When words become enemies...

Imagine you opened your mouth to speak, or began to type and the exact opposite of what you intended came out without you even noticing, or a random word that made no sense, or that familiar words simply vanished into thin air.

Then maybe you'll get an inkling of how it feels when a writer falls out with words in a permanent way. Those of you who know me know I am a quieter Minx because I have a brain injury. I want to blog more, to read your blogs and chat on Twitter, to catch up on your news on Facebook...but words just don't play nice anymore! Three years on from the accident I'm more likely to laugh at my mistakes than get frustrated - I recently told someone to flash a shop assistant (I meant to say 'flutter your lashes'), asked a friend to fetch a screwdriver from the car (I meant coat) and the lovely Sally Minx is nicknamed Salty Minx after I misnamed her in a Skype chat.

So it's become less of a deal - those around me know to question when I say something odd. The gap between my brain thinking and my body carrying out it's intention doesn't usually matter too much.

Until I come to write that is.

Words that were my friends when I was growing up, my nose buried in one book or another, now misbehave, float away out of reach or reassemble themselves jumbled up on the page. Reading can feel like running through treacle and a short email take ages to write, and check, and check again...
But recently I've discovered that the creative process, by which I mean that urge, the drive that takes over and apparently gives our characters lives of their own, is on a different wavelength to the conscious cognitive cogs grinding slowly away.
On holiday last week a creative well, an explosion of character actions and reactions, dialogue and narrative all came tumbling out, seemingly bypassing conscious thought. I had to write by hand so some of what I wrote is illegible or jumbled but the story on the whole is there.

I've experienced 'the well' before my injury and I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about, that tumbling of words so fast you can hardly keep up with yourself? What makes me happy is the discovery that my creative instinct is intact. After being forced to read so many depressing medical reports (including one which stated that I would "never write a novel now") I think fear of the difficulty and bewilderment about words no longer feeling under my control has held me back.

Writing on holiday helped me remember how much I love it, how it satisfies me in a way nothing else can and that I have to write regardless of who may or may not have given up on me.
I will find a way to make it work, to call a truce...

And most importantly I know my fellow Minxes will help me catch the weird stuff before it gets to the desk of an editor!

Author Spotlight - Kylie Griffin

Today we welcome into the spotlight Australian author Kylie Griffin. You can find out more about Kylie and her books (yes plural, as Vengeance Born, which she's chatting about with us today, is just the first of three) at her website: www.kyliegriffin.com

* * *

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog – I’ve been looking forward to the visit!

• What is your writing process?

I’m a panster when I begin a book. I don’t sit down and plan or write synopsis before putting fingers to the keyboard. I usually know the opening scene and where I want the book to finish but everything else in between is very fuzzy.
That doesn’t mean to say I haven’t thought about the characters and played a few games of “what if…” to get an idea of what sort of story might develop, I just don’t have a clear idea of how the story arcs are going to work until I get into it.
Once I start writing and I get past about 25K I know where it’s headed. I’m a scener after that. I can see scenes, have no idea where they’re going to slot in but as I “get to them” I know when or where they fit (if that makes sense). And that’s how I get through the first draft.

• 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 put up my “DO NOT DISTURB” sign that says “Turn around, walk away quietly and no one will get hurt" put on the answering machine, unplug the internet, light up some incense and implement BISFOK – bum in seat, fingers on keyboard – until I lose the urge to be distracted or do something other than writing.
It boils down to sheer bloody mindedness and habit.

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

I join a local walking group twice a week and I attend a TaiChi class once a week. I also potter in the garden – flower/vegie gardens and mowing lawns. Most of my exercise has to have a purpose – can’t see the attraction of a gym.

• Do you believe in writer's block?

I think there are times authors find it difficult to write but if you persevere, even if it’s to write rubbish, then you can get back into the swing of it. Rubbish can ALWAYS be edited, a blank page not at all.

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

I’ve modelled some characters on people from real life, particularly the child characters.
For example, one of the characters in VENGEANCE BORN is Rissa, a young child, one of the first humans Annika (the heroine) meets.

Being a teacher in a primary school I’ve had many examples to draw on!  Although rather than model a character on one child, I’ve combined personality traits from several students.I’ve a friend who recognised a name very similar to her child in the book – the character was partly based on him but she wasn’t upset – she quite liked the idea he was in the book.

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

There are manic times and lulls in the publishing process. I’d been warned about them and while everyone says you now have deadlines, the process of training yourself to write regularly, consistently, rather than on a timetable that suits you, that’s been the hardest part of the transition.
It doesn’t matter what’s happening in your “other” life – work, family etc. – where before you could put off writing if you wanted to, now you can’t afford to let too many days slip by without writing.

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

Ahh, the temptation and bane of every writer.
I believe that the best promotion is writing a good book. That’s the only thing you can control as far as generating promotion. The spins off from that is word of mouth. Write a good book and readers will spruke about it to their friends and so on.
I’ve started a blog (www.kyliegriffinromance.blogspot.com) where I have a mix of guest authors visiting, posts on the craft of writing or the publishing process, but I enjoy doing that, so it’s not really a chore.
I love going to writers’ conferences and hope to extend that to readers’ conferences once my books come out. The common link of writing/reading good books is something I enjoy discussing – nothing beats talking about writing or recommending a good read to another person who loves books as much as you.
I’m also addicted to Facebook. While I’m on GoodReads, Twitter and Shelfari, I don’t frequent these sites as much.
I try to limit the time I spend on social networking – writing the book has to take top priority.

• What is your top promo tip for other authors?

Keep writing good books – it’s as simple as that.

• What did you learn while writing this book?

That’s a good question. I guess my answer focuses more on the process of working with my editor. While I’ve had writing friends and critique partners make suggestions on where to improve the story, if you don’t agree with them, you don’t have to take them on board.
But working with my editor, I viewed her feedback in a different light (and I think that’s because I’m more accountable to her, LOL!). She helped me realise you can always improve and strengthen your story.
It didn’t mean I said yes to every suggestion or change she made, but we did talk and brainstorm ideas and when something gelled I understood that the new idea was often stronger than the original and so, then I made the change or rewrote the scene knowing the book would be all the better for it.

• What was the most fun part of writing this book?

Definitely the romance between Annika and Kalan. It was fun trying to work out how they were going to overcome prejudice, mistrust and each others preconceptions about their respective races.
A favorite scene of mine is one of the first times Kalan threatens to kill Annika. Their fragile alliance is threatened by her being Na’Chi (half human, half demon).
As a Light Blade warrior, Kalan has seen the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves. Annika doesn’t trust him but has no choice but to share information about herself with him.

The revelation that she drinks blood, just like his Na’Reish enemies, endangers the thin thread of trust they’ve established during their escape from her father’s fortress. It seems an insurmountable hurdle but it was a hoot devising a way for them to overcome that problem and strengthen their confidence in one another.

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

Kalan’s partial to a long soak in hot water. There’s a scene in the book where you get to see him indulging, so I guess a destination with natural hot springs or a spa. 

VENGEANCE BORN
There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born…

Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na’Reish King, longs for more than her tormented life among her father’s people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she’s gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy.

With the Na’Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na’Reish Horde have increased. As Chosen-leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons—and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival.

When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father’s dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council—and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into civil war…


Vengeance Born is published by Berkely Sensation, and is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BookDepo, and Penguin Australia.

Help!! Domestic failure!!

I've always wanted to be organised ... to be one of those women who arrive everywhere on time looking well put together with washed, tamed hair and wrinkle free clothing. But, alas, that has never been me. I'm always the one running up with hair like a wild woman and wonky make up because I remembered to put some on in the car and the stupid rear view mirror is not the best!

What does this have to do with writing? Absolutely everything. Because if I could be a more organised housekeeper I would have more writing time :-) Yes I have 6 kids but I am a big believer that if a person is organised and has their life in order then everyone can squeeze extra hours out of the day to write in. So that is where you, lovely and wonderful (and hopefully well organised!!) blog readers come in. I want to know your time saving devices, the tools you use regularly to organise your household. Recipes welcome!!

And yes, for those who wondered, I am so badly horribly organised that I forgot it was my turn to blog today. So please take pity on a domestic failure and leave me lots of wonderful tips :-)

All about Entangled Publishing's new line!

Minx friend - Rachel Lyndhurst is here today to tell us all about Entangled Publishing's new line - Indulgence! Her book is one of the launch titles and just out (more about that below) and she's here to tell us all about it. Congratulations, Rach!!

Thanks for asking me here today, Minxes!

Sally Minx has a sneaky feeling that some of you would like to know a bit more about the sassy, savvy new category length line: Lori Wilde’s Indulgence, so here goes.

Indulgence is a new imprint from Entangled Publishing. It launched on February 14th, 2012. Lori Wilde, NYT and USA Today bestselling author is Editorial Director and former Harlequin editor Alethea Spiridon-Hopson is Managing Editor and Senior Editor. I know, I know! Talk about expertise …
The Indulgence imprint publishes 50,000-60,000 word stories which adhere to the tried and trusted tropes readers expect from category romances such as friends to lovers, marriages of convenience etc. You will find alpha heroes and storylines similar to those in Harlequin’s Desire and Modern/Presents lines.

However Lori Wilde’s Indulgence isn’t just the same old stuff. “These aren’t your mother’s category romances,” says Lori Wilde. “They’re quick paced, exciting contemporary stories, whether funny, sexy, mysterious, edgy, or emotional, that showcase what it’s really like to fall in love in the twenty-first century.” Hallmarks of the line are rapid-fire dialogue, fast moving plot lines, sizzling sex, and realistic characters. Above all, the heartfelt emotions that speak to the way young people live, love, and work will be at the centre of every story. And delicious covers …

Here’s the blurb:
Kidnapped!

 Or that’s what it feels like to Kizzy Dean when a business disagreement with arrogant Greek lawyer Andreas Lazarides leaves her no choice but to accompany him to the Greek Isle of Rhodes. It doesn’t help matters that this sexy brooding stranger, who is unaccustomed to the word No and the very idea of commitment, shows her what it feels like to be truly desired.

Amidst the ancient myths and alleyways, tensions run high as Kizzy feels an immediate attraction for the man she wants to both ravage and strangle.
Accustomed to gold-digging women, Andreas is mesmerized by Kizzy’s feisty nature and Gypsy beauty. Guilt and sorrow have been his only bedfellows since his sister’s

death, but Kizzy stirs up a desire he’s unwilling to succumb to . . . until she makes him an offer he simply can’t refuse.

I’m sure you can imagine how delighted I was to see the cover of my Indulgence release Kidnapped by the Billionaire for the first time and then to discover it would be a launch title. Much happy skipping!  
Here are the purchase links: Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

Here’s the full February launch line up: http://www.entangledinromance.com/2012/02/09/get-ready-to-indulge-with-lori-wildes-indulgence/
On a personal note I also want to say how wonderful the ladies at Entangled and Indulgence are to work with. Passionate, polite, professional and one hundred percent human. Complete joy …
So … any questions?
For more information or how to submit: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/submission-information/lori-wildes-indulgence-submissions/
P.S. Keep it to yourself, but Indulgence give you a publicist too! How good can this get?
P.P.S If you’d like to know more about me, I’m being interviewed today over at http://annieseaton.blogspot.com/ . Annie’s book, Tropical Encounter, is scheduled as a March Indulgence title. We’d love you to pop over and say hello!

Author Spotlight - Connie Cox

The Minxes are pleased to have with us today debut medical author Connie Cox. And as a medical fanatic, I can tell you that this debut is a winner!!


What is your writing process?

I’m a morning writer. I have breakfast with my husband, check email, play on facebook, twitter and pinterest until he leaves for work. Exert GREAT willpower to stop visiting with my friends via social media and then I get down to work. I write 5-6 hours a day, with a walk or two and frequent facebook breaks thrown in.

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 bribe myself by online shopping. Today, I have a brand new crochet pattern book as my reward for working really hard last week—but I can’t start a new project until I get the book turned in. Carrot and stick works best for me.

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

I wish I was more disciplined here. My husband and I have started walking in the mornings and evenings but it’s been raining this week I need to break out the Richard Simmons Dancing to the Oldies DVDs, I guess.

Do you believe in writer's block?

Sadly, yes, I think writer’s block is real. I don’t think we give our sensitive psyches enough credit for the stories that come from our subconsious so we don’t take care of our mental health as much as we should. Creativity and imagination need nurturing and encouraging. We should take care of our own brains as carefully as we take care of our children’s brains: worry-free rest, good food, stretch out into learning new things and have plenty of fun. Also, my doctor just talked to me about the chemical reality of estrogen and creativity being linked. So, us writers we’ve got to take care of our feminine sides, too. To me, that means taking note and enjoying the sensuous around me, the scent of a sweet olive bush, the orange on an oriole’s wing, the texture of bamboo yarn as it slides through my fingers. Everything can feed the writer’s soul. But if we don’t pay attention, if we don’t celebrate all the wonders around us, our ideas will be as dull as our days.

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

Yes, I use real incidences all the time. My recent release, The Baby Who Saved Dr Cynical, features two diagnosticians. I needed something that was difficult to diagnose so a friend said she knew someone with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. When I started writing the book, less than 500 cases where identified.

Thankfully, I did my research and was able to include the Syndrome accurately in the storyline. Last weekend, I was asked to sign The Baby Who Saved Dr Cynical at a 5K fundraiser to raise awareness for the syndrome—and I got to meet Dr Phelan, herself, who asked me to sign her book, To Katie! What an honor!

I haven’t heard back from Dr. Phalen yet, so hopefully, I’m not in trouble.

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

For some reason, I thought publishing a book would make me taller and thinner—better put together, more organized, all the things I’m not. Instead, being published has made me very proud to say I make my living writing novels. I have become more disciplined about my writing schedule. Knowing my editor is waiting for my book, instead of knowing a bottomless slush pile is groaning under the weight of my submissions is a great motivator. For all you struggling to make that first sale—all the isolation from family and friends while you write, the angst while you wait for acceptance, and the heartbreak of getting those ‘not right for us a this time’ letters is worth it the day you get The Call where the editor says, ‘I love your book and want to buy it’.

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

I’m lucky that the things authors do for promotion are things I like to do anyway. I LOVE conversing with people, face-to-face or via internet. So I speak to readers and writers groups and I play on all the social media. I keep my website up-to-date with news about my newest release and what’s in the future. I don’t make bookmarks, although I do have cute little cards with my website, facebook, twitter and goodreads URLs on them—but that’s mostly so I can make new friends.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

Only do what you like to do. Listening to someone speak that doesn’t like to is painful for all of us. If you’re only on social media to beg people to buy your books—don’t bother. The rest of us are looking for connections, not advertisements. 

What did you learn while writing this book? 

Wow! This book is so chockful of research, although carefully hidden, I hope! I learned about Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and the foster care system in Colorado and I learned how to deliver a baby in my living room and make an incubator from a salad bowl, tin foil and a hair dryer (although that invention didn’t make the book.) I am so grateful to all my friends who share their expertise with me. The incubator came from a rural EMT friend who actually had to make one a couple of times.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

The most fun I had with this book was the dialogue between Stephanie and Jason. I felt like I was taking dictation as they verbally sparred with each other. Of course, love won in the final round.

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

I can imagine them there, right now….They are hiking and camping in the mountains. These are hands on, physical people who would go crazy sitting still on a beach, no matter how beautiful the sunset.

What’s the book about?

To the outside world, Dr Jason Drake is a brilliant diagnostician, but completely lacking in emotion and bedside manner. He is the genius everyone turns to when they have been unable to find the answer to a child’s medical problem, and his methods are unorthodox, his manner brash. Yet his boss, Dr Stephanie Montclair, understands his burning passion for medicine – and over the last months has also been the recipient of his incredible passion in bed! But what was meant to be a no-strings fling has just turned complicated… This book explores: the foster care system and Phelan-McDermid Syndrome also known as 22q13 Deletion Syndrome.

The Baby Who Saved Dr Cynical is available now in the UK in paperback and on Kindle 

And will be available in the US for pre-order on the Nook and on Kindle