Texty Ladies » Random

Ann Charles Does It in Deadwood

Jacquie Rogers — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:01:36 +0000

It’s Magical Monday! And today I have a special guest, my partner at 1st Turning Point, Ann Charles.

Ann Charles, Author

Ann Charles writes contemporary mystery series(es, there are three already) that are sprinkled with romance and doused with humor. She is currently toiling away on her next book while her agent works on selling her manuscripts. She lives near Seattle with her clever husband, charming children, and one incredibly sassy cat.

JR: What are you currently working on?

AC: I’m writing book two of my Deadwood series. The first book in this series is called, Nearly Departed in Deadwood. It’s a mystery with romance with a touch of paranormal, and stars Violet Parker, a single mom who is trying to make ends meet while starting a new career. Think Stephanie Plum in Working Girl with a twist of Sixth Sense.

Following is a shortened version of the back cover copy for Nearly Departed in Deadwood:

Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota. Fearing her daughter might be next, single mom, Violet Parker, is desperate to find the monster behind the abductions. Short on time and long on worry, she refuses to give up her dream of a fresh start in Deadwood. But with a malicious coworker trying to get her fired, a secret admirer sending her creepy messages, and a sexy stranger hiding skeletons in his closet, Violet could end up as one of Deadwood’s dearly departed.

JR: What made you select Deadwood, South Dakota as the setting?

AC: When I was growing up, I spent my summers in Deadwood with my mom. While she worked her eight-hour shifts at a gift shop on Main Street, I explored the town on foot. I learned details about Deadwood’s history, memorized the streets and buildings, and stored up memories I’m able to use while writing this series.

JR: Is the Deadwood setting in the series fictitious or did you include real people and locations?

AC: Throughout the books, I use real people from Deadwood’s history and the true names of public-use buildings, such as the Deadwood library. I also base most of description of said buildings on the real thing, but do embellish when necessary. However, I do create names for most of the restaurants and stores. The present-day folks in the book are fictitious, although I often use parts of friends and family members’ names for some of my characters just for fun.

JR: You are mixing genres in this series (mystery, romance, and paranormal). How do you keep each genre interesting in context of the story? For example, how do you keep your romance from sounding likes it’s gratuitous?

AC: This is where it gets fun. I try to make sure each scene and sequel in the story include information that propels the mystery forward, since that is my main plot. Whether the scene involves romance or paranormal or a dash of humor, the mystery is present, even if it’s just a shadow.

Here’s an example of a touch of romance mixed with the mystery. The scene takes place in the Deadwood library and involves Violet, my heroine, and one of her clients, Doc Nyce, who is also a suspect. At this point in the story, Violet is trying to figure out how to use the microfiche machine to look up an article about one of the missing girls. Doc was at the library when she arrived and comes over to help her find the article in the archives.

“Do you have a date?” Doc asked.

How did he know about my dinner date with Wolfgang? My cheeks warmed, my skin tight and uncomfortable. “Umm, yes, but not until this evening.”

The weight of his stare made my shoulder twitch. “Violet?”

I met his lazy grin. “Yes?”

“Am I making you nervous?”

“No.” Standing so close, he had to be able to hear my heart pummeling against my ribs.

The brush of his fingertips across my wrist made me jump. His chuckle came from deep within his chest. “Liar.”

Frowning, I whirled on him. “Listen, you’re a nice guy.”

He raised his brows. “Gee, thanks.”

“And if you’re the one who sent me the daisies, I appreciate the kind gesture.”

His grin widened. “Daisies are your favorite.”

“But getting personally involved with clients goes against my principles.” Well, I thought, except when it came to Wolfgang…and Harvey—but he was just a friend.

“I didn’t send you any flowers, Violet.”

“Oh. Well, then good. I wasn’t sure, being that Addy told you I like daisies.”

“If I were going to send you flowers, they wouldn’t be daisies.”

What would they be? I wanted to ask, but clamped my teeth together to keep my tongue locked up.

“I agree with you,” he continued. “We need to keep to the business at hand.”

“Uh-huh.” Roses were too cliché for Doc. Maybe he’d send tulips? No, too common.

“Sleeping with my Realtor is off-limits.”

Sleeping with…his words sank in and my eyes widened. The image of our legs entangled in sheets, his whiskers scratching my bare stomach, his deep baritone voice groaning my name, whispering his wants and needs in my ear—all bundled in one breathtaking flash—ricocheted through my skull. My interest in Doc hadn’t veered that far off the pavement. Until now.

JR: You’re dealing with a rather serious subject here—child kidnapping, yet you have romance and humor blended into it. How are you able to mix such a dark topic with bits of comedy?

AC: Most of us have read or watched dark comedies, and maybe even enjoyed them. Shows like Dexter and Breaking Bad currently are doing well using this element. My Deadwood series follows along the same path. Using first person point-of-view throughout the series, we view everything that happens through Violet’s eyes. Her sarcasm and her dry sense of humor take us through the highs and lows. This isn’t to say she’s not affected by what she experiences. She definitely is, but Violet is driven to succeed. She doesn’t have time to dwell on dark, negative events because she has two children to raise. The show must go on.

Following is an example of how I blend her sense of humor into a darker, more sinister situation.

In this scene, Violet is visiting the home of her daughter, Addy’s, new best friend, Kelly, for the first time. Vi wants to introduce herself and check out Kelly’s parents to make sure it’s a safe environment, as Addy wants to spend the night with Kelly. The scene begins with Kelly opening the door, then whispering to Violet to go away and trying to shut the door in her face.

“Kelly, wait,” I said at my usual volume.

A large hand grabbed the door from the inside. I heard a squeal of protest and then the door opened. A grizzled-faced, bear of a man in a stained white T-shirt filled the frame. Jeff Wymonds, I suspected, in the extra-large flesh. I could see hints of Kelly in his round eyes and narrow face.

“Who are you?” His voice slightly slurred and full of suspicion, his eyes drilled me through the screen. “Did the sheriff send you?”

The smell of alcohol mixed with body odor slammed into me, knocking me back a step. Nice—drunk by lunchtime and expecting a visit from the law. Strike two, Addy dear.

My cheeks trembled with the effort to hold up my smile. “You must be Kelly’s father, Jeff. I’m Violet Parker. My daughter is friends with Kelly. I’ve come to say hello.”

His whole face crinkled into a glower. “Kelly doesn’t have any friends anymore.”

His reply surprised me so much that the niceties I’d practiced all the way here from Harvey’s place jetted right out of my head. The only thing I could think to say was, “Is your wife here?”

His glower scrunched into a snarl. “She’s at her mother’s.”

“Do you know when she’ll be back?”

His laugh sounded harsh. “When hell freezes over, as far as I’m concerned.”

Now I’d heard Deadwood winters could be pretty brutal, but I didn’t think he was referring to the snowy season.

“Well, would you look at the time. I guess I’d better be going.”

“Are you married, Violet Parker?”

Caught off guard again, I told the truth. “No.”

Jeff responded by gulping down the last of his beer and then crushing the can in his fist.

I tried to peek around his bulk. “I’ll see you later, Kelly.”

A faint “Bye” came from behind her father.

Backing down the first of two porch steps, I nodded. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Wymonds.”

He pushed his face against the screen. The mesh bulged as he leered at me, his scruffy beard sticking out through the screen in spots. His gaze crawled down to my sandals and then back up to my chest. “Come back soon, Violet Parker.”

Shudders of revulsion made my arms and legs tremble. There was something wrong with his eyes, like something inside his big, messy-haired skull had gone sour. I couldn’t believe Natalie ever shared a backseat with this inebriated hulk.

Barely keeping my feet from galloping, I fast-walked toward the safety of my Bronco.

“Hey, Violet Parker,” he called out when I reached the driver’s side door.

The way he kept saying my name had a cheese-grater effect on my nerves. I pulled open the driver’s side door, pretending I hadn’t heard him.

“I can see where your daughter gets her looks.”

That knocked the wind out of me. How did he know what Addy looked like?

A finger of dread crept up my spine. I locked my door. That was it. Strike three. The asshole was out. Addy was just going to have to hate me for the rest of her life, because there was no way in hell she was ever setting foot in Jeff Wymonds’ house as long as I breathed oxygen.

As the engine rumbled to life, I stared at the steering wheel. Why was Kelly’s dad at home getting wasted in the middle of the day on a Thursday? Why wasn’t Kelly with her mom? Why had Jeff been expecting the sheriff? What exactly had the jerk meant when he said his daughter didn’t have any friends anymore? Did he have something to do with Kelly’s best friend disappearing? Did he have any connection to the other girls who were missing?

Back to the most important question of all, how in the hell did he know what my daughter looked like? Had he seen her at the pool? Riding her bike around town? Or had he sought her out because she was a petite, blonde, nine-year-old girl—just like the other three?

I glanced at the screen door as I backed out of the drive, expecting to still see the hulk’s face. The sight of Kelly standing there alone on the porch, waving at me, made the back of my throat burn.

There was something wrong with that whole scenario. For Addy’s sake, I needed to find out what.

JR: When will the first book in your Deadwood series, Nearly Departed in Deadwood, be available for purchase?

That’s a good question. Currently, it’s sitting at several large publishing houses, waiting to be read by editors to whom my agent has sent it. My agent and I have decided that one way or another, we’re getting this book out to readers in 2011. That means either it’s picked up by a publisher, or I publish it myself. I’ve been waiting for over two years now for a publishing house to buy it. Many editors have read it and really enjoyed it, but commented that they aren’t sure it will pass muster in their sales and marketing departments because I’m a new author and the setting is a bit off the beaten track. I will be finished with the second book in the series by next month, and I hope to put out both Nearly Departed in Deadwood, and book two, Optical Delusions in Deadwood, within a quick time-frame of each other.

JR: How many books do you have planned for this series?

AC: Twelve at the moment. Also, each of my different series tie together through characters. For example, Violet, my heroine in the Deadwood series, grew up in the house next to Claire, my heroine in my Dance of the Winnebagos series.

JR: Whether you sell to large market publisher or small press, how do you plan to market this series?

AC: I plan to work with several businesses in Deadwood to spread the word. Also, I’ll attend the Sturgis Biker Days in Sturgis/Deadwood and have a booth to sell my book. My booth will also contain items to sell related to my books and created in part by my brother, CS Kunkle, who draws all of the art for my website and for 1st Turning Point’s website. We’ll have posters and T-shirts and several more items that relate to my books.

Thank you, Ann!

Here’s where you can find Ann:
Website
Facebook
1st Turning Point

She’s also a frequent guest on the Meet the Parrots podcast, where we discuss various aspects of marketing and promotion for authors, so you can listen to her there.

Stay tuned!

Have a Magical Monday!

Jacquie

Faery Merry Christmas (a Kindle novella)
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie’s website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances * Royalties go to Children’s Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Sportswriter Bat Masterson

Jacquie Rogers — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:40:48 +0000

I hope you’re having a wonderfully Magical Monday! There’s lots going on this week—I’m visiting Sarah Simas’ blog later on this week, I’ll have an article on what aspect of history surprised me in my research for Unusual Historicals next week , and I’ll be gathering guests and researching for the next 1st Turning Point podcast June 16th. The topic for the podcast is Media—Pick Your Selling Tool and it’ll be a fun and informative hour. Check out our previous podcasts, always about something authors need to know about marketing and promotion. Also, I have a fun contest going on at my site, so I hope you enter it.

Today’s Texty Ladies article was first published in Unusual Historicals. Enjoy!

News and Media: Bat Masterson

By Jacquie Rogers

Bat Masterson said he didn’t know anybody Wyatt couldn’t whip without his guns. A lot of times Wyatt didn’t carry guns…because if he carried guns he had to kill somebody—and he would kill somebody—but he didn’t want to. He was a very religious man.

When we think of Bat Masterson, most of us envision a lawman, a gunfighter—a man’s man in the Old West along side Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickock and Doc Holiday. The television series definitely promoted that image. But did you know that he was also a New York sports writer?

Yep. Not only did he end up being a sports writer, but he wrote for years—as a newspaper reporter and editor as well as for other periodicals—and he’d been doing so since he was a young man. In fact, his ability to write and promote himself is how he pretty much created his own legend.

It all started in Quebec, Canada, on November 26, 1853, when a baby boy named Bartholomew Masterson was born Irish parents. In his teens, the family moved to Wichita, Kansas, and he along with his two of his brothers, Ed and James, went off to seek their fortunes as so many other boys did—buffalo hunting. At age 20, he fought in the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, and then worked for a while as a U.S. Army scout. From 1876 to 1882, he did his gunfight/lawman gig where he rose to notoriety, but our story starts in 1883.

It seems Bat rather enjoyed the sport of boxing. A lot. He was obsessed with fights and was more than fair at pre-fight analysis as well as calling the winners. So good, in fact, that he wrote a sports column for a Denver newspaper called George’s Weekly. Newspapermen (and brothers) A.H. and W.E. Lewis had befriended Bat in Kansas City ten years before, and they would play a prominent role in Bat’s fame and later success in the East. With their help, he’d honed his writing skills and while he couldn’t be called a literary giant, he was pretty good at the craft.

During the years between his gunfighting days and his newspaper career, he mixed a little law enforcement here and there with gambling and writing. He was a professional gambler (called a thoroughbred) and organized boxing matches, acted as referee at times, as bookie, and guard. He never did actually box himself, though. His predictions were often right on, and he was excellent at assessing the fighters, their physical abilities, talent, and motivation.

Bat’s life wasn’t all roses. He ended up in more than a few altercations when his past reputation would catch up with him, and after a while, also succumbed to the lure of alcohol, although he threw off the demon when he moved to Manhattan. The buzz of New York City suited him just fine and he loved living there. Who would have thought a crusty old gunfighter would take so quickly to city life?

He hooked up with the Lewis brothers again, and he wrote for the New York Morning Telegraph, where he eventually because vice president and secretary. He was close friends with Teddy Roosevelt and other notables, and lived well for the rest of his days.

In 1921, he was writing his column when he had a heart attack and died hunched over his typewriter. The last thing he wrote was, “There are those who argue that everything breaks even in this old dump of a world of ours. I suppose these ginks who argue that way hold that because the rich man gets ice in the summer and the poor man gets it in the winter things are breaking even for both. Maybe so, but I’ll swear I can’t see it that way.”

His last words are evidence that our world really hasn’t changed much.

The winner of the contest is . . .

Ardee-ann! I’ll be sending you a message to get your address (USA mailing only). If you’re not in the USA, I can still send you an ebook.

I hope you have a Magical Monday!

Jacquie

Faery Merry Christmas (a Kindle novella)
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie’s website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children’s Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Featured Author: Carrie Lofty—Window Characters

Jacquie Rogers — Mon, 31 May 2010 05:05:43 +0000

Carrie Lofty, Author

Welcome to Featured Author Carrie Lofty, author of fabulous historical romance novels, and owner of the group blog, Unusual Historicals. Today, Carrie gives us some insight as to why her stories are so rich.

Window Characters

When I was growing up, I read as many romances set in the American West as I could find. I was deep in the throes of my obsession with the Old West—inspired by The Young Riders and culminating with my master’s thesis on the ever-changing legends of Jesse James and Wild Bill Hickok. The romance market at that time obliged me!

I wondered why so many stories featured an outsider. For example, in any book about American Indians there needed to be a white perspective. A kidnapped girl. A trapper. An outlaw. What I didn’t realize was how important such characters can be to a story.

I have since deemed these important storytelling tools window characters. I’m sure there’s a more technical or well-established term out there, but it’s served me well. Window characters are the windows we use to help the reader see into an unfamiliar culture, location or era.

If you’ve lived as part of a Lakota tribe for your entire life, you’re not going to notice all that makes your way of life different from any other tribe or culture. The introduction of an outsider facilitates the need for discussion on topics that might otherwise be ignored. Explanations about festivals, rituals and customs are no longer forced—included just to inform the reader—but essential for the advancement of the story. The chief’s son might need to explain particular pre-hunt ritual to the white girl who doesn’t understand its significance, whereas he would never need to offer such an explanation to his cousin.

In my January 2010 release Scoundrel’s Kiss, my heroine is from England. She is the readers’ window into life in medieval Spain. Without her, terms such as convivencia and unfamiliar customs such as marrying without the presence of a priest would go unexplained. Her lack of familiarity happily mirrors the readers’ situation.

The same holds true for my June 7^th release from Carina Press. Song of Seduction is set in Salzburg, Austria, in 1804. Arie de Voss, a famous composer who hides the fact that he did not write his most famous symphony, is from the Netherlands. He’s a newcomer to the city of Salzburg, while the heroine, Mathilda Heidel, a widowed violin prodigy, was born and raised within its walls. Here’s a brief excerpt from their conversation during a Carnival celebration:

“I admit to curiosities about this bizarre ordeal. Perhaps you will explain for me.”

Reluctantly, Mathilda sympathized with his confusion. She could not imagine enduring the strange customs of another culture, so far from home. “Which aspect? Fasching in general or the duke’s address in particular?”

“Both, if you please.” He looked at the Dom. The light and shadow haloed his features in profile. She traced the line of his nose with her gaze.

“I suppose you don’t celebrate Carnival in your homeland,” she said softly.

De Voss shook his head. “The Catholic minority hides the practice or ignores it altogether. I hardly took Mass in my youth for fear of hounding, let alone participating in an open papist festival.”

She lifted her eyebrows. “You are Catholic, sir?”

“Yes,” he said in a hush. “Delft harbors no small population of faithful.”

Such exchanges of dialogue, when handled properly, not only reinforce a stronger sense of character—we can sympathize with Arie’s fish-out-of-water wariness—but give the reader insight into this time and place. Confusion is neatly avoided while providing depth about a new setting.

Window characters are not limited to historicals set in odd places—that’s just my particular quirk. Think of the last paranormal you read, or urban fantasy. Was there a window character there? Maybe a human being with special insight into how that particular paranormal world operated? The character most like the reader regarding familiarity with the setting is likely your window character. Let them guide your reader to a better understanding of new settings, adding depth, uniqueness and clarity to your story.

Song of Seduction
by Carrie Lofty
Publisher: Carina Press
ISBN: 978-14268-9002-4
(No Buy Link Yet)

In 1804 Salzburg, Austria, a widowed violin prodigy begins a steamy affair with the composer she idolizes, only to learn he stole the symphony he’s most famous for.

“Lofty writes adventure romance like a born bard of old.”
~ RT Book Reviews

“Historical romance needs more risk-takers like Lofty.”
~ Wendy Crutcher, Misadventures of Super Librarian

Look for Carrie’s next Austrian-set romance, Portrait of Seduction, set for an early 2011 release. Then join her in the 19^th century as she embarks on a new Victoria series from Pocket, beginning with Flawless. And coming soon from Berkley Sensation is the Dark Age Dawning trilogy of hot-n-dirty apocalyptic romances, co-written with Ann Aguirre under the name Ellen Connor .

Carrie Lofty was born in California and raised in the Midwest. She met her English husband while studying abroad—the best souvenir! Since completing her master’s in history, she’s been devoted to raising their two preconscious daughters and writing romance. Find her at: http://www.CarrieLofty.com and http://www.EllenConnor.com.

Check out Carrie’s article at 1st Turning Point on how to network effectively.

Magical Mondays is hosted by Jacquie Rogers each week. If you’d like to submit an article on the craft of writing, or would like to be interviewed, email Jacquie at jacquierogers@gmail.com and write TEXTY LADIES: YourName as the subject.

Jacquie

Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie’s website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace *** Twitter * Facebook * Platform Coach™
Faery Special Romances * Book Video Royalties go to Children’s Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Where are the Texty Ladies?

Pamela Sweet — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:22:38 +0000

We are currently on hiatus. Life has been crazy for all of us and we’re needed elsewhere for a time. We hope to return soon, and when we do, we’d like to have a new look, daily articles and maybe even fresh blood!

You can still find us at our personal blogs and we hope you’ll come by and visit us there. We appreciate all of our wonderful readers and hope you’ll be patient and join us again when we return.

Our blogs:

Jane E. Jones

Jacquie Rogers

Pamela Sweet

Do You Podcast?

Jacquie Rogers — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:21:20 +0000

Well, do you? Podcast, that is.

I do. It’s Rowena Cherry’s fault. And some blame can be placed on Lillian Cauldwell, too. You’ll see why in a while.

We at Texty Ladies write books, poetry, music. We sculpt, paint, craft. TL is a gathering place for people who combine art and business. Ann Charles and I have a whole site dedicated to this exact topic (combining art and business) called 1st Turning Point.

I bring this up because there has to be somewhere to learn exactly how to do all the things we have to do now. Social networks are both endless and relentless. The email lists are as plentiful as plankton (I’m subscribed to about 150 lists). We make book videos (who knew we had to be movie-makers to be authors???), create graphics, do our own print advertising, but online ads with review sites.

What a job!!! And somewhere in all that mess, we have to continue writing books and creating our art, too.

So what promotional activity gives you the most bang for your buck? I don’t know, but I do know that I can do a podcast and reach five- or ten-thousand listeners in one shot. No kidding. How did I get roped into this? Rowena Cherry. She insisted I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. Okay, maybe I did, but after she let me be on her show a few times, I got a little better.

So how do you go about this podcasting gig?

First, you have to find an internet radio station. There are several. I’ve had great luck with Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio, owned by Lillian Cauldwell. She’s very much into supporting charities and doing as much good work as she can do, all the while promoting authors, musicians, and artists. In fact, she does a better job promoting other authors than herself. She’s author of several books, her latest being a YA called The Anna Mae Mysteries: The Golden Treasure.

Second, you have to have a direction for your show. Rowena has a monthly show called Crazy Tuesday. It’s a two-hour show and she has a topic for each program, and invites guests who can best address that topic.

I followed her model when I started my own show, Meet the Parrots. It’s a show sponsored by 1st Turning point and we call it Meet the Parrots because our subscribers are called parrots. We have a whole nautical theme going on which is a lot of fun. Anyway, I host the show.

Third, guests come in handy. Invite guests who understand the topic through and through, people who have practical experience or are well-learned. I had a show about faeries and invited Eilis Flynn and Roberta Gellis. The two of them are so well-versed on this subject that all I had to do was throw them a bone and they engaged in a fascinating conversation. Another show was on the use of taglines and how they can be advantageous on advertising. John Klawitter has been an ad man for years, as well as a producer, director, and screenwriter in Hollywood. He was wonderful, and you can listen to that show on our site.

Fourth, always prepare for the unexpected–line noise and absent guests are the most common. Sometimes one guest will inadvertantly insult another guest and you have to cover for that. Yes, you do have to be quick witted, but planning your questions for each guest, having their bio, being prepared does hone your wit.

Fifth, relax and have a good time. This is your chance to converse with people you never thought you’d be able to talk with. And it’s fun.

One final note. If no one knows you’re on the air, you won’t get as many listeners–at least, not your target audience. So publicize, publicize, publicize! Good luck!

Faery Merry Christmas

Faery Merry Christmas

by Jacquie Rogers
(Kindle only at this time)

Romance has gone awry in Faeryshire.

Who would’ve thought Mr. and Mrs. Claus’s daughter would be “on the shelf”? Yep, Cheshya’s all a’flutter because her 2,000th birthday, the last day she’s eligible to take a mate, is on Christmas, only four days away, but Liam of the Red Clan, the only man she has ever wanted is otherwise occupied . . .

Terra Humanus in 1956: carhops on roller skates, the submarine races, a pink Nash Metropolitan, Lucky Strikes, Little Richard, and the Shoreline Sharks Baseball Club starring ace pitcher Liam Stone.

For the past five years, Liam of the Red Clan has lived in Terra Humanus, pitching for the Shoreline Sharks and obsessed with signing as a major league pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds. The faery queen sends Cheshya to help him achieve his goal, but in signing with the Reds, will he lose out on his true heart’s desire?

What will it take to make a Faery Merry Christmas?

“What faery fun! A winsome sprite’s barely still-ticking time clock. Mayhem in the land of Claus. And the man who could wave just the right magic wand obsessed with baseball. A Christmas story to cuddle up with–and keep you really warm.” Stella Cameron, NYT Best-selling Author

Authors and Social Networks

Jacquie Rogers — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:58:23 +0000

Authors and Social Networks: A Love/Hate Relationship
by Jacquie Rogers

Once upon a time, a writer would grab a quill with her ink-stained fingers and proceed to scratch out the latest adventure to thrill her readers. She lived in her head, maybe acted out a scene or two. The stacks in the library gaver her not only a dose of realism, but even more Bright Ideas to woo her readers into another world.

Intrigue . . . adventure . . . romance . . .

Her hope was to sell the book so the story could reach a wide audience. All she had to do was get a publisher, and she had it made in the shade.

Okay, that wasn’t entirely true because some of the most well-known 19th Century authors promoted themselves relentlessly. Mark Twain, Charles Dickens. They didn’t wait around for people to buy their books. Both of them took the show on the road.

I have to think that if they lived today, they’d be all over Facebook. Twitter was made for Mark Twain. Will Rogers, too. Can you imagine their tweets? I’d definitely be a follower!

Jane Austen

Jane Austen would probably be playing Fashion Wars on Facebook to get more “friends” to add to her readerbase. Hemingway would be playing Age of Chivalry for the same reason, and Daniel Defoe might find readers at Pirates: Rule the Caribbean, or maybe Island Paradise.

So if they’re playing games, who the heck is going to write the classics of tomorrow?

I wonder this. Today’s authors are under terrific pressure to promote, but promote what? You have to produce some inventory: a book, a CD, a painting–whatever you do, Otherwise, there’s no use promoting yourself. So time management becomes critical.

But it’s not that simple. Really, anyone can make a schedule and stick to it, or at least feel guilty about not sticking to it. The real problem for me is switching from the promotion way of thinking, which is more left-brained for me, to the creative, right-brained storyteller I want to be.

One friend says she turns off her monitor, cleans her desk, and leaves the room for five minutes. Then when she re-enters her office, she has changed her mindset from promoting to creating. That sounds good to me–I’ve tried it and it has even worked a few times, but not consistently enough to continue.

Another friend says she just guts through it. When she’s done with promotion, she’s determined to write 100 words on her manuscript. Once she’s done that, she gives herself a treat, which is usually some sort of exercise. Sometimes she walks out to get the mail, or tends a few potted plants, or whatever. But then she commits to getting write back to her story and writing another 100 words, which usually ends up being about 2,000. Now I like this whole idea and I’m gonna give it a whirl.

I can write 100 words. A whole book might be overwhelming, but 100 words is doable. It’s not even half a page.

So how do you coerce your brain to write instead of doing other distracting things?

Faery Merry Christmas

by Jacquie Rogers
(Kindle only at this time)

Romance has gone awry in Faeryshire.

Terra Humanus in 1956: carhops on roller skates, the submarine races, a pink Nash Metropolitan, Lucky Strikes, Little Richard, and the Shoreline Sharks Baseball Club starring ace pitcher Liam Stone.

What will it take to make a Faery Merry Christmas?

Readers’ Christmas List

Jacquie Rogers — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:36:10 +0000

No doubt about it, publishing is changing and lots of authors are scratching their heads, wondering what to do next. In light of this, I asked some readers what they’d like to see happening for 2010 in the reading world. Here’s the list, dutifully checked twice:

Better and cheaper ebook readers. Please, please, please. My daughter, a college student and mother of four boys, can’t get her reading fix unless she can carry books, and she can’t carry text books, fiction books, the baby, and herd the other three boys all at one time. An e-reader (good quality and affordable) with all her text books and a bazillion romance novels would suit her just fine.
Ix-nay on the headhopping. This is from my older daughter, who says headhopping is confusing, especially if your reading time is frequently interrupted. She gets annoyed when she has to go back, then keep score until she figures out whose head she’s in before she can start reading again.
More historicals set somewhere besides the British Isles. What about Bolivia? Russia? South Africa? Mongolia? There’s romance all over the world, not just in the British Isles. And westerns are cool, too. Why do we have to go to small press for western romances? This question is from a friend of mine who has been reading romances since the late 1970s. I wonder the same thing.
My older daughter adamantly states that she can do without abrupt changes of subplots, too. One of her favorite authors has taken to this technique, and my daughter may stop reading her books because of it. I’m wondering if this pet peeve also has to do with the lack of time. Time pressures seem to crop up several times.
More fantasy, more humor, and fewer dark vampire stories. Yes, one friend refuses to read one more vampire story, saying the market is glutted and she is weary of being inundated by stories she doesn’t care for.
More dark vampire stories. Another friend says while there have been many vampire books released in the past few years, the readership has grown, and told my other friend to “Deal with it—vampires now are their own subgenre.”
Less kink and more romance. This friend has stopped reading all but sweet Romance, and has gone on to Fantasy and Historical Fiction. She enjoyed most all Romances early in the decade, but never did get on the Erotic Romance bandwagon. (There are a couple really excellent readers’ loops where the members feel the same way.)
Strong plot and emotional depth in hot, sexy stories. Erotic Romance readers point out, as did a friend of mine, that this market has been underserved for decades. Thea Divine and Bertrice Small were about the only authors who delivered the goods through NY publishers. At first, erotic romance novels as a subgenre were only available as ebooks, and Ellora’s Cave really made some hay. Spicier books started making an appearance at Kensington, who called for erotic romance submissions and developed Brava and Aphrodesia, then slowly the other NY publishers saw the need in the market as well. Readers of these books want more! And they want a good story to go along with the spice.
More books in more formats. I have one friend who is allergic to book dust, so can only read ebooks. She’s delighted to have so many more choices now than she used to have, but she’s not happy with ebooks that are only available in Kindle format. She has two readers, neither of which is a Kindle, and she wants to be able to buy books that she can read with either device. This came up because she wanted to read my novella, but it’s only available in Kindle format.

Overall, it seems as if this unscientific sample of readers is squeezed for reading time but also is insatiable. Readers want books however they can get them, and whether the stories are sweet, erotic, or somewhere in between, readers want quality stories that don’t cheat on plot or characterization.

Hmmm, no matter where technology takes us, readers want good stories. Who knew?

Jacquie
Faery Merry Christmas (a Kindle novella)
Down Home Ever Lovin’ Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
Jacquie’s Website * 1st Turning Point * Myspace * Twitter * Facebook
Faery Special Romances * Book Video Royalties go to Children’s Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research

Voice: The Story Only You Can Write

Jacquie Rogers — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:26:29 +0000

by Jacquie Rogers
Copyright © 2009 Jacquie Rogers

What Makes a Compelling Story?

Many say it’s all about character. Others opine that pacing is what draws us in, that the quicker we want to turn the page, the more compelling a story is. And then there are those who point out that if the plot doesn’t trigger the reader’s imagination, then the best characterization and pacing in the world can’t save the story. It’s all about plot.

I have to agree with Robert McKee on this one. It’s not about any of these things, but rather all of them.

It’s all about story. The whole story. But it’s also about how a writer tells that story.

We’re all very different in how we tell a story–our style, sentence structure, word choices, metaphors, and rhythm. Some are more compelling to us and some are not. Check your friends’ favorite author lists. Each friend will have a different list because those authors’ voices–the way they tell their stories–draw their own pool of fans.

Think of your last extended family dinner. No, not the one where everyone couldn’t get away from the table fast enough to watch the football game. I’m talking about the ones where extended family members sit around and reminisce about old times. There’s always one person who can’t seem to get a story straight, stutters a bit, then ends up looking at another family member and saying, “You tell it, Frank.”

How about the ones who go on and on and on, never really getting to the action or the punchline? Those storytellers put some of us to sleep, but they draw others in. They love the detail, the nuances of family life, the texture of old times.

Then there are those who tell riveting stories, maybe embellished a bit (each time!), but you can hardly wait for these storytellers to get their turn, because they have you at the edge of your seat. They can make you laugh until your sides hurt, or they can tell creepy stories that scare you half out of your wits, or they draw you into an emotional rollercoaster with an ending that makes you beg them for another story. Just one more!

This is voice. It’s how we tell our stories.

One of the hardest things to do is find out how best to tell our stories and not hide our natural voices. Wouldn’t it be a travesty if Stephen King thought he had to tell his stories the same way Mary Renault did? Or if Susan Elizabeth Phillips thought she had to write like Dean Koonz? Yes, it would’ve been horrible! The world would’ve missed some marvelous stories. And you know what, it’s highly likely that neither Stephen King nor Susan Elizabeth Phillips would have ever been offered a publishing contract if they had tried to be someone else.

We’re all different. That’s one thing I love about the world of writers and books.

So how do you find your voice? Listen to yourself when you’re gossiping with your friends. Write that way. Write as if you’re telling a story after dinner. Write without thinking about that perfect word. Let your hair down and go for it! I guarantee you’ll write some good pieces.

Try it–it’s fun!

Faery Merry Christmas

by Jacquie Rogers
(Kindle only at this time)

Romance has gone awry in Faeryshire.

Terra Humanus in 1956: carhops on roller skates, the submarine races, a pink Nash Metropolitan, Lucky Strikes, Little Richard, and the Shoreline Sharks Baseball Club starring ace pitcher Liam Stone.

What will it take to make a Faery Merry Christmas?

25 Free Ways to Buzz an Author

Jacquie Rogers — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:07:37 +0000

I usually talk about writing in this column, but since it’s the US Thanksgiving week, and since we’re all in this writing gig together, I asked Rowena Cherry if I could reprint an article she wrote for 1st Turning Point. She graciously agreed.

The reason this article strikes home is because we’re always talking about self-promotion . . . what can “I” do for “me.” Rowena’s article tells us how we can support each other.

25 Free Ways to Buzz an Author

I’d like to share a short list of things that authors and their friends, and especially their readers can do to help each other buzz a book, and keep Romance strong. All authors for the purpose of this article will be considered female. (No sexism intended).

#1. Help the search engines find her. Why? Even if you know where to find your friend, her blog, and her books, “hits” help. The more visitors the search engine spiders find, the more priority the author’s website gets. So: Google her. Ask Jeeves about her. Dogpile her. A9 search her. Use Alexa. Try a Yahoo search. Blog search. Search on Technorati. Even better, set up a Google Alert for her name, also common misspellings of her name, and for her book titles.

#2. Having “Searched” or been “Alerted,” Visit… her website; blogs; author pages. If you may comment, do so. Everyone who takes the time to blog or post content is grateful when visitors comment. Human nature leads more people to read a post that has received a lot of comments.

#3 Follow. Favorite. Share. Google’s Blogger, Twitter, Facebook “Pages,” Squidoo lenses, You Tube videos and more allow you to become a follower or a fan. Do so. Connect wherever you can. It’s good for both of you, because follower/fan photos show up.

#4 Click to read (and rate) any reviews she has written, or Lists she has set up. These days, anyone can make an EssentiaList on Barnes and Noble.com, a Listmania on Amazon.com, a Top Ten list on Chapters.Indigo.ca, also Listopia on GoodReads.com. If you like her reviews or lists, click Helpful.

#5. If you see a good review of a book you’ve enjoyed-on any bookselling site that allows customers and visitors to comment on reviews– click Helpful if it truly is a helpful review. Votes help both the reviewer and the author.

#6. Tag her books wherever you can. Amazon isn’t the only place (Amazon isn’t even one site… there’s Amazon.ca, Amazon.uk, Amazon.de etc etc) Many book selling sites encourage readers to tag.

What is a tag? It’s a search term that a reader might be using to find a type of book she likes, when she is looking for a new author. Some tags might be “Romance,” “Fantasy,” “Mystery,” “Shapeshifter,” “Georgian Romance,” “Humor” or “Space Opera.”

#7. When you are on an admired author’s Amazon book page, click on links to:

Put it on your wish list, it’s extra, free advertising for the book. Tell a friend. Scroll down the book page to Tag this product. Or make a search suggestion).

#8. Join in the Customer/Reader discussions on her book page, on forums. Ask a question. Start a discussion. Hundreds of eyeballs scan the discussions on Barnes and Noble bookclubs. The search engines pick up on the discussions. The longer a discussion keeps going, the better the PR buzz for your friend. This does not just apply to Amazon and B&N. Discussion anywhere is “buzz.”

#9. Review her book… Most people know that a customer can write a review on Amazon.com. There’s a purchase requirement with Amazon (and I think with Barnes and Noble, too). However, many sites don’t require a reader to have bought a book from them in order to post a review: GoodReads.com, Shelfari.com, LibraryThing.com, E-Bay, Powells, FlipKart, We-Read (on Facebook), NexTag etc.

#10. Smak her. Have you ever noticed the “Add This” or “Share” or “Recommend” widgets on online pages and on You Tube? If you think your author friend’s blog, or news about her is interesting, syndicate the news to Digg It, Reddit, Technorati, Stumble Upon, Furl and as many of the other 40 or so sites as you have time and energy for. It’s self promo when she does it. It’s news when someone else does it.

Smak is SmakNews.com. News for women, posted by women.

#11. If the author has a reminder on a public calendar (Amazon has one, other sites have the function, too) for a booksigning near you, click on Remind Me Too. Booksignings are nerve-racking. Support is always appreciated, even if you don’t buy a book.

#12. If she lists an “Event,” which one can on Facebook, GoodReads, and too many other places to mention, be sure to RSVP with a kind comment about the book.

#13. Make her a top friend on MySpace, Bebo etc, Give her book cover image as a “gift” on Facebook, with her permission, make her cover into a widget or tile it as a background, or keep it on the top page of your Shelfari/ GoodReads/ MyB&N display of what you are reading.

#14. If you have a MySpace page or Bebo.com, or Twitters, or Clasmates.com, or facebook.com, or theyack.com (and if you don’t, but really want to help, get one… it’s free) invite your author friends to be your friends there. Write a bulletin about your friend or her book. Add a comment on their profile page’s comments section. Your comment is their opportunity to say something about their book without the appearance of soliciting. Review their book on your MySpace blog. Or on You Tube!

#15. If her publisher has a forum, join it and ask her questions. For instance, Dorchester Publishing (home of Leisure and LoveSpell authors) has http://forums.dorchesterpub.com/

Again, your comment will be seen by hundreds, if not thousands, and it will give your friend a reason to post something interesting and quotable about her book without seeming to be self-promoting.

#16. If you have a blog or website, (and you should always secure your own domain name before you become famous yourself) publicize your friend’s upcoming signings/author talks/workshops on your blog. Mention her website URL. Link to your author friend’s website or blog on yours. Put her book as a ‘must read’ on your own site, or in your own newsletter. Have a list of links to authors you like, and blogs you enjoy.

#17. If you belong to readers’ group sites, or book chat sites, or special interest sites, post what you are reading. Plugs never hurt. These are also picked up on RSS feeds and the search engines.

#18. Join your favorite author’s yahoo group, let her know where you’ve seen her book in stores, or where you’ve seen discussions of her book, or reviews of her book.

#19. Drop in on her online chats to say how you enjoyed her book. Supportive friends at chats are cool because chats can be chaotic, and typing answers takes time.

#20. Tweet on Twitter about how much you are enjoying the book. Retweet or reply to any comments you see that promote the book.

#21. Offer to take a bunch of her bookmarks to conventions, or conferences, and make sure they are put in goodie bags, or on promo tables. Or simply visit her table at a convention, and sign up for her newsletter, or pick up her bookmark and tell someone else how good the book is. Offer to slip her bookmarks into your own correspondence when you pay bills, taxes, etc.

#22. Instead of quoting Goethe in your sig file, try quoting a line from your friend’s blurb in the week of her launch.

#23. Ask for her book in your local library. If they don’t have it, maybe they will order a copy. If the library won’t do that, ask if they would enter the book in their system if the author were to donate a copy to them. Once a book is in one library’s system, it gets into the database for other libraries.

#24. If you see your favorite author’s books in a supermarket or bookstore: face her books (if there is room), turn one so the cover shows. Tell store personnel how much you like that book, or that the author is local. If you don’t see her books, especially when they ought to be there, ask about them.

#25. If you are connected on LinkedIn.com and your author friend is listed as “Author” or “Freelance Writer” or similar, consider “recommending her” on the strength of her writing. Recommendations on LinkedIn are intended to be for professional purposes.

Bonus Tip:

Although I said “Free,” if you are an author buy colleagues’ autographed books from them at booksignings to use in your own giveaways instead of always giving away your own books.

So now, because Rowena is my friend, here’s a blurb for her book.

Knight’s Fork
by Rowena Cherry
ISBN: 0505-52740-5
Dorchester Publishing

The Queen Consort of the Volnoth needs a sperm donor, and only one green-eyed god has the right stuff. Little does she know she has pinned all her hopes on the crown jewels of the fabled Royal Saurian Djinn. Not only is he the son of her greatest enemy, but he has taken a vow of chastity.

The Saurian Knight is caught between a problem father who has all the moral integrity of a Mafia Don, and a married Princess who would stop at nothing to have his seed in her belly. No matter which way he turns, he’s “forked.”

Taking the wrong lover…in the wrong place, at the wrong time…is dangerous. And when the High and Mighty intervene, it can be fatal. Can true love and a pure White Knight’s virtue triumph, when society loves a right royal scandal?

Update From Jane

Jane E. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:11:23 +0000

I’ve been in the hospital with my daughter, Amber, for the last week. We’re finally home, thank goodness!

She had pneumonia and was on oxygen in the ICU for a few days, until finally being moved to a regular room and then home. Of course I stayed with her the entire time, and we’re both really happy she’s doing better and is home.

There was an email waiting for me from Ellora’s Cave letting me know that the initial editor read my submission and sent it on to the acquiring editor. Keeping my fingers crossed.

I wanted to let you know why I didn’t post a TT and wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.

Jane E. Jones