Writing Ramblings | Caridad Pineiro® Romance Author

March 27, 2008May 9, 2017

Thoughtful Thursday – Confessions of a Science Geek

Image courtesy of Microsoft Word Clip Art I have a confession to make. I’m a science geek. Always loved messing with all those test tubes and doing experiments which is I guess why I was a science major in college.

One of the best Christmas presents I ever got was a chemistry lab and you can bet that I did every single experiment that came with that kit and proudly showed them to my mom who appreciatively murmured her approval at the bits of black gunk floating around in the test tube.

If Fate hadn’t thrown me a curve, I probably would have continued to pursue some kind of career in the sciences, but instead I ended up in law school and eventually, took up writing again.

Writing is a wondrous thing in so many ways, including allowing me to explore my inner geek again! I’m happy to say that I accepted a two book deal from Grand Central Publishing for a new paranormal romantic suspense series which relies heavily on science. TAINTED BLOOD, the first book in the series, is about a gene therapy victim who finds herself not only developing superhuman powers, but also accused of a murder she did not commit.

So the geek in me has been busy researching all kinds of things, like gene expression and splicing. Unusual diseases and using gene therapy treatments to cure them. Lots of fun stuff.

It helps that I took genetics, immunology, biochem and a bunch of other higher level science classes during college and I’ve been keeping up off and on on with what’s happening in the bio/genetic engineering world just ’cause it’s so interesting!

I know, I know. Geek. I’d be the perfect match for CHUCK or the guys from THE BIG BANG THEORY. But that’s okay.

Someone’s got to love the nerds. Of course, the hero in this book, Mick Carerra, is anything but a nerd. He’s ex-military and a man with a past who knows only one thing — he’s got a check with a lot of zeroes to compensate him for bringing in our gene-challenged heroine.

This book is slated for publication some time in 2010, so I’ll keep you posted on the progress!

On another note, I’ve got a friend, Lisa Daily — who’s a syndicated columnist, author, media personality — and she’s got a book out right now that you might like. Lisa will be visiting on April 2nd to tell us about her new release and offer up a prize to anyone who posts a comment on the blog. So please drop by then!

For information on Lisa in the meantime, you can visit www.lisadaily.com by clicking here.

March 25, 2008August 18, 2009

The POV Camera

One of the hardest things to understand as a new (or even established writer) is POV – Point of View.

When I wrote my first novel, I didn’t even have any idea what POV was. I had been a biology major and although I’d been writing since the fifth grade, I had never had anyone talk to me about POV. The end result was that my first completed book was 1200 pages long and in a POV that pulled the reader out of the story.

So how do you know what POV you’re using and how do you keep that POV firmly focused?

I like to use a technique that I call the POV camera. What’s the POV camera? Think of the character telling the story as a cameraman focusing a camera on the scene. That character can only see what’s happening before the camera lens. Keep that in mind as you consider the three most popular POVs in fiction, namely, Omniscient Narrator, Third Person and First Person.

What are the traits of these POVs?

Omniscient Narrator (3rd Person): An Omniscient Narrator is someone who can see everything and comment on it. Think of the Omniscient Narrator as a cameraman perched up high up on a boom crane filming everything that’s happening down below. He says everything and can skip from one person to another and tell/see everything about them.
With an Omniscient Narrator, there isn’t anything that is unknown. The Omniscient Narrator can tell the reader everything about everyone.

Sounds good, right? Well, the problem is that when you tell the reader about everything, you don’t let them engage in the story. You don’t trust them to figure some things out for themselves and get involved by trying to figure it out.

To do Omniscient Narrator right is a difficult task, so I would recommend you stick to the one of the other two POVs.

Third Person: Third Person is probably the most common POV in modern fiction today. Basically, Third Person is when one of the characters in the story is telling the tale. Because of that, think of the camera that characters would be holding and what that character would see. Those are the only things that the POV character can describe. So, that character can’t describe how they look (and please, stay away from looking in the mirror shots if at all possible!).
Also, the POV camera can’t read the other person’s mind, so the character can’t know what the other person is thinking, they can only guess at what they are thinking.

That helps build conflict and tension. It also allows the reader to guess at it. In addition, because you are seeing things through this character’s POV camera, you are getting to know the character by how they react to what’s happening. This builds a relationship with the character.

In romance, we do jump to the POV of other characters, usually “head-hopping” from the hero to heroine. How do you do it right? Don’t do it too often and don’t give away too much information when you do “head-hop”. And to keep things straight, remember the POV camera and what the character can see through that lens.

Last, but not least is First Person which has become quite popular in certain genres, such as chick lit and even urban fantasy (think Anita Blake). What is First Person POV?

First Person POV: “It’s all about me.” The “I” and nothing else. First Person is when one character is telling the entire story and uses “I” (first person singular) whenever the character is describing what’s going on.
So, the POV camera is much like Third Person, but everything is filtered much more personally by the cameraman. Every piece of information, even that of other characters, is touched by/colored by the First Person cameraman.

What does that create? Sometimes a greater sense of intimacy since you get to know the character very well. It can also be misleading if the First Person cameraman isn’t dealing with reality (think about using a soft focus lens on an older woman at a minimum or totally choppy and jumpy like someone wired on drugs).

Done well, First Person can be very very effective. Done poorly, you get tired of hearing “all about me” all the time.

Personally, I really struggle with First Person. I find it very difficult to always be working in the “I” and prefer third person. I think the important thing to consider when deciding what POV to use is, which do you feel most comfortable in? You need to find you voice and what POV works best with that voice. Then you can start writing and remember — Put yourself behind the camera so you can be sure that what you’re doing is right for the POV you’ve chosen.

Good writing to you all!

March 13, 2008

Thoughtful Thursday – Another winner

Only some short thoughts today since I’m off in Milwaukee for some business. A really nice city Milwaukee, but way cold. Last time I was here it was -20. Today is supposed to be positively balmy at 40 degrees!

I love traveling and seeing all these different places. As a writer, it really helps to experience new people and places. Real life knowledge of the area, foods, language, etc. help to create realistic scenes for readers.

Will I set a book in Milwaukee soon? Maybe. But for sure I’ll be setting my next paranormal romantic suspense series in the Philadelphia and Jersey Shore areas. I’ve been busy visiting those locales to get info for the new books.

New books, you ask? Yep, some new books I’m working on and I’ll be spilling the beans about those soon!

And now . . . the drum roll again . . .

The winner of Wednesday’s B’Day Blog is Jeanne, my Cat Lady! Congrats Jeanne! Please send me your postal address.

March 6, 2008

Thoughtful Thursday – The Just Because Voter

Image Courtesy of Microsoft Word Clip Art It’s been interesting watching all the primaries and caucuses and seeing what’s happening with the nomination process for both the Democrats and Republicans. The ups and downs of the various candidates has been fascinating.

What’s also fascinated me is the all too common comment I hear from many people. What comment?

I’m voting for (fill in the blank) because he/she is black/a woman/a Republican/a Democrat.

You may have guessed from prior comments that I tend to be conservative by nature, especially fiscally. But I’m liberal in lots of other ways and because of that, I generally try to listen to what each of the candidates is saying before making up my mind.

I don’t normally do the “just because” vote. I won’t vote for someone just because they are female/black/Latino/Democrat/Republican/ex-Met/writer/TV star/author/from New Jersey/New York/green-eyed/brown-haired/ . . .

You get it. So in 2008, I’m going to listen carefully, read even more carefully and vote for someone because of what they stand for and what plans they have in place for this country. I’m not going to vote for anyone, whether it’s Clinton/Obama/McCain just because . . .

March 4, 2008May 12, 2017

Marketing for Writers

First of all, I want to thank Erin D. Galloway, who is the Marketing and Publicity Coordinator for Dorchester Publishing, and Lisa Renee Jones, a fellow author and friend, for the help with my PROMO OR PERISH workshop. This Tuesday’s Tip is a just a small part of a workshop on promotion tips for writers and I hope it helps any of the published authors out there with their promotional plan.

Here’s some things to think about when deciding how to market your book and when to think about them:

12 months prior to publication:

Make a list of all of these things and plan ahead to avoid a last minute rush. It’s always more expensive to do things at the last minute and what you do may be less effective if you don’t get the word out in time.

9-10 months prior to publication:

Also, your editor can let you know what they’ve got planned for pubilicity so that you don’t duplicate what’s already being done.

7 months prior to publication:

Your plans of whether to embark on a sizable promotion or book signing or to place advertising should be finalized. In addition, your editor and publicity department should be fully aware of those plans so that your companyâ€™s sales staff has the tools necessary to present your book to their accounts. If you intend to send advance galleys to booksellers, you should do so now.

3-4 months prior to publication:

Send ARCs or galleys to reviewers. If you donâ€™t have bound advanced reading copies, a photocopy of your author galley plus a cover flat and a short letter is sufficient. Also remember that the reviewers can be very busy and may not get to reading your book right away. Patience. They will get to it, but if you’re writing a category book, you may want to send the ARCs even further ahead so that the reviews will be available before your book is off the shelves.

Last but not least, remember to keep your publisherâ€™s publicity department informed of your promotion efforts, whether big or small. The publicity department can take what you’re doing and help get the word out. Also, you can avoid duplicating efforts and save money by keeping them informed.

Hope this was a helpful Tuesday Tip!

February 28, 2008May 9, 2017

Thoughtful Thursday – I spam because I am

Image courtesy of Microft Word Clip Art Today’s Thoughtful Thursday is about spam. No, not that canned spiced ham that Hawaiians seem to love so much (did you know that Junk Food News notes “Hawaii leads the way with 6.7 million cans sold annually, which amounts to 5.5 cans per year per Hawaiian.”)

I’m talking about those annoying e-mails that seem to slip past all our best efforts to catch them, flooding our e-mail boxes with dozens of messages about buying Viagra, getting bigger penises or receiving a check for 5555 bazillion dollars if we would only be so kind as to send them all our banking information.

Sex and money are clearly on the minds of these spammers and their intended targets.

I asked one of our techs, “Why do they do this?”

His answer was simple. Not only because they can, but because they send out so many millions of e-mails, even a low percentage of response is a good thing. According to CNET News “the Web site trustedsource.org, (reported that) there were a total of 154.3 billion mail messages sent around the world Sunday and 117.4 billion of them were spam.”

And the spam isn’t just limited to e-mail boxes. The blogs get hit as well with all kinds of fake comments that need to be caught and purged.

Recently there have been efforts made to establish laws to prosecute spammers. The U.S. Congress passed the CAN-SPAM Act in 2003. (Notice how much less spam you’ve been getting since then — NOT!)

The one thing that the CAN-SPAM Act has done is make it harder for legimate businesses to send bulk e-mails to willing participants. Or at least, that’s been my personal experience.

So what can we do about the spammers? Well, the Internet Service Providers and software companies continue to develop products to battle the spammers. You can download a spam blocker and try to keep it current. Try being the operative word because the spammers seem to find ways around the software almost as soon as it’s updated.

What else can you do? I don’t know about you, but maybe I need to explore whether any of my heroes needs that Viagra or a bigger penis . . . No wait . . . I think we like our heroes ready, willing and able.

So I guess I have no choice but to hit that delete button, again and again and again and again.

February 27, 2008

Wicked Wednesday – Taking It Slow

Today’s Wicked Wednesday is about taking it slow — something that Sylvia and Carlos have a problem with in SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN.

The two have been hot for each other for several weeks since first meeting in SEX AND THE SOUTH BEACH CHICAS, but now they are pulling back from one another. Realizing that they need to deal with what they’re feeling for each other which goes way beyond the physical.

Here’s a little exchange between Sylvia and Carlos when the frustration of taking it slow and battling that attraction has created enough friction and tension to make tempers run short.

“Can’t sleep?”

Carlos stood in the hallway leading to her room, light limning the silhouette of his lean-hipped body.

There was no sense denying it, so she sat up on the couch, creating another loud cacophony as she did so. “Thinking
about . . . work and things. How about you?”

He walked toward her, the limp in his gait less noticeable than it had been a few days earlier when he had moved in. He had improved a lot in a short time even though she had noticed after their walk that morning that he had taxed himself. He had been tired and in pain when they had returned, although her attempts to ease his discomfort had turned into a rather nice interlude — until her mother had arrived for her surprise visit. But even then Carlos had toughed it out for her during the afternoon and the early dinner they had shared.

Despite this morning’s seeming setback, she could already notice not just his increased mobility, but that he seemed to have more strength. Even his color was better. Afternoons spent lazing in Lummus Park and the morning walks they were able to occasionally take had added a nice healthy glow to his skin and replaced the hospital pallor.

“Can’t sleep. Too much noise coming from in here.” He sat on the couch beside her and it creaked loudly. He met her guilty gaze. “There’s no reason that we both can’t get some sleep if you come to bed.”

“Come to bed? I was worried I might disturb your rest.” Feeling decidedly exposed, although the Victoria’s Secret cotton pajamas she wore were rather tame, she pulled up the comforter to just below her neck.

Carlos dragged a hand through his hair and sank back against the couch, prompting another squeak. “SÃ. In bed. With me. This way I can finally rest because I won’t be awake listening to you toss and turn and maybe you’ll even be able to get some sleep.”

She hadn’t realized she was keeping him up. “I’m sorry. I thought you were comfortable.”

“I am. But I’d be better if you just stopped being . . .”

“Pigheaded?” she offered when he hesitated.

“Okay, if pigheaded is the way you’re feeling. And what does that mean anyway? Pigheaded? How stupid a way is that to describe your stubbornness.”

“Stubbornness? How about understanding that I’m trying to be considerate,” she shot back, anger flaring to life at his annoyance.

“Considerate? The bed’s big enough for an army. What’s so considerate about — ”

“Leaving you alone to sleep? Do you think we would get much rest if I got into bed with you?” she said because she wanted him more than she cared to admit, but was smart enough to know that she also possibly wanted . . . more than something physical.

He sighed harshly and faced her. He wore a white muscle shirt and dark-colored sweats. The shirt did nothing to hide the immense breadth of his shoulders or his well-defined muscles. The sight of them reawakened the desire to feel those strong arms around her and just confirmed to her that getting in bed with him might lead to nothing but trouble.

“Do you think you’re that irresistible?” he said, surprising her.

“Huh? Me? You think this is about me?” she nearly yelled.

“SÃ. Do you think I can’t resist you?”

Well, that was a big ouch in the ego column. “You’re right. You’re a big boy. No reason to think you can’t keep your hands off me,” she said as she regally rose from the couch and wrapped the comforter around herself.

“If that’s what you want, amorcito,” he said and even in the dark, she could see the twinkle in his blue-green eyes. She had been played.

“What I want? I don’t know what I want. Maybe that’s the reason I’ve tried to be sensible and grown up about this,” she finally admitted.

Carlos shook his head. “Sensible? Grown up?”

He stood slowly, a bit of a hitch in the action as his leg protested the rise from her low-slung sofa, but then he stood before her. Leaned impossibly close and in a low, sexy tone said, “I think I like you better when you’re less sensible. When you follow your heart.”

He didn’t wait for her reply and headed for her bedroom, leaving her to stand there and think about what her heart wanted. About her giving in to her itch and finally doing all those things she had only just thought about for months now. Thought about every minute for the five days he’d been in her home.

As she walked toward her bedroom, she reminded herself that scratching too hard wasn’t a good thing. That if she maybe waited a bit, the itch might just go away.

But as she saw him waiting for her, his gaze hot as he tracked her flight to the far edge of the bed, she realized just how hard it was going to be to resist him.

***

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