Christina Philip's Upcoming Launch Party for Forbidden (plus contest)

As Christina is an old friend of mine and I'm thoroughly excited about her book:

To help celebrate the release of Forbidden, Christina Phillips's debut


Roman/Druid Ancient Historical Romance from Berkley Heat, she's holding a

launch party with lots of amazing authors and fabulous giveaways! (Including yours truly) In

addition, Christina's giving away a signed copy of Forbidden to one lucky

person who helps spread the love. All you have to do is mention the party

(you can copy and paste this blurb), being held from 1st to 6th September at

http://christinaphillips.blogspot.com. You can Tweet about it, blog,

Facebook, MySpace or anything! And then drop her an email at ChristinapPh @

gmail dot com (no spaces) to let her know. Please put Forbidden Launch Party

(or something similar) in the subject line. The winner will be drawn for

that on Monday 6th September.

Viking's Captive Princess UK cover and contest

I finally got to see the UK paperback cover of the Viking's Captive Princess. I love and adore the new look of M&B Historical. However, as my  senior editor warned me, someone in the art department called up the WRONG version of the picture. There is a huge anachronism on the cover. It is even worse on the hardback version. The US version has the correct picture. My senior editor has been hugely apologetic as she is a perfectionist. She did try to have it fixed and  the error is less obvious but the error remains.

If you can spot the mistake, email me  with VCP contest in the subject line and tell me what the error is to win a signed hardback copy of  The Viking's Captive Princess.  It is first name out of the hat.  Contest closes 31 August 2010. Void where prohibited.

New Voices Workshop Update

I'm giving a workshop for the New Voices competition. My workshop will be held at Knaresborough Library on Wednesday 1 September from 7 pm -9 pm. The first hour will be devoted to What is a M&B novel and the second is a hands on bit about Creating a Page Turning Novel.  The cost is £2.50 and includes a glass of wine or something. You can telephone  0845 300 5112 for more information and to book a place.
I understand that places do remain but I won't be speaking to an empty room.
To support the workshop, I am appearing on the Russell Walker show on BBC Radio York on 31 August. I am hoping that my voice doesn't shake or quiver and that I can put my points across in a lucid manner!

I am also giving a one hour workshop Creating a Page Turning Novel at the new Haltwhistle Library on Saturday 18 September 10:30 -11:30. I think it is free but there are no refreshments.

The Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary

For a very long time, I have actively desired a book that would tell me what a word meant in a given time period, rather than if it was simply used. Words over time change their meaning.Various etymology sites helped but many times I was left floundering.
 And for years, I have silently gritted my teeth with the whole reticule/ridicule debate. Which came first? For me it seemed an impossibility that reticule was derived from ridicule.
Then the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary was published last year and I took possession of my copy just before the RWA conference. It is the definitive resource for such a thing.
In the question of women's bags: 1801-1806 they  were indispensables, 1801- present day reticule and 1805-1838 ridicule.  Handbag starts in 1923. Forgive me but I punched the air. 
It makes things so much easier to check on if a word had that given meaning during that period. For example, I checked hot-foot as he hot-footed up somewhere. Nope. Not in use with that meaning during 1848. I used ran like a redshank instead as it was in use.

It is also interesting to see when certain things start being named. It is sure to become an indispensable part of my revisions. It helps to give a more authentic feel to the work.
The entire book was 45 years in production and it is expensive.  There are two large volumes and a complicated reference system. I would imagine that most university libraries have it, but it is much handier just to be able to look up a word.
My very lovely husband said when I asked for it for Christmas that if I needed it for my work, I should just get it.  Luckily I did as the Folio Society had it on special offer and they are no longer stocking it. You can still get it through Amazon.
Apparently there are plans to put the whole thing on disc and cross reference with the OED. However, I like paper. You discover things as you flip through, staring at the mouse-print.
If you lust after words and their meanings, or if you write historical novels, this is fantastic resource.

Head of the Litter Box Santitation Department

Heathcliff in a cake box

My mother sent me a t-shirt Litter Box Sanitation Specialists local 429. There is also a black silhouette of a cat sitting on a litter tray. No guesses who is in charge of poop scooping in this house.
I decided a long time ago that it was far easier to do myself than waste my breath assigning the task to the children. The children are better now and they will empty the trays if they notice. Operative word -- notice.

Heathcliff and Mr Darcy are clean cats and they require clean trays.  Because I like the pine scent, I use the compressed wood pellets. It is just easier to deal with.

We are not going to talk about dog accidents. Both children gained gold stars today as they successfully dealt with one while I was away having my eyes checked. Poor Hardy ate something that disagreed with him (my personal bet is rotten duck egg) and his stomach has been poorly. He is on the mend now and is as bouncy as ever...He is just spending more time in the kitchen and outside as it is easier to clean up...Here's hoping that he learns to stay away from duck eggs...

A Noble Captive on sale today and a sale

Michelle Willingham let me know that A Noble Captive is on sale at eharlequin today. You will need to enter  the code YARD08N and they can get the book for $1.99.
You can read an excerpt of the book here.

In other news: my editor emailed me last night to say that my latest revisions did the trick and they were thrilled to accept the manuscript for publication. Hooray. As anyone who has been reading this blog for the past year, this book has caused me all sorts of difficulties but I bleived in the characters and really wanted to tell this story. I think it has paid off. It is set in 1848 Corbridge in Northumberland. More on publication dates etc as I know them!

My daughter had solid AS results which means she can apply for the couses she wants at the universities she wants to apply to. So cause for celebration there.

Bits and bobs

First the Lymphoedema update -- the arm slowly deflates. It is getting better and does look like an arm. And I suppose as I don't have bat wings etc, I should be grateful. And yes I know that it could have been much, much worse.
As I am healthy, we are going to a sleeve that squeezes more.  The physio is trying to sort this out. Until then, I can wear two sleeves. Basically the physio's thoughts are that it took an age to get to where it was (and quite frankly if it was like it is now, I won't have gone to the doctor's) and therefore it will drain slowly.  It was great when I was in Orlando and only wore the sleeve and glove a little bit. However being back home means all the time except at night. 

Second, I'm waiting for my editor to get back on the revisions I turned in. Fingers crossed here. While I wait, I'm doing research for the Sinai one and I'm revising the paranormal. Believe me it needs a lot of revising as the romance needs to be brought to the fore and sensuality increased. The early connections were missing as well.  It is a matter of doing the revisions and trying to get it up there.

Third I need to get more hens as we are down to 3. This is a job for this week. Mr Fox appears to have gone else where for his snacks. The duck population is down but not out.

Fourth tomorrow is AS results day. Tension runs high as basically I want to know how my daughter did. We will cope with whatever but it is the not knowing that is the problem.

Fifth My daughter says that my two good finds from the RWA are Jodi Thomas and Toni Blake. I've haven't read the Jodi Thomas yet, but I do like Toni Blake and her Destiny books. One Reckless Summer arrived yesterday and was the perfect fodder for my daughter to forget about the AS results. I thought it excellent as well -- sexy and heartwarming. I inhaled it yesterday evening. And can't wait for the third. I believe Toni is working on a fourth. Read them if you haven't discovered them yet.
On the writing side: Basically, the books also showed me how much more I need to up my sensuality, particularly in the early stages. Do not assume the awareness is on the page. If it is in your head and not on the page, the reader can't know.

Inspiration and character traps

Hang around in Romancelandia a bit and you will see many authors use pictures of actors, models, polo players etc for inspiration for their characters. Some authors return time and again to familiar inspiration while others choose different ones. Both approaches can work because ultimately it is not about how a character looks but what is under his skin. However the first approach can lead to character burn out as you keep mining in the same place.
As you write more books, you need to be aware that your characters not only have to be different from each other but they have to be different from previous characters. They need to live and breathe. And readers if they glom on to an author may read a number of her books in quick succession. If your heroine always has silver eyes or black hair, someone may notice and be pulled out of the book.

You also can start repeating certain character traits or even ways characters behave. Suddenly instead of being well rounded, your characters become 2-dimensional. Some of that is because in the back of your mind, you are thinking how a particular actor might play that part. How his voice sounds. Or how he'd gesture with his hands. For example, in every movie, Hugh Grant seems to play Hugh Grant.
You can even think that you have built up this great and unique backstory, only to find yourself falling into the same trap. This is particularly true if you tend to write the same sort of core story. Or if you are exploring a similar theme to another story of yours.
I speak from experience here as some of the reason for the huge rewrites was that I gave into tempatation and reused hero fodder. Backstories were different but the characters were 2-d until I did a lot of remedial work. Your characters need to be unique. One way to do it is to think -- why are they different from my other heroes? What are they passionate about? How does that passion different from my other hero? What are their strongly held opinions? What won't they discuss? What truth do they hold dear that is different? How does their accent differ? Why is this actor not going to be playing himself but another role? Why is the reader really going to identify with this character? Why if a reader does glom on to your books, is this character going to stand out?

The problems with character traps is one of the reasons why it becomes progressively harder to write in a given genre. You pick the easy fruit and then suddenly you have to stretch. The learning to stretch is important. It is about going back to the basics and making sure that each one is unique.

This is one of the reasons why this time --Richard Armitage and James Purefoy  get a miss and Rupert Perry Jones a look in. After all there is always more hero inspiration around if you care to find it...

RWA Workshop on Marketing for the Brave New World

I was very surprised to see that this particular workshop was not well attended. Personally I had thought there would be people sitting on the floor. It could have been the timing -- just after lunch on the Saturday  or didn't really say that this was SMP marketing and PR team plus a high profile book publicist and star agent. Mary Kay Andrews is a best selling NYT author and she brought along her team to say how they supported her and what could be done, particularly when budgets are cut to the bone. This wasn't a PAN workshop but something that was open to everyone.
There is a handout which I believe was mainly written by Meghan Walker and Mary Kay. Meghan Walker is a book publicist with Tandem Literary. It is worth its weight in gold.
It was recorded and perhaps that is the reason for the low attendance but I was surprised. It amuses me that so many people spend time in the bar when there is so much to offer on tap.
Anyway, it was highly useful, and Mary Kay did her job as she is now in my TBR pile.
But if anyone needed a primer on marketing, this was it.  Her message was the more you take on, the more the publisher is willing to kick in. You are your brand and your brand is you. Believe in it.
The workshop confirmed many of the things that were said in the Harlequin Digital Workshop and elsewhere -- Social Media is key. If you don't want to do it, maybe you can get a fan to do it. Only do what you are comfortable doing but make sure your website is up to date and there are BUY buttons for all major online bookstores, or at least have the ISBN. There was mention again of exclusive content which is only available from your website.
Don't waste time on bookmarks -- actually if you happened into the goody room on the Saturday afternoon, you'd see why. All books gone. All pens gone. A ton of paper left behind.
But you can also do things locally such as reaching out to local bookstores and libraries. Give workshops and reach out to reading groups. (Which reminds me -- I need to update my website and add the workshops etc that I am doing in the next few months...)
Stuart Krichesky mentioned the book Tribes by Seth Godwin and the importance of building communities. (Acutally I've read Seth Godwin's blog for years so I felt smug.) Krichesky also gave some pointers on twitter and how to use it. This tallied closely with the Digital workshop that Malle Vallik and Jenny Bullough gave on the subject. Twitter can be used as a listening station to see what others are talking about, it should be used generously and not as a hard sell. It is another way to engage readers. You should also use the search function and you should look at things that interest you.
The handout contains 10 things that an author can do and shouldn't expect the publisher or publicist to do for them but the most important thing is to use your time wisely. The Book must be done FIRST. It is only through having something to sell that you can get a return on the investment.
Anyway, it was a thoroughly useful workshop and one which was open to everyone. It is also why it pays to go through the workshop list beforehand and see what appeals.

RWA -- The PAN workshops/retreat

One very big reason to go to the RWA National conference is the Published Author Network retreat and workshops. These workshops are not recorded and the only people who can attend are PAN members. The lists of the workshops are in your packet or in the PAN section of the RWA site. PRO members have their own track. The keynote speaker for PRO was Donald Maass so I was a bit miffed that I couldn't go.
For PAN, the keynote speaker was Lou Aronica who served as deputy publisher at Bantam before becoming the publisher at Berkley and Avon. He is now a NYT best seller in his own right and knows the industry.
He basically spoke about an industry in flux. There are real problems for bricks and mortar stores as people choose to buy books more and more online either from online bookstores such as Amazon or as ebooks. This has significantly reduced footfall in stores. It has also led to the large chains not ordering as many copies, but being quicker to reorder should the need arise.
The big problem for publishers is that there is currently no mechanism that allows the consumer to browse in the same way as they can in a bookstore. The consumer can not be caught by a random book on the shelf above the author they were looking for example. Publishers are having to learn to become business to consumer rather than business to business companies. (It was at this point I started to check off his prescriptions against what Harlequin already does and was pleasantly surprised at how much Harlequin was already doing.) Harlequin has been not only a b2b business but a b2c business for a long time. I had to smile when he mentioned that marketing people from P&G do not go to into publishing. Guy Hallowes, the former managing director of HMB was ex-P&G and made a point of hiring people with a small consumer goods background. For example, Mandy Ferguson, the current managing director of HMB has a marketing background in food and is credited with revitalising ryvita. Harlequin also saw the move to digital years ago and has worked hard to support all platforms as well building its own community.
He also pointed out that the move towards digital was accelerating driven by the falling price of e-readers. 8% of total trade is now digital. Romance for comparison is 13% of the total trade market.
Anyway, his big message was that the author must be prepared to do more and that Social Media could help replace some of the browsing experience of a bookstore. Social Media was a theme I heard again and again. Various agents I heard speak mentioned that you should put in your query letters about your Social Media expertise. However, several have cautioned that it is the BOOK that is important.
Aronica pointed out that the industry might be in flux but the romance genre was showing solid returns. I didn't stay for the Q&A as the Harlequin Historical tea was being held.
As with any change, you can either read the sky is falling or see opportunity.

Other PAN workshops I attend were things like what to expect from your agent in the New Age of Publishing with Robert Gottlieb. He really impressed me. And one thing he did say was that your agent (or yourself if unagented) must keep you informed about what is happening in the industry. Education about the business is vital.
However as the Death of the Midlist and Twilight of the Bestseller workshop pointed out -- too much emphasis on doom and gloom may be unwarranted. Both editors from SMP and Battantine/Bantam said that there was no golden age and that they are as eager as ever to grow authors. And they took issue with the title of the workshop. Many authors took several books before they became best sellers. Sometimes as in the case of Dan Brown, it did mean that authors had to be prepared to change publishing house. Ultimately what decided a bestseller was numbers.
Also listed in the PAN bit was the Harlequin Authors Forum which was for Harlequin authors only. Harlequin continued to impress, particularly after I had sat through all these things on social media and the need for authors to be proactive. Harlequin is a business to consumer business and they know their consumer. They are working hard at apps that will simulate more the browing experience in an online bookstore. They are also working hard with bricks and mortar stores to better utilise the power of the Harlequin series consumer. The research about her was very interesting. Basically women who read series read more of everything.

Anyway, I was very impressed with the quality of the workshops and really felt that they were worth attending as they gave me new insight. I had not expected to learn so much in such a short space of time.

RWA 10 workshops -- Fire into Fiction (Part 2)

As long time readers of this blog will know, ever since Penny Jordan recommended Donald Maass's Writing the Break Out Novel about five years ago, I've been a fan of his work. So I jumped at the opportunity to hear him speak.
Donald Maass does a good workshop. And I now understand how to get people writing in a workshop without having to share or having a piece to work on.
The workshop was on scenes and transformations. It was all about making a flat scene work.
The exercises are in his book Fire into Fiction but they really made sense -- making sure the changes are marked and that you show that things have changed for the POV character. And in order to show, you need to find the point of change.
Equally to bring the character alive you need to think about the character's passions and opinions. When is the protagonist going to scatter the petrol and light the match? What are your character's passions and deeply held beliefs? Also what is it about this world that you have created that makes you angry? What is the question that none is asking? What is the unexpected grace? What is rare and delicate but is overlooked in your world? what is the strongest emotion that your character feels in a scene and what causes it? Details make emotions come alive.
He also pointed out that far too many people sitting in that room would be tempted to email the editor or agent that they had pitched the manuscript without first taking the time and trouble to make sure it was the best it could be.
In short there is always more you can do. Great story telling is the key.
If you have a chance, go and hear him speak. Failing that, buy his books and do the exercises, not simply read about them. They are good.

RWA workshops -- SEP's 6 Magic Words

I will admit to never having read Susan Elizabeth Phillips. This is a failing of mine that I intend to remedy. SEP's workshop really impressed. There is a handout for this workshop, but it is not taped. Despite the early hour of the morning, the workshop was packed and there are reasons why it was packed.
The handout is good but SEP in person is even better. Anyone who can quote Aerosmith that early gets my vote.
Her motto is Dare to Suck.
The 6 Magic Words to creating a Bestseller -- Keep the Reader in the Story.
Simple to say but hard to do.
Basically you are trying to create a compelling read, not a perfect one.
Her process sounds as chaotic as mine so I thought her idea of reading scenes after the first draft is completed to check on emotional growth was a good one. First read the heroine scenes, then the hero's. Finally read for the progress of the relationship.
Write to your strengths, and not just to the market. And remember it is what works for you, not what works for anyone else.
It is really all about keeping the reader in the story and creating compelling characters.
Unfortunately, I was exhausted by the end of the day and did not attend the Secrets of the BestSelling Sisterhood with JAK and SEP. I suspect it was wonderful.

Workshops I attended at the RWA -- Unusual Historical

One of my fave workshops was the panel on Unusual Historical organised by my friend Carrie Lofty. Carrie has been a big moving factor behind upping the profile of historicals that are a little bit different. She is the main mover and driver behind the blog Unusual Historical for instance.

With this panel she assembled agent Kevan Lyon, Asian writer Jade Lee, paranormal historical writer Zoe Archer, and the winner of this year's Rita, Sherry Thomas as well as herself to answer questions. She also allowed me to give some input on the HH side of things as I have direct experience with them.

The turn out was average. It was late on Friday and the workshop was competing with the Harlequin series spotlight, several talks with agents about rejections and launching careers plus a PAN presentation by four booksellers. So it was great to see people there.

The good news is that UH is loosening. Berkley has bought Roman, Pocket has bought Carrie's Victorian set in South Africa, Avon has bought a Regency set in the Ottoman Empire. HH has bought Asian --Tang Dynasty (Jeannie Lin) and Medieval Japan (Ashley Grayson). HH particularly with its Undone is looking for new settings or new twists on old settings.

The bad news is that the bar is still set very high indeed. The unusualness of the setting must be off set by something. So make sure that your characters work very hard and the romance is top notch. Make sure that one of your characters is English. Maybe consider having them go back to England. Think about ways in which to get your reader hooked. When pitching, you might mention the setting at the end rather than at the beginning. Also if pitching something in a crowded field, think what is going to make your book stand out from the crowd.

There was a little discussion about research and how you go about it. Google Earth was mentioned. Anyone who knows me knows I love to go on book research expeditions. Also the growing genre of paranormal historical was touched on. Zoe Archer has a really exciting four book series coming out in the autumn.

The panelists did a good job. If you missed the workshop, I believe it was taped.

Top tips from the RWA conference

I learnt many things at the RWA conference in Orlando.

1. Always carry your business cards, even when you think you won't need them any more. While waiting for the shuttle bus, I encountered the editor in chief of Ellora's Cave who had the good taste to like my parrot earrings (I'm not interested in submitting but it was good to put a face to EC), an author who just sold to Carina and who scribbled down her email on the back of one of my cards and a Superromance author Jennie Watt who used to be in subcare. Luckily I had my cards, but my scrapbook will be short several cards. I am planning on scrap booking my conference! It is a way to use the cards I gathered, and to collate memories of a great time. Also making a scrapbook means it is easier to ask for cards as you are going to do something with them!

2. When sitting waiting for a workshop to begin, talk to people. I did and had some great conversations. Really lovely people go to the RWA conference and they are delighted to talk to you. Stuck for an opener -- ask why they are at the workshop!

3. Know when you hit a wall and rest. Carolyn Jowell had a great tip to bring energy bars. Next time. You hit a wall when the buzz because annoying instead of exciting. If you know you have to be on form for the evening, go back to your room and put your feet up.

4. Investigate the workshops you want to attend before you go and know why you want to go to them. I ended up with one duff workshop (the one I went to on the spur of the moment) but the others were gems. Do not hesitate to walk out before the end.

5. High heels can hurt. Take measured steps. For example, Jannette Kenny told me about moisturising the inside of my sandals BEFORE I put them on. Be prepared to go flat if you go high one day. A supply of blister plasters can help.

6. Be prepared to sit with strangers at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had some great conversations with people who I never met before including a former librarian of the year and the current bookseller of the year, Gail Link. They were such nice people and really helped to make my conference. Especially Gail who told me where to eat breakfast on the first morning. Her award is so well deserved!

7. Practice your pitch as you might go blank as I did. Luckily the agent was nice and asked for the full. Also remember if you have chosen the right agent, they are going to ask for something IF it is in their field of expertise. They can't tell anything without looking at your work. The agent I pitched to helped me to see that I need to up the sensuality, and that a paranormal romance has a HEA, an urban fantasy doesn't. And be on time for your pitch. They do adhere to the rules. Some woman tried to muscle in on my pitch time. Thankfully the volunteer saw her off. One is polite but there are strict time limits.

8. Seeing and speaking to agents can make you cross them off your list. There were some whom I decided were not right for me. One I knew that I'd had a lucky escape from when I heard the agent speak at a workshop. Others I heard speak and I immediately wanted to produce something good enough for them to want to take me on. There is no one right agent for everyone. I also know far more what I want from an agent.

9. Listen for key words at the conference. Right now -- it is how do you harness Social Media. Several agents I heard speak said to mention your Social Media skills in your query letter. But also the pitfalls of social media were pointed out. Ration your social media time. If your shop window is empty, you can't sell fresh air. The book is the most important thing.

10. Midlist is not dying. There was never a golden age. It is all about producing a great book.

11. Bookmarks and paper products do not move in the goody room. Books do as long as you do not put too many out at one time. Little and often. Carry one or two of your books with you. I had some great conversations with people and gave them my book because they expressed an interest. Hopefully they will enjoy Compromising Miss Milton.

And finally -- go to the RWA National Conference, it just is.

Typing with cats

Heathcliff has decided that he is an edit-cat today. I am forgiven for having dared to go away. Apparently while I was gone, he went and sat on my husband's knee!

Mostly as you can see, he climbs up and leans back against me. But occassionally I can get him to go into the top desk drawer. He got in trouble yesterday when he tried to sharpen his claws on my contract for Valeria and Piso. The contract is about to be posted... But he has decided that he needs attention.

The revisions are basically done but I need to do another read through and make sure that everything is as sharp as I want it to be. I want Robert and Henri's story to be excellent.

Back from the RWA

I am back! My updates etc are on the Pink Heart Society.
I had a marvellous time.
For me, conference was all about meeting people. I loved meeting so many people that I had corresponded with. Everyone seemed to be pretty much as I pictured them.
The Hussies were great. I was so impressed with Blythe Gifford and her glasses as jewelery approach. She also wears turquoise and has this marvellous zest for life combined with a totally practical business like approach. Blythe and Julia Justiss have been to so many conferences and it was a joy and priviledge to sit next to them at the Rita ceremony, not the least to hear about past conferences as pictures flashed up on the screen.
I loved the literacy signing -- feeling part of a huge event and the sitting next to some very nice authors from new author for a small press AT Stratton (Anne) to Blaze superstar Cara Summers and new superromance Liz Tailey. I loved meeting May from Mostly Romance in Taiwan. She gave me the most marvellous totebag that folds up into a strawberry.
Then there was the Harlequin party. It was truly legendary. The music. The company. Seeing Kim Young dance in red shoes. (I was pleased to learn that she was in flats the next day) as I was in awe. I doubt I could have taken three steps with out falling over, let alone dance the way she did.
Seeing Carole Mortimer get her plaque was a highlight. Later, she had some friends around for champagne and it was great to get to know Jenny Hutton better. I was able to listen as she explained to Presents author Kate Hewitt about what they were doing with Presents. The upcoming Wolf continuity sounds GREAT! I also know that I am profoundly grateful that Historical isn't like that (but then I always had difficulty colouring within the lines!)
The breakfast with the Harlequin Hussies was so much fun. It was great to meet some of my favourite authors and to finally see what they looked like!
I could go on and on. Very inspirational.
My favourite workshops were the Harlequin Digital workshop on the Wednesday (they are repeating it next year for Harlequin authors -- a must go!), the Susan Elizabeth Philips on the 6 magic words (I need to read her) and Donald Maas who not only made me think but showed me how one conducts a workshop of that nature.
Even though it was terrifying, I'm glad I pitched to an agent. I now have to revise the full of my paranormal. The agent was very helpful in giving me the difference between paranormal romance and urban fantasy -- if there is a HEA, it is a romance. That is fine.
My editor who does indeed walk on water sent back a few more tweaks to my latest so those need to be done. I promised her that she would get them by Friday. Unfortunately my husband and daughter refused to email me the manuscript so I am starting them today. I might not be around that much until these are done.
I did start the Sinai one and you know when you can feel that something is just going to be good...

Off to Orlando

Drum roll please! My revisions are done and hopefully my editor will now love the book.

I now have to pack. My daughter has been going over outfits with me and vetoing things. *rolls eyes heavenwards!*

I am tremendously excited about the RWA. Updates will be on the Pink Heart Society as News Flashes. I will also do something for the Harlequin Historical Author blog. And then will do a full round up of all my doings when I get return!!! I do know what it feels like to be left behind.

Wish me luck.

Revisions and Orlando

The revisions are getting done. They will be done before I go to Orlando on Tuesday!
Less than a hundred pages to go as it were.
Am I packed for Orlando? No
Am I mentally ready? NO my mind is in 1848.
Will I be ready? Probably. I have not bothered to colour coordinate my shoes or plan each outfit. I am doing revisions. I have not gone shoe shopping. I am doing revisions. I do however have business cards.
Have I planned which workshops I want to attend? Sort of. I know I am definitely going to several including Carrie Lofty's take on Unusual Historical.
Do I want to stand in line for the book signings? My daughter has made noises. I think I will be too busy.

Will I be exhausted when I get back? Yes.
Am I over-excited? Yes.

Heathcliff, the editorial cat

Heathcliff has decided that it is his job in life to supervise my writing. Whenever I'm on the computer, he jumps up and lays across my arms purring, so I have to pay attention to him as he regards the computer screen with a look of utter disdain. If he dislikes what he sees, he quickly walks across the keyboard...causing me to rewrite.
If I'm working off the computer, he will bat my pen away and chase it across the floor.
Yesterday he and Mr Darcy both used my print out version as a scratching post. Were they trying to tell me to cut for pace?

Most people get normal cats. I get ones who have the soul of an editor...

Themes with revisions

The theme for this revision set is basically the same as the last one.
1. Make the sensual tension obvious, particularly in the first few chapters. They might be fighting the attraction but the reader has to know about the attraction. They have to be AWARE of each other. In this story, it applies to the hero.

2. Clarify the backstory and make it simple. My editor has some good suggestions on this.

3. Clarify secondary character reactions. Namely I went too far in changing certain characters. (Undones don't have this problem because they are intensely focused on the hero and heroine.)

In other words, my usual problems. Thankfully my editor told me that she thought the story was going to be great.

Revisions hit!

Can I say that I love my new editor? Her thoughts are going to help make this story so much better! It is great to feel energised and really wanting to do the revisions, rather feeling steely determined to do the revisions.

Anyway, I want to get them done before I go off to Orlando and I know it can be done.
They are the sort of revisions that consume me and make me want to work! It is good to get back to those sorts of revisions.

Undone sold!

My very lovely editor telephoned to say that they were accepting the Roman Undone! This is the first time I have attempted to write short and I wasn't sure I could do it. In the end, after some sterling direction, I did.
She will let me know when it is going to be in the schedule and what the title will be.

It features Piso, a secondary character from Sold & Seduced and mentions Valens (the hero of The Gladiator's Honour) back when he was just starting out.

Anyway, I am totally thrilled!!!

The lowest of the low

According to the Times magazine yesterday, twenty years ago I made a career mistake and became one of the lowest of the low -- aka a mother who decided to look after her children herself, particularly as I had a good degree.
*cough cough* I must say that I never twigged my status.
I knew there were rumblings about careers etc but I was always determined to look after my children first. Luckily my husband agreed with me. His mother for economic reasons had to work when he was little and he hated it. It worked for me and my situation.
Thanks to my mother's example, I also knew that women who returned to work after their children were nearly grown were able in some cases to leapfrog women who had stayed in work while they had children. The trouble with the Mommy track is that no one has ever been able to reconcile the needs of ill children to the demands of work. My mother benefited from a now discontinued program which was aimed at women who were returning after a career break. I wish those types of programmes had flourished. Personally I know I can focus on my career much easier now than if I had tried to write when my children were little. I always salute women who can...
The other aspect that the whole work or not debate often forgets is that many women have always had to work or were involved in their husband's business. Family run business normally means the whole family is involved somehow. Also people forget the whole government campaign in the late 40s to have women go from fighting Germans to germs in the house.
Anyway, the one thing I feel strongly about is that no one should put people down. People make choices about what is best for them. Each situation has unique challenges.
And I still consider myself a wife and mother first, an author second. Although when a deadline looms, perhaps my family would disagree...

And off again

I did the revisions. They were very straight forward and in a way I could understand. I think I have done everything right, but that is up to my editor.
It has been a long time since I have felt this energised about revisions.

There again, world cup semi finals are very good for zoning out and just thinking. But the revisions basically consumed me for 2 days. I wanted to work on them. Sometimes lately the revisions have been such that I was far from motivated or I didn't understand what my editor wanted but knew that asking was not going yield the results I wanted. This time none of that fog happened.

So it is back to the waiting game. And to starting the Sinai project.

Several people have commented on the new look on my actual blog. I like it and I suppose that is what counts.

My jaw drops

My totally lovely and goregous new editor came back to me with her thoughts on the Undone today! I think I can understand what she wants and how it is going to make the story better.

But I am in a state of shock! In a very good way!

My new editor rocks!

Over to my Editor

Both my full and my Roman Undone are sitting in my editor's inbox, waiting for her to get to them. I also waved goodbye to Breaking the Governess's Rules as the AAs are done. Next stop - publication in Jan 2011 in Hardback.

My next project is the Sinai one which I researched back in March. Bedouins. Adventure. Slaves. It should be fun. And at church on Sunday, I figured out the ending. Always a happy sign. And right now I think I deserve an easy book!

The Fourth of July Weekend

I am over at the Pink Heart Society blogging about one of my all time favourite movies and musicals -- 1776.
30 years ago it helped me ace AP US History and I still love the film. This clip shows how you can seamlessly add little historical details! Plus John and Abigail Adams' words were taken directly from their letters.


I am busy with my revisions (nearly done). the AAs are done. I had tears running down my eyes at the end but I am close to the characters. I just hope others like Breaking the Governess's Rules. My weekend is going to be spent polishing!

After I turn in my revisions, it will be starting the Sinai one. I have decided that I am more excited about that and will save Dagmar and Thrand for that inbetween period when I am waiting to hear about this one.

I'm also terribly excited about the RWA Nationals which are at the end of this month.

Getting things done.

I am in the midst of the revisions for the Undone. Basically the sensuality needs to go up and it has to be ultra focused on the couple. But I discovered after being in Istanbul and taking Turkish baths, my view of Roman baths has changed! I also realised that I had forgotten to put one in...
Along side I am doing my AAs. 2 chapters or so per day. I did have fun with the secondaries. My old editor used to accuse me of loving my secondaries more. Not really, it is just you can have fun with them.
And then I need to read over TPE and make a few more changes.
Plus it is lovely out.

Keeping lists

I am so Not a List person. Even with grocery shopping, I tend to write a list and then forget to look at it. Eventually everything works out.
However, I have discovered when doing my copy edits, lists are important. For example, a master list of all named characters. I do it because once upon a time I didn't and the last person checking before it went to the printer noticed that I had named two minor secondaries the same name (this was a Viking one). Since then, I do a list. Yesterday, when I started the AAs for Breaking the Governess's Rules, I discovered I misnamed the dead uncle. On page 3 he was Hubert and then 30 pages he was called Arthur. Silly me but these things happen. And it is best to check at this stage rather than getting letters...
This week is busy -- my editor is on holiday and I have promised her three things for her return -- revisions on the script that is taking forever (just about done), revisions on the Roman Undone (to be done) and the AAs/copy edits (in the process of being done.

Revisions

Still doing the revisions but the story is getting better. Some stories are like that. I had done something and it sucked the likfe out of the story, but a bit of judicous cutting , the life and tension are back.
Sometimes it is better to withhold information until the point it will have the most impact.

It will be finished in the next couple of days. Then I have more revisions to do on the Roman Undone. In theory they should be quick.

safely gathered in

My son phoned. He is at my mother's. She was there to pick him up on time. And the journey was relatively painless. It took him an hour to get through security at Heathrow...
So he is now set for the summer!
And my migraine monster headache of yesterday has vanished.
Now to finish these revisions and get them off to my new editor...

The Grandeer Connection

Way back in 1994/5 when the internet was first beginning to take off, modems speeds were slow and my children very young, my mother's partner wrote a paper for a class he was taking. It was all about how in the future, the internet would be used as a video link so people could keep in touch. He got a low mark and was laughed at. The paper was called the Grandeer Connection after the pet name my children had given my mother.
For a number of reasons, we have never used video links, even though they have become common place. (Among other things we both hate having our picture taken!) That is until now.
Today, I waved my eldest goodbye as he starts his first leg of his 16 month adventure which includes spending time at my sister's and doing an exchange programme at the University of Illinois for the academic year. He's 19 now and will be nearly 21 when I next see him in the flesh again. I am very excited for him -- after all I did the same sort of thing 25 years ago and know how thrilling it is and how much it change your life -- but I will miss him.
One of the things he has done is to ensure we have a webcam and are connected to skype.
It will be good to see him. But I rather suspect that he will want to see Tess, Hardy, Chile and the kittens far more than seeing the rest of us! Did I mention that I hate having my picture taken?
Anyway, my mother's partner was right all those years ago -- the internet does provide a great way to keep in touch with those people who are far away.

Working away

I have been busy doing an online workshop on Using Historical Detail to Create a Vivid World this week. It is proving interesting as I am having to put my thoughts on paper.

I am also nearing the end of my revisions. I think angels will sing when this book finally gets accepted. I do know that it is a far stronger romance now. I have gone back to basics and reread Writing Romance for Dummies. It is funny how much stands out to me now that I have had so many books published since the last time I read it.
One key phrase about sexual tension -- make it obvious. I might know the chemistry and the desire is there, but does the reader?
I am going back and layering it in.

The devil is really in the detail!

Reviews worth waiting for and an interview

Julie Bonello of cataromance has posted her review of Compromising Miss Milton. And it made my morning. Julie is a very experienced reviewer and enthusiastic supporter of the genre, so I was delighted when she gave Compromising Miss Milton 4.5 stars and said:
Compromising Miss Milton is Michelle Styles’ most exciting book yet! In her stunning new novel for Mills and Boon, award-winning author Michelle Styles deftly combines superb characterization, passionate romance, nail-biting suspense, exciting adventure and heartwarming pathos in an irresistible new story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.


Cataromance has an interview with me up to celebrate both Compromising Miss Milton's release in the UK and An Impulsive Debutante in the US.

In other news:
My eldest arrived home from his first year of university yesterday. It is good to have the house back up to its full complement.

What's your *Magician's Book*?

Editorial Ass (which is one of my secret pleasures!) has done a great post on a book about one woman's attempt to rediscover her love for the Narnia series. It was triggered by this quote:

Lucy Pevensie is looking in a spell book for a spell she desperately needs. The spell, it turns out, is in the form of a story, a really amazing story that Lucy can't stop reading. It's so good that she tries to go back and reread it, but finds the (magical) pages only turn in one direction. Worst of all, the story is erasing itself from her brain even as she reads it, so that by the time she gets to the end she can't remember it at all. But it was such a good story that from that day on, whenever she reads something that she enjoys, it's only because it in some way reminded her of that one perfect, lost story.

It can be argued that it sums up childhood reading -- finding books that really spoke to you. So I'm going to do a meme and hope others will join in. (Kate Hardy?, Donna Alward?, Nell Dixon?, India Grey? Julie Cohen? Nicola Cornick?) Anyone! Just add a comment that you have done it and I will be delighted to go and see.

Name at least one book that you read as a child (ie 11 or under) that still exists in your memory as a perfect story. You can say why if you wish, or simply give a list -- your choice. It can be a story that you are now uncomfortable about having loved or were uncomfortable at some point and have now come back to or alternativly just one that you have always loved:

Mine are (off the top of my head)
1. The High King by Lloyd Alexander -- read when I was about 9 and I wanted to be there. And then I made the mistake of confiding to a friend who just did not understand. The dedication at the beginning of the book says it all btw. But knowing what I know now about Celtic mythology, I worry would I enjoy it as much?
2. Ozma of Oz by L Frank Baum --I still love the idea of the people being changed into ornaments, the princess who has different heads and the Gnome King.
3. The Horse and His Boy by CS Lewis -- it just is. Adventure romance.
4. Johnny Tremain by Ester Forbes -- first huge literary crush on Rab.
5. Emily of New Moon by L.M Montegomery -- I read it in the fourth grade, and worry about rereading it. I loved the concept of the veil being lifted...
6. Paddington the Bear by Michael Bond -- because it introduced me to marmalade and other English goodness.

Beautiful Blogger thing

The ever so lovely India Grey asked and I have held off doing this until today as today is a special anniversary for me.

1. Where were you five years ago?

• Five years ago I went to the bookshop to pick up a book my husband had ordered. And had just arrived home.


• Five years ago the phone rang. I answered it.


• Five years, I spoke to the sr editor of HMB Historical and initially thought she was going to let me down gently as editors did The Call on a Thursday


• Five years ago, my editor Who Is Right On Such Matters informed that she wanted to buy The Gladiator's Honour.


• Five years ago today, I became a HMB author.

2. What was on your things to do list?

• After the phone call – buy champagne. Didn't trust myself to drive so I walked or rather floated on air.


• Have a wonderful weekend. (My editor suggested that and Editors generally know best in these sorts of situations)


• Let various people know without seeming like a jabbering idiot.


• Finishing the ms that became A Noble Captive.


• Do minor revisions.

To do now – major revisions for my current Victorian. Then minor revisions for my Roman Undone. Get ready for the RWA Nationals in July, Get ready for my eldest coming home tomorrow from university. Support my daughter who has a History A level today (which I think she will ace!

3. Name 5 snacks that you enjoy

• Olives
• Salami
• Clam dip
• Seven layer dip
• cake

4. Name 5 places in which you have lived

• the two bedroom bungalow where I was born that was built over an old apricot orchard so there were trees to climb and apricots to pick – still remember the cutting for drying...
• the three bedroom bungalow we moved to just before my sister was born and where I spent my formative years. One of the chores was to bag the ivy that grew as a hedge separating us from the park. I hated it.
• the Grade 2 listed late Georgian terrace house that was the first house my husband and I bought – one bedroom but oh what a period pieces were left.
• Our current house – an Edwardian bungalow built 1908 with its large garden...with lots of ivy which I now enjoy doing...

5. What 5 things would you do if you were a billionaire?

• Donate money anonymously to causes I support. Doing good just needs to be done. People don’t need to know my name. (I have always been so impressed with the man who founded Xerox)


• Travel to places I have always wanted to go.


• Buy a horse for my daughter.


• Keep writing because I enjoy it.


• Live modestly but well. Because there is more to life than money. But money can help make you comfortable.

I think just about everyone else has done this one. If anyone wants to do it. Go ahead. And thanks to Kate Hardy for her tweaking of the topics!

Iceskating and writing

My cp Donna Alward wrote a wonderful piece using an iceskating metaphor. It is well worth reading, as it does capture some of the reasons why certain books are outstanding and others are...well...just there. Go read it. It might sparks some ideas about creating magic.

I am busy working away on my revisions and trying to capture some of the magic. I do think I know where I went wrong in the beginning -- namely I forgot the focus needed to be so heavily on the main couple and as I was starting what I had planned to be a trilogy, I wanted to do some other things. And guess what it didn't work. One always hopes the new way is a better way.

Oh and tremendous excitement -- the Literacy Autographing List is up for the RWA signing on 28 July. It is wonderful to see my name amongst all the authors. I get to sit next to Cara Summers who writes wonderful Blazes and a relative newcomer AY Stratton who writes for Wild Rose Press. The seating is all alphabetical...it is a relief in a way to know I am not sitting next to Debbie Macomber, Nora Roberts or Julia Quinn who will have huge lines. If anyone does happen by, please say hello as I am always delighted to talk to people and I suspect my line will be very short...

Heartwarming read and an upcoming writing contest

Last evening I finished Neurosurgeon and Mum! Kate Hardy's latest. And in traditional Kate Hardy style, it grabbed me by the heart strings and refused to let go.
I loved how it wasn't a traditional medical but possibly closer to Kate's MH but the medical detail was also expertly woven in. She also created a lovely community and really brought her world to life. I love the fact that her heroine was the high flying consultant and the hero -- the locum g.p. who shows her why life is for living.


Reading it, I had loads of light bulb moments, including realising a few places in my current ms where I had skated over things and had totally forgotten the sexual tension etc.


Anyway, I stayed up a bit late to finish it.
And can recommend it to anyone who wants a feel good read.

Now when is Kate going to do a single title small town women's fiction as she would be so good at it?




In the back of the book, there was a shout out for M&B's biggest talent search ever. All will be revealled on http://www.romanceisnotdead.com/ in due course. But they are looking for a new star and readers are going to be asked to help. All exciting stuff!

Shining sun

It is another gorgeous day but I'm busy working on my revisions. Sometimes, I suspect that it is much easier just simply to throw the whole thing out and start again. However, I'm stubborn and it is FINALLY starting to get better.

The wonderful Kate Hardy sent me a copy of her latest -- Neurosurgeon and Mum! and after reading the first page, I had a few light bulb moments about why my heroine behaves the way she does. (BTW the book is typical Kate Hardy heart warming. ) It does go back to the Mother/daughter relationship. (I can hear Donna laughing as I have kept saying things like this about HER heroine, but obviously wasn't taking my own advice.). All I have to keep thinking is engaging believable characters...this can be done.

Birthdays and other things

Today is the ever so lovely India Grey's significant birthday. Hooray for India! And hooray that she is writing more books!

I will be appearing on the newish Silk and Shadows blog tomorrow. There is a signed copy of An Impulsive Debutante up for grabs.

My revisions are being done. My editor was right about the book (editors generally are) but I am working away. Unlike some authors, I do not mind admitting that at times I have to sweat and slave over my work. Writing can be tough. It is supposed to be challenging as the author does have to pour emotion in. 99% persperation, 1% inspiration.

Yesterday, as part of my Orlando prep, I bought an Acer netbook. It was a good deal and should be more than adequate for my needs. Basically I want to be able to communicate with outside world...and if an agent asks to see my single title paranormal, I want to be able to send it. I was surprised how light they are. As my dd pointed out, the basic wordpad programme is fine as I can save and then do a cut and paste thing if I want. In theory, it make doing the chunks easier.

We will not mention how the exercise is going. Some day it will make a difference...

Going Postal and Steampunk

One of my favourite Terry Pratchett's -- Going Postal is being broadcast on Sky at the moment, the conclusion is today. Thus far, it has been a thoroughly engaging adaptation of the book. They used a steampunk type setting for the tv adaptation, and it really works. You can't really define Terry Pratchett as anything but fantasy, but the steampunk setting works for this production. My fingers are crossed that they do The Word at some point as well. I would also like some of the Watch books...

Anyway, the setting is Steampunk -- i.e. late Victorian with a twist. There are weird and wonderful machines etc and everything is slightly odd. But there are no trains, cars or electricity. The clacks which is sort of a telegraph cum internet runs on cogs, wheels and levers.

Claire Foy as Adora Dearheart is fantastic. I loved the four inch steel spiked stilettos.

If you are curious about Steampunk, this production is a good one to watch. And if you just like great entertainment, it is good to watch. I have no idea if or when it will go to the US, but I hope it does.

I am currently knee deep in my revisions and they are starting to make sense. My editor was right (editors generally are) and there is a lot of work. But hopefully at the end, it will be an engaging read with keeps the reader in the book.

29 May and all that

Today is Oak Apple Day -- Charles II's birthday and the day that the monarchy was restored in 1660. Oak Apple because he hid in an oak tree to escape during the English Civil War

Today is the day that the Ottoman Turks broke the siege of Constantinople in 1453 and ended the Byzantine Empire. Some scholars also consider it is the date the Roman Empire finally fell as the Byzantine was merely Rome in the East. No word on if this was the Sultan's birthday...

Today in 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (his adopted birthday) reached the summit of Everest in 1953.

My daughter informs that it is a very good day to have a birthday. Today is the 17th anniversary of that date. She is having a quiet day because she has AS levels...A girl has to have priorities! She confidently predicts that when she becomes the Supreme Master of the Universe, everyone will be forced to have it as a holiday...

Zero-sum gain or fingernails on a chalkboard time

The phrase 'zero-sum gain' is like fingernails on a chalk board for me. I just read it on a worksheet handout for an upcoming RWA workshop on Professional jealousy. It is a common error of the English language and shows that the person using the phrase doesn't know what it means and is simply throwing the words about -- a malapropism.
The actual phrase is zero-sum game. Specifically, the phrase describes a type of game in game theory. I had to do game theory when I did my econ degree so indulge me here.
In a zero sum game -- if one person wins, the other loses. For example tic-tac-toe is zero sum. A cake is zero sum. If one person has a large piece, everyone else remaining must share less. The outcome is finite. Nothing is created, nothing is destroyed. One person wins and the other loses.
Romance writing is not like that. Romance writing is not a zero sum game because one person's success does not mean that everyone else loses. Things are created. The genre is infinite. There are always new publishing slots.
Romance is more like -- a rising tide floats all boats. It is a non zero sum game. Non zero sum games are actually far more interesting.
In order for one person to be successful, it doesn't mean that everyone will be less successful. The outcome is dependant on many factors.
It is why romance authors can take joy in others' success. They are not losing anything. It is not a one shot deal.
BUT please, please, please use the correct phrase and know where it came from.

They may look innocent ...( a kitten post)

They look cute and innocent but they are fearless fiends. Earlier today, Heathcliff (the one at the back) was discovered hanging by one paw from the top window in the dining room. Inquiring minds want to know how he got there.

I have had to take to hiding my Montblanc pen, the pen I use for revisions. As soon as I put it down, it is a signal for a raid and the pen disappears...

And then there is the campaign desk incident. Thankfully none of the French door's windows broke but the desk needs new hinges after toppling over after being used as a kitten launch pad in a war.

Heathcliff has worked out if he comes and purrs lovingly, demanding utter and total adoration, he will eventually get fed. Note he only does this when he is hungry. Mr Darcy is very much This Cat Sleeps on his Own. He will not settle on anyone's knee but will consent to be being stroked.

Mr Darcy and Tess are great friends. Yesterday, they had a mock battle. Mr Darcy started it by biffing Tess's nose as she slept and then playing with her tail. When she started to get a bit rough, he showed her his claws and she backed away.

Both cats have been done and none of the nonsense appears to have stopped.

My eye seems better and certainly no worse. The painkillers are working. And I have been gardening in sunglasses. There is something therapeutic about pulling nettles and brambles...Hardy seems to be settling and stays near me rather than trying to wander down to the neighbour's or beyond. Tess keeps bring sticks for me to throw. When I throw a stick for Hardy, he takes it away and guards it. Hardy still manages Houdini like to squeeze under the kitchen cupboard. It is a particular favourite, particularly when he has rolled in something foul and knows that a bath is in the offing!

Should have worn sun glasses

Yesterday, as I stood precariously balanced on the weed choked slope, pulling brambles, a stick bounced free of its confines and hit me in my eye. Now I know what being poked in the eye with a sharp stick feels like -- painful. It hit the corner of my eye, rather than the eyeball. Basically I'm trying to rest it but if it still hurts as fiercely tomorrow, I will go see the doctor. Honest.

Next time, I will garden in sun glasses.

I never really considered the possibility of being hit in the eye because for so many years before I had my cataracts done, I wore glasses all the time. Live and learn.

Winners from my newsletter contest

I drew Teresa B's name and Cindi H's name out of the hat and sent them both emails. Thank you to everyone who entered.

It is my sister's significant birthday today. I still remember the day she was born. The people my brother and I stayed with had to go to a church dinner so we had a babysitter, several teenagers. It was all terribly upsetting. BUT it was wonderful a few days later when my sister came home. She *brought* me a stuffed hippo.
Anyway, I really wish I was there in person to say Happy Birthday but she lives an ocean away.

Ashes to Ashes -- the final

Ashes to Ashes had a very satisfactory ending. All emotional lines tied up.

It made a ton of sense. The writers had always said it was about death.

I was delighted to see Nelson again as I always thought he knew more than he let on. I still remember when he says in answer to Sam's question about how do you know when you are dead -- when you stop feeling.

Gene Hunt retains his integrity and you know what will go on...Long live Gene Hunt. next car -- a Mercedes? And sometimes all you can do is to go to the pub.

I had forgotten that the real Annie Cartwright was killed in the first series of Life on Mars in 1973 by Sam's father. It is only the shadow lands that she survives. So she did go into the pub with Sam.

I had been so worried that they were going to ruin it like the US series of Life on Mars. Were the choices made because they didn't think the US audience could handle death and the shadow lands? Thank goodness they felt the British audience was made of stronger stuff.

It is a classic series for many reasons. I suspect when the entire thing is watched again, little clues etc will be there. A much layered series this one.

Breaking the Governess's Rules

Yesterday, my editor emailed to say that my latest accepted ms now had a title -- Breaking the Governess's Rules. It fits the story because after a Disaster, Louisa has allowed rules to dominate her life. Only now she has re-encountered the man who ruined her life the first time... It is a March 2011 release in the UK.

My editor also mentioned that I was supposed to be hard at work on my revisions. I am (sort of) but think I have come up with a workable solution. My editor said it sounded fine as long as the emotional conflict was sustainable... Now to prove that it can work.

Oh and I have to fill out the Art Fact Sheet. Hopefully I will do it better than the last time...

Official Facebook page

Until now, I haven't had an official facebook page, just a normal facebook profile, but now there's an official one. It has all my covers,a place for discussions of my books, this blog is linked in the notes and I will be posting details of any events that I am going to attend. If you want to *like* it, please do. It will have my latest news etc and is really for my readers.
Now if I can just figure out how to get my photo changed, I will be happy.

Sometimes it is more difficult than others

Right, the Mess in Progress has been messing with my head. I suddenly realised that I had ditched the hook/set up that I had originally intended to write for something that I thought would be more powerful, but had neglected to add in another hook. The ms as reported here actually fell v flat. But while acknowledging this, I personally love bits and am stubborn.
This afternoon, my daughter served as a human sounding board until the point came where she said -- why don't you just ditch and write something totally new. Uh no. I like certain parts v. much.
The set up finally came to me and it does mean massive changes but it will also make it much better. Watch this space...

Set ups/hook are things like Marriage of Convenience, Amnesia, Reunion, Back from the Dead etc. I have not used this particular set up before but Anna Lucia will be pleased as it is one of her favourites...

Solar powered savings

As regular readers of this blog will recall, back in September my tumble dryer broke and managed to fry clothes. I decided to go green and to adopt the age old solar powered dryer method (and on wet days Aga powered drying). I had done it. Become used to pegging clothes out.

There were a few hiccups. Value washing lines tend to break in the wind. I am very happy now with the large Brabantia rotary and coverI found at Lakeland, combined with the four tiered indoor dryer (again from Lakeland) and the wooden airer over the Aga (got that when we moved in 14 years ago).

However, how much was I saving? A good tumble dryer costs around £300 plus, particularly as I wanted a condensing one. So I knew I had saved money by purchasing my various implements about £150.

But what about the running costs? How much was I saving electricity? I had my answer yesterday when my electric bill arrived. Because I pay on direct debit and they adjust the bill after seeing the consumption, they will be refunding me over £240. I worked out that it was a £1 a day saving on electricity (approx). They have also lowered my bill by £20 per month but the calculation still contains tumble dryer usage.

All in all, I am glad that I did this.

Reactive inciting incident

As I was asked:

Reactive means passive or reacting to something else rather than seeking to change your life.

Inciting incident is the thing that starts the story.

In my current mess in progress, the heroine agrees to do something for her brother. Her sole reason for encountering the hero has to do with her brother. And she is on the back foot the entire time. She is constantly running to stay in place, rather than making changes. Given a choice, she chooses the wrong one. The brother dominates rather than complicates.

But it was really the reactive inciting incident that sets the tone of the story.
The heroine who is supposed to be bossy or as my daughter's mug used to say -- I am not bossy, I just have better ideas is never given a chance to show her better ideas.

Anyway, it is a massive revision job and involves a new beginning and ending with quite a bit of tweaking in the middle. I do think I have an idea on how to go about it though.

One of these bright days, I am going to produce something that really sings! (Of course then I will worry that I have gotten it totally wrong!)

Book release schedule for 2010

My editor has left me know my book release schedule for the rest of 2010. The Viking's Captive Princess is a Dec 2010 UK release and A Question of Impropriety is a Dec 2010 Direct and ebook release in NA. Impoverished Miss Convenient Wife is a January 2011 Direct and ebook release in NA.
Still no word on the title for the Mach 2011 release.

I remain mulling over my extensive revisions (or perhaps rewrite is the correct word here). Think Thomas Edison. He had discovered 10,000 ways that a light bulb didn't work before discovering the one way it did...

My editor likes my Roman Undone BUT it needs minor revisions to really make it great. These are to be done AFTER I do my other revisions. Contracted work comes first!

We have agreed more work -- Thrand's and Dagmar's story is to an Undone. And I get to do my Sinai and Ottomen Empire stories as a duo. Because of the changes to my current Mess In Progress though, it becomes a stand alone.

Going to Orlando RWA conference

I am going! The flights have been sorted. Now all I have to do is to wait for the hotel reservations to open.

I have learnt though that it pays to be persistent, even when you are called a stupid woman who doesn't know anything about the travel industry.

If you do suffer from a Force majeur (Natural disaster), under ABTA code of conduct, the travel agent is supposed to rebook or offer to give you the money back. Proving the Force Majeur can be difficult. Official documentation is v useful. You will not be covered under travel insurance.
Luckily some airlines are very good about this and will rebook once they are made aware of the situation. Even if you have difficulties in convincing the travel agent of the fact!

The important thing is to be persistent and not to be fobbed off.

One thing I learnt was that you do not wish to miss connections as you will be classified as a no show and ALL further onward flights will be cancelled. So simply saying -- okay I will make 2/3 of the journey does not work. It does need to be rebooked.

Revisons hit

My editor worked late and got me her initial thoughts. It is the Same Old Problem that has plagued me recently -- lack of attitude on the part of the heroine. What happens is that she becomes flat and the others around her are better defined. In short she is too bland and became a conduit of information rather than a Person in her own right.

The hero needs some adjusting as well.

But it is going to be a massive rewrite rather than simple tweaks. Luckily such things currently are par for the course with me so I am not phased. It is just a matter of working with it.

I did hear that the book that was accepted in March will be out in March 2011.

Character dimensions -- trying to explain

As a few people didn't understand what I was talking about yesterdya.

One of the problems with protagonists is that you can be so focused towards moving towards the goal/exploring the conflict etc that the protagonist seems flat, like an actor rather than a person. The personality is missing.
Equally you might know lots about a character but unless it is down on the page, your reader won't know. Been there, done that. In my head, but not on the page = flat character for reader.
More than stories, readers remember characters. They keep mental files about what they look like or how they react to others. And you want to breathe life into your characters. They need personality, in particular your protagonist.
You also don't want your characters all sounding the same.
Some of the trouble is that the writer only has a limited experience. It is why listening to how people speak, the vocab that is used etc is so important. Little details that give insight. Telling emotional details that add a richness to the world.
The metaphors and how people describe each other are affected by their life experience. Even the pet phrases and the cliches. They help define personality and character.
In revision it is all about taking those bland phrases such as She looked at him and changing it to give a deepness and texture to the character.
She glared at his unshaven chin, grimy t-shirt and overly-pleased grin. How dare he come to her dinner party dressed like some refuge from a used clothes shop and expect her to hug him!
Alternatively,
She raised her eyes to his intense emerald gaze. Nothing else mattered not the spreading puddle of water on her best Oriental carpet, the whispers of the servants, or even the impropriety of the hour.

The words and word choice help to give a roundness to the character. They revealed something about the POV character as well as the other. Same situation for both. Different responses. By adding the extra detail, you enrich the reader's experience and you make your character more rounded.
It is about attitude and opinion. Your protagonist has to care passionately about things and this helps to define your character and raise them from blandness. It helps to create characters who linger in your mind or who you feel have a life beyond the page.
Think about the characters you remember. Do you remember them because they are bland or inoffensive? Or do you remember them because they cared deeply and passionately? Or noticed things or somehow leaped from the page.

It is about making your characters memorable. And for me, with my protagonists, often it doesn't happen in the first draft. It may take several goes before I can those little telling details down that really differentiate them. Other authors can the details much more quickly. It is just how I work.

Another problem comes when you have delved to deeply with the same theme or similair characters. Where they were new and fresh once, you start falling back and reaching for familiar words/patterns. Results -- flat characters who all seem to be the same and do not have a life of their own.
And I can always strive to be better. Nobody said writing was easy!

Does this help?

Character dimension

One of my weaknesses is character dimension (according to my editor who should know!) is character dimension, particularly in early drafts and particularly with my lead characters. It gets there by the end of the revision process but it can always be improved. With each book it becomes harder in a way because you are not trying to repeat character traits that you used in other books, but to a certain extent you have to. For example, a Viking warrior is going to be far more like other Viking Warriors... But your own life experience is by nature limited and thus you tend to create characters who resonate with you. Create too many, and they will start to be the same. Or your editor will start asking why are your characters too flat, too nice or too whatever.

It is one of the reasons why I love The Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon. In it she says that in her vast experience, the protagonist is often the LAST character to be well rounded. There are a number of reasons for this. Mostly I think it is because it is the protagonist's story and highlighting different aspects in revisions makes the protagonist be more well rounded.

Anyway, it is something I am working on.
She mentions character dictionaries -- i.e. developing a vocab for each character that reflects the character's situation. Certainly the use of a Word Menu can help shorten that process. A Word menu groups words, so you can easily find words on art history for example and if your protagonist was an art historian, you can use those words to develop speech patterns. These are different words than if someone was a photographer.

Dimension goes beyond goals, motivation and conflict. Dimension is about attitude and how the primary motivation/goal colours everything they do.

Anyway with my current revisions of the single title, I am really thinking about attitude and dimension and how to show things. How to change generic words into words that really define a character and make them memorable. It doesn't happen on the first draft. Nor second but it needs to eventually happen.

Rowing kicks my rather large behind

I am doing the indoor rowing 30 minutes at a time. 3x per week. It is not getting any easier but I am going further.
When I finish now my legs are jelly.Some day soon, I will start to feel my stomach contracting.
It will work. I know it will. Except why oh why did I let myself get in this state to begin with?
It is much easier to row with music on. I find it better to listen to the songs and sing along, so have knicked my daughter's number one musical cd. Nice. Jolly. Upbeat.
I have been requested not to play it at other times...

Dr Who and cutting for pace

I had been really looking forward to last night's episode of Dr Who but was disappointed. My husband who is also a fan expressed his disappointment. The pace slowed to a crawl and the tension was really not there because that particular story didn't progress.
There was little development between River and Dr Who to justify the whole Amy walking amongst the angels.

It is like anything carried too far. With nothing added to the mix, the story stalls and ceased to be frightening, just becoming annoying.

However, I am looking forward to the next episodes. And obviously the last one is going to be on 26 o6 2010!

And as I am now revising. I get to be critical.

Almost finished

I've almost finished my first draft! It should be finished today. This means in the month of April I wrote 76k with most of that since 6 April.
Once the first draft is done, the harder part comes. The holding it in my affections while I examine ways to make it better.
There is no right way to do a first draft. Some people rewrite each page until it shines and then it is basically done, others go storming through. Some people think they are finished after a first draft. I know that I have just begun.

I want this to be AWESOME. It is a single title paranormal. I had a load of fun writing it. I loved being out of my comfort zone of historicals. It is also a large part of the reason why I'm going to Nashville... But to do what I want to do with it -- it needs revising.

Next week at some point, my revisions will hit. My editor has promised as we are meeting for our annual lunch on the 10th. The lunch is going to cover in part solutions to the problems that she sees.

The exercising is coming on. 30 minutes x 3 (or 4) does work. But I have a long way to go and Nashville beckons.