Another perspective on the RNA 2011 Conference

Minxy friend Rachel Lyndhurst gives us another inside look at the RNA 2011 Conference in 2011. Thanks Rach!

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Rachel with Kate Johnson

Thanks for asking me here today, Minxes!

I was very fortunate to have attended my very first Romantic Novelists’ Association conference this year, and a little bird tells me you want to hear the some of the juicy details – the stuff that doesn’t necessarily get published. The stuff that’s really useful to know … I was only there for half of it, but here are some of the key things I discovered.

Don’t worry about forgetting a pen and paper when you set off – it’s all provided in the official goody bag. Along with free books, bookmarks, postcards and chocolate! But do leave yourself some breathing space to find your accommodation - I got lost quite a few times!

Students these days have it really easy! Our rooms were en suite in small flats with a fantastically equipped kitchen area. Long gone are the days when you had to sneak a member of the opposite sex in past a grumpy porter at the front door!

Good news. The market isn’t as bad as some would have you believe. At the beginning of the conference Jan Jones ran though a list of authors who had good news to share about successes in the past year. There were loads. RNA members are getting published and selling in buckets.

It appears that everyone agrees that an online presence is essential for an author these days. Networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are vital for marketing yourself and your books. It’s hugely beneficial to interact with your readers and pick up a few tips yourself – that’s why you’re reading this right now, right? I had a ten-minute editor’s pitch and had my suspicions confirmed; when you submit to a publisher/agent they will Google you. Fact! Don’t get caught with your knickers down, folks, keep your blog up to date and make sure it sparkles.

There is no right way to write. Jill Mansell told us that she writes longhand with a fountain pen on foolscap paper on the right hand side of the page. Revisions are inserted on the left hand side of the page and then she gets someone to type it up for her. Jill would feel physically ill if she had to write more than 1500 words in a day, whereas Louise Allen can do four or five thousand in a day if she has to.

Every author has to be prepared to market herself. I now know what an ‘elevator pitch’ is – make sure you do too, you might need it when you bump into an agent in the loo during the conference or RNA winter party...

Make sure your book has a really good title, having a ‘working title’ may not be good enough. If it’s weak, you may lose the agent/editor’s interest before they even turn over a page.

Most importantly, never give up. Jill Mansell confided that after two rejections from agents she was going to thrown in the towel if she got a third. Fortunately, she didn’t, she’s a bestselling author. Keep going, you can do it!

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Rachel's debut novel, Storm's Heart, is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.

Rachel can be found on Twitter as @RachelLyndhurst, and her blog is at
http://rachellyndhurst.blogspot.com/

Author Spotlight - Sally Clements

I'm test driving some new minxy spotlight questions today - here goes!


• What is your writing process?
I write in the mornings, after getting the kids off to school, and write until 2.00 which is my first school run. Apart from that, I grab random moments on my Alphasmart, and download them onto computer the next morning!

• Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
Um...I tend to go shoe shopping! No, seriously, I don't because there are too many days when it's difficult to keep to it, and I have a cupboard full of shoes... What I do is grab a coffee, sit down and promise myself a reward (usually licorice all-sorts, a handful) if I get 1,000 words done. Once I've done that, I'm happy, and usually that kick starts the muse. I listen to music, and also burn scented candles too, to help get me into writing mode.
• Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
Gosh, no. I should have though...terrible writer's spread going on here! I walk around the garden, and weed.
• Do you believe in writer's block?
No. But I believe in writer's burnout. Sometimes it's important to do something else - concentrate on other areas of your life, and be gentle on yourself. If you are hassling yourself to write and giving yourself a hard time, you can be darned sure the muse will disappear!
• Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?
No, I haven't. But I have got about half a book full of real life incidents that I write to release tension. It's a biting comedy, but I'd get sued if I published it!
• In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
I spend a lot more time on the internet than I'd anticipated - and a lot more time doing promotion.
• Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?
I never turn down the opportunity to meet new readers. I blog regularly, tweet constantly, do every interview I'm offered, and am polite. I also try to put my personality out there - build genuine connections with like minded people. I've been published about a year now, and I'm still learning! (tips gratefully accepted!)
• What is your top promo tip for other authors?
Make sure you have a blog, twitter, and interact. Be helpful and polite to others, good karma bounces back!
• What did you learn while writing this book?
My heroine, Melo, is a caring, nurturing person, and she could easily have become a bit of a pushover. She made me examine my own feelings about giving - she gives, and other's take. But she learns to stay true to herself and not be taken advantage of. She owns her power, and squares up to grumpy, gorgeous Cade - with lots of fiesty fireworks. I learnt a lot of what I believe deep down, writing her!
• What was the most fun part of writing this book?
Definitely immersing myself in the warm heat of Isola dei Fiori. Researching Tuscan recipies, looking at pictures of lovely islands, imagining myself breathing in the scent's of lavender and rosemary...sigh... with Cade by my side, of course!
• And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?
He loves his cabin in the woods in Canada, on the lakeshore...I think that's where he'd love to be with Melo.

Here's more about the story:
Capable, financial advisor, Melo Bellucci always knew when it came to organising her sister’s wedding she’d in charge. After all, her sister, Rosa is notoriously scatterbrained. But there’s a silver lining in the form of the Best Man, Melo’s childhood crush, Cade West.

When Cade returns to the Tuscan island, Isola dei Fiori, he’s prepared to mix business with pleasure, especially when he meets Melo again. The confident, sexy woman is a world away from the lanky tomboy he remembers, and attraction burns between them instantly.
But when he discovers that the perfect site for his hotel. idyllic Paradise Beach, belongs to Melo, rather than her father, can their relationship survive, when there are two plans for Paradise?

Marrying Cade is available now for Kindle at Amazon.uk, Amazon.com and for other email formats at The Wild Rose Press, and ebook sellers worldwide.
 
Sally is @sallywriter on twitter.
 
And her blog is here.
 
Thanks for having me, Minxes!

Enjoying the summertime...

I had a great time last week, with the Marrying Cade Wave launch for my new book, and would like to thank everyone who took part and helped launch Marrying Cade into the blue.

Now that's done, I'm wondering where the summer weather has got to - Ireland is grey and rainy, cold and dull. My family are staying at home this year - so no prospect of the warm breezes of a Tuscan island for me - except in fiction. I'm planning a few trips around about, some visits to the cinema, and if the weather improves, a barbeque or two in the garden. If it gets really warm, we might even brave the beach...

My question this Monday is: What's everyone else doing who's not disappearing on holiday? Any good ideas? Kids holidays here for secondary school start at the beginning of June and finish at the end of August - its a very long time, I could do with some ideas!

July Hotties Poll: Jane Austen Heroes

Winner of last month’s Policeman Hotties poll was Chris O’Donnell of NCIS: Los Angeles, narrowly beating out Eddie Cibrian (CSI: Miami) and Simon Baker (The Mentalist).

For something a little different, we have a literary theme for this month’s hotties: all of them have been in Jane Austen films.

When I started researching this post I’ll admit my first thought was “What was I thinking? There’s a shortage of good looking men in the Austen films”.
Boy was I wrong!

An image search proved there are a whole bunch of great looking men in the various adaptations, but since I figured ten hotties was about as much as one poll could take, I’ve left out a few, including the rather more obvious choices. If your favourite isn’t here, feel free to tell us about it in the comments section. And please still vote!

First up is the other Mr Darcy, Matthew MacFadyen (Pride and Prejudice, 2005).

Matthew MacFadyen

Next up is Jonny Lee Miller who has played not one, but two, Austen heroes: Edmund Bertram (Mansfield Park, 1999) and Mr Knightley (Emma, 2009)

Jonny Lee Miller

From the same version of Mansfield Park is Alessandro Nivola, the lone American in this poll.

Alessandro Nivola

And also from the 1999 Mansfield Park, James Purefoy, who played Tom Bertram.

James Purefoy

The role of Frank Churchill in Emma has been played by numerous actors. among them Rupert Evans (2009).

Rupert Evans

I know a few Minxes who’ll be voting for the next hottie: Rupert Penry-Jones, who played Captain Wentworth (Persuasion, 2007)

Rupert Penry-Jones

From Sense and Sensibility comes another selection: Greg Wise (1995), Dan Stevens (2008) and Dominic Cooper (2008).

Greg Wise

Dan Stevens

Dominic Cooper

And finally, from the must-see Bollywood version of Jane Austen, Bride and Prejudice, is Daniel Gillies, who played Wickham (now to be seen on TV screens everywhere as the villain in my favourite TV series).

Author Spotlight - Soraya Lane

New Zealander Soraya Lane, well known to everyone who lurks on the eHarlequin community forum, is celebrating the release of her debut Harlequin Romance, Soldier on her Doorstep. The book is out in June in the UK and July in the US. Her next book, The Army Ranger's Return, follows in quick succession with a July release in the UK.

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

Five years ago, I’d been writing for about a year or so, and was trying to finish my first manuscript. I had started to enter a few romance writing competitions, but looking back now, that first manuscript was dreadful! But I was very committed to making a career as an author, and I truly believe that it’s belief in yourself and in your craft that gets you through the tough times.

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

My first two books are part of a mini-series called Heroes Come Home, and I was inspired by the many men and women around the world sacrificing so much to serve their countries. Soldier on her Doorstep explores the concept of guilt, forgiveness and second chance love – the heroine lost her husband to war, and has been left a single mom to their young daughter. The hero, Alex, visits Lisa to fulfill the wish of his dying comrade to make sure his wife and daughter are okay, but of course he doesn’t expect to fall in love with her!

I think it must be so incredibly difficult to transition from active duty soldier to civilian, and then face being redeployed again, so the challenge I gave myself was to really dig deep into the emotions of my characters.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

In five years time, I hope to still be writing 3-4 books a year for Harlequin Romance/Mills & Boon Cherish. I’d also like to be writing for another Harlequin imprint, maybe HQN or Mira.

4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

Oooh, this is a hard question! I like reading books that I wouldn’t necessarily want to write myself, such as thrillers by Harlan Coben or paranormal romance by Nalini Singh. I would have loved to have written The Wilderness series by Sara Donati if I had to choose!

5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

I’ve always read widely, since I was a child, so there are many authors that have inspired me over the years. From The Saddle Club when I was a girl, to Lesley Pearce and Nora Roberts, there are so many wonderful authors to be inspired by!

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

I don’t personally like to write hot or explicit love scenes, so I’ve really found the right fit for me with Harlequin Romance/Mills & Boon Cherish. We close the door before the exciting stuff starts! But in saying that, I feel that if a love scene is right for the characters, then an author should never feel embarrassed about writing them, so I guess I don’t find them cringe-worthy or giggle-worthy. Although there’s always that worry about your mother-in-law, grandmother or aunty reading them!!

7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

When my husband proposed to me. He took me away to Sydney, Australia (we live in New Zealand) and after a lovely romantic dinner he proposed to me on the beach. Although sometimes it’s the little things that are the most romantic – like him getting up to look after our baby to let me sleep in!

8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

When you’re unpublished you can sometimes think that it will get easier when you’re finally published. This is so not true! It gets harder, but it’s absolutely worth it. Suddenly you have an editor who constantly wants to push you to make your writing better with every book, and I personally put a lot of pressure on myself to deliver. Things like copy edits, writing proposals, doing art fact sheets and promotional material takes up a lot of time too, but I can’t say there’s anything I don’t like about it. Except that there’s never enough hours in the day!

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

If you’re truly a writer, giving up is not an option, and I believe that’s the best thing any author can tell an aspiring writer. I also believe in finishing a manuscript. You can polish and polish a chapter or two and even start to win contests, but you’ll never become an author if you can’t finish a manuscript. An editor will never buy a new author based on a fabulous first chapter, so make yourself write until you reach the end!

10. Tell us about your latest release.

This is the blurb about my mini-series, Heroes Come Home: “A love worth fighting for. They live extraordinary lives on the frontline, but back home they’re ordinary men looking for love and family."

Soldier on Her Doorstep, the first book, is about a soldier who’d promised his dying comrade he’d make sure his wife and daughter were okay. He was prepared for tears, but not for the beautiful woman who answered the door – or the little girl hiding behind her. Could Lisa and Lilly help to heal this hero’s heart?

In the The Army Ranger’s Return, Jessica’s best friend is soldier pen-pal Ryan, only she’s never met him in person before. Her letters have offered him comfort while he was away fighting for their country, but is he ready to fight for her heart.

11. What’s next for you?

My second book, The Army Ranger’s Return, is available in the UK in July, and August in the USA. I also have another release this year in November – Rodeo Daddy.

I’ve just turned in my fourth book to my editor, and I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be writing four more books for Harlequin Romance/Mills & Boon Cherish in the next year.

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Thank you so much for having me! I’d like to give away a copy of one of my books – the winner can choose from either Soldier on Her Doorstep or The Army Ranger’s Return. Since I love writing about soldiers so much, tell me who your dream man in uniform is … soldier, Navy SEAL, policeman, fireman??? I’ll pick the winner at random!

Visit my website or blog for more information – http://www.sorayalane.com/ or http://www.sorayalane.blogspot.com/