Archive for June, 2007
Still pinching myself – over the offer of a contract. And so glad I started working on the sequel to Dangerous Surrender. I’m reminding myself there’s still a long ways to go before the book is actually released. Like a traveler entering a new country, I have only vague impressions of what the next stage of the journey looks like. Doubtless the road to publication is different for each writer who ventures forth into the unknown.
Current year’s goals updated
1) Continue to study and learn the craft of writing.
2) Three submissions – done – follow up with a sequels to each *
3) In roads into the TBR shelves
Progress report
1) Paid my RWA dues. Yes I’m cheap. But it’s good to stay informed about the industry.
Four submissions sent! Two novels, one novella, and one short
Status: One sale – one rejection – two waiting to hear from the publishers
Timeline:
Number Two: Sold!
Number three: Two months two weeks – estimated response time from publisher none**
Number four: Two weeks – estimated response time from publisher a few more weeks***
*Yes, I do admit this is an insane plan, but I need to stay busy. If I have idle time I become even more neurotic and imagine unpleasant things. Far better to put my twisted mind to work developing more dangerously sexy stories.
**Publisher did acknowledge the submission, but included a warning not to contact them about submissions to this line. IMHO Three months is long enough for them to have an exclusive.
***The gracious editor wrote, explaining the number of entries, recent personnel changes, and general fatigue forced them to extend their expected response time.
TBR stack grew – sort of I succumbed to temptation, acquiring books from the library and e-published stories which do not weigh on the shelves but still . . .
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 3:50 pm |
I sold! Back with more information when the paperwork is complete and I know details. . .
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 11:56 pm |
A few months ago I sat down to write a short story for a change of pace. Looking out my window at the dreary dregs of winter, I chose to set the tale in the tropics. Despite the arrival of lovely warm spring weather, I haven’t left the islands. Every story since then has been set in one paradise on earth or another. There’s something special about beaches, warm breezes,and palm trees.
Re-making the world to suit my whim is one of the delightful aspects of writing. Research is so seductive, I have to limit my time or I would read, study, and surf endlessly and never write another word. Since I’m writing escapist fiction, I’m hoping readers will share my enthusiasm for exotic locales.
Isolated beach cabins, the lush perfume of tropical blooms, and spectacular sunsets create a seductive setting for falling in lust or perhaps even love.
The story world has infinite setting choices, this world or another, this time or another it is always hard for me to chose. Tell me about your favorites. . .
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 4:04 pm |
The lovely editor from Samhain emailed today to tell me they’re swamped and have not had a chance to make a decision on next year’s Valentine Anthology yet.
Woo hoo! Pirate Rules is still in the running!
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 1:03 am |
No email from the lovely editors at Samhain, so either my submission went astray or they selected other stories. In either case, it’s time to revise the Pirate Novella and send it off to other discriminating editors.
It’s tricky balancing my ambitions against reality. In a perfect world I’d have at least one more of each type of story ready to go. However my corner of the universe is far from perfect. Working without editorial feedback, I write the stories that call to me.
Here’s the current insanely optimistic plan:
1)Polish Pirate Rules – submit this week
2)Plot Dangerous Deception – begin writing this week
3)Revise Blackmailed by the Billionaire after Dangerous Deception’s first draft is complete.
4)Polish Dangerous Deception
5)Polish Blackmailed by the Billionaire
6)Write two more erotica shorts to complete the Island trilogy
7)Write new Pirate Novella
8)Write new Presents story
Enjoy the holiday season, leaving something for next year.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 7:19 pm |
Busy plotting a new story. Characters, setting, research, and plot twists – all good stuff.
Current year’s goals updated
1) Craft is back – it helps tell the good story
2) Three submissions
3) In roads into the TBR shelves
Progress report
Read the last unread craft book from the TBR shelves
Four submissions sent! Two novels, one novella, and one short
Status: One rejection – three waiting to hear from the publishers
Timeline:
Number Two: Full requested – One week – estimated response time from publisher none *
Number three: Two months one week – estimated response time from publisher none**
Number four: One week and two days – estimated response time from publisher 10 days!
*Senior editors have nothing else to do other than read my story, right? LOL Here’s the advantage of having submitted a few times. I know it will be awhile. Hence beginning a new story right away.
**Publisher did acknowledge the submission, but included a warning not to contact them about submissions to this line. Three months is long enough for them to have an exclusive.
TBR stack grew – yes again this week, but at least they aren’t weighing down the shelves they were e-books and therefore invisible. Hee hee
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 5:32 pm |
Since I finished the Pirate Story, and got the full of Dangerous Surrender off to the lovely editor it’s time to start on something else.
The sequel, Dangerous Deception seemed like a great next step and I actually have a completed story loosely connected to Dangerous Surrender , but it needs lots of work replotting, recasting, and revising. I’ll admit it I love new stories. Concept, plotting, characters — oh my!
So I’m thinking new story, but keep the old title — Dangerous Deception. I love writing a series. All writing helps grow the writer so I never look at it as a waste of time.
In a perfect world I’d have this next novel written and polished in two months. The earliest date I expect the wonderful editor to get back to me. Better get plotting.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 1:45 am |
Continued from Monday June 4th, 2007 . . .
Bear in mind, at this point I was so green it’s amazing no one dusted me for aphids and watered my roots.
I found the eharlequin website and read and read and read some more. There was. and still is lots of basic advice for aspiring romance writers. There is also a supportive community of other struggling authors, both published and not. Harlequin offers a professional critique for a dollar a page. I sent off my most recent effort and waited for confirmation that it was wonderful before submitting again. Considering the earlier rejections – this time I wanted insurance.In the back of my mind the notion there might be some minor mistake of formatting, or some such trivial error lurked.
In due course the anonymous editors wrote back. The missive ran several pages and included lots of basic advice including titles of craft books. To boil down the evaluation of the story to its basics — my story contained every possible newbie flaw. After a period of discouragement, I tackled their suggested reading list and tried a few other avenues for improving my writing craft. Chanting and cleaning the desk drawers didn’t work for me.
Then I entered a contest. Optimism bloomed again. After all I’d read the books, I’d learned tons about storytelling. Surely, this time my entry would be picked. Nope. I did however make some great friends on the message boards as we all collectively waited anxiously for results. One of those supportive women, who writes much better than I do reluctantly took on the job of critiquing my work.
My gifted critique partner, Sheila Delaney did what nobody else had managed, she kindly explained what was wrong with my stories. Patiently she spoon fed me advice in clear terms. A familiar pattern, Sheila mentioning something and me hitting my head on the desk saying she’s right damn it, emerged.
There have been many kind women who gave me words of genuine wisdom, but Sheila hung in there repeating herself until I actually caught on – at least for the moment. There’s frequent back sliding on my part. It isn’t deliberate, my mind simply doesn’t work the way hers does. Eventually I will become self-correcting.
More stories, more revision of the stories already written, more patient advice from lovely women who’ve donated their time, and more submissions. Last year I wrote two new stories, one I submitted, the other I did not.
The unsubmitted story is the sequel to Dangerous Surrender . Since the full manuscript was requested by the lovely editor at New Concepts I’m thinking about revising the sequel to match the same level of suspense and character development. A hundred ideas and only a few hours a day to write. Welcome to the world of the aspiring writer.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 7:50 pm |
Full requested on submission number two! Internal editor is screaming . . . back soon.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 4:13 pm |
When I first began the writing journey I was filled with optimism and some caution. After all, if it were easy to become a best selling author then surely there would be a lot more variety of names on the New York Times best seller list. And I wondered why genre fiction titles were never listed. Mickey Spillane and Zane Grey never had best sellers? But every industry has its mysteries. I ignored the imponderables and pressed ahead writing a great romance.
The story was crammed with details and characters and a gripping plot, it had everything I wanted in a love story. My first serious doubts all revolved around how to attract the notice of a publisher. Since I was aware that thousands of women submitted novels each year, the burning question became how to stand out from the crowd. A query letter and synopsis were the tools used to hook an editor’s interest and I set about crafting a set of irresistible sales implements.
To my amazement, a compelling query letter and synopsis proved to be much easier to conquer than the story. The QLS package got good results. More than half of those sent resulted in a request for either a full or a partial manuscript. Alas, the story so lovingly crafted did not find the same welcome acceptance. The second communications from the publishers invariably ran along the lines of: not right for us . . . best of luck . . . yours truly . . . editorial department.
I concluded that the lovely editor who’d signed the first request for the manuscript must have left the country for an extended trip, or been reassigned to another department, or left on maternity leave, or. . . It wasn’t until I’d received this same response a couple of times that I considered the story wasn’t as engaging to editors as it was to me.
to be continued. . .
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 3:23 pm |
When both Hunter and Tru bond with Amber their mating triangle threatens everything they hold dear.
Determined to help rescue the princess, Cassandra agrees to act as the dragons’ sex slave, but can she guard her heart from the dominant males?
Camille, a plump, sweet-natured breeder, is caught in New Eden’s endless war with Baldor. Her mates, Jaxon and Aegis, need cunning and courage to rescue her. They need a miracle to capture her heart.
Werewolf-whisper Daniel is the only one who can heal Scarlet’s broken werewolf connection. If he succeeds then the pack’s needs will eclipse his claim on her heart. But if he fails, they'll both die.
A lonely woman finds passion with a dominant much younger lover, when she tries to leave she learns her new master plays for keeps.
One dangerous warrior woman plus two rogue demon males equals a love to threaten an empire.
Getting paid to watch Eduardo is Desiree’s dream assignment, but when he reaches out to her, crossing the line, everything changes.
Deep in her secret heart, she lusts for a sexy pirate who’d be her master and commander in the bedroom. But, this man may be too dangerous
She finds paradise in the arms of twin brothers, but their law demands she chose one warrior to mate and one to die.
One woman, two men, three wounded hearts--though already mated their love is still forbidden.
