts added to the story I was able to imagine the town and it’s buildings very easily… The love story was very sweet and I loved the way it progressed.”

 

This shows how subjective reviews really are. They are one person’s opinion and are colored by that person’s life experiences, reading preferences, preconceived ideas and the reader’s frame of mind when they were reading your story. What one reader loves, another may hate. And that’s okay, because everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

If you are a writer then you have to accept that you will have both good and bad reviews. No matter who you are or how great your writing is, even the fabulous Nora Roberts, there will be some people that won’t enjoy your work. But before you decide to stop writing forever because of someone’s callous remark, or before you decide that everyone who does not love your book is an idiot, I will offer some cautionary advice: If you are being told the same thing over and over again by different people, then you may want to consider that there is validity to that criticism. And if someone tells you something that you don’t want to hear, it is always better to respond with an, “I’m sorry that you did not enjoy my book, but thank you for taking the time to read it,” rather than attacking that person’s opinion. You can always tell them they’ve been taken over by demented brain weasels in your mind. 🙂

Just remember, reviews do not define the writer but, taken with a grain of salt, they can help us improve our craft. Please tell me how reviews, both good and bad, have influenced your own writing.

Nice to ‘Cute Meet’ You

mermaids, Writing, ,

Once upon a time, I was not a romance writer but a girl who would go about her daily business always thinking of people and different things they might say and do.  I did that for about 25 years.  And then one day, after reading a book I’d been given at a little comic book convention, I had the most amazing idea…write this stuff down!  And then my next brilliant idea…learn how to write this stuff down.  I enrolled with ed2go, an online courses system, in Lori Wilde’s “Romance Writing Secrets”.  My favorite lesson?  The Cute Meet.

What I love about the Cute Meet, or the life-changing event that brings the hero and heroine together in conflict (thank you Lori Wilde for that definition) is that it can be exactly as its name implies, a sweet sort of first meeting of two people who are destined to fall in love but it just as rightfully belongs to those characters who dash around in a more dramatic story.  I tend to write an angsty-flavored tale but my boys and girls get down with their Cute Meets just as nicely.  The purpose of the Cute Meet?  Throw the plot into action!

So what are some of your favorite Cute Meets?  I know there are some great ones out there, whether they come from your favorite book, movie or real life, I’d love to hear which ones have stuck with you.

I know I’ll never forget the time when in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Night Pleasures, Amanda Devereaux woke up handcuffed to the blond stranger, Kyrian of Thrace…her first words to him, “Excuse me?  Are you alive?”  Of course he didn’t respond right away and she started in with the usual niceties like, “Guy?, Mister?, Mr. Gothman?…”  Poking at him, feeling something special that took her breath away.  Love her… and when he comes to, they are without a doubt thrown into the story of their lives.

And then there’s real life where Cute Meets happen all the time.  In fact, one day in this very pond, a certain blond mermaid was wading through the comments section of that day’s lovely post about Accountablility Partners.  She didn’t really know what one of those was so she made a smarty pants reply that she didn’t know about a writing partner, but she could sure use a legs-shaving accountability partner.  It was from that silly remark that she hooked not just a wonderful writer friend, but someone who definitely catapults her writing on a daily basis, helping to set her plots into action.  So technically, I call that a Cute Meet.  Thanks Lynne!  So glad I “Cute Met” you here.

Well, that’s enough from me.  Please share some of your favorites!