What is in a name?

Hello Scribblers!  J Monkeys coming atcha from inside a snow globe.  Or at least that’s how it looks from my office window.  A fresh batch of snow fell last night and everything in view is covered – trees, roofs, even the sky is white, matching the gently falling flakes.  Quite a contrast from the book I’ve been reading this morning.

How do you select a book at the store?  Usually, it’s one of two things that prompts me to pick something up – either a cover that attracts my attention, or the author’s name.  When it comes to authors, naturally, it’s repeat business for me – I’m buying books by authors I’ve read before and enjoyed.  Lynn Kurland, Julia Quinn, Julie Garwood, Jude Deveraux.  Sometimes it’s a new book written by a friend or acquaintance – especially when they are written in a genre that isn’t typically my cup of tea, but where I know from experience that I’ll enjoy the ride – Kristan Higgins’ contemporary romances, Katy Lee’s inspirational romances or Casey Wyatt’s urban fantasies, for example. 

This morning, I’m reading a book that I chose based on the author, but it isn’t an author whose work is familiar to me.  In fact, the book I’m reading is his debut novel.  Nor was the book/author recommended to me by a friend.  I’m reading Dracula the Un-Dead written by Dacre Stoker – great grand nephew of Bram Stoker.

I’m almost exactly to the half-way point in the book and it’s a delight!  It’s not scary, which is a good thing for me because I do NOT like scary stories.  Mr. King’s The Shinning still haunts me 25 years after I read it!  While I loved The Stand, there were parts that I found creepy – I remember reading it while sitting in a corner, hidden from any ghouls lurking in the ether.   But Dracula the Un-Dead seems more like a drama than horror as I think of it today.  It’s written as a sequel to the original book.  In truth it’s co-authored by Dacre Stoke and Ian Holt apparently written (according to Wikipedia) “Because of the Stokers’ frustrating history with Dracula’s copyright, Dacre with encouragement from screenwriter Ian Holt, decided to write “a sequel that bore the Stoker name” to “reestablish creative control over” the original novel.”  What an interesting idea.  I don’t know the extent to which it would reestablish copyright – but hey.

But if you’ve enjoyed the rise in vampire stories in the last decade or so, you might want to take a look at this homage to the original.  It’s well done (at least the first half!) and worth a few of your hard earned dollars.  And, again according to Wikipedia, they wrote it based on Bram’s original notes and stuff pulled out of the original novel.  Again, a cool idea. 

Today’s secret: Dracula is Un-Dead and available at the bookstore once again.    Oh and by the way, they have begun filming season 6 of True Blood, speaking of popular vampires.  The delightful Mr. Skarsgard has revealed a spoiler-ish something from filming.  Click here to find out what.

Today’s question: how do you decide to buy a book?  What changes you from a browser to a buyer?

#TeamRobby Makes a Difference by Katy Lee

I have just returned from a fundraising event jam-packed with people and prizes, fun and food, all for one precious, little boy in need. On Monday, November 5th, 2012, shortly after Storm Sandy, four-year-old Robby suffered a tragic accident. While playing outside, Robby accidentally became pinned underneath a tree stump for an extended period of time and was in cardiac arrest. After being without oxygen for nearly a half hour, he was resuscitated, but it was not believed that he would live. Now, two months later, he is breathing on his own.

While there has been miracle after miracle, Robby still has very little brain activity and he and his family have a long journey ahead of them, physically, emotionally, and financially. Robby is home now. His family must give him round the clock care and make him as comfortable as possible. But something that has come out of Robby’s tragedy is the outpouring of love and support from around the world. Check out his Facebook page to see the thousands of followers that check in for updates and share their thoughts and prayers for Robby and his family. Check out his website where people can go on and physically express their support through donations.

And then, of course, there was tonight. That jam-packed banquet hall, filled with people who didn’t know each other at all, but yet, came together to be part of something bigger. They came together to give and share what they could to make a difference.

And of course have fun!

Acts 20:35 tells us, ”In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” But I know that it has also been said that good duties must not be pressed and beaten out of us. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

But I believe that it is through giving that we become joyful. It is through doing something worthwhile that we find happiness and purpose. And I’ll be honest, after witnessing the joy of so many people tonight and in the past two months who have stepped up to be a part of Robby’s recovery, I think more and more people are being blessed through their willingness to make a difference. Their own lives will become a testimony to others all because they chose to be a cheerful giver.

Question: Have you ever taken part in something bigger? How has it blessed you?

And please join us in supporting #TeamRobby! Stop by his Facebook page to see what’s up. As always, your Tweets and Shares are appreciated. Be part of something bigger! Follow #TeamRobby.

Docendo Discimus: We Learn by Teaching by Katy Lee

Salve, it’s me, Katy Lee, and today I’m practicing my Latin on you. My kids think it’s only fair if they have to learn it, then so should I. But I have to say even if they didn’t, I wouldn’t be a good teacher for them if I didn’t learn right along beside them. How would I inspire them when they struggled? How could I help them if I, myself didn’t understand? The truth is I couldn’t.

Home educating my children was not something I entered into lightly. I knew it would be a commitment that would stake claim to the nume unus place in my life. Their education isn’t something to let slide like the laundry. They are depending on me for their preparation into the world. They are counting on me for the knowledge needed to make good decisions in regards to their lives.

So…Quo vadis? Where am I going with this? What would happen if I provided them with untruths? Facts made up because I was too lazy to do the research.

I might be able to get away with it for a little while, but honestly, my daughter would take so much delight in proving me wrong that in the end I would be the one with ovum on my face. (That’s an egg, BTW) And I know she’s not the only one. This world is full of people itching to catch someone in an untruth.

As writers we cannot be caught flubbing it. (Sorry, I couldn’t find the Latin word for flubbing) The fact is we need to do the research. We need to take our commitment in teaching the reader seriously. Because isn’t that what a writer is? A magister, or magistra in my feminine case?

Writers are teachers. Whether your main character in your story is a medical examiner or a horse trainer, whether your story carries a moral or aims only to entertain you still have research to do for your reader to get a full understanding. For your reader to learn something. And I can guarantee there will be at least one reader out there itching to catch you in a flub.

Now, I’m not saying you have to be an expert on something before you can write about it. But you have to be willing to invest the time needed to become the go-to person on a particular subject. That means shadowing a professional or interviewing experienced people in your field of interest. Get it from the horse’s mouth. (equus for all you Latin lovers.) The internet is great, and you can get a wealth of knowledge from it, but firsthand experience will be best if you can find it. No one can catch you in a flub if it’s the truth.

The Unlocked Secret: Vincit omnia veritas. Truth conquers all. When your work is backed by truth, you are golden. And not only that, but you, yourself, will be smarter for it because if you can teach it, you know you’ve learned it.

Question: What are your favorite ways to get your facts straight? Who have you had the pleasure of interviewing, and what did you learn?

Voila tout! That’s all!

Amish Vampires, Oh My! Leanna Ellis & Her Scary Tale of Stepping out of her Market

Happy Sunday, Katy Lee here. Last October on this day, the Northeast was under 2 feet of snow with no electricity. This year we await a hurricane, hoping Halloween isn’t canceled AGAIN! Because of the loss of power last year, my special guest, Leanna Ellis missed out on all the Scribes’ readers. So she is here again this year to chat with you all.

Let’s hope the power stays on this time.

Now last year, her release, Plain Fear: Forsaken, an Amish vampire story hit the shelves. Now this year, Leanna has a second release in her Plain Fear series. Forbidden. As an Inspirational writer, there are pretty strict guidelines to follow when writing for this market. One of them being, absolutely no vampires. But Leanna had these stories to tell, so what was she to do?

Here she is to tell you about it. So please give Leanna a warm welcome!

Happy Halloween! Oops! Did I say something wrong? Did you know that little phrase can be fairly controversial? There are certain camps regarding Halloween.There are those who embrace the holiday with all the gore and such and drape their houses in cobwebs. Then you’ve got those who allow their kids to dress up and enjoy the candy but no gory or other-worldly costumes. Then there’s the group that shuns the holiday because of its roots in paganism. So I didn’t mean to offend anyone by saying ‘Happy Halloween,’ but I just meant it as a friendly greeting. Like Halloween, we each have to figure out what is right for us and what is right for our families. And this is true in writing too.

In light of all of that, it seems very appropriate to discuss my novel, Plain Fear: Forsaken, which is a bit like Halloween, somewhat controversial. Some people may love the idea. Others may withhold judgment until they’ve heard more about it or even read it. And others will shun it just because of the subject matter. Just last week, I received this great review where the reviewer said, “Plain Fear Forsaken is a book that screams to be opened. It offers a fresh portrayal of vampires and their complex world, while taking readers on a journey of love and heartbreaking loss. This haunting tale is wonderfully written, with such intensity that you will not put it down.” Obviously a really nice review. Within an hour, I received an email from a reader who called my book, “Evil.” Did they read the same book? Apparently. But like Halloween, it’s not for every reader and it was a risk to write it, much less publish it.

Amish and vampires? Really? Yes, really. I’m asked a lot how this book came into being. Forsaken actually began as a joke. I was at a book signing and another author and I made a joke about we should write an Amish/vampire story because those were the two genres that were selling incredibly well. It really was a joke. I didn’t rush home and start writing the book. But I suppose some seed was planted in my warped little brain and took root. Soon a character was speaking to me about her story and wanting me to write it. But I resisted. However, there was a very intriguing element that I couldn’t seem to ignore. To me, this was a Phantom of the Opera type story, with a love triangle, and a clear dividing line between good and evil. So just playing around with the story idea, I wrote the prologue and first chapter. Then I set it aside because I was busy meeting other deadlines. Besides what was I to do with an Amish/vampire story?

Really, where would an Amish/vampire story ever fit? I was writing in the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) where Amish is very popular. Why couldn’t I write a traditional Amish book? Well, that’s just not how my brain works. I mentioned my story idea eventually to a couple of writer friends. They laughed but in a good way and encouraged me to write it. Well, I wasn’t so sure.

However, I was becoming obsessed with the story and very passionate when I spoke about it to anyone. I spent a lot of time in prayer over this book, because I didn’t want to write something that God didn’t want me to write. Also, I knew I’d have to leave the Christian market and sell it in the secular market. I wasn’t about to make that move without God’s clear direction. He began to show me in more ways than one that this was the book He wanted me to write.

More than a year passed, and I was at a writer’s conference minding my own business and not pursuing this story at all. An editor said the perfect submission would be…you guessed it! An Amish/vampire story. So I made an appointment to meet that editor and just talk about the idea. It almost felt like when an addict first admits she has a problem. I felt like I was teetering on the edge when I said, “I’m a writer and I’ve written an Amish/vampire story.” Well, she requested it.

Then I had to tell my agent about it. Thankfully, my agent loves the way my brain works. I caught her at the same conference and whispered to her that I’d had a request for a book I hadn’t even told her about. When I said, “Amish/vampire,” she laughed out loud in a joyful way. Gotta love an agent like that.

After she had read the prologue and first chapter, we had some serious discussions about ABA or CBA (secular or inspirational) and adult market or young adult. We both felt that in order to have a book about good versus evil, you have to be able to show evil and in the inspirational market I would be hindered in that way. I was once told that I couldn’t have a character say ‘pee.’ Really. Also, my agent and I decided that even though the heroine was young, the topics were adult. In YA novels, the characters are often in school and dealing with issues teenagers deal with. But in the Amish world, kids stop going to school at age 14. They’re making big decisions about their life much earlier than Englisch teenagers.

So began the submission process. Some editors got it, and some didn’t see how the two genres could ever be combined. Thankfully, Sourcebooks had a visionary editor, Peter Lynch who got it and gave Forsaken a chance. It’s honestly been great working with him, and I know God led me to this publisher.

What I love about this story is that it shows the battle of good and evil. Yep, I guess that reader did get part of the theme of the book. Evil doesn’t always appear with pitchfork and horns though. Quite often, evil is appealing and attractive and hooks us in before we realize what has happened. Such is the case with my heroine Hannah. She simply loved a boy. But she opens her heart and her mind too easily and the consequences could be devastating. Even though this story is published in the secular world, it has a powerful spiritual message, a message the world needs to hear.

In Plain Fear: Forsaken, Hannah Schmidt, a young Amish woman mourning the mysterious death of her beloved Jacob, must decide between two brothers, between good and evil. When she learns her first love is now the vampire Akiva, she must forsake him and cling to a new love, a lasting love, one that will save her soul.

To read an excerpt, click here. And now also available is the sequel:

Plain Fear: Forbidden Rachel Schmidt Nussbaum, a young Amishwidow, is now seven-and-a-half months pregnant with her first child. She blamesherself for her husband Josef’s death, and believes she is being punished byGod for her past sins.
So when a stranger arrives claimingto be an old friend from her wilder years, saying only she can fix things forhim, for Josef, and for herself, she makes an impulsive decision to follow him.It is a decision that will send Rachel on a dangerous journey—one that willlead her to the depths of ultimate danger, the potential for new love, and abattle that will decide both the fate of her soul and the life of her unbornchild.

Winner of the National Readers Choice Award, Leanna Ellis writes women’s fiction. Known for her quirky characters and wacky plots, don’t let the quirkiness fool you as Ellis probes deep in the heart and plucks at the heartstrings. She lives deep in the heart ofTexas with her husband and children and an assortment of dogs and cats, including her crazy labradoodle, aka Hilo Monster, and her new kitten, Sawyer.

To keep in touch with Leanna, you can find her at:

www.leannaellis.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leanna-Ellis/49487472434

Leanna, thank you so much for sharing how Plain Fear: Forsaken and Forbidden came to be. Stepping out of your market can really be a scary thing to do. It’s a risk we are glad you took.

The Heart’s Discovery by Amy McGuire

Amy McGuire has been writing stories since she could pick up a pen.  She developed a love of English Literature at a young age and as the child of missionary parents who worked in Africa, has gained a rich knowledge of the world around her.  When not writing, she enjoys spending sunny afternoons on her deck with some chocolate and a good book.  Amy lives in Toronto with her husband and their daughter.  The Heart’s Discovery is her first novel. And Amy is here at the Scribes today.

Welcome Amy! We are glad to have you.

Can you tell is if you have ever thought about writing something that is completely different for you?  Perhaps writing in a new genre or just taking a story someplace that you haven’t done before.

Absolutely.  I actually already have a few different genres in mind.  I tell my friends and fans that I didn’t choose YA, it chose me.  So of course I write it now but I would love to write something else in the future.  I already have at least two sci-fi stand alone novels plotted out in my head as well as a clean adult romance.  My book about Damian entitled Runaway: Damian’s Story , which I hope to release in February 2013, is also going to be in a direction I’ve never taken before.  There will be a tiny bit of romance, but a lot of action, tragedy…a much darker book than any I’ve written.  It will be different and a real challenge but I think I’m up to the task.  When I was a teenager I wrote a love story that had a lot more action and Runaway: Damian’s Story will be an action book with a little bit of romance.  I’m looking forward to really getting into the plotting out of all my different books in various genres.

What is the most surprising thing that has happened in your writing career?

I would say that the most surprising thing was the feedback.  I know I’m new to the scene and have a lot to learn in the writing field but so many people, those who know me personally and those who don’t know me at all, have said how impressed they are with my writing. 

What would you do if you couldn’t be a writer any longer?

I would probably try for a fairly well paying job that would allow for flexibility so I could travel.  There are so many places on this wonderful planet that I’m dying to see.  I am a mom and so I would have to make my travel include my daughter and her schedule, but I can definitely see myself doing a lot of travelling during the holidays.  A place I have never been but would love to go is Jamaica.  Ireland is a definite close second.  It’s a big dream, but I don’t think it’s entirely undoable.

They say that every author has a partially completed, quite-possibly-terrible half a story shoved in a drawer somewhere.  What is yours?  What is it about?  What makes it terrible?  Would you ever consider picking it up and finishing it?

Oh my.  Where to begin.  Yes, I actually have several.  Sadly, I threw out all but a sequel to one of my half written stories back when I was too embarrassed to have anyone read them.  I looked at them and went, ‘what was I thinking?’  I had one story that was a romance, thriller, crime, drama and the genres it filled were endless.  I could never come up with a decent ending and by the time I got to what I considered ‘the end’ I thought it was absolute drivel.  I probably should have had someone else look at in hindsight, but that’s in the past.  I had another book I wrote that I liked so much I began to write the sequel and then dropped it when life got too busy.  I wrote it as a sort of therapy for myself and to try my hand at drama.  

Reading it a few times over though depressed me.  I think possibly because the two main male characters in the story reminded me too much of two friends of mine and I had killed one off.  I don’t like killing characters in my book but do so if the story calls for it.  Back when I wrote the book entitled ‘The Bully Slayers’ I didn’t have the same perspective on character killing as I do now.  I also got way too close to my characters.  I would like to go back and dig up the book if I can still find it.  I would love to just have it to archive.  I don’t know if I would ever resurrect it fully, but I might include elements of it in my other YA books.

Author Jane Haddam says that anyone who seriously annoys her gets bumped off in her next book.  How do you incorporate your real-life experiences into your stories?

Very carefully [laughing].  It can be very easy to let my personal life slip into my stories and then do damage to my characters.  And if I’m not very, very careful the people I base my characters off of can pick up on that character being very similar to them and become offended.  Aside from bad days though, I do incorporate my life into my stories a lot.  The Heart’s Discovery is a good example.  There are a lot of scenes that are based off real experiences I had living in the basis for HopeValley.  Nearly all my characters are based on people I actually knew at the time as well as elements of the location.  I even have a section in my ebook version that is strictly photographs taken of ‘the real HopeValley’ while I lived there.  I find it brings some realism to the story. 

I also find that pretty much anything can inspire me if I’m in the right mood.  An example is my Wii.  I try to work out on it for weight loss and general health as often as possible and there is a section in Wii Fit Plus that is rhythm boxing.  I have a little note in my notebook for one of my later novels, suggesting how I can incorporate boxing into the story.  A food I’ve never tried before or a place I’ve never been but want to visit can also become inspiration.  Quito, Ecuador is a good example.  In researching it for my novel I fell in love with the city and country.  I definitely want to travel there someday.

What is your junk food of choice?

Chocolate.  It’s my kryptonite.  There’s something just so calming and like a mini vacation in even the smallest amount of chocolate.  My favourite desserts and drinks contain chocolate and I can’t imagine a world without it.  I like white chocolate and milk chocolate but of the two, milk is my favourite.  Sadly, since it’s super fattening, I have to limit how much I have, but when I do get some, it’s a tiny slice of heaven.

Tell us about your book!

The Heart’s Discovery is a love story based in British Columbia with a brief foray into Quito.  Anjaline is a native of Quito, Ecuador and Gabriel is a native of Hope Valley, British Columbia.  You couldn’t meet two teenagers more different and yet they find a common ground in their mutual attraction.  Of course, being teenagers and having low self esteem on both sides, they deny their feelings and further complicate each other’s lives.  Jealousy from friends and family threaten to destroy any chance of friendship, let alone something deeper.  A story of growing up in the harsh mountain country of British Columbia, there are moments of frustration, anger, joy, tenderness and tragedy.  As the book is a love story, the ending should be predictable yet it’s not.  The ultimate romance between the characters is inevitable, but all the twists and turns it takes to get there is not.  The ending will surprise you.

The Heart’s Discovery

In her opinion he’s a judgmental snob who thinks he knows everything.  In his opinion she’s beautiful, yet spoiled.  Can they set aside their preconceptions and take a chance on love?  Or will they be forever separated when a tragic accident claims the life of someone close to them both?

Anjaline Rodriguez plans to live forever in her hometown of Quito, attend the prestigious CotopaxiAcademy and become a world-famous journalist.  Then her stepfather’s job as an anthropologist takes her away from all she knows and loves.  When she arrives in HopeValley she is immediately attracted to the shy mountain boy with fathomless eyes.  Does her new home hold promise after all?

 

Where you can purchase the book

Ebook: $4.99, Paperback: $9.99 plus shipping and handling

Paperback or pdf on my site: http://www.shesanauthor.com/apps/webstore

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Discovery-Hope-Valley-ebook/dp/B0077IUEX6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348681070&sr=1-1&keywords=the+heart%27s+discovery

Amazon Paperback:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Hearts-Discovery-Valley-Volume/dp/1475265115/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1348681131&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=the+heart%27s+discovery+book+one

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/146706

 

Where you can find Amy:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShesAnAuthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmyMcGuire

Email: shesanauthor@gmail.com

My site: http://www.shesanauthor.com

 

God Called – He Wants His Stuff Back

Greetings from sunny California! Katy Lee here, taking a quick break from the national AGLOW convention near LA that is still going strong. This is my first AGLOW conference and I really didn’t know what to expect, but when the speaker, Graham Cooke of Brilliant Book House, opened his mouth and started saying I have a story to tell, he hooked me immediately.

I thought how did he know that?

But the fact is whether you are a writer or not, we all have a story to tell about this journey we are on.

Now, I could recap his whole amazing message, but I would never do him justice. The man is truly prophetic. But if you are intrigued, I invite you to get the DVD. You won’t be disappointed. I will tell you this though. He changed my outlook on everything I do and every way I see myself. I don’t think I will ever be the same. And that’s a good thing because I don’t want to be the old me anymore.

The old me carried bags of self-doubts and hurt feelings of rejections that I didn’t even know were weighing me down. And this “stuff” has been keeping me from my destiny and I had no idea it was me holding onto it all.

So imagine my OMG moment when Mr. Cooke told us that God wants His stuff back.

Stuff? What does that mean? What stuff was the question everyone in that audience had. But in the end the answer was really quite simple.

The stuff Mr. Cooke was speaking of is our insecurities, doubts, anger, and resentment…all the things that keep us from our destiny. Keep us from being the beautiful people God sees when He looks at us. Keeps us from being the person He created.

You see Jesus died for our stuff. He’s already paid for it all, so why do we keep taking it all back? Our stuff now belongs to Him. He owns it all so that we are made into new creations. But yet we hold onto the things that keep us from that new and true identity.

Now because I have to get back to the conference, I am going to just lay out The Unlocked Secret from this weekend. Are you ready?

Give God back His stuff. Once you do, you’ll find your true identity. Now I will say there will be people around you that will remind you of your stuff. Possibly throw it back in your face. But that’s only because they’re still holding onto their “stuff.” Encourage them to give it up too and embrace their destiny.

Interview with Author Ann Lee Miller: The Art of My Life is Set on a Sailboat

Ann Miller is back at the Scribes! And anyone who leaves a comment with their (safe) e-mail address will receive a free e-copy of prequel: Kicking Eternity. Or you may request your free copy at www.AnnLeeMiller.com

 

Ann, how did you get interested in sailing?

My dad built a 40-foot yawl (sailboat) in our Miami, Florida, back yard that we ended up living aboard for a few years when I was an adolescent.

Wow! What an adventure for a teen. What were some highlights from living aboard?

[Laughing] I always say the Annie Lee (named after yours truly) was an aquaculture for mold and dysfunction. A psychologist would have a heyday with that, no doubt. My folks’ marriage had descended into its swan song during those years. But it’s pretty hard to knock shedding your Catholic school uniform everyday, shimmying into a bathing suit, and jumping overboard. My kid brother rode his tricycle off the end of our pier twice before my dad left the trike at the bottom of the bay. We rescued an injured turtle the size of a car tire and nursed it back to health in our cockpit. Not yet a proficient swimmer, my brother had to wear a Styrofoam football on a belt around his waist. Every so often my father would saw off a hunk until my brother only had the belt left. Since he’s still alive, I guess Dad’s method of drown-proofing worked.

Was there a down side to living aboard a sailboat?

Probably not for a the-cup-is-half-full person, but for a writer with excess angst, even at twelve, there were fish bones in the spaghetti, ubiquitous and hideous zinc oxide we smeared on our noses and cheeks and shoulders to ward off sunburn, a spider the size of my palm and spare palmetto bugs that shared the aft cabin with me, hippies passed out on park benches on my walk to school. Ultimately, my mother said living on a boat was too much togetherness, then she filed for divorce.

Did you incorporate any real-life boat experiences into The Art of My Life?

I have a shrimping scene that was inspired by a night on Pier 1 at Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove (Miami) when the shrimp were running. All the people who lived aboard gathered nets and lights and scooped shrimp into buckets late into the night.

After living on a boat did you need to do additional research for The Art of My Life?

My friends, Tim and Jan Solomon, who own and operate Key Sailing, http://keysailingsarasota.com/, in Sarasota, Florida, have fielded thousands of sailboat and charter sailing questions. There would be no book without their help. In fact, I plunked their forty-one-foot Catalina right into my book. However, don’t blame them if I got something wrong. I love it when readers catch mistakes. In this digital age, my flubs can be fixed in future copies.

Are there any funny boat stories you wish you’d included in the book?

My dad built a dinghy in our living room before he built our sailboat. But he had to take it apart to get it out the door—funny only in retrospect. Later, my folks sent me to a sailing club near the marina for pram sailing lessons. My most prized accomplishment was capsizing. I loved the confidence that once I got the small sailboat to tip over, I had the power and know-how to right it by standing on the centerboard. The several times I’ve shared this feat with friends, they failed to share my delight.

 I think I might be one of them. But impressed you know how to handle the situation.

Thank you, Ann for sharing more about yourself with our readers!

And Readers, here is more about Ann’s latest book! And don’t forget to leave a comment.

The Art of my Life

Cal walked out of jail and into a second chance at winning Aly with his grandma’s beater sailboat and a reclaimed dream of sailing charters.

Aly has the business smarts, strings to a startup loan, and heart he never should have broken. He’s got squat. Unless you count enough original art to stock a monster rummage sale and an affection for weed. 

But he’d only ever loved Aly. That had to count for something. Aly needed a guy who owned yard tools, tires worth rotating, and a voter’s registration card. He’d be that guy or die trying.

For anyone who’s ever struggled to measure up. And failed.

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-My-Life-ebook/dp/B009BICC2G/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1347838604&sr=8-7&keywords=The+Art+of+My+Life

Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-of-my-life-ann-lee-miller/1112910892?ean=2940015675597

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/230031

 

Bio:

Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the SuperstitionMountains with her pastor husband or meddling in her kids’ lives.

 

Keep in touch with Ann at:
AnnLeeMiller.com

Blog: http://the-art-of-my-life.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @AnnLeeMiller

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnnLeeMillerAuthor

Real Virtue

Hidey-Ho Scribblers!  J Monkeys here.  I want to take a few minutes to review a book I read recently, Real Virtue by our very own Katy Lee. 

In the interests of full disclosure, I should probably tell you that (of course) I know Katy personally and count her a friend.  Unfortunately for her (and my other writing friends) I’m a particularly tough critic when it comes to their writing. I’m not really sure why that is.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’m enough of a newbie for the mystique of the author to linger in my mind.  I’m having a hard time imagining that all these people I know who are getting published these days (go CTRWA!) are real authors.  Maybe I just haven’t met enough of my author idols to realize that they are real people, although it’s beginning to dawn on me.  Clearly, this is a maturity issue for me. 

Maybe like so many other folks out there, I hurt the ones I love the most.  Or maybe I’m afraid that they might not like my review and since I know them I don’t want to hurt their feelings.  With that in mind, let me say, friends, if I haven’t reviewed your book please don’t read anything into it one way or the other.  Seriously!

So, now that that’s out of the way, let me get to the heart of today’s post.  I really, really liked Real Virtue.  Now this is an Inspirational Romantic Thriller.  Yes, that’s a stew of genres, but in this book, it works.  The main characters are nicely conflicted, complex folks full of angst.  The plot is twisty and unpredictable.  And the text is informative about schizophrenia, addiction and woodworking, all without being preachy.  And the writing is very good.

I like romances and I like thrillers (the genre, not necessarily the song.  Click the link and watch the video – I haven’t seen it all the way through in several decades and the beginning is really weird!  What is he, some kind of were-zombie?  I didn’t have MTV as a kid, sorry.  OK, I’m 4 minutes in now…maybe I’ve never seen the whole thing…) but I honestly don’t read Inspirational romance.  Other people’s religions make me a little uncomfortable.  I mentioned my immaturity, right?  My hubby and I happen to both be lapsed Episcopalians and we plan to raise our kids in that faith just as soon as I manage to get up early enough on a Sunday morning to get to an as-yet-to-be-selected church.  We once went to a Lutheran church to see Hubby’s friend play in a touring Lutheran rock band.  I swear I was just waiting for them to roll a golden idol down the aisle, to guarantee our eternity burning in hell.  In case you don’t know, Episcopal and Lutheran are about as close as two religions can be and still warrant separate buildings.  Anyway, I have my beliefs and I’m perfectly happy with you having very different beliefs, just don’t try to convert me. 

So I don’t read Inspirational Romances.  But I must say, I really liked Real Virtue.  Katy did a fabulous job of instilling some of her characters with deeply held, Christian beliefs at their core, but she still made them completely accessible to crazy folks like me.  I honestly can’t wait to read her next book.

Today’s secret: This one should be shouted from the rooftops – READ Real Virtue by Katy Lee!

Today’s question: Have you ever read anything that changed your perspective on an aspect of your life?

Jessica Nelson shares about her debut novel, Love On The Range

Hello all! Katy Lee here. Today the Scribes welcome debut author, Jessica Nelson. Jessica’s book, Love on the Range has just been released through Harlequin’s Love Inspired line. What an accomplishment, Jessica! We are so happy for you. Thank you for chatting with me today, and giving us a glimpse into your writing life. Readers, one lucky commenter will receive a copy of Love on the Range!

 

Jessica, what would you do if you couldn’t be a writer any longer?

 

Hmmm, do you mean I physically couldn’t write? I think that no matter what, I’ll always be a storyteller, even if only in my imagination. If I physically couldn’t write anymore I guess I’d get some of the voice-activated software and tell my story. *grin* Maybe pay someone with chocolate to transcribe my words?

 

Very creative! So, okay, they say that every author has a partially completed, quite-possibly-terrible half a story shoved in a drawer somewhere. What is yours? What is it about? What makes it terrible? Would you ever consider picking it up and finishing it?

 

Oh yes, there’s one hiding on my hard drive. All 40k glory…LOL Mine is something that started out as a women’s fiction type of YA and morphed into a romantic suspense. There’s absolutely no focus to it although I still love the characters. I don’t think I could finish it because the basic skeleton of great story isn’t there and honestly, I’m afraid to open that document anyway.

 

I understand about being afraid to open them! Yikes! Please, Jessica, Share with us your biggest misstep in your writing career so far?

 

Eeek! I don’t know! I think I’ve bombed most of my face to face pitches with editors. That’s something I’m definitely still working on.

 

Do you have a word related pet peeve?

 

Affect and effect. Their and there. And yet I still manage to mess them up myself. lol

 

What is your junk food of choice?

 

Hmmm, lately I’ve been loving the cracked pepper and sea salt Kettle chips. I do eat some form of chocolate every day, but that’s not really junk food. It’s calcium and antioxidants rolled into one little delicious package.

 

It sure is! So, what’s the most dangerous or risky thing that you’ve done?

 

Does skydiving count? I also rappelled up a small waterfall in Costa Rica, but none of those things really felt risky or dangerous. Just incredibly exciting! (and a little chilly)

 

Skydiving definitely counts! You sound like a dare-devil! And something I consider also pretty daring is writing a book. So, please, tell us about your book!

 

Thank you for asking! My book, Love On The Range, is published by Harlequin’s inspirational imprint, Love Inspired Historical. My story is about a garrulous, determined young woman who is sent by her parents to an uncle’s during the flu pandemic of 1918. She doesn’t mind though because she has two closely related goals: Find an undercover agent named Striker who lives near her uncle for an exclusive interview, and then tell said-agent that she thinks he’s awesome (and pretty much loves him). Little does she know that the agent is closer than she thinks, in a place she never would’ve guessed.

 

Thank you for having me, Katy!

 

And thank you for hanging out with us today!

 

Jessica Nelson is a busy mom to three little boys who daydreams about her bi-weekly cup of Starbucks coffee. Readers can always find her on Facebook or her blog. She also likes to check into Twitter and Goodreads too. She loves talking books and writing so please feel free to contact her!

 

Remember readers, leave a comment by 12 noon ET Monday (4/23/12), and check back next Sunday to see if you are the lucky winner of Love on the Range!

RT Recap

I’m back from the windy city, and it was…well…windy.

PJ in the Windy City

After a four day whirlwind trip to the Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention in Chicago, I thought I would share the highlights with you. I had the great pleasure of seeing some friendly faces from the CTRWA. My roomy Katy Lee, Jordan K Rose, Doc Jess Andersen, Corrina Lawson, and Sara Humphreys were all on deck to make me feel welcomed and to point me in the right direction when I got lost in the chaos. Thanks so much Ladies! It wouldn’t have been the same without you.

Sara Humphreys

I went to RT with three goals in mind.

 1) Networking

 2) Learning some new marketing strategies

3) Connecting with readers.

To that end, I took several self-publishing and marketing workshops, sat in on author panels, and enjoyed the many parties hosted by fabulous authors and the various publishing houses. I’ll start with the fun stuff first. With kilted men, winged women, and shirtless cover models, I must say the entertainment kept me dancing until the wee hours most nights. Being a YA author, I’ll admit that my favorite party was the YA slumber party, hosted by about a dozen of my YARWA buddies. In spite of the fact that the party started very late at the end of a long day, I had a blast. The highlight of that event was a hilarious game of truth or dare which resulted in Lea Nolan having to perform ten animal noises in twenty seconds and someone running around the room screaming her undying love for her favorite YA hero. We were all teens at heart dressed in our pajamas and funkiest slippers. I still can’t believe the pink flamingos didn’t win the slipper contest! Best of all was putting faces to the names of all the amazing and talented women who have helped me in a hundred ways on our YARWA loop. You gals rock!

On the self-publishing front, Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords did a workshop analyzing data that revealed some interesting trends in the industry. His data showed that the highest sales occurred with e-books priced between $2.99 and $5.99, FREE promotions work to move sales and drive books up the best sellers lists thereby improving sales once a book is put back up for sale, and that long tale sales are what authors need to focus on. Bottom line–E-books are forever and it takes up to eighteen months for most books to find their audience. He was kind enough to admit that the Smashwords sales reports were not very user friendly and promised that his staff is still working to improve the system. He was very nice, super approachable, and encouraging about the future of indie-publishing.

I also had the privilege of hearing Bob Mayer and JA Konrath give their take on the future of self-publishing, and I found it all extremely interesting. Bob Mayer talked about how to sell your book/product. His advice: Great title, great cover, great content, and then more of it. He suggested linking your product to something else that is already selling and that people are emotional about, networking and relying on other authors for reviews and blurbs to help sell your book, and building community. He believes in multiple streams of distribution, being consistent with whatever form of social media you choose, and using what you know and who you are to create name recognition. Become an expert at something and sell that!

As conservative as Bob Mayer appeared in suit and tie, Joe Konrath came across as being a bit radical. He had similar advice in terms of having a great cover, offering your book at a decent price, creating a killer description, and putting out quality books—lots of them! He sees the future of e-books leading toward interactive content or “user aggregated content.” That includes adding video, music, author commentary, fan fiction, forums, and even live chats, all included inside your e-books. The idea of a book as a destination with Enhanced e-books is already happening with programs such as V-Look. We now have the ability through Autography and Kindlegraph to do virtual signings and further connect to our readers. He also sees advertisement becoming part of our e-books in the very near future. I heard from several panelists in various self-pub workshops that the Global market is opening up and translation is the next big step. Although costly (at $5-8,000) it seems a worthy investment for those with big sales in that market.

 According to Liz Edelstein, trad-turned-indie-author and Senior manager of the St. Martin’s Press website, Heroes and Heartbreakers, there are basically four choices these days. Do it yourself, small press, Digital Imprints, and major houses (NY Big Six). She talked about the acronym TEMP being the criteria that authors needed to explore when deciding their publishing route. Time, Energy, Money, and Patience. Essentially, how hard do you want to work? She also answered the tough question, “Do you think there is a self-publishing bubble?” Her answer was a reluctant “yes.” With the hordes of new indie-authors jumping into the pool, anyone who started this journey over the past six months has probably had marginally less success than the trail blazers that hit the scene two years ago. Her advice was that if you’re going to do it, now is the time. In other words, he who waits to dip their toe may find the waters a bit infested. The good news is that there is always another bubble…those foreign markets again and the great big world of audio books. Technology is likely to keep offering new opportunities for those willing to brave the waters.

My favorite marketing tips from various workshops:

1)      Sell your hook, not your book when talking to media outlets and trying to set up interviews.

2)      Don’t look at numbers; look at who you are reaching.

3)      Don’t go overboard with self-promotion. Instead, focus on creating and promoting your Brand.

I didn’t even mention the craft workshops, amazing author panels, or my first Expo, but let me assure you, it was all informative, fun, and educational.

PJ and Jordan K Rose at the Expo

The long and the short of it is that I met my goals for the conference. But I have to say that the greatest highlight for me was when a teenager who won my book in an online contest recognized me and gushed about how excited she was to meet me.

Of course, I was an even bigger fan girl when I met Ally Carter, author of The Gallagher Girls series. Fun times!