Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Author Spotlight - Fiona Harper

Thanks so much to wonderful Riva author Fiona Harper who has agreed to join us today. Thanks so much for being with us today, Fiona!


What is your writing process?

Once I’ve had the initial idea for a story, I start fleshing out the characters. Usually, one character will be stronger in my mind, so I start with them. These days I don’t bother so much with minor details, such as where they went to school or what their hobbies are, but I try and dig as deep as I can to find out what makes them tick. What are the things they won’t compromise on, no matter what? What is their deepest fear? What do they long for in their heart of hearts? If you could get inside their heads, what would be running on a loop in the background – e.g. “I must be perfect” or “I can’t lose control”.

I find script-writing consultant, Michael Hauge’s questions and theories really helpful at this stage (http://storymastery.com). Then, once I know my characters well, I start to devise a plot that will push them to grow and change and learn their lessons. Essentially, I start with inner motivation and inner conflict first, and then I use the outer motivation and conflict to force them into facing their demons.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

This might seem a bit strange but I get away from the computer and out of the house. It’s so easy to be distracted by not only all the things that need to be done but emails and social media! I often write a first draft longhand, so I will take myself off to a café (or somewhere else where I have nothing else to do but write) and get on with it.

I use a kitchen timer. I set it for either 30 or 45 minutes and I start writing, and I don’t stop until it dings. Don’t tell anyone – but sometimes I do just go shopping…

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

Sigh. I’m trying to. Sometimes I go to the gym for a workout and then sit in the on-site café and write afterwards, because then I get to feel doubly virtuous! I really need to be a bit more consistent about it, though.

Do you believe in writer's block?

Yes and no. I’ve got stuck a few times, but I’ve written enough books now to know that if I just keep going it will get better – and usually after a much shorter time period than I expect. I don’t think I’ve suffered from true writer’s block yet, but I know friends who have, and it’s just awful.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?

In my book Break Up To Make Up, I had an in-car satellite navigation system that misbehaved and took the hero and heroine on a wild goose chase. All the sat nav’s crazy instructions were based on real-life experiences, unfortunately. No trouble from using it in the story, but it caused plenty of arguments in the car with my other half!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

It’s a lot less glamorous! And I don’t get to sit around and write all the time because there are plenty of other writing-related jobs that take up my time, like keeping accounts, checking proofs, updating my website and doing promotional stuff.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

To be honest, I’m not someone who loves the promotional side of things. I’m not an extrovert and I’m much happier just getting on with the writing. I think you have to find a way to promote yourself and your books in a way that you feel comfortable with, and different approaches will suit different personalities. I try to keep my website up to date, and I attempt (less successfully) to blog regularly, but I’m also active on Facebook and Twitter, although I tend to just pop on and be myself rather than have a big marketing strategy.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

I don’t know about anyone else, but I find really aggressive promotion (for anything) off-putting. My advice is for authors, no matter how excited we are about our latest book, is to remember that potential readers are people to engage with, not just statistics on a graph – that’s why we write in the first place, after all, isn’t it?

What did you learn while writing this book?

That I love writing in first person! It wasn’t something I’d tried before, so I was a little nervous about it. However, I loved the immediacy of it, and the way I could get right inside my character’s head and viewpoint in a way I’d never been able to do before.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

Definitely my heroine, Coreen. She’d appeared as a secondary character in two other books and I was desperate to give her a story of her own. Who wouldn’t fall in love with a sexy, sassy, polka-dot wearing vintage fashion drama queen? She was such fun to write – maybe because she’s very different from me and I got to be outrageous by proxy.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

Ooh, let me think… Well, Adam, the hero of Swept Off Her Stilettos, builds luxury treehouses for a living, so I think his ideal honeymoon would involve a treehouse somewhere tropical and secluded, where he could be in his own private world with his very lucky bride!


A little finger isn't properly dressed without a man wrapped around it...

Clothing connoisseur Coreen Fraser's film-star style never leaves her wanting for male attention! But sourcing for a 1930s murder-mystery weekend stops being fun when she discovers she has to wear a tweed suit and sensible shoes!

Meanwhile Coreen's best friend Adam Conrad has his own plans for the weekend... And one moonlit kiss later Coreen's blinkers fall from her eyes. Adam is the only man who knows the girl underneath the skyscraper heels and scarlet lipstick. But is she brave enough to invite him to kiss it off any time he likes...?

Swept Off Her Stilletos is available at Amazon UK, Amazon US, Mills&Boon, eHarlequin and, of course, all usual book stockists.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Writing versus Real Life

Don't you sometimes wish you could redraft real life? That clanger you dropped, written out of history? That embarrassing mistake erased from being? The unsuitable men you dallied with, gone forever?

I've lead a fairly quiet life, but my list of mistakes makes me wince nonetheless. And I frequently rewrite my past in my own head. Every incident is mentally edited so unreasonable points of view are wittily countered with word perfect arguments. And as for those unsuitable men...well, I can just tell them where to go before things get too serious.

Of course, it's too late to make a real difference. And nobody but me will ever know that, in my imagination, I've won every quarrel retrospectively. Unless I write about it in a story, of course.

And that's why, in my opinion, writing will win over real life every time. With writing, I can redraft until I present the perfect version of every event. What's more, I can wreak revenge on every single person who has ever annoyed me.

The girl who tried to bully me at school? Well, she lost her job in the very first short story I sold. The creep who tried to spike my drink at a party? I've murdered him in another short story. The best friend who had an affair with my husband? I have a lot of nasty stuff planned for her - probably enough for a full length novel.

As for the lovely people I've met (and thankfully there are many more of them), in my stories these wonderful beings are rewarded with all the terrific things they deserve.

If only it were so easy in the real world.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Breathless Press Submission Call

Themed Call for Submission 
Send your submissions to acquisitions@breathlesspress.com with the name of the anthology in the subject line. Breathless Press currently has the following themed submission calls:  

Ad-Dick-tion Anthology: Our Ad-Dick-Tion anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, be m/m (gay) orientated (m/m/f is fine as long as the two males have sex or a relationship together and not just with the female) and be original stories. There is no other theme besides being m/m. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. Deadline: May 5th, 2011 - October 31st, 2011. Published: May 4, 2012.

Hot Shots Anthology: Our Hot Shots anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides being erotic. All stories must be m/f. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. Deadline: Nov 26th, 2011 - April 30th, 2012. Published: Nov 30th, 2012.

Ravaged Anthology: Our Ravaged anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides having something to do with shifters. This can be wolf, lion, panther, etc. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. Deadline: Aug 4th, 2011 - Jan 31th, 2012. Published: Aug 3rd, 2012.

Crimson Anthology: Our Crimson anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides having something to do with vampires. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. Deadline: Feb 4th, 2012 - Jul 31th, 2012. Published: Feb 1st, 2013.

Serviced Anthology: Our Serviced anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides having something to do with the army, military, navy, or air force as well as being romantic/erotic in nature. We will be doing two a year, one with a focus on m/m stories, the other on m/f stories. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. M/M Deadline: Sept 8th, 2011 - Feb 29th, 2012. M/M Published: Sept 7th, 2012. M/F Deadline: Mar 10th, 2011 - Aug 31st, 2012. M/F Published: Mar 8th, 2013.

Home for the Holidays: Our Home for the Holidays is published for December. We will be releasing 8 stories in December all revolving around the holiday season. Stories must be more than 10k with a heat rating of 2 or more. Deadline: Jan 1st, 2012 - June 30th, 2012. Published: December 2012.

Hot Shifters: Our Hot Shifters are published for October. We will be releasing 8 stories in October all revolving around the shifters. This can be wolf, lion, panther, etc. Stories must be more than 10k with a heat rating of 2 or more. Deadline: Nov 1st, 2011 - April 30th, 2012. Published: October 2012.

Send your sexy stories to acquisitions@breathlesspress.com with the name of the anthology in the subject line. And please check out our submission guidelines here: http://www.breathlesspress.org/Page/submissions

http://www.breathlesspress.org

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Author Spotlight - Aimee Carson

The Minxes are super pleased to welcome the very lovely and supportive Aimee Carson to visit us today. Aimee is travelling today but will pop in to visit with us when she can, so let's make her feel welcome!

What is your writing process?
I’m a combination plotter/pantster, though I lean more heavily in the plotter direction. I develop the characters and conflict, do research, and write potential scene ideas on notecards—tacking them up on a story board (set up like a painter’s easel - dh is very handy) I take some time to think, ponder, dream, and wallow in the conflict, shuffling the order of the cards and filling in new scene ideas as I go. Once I’ve identified my major turning points, I start writing and rarely look at the board again. Of course, things often change because new layers to the conflict will be unearthed and interesting character quirks will be discovered. But that’s the fun, pantster part! As far as the writing goes, it’s up every morning at 3 or 4 and BICHOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard) ‘till I can’t take it anymore.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
Shopping is great, but I’d rather be riding my motorcycle! When I get really stuck and want to give up, I make myself write for 15 minutes on/5 minutes off. Giving myself those frequent breaks helps me keep at it when it’s a particularly difficult day.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
I have a dog who knows how to make life difficult if she’s not taken on her daily walk in the woods. And I do yoga—without the dog, of course.

Do you believe in writer's block?
I’m a firm believer in the theory that positive or negative thoughts often become your reality, so my take would be this: the moment you start thinking you have writer’s block, you do.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?
I get snippets of ideas from real life but so far there’s been no trouble. Of course, this is my debut book so there’s always hope :-]

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
Well, I knew there would be time pressures. I just had no idea how painful that could be!

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?
I blog, I twitter, and I’m on Facebook. My husband just signed me up for a google + account, but I refuse to participate until someone develops a SIMPLE, easy-to-use universal remote that will control all of the social networking sites. They can do it for your TV/stero/DVD player etc., so why not social networking?!?

What is your top promo tip for other authors?
I think it was Donald Mass who said there are two things that sell a novel: writing a good book and word of mouth. I believe it’s important to have an online presence—and I don’t mean constantly talking about yourself and your books. Engage with others and let them see the real you, because your personality and your voice are a big part of your brand. But most importantly, be kind, be considerate, and help promote others. Because I believe good karma finds its way back to you.

What did you learn while writing this book?
That revisions won’t kill you, you’ll just sometimes wish they would!

What was the most fun part of writing this book? The dialogue. I LOVE dialogue. And these two had a lot to say to each other :-]

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?
Sailing on a yacht in the Caribbean—completely staffed, including a master chef, of course.

What have the changes to the current Harlequin lines and branding meant to you? Have they affected your writing process?
I adore the new covers, but none of the changes have affected my process.

What do you think makes a Riva book Riva? Voice!

Thanks for having me here today, Minxes! My debut book, Secret History of a Good Girl, will be released in the UK September 16th as part of the Mills & Boon Loves anthology along with Maisey Yates, Barbara Wallace, and Leah Ashton. Its US release will be February of 2012.

Play with fire…
Miami hotel tycoon Paulo Domingues knows that beneath his events planner’s southern priss, Alyssa Hunt is all s
ass. Little Miss Prim has Paulo’s inner rebel roaring to life—he’s determined to seduce the fire out from behind it!
And you might get burnt!
Tough-cookie Alyssa hasn’t fought tooth and nail to shake off her past to be blindsided by one smooth-talking boss. Until, punch-drunk with desire, she succumbs to temptation and realises what she’s been missing out on! But will Miami’s most wanted bachelor run when he discovers the real reason behind her good-girl façade…?

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Writer's Productivity Trap


There seems to be a lot of pressure out there to pump out manuscripts and send them off to submissionland. If we’re not writing 150 bestsellers a year then we think we’re not writing fast enough. If Mary Sue down the street has submitted ten times in the last month and we haven't, then there’s something wrong with us. So, we take courses on how to write faster, better and in our sleep. We read books on how to write a book in a year, a month and 3.3 seconds.

Actually, some of those courses and books are quite good. But my point is that if you’re feeling anxious about the number of words you did or didn’t write yesterday you're not alone, you've fallen into the Writer’s Productivity Trap.

The problem with WPT is that it can result in an inability to write at all. Something that had once been your passion is suddenly so pressure packed that you’d much rather clean the toilet, iron your bedsheets or even paint your neighbour’s house. It’s human nature to avoid scary things, so don’t take this as the ultimate sign that you’re just not supposed to be a writer.

Donald Maass divides writers into two categories: storytellers and status seekers. What’s really interesting is that while you may start off a storyteller it can be easy, under the pressure of the industry, to start adopting status seeker traits.

So what is a storyteller and what is a status seeker? Donald Maass identifies that a storyteller's focus is on their story and making that story the best it can be by developing their craft. While they may be bewildered by some rejections they also recognize that something is missing from their writing and resolve to do something about it.

Status seekers, on the other hand, tend to live by the motto “get it in the mail, keep it in the mail”. They want to know how they can make their manuscripts acceptable and tend to be obsessed with promotion e.g. “Why throw money at authors who are already best-sellers? How am I supposed to grow if my publisher doesn’t spend some bucks pushing me?”

In contrast, Maass identifies that a status seeker will rush to send him “the first fifty pages and an outline a few months after the workshop” whilst a storyteller won’t show him their novels again for up to a year or more and certainly after several new drafts.

There will undoubtedly be status seekers in the industry with the sole intention of achieving the same sort of “glory” that JK Rowling did but there’s very little chance of that because they’ll be missing the key ingredient that inspires that sort of success and that is passion.

It makes sense that a storyteller, when exposed to the likes of social media and the productivity (whether real or imagined) of others could start to adopt the traits of status seekers. Suddenly there is enormous pressure to submit that partial in the shortest time possible, to always have something submitted, to churn out manuscripts. And it can happen in gradual way so that you don’t even know you’ve gone over the dark side.

But as Donald Maass identifies, he’d much rather you be a storyteller. He’d much rather you send him the novel after a year than in five minutes. He’d much rather you have a storyteller’s passion and desire to write the best story possible than to churn out manuscripts as though you’ve been bitten by a radioactive spider (poor Mary Sue). Your editor isn’t going to forget your existence in less than three seconds.

We’re not in this to write the most books in history. We’re in it to write a story that no one will ever forget.

The speed you write at is perfect for the next international bestseller.





You can find The Fire in Fiction by Donald Maass at:



Friday, August 19, 2011

Scoop! Mills & Boon New Voices 2011!


The Minxes are delighted to welcome Mills & Boon Editor,
Anna Boatman, to the blog today - to tell us all about this year's Mills & Boon New Voices competition! Take it away, Anna!

Whispers of the social media kind are spreading, the halls of Romance HQ are buzzing and wannabe-writers are flexing their typing fingers…. for New Voices – the romance writing competition with the X Factor – is back! That’s right, on September 13th Mills & Boon are launching their second global search for new talent!

Last year’s competition was a fantastic success. As well as Leah Ashton – our fabulous winner – we’ve since bought two new authors and we’re still working with (and hoping to buy!) several more. The number and standard of entries was fantastic, as well as the excellent, insightful comments and debates that went on. But we’re determined that 2011 will be even bigger and better!

So, how does this year’s competition work?

It’s the same basic structure as last year – read on to find out how you could be Mills & Boon’s next rising star!

Stage One – Grab them at hello! From the 13th September visit http://www.romanceisnotdead.com/ and upload a first chapter to enter. Don’t want to write but love reading romance? Visit the site to read the entries and comment – say what you love about their entry and constructive criticism is welcome too. As well as the competition itself, there’ll be debates about all things romance, plus editorial tips and blogs, Q&As and exciting gossip throughout!
The deadline for first chapters is 10th October – miss it and miss out! Then our expert editors will narrow the entries down to the 20 absolute best (always tricky and requiring copious amounts of chocolate). These 20 will be assigned an author mentor to help with their next challenge…
Stage Two – What happens next? The twenty finalists will submit their second chapter and this time you can help decide who wins! This stage is decided 50% by our panel of judges (including a mystery celebrity judge…!), and 50% by public vote, so come and have your say! After the voting’s over, we’ll have only four romance writers remaining!
Stage Three – The moment that changes everything! The fab four will submit their story’s pivotal moment. This is the final stage and the judges get together to discuss which story and writer show the most promise – it’s going to be a hard one to call!

Finally, on the 4th November, New Voices will announce the winner – and Mills & Boon’s newest author!

Among so many, how can YOU (and Romance Minxes everywhere) make your entries stand out? Here are our exclusive top tips…
- Start with a bang, not a whimper! Engage the reader straight off by beginning with a point of change for your characters.
- It’s all about the characters! We’re looking for entries where we like the characters and understand what they’re struggling with.
- Avoid cliché! Exploring your characters’ unique reactions will avoid your story feeling too familiar and really bring out the sparkle of your individual writing. Let’s not just hear that they are the most attracted they’ve ever been, let’s see in detail how that feels for that character specifically!

And there you have it, Romance Minxes! So writers, get thinking about those first chapters, readers get ready to hit the voting button – because New Voices is nearly with us… We editors can’t wait to read all your entries, or to hear your comments, so for now it’s goodbye until the 13th September. Good luck!

For more detail about entering and the T&Cs, take a look at the holding page currently up at http://www.romanceisnotdead.com/. For the newest news and hottest gossip, join our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/groups/250729414946433/



Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Author Spotlight - Olivia Gates

Today, the Minxes are super excited to have Olivia Gates, a USA Today Bestselling author as our guest author. Olivia lives in Egypt and writes super-hot sheikhs and we're beyond honoured to welcome her to the blog.

Take it away, Olivia!

What is your writing process?

The more books I write, the more I discover that every book is its own entity, follows a process of its own. But in general, I start with either a basic premise, or a character. I then write a detailed outline around either (some of my outlines reach 60 pages for ST length books). This outline serves two purposes. It gives my editors a good idea how the book(s) will unfold, and a chance to contest major plot points when its still on the drawing board, to save us both the pain of major revisions. It also serves as a road map for me, which is especially helpful when I’m pressed for time to save me the pain of second-guessing myself, when I can’t afford the hesitation. Of course, no matter how detailed the outline is, the execution is the hard part, which might I add, never gets easier.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

The above-mentioned investment in a good outline usually saves me from staring too long at a blank page. If I already know what’s happening next, what remains is how to is how to execute it. I also talk dialogue out loud to myself when I’m away from the computer (and preferably alone ;-)) like when I’m driving. This helps make the characters come alive, and develop a unique voice of their own, and gives me lines to build scenes around.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

I do aerobics, step exercise and weight training three times a week (though I’ve fallen off the track for the past months, and I’m already paying the price in various aches and pains, not to mention slowing down metabolism….Ugh!)

Do you believe in writer's block?

Not really. But I believe in being overwhelmed by life and letting yourself be so distracted while you deal with what it throws at you. That happened to me in the past months and for a while I was unable to focus on writing at all. It wasn’t that I didn’t have ideas, it was that I couldn’t focus long enough to finish any quota per day, so my output dwindled to almost a stop. Thankfully, I’m coming back from that, and I’m back on track to a consistent daily output, the key to finishing any writing project.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?

A lot of the medical cases I used in my Medical romances have either been stuff I encountered in my other job, or heard about from colleagues. As for other kinds of incidents, I sometimes feel very tempted to use a lot, but as you say, I know I’ll get into trouble, so I’m sticking with the totally made up in my own mind variety until further notice. J

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

A good thing I did is that I didn’t have expectations. When I was unpubbed, I didn’t think at all how it would be when I got pubbed. I just wanted to get there, and had (and still have) this ‘bring it on’ attitude, which I think is essential to every writer who wants to have a long career. I also didn’t take other writers’ experiences as more than broad guidelines, since our circumstances and paths are so diverse, and it never pays to expect anything that others experienced. So basically, I keep a totally open mind about my career, take the opportunities that are presented to me and keep looking for the next ones. Nothing is ever as you expect anyway, so I forge ahead, and take the great with the good with the bad, and keep the basic thing that made me published alive; the love and joy of writing.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

I am so looking forward to the day I can be a full-time author and have more time for promotion. Right now all I can do is occasional—and the stress here is on ‘occasional’—blogs, Facebook and Twitter activity, contests and newsletters. I need to get more consistent, but I think I’ll possibly hire someone to do most of the time-consuming work and organization for me. But what I really long for is opportunities to connect with readers, pre-published and other published authors in person (as in more than on social media). I’m working to change my situation so that this can be possible. Wish me luck!

What is your top promo tip for other authors?

I think the best promotion ever is to consistently write books the readers enjoy. Being prolific is also the greatest way to remain a constant on the publishing scene, and this draws a huge percentage of the feedback and attention. That level of output is what I hope I will be able to achieve after the hurdles I’m currently dealing with are over.

What did you learn while writing this book?

That characters do come alive and take over. I have no doubt anymore. In my previously mentioned outline of TO TOUCH A SHEIKH, Maram, the heroine, didn’t only have a different name, but a different personality. Then I started writing her and she was like: “Are you nuts? You think the simpering, sentimental heroine you’re trying to write will be of any interest to the cynical, rapier-tongued, wounded desert lion Amjad, let alone be a match for him, and hope to fill the position of his future queen? Can you just shut up and let me do the talking? And the touching?”

Needless to say, I let her do both to her heart’s content, and the result was one of the most dynamic, and witty, relationships I’ve ever written.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?

Hands down, the supersonic banter between the hero and heroine. Those two held nothing back. Emotionally, they start out as total opposites, with Maram wholly invested in her emotions for Amjad, the man who’d inadvertently proved to her what a hero he was, even though he wants everyone to view him as a villain. Meanwhile, Amjad is 100% reticent, and it takes everything she’s got, and that was substantial, to get him to open up, accept her love and admit his…only for everything to turn topsy turvy and for them to exchange positions…

But the best parts were when I wrote their verbal duels. Those two sparred even after the black moment exploded, and every salvo they exchanged was mega fun to write.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

His secluded desert cabin, of course. This is where he fell in love with the heroine. And don’t worry, there’s plenty to do there.

Thank you so much for the fantastic questions. I hope you enjoy my answers as much as I enjoyed responding to them! And thank you so much for having me on Minx of Romances.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Seduced by series

No - not necessarily series romance, but instead a group of linked stories. I've always been a great fan of stories that have a common thread through them, most especially in the crime genre. I love the Nora Roberts In Death series, the Patricia Cornwell stories about Scarpetta, and heck, I even loved the Secret Seven...

But what I'm talking about are romance series. I've recently been reading the Bad Blood series from Mills and Boon, featuring the seven Wolfe brothers, and one Wolfe sister. I'm glad to say I've only touched on this series (2 books) which leaves lots more Wolfe's to be discovered, and I intend picking up the rest from the Mills and Boon site before they disappear forever. Written by a group that includes some of my favourite Mills and Boon authors, I love the fact that they have a shared horrible childhood, all of which has affected them in different ways, due to their ages and position in the family ranking order. I started with Heartless Rebel, by Lynn Raye Harris, which is Jack's story, which I picked off the shelf in the supermarket and loved so much that I accidently bought it twice... The mention of Annabelle, Jack's only sister, was so compelling the moment I saw her book, Forgotten Daughter by Jennie Lucas I shoved my way through the crowd at Tesco to snaffoo the last one. I wasn't disappointed, Forgotten Daughter is one of the best Mills and Boon's I've read for ages, really angsty and steamy, with a hero to die for (although, I don't think I'm guilty of spoilers by saying no-one does, actually die for him that is).

My next book is a series of sorts, in that it is part of a series set within a small town in California. But I find myself as a writer more and more seduced by the idea of writing a series of books featuring a group of people who are either related, or very close friends or colleagues. Once a world has been created-it seems only right to hang around there for a while, experience it more than once, and explore the characters within in more details.

So what do you think? Anyone else out there seduced by series?

Friday, August 12, 2011

Movie Review: The Adjustment Bureau


I sum up this movie in one word: “INCREDIBLE”

As a die-hard movie buff, I tend to get totally anal and do a bit of research before I watch any movie to see if it’s worth my time. This carefully honed craft (aka procrastination) means I can usually tell within three minutes of starting any movie if I’m going to love it or hate it. Yes, call me a movie diva!

With The Adjustment Bureau, although I’d seen posters for it, nothing really pulled me to research it. All I knew was that it starred Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. To be honest, I don’t even physically remember requesting this movie, so when I came across it, I just shrugged with a “why not” attitude.

It started off a bit dull – a young, charismatic front-runner in an election campaign, effing up at the last minute due to something he’d done back in his even younger and stupid days. How many times have I seen that in a movie? But then I started wondering why Matt’s character (David Norris) was being portrayed as so young? What was it about him that had made so many people want to vote for him?

Heh, I soon found out his political career had nothing to do with the move! Well, it did in a way…but…read on…

**Spoiler alert**

This was more, so much more than a political movie. At the heart of it was a gut-wrenching love
story. Cue my writer’s happy-ever-after-loving wheeeeeee! Basically, the powers that be - “the adjusters” or angels in men in black suits, had been tasked with keeping David Norris's career on track no matter what.

His destiny, laid out on some funky moving paper tracker thingy, was supposed to be “adjusted” so that it absolutely did not collide with Elise's (Emily Blunt’s character) for the simple reason that their love would impede his intended meteoric rise to become President of the United States.

So he was given a choice – lose the love of his life or watch her lose the one thing she yearned for most – to be the incredibly amazing dancer she was.

At first he arrogantly believes he can have his cake and eat it and boy, does he try hard to! But when the very thing she cares about it threatened, he makes the hard choice.

He gives her up. For a while. But fate being what it was, she crosses his path again. And the fireworks really kicks off when his “guardian angel” tells him that Elise is about to marry someone else.

My heart was in my throat the whole time he was evading the “the adjusters” in order to get to his true love. I cried when he got his girl. And cried even harder when the big boss, “The Chairman”, finally agreed to let him keep her because…well…their love was just too damn strong.

I defy any romance reader or writer to watch this movie and not be moved or inspired to let your fingers fly over your keyboard after your very own happy ever after.

It was awesome, awesome, awesome! Ten out of ten and definitely a keeper for me.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Author Spotlight: Lucy King

This week we're delighted to welcome Riva author Lucy King to the blog and to hear all about her latest release "The Crown Affair".

  • What is your writing process?

Haphazard, but hopefully getting less so the more books I write. I’d like to be able to claim that the characters and the story pop fully formed into my head overnight, but I can’t. When I first started writing, I’d open up a document without a hint of an idea and hit the ground running. While initially quite liberating, I’d find myself speeding off in completely the wrong direction and continually having to go back and rewrite, which was very inefficient and extremely frustrating. Now I spend at least a week mulling over ideas and characters and making copious notes about them (although while I might have some idea of a plot it’s only ever very vague). Then, once I’ve made a start I send my editor as much as she can stand – usually the first chapter followed by Chapters One to Three – and she gives me feedback. If I could, I’d send her the lot paragraph by paragraph!

On a day to day basis, I have a spreadsheet with dates and word count targets and days blocked off when I know I’m not going to be able to write, which keeps me more or less in line. The days I delete more than I write I ignore.

  • Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

I live in Spain, a country where my feet are practically double the average size, so shoe shopping is isn’t something that tempts me away from the keyboard. Plenty of other things do, though, and when it gets really bad, I have been known to iron bedsheets. But as I’ve found that the longer I stay away from my wip, the more difficult it is to get back into it, I try to keep going and write through the pain. Having said that, when I do step away I often find that I’m refreshed from not having looked at it for a while so (depending on where I am deadline-wise) I try not to beat myself up about skiving!

  • Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

Keeping fit? What’s that?

  • Do you believe in writer's block?

I believe it exists, but haven’t suffered from it yet. Thank goodness.

  • Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?

Hmm. Good question. Several of my books have an initial spark that comes from a real life story. My first book came about after as a result of watching a Top Gear interview on TV. Say It With Diamonds, which is out in January 2012, was inspired by a newspaper article I read online about the history behind a jewellery collection.

My current release, The Crown Affair, opens with the heroine ogling the hero with a pair of binoculars, which is a very liberal adaptation of something I’d heard had happened in real life. And apparently the village in which the story starts, whose name I thought I’d made up, actually exists and is very close to where my parents live, which I think was a bit of a surprise.

So far nothing has got me into trouble but it’s early days!

  • In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

In pretty much every way. As I’d never imagined being published I had no idea what to expect. While in many ways it’s fabulous (here I’m thinking of the lunches, the fan-mail and the email that tells you your book has sold) for me, there’s also the issue of meeting expectations – deadlines, revisions, delivering a book the editor and readers will love. I live in constant fear of not meeting those expectations!

  • Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

I’m on Facebook and Twitter, I blog and I try to keep my website updated. I’m sure, though, I could be doing more (any tips very welcome...)

  • What is your top promo tip for other authors?

I suspect I’m the last person who should be giving promo tips! (see above)

  • What did you learn while writing this book?

To get to know the characters inside out before starting and to make sure that what they do is consistent with their personalities. And to focus on the romance, which you might think was obvious! But the first draft of this book had characters who did nothing but bicker all the time and was littered with plot devices. There was a broken leg (not very conducive to nookie), a kidnapping (because I wanted one) and sub-plot involving stolen public money. What was I thinking?!

  • What was the most fun part of writing this book?

Finishing it. Honestly, this was a tough one. I sent in the manuscript a few weeks before my son was born and received revisions just afterwards. When I say revisions, it was actually a complete rewrite, and sorting it all out while dealing with a new-born (my first) was quite a … um... challenge. Having said that, once I got on the right track, it was a joy to (re)write. I reread it when I received my author’s copies, and loved it - I hope others do too!

  • And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

My hero’s the ruler of an isolated Mediterranean island. As he’s young, hot and royal, he’s a target for the paparazzi, so it would have to be somewhere where there are no reporters and no photographers. His manor house in the Cotswolds would be perfect.

  • What have the changes to the current Harlequin lines and branding meant to you? Have they affected your writing process?

I think the different covers and the more interesting titles in both the Modern and the Riva lines are fantastic, although I will admit to having a tiny weeny soft spot for ‘the clinch’, and both reflect both the content a lot better. The re-branding hasn’t changed the way I write – I just carry on writing stories with characters I love. In fact, my January 2012 book, Say It With Diamonds, is actually being released as a Modern (a marketing decision), although being very Riva.

  • What do you think makes a Riva book Riva?

I think it’s really hard to define, as there isn’t any one thing that identifies a book as a Riva. There’s a contemporariness to a lot of them and humour and wit in many, but mainly I think it’s the voice of the author. The heroes and heroines in the Rivas I’ve read are people I could imagine hanging out with.

Thank you so much for having me on the Minxy blog. It’s been great to be here (and sorry if I’ve gone on a bit!)

Not at all Lucy, thanks for a fab interview :-)

"The Crown Affair"

Close encounters of the Royal kind!

After being made redundant and finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman, Laura's decided it's time to take charge of her life! However, the last thing she expects is the new Laura to end up having wild, naked fun with the gorgeous guy next door…

Okay, she virtually runs away afterwards in shame—but so what? She soon gets a new job—on the Mediterranean island of Sassania, no less! But the island has a new king—aka Laura's guy-next-door! Now they're both in trouble, for King Matt should be focussing on affairs of the state, not be intent on re-igniting a hot affair of his own…

Buy the book:

Mills & Boon:http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books/riva/the-crown-affair.htm

Harlequin:http://www.eharlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=24361

Amazon UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crown-Affair-Mills-Boon-RIVA/dp/0263883906/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1311863904&sr=8-5

Amazon US:http://www.amazon.com/Crown-Affair-Harlequin-Presents-Extra/dp/0373528329/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311863958&sr=8-1

The Book Depository:http://www.bookdepository.com/Crown-Affair-Lucy-King/9780263883909

iBooks:http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-crown-affair/id447725593?mt=11

Monday, August 8, 2011

Short Story Writing

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert. There are a frightening number of others who have sold many, many more short stories than I could ever dream of. But, I have sold some. And I've done a lot of research. So I'm going to see if I can convince any of you to have a go.

The link between Minxes of Romance and short stories isn't as tenuous as it might seem. I'm not the only Minx to have been published in this form and (stating the obvious here) some short stories can also be romances.


I write short stories for lots of reasons:
  • Quick turnaround - you can write a short story in an afternoon and a sale can quickly follow. The fastest acceptance I've ever had was just two days from date of submission.
  • Fast payments - some magazines can pay within days of an acceptance.
  • They're lots of fun to write and they're the ideal outlet for all those ideas that keep me awake at night.

 And, because they're quick to write:
  • It's possible to write and submit lots of them in a way that would be hard to do with longer work. And, of course, if you have lots 'out there' the chances of a sale are greatly increased. It also means that if an R arrives, it's not the end of the world because there's always more work under consideration.
  • They give a sense of satisfaction for completing a project - and that doesn't happen as often with longer work.
  • Because less time and emotional energy is invested, it's easy to try lots of different styles and genres.

And there are other positives, too:
  • Magazines will pay.
  • Details of published short stories are great for the writing cv and for including in query letters to agents and publishers.
  • The buzz of seeing your name in print is hard to beat.
  • Womag writers are a friendly bunch and eager to help each other and I'd defy anyone not to make friends within this community.

But there is a downside (you knew there would be, didn't you?).
  • The markets for short stories in women's magazines is shrinking daily.
  • Competition is fierce and the number of short story writers is scary. Amanda Brittany has compiled a list on her blog - if you're feeling brave have a look here
  • Because of the first two points, you have to be prepared for rejections. Lots of them. On the upside, the experience will desensitise you to the dreaded R - I've had so many they barely sting these days.

So what's the best way to break into this satisfying market? Preparation is all if you want to avoid all the wasted attempts I made. Before you start writing, there are things you should do to make sure you're targetting your work correctly.
  • First stop should be Womagwriter's blog as she's done most of the research for you (how I wish she'd been around when I first started writing). On this blog you'll find details of magazines currently accepting fiction, word counts and where to send your work. Really, if you're planning to write short stories, the best advice I can give you is to follow this blog. The information you'll find is invaluable and everyone reads it - established writers, fiction editors as well as beginners.
  • When you've identified the magazine you want to write for, read lots of issues all the way through. Womagwriter has done a lot of the hard work for you, but nothing beats first hand knowledge and you'll need to learn who the readers are - who you would be writing for.
  • You'll then need to analyse the stories. Who are the main characters? What jobs do they do? What kind of situations do they find themselves in? This will give you and idea of who your own characters should be.
  • Join a critique group. There's nothing like contact with other writers to encourage and provide support. I'm a member of an online private group and we post every two weeks. This has concentrated my mind like nothing else and my output has increased considerably. I don't manage to post every time, but I do try to write at least one new short story every month and that's a lot more than I used to manage.

And now you're ready to begin writing your story...

Friday, August 5, 2011

August Hotties Poll: the heroes of F1

While Jo C is the rugby fan among the Minxes, Maya and I share a passion for F1. Since I had to miss the last two races due to work, I'm going to make up for it by getting my fix here on the Minxes blog. All month long you'll have an excuse to view some of the eye candy currently lighting up the motor racing circuit, but please don't forget to stop drooling long enough to vote.

Since the hottest drivers (IMO) are also the front-runners in this year's championship, I'm featuring the top six here in their current championship ordes - with one back-runner thrown in for luck.


Leading the current season is Sebastian Vettel. The boy next door, though from where I'm standing, he's a tad on the young side.


Next up is more my style ... Mark Webber. And it's not just an age thing!


In third place is Brit Lewis Hamilton, sadly without a hope in hell of challenging the German for a championship win this year.


A few years ago Fernando Alonso was the pretty boy of F1. He's maturing rather nicely, don't you think?


Jenson Button burst onto the scene in his debut year, and I'm so pleased that he's still hanging in there and hasn't disappeared into obscurity like a certain Canadian who was the F1 pin-up at the time.



In sixth place is the second Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa.


And finally, since the Italians have contributed so much to F1, here's the Italian contender for hottie of the month: Jarno Trulli, now also a wine-maker in the Abruzzo region. Now tell me that isn't the stuff heroes are made of ...



PS: Winner of the July Jane Austen heroes poll was Daniel Gillies, from the Bollywood movie, Bride & Prejudice.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Author Spotlight - Nell Dixon

Nell is our first 'returnee' to the Minxes' Spotlight. Last time she spoke about her novel Making Waves, and this time round she's celebrating her latest release: Dangerous to Know.

Dangerous to Know
Jerome Mayer is tall, dark and dangerous to know. Normally Gemma would run a mile, but with a freshly broken heart maybe it’s time for this good girl to take a walk on the wild side. However the danger to them both turns out to be more than just emotional when someone objects to their attempts to uncover a corrupt land deal.

What is your writing process?
I try and set myself weekly goals eg so many words or chapters written pre week. I keep track of my progress on a white board in my office so I can make sure I meet my deadlines.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
I write in little bits. On really sticky days I'll do 100 words, play a game of bejewelled blitz, write another hundred, go on Twitter and so on until I've reached a point where I feel I can leave the story till the next day.

Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
My dh, Mr Nell, bought us a Wii fit a few weeks ago. Now I do twenty minutes a day of yoga and I've lost 7lbs already. Sadly, I have a long way to go!

Do you believe in writer's block?
I think for some people it's very real. I'm fortunate in that it isn't something I've encountered but there are times in every writers life when you struggle to write romance, or feel good stories.

Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?
Real life is so strange no one would believe me if I put half the things that have happened to me in a book. I could tell you some of my nursing stories - mmm, but then again, I definitely would get into trouble!

In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?
I didn't realise I would have to learn so many new skills, especially using social marketing and media. Technology has grown and changed so fast in the time I've been writing.

Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?
I blog, facebook - which I love, and tweet - which I'm not so good at. I hold regular cyber and real life events and often work jointly with my friends and fellow authors, Elizabeth Hanbury and Phillipa Ashley.

What is your top promo tip for other authors?
Be yourself. Do what feels right and comfortable for you.

What did you learn while writing this book?
I learned, or rather remembered, how much I enjoyed writing novellas.

What was the most fun part of writing this book?
I love the hero of this book and the Lake District setting. He's not a conventional hero and my heroine is so determined to be brave and adventurous.

And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?
Jerome, my hero, would probably choose a safari of some kind out in the Australian Outback or the plains of Africa.

Dangerous to Know is available from Amazon and Amazon UK, or direct from the publisher, Astraea Press.

And coming soon from Myrmidon Press - Nell's Renovation, Renovation, Renovation: Past and Present touch when renovating an ancient cottage uncovers more than just dry rot.

You can read more about Nell and her books at her website: www.nelldixon.com, or follow her on Twitter.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Not writing? A post about writers' block (but not as you know it)


Don't worry, this isn't going to be one of those hardline posts declaring there are no excuses for not writing, that if you aren't writing then clearly you don't want it enough. You know the kind of thing "Well, I completed edits to my best selling novel whilst giving birth and navigating my way through the Sahara..."
Okay that's a little extreme but in reality not too far removed from some posts I've read. For mere mortals though there are going to be times when not inconsequential matters like ill health or family demands impact your writing. And unless you're happy to traumatise your kids by shutting them in a cupboard all day, well it's something you need to try and work round.

There are other barriers to our writing though and if we are utterly honest with ourselves sometimes we do make excuses. I'm not here to slap your wrist for that, if I did I'd be a complete hypocrite, but I am interested in WHY. Why do we delay finishing that manuscript or submitting our work? I think fear, in one form or another is to blame - fear that if we do submit and are rejected again we won't be able to cope with it.
Last night I was angsting about something non-writery and finally irritated myself so much I finally mumbled "Oh get over yourself and just get on with it."

I don't think it's a coincidence that some of the most successful writers I've met have an incredibly thick skin when it comes to rejections. They didn't waste time sitting angsting (and have little patience with mine!), they just got on it with it - kept writing and subbing, subbing, often with multiple submissions out there. And now they are reaping the rewards of their perseverance and resilient mental attitude.

So, although I don't profess to have the answers I do have a suggestion:

(1) Get over it.

(2) Get on with it.

and because I'm not a completely heartless cow:

(3) Good luck!