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X-FILES: IT’S NOT SCIENCE FICTION

August 10, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as ,

by Sharla Rae

An author on deadline will tell you that the old saying “Time is Money” is just as true with writing as it is with any other business.

Have you ever spent hours crafting a perfect description only to realize it breaks up the action? Did you delete it and then discover a chapter or two later that very description or part of it was needed?

Next time, DO NOT DELETE.

Instead, create a folder for your WIP called X-Files Title (of WIP). Example, X-Files Love and Fortune. Paste well written “cuts” to your X-Files. Make them easy to locate. Preface each pasting with its origin, that is, the chapter it was cut from along with a brief description.

Example: Chapter one – description-forest, Chapter two – dialogue – argument between Jane Dither and John the jerk.

Later, if you haven’t used an X-File entry from a particular WIP, paste it to a general Description or Dialogue X-File. Once it’s actually used, delete it from “all” X-Files so you don’t accidentally reuse it.

It’s simple and it works. And when you’re on a deadline, it’s money in the bank.

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Encouraging Words by Kitty Bucholtz

August 10, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as

It’s a funny thing about words – a little bit of positive reinforcement or a little bit of negativity go a long way. People remember the harsh things said to them or about them. And while we tend to more quickly forget the positive words, their power continues to work within us.

When a friend told me she loved the first five chapters of my new book that I sent her, and when am I going to send her more, I felt like the sun came out and it was raining rainbows! If I get to a place in the story where I’m not feeling good about myself and my abilities, I think about what this friend or that friend said about something they liked and I feel better. And when I feel better, I write better.
The same is true when someone tells me, don’t worry, that was hard for me, too. I feel like I can breathe again. I was telling a friend who is a very fast runner (he ran a 14km race last year in under an hour, while it took me two hours) that I was embarrassed by how out of shape I’d gotten during the last month of grad school. I’d barely gotten in one run per week and in only a month had lost a ton of the progress I’d made.
He told me, oh, that happens to everyone when you get out of your training schedule, and he gave me some examples. I couldn’t believe it. I thought those professional athletes were born that way – fast and ready to go.
Later I thought about how that thinking translates in my writing life sometimes. I think some writers are just born ready. They write brilliant stories, have a big fan base, make plenty of money – and it’s magical. But they weren’t born that way. They have the same kinds of bad days that I do. There was once a time they weren’t making a dime. They need encouragement from their friends and fans just like I do.
My friend Laura Drake just signed with an agent – yay! I was so excited for her that I asked her to be a guest on my blog today and tell us her story. I thought she was going to write about the specifics of getting that call and how exciting and scary and unbelievable it was. But what she wrote was so much more encouraging than a slice of a success story. You really have to come read it. Talk about encouraging words!
I had a bad run this morning – slow, exhausting, cold (it’s winter here in Sydney), and altogether awful. The only good thing was that I kept going. It occurred to me about three-quarters of the way through my 11km that I should focus on the good part – the fact that I wasn’t going to give up. Then I happened to notice that the sunrise was gorgeous. And the people I usually wave at were waving at me first. And the birds were having a little music festival. And after a while I realized that even on bad days, there are lots of things to be grateful for and smile about.
I hope you find your encouragement today. And if you’re not seeing it right away, give some encouragement to someone else. It’s bound to come back to you and bless your day.
Kitty Bucholtz is a writer and speaker, and a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of Australia. She co-founded Routines for Writers, a web site dedicated to helping writers write more, and she recently completed her M.A. in Creative Writing. You can follow Kitty on her web site or on Twitter at @KittyBucholtz.
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Werewolves and Hawks and Cougars, Oh, My!

August 6, 2011 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , ,
by Linda O Johnston


I’m just ending a spree of writing and/or editing three different stories in my Alpha Force miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne, all with deadlines within three weeks of one another. Not only that, but I was traveling in the middle of it all. Fun, but grueling at times!

What precipitated this? Well, I already had a deadline for my fourth Alpha Force full-length book pending at the beginning of August. Alpha Force is a covert military force of shapeshifters which I created for Nocturne–Harlequin’s paranormal romance series. All of my full-length Alpha Force Nocturnes feature shapeshifters who are werewolves.

I also had two Alpha Force Nocturne Bites pending–what I refer to as e-novellas, since they are shorter than the full length Nocturnes and available only on line (except if later printed in an anthology like my first, CLAWS OF THE LYNX, was). In the Bites, I include shapeshifters who can change into other kinds of animals.

I had turned in the manuscript for my second Bites, HAWK’S CHALLENGE, but since it’s an October release my edits were pending… and I received initial ones the week before I left on a family vacation–a Caribbean cruise. The completed edits were sent while I was at sea, and although I had Internet access I wasn’t able to download them. Fortunately, the additional changes didn’t require much input, but I had to turn around the edits I’d already received in a day’s time–while onboard! I was happy to learn that, though I couldn’t download attachments, my editor could download the ones I sent to her.

I had completed a manuscript for my next full-length Nocturne (title still pending) but needed to finish editing it to send it off soon after I returned home. As a result, I was still editing it on the trip.

And… I had an entire Bites to write while traveling! My deadline was supposed to have been next year. However, Harlequin is ending the Bites line and replacing it with the new Nocturne Cravings line. I’d learned that at RWA National but was initially told that my deadline wouldn’t change. However, it did! My final Bites, COUGAR’S CONQUEST, is now scheduled for publication in November 2011, the month after HAWK’S CHALLENGE.

So, yes, I was writing COUGAR’S CONQUEST while traveling. Since Bites aren’t too long, I felt I could do it–but I hit a snag when I lost an entire chapter by accidentally saving something else over it. I rewrote it after dinner that same day… a very long day, I might add. I’m just about to send in that manuscript after completing and editing it.

Oh, and by the way–my third full-length Alpha Force Nocturne, GUARDIAN WOLF, just happens to be an August release…

Do deadlines sometimes drive you nuts? Do you enjoy them as much as I do anyway?

Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

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August Calls for Submissions

August 1, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as ,

Seems like there continues to be a craving for things that go bump-in-the-night. We also continue to see a number of holiday calls for submissions, and expect this trend to continue as our year gets closer to ending.
Harlequin Nocturne Cravings
Let’s start out with an exciting call for Harlequin Nocturne. Harlequin Nocturne is looking to acquire bold, exciting, erotic paranormal romance short stories for its eBook program, Nocturne Cravings. These stories should be fast-paced paranormals with strong erotic fantasy and danger elements. Authors should feel comfortable exploring any and all sexual scenarios and shouldn’t shy away from graphically sensual situations. In fact, the short stories should contain many erotic scenes that compel and bind the characters together. Strong, emotional characters that grab the reader’s imagination are also essential.
We are looking for stories of vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves, psychic powers, etc. set in contemporary times. Stories should deliver a dark, highly sensual read that will entertain readers and take them from everyday life into an atmospheric, complex world filled with characters struggling with life-and-death issues.
All stories should be capable of standing alone; all loose ends need to be tied up, and the relationship between hero and heroine should resolve itself in a satisfying manner.
Length is 15,000–25,000 words.
 Only complete manuscripts submitted electronically will be considered from unpublished authors; no partials or queries, please. Submissions should be sent as a Word-compatible attachment. Submissions should also follow standard formatting guidelines and should be double-spaced and typed in a clear, legible font on numbered pages. Author name and title should appear as a header or footer on each page. Visit the Harlequin submission guidelines page for more information. Nocturne Cravings e-mail address: nocturnebites@harlequin.ca
Weekend Getaways
Secret Cravings Publishing is taking submissions of short stories of up to 10,000 words for a one-time payment of $50-$100, depending on the length of the manuscript. Any genre; steamy to burn-the-page erotic stories wanted.
These stories will be released individually with their own cover. One each Saturday of the week. Submissions will be ongoing, so no deadline.
Holiday Submissions
Dancing with Bear Publishing is seeking submissions for a variety of holiday-themed stories: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah.
The Halloween Anthology is for a children’s book, think Casper the Friendly Ghost – nothing scary, just fun for ages 5-10.
Thanksgiving Anthology these stories don’t have to be set at Thanksgiving or even about Thanksgiving, but rather about an incident, accident, etc. with a positive outcome that gives the characters a reason to be thankful.
December Anthology DWB is looking for Christian Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or any Christmastime non-religious celebration except Pagan rituals.
Suggested length is 2,000 to 5,000 words, and the deadline is September 30, 2011. These stories can be any sub-genre that falls within the regular submission guidelines.  
For more information, visit http://dancingwithbearpublishing.webs.com/specialsubmissionscall.htm
Christmas Warmth
XoXo Publishing, an e-publisher will publish an anthology in November of Christmas-themed short stories. Edited by Cynthia MacGregor, the anthology’s working title is Christmas Warmth.
To submit stories (specs follow), please do NOT use the regular XoXo submissions address but send directly to: Cynthia@cynthiamacgregor.com. IMPORTANT: In the subject line, put Christmas Warmth.
Specs specific to Christmas Warmth: 
1) Must take place around the Holiday Season;
2) These are not romances. There may be an element of romance involved, but the stories should not be romances per se. Paranormal themes OK. Stories about kids–great. Stories to do with Christmas in the manner of O. Henry’s classic “Gift of the Magi” are encouraged. Mysteries are another good choice. Non-classifiable general fiction? Bring it on!; 3) Nothing “Adult” (i.e. sexually explicit); 4) Heartwarming stories are especially encouraged; 5) True stories as well as fiction will be accepted; 6) We also welcome recipes for Holiday foods for this antho but will not make any payments for recipes. “Payment: will be that we will print your name and website, which should generate traffic to your site, so if you submit recipes, be sure to include your website if you want it in the book; 7) If submitting a recipe, the same requirement applies that you be sure to put “Christmas Warmth” in the subject line. The editor has other projects in progress that include recipes and does not want to mis-direct your contributions!
General Specs:
1 — Word count 1000-6000 words per story.
2 — You may submit multiple stories for consideration, but please know only one story per author per book will be selected. (That is, you can have one story in each antho, but no more than one per each.)
3 — Previously published material OK if you have regained full rights to your material.
4 — Simultaneous submissions acceptable if so noted.
5 – Include a brief author bio.
6 — Submit as attachment in either doc or docx format. Use rtf as a last resort.
7 – Payment as follows: Ultimate cover price of each book will depend on number of stories therein. Total royalties paid out to authors will be calculated on 45% of cover price times number of books sold. Total royalties will be divided by number of participating authors, with equal shares to each. (That is, if there are 15 stories in the book, for example, each author gets 1/15 of the total author royalties paid. Payment is NOT based on the word count of your submission.)
8 — Deadline for submissions: October 1. GET YOUR STORY IN ASAP!
Ravenous Shadows
Literary Partners Group, Inc., owner of Ravenous Romance, announced the hire of John Skipp to spearhead a new horror/thriller e-publishing imprint. Skipp’s tastes are broad yet demanding, and his requirements unusually specific. “I’m looking for 200-250 page genre novels, wildly entertaining, with no fat or filler. We’ll be specializing in smart, fun, compulsive page-turners that can be read in the amount of time it takes to watch a feature film.” For more information, visit http://ravenousromance.blogspot.com/
Compiled by Louisa Bacio
Now available: Sex University: All-Girls Academy

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The Former Cop Says: It’s All About Balance

July 29, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , ,
by Kathy Bennett
I was a Los Angeles Police Officer for twenty-one years.  From the title, you might think this article is going to talk about balancing on a roof while in a foot pursuit or running along a block wall.  No, that’s not what I’m talking about.  Let me give you a little background.
When I first hit the streets as a rookie officer, I can remember how every day seemed like a new adventure.  Each day held the promise of the unknown, what new things I’d be learning, what different experiences I’d be exposed to.  When my first set of scheduled days off came up, I was disappointed that I couldn’t go to work.  (Trust me – that effect wore off; but it took a while).  However I think every cop I’ve talked to had the same feeling.  The truth was, I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to do my job…it was that much fun. 
I remember working about a month, as sick as a dog, so my favorite partner wouldn’t have to work with someone else.  I had a ‘sick bag’ I’d filled with boxes of Kleenex and throat lozenges so I could get through the graveyard shift.  I also remember, as a training officer, working until one in the afternoon and having to be back at work at six-thirty the same night.  I could have requested to take a few hours of compensatory time off for extra sleep and I’m sure my supervisors would have agreed, but I felt it was my duty to be there.  I needed to find balance. 
But after twenty-one years, it became necessary for me to retire – in part to take care of my mother who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease, and to nurse a back injury I’d suffered on the job a year prior.  My retirement left me feeling anxious and remorseful that my dream of being a police officer was now over.
But I’d been fostering another dream for a number of years…more years than I care to say.  And that dream was to become a published author.  I’d tried for several years to actively acquire an agent and publisher.  About the time I was getting some interest, I started hearing about self-publishing and, for various reasons, opted to self-publish my book, a romantic suspense, A Dozen Deadly Roses.
After the release of my book, I was pleased to learn I seemed to be doing a little better than average with the sales of my book.  I started discovering Facebook pages of other self-published authors, book review websites, Kindleboards, Nookboards, Goodreads, Shelfari and on and on.  I learned that self-published authors spend a great deal of time promoting their books and trying to reach out to readers and have ‘meaningful relationships’ with those readers.
I joined groups, I read blogs, I commented on blogs, I joined blog hop tours, I gave away prizes.  I friended on Facebook, I followed on Twitter…I became exhausted, and a part of me felt insincere.  I discovered that I need balance.  It seemed like my butt was glued to my chair, but I wasn’t writing – I was busy promoting.
Then, I discovered I’d hit the Top 100 List on Barnes and Noble of Nookbook Police Stories.  A few days after that, I hit the Barnes and Noble Top 100 List of Nookbooks!  I’d like to tell you my place on those lists was directly related to all my self-promoting…but there were hundreds of other writers doing the same amount of promotion – if not more – and they weren’t on those lists.  I don’t know how I got on those lists.  I’m grateful I did, but I don’t feel it was related to my frenzy of self-promotion.
So what do I, a girl without balance, immediately do?  I promote more.  I reach out to book buyers who may have missed the fact I’m on those lists.  I make myself crazy.  So, I sit down to write this guest blog, and decide: enough is enough.  I’m jumping off the merry-go-round. 
Instead, I’m choosing to focus on finishing the revisions of my next book.  I’m going to develop REAL relationships with readers…as much as they will let me.  I have a good (and real) relationship with many of the people who visit my blog.  I hope my readers find me there, or on Facebook, or on Twitter or wherever else I’ve left my mark.    
Don’t get me wrong…I won’t stop my Facebook postings, or my tweets on Twitter, my comments on the Kindleboards, or the Nookboards.  I’ll still do guest blogs.  I’ll probably still give away prizes from time to time.  Those activities will be a part of my day, but I won’t let them consume me.  My efforts will be to make true connections with my readers. 
You see, for twenty-one years I was proud to say I was a Los Angeles Police Officer.  I did my job to the best of my ability with the hope of touching people’s lives for the better.  I want to to approach my career as a published author with the same amount of integrity and touch people’s lives for the better.  I learned as a cop it’s important to have balance.  Thankfully, I’ve learned early in my writing career, it’s just as important to have balance as an author as well.
You can find me at:
http://www.KathyBennett.com
http://Facebook.com/Kathywriteslapd
http://Twitter.com/Kathywriteslapd
www.Kathywriteslapd@sbcglobal.net
You can find my book, A Dozen Deadly Roses at:
Amazon: 
http://www.amazon.com/A-Dozen-Deadly-Roses-ebook/dp/B0054EU1KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311563007&sr=8-1
Barnes and Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Dozen-Deadly-Roses/Kathy-Bennett/e/2940012887757/
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/64237
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