A Slice of Orange

A Fantasy Life by Janet Quinn Cornelow

2012-01-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

Self-Publishing

Everyone is talking about self-publishing at the moment. For those of us who have a backlist that is sitting there doing nothing, it is a good thing. If your book is out-of-print or just been out so long it really doesn’t sell at the publisher’s list price, self-publishing is the way to go if you can get your rights back. You can also put that book that is under your bed because it didn’t really fit anywhere and no publisher would take it, but you know it’s a good story.

I have several of my backlist up at Kindle and Nook. I am starting to put them up at Smashwords. What I learned with my first one, Wild Honey, was that putting it at Kindle and Smashwords was not the way to go. I took it down from Smashwords after seven months and put it on Nook myself. It had been on Nook through Smashwords. I made in one week by myself at Nook what I had made in the seven months it was with Smashwords at Nook. Smashwords does hit other sites, so there is some money to be made with Smashwords. It is a lot like the small publishers, however. Smashwords has to wait for the money to come from the sale sites and they are not that speedy at sending out payment.

The other side of self-publishing is the money. Some people make a great deal of money with what they publish. Certain books sell more than other books and there really doesn’t seem to be a reason. Western romances seem to be the biggest sellers. Others make a much smaller amount, but enough to make it worthwhile. I made as much on A Moment In Time in the first month at 99 cents than I had in the last four years. It wasn’t a great deal, but it was nice. I figure a total of approximately $500 a month for all my books is worth the effort.

It is worth the effort if you keep your expenses down to get it put up. Those who make a great deal of money, like Debra Holland, can afford to pay people to do the work for them. People like me, who only make a few hundred dollars a month, maybe don’t want to spend too much to put their books up. Me, I’m cheap and don’t want to pay lots of money to someone else. I can’t do covers, so I pay Lex Valentine. She does really nice work. The rest I have learned to do myself. I can format and upload so the only thing I pay for is a new cover. Jackie Hamilton learned to make her own covers so she can do it all.

I have formatted manuscripts for a some other people. The thing I learned is that it is tedious, boring work. It is even more tedious and boring than grading essays all day, which is my other job. I never figured I’d find something more tedious than grading papers.

I hope everyone is working toward their 2012 goals. I have one finished. Yeah!

Charting the points

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

A highly rational friend recently noted with some surprise that sometimes just saying a problem out loud helped him figure it out.

And why was that?

Have you ever been struggling with something, felt a lack of clarity on which direction to go in, or even understand how you felt about an issue?

Have you written about it in an email, a letter, a journal and gotten an insight from the act of writing? Or talked to someone about it, and gotten a better perspective, even though the person you were talking to hadn't said anything? Or even just bounced something out loud into an empty room, and found an answer rebound back to you?

I expect many have. Most likely everyone has just accepted that experience as being just a strange exercise that for unknown reasons simply seems to works.

But for my rational friend, achieving that insight through those means was a surprise. For him, there hadn't seemed to be any point in talking or writing about the same information or questions that were in his head—what difference would it make? The information was already in his head, it wouldn't change from being said out loud or written down. So it got me thinking—well, why does it help?

And I came up with this analogy:

Do you remember math problems where you would be given a sequence of numbers and asked to figure out what the next number in the sequence was supposed to be? Well, the more numbers you were given in the sequence, the clearer the underlying formula was. So if you were only given one number, correctly guessing the next would be impossible—too many options. If you were given two numbers, then your chances were better, but still had a very high level of uncertainty.

For example 2 doesn't give you much to go on. 2, 4, gives you a lot more, but not enough. The sequence could be 2,4,6 or 2,4,8. So with three data points, you can be far more confident of perceiving a pattern, making an assumption, getting clarity.

So my theory is that when you have a problem/issue in your head, that's one data point. But when you say it out loud, so you are knowing it, thinking it, saying it and hearing it, or additionally writing it and reading it, you are adding more data points and increasing your ability to make a more accurate assumption, to chart a more solid course. And agreed, some of these point only offer a tiny bit of new information--a slightly richer or more detailed appreciation, a new perspective, but it's something; it helps.

In one of those Malcolm Gladwell books, he talks about how you can have a group of two or three friends, but if it expands to four or five, the group often falls apart. He noted that one more person isn't just an addition of one, but for everyone in the group, so the increase is exponential. Everyone is managing not only their own relationship to each person in the group, but observing & incorporating each permutation of every element of each member of the group.

So if you have a group of three, A, B, C, you need to maintain awareness of the relationships between A/B, A/C, B/A, C/A, B/C, C/B and ABC. If you add D, it goes from 7 separate relationships to 16 (A/B, A/C, A/D, B/A, B/C, B/D, C/A, C/B, C/D, D/A, D/B, D/C, ABC, ABD, BCD, ACD). Yes, OK, I may not have all the math right, but you get the point.

The more points you can chart or the more ways you allow your brain and intuition to process information, the better it will be able to build a viable theory, or chart a hypothetical direction to consider.

Also, it's very hard to lie to yourself when you are writing in a journal. Much easier to wrap yourself in denial and not go there if it's just in your head, or even talking. And in fairness, sometimes you don't even know you are lying to yourself until you write something down. Reading it, you think...well, no, that's not quite right, and start thinking about what is actually true.

It is helpful to get an external perspective on things—that's why editors were invented. But if you don't have an editor or critique group, or a boss or anyone to be a sounding board, try putting it out there & using yourself.

You'll have a point. Maybe more than one....

Get your sextant out!

Isabel Swift

Contest Deadlines

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Updatedand all sites tested. List compiled byDonna Caubarreaux and Pepper Phillips. List may be

forwardedwith credits.

EA= Electronic Format Available

EA/NonUS = Electronic for Foreign Entries

EO= Electronic Only

MO= Members Only

U =Unpublished

P =Published

P/3= Not published in three years

Pnr= Published, but not by RWA standards

PC= Not published in category selected

FEBRUARYCONTEST DEADLINES

Fire and Ice Contest (EO)
Chicago North RWA
Received by February 1, 2012
First 25 pages.
http://www.chicagonorthrwa.org/contest.php

Laurie Contest
Smokey Mountain Romance Writers
Deadline: February 1, 2012
First chapter not to exceed 25 pages.
http://www.smrw.org/contest.htm

The Sandy (EO)
Crested Butte Writers
Received by Midnight February 12, 2012
First 20 pages and up to a 2 page synopsis for a total page count of 22 pages.
http://thesandy.org/sandy.php

Between the Sheets
Greater Detroit RWA
Deadline: February 14, 2012
Ten-page love scene (sweet to erotic) and a one-page unjudged set-up.
http://www.gdrwa.org/contests.html#bts

Cleveland Rocks Romance
Northeast Ohio RWA
Deadline to enter: February 14, 2012
First 7K words, one page synopsis optional.
http://www.neorwa.com/index.php/Contest/Contest

Merritt Contest
San Antonio Romance Authors
Received by Midnight CST, February 14, 2012
First twenty-five pages plus synopsis, five page max.
http://www.sararwa.net/contest.html

Readers' Crown for Published Authors
RomCon
Submitted by February 14, 2012
Copyright date of 2011
http://www.romconinc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38&Itemid=29

PNWA Literary Contest
Deadline Febryary 17, 2012
Send one page synopsis + beginning with 28 page max.
http://www.pnwa.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=6

MARCH CONTEST DEADLINES

Fabulous Five
WisRWA
Received by 11:59pm, March 1, 2012
First 2500 words.
http://www.wisrwa.org/contest.html#f5

Great Beginnings Contest
Utah Chapter RWA
Deadline: March 1, 2012
First five pages.
http://www.utahrwa.com/gbcontest.html

Inspirational Readers Choice Award (P)
Faith, Hope & Love RWA Chapter
Deadline: Midnight, March 1, 2012
Copyright of 2011
http://faithhopelove-rwa.org/irc.html

More Than Magic Contest
Entry Deadline March 2, 2012 - Book received by March 7th.
Copyright of 2011
http://rwimagiccontests.wordpress.com/

CNW Contest
Postmarked by March 15, 2011
Max length of 5k words.
http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Contest_Guidelines/contest_guidelines.htm

Handy Links

· Check out Contests and Contest Winners on: http://contestdivas.blogspot.com/

· Check out the Award Winning Romance Books on: http://awardwinningromances.blogspot.com/

· Contest Alert-All the news on upcoming contests,plus Finalist & Winner listings, questions, etc. Sign up now! ContestAlert-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

· Announcement only list: ContestDeadlines-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

· For Published Authors ContestAlertPublished-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

· If you're a Contest Judge, join ContestsJudges-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Donna Caubarreaux isa member of Coeur de Louisiane, Scriptscene Chapter, NOLA Stars, Heart ofLouisiana, ESPAN and EPIC. She received a RWA Service Award in 1997.

Pepper Phillips is the author of"The Devil Has Dimples".

Silly Me

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, show of hands. How many of you thought once the book was through final edits and in the publisher’s fair hands, your job was done? You could rest on your laurels, take a few weeks off, visit with friends, then start the next NYT best seller.

Come on, be honest. At least in the beginning of your writing career? Yeah, me too. I understood the blood, sweat and tears expended in book production, but the rest of it–cover, production, advertising–that was the publisher’s job.

Pretty heavy duty fall when you found out otherwise, wasn’t it? I know I was thoroughly gob smacked (great expression, don’t you think) when I found out only a select few authors got the champagne and caviar treatment from their publishers. The rest were relegated to mid list unless or until they were noticed.

Somehow, when I wasn’t looking, along came the digital age of publishing. Seems like there were indie publishers everywhere, and it was a whole new world. Harder in a lot of ways but at the same time there was a very real feeling of being in control of your own destiny.

Gulp.

Along with sending in a spectacular book, you now have to plan and implement your sales campaign, and build your own buzz. So you set up a blog and/or website, you join writer’s groups if you weren’t already a member, and you push push push your book.

Double gulp.

You can also have serious input into your cover, your blurb, who does your reviews. Now that’s a bit more promising. Might even call it positive. Unless you go into brain freeze at the thought of writing a blurb, or your artistic abilities stop with a rousing game of Hangman. Even so, having read many times about the disappointment in poorly executed book covers (and having snickered at many of them when the author wasn’t looking) cover input is truly in the plus column for me.

Enough to off set the rest of the promotional requirements? Well, maybe not but it is a huge rush to get credit for the artwork on the cover as well as the writing inside. Or in the case of My Killer My Love, to share credit. I knew what I wanted the cover to look like, but I went into another brain freeze when it came time to put it together.

And (sigh) the same thing happened when I tried to put a trailer together. I took this great class, broke down the story into quick bits, started looking for images. Sadly, I am prone to the “ooooh shiny object” syndrome and can become easily sidetracked on any search, thereby losing many hours of what should be writing time. Once I found the images I wanted, yep you guessed it, chilled frontal lobes.

At this point it was time to move forward with this book since I signed a contract with Black Opal Books for the next story. So my Christmas present to myself was an inquiry to Lex Valentine, who put a trailer together for me with no muss, no fuss. I’ll be doing the same with Teach Me To Forget (if we keep that title). In the meantime I’m back to writing.

Really need to do something about the temperature of my gray matter and I don’t mean what’s on top of my head. Especially since that’s silver, as anyone with an artistic eye will tell you.

Oh, yeah, the book trailer: MY KILLER MY LOVE book trailer

Monica Stoner writes as Mona Karel. Read more on her blog, Discover the Enchantment in Romance or buy her books from Black Opal Books.

Deadline Extended: Romancing the Pages Anthology

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

OCC/RWA Members Only!

After receiving a few requests for "one more week," the deadline for short stories for the OCC/RWA anthology Romancing the Pages has been extended!

OCC/RWA wants your romance short stories! As a chapter fundraiser and to raise awareness of our amazing writers, OCC/RWA is putting together an anthology. Suggested word length is between 1,000 and 10,000 words.

Since one of the anthology’s goals is showcasing our members, the call is open to all forms of romance, from inspirational to erotic, as long as it has an HEA. Each story will be labeled for the reader in terms of genre/sub-genre and heat level.

First-time publications rights for 6 months. Although the book will be up hopefully forever, after six months, contributors can publish elsewhere.

Blind review. The stories will be chosen and peer edited by the anthology committee of members who are published authors and editors. Send submissions to occanthology@yahoo.com, where a non-deciding board member will review, track and then send the story for a blind review for consideration.

No content changes will be made to an author’s story without the consultation of that author. If the author doesn’t like the requested edits, he or she is free to withdraw the story.

This is a fundraiser for the chapter. The money will go to the chapter to benefit all the members. However, this is a good opportunity to get publicity for your work and pick up readers who otherwise wouldn’t have found you.

OCC published and unpublished members only. Submission deadline is ~~January 15, 2012~~ January 21, 2012! Please have a critique partner or author friend (or two or three) read the story before you turn it in.

We are looking for enough stories to fill a 400-page book. The cover design has been generously donated by member and author, Lex Valentine. Those authors who are accepted will be requested to submit a short bio.

For more information, visit the Members Section of http://www.occrwa.org/

-- Louisa Bacio

What’s Wrong with this Cover?

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

The creation of a book cover is acollaboration of the author (most of whom claim their suggestions are ignored),the editor, art department and marketing. Sometimes things go wrong.

One of the most infamous covercalamities happened to Christina Dodd, author of Castle in the Air, an historical romance. The hero on the cover isstanding behind the heroine in a lovely red gown, holding her with, um, allTHREE of his arms. Amazing fellow!

Jill Marie Landis, who writes westernhistoricals circa 1880, got an early peek at one of her covers. It featured acabin in the woods with a TV antenna. Oophs! The publisher had to reprint ALLof the covers. Boy, was that an expensive mistake.

I think my cover for Big Sky Family is both appealing andcharming; the colors are positively lovely. It’s hard to beat a cowboy hero(Arnie), the heroine’s young daughter (Torie) and a golden retriever (Sheila)for getting reader attention. But there’s just one small problem.

Arnie, our hero, is sitting on theporch steps. He’s a paraplegic. In every scene in the book he is sitting in awheelchair (with the small exception of rounding up cattle on a speciallyequipped ATV).

I’m guessing, and I really don’t know,that marketing has ‘discovered’ that heroes portrayed in wheelchairs don’tsell. Okay, I really want to sell lots of copies of Big Sky Family.

But what will readers think when theyget to page 10 and find Arnie in his wheelchair? Will they blame me for themisleading cover and write nasty notes? Ouch!

And what about readers who read Big Sky Reunion, a previous book whichfeatured Arnie’s brother Daniel? Won’t they remember that Arnie was aparaplegic in that book? When they see the cover will they think he’s beencured? And write nasty notes? Oh dear . ..

So do you think marketing is right?Would you be more or less likely to buy a book with the hero on the cover in awheelchair?

Let me know.

Happy reading.......

Char.....

BigSky Family, Love Inspired, available 10/19/2011

WrittenWith Love, working title, Love Inspired, 10/2012

Books that leave you smiling by

www.CharlotteCarter.com

Jina’s Top 5 Titanic Events for 2012 without leaving home

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

The year 2012 is the Year of Titanic.

No doubt the world will focus attention on all things Titanic. According to The Independent in the UK, you can take a commemorative cruise where you can follow the route of the Titanic. You can also shell out $59,000 to explore the wreckage of the ship up and personal.

Titanic Belfast , the biggest Titanic visitor attraction in the world, will open March 31st (experts predict 400,000 people will descend upon the center during its first year with more than 35,000 tickets already sold). The city of Cobh (known as Queenstown in 1912) will observe the centenary with the Titanic 100 Event series.

Halifax, Nova Scotia has a special connection to Titanic with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Titanic sites. Among them are three cemeteries where the Titanic dead are buried, their gravestones all cut from the same granite, all with the same date: April 15, 1912.

In Washington D.C. every year, you can attend the ringing of the bell at the Titanic Memorial to honor the brave gentlemen who died that night so women and children could be saved.

We can’t forget the Titanic exhibitions here is the U.S.: Mystic Titanic Aquarium Exhibit in Mystic, Connecticut will feature interaction touch screens to enhance the visitor’s Titanic experience.

What if you’re unable to travel to Ireland or Nova Scotia or here in the U.S. for these events?

No reason to miss out on all things Titanic. You’d be surprised how you can participate as well as honor Titanic victims this year without leaving home or your computer.

Here are my top 5 Titanic Events for 2012 without leaving home:

1. Not one but two TV mini-series are scheduled for 2012:

“Titanic” from Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes will debut on April 12, 2012 and will air in the U.S. on ABC and around the world (57 countries) for four nights. The mini-series creator promises a “fresh approach” as seen through the eyes of different characters (the cast includes 89 characters) including the oft neglected second class passengers.

Titanic: “Blood & Steel” is a 12-part BBC mini-series which focuses on the origin of the Titanic and the ship’s construction in Belfast, Ireland circa 1907. This emotional story is seen through the eyes of the wealthy men who backed and designed the ship as well as the laborers who fit together the nuts and bolts (14,000 workers). As of this writing, the U.S. network is TBA (keep you posted!).

2. James Cameron’s 1997 $2 billion-grossing Titanic film hits the IMAX theaters in 3-D on April 6, 2012 at the cost $18 million.

Mr. Cameron will also host a National Geographic special, Titanic: Final Word with James Cameron, which will share the spotlight Dr. Robert Ballard’s Save the Titanic. An amazing duo of documentaries I can’t wait to see along with Titanic in 3-D.

3. The Titanic First Class Dinner menu included a thirteen course meal from scallops to cream of barley soup to filet mignon to mint sorbet. You could travel to a hotel in Southampton or outside Philadelphia to enjoy a sumptuous Titanic dinner emulating the first class fare hotel.

There’s also a good chance a local restaurant in your city is planning such an event. Or plan your own Titanic dinner. This wonderful article by Rachel Cooke in the Guardian in the UK offers excellent information on Titanic fare. Or check out Last Dinner on the Titanic by Rick Archbold and Dana McCauley for the delicious details.

4. From the heroism of the Titanic musicians led by Wallace Hartley to the hymn Nearer, My God, To Thee that Titanic survivors reported hearing from the lifeboats, music has played a major part in the Titanic story. In 2012 a four-night concert will be beamed globally that will tell the story of Titanic.

Also scheduled is an album from Robin Gibbs (Bee Gees) entitled “The Titanic Requiem” with a special track about a young girl on one of the lifeboats singing about her father who died on the liner.

I’m really looking forward to the concert from The Spirit of Titanic who will perform music from the movie and the period with the Titanic Choristers and National Symphony Orchestra. According to my tweets with Spirit of Titanic, they’re planning to release a DVD of the concert. Can’t wait.

5. Without the wireless sending distress signals from the Titanic, most likely there would have been no survivors. These chilling messages will be rebroadcast in real time on April 14th and 15th by the Nova Scotia Museum on Twitter: “…the same wireless messages operators received in 1912.”

This is a must-do event for all Titanic enthusiasts. I participated in the event last year and I can still feel the strong pull of those messages sent out across the Atlantic on that bitterly cold, starry night.

Seeing the words “It’s CQD, old man” (distress call) pop up on your computer screen is akin to a time machine putting you back there at that precise moment.

I’m proud to be a part of Titanic with my novel, TITANIC RHAPSODY. My story is a romance about an Irish emigrant named Katie O’Reilly who believed so hard in the American Dream she risked it all to sail on the Titanic.

The ship of dreams.

Cover Art by Dar Albert

Katie’s grand adventure begins when she boards the Titanic with the law at her heels and runs straight into the arms of the handsomest man she’s ever seen—

“Now if you’ll be pointing me in the right direction to the third class deck,” Katie said, showing him her ticket, “I’ll be on me way.”

“And right into the hands of the law.”

She took in a deep breath. So he did know.

He continued, “You have no choice but to allow me to offer you my protection.”

“And who are you, sir?”

He bowed slightly. “Captain Lord Jack Blackthorn, at your service.”

What are you waiting for, girl? Look at the man, will you?

He was tall, muscular and possessed an arrogance that intrigued her. Not to mention a building heat inside her that warmed her down to her toes.

He seemed more alive to her than any man she’d ever seen. A man who knew his charm and savored it.

"And why would you be helping the likes of me?” Katie wanted to know with a proud air.

He smiled at that, continuing to stare at her, his eyes dark and searching. “Come with me and find out.”

2012 is going to be a momentous year for all things Titanic. I hope you’ll join me for future posts as we count down to that fateful night.

How Much Money I Made Self-Publishing in 2011

2012-01-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! As part of the changes this year at Routines for Writers, I am now starting the week there with news and information about my self-publishing journey. Since it’s tax time and time to finish planning out the new year, I thought I’d compile my revenue and expenses and share them with both my friends there, and here as well.

In the following list, I did not include any revenue or expenses for 2011 that were not directly related to self-publishing. All the things I bought or paid for that I would have spent money on anyway - books, DVDs, conferences/speaking events, online classes, web site, software, etc. - are in addition to these numbers.

EXPENSES

In April I started thinking I would probably self-publish if I didn’t hear good news about my genre at the Romance Writers of America national conference, so I started buying books and ebooks on how to publish ebooks. (That still sounds funny to me!) I spent $12.74 on five ebooks between April and August. I self-published Little Miss Lovesick [link] in September. Then I spent $67.59 on three books and three ebooks between September and December. I also bought a copy of my book for $0.99 at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble so I could double-check the formatting.

My husband is a former graphic designer so I paid $9.99 for the photo we used to create the cover, and my husband gained a lot of points to leverage against chores in the future. :) I spent $15 on an online class where I learned how to format my book for Kindle, then I did all the formatting myself.

I decided that I wanted to own my ISBNs, and I wanted enough of them to continue publishing years into the future with consecutive numbers assigned to my “publishing company.” So I paid $575 for 100 ISBN numbers. I also paid $57 to file a DBA (Doing Business As) form with the State of California to use Daydreamer Entertainment as my company name. (It’s not a corporation or an LLC, it’s just permission to use a name that is not my own.)

PUBLISHING THE BOOK

I uploaded the book to Amazon on September 17. But I was pretty sure I had a formatting problem, so I asked all of my friends not to buy a copy until I fixed it on September 22. I decided I wanted to price books the way I like to buy DVDs at Best Buy and Target: on sale when they first come out, and then full price after that with occasional sales. So I set the price at $0.99 for 30 days...which really means 5-6 weeks by the time you wait for your changes to take effect across all venues.

The book went up on Barnes & Noble on September 22 and Smashwords on September 21. If you aren’t familiar with Smashwords, they distribute my book to the iTunes store, Kobo, Diesel and more. There are a couple other venues I want to use, but with the move and the holidays, I haven’t been able to complete the work yet.

SALES AND REVENUE

I think the minimum that you have to earn before getting paid (on all three sites - Amazon, B&N and Smashwords) is $10. You can download a spreadsheet showing your sales and revenue from Amazon and B&N, which I have done every month. I’m not sure about Smashwords; I have a spreadsheet with all of my sales across all their distribution channels, but I’m still reading it over and figuring it out. It looks like their spreadsheet is only available by quarter, but it includes what countries you’ve sold to. Cool.

For September through December, 2011, I’ve earned $5.39 on 17 sales from B&N, and $8.11 on 8 sales from Smashwords (for sales to Smashwords and Apple customers only, so far). Again, I won’t get paid by either of them until they owe me at least $10. As seems to be so often the case, the biggest sales are from Amazon. I’ll break it down by month.

September - $13.65 in earnings on 39 sales, paid on November 29th; $0.26 on 1 sale in the Amazon UK store, unpaid until I reach $10.

October - $12.15 on 33 sales, paid on December 23rd; no non-U.S. sales.

November - $22.05 on 9 sales, not yet paid; no non-U.S. sales. (The price from the end of October on is $3.99.)

December - Reports are generated on the 15th of the month (next week), but it looks like Dec numbers are approximately $9.65 on 4 sales. That means I won’t get a check in February.

THE BOTTOM LINE

My total earnings for 2011 is $71.26 on 111 sales. (Of course, that’s not what I’ll report to the IRS. That number would be $25.80, the amount I actually got paid in 2011.) Total expenses for 2011 per the above is $739.30. (That is the number I’ll report to the IRS, in addition to other expenses, because I really did spend it in 2011.) That gives me a net loss of $668.04 for the year. (Again, not the number that will appear on my tax form because I had other writing-related income from teaching online classes. I just want you to understand the difference between the numbers as I’ll be presenting them to you throughout the year, and the way you report a cash-basis business.)

You can look at these results from a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty perspective. People who have been doing this longer than me seem to agree that it takes about a year for you to really see progress, and it’s quicker if you have multiple books out. I’ve heard that nonfiction sells better than fiction; I’ll let you know if that’s true for me when I put out my nonfiction ebooks. In the “corporate” small business world, common wisdom is that it can take up to five years to start seeing profits and have a business that supports you financially. I expect I’ll be closer to the one-year than the five-year mark, but only time will tell.

On days when I feel despondent about the numbers, my awesome husband reminds me that a few months ago I’d sold zero books and earned zero money from my fiction. This, from a self-proclaimed pessimist, so you can see why it cheers me up so much.

Today’s a new day, it’s a new week, a new year, and I’m feeling optimistic. I have a lot to do and some days I don’t know how I can possibly do it all. But every journey is one foot in front of the other, one mile after another, so I have to focus on what to do NOW and what to do NEXT and leave the rest of it on my To Do List.

Again, ask any questions you want and I’ll try to answer. And if you’re interested in planning out your 2012 writing year with me, sign up for my online class. We start next Monday.

Until next time, Happy Writing! :)

Kitty Bucholtz decided to combine her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher. Her first novel, Little Miss Lovesick, was released in September 2011 as an ebook and will be available soon in print format. Kitty has also written magazine articles, devotionals, and worked as a magazine editor. She is the co-founder of Routines for Writers where she blogs every Monday. Her next novel, Love at the Fluff N Fold, will be released in Spring 2012.

Greetings, New Year’s Grinches

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Admit it--are you a New Year’s Grinch?

Okay, I realize there really isn’t such a thing. That’s certainly not the background of the character created by Dr. Seuss who despises Christmas in the book How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

But the term Grinch has been extended somewhat in common use to mean more than that nasty, greedy and cute character. It can also mean someone whose holiday spirit is lacking.

So why not a New Year’s Grinch?

Most of us have looked forward to the New Year as a new beginning. We like to think that whatever went wrong for us in 2011, or wasn’t ideal, or even could just use some changes or tweaks, will get resolved in 2012. Sometimes it’ll just happen, and sometimes we have to work on it, but this year can definitely be better than the last.

Can’t it?

What about if you just let one year run into the next? I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, so although I may aspire to changes, mostly those that I cause, they don’t rise to the level of promises to myself the way resolutions might.

What about people who just figure January 1 is just the day after December 31? Those who may enjoy taking time off over the holidays because everyone does (well, everyone but writers) but don’t really consider the upcoming year to be different from the one that just expired?

Tell you what. All you New Year’s Grinches: since you don’t believe in the magic of the New Year, make your resolution now. This year, you’ll vow to stop Grinching and start working on changing all those things in your life that need improvement. And admit it. There are some.

Silhouette Nocturne BITES
November 2011

Like--if you haven’t read any of my Pet Rescue Mysteries or my Harlequin Nocturne Alpha Force miniseries books, that’s something thing you can start in 2012. Or if you’ve read some, pick up some more! Then there’ll also be my first Harlequin Romantic Suspense book in July...

Okay. Enough BSP. How about your own writing aspirations or career? What can you change in the upcoming year to improve wherever you are? Or what about your family life? Your home? How can you improve our environment? Help save some homeless animals? Whatever!

Tell us all, right here. Are you a New Year’s Grinch? And are you resolving to change that?

In any event, to all of you OCC members and friends, whether you’re Grinches or not: Have a very happy and productive 2012!

Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

The Turtle Has Stuck Its Neck Out

2012-01-05T00:12:00.000-08:00

New Year’s resolutions! They’re everywhere. What is it about January 1st anyway? What makes this traditional date any different than any other time of the year? Is it written down somewhere that goals can only be set once every 365 days? No, no, no. We can set new goals any time at all and we should. Don’t despair when you think of the goals not met—look at the positive—at least you tried. If you list the same to-do each year and it always becomes a didn’t-do, why is that? Regroup. Try again. They say that it takes 21 days for a new habit to become a regular habit. That’s not so long. Give it a try. Then give it a try again. I have wallpapered my bulletin board with colorful Post-its. Pink for my personal goals. Green for creative goals. Yellow for fun stuff. And, of course, orange for OCC/RWA. (Funny, the orange ones are the most prominent right now.)

My primary goal for 2012 is time management and in order to give myself the best possible advantage, I’m enrolling in Kitty Bucholtz’ online class called Going the Distance: Goal Setting and Time Management for the Writer, which starts on January 16. If you missed last year’s class with Kitty, here’s another chance. Who knows? You might learn one new idea or have a time-management brainstorm, or be surprised by a technique you never thought of and that will be all it takes to get that book finished this year. Or a PRO pin? An editor appointment at the RWA National Conference in July? A first sale? A red rose? (Or just the satisfaction of putting a simple “done” checkmark on your 2012 list.)

Last week I crawled out of my “comfort zone” and included my name in a list of members who made writing goals for 2012. I came up with a short story idea, have my first draft ready and will be tinkering with a thousand words for the next two weeks before submitting to OCC’s first Anthology (deadline is January 15^th)). Wouldn’t it be fantastic to have your name listed as a contributing author in OCC’s first e-publication? I think so.

OCC/RWA has just completed another successful year--2011 was a potpourri of great speakers and programs, fascinating online classes, two very successful contests and our 30th Anniversary Birthday Bash. That’s a lot to be proud of and we couldn’t have done it without the teamwork of the 2011 Board and Committee Chairs and I have no doubt that the new 2012 Board is up to the challenge. OCC/RWA is changing. Romance writing is changing. Publishing is changing. OCC is going to be ready.

RWA National is introducing changes as well. As a member you are invited to participate in upcoming training sessions/webinars which will introduce you to the benefits of your own personal myRWA page within National’s website.

However, my main goal for 2012 is to get out of my “comfort zone.” I am open to new ideas and challenges and will do whatever it takes to keep OCC thriving for the next year and beyond. So if you’re bound and determined to come out of your own “comfort zone” in 2012 and finally put a checkmark next to one (or more) of your top writing goals for 2012, come to a meeting every second Saturday and learn first-hand what being a part of OCC/RWA can do for you!

Take care,

Val

OCC/RWA Wish List for 2012 – Bring on the Night!

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

A different ambiance exists in the evening hours. There’s something definitely alluring about going out for an night shared with friends who have common interests, especially when it spikes one’s creativity.

Early 2011 saw Orange County RWA hosting a nighttime chat with Susan Elizabeth Phillips. We met at the Fullerton Marriott, and offered light refreshments, a talk and a book signing. Members were allowed to bring guests, and one of my best friends attended with me. She’s now become a new member.

As the incoming vice president, I’ve been thinking of goals for 2012. What can we do differently to support new writers, foster relationships with our established published authors and help with their careers, and continue to bring in inspirational writers from outside our immediate community.

One idea I’ve been mulling is a few more evening programs. Perhaps, one in the spring and another come fall. We might be able to entice one of the many authors here for this summer’s RWA National Conference to do a separate event either before or after the conference.

With the launch of OCC/RWA’s first anthology, Romancing the Pages, maybe we even want to do a reading of contributing authors. What a way to gain new experiences!

Oh, yes, this means more work for our new co-programs directors Beth Yarnell and Brenda Parrish. But we have double the input now … so let’s use that energy!

My question for our membership: What would you like to see? Is there a topic and/or genre that you feel hasn’t been covered? Is there an author who you’d love to have visit? How about one of our published authors that you’d like to hear more from? Let’s start a wish list, and see how we can meet it!

Conversations with Barb and Jann

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

by Barb DeLong and Jann Audiss

We have been friends for what seems like forever and beenstruggling with our writing as well. Soto start 2012 off with a bang, we have decided to blog on the Slice ofOrange. What better place to get ourmojo working. We decided to do aconversational blog between the two of us exchanging our thoughts and ideasabout our writing.

Jann: Hi, Happy New Year. Yada,yada...been thinking about blogging again. What do you think about bloggingtogether? I remember when we were doing it as a group several years ago?

Barb: Yes, I remember. Ialso had a Pro blog and my own blog for a while. But I stopped writingthem, as it seems I do regularly with my creative writing. I plunge in,all excited about a new story, write feverishly, then more slowly, then I hitthe skids. How can I make this year different?

Jann: I know what you mean.One problem I have is getting sidetracked with other obligations. Remember whenwe use to meet once or twice a month for critique group? We were actuallygetting pages out, why don't we try committing to - oops backup and remove"try", let's commit to meeting twice a month to write for 2 hours orcritique. If we critique, let's set a page minimum - doesn't' matter ifthe pages are good, bad or ugly.

Barb: Thegoal is ACCOUNTABILITY!

Jann: Hey,what about taking Kitty's Online Class for January. Going the Distance:Goal Setting and Time Management for the Writer?? Sounds like we coulduse it.

Barb: Setting goals, supportingeach other - sounds like a plan, Jann! And hey, I think we just didour first blog! Blogging is writing, so we actually wrote something. I like this already.

Meeting Reminder: January 14, 2012

2012-01-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

Doors open at 9:00 AM

Ask –an-Author: TBA

First Chapter Critique: TBA

Online Class:

Going the Distance: Goal Setting and Time Management for the Writer

with

Kitty Bucholtz

For information Click HERE

Time to renew your OCC/RWA membership! You may renew at the meeting or online http://www.occrwa.org/joinocc.html

2012 Orange Rose Contest for Unpublished Authors Information will be available at this meeting.

Even more meeting information can be found on our website.

Hope to see everyone on the 14th.

Western Witches … Calls for Submission

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

Want to start the new year off with some creative inspiration? Why not kick it off with a short story? Here are the latest Calls for Submissions … perfect for helping meet those resolutions.

Hex Appeal

Ellora’s Cave is casting a magical spell for all things Wiccan. Charm readers with stories about wanton witches, lusty warlocks and sizzling spells! 18K – 70K words Deadline for internal submissions: June 15, 2012. Deadline for external submissions: May 15, 2012. Stories will release in October 2012. For more information, http://www.jasminejade.com/t-writerscircle.aspx

Western Escape

Decadent Publishing is accepting pitches for their new series, Western Escape.

If you have a tale of a hot cowboy, or a cowgirl who can hold her own in a man’s world, we want to hear about it. Give us lariats to tie up desire, a beautiful sunset over an open prairie to weaken inhibitions, or even the slow rocking of a horse to spark things off. Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape follows the lives of Freewill’s residents and visitors. Heroes and heroines can be locals or tourists, but they must all pass through or connect to Freewill in some way whether interacting with the town ghost or locals, attending a conference at the Misbegotten Gaines Ranch and Resort, or something only you have thought of.

All submissions must have a Western theme. Tell us of the city boy roped by the hottest cowgirl in the West. Show us the wild or simple joys of a trip to the rodeo. Offer a plea to the ghost of Pierre Dauville and demonstrate the power of believing in what you cannot not see. For more information about Freewill look around the blog and make yourself at home or contact us.

Due to the somewhat conservative nature of the setting, all stories should focus on heterosexual relationships with a satisfying HFN or HEA ending. If you have a wilder cowboy in mind, please send it through general submissions.

Genre: A Western connection is a must, but we are open to any sub-genre including but not limited to Historical, Time Travel, or BDSM, as well as some paranormal elements such as psychics or reincarnation themes. No sci-fi or extreme fantasy please. Although a little implied magic is acceptable, we would prefer our cowboys on horses rather than riding dragons or space ships. 12K -50K (We will consider longer works on an individual basis.) Sensual to Hot (2-4) See submissions link below for taboo subjects. Remember this is romance so no straight erotica please. For more information, visit http://westernescapedecadentpublishing.blogspot.com/p/submission-guidelines-for-decadent.html

Coming Out Stories

Loose Id wants Coming Out stories -- Thoughtful, authentic erotic romances featuring men and women who come out. The coming out theme must be integral to the story. All stories must follow Loose Id submission guidelines. Final deadline for full submissions will be June 15, 2012 but the earlier, the better. Those accepted may be included for release in conjunction with Coming Out Day.

Coming out refers to the expression "coming out of the closet" meaning to tell others about your sexual orientation. http://www.lasionline.org/the-issues/coming-out.html Note: Coming Out Day is observed in many countries, usually on October 11. In the UK it is celebrated on October 12. For more information, visit http://www.loose-id.com/submissions.aspx

Faery Rose

The Faery Tales at Wild Rose Press are not for children. The Faery line is a fantasy world where you can allow your imagination free rein, a place to enjoy romance with mystical or mythical characters. We are looking for a sensual hero who knows what he wants and who goes after his leading lady. The heroine should always be a female we can identify with—someone we want to see achieve her dreams with strength she draws from inside.

Here are some possible scenarios:

Dragons in the mist that turn into mortal men and women while overcoming obstacles to their love may have a little lust on their minds as well.
Elves with challenges to their emotions could be looking for love with a bit of mischief thrown in.
Ghosts may come back for the love of their life—or serve as the conflict keeping hero and heroine apart
Wizards, warlocks, and witches crank up the romance like they spit out a spell.
Futuristic worlds reveal heroes and heroines capable of wielding a sword or a laser, who fearlessly go after what their hearts desire.
Time travels moving through centuries with the hero and heroine seeking not the secrets of the ages but of love.

And because our line is limited only by your imagination, if you have any other mystical creatures you think might be a fit, we will certainly look at those also. For believable romantic interaction, the hero and heroine must be of the same species or both humanoid. Your work should be a Romance above all, and every story should have clear goal, motivation, and conflict no matter how long or short. “Show” us the trials and tribulations of your hero and heroine—make them suffer. We want to “see” their emotions, don’t tell us; put the reader in the story rather than telling a “bedtime story” to a friend. For more information, http://wildrosepress.us

Compiled by Louisa Bacio

See something that piques your creativity? Louisa Bacio will be teaching Writing a Short Story for Anthology Call-Out on SavvyAuthors.com in January, and for OCC/RWA in November 2012. Make publication a goal. For more information, visit http://louisabacio.com

A Fantasy Life by Janet Quinn Cornelow

2011-12-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to everyone.

I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas and have recovered. It was a very busy day in my house since everyone comes to my house. My sons and their wives were here. My middle son’s mother-in-law and my sister were here. My two youngest sons helped cook dinner which is always good. Chewbaca, my dog, got his new squeaky ball first. He had it unwrapped quickly and then demanded that everyone play ball with him. He wore himself out.

Count Rugen, my cat, nearly had a nervous breakdown with so many people in the house. He’s not good with people. He hid behind the Christmas tree, under the dining room table where he tried to steal the silverware and finally collapsed on the bed.

It was Isabella’s first Christmas. She is my granddaughter. She mostly watched, but liked one of the balls and a rattle I bought her. We had to keep the ball away from Chewbaca. It was hard plastic and I didn’t want to be picking pieces out of his mouth.

I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas. I am still haven’t decided if I like it. It seems very difficult to work. It took me an hour to register it and an hour to actually purchase a book. It seems to get stuck on certain screens and it is difficult to change. The keyboard is super sensitive and hard to use. The reviews I read were all bad. Probably should have read them first.

I have all my backlist up at Nook now. It was as easy as putting them on Kindle thought some of the questions were different.

I am on vacation so I am trying to get some writing done on my western time-travel. It is going a bit slow because I am still tired from Christmas.

Everyone have a wonderful New Year. Remember it is time to set goals for the next year.

"Going the Distance: Goal Setting and Time Management for the Writer" with Kitty Bucholtz

2011-12-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassJan12.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
If you have specific questions, email occrwaonlineclass@yahoo.com

ABOUT THE CLASS:
Back by popular demand!

If you missed this class last year - or need a refresher – “Goal Setting and Time Management for the Writer” offers everything you need to make 2012 a banner year for achieving your writing and personal goals.

Kick-start the year with a personalized approach that works for you. Use these tools throughout the year and build your confidence knowing you CAN reach your goals. It doesn’t matter if you are a plotter or a panster, this interactive class helps you design a plan for the year and gives you the tools to know how and when to make adjustments.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Kitty Bucholtz, author of Little Miss Lovesick, combined her business background and a MA in Creative Writing to build a career – and she wants to help you do the same. She is also the co-founder of Routines for Writers where she blogs every Wednesday.

Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassJan12.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members

Coming in February 2012:
Kiss Me or Kill Me: Writing Cozy Mysteries 101 for Romance Writers with Linda O. Johnston

Discover the similarities and the differences between romances and cozies, and learn how the best cozy mysteries use the suspense of romance to further a series’ development.

Check out our full list of workshop at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html

Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure you're signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group! Sign up at the bottom of http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html or send a blank email to OCCRWAOnlineClassNotices-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

********** permission to forward **********

The Santa Shop Entertains & Inspires

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

This morning (Sunday) I was supposed to work on my new book – the one I intend to complete for a December release. Instead, I snuggled down in my warm bed and finished an e-book called The Santa Shop (The Santa Conspiracy) by Tim Greaton.

The Santa Shop is a short novel, but it was epic in its affect on me. This wonderfully crafted work held my attention, played on my emotions (yes, I wiped away a few tears at the end), made me think, and made me want to be an author just like Tim.

After I got over the heady reader-delight of having just read a good book, I also realized that I had been given the gift of professional inspiration. I realized that if I was agonizing over my work, maybe there was something wrong. If I had a good story, it should unfold; if I couldn't figure out which direction to go, perhaps I was trying to fabricate a story where one didn't exist. The Santa Shop was a story waiting to be told. It really was as simple as that and here’s why it worked.

I was instantly invested in the main character, Skip. I knew his circumstances, the joy and tragedy of his backstory, the pain of his current situation, and the torture in his heart and soul within the first chapter. I went with Skip on a journey that was equally spare and eloquent in the telling. I saw through Skip’s eyes. I felt with his heart. I worried that he would not survive. I wanted a happy ending. I longed for a happy ending and, as anyone who reads my books knows, I am not a happy ending, ribbons-and-bows kind of gal.

However, it wasn’t until I reached the last page and read the very last word that I realized it was not Skip who was leading me on, it was Tim. If this author agonized about word count, it didn’t show. If he struggled to find just the right turn of phrase, it didn’t show. If he edited this baby for a year, it didn’t show. Therein lies the brilliance of what he accomplished. I never had to work for my literary pleasure. For a reader, there is no better experience; for a writer, there is no better lesson.

So, on this chilly Sunday morning, I want to thank Tim Greaton for reminding me of the very simple lessons to creating a good book:

1) Have a story, not an idea.

2) Know your character, not just his or her name.

3) Write as if you are pointing the way not giving directions.

4) Stop when the story is told.

Finally, no matter how complex the plot, no matter how many characters are in a book, no matter how intricate relationships we create for our fictional friends, we, as authors, should not be present in the books we write. Simplicity – whether natural or hard won – is the key to writing a wonderful book.

Thanks, Tim, for the gift of The Santa Shop.

KINDNESS BY THE GALLON

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

by Bobbie Cimo

The other morning while on the freeway driving to work, my cell phone rang. Normally, I won’t answer it without using my Bluetooth. But sometimes the contraption creates more trouble than it’s worth--it always ends up messing up my phone connection.

Nobody ever calls me early in the morning, unless there’s an emergency or it’s a wrong number. Because my curiosity got the best of me, I picked up the phone.
It wasn’t an emergency, just my co-worker calling me to let me know that the Shell station, down the block from where we work, was giving away free gasoline. She promised it wasn’t a joke and the lines were moving fast.

When I arrived at the gas station, there didn’t seem to be much of a commotion going on, so I was sure she had gotten her facts wrong. But when I tried to pull into the driveway, it was blocked off. A nearby attendant, directing traffic, indicated to me that I should go around and enter from the other side.

After taking a shortcut through the parking lot of my friendly bank branch, next door, I ended up at what I thought was the end of the line…only to find I had accidentally cut ahead of a dozen or so other cars that were already there. Can you say the word “riot”? Well, luckily there wasn’t any, just another guy directing traffic, and telling me I had to go around again, only this time not to use my shortcut.

As he was talking to me, an angry young man who had apparently made the same mistake I did, was also being told he also had to go around again. Only this guy a wasn’t taking it well. He stepped on his gas peddle and went barreling out and almost collided into me.

My first instinct was to slam on my horn with one hand and to give him some unlady-like gesture with my other hand. It was a good thing that I didn‘t. Because who do you think was in front of me, the second time that I went around? Mr. Cool, himself.

But my friend was right, the lines did move fast and the offer for free gas was for real. After pulling up to the pump, I got out of my car but was quickly told it wasn’t necessary. They would fill up my tank for me. I could feel a lump forming in my throat. Somebody was serving me? And what’s more, they seemed happy to be doing it.

I was told that the limit for each fill-up was $20.00. But if one needed to, they could go around for a second time. I was good at $19.67

Just as I was about to pull away, a young lady with a welcoming smile came up to my window and handed me a free bottle of water. “Have a nice day”, she said cheerfully. Without any warning, my eyes welled up with tears, and all I could do was choke out a weak “Thank you”.

This act of kindness with no strings attached, was hard to believe. But it was true. So sometimes when things seem too good to be true…you’ve got to trust that they are and go with it.

I later learned that the reason for the free give-away was to promote an upcoming episode of the TV show called “Gold Rush” that airs on the “Discovery Channel”. But regardless, it didn’t take away the fact that it made my day. Not to mention brought back memories of when we use to get service with a smile.

A Naughty Christmas Carol VIDEO by Jina Bacarr

2011-12-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

"A Naughty Christmas Carol" Scrooge meets Wall Street from Jina on Vimeo.

What if Scrooge was a sexy hunk? (You'll meet him in the video!)

I couldn't resist writing about this modern day Scrooge in my holiday novella, A Naughty Christmas Carol.

Three sexy female ghosts try to save the soul of a Wall Street trader on this naughty Christmas Eve.

Nick Radnor is a Wall Street trader with no heart.

Money is his mistress.

That doesn’t stop him from having sex in his office on Christmas Eve with his secretary, Jinger Hunt.

Or keeping his beautiful fiancée, Monique Ashford, dangling on a string. He’s relentless in his pursuit of wealth and power. Wall Street is in his blood, along with the thrill of risking it all, but he can’t forget the painful memories of Christmas when he was a kid.

Nick works hard, but plays harder in a gentlemen's club called Mamie’s. After a wild Christmas Eve at Mamie’s, Nick is in a drunken stupor when he hears the eerie sound of rattling chains proclaiming the arrival of the tormented ghost of Charlie Harris, his dead partner.

The last thing Nick needs is Charlie’s ghost telling him he is doomed to walk the earth for eternity, chained by his sins.

What’s even more disturbing to Nick is the arrival of three sexy female ghosts, who warn him that if he doesn’t change his ways he will lose it all, including Monique, the woman he loves.

On this naughty Christmas Eve, Nick will learn the terrifying full scope of where his life is headed because of his corporate greed. In a peek into the future that will shatter his every expectation, Nick realizes the choices he makes now will have deadly consequences for everyone he loves.

Check out A Naughty Christmas Carol on Amazon Kindle.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Jina

http://www.jinabacarr.com/
http://www.titanicnovel.wordpress.com/ Titanic Rhapsody 2012
http://naughtychristmascarol.wordpress.com/

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Getting Published

2011-12-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

I posted this last week on Dark Side Down Under, a blog I belong to in Australia with lots of paranormal writers. I wanted to share it with my OCC friends, too. :)

Just one week ago today, I got on a plane in Sydney with my husband John and moved back to California. We’d found out less than three weeks earlier that there was no more work for him in Sydney, for now anyway. (He just finished working on Happy Feet 2, and his other opportunities fell through at the last minute.) In spite of the stressful situation, we were determined to make the most of it. Above all, I didn’t want us to let the stress cause fights or arguments between us. Thanks to formally making that decision – and thanks to the grace of God – we made it through a crazy month with only one blowup and lots of laughter.

When it comes to romantic comedies, I don’t know if I loved them and so saw my life as one, or if my crazy adventures with John have spurred on a love of the same in fiction. In any case, my first novel, Little Miss Lovesick, certainly has aspects of art imitating life. The heroine Sydney (named long before I dreamed of visiting Australia) wants nothing more than a lifetime of true love. When things don’t work out, she’s determined to do whatever it takes to fix the situation, but every attempt seems to only create more problems.

Oh my gosh, that was so me! After a short but disastrous stint trying to find meaning for my life as a U.S. Marine, I went back to college and decided to forget a higher purpose. All I wanted now was a husband and a boring career. Safety. But the man I was determined to have (at age 19) was not interested in pursuing me. My roommate had his attention. My friend across the hall definitely caught his eye. But not me. No worries. I’d simply keep pursuing him until he realized what a great catch I was! And what lengths I went to!

If you’re laughing, you understand why I write romantic comedies. Even when I’m making things up about pretend people, I can’t help but pull from experiences in my real life. I love to laugh, and John and I both tend to do whatever it takes to make each other laugh. That flows into my writing as well. If you’ve ever seen John and me together, you know I’ve got a lot of material to work with! Some of that has been written into a series of romantic comedies scheduled for 2012 and 2013 set in a little lakeside town like the area where I grew up. The first one, Love at the Fluff N Fold, will be out in the spring. They’re sweet and funny like Little Miss Lovesick.

Later in 2013, I’ll begin releasing a series of superhero romantic comedies. The first book in the Adventures of Lewis and Clarke series is called From Zero to Hero. The idea began when I got tired of John ignoring me to play video games and read comic books. (Guess who has a growing collection of graphic novels now? I had no idea they were so good!)

I love writing these kinds of stories! My books always have a young woman who is searching for something and finds she has more power in her life, yet less control, than she realized. By the end of each story, she’s not only made her own life better, but others’ as well. It took me a few years to realize I write about these women because that’s what I want in my own life.

I guess I thought most women felt the same, so it was a surprise to find editors telling me (and my agent when I had one) that romantic comedies are hard to sell. That didn’t make sense to me since rom-com movies are a staple in the film industry. After hearing more agents and editors at the Romance Writers of America conference in New York this year tell me more of the same (“We don’t know how to sell/have good luck with romantic comedies.”), I decided to go it on my own.

I knew self-publishing would be a long, hard road, but I was sure there was an audience out there who would enjoy my book. I was right on both counts. It’s been a slow and sometimes difficult process, but I’ve gotten great reviews. I’m writing from my heart and enjoying my work. And I’ve found the contentment I was looking for, knowing that I’m entertaining people. Right now, I’m working on getting Little Miss Lovesick into print. (Look for it on Amazon in a week or two!) The process is taxing my jet-lagged brain cells – LOL! – but I’m grateful to be on this path. Who knows? I might create a heroine who starts her own business despite the odds, surviving mayhem and facing disaster… Sounds fun to me!

Kitty Bucholtz decided to combine her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher. Her first novel, Little Miss Lovesick, was released in September 2011 as an ebook and will be available in December in print format. Kitty has also written magazine articles, devotionals, and worked as a magazine editor. She is the co-founder of Routines for Writers where she blogs every Wednesday. Her next novel, Love at the Fluff N Fold, will be released in Spring 2012.

The gift that gives twice

2011-12-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

One of my dearest friends, author Sandra Hyatt, died suddenly in August--a huge shock for her family and friends.

Sandra meant so much to me, it's not the kind of thing I can express on a blog...but I can and will express the opportunity for readers to support Sandra's family by buying her new book!

LESSONS IN SEDUCTION is a December release--the perfect gift for yourself or a friend. Hey, why not for all your romance-reading friends? The great thing is, this is a wonderful book from a wonderful writer. In her brief career, Sandra was a USA Today bestseller, Rita finalist and is also a nominee for Romantic Times best Desire of 2011.

Romantic Times gives Lessons In Seduction its top grade of 4.5 stars.
Reviewer Pat Cooper says: “A charming and sexy takeoff on the movie Sabrina, Hyatt’s chauffeur’s daughter is not only not looking to hook up with a prince, she’s actively helping him find the right woman – and her prince is just priceless in his cluelessness …Readers are the ones scoring the hit when they pick this one up, and it’s a shame that Hyatt’s passing is going to deny them more tales like this one.”

Lessons In Seduction
A prince on a quest to find the perfect wife doesn’t have time to trifle with a commoner. But Adam Marconi’s longtime friend and sometime driver, Danielle St. Claire, has him contemplating a change in plans. Why can’t the royal have a little fun before finally settling down? Then their supposedly quick affair suddenly turns
serious.

And Prince Adam finds himself in a quandary. Say goodbye to the one woman who sets his heart and body on fire, or defy all the rules and cause the scandal of the century.

Buying links:

Through Harlequin
Ebook
Print

Through Amazon
Print
Kindle

Through bookdepository.com

Thanks so much for supporting Lessons In Seduction. Sandra once wrote in a Christmas blog: “Whatever your religious persuasion it never hurts to stop and count your blessings and the gifts in your life.” She was one in ours.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Sandra Hyatt Memorial Trust which aims to develop emerging romance writers, please visit www.sandrahyatt.com

Postscript: Lessons in Seduction is number three of a royals trilogy.
Book 1: His Bride For The Taking.
Book 2: Falling For The Princess.

And if you’re in the mood for a fabulous Christmas novella try Sandra’s RITA finaling Mistletoe Magic (published in Under The Millionaire’s Mistletoe with Maureen Child). E-book

PAW Anticipation

2011-12-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

I admit it--I didn’t blog last month. That was because I was traveling and had limited Internet connection. Sorry if you missed me.

This month, I’m here! I’m also looking forward to the months to come at OCC meetings with even more anticipation than usual. That’s because I’m going to be the co-PAW meeting leader in 2012. My partner in no crime, I hope, will be Charlotte Lobb, and she has clearly demonstrated more skill at this already than I have--but I intend to take lessons from her.

We’ll be succeeding Jackie Hyman, whom Charlotte has also assisted at times. Thanks so much to both of you! You’ve done such a great job of preparing topics for PAW meeting discussions and, when possible, having the afternoon OCC speaker be PAW’s guest and the focus of our discussion as well. I hope we can continue that.

Meantime, all you PAW people--let us know if you have anything you’d like us to address in our meetings. We’ll try to accommodate you. And since this is a learning process especially for me, let us know if there’s anything else you’d like us to do.

--Linda O. Johnston

www.LindaOJohnston.com

Meeting Reminder: “Conquering the Query” & Inside Advice from an Agent

2011-12-05T00:53:00.000-08:00

OCC/RWA Meeting – “Conquering the Query” & Inside Advice from an Agent

OCC/RWA Chapter Meeting: Saturday, December 10, 2011

Doors open @ 9 a.m.

Ask-an-Author: Diane Pershing

Author First Chapter Critique: Diane Pershing

MORNING SESSION:

Louisa Bacio – “Conquering the Query”

Most often a publisher will request an author to submit the first few chapters of the work in progress (WIP), along with the synopsis. And as a bonus, the writer needs to include a catchy query letter – aka a cover letter – in order to grab the agent’s/editor’s attention in the first place.

Conquering the Query combats the fear that comes with writing short.

Hands-On Craft Workshop: Come prepared to work! Bring the first page of your manuscript – and hopefully you’ve been working on those killer opening lines because we’re going to use them. If not, get going! Also, make sure to have plenty of paper and pens on hand, because during this craft workshop … we be writing!

AFTERNOON SESSION:

Helen Breitweiser, Agent
Cornerstone Literary Agency

Order lunch from the Corner Bakery-Brea

http://occrwa.org/lunchorders.html

Online Class: Please note that we’re dark for November; however, the full list of classes has been posted for 2012!

http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html

Meeting information can be found at www.occrwa.org

Hope to see you on the 10th!

December Calls for Submission – Naughty & Nice

2011-11-30T23:33:00.000-08:00

Ready to wrap up the year? Making some publishing goals for 2012? Well, here’s a round-up of a few anthology calls to kick-start the inspiration. Get published after reading one of these calls? Drop me a line … would love to hear about success stories.

“Dangerous Places-Dangerous Men”

Pink Petal Books, a high-quality boutique publisher, is actively searching for erotic short stories between 7k-15k words for an anthology to be released in April 2012. At this time, we are looking for four to six tales for a 50k-word finished electronic and print book. Both published and unpublished authors are welcome.

Do you have a survivor-type story? A shipwrecked hero, a heroine stranded on a desert island with a hot rogue, or a couple who’s lost in the steamy jungles? Did your hero drop into a war zone or does he work in an extremely perilous occupation?

Submission deadline is January 15, 2012. Submit the full short story plus a blurb to anthologysubs@pinkpetalbooks.com with “Dangerous Places-Dangerous Men” in the subject line. For more information, visit http://pinkpetalbooks.com/Submissions.html.

Virgin Vampires

Darkness falls and they rise, leaving behind a trail of blood and lust. Ravenous Romance is seeking 2000-5000 word short stories for their new virgin vampire anthology, FIRST BITE. We want to see stories that delve deep into virgin territories, whether it is a vampire’s first night, first bite, first f—you get the idea. Let your imaginations run wild…amongst other things. Please submit stories to Tabitha@literarypartners.com, including a short story query letter, your bio, and your short story and a word document. Deadline is Dec. 30. Payment is a flat fee of $25.

A Mind is a Sexy Thing

The guy sitting in the library with a mountain of books, disheveled hair, glasses hiding the beautiful baby blues….we want him. In fact, we want any romance you may have with the nerdy guy, or the computer geek who doesn’t realize just how sexy he actually is…or the guy with the lab coat who spends his days working out long equations for fun. Silver Publishing wants your romance stories with the Brainy Guys!

• M/M Only

• Contemporary

• 15k+ words

• Must have romance and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending

• Heat rating: Any

These stories will each be released individually on the same day and will share the same cover art design. Submission Deadline: Feb. 25, 2012. For more information, visit https://spsilverpublishing.com/pages-title-page-24

Bound For Love 

Editor Sascha Illyvich and publisher Sizzler Editions is seeking romantic BDSM stories for our upcoming anthology, Bound for Love. Throughout history love and sex as submission and love and sex as pain have been linked. For example, this link is revealed in commonly used phrases like “the bonds of love,” “the chains of love,” “the ties that bind,” “prisoner of love,” “captive heart,” “love hurts,” “love is pain.”    Stories should reflect this connection be between B&D and romance. What after all could be sweeter than a bottom's submission to a top? In some ways love between leather folks, slaves and master/mistresses, is the most honest straightforward love there is. In short, we want stories that capture the romance in bondage and the bondage in romance made explicit.    

Stories for Bound for Love should be 4-9k in length with a focus on the relationship development. Each needs to have a strong focus on both BDSM with a classic romance type of plot and a HEA ending. If either can be removed, the story is not for this anthology. We seek unpublished submissions though we will consider reprints. Deadline: Dec. 15, 2011; expected release Feb. 1, 2012. The advance payment against a prorated share of the royalties will be $25 for stories under 5000 words and $35 for stories over 5000.

Submit to wolfprinceeditor@gmail.com in MS WORD format, 14 point, single spaced, Times New Roman. Make sure to put Bound for Love Anthology submission in the subject line of your email.

-- Compiled by Louisa Bacio

Goal Setting for 2012

2011-11-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over, and the official holiday shopping season has begun. I was driving in my car just the other day and heard a famous Christmas song that made me pause, where the singer crooned about the year being over, and then he asked. “What have you done?”

What have I done? The question lingered in my mind. What had I done? Not what I intended, that’s for sure. I had set goals and hadn’t attained some of them.

Hearing author Susan Mallery speak at the recent OCC birthday bash really inspired me. She talked about goals and how she made business decisions based on how well they would help her attain her goals. Her ability to set a goal and stick to it impressed me, as did her willingness to occasionally refuse select prospects because they did not line up with her goals.

Many people get caught up in the moment and are afraid to let an opportunity pass. Sometimes it’s about money, sometimes about getting or staying published, sometimes about building a name or personal validation. Accomplishing goals means sticking to your guns and keeping your eye on the prize. As writers, we tend to get easily distracted, and we often need to work on the discipline needed to set and keep our goals.

Here are two tips for making and keeping goals that hopefully we can all apply to the upcoming year:

1. Make the goal ATTAINABLE. Sometimes we have goals that may set us up for failure because we have no control over them. Keep your goals to things over which you have most of the control. Setting the goal to get an agent by the end of the year might not be considered an attainable goal because you have no way of guaranteeing that an agent will sign you in that time frame. However, an attainable goal might be to query X number of agents in a year. You have total control over that because you are the one sending the queries. And achieving that goal might indeed result in you getting signed by an agent within a year.

2. Have SHORT TERM and LONG TERM goals. Your short term goals can give you that feeling of immediate gratification while you work towards the long term goal. Example of a short term goal: Finish the book by the end of the year. Long term goal: Have written three completed manuscripts in three years.

Here’s hoping we all reach our goals in 2012!

A Fantasy Life by Janet Quinn Cornelow

2011-11-27T20:23:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I did with all of my sons, their spouses, my sister, and my granddaughter. My babies, the kitten and the dog, were worn out by the end of the day with all of the company.

The Enchanted Hawk is now up at Kindle. It is a fantasy romance.

Brylyn, of the Hawk Clan, is drawn into the intrigue surrounding Thom McGarrety, when his brother is to wed Anna from another domain. Brylyn faces the danger of the feonds, the humans who rule the area where her people used to live. They would see her and her people dead because they are shape-shifters.

When Anna’s family wants the McGarrety castle, Brylyn must trust her secret to Thom. Thom, believing that the shape-shifters are nothing but myth, must learn to believe in Brylyn and trust her to help save his life and his domain. Together, can they save the castle, unite their people and find lasting love?

Rob, my youngest, came over yesterday and helped me put up the Christmas tree. Count Rugen, the kitten, loves it. He has already knocked off a branch – it is a fake tree - , brought me an ornament, and pulled the bottom piece of garland across the room. It is going to be a year of repairing the Christmas tree.

I am not putting up as many decorations this year because of Count Rugen. The village is staying in its boxes. Many of the other decorations will also stay in their boxes. We are going heavy on wall hangings this year. Some of them have not been up in awhile. I figure Rugen can’t knock things off the wall as easily, though he will try.

I took Rob and his wife to the Bower’s Museum to see the Chinese Sand Warriors. It was well worth seeing if you want something to do over the holidays.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.

Isabel Swift comments on the lessons of Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Some years ago I did a post on Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer. It's a song that always troubled me, as it seemed so out of keeping with the general aspiration holiday cheer.

Rudolf, the Red-nosed Reindeer is such a straightforward statement that if you are or look different, others will ridicule, shun, humiliate and reject you. As you may recall, the other reindeer "laugh and call him names/They never let poor Rudolph/join in any reindeer games."

That is his life until everyone suddenly discovers that the very thing that made him different will in fact deliver a unique and crucial skill that will overcome what had been an insurmountable obstacle. Of course, "Then all the reindeer loved him/as they shouted out with glee,/Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,/you'll go down in history!"

Clearly, for some people, anyone that is different is seen as a threat.

Perhaps some people assume if something is different it must be an enemy (?)

Perhaps some people think that, since they are perfect, anyone that doesn't resemble them is less than perfect, and must be eliminated (?)

Perhaps some people think they are perfect, thus everyone else must also think they are perfect, so their differences are in conflict, and are an alarming threat to some people's own belief system, sense of self-satisfaction and comfort (?)

But some people appreciate differences in others.

Perhaps they respond to the fact that evolutionary theory rewards those species that have variety, as it gives them more options for species survival to respond more effectively to a changing world. If a species becomes too uniform, then one problem can wipe out the entire species, because all are equally vulnerable (?)

Perhaps they realize that variety enhances survival because not everyone wants the same thing at the same time, diminishing competition and allowing peaceful coexistence (?)

Perhaps they have internalized the Rudolf lesson, that the very things that make someone different will offer key skills to the team, and make the sum far greater than each individual part—a central theme in romances (?)

And clearly, the trial by fire that so many live through in environments that penalize differences can forge powerful, creative and remarkable human beings.

But it is hard on the young. For the lessons we learn in Kindergarten are not pretty and many live their whole lives trying to overcome or find forgiveness for what happened then.

In an effort to prevent teen suicides among kids with gender and sexuality issues there are resources. It gets better.org or The Trevor Project are two.

The focus there is gender, but the basic issue is the same. Being different may not be an easy road, but it gets better—even for Rudolf. And adults have only to pause for an instant to think of all the people who were "different" that have transformed their lives and the world around them and value and support the gift of being different.

Here's hoping that the coming season gives us all things to be thankful for—the gift of accepting—indeed of celebrating our differences. For therein lies our strength.

Isabel Swift

Book Covers

2011-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

By Member at Large Monica Stoner, w/a Mona Karel

Deep in the recesses of my overstuffed memory is a ditty that supposedly did the rounds at a SciFi Convention. To the tune of “She’ll be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain”

“There’s a dragon on the cover of my book
There’s a dragon on the cover of my book
He is green and he is scale-y but he’s nowhere in my tale-y
There’s a dragon on the cover of my book.”

In the process of research of this ditty, I came across several other stanzas, including a bimbo on the cover, and a castle on the cover (for a book set in Seattle) and slightly different wording. The ending I remember referred to having a “wrong” cover is still better than finding one’s book in a remainder pile. By the way, if you Google that first line you can have a lot of fun missing out on your NaNo count while doing research.
Mind you this was a long time ago, before even Rocket Books (remember those?) had been created. Authors had no say in their covers, and were occasionally seen to wince when presented with the scantily clad heroine and the buff hero in excruciatingly tight trousers, open shirt, blond hair flying in the wind–never mind that he’s written as a brunette and he’s French. They were told the publisher knew what sold books much better than any writer.

Fast forward to now, and look at the changes in the publishing world. Digital books, print on demand, self publishing, author input on covers. And what do we see on many books? Bare chests, flowing hair, large breasts–and that’s the male. Seems even when the option exists to have input on our covers, authors are opting for the beef cake.

Do these covers really sell more books, even when they’re only displayed on the computer screen because we read electronically? Is there really more market for headless bare chested men with impossibly large breasts and muscles where no one has ever seen muscles?

I realize some books lend themselves to these covers, since they are written more erotically. But not all of them. A friend did a survey for the cover of her second space opera book, showing various covers, and the most popular was the one with a bare chested man, with planets and space ships in the background. So maybe those covers do serve a purpose.

I’m contemplating covers since Black Opal Books has offered to publish my second book. The working title is “Teach Me To Forget,” and it’s about a photographer and a writer. So should I have a well muscled nekkid chested guy on the cover, holding a camera? I feel fortunate with the cover on “My Killer My Love,” since it conveys the mystery man in the woods concept, but I wonder if I should have looked farther for a more revealing photo?

What do you think, as writers and readers? Would you be more likely to pick up a book by an unknown author if the cover could qualify for serious eye candy?

Marketing "Quick Response": QR Codes, The New Sexy...

2011-11-18T03:51:00.000-08:00

by Jenny Hansen

Are you capitalizing on the sexy little bit of free Techie gadgetry that's currently all the rage? I'm talking about QR Codes, those little black squares you're seeing on your television, in magazines and on the mail coming into your house.

I know, I know...QR just doesn't sound sexy and, unless you're more the nerdy type, "code" probably doesn't either. But QR Codes are getting me hot these days. Seriously.

QR Codes are one of the EASIEST marketing tricks you're not taking advantage of, especially if you're a self-published author or a small business person.

Click here for the other 8 no-to-low cost social media tips we talked about last month and sit back to bask in the warmth of a new piece of technology fun that doesn't cost a thing!

What is a QR Code?

QR stands for Quick Response and was created by the automotive industry to help track vehicles during the manufacturing process. How is this sexy, Jenny? you might be thinking...

Well, I'll tell you. A QR Code is a barcode that stores a web address of your choosing. As an example, if you scan the one above, you'll go to a cool place on OCC's website that you might not visit very often. There are free apps available in both the Android and the iPhone that let you scan a QR code to quickly go to a website.

Note: To scan the code, you’ll need an app like QR Scanner [iTunes link] for the iPhone and iPod touch, or ShopSavvy for Android devices.

Uses for QR Codes...just think about this, folks:

QR Codes are being used at grocery stores to give you recipes and nutritional information for products you're buying in the store.
To give you coupons, both in-store and on the internet.
On business cards, signs and brochures. A simple little barcode allows you to give the info you need to on the card or sign and, with a single click, also help the person to visit the webpage of your choice.
On clothing labels (Macy's and other retailers are already using this) to tell you about that item and others you may like in the store.
On anything with packaging, to push people to a website, Facebook or review page.

Why couldn't my self-published and indie author friends use this on the front or back covers of their books, or hidden as Easter eggs in the pages? Ex: Click here to get a free short story, or to submit a review, or to sign up for my monthly newsletter. The possibilities are ENDLESS.

Are you juiced up yet? Cause I am.

Can I get a QR Code of my very own?

But of course! There are tons of free spots to generate a QR code. Bit.ly and Social Oomph are the two I use the most often.

To use Bit.ly:

Visit bit.ly, write or paste in a URL address, click “Shorten,” and add .qr to the end of the generated bit.ly link (like so: http://bit.ly/tm90xj.qr).
Copy the modified link into a new browser window to view the QR code.
Once you see the code on your screen, you can print it out, send to your friends via e-mail, post on your blog, etc.

To use Social Oomph:

You need to sign up for a free account, whereas for Bit.ly, you could sign in with Twitter (but it still asks for your email address).
Once you're signed in, l00k at the left navigation bar - "Shorten URL" is the fourth choice from the top.
Click the Shorten URL shortcut and type or paste the address in to the "Long URL" box and click the Shorten button.
There's a box that says QR Code - copy the link out of there and follow all the same steps as above in the Bit.ly example.

From Wikipedia: Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the telephone's browser. This act of linking from physical world objects is termed hardlinking or object hyperlinking. Click here for more details than you probably want on how to work QR Codes. :-)

UPDATE: In the last few weeks since I wrote this post, viruses have targeted QR Codes here and there. That doesn't mean they aren't safe but, just like email, watch where you click. More details here on how to avoid viruses.

Does this give you any new marketing ideas for your books, businesses or advertising? Are you already using QR Codes? What has your experience been?

Happy Writing!
Jenny

Jenny Hansen fills her nights with humor: writing memoir, women's fiction, chick lit, short stories (and chasing after the newly walking Baby Girl). By day, she provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. After 15 years as a stand-up corporate software trainer, she's digging this "sit down and write" thing.

In addition to being a founding member at Writers In The Storm, Jenny can also be found on Twitter and Facebook or over at her solo blog, More Cowbell.

Between the Lines with… Charlotte Lobb (writing as Charlotte Carter)

2011-11-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

A multi-published author of more than fifty romance, cozy mystery and inspirational titles, Charlotte Carter lives in Southern California with her husband of forty-nine years and their cat Mittens—an equal opportunity lap cat. They have two married daughters and five grandchildren. When she's not writing, Charlotte does a little stand-up comedy—G-Rated Humor for Grownups—and teaches workshops on the craft of writing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Single mom Ellie James has returned to Montana for a fresh start and a new job at a local school. She sure could use the support of hometown rancher Arnie O'Brien, especially when she faces the opportunity to step up as director. But this cowboy still holds a grudge from when Ellie left him behind eight years ago. Can Arnie trust God's plan and take a second chance on the girl who got away? He and Ellie will have to put aside the past to face the future together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Q. You've written SO many books. How do you keep yourself motivated to write?

I’m compulsive! Maybe it’s because I started late in this writing business, but writing, discovering a story, soothes me (when it’s going well, of course). And there’s always another story to tell lurking somewhere in the back of my mind. So little time, so many stories......

Q. You've written in several different subgenres. Do you stick with one genre at a time or do you switch it up and change from book to book to keep it interesting?

The vast majority of my books have been romance novels. Now, however, I’m writing for two publishers: inspirational romance for Love Inspired and cozy mystery continuities for Guideposts Books. I try to alternate between publishers, which is somewhat dependent on my schedule for the Guideposts books in whatever series is current.

Q. What is your writing process like? Linear or dot-to-dot? Planner or pantser? Do you write long hand or on the computer? etc.

I’m definitely linear and a planner, although the characters have been known to give me a surprise now and then. I start off plotting with a pen and college-lined notebook paper. (You can tell how high-tech I am - Not!) I establish who the characters are and their goals, diagram a W plot and work through the hero’s journey. At that point I can usually write a synopsis, which I do on the computer as well as the rest of the manuscript.

Q. What is your most reliable "go to" tool when you realize your story is broken and needs fixing?

For many years, my favorite “go to” tool was Mindy Neff and Susan Phillips, my critique partners. More recently I’ve been whining to Karen Leabo (aka Kara Lennox), who is great with the ‘black moment.’ If they aren’t handy, I may take a second look at Save the Cat by Blake Synder, do Debbie Macomber’s list of 20, or let my subconscious solve the problem while I sleep. I will say, by chapter 3 I pretty well can tell if the story is going to work.

Q. How have you managed to brand yourself, given the different genres you have written in?

I’ve never quite understood this ‘branding’ business, but I do have a motto and a promise that I make to readers: Books that leave you smiling....by Charlotte Carter. When I was writing for Harlequin American (as Charlotte Maclay) I wrote warm, family stories. Now, with Love Inspired (w/a Charlotte Carter) I’m writing warm, family stories but with a more emotional tone and characters who are dealing with serious problems — a heart transplant recipient, loss of family members, and in my current book, Big Sky Family, a hero who is paraplegic.

Q. You have a wonderful sense of humor that serves you well when speaking publicly. How does your humor serve you in your writing career?

I wish I could say my sense of humor allows me to laugh at copy editors, but that would be a lie. In my writing, humor tends to worm it’s way into the story via children, who are always unpredictable, or by creating a ‘fish out of water’ story for the hero or heroine. Often it’s the reaction of a ‘straight’ character to a humorous situation that can make a reader smile.

Q. What authors and genres do you like to read?

I most often read suspense and romantic suspense, single title romance, legal thrillers, and the like. I’ve recently read James Patterson (Alex Cross story), John Grisham, Iris Johansen, and Rachel Lee books. And to my delight, our own Deb Mullins and Tessa Dare (Eve Ortega) have brought me back to historical romance, my first love.

Q. What piece of advice do you consider most important sharing with an aspiring author?

Write! Write! And write some more. I was very fortunate when I joined OCC and RWA that I could come home from a meeting and immediately use whatever information I’d gleaned in my work-in-progress.. It’s impossible, in my view, to learn to write without having somehow finished a story. My various critique groups have also been invaluable. (My technique is to be the dumbest one in the group so I can learn the most; so far I’ve achieved that goal..) I continue to learn by attending workshops and taking online classes in the hope of improving my craft. As Susan Macias said at our October Birthday Bash, “The only guarantee that you won’t sell is if you quit writing.”

Find more information about Charlotte and her books at: CharlotteCarter.com

Interview is conducted by Brenna Aubrey, aspiring author whose first publication, a short story, “The Love Letter” was recently published in the Jane Austen Made Me Do It anthology, currently available.

5 Tips to self-publishing your mother never told you by Jina Bacarr

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Cover photo: © Les3photo8
Dreamstime.com

Psst…have you heard? Everybody’s doing it. Self-publishing.

It’s hip, it’s cool…it’s like winning the lottery.

Right?

Hmm…maybe. Maybe not. It’s the wild, wild west out in the land of Amazon, Smashwords and Nook. All you need is a dusty, old manuscript from under your bed, a sexy cover and a few .html codes and you’re dancing with the stars.

Oh, what fools we writers be.

It ain’t that easy.

Here’s the deal: You’ve written a good story and your manuscript is in the best shape possible--critique groups, professional editing, etc. Now what?

No doubt you need a good cover and nearly flawless formatting, but don’t give up if you haven’t gotten it all together. Before you push that old manuscript back under the bed with the dust bunnies, it is possible to hitch your wagon to the self-pubbed stars and join in the land rush…or should I say, digital rush.

I did it. I self-pubbed a holiday novella and a short story with more short stories coming. “Breaking the Rules” (the Hunter series) is my erotic short story (under 5,000 words):

The Hunter knows what a woman wants in bed…and he always delivers. Going from town to town, he fulfills a woman’s most intimate, sexual fantasies.

A one-night stand she’ll never regret.

In “Breaking the Rules,” Elaine is a rules-kind-of-girl, whether it’s at work or in the bedroom.

She sets out on journey of self-discovery when she meets the Hunter, who shows her that rules are made to be broken…

There are many blogs that can help you with various aspects of the biz, from J.A. Konrath to Bob Mayer’s Write It Forward (I highly recommend both!), but here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way.

Jina’s 5 tips to self-publishing:

1. I formatted my manuscript myself with help from Marie Force’s blog--I especially found the info about “tabs” and indenting “.33” on the first line helpful.

2. I bought my cover art from Dreamstime.com They have quality photos and high resolution. You can choose from 12 million photos available on their site.

3. Be prepared to spend time learning how to format. It’s a high learning curve, but I’ve found both the Amazon (short video) and Smashwords guides to be helpful if you’re willing to make the effort.

4. Be realistic about your goals. No one can predict how a book will do, but reading the Kindle forums and following other authors can give you an idea of how they’re doing. I follow OCC’s Dr. Debra Holland’s blog--she’s been open and forthright about her experience in self-publishing and her sales. Another OCC author, Jacqueline Diamond (author of 90 novels), has recently self-published books from her backlist and knows the value of promoting her books (she made the top 100 in Regency on Amazon).

5. Write another book or story right away. Quality and quanity are both important in self-pubbing. You need product to sell. Imagine if a shoe store opened and all they had to sell was one shoe style?

Which reminds me of Cinderella and her glass slipper.

Putting your self-pubbed book out there is like Cinderella going to the ball. She had a team of cute little mice to make her dress (editing, cover and formatting) and a fairy godmother (Amazon, Nook and Smashwords) to make the magic happen.

She also had the moxie to get to the ball. That’s where you come in.

Be like Cinderella. Don’t be late to the self-publishing party.

You’ll never know if the glass slipper fits until you try it.

Best,
Jina

PS: Breaking the Rules (the Hunter series) is availble on Amazon and Smashwords for $0.99!)

http://www.jinabacarr.com/
http://www.titanicnovel.wordpress.com/

TITANIC RHAPSODY -- my romance novel about the ship of dreams will be available from Ellora's Cave in 2012.

OCC/RWA Meeting – “Voice” Lessons & Learning from Jane Austen

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

OCC/RWA Chapter Meeting: Saturday, November 12, 2011

Doors open @ 9 a.m.

Ask-an-Author: Shauna Roberts & Kara Lennox

Author First Chapter Critique: Nancy Farrier

MORNING SESSION:

Courtney Milan – “Editing for Voice”

You may have heard some people say that if you edit too often, you can edit out your voice. In this hands-on workshop, Courtney Milan discusses how to avoid that fate. She takes examples from writers with strong voices and breaks them down. You'll learn to identify your voice and use your unique talents to build a world that is more than real to readers, so that when you edit, your editing strengthens your voice, rather than weakens it.

AFTERNOON SESSION:

Elda Minger – “Jane Austen: Learning from the Master”

Why Jane Austen? As a Hollywood Magazine article once put it -- "Jane Austen, the perfect Industry Writer: prolific, witty, and dead." But beyond that little bit of cynicism, why Jane?

October 2011 marked the 200th Anniversary of the publication of her first novel, Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen is still widely read and loved. There are countless movies and books based on her novels and literally thousands of websites devoted to this very special English author.

Why Jane, indeed?

Order lunch from the Corner Bakery-Brea

http://occrwa.org/lunchorders.html

Online Class: “Talking Back to Your Brain: The Art of Asking Questions“

with Susan and Harry Squires

November 14 – December 11, 2011

Did you ever wonder why one day you get stuck on a project while on another day your writing flows easily? Doesn’t it seem like sometimes your brain is actually fighting you? Well, maybe it is.

Recent insights into the structure of the human brain and how the parts work together (or don’t) provide powerful techniques to free yourself and get writing again. You actually have three brains in your skull, and these simple techniques can get them talking to each other. Your brain will work for you, not against you.

This class will help you learn how to be more effective in your writing and use these techniques in the rest of your life. Using your current work in progress, Susan and Harry Squires will show you how to solve problems (including writer’s block,), make your characters and plots deeper and more resonant, and create a book that keeps your reader turning pages.

http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassNov11.html

Meeting information can be found at www.occrwa.org

Hope to see you on the 12th!

President's Message: 30th Birthday Bash Wrap-Up

2011-11-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

I’m writing this message from my patio at the Pala Mesa Golf Resort (a gift from my sister.) She thought I could use some down time after the October Birthday Celebration – she’s such a sweetie. Where would we be without sisters?

From the messages on the Morning Juice and emails I have received, it sounds like everyone who attended the celebration had a great time. If you missed it, I’m SO SORRY.

We had over ninety members and guests in attendance. Lou Nelson shared her experiences as our third President and the early years. The morning guest speaker, the fabulous Mary-Teresa Hussey, spoke about the latest and greatest happenings at Harlequin and where they are going in the future. She is so open and willing to share her expertise. She also took time for pitches after the meeting where several members had the opportunity to share their work.

Our afternoon special guest speaker, NYT bestselling author and longtime member, Susan Mallery, talked about writing, writers and her experiences as a member of OCC. She is such an inspiration. The question and answer session could have gone on forever. Hearing her speak about the friendships she has made and the support she has received through the years as a member of RWA and OCC brought back into focus for me why I’m glad to be a member.

Thanks to Ottilia Scherschel and Sharon Hampton for the fantastic raffle and hard work. I didn’t win the iPad – darn it – I thought we had a deal worked out. But my roommate, Barb Delong won the laptop and several other items. What’s up with that? The Embassy Suites did a wonderful luncheon and provided great service. However, I will say that the slices of cake could have been just a bit bigger.

The PJ Parties were a hoot and a half. Marie Loggia-Kee, Lou Nelson, Karen Leabo, Kathleen Harrington, Shannon Donnelly and Debra Holland hosted parties that were educational, informative and just plain fun. They could have gone on all night. Debra, you did a great job pulling them together. I’d love to see us plan them again next year. If you plan them, we will come!

Thank you to the Board and membership for the lovely flowers and gift certificates. Your thoughtfulness is truly appreciated. I must tell you, that to have an event this successful is never done alone. To the Board and volunteers – THANK YOU.

To my Pres-Elect, Valerie Millette: my sincere appreciation for your support and friendship in the planning of this year’s event. OCC will be in good hands next year.

So, twenty-three messages down and one to go. I’m going to now take a walk around the ground and refresh my creativity, so I can get down and write that outline. Hope to see you at the November meeting.

Jann

Indies, Superheroes & Novellas, Oh My!

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

This month brings an interesting mix of calls. First up, is a collection of "indie" authors that are looking to compile some special themed anthologies. The erotic romance publisher Ravenous Romance put out a call for superhero stories, and Entangled Publishing delves into the novella market. As always, this selection represents only a sample of what's out there. If you come across any that should be shared, please send them to me!

All-For Indies Anthologies

We have planned six anthologies with different themes that are spread throughout the year. A couple of examples might be: Martini Madness/chick-lit and humorous fiction genres, Summer Fling/Romance genre, etc. Each anthology will include a mix of genres and sub-genres centered around a main theme.

Each author is responsible for writing/editing their own work. WE ARE NOT A PUBLISHER! We are not going to read your story for approval. If you are picked, we trust you are a professional.

The first anthology is going to be coming out in January 2012. Winter Wonderland is the theme (not the name), and is going to feature every genre. The deadline is Dec. 10, 2011. The second anthology is coming out in February 2012 in time for Valentine’s Day and will carry that theme. The deadline for manuscripts is Jan. 10, 2012.

For more information, visit http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/self-published-author-unite-in-anthologies-on-wg2e

Under the Cape

What’s up in the sky, is not a bird or a plane, it is your hero or heroine. Under the Cape - is a super-hero / super-heroine anthology for Ravenous Romance. We are looking for original erotic romances about heroes of your own creation. They should not be modeled after or based on current comic book entities. Fan fiction need not apply.

Think about strong, passionate characters and world building. Who is to say what excitement lingers after the city is saved and villain routed? Do the heroes fly home at super-sonic speeds to their lovers or does the “victor” strike a new costume to wear? What if the hero of the story has had a tryst or more with their foe? And don’t forget about the possibilities of a sidekick.

This anthology is for the non-everyday heroes. We’re looking for the kind of heroes who fly, shoot bolts of energy or phase through walls...among other abilities. Of course, that’s not to say your hero or heroine can’t have a hidden identity. A war hero crusading at night to stop an other-worldly nemesis? Maybe a firefighter who controls the flames when no one else is looking? Make the abilities so super, they can only be contained by a skin tight costume and cape flying in the breeze. And make your hero or heroine so sexy they can’t be contained at all.

All stories should be original and unpublished stories. Aside from strong characters, don't forget to give us a good story and world building. Make your heroes and villains believable and sexy. Ideally we'd like to see stories in the 5K range, but no less than 3K - please query for longer works. We're looking for 10-12 stories to fill this anthology.

Reading period is open and will go until 12/31/11 or filled. Please do not query for status until after the reading period has ended. Payment is $25 flat fee upon publication. No additional payment will be offered. For more information, visit http://ravenousromance.blogspot.com

Contemporary Novellas

Entangled is looking to expand our novella line, and with release dates as early as mid-December 2011 available, we’re actively acquiring. If you write contemporary romance that falls between 20k to 40k words, we would love to hear from you!

Manuscript should fall between 20k and 40k words in length
Story must contain strong romantic elements, ending with either a HEA or a satisfying HFN.
Entangled is not an erotic romance publisher, however we’ll consider any heat level so long as the erotic elements are not the main focus of the story.
To submit a manuscript for consideration, paste the following into an email:
A one-page query letter containing your genre, title, wordcount, a brief blurb about the book, and any pertinent writing credentials
The first five (5) double-spaced pages
Where we can find you on the web (links will do)

Send your email to submissions(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com. Standard Entangled Publishing royalty rates apply. For more information, visit http://www.entangledinromance.com/2011/10/11/call-for-submissions-contemporary-novellas/

-- compiled by Louisa Bacio

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A Fantasy Life by Janet Quinn Cornelow

2011-10-27T18:34:00.001-07:00

I have put The Irish Countess up on Kindle. It has a new look thanks to Lex Valentine, an OCC member, who made the cover. It is really a sexy cover.

After the death of her husband, Countess Ciara MacCormack Fitzsimmons returns home to Ireland and the earl’s estate accompanied by her six-year-old son. There she meets Mick O’Hurlihey, the estate overseer, and falls in love for the first time in her life. However, being the countess keeps her from Mick.

Mick is smitten with Ciara the first time he sees her, but realizes that he can never lay claim to the Countess. Then danger stalks Ciara and her son and Mick risks his own life to keep theirs safe.

It is available at Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Irish-Countess-ebook/dp/B005ZXEQGQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319765168&sr=1-1

I have been writing, which is a good thing. I am working on A Chance for Love, which is a time-travel that I started awhile back. It is moving along quickly. I am on chapter 6 already. The hero is getting ready to tell the heroine that he is from the future which is always a fun scene to write. I wish I had more time to write but the classes I am teaching take up much of my time.

So do my two “toddlers.” My dog and my kitten love to interrupt everything that I do. The kitten doesn’t understand that the 90 pound dog is not a big cat and does not wrestle like a cat does. I keep waiting for the kitten to get smooshed. He has turned out to be the alpha male and terrorizes the dog. Then he also terrorizes the humans and has redecorated a great deal of the house. I have baby proofed my kitchen. It is already for my granddaughter when she learns to crawl. Of course, by the time she can reach the top cabinets that are also baby proofed, she’ll be old enough to not hurt herself. Rugen, the kitten, on the other hand, can reach them now and wants to get into them and knock everything out. If I could convince him that the stove is not a safe place when there is something cooking on it, I will have really accomplished something. I have to watch the stove at all moments because he keeps trying to set himself on fire.

Talking Back to Your Brain with Susan and Harry Squires

2011-10-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

November 14 – December 11, 2011

Enrollment information: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassNov11.html
Enrollment deadline: November 12, 2011
Cost: OCC/RWA members $20.00, Non-OCC/RWA members $30.00
If you have specific questions, email occrwaonlineclass@yahoo.com

About the Class:
Did you ever wonder why one day you get stuck on a project while on another day your writing flows easily? Doesn’t it seem like sometimes your brain is actually fighting you? Well, maybe it is.

Recent insights into the structure of the human brain and how the parts work together (or don’t) provide powerful techniques to free yourself and get writing again. You actually have three brains in your skull, and these simple techniques can get them talking to each other. Your brain will work for you, not against you.

This class will help you learn how to be more effective in your writing and use these techniques in the rest of your life, as well. Using your current work in progress, Susan and Harry will show you how to solve problems, (including writer’s block,) make your characters and plots deeper and more resonant, and create a book that keeps your reader turning pages.

Throughout the class, you will get individual feedback and for the final lesson you’ll be able to submit five manuscript pages or a three-page synopsis for individual coaching and help.

About the Instructors:
Susan Squires has written fourteen novels and three novellas, first for Dorchester and most recently for St. Martin’s Press. Her first novel, Danegeld, was a Golden Heart winner. Her books have won three PRISM awards, Booksellers Best and a Holt Medallion, as well as many other contests. Body Electric was named by Publisher’s Weekly as one of the most influential mass market books of 2002. No More Lies was a Rita finalist. She has made the NYT list, the USA today list and the Walden’s Romance Top Ten.

Harry Squires published his first novel, What Rough Beast, as H. R. Knight with Leisure Books. A paranormal mystery with romantic elements, it garnered enthusiastic reviews. Harry also writes for Wine Adventure Magazine. Harry was a corporate trainer with an insurance company for nearly ten years. He’s coached extensively on techniques of learning and unleashing the creativity of the brain.

Together, Harry and Susan speak frequently at community groups interested in the writing life and have conducted many workshops at RWA chapters and Sci-fi conventions. Both are members of Romance Writers of America.

This is a four week class.
Enrollment Information http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassNov11.html
COST: $20 for OCCRWA members, $30 for non-members
Enrollment Deadline: November 12, 2011

Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure you're signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group! Sign up at the bottom of http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html or send a blank email to OCCRWAOnlineClassNotices-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .

********** permission to forward **********

eReaders--Isabel Swift wonders: what's with the "But I love BOOKS" response?

2011-10-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've had the same experience--or have been one of the players in this conversation.

But first, a bit of background….

In addition to being VP of editorial for Harlequin, over a decade ago I also chaired a digital/eBook task force charged with exploring this new business opportunity. Additionally, much later, I was part of the new business group launching a number of new digital initiatives. So I guess what I'm trying to say is: I swing both ways. And in the course of my work, I had a lot of conversations with people--readers, writers, booksellers, digital entrepreneurs. Today, I still love to find out what people are reading--and how they are reading.

Back to the present. So, I'm at a dinner party, or cocktail party, or just striking up a conversation in line or traveling--and the subject of books and reading comes up. Often one person has an eReader (frequently a Kindle, sometimes an iPad or other eReader) and is either extolling its virtues, or reluctantly (or not) going through the learning curve.

Someone else invariably chimes in (sometimes with passionate intensity) "But I love BOOKS! I could NEVER get an eReader!" Then they go on a bit about the smell, turning the pages & the multitude of pleasures, information and sensation that a physical object offers. The self-confessed eReader reader is given the hairy eyeball, or at best, a pitying look. Emotions can (and have) run high over this line in the sand, this perceived chasm.

And don't get me wrong--I love books too. Physical books. But I am stumped as to why there is such a prevalent and passionate assumption that physical Vs digital is an either/or choice. Like once you purchase an eReader, a scarlet TTTWW (for Traitor To The Written Word) will be emblazoned on your forehead and a magnetic force field will drop down (visually similar to the Cone of Silence in Get Smart) preventing you from ever touching another physical book with your dirty digital hands. You have not remained faithful to the books that raised you--dipping your wick elsewhere is clearly felt to be a relationship ender.

Huh? I just don't get it. My reading world is not monogamous! I believe in choice! I love stories. I love storytellers. Books have not changed my life--stories have, with their information, insights, compelling worlds, emotional challenges and eye opening truths. Stories that are shared though listening (conversation, audio, radio, lectures,...), seeing (performance, films, TV, museums,…) or reading (books, newspapers, magazines, documents, letters,…).

Yes, the story's trasmission vehicle can make a difference in the impact of a story. Watching the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels concert live Vs at an IMAX theatre with rabid fans Vs on a DVD alone at home delivers quite different experiences. Reading a hardcover, paperback, listening to the story on audio, reading it on an eReader all deliver a different experience.

Sure, there may be preferred formats for certain stories. Haven't you heard people say "You don't need to see that movie in a theater, it'll be fine on DVD"? I assure you watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show live at midnight is a great example of the transformative impact of how you experience a story Vs sitting at home with the remote.

But everyone understands the benefits of access, choice, convenience. As a reader, I don't like to be without something to read. And while I am usually a fairly committed reader, I must confess I'm not entirely monagamous. As a frequent traveller I have found myself lugging stacks of material: manuscripts, educational/business reading, fun reading, recommended reading, themeatically appropriate reading, books 2 and 3 in the series, just in case… You know what I'm talking about!

Now I can have everything on one slim tablet and people no longer ask me if I am carrying rocks in my suitcase. Maybe I'll have a paperback in my purse too--cheerful in the knowledge if I tire of it or finish it, I have other options. Bedtime reading with sleeping spouse can cease to be an issue with a back-lit iPad. And another interesting aspect of the digital reading experience is product privacy. No one knows what you're reading.

(Though for some that could be a drawback, as looking intellectual, educated, in-the-know and generally superior could be the key driver behind plowing through an improving literary tome. But surely a secondary market will spring up of sheaths for one's tablet that will say perhaps: "Don't bother me...Riveted by Rushdie!" or "Intellect @ Play" or "I'm improving myself. And you?")

Alternatively, maybe you really don't mind carrying two or three volumes around in your gigantic purse. Perhaps you are unmoved by the ability to download a recommended read instantly at the dinner table in The-Back-of-Beyond. Unlike me, perhaps you may have a house filled with empty shelves, just waiting to be filled, with your other bookshelves are stacked with easy-to-find, easy-to-search titles. But that is not my world.

So enough with this "I love BOOKS!". Of course you do. But I love stories….

Isabel Swift

Why Do we Write What We Write

2011-10-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

by Monica Stoner, Member at Large

Might as well ask why we read what we read since for many of us they are inextricably linked. We write what we enjoy reading. I was reminded of this recently during two discussions with non romance readers. The first one asked me to define exactly what sort of books I write, and if "romance" is a long story with some hand-holding, a short story with hot sex? She went on to explain her local librarian has been trying to convince her to write what she calls a romance novel - sort of relationship in the 1800s with a sex scene thrown in about every 40 pages. I sent her to RWA’s website for an idea of the professionalism involved in our genre, and had to point out her librarian is a literary bigot.

The second discussion was less abrasive. A non romance reading friend read My Killer My Love, and was surprised how much she enjoyed it. Up until now her opinion of romance hasn’t been very positive, and the idea of a heroine with glasses and a limp intrigued her. She asked me what I would write next and how I decided what to write.

These past few months I’ve devoured books of all sorts. I’ve read Jim Butcher’s entire Furies series along with the latest Harry Dresden. I’ve enjoyed Tara Lain’s Beautiful Boys and Rebecca Forster’s chilling "Before Her Eyes." From the moment I first sat in the Emergency Room with my husband I’ve had a book or Kindle in my hand, and I’ve used the words of other writers to help me get through the days. During procedures I filled my time and my worried mind with flights of fantasy and allayed my fears with tales of love everlasting. The often silly, sometimes implausible plot points distracted me at times when I wasn’t ready to face the reality of our days.

Why do I write? I write so someone else can have those few hours of immersion in a story. I write so they can temporarily forget the stresses of their lives and briefly become a part of the lives I created in the pages of my book. Perhaps some of us write to be the next Nora, the next Jayne Ann, but for the most part we write to share what we are with anyone willing to share the worlds we lived in for the months or years it took to create the story.

I write—we write—to give someone a distraction while waiting for news of the tests, or as they sit in another uncomfortable chair during procedures, wanting to be there when their loved one goes past, to let them connect with the world waiting for their return. Those scenes and dialogue and setting pour out of our hearts onto the page, sometimes easily, sometimes with great effort, to be sucked up into the minds of readers and allow them a few moments to enjoy something other than the unrelenting sounds of a hospital.
I write because too many stories clamor in my head for release onto the screen. And I guess I write because I can’t not write.

Writing as Mona Karel, Monica's first novel, MY KILLER MY LOVE, is available from Black Opal Books , Amazon, Smashwords and B&N.

8 Easy Ways to Grow your Social Media Footprint

2011-10-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

by Jenny Hansen

A few weeks back I attended a free two-hour seminar on social media provided by Constant Contact (my new BFF). While it's true that I went for work, writers are their own small business so YOU get to benefit as well. It is Techie Tuesday after all. :-)

Look at this article from Business Week back in 2008 – Social Media Will Change Your Business. There’s a fun recap at how far things had come since 2005. (Light years!) Now compare it to the L.A. Times article this week, Social Media Giving Small Firms A Boost, which cites social media as a portal to success for small businesses.

Here are eight low-cost tips to help you expand your current social media footprint:

1. Voicemail
If you haven’t added your Facebook address and Twitter username to your voicemail, you are missing out on some cheap easy marketing. Hundreds of people hear your voicemail each year and it could be the push they need to connect with you online.

2. Your website
Does your website have clear links to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn page? What about to your blog? If someone finds your website, you want to make it easy for them to find the rest.

3. Printed materials
Do you have your social media information printed at the bottom of each letter and brochure you put out? What about on your business cards? It’s easy to make room in the address block for something so important. Try including this the next time you print any materials.

4. Email Signature
Do you have all your social media info in the signature blog on your email? It’s amazing how many people will click that link if you make it easy.

5. Email marketing
It’s a good idea to build an email list and use it for some email marketing. I didn’t say spamming. Once a month is fine for connecting. Once a day is not. Be sure to include all your links as well as a periodic promotion. You’ll be surprised at the results. Tools like Constant Contact can track this for you.

6. Signage
Do you have a sign up at bookstores or tradeshow events telling your ~~customers~~ readers how to connect with you via social media? It’s likely you’re missing out on some contacts you could have made. When people are browsing these places, you’ve got a pretty captive audience. I'm discussing QR codes next week to expand this idea.

7. Business presentations
Do you do any public speaking? Your social media contact information should be on each slide, in any handouts you provide and should also be verbalized at the beginning and end of the presenation.

8. Cross-promotion between platforms
It’s a very good idea to be sure that your ~~customers~~ readers can find you anywhere. The easiest way to do this is to list your social media information on each platform – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and your blog.

Remember, “Content is King” – nothing will replace good content. But Social Media is Queen these days and ~~small businesses~~ writers should cast their social media net as widely as they can.

Are there any social media marketing tips you've found helpful? Which platform has worked best for you? How many of you have joined Roni Loren on the Tumblr train or circled up with Patrick Thunstrom, Jami Gold and Kristen Lamb on Google+?

Jenny

About Jenny:
Jenny fills her nights with humor: writing memoir, women’s fiction, chick lit, short stories (and chasing after the newly walking Baby Girl). By day, she provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s digging this sit down and write thing. In addition to being a founding member of Writers In The Storm, Jenny also hangs out on Twitter at jhansenwrites and at her blog, More Cowbell.

STORIES MY MOTHER TOLD ME

2011-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

My parents made a pact to stand on every continent in the world. When my dad passed away, my mother went to the Antarctic for both of them. That’s when I figured there was a lot I didn’t know about mom.

When she returned with a bright orange jacket that she got ‘for free’ (don’t count the cost of the cruise), she had lots of stories to tell. Yet, when the excitement of the trip wore off, we both had the sense that we were still standing on a pitching deck with no way to sail to calm seas. A big piece of the puzzle – my dad – was missing.

“Write your memoir,” I said.

“My life wasn’t interesting,” she answered.

But the idea must have taken hold. Not long after this conversation, she called. She was done with her memoir.

“Impressive,” I mused.

It takes me months to write one novel and she finished hers in a week. When I saw her manuscript, I understood why. It was five pages long and she was eighty-five years old. There had to be more.

So began a year of weekend sleep-overs as we poured over photographs for inspiration. She had twenty beautifully documented photo albums, a box filled with pictures taken when cameras were still new fangled things.

There was mom in waist-length braids and Mary Jane shoes standing in the German village she called home.

She was a teenager in the U.S. while war raged in Europe, threatening the grandmother she had lived with, cousins and friends.

Here was mom, posing in a swimsuit she bought with the dollar she found on the street.

Mom in her twenty-five dollar bridal gown perched in the back of a hay wagon beside my father, a skinny, wide-eyed farm boy who would become a doctor.

Mom with one child. Two. Three. Five. Six of us all together. Dark haired and big eyed, we were her clones dressed in beautiful, homemade clothes. I remember going to sleep to the sound of her sewing machine.

And there were words! I bribed my mother with promises of Taco Bell feasts if she gave me details. Funny, what came to her mind.

To keep body and soul together when my father was in med school, he was a professional mourner and bussed tables for a wealthy fraternity. My mom worked in a medical lab where the unchecked radiation caused her to lose her first baby. They ate lab rabbits that had given their all for pregnancy tests. They were in love and happy and didn’t know they were poor. But St. Louis was cold, she remembered, and they couldn’t afford winter coats. Still, she insisted, they weren’t poor.

She typed, I edited; I typed, she talked. My youngest brother almost died when he was 10. She didn’t cry for a long while; not until she knew he would live. The captain of the ship that took her back to Germany was kind. She dreamed of becoming a missionary doctor. In 1954, she had two toddlers (me and my brother) and another baby on the way when she and dad drove to Fairbanks, Alaska where he would serve his residency at the pleasure of the U.S. Air Force. Her favorite outfit was a suit with a white collar. She loved her long hair rolled at her neck in the forties. In the fifties she made a black dress with rhinestone straps and her hair was bobbed. In the sixties she made palazzo pants and sported a short bouffant. She looked like a movie star in her homemade clothes. I wanted to grow up to be as glamorous as she was. She still thought she wasn’t interesting.

Mom wrote the forward to her memoir herself. It began:

A great sense of loneliness fills the house as twilight approaches. In the silence, I can almost hear the voices of my grown children as they recall their childhood years, the laughter of grandchildren and the quiet conversations of friends who have gathered here in years past, echoing through the empty rooms.

You see, she really had no need of my help as a writer.

We had seven copies printed. On the cover was a beautiful picture of a sunset. She called her book In The Twilight of My Life and would not be swayed to change it. Mom thought it perfect and not the least depressing. It was, she laughed, the truth. It was her laugh that made it right. She gave my brothers and sisters a copy for Christmas. My older brother had tears in his eyes. Everyone exclaimed: “I never knew that”.

Now I have a book more treasured than any I have written. I learned a lot about my mom and I realized why I create fictional women of courage and conviction, strength and curiosity, intelligence and, most of all, spirit. It’s because, all this time, I’ve been writing about my mother.

Looking For Harry

2011-10-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

by Bobbie Cimo

Last week while I was on my lunch hour taking my daily siesta in my lounge chair that’s comfortably situated on the helicopter pad at CBS, I got a text from one of my co-workers that read “Harry Connick will be at the Grove at 4 today.” My response was simple, “So will I.”

When I got back from lunch, all my other co-workers excitedly asked me if I got the text about Harry. It was easy to tell by the smile on my face, I had. When 3:45 PM rolled around and I was about to leave for my clandestine meeting, my working cronies cheered me on, like I was the lead-off batter at a baseball game.

As I walked through the turnstile that connects CBS to the Grove, I wondered how many people were going to be there. On a normal day, when Mario Lopez of “Extra” does these interviews, it’s to a fairly small crowd. I was hoping that today, it would be even smaller. I wanted to get as close to Harry as possible. It isn’t that I haven’t been close to him before, because I have. But to me he’s like a drug that you can’t get enough of. Like the song said, “The more I see you, the more I want you.”

I cast my eyes on the spot in front of the three story Barnes and Noble, where these little interviews are customarily shot. No cameras, no crew, no Harry.

I took out my cell phone and called my office. My office posse assured me they saw the sign, announcing Harry’s scheduled appearance. They even told me where the sign was. Not that I didn’t trust them, but I had to see it for myself. They were right. When an unsuspecting security guard passed in front of me, I pointed to the sign and asked, “Where’s Harry?”

He looked just as confused as I felt when he looked towards Barnes and Noble and saw there was no action in front of the bookstore. And then, as if a light bulb went on over his head, he said, “They probably moved it to the front of the fountain”. Not that I needed it, but he offered to escort me over. But again, there was no Harry nor any evidence of any sort of production going on.

So what does a security guard do when he can’t find an answer? He gets back-up by calling over another security guard. This other guard was more creative in his thinking, he was sure that “Extra” was doing Harry’s spot in the park next door.

I looked at him incredulously and asked, “Are you sure?” I think I scared him because he responded with, “Let me take you to the concierge.” Yes, the Grove does have a concierge who dresses in a suit and stands behind an outside desk. As a matter of fact they have several. As helpful as he tried to be, the concierge did’t have an answer for me, so like the guard, he called over back-up, another concierge, who knew even less than he did. I should have walked away then, but it was too late. They had now called over a PR person for the Grove. And in a matter of moments, I had several guards, a couple of concierges, and a PR person, all looking for Harry Connick, Jr. It’s when they pulled out the walkie talkies that I knew that this had gone way too far. But it was too late to walk away, they had me surrounded. Finally, with three security guards, two concierges, a PR person and a partridge in a pear tree, they had an answer for me. Harry had canceled his visit.

My office gal pals all shared in my disappointment when I told them of my defeat. The ironic thing about all of this was, that very night Harry Connick was less than a football field away from me, appearing on “Dancing With The Stars”. Since DWTS is an ABC show, not a CBS one, and because of the threats made against some of the celebrities on the show, it’s practically impossible to get onto the set. To put it bluntly, a terrorist has a better chance of getting passed customs, than a CBS employee has of getting on the set of “Dancing With the Stars”. That is unless you have a special badge, that’s only given to people at certain levels. And I’m definitely not one of them.

As I sat down at my desk, I mumbled out loud of my discontent and how unfair I thought it was to be so close to Harry, and yet not be allowed to see him. Then I heard someone in my office say, “You’re right”, and the next thing I knew, a manager who owns one of those special badges handed his over to me. He then got on the phone and called the head stagehand of “Dancing With The Stars” and asked if he could find a space for me in the audience.

In less than thirty seconds, I was out the door, without my purse, no lipstick on, but a special badge around my neck.

Not only did I get to see Harry Connick, but I also got to hear him sing in person, as well. So I’m happy to report I went looking for Harry, and finally found him, too.

Happy 30th Birthday, OCC! by Jina Bacarr

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

By the time my post is up, OCC will have passed the 30 year mark. I can only imagine the whisperings and giggling and story plotting filling the hallways at the Embassy Suites this past weekend. How many bestsellers were born that weekend, we'll never know.

How many lifelong friendships were born, well, that's something we do know.

If you're a member of OCC and/or a reader of this blog, then you've got friends. I've never known a more supportive group willing to share ideas, information and a hug when needed.

That's OCC.

Now that the publishing business is in such a flux, it's more important than ever to share ideas, whether it's looking for a NY publisher to self-publishing. We will continue to encourage each other to follow our dreams because that's what we do at OCC.

That's what friends are for.

Whether it's helping each other through a rejection (we all get them) or celebrating with a red or pink or white rose, we're here for you.

Even when you can't attend the meetings, the OCC newsletter is filled with encouragement and practical information for everyone from the pre-published to the published to the self-pubbed.

No one knows how all this change will work out, but one thing we do know: from print books to e-books to whatever the future will bring, OCC will always be there for its members.

I'm proud to be a member of OCC.

Best,
Jina

http://jinabacarr.com/
http://titanicnovel.wordpress.com/

A bit of nostalgia: Here's a photo I snapped at OCC's 25th Birthday party showing our newsletters throughout the years:

How I Became a Publisher

2011-10-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I was a guest at Writers In The Storm Blog. (Thanks, Laura, Jenny and crew!) I just self-published my first novel, Little Miss Lovesick, a couple weeks ago and we've been having an interesting conversation over there about self-publishing. I thought I'd reprint that blog here and we could continue the discussion...

When I started writing, I published a few articles and devotionals, and then I tried to figure out what kind of novel I wanted to write. I found out that romance novels accounted for about half of the paperback market. I thought, I like romance, I’m happily married, I’ll write one of those.

I wrote and wrote - Christian romances, category romances, stand-alone romances, first person, third person, contemporary, 1940s - whew! I tried everything looking for my voice. Then one day a friend asked me if I’d heard of chick lit. Suddenly, the light dawned and the heavens opened and I danced with angels for a while! I’d found myself!

I quickly signed with an agent who quickly sent my book out to eight of the biggest New York publishers. Both of us had high hopes. But the best we received was two replies of “we almost bought it.” As it turned out, chick lit was dying.

A few more years went by, but no one was enamored with my new stories, including my agent. She’d found her niche and it was Romance with a capital “r”. But that wasn’t precisely what I was writing. After four and half years, we amicably parted company and I sat down to figure myself out once again.

Back in the 1990s, I heard a woman speak at our writers group about all her rejections and how she finally decided to self-publish her book. By the time she spoke to our group, she’d sold over 100,000 copies of her children’s picture book on her own. A couple publishers who had rejected it earlier called her up and offered her 12% royalties to take over. She said no.

So here I was, thinking about my career - or lack thereof - knowing I’d found my voice, and finding everywhere I researched that “everyone” was saying that a humorous voice in a “with romantic elements” story was hard to sell. I went to grad school to get my MA in Creative Writing thinking I would simply become a better writer and then I’d start getting contracts. But I kept hearing that publishers were buying less than ever due to the economy, and I was getting tired of waiting.

During my final semester in early 2011, I decided to do some more research into digital self-publishing. Things had really started to take off in that arena, but I understood that the biggest obstacle would be finding my audience. What kind of person would like what I wrote enough to buy it, and how would I reach her?

I flew to New York for the Romance Writers of America conference and pitched my superhero book to editors and agents there. Regardless of where the industry was headed, most revenue in books was still being generated by print copies from big publishers and distributors. But I only heard more of the same - “It sounds fun, but I don’t know how to sell it,” and “I like your story idea, but romantic comedy doesn’t sell well. How much sex is in it?”

By the time my plane landed back home in Sydney, I’d decided to self-publish that already-completed book from 2004. It wasn’t doing anything sitting on my computer, and worst case scenario I’d be out about $600. I’d already made notes about some edits I wanted to make to my book and then I was going forward! It’s true that your friends and family can only buy so many copies of your book, but I’d been hearing potential readers tell me for years, “I just love how you write! When can I buy your book?” If I could find my audience, I could at least make a living, even if it was only barely enough to get by.

I signed up for a 10-day online class about how to format your book for Kindle. Let me just say, this is not a process for the technologically challenged or the faint of heart! I worked all day, every day for those ten days and barely got my book up on the last day of class.

But it was up! My novel, Little Miss Lovesick, was available for sale on Amazon!

More confusing hard work got the book up on Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Apple’s iTunes/iBookstore. In 2 ½ weeks, I’ve sold 58 copies and have three reviews posted (one, not even written by a friend!). I have a three-page To Do list that is probably missing a lot of things I need to do that I don’t even know about yet. I had a couple days this week where I got very little done because I was so overwhelmed by both the amount of work and the newness of it all. How do I do this or that?

But I’ve never felt better about my career in my life! Even though I have to move to a different country next month, I don’t want to stop. I’m creating business strategies for pricing, for finding my audience, for the publishing order of future books. I’ve got our DBA name registered with the state of California, and I’m working on getting a separate checking account. I’m researching all the small business paperwork that needs to be done, and I’m preparing to write an ebook on that, too!

Self-publishing is a time-consuming and difficult job, and a lot of the work eats away at your writing time. But I talked to a friend who got her first publishing contract this year, and her publisher is asking her to do about 75% of the stuff I’m doing! She doesn’t lounge on her deck writing her next book every day. She, too, is rushing to meet the next deadline while also creating a Facebook presence, a Twitter presence, building a better web site, brainstorming how to blog differently/better, etc., etc.

Neither of us thinks we have it easier than the other. Publishing your book - no matter how you do it - is more time-consuming in 2011 than it was when the authors we grew up with were doing it. I encourage you to do your research no matter which direction you go. It’s a rewarding process either way. But it’s also a lot of work. So do the research, choose a path - or take both paths with two different books! - and then remind yourself every day, I love my job!

Kitty Bucholtz decided to combine her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher. Her first novel, Little Miss Lovesick, was released in September 2011 as an ebook and will be available by December in print format.

Kitty has also written magazine articles, devotionals, and worked as a magazine editor. She is the co-founder of Routines for Writers where she blogs every Wednesday. Her next novel, Love at the Fluff N Fold, will be released in Spring 2012. You can keep up with Kitty on Facebook, Twitter, or on her web site.

Steve Jobs: iVisionary

2011-10-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. I don’t have an iPod. I don’t have a Mac. I don’t have an iPhone. I do have an iPad, bought in the rush of excitement the week of its launch…but I seldom use it. I’ve managed to buy a couple of things on iTunes, but I’m a mass of insecurity about what happens if I want to transfer them to other devices. It seems easier not to try. I looked at buying a MacBook when I needed a new PC recently, but decided the Mac was too expensive and would cut me off from some nice PC-only applications.

All up, I’m not much use to Apple. But I suspect Apple is of use to me in ways I don’t even know about. Whether it’s keeping other companies on their toes, or developing technologies that influence innovation in products I do use, or even changing the way I think about how markets (including publishing) work, Apple has snuck in there.

But the fact is, I don’t think of Apple as Apple. Mostly, I think of it as Steve Jobs.

So even though I never knew him, and even though his company has many flaws (reports of atrocious conditions in iPad factories in China cannot be glossed over) Steve Jobs’ death seems significant, and a loss. A loss to global innovation , and a loss to Apple. Few of us can expect our lives to be celebrated or our passing to be mourned on such a scale.

But above all, Steve Job’s death is a tragic loss to his family. Which is something, hopefully, we all can expect. And while that’s what hurts most, it's also what matters most.

Happy Birthday, OCC!!!

2011-10-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

I’m so delighted that I’ll be at the celebration of OCC’s thirtieth birthday on Saturday!

I’ve been a member of OCC for about seventeen of those thirty years. I was introduced to RWA, and to OCC, by my dear friend--our current and also former president--Jann Audiss, whom I knew from our mutual work dealing with real estate for Union Oil Company of California. I owe my first book sale to OCC, and to Jann. I pitched my time travel romance A GLIMPSE OF FOREVER to Dorchester Publishing at the 1994 Romance Writers of America conference in New York City, and the rest is history!

About twenty-eight published books later, I still owe a lot to OCC and to Jann. The chapter provides cheers and support. I keep my vase of roses commemorating sales on my dining room table to help keep me going at times when writing becomes more of a chore than a delight--fortunately not often. The chapter also provides information. These days, hearing about successes in e-publishing has become fascinating to me.

Then there’s the camaraderie. I always love coming to meetings as often as I can. This year has been a bit scattered, but I’ll be improving my attendance in upcoming months.

Right now, I’m raising my glass of virtual champagne and toasting the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America. May you be there for me, and for all dedicated romance writers and readers in the area, forever!

--Linda O. Johnston
www.LindaOJohnston.com

What OCC Means to Me ...

2011-10-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

OCC/RWA acts as my supportive writing family. It keeps me sane, provides inspiration and lets me know that when things get crazy … I’m not the only crazy writer out there. (Notice how the first and last cancel out?)

Usually, I use this blogging date to post reminders about the upcoming meeting … but since we’re headed toward our 30^th Birthday bash, and we all should know about it, right? – I’m going to share what this wonderful community means to me, and why I’ve gotten more involved.

Honestly, I don’t want to remember how on ago I joined OCC/RWA with the hope of writing and publishing a romance. I’ve blocked so many of those non-productive years, but it has to be at least eight. Yes, eight years …

At my very first meeting, I met the wonderful Mary Castillo, and Jackie Diamond was ever so gracious, as she still is with new writers. The members were warm and inviting, and then I didn’t go back for a long time. Why?

· Guilt – I wasn’t writing as much as I wanted.

· Work – Several of the colleges I work at require teaching on Saturdays, and they always seemed to conflict with the OCC/RWA schedule.

· Children – I had one infant, and started infertility for a second. For those who haven’t gone through it, the drugs mess with your hormones and it’s not pretty.

· Bedrest – When I was pregnant, I was relegated to bed for five straight months. That meant I couldn’t even really sit up. I bought an AlphaSmart and wrote laying on my side, and forgot to charge it … and lost everything.

· Second master’s degree – With my first master’s degree in communications, journalism, I went back to school for a second in English.

· Too busy – For so long, everything else took priority. And with two small children (who are still only 4 & 8), that’s the priority. I didn’t possess mental room to finish my writing.

· And did I mention guilt?

Still, I continued to be a member of RWA, paid my dues for OCC and became involved in a variety of Online chapters, including Chick Lit Writers of America, Passionate Ink, FF&P and YAWRA.

My first book, Sex University: Physical Education, published in June 2010. At that time, I told myself that I would attend my first RWA National conference. I signed with my agent Saritza Hernandez of the L. Perkins Agency. This past weekend, I turned in my fourth novel, an erotic paranormal, Chains of Silver, which is a sequel to The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome.

And, I became active within the OCC/RWA family. The group has been supportive and encouraging. If time gets tough, another member is there to offer help and most often, someone else has been there. Being part of the board the past year has been unforgettable, whether it’s simply knowing that Eve Ortega still balances work, family life and her writing, or that strength of character that comes from Debra Holland. The expertise of our published authors Kathleen, Pat Wright and Jackie. Or knowing that our unpublished, Liz, Jaimee, Val, Ottilia and Jann, will have their moment. And, we’ll be there to support them the entire way.

But that’s only the board members. Within our chapter, we have such a wealth and diversity of experience, and so many dreams. Thank you to Brenda, Laura, Erin & Erin, Beth, Debra, Charity, Joyce & Cora, Karen, Julia, Nancy, Susan & Harry, Lex, Tara, Marianne, Mary, Kitty, Vicki, Charlotte, Alexis, Jenny, Jennifer, Charlene, Shannon, Shauna, Bobbie, Linda O., Verna, Judy, Maureen, Roberta, Marilee, Stacy, and so many more. It’s impossible to name everyone, but I appreciate every smile, and hopefully I can be there to help and encourage others, too.

Thank you for being there, and know that you are not alone in your journey either.

This weekend, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my writing family through the 30Birthday Bash. Hopefully, you’ll be coming! If not, I’ll see you online and at the next meeting. For more information, you should know where to go … OCC/RWA.org.

October President's Message ...

2011-10-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

...One hand reaching forward, one hand reaching back, in a continuing chain....

Whenever I’m asked to make plans on a Saturday, my response has been “any Saturday, BUT not the second.” For as long as I can remember, the second Saturday of each month has been booked on my calendar for OCC. I will admit that I have not attended every meeting since joining, but can honestly say that I have attended most.

It’s fun to think back about the different locations where the monthly meetings were held. I remember packing a lunch in a brown paper bag for several years until we started meeting at hotels. My first meeting was at the Sequoia Club in Buena Park. I remember walking into this huge room with my trusty sidekicks, Barb and Della. It was overwhelming. There had to be over two hundred women in the room. Writers who were unpublished and published with one thing in common – we all loved and wrote romance. Just reading some of the names on the members badges had me intimidated. There were several published authors whose books I had actually read. Oh my goodness, I was in seventh heaven and it’s been like that ever since.

OCC has compiled a great deal of history in 30 years. Did you know there were seventeen unbelievable ladies who are listed as Charter Members? There have been thirty-six Presidents. Several have held the position for two terms. One Past President has held the position for three terms and one for four. Your Board of Directors throughout the years have been working to bring to our members the best educational and informative speakers, special events, and conferences with one goal in mind - to provide everyone with the tools to advance their writing careers as this industry changes. We have had bestselling authors, New York Editors, Agents and Hollywood screenwriters reveal their secrets to success. Critique and Plot groups established in the early years are still going strong, as well as friendships which started with a simple “hello, what are you writing.”

We have watched and shared writing careers blossom and grow, and some wither only to rise again to be even stronger. We have four members in the 100+ Book Club: Maureen Child, Debbie Macomber, Marie Ferrarrella, and Susan Mallery, with Jackie Diamond hot on their heels. We have Rita and Golden Heart Finalists and Winners, and several of our authors have made the USA and New York Times Best Sellers lists. Our PRO membership is growing every day. This is a history to be proud of.

Whether you are one of our first members or have just joined OCC recently, we are all members of an incredible organization. By working together, we have grown to be one of the finest. For thirty years, we have been gathering together to share our love of romance and writing. This year’s birthday celebration “Romancing the Pages” is no exception. Your Board has planned a grand event, and I hope you can attend.

Happy 30th Birthday everyone!

JANN

For more information on the 30^th Birthday Bash “Romancing the Pages” visit the Orange Country Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Although the official deadline has passed to reserve lunch, there’s a chance to grab that last-minute reservation and pre-pay via PayPal, until Tuesday, Oct. 4.

Online Class: “Guns and Ammo for Writers” with Kathy Bennett

2011-10-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

October 10 – November 6, 2011 

Enrollment information: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassOct11.html

Cost: OCC/RWA members $20: Non-OCC/RWA members $30

ABOUT THE CLASS:

Detective Illa B. Goode stomped on the accelerator of the unmarked police sedan she was driving, launching the car to give chase to the murderer's weather-beaten cargo van...  Suddenly, the van careened into a front yard of a small brick house...  Illa deployed their vehicle to a screeching stop where she and her partner could use a massive oak tree as cover while still keeping their eyes on the house. While Red E. Toreytire directed other units where to set up the perimeter, Illa ran to the trunk of their cruiser and pulled out a…

So, writer, this is your story. Do you know what type of weapon Illa might retrieve to face a suspect with a Tec-9?  You don't? No problem. We'll cover that and much more in Guns and Ammo for Writers.

During the class you'll learn about handguns, rifles, shotguns, ammo, and body armor. We'll start with the basics, and your questions will direct just how in-depth we'll delve into the world of firearms, ammo and more.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Kathy Bennett served more than 29 years with the LAPD – first as a civilian employee, and then 21 years as a police officer. Most of her career was spent working patrol in a black and white police car.

Kathy also served as a Firearms Instructor at the LAPD Police Academy, a crime analyst in the `War Room', a Field Training Officer, and worked undercover in various assignments. She was named Officer of the Quarter twice, and Officer of the Year once.

Kathy has written two romantic suspense manuscripts and is currently revising her third book – a suspense novel. Her first novel, A Dozen Deadly Roses was released in June.

Enrollment information: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassOct11.html

Cost: OCC/RWA members $20; Non-OCC/RWA members $30.

It's All About Men -- Calls for Submissions

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

It’s about men this month, whether the theme is the new line from Ellora’s Cave, EC for Men, about sexy, strong hunks in uniform, or the strength of a king or lord.

Men in Uniform Anthology

Silver Publishing has started a new line, Men in Uniform, and are seeking submissions for 2012. Here’s the breakdown:

•   15K to 20K word count per short story/novella. 4 books per Anthology.
•   Seriously sexy stories about firemen, policemen, soldiers and sailors - we want to read some hot MM stories about men in...and out of uniform.
•    Any combination of M/F, M/F/M, M/M/F, M/M.
•   Heat Rating: 3+ Flames only!

When submitting, please enter “Men in Uniform.” Visit https://spsilverpublishing.com/pages-title-page-24 for due dates. For instance, to be eligible for the January 2012, submissions should be sent in by Oct. 31, 2011.

EC for Men

Ellora’s Cave is now accepting submissions for their new line EC for Men.

· 7,000 to 30,000 words

· May contain relationships, but should focus more on the sex than the romance; Romantica is fine, Exotika is also encouraged

· Realistic wording and dialogue for male characters (not the language women WISH men spoke); this extends to the male narrative

· Written from male POV preferred

· Should be aimed at male sexual fantasies (what men think of when they get off) ~ More of what men want or need from women: sex, love, acceptance, admiration, dirty talk; less of what they don't need (judgment, drama, expectation of anticipating woman's needs)

* Examples include, but are in no way limited to:

- Women taking the initiative during sex

- Female pursuit of the man

- Voyeurism of female/female sex (as well as F/M/F and F/F/M themes)

- Risky sexual situations or locations; a sense of the forbidden (e.g. the boss's mistress, the maid, the college professor, sex in public, etc.)

For more information, visit http://www.jasminejade.com and click on Submissions.

Honor Guard

Decadent Publishing is looking for stories for their new Honor Guard line, which is composed of contemporary, multi-national romance stories. Heat level of 3-5 and word count between 10k-25k.

Setting: Countries around the world. The hero can be any alpha male. Military or covert ops: Marines, MP, CIA, Homeland Security, NSA, etc.

Heroine can be an American or foreign national. Her age should be 25+. Wherever your setting, we need local flavor. Tap your travel experiences! Give us fun, adventure, romance, interesting settings, strong characters and hot lovin', cultural insights.

Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy

Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy is a place where lust and legend abound, and adventure, passion and danger entwine. Think mystical lands and creatures, kings and queens, knights and renegades, heroes and villains, warlords, maidens and princesses. Think battles and danger, honor and dishonor, good and evil. Most of all think hearts filled with passion and secret desire. This is a place where romantic chivalry is alive and well, but so too is romantic wickedness. This is a place where the good do not always win, and the bad are often more captivating and desirable than their altruistic counterparts. In these lush and timeless landscapes, the battle for flesh can be as important as the battle for power. Intrigue, sorcery, revenge, lawlessness, dark secrets and mysterious elixirs; entanglements with supernatural beings – everything is possible in these magical mythical landscapes. Think Game of Thrones and you get the picture!

Word count: 3,000 to 6,000 words. No reprints (be it print, digital, or online). Original fiction only. To be published by Cleis Press in autumn 2012. One-time payment in the range of USD $50-70 (payable on publication) and 2 copies of the anthology. Due by December 15, 2011. Visit http://mitziszereto.com for technical submission information.

-- Compiled by Louisa Bacio

A Fantasy Life by Janet Quinn Cornelow

2011-09-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

I have been writing in the limited time I have with the classes I have been teaching. I put the fantasy story aside for the moment and dug out a historical time-travel that I started several years ago. I have to polish the beginning, but I have it all plotted out, so hopefully it will go along smoothly, or at least as smoothly as any book goes. This story includes a father and his son going back in time and ending up on a horse ranch where the heroine is in need of help since her father died. She is training horses for the Calvary and of course there are those who do not want her to succeed.

I put my fantasy short stories up at Kindle. They used to be Whiskey Shots, but now they are all together in one volume. The fun part about putting them up at Kindle was that I could include the illustrations I had done for them. They can be found at: http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-of-Augeas-ebook/dp/B005MVAQ7O/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

They are called Chronicles of Augeas and are set in the city-state of Augeas. The city is a combination of those with magic and those without. Those without want to steal the magic or destroy it. They are also destroying the city and there are those who wish to stop them. There are six stories in all.

The newest member of our household, Count Rugen, is growing by leaps and bounds. For six months he is huge and can get on top of everything. I have had to redecorate most of the surfaces. All of the breakables are now in the only bookcase he can’t reach. He now has a kitty condo which is a major redecoration of its own. It takes up a large amount of space. When he first got it two weeks ago, he could reach the ceiling beams if he stood on his hind legs. Now he can reach them sitting on his bottom.

I wish everyone a good month of writing.

“Romancing the Pages: OCC/RWA Celebrates 30 Years”

2011-09-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

Romancing the Pages

Orange County Chapter/RWA Celebrates 30 Years

Saturday, October 8, 2011

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Are you ready to celebrate 30 years of romance? We’ve got quite the day scheduled, and we’re nearing the cutoff date for reservations.

Special Guests:

Susan Mallery, New York Times best-selling writer

Mary-Theresa Hussey, Executive Editor—Harlequin Books

This big event will be held at the Embassy Suites in Brea. Come for the celebration and stay for the Pajama Parties! For a sneak peek into the topics, here’s a rundown:

*** The last day to reserve a room at Embassy is Saturday, September 24. Reservations to attend the Birthday Bash need to be made right away. If you are unable to make payment by the 24th, but are serious about attending, please send an email to occ30years@occrwa.org and provide your name/s.

$40 for all RWA members (not just OCC members)

$50 for all guests (non-RWA members)

Here’s a link to the OCC website and the 30th Birthday Party page.... make your reservations today!

http://www.occrwa.org/30thBdayBash.html

Heck Yeah! Lawyers are so Appealing

2011-09-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

By Rebecca Forster

If you are a lawyer, a judge, a clerk, a bailiff, I love you. Really, I do. And so do millions of fiction readers. They can’t get enough of you, in and out of the courtroom. In my book* you are exciting, intelligent, mysterious, courageous, resourceful, thoughtful, witty, well-spoken and you are heroic. Of course, there are times when you are vicious, deceitful, brilliantly cold and cruel and that is pretty nifty, too.

I am married to a judge (he’s pretty sedate) but he was once a lawyer and that is how my fascination with you all began. Yet, years of trial watching, staff chatting and transcript reading has created a bizarre obsessive/compulsive need to figure you all out. Since I haven’t been able to, I can at least explain why you are irresistibly inspiring to this novelist and fascinating to those who love to read about you.

1) You speak legalese. It is like French: mysterious, irresistible, intimidating. Throw in a little Latin – a quid pro quo or prima facia - and you can melt a woman’s resolve and strike fear into the hearts of mortal men.
2) You are confident. Is there a super- secret-double-indemnity-swear-on-your-mother’s-grave-and-never-tell class that teaches you how to argue any and every point of view with grace and conviction? **
3) Bad guys listen to you. They even pay you to tell them what to do. That makes you a little edgy by association and who doesn’t like a bad boy – or girl?
4) You’re altruistic, defending bad people because you believe everyone deserves a defense.
5) You’re altruistic, prosecuting bad guys because you believe in justice.***
6) You are eye-candy. From the couture clad divorce-attorney-to-the stars, to the public defender sporting a plaid jacket and pony tail and the plaintiff’s lawyer in that Italian suit you turn courthouse hallways into runway.
7) You are funny. Sometimes you mean to be funny. Either way, a funny attorney is charming.
8) You are excellent secret keepers, which is not to be confused with being trustworthy. Though I believe you are trustworthy, that is a point of debate.
9) You are curious and tenacious.
10) You are heroes and not just in the literary sense. In real life you (and your expertise) are often the only things standing between a person losing something important to them: their children, their fortune, their reputation, their freedom and, yes, their life.****

*Actually, in all my books since I write legal thrillers.
**This also means that your significant other, children or parent can never win an argument. Experience tells me, the only recourse a normal person has when arguing with a lawyer is to cry and proclaim: “You are right, you are always right.” Works for me.
***A characteristic that make you the perfect inspiration for novels and films.
****You have my permission to show this list to anyone who questions your lovability, capability or worth. You may also use the aforementioned in advertising, closing arguments, opening statements and speed dating.

SURF’S UP

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

by Bobbie Cimo

With the end of summer near, I realize two things; One, I hate to see the summer end and two; I grew up loving those teen beach movies. Don’t know why, since I couldn’t swim or surf. However, I did manage to learn how to float on my back in case of an emergency, like if I were lost at sea and had to wait it out to be rescued. Luckily, I never had too.

I guess the real draw about those movies for me, were the cute guys who played in them--because it certainly wasn’t the plot or storyline, since most of them didn’t have one.

Like all people, who didn’t grow up near an ocean, the first thing I wanted to see when I moved out to California was Malibu. And with all the enthusiasm of a seasoned swimmer, when I did see it, I ran out to sea. I got about knee high into the water, when I felt my lips turn blue (okay you can’t actually feel your lips turn a color), but if one could… Nobody told me that the Pacific Ocean was freezing, even in July.

If I couldn’t enjoy the ocean, I could at least enjoy the sunrays and work on my tan, by basking in the California sunshine. Well, I could if it wasn’t for the fact that with every initial sunbathing session, I tend to break out with a zillion red dots on my legs (maybe a zillion is a little bit of an exaggeration). But enough red dots to make my legs look like I went stomping in a vat filled with purple grapes. The doctors call it sun poisoning. I call it annoying. Once the purple fades away, I usually end up with a pretty good tan.

Ah, then there’s all that lovely beachy air--unfortunately, I have a problem with that too. It seems whenever I’m near anything that has to do with humidity or dampness, my hair comes down with a terminal case of the frizzies. In other words, if I had red hair, I could easily be mistaken for “Little Orphan Annie”

So just because I couldn’t be a surfer, didn’t mean I couldn’t like those silly beach movies or have my picture taken with a teen idol, like Frankie Avalon, who played in them. And I could do it, without the blue lips, blotchy skin, and frizzy hair.

Titanic and Edwardian Class Society

2011-09-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

On this tenth anniversary of 9/11, the blogosphere is filled with many beautiful memorials to all the victims and their families.

A wonderful tribute.

The details of that day are well known, but one thing that isn't always talked about is how much we as a society have changed over the past century regarding class. This comes to mind as I finish writing my latest novel, "Katie O'Reilly," A story of the Titanic.

It was a different world back in 1912 when it came to who survived and who didn't...and it might surprise you.

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Class. You either have it or you don't.

Or so the saying goes.

In 1912 class meant an entirely different thing. It dictated what you wore, how many times a day you changed your "ensemble," whether or not you were called a "lady" or a "woman" and on the Titanic, class dictated whether or not you found your way to the lifeboats.

Shocking?

Yes. But not entirely true. What is true is that first cabin "ladies" (if you belonged to Society, you were termed a lady; if you were among the working stiffs, you were called a woman) had no problem finding their way to the lifeboats.

Out of 325 first class passengers, 144 were women, I mean, ladies, and 140 survived.

In third class or steerage, 165 were women (no ladies here) and 76 survived.

What kept the steerage women or even second class females from reaching the boats? Many historians claim that no preferential treatment was given to first cabin ladies over steerage or second class and I'd like to believe that was true.

What is known is that first cabin ladies had more access to the Boat and Promenade decks where the lifeboats were lowered.

And that is the key word.

Access.

The second and third class passengers were confined to their individual areas of the ship by barriers that ranged from a simple sign with a rope that said "First Class only" to steel gates that barred their up on deck.

There was also another barrier.

The barrier of the mind.

Back in 1912, you didn't overstep your place in society. It just wasn't done. Yet the population hung onto every piece of gossip about the elegant ladies in Society, some even believing, according to a historian at the time, they brushed their teeth with the finest champagne.

No wonder my heroine, Katie O'Reilly, aspires to be a lady like the Countess of Marbury:

She was a cultured and refined lady in the ways of manners and doing the Season, paying calls and choosing clothes. But her father had left her much to her own resources and she existed in her own little world within a world, where everything was done according to her whim. She was a creature who was neither woman nor child, but a storybook princess whose crown had been toppled and she had no idea how to get it back.

As for the gentlemen, only 33 percent of male first class passengers survived, 8 percent of second class, 16 percent steerage and 22 percent crew.

In the end, it didn’t matter what class you belonged to, losing a loved one on the Titanic was a painful experience.

God rest all their souls.

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