Archive for the 'Real life' Category
I’ve been on a happiness kick lately. It started with reading The Happiness Project, which lead to investigating what makes me happy.
Much of what I’ve learned so far I already knew. Family, friends, flowers, good books, doing my best, sleeping in, writing “the end” all make me happy.
Then there are random pleasures that I really can’t explain, but I recognize them when I find them. The sneakers below are an example.
I bought them last summer and they’re still available here. Every time I wear the old-school tennies I smile more. The shoes always garner compliments, so it’s not just me. 
What makes you smile?
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
Writing those longed for words always makes me smile. The smile doesn’t last long. Usually within a day, I’m pining for more of the last couple’s story. Sometimes I get little glimpses beyond their happily-ever-after. These peeks into the future add extra motivation to writing series.
Do you like reading about what’s happening now to favorite couples or do you prefer an entirely fresh adventure?
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
I love tidy classifications, but I never seem to fit into any of them. Of course all real life people are impossibly complex and full of contradictions. Creating characters that seem real and are reasonably consistent is much trickier than I ever dreamed, but I digress.
The other day I read a discussion about simplicity v. lavish as a defining style type. I’m assuming the participants recognize few of us are a pure extreme at either end of that spectrum. But most people queried were able to put themselves in one camp or the other. I admire both. The spare elegance of simplicity draws my eye and feeds my soul. Alas, so does the completely lavish over-the-top dripping drama and color scene.
Do you lean toward simple or splendor or both?
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
Indie publishing has great appeal–faster releases, editorial freedom, creative control. What’s not too like? Amazon, Barnes and Noble and All Romance all are super-author friendly. I plan to continue reissuing my backlist and quite possibly writing new self-published titles. But I also plan to keep releasing from established publishers too for several reasons. Loose Id and Ellora’s Cave market way better than I do. They both have brilliant cover artist and gifted editors, to say nothing of an army of copy editors, line editors, proofers, formatters, and accountants. Both publishers invest their time, money and expertise in my books. Each title I create needs all the same services the publishers provide, but as an indie author I pay up front. So far I’m still waiting to breakeven.
A few years ago when I first began work on Camille’s Capture, I envisioned the story as the third Enyo Chronicle. Between those early version and the actual manuscript, A Taste of Scarlet released from Loose Id. I decided to reframe Camille’s story, setting it in an alternate reality and changing the triad’s dynamic. Loose Id contracted and published the revised erotic adventure.
More time passed, now I’m working on revising, enriching and reissuing my backlist of NCP titles, beginning with Dalila’s Choice. This month the right to publish Joon’s Temptation reverts to me. I’m going to try to reissue the second Enyo Chronicle this year. Initially I planned to write a new story to complete the series, then it dawned on me I already wrote that book, other than for a little history and geography, I simply titled it Camille’s Capture and left off the Enyo connection. I may be oversimplifying the work involved in making the three adventures work together. Experience has taught me imagining the adventure and actually writing it coherently are two entirely different things. 
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
Last month I didn’t buy a single book. That a personal record. There are still more than forty unread titles stockpiled on the Kindle. I’m compiling a list of titles I want to buy. At the same time, I’m considering stretching the purchasing sabbatical to a second month. The biggest surprise for me was how much I enjoy anticipating future book purchases!
Pre-shopping ban, I clicked too impulsively. Now when I run across a book I want to read I add the title to my shopping list and sometimes cross the name back off. Currently there are six recent releases on the want-to-buy list. Three I’m positive I’ll enjoy, two maybes, and one I’m debating whether or not I want to read. In general if I’m in doubt about any purchase that’s a strong signal not to click the buy-now link.
Do you stockpile TBR titles or are you a buy-one-book-read-one-book kind of bookworm?
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
Frankly, I’m shocked that I’m moved to post about grammar. My long-suffering editors would be happy to tell you I’m not a grammar queen. Reading a real grammer girl here makes my head hurt.
Amazon featured Benediction as a recommended read. Like any rabid reader I clicked through the-look-inside feature.
The author may be brilliant (I didn’t read enough to form an opinion), but he’s missing the usual dialogue quotes. The lack of punctuation doesn’t improve the clarity of his prose quite the opposite. Not quite as bad as James Joyce, who eschewed all punctuation, but heading in the same impossibly-muddled direction.
I scanned through the reviews for this literary masterpiece and found only one reader who was bothered by the lack of quote marks.
Am I becoming a grammar queen? 
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
The other day it came to me that I can promise the story I’m working on will be published. If neither of my tasteful publishers want the book, then I’ll invest in editing and release it myself. 
A few years ago, that wasn’t a realistic option. Times have changed.
Do you have favorite indie authors?
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
The ereader has revolutionized my reading, greatly improving ease of acquisition, expanding selection, and eliminating those pesky storage issues. Thanks to organizing the virtual titles, even finding a book I want to read is faster. There are fifty unread titles and countless books I want to re-read waiting for time and whim to coincide.
Despite this literary largess,I buy a dozen new books each month in addition to library titles and free releases. What with writing and real life this is way more books than I have time to read. Hence, the book buying sabbatical.
I’m already making a list of titles of I want to buy. 
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
Dalila’s Choice exclusive kindle status comes up for renewal next month. I’m wondering how many nook fans are out there? How many readers prefer to shop at All Romance? How many are happy buying from Amazon?
This indie publishing business is loaded with choices I really have no idea how to make. 
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
Whilst tromping through the lush tropical forest of ever changing characters and plots from time to time I draw out my synopsis and revise it to reflect the current landmarks, because a girl needs a map even if it’s been through a few editions…
Reading my own work aloud always seems faintly silly, but I catch things I know I’d miss without this step.
What is your most favorite and least favorite parts of your job?
Posted by Evanne @ 4:00 am |
