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In the spirit of the season, Jo Richardson has challenged us to tell her a spooky story – real or not real, doesn’t matter, in 300 words or less. If you joined me from Gemma Brocato, welcome. (And if you thought what she wrote today was scary, make sure you come back tomorrow. Gemma will be visiting my blog and talking about all the things she didn't know about being a published author. It will make your blood run cold! And then on Thursday, you can have a chance to win a copy of my book Chef d'Amour, on Gemma's site!)
I have to admit, I'm a wimp when it comes to scary stuff. I don't like horror movies, need to read spooky stories with all the lights on, and in general don't enjoy being frightened. I can still remember having to read “The Cask of Amontillado” for school and being petrified. So this was something of a challenge for me. But let's give it a go... We moved to Elm Street a couple weeks before Halloween. I fully intended to spend the night reading in my room. My mother had other plans. “You can use this.” She pulled a frilly yellow dress out of a cardboard box—one of the many in the basement waiting to be unpacked. “I don't want to.” At ten, I was too old to be a princesses. “I won't have you moping in your room all evening.” She flicked out the material, spangles and sparkles glittering. Before I knew it, I was out the door, clutching a pillowcase. “Have fun!” my mother carolled from the porch. I stood on the sidewalk, humiliated and angry. Groups of kids swirled past me as if I wasn't there, laughing and talking like the best friends they were. I had never felt so alone. “Do you want to trick-or-treat with me?” Standing next to me was a girl my age. Her costume was simple—an old-fashioned, high waisted dress, her hair done in ringlets. She carried a basket. I thought she might be Little Bo-Peep. “Me?” “Who else, silly?” She smiled, a dimple denting her cheek. “Let's start there.” She headed for the house next door. We laughed and talked our way from house to house. By the time we circled the block, I was thrilled, excited—happy for the first time since we'd moved. “I had fun tonight. Goodbye.” She skipped away, disappearing into the dark at the end of the street. My mother greeted me at the door. “So, how was it?” “Okay, I guess,” I answered grudgingly. “I met a girl.” “Oh, sweetie, don't worry.” Mom hugged me tight. “You'll make new friends soon. You don't have to make things up to try and feel better.” “I'm not making things up.” I pushed out of her embrace. “We did the whole block together.” My mother shook her head. “I was watching you. You walked around the block. But you were alone the whole time.” Want more chills and thrills? Head to Fiona Riplee next! And remember, come back tomorrow to find out more about Gemma Brocato's new release, Exposed to Passion! If you like to read romance novels of all genres, join the writers of Romance Weekly every Tuesday for our blog hop. We'll be answering the same questions, or writing the same flash fiction, or offering our favourite recipes. Once you've read my blog, the link below will direct you to another. Tell your friends and feel free to ask questions or make comments.
If you're joining me from Raine Balkera , welcome! On to the questions: Which type of character do you prefer writing about - sexy, romantic, sweet, quirky, mean, old, young, smart, silly? I love writing quirky, smart-mouthed heroines who don't take any crap. They might not appear that way on the surface, although Jemma in Chef d'Amour is the closest. Inside, however, is a different story. All of them are strong, straight-forward women, despite how they present themselves to the world. As for heroes, I'd love to be able to write one that is angst-driven, one with a horrible, hidden darkness just waiting to be healed. The more I write, the more layered my characters become, but I have yet to be cruel enough to saddle them with deep and dreadful secrets. No matter what their inner demons, my heroes are Everyman—not quite Alpha, not quite Beta, guys you wouldn't be surprised to meet in the grocery story aisle but powerful and competent all the same. Have you ever killed off (or gotten back at) an ex in your writing? On paper,of course. I suppose I'm lucky in the sense that I don't have an ex that still bothers me enough I want to bump him off, even if just on paper. :) But I can certainly see the attraction! But one of the great things about writing is that I can spend days writing an argument, so when I think of a snappy come-back in the middle of the night I just add it in the next day! What hobbies do you have that you incorporate in your writing? I don't have any really decisive hobbies. Other than reading and writing, I spend most of my time either at work or with family. I do, however, love taking photographs. Just this weekend, in fact, we purchased a new DSLR camera that I am excited to start experimenting with. I can certainly see myself writing about someone who does photography, either as a hobby or a job. Now it's time to move on to Leslie Hachtel. Enjoy! If you like to read romance novels of all genres, join the writers of Romance Weekly every Tuesday for our blog hop. We'll be answering the same questions, or writing the same flash fiction, or offering our favourite recipes. Once you've read my blog, the link below will direct you to another. Tell your friends and feel free to ask questions or make comments.
Welcome to those of you joining from Kim Handysides' blog. Here's my take on this week's questions. What’s your favourite aspect of novel writing? Dialogue? Setting? Conflict?Narration? Explain. I love writing dialogue. In my “real” job I write TV commercials. While this is not dialogue, it is writing for the ear. By this I mean you have to write the way people are used to hearing words said, not how they look on the page. And this translates really well to dialogue. I love to read great dialogue, too. Jennifer Crusie is amazing at this – snappy, witty, and so quick I sometimes re-read the passage just to enjoy it all over again. How do you choose the setting for your plot? Are they always similar settings or does it vary? (i.e., small town, big city, castle, etc.) My two published works have completely different settings (MOUNTAIN FIRE in a small city and its surrounding rural area, and CHEF D'AMOUR in Vancouver). My third completed manuscript is set mainly on the Azores, a tiny Portuguese archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic. The locations were pretty much determined by the plots – a grizzly bear poaching mystery, a television reality show, and an eco-adventure holiday. Beth Carter came up with our questions this week. She's a big six-word memoir fan, and has challenge all the RWW member to describe our writing day using just six words. Here's mine: Five hundred words. Just do it. How did Susan Scott Shelley describe her writing day? Find out here. If you like to read romance novels of all genres, join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all...about our writing, of course! Every week we'll answer the same questions. Once you've read my blog, the link below will direct you to another. Tell your friends and feel free to ask questions or make comments.
Our blog tour will six months old on July 29th. To celebrate our first milestone, the authors of Romance Weekly are giving back some of the love. We have incredible prizes on offer, including a Kindle Fire and multiple romance libraries. Enter for free by CLICKING HERE! If you've joined me from Mischka Jenkin's blog, welcome! 1. How much of yourself do you write into your characters? Or do you write characters completely opposite to you? I think the only answer I can give to this is “a little bit of both.” I can only write from my own perspective as a person, so no matter what, my characters will be coloured by my personality. But that certainly doesn't mean I write clones of myself (for one – I'm not a guy). If I look back on the four heroines I've written (or am writing) I can certainly see some similarities, but a lot of differences. For example, June (MOUNTAIN FIRE) is very athletic and comfortable spending time alone in the wilderness. Definitely NOT me. 2. Has your writing helped you see events in your own life clearer? Not in the sense that I've written a scene and then realized I'd written something that happened to me, but from a different angle. What writing has done (and what I am consciously, continuously working on) is made me SEE my life. It's so easy to let each day blur together, without taking the time to experience it. I'm a pretty focused person – when I'm going somewhere, I'm going there, and often forget to pay attention to the journey. To bring my stories to life, I have to pay more attention to my own life, in order to include the details and emotions that make good writing great. 3. Have you written a character with more of your personal characteristics than any other? Who are they? I'd have to say Jemma from my upcoming release, CHEF D'AMOUR, is pretty close. If I had her background, her situation, I think I'd react very similarly. She is fiercely loyal to her family, smart and a hard worker. She is also sarcastic, doesn't accept fools gladly and while she has dreams, often puts them aside in order to deal with “real life.” Now it's time to move on to J.J. Devine. Have fun! My second novel, a contemporary romance titled CHEF D'AMOUR, will be released by The Wild Rose Press on Friday, August 29, 2014!! The blurb is here, and an excerpt here. When MOUNTAIN FIRE came out about a year and a half ago, I was starting from scratch. Loyal friends and family supported me, and it was an amazing thrill when someone I didn't know posted a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Over the last few months I slowly built up my Facebook Author Page, worked hard on this blog, and most recently, joined the Romance Weekly Writers on their Tuesday blog hop. I'm hoping all of this will help launch CHEF D'AMOUR, and by connection MOUNTAIN FIRE, even higher. I have blogged before about the theory that true success rarely happens until Book #3. It makes a lot of sense to me, so I'm not holding out for a National Bestseller, but a girl can dream, can't she? After all, having one book published was a dream that, for years, I thought would never come true. On the eve of launching Book #2, my goals have grown, along with my skills and experience. Can't wait for what the future will bring! Do you like to read romance novels? Would you like to meet new authors, and learn more about your favorites? Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all...about our writing, of course! Every week we'll answer the same questions. Once you've read my blog, the link below will direct you to another. Feel free to ask more questions or make comments as you travel the rounds. as yo
If you've linked here from Sarah Hegger, welcome! Let's get right to the questions. A Hollywood producer is interested in your book. Can you come up with an enticing logline (plot summary of 25 words or less)? Okay, I cheated a bit (it's 28 words) but here is the logline for my upcoming release CHEF D'AMOUR (date TBA). A production assistant on a romance reality program falls for the show's bachelor. But that behind-the-scenes love jeopardizes her job – and the security of her ailing grandmother. I use a modified version of the Snowflake Method to plot my books, and the first thing you do is come up with a sentence like the above to encapsulate your novel. It usually changes by the end of the process, but it is a great exercise to get to the nucleus of your story. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Going strictly by her face, I'd choose Keira Knightley to play my heroine. Jemma Hedge is described by my hero, Paul Almeida, as a wicked fairy. Keira Knightley's sharp cheekbones, dark eyes and pointed chin fit really well. Also, she looks fabulous with a short hair cut, and Jemma's signature look is short at the nape, with long bangs tipped in fuschia pink for a bit of pizzazz. As for Paul, that's harder for me. He's Portuguese, dark and handsome, with dimples that slash his cheeks when he smiles. Patrick Dempsey comes to mind, except he's not the right age. I'd have to study up on this. How horrible can it be, searching the 'net for good-looking guys? :) Does the storyline of your novel compare with any films out there? I'm not a huge movie watcher, so I'd have to say not that I know of. However, the novel takes place on the set of a television romance reality show called “Reservations for Two”. Think “Iron Chef” meets the “The Bachelor.” Thirteen women are given a cooking challenge. Then the Chef d'Amour, Paul, chooses the best and worst dish. He goes on a date with the woman who created the best dish, and then can either send her home (if he didn't enjoy the date) or eliminate the woman whose dish was the worst. So while it's not based on a movie, it certainly is based on the public's love of reality programming! Now skip on over to visit Josie Malone and see what she has to say about this week's questions! |