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Once upon a story… never gets easier and why I’d rather be cleaning the bathroom by Jina Bacarr

January 11, 2025 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as Jina's book chat, romance', writing, writing historicals, writing tips

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We live in a world of instant communication. Instant oatmeal… instant noodle cups and instant coffee. Pods, anyone? (God help me, I refuse to succumb to the latter.)

But there’s no such thing as instant book writing. Instant brilliant idea, yes. A wonderful story can come to you in a flash, but writing the dang thing can be pure terror.

It never, I repeat, never goes according to plan and it’s times like that I’d rather clean the bathroom. Your characters complain about everything. Their age, weight, hair color (blond, anyone?). And if you write historicals, you can’t change dates because your heroine wants you to, new characters pop up and you can’t get rid of them, and oh, getting everyone’s names, you feel like the old woman in the shoe naming her brood. Characters complain about that, too.

So, why do we do it? I’m on a merry go round with my latest Paris WW2 novel. Finding the focus, etc. I’ve wanted to get off several times but something keeps me hanging on.

What is it? Not sticky glue.

No, because this is a story that must be told. A brave circus queen who rescued children from the Nazis while flying fifty feet up on the trapeze in Occupied Europe. I know where I’m going, finally, but getting there is hell. That’s where craft comes in.

So here are my 6 Helpful Tips for Historical Writers:

1 — Take a break. Read a book that’s NOT for research. Your brain will love you.

2 — Call a friend. Writer-friendly. Someone who ‘gets it’ when you lament your hero ‘won’t open up and tell you his secrets.’

3 — Butt in chair and write ANYTHING that comes into your head related to your story. Some of mty best stuff comes from that. Don’t be afriad it will sound dumb. It’s called ‘editing’ to get the best stuff out of it.

5 — Meditate with your heroine — go into deep pov with her, who she is, what she wants more than anything, what she swears she’ll never do and then make her do it.

6 — Be flexible. Are you writing in the right time for your story? Are you trying to cover too much time in your story? History is fascinating but figure out the core of your story. You may have to adjust the year or era. Yes, it’s a pain, but you’ll be happier without the pressure of trying to make the shoe ‘fit’ when it never will.

It’s taken me a while, but yes, I feel good about my story. I shall leave cleaning the bathroom to next week… the week after maybe? Back to writing… with a smile on my face and the toilet brush back in its proper holder.

And oh, I bought fresh coffee for tonight’s writing session. Real coffee. Gelson’s Columbian brew I got on sale. Now that’s what I call ‘heavenly’ inspiration.

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My latest 2 book series about PARIS WW2:

2 sisters at war with the Nazis… and each other https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/sisters-at-war-2

from BoldwoodBooks

In my story Justine is the victim of sexual assault by the SS. ‘Sisters at War’ explores wartime sexual assault and how it affects the lives of Justine and Eve Beaufort in Wartime Paris.

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I drew on my own experiences when I started a series of historical novels set in Wartime Paris about the brave women who fought in the French Resistance.

An actress, a parfumier, a Philly debutante and my 2-book Wartime Paris Sisters series SISTERS AT WAR and SISTERS OF THE RESISTANCE.

Sisters At War:

US https://a.co/d/eZ25gZb

UK https://amzn.eu/d/0LEWy2z

Who are the Beaufort Sisters?

They’re beautiful

They’re smart

They’re dangerous

They’re at war with the Nazis… and each other.

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Consistency

January 10, 2025 by Tari Jewett in category Writing

So, a few years back, a friend shared that instead of New Year’s resolutions, they picked a ‘word of the year’. I loved this idea, and decided to use it myself. I’d always made resolutions, and generally, before the end of January, they’d fallen apart, and I felt defeated. I’ve chosen words like, Focus, Fearless, and Letting Go. I know that last one is really two words, but it worked for me…okay, that might have been the least successful word. I’m not good at letting go, just ask my kids.

I find that these words become my mantra through-out the year, keeping me on track and pushing me along.

Since I started selecting a word for the year, I’ve published 6 books, lost over 100 lbs., and made other important changes in my life. Does a word have that much power? Or am I frustrated with not accomplishing things? Who knows.

Sometimes I know what the next word will be months ahead, others, not until the last minute, but I know it will appear in time.

For 2025 my word is CONSISTENCY.

Yes, and though I’m posting this blog later than planned, I’m posting it, and I will be posting consistently all year, and hopefully each year after.

A lot of the things I want to be more consistent with are writing related. I’m no longer watching my grandson, but I’d drop all of this to have him full time, or even part time. That’s not likely to happen. Paul retired, and we’re ‘mostly’ settled in our new home. I’m not sure we’ll ever actually be settled. And, I’ve pretty much got my healthy habits dialed in. In case you haven’t noticed, I also ‘consistently’ write run-on sentences. It’s also the way I talk. Anyway, finally, time to get back to my writing.

I’ll be here each month. I’ll be putting out newsletters, interacting in my Facebook groups, and most importantly writing, writing, writing and continuing to learn.

So, what I want to know, is do you make resolutions? Do you choose a word of the year? Have you given up on all of it? Or do you have another way of refreshing for the New Year? And I promise to come back consistently to find out.

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How I turned Scrooge into a Sexy Hunk in ‘A Naughty Christmas Carol’ by Jina Bacarr

December 11, 2024 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as Christmas, Christmas eve, holiday, novella, Scrooge

I’ve always loved the Dickens’ holiday classic about Scrooge and his scratchy quill pen. But what if Scrooge worked on Wall Street and used a smartphone?

Sounds good. I set my fingers to tapping on my keyboard. I know the story by heart, including Scrooge complaining about giving his clerk the day off on Christmas and sending the poor to workhouses.

But we live in a social media world with Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. I had to update the story. And I wanted my Scrooge to be a sexy hunk. So I let my imagination run wild.

Imagine you’re rushing around doing last minute Christmas shopping and you run smack into the most gorgeous man you’ve ever seen. Tall, broad shoulders, muscular chest filling out a well-cut $5,000 suit. Silky pin-striped tie, platinum cuff links. His deep blue eyes casting bold glances your way your mama would never approve of. But you do.

Oh, my.

‘Do you work around here?’ you ask casually, loving the way he smells just like in the commercial when he leans over to see if you’re okay. You nearly faint when you get a whiff of his aristocratic masculine scent. Sweet tobacco, musk. Cinnamon. He smells divine.

‘I work on Wall street,’ he says, smiling.

A banker, nice.

‘It’s hard to get an Uber this time of day,’ he says, so he sends you home in his limo.

You can’t believe your luck. Is he one of those sexy billionaires you’ve been reading about? You bet. You’re hooked. A Christmas present in your silk stocking and it’s only Christmas Eve. He gives you his business card and invites you to have holiday brunch with him in his penthouse.

You’re beside yourself with glee, humming a jingly tune.

Then you read his card.

Ebenezer Scrooge.

No, no, no…

I hit the Delete button.

It ain’t gonna work.

No matter how handsome, how sexy, how rich, who’s going to fall in love with a guy named Ebenezer? It’s obvious Dickens’ curmudgeon with his ill-fitting suit and stovepipe hat isn’t cover model material. No way would you want him catching you under the mistletoe.

Therein lies the rub: How to make my Scrooge sexy? And stay true to the Dickens’ classic? A timeless story of the hero seeing the error of his ways. That’s what we love about the story, watching him change. I wanted to take that idea a step further and write about an alpha male gone wrong who finds his way home through the love of a beautiful woman.

First, Scrooge needed a new name.

Nick Radnor.

Then I had to make the other characters sexy as well. What if his faithful clerk, Mr. Cratchit, was a gorgeous blonde secretary named Jinger?

I decided my modern Scrooge would also have a beautiful fiancée named Monique:

Nick frequents Mamie’s, a gentleman’s club in the financial district and Marley the Ghost became Nick’s business partner, Charlie Harris, who died in the arms of a beautiful woman at Mamie’s.

And we can’t forget the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future: three sexy female spirits with great bods and killer wardrobes. Not to mention magical powers.

Once I had my cast of characters (I have a Tiny Tim character, too), now what?

I wanted to stay true to the Dickens’ classic, so I opened the story on Christmas Eve in Nick’s office. It’s late and Nick is working overtime when Jinger asks him about a promotion. Not this year, Nick says.

Nick is a heartless one-percenter. Just like Scrooge. I had to find out why Nick is so cold-hearted. It goes back to Christmas Eve when he was a kid and his corporate raider father gave him coal in his stocking every year. That’s why Nick hates Christmas. He’s turned cold and heartless but he’s about to find out where that path is taking him when he convinces Mamie to open up her club for him late on Christmas Eve.

The old gal adores Nick, and not just his generous tips. Mamie sees something in him no one else does: he’s a lost little boy. She also knows Nick is still grieving over the sudden death of his business partner Charlie last Christmas Eve.

When Charlie’s ghost shows up after a night of wild drinking and womanizing, we’re off and running. The three ghosts make their appearance just like in the classic story and we discover Nick wasn’t always a greedy businessman. These three sexy babes take Nick on a whirlwind tour of his past, present, and future with each episode tied to his beautiful fiancée, Monique.

Monique is the anchor in my story. She never stops believing in her man, no matter what. It’s through her eyes that we fall in love with Nick, hoping he wakes up before it’s too late and he loses everything.

Including her.

A Naughty Christmas Carol is the story of a modern day Scrooge with three sexy female ghosts trying to save the soul of a Wall Street trader on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

~Jina

A Christmas Novella for 99 cents:

Amazon Kindle https://a.co/d/inSjIhf

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/99354

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-naughty-christmas-carol

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-naughty-christmas-carol/id480420054

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A Sci-Fi/Fantasy Boxset Giveaway by Kitty Bucholtz

December 9, 2024 by Kitty Bucholtz in category Writing tagged as boxsets, fantasy, fantasy romance, giveaway, It's Worth It, Kitty Bucholtz, Sci-fi, Urban Fantasy

It’s been a long time since I participated in a group promo, but I’m finally doing one through BookFunnel. My second one actually. I was thrilled to be able to sit with Jack from BookFunnel when I was at the Author Nation conference last month as he explained some things I didn’t know how to do. Hence, my second author promo!

It’s not as hard as I thought it’d be though it is a bit of work that I have to plan out. For instance, the rules for this one include mentioning the month-long giveaway at least twice in your newsletter as well as posting about it on three social media platforms twice a week for the four weeks. That’s more promo than I usually do in a month! But it’s probably helping me create better promo habits. Haha!

If you’ve been thinking about doing a BookFunnel group promo, give one a try! You can do it! It’s worth it!

And if you like sci-fi and fantasy novels, click here to check out all the free boxsets being given away during the promo.

In addition to the free books, the host of this giveaway loves gift-giving, so here are all the other things you can win between now and December 25 — a winner every day! [Note: I’ve cut and pasted what the host sent us so you can see how easy it can be to share all the information if you have a great host!]

Enter the “25 Days of Boxsets” Giveaway to be 1 of 25 winners to win AMAZING holiday gifts, incl:

e-books, hardcovers, and paperback books!
Amazon Kindle Fire tablets
Gift cards
Kindle Unlimited subscriptions
Amazon Prime subscriptions
Audiobooks
Reader-centric stocking stuffers
Super cool holiday gifts, and more!

ALSO, ONE LUCKY *GRAND PRIZE* WINNER WILL WIN A “CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE” MEGA GIFT SET, INCL:

A drink maker (coffee, tea, soda, or hot chocolate) + supplies
A snack maker (mini donuts, mini waffles, popcorn, or s’mores) + supplies
A hobby supply set (for writing, reading, art (drawing/painting) or manga/comic creating), and,
A “stay cozy gift set (a wearable hoodie blanket, cozy socks, cozy slippers).

** There’s 1 Grand Prize Winner and 25 Runner Up Winners, but ALL ENTRANTS GET A *FREE* ENTRY PRIZE: 25 sci-fi and fantasy e-book boxsets! **

**Share on social media to get EXTRA entries and to increase your chances of winning!**

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Birthday Wishes

November 30, 2024 by Dianna Sinovic in category Columns, Quill and Moss by Dianna Sinovic, Writing tagged as holiday story, short fiction, writing

Today was her birthday, but her closest friends were busy, so Nicole took herself out to dinner. The Purple Potted Plant was her favorite restaurant for special occasions, and this year qualified as one: her fortieth.

She tamped down the urge to feel self-pity. She had no one to join her to mark the date; her ex certainly wouldn’t, and apparently, no friends felt strongly enough to share a birthday meal with her.

The waitstaff showed her to a table that overlooked a bustling street in Doylestown. Her birthday coincided with the start of the holiday season, and already giant, fake snowflakes hung from the lamp posts. They were another reminder that she needed to make plans soon to avoid being alone at Christmas. Daniel, her ex, would be with his new wife and their three-year-old.

Pulling herself back to the present, Nicole studied the menu. The chicken looked tempting, but the gnawing in her midsection was for something more than food. This milestone year was just the latest in a life she’d spent wondering who she really was. Adopted at as an infant, she had no memory of her biological mother. She craved details—any details. But the woman she called mother, the woman who’d raised her, had no interest in that.

“Isn’t it enough that you’re here, loved by us?” Brenda had said when Nicole begged her to tell what she knew. “No need to dig up a painful past.”

Nicole placed her order and asked for a glass of pinot grigio. Staring out the window, she watched the passersby, envious that they all had places to go. The swish of a moving chair drew her attention back to the table.

“Mind if I join you?” An older woman in a tailored, cloth coat stood there. “You seem like you could use a friendly smile.”

Taken aback at the woman’s forwardness, Nicole started to say no, but then shrugged. What the heck; it was better than moping alone in the crowded restaurant. “Of course. Please sit.”

“I’m Judy,” the woman said. “Pleased to meet you.” She removed her coat and sat down with a sigh. “It’s been years since I’ve eaten here.”

“I’m Nicole. What brings you here tonight?” Conversation was just what she needed, Nicole thought. Judy, in her dark pants and russet sweater, was a welcome distraction.

Judy’s smile grew warmer. “It’s my daughter’s birthday.”

“Oh?” Nicole smiled back. “How fun. It’s my birthday, too. But,” she paused, taking in the room full of chatting people, knives and forks clinking against plates, “shouldn’t you be with her to celebrate?”

“Oh, she’s near enough,” the woman said. “She has her own life now.”

Without really meaning to, Nicole mused aloud about her life—the pluses (she had a successful career as an editor) and the minuses (her failed marriage to Daniel). She shared her joy at finding the perfect hill on her morning walks to watch the sunrise and her disappointment over the loss of yet another friend who’d moved away. Then she put down her fork, feeling her face flush.

“How rude of me,” she said. “I’ve been talking about myself this whole time. I’m so sorry.” She usually deflected conversation back to the other person rather than talk about herself. What had gotten into her this evening? She picked at the food on her plate, no longer hungry.

Judy had barely touched her own food, seeming content to just listen to Nicole, offering a murmured “I see,” “That must have been difficult,” or “Interesting” from time to time.

Changing the subject, Judy said, “Since it’s your birthday, tell me, if you could alter anything in your life, what would you wish for?”

Nicole didn’t hesitate. “To know who my mother is. I mean, Brenda adopted me as a baby, and she and Paul, my adopted dad, love me, and I love them, but not knowing who gave birth to me brings me sadness even all these years later.” After that passionate response, Nicole caught herself. Was she really that starved for attention that she had to bring all of their talk back to her? “What about you?” she said. “What would you wish for?”

The older woman’s smile was bittersweet. She stood, pulling on her coat. “I’ve got to go now.” She slipped her bag over her shoulder. “To answer your question, though, if I could wish for anything, it would be to watch my daughter grow up. Fate didn’t grant me that. Instead, I missed all the milestones, I missed watching her turn from child to adult, but I’m so happy to see she’s turned out well.” She winked. “Even if she needs to trust in herself a bit more.”

Judy turned away just as the server arrived to clear the table. When Nicole looked up a moment later, the older woman was gone. Had the wink meant what she thought it did? She watched for Judy out the restaurant window, hoping to see her pass by on the sidewalk under the streetlights, but she didn’t appear.

“Happy birthday,” the server said, placing a slice of chocolate torte in front of Nicole. Edible confetti lay sprinkled over it, topped by a miniature flag printed with Best birthday wishes!

“I didn’t order this,” Nicole protested, although she was touched by the effort. “It’s fine, though. I’ll pay for it. You can bring the check for both of us—” She stopped. The place setting opposite her showed no sign that anyone had been there, the flat wear still wrapped in a cloth napkin.

The server chuckled. “Both of you, huh? But here’s another odd thing. I don’t remember bringing your check, but our system shows that your meal has already been paid for. You’re all set.”