The First Line

It's Sunday! Woo-hoo, I love me some weekend. I'm over at Throught Heart-Shaped Glasses talking about first lines in books.

Why don't you come join me, and tell me, what's your favorite first line?

The Nuance of Emotion

Lately, I’ve been studying ways to make my books richer, deeper, and hopefully connect better with readers. One of the things I’ve been working at is showing varied emotion.

When you write a story, especially in a romance, everything leads you to the drama of the black moment. The point about three-quarters of the way through when all seems lost for the heroine. It’s as if she’ll never reach her goal now. We know more often than not, she’ll find a way to get through this moment and ultimately to the HEA. If it sounds formulaic, it is. We romance readers not only know this, we expect it.

But what helps your heroine or hero move through all of those chapters leading up to the black moment? And why does the reader care? It sounds simple. It’s just emotion. The reader empathizes with the characters. Yes, I hear you about the plot, but bear with me. We’re talking delicate tree leaves here, not a redwood trunk.

It’s easy to hit the high notes of emotion. Anger, passion, jealousy, love. But using too many of these too often, can actually make a reader really not like your story. Okay, for what it’s worth, it’ll make me not like your story. If you’ve read for any length of time, you’ve probably come across a book where every time something doesn’t go the heroine’s way, she gets mad. Or jealous. She’s not usually a teenager, so as a reader, I’m not buying into it. Nor am I wasting my precious time to finish it.

I don’t know about you, but in real life, I don’t always have the energy to get mad. Or the situation doesn’t really warrant all that emotion. I get irritated, embarrassed, disappointed, or frustrated. Those feelings are way different than when someone’s got a good mad on. And how they appear to the reader is very different as well. There are both verbal and non-verbal ways to show (notice, I didn’t say tell) these emotions. Dialogue usually comes to mind first, then character action or reaction. But don’t forget things like body language. As humans we give subtle hints or make unconscious movements, and possibly go through physical changes when we feel certain emotions. Think about them. Feel them. Live them.

Put them on the page. Share them with your reader. You’ll both be glad you did.

Sun Storm and Ten Quickies with Karen Duvall

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Today our featured guest is author, Karen Duvall. Karen has been kind enough to answer our ten quickies, so we can get to know her just a little better. We've also been gifted with an excerpt from her latest release, Sun Storm. It's one of three novellas in Harlequin Luna's Til the World Ends anthology. So let's get crackin'!

1. Mountains or Beaches? Definitely beaches. I was born in Hollywood, California, and grew up in Hawaii, so the ocean feels like my natural habitat.

2. Early Morning or Late Night? Used to be early morning, but over the past few years I've become a night owl. I don't sleep much, maybe 5 or 6 hours a night, so if I'm in bed by one I'll be up at the crack of dawn anyway.

3. High Heels or Sneakers? My feet are embarrassingly big. I can't wear heels; they pinch my toes and give me blisters. It's sneakers all the way.

4. Summer or Winter? Definitely winter. Even though I grew up in warm climates, I really like cold weather. Love snow and rain, snuggling up to the fire with a blanket and a book. Heaven.

5. Wine or Chocolate? Wine. I like chocolate okay, but a good glass of wine is my weakness.

6. Pen or Laptop? Laptop. I can hardly read my handwriting sometimes, and to be honest, writing long hand makes my hand cramp up after a while. My fingers fly over a keyboard.

7. Sports Car or Motorcycle? Sports Car. I drove a motorcycle into a ditch once. I never could coordinate my hands and feet with the gears, gas and breaks. For me, driving a motorcycle is like trying to walk backwards.

8. Gold or Silver? Silver. It goes with anything.

9. Appetizer or Dessert? Appetizer. I'm more of savory person than one who goes for sweets. I love dessert, but I'd much rather have a yummy crudité.

10. Kindle or Paperback? Kindle. I adore my Kindle because I can enlarge the type. That tiny type in paper books gives me a headache and makes my eyes burn. I can read for a long time on my Kindle without my eyes getting tired.

The Blurb:
Sarah Daggot has been chasing storms since she was a child. But after the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, she becomes a Kinetic, endowed by her exposure to extreme radiation with the power to sense coming storms-in the cosmos and beyond. And she’s not the only one. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to join forces and halt the final onslaught of the sun. She’ll vow to keep trying to convince the one missing link in their chain of defense, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world ends.

BUY: Amazon | B&N

The Excerpt from Sun Storm:

"Going somewhere?" Ian eyed the vehicle.

"As a matter of fact, I am. Another storm is coming, to downtown Denver this time, and I'm kind of in a hurry to get there before it hits."

He scowled, his delicious brown eyes getting lost in his squint. "That's dangerous."

"Not for me. But it could be for the people in Denver if I don't arrive in time to warn them." I flipped up the Storm Trooper's hood and angled my jack under the battery to lift it from the ground. The higher I could get it, the less distance I'd have to carry it.

"Let me do that." He crouched down, scooped up the battery with a grunt, and carried it the rest of the way to the vehicle. I was about to explain where it needed to go, but there was no need. He plunked it precisely in place and began hooking up the cables.

"How did you know—?"

"Your dad and I have something in common." He hunkered over the engine, checking lines and pistons and electrical cords. Ian knew his way around a solar-powered car. "I was a mechanic in Boston. That's where I'm from."

He seemed too good to be true, which spiked my suspicion meter. I seriously liked this guy, so why did I resist trusting him?

"All set," he said, as he wiped his hands on his scrub pants. "Ready to go?"

I frowned. "Are you inviting yourself to come with me?"

"Don't mind if I do." He smiled and I had to admit his charm was disarming. There was real heart in that smile. His eyes had a genuine twinkle, but they also hinted at what remained unspoken. I sensed his discomfort, which made me uncomfortable, too. About him.

I couldn't think of a better way to find out more about him than to take him along, but only on one condition. "Before you hop in, I need you to answer a question for me."

His smile faded to a barely discernible grin. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"What kind of Kinetic are you?"

His grin broadened to the snarly one I liked so much. "I'm the weatherman."

Ian controlled weather. I chased weather. The combination was uncanny. I thought about the good he could do for farmers and their dying crops. Hardly anyone grew fruits and vegetables anymore, unless it was in a controlled terrarium or greenhouse. The yields were rare and precious, and only available to the wealthy.

Now that we were both buckled into our seats and on our way out of town, I decided to ask more about what he could do. "If you can make it rain, you have the power to change the world."

 

BUY: B&N | AMAZON



About the author: Karen Duvall lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and four incredibly spoiled pets. She's an award winning author published with Harlequin Luna and is currently working on a new contemporary fantasy series.

Website: http://www.karenduvallauthor.com

Blog: http://www.karenduvall.blogspot.com

Twitter: @KarenDuvall

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karen.duvall2

 

Sun Storm sounds very intriguing, Karen. It's at the top of my TBR file now. Thank you very much for spending time with us here today. We wish you much success with all of your books!

Merry Christmas

Thinking of all my readers, and writer friends. My world is a brighter place because you are in it. Wishing everyone a a healthy, happy holiday!

 

 

 

Love, Sutton

Happy Thanksgiving

To all of my friends here in America, I am thankful. Thankful for your friendship and support through this crazy journey called life. I'm truly blessed to have found my passion in the written word, and my world just wouldn't be the same without all the readers and writers connected to it.

Wishing everyone health, happiness, and the best of days.

RomFest 2012

In a few short weeks, I’ll be off to RomFest 2012. Writing is such a solitary occupation, I can’t tell you how excited I am to be able to spend some quality time with readers and other authors. They are people who share my passion for great stories and books in general. Not to mention the fact that when we get together, fun things happen!

I’m looking forward to the workshops, panels, book signings, and of course the parties. Not quite sure if I’m brave enough to do a costume. But I truly do admire those who do, and will whole-heartedly cheer them on.

And of course, there’s shopping to be done in one’s free time. It looks like there are some fantastic pottery and woodworking shops, along with other local artisans close by. I can’t wait to check them out.

Here’s the link so you can check out the details below:

http://www.romfest.com/

We're so thrilled to announce our first annual RomFest to be held June 20th - 24th, 2012 in historic downtown Gatlinburg at the rustic Glenstone Lodge. RomFest 2012 is where readers can mingle with their favorite authors, editors and agents for four days of fun-filled activities including costume parties, food, books, workshops and panels.

If you’re thinking about a getaway in June, why not Gatlinburg, TN? You can bring the whole family. I hope to see you there!

Compliment, Criticism or Just Plain Confusion

This is a strange topic to blog about, but I’ve got to start again somewhere. Since becoming published several years ago, there are a lot of standard questions or comments I hear from readers or other authors. They’re not always bad or good, sometimes just food for thought. Things like, ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ or ‘Are your characters people you know?’

The answer to the first one – ideas come from everywhere. Today I opened up my browser and the first two headlines I read were something about a Granny drug kingpin being arrested in Oklahoma, and brides using feeding tubes to lose weight for their weddings. It’s not a tough search for ideas these days.

The answer to the second one – absolutely not. Ever. Mostly because I can never get real people to behave in ways that would suit my plots on a consistent basis.

My personal favorite, which I heard again this weekend is, ‘Well if you can get published…I’ve got an idea for a book. Maybe I should write one too.’

Never quite sure how to take this one. Does that mean they think I’m a blithering idiot, and if I can do it anyone can? Or maybe it’s meant to be complimentary, and if I can find time in my harried schedule to write, they can too. Most likely, I should just take it with a grain of salt. And perhaps slice of lime…

What's A Wallbanger?

Most of us know what a wallbanger is. Or what it used to be. A book that was so terribly written, or that had such an unsatisfactory ending, that out of sheer frustration a reader would either literally or figuratively, throw it against the wall.

With the advent of ereaders, and tablet computers, I'm thinking we need a new term. I don't know about you, but I've come across a couple novels I would consider wallbangers recently. In light of the cost of my handy, dandy portable reading device, I practice restraint and don't toss it across the room.

But that doesn't negate the fact that there are still books that raise that emotion. So what do we call them now?

Is there a new phrase I'm not aware of? Or can we think of one?

What do we call the modern day wallbanger? Using a term that's acceptable in a PG13 situation, of course.

Looking for input here. Please feel free to comment. And after that, have yourself a great weekend!

Format Change

Looking for your next favorite author? This just might be the place you’ll find them. Starting this Friday, a new format is coming to Fox Tales. And it’s not the ‘sporadic or no posts at all’ version you’ve grown used to.

Monday Mii – Yes, I have a little red-headed mii. At this time she lives in Chicago on my niece’s Wii, but I love her just the same. This’ll be all that behind the scenes stuff people always wonder about writers. In other words, just the boring details about my personal life. I promise not to post what I had for lunch. Unless it involves me cooking it, which sometimes is quite humorous.

Writer Wednesday – All the writer-ly stuff you can imagine. I’ll continue posts from Writer Biz, Novel Work, and throw in any other writing related goodies that pique my interest.

Fan Friday – Here’s the biggie. Although I write romance, I’m an eclectic reader. I love lots of different genres. So Fridays will be devoted to other author’s guest posts. That way you don’t have to read about me, ad nauseam. And you can add more books to your TBR list.

Stay tuned!

Bowing to the Inevitable

It’s something I’ve known for a while now. Although people deal with it every day and are just fine, I didn’t want to face it. Call me vain if it makes you feel better, but it’s not vanity. Finally, it was fear that made me do it.

My eyes have been doing strange things for the past couple years. Store bought ‘readers’ solved the problem up until recently. Once the blurred vision and headaches started, it became more difficult to put off going to the eye doctor. It’s not that I’m afraid of doctors, it’s just that visiting them takes up so much time. Time I’d really rather being doing something else with.

But the other day, I had a thought. Imagine! If I keep screwing with my eyes, there could be something wrong I don’t know about. And if it gets worse, someday I might not be able to read. That one thought stopped me cold. I actually thought about it.

A world where I wouldn’t be able to read the letters printed in ink on the pages of a book collection I’ve tended and grown lovingly over the years. Or worse yet, flip pages with the touch of a button on my ereader without changing the font to extra-large. Okay, insert vain here. I tried the extra-large font already. Needless to say, this wild imagining got me on the phone for an appointment, and then got my dumb ass to the vision clinic, pronto.

So, yeah, I’ve got to wear glasses now. They should arrive in about ten days. I’m thrilled. My eyes are healthy, just not as young as they used to be. I guess that means they match the rest of me.

How does that song go? ‘I ain’t as good as I once was…’

Calling All Judges

Permission to forward granted:

Call out from EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition™:


EPIC eBook Award Competition™ is looking for industry professional judges:

Published authors, publishers, and/or editors. If you are interested, please go to: http://bitly.com/eBookJudging and complete the form.

If you are an author and enter the competition, you will not be assigned to judge in any categories you enter. You will be contacted during the last two weeks of May to confirm your continued judging availability.

EPIC thanks you in advance for your willingness to participate.

EPIC's eBook Award Competition™ opens June 1 and closes July 15. The time frames for judging are:

Preliminary Round judging, June 5 through July 22

First Round judging, July 27 through September 7.

Final Round of judging, September 17 through October 12.

Thank you for your interest,
Debi Sullivan
EPIC's Competitions Chair
competitions@epicorg.com

Readaholics Anonymous?

Does anyone know if they exist? Maybe this post should be titled confessions of a reading addict.

When computers first hit the market, everyone proclaimed they would get rid of the paper in our world. Everything would be electronic. Then along came ereaders, and they were going to get rid of hardback and paperback books.

Thus far both have turned out to be bovine efluvium.

Now there is not only a TBR stack or three in my office, there are TBR files on my computer, and my ereader!

Not to mention the actual magazines that come in the mail. I'm not resubscribing, in an effort to actually be more environmentally conscious, but I must have gotten on somebody's list once because I get quite a few. And I've found with some, even if I don't resubscribe, they keep sending them anyway!

Then there are several email newsletters, okay, more than several.

It seems as though everywhere I look there's something to read. If confession is good for the soul, I admit, I'm the cause of this. I had to subscribe, I have to find out the end of the story after reading the blurb, I want to know what the rest of the world is doing. And the way I do this is by reading! And let's not even mention the social networking stuff, egads.

It seems as though these new geeky gadgets have really just tripled the workload, instead of making things disappear. Some days don't you just feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of it all?  How do you handle it?

Celebrate the End of Summer with Lyrical Press!

Ever wanted to know the deets on your favorite editors and authors? Well, Lyrical Press is giving them up.

Come join the Lyrical Press Blog Event. Starting today! Read on for the details.

LPI celebrates a great summer of reading with the End of Summer Blog Event. Monday through Friday, August 24 – 28, we’ll feature author and editor profiles on the LPI Blog. Many author profiles will include giveaways, so please come visit for your chance to get to know Lyrical Press and win prizes.
We’ll round out the week with two live blogcasts:

Saturday, August 29, 6 – 9PM Central Time: Author Chat
http://lyricalpress.blogspot.com

Many, many LPI authors will be joining in the fray while Editor in Chief Emma Wayne Porter announces giveaway winners and hands out even more free goodies. Readers are invited to ask questions, hang out, and get to know the people behind all those stories.

Sunday, August 30, 6 – 9PM Central Time: Editor Chat
http://lyricalpress.blogspot.com

During this live blogcast, the LPI editorial staff gets its day in the hotseat. Readers are invited to give their opinions on what kind of stories they want to read. Authors are invited to ask questions about submission guidelines, and maybe even pitch an idea or two. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to speak directly to publishing staff, and be heard!

Side Table Saturday

What’s this you ask? Well, unlike a lot of people, the one thing I don’t do is read in bed. I would be up all night reading. It doesn’t soothe me and make me drift off. It keeps me wide-eyed until the very end. Which means I have no books on my nightstand. Instead, I keep them stacked on a side table, along with my ereader. That way I can grab them coming or going.

Although I write women’s fiction, my taste in reading is somewhat eclectic. If it’s got words on it, I’ll give it a try. I may not go back for seconds, but it’s worth a look the first time around.

Right now, I’m reading an older work of Dean Koontz entitled Velocity. If you don’t mind a little grizzly murder, and love suspense, this is the thriller for you. It’ll keep you turning the page from beginning to end. It’s a wonderfully done, tight, fast-paced read. I couldn’t put it down. My partner suggested I read this, and I’m so glad I did. We were both constantly surprised at the twists and turns of the plot. It’s made dinner conversation at our house rather lively for several nights in a row.

It’s the story of writer/bartender Billy Wiles and what happens to him when his work draws the attention of a killer. I won’t say more than that, simply because I hate spoilers when people recommend a book. Just read it, already!

Wondering what’s on my ereader? You’ll have to wait a day or two to find out. I’m not quite finished with the story and a review (along with a rating system) will be forthcoming.

Cheers!