Thursday, December 13, 2012
Reaching the Goal for Angelo Riguero's Family
Ellora's Cave Publishing Company has organized a ChipIn Drive in memory of Angelo Riguero. For the full story, please go to http://ecbritofund.chipin.com/the-brito-family
You will find a link there or you can click on the link below.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Across The Miles
The holiday season is a time when thoughts of family, home, and hearth are strongest for me. Growing up, our family celebrated Easter, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas together. There were times when we were also together for Mardi Gras, Mother's Day and Halloween. However, Thanksgiving started the holiday celebrations. Back then, department stores didn't start advertising for Christmas in conjunction with Halloween. We were allowed to enjoy each holiday with a singular focus and anticipate the next one. Thanksgiving meant prayer, food, and football. Christmas meant parties, egg nog, funny milk, food, gifts, and church. New Year's was champagne and noise.
A side note: funny milk is so named because of the alcohol in it. ;-)
Life is fluid, though. Always changing. Always in motion. As children turned into adults, they began having their own celebrations. Some moved away, leaving a void in a lot of hearts. Christmas across the miles is bittersweet. You appreciate the memories you have and wrap them tight, holding all close to your heart. The laughter. The joy. The food. The traditions. All create wisps of pleasure that puts a smile on your face and bring tears to your eyes.
Eventually, the longing drifts away and the special times are tucked into a special place in your heart. Holidays across the miles demand new memories and experiences seperate and apart from your loved one(s). We hold to the hope that, one day, when distance doesn't separate you, old memories will become new again.
For some of us who are spending the holidays across the miles with half a world between you and another person, love will forever bind us.
A side note: funny milk is so named because of the alcohol in it. ;-)
Life is fluid, though. Always changing. Always in motion. As children turned into adults, they began having their own celebrations. Some moved away, leaving a void in a lot of hearts. Christmas across the miles is bittersweet. You appreciate the memories you have and wrap them tight, holding all close to your heart. The laughter. The joy. The food. The traditions. All create wisps of pleasure that puts a smile on your face and bring tears to your eyes.
Eventually, the longing drifts away and the special times are tucked into a special place in your heart. Holidays across the miles demand new memories and experiences seperate and apart from your loved one(s). We hold to the hope that, one day, when distance doesn't separate you, old memories will become new again.
For some of us who are spending the holidays across the miles with half a world between you and another person, love will forever bind us.
How We Got Published
There are times when I’ve been asked how do you get into the publishing industry? How did you get published? Are you self-published? How did you get your agent? Can you tell me your secret?
Well. My first thought to that last…can you tell me your secret is: Hell. To. The. No. It isn’t because I don’t want to tell share the secret, mind you. It’s just that there is no secret. I promise you. If there was, someone would’ve sold it years ago and made a bundle from it.
So, no, I don’t have a secret. I do have a recipe, though.
1 kernel of an idea
Several months of writing
1 completed novel
A Few Weeks of Revising
1 final draft
A cup of market research
1 to-the-point Query letter
A bout of patience
An ounce of determination
A pinch of stubbornness
Start with the idea and do any necessary research. Block out writing time and get that book finished. Let your completed novel simmer for about a week, then reread and revise. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and plot holes. Let simmer another week. While the revised copy is simmering, start your market research. Identify the genre of your novel, and sub-genre if any, a make a list of agents who acquire the type of work you’ve written. Do a final read-through, then write a query letter that describes the characters and the conflict, offers the number of words, any previous writing credentials and any recognition your current project might have received. Contact the agent just as their submissions guidelines state. Arm yourself with patience and start on your next book. Mix your determination with your stubbornness to honing your craft, keeping an open mind and, most importantly, refusing to give up.
Well. My first thought to that last…can you tell me your secret is: Hell. To. The. No. It isn’t because I don’t want to tell share the secret, mind you. It’s just that there is no secret. I promise you. If there was, someone would’ve sold it years ago and made a bundle from it.
So, no, I don’t have a secret. I do have a recipe, though.
1 kernel of an idea
Several months of writing
1 completed novel
A Few Weeks of Revising
1 final draft
A cup of market research
1 to-the-point Query letter
A bout of patience
An ounce of determination
A pinch of stubbornness
Start with the idea and do any necessary research. Block out writing time and get that book finished. Let your completed novel simmer for about a week, then reread and revise. Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and plot holes. Let simmer another week. While the revised copy is simmering, start your market research. Identify the genre of your novel, and sub-genre if any, a make a list of agents who acquire the type of work you’ve written. Do a final read-through, then write a query letter that describes the characters and the conflict, offers the number of words, any previous writing credentials and any recognition your current project might have received. Contact the agent just as their submissions guidelines state. Arm yourself with patience and start on your next book. Mix your determination with your stubbornness to honing your craft, keeping an open mind and, most importantly, refusing to give up.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Happiness Summed Up
Sometimes, we're happy and we have to take a moment and realize it. Perhaps, this explanation will help you to recognize that fuzzy feeling immediately :-)
Photo from www.photopin.com
Confessions of a Perfectionist
I’m guilty. So guilty as a matter of fact that I spend a sleepless night or two before I finally bring myself to do. I think that I should just leave well enough alone.
But I can’t.
The memories are driving me to senselessness. Those memories leave me no choice.
My fingers shake.
I sit at my computer and find the file. I look at the object of my despair.
The book. Guilt resurfaces. I couldn’t do this if I was a
traditionally published writer. I
wrestle with my conscience. The
nasty little word resurfaces in my mind.
Wlong. You can’t let that go. The word is along and the mistake is giving me hives.
You’ve reread the book after mistakes were mentioned. Why? Why do such a thing?
I know I won’t be able to let that go. I give in and make that correction and several others I’ve
found. Then, I log into Create
Space, and upload a new file.
It still doesn’t look right. I don’t submit the file
immediately. Instead, I surf
through the pages again, stare at the cover. I promise myself I’m not going to do this again. Finally,
I’m satisfied and upload the file and send it in for approval. Afterwards, I go to my Kindle account
and do the same thing.
I receive the new copy with the new cover—and I make the
mistake of reading it again.
I nearly keel over when I read the sentence that, in
paraphrase, states that Madigan pulled his length into his month.
OMG. This is
never ending. That pulse-pounding
roaring in my head starts again and the knowledge that I won’t rest until that,
too, is changed.
I promise myself this is the absolute last time that I will
read Wicked Allure, so this will be the absolute last time I make changes.
Then, I remember, we’re writing sequels. When I start typing my part, I’ll have
to reread Wicked Allure to get back into the characters.
Note to reader: This was originally posted on Books-N-Kisses Blog, http://www.books-n-kisses.com, during a stop on my BTS Virtual Tour. To answer the question. YES! I groaned. And YES I also did it again with the ebook to get it properly formatted for it to be on the iBookstore. I haven't reread
Monday, November 26, 2012
Cyber Monday Sale at Liquid Silver Books
CYBER MONDAY. All books 50% Off!
A great chance to scoop up great books by your favorite authors!
Click below and start saving now.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Life's Lessons Applied To Your Characters
Kelly DeLeon is driving us to madness! In Madi's book, her character is the quietest and most understated. She's the one who wants everyone happy. In Wicked Allure, her character was great. In Scandalous Allure, her book, we're pulling our hair out. She's quiet and she's a little shy. Of course, like Madi and Brianna, she has her own issues with Karolyn, candidate for bad mother of the century. She's facing some serious challenges but she internalizes everything. She's damn hard to befriend. I think even Beau is getting a little frustrated with her. He just wants to get out of the dilemmas separating them and she's playing Pollyanna.
We apply something we've gone through in each of our books. I must tell you, even Karolyn is an amalgamation of several women we know and the product is, well, her, in all her hateful spite. Once upon a time, I was shy. I still have moments of shyness. And, yes, I want to make sure everyone's happy. You'd think having a character so close to one's own personality would be easy to write.
Think again. Kelly gets her feelings hurt very easily. I'm more prone to laugh at myself. To Karolyn, youth, beauty, and money is everything. She can't see beyond herself to help her daughters. On the other hand, my mother has always been there for my and I'm always there for my daughters. I try to instill in them brains is more important than beauty, that no one is perfect, and let nothing hold you back. I've told them don't fret over what is out of your hands and vanity is shallow and meaningless...
Hmm. Let me digress a moment here. The last part of that last statement above? The biggest lie I ever told. Case in point: My dentist once told me I needded braces, something I'd known for quite a while. Somehow, one of my bottom front teeth had loosened, so the braces would not only serve to set it back in place but it would also correct my underbite. I'm now in month 49 of what should've ended at month 36. Every time I'm subjected to chains and brackets and wires and rubber bands, I can only shake my head. Vanity thy name is Leslie. If I'm not vain, why do I suffer the Medieval torture devices?
As for not fretting over what's out of your hands...If I ever thought I was perfect or beautiful, (which I assure you I never have), my kids keep me grounded. With them, it is either put up or shut up. In late 2007, my vitiligo returned. This time, it isn't only a small patch on my back and hip, it has spread to my face. On and off, I've felt decidedly sorry for myself. In an effort to make me feel better, my three girls renamed a vegetable in my honor. About six months ago, cauliflower became vitiligo broccoli...
Applying such a problem to one of our characters might be just the thing. I can imagine Kelly having to toughen up and face her fears and insecurities. Growing up in the shadow of Karolyn, Brianna, and Madi seems to have wreaked havoc with her sense of self. Of course, we can do no such thing. Scandalous Allure will pick up only a couple days after the part where Wicked Allure ends. She didn't have vitiligo in the first book. Consistency is as important as well-rounded characters. I like characters who can show their weaknesses as well as their strengths. I want a HEA as much as the next person and the DeLeon sisters, as well as the Steele brothers, will find that by the conclusion of the series. But life isn't tied up in nice, neat little boxes, so I don't see why novels should be.
As most writers mention, our characters become like family. For them to show us their true selves, we must show them ours. Digging deep within and lending them the benefit of our life's experiences and the lessons learned from them.
In the upcoming Picture Perfect (1/21/2013, Liquid Silver Books, ISBN: 9781931761222), our heroine, Alexis Morgan, is attempting to recover from Hurricane Katrina and the turmoil of being the product of a single woman and a married man. In reality, we lost everything in Katrina and my father left my mom for another woman. A couple of the scenes from Alex's POV is taken from my own personal experiences.
In the March 2012 release, Wicked Allure, both my mom and I went through what Madigan went through with Zach. Our endings were not the same as Madi's, however.
Having said everything else, I land right back at Kelly's tight-lipped character. She knows about us. When in the world will she open up and let us know about her?
We apply something we've gone through in each of our books. I must tell you, even Karolyn is an amalgamation of several women we know and the product is, well, her, in all her hateful spite. Once upon a time, I was shy. I still have moments of shyness. And, yes, I want to make sure everyone's happy. You'd think having a character so close to one's own personality would be easy to write.
Think again. Kelly gets her feelings hurt very easily. I'm more prone to laugh at myself. To Karolyn, youth, beauty, and money is everything. She can't see beyond herself to help her daughters. On the other hand, my mother has always been there for my and I'm always there for my daughters. I try to instill in them brains is more important than beauty, that no one is perfect, and let nothing hold you back. I've told them don't fret over what is out of your hands and vanity is shallow and meaningless...
Hmm. Let me digress a moment here. The last part of that last statement above? The biggest lie I ever told. Case in point: My dentist once told me I needded braces, something I'd known for quite a while. Somehow, one of my bottom front teeth had loosened, so the braces would not only serve to set it back in place but it would also correct my underbite. I'm now in month 49 of what should've ended at month 36. Every time I'm subjected to chains and brackets and wires and rubber bands, I can only shake my head. Vanity thy name is Leslie. If I'm not vain, why do I suffer the Medieval torture devices?
As for not fretting over what's out of your hands...If I ever thought I was perfect or beautiful, (which I assure you I never have), my kids keep me grounded. With them, it is either put up or shut up. In late 2007, my vitiligo returned. This time, it isn't only a small patch on my back and hip, it has spread to my face. On and off, I've felt decidedly sorry for myself. In an effort to make me feel better, my three girls renamed a vegetable in my honor. About six months ago, cauliflower became vitiligo broccoli...
Applying such a problem to one of our characters might be just the thing. I can imagine Kelly having to toughen up and face her fears and insecurities. Growing up in the shadow of Karolyn, Brianna, and Madi seems to have wreaked havoc with her sense of self. Of course, we can do no such thing. Scandalous Allure will pick up only a couple days after the part where Wicked Allure ends. She didn't have vitiligo in the first book. Consistency is as important as well-rounded characters. I like characters who can show their weaknesses as well as their strengths. I want a HEA as much as the next person and the DeLeon sisters, as well as the Steele brothers, will find that by the conclusion of the series. But life isn't tied up in nice, neat little boxes, so I don't see why novels should be.
As most writers mention, our characters become like family. For them to show us their true selves, we must show them ours. Digging deep within and lending them the benefit of our life's experiences and the lessons learned from them.
In the upcoming Picture Perfect (1/21/2013, Liquid Silver Books, ISBN: 9781931761222), our heroine, Alexis Morgan, is attempting to recover from Hurricane Katrina and the turmoil of being the product of a single woman and a married man. In reality, we lost everything in Katrina and my father left my mom for another woman. A couple of the scenes from Alex's POV is taken from my own personal experiences.
In the March 2012 release, Wicked Allure, both my mom and I went through what Madigan went through with Zach. Our endings were not the same as Madi's, however.
Having said everything else, I land right back at Kelly's tight-lipped character. She knows about us. When in the world will she open up and let us know about her?
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