My New Guru

If you don't already follow Kristen Lamb's amazing blog, you should. I've read her blog posts sporadically the last couple of years, but at the start of this fresh, sparkly new year I read her book "Are you there Blog?" and it quite literally revolutionised my writing life.

Kristen's blog often covers the same stuff as her books, but in bite size chunks. Though with her witty, and sometimes irreverent take on things, the books make for quick, fun reading too.

As a guru of social media, Kristen obviously has a great deal of good advice on promotion for authors, but she also has great writing, business and even personal advice for us. Perhaps the most important thing I took from "Are you there Blog? It's me Writer" and its prequel, "We Are Not Alone: The Writer's Guide to Social Media" is that we need to treat our writing careers professionally from the very get go, even if we still have day jobs and can only spare an hour a day to this fledgling new career.

Are we serious about being authors?
Then we can't afford to make excuses. We must be prepared to make sacrifices. We need to take ourselves and our writing craft seriously, and we need to make time for this new career.

Kristen says it like it is, gives real advice and practical tips, and we're all better off for listening.
Don't believe me? Start with these hard-hitting posts:
Don't Eat The Butt: Lies that can poison our writing career
The Why Behind the Buy

So now that you're in no doubt who my new guru is, do you have any gurus in your writing or personal lives? Anyone whose words have changed your life? If so, please share them here. I'm always looking for new inspiration.

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And a marvellous post script to today's post: Congratulations Suzanne Minx on a request. Your patience has certainly been rewarded!

Author Spotlight - Helen Lacey

I love promoting debut authors here on the Minxes blog, because they are the proof that it can be done and that new authors get bought all the time (and of course because we all want to be them!).

It's not what we usually do here on the Author Spotlights, but I'm taking this opportunity to do a massive shout out to Olivia Miles, who has just sold her first book to Harlequin Special Edition. Congratulations, Olivia!

Now let's hand over to today's Spotlighted author, another Special Edition debut author - Helen Lacey, talking to us about her book Made for Marriage.

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What is your writing process?

I write most days. I start early, around 6.30 in the morning, once my husband leaves for work and the dogs and horses are fed I usually check emails then open up my work in progress and get started. I’ll usually re-read the last few pages, or check any notes I wrote the day before. I try to write a thousand words a day – sometimes I get more which is a bonus. I’m a panster, so I don’t have detailed outlines, and I trust my characters to take me where they need to go.

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 just keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be a full time writer. If I’m stuck or my motivation is a zero, sometimes I’ll go for a walk, read a book or even watch a movie. I believe that the only thing we can truly control in life is how we respond to things – so I don’t get hung up on what’s not working, and try to think about what is. Doing something creative, that’s not writing, can relieve the pressure we sometimes put on ourselves to get it perfect every time. And if I’m having a blah day, I might go and sit in the paddock with my horses and watch them graze – I find that relaxing and de-stressing. The key is finding what does it for you. In saying that, there are times when I’m on edit or revisions deadline and I simply have to push past the resistance to work and make myself do it.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

I leave my computer at three o’clock every afternoon and head outside. With eight horses, three dogs, three birds and a house cow named Ginger, I have enough to keep me busy for a couple of hours. I spend afternoon feeding, riding or grooming. Then there’s troughs to clean out, rugs to mend, feed shed to sweep (At some point I try to get a little of my own housekeeping in too).

Do you believe in writer's block?

I believe it’s hard to stay focussed 100% of the time. Life intrudes; daily stresses can interfere with the process. The thing I try to remember is that we all feel these pressures at some point. I recently had a plot problem with my current book and couldn’t figure how to get past it – so I called a writer friend and we sat in my office for five hours and just pulled my plot apart. For me, ‘writers block’ is usually because something in the story isn’t working. If that’s the case I’ll talk it out with my agent or critique partners – it always helps.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?

I do use places and people I know, but not obviously. The setting for Made For Marriage is a little town at the southern most point of the Great Barrier Reef – a town with an uncanny resemblance to the one where I live. I haven’t got into trouble yet .

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

Readers! I love hearing from readers. And of course it’s a wonderful feeling to experience the realisation of a dream. I was submitting for over twenty years before Harlequin bought my first book, so I feel very grateful to be in this position.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

This blog tour, which has been great. I have a website, Facebook, Twitter – these are all ways to reach people. Creativity aside, this is a business and like any business, promotion, be that self-promotion or publisher promotion, is an important part of that.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

Do what you’re comfortable with. There’s little point in forcing yourself to blog or tweet and make book trailers or post interviews on uTube, especially in the beginning. Take baby steps if your natural style is a more conservative one. If you love the lime-light, go for it – as long as it doesn’t intrude on the writing.

What did you learn while writing this book?

To write what I know. To trust my instincts. To make the most of opportunities.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

Being able to write about what I love – horses. My heroine is a horse riding instructor and I loved being able to include some of my own horses in the story.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

Hawaii!

MADE FOR MARRIAGE

Equestrian Callie Jones was used to difficult parents at her riding school. But Noah Preston took the cake.
How dare he question her teaching abilities, after his headstrong daughter paid no heed to rules—her teacher's or her father's?

Single dad Noah was ready to apologize for overreacting. But he wasn't sorry for the way the stunning American riding instructor made him feel. And he soon learned that there was more to Callie than her smarts, sass and fire: a shattered heart that threatened to splinter even further. Could he make her see that he—and his family—were for keeps?

Thanks for having me here today. To celebrate the release of Made For Marriage, I’m giving away a copy to one commenter. And as part of my blog tour, I have a grand prize of a $50.00 Amazon voucher, and for those who like a little bling, a fabulous silver Pandora Bracelet.

For the full itinerary of Helen's Celebration tour check out Helen Lacey- Author Page.

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Made For Marriage is available in book stores, through the eHarlequin website, Amazon, Amazon UK and the Book Depository.

You can find out more about Helen on her blog, on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

Romancing The Stone

I caught Romancing The Stone last night on TV, and was reminded why I like this movie so much while I watched it. And with a romance writer's eye, the answer was not only a young Michael Douglas (although of course, that sure helped) but also the characters, their conflicts, and their journey.
Made in 1984, it took in an astounding $86.5 million at the box office, with an additional $36 in video rentals (according to Wikipedia).
Romancing The Stone has something for everyone. Danger, a couple of baddies, and romance. Needless to say, I'm looking at the romance elements in this post - dissecting them to see how the writer did it!

The heroine, played by Kathleen Turner, is Joan Wilder, romance novelist.
She dreams of love, and has fantasies about her romance hero, Jesse. She's also pretty buttoned up. Lives alone except for a very dotes on cat. All somewhat predictable stuff. We see a glimpse of her world before, but only a short one. Because the inciting incident, when she receives a treasure map in the post and gets a panicked phone call from her adventurous sister, who's been kidnapped, begins the story quickly.
Joan has a choice. Can she travel to Colombia? Alone? To save her sister?
She decides she must. And there is the first turn into the story. When she meets Jack T Colton he IS her fantasy hero. Until, that is, he opens his mouth. He's mercenary. Wants money to take her to her sister, and has his eye on the treasure map. Joan doesn't trust him, and rightly so.
As the story progresses, Joan gains in confidence, has the help of 'her greatest fan', and gets more gorgeous and free as she begins to live her fantasies, rather than just imagining them.
And Jack's arc is equally strong. He remains true to type through much of the film, holding back, following his own agenda. But when faced with the choice of Joan's death or the loss of the stone, he chooses Joan.
Weaving in other plotlines and characters adds to the excitement and watchability, but the characters of Joan and Jack and their journey form the backbone that the entire film hangs off.
In all, although this is an old movie, I think it is a perfect example of how to do a 'romantic suspense movie' well, so if you haven't watched it for a while, or (gasp) were too young to catch it the first time around, why not give it a rewatch?

February Man Of The Month: Bearded Hunks

Congrats to Disney Hero: Flynn Rider, winner of the January Poll. Go Flynn!

Until recently, I'd been sceptical about men with facial hair because to me it looked, well, untidy. Lately though, I've found myself "hmmmm-ing" over a few.

So I polled my fellow minxes and found that oh yes, hunks with beards do hit the right buttons. So, I've selected a few for your glomming and general sigh-gazing!

Enjoy, and don't forget to vote for your favourite!

The Man With The Large, Ahem, Appendage Idris Elba: 'Nuff Said!

David Benioff: Bringer of A Game of Thrones

Jon Hamm: The Mad Man

Eric Dane aka McSteamy

Joe Manganiello aka Alcide aka Phwooooarrr!

Josh Holloway aka Sawyer aka JoP's Obessession!

The Bradster
Keifer "I Repeat" Sutherland

And An Oldie But A Goodie: Double 'O' Sean

Author Spotlight - Veronica Scott

This week's Author in the Spotlight is Veronica Scott whose debut novel Priestess of the Nile went on sale through Carina Press last week.

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What is your writing process?

I’m very much a seat of the pants writer. I may do a short outline, jot some notes on characters but then I just plunge in and let the characters tell me what happens next. Often when I start a book, I have the beginning, the ending and a few big scenes in mind and the rest of the plot has to unfold as I go. I’m almost superstitious about my creative process, and would be afraid to rein it in too much with tools! I don’t always write the book in order either. Sometimes there’ll be a scene I’m really eager to write and I’ll go out of sequence and tackle it. Works for the movie industry so I’m ok with it.

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?

(Hard to resist shoe shopping! Now if you’d said grocery shopping....) Writing is like breathing for me – I have to do both to live. (Sorry for the melodrama). I have a fulltime day job and a long commute, so when I get home I’m happy to be able to sit and write. It’s a treat! On weekends or holidays I try to write for a few hours in the morning, since I’m most creative then. I don’t set myself goals, like number of words or pages. I just write until the inner muse says we’re done for that session.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

Oh, I WISH. Not the most dedicated exerciser, plus I have bad knees. I do ride my exercycle every morning. I take long walks at lunchtime on the day job, which is located in a hilly area. We have stairs at the house so I definitely count my umpteen jillion trips up and down as exercise. I’m really bad about staying on the computer for long stretches of time. My daughters bought me an ergonomic office chair for Christmas!

Do you believe in writer's block?

Knock wood, I’ve had very little trouble with writer’s block but I’ve known writers who do struggle with it. If the words aren’t flowing for me, I’ll step away from the laptop and go listen to music. I also like to drive and listen to music and think about plot issues. The freeways are my friend then!

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?

I’ve never done that yet. I do like to drop little fun things into my books as inside jokes to my daughters. I made the family cat a minor character in one WIP. I had another character specifically diss green beans because my daughters won’t touch them with a ten foot fork. There was a very famous battle in Ancient Egypt that I used liberally in a WIP. Thank you, Pharaoh Ramses, for leaving very detailed accounts of your victories!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

Well, I’m still revelling in having that first book published! On the good side, I never dreamed I would find such a tremendously supportive group of people as my fellow authors. I’ve learned more from them in the last six months than I ever knew before. Readers, reviewers, editors – more wonderful people! On the down side a little, it’s amazing how much time a writer really has to spend on the promo. You have to be careful to keep yourself writing the creative stuff, not get too distracted.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

Turns out I am a twitteraholic. Who knew?! I’m always on twitter, you can find me at @vscotttheauthor. I have a Facebook page and a blog. I post regularly to my blog, I also participate in Six Sentence Sunday (where writers post just six sentences from a WIP or other writing and you can hop around reading all the fun excerpts) and I do giveaways. I visit other blogs when they’re kind enough to invite me (being with the Minxes today is so much fun!) As yet I haven’t gone to any conventions or done a book signing (where I’ll have to sign a bookmark for you actually, since the book is e published) but I’m looking forward to the experiences.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

First that you have to do promo. Following that, my actual specific tip would be to find at least a couple forms of social media that you are comfortable with and then participate regularly. Twitter and blogging turned out to be my favorites so far.

What did you learn while writing this book?
I learned a great deal during the editing process. My Carina Press editor Alison was so helpful in making suggestions about pacing – let the characters and the Readers stop for breath a few times along the way! She also helped me develop more layers for the emotional journey Sobek and Merys are on, by foreshadowing certain events earlier in the novella, enlarging on some of the secondary characters because their reactions to things showed more about the main characters. I learned the word “that” is apparently imprinted on my dna because it is the single word I overuse most and have to prune away!

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

I love research and you can literally lose yourself for hours in researching anything to do with Ancient Egypt. But mostly I enjoyed telling the story.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?
Since he’s the Crocodile God, he always wants to be somewhere warm and sunny. I think he’d take Merys for a long cruise down the Nile.

About Priestess of the Nile:
Egypt, 1500 BC

Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile God is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.

Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.

Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. When he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?

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Priestess of the Nile is available at Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks. You can find out more about Veronica at her blog, or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.