As I said in yesterday's blog, I headed in a new direction with the opening of my new start. If you want to see what the original opening was. you can read the first two paragraphs that I posted last week. Here goes for the new one.
Ashlea
"The time has come." Ash bolted upright. Her heart pounded like a maddened drummer hammering a staccato rhythm. Her gaze swept the room. Her companions slept. Had someone spoken or had the words been an event in a dream she couldn't remember. When her heart slowed, she cautiously opened her senses to read the winds of the keep. With her affinity for Air she found the only person awake was the doma and the words hadn't been hers.
Fingers of moonlight slid through cracks in the shutters of the windows. She eased her feet into her slippers and crept across the room to peer outside. A gasp sounded when she saw the birds, one white and one dark, circling above the keep. She rubbed her arms to erase the chill of the late winter cold. "Mama. Papa," she whispered. "What does your appearance portent." Since the destruction of the Wesren henge the birds had appeared as an omen or a warning. What was the meaning now?
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
My writing life -- Critique group and me
At our last critique, I read the start of a new book. I felt there was a problem with the start but wasn't sure what it was. After hearing the comments, I thought about what they had said. They were right and wrong. What I'd done was load the beginning with too many people and too many problems they faces. They made some good suggestions for cuts in the opening. What they really did was make me think about the following questions. Did I begin in the right place? Was there too much back story in the first seven pages? What about characters? Had I allowed the reader to get a feeling for the character through whose eyes the scene will unfold?
The answer to some of these questions was a definite yes. Since this is an ensemble story with eight characters sharing the viewpoint, I had to find a way to let the reader be with each character during their part of the narrative. It's not that I began in the wrong place or with the wrong character. Jamming was what I'd done and I'd made the problems so dire that the characters would have to run off in five or more directions and nothing would be accomplished except a mess. Part of this is that I have lived with these characters and the developing situations through three prior books. This is the last one and will complete the cycle.
I've taken the opening apart and pulled what I think should be known in the beginning and reorganized the story. I'll post the new first few paragraphs tomorrow and hopefully those who heard the first will comment on what I've done. If not at next critique group, I'll read it again.
The answer to some of these questions was a definite yes. Since this is an ensemble story with eight characters sharing the viewpoint, I had to find a way to let the reader be with each character during their part of the narrative. It's not that I began in the wrong place or with the wrong character. Jamming was what I'd done and I'd made the problems so dire that the characters would have to run off in five or more directions and nothing would be accomplished except a mess. Part of this is that I have lived with these characters and the developing situations through three prior books. This is the last one and will complete the cycle.
I've taken the opening apart and pulled what I think should be known in the beginning and reorganized the story. I'll post the new first few paragraphs tomorrow and hopefully those who heard the first will comment on what I've done. If not at next critique group, I'll read it again.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Proofing your mss
Thw great opus is finished. You've run it through the spell and grammar checker and found those little errors. Have they all been found. Maybe yes and maybe no. They aren't going to find clam instead of calm or she instead of the and a number of other things. I often find this happens when I have two letters that are close together on the keyboard, like m and n. So can becomes cam. ran becomes tan, you get the picture. How to solve this since you want to send out the perfect manuscript for consideration? I've tried proofing on the computer but I've found that doesn't always work. Witness one mss I sent out and the wrong choice word was on the first page and the second paragraph. This is my tip.
I print out what I'm going to send out single space and then I sit with a ruler and read line by line with the ruler allowing me to only see one line at a time. This sounds like this might take a long time but I finished a nearly 300 page mss in about an hour. I'm not reading for story but for typos. I found one or two in each of the thirty three chapters. Did I find them all. I hope so but I'm not holding my breath. I've one book that has an error that I did not find, my first reader didn't find, the copy editor didn't find and neither did the editor.
I print out what I'm going to send out single space and then I sit with a ruler and read line by line with the ruler allowing me to only see one line at a time. This sounds like this might take a long time but I finished a nearly 300 page mss in about an hour. I'm not reading for story but for typos. I found one or two in each of the thirty three chapters. Did I find them all. I hope so but I'm not holding my breath. I've one book that has an error that I did not find, my first reader didn't find, the copy editor didn't find and neither did the editor.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Interview -- Jenna Kernan
I have known Jenna since she arrived at HVRWA to join this group of writers both published and unpublished. She writes some neat historicals but my favorites oh her stories are the paranormal romances.
1. What's your genre or do you write in more than one?
I was first published in Western historical romance for Harlequin in 2003 and have nine books set in unusual settings. My heroes tend to be trappers, trackers and explorers, rather than cowboys. More recently I sold a trilogy, based on Native American Mythology, to Silhouette Nocturne and now also write paranormal romance.
2. Did you choose your genre or did it choose you?
I enjoy writing what I most enjoy reading. I’ve always loved Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance and Time Travel. I also have a weak spot for Fantasy and Science Fiction.
3. Is there any genre you'd like to try? Or is there one you wouldn't?
I’d love to write a time travel and look forward to their return to popularity. Thrillers and women’s fiction aren’t my favorite, though I have read some of those as well.
4. What fiction do you read for pleasure?
I’m currently gobbling up paranormals and wandering through historical romances. I love Vikings, Pirates, Highway Men, Highlanders and Native American Heroes. Shapeshifters are cool, because they retell one of my all-time favorite fairytales: Beauty and the Beast
5. Tell me a bit about yourself and how long you've been writing,
I’ve been writing fiction for nearly two decades and have been published for eight years. I didn’t sell at first because I had to do a lot of on-the-job training, kind of like picking up a violin and telling yourself that you’re going to try out for First Violin in the community orchestra. It’s a nice goal, but also requires work, patience and luck. Now I’m writing about three books a year.
I keep my website updated and there is some more information about me. The address is: www.jennakernan.com
6. Which of your characters is your favorite?
Oh, I’d have to say I’m in love with whichever hero I’m writing at the time. But I do have a special place in my heart for my first hero, Thomas Nash, WINTER WOMAN, 2003 and also for my first shapeshifter hero, Sebastian, DREAM STALKER, 2009.
7. Are there villains in your books and how were they created?
My first romances used nature as the villain. Nature can be very cruel and completely unforgiving of mistakes. My first heroine survived a winter alone in a wagon in the Rocky Mountains (WINTER WOMAN, 2003), a feat I would say was impossible if it were not based on historical fact.
My paranormal trilogy (DREAM STALKER, 2009) has a wonderful villain, who is the ruler of ghosts and responsible for collecting the evil ones from the living world. This story recently won The Book Buyers Best Award in the Paranormal category and is the first of there. I’m expecting the next release in May of 2011. There are excerpts of DREAM STALKER up at my website: www.jennakernan.com
8. What are you working on now?
I just finished copy edits on my September release, HIS DAKOTA CAPTIVE and a Christmas novella out in October in the anthology collection titled: WESTERN WINTER WEDDING BELLES. I’m about done with my first draft of the next historical with a working title, PARTNERING LILY. This one is set in Alaska.
9. What's your latest release and how did the idea arrive?
His Dakota Captive, Harlequin Historicals, September 2010
Western Winter Wedding Belles, October 2010
And then a Silhouette Nocturne in May of 2011.
10. How does your latest release begin? Give us an excerpt 400 - 500 words.
HIS DAKOTA CAPTIVE, Harlequin Historicals, September 2010, by Jenna Kernan
Lucie West eyed the unusual man tying his horse at the hitching post before the blacksmith’s shop. His bearing struck her first because it seemed familiar in its supple grace. He did not stand or move like a soldier as he flipped the stirrup over the saddle and loosened the girth. She ran the length of him trying to understand why the sight of this stranger should stop her in her tracks. He was taller than most and broad…what?
Where was his hat? No white man rode in or out without one. Yet, here he stood bareheaded. His shaggy, shoulder-length hair was streaked with gold, bleached by the sun. His face was deeply tanned, but his light hair marked him as white. Perhaps he was one of the many born of both races.
His bare forearm flexed as he untied his saddlebags and effortlessly flipped the heavy sacks over one wide shoulder. Her gaze caressed his back and powerful legs, the menacing gun belt at his hip and then halted abruptly at his high moccasins. She recognized the style instantly having once labored to make similar ones, but never with such skill. Was that why she felt the vague sense of familiarity?
They could be a war trophy or trade goods, she told herself. Her objection did not sooth her growing anxiety.
Mrs. Fetterer, who was also a matron at the Sage River School for Indians, noticed Lucie had stopped and followed the direction of her gaze. The woman stood stiff as a starched collar and wide as the paddlewheelers on the Missouri River. Her frizzy hair was tamed in a conservative knot which made her head seem tiny by comparison.
“Ah,” she said. “The horse trader. I see he sold the lot.”
Lucie kept her eyes on the man. He straightened, his body now tense as if recognizing someone watched him. He turned in a slow circle until he found her and froze with one hand on the saddle pommel. He stared at her with piercing blue eyes, the color of the clear summer sky. Men often stared at her now, but this stare was different. Her breath caught at the connection and then she broke free, looking at the ground that separated them.
The tingling awareness lifted gooseflesh on her skin as she recognized that he was now studying her.
Mrs. Fetterer clasped Lucie’s arm and set them in motion.
“Look at the way he gawks at you. No manners at all and wild as the horses he chases.” She steered them across the yard. Lucie put one foot before the other, resisting the urge to turn-tail and run, which she would most certainly have done if her companion were not compelling her forward. Something about this man screamed a warning. The last time she felt this breathless with uncertainty she had been hiding from the attacking Sioux.
Mrs. Fetterer whispered as they passed the hitching posts before the blacksmiths. “He is a most dreadful man. My husband tells me that he barely utters a word to him, but will jabber in that gibberish to any Indian who wanders in.”
Lucie’s step faltered. If he spoke Sioux, it was a reasonable assumption that he understood the meaning of the marks on her chin.
COPYRIGHT: All content on jennakernan.com is copyrighted © by Jenna Kernan. Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Harlequin Historical is a registered trademark of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. As such all cover art and excerpts are copyrighted © by said publisher, and all rights are reserved by the publisher.
1. What's your genre or do you write in more than one?
I was first published in Western historical romance for Harlequin in 2003 and have nine books set in unusual settings. My heroes tend to be trappers, trackers and explorers, rather than cowboys. More recently I sold a trilogy, based on Native American Mythology, to Silhouette Nocturne and now also write paranormal romance.
2. Did you choose your genre or did it choose you?
I enjoy writing what I most enjoy reading. I’ve always loved Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance and Time Travel. I also have a weak spot for Fantasy and Science Fiction.
3. Is there any genre you'd like to try? Or is there one you wouldn't?
I’d love to write a time travel and look forward to their return to popularity. Thrillers and women’s fiction aren’t my favorite, though I have read some of those as well.
4. What fiction do you read for pleasure?
I’m currently gobbling up paranormals and wandering through historical romances. I love Vikings, Pirates, Highway Men, Highlanders and Native American Heroes. Shapeshifters are cool, because they retell one of my all-time favorite fairytales: Beauty and the Beast
5. Tell me a bit about yourself and how long you've been writing,
I’ve been writing fiction for nearly two decades and have been published for eight years. I didn’t sell at first because I had to do a lot of on-the-job training, kind of like picking up a violin and telling yourself that you’re going to try out for First Violin in the community orchestra. It’s a nice goal, but also requires work, patience and luck. Now I’m writing about three books a year.
I keep my website updated and there is some more information about me. The address is: www.jennakernan.com
6. Which of your characters is your favorite?
Oh, I’d have to say I’m in love with whichever hero I’m writing at the time. But I do have a special place in my heart for my first hero, Thomas Nash, WINTER WOMAN, 2003 and also for my first shapeshifter hero, Sebastian, DREAM STALKER, 2009.
7. Are there villains in your books and how were they created?
My first romances used nature as the villain. Nature can be very cruel and completely unforgiving of mistakes. My first heroine survived a winter alone in a wagon in the Rocky Mountains (WINTER WOMAN, 2003), a feat I would say was impossible if it were not based on historical fact.
My paranormal trilogy (DREAM STALKER, 2009) has a wonderful villain, who is the ruler of ghosts and responsible for collecting the evil ones from the living world. This story recently won The Book Buyers Best Award in the Paranormal category and is the first of there. I’m expecting the next release in May of 2011. There are excerpts of DREAM STALKER up at my website: www.jennakernan.com
8. What are you working on now?
I just finished copy edits on my September release, HIS DAKOTA CAPTIVE and a Christmas novella out in October in the anthology collection titled: WESTERN WINTER WEDDING BELLES. I’m about done with my first draft of the next historical with a working title, PARTNERING LILY. This one is set in Alaska.
9. What's your latest release and how did the idea arrive?
His Dakota Captive, Harlequin Historicals, September 2010
Western Winter Wedding Belles, October 2010
And then a Silhouette Nocturne in May of 2011.
10. How does your latest release begin? Give us an excerpt 400 - 500 words.
HIS DAKOTA CAPTIVE, Harlequin Historicals, September 2010, by Jenna Kernan
Lucie West eyed the unusual man tying his horse at the hitching post before the blacksmith’s shop. His bearing struck her first because it seemed familiar in its supple grace. He did not stand or move like a soldier as he flipped the stirrup over the saddle and loosened the girth. She ran the length of him trying to understand why the sight of this stranger should stop her in her tracks. He was taller than most and broad…what?
Where was his hat? No white man rode in or out without one. Yet, here he stood bareheaded. His shaggy, shoulder-length hair was streaked with gold, bleached by the sun. His face was deeply tanned, but his light hair marked him as white. Perhaps he was one of the many born of both races.
His bare forearm flexed as he untied his saddlebags and effortlessly flipped the heavy sacks over one wide shoulder. Her gaze caressed his back and powerful legs, the menacing gun belt at his hip and then halted abruptly at his high moccasins. She recognized the style instantly having once labored to make similar ones, but never with such skill. Was that why she felt the vague sense of familiarity?
They could be a war trophy or trade goods, she told herself. Her objection did not sooth her growing anxiety.
Mrs. Fetterer, who was also a matron at the Sage River School for Indians, noticed Lucie had stopped and followed the direction of her gaze. The woman stood stiff as a starched collar and wide as the paddlewheelers on the Missouri River. Her frizzy hair was tamed in a conservative knot which made her head seem tiny by comparison.
“Ah,” she said. “The horse trader. I see he sold the lot.”
Lucie kept her eyes on the man. He straightened, his body now tense as if recognizing someone watched him. He turned in a slow circle until he found her and froze with one hand on the saddle pommel. He stared at her with piercing blue eyes, the color of the clear summer sky. Men often stared at her now, but this stare was different. Her breath caught at the connection and then she broke free, looking at the ground that separated them.
The tingling awareness lifted gooseflesh on her skin as she recognized that he was now studying her.
Mrs. Fetterer clasped Lucie’s arm and set them in motion.
“Look at the way he gawks at you. No manners at all and wild as the horses he chases.” She steered them across the yard. Lucie put one foot before the other, resisting the urge to turn-tail and run, which she would most certainly have done if her companion were not compelling her forward. Something about this man screamed a warning. The last time she felt this breathless with uncertainty she had been hiding from the attacking Sioux.
Mrs. Fetterer whispered as they passed the hitching posts before the blacksmiths. “He is a most dreadful man. My husband tells me that he barely utters a word to him, but will jabber in that gibberish to any Indian who wanders in.”
Lucie’s step faltered. If he spoke Sioux, it was a reasonable assumption that he understood the meaning of the marks on her chin.
COPYRIGHT: All content on jennakernan.com is copyrighted © by Jenna Kernan. Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Harlequin Historical is a registered trademark of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. As such all cover art and excerpts are copyrighted © by said publisher, and all rights are reserved by the publisher.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Novellas
I have decided Novellas are the hardest thing in the world to write. I have written some and they are usually fairly successful but I find it takes me as long to write them as it does a full length novel. A short story is fairly easy to decide what to write because a short story from one to five thousand words relates an incident that has an impact on a person. There is little room for a lot of description and backstory. The emotion and the lesson to be learned is where the story shines. The characters are ones who have a real problem. One of mine is about a doctor who was sued for malpractice when he stopped at the scene of an accident and while he didn't lose the case, he lost his practice. This story starts when he comes across another accident and it involves his decision to stop or not stop.
A novella has more word but not as many as a novel. Therefore the author has to decide what to include and what to leave out. I find I often leave out things that should be put into the story. In a novel I would have no problem deciding what to include and what to leave out. This is an area where I really can't make a decision when I'm writing short. I usually end up with what I think is wonderful but confuses my critique partners and other readers. I may never write one again. I can write real short or long but the medium length totally baffles me. If anyone has any ideas about how to accomplish this, let me know.
A novella has more word but not as many as a novel. Therefore the author has to decide what to include and what to leave out. I find I often leave out things that should be put into the story. In a novel I would have no problem deciding what to include and what to leave out. This is an area where I really can't make a decision when I'm writing short. I usually end up with what I think is wonderful but confuses my critique partners and other readers. I may never write one again. I can write real short or long but the medium length totally baffles me. If anyone has any ideas about how to accomplish this, let me know.
Monday, June 28, 2010
My writing life -- Formatting
I have been spoiled and now I am learning that some publishers want a writer to format their manuscripts according to their guidelines. While this is no real problem, it would be nice if they wanted the same things in their formatting. Also in their writing style. One editor has a thing about contractions. If you use one you must use them in every sentence. If not you must write our each in two words. What does this do but make a writer stop the flow of their prose to see if they are doing things right. Another difference is commas. I'm and only use commas when they're needed to make sense of a sentence. Some editors think each phrase must be set off with a comma. I've been praised for using few and told I was writing a rough draft when I chose not to use them
I've come to a conclusion about commas. The rules we've learned for sprinkling our prose with them are written for the person who reads aloud. I'll admit I'm a rapid reader and commas make me pause and sometimes lose the sense of the sentence. I'm not sure what a writer can do about either thing but to learn each publisher's ideas about what makes their story fit their house. Worrying about the story becomes secondary to figuring out the rules.
I've come to a conclusion about commas. The rules we've learned for sprinkling our prose with them are written for the person who reads aloud. I'll admit I'm a rapid reader and commas make me pause and sometimes lose the sense of the sentence. I'm not sure what a writer can do about either thing but to learn each publisher's ideas about what makes their story fit their house. Worrying about the story becomes secondary to figuring out the rules.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Writing tip -- Words
I began re-reading John Gardner's Becoming a Writer, a book I often read for inspiration. I came across two questions he asked about a new writer. Does he have enough words? Does he have too many words? I'll add a third. Does he have the right words.
When we begin writing, we often fall into the first question, Not having enough words and we write lean sentences that are often passive. Think of the books you read in grade school These were short sentences. Then we discovered adjectives and adverbs and headed in the other directions. I'll admit I love adjectives and try to shun adverbs. There are some times when adverbs are useful and necessary.
Adjectives are a different thing. They can bring life to a stale sentence but they can also form strings to confuse the reader. The object is to select the right one, rather then the three or four that come close. The beautiful woman. That's very ordinary. The tall, lean, striking woman. That's descriptive. How about the streamlined woman. One thing that often happens and I've been guilty of this is to use the same adjective over and over again. Why? It's the first thing that pops into the writer's mine. What one has to do when revising is look for the right word for each of the beautifuls.
Now we come to phrases and the like. There's nothing more exciting to read is a clever turn of phrase. Some writers can't get enough of them and will string wonderful ones together, one after one after one. Sometimes the problem is they are all clever and seem to fit the character or the action. The problem lies is by luring the reader into seeing the beauty of the words and forgetting the characters and the story. Story is what it's about.
So when writing there are three questions to ask Do I have enough words to tell the story? Do I have too many words? Do I have the right words? Revise until you feel you do but try not to agonize over every word in the story until all you are doing is replacing one word with another.
When we begin writing, we often fall into the first question, Not having enough words and we write lean sentences that are often passive. Think of the books you read in grade school These were short sentences. Then we discovered adjectives and adverbs and headed in the other directions. I'll admit I love adjectives and try to shun adverbs. There are some times when adverbs are useful and necessary.
Adjectives are a different thing. They can bring life to a stale sentence but they can also form strings to confuse the reader. The object is to select the right one, rather then the three or four that come close. The beautiful woman. That's very ordinary. The tall, lean, striking woman. That's descriptive. How about the streamlined woman. One thing that often happens and I've been guilty of this is to use the same adjective over and over again. Why? It's the first thing that pops into the writer's mine. What one has to do when revising is look for the right word for each of the beautifuls.
Now we come to phrases and the like. There's nothing more exciting to read is a clever turn of phrase. Some writers can't get enough of them and will string wonderful ones together, one after one after one. Sometimes the problem is they are all clever and seem to fit the character or the action. The problem lies is by luring the reader into seeing the beauty of the words and forgetting the characters and the story. Story is what it's about.
So when writing there are three questions to ask Do I have enough words to tell the story? Do I have too many words? Do I have the right words? Revise until you feel you do but try not to agonize over every word in the story until all you are doing is replacing one word with another.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Interview with Shoshana Evers
I met Shoshana at an HVRWA chapter meeting and heard her read from a work in progress. I was taken by her facility with words and knew she would soon be published. She recently sold her first story to Ellora's Cave. I'm pleased to interview our latest soon to be published author.
1. What's your genre or do you write in more than one?
I write erotic romances. I’ve tried my hand at other genres, but I
think this is my niche – at least for now.
2. Did you choose your genre or did it choose you?
Hmmm. Well, my first stabs at writing erotic fiction were written
privately, meant for my husband’s eyes only. He suggested that I try
to get published. After a few of my less sensual romance novels were
rejected, I decided to see if anyone liked the super sexy stuff. And
that’s what sold. So I don’t know if I chose erotica or it chose me.
3. Is there any genre you'd like to try? Or is there one you wouldn't?
There’s nothing that I wouldn’t like to try, but there’s probably
things that I shouldn’t try. I don’t have the patience for things that
require tons of historical research. So as much as I love to read
Regency romances, I probably won’t be writing one anytime soon. I
found out the hard way that historical knowledge does not seep into my
writing via osmosis from reading other novels.
4. What fiction do you read for pleasure?
I read a lot of erotica, specifically erotic romance, and even more
specifically BDSM flavored erotic romance. I also read memoirs and
thrillers and anything someone tells me is a good read. I find pretty
much all reading to be enjoyable. If I don’t have a book to read at
the breakfast table I will literally read the labels on food and read
junk mail just so I can be reading!
5. Tell me a bit about yourself and how long you've been writing,
I just turned thirty, and I’ve been writing since I first learned how
to read and write. So, I was five. My first “books” were handwritten
and three pages long, but I would always write “Chapter One” at the
top of the first page, with the intention of writing a very long book.
Of course, one of the hardest things about writing a novel is
finishing it, so I had a lot of false starts until I was about twenty
years old, when I finally wrote a novel through to the end. It was
absolutely a piece of garbage, but at least it was complete. Since
then I wrote another three novels to completion, and it was the fourth
one that sold.
6. Which of your characters is your favorite?
I think I fall in love with each of the Heroes I write, and I relate
to the Heroines. Picking a favorite would be like picking a favorite
child, so I can’t.
7. Are there villains in your books and how were they created?
Sometimes I write villains, but if you asked them they would say that
they are the good guys. No villain thinks he’s the bad guy. Everyone
has to justify his behavior to sleep at night.
8. What are you working on now?
I’m working on two pieces right now. One is an erotic romance
tentatively titled “Hollywood Spank”, and the other is a short story
I’m hoping will work for Christmas. That one’s going to be less erotic
romance and more like erotic fetish fun.
9. What's your latest release and how did the idea arrive?
“Punishing the Art Thief” will be released by Ellora’s Cave, hopefully
before October when Romanticon 2010 will be held. I don’t have an
exact release date. The idea for that book came when I was perusing an
FBI website (don’t ask) and learned that there are several famous
paintings - including Rembrandt’s only seascape - that were stolen in
an art heist in 1990 and they are all still missing. I started
wondering where that Rembrandt was… and that’s when the idea started
to come together.
10. How does your latest story start? Give us an excerpt of the
opening 400 to 500 words.
This is the as-of-yet unedited opening to “Punishing the Art Thief” by
Shoshanna Evers, to be released by Ellora’s Cave.
Melissa Dwyer had never actually seen the dark stone mansion before
because it was set so far back off the road. The party guests arrived
for the fundraiser via a long, winding private drive and left their
Mercedes and Porches for the hired valets. She knew that Westchester
County, a half hour north of Manhattan, had a lot of rich folks.
Melissa had just never been invited to mingle with them before.
And she wasn’t invited now, either. She wore the same long, sea green
satin gown that she wore whenever she crashed a black tie affair. Her
curly brown hair was swept neatly off her lightly made up face. She
looked like she belonged. As far as Melissa was concerned, she did.
She probably loved art a whole lot more than any of these other posers
who were just there for the hors d’oeuvres. Why shouldn’t she go to
the grand unveiling of Mr. Hamilton’s new addition to his personal art
gallery? Just because she wasn’t able to pay a thousand dollars a
head, even if it were for Hamilton’s charity du jour, didn’t mean she
couldn’t appreciate the artistic beauty of a good painting.
Mr. Hamilton may have been old, but he had excellent taste in art. The
walls of his estate were adorned with a tasteful mix of classic
works—originals, Melissa had no doubt—and talented new artists.
There were several men milling about wearing sunglasses and dark
suits, talking into radios in hushed tones. Mr. Hamilton had spared no
expense to protect his private collection. One of the security guards
kept looking over at her. Did she really stick out so clearly as
someone who wasn’t supposed to be there? Melissa turned away and tried
to blend with the throng of guests heading for the main hall.
But the security guard tapped her shoulder. Melissa nearly jumped out
of her skin before arranging an aloof smile on her face and turning to
him. Her heart sank as she realized that she was busted. The worst
part was that she had really been looking forward to seeing Mr.
Hamilton’s new pieces. “Yes?”
The security guard smiled. She wasn’t expecting that and the sight of
his grin made the fake snobby society smile she had put on turn into a
genuine smile. This guy was an intensely good looking man. He had
dark, closely cropped short hair and olive colored skin. He looked
like he was about her age—mid thirties, maybe? “Sorry,” he said. He
lowered his sunglasses and looked at her with intense green eyes. “For
some reason I thought you looked familiar.” The glasses went back up.
She could feel him assessing her beneath his dark glasses, and she was
suddenly very aware of the fact that he was a man. Beneath his gaze
she felt almost like prey, waiting to be eaten up. A vision of those
strong, powerful arms holding her thighs apart as he licked her slowly
filled her mind and she had to turn away before she blushed. She
didn’t even know his name. She’d have to find out.
“I’m pretty sure I would have remembered you,” she said.
*****
1. What's your genre or do you write in more than one?
I write erotic romances. I’ve tried my hand at other genres, but I
think this is my niche – at least for now.
2. Did you choose your genre or did it choose you?
Hmmm. Well, my first stabs at writing erotic fiction were written
privately, meant for my husband’s eyes only. He suggested that I try
to get published. After a few of my less sensual romance novels were
rejected, I decided to see if anyone liked the super sexy stuff. And
that’s what sold. So I don’t know if I chose erotica or it chose me.
3. Is there any genre you'd like to try? Or is there one you wouldn't?
There’s nothing that I wouldn’t like to try, but there’s probably
things that I shouldn’t try. I don’t have the patience for things that
require tons of historical research. So as much as I love to read
Regency romances, I probably won’t be writing one anytime soon. I
found out the hard way that historical knowledge does not seep into my
writing via osmosis from reading other novels.
4. What fiction do you read for pleasure?
I read a lot of erotica, specifically erotic romance, and even more
specifically BDSM flavored erotic romance. I also read memoirs and
thrillers and anything someone tells me is a good read. I find pretty
much all reading to be enjoyable. If I don’t have a book to read at
the breakfast table I will literally read the labels on food and read
junk mail just so I can be reading!
5. Tell me a bit about yourself and how long you've been writing,
I just turned thirty, and I’ve been writing since I first learned how
to read and write. So, I was five. My first “books” were handwritten
and three pages long, but I would always write “Chapter One” at the
top of the first page, with the intention of writing a very long book.
Of course, one of the hardest things about writing a novel is
finishing it, so I had a lot of false starts until I was about twenty
years old, when I finally wrote a novel through to the end. It was
absolutely a piece of garbage, but at least it was complete. Since
then I wrote another three novels to completion, and it was the fourth
one that sold.
6. Which of your characters is your favorite?
I think I fall in love with each of the Heroes I write, and I relate
to the Heroines. Picking a favorite would be like picking a favorite
child, so I can’t.
7. Are there villains in your books and how were they created?
Sometimes I write villains, but if you asked them they would say that
they are the good guys. No villain thinks he’s the bad guy. Everyone
has to justify his behavior to sleep at night.
8. What are you working on now?
I’m working on two pieces right now. One is an erotic romance
tentatively titled “Hollywood Spank”, and the other is a short story
I’m hoping will work for Christmas. That one’s going to be less erotic
romance and more like erotic fetish fun.
9. What's your latest release and how did the idea arrive?
“Punishing the Art Thief” will be released by Ellora’s Cave, hopefully
before October when Romanticon 2010 will be held. I don’t have an
exact release date. The idea for that book came when I was perusing an
FBI website (don’t ask) and learned that there are several famous
paintings - including Rembrandt’s only seascape - that were stolen in
an art heist in 1990 and they are all still missing. I started
wondering where that Rembrandt was… and that’s when the idea started
to come together.
10. How does your latest story start? Give us an excerpt of the
opening 400 to 500 words.
This is the as-of-yet unedited opening to “Punishing the Art Thief” by
Shoshanna Evers, to be released by Ellora’s Cave.
Melissa Dwyer had never actually seen the dark stone mansion before
because it was set so far back off the road. The party guests arrived
for the fundraiser via a long, winding private drive and left their
Mercedes and Porches for the hired valets. She knew that Westchester
County, a half hour north of Manhattan, had a lot of rich folks.
Melissa had just never been invited to mingle with them before.
And she wasn’t invited now, either. She wore the same long, sea green
satin gown that she wore whenever she crashed a black tie affair. Her
curly brown hair was swept neatly off her lightly made up face. She
looked like she belonged. As far as Melissa was concerned, she did.
She probably loved art a whole lot more than any of these other posers
who were just there for the hors d’oeuvres. Why shouldn’t she go to
the grand unveiling of Mr. Hamilton’s new addition to his personal art
gallery? Just because she wasn’t able to pay a thousand dollars a
head, even if it were for Hamilton’s charity du jour, didn’t mean she
couldn’t appreciate the artistic beauty of a good painting.
Mr. Hamilton may have been old, but he had excellent taste in art. The
walls of his estate were adorned with a tasteful mix of classic
works—originals, Melissa had no doubt—and talented new artists.
There were several men milling about wearing sunglasses and dark
suits, talking into radios in hushed tones. Mr. Hamilton had spared no
expense to protect his private collection. One of the security guards
kept looking over at her. Did she really stick out so clearly as
someone who wasn’t supposed to be there? Melissa turned away and tried
to blend with the throng of guests heading for the main hall.
But the security guard tapped her shoulder. Melissa nearly jumped out
of her skin before arranging an aloof smile on her face and turning to
him. Her heart sank as she realized that she was busted. The worst
part was that she had really been looking forward to seeing Mr.
Hamilton’s new pieces. “Yes?”
The security guard smiled. She wasn’t expecting that and the sight of
his grin made the fake snobby society smile she had put on turn into a
genuine smile. This guy was an intensely good looking man. He had
dark, closely cropped short hair and olive colored skin. He looked
like he was about her age—mid thirties, maybe? “Sorry,” he said. He
lowered his sunglasses and looked at her with intense green eyes. “For
some reason I thought you looked familiar.” The glasses went back up.
She could feel him assessing her beneath his dark glasses, and she was
suddenly very aware of the fact that he was a man. Beneath his gaze
she felt almost like prey, waiting to be eaten up. A vision of those
strong, powerful arms holding her thighs apart as he licked her slowly
filled her mind and she had to turn away before she blushed. She
didn’t even know his name. She’d have to find out.
“I’m pretty sure I would have remembered you,” she said.
*****
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Excerpt -- start of new work
I've decided to do something a little different here and have posted the opening of the book I've just begun. Some of you have heard parts of the others in the Henge series. I'm inviting people to comment.
Confrontations
I Easren
ASHLEA
While those on kitchen duty bustled around her Ash sat at the massive granite table and searched the winds of the princedoms. She brushed the thoughts of three friends who also had an affinity for Air. What would they learn? Steam from an aromatic tea blend reached her and she savored the aroma of mints. What she read on the winds ruffled her calm center. Voices shouted of pain and fear. These cries rose from each of the four princedoms.
With a mournful sigh she turned her search for information to the highlands. She found few troubled thoughts but the number of blank spaces aroused her curiosity. One marked the protective dome they’d woven over the lodge where the four heirs of the princedoms lived. She believed at least one of the other ones marked Dom Senet’s hiding place. She shuddered as remembrances of the evil man who sought her and her companions rose.
Once more she focused on the lowlands. In Easren the rains continued. Flooded lands present the people of this princedom from raising crops. Hunger cries assaulted her. With the approach of the venal equinox melting ice and snow in the highlands would add to the already raging rivers.
The news from the other princedoms seemed as dire. In Soutren the deserts grew and threatened to invade the fertile lands along the coast. The rivers were mere trickles. Before long Soutren would become a barren wasteland. Epidemics swept through the animals of Nortren and spread to the people. In Wesren the airborne dust caused by the destruction of the henge rode the winds and brought blight to the forests, orchards and farms.
A questing thought stabbed her barriers. She closed her affinity with a snap. Who had quested? The touch had been rougher than the probes Dom Senet sent.
Confrontations
I Easren
ASHLEA
While those on kitchen duty bustled around her Ash sat at the massive granite table and searched the winds of the princedoms. She brushed the thoughts of three friends who also had an affinity for Air. What would they learn? Steam from an aromatic tea blend reached her and she savored the aroma of mints. What she read on the winds ruffled her calm center. Voices shouted of pain and fear. These cries rose from each of the four princedoms.
With a mournful sigh she turned her search for information to the highlands. She found few troubled thoughts but the number of blank spaces aroused her curiosity. One marked the protective dome they’d woven over the lodge where the four heirs of the princedoms lived. She believed at least one of the other ones marked Dom Senet’s hiding place. She shuddered as remembrances of the evil man who sought her and her companions rose.
Once more she focused on the lowlands. In Easren the rains continued. Flooded lands present the people of this princedom from raising crops. Hunger cries assaulted her. With the approach of the venal equinox melting ice and snow in the highlands would add to the already raging rivers.
The news from the other princedoms seemed as dire. In Soutren the deserts grew and threatened to invade the fertile lands along the coast. The rivers were mere trickles. Before long Soutren would become a barren wasteland. Epidemics swept through the animals of Nortren and spread to the people. In Wesren the airborne dust caused by the destruction of the henge rode the winds and brought blight to the forests, orchards and farms.
A questing thought stabbed her barriers. She closed her affinity with a snap. Who had quested? The touch had been rougher than the probes Dom Senet sent.
Monday, June 21, 2010
My Writing Life New book begun
Started something new last week and frankly, when I do this I feel rather edgy. Not sure why but finding the place to start can be hard. Once the first few thousand words were down, this time I knew I began in the right place but had to reorganize the rest of the first chapter, I guess you could call it that, or maybe just Part One. What this book involves is four groups of four young adults who set out to cleanse four princedoms of evil and to face the evil dom and He Who Walks With Evil. The story is related from eight viewpoints of these young adults and one very bad guy. Actually when I began, there were three little side groups, but I decided that was too many. What this meant was that I had to realign the segments of Part One. The first view point stayed the same as will the last. There was a good reason for this choice since I needed to get a bit of what the story is about into the first viewpoint character's story.
I suppose I could have started with a this is what has gone before but I don't read them when I buy books that are part of a series. I would rather read little reminders in dialogue or thoughts about what has gone before.
Since this story is five different battles, I decided to do them in a series of one might call them novellas but they really are a continuation of each other. I'm now in the process of redefining the nine segments so that there is some cohesion between the segments. The quartets are each heading to a different destination so I'm showing them on the road and then arriving. Now I could have done five more books to the series but I might never finish them so I chose my present course.
Choosing the course of a book especially when it's part of a series takes some study and floundering around. But i often flounder when I begin a book even though I'm a planner.
Someone on one of the loops I'm a member of was talking about pansters and planners. I think I take the middle ground. I lay out the road map and then let the characters choose the way they want to reach the destination.
I suppose I could have started with a this is what has gone before but I don't read them when I buy books that are part of a series. I would rather read little reminders in dialogue or thoughts about what has gone before.
Since this story is five different battles, I decided to do them in a series of one might call them novellas but they really are a continuation of each other. I'm now in the process of redefining the nine segments so that there is some cohesion between the segments. The quartets are each heading to a different destination so I'm showing them on the road and then arriving. Now I could have done five more books to the series but I might never finish them so I chose my present course.
Choosing the course of a book especially when it's part of a series takes some study and floundering around. But i often flounder when I begin a book even though I'm a planner.
Someone on one of the loops I'm a member of was talking about pansters and planners. I think I take the middle ground. I lay out the road map and then let the characters choose the way they want to reach the destination.
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