This was supposed to be a post to introduce myself *properly*as a Minx. But frankly, I didn’t think the blog world would find me that interesting. I mean, you don’t want to hear me prattle on about my, er, chest-to-chest meeting with Vernon Kay when I literally bumped into him (we were rounding the same corner) three years ago, do you? If the answer is yes, then let me add quickly that his eyes are that sexy and yes, his chest was all manly and hard – my chest felt it!
If the answer’s no, then let’s move on.
As an armchair sports enthusiast, of course I’d secured my place for the Wimbledon Final this year (I needed something to focus on after England’s triumph at the World Cup). Even before the tennis match started, I knew I’d be supporting the underdog, Tomas Berdych. This previously little known player who seems to have come out of nowhere and *gasp* beaten Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic was definitely one to watch.
Before long though, his uphill battle against a frankly superior Rafael Nadal was reminding me a little too vividly of how tough it is for new writers (see what I’ve done here?) and in my heart I knew he’d lose despite his fearless fight.
What sustained me through the match and made me root for him even harder was the knowledge that he, like every writer with a dream of being published, had learned pick himself up after every set back. He kept hitting the ball after every game and set lost in the hope that maybe, just maybe, all his hard work would pay off.
As writers we have to do the same thing – we pick ourselves up after every form rejection, rejected partial, rejected revisions, and (the toughest of all) rejected fulls, in the hope that eventually the right book will land on the right desk, the right editor will send it up the chain, resulting in the ultimate prize that is The Call.
My first call came via email a little over a year ago and while I treasure it immensely, I yearn for the other Call, The Big One, the life changing one that every writer dreams of.
The Wimbledon Final also reminded me that hard work pays. I have no doubt Berdych will come back stronger – he’s too determined not to. He won’t give up and neither should any writer out there who dreams of the winning the magic prize.
And just to make this even remotely a get-to-know-Maya post, I’ll repeat what my late grandmother used to tell me whenever I had a setback – everything in life happens for a reason. Take it as a lesson and learn from it.
I took that advice to heart and practiced what to say to Gary Barlow from Take That the next time I took his call about the leak in his bathroom. Alas, I left that property management job over 10 years ago so the chances of reliving that moment are nil! But I did pluck up the courage to say hello to Gordon Ramsay when he turned up at my office last week. I hope that made my grandmother smile…
Happy writing!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
What not to do at your first conference
Conference season is almost upon us. Attending your first conference can be a bit like your first day at school – new faces, timetables, worried you’ll have no one to sit with at lunch…Being a veteran of a whole one conference I’m eminently under qualified to dish out advice but that’s never stopped me before ;-)
So…
Don’t:
1. Succumb to the ‘Do I know you? Should I know you? Have I read you?’ paranoia. If in doubt just smile and talk about that great common denominator – biscuits.
2. Take any credit cards or cash unless you’re prepared to buy lots of books. Every author will do such a brilliant job of selling themselves that the urge to buy their book and then chase them round campus, pen in hand and asking for autographs, will almost certainly overtake you.
3. Talk banal drivel to a badge-less person. They will undoubtedly be VIWs (Very Important Writers) and while they might be glad of a change of subject from their RITA successes and multi book contracts it will make you look a bit of a prat. (Checking your accommodation list reduces this risk, take it from someone who wished she’d done that last year!)
4. Underestimate the importance of the tea queue as a source of great advice. Some of the best tips I picked up last year weren’t in the seminars but while reaching for a jammy dodger.
5. Forget where you put your water when a talk begins. You’ll inevitably kick it over the shoes of the person in front of you. (Sorry if that was you. Hope they dried out okay!)
6. Be afraid to eavesdrop – really, you’ll pick up great gems of gossip about publishers, the nitty-gritty of contracts… all that stuff that no one puts into writing out of political correctness.
Do:
1. Take advantage of opportunities to chat to editors and agents. Where else can you get instant, informed feedback from those in the know?
2. Expect to go home more enthused about getting stuck into writing time than seeing your nearest and dearest again!
If you're attending the RNA conference this year come and say hello to me, Lorraine Wilson and fellow minxes Joanne, Romy and Maya.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Author Spotlight - Donna Alward
Today the Minxes feature the lovely Donna Alward who is so unselfish with her time and always has such wonderful advice for struggling pre-pubbed writers. After reading Donna's answers to our Minxy questions, we're sure you'll join us in thanking Donna for taking time out of her hectic schedule to join us today!
1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?
UNPUBLISHED! I was getting close though--I sold my first book 9 months later (in March, 2006) so I was probably working on the book or books that ended up being my first sales.
2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?
HIRED: THE ITALIAN'S BRIDE, which is my first reprint, was actually inspired by a book I wrote before selling. So many things didn't work in the early version, but I did like the idea of a heroine trying to reclaim her life and doing it in the small Rocky Mountain resort town of Banff. The original story had an English story, and I rewrote it with a sexy Italian. I had the heroine as an assistant too, and in this story, she's the acting manager. It does make her butt heads with the hero quite often - something that really puts her out of her comfort zone. And I gave her a different backstory, too - one that really ended up being quite emotional and I loved writing her character arc and how she found herself and also gained her confidence again. Mari has a lot of courage, and Luca is strong and yet gentle enough to understand what it is she needs.
3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?
Now that would be jinxing myself wouldn't it? And yet--I've always believed in seeing where you want to be and going for it. David Foster said in his book "Hitman" that the road to success is straight let's just say I still see myself writing, and hopefully expanding my readership in a big way. I also see myself putting in a lot of work to get there ... by then I'll have girls in high school so I also hope to still be SANE. :-)
4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?
Oh, Gosh! I read the More Than Words anthology which features Harlequin bestsellers and really enjoyed it. I also read Jessica Hart's Oh-So-Sensible Secretary, and had writer envy most of the way through. But Jessica's voice is so very different from mine. I really don't want to emulate anyone. I just want to write the best Donna Alward book I possibly can.
5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?
I say this so often, but LaVyrle Spencer made me fall in love with Romance novels and I have always kind of hoped that I might tap into a fraction of the wonderful warm feelings her writing inspires. I have read her books so often most of them are falling apart. I have been writing since I was a child, but I can't deny the influence her stories have had on me.
6. As a writer for the HMB Romance line, can you tell us what drew you to that line or did the line 'choose' you?
The line kind of chose me - once I found my voice. I fit there. Once I figured it out, it became easier to write the kind of story I needed to write. I knew what sort of story they were looking for and I had the voice for it. It was then a matter of working to get the writing and story elements in line. It took me a few mss to get there, but I finally hit the right notes with HIRED BY THE COWBOY.
7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?
After 19 years with the same man, 15 of those married - I can't list just one. But there are moments that stand out. Our first kiss. Dancing beneath the stars while our children slept in the camper. Finishing my first novel and calling him at work to tell him I wrote THE END - and having him show up late for dinner. I gave him a hard time until he told me he'd stopped on the way home to buy me something to celebrate - a new watch. But it's not grand gestures. It's sitting together on the deck and having him reach over and take my hand, or ordering supper if I've had a crazy day. That's real. That's what keeps you going through the tough times.
8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?
How hard I'd work. It doesn't get easier; in fact it gets harder as you go along. Being published isn't the key to the city. There may still be rejections, struggles, missed deadlines, poor sales, stress over time management ... I wasn't completely prepared for that. But, you know, I've had books that didn't sell as well as I'd hoped, I've had rejections, and I still get frustrated when writing feels like pulling teeth and I'm still here. Still writing. Still loving the mailman when he delivers author copies and smiling when I get reader mail. It's a damned hard job, but it's a good one. :-) I can't imagine doing anything else.
9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?
Oh gosh! I've had a lot of good advice but I'll never forget my first editor at Mills and Boon, Maddie West, telling me to go ahead and take risks. Editorial can always pull you back if you go too far, but taking risks can really result in extraordinary fresh stories.
10. Tell us about your latest release.
This year has been crazy with releases which is very good for me. :-) I had an ebook release from Samhain Publishing in April - Sold to the Highest Bidder. It will be out in print in February. July sees the reprint Hired: The Italian's Bride in the UK in the anthology Mediterranean Men and Marriage along with stories by Carol Grace and Raye Morgan. Then in October, Proud Rancher, Precious Bundle is out in the UK, and will be out in North America in February 2011. I round out the year with two releases in November - a reprint of A Bride for Rocking H Ranch, a Christmas novella in another UK anthology and Breathe from Samhain Publishing. There are excerpts from all these titles on my website.
11. What's next for you?
I have two more stories written for the romance line that are just waiting for final approval and revisions. This summer I am switching gears a bit to work on an independent project that I'm really excited about. I can't wait to get some chapters in the hands of my agent!
You can catch up with me at my website http://www.donnaalward.com/. I'm also on Facebook - Donna Alward, Romance Author and on Twitter - @donnaalward. Stop by any of those places and say hi!
1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?
UNPUBLISHED! I was getting close though--I sold my first book 9 months later (in March, 2006) so I was probably working on the book or books that ended up being my first sales.
2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?
HIRED: THE ITALIAN'S BRIDE, which is my first reprint, was actually inspired by a book I wrote before selling. So many things didn't work in the early version, but I did like the idea of a heroine trying to reclaim her life and doing it in the small Rocky Mountain resort town of Banff. The original story had an English story, and I rewrote it with a sexy Italian. I had the heroine as an assistant too, and in this story, she's the acting manager. It does make her butt heads with the hero quite often - something that really puts her out of her comfort zone. And I gave her a different backstory, too - one that really ended up being quite emotional and I loved writing her character arc and how she found herself and also gained her confidence again. Mari has a lot of courage, and Luca is strong and yet gentle enough to understand what it is she needs.
3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?
Now that would be jinxing myself wouldn't it? And yet--I've always believed in seeing where you want to be and going for it. David Foster said in his book "Hitman" that the road to success is straight let's just say I still see myself writing, and hopefully expanding my readership in a big way. I also see myself putting in a lot of work to get there ... by then I'll have girls in high school so I also hope to still be SANE. :-)
4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?
Oh, Gosh! I read the More Than Words anthology which features Harlequin bestsellers and really enjoyed it. I also read Jessica Hart's Oh-So-Sensible Secretary, and had writer envy most of the way through. But Jessica's voice is so very different from mine. I really don't want to emulate anyone. I just want to write the best Donna Alward book I possibly can.
5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?
I say this so often, but LaVyrle Spencer made me fall in love with Romance novels and I have always kind of hoped that I might tap into a fraction of the wonderful warm feelings her writing inspires. I have read her books so often most of them are falling apart. I have been writing since I was a child, but I can't deny the influence her stories have had on me.
6. As a writer for the HMB Romance line, can you tell us what drew you to that line or did the line 'choose' you?
The line kind of chose me - once I found my voice. I fit there. Once I figured it out, it became easier to write the kind of story I needed to write. I knew what sort of story they were looking for and I had the voice for it. It was then a matter of working to get the writing and story elements in line. It took me a few mss to get there, but I finally hit the right notes with HIRED BY THE COWBOY.
7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?
After 19 years with the same man, 15 of those married - I can't list just one. But there are moments that stand out. Our first kiss. Dancing beneath the stars while our children slept in the camper. Finishing my first novel and calling him at work to tell him I wrote THE END - and having him show up late for dinner. I gave him a hard time until he told me he'd stopped on the way home to buy me something to celebrate - a new watch. But it's not grand gestures. It's sitting together on the deck and having him reach over and take my hand, or ordering supper if I've had a crazy day. That's real. That's what keeps you going through the tough times.
8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?
How hard I'd work. It doesn't get easier; in fact it gets harder as you go along. Being published isn't the key to the city. There may still be rejections, struggles, missed deadlines, poor sales, stress over time management ... I wasn't completely prepared for that. But, you know, I've had books that didn't sell as well as I'd hoped, I've had rejections, and I still get frustrated when writing feels like pulling teeth and I'm still here. Still writing. Still loving the mailman when he delivers author copies and smiling when I get reader mail. It's a damned hard job, but it's a good one. :-) I can't imagine doing anything else.
9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?
Oh gosh! I've had a lot of good advice but I'll never forget my first editor at Mills and Boon, Maddie West, telling me to go ahead and take risks. Editorial can always pull you back if you go too far, but taking risks can really result in extraordinary fresh stories.
10. Tell us about your latest release.
This year has been crazy with releases which is very good for me. :-) I had an ebook release from Samhain Publishing in April - Sold to the Highest Bidder. It will be out in print in February. July sees the reprint Hired: The Italian's Bride in the UK in the anthology Mediterranean Men and Marriage along with stories by Carol Grace and Raye Morgan. Then in October, Proud Rancher, Precious Bundle is out in the UK, and will be out in North America in February 2011. I round out the year with two releases in November - a reprint of A Bride for Rocking H Ranch, a Christmas novella in another UK anthology and Breathe from Samhain Publishing. There are excerpts from all these titles on my website.
11. What's next for you?
I have two more stories written for the romance line that are just waiting for final approval and revisions. This summer I am switching gears a bit to work on an independent project that I'm really excited about. I can't wait to get some chapters in the hands of my agent!
You can catch up with me at my website http://www.donnaalward.com/. I'm also on Facebook - Donna Alward, Romance Author and on Twitter - @donnaalward. Stop by any of those places and say hi!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday Minx - Sri
I’ve postponed writing about myself for 2 weeks and not because I’m lazy. Being 33 weeks pregnant, working full time and managing a 2 year old are making me forgetful. But my fellow minxes have been patient with me, so before they go, 'where is Sri again?' :) here I go. Being the least 'popular' of the minxes, not in terms of being hated, we are all lovely people, but as in, even with a blog of my own, I’m what they call an online recluse, I thought I would just mention a few points about me instead of a boring bio about how ordinary I am.
1. My father and my grandfather were both writers, and I grew up surrounded by books, so my eternal love story is with books. I think it was Romy who said she was a book whore and I'm right there with her. And I adore Romance, and find myself looking for it even in the most suspenseful crime thriller.
2. English is not my mother tongue. But, I have studied it through high school, so can’t use that as an excuse for bad grammar.
3. I’m a vegetarian. I’m asked once at least every day by one of my colleagues how I do it, and I say “I never ate meat, fish, or chicken in my life. So really, it’s easy for me.”
4. Once I had discovered Romance novels at the age of 13, I was obsessed with reading as many as I could lay my hands on. And this didn’t make my mother happy for she was worried about my grades. So I used to cover the novels with school text covers, hid them in my 7 year old cousin's school bag, because she didn’t check his bag like she did my own, and even bribed my brother to bring them home for me without her seeing them.
5. Being a part of the minxes is the best thing that could have happened to my writing because I’m surrounded by a fabulous group of lovely ladies who all get what I do every day and whose help can only make me a better writer. So, love ya minxes!!!
1. My father and my grandfather were both writers, and I grew up surrounded by books, so my eternal love story is with books. I think it was Romy who said she was a book whore and I'm right there with her. And I adore Romance, and find myself looking for it even in the most suspenseful crime thriller.
2. English is not my mother tongue. But, I have studied it through high school, so can’t use that as an excuse for bad grammar.
3. I’m a vegetarian. I’m asked once at least every day by one of my colleagues how I do it, and I say “I never ate meat, fish, or chicken in my life. So really, it’s easy for me.”
4. Once I had discovered Romance novels at the age of 13, I was obsessed with reading as many as I could lay my hands on. And this didn’t make my mother happy for she was worried about my grades. So I used to cover the novels with school text covers, hid them in my 7 year old cousin's school bag, because she didn’t check his bag like she did my own, and even bribed my brother to bring them home for me without her seeing them.
5. Being a part of the minxes is the best thing that could have happened to my writing because I’m surrounded by a fabulous group of lovely ladies who all get what I do every day and whose help can only make me a better writer. So, love ya minxes!!!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Anything Goes Friday - Good Telling & Exciting News
I have a confession to make. I am really bad at showing. Telling comes way more naturally.
Happily, thanks to my lovely crit group and the editor I've been working with at Wild Rose Press, I'm learning to spot 'telling' the moment my fingers type the words on the page. But there are still times when a telling sentence works better for me than going into the detail of showing, especially when I want to make a quick point. So imagine my surprise when I followed a link to an article that was all about Good Telling. And yes, apparently there is such a thing!
So if, like me, you suffer from this affliction, here's a link to the article at Kidlit.com. The rest of you can go back to polishing your haloes.
On the news front, there's been some talk lately on the Subcare board at eHarlequin about a few changes to the Mills & Boon lines edited out of London. (If you're an aspiring writer and haven't yet discovered Subcare, I highly recommend it. You can click here to join the eHarlequin forums).
While no official announcement has been made, the Minxes have gone sleuthing and discovered that the Romance line appears to be splitting into two distinct categories called Riva and Cherish. According to Michelle Styles, this is more a re-branding exercise than a change in content, so there's no fear of your favourite writers disappearing from the shelves.
Cherish, as the name implies, will have the same "wonderful heart warming hearth and family" and "feel good" qualities that the current Romance line embodies, as represented by authors like Donna Alward. [Quotes are from Michelle Styles on the Subcare forum].
Riva will be a fun and flirty new line, or in the words of Kelly Hunter, whose With This Fling will launch the new line in January 2011: "Choc full of warmth, wit, and varying degrees of sensuality. Vibrant and gorgeous packaging." Writers will be sourced from both the Romance and Modern Heat lines, though Modern Heat will continue to be distributed as Presents Extra in the US and Sexy in Australia.
With four titles a month, Riva is a wonderful opportunity for new writers, and an even more wonderful source of books for readers like me who love that modern, sassy tone. If you like the sound of these books and haven't yet discovered them, look out for authors like Liz Fielding, Jessica Hart, Fiona Harper, Ally Blake and Nicola Marsh - and of course, Kelly Hunter.
If any of our blog readers have more information on the changes in Richmond, or corrections to anything we've heard so far, please feel free to leave a comment or send us an email. Our Minxy ears are pricked and ready.
Happily, thanks to my lovely crit group and the editor I've been working with at Wild Rose Press, I'm learning to spot 'telling' the moment my fingers type the words on the page. But there are still times when a telling sentence works better for me than going into the detail of showing, especially when I want to make a quick point. So imagine my surprise when I followed a link to an article that was all about Good Telling. And yes, apparently there is such a thing!
So if, like me, you suffer from this affliction, here's a link to the article at Kidlit.com. The rest of you can go back to polishing your haloes.
* * * * *
On the news front, there's been some talk lately on the Subcare board at eHarlequin about a few changes to the Mills & Boon lines edited out of London. (If you're an aspiring writer and haven't yet discovered Subcare, I highly recommend it. You can click here to join the eHarlequin forums).
While no official announcement has been made, the Minxes have gone sleuthing and discovered that the Romance line appears to be splitting into two distinct categories called Riva and Cherish. According to Michelle Styles, this is more a re-branding exercise than a change in content, so there's no fear of your favourite writers disappearing from the shelves.
Cherish, as the name implies, will have the same "wonderful heart warming hearth and family" and "feel good" qualities that the current Romance line embodies, as represented by authors like Donna Alward. [Quotes are from Michelle Styles on the Subcare forum].
Riva will be a fun and flirty new line, or in the words of Kelly Hunter, whose With This Fling will launch the new line in January 2011: "Choc full of warmth, wit, and varying degrees of sensuality. Vibrant and gorgeous packaging." Writers will be sourced from both the Romance and Modern Heat lines, though Modern Heat will continue to be distributed as Presents Extra in the US and Sexy in Australia.
With four titles a month, Riva is a wonderful opportunity for new writers, and an even more wonderful source of books for readers like me who love that modern, sassy tone. If you like the sound of these books and haven't yet discovered them, look out for authors like Liz Fielding, Jessica Hart, Fiona Harper, Ally Blake and Nicola Marsh - and of course, Kelly Hunter.
If any of our blog readers have more information on the changes in Richmond, or corrections to anything we've heard so far, please feel free to leave a comment or send us an email. Our Minxy ears are pricked and ready.
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