Archive for August, 2007
I do not enjoy reading poetry. But I like to listen to it. IMHO poetry should be solely performance art. Made for aural pleasure, it should be savored audibly.
I’ve read a vampire story and a werewolf story and have no urge to read more. The label paranormal isn’t enough to make me enthusiastic about a book. For that matter, no genre gets an automatic endorsement. For varied and bizarre reasons, there are a few subjects I find so enthralling that I will wade through mediocre writing to inhale them. None of these topics fall into the fiction category.
What kind of book gets my enthusiastic support and hard-earned money? The well-written ones. I want characters who linger in my head long after the cover has been closed. I want a plot, which surprises. I want a story world that entertains. That’s really all, characters, setting, plot–okay decent craft, pacing appropriate to the tale, and a strong distinct voice–too much to ask?
Slightly off-topic, but I don’t want you to think I only complain, one of the nicest recent reading surprises for me was finding e-publishers keeping the short story alive in all its edgy glory.
With all the thousands and thousands of books published each year, finding something wonderful to read should be a snap. It’s not. I have purchased many books but own few titles that blew my socks off – literarily speaking.
Yes, I’m picky. Reading thousands of books makes me fussier. I used to fall into stories easier. Experience takes some of the enthusiasm from reading. And yet, there are stories that enthrall me–that still make turn pages way too late at night. I want more like those.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 10:34 pm |
Samhain is open for submissions again. Damn, there goes my editor invitation edge! Or maybe not.–I’m trying to become more optimistic. Perhaps the tasteful editor will still look at those she invited to submit first. Actually, with the exception of currently contracted authors, my guess is first in–first read applies to manuscript submissions.
Try as I might I can’t work up much optimism about this particular submission’s chances.
I love the story. But it’s a long ways from anything I’ve read from Samhain. So my head says it’s a poor match for this house. My heart says they publish a wide range and I haven’t read everything they’ve done.
Submitting stories for publication takes a certain amount of optimism. After spending an hour or so researching the publishing industry you catch on it’s a lot like American Idol tryouts–many are called … but few are chosen.
I’ve read books where I wondered what the agent, editor, publisher, and reading public were smoking. I’ve read others that should be famous and aren’t. Why don’t the brilliant, fresh, and delightful become huge successes instantly? Lots of reasons. Timing, connections, persistence all count for as much as talent. Publishing is a business. They want to make money.
Pretend you’re an editor for a few minutes. You work for a mass-market publisher. Your job is to pick best sellers out of the manuscripts submitted to you. If you’re reviewing two stories, both well written, one is by a brand name author and the other by an unknown–who would you pick? Me too.
It took a long time to get this obvious answer into my mule-brain and even longer to get over it. Are there exceptions? Yes. Occasionally a newbie writer zooms straight to the top of the bestseller charts without so much passing go or collecting $200.00. This is an example of that magical timing, and connection stuff at work, which is great if it happens but isn’t a real plan. Personally, I’m big on plans.
So back to the one part of this whole operation I have any control over, writing another damn fine story.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 7:05 pm |
All my regular readers know I read, write, eat and sleep romance, suspense, and erotica. I’m not delusional enough to think this makes me well rounded. Luckily, I have the hoodlum cat, and holy terror dog keeping me grounded in the real world.
The cat is very critical. He won’t even listen to blurbs without cleaning his butt or rolling over and going back to sleep. The dog is perfectly willing to listen to lengthy discussions about character motivation, plot points, or dialogue. She’s not much on comments and requires both a leash and walking to concentrate. Once back in the office, she loses focus, nodding off in the early pages of reading.
I’m not taking their boredom personally, neither one of them likes Tolstoy either.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 4:31 pm |
Actually, the goals aren’t updated at all. So what did I actually do last week? Finished up the revisions for book two in Dangerous series, worked on the synopsis, blurbs, etc. more work needed but the story is resting. Reread the first story in the Choices series polished it a little bit–no big changes. Began plotting story two in the same series. Also indulged my geeky side with fresh notebook, labeling, little tabs and all the other fussy details that go along with the birth of fresh story. Joined yet another reader group only to find more writers than readers. Read a couple of books and of course all the real life stuff. LOL
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– three sequels in progress!
3) In roads into the TBR shelves
Progress report
1) Reading my stuff–applying what I’ve learned to edit better
2) Six submissions sent! Two novels, one novella x two, and one short x two
Status: One sale–three rejections–two waiting to hear from the publishers
Timeline:
Number one: resting (revisions next year?)
Number two: Sold! Tasteful acquiring editor explained it will be months before an editor is assigned to work with me … actual release date? Some time next year is my best guess.
Number three: Resubmitted–new estimated response time–three to five weeks
Number four: Resubmitted – new estimated response time – four weeks–eleven months **
TBR shelves shrank by a couple of titles–the books were good but not OMG I’ve got to read everything this author has–thinking about how few and far between those finds are, undoubtedly more a reflection of my weird taste than all the fine stories on offer.
*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.
** Tasteful review editor wrote that she liked it and moved it to acquiring editor’s inbox. Sadly, acquiring editor’s inbox is overflowing
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 4:51 pm |
Finished up the second draft of Dangerous Rescue, book two of my Dangerous series. Also revised the synopsis, drafted a cover letter, and the blurbs. Now the story gets a rest before its final polishing edit. Naturally, when I’m writing a book I fall in love with the characters and I want to share them with my readers.
Here’s Regan Longstreet, dressed up in her princess persona.
And here’s Ian McKnight, dressed down.
Here’s the blurb-
Warrior princess, Regan Longstreet rejects seductive, Ian McKnight until an uncanny resemblance to a real Princess lands her a dangerous assignment in his world. Her mission is simple: play princess, get the terrorists, and get out alive – a second chance for love isn’t part of her plans but Ian is a hard man to resist.
Ian McKnight doesn’t want to get his heart stomped again. He’s older and smarter than the last time he proposed to Regan. A family of his own is his dearest dream, so why get hung up on a woman who won’t commit? When terrorists threaten Regan, he has no choice. He can’t walk away. He’s willing to sacrifice his life to save her. But will he put his heart on the line in the most dangerous rescue of all?
On to the next project, but I’ll get to re-visit Regan and Ian a few more times yet before they venture into the big world.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 5:15 pm |
Still thinking about the right woman for the pirate job. In the meantime I began considering heroes for the modern she-pirate.
So far, I’ve only found one candidate.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 5:36 pm |
The next writing project is a continuation of a previously written story. Therefore the characters are already drawn, all that remains is to add a little depth and polish to them in their next episode. Naturally, my head jumps to the project beyond them–Pirate Novella II. I’d like a female pirate this time.
Here are the candidates.
A beauty of Mongolian heritage–Xanadu.
A ruthless schemer of Boer descent–Mareike.
Feel free to cast your vote in the comments section or nominate a heroine of your own choosing. I’m open-minded. Some of the time.
Posted by Evanne Lorraine @ 6:01 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.
