The awesome co-hosts for the November 2 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Douglas Thomas Greening, Nick Wilford, and Diane Burton!
November 2 question - November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not? I participated in NaNoWriMo last year and wrote the entire first draft of Heart of a Hero in one month. I was so proud of myself! I wrote one chapter per weekday, taking off weekends and holidays. It sounded good on paper to write 80,000 words so quickly, but it caused problems. When I read the completed draft in December, I realized how daunting my edits would be. There were big problems with structure, characters, plot, you name it. The pressure of NaNoWriMo caused me to push through when I should have paused to address the issues. Trying to edit such a mess of a manuscript was painful and took much longer than the slow-and-steady approach I used on my first book. The experience has made me swear I will NEVER do NaNoWriMo again. In the end, I did create something I'm proud of, but I wish I'd gotten there a better way. For book three in my trilogy, I want to try a two-month process. I'll alternate every other day between writing and editing. That way, I'll have breathing room to correct problems as I find them. After Heart of a Hero is released on November 7, I'll get started and see if my new approach works for me!
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Heart of a Hero is completed!!! It will be available for pre-order on Amazon soon. Release day is November 7. In the meantime, I'm thrilled to share the cover art with you. Here it is! I'll post the link for pre-order later this week. Dating a supervillain is hard enough... Don't let the Citadel come between you.
Since joining the Citadel, nothing is going as Aubree expected. Her relationship with Erik is strained, she’s neglecting her city, and to top it off, Defender training is kicking her butt. Going home a failure would break her heart, but staying could mean losing the villain who has always been in her corner. As torn as she feels, Aubree soon faces bigger concerns than her personal struggles. When a dark secret comes to light, it forces her to question everything she believes about superheroes and sets her on a path to face the greatest foe that she, or the world, has ever seen. Amidst loss and shocking revelations, will Aubree find the strength to be a true hero without betraying her own heart? And can her relationship with Erik survive when heroes and villains clearly aren’t meant to be? The awesome co-hosts for the October 5 posting of the IWSG are Tonja Drecker, Victoria Marie Lees, Mary Aalgaard, and Sandra Cox! October 5 question - What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre? Romance is my favorite genre. The best thing about reading romance is the feeling of falling in love. Adventure and fantasy are fun to experience vicariously, but love is best in my book. Some people may look down on love stories and use terms like “trashy romance novels,” but creating romance is harder than you think! Character development is more important in this genre than any other. On top of developing two main characters who are complex, compelling, and relatable, the author must create a spark between them. The reader should feel their magnetic pull in every conversation, touch, look, and interaction. Chemistry between two made-up people is no simple thing. When I read a romance novel, I can forgive plot holes, contrived situations, and typos, but I cannot do without that indescribable feeling that these two people HAVE to be together. It’s even better when the characters don’t realize they’re meant to be, but the reader knows beyond a doubt! As a reader, if I don’t feel the conviction within a few chapters, I put the book down. New Release Coming SoonI’ve seen the preliminary cover art for Heart of a Hero, and it is going to look so cool! I’m putting the finishing touches on the book, and I’m hoping to release it on November 1. I can’t wait to share this labor of love!
The awesome co-hosts for the September 7 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise - Fundy Blue!
September 7 question - What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why? Of all fiction genres, action/adventure would be the worst for me. I can't stand reading action, let alone writing it. To me, choreography is tedious. He punched. The other character fell. It hurt. He got up. They circled, waiting for a clear shot. They hit each other some more. Somebody kicked. *Yawn* When writing, I avoid choreography as much as possible. If I can find a way to skip an action scene or make it more interesting, I do. Here are a few methods I like: -One of the characters does a humorous retelling of events to another character. -The main character is either distracted or knocked out and doesn't experience the action sequence, only the aftereffects. -There's about to be a fight scene, but it's interrupted by something and is thus mercifully brief. Don't get me wrong though. Action movies are great because I can see the awesome martial arts in the fight scene. When a fight is described, it just doesn't translate. However, there is one thing I despise in both movies and books: car chase scenes. They are overdone and merely serve as my chance to get a refill or take a bathroom break. Anyone else feel the same way about writing/reading choreography? Anybody have a different genre they dislike writing or reading? Today is the day! First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts is available for purchase. In this anthology, you can read my contribution, “Clyde and Coalesce,” as well as a romantic collection of other stories from outstanding authors.
See if you can guess what classic work of literature inspired my story: “Clyde and Coalesce” When Lizzie meets Fitz, the front man of a popular band, she is not a fan. He mocks her taste in music, wastes her time, and looks down his nose at her, literally. However, she needs his help to save the local radio station where her best friend Jane is a morning show host. As Lizzie gets to know the aloof heartthrob, she sees another side he keeps hidden from the public—a side she might even like. Will the two find a way to turn the sour notes of their first meeting into a love song? Get your copy today! To those following me on Amazon, you may have received an email that I published a new book called Rob Roy. I did NOT write this book. The error was caused by a technical glitch on Amazon’s part, and I’ve asked them to correct the issue.
My next published work will be a short story in the anthology: First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts. It will be published September 6. Shortly after, I will publish my second novel: Heart of a Hero. Thanks for reading and sorry about the confusion! The awesome co-hosts for the August 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Lisa Buie Collard, Loni Townsend, and Lee Lowery!
August 3 question - When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want? Both, I imagine. Romance readers search for books with their favorite tropes (eg. enemies to lovers, who did this to you, fake dating). However, these get stale with repetition. With that in mind, here are two methods to help strike a balance between originality and giving the people what they crave: Method 1 To keep things fresh, I use tropes I enjoy and present them in an original way. As a reader, I appreciate authors who breathe new life into tried-and-true plot devices. A book that scratches the enemies-to-lovers itch is You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle. An engaged couple, Naomi and Nicholas, have fallen out of love, but whoever calls off the wedding foots the bill. They face every relationship killer known to man: in-laws from hell, nonexistent sex life, issues with jobs...but the biggest obstacle is feeling trapped with each other. Naomi throws everything at her fiancé to drive him away. Through all the immature pranks and hurtful words, something unexpected happens. She drops her walls and takes a good look at Nicholas and at herself. Maybe she's not as ready for it to be over as she thought. Some parts of the book were a bit silly, which often happens in romance, but it's a five-star read for me because the author went outside the box with a brand new trope: lovers to enemies to friends to lovers. Method 2 Look the trope in the eye, acknowledge it, and revel in its full potential. To some, this might come across as cheesy, pretentious, or breaking the fourth wall. I, for one, enjoy it. Not only does this approach earn a giggle, it also lets me know I'm in the capable hands of an author who knows the genre. A great example is The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. The author has a blast with the fake dating trope, referencing it by name throughout. The FMC knows she's living a rom-com, but that doesn't stop her from acting out classics like "uh-oh, we'll need to share a hotel room." I don't mind predictability in the slightest when it's done well and with a sense of humor. What do you think? Do you prefer to read/write what's popular, what's original, or some combination of the two? Falling for the Villain is on sale this week for just 99 cents. If it’s on your “to read” list, now’s the time to buy!
In other news, Heart of a Hero is coming along. I’m finishing this round of edits, and the next step is beta readers. I still aim to publish before the end of summer and will announce the exact date soon. I’m excited to share this one with the world! During edits, I changed a major event near the end that crushed my soul a little bit, but I think it’s the push Blue Nova needs to grow. I hope you guys will agree. Well, I’m off to enjoy the gorgeous weather. Even writers need some vitamin D now and then. It’s a perfect day for bike riding here in beautiful BC. Have a great summer everyone! The awesome co-hosts for the July 6 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Janet Alcorn, PJ Colando, Jenni Enzor, and Diane Burton!
July 6 question - If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose? If I could assume the role of the main character, it would be a romance novel like The Love Hypothesis or The Hating Game. If I had to enter the book world as myself, I'd have a hard time choosing. I'm too old to attend Hogwarts. Middle Earth lacks indoor plumbing. Westeros has too much torture and lacks indoor plumbing. Hmm... I wasn't allowed to read/watch HP as a kid, so when I was finally old enough to make my own decisions, I gobbled up the entire series in a few weeks. I really want to pick Harry Potter's world, but only if I'm not a muggle and only if I'm de-aged so I can attend Hogwarts. I was always an A student, so imagine my grades if things like algebra and chemistry were replaced with defense against the dark arts and potions. I'd make that Ravenclaw blue and bronze look good. What appeals to me most is flying on a Nimbus 2000. I'm not athletic, so no Quidditch for me, but I'd do a lap of the grounds every evening. I haven't ridden a bike since I was a kid, and I miss the wind in my hair and the scenery rushing past. Does the Nimbus come with a radio I wonder? If not, I could tape one to the handle. Tell me your answer to the question in the comments! Sorry my HP answer isn't super original, but I bet Middle Earth was an even more common one. The awesome co-hosts for the June 1 posting of the IWSG are SE White, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguire, Joylene Nowell Butler, and Jacqui Murray!
June 1 question - When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep writing to the end? If you have not started, why do you think that is and what could help you find your groove and start? The going has been tough for me lately. As I write this, I just returned from a last minute trip to the U.S. for my Grandpa's funeral. I didn't write the week before the trip because I was busy with travel prep, and I'm not writing this week either. I was gone only four days, but there are so many tasks to catch up on. I'm also feeling de-motivated by grief and missing my family. I haven't seen them often since moving to Canada, and I don't know when the next time will be. I plan to give myself the week off from writing. My kids need attention from Mommy. As I write this blog post, my toddler is hovering at my elbow and whining. I just hope I'll be able to find my groove again. People at the funeral kept telling me how proud Grandpa was of my writing. He had a strong work ethic, and I think his example is part of the reason I'm so disciplined. He was my last remaining grandparent and the one I was closest to. Maybe I'll place some memento of his on my writing desk to motivate me when I'm feeling low. I did come up with a few exciting ideas for my story while I was sitting in airports, so I think it will be a good sequel if I ever sit down and finish it! |
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