Make your own Countdown Clocks
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Clare Austin - Another day…another blog.
Thank you for having me here today. I’ve got to admit this has been an overwhelming last two weeks. My novel Butterfly is now available. I knew this was coming but somehow it always loomed from far in the future.
I contracted Butterfly in March of 2008. That now feels like a very long time ago. But the year has sped by. I’ve since sold two other books…Angel’s Share, due to release March 2010 and Hot Flash, no release date yet.
As I think about it, the path to publication all moved at a very rapid pace for me…if I don’t count the decades when my stories waited, in my imagination, for me to sit down at put them to paper. (In my case “paper” is always virtual…I have never written more than notes and ideas on actual paper.)
Four year ago I decided I really could write a novel I bought myself a laptop, sat down, put the foot rest up on the recliner in my bedroom and started to write. I wrote for a month and came out with a book…from beginning to end about four hundred pages. It really did have a plot, a beginning, middle and an incredibly cheesy end.
Then I panicked. Was this my only story? So, I wrote three more that year. Butterfly was number four. The difference with Butterfly was that I wrote for a specific market…romance. I played by the rules. I had a definite goal—to be published. Still, Butterfly is unique, my voice, my style, my imagination. Notice I said I wrote to a goal, not a formula. If anyone tries to tell you they have a formula and if you just follow the simple rules and fill in the blanks you will have a novel…thank them but don’t write a check for their workshop. If writing were that easy everyone would be published. If your story doesn’t beg to be told, hammer on the insides of your cranium until you let it out, haunt you until you are talking to your characters out loud in public (well, this might not happen to all of us…I might just be a little crazy.) then, it won’t keep your reader up at night either.
One of the questions I am often asked by unpublished writers is something like…isn’t it a terrible feeling to have an editor tell you to change, cut or delete a scene in your book…your baby? My simple answer is “no.”
I’ll tell you why. The business of publishing is just that…a business. You may be the next James Joyce, but an agent or editor doesn’t care unless he or she can sell your work and make a profit. That, dreamers out there, is the bottom line. This fact does not have to stop you from being a great writer, a creative writer.
If you really want to be published: write the best you can, finish what you start, know your market and write to that market and, most important, do it because it is your heart’s desire.
Thank you for having me on your blog today.
Clare Austin
I contracted Butterfly in March of 2008. That now feels like a very long time ago. But the year has sped by. I’ve since sold two other books…Angel’s Share, due to release March 2010 and Hot Flash, no release date yet.
As I think about it, the path to publication all moved at a very rapid pace for me…if I don’t count the decades when my stories waited, in my imagination, for me to sit down at put them to paper. (In my case “paper” is always virtual…I have never written more than notes and ideas on actual paper.)
Four year ago I decided I really could write a novel I bought myself a laptop, sat down, put the foot rest up on the recliner in my bedroom and started to write. I wrote for a month and came out with a book…from beginning to end about four hundred pages. It really did have a plot, a beginning, middle and an incredibly cheesy end.
Then I panicked. Was this my only story? So, I wrote three more that year. Butterfly was number four. The difference with Butterfly was that I wrote for a specific market…romance. I played by the rules. I had a definite goal—to be published. Still, Butterfly is unique, my voice, my style, my imagination. Notice I said I wrote to a goal, not a formula. If anyone tries to tell you they have a formula and if you just follow the simple rules and fill in the blanks you will have a novel…thank them but don’t write a check for their workshop. If writing were that easy everyone would be published. If your story doesn’t beg to be told, hammer on the insides of your cranium until you let it out, haunt you until you are talking to your characters out loud in public (well, this might not happen to all of us…I might just be a little crazy.) then, it won’t keep your reader up at night either.
One of the questions I am often asked by unpublished writers is something like…isn’t it a terrible feeling to have an editor tell you to change, cut or delete a scene in your book…your baby? My simple answer is “no.”
I’ll tell you why. The business of publishing is just that…a business. You may be the next James Joyce, but an agent or editor doesn’t care unless he or she can sell your work and make a profit. That, dreamers out there, is the bottom line. This fact does not have to stop you from being a great writer, a creative writer.
If you really want to be published: write the best you can, finish what you start, know your market and write to that market and, most important, do it because it is your heart’s desire.
Thank you for having me on your blog today.
Clare Austin
Please join me in welcoming Clare Austin...
Please join me in welcoming author Clare Austin to my blog.
Today, Clare will be discussing her latest release, Butterfly, available this month at The Wild Rose Press, as well talking about what it's like to be a writer. So thanks for stopping by and sit back and enjoy the day.
A blurb about Butterfly:
Flannery Sloane is a free spirited bohemian with a soul blessed by Irish musical tradition. She doesn’t give a care for where she’s going or how she’ll get there. Joy and passion are her only map. And, though she’s not interested in falling in love, she wouldn’t mind a little fun with a fine looking man. Hunter Kincade looks like he could fill that bill and have a bit of change left over.
Flannery never wears a watch. She’s late for everything but the downbeat of a fiddle tune. She’s happy serving pints in the pub and playing for tips and smiles. Hunter thrives on punctuality. He is in the music business with his focus on the bottom line. The pretty fiddle player with the bright green eyes would make his next production worth the price of a CD.
Their only common ground is the belief that falling in love is a danger to health and sanity.
Will it take more than Irish magic to pull a man like Hunter into the spell of a woman like Flannery? They are all wrong for each other...and they are so right.
Excerpt from Butterfly:
He lost sight of the fiddler in the mobs of tourists enjoying the April sunshine.
No sooner had he decided to give up on his quest than he heard hands clapping in rhythm with the beat of the now familiar Irish drum.
Then he saw her.
She lifted her instrument and, with the surety of a bird’s wing slipping through the air, bow was laid to strings and life was breathed into melody.
He moved to the edge of the gathering where he could have an unobstructed view of the musicians. She looked up, and he thought she recognized him for an instant. Then her eyes turned and followed another. She smiled and nodded.
Cade had never thought of himself as the jealous type, but he did feel cheated out of that smile.
As soon as the last vibration of strings quieted, a man Cade recognized from O’Fallon’s came up behind the fiddler and, with disturbing familiarity, spoke in her ear. She responded with a hug and an adoring look in her eyes.
Cade had been raised to be competitive, in sports as well as in business, and the appearance of a rival on the field made him want to draw blood. He wanted the fiddler in his studio, and if she ended up in his bed, that might be as nice.
He stood and listened until the sun set and the air held a chill that thinned the throng. The musicians were packing it in.
He hadn’t realized he was staring, until she walked up to him and stood so
close he could smell the scent of her warm skin in the cool evening air. Her approach to introduction took Cade completely by surprise.
“Are you lookin’ at me or waitin’ for a bus?” she said, one hand on her hip and a sassy smile on her lips.
No sooner had he decided to give up on his quest than he heard hands clapping in rhythm with the beat of the now familiar Irish drum.
Then he saw her.
She lifted her instrument and, with the surety of a bird’s wing slipping through the air, bow was laid to strings and life was breathed into melody.
He moved to the edge of the gathering where he could have an unobstructed view of the musicians. She looked up, and he thought she recognized him for an instant. Then her eyes turned and followed another. She smiled and nodded.
Cade had never thought of himself as the jealous type, but he did feel cheated out of that smile.
As soon as the last vibration of strings quieted, a man Cade recognized from O’Fallon’s came up behind the fiddler and, with disturbing familiarity, spoke in her ear. She responded with a hug and an adoring look in her eyes.
Cade had been raised to be competitive, in sports as well as in business, and the appearance of a rival on the field made him want to draw blood. He wanted the fiddler in his studio, and if she ended up in his bed, that might be as nice.
He stood and listened until the sun set and the air held a chill that thinned the throng. The musicians were packing it in.
He hadn’t realized he was staring, until she walked up to him and stood so
close he could smell the scent of her warm skin in the cool evening air. Her approach to introduction took Cade completely by surprise.
“Are you lookin’ at me or waitin’ for a bus?” she said, one hand on her hip and a sassy smile on her lips.
Friday, August 07, 2009
I'll Be Blogging at Coffee Time Romance.com's Coffee Thoughts all day on August 12th
Please join in over at Coffee Time Romance Coffee Thoughts on August 12, where I'll be guest blogging all day. I will be talking about my current Linden Bay Romance release, Worth Staying For as well as my upcoming releases of A Night To Remember -- Coming August 15 to Whiskey Creek Press and Root Of All Evil -- Coming October 1st to Cerridwen Press.
Hope to see you over there!
Mary Eason
www.maryeason.com
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Interview with author Christine Clemetson
1. Christine can you tell us a little about your latest release, A Daughter of Promise?
Hi Mary! Thanks so much for having me here today. A Daughter’s Promise came out in print from The Wild Rose Press. It’s a novel of an American soldier during WWII Italy and a local woman who risks capture to save him. The story focuses on two people facing the impossible, and learning how to re-capture love and hope, despite the obstacles. If you’re in the mood for a sweeping love story set against the backdrop of a nostalgic part of our history, I think you'll love the journey of Serene and Miles.
2. How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing my whole life. I’ve had characters and plot ideas in my head for as long as I can remember. I think it was around the 3rd grade that I started actually writing stories down. Once I went to college, I formed my stories into books and started submitting for publication.
3. What is a typical day like for you? How do you manage family and career?
I learned to juggle writing, a family, a house, and a pet crayfish! I have a day job for 3 days a week, so on those days I write at night. The other days I can put in 6 – 8 hours. I grab any other time I can to write, even if its in a doctor’s waiting room.
4. What is your writing process? Do you work on more than one project at a time?
I used to work on one project at a time, but since my first book came out, I’ve learned to work on several projects at once. At the final review of one manuscript, I’m in the middle of plotting the next. Trying to keep it all straight can me a challenge at times, but being organized helps.
5. What do you think of promotion, and how much do you do? What are your favorite types of promotion?
At first I was a little apprehensive about promotion. I had no idea where to start! So I started a blog and website first and grew from there. Recently, I was part of the Wild Rose Press’ Stop and Smell the Roses Blog Event. It’s a fun way to support other writers! Also, I’ve done book signings and talks at my local library, as well as donate my books for contest prizes. If I had to pick my favorite type of promotion, I think it would be book signings. I really enjoy talking to readers and getting feedback!
6.Where do you see your writing career in the next few years?
My goal is to pursue a career in historical romance and romantic suspense. I love writing both, so I decided to try a dual-writing approach. In the next two years, I’d like to have another historical published, as well as a contemporary suspense Keep your fingers crossed!
7.What are you currently working on?
Currently, I’m marketing a romantic suspense, as well as writing a historical set in WII.
8.What are you reading?
On my nightstand is Nicholas Sparks’ The Lucky One and M. Flagg’s Retribution. Both are great reads!
9. What is the best piece of advice concerning writing that you’ve ever received?
Give your hero and heroine a conflict where you can’t possibly ever, ever imagine them getting together. Then figure out how to get them together!
Thanks so much for granting us this interview!
Thanks so much Mary for having me. I enjoyed your interview!
Hi Mary! Thanks so much for having me here today. A Daughter’s Promise came out in print from The Wild Rose Press. It’s a novel of an American soldier during WWII Italy and a local woman who risks capture to save him. The story focuses on two people facing the impossible, and learning how to re-capture love and hope, despite the obstacles. If you’re in the mood for a sweeping love story set against the backdrop of a nostalgic part of our history, I think you'll love the journey of Serene and Miles.
2. How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing my whole life. I’ve had characters and plot ideas in my head for as long as I can remember. I think it was around the 3rd grade that I started actually writing stories down. Once I went to college, I formed my stories into books and started submitting for publication.
3. What is a typical day like for you? How do you manage family and career?
I learned to juggle writing, a family, a house, and a pet crayfish! I have a day job for 3 days a week, so on those days I write at night. The other days I can put in 6 – 8 hours. I grab any other time I can to write, even if its in a doctor’s waiting room.
4. What is your writing process? Do you work on more than one project at a time?
I used to work on one project at a time, but since my first book came out, I’ve learned to work on several projects at once. At the final review of one manuscript, I’m in the middle of plotting the next. Trying to keep it all straight can me a challenge at times, but being organized helps.
5. What do you think of promotion, and how much do you do? What are your favorite types of promotion?
At first I was a little apprehensive about promotion. I had no idea where to start! So I started a blog and website first and grew from there. Recently, I was part of the Wild Rose Press’ Stop and Smell the Roses Blog Event. It’s a fun way to support other writers! Also, I’ve done book signings and talks at my local library, as well as donate my books for contest prizes. If I had to pick my favorite type of promotion, I think it would be book signings. I really enjoy talking to readers and getting feedback!
6.Where do you see your writing career in the next few years?
My goal is to pursue a career in historical romance and romantic suspense. I love writing both, so I decided to try a dual-writing approach. In the next two years, I’d like to have another historical published, as well as a contemporary suspense Keep your fingers crossed!
7.What are you currently working on?
Currently, I’m marketing a romantic suspense, as well as writing a historical set in WII.
8.What are you reading?
On my nightstand is Nicholas Sparks’ The Lucky One and M. Flagg’s Retribution. Both are great reads!
9. What is the best piece of advice concerning writing that you’ve ever received?
Give your hero and heroine a conflict where you can’t possibly ever, ever imagine them getting together. Then figure out how to get them together!
Thanks so much for granting us this interview!
Thanks so much Mary for having me. I enjoyed your interview!
Excerpt from A Daughter's Promise
Christine Clemetson – A Daughter’s Promise
Blurb
A Daughter’s Promise, by debut novelist Christine Clemetson, is a sweeping love story of sacrifice and unexpected hope. In war torn Italy, 1944, Serene Moneto made a promise to her dying mother—a promise so haunting that it directs the course of her life. When she chooses to save an American soldier from death, she risks everything—her name, her life, and capture by the Germans. Finding forbidden love with this soldier tears her world apart. Against the backdrop of a war raging right outside her door, can she choose happiness? Despite the promise she made those years ago?
See the trailer at http://www.christineclemetson.com/trailers.html
Excerpt
They both knew Serene’s turn had come. She took in a deep breath and touched his arms in a stiff embrace. She hugged him the way she had rehearsed in her head over and over, the way a mother would hug her son going off to war.
“I don’t care who sees,” he said gruffly, pulling her closer. He pushed her chin up with his
fingertips, and bent his head to kiss her.
She took his lips, his body, all of him, into her heart for the last time. Feeling the rapid beating in his chest, she fought the urge to mold her most intimate part against his.
When their lips parted, his warm breath on her neck made her body shiver. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face into his jacket. “I’m not ashamed about
what I said to you last night or what happened between us.” Her voice cracked. “It’s a sin, I know, but it was the most beautiful—”
“Ashamed? I don’t think I’ll ever have that kind of love again.”
Trembling, she stood back a little, clinging to her emotions with the delicacy of a spider web. “But you were right. We made the most logical decision.”
“Jesus, Serry. I want to tell you so bad that I—”
“You’re all set, then?” Sam said, coming back into the house.
Serene let go of Miles, letting her one finger intertwine with one of his pinky fingers. She couldn’t let him go.
Slowly, he released her and went to the door, putting one foot on the outside pavement before hesitating and turning back. His eyes were red, and she clutched the stair banister to keep from running to him. How much she loved him would be a secret
she’d take to the grave.
Carrying a bottle of whiskey, Marcus passed him at the door and gave him a friendly slap on the back. “I came to give you a goodbye, Coulson.”
Serene stood up straight and froze.
Miles jerked himself away. “Change of heart about me?”
His answer was Marcus’ deep kiss on Serene’s cheek and an arm around her waist. “I realized, Coulson, that I’m proud of her for taking the responsibility for you. I thought it was about time that I offered my apologies for the undiplomatic way I acted. We’re all in this for a cause, no? Why don’t we share a bottle to celebrate?”
“No, your change of heart doesn’t rub me the right way.” Miles offered an apologetic glance to Serene and then shifted his gaze back to Marcus. “You hurt her, and I’ll hurt you. You understand me?”
“Have a safe trip,” Marcus drawled.
Serene watched the driver help him in and her knees weakened. As the truck’s engine started, she braced herself against the wall.
“Don’t worry. Serene. Just think of this as a wedding present from me. No more worries about your American. He is well now and gone for good. Your only thanks is to marry me.”
She couldn’t hear him. Her throat ached and she made no effort to wipe the tears spilling freely from her eyes. She started for the door, but he grabbed her by the shoulders.
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