Another Writing Tip

If you tend to do an info dump of scene details (i.e. what the room looks like, what the characters are eating/wearing), which can sometimes cause the pages to drag, try writing the scene without using any of those details at all. Concentrate only on dialogue and action. When that part of the scene is done, take a separate sheet of paper, list all of the details you omitted, and only then weave them throughout the scene.    

The Sex Candle Lights Some Fires (And Not Just My Own)

Editing the fight scene went very well today. You'll be happy to know I was able to restrain myself and did not have a half-clad warrior named Brad/Bradly/Bradson aka Lord Pitt rescue a naked damsel named Lady Gena/Gina/Genna and make white-hot love on the battlefield. Who knows what I'll be writing tomorrow, though . . . 

I found the sex candle information. For those of you needing a SEX ON THE BEACH candle of your very own, you can email Deidra at: godmakesscents@cox.net

Inspire me, baby

I'm editing a fight scene tomorrow. Since the SEX ON THE BEACH CANDLE did wonders for the love scene, how cool would it be if I could find an aggressive-scented candle? Something like: FISTS OF FURY. Maybe a coffee scented one will work instead, as the caffeine will make my heart race. I'll have to try it. I'll also be playing the soundtrack from the movie Troy. That always inspires me.  Images of a half-naked Brad Pitt doing battle. . . Oh yeah!  However, I then run the risk of including a love scene on the battlefield as a warrior named Bradly stumbles upon a scantily clad damsel named Lady Genna.

About four months until the release of my second paranormal romance, The Pleasure Slave, so I'm constantly thinking about promo. Promo, promo, promo. I'm doing the Become-A-Character-In-My-Book contest, and I just gave away another signed copy of The Stone Prince. But I want to do more. I'm having some stuff made -- punch cards, bookplates, and bookmarks -- and will give those away, but I still want to do more.  (Remember that chat we had about buzz?)  Any ideas?  Someone.  Please.  I've emailed several sites about doing advanced reviews, and that looks promising. If they like the book. If they don't. . . Well, they might just become a character in my book without entering the contest. That's a joke, of course. (Kind of)

Candles, Sex and a Red-Hot Love Affair

Okay, I just discovered the *best* smelling candle by a local company. It's called SEX ON THE BEACH -- the candle, not the company. It's awesome. I think I'll give one away soon -- most likely after I write the love scene I've suddenly been inspired to write. Don't be surprised if there's water involved.

I'm no further along on my buzz quest than I was before. What I've come across so far is information that I already possessed. The force is with me, though, and I will succeed. Meanwhile, I called Ingrams again. I feel like I'm having a affair with that machine automated voice. She/it loves me, she/it loves me not.

Writing Tip of the Day

How do you write a book if you don't have any spare time?  Here's a great tip: Take a voice recorder with you and speak out the scenes while you're driving.  Take a notepad with you and write while you're waiting in line.  You'll be
amazed at how the pages add up.   

 

Another write once said (and I can't recall who) if you write one page a day, you'll have the book finished in a year.  

Become a Character In My Book!

Here's something else I've been thinking about. For the Trish Jensen fund, one author auctioned off a rather unique thing: having someone you know killed in print by a vampire. I LOVE that, and I'm going to borrow the idea. Here's my contest:

If you've ever wanted to see your -- or someone you know -- name in a book, you've come to the right place! In the book I'm working on right now, there are centaurs, mermen/maids, dragons, demons, vampires, (humans, of course), Amazon warrior women, kings and queens, and princes and princesses. It's a smoldering caldron of creatures!  Shoot me an email detailing what creature/human/royalty (or even a combo) you'd like to be and why.  Ex: Queen of the Amazons because you've always wanted male slaves. Or, tell me what creature/human/royalty (or even combo) you'd like your worst enemy to be and how you'd like them to die and why. Ex: lowly demon eaten by dragon because so and so got you fired from your job. Around December or so, I'll pick a winner, and that winner will see their scenario in print.

A Bundle of Bees Please

Buzz, buzz, buzz. Anyone know how to create it for yourself? I've never been a saleswoman. Never wanted to be. Now that I've got a product to sell, I'm finding that I NEED to get out there and market myself. That opens up a world of questions, however. Just how do we create buzz for ourselves? I thought I knew. Website, blog, eloops, so on. And I thought I was doing a pretty good job of it. Now I'm not so sure. Those things can only do so much. Word of mouth is key.  That's been proven. Look what happened to the books Kelly Ripa recommended. Look what happens to the books Oprah recommends.

So maybe I should create a wildly successful TV show that features my books. I'll call that Plan A.  Now, until Plan A takes off, I've got to create my own word of mouth. I've been debating how best to do that for days, and I'm still without an answer. (You'll be happy to know this has helped cure my obsession with Ingrams, sales ranks, and waiting by the phone to hear about another book sale.)  I'll probably buy a few books on creating buzz. Maybe I'll report back here to let you know what I've learned. Maybe not. Maybe I'll surprise you with my genius.   

The Signing and The Bad Boys of Romance

I've been a bad, bad girl and haven't updated like I should.  The signing went wonderfully. Hastings really went all out for me (and Orlando). A big poster, flyers, I was so impressed!  Plus, the chocolate was a big hit. I'll never do a signing without a basket full.

On the eharlequin.com thread, we are talking about romance novel heroes we'd most like to date. There have been some interesting answers -- and a lot of Sherrilyn Kenyon Dark Hunter heroes. (I can't wait for Acheron myself.) What about you gals? What romance novel heroes would you most like to date? I answer this question on my FAQ page, which is what started the debate in the first place. I can easily add five more to my list:

Hades from PC Cast's GODDESS OF SPRING

Sinclair from MaryJanice Davidson's UNDEAD AND UNWED

Eric from Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books

Adam from Karen Marie Moning's THE IMMORTAL HIGHLANDER

Robbie from Janet Chapman's TEMPTING THE HIGHLANDER

Book Signing Reminder and Change

Don't forget I will be signing The Stone Prince at Hasting in Duncan, Oklahoma on October 9th.  The time has changed, however.  I will start signing at 1.  Orlando Bloom and I hope to see you there! 

Hot Guy Alert

Okay, I caught a glimpse of Chad Michael Murray from the WB's show One Tree Hill. He's got that sexy, brooding vibe that I love. Like Brad Pitt, the man (boy?) is pure sex appeal!  How old is he, anyway? And do I need to rename myself Mrs. Robinson? Don't be surprised if one of my upcoming heroes resembles him.

Book Review and Brad Pitt

T.L. Schaefer, who writes wonderful contemporary romantic mysteries with a witchy theme and equally wonderful paranormals, does book reports on her site. She just did Stone Prince!! Her report blew me away. Check it out:

http://www.tlschaefer.com/2003BookReport.htm

So cool! I'm floored.

In other news, my Brad Pitt stationary arrived. (For those of you who do not know, I think Brad Pitt is God's greatest visual gift to women. Check out the Brad Pitt shrine on my website, pictures section) The stationary features him from Troy and it will be difficult to pry the pages out of my Kung Fu grip and actually mail them.

Books, Books, And More Books

Can I just say how much I adore Charlaine Harris? She's wonderful! I picked up a copy of Night's Edge, an anthology from HQN. I bought it because I adore Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books. This novella was not about Sookie, but was set in the same world. Great stuff. Next, I'm going to dive into Minion by L.A. Banks. This will be my first Bank's novel, but I've heard great things.

I'm trying to conquer my obsessive tendencies by only typing in and editing one chapter a week of my book The Jewel of Atlantis. So far so good. . . but the desire to do more is there. I may need to step it up to two chapters a week because I have also been dabbling with a first person contemporary with -- shocked gasp -- no paranormal elements. I would soooo love to sell this book. And if I did, that would mean another deadline on top of the two I have left: The Jewel of Atlantis and the fantasy romance where the hero is a master of all things sensual (I'm being cruel and not telling you anything else about this one until I actually start working on it). Not to mention the fact that edits for Awaken Me Darkly: Mia Snow, Alien Huntress will be arriving soon. When they do, I’m going to be such a busy bee I probably won’t have time to even breathe.