Book Recommendations

Book Recommendations, by Maree Anderson (for Writers Gone Wild)

Hi y'all,

I'm surrounded by printed manuscripts and entry forms, in the throes of coordinating the RWNZ Clendon Award at the moment. It's a full manuscript contest -- no partials here, baby! So my office looks like a bomb site. Or perhaps, an editor's desk, LOL.

Anyway, direly short on time tonight. It's nearly 5pm, I still need to get changed, grab a snack and hopefully make it to karate class on time. Then rush home, grab a shower, get changed, and head off to Ceroc class. Thursday evenings are busy, what can I say?

So, desperate for inspiration at this late hour, I'm resorting to book recommendations.

Have read a number of really wonderful novels this month:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

"In Ethan Wate's hometown there lies the darkest of secrets...

There is a girl. Slowly, she pulled the hood from her head... green eyes, black hair. Lena Duchannes.

There is a curse. On the sixteenth moon, of the sixteenth year, The Book will take what it's been promised. And no one can stop it.

In the end, there is a grave.

Lena and Ethan become bound together by a deep, powerful love. But Lena is cursed and, on her sixteenth birthday, her fate will be decided. Ethan never even saw it coming."

"A lush Southern gothic" which is also a YA of the paranormal persuasion. Ate this one up, despite its 500+ pages and all the other stuff I had to get through.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

"Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia is responsible. Can seh figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?"

Loved this book! So did my paranormal YA loving daughter. With its hints of steam-punk, and its very different take on vampires, it was a perfect way to expand her horizons into the historical genre. Utterly charming!

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

"Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed -- an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn -- but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control -- especially when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority...

They've barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing -- and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena..."

Totally awesome. Frankly, I just can't get enough of Nalini's angels. They're incredible! I cried when I read Angels' Blood, the first in the series. (And even though I knew what was coming, I cried the second time I read it, too!). Didn't cry over this one.... but only because I was too busy gasping for breath! If you haven't read Angels' Blood yet, then get thee to a bookstore immediately.... and buy them both.

Your turn: what good books have you read this month?

Cheers,

Maree

Release Day for My Alter Ego!

The title of this post gives away everything! My alter ego, Savannah Stuart, has a release today from Ellora's Cave. I know I should have come up with something witty or tied in my release day to a post, but I'm sorry, it's not gonna happen. I'm too giddy on release day to think straight. Maybe one day that feeling will wear off but so far it hasn't! I love it when one of my babies goes out into world! Of course I'm also a little terrified, but the first story in this series was well received so I'm hoping this one will be too :)

The Blurb:
Marisol has one goal in life—kill the man who murdered her pack. But when she meets alpha werewolf Stephan and realizes he's her mate, all her carefully laid plans dissipate in seconds. By all accounts, she should hate Stephan and everything he stands for. Unfortunately, every time the dominating wolf gets close, she can't deny her growing attraction for the last man in the world she expected to want.

Undercover DEA agent Stephan is about to make the biggest bust of his career, but everything that can go wrong does. He never expected to discover his mate while on the job. She saves his life and his cover when he almost shifts in the middle of a crowded Miami nightclub, but that doesn't mean he trusts her. The clock is ticking and if he doesn't figure out what secrets the sexy vixen is keeping from him, he might lose his job—and his life.

For a quick preview, here's an excerpt: http://alturl. com/4435

To purchase or for more info: http://alturl. com/dx4u

Have a fabulous hump day everyone!!

Do you love your WIP?

While real love is messy and complex and there is no surefire way to tell whether your toe is in the muck or hip deep sans waders, it’s staggeringly easy to decide if you are in love with your Work In Progress. Come on down and take the quiz I made up just for this purpose! Fear not, I know we were mostly English majors so there is no math required. (Remember this next time someone calls me an evil sadist, eh? ;-)

1.) When you think of your current hero you__
A.)Smile at what he’s done or is about to do.
B.)Squint and bite your lip; he’s kinda fuzzy right now.
C.)Frown, he’s being a pain in the ass.

2.) Is your heroine someone you’d be willing to spend a weekend hanging out with?
A.) Yep, we’d paint the town ‘till dawn and then laugh while waiting for our more respectable partners to bail our goofy selves outta jail
B.) Maybe, depends on if she’s being reasonable or she’s in one of her moods
C.) Hell no! We are waaaayyy too much alike or too different.

3.) When you think about your work in progress, you fervently believe__
A.) This one’s going on the best seller’s list!
B.) It has potential.
C.) What a steaming pile of crap. Why haven’t I deleted this yet?

4.) While you’re writing, do you realize that you’re typing?
A.) Nope, I’m too lost in what my characters are doing.
B.) Sometimes, when I’m stuck at a particular place.
C.) Always. Writing this damn thing is total drudgery.

5.) As you reread what you’ve written do you feel__
A.) Ecstatic, like you could walk on air.
B.) Meh, I thought this was better than it is on the reread.
C.) Why would I waste my time reading this garbage?

6.) What would you rather be doing than working on this manuscript?
A.) Nothing, save for watching it be turned into a feature film.
B.) Some of my other hobbies, or spending time with friends.
C.) Scrubbing toilets or watching paint dry.

Your results (If you haven’t seen the pattern by now.)

~Mostly A’s: Infatuation, the solid foundation for love. You don’t just enjoy writing--you believe in what you are doing! No file full of rejections is gonna shake your faith in this bad Larry!

~Mostly B’s: Reality check. You care, but is it worth going the distance? You’ve gotten to the point where it might happen either way. Maybe a character needs an overhaul, perhaps the plot isn’t totally in your control and you are scared. What if I foul up this great start? Is the kiss worth the slap? We’ve all been here. Remember the good times and fight to get back there.

~Mostly C’s: Baby, I hate to break it to you but the thrill is gone. You’ve bored your muse and yourself and have given up on this WIP in all but deed. Stop phoning it in; shelve it to be revisited later. Or be liberal with the delete button until you see the good qualities, the reason you started this in the first place. Word of warning—continuing down this road will suffocate your muse and have you doubting your storytelling ability. Or in the words of the master: “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.”

Sorry, inner Sci-Fi geek is now locked back in the closet.

So how’d you score? Were you surprised? Let me know!

New Release this week!

This has been one heck of a busy winter. I've had releases in November, December and January, as well as one this week and another in March. No wonder I feel like I don't have any spare time! Problem is, a plot bunny goes hopping by and I'm hooked. I just can't seem to file those ideas for 'some time later when life is less hectic.'

This week, my release is part of a multi-author series from Changeling Press and I'm really excited. It's the first time I've had a dragon as my hero and it was tons of fun to write.

Series: Dragon Kin
Title: Captive Heart
ISBN : 978-1-60521-370-5
Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Themes: Elves, Dragons and Magical Creatures
Release Date: February 18rd, 2010
Author: Anne Kane
http://www.annekane.com/

Publisher URL Changeling Press - Erotic Fiction

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BLURB:

After years of playing the field, Haydn has finally found his soul mate. Problem is, the well-endowed Cassie thinks all dragons are trouble and she has no intention of letting Hayden anywhere near her. He's going to have to do some fast talking to convince her he's the dragon of her dreams.

EXCERPT:

Haydn laughed and draped his arm around Jackson’s shoulders. “I don’t think your fire companion is going to be too happy when you tell her about the dent you put in her new car!”

Jackson grinned, unrepentant. “Not to worry. I’ll just give her a little of my special brand of loving and she’ll forget to be mad at me.” He pointed to a table at the far side of the packed barroom. “Looks like we’re late. The guys already have a table.”

They shouldered their way through the Friday night crowd at the Pagan’s Corner, jostling good-naturedly with the other residents of Utopia Bay. Shifters, paranormals and humans all came to the local pub to have a good time, and the bouncers made sure racial tensions didn’t get out of hand.

Haydn grabbed a chair and straddled it backward, resting his chin on his crossed arms. “So what’s the plan for the night? It’s been a bitch of a week at work and I’m raring for some action.”

“May I take your orders, sirs?”

Haydn turned at the sound of that soft voice, and stared right into the prettiest pair of brown eyes he’d ever seen. Framed by soft brown skin and close clipped dark curls, those eyes bored a hole right to his heart. Unprecedented need exploded in his gut. His mated friends had always told him it would happen one day when he least expected it. He realized he was looking at his souler.

He let his gaze roam the rest of her ample charms while an appreciative smile crossed his lips. The quip rose to his tongue with the ease of years spent pursuing every female he could find. “Darling, I’d love to have you take my orders.”

She didn’t even blink, just raised one of those perfectly sculpted eyebrows and stared at him. He swore the temperature in the bar dropped ten degrees.
A couple of the guys whistled, and Jackson had the nerve to laugh aloud. “That one’s not going to fall for any of your pat lines, Haydn, so you might as well order a drink. Cassie doesn’t do dragons.”

“A mug of whatever’s on tap.” Haydn kept his eyes lowered, struggling to keep the redness from creeping up his neck. He had a reputation as a player, and it had been a long time since a woman had stonewalled him quite that thoroughly.

“Same for me.” Jackson tossed some money on the table.

Haydn watched her scribble the order down before she turned back to the bar. She held herself straight and proud, her wide hips sashaying beneath a calf-length denim skirt. He felt his cock jerk to attention at the thought of all that soft, warm flesh beneath him. Damn! He turned to Jackson. “What do you mean, she doesn’t do dragons?”

“Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.” Jackson held his hand up in mock fear. “She’s one of the humans that Egan’s group, Bound for Freedom, managed to save. To say she’s terrified of dragons would be putting it mildly. Can’t say I blame her, those rogues are a mean bunch.”

“Damn, that sucks.” Haydn watched her load drinks onto th
e tray and head back toward their table. “I’ll have to be real gentle with her.”
Jackson stared at him as if he’d just grown a second head. “Are you crazy? That girl is never going to go out with you. What part of ‘terrified of dragons’ did you not get?”


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If It's So Easy, Why Haven't YOU Written One Yet?

If It's So Easy, Why Haven't YOU Written One Yet? By Maree Anderson (for Writers Gone Wild)

I'm so over this year. And it's only February!

Sheesh. Not looking good, people. And I thought 2009 was a shitful year.

But I won't rant and rave and loose the slavering beast of my discontent, or submerge you in the tidal wave of disappointments I have right now about this whole writing business. Been there. Done that. DH is wearing the earplugs and sporting the hunched shoulders to prove it. (And BTW, the exaggerated metaphors were entirely intentional. I don't write like that for real, I promise.)

My son is home right now with some weird allergy and I have to keep whizzing downstairs to check whether he needs another antihistimine. So I'm gonna be brief and for once, to the point.

DH and I have this friend. She's smart -- very smart. And very capable. I like her. A lot.

She was talking to us about category romance novels. Why? I'm not sure. Because it's not like she reads them. Maybe she thought we were discussing my so-called writing career. I don't know and I didn't ask.

Anyway, this is essence of what she had to say: "I'm thinking of knocking one out. Because, you know, they're so easy to write. Anyone can write one ."

DH bit his tongue and didn't try to disabuse her. Neither did I. We figured we'd be wasting our time.

But afterward, well, color me furious. And infuriated. And any other fury-filled adjective you can think of. Not to mention gutted.

Because I'm trying to write a category romance at the moment. And one thing it is not, is "easy to knock out". Not even for someone who's completed 10 full-length manuscripts ranging in length from 45,000 words to 125,000 words, and kinda likes to think she knows what she's doing by now. Not even for someone who's published a novella, and with another one imminent, hopes she's mastered the art of sticking to a limited word count.

I haven't got past the plotting stage. Okay, let's be painfully honest. I haven't got past a title, names for my two main characters, and a paragraph description about the hero and heroine. I'm not even a plotter, but I know that to write a category romance, everything has to be tight, so I'm plotting an entire scene by scene outline first. Or at least, that's the plan.

And it's hard -- really hard. I have even more respect than I previously had for all those category romance writers out there. I'm hoping one day I'll be good enough to join your ranks. But I'm not holding my breath.

So for an intelligent, modern-day career woman to claim she could "toss one of those off no problems"? Hah. I don't think so, love. Because in the first place, you have to love reading them. And if you hold the genre in such contempt, it's gonna show in your story. And believe me, no-one will want to read your story. End of story. Period.

And if it's soooo easy to write one, then why hasn't she set to work and done just that?

Well, that is easy. Because talking to people about how easy it is to write something -- anything! --is far easier than putting butt on chair, fingers to keyboard, and actually doing it.

Hope I can bite my tongue next time I meet up with her.

(Not So) Cheers,

Maree

Feeling Torn

Lately I've been battling a serious case of "the doubts", along with a big helping of mother's guilt. They've both kind of crippled my muse, and I've yet to hit a roll with my new work in progress. Part of the problem is that I'm really hard on myself, and I have that, um..."artistic temperament" that makes it easy for me to slide into a funk when things aren't going well. Do you know what I mean? That slow, steady decline into the doldrums where you can't bear to open the file and start working again, and you flinch every time your computer chimes with another incoming e-mail. Oh God, another rejection?

When I get like this I usually give myself a week or so to lick my wounds, and then slap myself silly. This is supposed to be my passion, dammit. It's supposed to be fun. But man, sometimes it's hard to keep pushing forward.

Plus I struggle with guilt over not spending every free moment with my little guys. I figure every writing mother goes through the same thing at one time or another, but that voice is always in the back of my head telling me I should close the laptop because they're only going to be little and want me around for a short time. Feeling torn really puts the damper on my creativity :)

And I don't know what's up with the radio stations around here, but nine times out of ten when I'm driving around, that Lady Gaga song Bad Romance comes on. I'm totally convinced she's talking to me when she sings that line, "You and me could write a bad romance". Seriously. What the hell's up with that? My kids think it's hilarious, and hubby does now too. We heard it twice last night when we went out for a half hour drive, and they all cracked up laughing. She's wreaking havoc on my self-esteem! Yeah, I know what you're thinking. I need to toughen up and thicken my skin, right? Duly noted.

I want to know what the rest of you do to get back on track. And I'd kind of feel better knowing there are other self-critical writers out there, so I don't feel like such a wing nut.

I've given myself a stern talking to, and come hell or high water I'm going to knock out at least a thousand words today on my WIP. So there. Take that, Lady Gaga.

Dirty Pirate Pants or Free Advertising

"It's free advertising." My Amazon Goddess Ass in Chaps.

What has my knickers all aflame? Dirty Pirates. I'm not talking about the hot kind in the Hessians, and surprisingly, neither am I referring to e-pirates. I'd already be preaching to the choir on that one anyway. I'm referring to authors who make book trailers and use licensed images. Yeah, that's still piracy.

No one would be that stupid with all of this information and pirate stomping advocacy, right? Especially if that person was a pirate stomper, right? No one would be that inconsiderate to a fellow artist and conduct themselves so unprofessionally, right?

WRONG.

That's not free advertising for the artist in question. It's free advertising for the author who was too lazy to find a royalty free image or too cheap to pay the artist for using his/her work. Especially when the images are already licensed to a company. This implies that your book is based on the games, maybe not intentionally, but there's further copyright infringement. Maybe the artist didn't wish his work to be used in such a way. Maybe he didn't ask for your free advertising. Hey, isn't that what pirates say to rationalize their behavior? Oh, the author shouldn't mind if I offer their book for free download when it wasn't even available in eformat to begin with because it's free advertising.

I am disappointed. Very disappointed. If it were my work, I'd light these authors up and watch them burn. It's tantamount to plagiarism. Yeah, I used the big P. Using someone's work and not giving them the credit and/or using without permission. Yep, it fits the bill.

During the Textnovel contest, many of us had to change our covers on our entries because while we were using royalty free images, some of the TOS for use were specific about how the images were used. If they were used to generate income, they were no longer royalty free. Some of us made honest mistakes that were corrected when brought to our attention. We did not respond with "Oh, but it's free advertising."

This book trailer business is wanton fuckery. I wonder what these authors' publishers would say about them using stolen images to advertise their products? Hopefully, they're still the advocates that they claim to be when the shoe is on the other foot.

Do You Have a Snoozy Muse?

Is your muse snoozing?

I used to teach an online class on this subject. My personal opinion is writers have tender spirits that need extra nurturing.

Through the years I've discovered what make my muses unhappy. Yep, that's right I have two. One female and the other male. Chocolate works but balancing my life and removing stress is the other.

When I sense problems looming ahead, that's time to take corrective measures. If I ignore the signs it only makes things worse.

One of the biggest hurdles I have to overcome is overextending myself. I'm taking the last three classes for finish my degree. They are kicking my ass and I haven't had a chance to escape homework long enough to write or edit. May can't get here soon enough.
In the meantime, I'm dealing with pain from my spine so bad I'm nauseous. I'm no quitter, I'll take the laptop to bed with me.

I can't be the only one going through everyday normal crap like this so here are some thoughts and positive things to get our arses in gear.

WHAT CAUSES YOUR MUSE TO SNOOZE?

With the stresses of day-to-day life taking its toll on a person physically, mentally and emotionally there’s no doubt the muse runs off to hide until the mess is clear.

When you’re exhausted in all areas of your life, how can you write? You can’t. If you push yourself and your muse, you’re either not going to like what you’ve put down on paper, or the frustration of not getting anything down at all will make things worse.

Once you’ve contracted a story with a publisher, you must deliver. You have no time for writer’s block. But what happens if it does come and takes up residence?

Knowing the source of what is causing your muse to take a hike can be the first step to getting everything under control. Or at least manageable.

Physical: If there’s a physical problem hindering you, go to the doctor. Nagging pains, blurry vision etc., can signal something bigger. Having physical aggravations reduces your capacity to concentrate and zaps precious energy.
I speak from experience. I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue so I must adjust my schedule and writing activities accordingly. This is a neuro-muscular disorder, in the same class as MS, so I never know what condition my muse will be in from one day to the next. It makes every day a surprise.

Consider your writing area. Is it comfortable? Do you need adjustments to your chair, a footrest to ease back stress or a change of table height so your arms are less stressed? Is the lighting too bright or not bright enough?

Many office supply stores can assist with these areas. If you have a spouse or significant other, they might be able to help, too.

If the area you’re writing in doesn’t make you happy it will affect your attitude before you sit down and put words on the page. For example, in my writing room, I write paranormal romance so I have three Twilight posters hanging on the wall, a stuffed bat (cause I love my vampires), a stuffed wolf (cause I love my wolf shifters.) LOL It makes me happy when I walk in my office. And candles. I usually have a candle lit and the fragrance is soothing.

You don't have to spend a lot of money, just surrounding yourself with things that make you happy. I know this is sounds trivial but it does have an impact.

The goal here is to remove as much stress as possible to open yourself up to the creative flow and energy needed to create. For those with children, maybe you could take them to a Mother's Day out program at a local church or day care. Find another writer and watch each others kids. My kids are grown so I'm limited on my suggestions.

Emotional: This area is the most difficult. Family, jobs and friends all vie for a piece of you and your time. When can you find the time or energy to write? By doing for others, but not ourselves, our creativity is blocked by the guilt people rain upon us. Taking the time you need to recharge yourself, will make you happier and in turn productive.

Learning to say no is tricky. Those who really care about you will make an effort to understand that you must limit your activities to achieve your goals as a writer. You must choose what is important and how you need to manage your time.

As writers, we tap into ourselves to bring forth a wide array of emotions in creating our characters and plot. If your emotional tank is dry, how can you dip into something that isn’t there?

Don’t heap criticism upon an already tender, bruised creative self because you didn’t do this or that. It’s okay to take a day or two to replenish and nurture yourself. I think women are especially bad about sacrificing so much for others, that by the time they do stop, there isn't much much left over.

SUGGESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENT

If you haven’t tried one of these, then that is your assignment if you chose to accept.

* When writing in a genre, I read in one that is different than what I’m currently writing in. This will keep you from accidentally taking something from another author and will give your mind something fresh to ingest.

* Try or do something creative that isn’t writing. Paint, knit, crochet, garden etc.

* Walk a nature trail. Take a notebook to jot down anything that appeals to your senses. You can use the notes later in your work.

* Try a new recipe. I write Scottish/Celtic themed stories. I make a wonderful batch of shortbread and shepherd’s pie.

I hope you find something helpful in this post.

May your creativity and your Muse(s) flourish!

Hugs,
Tambra
Wicked Pleasures now in Print
from Red Rose Publishing

For Love

My daughter is a perfectionist.

Hmmm, wonder where she gets *that* from?

She's also an idealist--another trait she inherited from me. Poor kid. Problem is, her technical skills don't always live up to her ideal end product--at least not right away. And she's hard on herself when the actual art doesn't quite live up to the dream that inspired it.

A couple of months back, my daughter piped up out of the blue that she was going to try out for the competition color guard at her school. While the ex dancer in me was thrilled, this was coming from a child who has spent most of the last fifteen years of her life with her head buried in her sketch book. Suffice it to say, physical activity hasn't been her strong suit. But she insisted she very much wanted to do this. No way was I going to discourage her. But I didn't expect her to make it.

Being the perfectionist she is, she somehow managed, in a week's time to learn to twirl a flag and dance without falling over her feet in the process. I can't say I've ever been prouder. She not only set a high goal for herself, she stretched herself to the limit to embrace that goal.

And then the glow wore off. Practices were hard. The competition schedule was fierce. She was stretching to the limit each and every day and began to worry she she wasn't catching on fast enough. Tears after rehearsals were becoming the norm. Still, she insisted she didn't want to quit.

I went with her to her first competition. She was a wreck, to the point I worried we wouldn't be able to get her on the competition floor at all. As we applied her eyeliner for the third time, I finally asked her why she wanted to do this.

She said--it's pretty. It's fun. It makes me happy.

"Ummm...sweetie, you don't *look* happy. And if you go out there expecting to mess up--you're going to."

She thought about that for a minute. Then she squared her shoulders, grabbed her flag and said, "I'm ready."

"Ummm...what changed?"

"The first time i saw the guard, I knew I wanted to do it, but I was afraid. Then I decided that I'm in high school, and I'm supposed to be having fun. That's what I'm going to do. Go out there and have fun."

She did a great job, and her team came in fourth in her class. Her brilliant smile covered up a couple of tiny glitches in her footwork. But most important, she remembered why she came to the sport in the first place--for the sheer love of it.

I need to remember that in my writing. If not for love of the craft, why bother? From the mother's 101 rule book--passion can cover up a multitude of sins. Sometimes ya just gotta go for it.

P.S. I'm blogging at Red Sage Revealed today. Come by and leave a comment and you can win a free book! :)

Turning Over A New Leaf.... Maybe.

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF.... MAYBE by Maree Anderson (for Writers Gone Wild)

Hi y'all.

I have a confession to make: I've completed ten novel-length manuscripts. Yep. Ten.

Mind you, three of those are a fantasy trilogy -- I know, I know: Not smart to write a trilogy when you're unpublished. And three more are a rather sexy paranormal romance series. I know! You don't have to tell me that wasn't a smart move, either. But the stories had to be written. Had. To. I really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. You know how it is.

Then there's the sweet paranormal romance with the SciFi twist. Finally got smart and only wrote one of those, though it does set up a series. Not to mention the historical-style paranormal I wrote because I love reading Regencies and just wanted to give one a go. And the paranormal YA that I wrote specifically so that my daughter could actually read something I'd written! Finally, there's the pure SciFi erotic romance I finished a little while back, just to see if I could write pure SciFi.

Except for those manuscripts making up books two and three in the series & trilogy, these manuscripts are all quite different in style and voice, mainly because I've been stretching myself, trying new things, taking risks, trying to find my "voice". I've written 3rd person and 1st person, ultra-sexy and sweet. And all of these manuscripts have done pretty well in one or more contests. Some of them have done extremely well. But as we all know, finalling or even placing in contests does not necessarily lead to publication offers. Or even representation. In fact my Red Sage editor was shocked to learn I didn't have an agent. I wish! One day. Hopefully. If I can find one who's not scared off by the prospect of repping an author with all this different stuff to sell.

Anyway, the upshot is that I've always written what I wanted to write, and then tried to find a market for it. And lately it's become quite clear that this is not exactly working for me. Time and time again, I'm seeing aspiring authors who I personally know get picked up because they know--they've always known--the genre they want to write and who they want to write for. And they've finished the damn book, submitted, rewritten, submitted again, persisted, and finally succeeded. They've learned their genre, stuck to it, and ultimately suceeded in getting published. And they thoroughly deserve to be published because they've been smart.

Whereas me? I'm not that smart. I have a germ of an idea and I just sit down at my keyboard and run with it. I have no idea what length it's gonna be, what exact genre it's gonna be (except there'll always be some paranormal element), what exactly it is going to be, until it's written. Obviously I set my muse a few limits -- otherwise I'd be writing huge great wordy tomes and I certainly wouldn't have finished ten novel-length manuscripts and two novellas in the past seven years! But I'm pretty much the ultimate pantser.

So when is enough enough? Should I give up writing whatever idea happens to just pour out of me at any given moment, and get smart? Should I try writing a full-length manuscript aimed at a specific publisher? After all, the two publishing credits I do have are the two novellas I've written specifically for Red Sage, so duh! doesn't that kinda prove my point?

I'm teetering on the edge of just that decision right now. Because I'm going through one of those periods where I'm wondering what the hell I'm doing this for. You know the ones.

Only trouble is, having written so many different manuscripts that I dearly love, and re-reading judges' comments and knowing from what they've said that these manuscripts all have merit, I don't want to just write them off and consign them to a sad folder hidden in the depths of my computer. I periodically revisit all my manuscripts and often subject them to a rewrite because I believe in applying each new thing I learn about the craft of writing to everything I've written. But even during rewrites, there's always that paragraph or two where I read it and think, OMG! I wrote this? It's really good!

It's hard to think about letting them all go and never looking at them again. Really hard.

Talk about a dilemma. Take this for example: a final round judging editor has just given me some really specific feedback on my entry. She loved the synopsis and said my story was just the sort of thing she'd be thrilled to look at, but the entry didn't quite do it for her. So of course what I want to do now is drag out that manuscript and rewrite it with her comments in mind and start submitting it 'round again. Because, dammit! It's nearly there. And I've got some very specific feedback to work with for a change, instead of just gut instinct. So isn't it worth rewriting and resubmitting this?

And isn't it worth rewriting and resubmitting all those other manuscripts I've written, too? Isn't it just a dreadful waste of years of work if I never do anything with them?

Or is it?

Heartbreaking as it may be, perhaps it's time to let them all go. Perhaps it's time to take a huge deep breath, stuff my free-spirited pantser muse into a more conservative suit, and tell her to tow the line. Right, Ms Muse: Here's how it's gonna be from now on. This is what we're going to write and this is who we're going to write it for. And guess what? We're going to plot out the story and stick to the plot.

Or maybe I should just say "to hell with it" and do what I've always done: write what I want to write and hope for the best.

Rewrites?
Same old same old and hoping for the best?
Or a turning over a completely new leaf?

Decisions. Decisions.

I'll keep you posted.

Maree

The Beauty of the Right Critique Partner

Finding the right critique partner is like finding the right pair of shoes. Are you sexy slingbacks? Or ballerina flats? (my personal favorite) Scrunchy boots? Satin pumps? Thigh high boots? There are too many options out there! But choice is a good thing.

When I first started writing I used my sister as a beta reader. While she was amazing, she gave little feedback because she thought anything I put on paper was awesome. So yes, she was good for my ego, but that's definitely not what I needed. The reason I actually thought about critique partners for today's topic is because I was looking over some of my original dedications and two of them are to CPs I don't work with anymore. Both for different reasons, but the main thing was that we just weren't working out for each other.

I know some people work good in groups but I prefer more of a one-on-one situation. A little over a year ago someone in my local writing group contacted me about critiquing with her. I was a little hesitant at first because if it didn't work out, I'd see her at meetings, etc. and I hate awkwardness. But, thankfully it did work out better than I could have imagined and my writing is stronger because of it. We only live a couple miles apart and while we're pretty different individuals, she's become an important part of my life in more ways than one. Originally I was only hoping to have someone critique my work, but she's become my friend and a much needed sounding board. Now we meet frequently at a local coffee shop to plot, talk, whatever, and I've developed a connection I didn't know I was missing. When I first started writing I didn't know much about the industry and I operated in a vacuum. I didn't blog or go to any local meetings, etc. Now I know that as a writer, that's not possible for me. I need that extra connection.

Not long after I started working with her, I was lucky enough to meet another writer who I also formed a critique relationship with. I never thought I'd want more than one but they both find different weaknesses and I only wish I'd had them years ago. Sadly I haven't met her in person yet but we're working on changing that this year.

Over the past couple years I've made so many friends that I wouldn't have if I'd never discovered that there was a writer hiding inside me. I think that's the beauty of this industry. We get to meet so many wonderful people from all walks of life that likely wouldn't have crossed our paths otherwise and all because we love the written word.

What about y'all? Are you still searching for the right critique partner? Have you found her? If you're not a writer, how has a friend influenced your love of the written word? Did she recommend a new genre or new author to you?

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Wednesday!

Valentines, flowers, candy and all that crap.

Yeah, so that’s probably not the stance most would expect to see from a romance author. But as you might have realized, I’m not your typical romance author either. My breed is the cynical romantic, the one who gets flowers and the next words out of her mouth are “What did you do?”

When my husband and I first met, many moons ago, I told him “I don’t ever want a dozen roses.” His response “Why?” “Because,” I stated “One rose means ‘I love you’, twelve says, ‘I screwed up’.”

So yes, I’m a hard-hearted Hannah. AKA a difficult woman to please. The romance author who kills off her beloved characters, because life without death is meaningless. If we didn’t struggle victory wouldn’t be quite as sweet would it?
To me Valentine’s Day is the absolute worst holiday going. It’s why love and romance get a bad rap, because no one can live up to the expectation set forth. It’s commercialized peer pressure, telling us if someone showers us with all this loot, then you are loved.

And you want to be loved, don’t you?

Here’s the problem. Advertising is a tool designed to make us think we need stuff, when, in essence we need very little. One of these days I’ll get into Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, one of my favorite topics and show you that the stuffed teddy bear doesn’t fit on the pyramid. Love is on there though and while some may argue that the teddy bear is a symbol of that love, I argue anything with the made in China stamp on its ass is not a symbol I plan to cherish.

It galls me that people scramble around looking for the perfect gift when what could be better than time? Love and romance needs to be a part of every day, not just one. Life is short man, live it up! Get naked and be happy! Who better than the romance author that kills people to tell you that?

So, I’ve spilled my guts and now I want your take. In what ways are you an unconventional romantic?

Oh P.S. Now that I’ve vilified the commercialism surrounding the holiday, I want to tell you the Laundry Hag is on sale this week at Wild Child publishing. 25% Off for Valentine’s Day with coupon code 4c19604a15. Just click on my cover down there on the right.

How’s that for irony? Hug someone you love today!

The Elusive Bookcase

Did you ever notice that when you don’t want something, there are lots of them, everywhere? You can’t get away from them. You practically trip over one of them every time you leave the safety of your house! And yet, the minute you decide you really want or need one of them, Ta-da! There are absolutely none to be found. Anywhere. For any price.

You’d think a bookcase would be an easy thing to find. They’re large, blocky pieces of furniture with lots of shelf space. They can (usually) be found anywhere from Wal-Mart to the high-end furniture store where I sometimes go to see how the other half lives. They come in an assortment of colors and shapes and sizes. At least, they used to.

I recently acquired a flat panel TV, which doesn’t fit on my admittedly outdated TV stand, so I found a lovely stand for it. Now my old stand has a bookcase down one side, which houses the books of all my favorite authors. Since the old TV stand has to go, I need a bookcase to put said books on. Books are not negotiable items. They stay.

I had a rough idea of what I wanted when I set out for the world of retail torture. It had to look reasonably nice, be of wood, (I hate metal furniture) and be of a light color to fit in with the rest of the furniture. Oak. Maple. Pine. I’m not very fussy.

Well, I trailed through every store in three towns and could not find one single bookcase that met my criteria. They were either way too big for my modest living room, too dark in color, or simply too ugly. One very helpful salesperson explained to me that bookcases are out of fashion at the moment. I was dumb-founded.

Luckily for me, one of the stores had a fantastic sale on leather furniture, so here I sit on my new leather armchair, my feet up on the super comfortable new matching leather ottoman while I browse online to see if I can find that most elusive of creatures, a bookcase!

Red Sage Loves YOU!

Red Sage Loves YOU! By Maree Anderson (for Writers Gone Wild)

Hi y'all,

Here's a heads up for those of you who'd like the chance to win some free books -- and honestly, who would pass up that opportunity? *VBG*

The lovely Calista Fox, a five-year veteran of the Red Sage Publishing stable, has enroled a bunch of us in her brilliant scheme to celebrate the launch of Red Sage Publishing’s gorgeous new website and the new look Red Sage Revealed blog. And believe me, we're celebrating Valentine’s month in style!

How?

For the entire month of February, Red Sage authors are blogging about their “sexiest heroes and heroines”. And they're giving you the chance to win the book in which they appear.

Here’s the scoop, straight from Calista over at the Red Sage Revealed blog:

“Many of my fellow Red Sage authors are offering up free books this month, and all you have to do to enter to win them is visit the blog on the days authors share tales of their favorite heroes and heroines and leave a comment! To make it even easier for you, I’m posting a list of blog dates. But stop by often because more authors may be added to the list…and there just might be a special Valentine’s Day giveaway. We’ll announce all of the winners on March 1st! I’m kicking off the contests on Tuesday, February 2, and I hope to “see” you here! ”

How do you win these ultra-steamy reads again? Is it really that simple?

Yes, it really is that simple: Just leave a comment and you’re entered to win!

(Pssst! You can even check out more than one author’s sexy hero & heroine and leave them a comment, too. Heck, comment every day if you like!)

To make it even easier for you, here’s the latest blog schedule so you can support your favorite author — or perhaps be a devil and try a new author ;-)

Feb. 1 -- Contest info and lineup of participating authors
Feb. 2 -- Calista Fox
Feb. 3 -- Summer Wilde
Feb. 5 -- Bethany Michaels
Feb. 6 -- Nathalie Gray
Feb. 8 -- Lilly Cain
Feb. 10 -- Natasha Moore
Feb. 11 -- Mia Varano
Feb. 12 -- Liane Gentry Skye
Feb. 13 -- Leigh Court
Feb. 14 – Valentine’s Day
Feb. 15 -- Maree Anderson
Feb. 16 -- Alice Gaines
Feb. 17 -- Nicole North
Feb. 19 -- Juliet Burns
Feb. 20 -- Calista Fox
Feb. 21 -- Samantha Winston
Feb. 24 -- Jennifer August
Feb. 25 -- Catherine Berlin
Feb. 26 -- Alice Gaines
Feb. 27 -- Brenda Williamson
Feb. 28 -- Kristin Daniels
March 1 -- Winners Announced

BTW, our very own Wild Woman Liane is blogging on February 12th, & I’m blogging on February 15th — just in case you hadn’t already spotted the bold typeface, LOL.

I’ll be giving away an ARC of my May 1st Red Sage Presents release LET SLEEPING DEMONS LIE. I'll talk more about my leonine Lycan hero and his heroine on my allocated day, but if you'd like a sneak preview of how the Demon King Asmodeus kicks off the story, you can visit my website and read the prologue.

Here's a direct link to the Red Sage Revealed blog to enter the contest. Calista and Summer have already blogged about their heroes and heroines, but it's still not too late to leave a comment for them and be in to win!

And if you’d like to know more about all the participating Red Sage authors and perhaps read an excerpt from our books, then please visit thebeautiful new Red Sage website and check out our author pages. They’re still works in progress, so check back regularly for photos and other fun stuff.

Good luck and happy reading!

:-)

Maree

Vancouver 2010: The "Winter" Olympics

I live just outside Vancouver, and it seems like the whole city is gearing up for the Olympics. Only one problem. It doesn't feel like winter! Last year we had an uncommonly cold, yucky winter, but this year has been really warm. It's so warm that the cherry blossoms are already coming out, and the daffodils are almost ready to bloom. Poor, confused darlings. That's one thing I wanted to stress to you all. Up here in Vancouver we don't get much snow. It belongs in the mountains and on the ski hills, and we don't do very well when it falls in the city. Even a light dusting can put all the drivers into a panic :) Up here, we get mostly rain. And more rain. From November through March, chances are it's raining somewhere in the city.

Considering the warm winter we're having this year, the Olympic organizers must be freaking out. On the local mountains they're flying in thousands of hay bales by helicopter to provide a platform for the snow they have to push down from the top of of the mountains because there's not enough of a base. Things are getting, uh...interesting as the clock ticks down.

Here's a shot of downtown, looking from Stanley Park. See that building with all the white sails? That's Canada Place, where I've partially set one of my upcoming books. You should see the view of the city from the mountains on the North Shore. It's something else. You can swim in the ocean, golf, hike through the woods and ski all in the same day in this city.

We've got lots of friends and relatives working for the Games. My best pal/sister-in-law (I love it when a plan comes together) works with the VIPs coming into town. She lives up near Whistler where a lot of the events are being held, about three hours from us, and she says there's tons of snow up there. My favorite uncle is a military liaison attached to the security forces with the Provincial Emergency Response Unit. I heart my uncle Kevin! For nearly every book I've written, I've pestered him with questions about weapons and tactics, and he answers every one with unfailing patience. Plus he plays softball and loves history just as much as I do.

Now don't spread this around, because I'll just deny it, but I may be one of the only Canadians who really doesn't care about hockey. Even if you're really not familiar with Canada, you must know how hockey crazy the entire country is. Our men's and women's teams are coming into this event with the expectation that they will both be in the gold medal game. Because I love hockey soooo much (yes, that would be sarcasm dripping from those words), I somehow got tickets to the men's quarter final game for my birthday. I'm going with a really awesome group of people though, so it should be fun no matter who's playing. But if it turns out to be team Canada on the ice that night, the atmosphere is going to be nuts!

So even if you're not into the Olympics or winter sports in general, keep your eyes peeled for snippets in the news. I hope you learn more about our beautiful city!

Tambra's Savvy Authors Workshops

In my last post I mentioned some workshops I'd be teaching. Savvy Authors offers a really great variety of workshops at reasonable prices.

****Permission to Forward Granted and Encouraged*****//


Savvy Authors Presents (SavvyAuthors.com)


The Basics of Writing the Romance Novel

Presented by Tambra Kendall


Feb 14 - Feb 27

$10 for Members/$15 for NON-Members

Come and explore the diversity of the romance genre. Learn writing techniques needed to begin your manuscript or assist you further in an ongoing project. Information on creating characters, plot and scene and sequel are a few of the areas explored in this course. The levels of intimacy and how to write a love scene are also covered.

http://www.savvyauthors.com/workshops.cfm

BIO: Tambra Kendall knew from the time she was 12 years old she wanted to write romance. All those summers spent at the public library reading historical romance provided her love of the genre. In 1994, she joined Romance Writers of America. She is published with Red Rose Publishing, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid and Aspen Mountain Press. Ms. Kendall writes highly sensual and erotic romance. She has titles available in ebook and print.


Ms. Kendall teaches online creative writing classes for various RWA chapters. She is a CTM, a Competent Toastmaster, and speaks to local writing organizations on the craft of writing. Please check her website for a schedule of upcoming classes and for new book releases.

Tambra's erotic time travel Western Romance from Red Rose Publishing. www.redrosepublishing.com

Cowboy of the Night Blurb:
Morgan Remington is forced back in time by The Vampiric Council of Darkness. The Hunter, a vampire exterminator, follows Morgan intent on killing him. Adara Galbraith is from the future, sent to 1880’s Texas to stop The Hunter who hides a deadly secret. Adara and Morgan discover the passion of a lifetime, but will they live long enough to enjoy it?

My friend, Sascha Illyvich is teaching a great workshop on male point of view. I've taken it and its fabulous. Here's the information on his course at Savvy Authors.
REGISTRATION:

http://www.savvyauthors.com/event.cfm?EventID=122

http://www.savvyauthors.com/workshops.cfm


Presented By Sascha Illyvich. In this workshop, learn the ins and outs of character creation from a side of romance we rarely hear from, the male romance reader/writer! Kinky Erotic Romance author Sascha Illyvich shares with us tips on how to create more memorable heroes, avoid some common pitfalls and have more fun with our writing!


What you’ll learn from this class

• Male Archetypes and how they affect our characters

• How (il)logical men think and why they act the way they do

• How to take any male character from any movie/story and modify him to fit your story

• How to get your man to express his true “self”



• What men REALLY care about and how to work with that for your characters*

• A man’s self view*

• The GAY MALE Viewpoint*

• The Male Cycle of Emotions and how it compares to the female cycle of emotions

• A man’s journey in life

• What men really think

A few extras

Using character creations sheets (don’t groan!) that have all the relevant information you’ll need, you’ll be able to craft male characters that are just as deep as your female characters. Getting inside the heads of your male characters is the most important aspect of “how to write” them.

Cross gender writing can make or break an author’s career if they cannot portray the opposite gender clearly and accurately. With the growing popularity of M/M romances, it’s becoming increasingly important for males to be portrayed in the proper light! We’ll cover all that here and a lot more over the next week.


Feb 28 - Mar 6

$10 for Members
$15 for NON-Members

REGISTRATION:

http://www.savvyauthors.com/event.cfm?EventID=122

http://www.savvyauthors.com/workshops.cfm


WHO:

Sascha started writing ten years ago, releasing poetry and an occasional short erotica story before focusing on kinky erotic romance in various subgenres. His books have been listed under the Road to Romance’s Recommended read list, as well nominated for the CAPA.

He is also the host of the Unnamed Romance Show on Radio Dentata and continue to write for Renaissance E-books, and Total E-bound. Readers can find his work, plus free reads at http://www.saschaillyvich.com


He’s also part of the WriteSex Panel, a blog group that’s defining erotica for writers in any genre! Find us at http://www.writesex.net
**************
I'll be teaching another class at Savvy Authors on Writing Erotic Love Scenes. So, you could my class and Sascha's.

Teaching helps me and in the process, I'm able to help others. Join me and Sascha at Savvy Authors.com

Hugs,
Tambra