The best advice is often not what you expected. This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, Leslie Hachtel asks… Who gave you the best advice ever? What was it and how did it help you? The best life advice I ever received came in fifth grade from my dad. I had been placed in a class with the “scary” teacher – the one all the kids told horror stories about. I’m pretty sure I came home from school in tears. My dad told me to give it one month. If the teacher was a bad as everyone said he was during that month, my parents would ask to have me transferred to another class. While that teacher never became my favourite, by the end of the month I realized I could handle it. He was still terrifyingly strict and had very high standards, but I learned how to work with his expectations. Since then, I’ve used the “just give it a month” mantra when I moved away to go to post-secondary education, when I had troubles with a new boss, when my first child was born, and in many other situations. It really does work for me. In regards writing advice, this might not have been the “best” advice, but it made a huge impact on me. So much so, I share it all the time with other writers. It is: Never start a sentence with “there was.” Now, like all rules, there are exceptions. But the thought behind this advice is best shown by example. There was a house on the corner of the street that stood tall and grim and always scared me. The grim, tall house on the corner always scared me. See how the second sentence is so much more engaging? How about you? What is the best advice you ever received? Let me know below, then hop over to Leslie Hachtel for more free advice!
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Sometimes being grateful isn’t a feeling. Sometimes it’s an act of defiance. 2020 has been that kind of year. That’s why this week’s Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop is so important. Leslie Hachtel commands: Tell us what you are most grateful for. If you joined me from Clair Brett, welcome. It will be hard to write this post without being too maudlin. 2020 has had its challenges – COVID and non-COVID related – but in the grand scheme of things, it would be selfish of me to complain. There have been a lot of wonderful things, too, including the announcement of two grandbabies soon to join our family. So what am I most grateful for? The way this year has forced me to realize how much I took for granted. Hugs from family. Face to face visits with friends. The freedom to come and go when and where I please. Days unburdened by anxiety. Once these trying times have passed, it will only be human nature to relax back into the casual acceptance of all these things. But I hope the memory of 2020 will help me take a little extra joy in the ordinary everyday. I’d love to hear what you are most grateful for. Leave a comment below, then be sure to hop over to Caro Kinkead who is next on the list. The Bendixon Sisters Series is on sale this week!ALLEGRO COURT – FREE! (was 99 cents) Mattie thinks she sees a way to save her beloved construction company—if she can convince world-class cellist Marcus Temple, the man who destroyed her dreams once before, to stay in his hated hometown for one month. All she has to risk is her heart. GATEWAY CRESCENT – ONLY 99 CENTS! (was $2.99, will be going up to $3.99 after this week) Jo is flighty and scattered and impulsive – or that’s what her sisters think. Luke Donwell is destined to be a Catholic priest – or that’s what his parents hope for. Neither is prepared for the heat between them. Jo’s heart will break when he leaves her, but how can a girl compete with God? CROSSROADS CORNER - $2.99 (will go up to 3.99 after this week) Nothing will stop Camryn from dragging Bendixon and Sons back to profitability—especially not Will Danson, the sexy single dad who is standing in her way. Soon the two are competing for construction bids and career-making contracts. But it is Camryn’s battered heart that Will truly wants to win. New Release from Caro Kinkaid - To Lure a LordShe must find a husband quickly or be forced into an arranged marriage. But can the man trying to scuttle her efforts be the answer to her prayers? The London season is a ticking clock for Augusta Eastleigh. With her mother’s help, she has a marriage prospect she hopes will satisfy her grandfather, the Earl of Forebridge. But Lord Blair MacDonald, recently returned to London, does not look kindly on her efforts to snare his friend. Nor does he hesitate to make his views known about Augusta and the rumors surrounding her birth. Blair has more than one reason to dislike the girl. With his older brother Hamish critically wounded while fighting on the Peninsula, and his eldest brother refusing to marry, the Marquess of Rutherglen has decided his third son will be the one to carry on the family line. Which means he needs to marry. Now. The girl his father has chosen for Blair? None other than Augusta Eastleigh. The situation pleases neither of them. But with the heads of the families set on the match, can they find common ground together, or will they face an unhappy future? Amazon B&N Apple Kobo Google Play Inspiration comes in many forms. It can be something as small as a snippet of conversation overheard in a coffee shop, or as life changing as the first person that believes in your talent. This week on the Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop, A.S. Fenichel asks: What inspires you? Do you or did you have a mentor, parent or friend who you credit with making you the person you are today? It doesn’t have to be a person: Music, Art.... In the largest, most general sense, my inspiration as an author has come from the many, many, MANY authors I read as a child—even those whose names I can no longer remember. The simple fact that someone in a city or country far away—or even on a day long before I was born—wrote words that I was reading seemed a miracle to me (and still often does). I wanted to have that connection with a reader, too. When it comes to what stories I write, I am mostly inspired by everyday life and the people around me. I firmly believe there is someone for everyone—those people that seem unlikeable for some (usually superficial) reason, and those who, if you could get them to admit it, believe they are unlovable for some real or imagined issue. I want to give those people the happy endings we all deserve! As a person, I wouldn’t be who I am today without the love and support of my husband. He is always the first to read my books and will talk about his “author wife” given the slightest encouragement. I can’t say I would have given up on this publishing journey without his faith in me, but he certainly has made it a much more enjoyable ride. I encourage you to hop over to Caro Kinkead and see what or who she credits as her inspiration.
Leslie Hachtel has set a near impossible task this week: Which romance novel hero/heroine would you like to spend some time with and why? Really? Like I could pick just one? I don’t even know where to start, but I’ll try. I recently read “The Kiss Quotient” by Helen Hoang. The heroine has Asperger’s Syndrome, and the story is sweet and lovely. Stella has a unique view of the world, and I think she might be a very refreshing person to get to know. I might also like to meet Eve Dallas and Roarke from J. D. Robb’s “In Death” series. They are one of my favourite romance couples – but I might also be too intimidated! They are both such strong characters that I might be too starstruck to say anything (which, if you know me, is saying a LOT!) One of my all-time favourite writers is Courtney Milan. I love her historical fiction the best, and meeting any or all of her characters from those books would be amazing! Violet, from “The Countess Conspiracy” is a genius who is investigating genes and inheritance traits. I love that sort of science, and I think it would be a thrill to discuss that with her over coffee some day. How about you? Is there a character you’d like to meet? Tell me about it in the comments, then hop over to A. S. Fenichel and see who she who she would like to spend time with. I had the chance to apply to a summer-themed promotion with KOBO US. I won't know if I'm in it until Thursday (July 11) but I decided to put my two summer books on sale anyway! You can pick up NO LIFE BUT THIS and MOUNTAIN FIRE for just 99 cents, from now until July 21.
Welcome to this week’s Blog Hop! This week’s topic is presented by—well, actually, I don’t know, because they didn’t give their name. But here you go! I love daily mantras, they get me through the day and almost always gets me through tough times. What gets you over the hump of a really bad day? I don’t think I’ve ever recited a mantra in my life. I can understand their usefulness—having something to focus on can certainly centre you and help calm your soul. But I’m more of a “do something” person. When something is going wrong or I’m having a bad day, I like to take action to make it better. That’s not to say I don’t have some sayings that I use to remind myself to just breathe when the going gets tough. One of my best bosses used to deal with issues by saying “As long as it’s not our fault.” He wanted us to know that, as long as we’d done our best and hadn’t been the cause of the issue, not to sweat it. If it was our fault, we were expected to own up to it, of course, but it is easy when you are leading a team to take all the blame onto your own shoulders, and that way lies madness. My favourite saying, though, when things go awry, is “nobody died.” I mean no disrespect to people who have gone through the horrible loss a loved one, but I use it to bring things into perspective. When I make a mistake or a client is angry or a job doesn’t get done on time, I take a deep breath and remember what’s really important. Usually that’s enough to get me off the ledge and handle the problem without becoming too emotionally involved. What about you? What helps you get through a bad day? I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Then be sure to hop over to Jenna Da Sie and see how she copes with life.
Social media has dramatically changed how writers interact with readers. Snail-paced fan mail has been usurped by instant reviews, posts and tweets. It has also changed how writers interact with agents and publishers. They are less the men and women behind the curtain a la the Wizard of Oz, and more often people we follow on Twitter and like on Facebook.
Writers used to be told to have our Elevator Pitch ready – a short blurb of our story that could be given to an agent or publisher when we have them trapped in an elevator, riding from one floor to the next. Now we have the Twitter Pitch – 140 characters or less! Agents/Publishers create a hashtag and follow the pitches on twitter, watching for retweets and favourites to see what resonates with other writers and readers. This week we've been challenged to Twitter pitch our WIP or latest release. I’ve done this a couple of times, and trust me – it is HARD! It’s especially hard when you need to take into account the hashtag you must include or no one will see your tweet (I made up one, to keep in the spirit of the game). If you joined me from Kate Robbins blog, what did you think of her pitches? Sound intriguing, don't they? I figured if I’m going to go through this exercise, why not take advantage of it? So I am going to post 2 different versions of pitches for each of my finished manuscripts. Which one do you like best? NO LIFE BUT THIS (contemporary): #RWWPITCH Can the shifting sands of a vacation affair become the rock on which a life-long relationship is built? #RWWPITCH She’s a reserved quiet soul. He’s an adventurous, cheerful womanizer. Together they ignite a passion neither is ready for WHEN TIME FALLS STILL (romantic suspense): #RWWPITCH She’s on tenure track until a sexy campus security guard distracts her, yet more than her heart is in danger at this university. #RWWPITCH Does a university professor dare put passion over ambition? Or will she lose more than her heart to this sexy security guard? Let me know your favourites in the comments. Then be sure to hop on over to Xio Axelrod's blog. She's the one who set this topic for this week, so I have high expectations. :) I'm taking a week off from the Romance Writers Weekly - but that doesn't mean everyone is! Start your tour with Mishka Jenkins - she and all the other great writers of RWW are answering these three questions:
1. What’s your ideal hero: alpha or beta and why? 2. Do you have a male buddy or mate you use for confirmation or inspiration when crafting your heroes? 3. What does any hero have to do to win your heart? And don't forget to enter our Great Giveaway - prizes will be awarded July 29! 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! At the end of October I will be attending my first ever writers' conference. A good friend and I have talked about going to the Surrey International Writers' Conference for years, and we are finally going!
I don't really know what to expect. There will be workshops and lunches and dinners and get-togethers, and I am hoping to learn a lot and meet many like-minded people. But I am most excited for the Pitch Session and Blue Pencil appointment. In the Pitch Session, I'll have a chance to present my work to an agent. In the new publishing world, an agent's role is changing, but I think there are still many times when an author with an agent is in a stronger position that one without. At the very least, it will give me practice in promoting my work! In the Blue Pencil appointment I can bring three pages (only three? How can I pick which three?) to a professional and have them review it. I am torn about this. What if our styles don't match? What if she thinks it is trite and cliche? Pitching an idea seems much less nerve-wracking than actually showing someone my work in progress. Regardless of what happens, I'm sure the weekend will give me much to think about and endless opportunities to grow as an writer. I can't wait! I am pleased to welcome Christine Elaine Black as the very first guest on my blog! Christine is also published with The Wild Rose Press, and last Friday she was gracious enough to interview me on her blog. I thought it only fair to offer her the chance to answer her own questions...and here she is! CEB: Hello everyone. I’m thrilled to be a guest of fellow writer, Brenda Margriet, today. Thanks for having me. BM: What draws you as a reader to the romance genre? CEB: I’m drawn to the romance genre as a reader mainly by historical romantic fiction. There’s something about visiting another time and place that once existed but has vanished into the mists of time that fascinates me. I love learning new facts about history, so the genre fulfills those aspects plus I enjoy romance intertwined with a compelling tale. BM: In your books, 'historical' means waaaayyy back – to the time of the Romans. Most of the historical romances I've read go no further back than the Regency era. It's amazing how romance suits every time and place. What do you find is the most difficult part of writing a love story? CEB: The difficult part is to make the reader care about the characters and their issues as much as the writer. We know as the creator of the story that our characters have all the elements to make us fall in love along with them but relaying that on paper is a challenge. It’s easy to get caught up in the story of the hero/heroine and forget touches of thrilling romantic moments that make our readers melt. BM: Is creating a book title easy for you? Tell us about the process. CEB: Titles are tricky things. They are designed to capture the attention of a potential reader and convey the essence of the book. My original title for MAXIMUS, book I of the Imperial Desire series was… Maximus. Strong roman men and the women who love them is the central theme of my books. Add the element of desire then I have the final choice for the book and the series. BM: I really struggle with titles. I even asked for help from the readers of your blog, asking for suggestions for my next book. I encourage anyone reading this to go to Christine's blog and give me a hand – you could win some swag! On to the next questions - Do your characters love the direction you take for them or do they have other ideas? CEB: My characters go in all kinds of directions, especially the men. As I write a scene I find them doing and saying things I never imagined. It often works out for the best as my inner muse ultimately guides the story. I trust the process and write as much as I can before reviewing the work to decide if major tweaking is necessary. Maximus surprised me at the end of the book but to reveal more would require what they call a spoiler alert!! BM: Any tips for writers that you’d love to share? CEB: Yes. Get some work out there and get some feedback. I joined a few author sites to see what my fellow writers had to say about the industry and receive general feedback. One of the best things about writing today is the huge amount of resources available at our fingertips. I can’t imagine doing this without a computer, a group of online friends and the greatest thing… the online submission process. I must give a shout out to my publisher – The Wild Rose Press - who are a fantastic organization giving many romantic authors the opportunity to publish their work. BM: I have also enjoyed my experiences with The Wild Rose Press. The advent of e-books has certainly opened the doors for a lot of first time authors. Where can readers find out more about you? CEB: They can check out my blog, website and Facebook! BM: And now for the fun part - tell us about your next book. CEB: Yay! Coming soon is TAURUS, book II of the Imperial Desire series. The news of a release date from The Wild Rose Press is due any day now. I’m pleased to have the book cover to show you today along with the blurb. Rebellious and strong-willed, Kalliassa flees a political betrothal arranged by her brother, the emperor of Rome. She runs to the one man capable of preventing the match - her brother's sworn enemy. Unwittingly, she throws her fortunes into the hands of a man pledged to destroy Roman rule. Taurus, proud Governor of Panua, would do anything to provoke the emperor, even ruin an imperial sister. But Kallie is like no woman he's ever met and she tests his strength of will and his solemn vow to end the reign of her family, forever. Can true love overcome lust, lies and deceit? And here is the cover and blurb for Maximus, which is currently available! Carissa Valeria distrusts the handsome soldier who rescues her reckless son from plunging to an early death. Recalling the man's heartless treatment of her from years ago, she itches to even the score, but her son hails the rescuer as a hero. When he becomes her neighbor, her son's friendship with the soldier threatens to uncover old secrets and place her family and her heart in danger.
Exiled to the countryside by the Roman emperor, Maximus is confounded by the brittle countenance of the woman he's willing to befriend. She's afraid, and he's determined to find out why. But helping Carissa and her son means confronting the guilt of his long-forgotten past and stirring the silenced passion in his heart. Can Maximus win Carissa before fear and revenge tear them apart forever? Thanks so much for joining me on my blog, Christine! Best of luck with your writing!
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