Four Star Review!

Happy dancing because RULING EDEN got a Four Star review in RT Book Reviews magazine. I arrived at the RT convention in Columbus to my copy of the June magazine with the featured review. Gail Pruszkowski calls it "a satisfyingly magical story." Given my recent contract for the sequel, Surviving Eden, this news made my day and the entire Romantic Times convention for me. Just thought I'd share.

Michelle

Check Out This Great Article!

Check out this great article by Eileen Dreyer (title: I write romance novels--so what?) about writing romance. I love this quote....

"...when I read a romance, I can return to that moment in a blooming relationship when I could be perfectly selfish, when nothing existed but my lover..."

Viva romance!

Kodak Moments

Spring in New England doesn't creep up on you.  It arrives with a bang.  One day it is fifty degrees and frigid and the next it is in the eighties and sweltering.  If you blink, you can miss it. And I often do.  Busy with work, carpooling my kids, writing or painting, I glance up and the flowers are suddenly in full bloom, our brown world is a vibrant green, and I have no clue as to when it happened.  It is little wonder where the expression 'take time to smell the flowers' came from.  It came from our treadmill lives and our inability to stop to appreciate these moments of beauty whether in nature or in our own lives.

My kids are older.  My son a week away from his fifteenth birthday and my daughter coming up on her thirteenth in June.  Over night, they grew up on me.  They are more independent and their friends have replaced me as the nucleus of their world.

I've recaptured my life, becoming involved in my own activities and projects, but I find myself struggling to bridge that gap between being there for my kids and coveting my own time.  I will be typing away on my latest WIP, and my daughter wants to share her latest melodrama with me and we both get annoyed. My daughter will then do something so twelve and so sweet that it reminds me that these moments are precious, and I need to stop what I'm doing and savior them.  I'm talking about those Kodak moments.  When you see your child's first smile, hear their first words, or when they pedal off solo on a two-wheeler.

Being older, my kids moments are more subtle now and sometimes harder to appreciate. Pre-teens and teenagers should wear 'approach with caution labels'.  The first time my daughter addressed me with her hand on her hip and that grating tone of attitude, it caught me off guard.  My son stares at me and my husband with this blank look on his face while we are discussing his not too stellar Spanish participation grade.  My husband said we've become the parents in Peanuts.  We speak and my son hears that incomprehensible monotone in the background 'wawowwo...'.  These are the Kodak moments you delete.

But there are so many others, and I find myself having to watch for them for fear of losing them.  Like when I walk to the car and my daughter skips to it.  That is so twelve.  Or when she dances around the kitchen showing me the new steps she learned in her hip hop class.  Or when I walk into her room and on one closet door she has a picture of the latest teen heart throb but on the other, she has posters of puppies.  It illustrates that poignant pre-teen bridge between childhood and puberty, reminding me that she is hovering between the two.  I am so not ready for her to cross over.

Of course, moments with a teen-age son can be bitter sweet as well as funny.  Like when he advises me that I am no longer allowed to cheer him on at his baseball games unless the other mothers are cheering and to please not get out of my car in the school pick-up line and bellow his name (like I bellow -- it was a soft yell.  Really.)  Then there are those special moments when I'm trying to write a love scene for my WIP, and he interrupts his social studies homework to share with me the pertinent fact that ancient Chinese scholars grew their nails two inches long to show that they don't do manual labor.  Or he breaks into a perfect imitation of Stewie from Family Guy to ask me how my novel is coming.  Kind of kills the romantic mood, but it does make me laugh.

Yes, I want to finish my book, or my painting, or go out for a martini with the Quirky Ladies, but I don't want to lose these moments.  I want to take the time to smell the flowers before they are all grown and it's too late.  In doing so, I might find a wealth of lovely details to incorporate in my WIP....  After all, a good writer is a good observer.

As Ferris Bueller says, 'Life moves pretty fast.  If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.'  Sad, but true.

Contracting a Series

Good news on the home front, ladies and gentlemen. Crescent Moon Press has offered me a contract for the sequel to RULING EDEN entitled SURVIVING EDEN. This second book is part of a planned four book sequence I'm affectionately calling the Eden's Court series. Details on cover and release date will follow.


The news is fantastic because I love Rachel and Gabriel and want everyone to hear more of their story. Not to mention that of Tarn and Sebastian and Morven and a few others. Although Surviving Eden is a bit darker book, I finished writing this installment feeling that Rachel's character growth was well entrenched. I have a solid story conflict in mind for the third book and of course I do know how the plot arc over the entire series will end, if not specifically then in general.


Here's the tentative story blurb:


Rachel Rieh wields enough magic to make a goddess jealous, or so she learned three weeks ago when she thought she was an ordinary, reclusive and short-tempered gal from Boston. In this second story of Eden's Court, Rachel, now the new ruler of the Kesayim, (angels, demons, dragons, faeries, vampires, shapeshifters and witches--the goddess-created protectors of mortalkind) finds herself faced with the task of stopping vampire hunters from annihilating the vampire race. Her lover, Gabriel, half-angel, half-demon, stands by her side to help if she can escape her obsession with protecting him at all cost.


Earth is already on the verge of destruction within six months because magic is out of balance. The new threat to the vampires destabilizes the situation more. But is the cold-hearted goddess intent on changing Rachel into her image the greater threat to Rachel and everyone she loves?


Like what you read? I hope so.


This contract news got me thinking about series endings. I recently plowed my way through the netflix instant episodes of a BBC television series called Torchwood, about a team of alien hunters who work above the law saving the planet Earth from certain destruction. Although there is talk of a fourth season, the show had ostensibly been concluded with season three. And in a very dark and morose manner, leaving me depressed. Now I love series. I'm an urban fantasy chic by nature and that stuff is all about series. Particularly series which feature the same main protagonists. But it takes supreme talent to carry through quality for an entire series and end it on the perfect note. I'm not sure Torchwood did that, even if the writer/producer felt he'd took the artistic risk on his vision. It had all the important pieces almost perfect up until the end. But if I walked away aching for the main characters and not feeling any hope, as I did, the end didn't work.


In book series there's an art to matching the nature and severity of the conflict and the development of characters to the perfect number of volumes. Draw it out too long and the reader feels she's getting the same old, same old. Boring. Have your characters finish growing too early in the series, already reaching their final development and the magic leaves the story. On top of it, if you can't end delivering on hope, I'd say the series has not done its job. Hence my complaint about Torchwood.


I feel comfortable with my vision of four books. I believe the number does justice to the overall story conflict, and gives me enough room to answer all of the questions and resolve the relationship issues between my main characters. If I end this series as I intend, there's nothing to say I cannot revisit its world in another form. I've even played with the idea of doing a separate third person story set in this universe once I'm finished with the first person story of Rachel and her adventures.


What do you think about series and what makes for satisfying conclusions? Who has done it well? Who has jumped the shark? There's a wide difference between authors who write a series from the same protagonists' perspectives and those who write stand-alone but related volumes. Share your opinions. It can only help this poor author struggling to deliver the goods for her readers.

Quickie Quirky Interview with Debut Author Carolyn Crane

As soon as I read Carolyn Crane's debut novel Mind Games, I knew I had to interview her for the Quirky Ladies blog. Why? Because her book is one of the quirkiest, coolest, most original, refreshing and bad-ass books I have ever read. It's a UF/paranormal romance about a hypochondriac who learns to use her neuroses as a weapon. Heh, heh, heh....ev-il!!!!!

Without further ado, here is Carolyn Crane's Quickie Quirky Interview.....

Penny: Hey, Carolyn! What are your top 3 quirky qualities?

Carolyn: What a great name for a critique group! Okay, quirks....

1) When I first sit down in the morning to hand write on draft (if I'm in a handwriting phase) I have to listen to at least half of this one Led Zepplin CD, or I superstitiously think things will go poorly. I am so sick of that CD.

2) I don't like killing bugs. I always trap them and put them outside, or with spiders, I ignore them. Though of course, these are Minnesota spiders.

3) I couldn't think of another, so I asked my husband. Quote: "How about that you lose things in the house constantly? You lose your keys, you lose your cellphone, you lose your purse, you lose your glasses..." The list went on from there!!

Penny: I can totally see the whole Led Zepplin thing. Any tips for aspiring writers? Any words of wisdom?

Carolyn: I think it's all about the work ethic. Plugging away every day. Being in a mode of learning every day.

Penny: Thanks, Carolyn!

Here's a link to Carolyn's website, and to her awesome blog, The Thrillionth Page.

Check out Penelope's review of Mind Games!

Is Storytelling Embedded in our DNA?

A couple of weeks ago, I happened upon a new television show, Who Do You Think You Are? - the premise if fairly basic, take a celebrity and using all means possible trace their family heritage. I am not one for reality shows, in particular celebrity reality shows, so I was surprised how quickly I became engrossed with the program. In fact, afterwards I went online and started searching for my own family tree.

My family is the quintessential stoic, stiff upper lip New England family, so very little family history has been passed on down since our motto has always been, no matter what happens - good, bad or indifferent - keep moving forward and keep it to yourself.

As a writer, I have a hard time keeping things to myself - to put it mildly, so in many ways I have always felt like I am an odd fit for my family. If I was not the spitting image of my father, and more closely his mother, I might wonder if I were adopted or a random stray picked up along the way.

My quest for my family history is not unique, but as I searched and found connections to people I have never met, I was struck by how swiftly I started picturing my ancestors in my writer’s mind; how easily I could imagine their lives and their stories; and how alive they felt to me as if they were characters cast in my current work in progress instead of long forgotten relatives lost to an unknown history.

Then, I realized why the reality show and my searching had such an impact on me - both elicited an emotional response. The very point of storytelling.

My research proved fruitful in more ways than I could have imagined. My Dad, whose parents died when he was very young, now knows more about where they grew up, what their childhood nicknames where, when they married, where their families are from.

On my Mom’s side of the family, I learned that there are other storytellers in my family, in fact my grandfather used to write stories. He also played minor league baseball with the Pawtucket Red Sox. Pretty cool!

Like real life people, our characters are alive. They live in our writer’s hearts and minds and then upon the printed page. We want our storytelling to matter, to leave a trace on this Earth, to have a lasting impact of some kind on our readers, just like we want to leave a trace in our own lives.

I am comforted to know I am not the only one in the family who enjoys telling a story. I don’t feel as out of place now. I also got a kick out of the realization that I used the first name of my great-great-great grandmother in my current work in progress without even knowing it. Maybe just a coincidence, but something tells me there is more to the story - no pun intended.

I have had a lot of ups and downs with my writing, and I’m sure my journey towards publications still has a few more bumps in the road before I hopefully find my way to a contract, but my need to tell a story, to leave a trace, is revitalized.

Who knew a reality television show could do all that.

To learn more about your story, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/. Good luck!

Tara's Turn To Shine!

The NECRWA conference was a wonderful mix of inspiring workshops, hilarious speakers, fun-filled schmoozing, and debates about Nora Roberts (Vicki and Kate, I promise to read a Nora trilogy ASAP). The highlight of the weekend was the presentation of the Goldrick Award. This award recognizes one NEC member who has gone beyond the call of duty for our chapter. I am thrilled to announce that our very own Tara Truesdale won this prestigious award on Saturday. Jessica Smith wrote an amazing tribute to Tara, which our president Cindy Gregory read in front of all the attendees. Here is Jessica's lovely tribute to Tara, which brought me to tears....

"Tara has helped the chapter in so many important but quiet ways that she might go overlooked. As someone who has held the post of 'snack lady' you know what goes into furnishing goodies for the meetings. There is a lot of lugging and a fair amount of coordination required to get these snacks on the table. Given the number in the membership, the percentage of people who help the snack lady in this effort is actually quite low. Tara did this service well and with little complaint. Much the same way she did when she helped me on the conference committee. She was so calm, patient, and helpful, and it is only in hindsight that I can appreciate all that she brought to the table during our sometimes stormy committee proceedings. She went on to run her own conference committee at a time of big change to the conference -- a new venue, a new board, and new financial constraints on the planning. She handled all with her typical grace and get-it-done attitude, and the conference was a success because of her leadership. And now she is finishing up year three on the conference committee as Book Fair chair. During a year when she should be basking in the glow of the success from her own conference, she chose to spend one more year helping the chapter . . . bringing a steadying presence and the voice of experience to a set of new and untested conference committee recruits. If Tara doesn't embody all that is good and unselfish of volunteerism, I don't know who does!"

Well said, Jessica! Huge Congrats to Tara....you totally deserve this award! All of the Quirkies are so proud of you! We are lucky to have such a wonderful, loyal and supportive friend in our group.

Life Lessons from a Dog

I belong in a book group, and once in awhile the group's selection is one I would not pick up on my own. Last month's choice was The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It is the story of Denny Swift who is trying to become a professional racing car driver, and it is written from the point of view of his dog, Enzo (seriously). I had little interest in a dog's narration, and I have blogged about my illiteracy with cars. This book was not for me, so it was with pleasant surprise that I found myself falling in love with it. Go figure.

Denny repairs high end cars while he struggles to become a Formula 1 racing car driver. He marries Eve and they have a little girl, Zoe. Their family story takes a detour when it hits a series of roadblocks (racing analogies litter the book). Eve gets sick and Denny finds himself in a bitter custody battle for Zoe. The book became a page-turner that had me staying up way too late to get to the end of the race. And it was well worth the ride.

Not everyone in my book group gave it the five star rating that I did, but it made me realize that once in awhile, you should listen to a friend's recommendation and pick up a book you might not otherwise read. Depending on what road your book travels (hard to resist those driving analogies), you might fall in love in a romance, visit an exotic land through a travel memoir, or learn some life lessons from a dog. I did.

Listed below are just a few of Enzo's tips to navigating a smoother life course or at the very least, becoming a better driver. Enzo collected these aphorisms through racing with Denny or watching Formula 1 racing videos. Makes me reconsider what t.v. shows I watch in front of my dog. I might have to tune into the Dog Whisperer and get Ceasar's help to teach my dog to stay off my living room couch....

How do you drive in the rain? Very gently, like there are eggshells on your pedals and you don't walk on them.

We are the creators of our own destiny.

Getting angry at another driver for a driving incident is pointless. You need to watch the drivers around you, understand their skill, confidence, and aggression levels, and drive with them accordingly.

The true hero is flawed -- and a hero without a flaw is of no interest to an audience.

To voluntarily restrict one channel of information is foolish for a racer; to allow information to flow unfettered is divine.

The race is long -- to finish first, first you must finish.

There is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.

You can't exist as a separate entity. You must give yourself over to the race. You are nothing if not for your team, your car, your shoes.

Learning My Lessons

So, I'm not complaining at all, but I'm in the midst of my first set of full edits from a professional editor, and I've realized that this is not a business for the faint of heart or those with egos easily bruised. Wow!

Of course, lucky for me, I am neither of those things and while I can see how someone might freak, I'm DIGGING IT! First, my editor rocks and couldn't have been nicer about the edits. She actually says please in some of her comments. I mean, not that The Quirks aren't the most super-nice women on earth, but they kick my ass a lot harder for some of the same sorts of mistakes.

Now, I'm sure it helps that I agree with just about all of the edits. And frankly, even those few I'm not 100% sure about, I'm willing to make the changes because this woman gave me - a newbie with no previously published stories - a chance and I'm content to defer to her considerable expertise. The learning experience on this is awesome. I can think of 10 things off the top of my head that I will know going forward and that will make future edits (a girl can dream, right) all the easier. These same things will be in my mind when I edit other Quirk's manuscripts, so I feel like I'll be a better Quirky Lady when it's all said and done, too. Sweet!

So really, in case you can't tell, the process has been going well. My first hiccup in the process was last night, when I tackled those darn story edits (I did line and quick/one sentence kind of edits first). Again, my editor is totally right - the sex scenes need more emotion, and are vastly improved by knowing more about what the characters are feeling. And because I know I'm improving my story, I'm motivated and excited to be doing it. The issue is that I'm constantly questioning myself. Does she want me to drop in a word, or a phrase, or even a new paragraph? Should I be going back to build in what she wants through out the sex scenes, some of which are 10+ pages long? Or is she going to freak when she sees all those edits at this point? Am I doing too much? Too little? Am I spinning myself in circles worrying about it? (Answer to the last question: YES)

Ultimately, I decided last night that the goal is to produce the best book possible for the readers, for myself, and for my publisher, who would like it if I sold lots and lots of copies to those happy readers. Based on this unified goal, I tried to limit my edits to what my editor asked for, and in some cases this did mean I had to back and layer in the emotion for the whole scene. I don't think she'll disagree and I'm really hoping she'll be pleased with the end result.

And if she isn't? First, I'll thank God for the "Reject Changes" button. Then I'll remind myself it's another learning experience to take to heart and into my next editing process. (A girl can dream, right?)

Surprise!

A little over a week ago I experienced one of those sweet, wonderful moments in life. My beautiful, amazing, fantabulous husband threw me a surprise party. The sweetie had been planning it since early December in order to celebrate my first successes in publishing.

Now, I am a hard woman to surprise. He's tried a party before for my thirtieth, but called off the surprise attempt when I put up too many roadblocks. Inadvertently of course. There's a disadvantage to being the one holding the reins on the family schedule. Any attempts to change that schedule are suspect. But the big lug pulled it off this time. I swore like an inspired sailor when my guests all showed up in one big lump outside my door as I innocently answered the knock, but I think they forgave me.

The party got me thinking about the nature of surprises. They come in all shapes and sizes. I am a plotter by nature (big shock given that tight rein I mentioned earlier). Unless I know where a story is going, I can't begin to write. That being said, age has mellowed this approach. As long as I'm relatively secure in my direction, I can become pleasantly surprised when a new twist leaps into my stories via my muse. It happened to me recently as I neared the end of my current work in progress. I thought the story would end at one point, and then an avalanche of ideas buried me with ways to take the final action scene farther. Once I learned to trust enough in my stories I opened to the surprises along the way. This allows for richer stories and greater satisfaction as my mind makes unexpected connections that add depth to my books.

I believe that same process is what made it possible for my husband to plan the party successfully. Although my general nature remains the same, I've mellowed into my life, creating room for fun in new wild and wacky combinations. Having successfully maneuvered the big question marks of my youth and established a general tempo for the middle years of my life, I feel safe enough to appreciate a divergence from that tempo. So maybe I still look before I leap, but at least I leap more often.

How is everyone else with surprises? Are you open to them? Can you relax into them when they arrive? (In this case I mean the positive surprises. The unpleasant ones are the subject of another post.) Has maturing affected your view of them? And if you are a writer, do you surprise yourself in your stories?

Let me know.

Michelle