Victoria Allen

Like many people, as the year draws to a close, I pause to reflect on the past year and look to the future one. This has been a year of struggles with my writing, both as a writer and with publishers. Though I produced a lot, much of it sits waiting on agents/editors. My main publisher has stepped back and I find myself once again knocking at submission doors as I try to get in with new ones. It is a frustrating process, but I also know I am at least a step ahead of complete neophytes since I do have something of a track record. This past year I managed to finish four full-length novels, a half-dozen novellas/short stories, multiple articles for newsletters and magazines and the occasional blog. Next year, I hope to do at least the same.

I’ve also found myself becoming more known for my skills as a reviewer and now have authors writing me to ask for personal reviews. While I love this and love to promote authors I enjoy, it does cut into my own writing time. Plus my backlog continues to grow at an alarming rate. But I will not refuse a book – it just may take me a while to get to it! This past year alone, I did nearly 70 reviews. That’s more than a book a week, though admittedly, some of them were short.   I hope to at least match that in the coming year if not top it.

Though I, and several of my friends, continue to wonder why we put ourselves through this angst of submission/rejection/acceptance/edits and so on, we all can agree on one thing – we can’t stop writing. There’s always a story to be told, a tale to be written. And if it never gets picked up, at least we have the satisfaction of knowing we accomplished something that many people never will.

So here’s to the new year to come and new stories to be told. May it be the best one yet.

My guest this week is Megan Hart, best selling author – and good friend. She will be discussing her newest book, All Fall Down, among other things.

   BLURB FROM ALL FALL DOWN:

In the midst of a chaotic midnight assembly, Sunshine is forced out into the darkness. Holding a scrap of paper scrawled with a stranger’s name and address, Sunny grasps the hands of her three small children and begins her escape.

Liesel Albright has dreamed of starting a family. She never bargained on inheriting one already in progress…or one so deeply damaged. When nineteen-year-old Sunshine appears on the Albright’s doorstep claiming Liesel’s husband Chris is her father, all they can think to offer is temporary shelter. The next day, they’re stunned by the news that the Family of Superior Bliss, led by a charismatic zealot, has committed mass suicide. Sunny and her children haven’t just left the compound–they’ve been left behind.

Now, instead of a baby of her own, Liesel must play mother to the four survivors while Chris retreats into guilt and denial. For Sunny, however, a lifetime of teachings is not easily unlearned. No matter how hard she tries to forget, an ominous catechism echoes in her mind, urging her to finish what the Family started.

INTERVIEW WITH MEGAN HART:

  1. What genre do you write in? Why?

    I write in many different genres, including spicy romance, historical fantasy, young adult horror and           mainstream literary fiction. Why? Because…I…can? Or because I am an overflowing cauldron of ideas? Or because I’m crazy! Your choice.

 2. Please tell us about your latest book.

 All Fall Down is the story of a young woman raised in a cult by her mother, who forces her to leave and seek shelter with her biological father. Sunshine takes her three kids and flees to her father’s house, where he and his wife take them in — but are they all really ready to become a family?

 3. What can we expect from you in the future?

 More mainstream fiction. More horror. More romance. More of everything I’m doing and maybe some new stuff, too!

 4. How do we find out about you and your books (URLs, blog, etc.)

 www.meganhart.com

www.readinbed.net

www.twitter.com/Megan_Hart

www.facebook.com/megan.hart

 5. What motivated you to start writing?

 I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can, which is since kindergarten. I decided when I was twelve it was what I wanted to be when I grew up.

 6. What kind of research do you do?

 It depends on the story. For All Fall Down, I read a lot about cults and their methods. For the short horror serial I’m writing, I researched natural disasters. If I don’t know something and can’t reasonably make it up, I try to make sure I’m accurate.

 7. Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

 I mostly write Monday – Friday from about 9 am to 3 or 4 pm. I work on other things in the evenings, editing or research or promotion. If I’m in between writing drafts, I’ll edit during the day, etc. So I do have a set schedule, but the content of what I’m doing is fluid.

 8. Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?

 Stephen King, absolutely, as a kid.

 9. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

 YES.

 10. What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?

 The letters  that say “I loved your book.” The ones that say “you’re my favorite author” are amazing. But the ones that say “your book taught me something about myself” — those are precious.

 11. Among your own books, have you a favorite book?  Favorite hero or heroine?

 Tempted. Alex Kennedy. He’s also a fan favorite. But I love and hate all my books. Love all the characters.

 12. Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

 Keep working. Learn your craft. Pay attention. Don’t try to skip ahead of the line — put in the time. Make sure you’re really putting your absolute best work out there.

 13. Where can we buy your books?

 Everywhere books are sold, I hope!

 14. Now for something fun (Please pick a few of the questions below to answer – do not feel that you have to answer all.):

Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate

Favorite color? purple

Favorite TV show?  Supernatural

All time favorite actor?  Keanu Reeves

 Actress?    Kate Winslet

All time favorite book?   Hmm. That’s a tough one. I usually say The Stand, but I also love Imajica by Clive Barker, Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey, Swan Song and A Boy’s Life by Robert R. McCammon…so many favorites…

Favorite Movie? The Matrix, The Wizard of Oz

What makes you laugh out loud? I’m blessed in that many things make me laugh out loud.

If you could go anywhere in the universe where would that be? To sleep.

 What do you like to do in your “down” time?  Play the Sims 3. Watch movies. Read. Sleep.

I’ve had a great morning writing, but it’s not always that way. Some days, I sit and look at the blank screen and my mind is as blank as that page. So what do you do on days like that? You figure out ways to jumpstart the muse. Here are a few tricks that might help:
1. Just start writing. Anything. Even if it’s only “I have nothing to write” over and over again – eventually you brain will figure out something to write besides that.
2. Change your surface – sometimes when I switch from the computer to the pen and paper, I can focus better. The writing becomes more sensory and flows better. Then when I go to type what I’ve done into the computer, it all comes together much better.
3. Go for a walk, and don’t just amble around the block. Go outside and really look at your surroundings. Let your mind take in the cold chill of the rain as it splashes on the sidewalk, or the shadows created by sunshine through the leaves of trees; or the noise and smells of the city. Really experience your surroundings and take that experience back to your writing.
4. Write something different. If you write one genre, try another. Try something new.
5. Interview your character – ask them questions, then write the answers as that character would.

These are just a few of the ways you can jumpstart your writing. What do you do when the words just won’t come?

My local writer’s group is doing what we call a 50-50 challenge. In this challenge, you write a minimum of fifty words a day for fifty days. In any one week, you are allowed to have two days of no writing, but must make up those words on another day, but if you go three days without writing, you are out of the challenge.

Fifty words a day doesn’t sound like much, does it? Especially with this being NaNoWriMo where everyone is trying to do over a thousand words a day. Even that little paragraph above has over fifty words. And yet, there are days when getting down even fifty words is a struggle. Days when you get home from work and your brain is fried and the kids are clamoring for dinner and, oh yeah, you have to make those three dozen cupcakes for school for tomorrow and… you get the idea. But still, fifty words… you can do that, right?

The idea is not to make writing one more thing to add to an already overloaded to-do list, but to make writing something you think about – and/or do – every day, even if it’s only one small paragraph. And you’d be surprised how many words you actually do get out when you sit down to write.

You may start out with the idea of only writing fifty words. One small paragraph. But those fifty often lead to fifty more. And soon you have a couple of pages. And it doesn’t matter if you write on the computer, or bathroom toilet paper – all that matters is that you get your fifty words down.

So…have you written your fifty yet today?

In memory of my father who served during WWII, the Korean Conflict, and other parts of Asia. This is from his personal memoirs:

One day in WWII, I was working with an infantry outfit in a little village outside of Orleans and the Germans were acting up a little bit. We were walking down a narrow street and the Germans opened up with machine guns. Most of the section troops ducked into a doorway on the opposite side of the street and I ducked into one on the other side. The door was locked and I couldn’t get in and all I was doing was standing pressed up against the door and the bullets were nicking pretty close. I decided that maybe I could get across the street to where the other guys were hiding. The street wasn’t that wide, probably no more than an alley, but it was still open. I got jammed up against the door as hard as I could; took my helmet off so it wouldn’t fall off; got my rifle clutched tight, put my head down and took off across the street. I wasn’t planning to stand there and open the door, I was planning on going right through the door. Just as I got to the door, it opened and I ran through the room and into the wall on the other side of the room. Seems that my buddies had seen me through the window and knew what I was doing. They stood there looking at me on the floor and laughing and asked me “What’s the matter? Didn’t you think we’d open the door?”

Close to the end of the war, we were staying in an old chateau. Rumor had it that it had belonged to Napoleon’s daughter at one time. The Germans had been in there and when they got kicked out, we moved in. Written on the one wall was something in German that took my eye. I couldn’t read German so I wrote it down and got someone to translate it later. It was from a German soldier and said: “To the American soldier who reads this: May we never meet on the battlefield and may you return to your home victorious and I to mine alive.”
This is from his book “Memories Along the Tuscarora” (c1991)

“I was thinking of all the parades we have every year and I got to thinking about those forgotten men who sit in a dark corner in some nursing home and, yes, some memories can bring tears. I wrote this about WWI soldiers in 1988.”

“The Old Veteran”
Seventy years ago, he was young and proud,
Now he lives in the home, just one of the crowd.
Does anyone remember what happened this day?
Does anyone care as they go on their way?
Yes, he remembers the uniform he wore
As he fought in a battle on a distant shore.
His country’s flag he remembers with pride.
He remembers the men who fought by his side.
Ah, it is all past now, and many forgot
That he was a hero, believe it or not.
He carried that flag in Balleau Wood
And on November the eleventh, with it he stood
One of the proud victors of that war.
He remembers this and so much more.
He remembers his friends who died over there,
No wonder he weeps for someone to care.
So give him a smile as you pass him by.
If you have the time, hold his hand and try
to imagine him when he was there.
Try at least to show that you really care.
True, other wars were fought since then
And other heroes there have been,
But that does not lessen his duty there
Of keeping American so free and fair.

************************
‘nuf said.

In a week, I will be leaving to go to New Jersey for the New Jersey Romance Writer’s Put Your Heart in a Book Conference. Other than the RWA National convention, it is one of the largest romance writer’s conferences in the northeast. I have been there several times before, though not for the last two years. But this year, I decided to suck up the cost and go. Actually, there are about a dozen people from my local writer’s group going so several of us are sharing a ride and even rooming together in order to cut costs. Still, it’s not inexpensive, but is a lot less expensive than National.

I am definitely looking forward to the conference. It’s been too long since I’ve been to one and I always come away energized and ready to get back to my own writing (after a several day recuperation period!). This year, I will be pitching to agents, again something I’ve done multiple times. I hope to come away with at least a request (or two) for a partial submission, if not a whole. But even if I don’t, I am still looking forward to a weekend with people who, like me, love to write. To create characters and settings and stories. To put our imaginations to work and hope someone else enjoys what we put forth.

In the meantime, I’ve got several stories I need to finish polishing and then figure out which one(s) to pitch. And only a week to do it in. Yikes! Guess I’d better get to work.

I’m welcoming Michelle Miles today to talk about her new book from Ellora’s Cave Blush.

The Evolution of a Book

By Michelle Miles

Hi, everyone! I want to thank Vicky for having here at her blog today. I’m excited to talk about my latest release, One Knight Only.

Here’s the blurb for the book:

A snarky Faery princess, a Scottish knight with a gambling problem, and a murderous earl all add up to one thing: Trouble. Maggie’s medieval education never prepared her for life in the Middle Ages!

Do-gooder Maggie Chase throws her thesis out the window when she wakes up in the arms of a hot Scottish knight. When she realizes she’s somehow ended up back in time, she embraces the persona of Lady Margaret. But she may be in over her head when she realizes she has to keep the sexy knight alive during a jousting tournament in order to get back to her own time.

 Sir Finian “Finn” McCullough is a gambling man and owes a very large debt to an evil earl who is after his family estate. When the beautiful and outgoing Maggie arrives in his bed, he can’t remember tupping her the night before and thinks she’s a spy for one of his neighboring clans. He intends to find her kinsman and return her safely but he can’t resist her charms, her smart mouth or her sex appeal. Instead he keeps her close, taking her with him to an important jousting tournament—one he has to win or lose his castle forever.

This book was actually very different when I first started writing it way back in 2005 before I was published. My heroine’s name was Grace, she had brother named Lars, Elyne was nothing more than a handmaiden, and the hero was Sir Drake. The evil Earl of Litonshire was still evil, though, in that draft. *grin* Originally, the story was going to be a straight historical. But I had a problem – my heroine tended to sound modern. And I had problems with the historical set up. It just didn’t work. So I stopped writing. I moved on to some other projects that landed me a couple of contracts with Samhain and then Cobblestone Press. But I never forgot about this book. It had always been in the back of my mind.

I fiddled with it in 2008. I rewrote the beginning. My heroine became Maggie Grace from present day, the hero became a hot Scottish knight, Finian “Finn” McCullough and Elyne became a snotty faery princess.

And then I got sidetracked with finishing some other projects. I didn’t get back to it again until late 2010/early 2011. I read through the beginning and decided it was pretty darn good. I tweaked the first chapter (which was originally a prologue). And read the first 90 pages I’d written. Yeah, 90 pages. You’d think I could finish something getting that far into it. I liked the way it was going, though. My heroine had gone back in time to the Middle Ages, waking up in bed with Sir Finian. Who wouldn’t want to wake up next to a Scottish knight?

The story remained mostly the same. It still had the historical elements I wanted, which was a setting during a jousting tournament. Sir Drake became a minor character, I added another a fae character, Sir Derron, plus some other minor characters. But that evil earl remained the same.

I pushed myself to finish the story by late January, got it out to critique partners and then had a final draft ready for submitting by March. Then I waited. And waited. And waited for responses from my submissions that were out. It was ultimately rejected and then my friend suggested I send it to her editor at Ellora’s Cave. I figured it couldn’t hurt and submitted. I had a contract within a week. So it was really exciting to sign that contract, do the edits and get it back to the editor.

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did writing it.

One Knight Only is available from Ellora’s Cave Blush line and released September 29.

 Michelle Miles writes contemporary, fantasy and paranormal romance. She believes in knights in shining armor and HEAs. For more information about her and her books, visit her website at http://www.michellemiles.net where you can also sign up for her monthly newsletter, The Monthly Grind. You can also follower her at Twitter, @MichelleMiles, and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MichelleMilesRomance.

I recently reviewed Karen Duvall’s book “Knight’s Curse” and liked it so much, I went to the source herself and asked her for an interview, which she graciously agreed to:

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I live with my husband, three cats, and one spoiled dog in Central Oregon. I run a freelance graphic design business, however lately I’ve been writing more than designing, which I prefer anyway. J

You have a new book out, what’s the lowdown on Knight’s Curse?

KNIGHT’S CURSE is an urban fantasy starring a heroine named Chalice, who is half angel and half human, with superhuman senses. She’s enslaved by a group of sorcerers who use her special skills to steal cursed artifacts. To keep her in line they bond her to a homicidal gargoyle and the only way to break the curse is to kill the beast. Problem is, gargoyles are immortal. Her fallen angel father gives her the secret for killing the beast, but freedom is expensive. Chalice must pay for hers with either love or death, or both. Publisher’s Weekly has listed Knight’s Curse as a Top 10 Pick for Fall 2011.

What is your process from “Hmm, that’s an interesting idea” to “Done!”

I think about the idea for a few weeks before I actually write anything down. And the idea usually begins with a character, so I create a backstory for her and other players to offer me an idea of where they from and what motivates them. I sketch out a general summary with a beginning, middle and an end, then I write the first couple of chapters to get a feel for the story. After that, it’s kind of like adding pieces to a quilt, designing and fitting it all together. After the first draft of the manuscript is done, I go back through it to make revisions. However, I also do a fair amount of revising as the story progresses.

Do you belong to any writer’s groups? Which one(s)?

I belong to Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, a professional organization for writers of commercial novel-length fiction. I also belong to Romance Writers of America and Horror Writers of America.

Do you have a crit partner or pre-readers? What do they help you with?

I belong to a great online critique group through Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. We’ve been together for years. They help with everything from characters and scene structure to grammar. They’re an invaluable resource.

Do you edit as you go or write first, then edit?

I do both. I edit as I go because it helps cement me into the story. But I always have to go back to fix things about the story that may have changed towards the end, or things I just missed.

Do you write anything other than this genre?

Everything I write has some fantasy or magical aspect. I’ve written a supernatural thriller, a paranormal mystery, and a romantic suspense with mild paranormal elements. I also wrote a steampunk alternate history novel that’s my current favorite, but it hasn’t found a home. I have an idea for a paranormal romance series being considered by my publisher so I can’t talk about it yet.

How much research do you do before you start to write?

It depends on the story, but since I pull a lot of my ideas from real life, I do a fair amount of research for everything. My supernatural thriller had aspects of futuristic medicine, so I did a crazy amount of research for that one. I enjoy research. Even KNIGHT’S CURSE required some research as I explored a variety of curses and charms that I put my own spin on. I write the way I cook: I never follow a recipe to the letter. I have to make it my own.

How do you feel about this race to self-publish backlists?

It’s probably a good idea. I have only 2 books on my backlist, and I’m only thinking about self-publishing those at this point. The issue I have is that I’m a writer, not a publisher, and I don’t want to get caught up in that end of things because I know it will take energy away from current writing projects. But that’s just me. I know a lot of authors are experiencing success with it and I think that’s awesome.

How important do you feel having an online presence is to an author?

I think it’s extremely important. I’m still building my online presence so it’s thanks to blogs like this one that help introduce me to new readers. I’m a very social person, but I’m far better at face-to-face meet and greets than connecting through the Internet. I really enjoy interacting with people and though Twitter and Facebook kind of offer that, it’s not the same as shaking hands and giving hugs. I confess I’m a hugger. Hugging my computer screen is a cold replacement for the real deal. J

What’s a typical writing day for you?

I switch on my computer as soon as I get up in the morning, check email, check Twitter, and then check a site related to my design work. I open whatever writing project I have in progress and read through what I’ve written the day before. I check my notes to see what my plans were for continuing where I left off and start writing. I’ll write for hour-long stretches, sometimes less, then move to research, email, blog, design work, then back to writing again. I realize it’s kind of an A.D.D. approach, but it works for me. The flipping back and forth refreshes (or resets) my story-brain. I try to stick to a goal of writing 1000 words a day, but I’ll go over if the mood strikes, or under if it doesn’t.

Who/what do you like to read?

I go through phases and read a variety of genres, but it’s usually either Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. I’m a slow reader and rarely read while I’m writing. I’m in between projects right now and am at the tail end of judging some paranormal romance contest entries for my local RWA chapter. It’s been exhausting. I’m thorough when I judge and probably spend way too much time providing comments on entries, but I know how important feedback is to an unpublished writer. I want to help as much as I can.

What are the links where readers can find your books?

Wow, KNIGHT’S CURSE (trade paperback & ebook) is literally available everywhere. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Booksamillion, etc. Harlequin’s channels of distribution are amazing.

What are the links where readers can find you?

I’m everywhere, too. Ha! J I’d love more followers on Twitter @KarenDuvall and I can always use more friends on Facebook http://facebook.com/karenduvall2 and at GoodReads. Find me on my blog http://www.karenduvall.blogspot.com and I have a website http://www.wix.com/jkduvall/knights-curse

What’s next?

Look for book two of my Knight’s Curse series, DARKEST KNIGHT, on store shelves in spring 2012. The third book has a working title of KNIGHT TO REMEMBER, but that might change. It isn’t finished yet. Then I have additional surprises I can’t talk about, so please follow my blog for future updates. J

A friend of mine calls me nearly every day and we chat about writing and life and all the things you chat with a friend about. One thing we ask each other is “what did you get done today?” In context, we are usually talking about our writing but today, I got to thinking about it.

What did I get done today?

As far as my writing goes, very little. But I knew that going into the day. Being Labor Day, it was a rare occasion for all family members to be in the house at the same time so we got some family things done. Things like discussing what needs to be done in the house, moving some pieces of furniture around, consolidating boxes down for the recycle center, processing garden produce for the freezer, and so on. They are difficult chores or even ones that take a lot of time, but there were enough of them that I didn’t get a chance to get to my writing.

So when my friend asked me what I’d done, I had to say nothing. And yet, I had seventeen items on my to-do list for today. All but three of them got done (and the day isn’t over yet). I also did other things that weren’t even on my list (it never fails that when you start moving one thing, filing papers or cleaning one thing, other things seem to need moved or cleaned or filed.) So while I didn’t write, I did get a lot done. And that is never a bad thing.

So, what did you do today?

I’ve got several manuscripts I have completed. I was looking at them the other day and wondering why I hadn’t done anything with them. A couple of them are really good (in my humble opinion) but they need work – they are first drafts. One in particular, an urban fantasy, has a good story line, but needs something… so I started working on it last week.

For one thing, it’s in first person, which is not uncommon for an urban fantasy, but it wasn’t working. My character’s voice wasn’t coming through right for me. So I’m switching it to third person. This is not as easy as it sounds. You can’t just do a global find and change and switch all the I’s to she’s, etc. Plus there were some heavy plot issues that needed addressed. It’s a 350 page manuscript that I want to have ready to pitch at a conference I’m going to at the end of October.

Thus I started calculating. I have 70 days to do a complete rewrite and get it polished, write the synopsis and pitching blurb. That’s a minimum of five pages a day every day for the next 70 days. No vacations. No job. No breaks.

Uh oh. I think I’d better get to work!

I’ll let you know what happens.