D V. Stone is talking about being on a panel at a Book Festival #MFRWAuthor #panel #book Festival

 

Thank you so much for sharing your space with me. The generosity of other authors never ceases to amaze me. I think that’s one of the reasons why I love attending author events. Meeting and speaking with like-minded people. Regardless of different genres, we all love discussing books. And then you add readers to the mix. And who could help but have fun.

Since becoming an author, I’ve participated in several book signings, conferences, festivals, and farmer markets. Most recently, I went to the Passaic County Book Festival in Clifton, New Jersey. This is my second time attending this open-air book event. Last year I sat on two panels, and this year one.

The Book of Love: Capturing the Essence of Romance in Novels. I met Jane Anthony, Michael Geraghty, West Mitchell, and Joan Ramirez (who will be on my blog for a new release spotlight soon).

Questions for the panel were facilitated by Janette Pardo, whom I had the pleasure of being interviewed for last year’s library program. Here’s the link if you want to see crazy ole me in action, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlhbhK7Ldoc&t=238s&pp=ygUgd2F5bmUgcHVibGljIGxpYnJhcnkgYXV0aG9yIGNoYXQ%3D

These are the questions Janette asked each of us.

Q-On average, how long does it take you to write a book?

Novellas usually take a few weeks to write. Complete novels have anywhere from 30 days to 8 years and running. Literally. Rock House Grill was the first draft in 30 Days. I have one I’ve been kicking around for 8 years.

Q-What craft elements do you think are your strong suit, and what would you like to be better at?

I’ve been complimented on my dialog, which is my strong suit. I’ve been working on my world-building and want to continue growing that writing area. I don’t care for extensive descriptions in what I read, so I tend to be very conservative in my writing. My editors are always, “Give me more.”

Q-What piece of your work are you most proud of?

The first book I actually finished. Funnily enough, it’s also the one I’ve been working on for 8 years.

Q-Without summarizing it in any way, what would you say your book is about?

I released two books this spring within weeks of each other. They are so different. I’ll tell you about Sea Hunter. Sea Hunter is part of a seven-book series with other authors about a Mortar & Pestle that time travels to help couples find their true love. The magical bowl, created in book one, takes place in Viking times. It travels to the Scottish Highlands and then the Golden Age of Pirates. I’m the middle book. Sea Hunter is a Historical, post-WWII, action-adventure romance. I think of it as if Indiana Jones and Lara Croft had a baby.

Q-What tools do you feel are a must-have for writers?

Wine. No seriously. I can’t live without notebooks, post-its, sharpies, the Emotion Thesaurus, and wine.

Q-What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received with regard to your writing?

Get the best editor you can afford if you are independent. Read, or have a program that reads aloud to you.

Q-What was your most memorable reader encounter?

We were camping in Delaware. I mentioned wine, right? Well, I asked my hubby to go grab a bottle. He returned with the wine but said put your shoes on. There’s someone you need to meet. Chatty Catty, that he is, a woman at the store asked what he was doing in the area. He told her about us heading home after a book signing in Florida. He told her about my books, specifically Rainbow Sprinkles. She asked, “The ice cream book? I loved that story.” Needless to say, the wine was delayed, and I went to meet her and gave her a D. V. Stone T-shirt.

-What do you always want to talk about in interviews but never get to?

My last line is usually, “Oh, wait, one more thing”. So I really don’t have something I don’t squeeze in.

Other than the panel, I absolutely enjoy reader interactions. Seeing so many teens and young adults at this event was wonderful. Even though most of my work is intended for adults,  my books are tame with language and sex, and I have no problem sharing my books with any age. I spoke with a young man who told me he hadn’t read much since leaving prison. We talked for quite a while about finding books that entertain but also have life lessons.

Some so many readers loved to talk about the books they liked. Even if I didn’t write what they were looking for, I knew many of the other authors, so like in Miracle on 34^th St., I was Macy’s sending them to Gimbel’s.

Janet, I hope anyone who reads this, whether writer or reader, will be encouraged to seek out local events in their areas. Many libraries host author/reader get-togethers, most often on a smaller scale.

Let’s keep the discussion going. Have you been to any events? Did you enjoy it? If not, to either question, why haven’t you? What would encourage you to attend?

Thanks again for hosting me today, Janet. 

 

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - The Book is Done - Questions to Ask #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Writing #Questions

You have finished your book and are going tin for a final read before sending this out to an agent or an editor. There are questions to ask and things to look for as you do that final read through.  One thing to remember, though you're tired of the book those you're sending it to will have fresh eyes. So here are a few of the questions.

Are the scenes and the interactions between the characters active or passive? It's so easy to fall into the passive voice. Little things like She felt, he sensed tend to lead to passive sentences.
She felt a shiver roll through her body. That's relatively passive but A shiver rolled through her body makes the sentence active. He sensed a coming storm. Passive. Clouds darkened the sky. The air felt heavy with the coming storm. That's active.

Do your participles dangle? Now this can cause some chuckles. Walking down the street, a dog barked. Was the dog walking or was the viewpoint character walking. As she walked down the street, she encountered a barking dog. This leaves no question of who was walking.

Have you tied up loose ends? I once read a friend's book and enjoyed the book but when the book ended, I kept wondering why she had mentioned the hero's mother had worn men's clothes. This was a historical novel. The line seemed to be a throwaway except i kept wondering and wondering why the older woman confessed such a thing. I think I've sort of done this in one of my books. The hero has broken completely with his parents. I never show if they have reconciled? Maybe someday I'll give the book a rewrite and solve that problem for several readers.

I'll be back next week with some more.