I don’t know about you, but I love going to writing conferences (and also my monthly meetings!) There is so much creative energy in the air and whether I’m doing a workshop or listening to one, I always come away re-energized and inspired.
This weekend I’m going to the first ever Liberty States Fiction Writers Create Something Magical Conference. As a founding member, it’s so exciting to see such an amazing response to the conference as well as the group. 150 plus members in our second year and still growing. A diverse, amazingly talented, and totally upbeat collection of individuals!
We’ve got a similarly diverse and talented group of speakers coming to the conference as well 16 editors and agents. Such fun. It’s too late to register, but if you’re in the area, we’ll be having a book fair on Saturday from 5 to 6. Here’s the address for the hotel where the Create Something Magical Conference is being held:
Location and Directions
When: March 13, 2010 Where: Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel
515 Route 1 South & Gill Lane
Iselin, New Jersey 08830
Phone: 732-634-3600 Fax: 732-634-0258 Click here for more info on the hotel. Click Here to Get More Directions Using Mapquest
I hope you’ve got some fun plans for the weekend! Wish me luck during the conference. I’ll be meeting with some editors and also presenting two workshops.
Happy B’day to me! I want to thank you all for all the well wishes and the many messages you send to me every day! So to celebrate my b’day, we’re having a day long Birthday Bash celebration and contest!
Leave a comment on today’s (March 7th) blog before midnight EST for a chance to win a $25 Godiva Gift Card, copy of FURY CALLS and a SINS OF THE FLESH lunch bag!
There is only one thing that says Spring to me more than the crocuses popping their heads through the soil in Bryant Park. What is that one thing? The Philadelphia Flower Show!!
Yep, it’s that time of year again. My sis, niece and I are headed to the show tomorrow, so you won’t see a Fun Friday blog for me. But . . .
Sunday is my b’day so look for a day long celebration and contest! Leave a comment on Sunday’s March 7th blog before midnight EST for a chance to win a $25 Godiva Gift Card, copy of FURY CALLS and a SINS OF THE FLESH lunch bag!
It’s Fun Friday and it’s time for the Best Cat Video Ever according to its title at Youtube. It is really funny, but I’m wondering – If you have a cat, have they ever pulled one of these ambush tactics with you?
Mine hasn’t, although she loves to chase dry pasta around the floor.
Hope the snow isn’t too bad by you today in the Northeast! We’ve got at least a foot on the ground and the plows have yet to come through. What a pain!
The last two Thoughtful Thursdays I’ve been talking about Liberty, but as I mentioned during the blog on Big Brother and Big Government, Liberty is tough without having Life first.
On bigger levels, I hope that our leaders understand what they need to do to keep America safe.
On individual levels, there’s a lot we can do to safeguard ourselves, but today I want to talk about a writer’s life.
It’s not an easy life at times. If you’re not good with handling criticism or rejection, it’s probably not a good career choice.
If you’re in it for the big bucks, it’s probably also not a good choice.
If you’re in it because you have lots of stories in your head that you want to share with others — then a writer’s life is perfect for you!
So how is it that I decided to become a writer? If you’ve checked out my bio, you may know that in the fifth grade my teacher assigned a project – for us to write a book to be placed in a class lending library. The thought intrigued me so that I went home and started writing. When it came time to turn in the book, it was 120 typed pages (My poor mom worked at night for days to get it done!).
I knew then I writed a book, but for far longer than that, I’d had stories in my head.
I remember going to sleep at night and making up stories of princes, intrigue and sword fights (I always was on the dark side). The next night I would continue the story in my head, always moving it along.
After fifth grade, I started putting more and more ideas on paper and that continued throughout high school, college and even law school. So during all that time I was a writer.
Which brings me to the next thing – you don’t have to be published to be a writer. Writers write whether for just themselves or to share it with others. Thanks to the Internet, there are lots of ways to share your stories and satisfy the need to write.
So what made me decided to get published? For starters, and I am dating myself, there really wasn’t much in the way of the Internet back then for everyday people. The only way to share your stories was to go the traditional route of reaching out to a commercial publisher and having them buy your book.
With that in mind, I set out to get published and it took some time. At least six or seven years, but eventually it happened. I never gave up when I got rejection after rejection. I never lost sight of the dream that I had.
I also didn’t quit my day job. Which I guess brings me back to some tips I’d like to share with both pre-published and published writers!
1. Don’t quit your day job. Being a paid writer is an iffy proposition and economic worries will only be a drain on your creativity.
2. Don’t let rejection pull you down. You will not sell every novel you write. No one does (Well, except Nora Roberts although I’m sure she didn’t at first). Think of it as a ball game where .300 is a decent batting average. That’s one out of every 3 and ball players still get picked to play!
3. Learn to separate the wheat from the chaff. You may participate in critique groups or get “good” rejection letters from editors and agents. Be open to changes that are suggested, but learn how to separate bad suggestions from the good. You’ll have to trust your gut about that.
4. Don’t be a diva. Be willing to make changes and listen to what others say, especially editors and agents.
5. Join a support group. There is a reason why AA and Weight Watchers work. You need to be surrounded by people who understand what you are going through and can share their experience with you. They will also hopefully provide information on what’s happening in the industry and help you make contacts. (It is now time for a shameless plug for my local writing group – the Liberty States Fiction Writers – who is holding a marvelous conference on March 13th!)
6. Stay active. Writing is a both a solitary and sedentary life. With respect to the sedentary, try to move around during stints of writing and get some exercise!
7. Don’t lose sight of your dream! It’s not an easy road, but if you turn back, you will never reach your destination.
Hope you enjoyed today’s thoughts on a writer’s life!
Today is Valentine’s Day, a very special holiday for romance writers. In celebration of that special day, I’m taking part in the Writerspace Soiree! Drop by for lots of fun and exciting prizes! Here is some more info on it and make sure to register in advance for all the cool stuff:
It’s time again for the annual Writerspace Valentine Party, to celebrate love, chase away the winter doldrums and just to get in the mood for romance! So please join me and dozens of your favorite authors at the 2010 Valentine Soiree at Writerspace on Sunday, February 14th from 8pm ET to 11pm ET. Authors will be dropping in to chat all during the evening and we will be giving away 100s of new books and other fantastic prizes — autographed, hard-to-find, advance copies plus special treats like gift baskets and more. We hope to see you Sunday night! You don’t have to be present to win, but you must be registered. To register, and for details on all participating authors and the prizes they’re giving away, visit http://www.writerspace.com/Valentine. To register, click here!
On another exciting note, FURY CALLS my March 2009 release has been awarded a coveted CataNetwork Reviewers’ Choice Award for 2009. CataNetwork reviewers considered FURY CALLS one of the best that they have read and reviewed for CataRomance this year! Woo hoo! Thank you CataNetwork!
Sorry not to have something really wicked this Wednesday but we’ve been busy shoveling and trying to telecommute because we’re being socked with yet another blizzard! Here are some photos for you though!
You may remember that I had picked Tim as one of our Guilty Pleasures some time back. I had been impressed not just with his looks, but with his leadership, acts of kindness and intense belief in his faith. He has once again shown that he practices what he preaches.
We’re having a slightly different Tuesday today for lots of reasons. It’s Groundhog Day for one and I hope that pesky critter (whose distant cousin has been ravaging my garden for years) is predicting an end to winter.
It’s also my grandma’s b’day. She would have been ancient! LOL! 106 to be exact, although she only lived to 94. Still a good age by any measurement.
But the big celebration is the launch of the ROMCON forums and a chance to win an assortment of prizes.
Here’s the note from ROMCON for you:
RomCon celebrates 14 Days of Love February 1 – 14! Join us as we launch our three different reader forums, Contemporary, Historical, and Fantasy/Futuristic & Paranormal (FF&P), with visits from special guest authors, fun topics to chat about, and gifts and goodies galore!
Any reader who leaves a comment during our special promotion will be entered to win a free Reader Registration to RomCon™ 2010! And any author who provides goodies for this exciting event will be entered to win an Author Registration to RomCon™ 2010!
Please note you do have to register to be able to post comments! Drop by the other forums and topics as well for a chance to win a reader registration to the conference. I’ve also donated a prize: autographed copies of FURY CALLS and SINS OF THE FLESH as well as a SINS insulated lunchbag!
Be sure to leave a comment to be entered for the giveaways. Thanks!
I am so happy to have with me today a very dear friend and fellow author, Autumn Jordon! We’ve known each other for years and in addition to being my friend, Autumn is a RWA Golden Heart Finalist and debut author. Which just goes to show how hard work and determination are the keys to success in life.
Without further ado, here’s Autumn!
*****
“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.” Richard Bach
A friend gave me a plague with the above quote inscribed on it some twenty-five years ago. The plague still hangs on my office wall. That quote has inspired me to take steps in my life that I might not have taken otherwise.
One path I started on was to strive to write for publication and years later, I’m finally seeing my dreams come true. My first release, OBSSESED BY WILDFIRE, hits the cyber-shelf today! I’m so excited. My stomach clenches as I wonder if anyone will dish out cash for the story. If they decided to, I don’t think they’ll be disappointed.
OBSESSED BY WILDFIRE is not my first completed novel, it’s not even my second or third. It’s my fifth. Does its ranking, among my completed works, diminish the excitement which tingles my entire soul today? HE** NO.
OBSESSED BY WILDFIRE is rated HOT! I didn’t know I could write HOT. My editor thinks I could erotica. My answer to her is a topic for another blog.
The story, set in the Texas town of Wayback, is about a woman who meets a man who could stop her from her accomplishing her dreams. I love the banter Isabelle’s emotional conflict causes between her and the sexy fire marshal, Warner. The couple made me chuckle. By the end of the book, Isobel learns love can make dreams a whole lot sweeter.
Excerpt:
“Warner Keyson. You?” He folded his arms across his chest. His muscles bulged from beneath the rolled back sleeves of his white dress shirt. She’d seen bigger forearms—on a few NFL players.
“Isobel Trinidad.”
“Well, Ms. Trinidad, you could’ve caused some damage or killed someone the way you barreled in here.”
“The last time I heard, Raleigh was Wayback’s chief and you’re not one of his officers. Besides everyone’s inside.”
“There could be a couple or two in the backseat of those cars. You know, enjoying the night.”
Warner Keyson’s warm caramel gaze drifted over her and Isobel’s legs buckled a degree before she roped off her reaction. Refusing to look away, she wrestled the urge to step closer and touch the cute dark lock that curled behind Mr. Keyson’s right ear. “Were you peeking in windows?”
“Nah, not peeking.” His full lips pulled up the tiniest bit.
Looking pass him, she scanned the cars. Had he been in the backseat of one of them? Had one of the local girls already run him down and claimed him?
“So what do you have in mind with that whip?”
*****
If you’d like to read the entire story, and I hope you will, here is the link to The Wild Rose Press home page. http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
I don’t know about you, but I love going to writing conferences (and also my monthly meetings!) There is so much creative energy in the air and whether I’m doing a workshop or listening to one, I always come away re-energized and inspired.
Today is Valentine’s Day, a very special holiday for romance writers. In celebration of that special day, I’m taking part in the Writerspace Soiree! Drop by for lots of fun and exciting prizes! Here is some more info on it and 
On another exciting note, 
but we’ve been busy shoveling and trying to telecommute because we’re being socked with yet another blizzard! Here are some photos for you though!
I am so happy to have with me today a very dear friend and fellow author, Autumn Jordon! We’ve known each other for years and in addition to being my friend, Autumn is a RWA Golden Heart Finalist and debut author. Which just goes to show how hard work and determination are the keys to success in life.
