We all know the classic romance hero – rescuing his true love from a burning building, clearing her family name of a horrible scandal, defeating hordes of villains at sword point…

Those are the guys that sell books, and I love those guys, but let’s face it, their heroic actions are just code for something much more personal – does he love her enough to give her what she really needs at that moment in her life, and to do it unselfishly, with grace, and hopefully with muscles flexing (okay, that last part is extra, but yum, right?)

So a guy who leaves an important meeting to rush to school to pick up a sick child; or goes out into the darkness to investigate a strange noise in the backyard with only a baseball bat for assistance; or picks up your favorite food when you’re feeling sick – he’s doing what all good romance heroes do, right?  It might not be the way we portray them in books, or the way we want to read about them or see them in movies, but it’s still part of the code:

What she needs, when she needs it.

Yesterday, I had one of those mornings where everything was going wrong, plus I just felt crummy from allergies, but I decided I needed to get something done anyway. So I tackled a scene in my new story where the hero of swoops in to the save the heroine from certain death at the hands of a huge robotic menace. I was typing… and sneezing… and generally feeling sorry for myself, when my husband walked into my office with a take-out bag of sesame chicken, my absolute favorite semi-fast food.

And for a moment, I honestly couldn’t tell those two guys apart!!

Here’s to being rescued.  Even if it’s only from pollen.

Kate

When it comes to a good story, I always start with character. Well, characters. My hero and heroine. If I can see them. Get inside their heads. Then I can’t write their story. Back when I used to do Pern fan fiction, the first thing you had to fill out was the character sheet. If your character was interesting enough then you were accepted to be part of the writing group and the more complete the sheet. the more interesting the character and the more you had to write about. I’ve found this is true now, too.

While I don’t do a formal “persona sheet” anymore, I do still do character sketches so I know my characters’ background. Here are the character sketches I developed for Joe and Mandy, my hero and heroine for Cupid Rocks. I hope you enjoy them!

***

Joseph Schwarzerwulf / Joe Blackwolf.

Joe was born February 9, 1973—just turned 40. He plays guitar. He’s 6’1” and 190 lbs.  He has large hands.  Left hand has short nails and calluses on the fingertips. Right hand has long nails and no calluses.

He feels like he’s the family “disappointment” because he went into rock music instead of becoming a classical guitarist.  He legally changed his name to Joseph Blackwolf when he started playing in rock bands at the age of 20.

He is the oldest of three sons born to Leopold and Maria and his brothers are Jacob (opera singer) and Julian (trumpeter).

Joe’s musical influences:  Andres Segovia, Christopher Parkening, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen – since joining The Pack he’s discovered blues guitarists due to Eddie Goldwolf’s encouragement.

Joe practices four to six hours daily.  If he can manage it, he practices eight. He’s a disciplined musician who is determined to be technically excellent.  He’s driven to prove that he’s as good a musician as his father even though he doesn’t play classical music.  If he doesn’t have time to practice enough before a gig he can play well but doesn’t feel as “prepared” as he thinks he should be.

When he left home (and college) at twenty to pursue rock music his father gave him a Les Paul sunburst Gibson guitar.  Joe has many guitars but he practices and almost always performs using the LP.  He still has the Hauser acoustic guitar his father gave him when he began playing classical guitar.  When he practices classical music, he’ll pick up the Hauser to practice on.  He also takes the Hauser on stage to play acoustic tunes.

***

Mandy Goldwolf

Mandy was born July 28, 1977 – she’s 35 years old. Mandy is a plus-size female who makes the most of her curves. She knows males love her full breasts and round butt, but she still sometimes worries about her body. She is the only pup of Eddie and Carly Goldwolf and while she knows she is well loved by them both, her childhood wasn’t simple or idyllic.

Her parents, Eddie and Carly, met when they were twenty and eighteen, respectively, and have been together ever since. Their mating wasn’t an easy one, despite the fact that her parents were—and are—True Mates. Eddie resented finding his mate so young because he didn’t get the chance to get wild with females and live out the whole “sex, drugs and rock and roll” dream. Also, Carly’s father looked down his regal nose at Eddie and Eddie responded by going on benders and disappearing for days. When Mandy was ten, Eddie finally chose to dry out. Now, Eddie regrets putting his mate and his daughter through such hell, but Mandy remembers it and it colors her budding relationship with Joe.

Mandy loves music. She was born in The Pack and sang with the band from a very young age. However, when she was eighteen, she had a traumatic performance experience. She participated in a competition and forgot the words to a song, completely freezing on stage. It was so bad that Carly had to come onstage to help her off. From then on, Mandy developed stage fright. It grew worse and worse until she quit performing in public.

Since she could no longer perform, she chose to follow her second love…photography. She shoots portrait work to make money, but loves to do art photography too.

***

Mandy and Joe together

When they meet, the attraction is immediate and fiery. But there are some bumps along the way because Joe still views himself as the black sheep of his family and keenly feels his father’s disapproval. Mandy is still fighting her stage fright and has some baggage about her parents’ history. Joe and Eddie have built a friendship, but Eddie has an almost pathological fear that his daughter will end up with a musician like him and this fear rebounds on Joe, when Mandy’s parent’s find out about the relationship.

Cupid Rocks revolves around the family issues in Mandy and Joe’s life and how they work through their problems to end up strong and together in the happily ever after they deserve.

* * * * *

Here’s the story blurb:

Cupid Rocks

When her parents’ rock band, The Pack, performs at Zach’s bar, Mandy discovers her True Mate, Joe Blackwolf, the band’s lead singer and guitarist. All she has to do now is convince Joe that she told a little white lie to make her mom happy, her father that rock musicians aren’t all alike, and her new mate’s family that rockers aren’t all that different from classical musicians.

Joe Blackwolf is celebrating his 40th birthday. And what he wishes for when he blows out the candles is to find his True Mate. He succeeds when he meets Mandy Goldwolf. Problem is…she belongs to someone else. Finding out the truth leaves him free to explore every inch of her smokin’ hot curves, but now, Joe and Mandy are neck deep in overbearing relatives and everyone is in for a rockin’ Valentine’s Day!

* * * * *

Excerpt:

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

An Excerpt From: Cupid Rocks

Copyright © FRANCESCA HAWLEY, 2013

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

“Am I dead, Angel? Cause you look like you’re straight from heaven!”

“That has to be the worst line I’ve ever heard,” Mandy laughed, looking up into warm brown eyes. She shivered as he settled into the chair beside her.

“Maybe, but it made you laugh.” He took her hand. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Joe waved over a waiter and ordered for them without once releasing her hand. She could feel the rough calluses guitar playing had created on his fingers, but they turned her on. He turned her on.

This was Joe? “Good ole Joe” as Eddie called him. He was neither good nor old. No. He was gorgeous…and talented. Zach wasn’t kidding when he’d said this Blackwolf was a great guitarist and singer. For the first time since Carly bugged her, she wished with all her might she hadn’t lied about Zach being her mate. Zach might be handsome, but Joe made her throb in places that hadn’t throbbed in all of her thirty-five years.

“So what’s with the camera, Angel? Fan or reporter?”

Mandy looked down at her fingers clenched around her camera strap. If she told him who she was, he’d back off so fast she’d see skid marks on the floor. Just this once, she wanted to pretend she was someone else. Just tonight. She leaned forward pressing her lips against his ear.

“I’m more than a fan. I’m a groupie. Can’t you tell?” He shuddered, turning his head he met her gaze. The fire glowing in his eyes set her boiling. Yes. She had to have him. Now.

“A groupie? For just any rock musician?”

“No, Joe. I want you.”

“Fuck, yeah,” he growled, standing so abruptly his chair toppled over. No one nearby noticed as he dragged her to her feet. “Where?”

Mandy looked over toward the hallway leading to Zach’s office and smiled. They had a clear path. She pulled him after her and they ducked into the shadowy space. He pressed her to the wall and took her mouth in a deep kiss. Their mouths meshed together. Joe pulled back to nip at her lips, then ran his tongue along the inside edge of her lower lip. She caught his long dark hair in her fingers, holding his mouth to hers.

Fire. Heat. She’d never felt anything like this in her entire life. She moaned as his mouth slid to nuzzle her neck. Mandy wrapped her free arm around him, clutching his leather jacket. She lifted her right leg along his hip. He stepped into the opening she’d created, thrusting his hips against hers.

She shivered as his rough fingers slid along her leg and under her skirt. He slipped his fingers under her panties and cupped her ass. Grasping her, he pulled her more firmly against his hard cock. He reached up to her peasant top, untying the drawstring to bare her bra covered breast. His hot breath teased her neck and then his warm tongue grazed her skin as he licked his way over her curves

“Hey. Anyone seen Joe?” Mandy and Joe froze as she heard Eddie’s voice. He was close. Too close. She looked out of the entrance of the hall. She didn’t see him, but he was right there. She knew it. Mandy closed her eyes, fighting to keep her panting excitement from giving them away.

“I think I saw him with a hot chick earlier. I didn’t get a good look at her though. Just noticed she was his type.” Tom responded with a laugh.

Joe groaned in her ear, and kissed her cheek. She turned to look up at him. He was still on fire, she could see it but there was a definite question in his dark eyes? Stop or go?

She lowered her leg and he sighed, then she smiled and grabbed his hand. “This way,” she whispered.

Mandy knew there was an empty unlocked office back here and she wanted this wolf and she wanted him now. He chuckled as they moved into the darkness. She found the door on the right and turned the knob. Hearing the click, she pushed, wincing at the creak when the door stuck. He pushed her through and they shut the door behind them. Mandy flipped the light switch, blinking a bit to adjust to the table lamps that came on. She’d been expecting an overhead. They looked at each other and grinned.

Joe pulled her over to the empty desk and she climbed up onto it. He stroked her cheek. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. I don’t want to stop. Not now.”

* * * * *

Released from Ellora’s Cave on February 22, 2013.

* * * * *

Francesca Hawley, author bio

I’m Francesca Hawley and I’m a fat chick. A woman with dangerous curves just like my heroines.

I first began to read romance when I was in my teens. I loved the genre, but the heroines were all thin. Their thighs didn’t rub together…had never rubbed together…and frankly I had trouble relating to these ladies. The stories were great—full of emotion and well told, but the heroines weren’t like me and that was a major disappointment.  I kept wondering where were the fat heroines? I found some occasionally, but to have their Happily Ever After they usually had to lose weight and go from ugly duckling to swan.

Well, I wanted a fat heroine who loved herself—or at least learned to love herself—and a hot alpha hero who liked her jiggly bits just the way they were. Since I didn’t find many big girls to read about, I decided  to write about them myself. After all, I loved to write anyway and had been writing almost as long as I’d been reading, so Francesca Hawley – author of Romance with Dangerous Curves was born.

In a Francesca Hawley romance, my readers will find authentic, sensual, fat heroines who love and are loved by their intense, passionate, and seductive Alpha heroes. I hope you enjoy their dangerous curves just as much as their hunky heroes do.

web site – http://www.francescahawley.com/

blog – http://francescasmindstream.blogspot.com/

facebook – https://www.facebook.com/FrancescaHawley.author

twitter – https://twitter.com/francescahawley

goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/608399.Francesca_Hawley

pinterest – http://pinterest.com/francescahawley/

yahoo group -  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/francescahawley/

I’ve been helping my mom find a new house for the last few weeks, and it’s been an eye-opening experience. Where my mother goes from room to room finding something wrong with every place she looks at, I look around and catalogue what I could live with, what could be fixed, and what is ‘right out’. The funny thing is, both of us have valid points! As a writer, I have to recognize when to go with ‘good enough’ and when not to.

‘Good enough’ is important when I’m getting the first draft of a scene down. The amount of detailed description, the flow of action, the rhythm of the dialogue may not be exactly what I want, but it’s good enough to show character motivations and conflict. There’s enough background information. I know when the scene is finished what needs to happen next. As I am blessed (or cursed) with a detail-oriented brain, it goes against my nature to leave a scene in its rough form, but sometimes I have to just so that I can keep moving forward.

I have learned to appreciate ‘good enough’ in day to day life as well. It’s liberating to look around, say “This is nice!” and not obsess over every aching detail. ‘Good enough’ allows me to prioritize the big picture. The patio set that almost but doesn’t quite match the trim on the house, but it’s on sale? Good enough for me. The small gradation in color won’t keep me up nights and I’d rather have the cash. The dress fits correctly and flatters my figure and coloring? I’ll take it and be on my merry way, instead of going through racks again and again looking for a better price or the absolutely perfect dress. (By the time I hit the dressing room, I’ll have gone through the sale racks already, lol.) I’ll take extra care shopping for my mother of the bride dress, but I know I’ll find something I’ll like. ‘Good enough’ gives me a lot of options.

I don’t look for the perfect anything, to be honest, except for shoes. I have a small foot and it’s hard to find shoes that fit right. Finding cute shoes that fit right is even harder. I can buy them online, but sometimes sizes don’t match up or the color is off. I hate bad shoes because I’ve had to settle for so many pairs of them over the years.

Footwear aside, I learned a few decades ago that ‘perfect’ is my enemy. Perfection belongs to the Divine; us humans aren’t going to measure up. I’ve known a few perfectionists in my time, and all of them were terribly unhappy people. They expected the perfect mate, the perfect body, the perfect job — and doomed themselves because no human or place is ever perfect. No one gets every single thing they want all the time! Perfectionists make everyone around them pretty miserable too, since their friends and family have to listen to their complaints.

This is not to say we shouldn’t try our best! When I revisit those first draft scenes, there are plenty of things to fix. On the second pass, and the third or fourth, the thesaurus and dictionary come out, so I can find the exact words needed. I close my eyes to visualize precisely what I want the reader to see or feel. I pull out research notes to check historical details. Then I show it to my critique partners so they can identify weaknesses I missed. The ability to write is a gift, and readers who pay good money for my work deserve the best I can give. My best writing shows my true voice, for better or worse. It won’t be perfect, but it will be MY best.

And as for Mom? She’s just looking for her best, too. After all, she’ll have to live with her decision for years. Nobody wants a house that makes them cringe every time they walk into it. Where I can make allowances for small issues, she wants to find something affordable, where she’ll feel secure and comfortable, with room for her furniture and pictures and knickknacks. Once she finds the house that is her best option, she’ll stop fussing and settle in. It won’t be perfect, but will be her best choice.

What are the things you can shrug off and say ‘good enough’ to? What do you really need to be as good as humanly possible? What do you love to do your best at?

Remember, all comments that aren’t from Moonlighters go into the drawing for April’s gift card!

BIG Change for Pam Crooks!

Have you read the bestselling motivational book, ‘WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?’?  This little blockbuster gives the reader courage to face change by way of a story so simple a child could understand it.

I could certainly relate.  As an author who cut her eyeteeth on western romance back in the 90’s, I wrote nothing but that time period, and finally in 2000, I sold my first one.  I continued writing western romance until 2010 when my gut–and the market–told me it was time to make a change.

I made a conscious decision to leave the line I was writing for.  People thought I was crazy.  I had a good career going, I had name recognition and a reputation for writing some decent westerns.  Hundreds of writers, maybe thousands, would give their right arm for what I had.  Countless writers had tried to get their foot in the door to my powerhouse-publisher and failed.  Why would I give it up?

Life got in the way, and I went a couple of years without a new book out.  I felt adrift, for sure.  I had friends happily announcing new sales.  I was stuck at a day job with no book deadlines, no covers to anticipate, nothing to update on my website.

During that time, the ebook revolution was in full swing.  I got the rights back to my first four western romances, and I self-published them.  Big change there.  I never thought I’d read on an e-reader, and here I was, selling books for them.  I found myself loving my Kindle more than I ever thought I would.

Fast forward to November, 2012.  I had this romantic suspense I’d written, just sitting on a disc on my desk.  Contemporary.   Nothing like the other books I’d written before.  Was I good enough to pull off a story like that?  Would readers get hooked by the suspense, the action, the romance?

Evidently, they did.  The first two months have brought me more sales than my first four books combined.  HER MOTHER’S KILLER was a big change for me, but thankfully, it’s been a good one.  I’ve pushed through a new wall, enabling me to continue on to write more romantic suspense if I wanted.

But wait.  There was more change in store for me.  I wasn’t idle in the time since my last western romance was released.  I’d been working on a new series so different, so hugely sweeping that I was compelled to take a pseudonym before I introduced it to the world.

THE SPYGLASS PROJECT, by Frankie Astuto (that’s me!) is Book 1 of the Secret Six series and mostly written from the male point-of-view.  It’s not western, and it’s not contemporary, but it’s an historical suspense set in the 1920s.  Mafia, Prohibition, Nazis.  I threw in an ex-military hero brimming with American patriotism.  He’s hurting, and he’s angry, and he wants revenge.  Mostly, he just wants the truth.  And with a little help from a beautiful Italian woman and the mysterious double-agent who betrayed him . . . well, his story needed to be told.

There you have it.  HUGE change for Pam Crooks.  Who is now Frankie Astuto.  But I’m exhilarated by the change in my career.  I’m thrilled someone moved my cheese to a new place far more exciting.  It’s going to be a good thing.

The Spyglass Project on Amazon.

www.pamcrooks.com

www.frankieastuto.com

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Spyglass Project

by Frankie Astuto

Giveaway ends January 20, 2013.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

“>

Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon. Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Vogler’s Writer’s Journey. Three act structure. Getting to the Midpoint and finding the Black Moment. Swain. Egri. Maas. The Chicago Manual of Style.

There are a plethora of truly excellent books and blogs for writers, on every aspect of the craft: How to free your muse. Plotting and character development. Or alternatively, how to pants better if that’s how you work. Everywhere you look, someone is offering a workshop to attend, either in person or online. I’ve signed up for a plotting workshop offered by my local Romance Writers of America chapter next January, in fact. And I keep an eye on the offerings at RWA University to see if there’s anything coming up that I can use. But at the end of the day – or at the beginning, or whenever you schedule your writing time, you have to stop reading and plotting and worrying if you have a good balance of internal and external conflict in this scene. Because none of what you learn will help you unless you write the words.

Real life has been busy, mostly in a good way, so far this year. One daughter settling into college, the other picking her wedding date… the nest may be empty, but it ain’t dull! It’s also been entirely re-carpeted and had major surgery on the trees in the front and back yards. (My advice on getting your whole house re-carpeted: Don’t. Even if you pay the installers to move your furniture, like we did, you still have to schlep most of your possessions into the basement. And then bring them back up again. Get one floor done at a time – less stuff to carry at one time. Your knees will thank you.) And I’ve had some good opportunities come my way that I didn’t expect for leading discussions and picking up income.

With all that going on, blogs and social media went on the back burner. Writing did not. I’m not a fast writer, so it’s imperative that I keep at it and produce pages. Setbacks, emergencies and opportunities alike can all distract us from focusing on what we want to accomplish. I love a good book, blog post or workshop that revs my writing engine, but that’s not enough.

If I don’t keep squeezing the words out, and focus instead on the how-to books, self-publishing blogs and workshops, I’ll be wasting my time and money. Whether it’s losing weight, remodeling, or writing, we all want to find a magic bullet to shorten the process. Unfortunately, those don’t exist. More exercise and fewer calories. Writing a first draft, then fixing it. Those are basics nobody can escape. Writing is like any other skill — you won’t get better unless you actually do it.

So are you moving forward toward your goals – whatever they may be – or feeling a bit stuck in the mud? What new things have you learned how to do (or gone back to after a long hiatus)?

Hi ABM fans! Can you believe it’s August already? I’m trading days with Patricia for those who may have been expecting her Wednesday, or go looking for me on/Friday. Hubby and I are going out of town Friday to Sunday to see our oldest daughter and her family since their move to Aurora, CO a month ago. While we’re there a young woman my girls grew up with is getting married (that’s actually the catapult for us going this particular weekend) and she really wants us there. We are her second parents.

I’ve been trying to figure out what the Sam Hill to blog about and have been coming up blank. But then I remembered something huge that happened this month two years ago that actually has something to do with now, and my upcoming release with Lyrical Press, Inc.

So, I thought I’d just share a little story about my contemporary book-in-edits.

It was July 30, 2010, when my critique group “leader,” and fellow new author- her debut book comes out later this year or next with Entangled Publishing- challenged our little group. Mills and Boon had decided to do what they called a Fast Track Initiative. Send in however much you have of a manuscript by August 24^th, 2010, and they guaranteed a response by the end of that month. I accepted, as did several other members of our group.

I had other projects going, but none fit the Medical line taking submissions. I wailed, whined and pulled my hair after accepting Melinda’s challenge. Why? Heck, I don’t write medical! It literally took me a hours just to think up a theme for a story. Seriously. What could someone who knows nothing about medicine possibly write that would be convincing to M&B Medical that I knew what the heck I was writing about?

I asked myself- and hubby- what do I know that could fall into the medical field? Then it hit me. I know enough about animals to pass the test. A veterinarian. Ok, and let’s make hero an EMT, but not just any EMT- nooo, I decided he flies in a helicopter, a Mediflight paramedic. Yeah, I know exactly…nothing about that! It took me to Aug. 16th to scrape out one chapter I titled “Perfect Dr. Viv,” but I polished and sent the chapter to M&B on August 17^th.  One week before their deadline. The craziness began when an editor loved my chapter! I really hadn’t planned to need to write the whole book, so I didn’t write any more…at first…

Over the next three and a half months I ended up writing and submitting first  one, then three chapters, and then the full.

I edited and then rushed my critique group through it and emailed the whole thing to the editor on Dec. 18^th. Yes I forgot about it a third time. What editor gets back to us on a full in less than six months?

On Jan. 24, 2011 I got another email from her…

Editor-lady hoped I’d be open to revisions and to resubmit. Otherwise known as an R&R.

I did not jump right in this time like all the others and say yes. If you have received one of these, or do in the future, you shouldn’t either. Let that request sit a solid day or more and then really read it, every detail of it, and then give serious consideration before you agree.

My revision request came with five- count them, 5- pages of well-thought out revision suggestions. I gave it a week in which I read her revisions over and over, talked to the group and other writers, looked areas up in the ms she specifically pointed to, read the email in full again. Then I finally decided I would try.

Jump forward through the next seven+ months, throughout which time I sent revised chapters back and forth with editor-lady.

I chose this long-winded post today for one main reason. Here it is:

When edits change the basic fabric of YOUR story, YOUR characters, to the point you, THE AUTHOR don’t know who they are- there’s something wrong. It’s wrong because it’s not your story anymore. It’s not the creation, the birth child of months of sweat and tears and determination from you. It’s become something else.

That’s what happened to me. The closer editor-lady thought I was getting to what M&B Medical wanted- and closer to a possible contract- the less I began to understand my characters. The less I knew where the story was going and the less I wanted to look at the story. At all. It wasn’t just that I was sick of these two, as any author can relate. I didn’t know them or their story and that made it impossible for me to write their new story as it unfolded- because I didn’t have a clue where it was going. I got to a point I couldn’t force myself to open the document.

It wasn’t my story any longer.

On Sept. 4, 2011 I emailed editor-lady and informed her that, though I loved working with her, I no longer felt M&B was the best placement for my book. I withdrew my manuscript from HQN/M&B. That was a difficult decision. To tell a HQN editor thanks, but no…

Good news- Always deal in a professional manner with editors, no matter how you might feel. Separate yourself from the issue and be upfront and sincere. Why? Here’s part of her final email conversations to me that week a year ago:

I’ll also be sad to see the back of Viv and Conner – there was such a lovely bond between them! – but best of luck with your future writing.

As I do think you have a wonderfully fresh, sparky voice, if you decide you are interested in submitting to M&B again, then don’t hesitate to email me directly.

With best wishes

Be professional and good things come. When I pulled that book from her, I was certain I’d signed my fate with M&B. I mean- who does that?! I was as happy to get this last email as I was that very first chapter request. She also suggested which lines I might sub to when I informed her it wouldn’t be Medical again. J

Great news: In May, 2012 I sold that same book to Lyrical Press, Inc. My lovely editor and I are moving forward in the edits for a tentative March 2013 release. MY story. The one I wrote two years ago- as I wrote it. My editor and I had fun coming up with the new title, Risk Factors, and it suits, and I’m happy with everything about the process this time.

I gave it a shot with M&B, after careful consideration, and I allowed the story to take a path I wasn’t happy with in the end. My bad. But I also knew when to call it a day. It’s MY book. My baby. Mine. If I, or you, don’t stay strong in this business it can make for not so pleasant experiences. I learned my lesson and I’m happy it turned out the way it did. Will you be able to say the same for the sake of a coveted publishing experience? I hope so. But keep in mind that not every publisher and book may be suited for each other.

Thank you for letting me make your eyes bleed today with a longer than normal (for me) post. I hope my path helps someone else. Have a happy August, and thank you for visiting Authors By Moonlight! I hope you have time through the month to see what the other girls have planned to entertain you with.

Hello!

I was so very ready for a new month when May popped it’s lovely head through. April be gone! No real tornadoes to speak of, though my hubs did get cornered at Walmart when one touched down in the large town nearest us (Norman) and within a mile of where he’d stopped to shop. No injuries, no deaths and some, but not much severe damage to buildings over all.

The storms that touched my life were within, and within my family circle. My seven-year old granddaughter broke both bones midway in her left arm falling off a gate she never should have been on. Kids… My older-by-2-years sister went into the hospital and has been diagnosed with severe vertigo due to inner ear nerve damage sustained as a baby.

Then if that wasn’t enough, we had to have my youngest daughter’s 12 yo dog aided over the Rainbow Bridge.

We bottle fed Dottie, and her litter of five, from the time they were three weeks old, loved her, miss her.

But there was happy events that month to celebrate. Said 7 yo granddaughter reminded me she turned 7 on April 3^rd. My only niece (or nephew for that matter on my side as opposed to hubs’s) announced she’s pregnant with their first baby! Due in December which is also my birth month. *picture me grinning very big here*

But with all the negatives last month I fell into a funk with writing. Understandable? Perhaps. It also made me completely overlook my regular post date here at ABM. So I thought I’d embrace the negatives and evaluate how I might bring myself out of the funk.

To begin with my publisher had a big series launch party on the wild rose press general loop. You can join here.

I contacted some editors who had partials I’d submitted previously and have not heard from in a long while.

One email followup resulted in a request for the full MS, and if that doesn’t cheer me up then I must be dead!

On the other hand, the second followup resulted in feedback contained in a rejection. I more or less expected that after no word for twenty-two months but-again- if that didn’t bother me, then I must be dead!

But either way- these responses show me that I’m still working, writing, submitting, trying. And that’s what gets me through my funks. Work. While I may not be able to put new words down during what I call my moping period, I’m still keeping my mind active on the craft.

What good is that you ask? Well, for me, it keeps me thinking about the writing and not as much on the dismal points. I am able to draw myself back into my writing easier because my characters continually speak…and I’ve been listening, even if it was with one ear. The result? I was able to finish necessary edits on the MS and then send it to Lyrical Press per the editor’s request. I have something out there again.

I was also able to add a few words to the cowboy short I’m targeting toward WRP and their newly launched Honky Tonk Hearts series which you can get here. Keep in mind that, while there are just two available currently, more will release each month. Two per month I believe.

So that’s my game plan. Leap into the new month to bloom like the Day Lilies in my flowerbeds. Kick April out with new projects in publisher-land and finish this dang cowboy’s story so I can submit it soon. Mostly I’ll look ahead and not back.

I’ll be back next month, or Friday, June 1 with my regular scheduled post!

Lyrical offered me a contract for the requested full over the weekend! I’m multi-published!!!

I was recently asked if I would speak at a local high school for a career day coming up next month.  Since I have a niece and nephew who go there, and I love to talk about writing, I accepted. I was told that my three, twenty minute talks should strongly encourage students to go to college—explain what classes would be beneficial to one who is pursuing a writing career, that sort of thing.

So, as I’ve been thinking about what awe inspiring words I’m going to share that day, I began to fall back on the basic, universal elements I believe are crucial to achieving the success you envision for yourself in writing, or whatever career you choose. So, if you aren’t interested in writing, that’s okay, substitute and please read on.

To me, pursuing a career goes deeper than just taking the right college classes. Sure, I’m a big supporter of college. In today’s world I believe a college education is a must. But I also believe there are a few other prerequisites you need in order to select your path, whether as a writer, doctor, professional bull rider, a small business owner, a scientist, or a concert pianist, etc. We all need these basic elements to land us on square one and move us forward.

They are:

Desire

You’ve got to “want” to write. You’ve got to “want” to study medicine. You’ve got to “want” to play the piano. If you don’t, you probably won’t be very successful, and in the meantime will live a life in hell because you’re so miserable doing it. Don’t do that to yourself. Life is too short.  Choosing the right career is about what you want, not what others want for you, or what you feel is expected of you by family and friends. And it’s not just about where you can make the big bucks. Remember, money isn’t’ everything. Yes, it helps in many ways, but it’s not everything. Choosing the right career is about you being happy, living a fulfilling life, and paying it forward.

Discipline

Okay, no bones about it. You’re going to have to work your butt off. Regardless of what you’re doing, you’re going to have to put in long hours, work or study when you’d rather be veg’ing on the couch, slumming with your buddies, or sleeping. This is one concept I struggle with on a daily basis. I work from home, I’m my own boss. I’m accountable to no one but me. Therefore, all the work, whether on the creative or business side, all the pressure, all the responsibilities that come along with my career, fall on me to get the job done. If I don’t sit down at the computer to write, the words don’t get written, the book doesn’t get finished—which means there’s no book to sell—and I don’t get a paycheck.

Determination

I’m not going to sugar coat it for you. There will be days when you don’t feel like doing the job. There will be times when people try to knock you down. There will be days when you receive yet another rejection slip that you, with a mixture of frustration and anger, add to that dreaded file which is growing at a faster rate than The Blob of movie fame. But so what! Shrug it all off. Your determination to be a success will get you through. It bears repeating—if you’re determined to make it in your chosen profession you will succeed regardless of the hard knocks and setbacks you face. That success might not come over night, in fact it might take years, but if you welcome patience into your home to work alongside your determination, it’ll prove to be one of the best friends you ever have.

Faith

In spite of all the setbacks, adversity, and times you question your chosen path, you must keep the faith in yourself. Be your own biggest cheerleader. You can do this. You are talented. You are knowledgeable. You are a hard worker. And remember, you have the three D’s in your corner. You have the Desire, the Discipline and Determination to make this work. And Patience is your friend. Treat it well, keep site of those three D’s that got you here in the first place and Faith will sustain you!

As a treat to readers, I’m offering WOMAN IN CHARGE free today only on Amazon. Happy reading, and good luck with your chosen career!

Sherry James

IN THE SPIRIT OF GIFTS AND GIVING…

I am in labor with a new book. You know what that’s like. Seems as if the idea that was brilliant at midnight loses all its shine in the cold light of a winter morning. As I was struggling with the WIP, I was struck by the ‘bad elf’ gifts a romance writer might receive on Christmas Morning. So for all my fellow sufferers I give you. . . . .

The Twelve Days of Christmas

(for romance writers)

On the first day of Christmas my muse gave to me A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the second day of Christmas my muse gave to me Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the third day of Christmas my muse gave to me Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the fourth day of Christmas my muse gave to me Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the fifth day of Christmas my muse gave to me FIVE COWBOY HEROES WEARING STETSONS AND SPEEDOS! Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the sixth day of Christmas my muse gave to me Six long lost heiresses, FIVE COWBOY HEROES WEARING STETSONS AND SPEEDOS! Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the seventh day of Christmas my muse gave to me Seven secret babies, Six long lost heiresses, FIVE COWBOY HEROES WEARING STETSONS AND SPEEDOS! Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the eighth day of Christmas my muse gave to me Eight seafaring pirates, Seven secret babies, Six long lost heiresses, FIVE COWBOY HEROES WEARING STETSONS AND SPEEDOS! Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the ninth day of Christmas my muse gave to me Nine kidnapped brides, Eight seafaring pirates, Seven secret babies, Six long lost heiresses, FIVE COWBOY HEROES WEARING STETSONS AND SPEEDOS! Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the tenth day of Christmas my muse gave to me Ten conniving courtesans, Nine kidnapped brides, Eight seafaring pirates, Seven secret babies, Six long lost heiresses, FIVE COWBOY HEROES WEARING STETSONS AND SPEEDOS! Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my muse gave to me Eleven evil uncles, Ten conniving courtesans, Nine kidnapped brides, Eight seafaring pirates, Seven secret babies, Six long lost heiresses, FIVE COWBOY HEROES WEARING STETSONS AND SPEEDOS! Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my muse gave to me Twelve torturous re-writes, Eleven evil uncles, Ten conniving courtesans, Nine kidnapped brides, Eight seafaring pirates, Seven secret babies, Six long lost heiresses, FIVE COWBOY HEROES WEARING STETSONS AND SPEEDOS! Four shifting points of view, Three diverging plot lines, Two cardboard characters, And A writer’s block as thick as Santa’s list.

Fleeta Cunningham

Don’t Call Me Darlin’
Black Rain Rising
Elopement for One
Half Past Mourning (coming Feb. 2012)