April 25, 2011

Laying a Foundation: A(nother) Study of TV’s Supernatural

Posted by Rosalie Lario under On Writing | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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supernatural

Those of you who’ve read my blog probably know what a big Supernatural fan I am. Demons, monsters, and two hot sibling demon-hunters? What could be better than that? Especially considering how amazingly fresh the writers have kept the show’s content over the years.

I remember seeing an interview some time ago featuring Jensen Ackles, the actor who plays yummy older brother, Dean Winchester. He talked about how he was a big fan of westerns and would love to do a Wild West episode on the show one day. So when I saw the commercial for this past week’s episode, I had to laugh. It was….drum roll…an Old West episode! How will the writers pull this one off, I thought?

Amazingly enough, they did. And here’s how they did it: by building a foundation throughout the show. Past episodes have gone over things like demons and how they could be killed (a gun invented by Samuel Colt in the 1800s), as well as the ability to time travel (angels can send humans back in time for limited periods to accomplish specific missions). So when the writers put these things together into a storyline where the brothers have to go back to the Wild West to find Samuel Colt and the ashes of a phoenix, I totally bought it. That’s because a foundation had already been laid for time travel and for why they would have to go back into the past.

Us novel writers can take a few lessons from the screenwriters for Supernatural. They know that when you build a proper foundation, your fans will follow you wherever you choose to take your storyline, as long as it fits within the parameters of the world you’ve built. But there has to be some basis for that action. If the Winchester brothers had never traveled back in time before, I probably would have scoffed at this episode. It wouldn’t have been believable. But because they’ve done it before, it doesn’t come out of the blue. I can suspend my disbelief and just go along for the ride.

So the morale of this story is: You can do anything, as long as you lay a proper foundation for it in your story.

Did anyone else see last week’s episode. Did you find it as fun as I did? :-)

 

April 18, 2011

When Are You Doing Too Much Marketing?

Posted by Rosalie Lario under On Writing | Tags: , , , , , |
[35] Comments 

I’m sure some of you looked at the title of this post and laughed. Too much marketing? Not possible, you say. But I dare to posit there is such a thing.

So when do your marketing efforts become too much?

  • When you are losing so much sleep you can’t properly function
  • When you are in danger of losing your day job because your marketing efforts are bleeding over into that time
  • When you don’t have time to write another book

I think part of the danger of marketing is that it feels like you are being proactive in developing your career, so you want to do more and more of it. The problem is that with today’s current methods, it’s not really possible to see which forms of marketing actually work. So authors do it all, hoping that something will stick. But the inability to accurately measure those efforts can lead to major burnout, and that’s dangerous. Possibly career-killing. Just my humble opinion, of course.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic of marketing. Do you believe, as I do, in the possibility of marketing overkill? What types of marketing do you think are most effective, i.e. what draws you in as a reader? A website, reviews, books trailers?

 

April 15, 2011

Author Interview – Pat Brown

Posted by Rosalie Lario under Author Interviews | Tags: , , , , , , |
[4] Comments 

PlacingOut       CrimePunishment

Today I’m delighted to host Pat Brown on the site. We’ll be talking about her latest release:

ME: Your latest novella, Placing Out, is a historical romance featuring a police officer who is firmly in the closet. Can you tell us more about it?

PAT: My interest in historical fiction grew out of my love for Los Angeles. While watching a documentary on the city during Prohibition, I was fascinated to find out that Los Angeles didn’t have the organized gangs like Chicago or New York at that time, instead they had the LAPD, who were very ruthless and efficient in keeping East coast crime bosses out – they wanted the job themselves. Pretty well all police forces were corrupt during Prohibition, but the LAPD didn’t work with the gangs, they were the gangs. Along with City Hall, local businessmen and the L.A. Times, gambling joints, brothels and speakeasies were protected and sometimes even owned by cops.

Once I knew this, I had to write about it. My first historical was actually a novel called Shadows and Smoke, but it hasn’t been published yet. I got an agent for it, so he’s out working to sell it. But while researching the time that led up to Prohibition I stumbled across a program called placing out. It was devised by social agencies to move impoverished and often orphan children to a better life out west. The west needed workers and the children, the logic went, needed homes. Train loads of children, from babies to teenagers were shipped out to territories like Nebraska and Kansas.

I tried to imagine what it must have been like to be a kid taken from his home, no matter how bad it was all he knew, and sent out to live with strangers who might or might not care about him. Some of those children ended up in good, caring homes, but others became little more than indentured servants. I came up with Dylan Daniels, a boy of 10 who had lost his mother and whose father could no longer care for him. He was a thief and pickpocket and was arrested and shipped to Nebraska to stay with a farm family. He grew up there, among a stern, unloving family until he ran away. He realized he preferred the company of men to women and knew he couldn’t stay in Nebraska. He fled to Hollywood where he became a high-priced rent boy who catered to rich and famous men. Until he meets Ben Carter, an LAPD officer who arrests Dylan in a pansy bar raid. From the very beginning, Ben, a cop buried deep in the closet, finds himself hopelessly attracted to Dylan. Their struggle is to find a way to make what they have work against self-hatred and society’s pressure to be ‘normal’.

ME: You write M/M romance. What inspired you to pen stories in this genre?

PAT: I wrote those characters because that’s what they were. My characters grow in me and they tell me who and what they are. I originally meant Shadows and Smoke to have a gay protag but when I started writing, the character basically said in no uncertain terms that he liked women, so he became straight.

ME: What do you think your readers will like most about your story?

PAT: I think Placing Out shows a side of Hollywood/Los Angeles few people know. It’s not the Hollywood of movie stars, or rich, glitzy people. It’s about an LAPD cop who does things he’s not proud of and how he comes to accept it and even embrace it.

ME: What types of stories do you like to read and who is your favorite author?

PAT: I love reading darker crime fiction. I love Michael Connelly, Robert Crais and T. Jefferson Parker to name a couple. Lately almost all of my reading has been non-fiction history books. Prohibition, Los Angeles and most recently, New York City in the 1800s.

ME: What’s next for you? Do you plan on writing any other historicals?

PAT: I have the one historical novel finished. I’m currently working on another one, this one set in New York City in 1880s. It deals with 2 Irish immigrants who have to find their place in the new world and a smart-assed, 10 year old thief who wants to be somebody.

You can find Pat on the following Social Media Sites:

http://pabrown.com

http://twitter.com/pabrown

https://www.facebook.com/PatABrown

Blurb: Placing Out is an historical romance set in 1932 Los Angeles. Ben Carter is a 6 year veteran of the LAPD, deeply in the closet. Dylan Daniels was a placed out kid sent from New York’s Five Points at 10 to a family in Nebraska until he ran away at 18 when he realized he preferred boys and didn’t want to be a farmer. In Hollywood he ends up as a popular hustler with a number of wealthy clients. In a bar raid he meets Ben who is instantly attracted and repelled by this beautiful man. Between them they struggle to overcome the barriers that keep them apart, including Ben being in a brutal squad that frequently raids pansy bars and beats the patrons. This tears Ben apart. Will he let Dylan’s love heal him or destroy him altogether?

Excerpt:

The New York Times headline is based on a real headline I found in the archives of the Times. The actual date was in the 30s. But much of the wording is the same.

NEW YORK TIMES

Thursday, May 15, 1919

A HEARTLESS FATHER

Two children named Daniels, aged respectively two and eight years, last night sought shelter in the 6th precinct station house and told the Sergeant in charge that their father turned them into the street, and told them to help themselves. The children will be sent to the Almshouse.

Five Points, New York, 1919

I always remember the train. A black dragon, it smoked and roared, throwing up sparks that burned my face and left spots on my brand new shirt. The one the lady from the Five Points Mission got us so we’d be ready for our placing out. She told Da we had to look good for our new family. Every time I hear a train whistle now, I think back on that day. And all the days that followed on my trip west and the new life I had there.

Don’t remember Ma and Da much. Ma wasn’t there at all in the end and Da was gone most of the time working, out looking for work or in jail when he got pinched working for the Five Pointers or the Gophers. I barely remember Ma at all. She died in that big fire at her job in the garment factory when the owners locked all the doors and no one could get out. Da was never the same after. Only a year later, the fever took Flora and Mary, our little sisters. They were both sweet girls. That only left me and Sean who was only two. Moira, the oldest, was always a bitch. Even Ma said so, calling her a witch and born slattern.

Didn’t matter, after Ma died, Da said it was up to Moira to take care of us. She got out of that when she run off with Jimmy Paglia, that no good Eye-tal-yan Wop. She married him. Da nearly had a fit when she did that. But it was worse when she told us she wasn’t gonna mind me no more. She called me a no good street rat who should have been drowned at birth. I slugged her and ran away. No one caught me. No one ever could when I didn’t wanna be caught. They call me Jack because I was as fast as a jackrabbit.

I ran with Ding Dong for a while, helping him and other Dusters with their hustles. Until the coppers got me cornered behind Old Bailey’s saloon. I’d run off with a bottle of gin. Stuff tastes like piss, but I can sell it for two bits and ain’t that sweet. Except this time the coppers caught me and tossed me in the hoosegow. I figure Da would come around and get me out. He did, then he turns around and put us out, sayin’ we were too much trouble.

Sean was the one took us to that police station. They sent us away too. I was still expecting Da to come get us, instead this wrinkled old dame showed up carrying a Bible. Tells me she’s from something called the Five Points House of Industry. Her skirts were all black and crinkly and rustled whenever she moved. I don’t remember Ma wearing anything so fancy. This lady said her name was Rose Marie and she was a woman of God, doing God’s work. When I ask her what that is, she say it’s saving lost and fallen souls like me.

“I ain’t lost,” I told her. “And I ain’t fallen nowhere. I’m standing right here.”

“You are indeed, young man. You’re a poor orphan boy who has taken to the dirty streets to survive. You have fallen into that vast and stinking den of iniquity. Arrested stealing a bottle of the devil’s drink.”

“Ain’t no orphan neither.”

“Your ma died. You live in squalor among the most base humans. You’re father can’t take care of you. He told me as much.” She patted the folds of her big dress and touched my head. I jerked away from her, wanting to tell her not to touch me. Instead I batted her hand away when she tried to touch me again. “We’re going to take care of you, Dylan Daniels. You and your brother. We’re going to take you to a place where you can learn to be a man.”

“A man?” I snorted. “I’m ten years old. I ain’t no man.”

“Nonetheless.” She was all stuffy and stiff. I didn’t like her. She didn’t care. “You are going to be placed out.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, lady. I ain’t going nowhere.”

She looked around the filthy cell they had put me in. It smelled like piss and shit. There was a sparkle in her brown eyes when she looked back at me. “No, young man, you aren’t. For now.”

I still didn’t know what she was talking about it. I didn’t know until Da came with a bag I recognized as belonging to Ma, all tied up with twine. He also handed me a silver dollar.

“You be a good, boy. Make your mother proud.”

I stared down at the bag and the dollar glittering in the palm of my hand. I’d never had that much money in all my life. I still didn’t get it.

“They haven’t told me where you’re going to, but Missus Matthews says they’re all good homes. You’re getting a real chance if you behave and mind your betters.”

It hit me like I got kicked by one of Tony Gambol’s big bay Clydesdales. Da was sending both of us away. “I won’t go,” I said, folding my arms over my chest. “You can’t fuckin’ make me.”

He slapped me across the face. I didn’t see it coming and fell back, landing on my ass on the dirty, rough floor. I threw myself to my feet but he backed away, going to the jail cell door.

“I don’t like doin’ that, Jack-boy, but you ain’t got no choice in this. I can’t be your ma and pa both. With your ma gone, I gotta do what’s good for both of you.”

I argued and yelled but no one listened. Da left and I was alone. I stayed alone until the Five Points lady came for me and took me and my bag and silver dollar, now carefully hidden in my shoe, to the train station. Sean was there with Da. He clung to Da ’til he shoved Sean at me. Then he hung on to me so tight my hand fell asleep. He was already wailing when I dragged him into the belching monster. It shuddered and grunted as it pulled away from the station. I looked at the platform through a grimy, soot-covered window but Da was already gone.

I got so I could sleep in the dragon’s belly. I met other kids like me. Over a hundred of us. Some were real orphans, some were like me, picked up by the cops, others volunteered to be placed out. They fed us, mustard sandwiches and sometimes jam. In Omaha they divided our four cars up into cities. Our car was going to Nebraska. Someplace near North Platte. The resident agent, William T. Elder, took us out in a horse drawn wagon to introduce us to our new family, the Chatterfields.

As we drove away from the still belching train, I watched until we turned a corner and headed on a dusty road out of town and I couldn’t see the train no more. Then I turned in my seat and stared straight ahead, knowing I ain’t never gonna see Da or Moira agin. Sean kept at me about when Da comin’ to get us ’til I slapped him.

Folks ask me later if I cried. ‘Course not. I don’t cry. What do they think I am? A baby? Sean was the baby, not me.

Buy Links:

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/index.html

http://pabrown.com/place.htm

So Pat wants to know, what is it you like about historical fiction. What would you like to see that hasn’t been done yet?

 

March 21, 2011

Going with the Flow (Ye ‘Ole Plotter v. Pantser Discussion)

Posted by Rosalie Lario under On Writing | Tags: , , , , , |
[14] Comments 

Admission Time: for those who haven’t already figured it out, I fall firmly on the “plotter” side of the plotter-pantser scale. I usually take a fair amount of time letting stories percolate in my head before I start writing. First I think of what the characters look like and try to find images to match them, then I create character sheets, square up my plot, and write down a general timeline of events. But every once in a while I’ll get a vague idea in my head, and I’ll just pick up my computer and start writing. I never know if those stories will amount to anything, but they sure are fun to write. (And yeah, a little stressful too; what if the story peters out and I’ve spent all this time on it for nothing?)

It’s my firm belief that any time you are feeling tired of what you’re working on, worn out, or you’ve just lost the feeling of excitement that writing can generate, it’s probably a great time to open up a blank document and just start writing. Something about doing that frees the creative flow of energy.

The series I’m currently working on, The Fallen Warriors (which at this time is planned to be a self-pubbing project) came to me by the creative process I note above. I had just finished Book 2 in my Demons of Infernum series and wanted a break before starting the third book. There’s an urban fantasy I’ve got plans for but it’s not yet ready to be written (see above note re: percolation), and my hubby had been bugging me to self-pub something. So I sat down in front of the computer and wrote the first thing that came to mind. The story started out with a dystopian feel, but I quickly realized it was an alternate world, one where angels are beings from another dimension who have been revealed to humans when the ‘veil’ separating their worlds collapses. The angels quickly take rule over the humans, who’ve been promised peace and protection in return for their fealty. Little do they know the angels have far more sinister plans in place for them(cue maniacal cackling). But the main point here is none of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t gone with the flow and let the creative process take me where it wanted to.

So if you’re not feeling the magic on something you’re writing (especially if you’re a plotter), why not put that aside and try something else? Write without any specific project in mind. Who knows what you might find?

I’m curious to know if any of you have uncovered a fabulous story by simply sitting down and writing? (And I’m sure many of you majorly talented peeps have. Smile)

 

 

March 14, 2011

Self-Publishing: It’s a Brave New World

Posted by Rosalie Lario under On Writing | Tags: , , , , , , , |
[35] Comments 

I blame today’s posting tardiness on the time change. Sigh…

Okay, I know there’s been a lot going around the web lately about this topic, especially since the news of Amanda Hocking went viral. But I’ve been thinking about it a lot so I figured I’d write a post.

The publishing landscape is rapidly changing. I mean really fast. When I first started writing with an eye toward publishing back in January 2009, there wasn’t much talk of e-books at all. Today e-book sales are estimated to make up 20-30% of book sales. That’s a pretty drastic change within the span of two years. Who knows where we’ll be in another two?

Even when I started looking into e-publishing as a viable option, I didn’t think much about self-publishing. After all, e-publishers were offering pretty decent royalty rates at 30-40%, and they have a lot of other things they can provide, namely:

  1. Marketing to draw readers to their website (where they’ll hopefully spot your book)
  2. An established customer base
  3. Cover Art (some e-pubs better than others)
  4. Editing Services

But I’ve been thinking more and more about self-publishing. After all, if you publish with Amazon you get to keep 70% of profits. That’s almost, or in some cases more, than twice what you’ll get with an e-publisher. True, that means cover art, marketing and editing is left to the author, but many of these services can be provided by freelance experts with some upfront expense. Here are some ballpark figures I picked up:

  1. Cover Art: $40 (for the really basic stuff) – $400+
  2. Editing by a Professional: $400+

Now that’s no small amount of money. It’s an investment into a venture that might not recoup the expenses. But there’s the possibility of getting much more.

So if cover art and editing can be purchased freelance, what this leaves is the established customer base an e-publisher can provide. In some cases that will be enough to make the difference between choosing an e-pub or going it alone. But for others (case in point: Hocking), self-publishing will be worth the risk.

Today I’d like to pose this question to you: How do you feel about self-publishing? Do you purchase self-published books? If you don’t, would you consider doing so if the premise of the story sounded interesting?

 

March 11, 2011

Author Interview – Danica Avet (Plus Win a Tiger Mask!)

Posted by Rosalie Lario under Author Interviews | Tags: , , , , , , |
[16] Comments 

da-siw3 Tiger Mask

I’m excited to host the lovely Danica Avet on the site today. Her steamy read Succubus-in-Waiting released this week. Without further ado, let’s learn a little more: Smile

ME: The second book in your Veil Series, Succubus-in-Waiting, released on March 8 through Siren Publishing. Tell us a bit about the series.

DANICA: The series is about the world known as the Veil and their struggle against their enemies, the Eturi. The Veil’s sole purpose is to co-exist in the human world without the humans finding them out while the Eturians want to take over. Each book reveals a bit more about the world and the Veilerian’s fight against evil. Of course, just because there’s a quiet war going on doesn’t mean the characters in this world won’t find love when they least expect it ;)

ME: Who is your hero and what is he like? What popular actor or celebrity does he resemble (if any)?

DANICA: Connor Griffin is the temporary Alpha of his pack. He’s a serious-minded man, a scholar, who was unexpectedly thrust into the position of Alpha when his brother died to a succubus which is why he hates succubi so much. If I had to pick an actor who resembles, it would have to be Gerard Butler and not just because I have a serious crush on Gerard. He has brown hair, icy blue eyes, and a gorgeous body. *shiver*

ME: Now tell us a little bit about your heroine. What popular actress or celebrity does she resemble (if any)?

DANICA: Piper Foxgrove does not want to be a succubus and she sure as heck doesn’t want to be a weretiger either. She’s in constant battle against her true nature because she believes in true love and wants nothing more than to settle down with one man and have children. Of course, her nature as a succubus demands more, but she’ll fight it to the end. Piper has tiger striped hair and golden eyes. When I picture her, I see her as looking a bit like Mae West, all old school Hollywood starlet.

ME: What do you think your readers will like most about your story?

DANICA: I think readers will enjoy the push and pull between Piper and Connor, and the situations they find themselves in. I think they’ll also laugh at some of the antics of my secondary characters, and I hope they’ll fall in love with Piper and Connor’s story as much as I did when I wrote it.

ME: What types of stories do you like to read and who is your favorite author?

DANICA: I’m a fan of paranormal romance and historical romance. I can’t pick just one favorite author because I have so many! My heroes though, are J. R. Ward, Kresley Cole, Mary Balogh, Lisa Kleypas, Nalini Singh, and Julie Garwood.

ME: You write steamy love stories for Siren Publishing. What in particular drew you to this genre?

DANICA: To be honest, when I wrote this series, I had no idea they’d be considered erotic romance, LOL. To me, they were just hot paranormal romances. After some deep soul searching though, I realized that there are erotic elements to the stories, which I enjoy. The paranormal part though, was a conscious decision since I adore writing about special people with special abilities.

ME: What’s next for you? Do you plan on writing any other books in this series?

DANICA: I have a third book for the Veil coming out in April. I’m not sure if there’ll be anymore in this series though. I have another series I’m working on that involves the Greek pantheon’s brand new corporation, Olympus, Inc. and the immortals who work there and the sexy mortals who drive them crazy.

You can find Danica at the following Social Media sites:

Website: www.danicaavet.com

Blog: www.danicaavet.wordpress.com

Group blog: www.fourfoxesonehound.com

Twitter: @danicaavet

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Danica-Avet-Writer/108148517161

Blurb:

It isn’t easy holding onto your virginity in a succubus Pleasure House, but Piper Foxgrove has managed for decades. As a rare succubus/weretiger, Piper dreams of true love to the consternation of her mother. Forced to work with a bad-tempered, good-looking werewolf looking for his nephew, she’s determined to ignore his sexiness. Unfortunately, her succubus half decides he’s the key to unlocking her powers, while her recently awakened weretiger half thinks he’s perfect mate material.

Connor Griffin needs to find his nephew. The Veil can be dangerous and worry makes him take drastic measures. His brother died because of one of the “soul suckering” succubi so he doesn’t trust them. But something about Piper calls to his wolf and has him doing things he never thought he’d do: like work with a succubus, or lust after a succubus, or fall in love with a sassy, sexy succubus with tiger-striped hair.

Excerpt:

“Are you insane?” she screeched as she ran to his side. She fell to her knees next to him, her hands moving over his body as her face creased into a frown.

Connor was perfectly fine, but allowed himself the pleasure of having her hands run over his body looking for injuries. This probably wasn’t the best time to get a boner, but the minute her hands touched his chest, he was instantly hard.

“You could’ve killed us!” she shouted down at him after she satisfied herself he was going to live.

“You landed on your feet,” he pointed out once he caught his breath. Easing himself to his feet, he noted with glee that she looked shocked.

Evidently, even though she knew she was a shifter, she didn’t utilize her abilities often. Connor wondered why that was, but didn’t give it more than a passing thought. His keen ears picked up the sound of running feet in the house.

Grabbing her hand, he yanked her across the lawn to his waiting truck. Glad his unwilling passenger was a wereanimal, he pushed himself, running as fast as he could. Piper easily kept up with him even though she tugged at her hand with increasing strength.

“You don’t have to drag me anywhere, dammit,” she cried out as they reached his pick-up. “I’ll work with you. You don’t have to friggin’ kidnap me!”

Not bothering to answer, Connor tossed her through the driver’s side door and followed her in. She got caught on the gear shift and ended up straddling it, which was fine with him. The closer she was, the easier it would be to keep her in the car.

“This is ridiculous, Connor,” she said almost pleadingly. “Let me pack a bag, and I’ll come with you on my own.”

“No time to talk,” he gritted out, shoving the key in the ignition. His truck wasn’t the fanciest thing, but it could move when needed, and he suspected he was going to need it.

Piper grunted at him and tried to lift her leg over the gearshift so she could sit completely in the passenger seat. Connor grabbed her thigh, pushing it back down so it pressed up against him. Desire zinged through him at the contact. Immediate heat infused his body from where his hand was pressed against her leg. His heart stuttered then, galloped wildly. Without conscious thought, his fingers curled into the soft skin. He heard Piper’s breath catch, then the sweet perfume of her desire scented the close confines of the truck.

“Don’t move,” he ordered, ignoring the lust. He threw the truck in drive and spun through the yard, turning back towards the road.

“If Persephone doesn’t kill you for kidnapping me, she’ll kill you for messing up her yard,” Piper said with vicious glee.

Not bothering to respond, Connor kicked the truck into gear and hightailed it down the driveway. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw lights pulling out from the back of the house. If Persephone came after them in the Porsche, his truck wouldn’t stand a chance of outdistancing her. At best, he could force her off the road.

“You do realize this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever had happen to me?” Piper said conversationally. “And that’s counting the time I fell and broke my leg during burlesque lessons.”

Connor snapped his head around, his mind immediately filled with visions of Piper with nothing but two huge feathers covering her naked body. “Burlesque lessons?”

“Uh huh. Mom made all of us take them. I’m not naturally graceful though, so when I went to remove my panties, I got caught up in it, fell off the stage and broke my leg. That was ridiculous, but this has it beat hands down.”

His eyes closed in supplication. Gods help him, he couldn’t catch his breath. His mind kept picturing Piper removing tiny bikini bottoms, her ample curves swaying and shimmying in time with a risqué song. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his erection was rubbing against his zipper with every bump he hit.

“Um, do you want me to drive?” she asked suddenly, her voice hesitant, her body suddenly tense.

Opening his eyes again, Connor cursed as he saw he’d driven them off the paved drive and onto the shoulder. If she hadn’t said anything, they’d have ended up in one of the sugarcane fields.

“So, this is totally weird. If you hadn’t insulted me within Mom’s hearing, she’d have invited you to spend the night,” Piper continued. Under her breath, she said, “In my room.”

He jerked the wheel again. “Stop saying things like that!” he shouted at her, his blood like molten lava.

She blinked innocently. He wasn’t fooled. The succubus was lethal with her big gold eyes and kissable lips and her stories about G-strings and bedrooms.

Feeling completely overwhelmed by his lust, Connor punched the gas, sending the truck roaring through the night. The headlights followed but began to fall farther and farther behind.

A niggling doubt crept into his mind. To his way of thinking, if Persephone had been hell-bent on catching them, she would have. Instead, the headlights disappeared completely as though the driver had given up the chase. Frowning, he stared at the road, filled with the belief that something else was going on.

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/succubus-in-waiting

Danica has graciously volunteered to give to one lucky commenter a gorgeous tiger mask like the one shown above! She’d love to know what draws you into a story. Is it the hero and heroine’s interactions, the plot, or something else?

Update: The winner of the tiger mask is sapphyredragon! I’ll contact you privately. Thanks so much to Danica for graciously agreeing to an interview. :-)

 

March 9, 2011

That First Page (Hook ‘Em Fast and Hard)

Posted by Rosalie Lario under RWA 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
[4] Comments 

The first page of the novel: it’s arguably the most important part of the book. This is the part that will tell the reader whether they should read on. So what is it that an author can do to hook the reader fast and hard? The answer to this question is something I spend a lot of time studying because I think it’s so important.

Here are some suggestions I’ve picked up on:

  • Have Something at Stake

Give the reader a reason to care what happens to the character and they’ll keep reading. This is why so many stories begin with a mother trying to protect her child, or a woman in distress, or the end of the world approaching. It’s an emotional tug on the heartstrings.

  • Create Sexual Tension

If you are writing a romance, try to create the attraction between the characters immediately. I know this personally works for me. If the hero is hot and the heroine can’t help but notice it (especially if there’s a reason she shouldn’t), I have to keep reading.

  • Engage the Reader’s Curiosity

Make the reader need to know what comes next. You do this by placing questions in your story, whether literal or not. Make the reader ask, “What will happen next?” or “How will she get out of this mess?”

  • Choose Your Words Carefully

A single word can completely change a reader’s view of a scene. Words are powerful, and we must take care with them. I hadn’t given this much thought until I attended a one day mini-conference with agent Kristin Nelson. She commented on a few story beginnings, and noted one where the author used an analogy that she didn’t feel was appropriate for the circumstances. This alone was enough to make her stop reading the piece.

Have you ever picked up a book to browse through it and ended up being sucked into the story in those first few pages? What did it for you?

If you’re looking for a good workshop on the subject, check out “A Guide to Great Beginnings” by Leslie Wainger, a workshop given during RWA’s 2010 Conference.

 

March 7, 2011

On Author Intrusion / Contest Winner!

Posted by Rosalie Lario under Contests, On Writing | Tags: , , , , , , |
[8] Comments 

A few weeks ago I saw an episode of Supernatural where the Winchester brothers traveled to a parallel world in which they were actors named (you guessed it) Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. (For those of you who don’t watch the show, those are the names of the actual actors who play the brothers.)

Huh?

While I’m sure some people found it cute (and I did too, in an I-heart-Jensen-Ackles-and-daydream-of-stalking-him sort of way), I don’t really want to know that much about the actors’ real lives. That got me thinking about something else related to this topic: author intrusion.

Have you ever read a book where the hero or heroine did something that felt out of character? Where the main characters seemed purposely manipulated to be in a certain time and place? If so, you might have experienced author intrusion.

Author intrusion is where an author inserts something into the story that doesn’t seem to fit, and does so to meet a specific agenda: whether it’s making a political or moral point, or forcing the plot somewhere it doesn’t seem to want to go.

So why is author intrusion such a bad thing? Because it draws the reader out of the story. When you write a story, you are trying to fold your readers into your world. You want them to feel like your story is actually happening, even if realistically they know it’s not. Anything that makes your readers stumble or draw away from the story runs the risk of them putting your book down and never picking it back up. This is true even if they don’t consciously know what it was that turned them off to the story.

Ever put down a book because something just wasn’t right, even if you didn’t really know what that was? Yeah, me too. Chances are, you might have been experiencing author intrusion.

So have you ever noticed author intrusion in a book? If so, how did you feel about it? (No book-naming please!) Did you see that episode of Supernatural I’m referring to? What did you think?

And Now for the 4-Book Contest Winner! (picked via random.org)

Congratulations to: Julia Rachel Barrett!! 

Julia, send a private email to rosalielario@gmail.com with your mailing address and I’ll get the books out to you immediately. Smile

A huge thanks to everyone who participated in the contest!

 

March 2, 2011

Borders and the Digital Revolution: Where Do New and Aspiring Authors Fit?

Posted by Rosalie Lario under On Writing | Tags: , , , , , , , |
[16] Comments 

For those of you who missed Monday’s blog, I’m running a 4-book urban fantasy giveaway through the end of this week. See the post here and enter to win! Smile

Today I’m talking about something on a lot of people’s minds: Borders and what the bankruptcy means for the future of books.

This past Friday I attended a webinar put on by Writer’s Digest University entitled “The Borders Dilemma: What the New World Order of Bookselling Means for Writers”. Needless to say, this was a great, well-timed seminar. So what did I learn?

Some of the foreseeable consequences of the shrinking bookseller market:

  • Borders is still buying (or trying to buy) books, but not all publishers are shipping to them. So the number of physical books sold is going down.
  • The overall number of bookstores will be shrinking, which means print runs will shrink. Therefore there well be less overall royalties and lower advances.
  • Purchasing committees will be that much more difficult. Publishers will be focused on the following questions: How marketable is the author? Do they already have an audience?
  • Establishing online presence is more important now than ever, since marketability is a part of the publisher’s decision in whether or not to purchase the book. This is especially so with non-fiction authors who are pretty much required to have a platform nowadays.
  • Published authors will now, more than ever, need to work with their publisher’s marketing department to come up with a solid marketing plan.
  • E-books should make up some of the revenue lost with the decrease in print books.
  • It will be harder for new or lower-list authors to sell books, since publishers can’t afford to take as much of a chance on them as they used to.

Given the tight market, what can new or aspiring authors do?

  • E-books are increasing in popularity. Sales of e-books are climbing drastically. If you’ve been holding off for that NY contract, you might wish to at least consider an e-publisher.
  • Big-six publishers are currently only giving 25% royalty rates for e-books versus the 40% rate (give or take a few) that e-publishers give. While this is not such a huge deal now that most of the books sold are still in print, people foresee the tide turning. Many think that within just a few years more e-books will be sold than print. Authors need to start considering whether indefinitely giving away rights to a book at only 25%  royalty (almost half of e-pubs) is worth it.
  • Self-publishing might be a good option for you, especially if you can generate a lot of interest in your book. Publishers are starting to look at more self-published books as possibilities for traditional publishing deals.
  • Become a self-promoter. Get involved in social media. It’s pretty much a necessity given this landscape.
  • Realize that what it means to be an author is changing. If you want to have staying power, you must be prepared to change too.

So what do you think? Is any of this news surprising? Depressing, or perhaps exciting? Have your ideas about the publishing industry or your career changed over the last few months?

Like many writers, I have a dream of becoming a print-published author with a big NY publisher. I can’t say that the dream has died, but I’m trying to take into consideration the drastically changing landscape. With the advent of the NYT Bestseller List for e-books and all the advances in technology, digital sales will only continue to rise.

 

February 25, 2011

My Friday Good Reads List

Posted by Rosalie Lario under On Writing, Reading | Tags: , , , , , , , |
[14] Comments 

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. There are just so many good books out there, and since I’m in between projects right now I’m indulging in my reading addiction. (I’ve also been single-handedly trying to keep Borders out of bankruptcy, but apparently my efforts have failed).

Today I thought I’d share a few of the good stories I’ve read lately, as well as those next on my list:

  • First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones—This is the first book of a new urban fantasy series featuring a snarky detective who moonlights as the grim reaper. It won the 2009 Golden Heart award for best paranormal romance, and boy is that well deserved! Hilarious, engaging and utterly unique, this book is not to be missed.

  • Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells—just discovered this series about a half-vampire, half-mage assassin who’s got major family issues. It’s a really fun urban fantasy read, and Book 3 of the series was released just this week.

  • Magick Charm by Jennifer Wells—I got this one after reading the great review in RT Times. Holy cow, it was such a cute story. I’m feeling a major case of writer envy after reading it. This despite the fact that, even though its billed as paranormal romance, there wasn’t much paranormal about it. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t even any sex in it. Since those are two of my favorite things and I loved this book even without them, you know it’s got to be good!

  • Claiming the Evil Dead by Mary Abshire—This is the first book in a new urban fantasy series featuring a half-demon soul catcher. The premises is fun and unique, and the plotlines remain fresh and exciting as the series progresses. (I can say this with certainty because Mary is my critique partner and I’m currently working through her awesome Book 4. Smile) Book 2 entitled Catching an Evil Tail released just last week from Noble Romance Publishing, so if you love this story like I did, you don’t have to wait for the next installment!

Next up on my "To Be Read” List:

  • 666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce—This book is billed as a sort of Rosemary’s Baby meets Gossip Girl. Right now I’m about a third of the way into it and I can’t put it down. I love gothic horror and this story certainly fits the bill.

  • This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost—The next installment in her Night Huntress series (Book 5). This is my absolute favorite series right now, so I’m dying to get the book in. Hopefully it will be in the mail later this week. Borders has been taking forever to ship their books lately. Wonder why? (*wink*)

  • A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang—This has been billed as a cross-genre novel: Urban Fantasy Romance. I’ve been dying to find another one of these since I picked up Ms. Frost’s Night Huntress series, so I can’t wait to get my grubby paws on this one.

  • Beyond a Highland Whisper by Maeve Grayson – This one features an archaeologist and a cursed 15th Century highlander. I love the concept of this story and just can’t wait to start reading this one.

  • Heir to the Underworld by E.D. Walker —This is a YA featuring a heroine who discovers that the Greek gods really do exist. If you follow my blog, you already know how psyched I am about this one. Smile

  • Ruling Eden by Michelle Picard – I won this book from the lovely Rachel Firasek’s site. A story about a woman who learns she is the ruler of the magical realm of Eden. A unique and beautiful-sounding fantasy romance; I can’t wait to read it.

So have you read any good books lately? Maybe something by a new or up-and-coming author? If so, please share! I’m sure there are at least a few people looking for a recommendation on a good book to read right now.

 

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