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Between the Lines with Charlotte Lobb (writing as Charlotte Carter)

November 13, 2011 by in category Interviews tagged as , ,

A multi-published author of more than fifty romance, cozy mystery and inspirational titles, Charlotte Carter lives in Southern California with her husband of forty-nine years and their cat Mittens—an equal opportunity lap cat. They have two married daughters and five grandchildren. When she’s not writing, Charlotte does a little stand-up comedy—G-Rated Humor for Grownups—and teaches workshops on the craft of writing.


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Single mom Ellie James has returned to Montana for a fresh start and a new job at a local school. She sure could use the support of hometown rancher Arnie O’Brien, especially when she faces the opportunity to step up as director. But this cowboy still holds a grudge from when Ellie left him behind eight years ago. Can Arnie trust God’s plan and take a second chance on the girl who got away? He and Ellie will have to put aside the past to face the future together.

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Q. You’ve written SO many books. How do you keep yourself motivated to write?
I’m compulsive! Maybe it’s because I started late in this writing business, but writing, discovering a story, soothes me (when it’s going well, of course). And there’s always another story to tell lurking somewhere in the back of my mind. So little time, so many stories……
Q. You’ve written in several different subgenres. Do you stick with one genre at a time or do you switch it up and change from book to book to keep it interesting?
The vast majority of my books have been romance novels. Now, however, I’m writing for two publishers: inspirational romance for Love Inspired  and cozy mystery continuities for Guideposts Books. I try to alternate between publishers, which is somewhat dependent on my schedule for the Guideposts books in whatever series is current.

Q. What is your writing process like? Linear or dot-to-dot? Planner or pantser? Do you write long hand or on the computer? etc.
I’m definitely linear and a planner, although the characters have been known to give me a surprise now and then. I start off plotting with a pen and college-lined notebook paper. (You can tell  how high-tech I am – Not!)  I establish who the characters are and their goals, diagram a W plot and  work through the hero’s journey.  At that point I can usually write a synopsis, which I do on the computer as well as the rest of the manuscript.

Q. What is your most reliable “go to” tool when you realize your story is broken and needs fixing?
For many years, my favorite “go to” tool was Mindy Neff and Susan Phillips, my critique partners. More recently I’ve been whining to Karen Leabo (aka Kara Lennox), who is great with the ‘black moment.’ If they aren’t handy, I may take a second look at Save the Cat by Blake Synder, do Debbie Macomber’s list of 20, or let my subconscious solve the problem while I sleep. I will say, by chapter 3 I pretty well can tell if the story is going to work.

Q. How have you managed to brand yourself, given the different genres you have written in?
I’ve never quite understood this ‘branding’ business, but I do have a motto and a promise that I make to readers: Books that leave you smiling….by Charlotte Carter.  When I was writing for Harlequin American (as Charlotte Maclay) I wrote warm, family stories. Now, with Love Inspired (w/a Charlotte Carter) I’m writing warm, family stories but with a more emotional tone and characters who are dealing with serious problems — a heart transplant recipient, loss of family members, and in my current book, Big Sky Family, a hero who is paraplegic.

Q. You have a wonderful sense of humor that serves you well when speaking publicly. How does your humor serve you in your writing career?
I wish I could say my sense of humor allows me to laugh at copy editors, but that would be a lie. In my writing, humor tends to worm it’s way into the story via children, who are always unpredictable, or by creating a ‘fish out of water’ story for the hero or heroine. Often it’s the reaction of a ‘straight’ character to a humorous situation that can make a reader smile.

Q. What authors and genres do you like to read?
I most often read suspense and romantic suspense, single title romance, legal thrillers, and the like. I’ve recently read James Patterson (Alex Cross story), John Grisham, Iris Johansen, and Rachel Lee books. And to my delight, our own Deb Mullins and Tessa Dare (Eve Ortega) have brought me back to historical romance, my first love.

Q. What piece of advice do you consider most important sharing with an aspiring author?
Write! Write! And write some more. I was very fortunate when I joined OCC and RWA that I could come home from a meeting and immediately use whatever information I’d gleaned  in my work-in-progress.. It’s impossible, in my view, to learn to write without having somehow finished a story.  My various critique groups have also been invaluable. (My technique is to be the dumbest one in the group so I can learn the most; so far I’ve achieved that goal..) I continue to learn by attending workshops and taking online classes in the hope of improving my craft. As Susan Macias said at our October Birthday Bash, “The only guarantee that you won’t sell is if you quit writing.”
Find more information about Charlotte and her books at: CharlotteCarter.com 
Interview is conducted by Brenna Aubrey, aspiring author whose first publication, a short story, “The Love Letter” was recently published in the Jane Austen Made Me Do It anthology, currently available.

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5 Tips to self-publishing your mother never told you by Jina Bacarr

November 11, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psst…have you heard? Everybody’s doing it. Self-publishing.

It’s hip, it’s cool…it’s like winning the lottery.

Right?

Hmm…maybe. Maybe not. It’s the wild, wild west out in the land of Amazon, Smashwords and Nook. All you need is a dusty, old manuscript from under your bed, a sexy cover and a few .html codes and you’re dancing with the stars.

Oh, what fools we writers be.

It ain’t that easy.

Here’s the deal: You’ve written a good story and your manuscript is in the best shape possible–critique groups, professional editing, etc. Now what?

No doubt you need a good cover and nearly flawless formatting, but don’t give up if you haven’t gotten it all together. Before you push that old manuscript back under the bed with the dust bunnies, it is possible to hitch your wagon to the self-pubbed stars and join in the land rush…or should I say, digital rush.

I did it. I self-pubbed a holiday novella and a short story. There are many blogs that can help you with various aspects of the biz, from J.A. Konrath to Bob Mayer’s Write It Forward (I highly recommend both!), but here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way.

Jina’s 5 tips to self-publishing:

  1. I formatted my manuscript myself with help from Marie Force’s blog–I especially found the info about “tabs” and indenting .33 on the first line helpful.

  2. I bought my cover art from Dreamstime.com They have quality photos and high resolution. You can choose from 12 million photos available on their site.

  3. Be prepared to spend time learning how to format. It’s a high learning curve, but I’ve found both the Amazon (short video) and Smashwords guides to be helpful if you’re willing to make the effort.

  4. Be realistic about your goals. No one can predict how a book will do, but reading the Kindle forums and following other authors can give you an idea of how they’re doing. I follow OCC’s Dr. Debra Holland’s blog–she’s been open and forthright about her experience in self-publishing and her sales. Another OCC author, Jacqueline Diamond (author of 90 novels), has recently self-published books from her backlist and knows the value of promoting her books (she made the top 100 in Regency on Amazon).

  5. Write another book or story right away. Quality and quanity are both important in self-pubbing. You need product to sell. Imagine if a shoe store opened and all they had to sell was one shoe style?

Which reminds me of Cinderella and her glass slipper.

Putting your self-pubbed book out there is like Cinderella going to the ball. She had a team of cute little mice to make her dress (editing, cover and formatting) and a fairy godmother (Amazon, Nook and Smashwords) to make the magic happen.

She also had the moxie to get to the ball. That’s where you come in.

Be like Cinderella. Don’t be late to the self-publishing party.

You’ll never know if the glass slipper fits until you try it.

Best,
Jina

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Indies, Superheroes & Novellas, Oh My!

October 31, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , ,
This month brings an interesting mix of calls. First up, is a collection of “indie” authors that are looking to compile some special themed anthologies. The erotic romance publisher Ravenous Romance put out a call for superhero stories, and Entangled Publishing delves into the novella market. As always, this selection represents only a sample of what’s out there. If you come across any that should be shared, please send them to me!

All-For Indies Anthologies
We have planned six anthologies with different themes that are spread throughout the year. A couple of examples might be: Martini Madness/chick-lit and humorous fiction genres, Summer Fling/Romance genre, etc. Each anthology will include a mix of genres and sub-genres centered around a main theme.
Each author is responsible for writing/editing their own work. WE ARE NOT A PUBLISHER! We are not going to read your story for approval. If you are picked, we trust you are a professional.
The first anthology is going to be coming out in January 2012. Winter Wonderland is the theme (not the name), and is going to feature every genre. The deadline is Dec. 10, 2011. The second anthology is coming out in February 2012 in time for Valentine’s Day and will carry that theme. The deadline for manuscripts is Jan. 10, 2012.
For more information, visit http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/self-published-author-unite-in-anthologies-on-wg2e
Under the Cape
What’s up in the sky, is not a bird or a plane, it is your hero or heroine. Under the Cape – is a super-hero / super-heroine anthology for Ravenous Romance. We are looking for original erotic romances about heroes of your own creation. They should not be modeled after or based on current comic book entities. Fan fiction need not apply.
Think about strong, passionate characters and world building. Who is to say what excitement lingers after the city is saved and villain routed? Do the heroes fly home at super-sonic speeds to their lovers or does the “victor” strike a new costume to wear? What if the hero of the story has had a tryst or more with their foe? And don’t forget about the possibilities of a sidekick.
This anthology is for the non-everyday heroes. We’re looking for the kind of heroes who fly, shoot bolts of energy or phase through walls…among other abilities. Of course, that’s not to say your hero or heroine can’t have a hidden identity. A war hero crusading at night to stop an other-worldly nemesis? Maybe a firefighter who controls the flames when no one else is looking? Make the abilities so super, they can only be contained by a skin tight costume and cape flying in the breeze. And make your hero or heroine so sexy they can’t be contained at all.
All stories should be original and unpublished stories. Aside from strong characters, don’t forget to give us a good story and world building. Make your heroes and villains believable and sexy. Ideally we’d like to see stories in the 5K range, but no less than 3K – please query for longer works. We’re looking for 10-12 stories to fill this anthology.
Reading period is open and will go until 12/31/11 or filled. Please do not query for status until after the reading period has ended. Payment is $25 flat fee upon publication. No additional payment will be offered. For more information, visit http://ravenousromance.blogspot.com
Contemporary Novellas
Entangled is looking to expand our novella line, and with release dates as early as mid-December 2011 available, we’re actively acquiring. If you write contemporary romance that falls between 20k to 40k words, we would love to hear from you!
  • Manuscript should fall between 20k and 40k words in length
  • Story must contain strong romantic elements, ending with either a HEA or a satisfying HFN.
  • Entangled is not an erotic romance publisher, however we’ll consider any heat level so long as the erotic elements are not the main focus of the story.
  • To submit a manuscript for consideration, paste the following into an email:
  • A one-page query letter containing your genre, title, wordcount, a brief blurb about the book, and any pertinent writing credentials
  • The first five (5) double-spaced pages
  • Where we can find you on the web (links will do) 

Send your email to submissions(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com. Standard Entangled Publishing royalty rates apply. For more information, visit http://www.entangledinromance.com/2011/10/11/call-for-submissions-contemporary-novellas/
— compiled by Louisa Bacio
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A Fantasy Life by Janet Quinn Cornelow

October 28, 2011 by in category A Fantasy Life by Janet Cornelow tagged as ,

I have put The Irish Countess up on Kindle. It has a new look thanks to Lex Valentine, an OCC member, who made the cover. It is really a sexy cover.

After the death of her husband, Countess Ciara MacCormack Fitzsimmons returns home to Ireland and the earl’s estate accompanied by her six-year-old son. There she meets Mick O’Hurlihey, the estate overseer, and falls in love for the first time in her life. However, being the countess keeps her from Mick.

Mick is smitten with Ciara the first time he sees her, but realizes that he can never lay claim to the Countess. Then danger stalks Ciara and her son and Mick risks his own life to keep theirs safe.

It is available at Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Irish-Countess-ebook/dp/B005ZXEQGQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319765168&sr=1-1

I have been writing, which is a good thing. I am working on A Chance for Love, which is a time-travel that I started awhile back. It is moving along quickly. I am on chapter 6 already. The hero is getting ready to tell the heroine that he is from the future which is always a fun scene to write. I wish I had more time to write but the classes I am teaching take up much of my time.

So do my two “toddlers.” My dog and my kitten love to interrupt everything that I do. The kitten doesn’t understand that the 90 pound dog is not a big cat and does not wrestle like a cat does. I keep waiting for the kitten to get smooshed. He has turned out to be the alpha male and terrorizes the dog. Then he also terrorizes the humans and has redecorated a great deal of the house. I have baby proofed my kitchen. It is already for my granddaughter when she learns to crawl. Of course, by the time she can reach the top cabinets that are also baby proofed, she’ll be old enough to not hurt herself. Rugen, the kitten, on the other hand, can reach them now and wants to get into them and knock everything out. If I could convince him that the stove is not a safe place when there is something cooking on it, I will have really accomplished something. I have to watch the stove at all moments because he keeps trying to set himself on fire.

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eReaders–Isabel Swift wonders: what’s with the “But I love BOOKS” response?

October 24, 2011 by in category From Isabel Swift tagged as , , , , ,

I’m sure you’ve had the same experience–or have been one of the players in this conversation.

But first, a bit of background….

In addition to being VP of editorial for Harlequin, over a decade ago I also chaired a digital/eBook task force charged with exploring this new business opportunity. Additionally, much later, I was part of the new business group launching a number of new digital initiatives. So I guess what I’m trying to say is: I swing both ways. And in the course of my work, I had a lot of conversations with people–readers, writers, booksellers, digital entrepreneurs. Today, I still love to find out what people are reading–and how they are reading.

Back to the present. So, I’m at a dinner party, or cocktail party, or just striking up a conversation in line or traveling–and the subject of books and reading comes up. Often one person has an eReader (frequently a Kindle, sometimes an iPad or other eReader) and is either extolling its virtues, or reluctantly (or not) going through the learning curve.

Someone else invariably chimes in (sometimes with passionate intensity) “But I love BOOKS! I could NEVER get an eReader!” Then they go on a bit about the smell, turning the pages & the multitude of pleasures, information and sensation that a physical object offers. The self-confessed eReader reader is given the hairy eyeball, or at best, a pitying look. Emotions can (and have) run high over this line in the sand, this perceived chasm.

And don’t get me wrong–I love books too. Physical books. But I am stumped as to why there is such a prevalent and passionate assumption that physical Vs digital is an either/or choice. Like once you purchase an eReader, a scarlet TTTWW (for Traitor To The Written Word) will be emblazoned on your forehead and a magnetic force field will drop down (visually similar to the Cone of Silence in Get Smart) preventing you from ever touching another physical book with your dirty digital hands. You have not remained faithful to the books that raised you–dipping your wick elsewhere is clearly felt to be a relationship ender.

Huh? I just don’t get it. My reading world is not monogamous! I believe in choice! I love stories. I love storytellers. Books have not changed my life–stories have, with their information, insights, compelling worlds, emotional challenges and eye opening truths. Stories that are shared though listening (conversation, audio, radio, lectures,…), seeing (performance, films, TV, museums,…) or reading (books, newspapers, magazines, documents, letters,…).

Yes, the story’s trasmission vehicle can make a difference in the impact of a story. Watching the Rolling Stones’ Steel Wheels concert live Vs at an IMAX theatre with rabid fans Vs on a DVD alone at home delivers quite different experiences. Reading a hardcover, paperback, listening to the story on audio, reading it on an eReader all deliver a different experience.

Sure, there may be preferred formats for certain stories. Haven’t you heard people say “You don’t need to see that movie in a theater, it’ll be fine on DVD”? I assure you watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show live at midnight is a great example of the transformative impact of how you experience a story Vs sitting at home with the remote.

But everyone understands the benefits of access, choice, convenience. As a reader, I don’t like to be without something to read. And while I am usually a fairly committed reader, I must confess I’m not entirely monagamous. As a frequent traveller I have found myself lugging stacks of material: manuscripts, educational/business reading, fun reading, recommended reading, themeatically appropriate reading, books 2 and 3 in the series, just in case… You know what I’m talking about!

Now I can have everything on one slim tablet and people no longer ask me if I am carrying rocks in my suitcase. Maybe I’ll have a paperback in my purse too–cheerful in the knowledge if I tire of it or finish it, I have other options. Bedtime reading with sleeping spouse can cease to be an issue with a back-lit iPad. And another interesting aspect of the digital reading experience is product privacy. No one knows what you’re reading.

(Though for some that could be a drawback, as looking intellectual, educated, in-the-know and generally superior could be the key driver behind plowing through an improving literary tome. But surely a secondary market will spring up of sheaths for one’s tablet that will say perhaps: “Don’t bother me…Riveted by Rushdie!” or “Intellect @ Play” or “I’m improving myself. And you?”)

Alternatively, maybe you really don’t mind carrying two or three volumes around in your gigantic purse. Perhaps you are unmoved by the ability to download a recommended read instantly at the dinner table in The-Back-of-Beyond. Unlike me, perhaps you may have a house filled with empty shelves, just waiting to be filled, with your other bookshelves are stacked with easy-to-find, easy-to-search titles. But that is not my world.

So enough with this “I love BOOKS!”. Of course you do. But I love stories….

Isabel Swift

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