Author Spotlight - Nell Dixon

Nell is our first 'returnee' to the Minxes' Spotlight. Last time she spoke about her novel Making Waves, and this time round she's celebrating her latest release: Dangerous to Know.

Dangerous to Know
Jerome Mayer is tall, dark and dangerous to know. Normally Gemma would run a mile, but with a freshly broken heart maybe it’s time for this good girl to take a walk on the wild side. However the danger to them both turns out to be more than just emotional when someone objects to their attempts to uncover a corrupt land deal.

What is your writing process?
I try and set myself weekly goals eg so many words or chapters written pre week. I keep track of my progress on a white board in my office so I can make sure I meet my deadlines.

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?
I write in little bits. On really sticky days I'll do 100 words, play a game of bejewelled blitz, write another hundred, go on Twitter and so on until I've reached a point where I feel I can leave the story till the next day.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
My dh, Mr Nell, bought us a Wii fit a few weeks ago. Now I do twenty minutes a day of yoga and I've lost 7lbs already. Sadly, I have a long way to go!

Do you believe in writer's block?

I think for some people it's very real. I'm fortunate in that it isn't something I've encountered but there are times in every writers life when you struggle to write romance, or feel good stories.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?
Real life is so strange no one would believe me if I put half the things that have happened to me in a book. I could tell you some of my nursing stories - mmm, but then again, I definitely would get into trouble!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
I didn't realise I would have to learn so many new skills, especially using social marketing and media. Technology has grown and changed so fast in the time I've been writing.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?
I blog, facebook - which I love, and tweet - which I'm not so good at. I hold regular cyber and real life events and often work jointly with my friends and fellow authors, Elizabeth Hanbury and Phillipa Ashley.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?
Be yourself. Do what feels right and comfortable for you.

What did you learn while writing this book?
I learned, or rather remembered, how much I enjoyed writing novellas.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?
I love the hero of this book and the Lake District setting. He's not a conventional hero and my heroine is so determined to be brave and adventurous.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?
Jerome, my hero, would probably choose a safari of some kind out in the Australian Outback or the plains of Africa.

Dangerous to Know is available from Amazon and Amazon UK, or direct from the publisher, Astraea Press.

And coming soon from Myrmidon Press - Nell's Renovation, Renovation, Renovation: Past and Present touch when renovating an ancient cottage uncovers more than just dry rot.

You can read more about Nell and her books at her website: www.nelldixon.com, or follow her on Twitter.

Not writing? A post about writers' block (but not as you know it)

Don't worry, this isn't going to be one of those hardline posts declaring there are no excuses for not writing, that if you aren't writing then clearly you don't want it enough. You know the kind of thing "Well, I completed edits to my best selling novel whilst giving birth and navigating my way through the Sahara..."

Okay that's a little extreme but in reality not too far removed from some posts I've read. For mere mortals though there are going to be times when not inconsequential matters like ill health or family demands impact your writing. And unless you're happy to traumatise your kids by shutting them in a cupboard all day, well it's something you need to try and work round.

There are other barriers to our writing though and if we are utterly honest with ourselves sometimes we do make excuses. I'm not here to slap your wrist for that, if I did I'd be a complete hypocrite, but I am interested in WHY. Why do we delay finishing that manuscript or submitting our work? I think fear, in one form or another is to blame - fear that if we do submit and are rejected again we won't be able to cope with it.

Last night I was angsting about something non-writery and finally irritated myself so much I finally mumbled "Oh get over yourself and just get on with it."

I don't think it's a coincidence that some of the most successful writers I've met have an incredibly thick skin when it comes to rejections. They didn't waste time sitting angsting (and have little patience with mine!), they just got on it with it - kept writing and subbing, subbing, often with multiple submissions out there. And now they are reaping the rewards of their perseverance and resilient mental attitude.

So, although I don't profess to have the answers I do have a suggestion:

(1) Get over it.

(2) Get on with it.

and because I'm not a completely heartless cow:

(3) Good luck!

My Favourite Love Triangle

A good love triangle story always grabs my attention, and for me, the Kate / Sawyer / Jack love triangle from Lost  is hard to beat. It has it all - a beautiful girl, and two hot as hell, but different as chalk and cheese men.

Lucky Kate, eh?

Kate is a complex character, her tough life experiences have left her battle scarred and defensive. Sawyer is her equally embittered male mirror image - they are drawn to each other because they understand each other perfectly and are haunted by the same demons. Two peas from the same dangerous pod, they are explosive together, both in  and out of bed.

Jack, on the other hand, is Kate's complete opposite. He's responsible, calm and dependable, and it helps of course that he is easy on the eye. He nourishes Kate's soul in all the ways Sawyer can't, he's rock solid and offers Kate safe harbour and security. He meets her emotional needs in a way Sawyer couldn't possibly hope to, and in the end these qualities turn out to be what she needs most of all.

Turning full circle, Sawyer later found true love with the serene Juliet, who shared many of the same attributes as Jack. I know many people were unhappy with the ending of Lost, but for me it shone in the way it crafted characters I really cared about and invested in emotionally.

How about you? What's your favourite love triangle? Just don't get me started on Bella, Edward and Jacob, I could be here for hours...

Author Spotlight - Saskia Walker

Today we're thrilled to welcome multi-published, talented author, Saskia Walker, to the Minx spotlight. We know she'll be right at home here. Take it away, Saskia!

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

Five years ago I had a bunch of short stories published, several ebooks, and I just had my first contract from a New York house for a trade paper erotic romance. It's interesting to look back, so thank you for asking that question! Often I get so bound up with writing and the next story that I lose sight of the path behind me.

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?
THE HARLOT and associated stories were inspired by a visit to the East Neuk of Fife in Scotland. This is an area of the Lowlands that has a dark and extensive history of witchcraft and persecution. The paranormal folklore there is intriguing, and the landscape and its legacy stimulated all sorts of ideas.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?
Writing great cross genre stories that make readers happy! Happy readers is my goal. :)

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

That would be any of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series! She's an awesome writer with immense vision. I love where she takes us with her characters.

5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?
Yes, a British fantasy writer called Storm Constantine had a huge influence on me. Storm has a vivid imagination and writes characters that I can really relate to, no matter how fantastic the setting. That's key to me, if I engage with a character I can believe in I follow them wherever they take me in their world. I'd already had the dream of writing, but Storm is an author who encourages others. With her vibrant writing as inspiration and her personal mentorship, I took my first tentative steps on this journey.

6. Promotion is no longer a dirty word. How do you strive to reach as many readers as possible?
I find promotion tough. Honestly, it's really hard to push myself out there and talk up my books. I'm getting a tad braver, thank goodness! I try a little of everything, advertising, blogging, social networks. I can safely say that Good Reads is where I feel most at home. It's a really valuable social network for authors because we are engaging with avid readers actively looking for books.

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

Standing in an airport and realizing that I didn't want to get on the plane for a two-week vacation, because I'd fallen for the man I was leaving behind. I'd looked forward to that damn trip so much, and all of a sudden it was meaningless, because I'd had my first date with the love my life the night before. Inside a heartbeat I learned how much I would give up, just to be in his company. It was a profound moment, shocking and thrilling and incredibly romantic. That was over eleven years ago, and I'm still every bit as much in love with him, if not more -- and I'd still give up everything I own for another hour with him!

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

Ha, that a lot of patience is needed! I knew it would take hard work and that I had a lot to learn. I'm a practical sort and I also realized that as a self employed person I would have to drum up motivation for myself, each and every day. What I didn't know is that everything takes a loooooong time and there's a lot of waiting involved. It's very easy to wish your life away when you're a writer -- waiting for the next publication, waiting to hear back on a sub, waiting to see what readers think of a book. I try to distract myself from all of that by throwing myself into new projects all the time.

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?
The best promo is to write the next book.

10. Tell us about your latest release.

THE HARLOT is a historical erotic romance with paranormal elements. It's set in Scotland in the early 1700s, shortly after the time of the union with England. It's also toward the end of the period in Scottish history when the persecution and execution of those charged with witchcraft took place.

The story is a very lusty, bawdy tale! The central characters, Jessie Taskill and Gregor Ramsay, are both wily loners, wary and self reliant because of what life has thrown at them. Jessie is a whore under a charge of witchcraft, and Gregor has returned to Scotland looking to regain what was taken from his family over a decade before. Initially their relationship is built on a business arrangement, but desire soon gets in the way.

Gregor rescues Jessie from the gallows and hires her to get close to his enemy, but right from the outset these two are far too distracted by each other. Jessie is alluring to Gregor, and she would much rather seduce her attractive sponsor than learn about his enemy. Each thinks they have the upper hand on the other, especially when it comes to sex. Inevitably they become close, learn of the tragedies that went before, making way for companionship and love. But with enemies and witch hunters close by, their journey is a bumpy one.

Here's the official blurb:

It is a Dark Era, one when a lusty lass will do what she must to survive. Even if it means bartering flesh for a palmful of coins...

Forced to watch her mother burned at the stake and separated from her siblings in the aftermath, Jessie Taskill is similarly gifted, ripe with a powerful magic that must stay hidden. Until one night when she's accused by a rival, and Jessie finds herself behind prison walls with a roguish priest unlike any man of the cloth she has known.

In reality, Gregor Ramsay is as far from holy as the devil himself, but his promise of freedom in return for her services may be her salvation. Locked into a dubious agreement, Jessie resents his plan to have her seduce and ruin his lifelong enemy. But toying with Gregor's lust for her is enjoyable, and she agrees to be his pawn while secretly intending to use him just as he is using her.
11. What’s next for you?

I'm about to begin work on THE LIBERTINE, and THE JEZEBEL, the follow-up books to THE HARLOT. These two books are the stories of Jessie Taskill's long-lost siblings, Maisie and Lennox. The siblings were torn apart as children when their mother was burned at the stake for witchcraft. They've had completely different lives, but the heritage of pagan witchcraft is in their blood and the need to find each other again is strong. They are passionate, gifted people, living in a time when one hint of witchcraft brings the death penalty. Each story is both an adventure and an erotic romance. As the three siblings live and love they also find their way back to each other. The reunion of the Taskill witches will be at the end of the third book. All three novels are scheduled for back-to-back mass-market publication on the HQN line, early in 2013. I'm very excited about the writing of books two and three!

Link: http://www.saskiawalker.co.uk/theharlot.html

Evolution

We all know writing is rewriting. At least I know it now. Time was I used to unleash first drafts onto poor, unsuspecting editors - and then I was surprised when my work didn't sell.

By chance I discovered, while writing short stories, that any work I rewrote had a greater chance of making it into print. It can occasionally take up to ten drafts to do the trick and get my story into a reasonable kind of order. In some of these drafts I'll only change a word or two, in others, complete chunks will be rewritten.

Applying this principle to longer works, I reasoned that rewriting might well make my manuscripts more saleable. But where to stop?

One of my current longer WIPs has been rewritten to death over many years. I just can't let the story go. But, in the reworking, it has evolved into something completely different - different heroine and hero, different setting, different secondary characters, different conflicts and storyline.

Nothing remains of the original idea or the early drafts. Nothing at all.

So, am I really rewriting the same book? Or am I now writing a different one? And how many books have I written in between?

I'm still unable to comment on most blogs, but thank you all for your messages on my previous posts. If you are able to comment here, I'd love to know how many drafts you write before submitting a story.