My wings are tired! After all the buildup, all the secrecy and all the hype, the day after Christmas is usually a letdown for most. For me, the day gives me an opportunity to reflect on how far I've come in the year.
I'm still working [yeah!] at a job I find I can do fairly well and don't mind dragging myself out of bed to go to, my health is definitely better than it was this time last year and my extended family has become closer with each passing day. Can it get any better? I think not.
I would love to have had my dragon book, Dragons Among Us, sell a million copies; doesn't every writer dream of the same? But my sales are getting better with each day and I'm currently working on the next book, Dragons Among the Eagles, in the series.
I have to share my best gift -- ever. I have a large extended family [I counted 24 yesterday and a few were missing]. Because of the size, we draw names for present exchange. This year we did ornaments. I didn't know who drew my name as the name drawing is "secret". When my oldest daughter handed me the small package, I was intrigued. I opened the tissue paper and pulled out a gift that left me smiling for the rest of the day.
My daughter and grandkids had used the back cover of my book Dragons Among Us to copy the dragon talon shown and create a paper mache, green with red toenail talon exactly like the picture. It's the best present I've ever gotten and pretty darn accurate!
She laughed that it kind of looked like a chicken foot but to me the talon is perfect. It sits on my desk next to my computer where I can look at it every time I write.
Is there a better present than family? I think not.
Sable Angel
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Home For Christmas
Holidays has always meant family, but I never really understood until my youngest daughter moved to Brooklyn. All I want for Christmas is for my daughter and her husband to be home with the rest of her family. Thankfully I am getting my wish. She will fly in tomorrow morning and stay through Christmas.
I have been so busy getting ready for their arrival I forgot it was my day to blog. I guess Angels don’t have perfect memories. And thanks to Sable I was given a gentle reminder.
The Angels are getting ready for the release of a St. Patrick’s day tale and I am excited about the story. It’s not really an anthology because all three stories are interconnected. I think it will be a fun read while celebrating in fine Irish fashion.
Merry Christmas to all and I hope everyone has a truly great new year.
Allana
I have been so busy getting ready for their arrival I forgot it was my day to blog. I guess Angels don’t have perfect memories. And thanks to Sable I was given a gentle reminder.
The Angels are getting ready for the release of a St. Patrick’s day tale and I am excited about the story. It’s not really an anthology because all three stories are interconnected. I think it will be a fun read while celebrating in fine Irish fashion.
Merry Christmas to all and I hope everyone has a truly great new year.
Allana
Sunday, December 12, 2010
THE TRADITION OF CHANGE
Um, yeah. Holiday traditions.
When I divorced and became a single mom, flexibility took the place of tradition. My sons had double the number of places to go for the holidays. When they grew up and grandkids came along, the number of relatives wanting time at the holidays increased again. Add to the mix that two of the grandkids have birthdays in December--one on the 22nd and one on the 26th--and scheduling grew to spreadsheet size.
Guess that means our "tradition" is that each holiday season is different. I usually manage to put up a tree and a few decorations, although last year I was so busy helping some friends with their pet sitting business that didn't happen. No one was at my house but my doggies and me, and they didn't complain about the lack of Christmas decor. :)
This year the urge to decorate a tree has been nagging at me. However, I'm obsessively focused to finish up house projects and keep moving forward on writing my nine-book series. I slid in some shopping earlier this week, but that may be my allotment of holiday-related time for the year.
But don't worry, I've got the holidays covered. My dogs will get extra kibble, and the kids and grandkids will get presents. So our tradition is intact: each holiday season is different!
I hope you'll share your most unusual holiday celebration. I can always use ideas for next year!
-Amber Angel
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Holiday Traditions
This is the time of year where family traditions are a major part of our lives. With our busy schedules there are years we neglect to put up the Christmas lights and the Christmas cards are still blank long after New Years Day but there is one tradition my family partakes in every year without fail.
Our church serves a turkey dinner Christmas day for the community. My family's tradition is to deliver dinners to families who are not able to attend the meal at church. We visit mostly lonely elder people whose families are faraway and unable to see them. This tradition has given us the opportunity to see no matter how much we struggle in our daily lives there are others who have larger obstacles to cross everyday.
Our afternoon of giving has become a bonding time for the family. We still exchange gifts before we deliver the dinners, however, our presents to each other are not the focal point of the day. For us this tradition has become the true meaning of Christmas and enhances our lives.
May you and your family enjoy your traditions during this Christmas season.
Happy Holidays!
From the Indra Family
Our church serves a turkey dinner Christmas day for the community. My family's tradition is to deliver dinners to families who are not able to attend the meal at church. We visit mostly lonely elder people whose families are faraway and unable to see them. This tradition has given us the opportunity to see no matter how much we struggle in our daily lives there are others who have larger obstacles to cross everyday.
Our afternoon of giving has become a bonding time for the family. We still exchange gifts before we deliver the dinners, however, our presents to each other are not the focal point of the day. For us this tradition has become the true meaning of Christmas and enhances our lives.
May you and your family enjoy your traditions during this Christmas season.
Happy Holidays!
From the Indra Family
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Writing Month of Insanity
It nagged at me, constantly, brutally until I planted my angel wings in the chair and wrote. But life has a way of interfering with our plans and while I had such high hopes of finishing the NaNoWriMo [National Novel Writing Month] a winner having put 50,000 words on the page in one month, I fell shy by about 6,000 words.
I wrote 44,000 words and got a roaring start to the second novel in the dragon series, Dragons Among the Eagles. I've a personal goal to have it to my publisher by the first of January 2011. Hopefully with all the magic Rogue Phoenix Press manages, the novel will hit the book shelves in June 2011. That's the plan.
Stay tuned.
Sable Angel
I wrote 44,000 words and got a roaring start to the second novel in the dragon series, Dragons Among the Eagles. I've a personal goal to have it to my publisher by the first of January 2011. Hopefully with all the magic Rogue Phoenix Press manages, the novel will hit the book shelves in June 2011. That's the plan.
Stay tuned.
Sable Angel
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Meet author: Angela Verdenius
Did you jump into writing and rocket to contest fame, or did the process happen over time?
LOL - I wish it happened to instant fame! No, it was a process over time. I wrote from as young as I can remember, but what sticks with me the most is the first book that I wrote - I submitted it to a publisher and it came back with the suggestion to keep my fantasies to myself! So I got mad, wrote another book and submitted it, which she accepted after a lot of cutting that I had to do myself - the book was massive, I admit it. *sheepish grin*. Unfortunately, the publisher went broke and I had to look elsewhere. I stumbled across Wings ePress, and the first book, Heart of an Outlaw, was published.
We’re all writers, whether our efforts are emails, grocery lists, or notes to our children’s teachers. You’ve done technical writing and published a number of articles. How do the skills you learned in those endeavors contribute to your novel writing?
I guess it taught me to use words that are needed and not to meander all over the place. Keep the writing tight and focussed! Or at least, that's the plan...
Writers face many challenges. What are some of yours?
I'm a great procrastinator. I'd rather sit and read or watch a movie than finish that pesky section of my current book that just won't work properly.... or keep putting off starting a new book until tomorrow, 'cause I can get a bit more reading done in the meantime or play on the internet. Someone smack me!
Are you a Pantser or Plotter?
Oh, definitely a plotter. I have a basic outline, so I know my main hero, heroine and setting, and a rough idea of the storyline. From there, things can change, so I always have paper and pen beside me on the desk to jot down changes and new characters and ideas. But a rough outline helps keep me focussed on the story and plot.
Are your books plot-driven or character-driven?
That's hard - I'd say character-driven, because nothing is going to happen unless the characters do something! (apart from drive me mad because they won't do as I want them to all the time).
Do you go with the flow or follow a schedule?
I try to follow a schedule, meaning anytime I can write, I rev up the computer. Once I'm working on a book, I keep plugging away every chance I get.
Is your research in advance or as you write?
That's the beauty of my genre - sci-fi/futuristic romance. My research is my imagination (scary thought, I know). I make my own rules, laws, worlds and monsters!
How do you write the best with noise or quiet?
I like it quiet around me with the music playing softly. I can't write without music. Well, I can if I have to and really try, but music is always in the background when I write.
Our characters claim much of our time as we spend hours in front of our computers capturing their stories. However, each of us has a cast of real life characters who inspire, encourage, and support us. Who are some of the many members of Team Angela?
Jemma, Rae, Kerstine and Theresa are always supportive. I'd have to say Bee is one of my main members. She's saved a few characters from being killed off when I have a fight with them! LOL Bee is the one I moan to, and send teasers through to when I'm writing.
What are you working on now?
A new sci-fi/futuristic romance, something different to the Heart & Soul series. It's going well so far.
What are five things Angela has around her when she writes?
Diet Coke, CDs, paper, pens, and a stack of notes that needed to be looked at like - oh, last month....
Do you ever have writers block. If you do, how do you overcome it?
I have never had writers block - until last year. I had a really hard time writing, nothing would come together, I left my job in March (I'm a nurse and worked at the hospital for about 8 years) , came back to my old job in August and now everything is flowing smoothly again! Not something I'd recommend for anyone with writers block LOL. I had a lot of personal issues to get through, and once they were sorted, everything was fine writing-wise as well.
On the other hand, if it comes to writing myself into a corner and nothing will work and the characters won't co-operate, I find having a shower helps the mind to flow and clear the cobwebs, or even just leaving the writing for a couple of hours or a day or so, and then coming back to it. Ideas usually come to me in the shower or when I'm driving in the car with the music on. I've even had an idea come to me when walking down the corridor at work!
Let's talk writing mechanics. How many drafts do you do? How many books can you complete in a year?
I don't do drafts. I write the book, check things as I go along, do a re-read and fix-up at the end and submit. I can do 2 full novels a year, sometimes a novella or two inbetween, and if I didn't have to work for a living as well, I could probably do 4 novels a year!
Do you have a method for promoting your books?
I try to do chats, I hhve a newsletter and website, I usually have postcards and magnets for new releases that I submit to the bookshops in Australia that carry my books, and I submit books for reviews. Promo is always a hard trail.
Was writing fiction something you have always wanted to do? Did you write stories as a child?
Oh yeah, I've written from as far back as I can remember. I was always reading and writing.
To write requires discipline. Do you follow any writing schedule or particular process that works best for you?
The only thing I do is once I'm working on a book, I try to write every day. About once a month, when I have a day off from work, I'll take it off from writing as well and just have a slack 'Angela day', where I watch TV, read and do nothing without feeling guilty. Otherwise, I just write on my days off and inbetween work.
Discipline is one of the most important things for me in writing. It's too easy for me to slack off!
In your writing career, anything you would do differently?
I wouldn't have been so shy about my books when I first started.
Do your characters talk to you? If they do, what kinds of things do they talk about?
I don't think they talk to me, as such, but when I write them, I live them. I've cried when writing scenes, laughed, frowned, scowled, smiled, felt mad - I feel their emotions as I write their scenes.
What is next for you?
I've always wanted to do a horror novel, and have one sort of planned. Also an urban fantasy with a difference (don't we all want to do that Differnet Story?), and I'd like to try a contemporary comedy romance. I have plots and things, it's just getting the time!
I have an e-book novella coming out in Februray 2011 from Eternal Press - a futuristic romance titled "Blast from the Past", and book 18 in my Heart & Soul series, "Shattered Soul", is tentatively set for February 2011 as well. A great start to a new year!
Thank you so much for letting me share!
Angela
LOL - I wish it happened to instant fame! No, it was a process over time. I wrote from as young as I can remember, but what sticks with me the most is the first book that I wrote - I submitted it to a publisher and it came back with the suggestion to keep my fantasies to myself! So I got mad, wrote another book and submitted it, which she accepted after a lot of cutting that I had to do myself - the book was massive, I admit it. *sheepish grin*. Unfortunately, the publisher went broke and I had to look elsewhere. I stumbled across Wings ePress, and the first book, Heart of an Outlaw, was published.
We’re all writers, whether our efforts are emails, grocery lists, or notes to our children’s teachers. You’ve done technical writing and published a number of articles. How do the skills you learned in those endeavors contribute to your novel writing?
I guess it taught me to use words that are needed and not to meander all over the place. Keep the writing tight and focussed! Or at least, that's the plan...
Writers face many challenges. What are some of yours?
I'm a great procrastinator. I'd rather sit and read or watch a movie than finish that pesky section of my current book that just won't work properly.... or keep putting off starting a new book until tomorrow, 'cause I can get a bit more reading done in the meantime or play on the internet. Someone smack me!
Are you a Pantser or Plotter?
Oh, definitely a plotter. I have a basic outline, so I know my main hero, heroine and setting, and a rough idea of the storyline. From there, things can change, so I always have paper and pen beside me on the desk to jot down changes and new characters and ideas. But a rough outline helps keep me focussed on the story and plot.
Are your books plot-driven or character-driven?
That's hard - I'd say character-driven, because nothing is going to happen unless the characters do something! (apart from drive me mad because they won't do as I want them to all the time).
Do you go with the flow or follow a schedule?
I try to follow a schedule, meaning anytime I can write, I rev up the computer. Once I'm working on a book, I keep plugging away every chance I get.
Is your research in advance or as you write?
That's the beauty of my genre - sci-fi/futuristic romance. My research is my imagination (scary thought, I know). I make my own rules, laws, worlds and monsters!
How do you write the best with noise or quiet?
I like it quiet around me with the music playing softly. I can't write without music. Well, I can if I have to and really try, but music is always in the background when I write.
Our characters claim much of our time as we spend hours in front of our computers capturing their stories. However, each of us has a cast of real life characters who inspire, encourage, and support us. Who are some of the many members of Team Angela?
Jemma, Rae, Kerstine and Theresa are always supportive. I'd have to say Bee is one of my main members. She's saved a few characters from being killed off when I have a fight with them! LOL Bee is the one I moan to, and send teasers through to when I'm writing.
What are you working on now?
A new sci-fi/futuristic romance, something different to the Heart & Soul series. It's going well so far.
What are five things Angela has around her when she writes?
Diet Coke, CDs, paper, pens, and a stack of notes that needed to be looked at like - oh, last month....
Do you ever have writers block. If you do, how do you overcome it?
I have never had writers block - until last year. I had a really hard time writing, nothing would come together, I left my job in March (I'm a nurse and worked at the hospital for about 8 years) , came back to my old job in August and now everything is flowing smoothly again! Not something I'd recommend for anyone with writers block LOL. I had a lot of personal issues to get through, and once they were sorted, everything was fine writing-wise as well.
On the other hand, if it comes to writing myself into a corner and nothing will work and the characters won't co-operate, I find having a shower helps the mind to flow and clear the cobwebs, or even just leaving the writing for a couple of hours or a day or so, and then coming back to it. Ideas usually come to me in the shower or when I'm driving in the car with the music on. I've even had an idea come to me when walking down the corridor at work!
Let's talk writing mechanics. How many drafts do you do? How many books can you complete in a year?
I don't do drafts. I write the book, check things as I go along, do a re-read and fix-up at the end and submit. I can do 2 full novels a year, sometimes a novella or two inbetween, and if I didn't have to work for a living as well, I could probably do 4 novels a year!
Do you have a method for promoting your books?
I try to do chats, I hhve a newsletter and website, I usually have postcards and magnets for new releases that I submit to the bookshops in Australia that carry my books, and I submit books for reviews. Promo is always a hard trail.
Was writing fiction something you have always wanted to do? Did you write stories as a child?
Oh yeah, I've written from as far back as I can remember. I was always reading and writing.
To write requires discipline. Do you follow any writing schedule or particular process that works best for you?
The only thing I do is once I'm working on a book, I try to write every day. About once a month, when I have a day off from work, I'll take it off from writing as well and just have a slack 'Angela day', where I watch TV, read and do nothing without feeling guilty
Discipline is one of the most important things for me in writing. It's too easy for me to slack off!
In your writing career, anything you would do differently?
I wouldn't have been so shy about my books when I first started.
Do your characters talk to you? If they do, what kinds of things do they talk about?
I don't think they talk to me, as such, but when I write them, I live them. I've cried when writing scenes, laughed, frowned, scowled, smiled, felt mad - I feel their emotions as I write their scenes.
What is next for you?
I've always wanted to do a horror novel, and have one sort of planned. Also an urban fantasy with a difference (don't we all want to do that Differnet Story?), and I'd like to try a contemporary comedy romance. I have plots and things, it's just getting the time!
I have an e-book novella coming out in Februray 2011 from Eternal Press - a futuristic romance titled "Blast from the Past", and book 18 in my Heart & Soul series, "Shattered Soul", is tentatively set for February 2011 as well. A great start to a new year!
Thank you so much for letting me share!
Angela
Friday, November 26, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving to all
This has been a banner year for me.I had a story published in February and my dragon story published in August to great enthusiasm from the people who've read it.
As with every story I begin, I rush into the first four or five chapters then the story slows while my characters tell me where they want the action to take place. Yes, I know, it sounds crazy but almost every novel writer will tell you they only facilitate the story. It's the characters or the storyline that determine the outcome.
I chose to begin the second in my dragon series, Dragons Among The Eagles, for a writing challenge I've been doing for the month of November. By November 30, I hope to be 50,000 words into the story. The challenge has set a pace I need to continue if I'm to get all the series books drafted by the end of 2011--and that's my personal goal. Let's hope I can accomplish my goal without going to divorce court.
As someone once pointed out to me, if I write just one page a day for every day of the year, that will be 365 pages. Even if I throw out 30% as garbage and unrelated ranting, 244 pages is a decent sized novel.
I must be on my way. I've 3,500 words to put on the page today. The countdown is close at hand.
I am thankful for all those friends and family who support me. Most of all I'm thankful for my husband whose faith is unfailing and constant.
Sable Angel
As with every story I begin, I rush into the first four or five chapters then the story slows while my characters tell me where they want the action to take place. Yes, I know, it sounds crazy but almost every novel writer will tell you they only facilitate the story. It's the characters or the storyline that determine the outcome.
I chose to begin the second in my dragon series, Dragons Among The Eagles, for a writing challenge I've been doing for the month of November. By November 30, I hope to be 50,000 words into the story. The challenge has set a pace I need to continue if I'm to get all the series books drafted by the end of 2011--and that's my personal goal. Let's hope I can accomplish my goal without going to divorce court.
As someone once pointed out to me, if I write just one page a day for every day of the year, that will be 365 pages. Even if I throw out 30% as garbage and unrelated ranting, 244 pages is a decent sized novel.
I must be on my way. I've 3,500 words to put on the page today. The countdown is close at hand.
I am thankful for all those friends and family who support me. Most of all I'm thankful for my husband whose faith is unfailing and constant.
Sable Angel
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Kick Ass Girls
Kick-ass Girls with Guns/ or weapon of choice?????
Whatever happened to purity and innocence? Were those qualities ever realistic? Since time began a girl had better be prepared to defend herself. Let's explore the world of defense. The most obvious in this day and age is the gun. We see and read about gun tote'n-mamas all the time. Yet there are many other means of defense such as words, guile, astuteness, cunning as well as intelligence--perhaps even sex--well duh, of course sex.
How would all this apply to writing? The ability to defend can also be the same ability a woman might use to nourish and strengthen a relationship with the man she loves, her children and her friends. In 2011 readers want strong heroes and evil villains. And although I don't particularly care for villains with redeeming qualities--others do.
Ah, but as usual I wander off topic. My characters usually have a weapon of choice, but I have never really thought about the weapon before hand, or when I plot. I guess that is why the women don't have the weapon in hand at the beginning of the story. Dang it all, I'm a panster, slowly over time becoming a semi-panster. In Highland Song, Lainie always made sure she wore a small knife strapped to her leg. The hero of course thought this was rediculous and would get her into more trouble.
Do Angels have weapons? If so, Sable, Cinammon, and Amber what are your weapons of choice and how do you use them? Mine of couse is the power of the pen, words are my weapons but I've rarely found the necessity to use them. When asked once by one of my students if I grounded my children, I told him no. I don't believe in grounding because the punishment rarely fit the crime. My son told me once that he didn't want to misbehave because I made him feel way too guilty. Hence the power of the mighty word or was that the expression on my face?
Join in everybody. When you write what weapons do you give your heroine?
Whatever happened to purity and innocence? Were those qualities ever realistic? Since time began a girl had better be prepared to defend herself. Let's explore the world of defense. The most obvious in this day and age is the gun. We see and read about gun tote'n-mamas all the time. Yet there are many other means of defense such as words, guile, astuteness, cunning as well as intelligence--perhaps even sex--well duh, of course sex.
How would all this apply to writing? The ability to defend can also be the same ability a woman might use to nourish and strengthen a relationship with the man she loves, her children and her friends. In 2011 readers want strong heroes and evil villains. And although I don't particularly care for villains with redeeming qualities--others do.
Ah, but as usual I wander off topic. My characters usually have a weapon of choice, but I have never really thought about the weapon before hand, or when I plot. I guess that is why the women don't have the weapon in hand at the beginning of the story. Dang it all, I'm a panster, slowly over time becoming a semi-panster. In Highland Song, Lainie always made sure she wore a small knife strapped to her leg. The hero of course thought this was rediculous and would get her into more trouble.
Do Angels have weapons? If so, Sable, Cinammon, and Amber what are your weapons of choice and how do you use them? Mine of couse is the power of the pen, words are my weapons but I've rarely found the necessity to use them. When asked once by one of my students if I grounded my children, I told him no. I don't believe in grounding because the punishment rarely fit the crime. My son told me once that he didn't want to misbehave because I made him feel way too guilty. Hence the power of the mighty word or was that the expression on my face?
Join in everybody. When you write what weapons do you give your heroine?
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Officially Mad
Hello all,
Sable Angel here. As of the 1st of November, I can say I became "officially" mad. I joined the writing experience called NaNoWriMo. This venture challenges any who wish to join to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. NaNoWriMo stands for National November Writing Month.
The participants are not allowed to write the same word 50,000 times nor are they allowed to plagiarize another's novel but they must string their own words together to complete this task. The rules are simple: 1)write everyday of the month [yes on Thanksgiving, too], 2)don't edit, and 3) finish the challenge.
When you break it down to daily numbers, the word count is only 1667 words a day. For most writers, a drop in the bucket when the muse is happy. The hardest part is not editing but allowing the words to flow freely without change. The final product won't be anywhere close to release stage but will give the author the opportunity to make tweaks and finesse the novel for publication at a later date.
I am using this as a way to push start myself on my dragon series. Having gained two more books for the series, I've come to the conclusion my dragons will be a lifelong love affair--kind of like Wingman. I'm hoping to complete the challenge and have the next dragon book, Dragons Among the Eagles, to my publisher by the end of February 2011.
If the wind is blowing the right direction and my publisher likes what they read, it might be possible another Dragon book could be released in summer of 2011. Only time will tell.
Keep your feathers dry and don't fly too close to the sun.
Sable Angel
Sable Angel here. As of the 1st of November, I can say I became "officially" mad. I joined the writing experience called NaNoWriMo. This venture challenges any who wish to join to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. NaNoWriMo stands for National November Writing Month.
The participants are not allowed to write the same word 50,000 times nor are they allowed to plagiarize another's novel but they must string their own words together to complete this task. The rules are simple: 1)write everyday of the month [yes on Thanksgiving, too], 2)don't edit, and 3) finish the challenge.
When you break it down to daily numbers, the word count is only 1667 words a day. For most writers, a drop in the bucket when the muse is happy. The hardest part is not editing but allowing the words to flow freely without change. The final product won't be anywhere close to release stage but will give the author the opportunity to make tweaks and finesse the novel for publication at a later date.
I am using this as a way to push start myself on my dragon series. Having gained two more books for the series, I've come to the conclusion my dragons will be a lifelong love affair--kind of like Wingman. I'm hoping to complete the challenge and have the next dragon book, Dragons Among the Eagles, to my publisher by the end of February 2011.
If the wind is blowing the right direction and my publisher likes what they read, it might be possible another Dragon book could be released in summer of 2011. Only time will tell.
Keep your feathers dry and don't fly too close to the sun.
Sable Angel
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Meet Susan Lute
Thank you Susan for visiting with the Angels today.
Did you jump into writing and rocket to contest fame, or did the process happen over time?
Becoming an author was something that happened over time for me. In high school, I took every creative writing class I could, which essentially meant I was writing more than I was interacting with people They were very dramatic, intense stories. Later I dabbled at writing, kept diaries while following the hubby to England. After I got my Nursing degree, I took a course in writing children’s literature. Soon after I sold Jessie’s Choice to Listen Magazine. I joined RWA and Rose City Romance Writers in 1997 and published Oops, We’re Married? with Silhouette Romance in 2003.Oops... was my second completed novel. Since then I’ve completed five novels, written countless proposals and dabbled in screenplays.
Writers face many challenges. What are some of yours?
My biggest challenge has been blending the writing with the rest of my life. I’ve been a nurse for twenty-five years and have enjoyed the work tremendously. Along the way, I’ve learned much about myself, about life. Making room for the writing, which refills my well over and over, is an ongoing process that won’t end soon, I’m sure.I believe in paying it forward. In order to do that, I’ve served on the board of my local RWA chapter, and currently serve as Treasure of the Published Author’s Special Interest Chapter. My family is a big part of my life as well, so that means I have a lot of balls in the air at once. Just recently I decided to accept that about myself. I’m always going to be a busy woman.
Let's talk writing mechanics. How many drafts do you do? How many books can you complete in a year?
I like to call myself an organized organic writer. I write an ugly draft, than a lazy draft, and finally a brilliant draft Sometimes I may have a fourth draft, but rarely more than that. If I’m really serious about the writing, I can write two books a year.
What are five things you have around you when you write?
Stacks and stacks of books. A glittering dragon statue my sister bought for me. Photographs I’ve taken of places I’ve been (my favorite is a grouping I took in NYC). A lava lamp my kids gave me. Frogs. Lots of frogs.
Are your books plot-driven or character-driven?
It’s all about the characters for me. How they grow. How they get from here to there. The plot and setting are definitely secondary - for two reasons. I’m an ardent student of human nature. And the plot doesn’t come to me all at once. It builds as I go along. To write requires discipline. Do you follow any writing schedule or particular process that works best for you? I’m disciplined by nature and nurture. I try to write fifteen hours a week. My favorite hours are between five and ten in the morning. Sometimes I make it. Sometimes I don’t.
Do you research in advance or as you write?
I research as I go along. Again, because the story unfolds as I write it, so I don’t always know what it is I’ll need to research. Who knew, for instance, I would need to know so much about prehistoric flight? About chapter three in The Dragon’s Thief (see an excerpt at my website), I turned to the internet and its huge repository of knowledge.
How do you write best--with noise or quiet?
I write in absolute silence. Right now the stereo is playing, but only because for me this is playing, not writing.
In your writing career, is there anything you would do differently?
I would write more.What are you working on now?This summer I finish my first post-apocalyptic paranormal romance. It’s the first of five novels about the end of the world and the dragon halflings who fight to save those who are left. ...In places where roads go nowhere; where life is fragile and no one walks but ghosts, a powerful evil is growing. I’m currently working on the second book.
What is next for you?
Finish the The Dragonkind Chronicles. I have an idea for a four book series, pre-apocalyptic paranormal, I think, starting with The Chess Master. I’m also working on a project aimed for Silhouette Special Edition. Next year, I’d like to finish the movie script I’ve been working on.
Thank you for having me. I’m looking forward to sharing some exciting news soon!Susan
visit more with Susan at http://www,susanlute.com
Did you jump into writing and rocket to contest fame, or did the process happen over time?
Becoming an author was something that happened over time for me. In high school, I took every creative writing class I could, which essentially meant I was writing more than I was interacting with people
Writers face many challenges. What are some of yours?
My biggest challenge has been blending the writing with the rest of my life. I’ve been a nurse for twenty-five years and have enjoyed the work tremendously. Along the way, I’ve learned much about myself, about life. Making room for the writing, which refills my well over and over, is an ongoing process that won’t end soon, I’m sure.I believe in paying it forward. In order to do that, I’ve served on the board of my local RWA chapter, and currently serve as Treasure of the Published Author’s Special Interest Chapter. My family is a big part of my life as well, so that means I have a lot of balls in the air at once. Just recently I decided to accept that about myself. I’m always going to be a busy woman.
Let's talk writing mechanics. How many drafts do you do? How many books can you complete in a year?
I like to call myself an organized organic writer. I write an ugly draft, than a lazy draft, and finally a brilliant draft
What are five things you have around you when you write?
Stacks and stacks of books. A glittering dragon statue my sister bought for me. Photographs I’ve taken of places I’ve been (my favorite is a grouping I took in NYC). A lava lamp my kids gave me. Frogs. Lots of frogs.
Are your books plot-driven or character-driven?
It’s all about the characters for me. How they grow. How they get from here to there. The plot and setting are definitely secondary - for two reasons. I’m an ardent student of human nature. And the plot doesn’t come to me all at once. It builds as I go along. To write requires discipline. Do you follow any writing schedule or particular process that works best for you? I’m disciplined by nature and nurture. I try to write fifteen hours a week. My favorite hours are between five and ten in the morning. Sometimes I make it. Sometimes I don’t.
Do you research in advance or as you write?
I research as I go along. Again, because the story unfolds as I write it, so I don’t always know what it is I’ll need to research. Who knew, for instance, I would need to know so much about prehistoric flight? About chapter three in The Dragon’s Thief (see an excerpt at my website), I turned to the internet and its huge repository of knowledge.
How do you write best--with noise or quiet?
I write in absolute silence. Right now the stereo is playing, but only because for me this is playing, not writing.
In your writing career, is there anything you would do differently?
I would write more.What are you working on now?This summer I finish my first post-apocalyptic paranormal romance. It’s the first of five novels about the end of the world and the dragon halflings who fight to save those who are left. ...In places where roads go nowhere; where life is fragile and no one walks but ghosts, a powerful evil is growing. I’m currently working on the second book.
What is next for you?
Finish the The Dragonkind Chronicles. I have an idea for a four book series, pre-apocalyptic paranormal, I think, starting with The Chess Master. I’m also working on a project aimed for Silhouette Special Edition. Next year, I’d like to finish the movie script I’ve been working on.
Thank you for having me. I’m looking forward to sharing some exciting news soon!Susan
visit more with Susan at http://www,susanlute.com
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Who is Kelly Shaunasey
Was it love at first sight, Kelly?
At first bump? When she fell on top of me trying to stop the fight, my heart stopped for a moment. And when I looked into her eyes, I knew we were soul mates.
Was knowing about the feud really that important?
It was to Casey. I knew that her being Catholic and me being Protestant was a bigger problem than the feud.
Why were you fighting?
We always fight after church. It's a tradition. I actually like her brother and his friends. It's all in fun.
Strange way to have.
Is that a question?
No, just a comment. Do you believe you have a godfaerie?
Of course I do. What kind of Irishman do you think I am? I've even seen him from time to time sprinkling faerie dust on Casey and me. I do believe he wants us to figure out how we can spend the rest of our lives together.
Will you tell us if the two of you get married?
I will not be giving away the story. You have to read it on St. Patty's day to get a wee bit of Irish luck. I will tell you though that it is part of a crazy story with time machines and weird professors. Once you leave my story you could end up anywhere.
Where can we buy this anthology?
At Rogue Phoenix Press on March 1st of 2011.
http://www.roguephoenixpress.com
At first bump? When she fell on top of me trying to stop the fight, my heart stopped for a moment. And when I looked into her eyes, I knew we were soul mates.
Was knowing about the feud really that important?
It was to Casey. I knew that her being Catholic and me being Protestant was a bigger problem than the feud.
Why were you fighting?
We always fight after church. It's a tradition. I actually like her brother and his friends. It's all in fun.
Strange way to have.
Is that a question?
No, just a comment. Do you believe you have a godfaerie?
Of course I do. What kind of Irishman do you think I am? I've even seen him from time to time sprinkling faerie dust on Casey and me. I do believe he wants us to figure out how we can spend the rest of our lives together.
Will you tell us if the two of you get married?
I will not be giving away the story. You have to read it on St. Patty's day to get a wee bit of Irish luck. I will tell you though that it is part of a crazy story with time machines and weird professors. Once you leave my story you could end up anywhere.
Where can we buy this anthology?
At Rogue Phoenix Press on March 1st of 2011.
http://www.roguephoenixpress.com
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Who is Casey O'Connel?
Pagan Faerie
Carey
Carey
Tell us a little about yourself.
I have grown up wanting for nothing. My family is good Irish Catholic. A mystery surrounded our family and a Protestant family. Now we were never chummy with Protestants, but hatred--well--they were the only family we ever despised. I always wanted to know why but no one would ever tell me.
Does anyone remember why they are feuding?
I think so. When I ask, there are people who turn their head, sigh, and tell me not to ask foolish questions. They tell me I am better off not knowing. But I don't agree.
Have you always been clumsy or are you a tom-boy?
Why do you ask?
You stumbled before you sat down to answer my questions and I noticed the grass stain on your pink dress.
I am very clumsy. I trip over everything and anything. I can't walk down the street without an accident waiting to happen. It seems as if bad luck follows me wherever I go.
Do you believe in the fae folk?
Why of course I do. I'm a good Irish girl. But I must not believe enough because I've never seen a faerie. What does one have to do? I would be thinkin' I should find a nice leprechaun to keep me safe from myself. I bought a faerie house at the fair last summer but I don't know if anyone lives there. I'd love to see one of the wee folk.
When you met Kelly, how did you feel?
Why I was laying on top of him--quite by accident--and my heart somersaulted. I couldn't breathe. And I was so embarrassed that I'd fallen so hard I pushed him down. Everyone was whistling at me and tellin' him how weak he was because he was flattened by a mere girl.
Why? What was happening?
I don't think I should be telling anyone. As I said, it was more than a wee bit embarrassing. Maybe you should read my story.
Of course I will but it is not published yet. When will we be seeing this in print?
Why on St. Patty's Day.
Anything else you might want to add.
It's an interesting story with night elves and crazy inventors. I'm hoping it all comes together by March.
I'm sure it will. Where can we buy a copy?
You will have to go to Rogue Phoenix Press. We will be counting down the days until our story is told for everyone to read.
I have grown up wanting for nothing. My family is good Irish Catholic. A mystery surrounded our family and a Protestant family. Now we were never chummy with Protestants, but hatred--well--they were the only family we ever despised. I always wanted to know why but no one would ever tell me.
Does anyone remember why they are feuding?
I think so. When I ask, there are people who turn their head, sigh, and tell me not to ask foolish questions. They tell me I am better off not knowing. But I don't agree.
Have you always been clumsy or are you a tom-boy?
Why do you ask?
You stumbled before you sat down to answer my questions and I noticed the grass stain on your pink dress.
I am very clumsy. I trip over everything and anything. I can't walk down the street without an accident waiting to happen. It seems as if bad luck follows me wherever I go.
Do you believe in the fae folk?
Why of course I do. I'm a good Irish girl. But I must not believe enough because I've never seen a faerie. What does one have to do? I would be thinkin' I should find a nice leprechaun to keep me safe from myself. I bought a faerie house at the fair last summer but I don't know if anyone lives there. I'd love to see one of the wee folk.
When you met Kelly, how did you feel?
Why I was laying on top of him--quite by accident--and my heart somersaulted. I couldn't breathe. And I was so embarrassed that I'd fallen so hard I pushed him down. Everyone was whistling at me and tellin' him how weak he was because he was flattened by a mere girl.
Why? What was happening?
I don't think I should be telling anyone. As I said, it was more than a wee bit embarrassing. Maybe you should read my story.
Of course I will but it is not published yet. When will we be seeing this in print?
Why on St. Patty's Day.
Anything else you might want to add.
It's an interesting story with night elves and crazy inventors. I'm hoping it all comes together by March.
I'm sure it will. Where can we buy a copy?
You will have to go to Rogue Phoenix Press. We will be counting down the days until our story is told for everyone to read.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
MEANWHILE, BACK TO MY SERIES...
Just a couple more dry days and the outside of my house will be painted. Hooray! That will bring me another step closer to my dream of living on acreage with my pack of doggies and without house projects to do so I can write!
The St. Patrick's Day release from the Rogue's Angels is in the critique phase, so I'm back to working on my nine-book family saga series. This is one of those projects that has so captured my attention that I could easily work on it from the time I get up in the morning until I fall asleep at the computer in the wee hours of the next morning.
Vision boards for each story fill one of the walls in my office. Detail sheets for each scene in every book are tucked into folders. Spreadsheets chronicle each major event and when it happens. And drafts of the stories themselves are growing each day.
You can probably tell that I'm a detailed plotter. Many of my writer friends are "pantsters"--they just sit down and write wherever the story leads them. Some authors even say if they outline, it ruins the story because they already know what will happen. However, I find that my characters still surprise me, even with all the outlining I do. It's fascinating that writers follow many different creative processes to tell wonderful stories!
Because there are overlapping events in this series, but told from different points of view, tracking what happens in each story is critical so I don't make faux pas like having a heroine pregnant in one scene and the child going to school three months later.
I'm also excited to venture into the video end of promotion with this series. I'm planning book trailers as I write, and hope to have graphics of key scenes to go along with the text of the books.
I'm curious what you as readers think. Do you like books that are part of a series, with characters whose lives continue from book to book? (You get to experience them living their "happily ever after.") Are you intrigued by a combination of book and movie, where you can watch key scenes from the book if you want to do more than read those scenes?
Let me know what you think!
-Amber Angel
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Meet Author Patricia Gulley
Patricia Gulley is a retired travel agent and lives on a floating home in Oregon. Her first book, Downsized To Death, is available in eBook and tradepaper from Wings E Press, Amazon and Fictionwise
Did you jump into writing and rocket to contest fame, or did the process happen over time
It happened over time. I started writing after we moved from New York City to Portland. I started with SF short stories, then actually quit work to write full time and do a romance. That didn't work, so went back to work, and when I was forced into retirement at the end of 2001, really got 'down and dirty' to write mysteries. So pretty close to 30 years.
We’re all writers, whether our efforts are emails, grocery lists, or notes to our children’s teachers. You’ve done technical writing and published a number of articles. How do the skills you learned in those endeavors contribute to your novel writing?
(?????) not me.
Writers face many challenges. What are some of yours?
Are you a Pantser or Plotter?
I am categorically a little of both, but mostly a pantser. I have to be able to write the first chapter and the ending before I'm sure there is a book there. Once I do that, I 'pantser' along through that mine field known as the middle.
Are your books plot-driven or character-driven
I honestly believe a little of both. I have to have a twisty plot, or I'm not interested. My mystery must have a puzzle, but my characters drive the story with what happens to them. I don't like characters that just feel they have to solve the mystery. I want my characters to be FORCED to solve it for many reasons that have a lot of bearing on their lives. They are amateur sleuths, and not inclined to want to get into any dangerous situations if they don't have to.
Do you go with the flow or follow a schedule
Definitely go with the flow.
Is your research in advance or as you write?
The only research I have to do is call a few friends to verify past procedures or what really happened so I can convolute it. My books are about travel agents--NOT TOUR ESCORTS--working travel agents, and since they work for a national company, they are majorly corporate women.
How do you write the best with noise or quiet?
NO noise. I hate noise, I like silence, and since I live alone, I get it.
Well, except for those nasty ducks and geese. One of these days--POW!
Our characters claim much of our time as we spend hours in front of our computers capturing their stories. However, each of us has a cast of real life characters who inspire, encourage, and support us. Who are some of the many members of Team Patricia?
Well, Team Patricia, can count on help from Barbara, Darice, Hutch , Liz, Linda and Vivian. Sometimes Rick and Christopher.
What are you working on now?
A second book in the series. My 'main character' in book one alternated with the detective trying to solve the murder. Next time 'that' main character will alternate with another woman who was also an agency manager, but retired.
What are five Things Patricia Has Around Her When She Writes?
Patricia is surrounded by SF and Fastasy Art, paintings, prints, statues and a ton of books.
Do you ever have writers block. If you do, how do you overcome it?
All the time. I can't think of a thing until I sit down and start finger babbling.
Let's talk writing mechanics. How many drafts do you do? How many books can you complete in a year?
I probably do three full drafts, and then continuously rewrite until I just have to put it away. I don't know if I can do one in a year. Someone would have to tell me I MUST before I'd try.
Do you have a method for promoting your books?
Tons and tons, but so far not many are working the way I want.
Was writing fiction something you have always wanted to do? Did you write stories as a child?
The first thing I wanted to do is get out of the small town I was born in and see the world. Then I decided I might want to write about it, but didn't feel qualified. Then I started going to SF conventions and decided I wanted to write short stories.
To write requires discipline. Do you follow any writing schedule or particular process that works best for you?
Nope
In your writing career, anything you would do differently?
Probably would have forced myself to write more, but I have to admit that until I had my computer it was a tough slog. The computer totally set me free.
What is next for you?
I actually have three books working. Next should be to hunker down and finish one of them, especially the second in the series. But I have a vampire story bugging me, and I've always wanted to do a Jane Austen sequel.
Did you jump into writing and rocket to contest fame, or did the process happen over time
It happened over time. I started writing after we moved from New York City to Portland. I started with SF short stories, then actually quit work to write full time and do a romance. That didn't work, so went back to work, and when I was forced into retirement at the end of 2001, really got 'down and dirty' to write mysteries. So pretty close to 30 years.
We’re all writers, whether our efforts are emails, grocery lists, or notes to our children’s teachers. You’ve done technical writing and published a number of articles. How do the skills you learned in those endeavors contribute to your novel writing?
(?????) not me.
Writers face many challenges. What are some of yours?
Are you a Pantser or Plotter?
I am categorically a little of both, but mostly a pantser. I have to be able to write the first chapter and the ending before I'm sure there is a book there. Once I do that, I 'pantser' along through that mine field known as the middle.
Are your books plot-driven or character-driven
I honestly believe a little of both. I have to have a twisty plot, or I'm not interested. My mystery must have a puzzle, but my characters drive the story with what happens to them. I don't like characters that just feel they have to solve the mystery. I want my characters to be FORCED to solve it for many reasons that have a lot of bearing on their lives. They are amateur sleuths, and not inclined to want to get into any dangerous situations if they don't have to.
Do you go with the flow or follow a schedule
Definitely go with the flow.
Is your research in advance or as you write?
The only research I have to do is call a few friends to verify past procedures or what really happened so I can convolute it. My books are about travel agents--NOT TOUR ESCORTS--working travel agents, and since they work for a national company, they are majorly corporate women.
How do you write the best with noise or quiet?
NO noise. I hate noise, I like silence, and since I live alone, I get it.
Well, except for those nasty ducks and geese. One of these days--POW!
Our characters claim much of our time as we spend hours in front of our computers capturing their stories. However, each of us has a cast of real life characters who inspire, encourage, and support us. Who are some of the many members of Team Patricia?
Well, Team Patricia, can count on help from Barbara, Darice, Hutch , Liz, Linda and Vivian. Sometimes Rick and Christopher.
What are you working on now?
A second book in the series. My 'main character' in book one alternated with the detective trying to solve the murder. Next time 'that' main character will alternate with another woman who was also an agency manager, but retired.
What are five Things Patricia Has Around Her When She Writes?
Patricia is surrounded by SF and Fastasy Art, paintings, prints, statues and a ton of books.
Do you ever have writers block. If you do, how do you overcome it?
All the time. I can't think of a thing until I sit down and start finger babbling.
Let's talk writing mechanics. How many drafts do you do? How many books can you complete in a year?
I probably do three full drafts, and then continuously rewrite until I just have to put it away. I don't know if I can do one in a year. Someone would have to tell me I MUST before I'd try.
Do you have a method for promoting your books?
Tons and tons, but so far not many are working the way I want.
Was writing fiction something you have always wanted to do? Did you write stories as a child?
The first thing I wanted to do is get out of the small town I was born in and see the world. Then I decided I might want to write about it, but didn't feel qualified. Then I started going to SF conventions and decided I wanted to write short stories.
To write requires discipline. Do you follow any writing schedule or particular process that works best for you?
Nope
In your writing career, anything you would do differently?
Probably would have forced myself to write more, but I have to admit that until I had my computer it was a tough slog. The computer totally set me free.
What is next for you?
I actually have three books working. Next should be to hunker down and finish one of them, especially the second in the series. But I have a vampire story bugging me, and I've always wanted to do a Jane Austen sequel.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Collies, Collies, Collies
I'd like to thank Dorothy Bodoin for sharing her love of collies with the angels. I know that Amber Angel has an unsurpassed love of all dogs.
I would also like to offer my apology to Dorothy. I don't know what happened last weekend. I even looked twice for the rest of the story but couldn't find it on the attachment. But it was there!
COLLIES, COLLIES, COLLIES
Crazy over collies. That describes my life-long love of the collie breed.
When I was very young, about two or three years old, I was knocked down by a large collie. I have no recollection of this incident, no memory of whether I was afraid or if I cried or what happened afterward. My mother told me the story.
Now you’d think that would have traumatized me, but it had the opposite effect. I grew up with a love of dogs that is just as strong today as it was in the beginning.
Like everyone who loves collies, I soon discovered books by Albert Payson Terhune about his heroic collies and, around the same time, the Lassie movies. I desperately wanted a collie of my own. It was an early dream of mine to own an outstanding show dog, a champion. I even knew the color I wanted: tricolor which is black with tan and white markings.
I had to wait a long time.
Collies were too big. They shed. They barked too much. My mother had dozens of excuses, but when I was in high school, she finally capitulated.
My first collie was a sable, like Lassie. I named her Heather after a dog in one of Terhune’s short stories. Heather came into our family as a tiny puppy and was a cherished family member for the next decade.
Then came years of life without a collie. They weren’t unhappy years, just vaguely incomplete. I worked abroad and traveled, went to college, taught English in a local high school, and wrote stories of my own with collie characters. One day I decided that I wasn’t going to wait any longer for my collie. My tricolor collie. I bought LaStancia Dark Heather and entered the fascinating world of breeders and exhibitors, albeit marginally.
Since then, there have always been collies in my life: Springbrook Black Rainbow, Wolf Manor Black Holly, and Wolf Manor Kinder Brightstar, all of them Michigan bred.
Since Five Star published my first book, Darkness at Foxglove Corners, in 2001, there have been collies in my mysteries with one exception. In Treasure at Trail’s End, set in the old West, my heroine befriends a mixed breed dog. I didn’t think collies were plentiful in Colorado Territory.
I’ve written about champions, pets, strays, abused collies, and collies in peril. All of them are modeled after dogs I’ve known and loved. Their personalities sparkle in the pages. Their antics provide comic relief in tense situations. They are all intelligent and loyal and courageous, and they are all beautiful. Even as a child I knew that, for me, the majestic collie was the most beautiful of dogs.
The antics of my real life collie, Kinder, are too amusing to keep to myself. Like the time Kinder, as a baby, got lost behind a basket in the closet. She was quiet for a long time but her soft whine finally alerted me to her dilemma. Or her habit of chewing twenty dollar bills whenever I leave my purse open. Or her clever way of distracting me with one naughty activity so that I’ll turn my attention to that while she does what she wanted to do in the first place.
Kinder’s breeder told me, “She’s smart. “Don’t let her put one over on you.”
Good advice, but it’s happened more often than I care to admit.
At present, Candy, a collie character in my Foxglove Corners mystery series, is patterned after Kinder, just as Jennet Greenway’s collie, Halley, was patterned after my Black Holly.
There’s a story about me and Holly. It’s a sad story, but it’s part of my history.
I lost Holly when she was thirteen and a half years old. At the time I was in the hospital, and my brother had taken her to his house in the country until I came home. Holly was my motivation for wanting to get well. Tragically, she died on her first night away from home. I wasn’t with her; I couldn’t even say goodbye to her. She took a large piece of my heart with her.
Before my accident, I’d planned to write The Collie Connection in which my heroine lost her beloved collie only weeks before her wedding. A few months after I came home, I was finally ready to begin a new book. But how could I write about losing Halley (Holly)? I didn’t think I could. One day, however, I changed my mind. I decided to write The Collie Connection and let Holly live in its pages.
Some months later, I was surprised and happy to learn that Holly’s book had won my publisher’s Golden Wings Award for overall excellence in its genre.
In a sense, having a dog in a book is a little like being responsible for one in life. Having introduced a canine character, you can’t simply forget about her—or use her only whenever the plot needs a dog. If your protagonist comes home in a downpour and goes out again on some mystery-related errand without tending to the needs of her dog, I guarantee you’ll hear from outraged readers.
My fictitious dogs may be in danger, but I never let them die. I cried over too many dog stories to do.
The room in which I write today is filled with pictures of collies. There are photographs of all my collies; old time prints and cards; and prints by my favorite animal artist, Cindy Alvarado.
I’d like to say that Kinder lies at my feet while I write, Albert Payson Terhune style, but she has her own diversions. Sometimes, when I’ve been at the computer too long, Kinder brings one of her toys or a Frisbee or a ball and drops it near my chair. It’s a not-so-subtle hint, and it always works. I stop what I’m doing and play with her.
So I write my books and enjoy my collie’s company, and the seasons go by, a little too fast these days.
This isn’t quite the life I envisioned for myself when I was a teenager reading stories about dogs and dreaming about owning a show collie, but it’s a very satisfactory life and the only one I want.
I would also like to offer my apology to Dorothy. I don't know what happened last weekend. I even looked twice for the rest of the story but couldn't find it on the attachment. But it was there!
COLLIES, COLLIES, COLLIES
Crazy over collies. That describes my life-long love of the collie breed.
When I was very young, about two or three years old, I was knocked down by a large collie. I have no recollection of this incident, no memory of whether I was afraid or if I cried or what happened afterward. My mother told me the story.
Now you’d think that would have traumatized me, but it had the opposite effect. I grew up with a love of dogs that is just as strong today as it was in the beginning.
Like everyone who loves collies, I soon discovered books by Albert Payson Terhune about his heroic collies and, around the same time, the Lassie movies. I desperately wanted a collie of my own. It was an early dream of mine to own an outstanding show dog, a champion. I even knew the color I wanted: tricolor which is black with tan and white markings.
I had to wait a long time.
Collies were too big. They shed. They barked too much. My mother had dozens of excuses, but when I was in high school, she finally capitulated.
My first collie was a sable, like Lassie. I named her Heather after a dog in one of Terhune’s short stories. Heather came into our family as a tiny puppy and was a cherished family member for the next decade.
Then came years of life without a collie. They weren’t unhappy years, just vaguely incomplete. I worked abroad and traveled, went to college, taught English in a local high school, and wrote stories of my own with collie characters. One day I decided that I wasn’t going to wait any longer for my collie. My tricolor collie. I bought LaStancia Dark Heather and entered the fascinating world of breeders and exhibitors, albeit marginally.
Since then, there have always been collies in my life: Springbrook Black Rainbow, Wolf Manor Black Holly, and Wolf Manor Kinder Brightstar, all of them Michigan bred.
Since Five Star published my first book, Darkness at Foxglove Corners, in 2001, there have been collies in my mysteries with one exception. In Treasure at Trail’s End, set in the old West, my heroine befriends a mixed breed dog. I didn’t think collies were plentiful in Colorado Territory.
I’ve written about champions, pets, strays, abused collies, and collies in peril. All of them are modeled after dogs I’ve known and loved. Their personalities sparkle in the pages. Their antics provide comic relief in tense situations. They are all intelligent and loyal and courageous, and they are all beautiful. Even as a child I knew that, for me, the majestic collie was the most beautiful of dogs.
The antics of my real life collie, Kinder, are too amusing to keep to myself. Like the time Kinder, as a baby, got lost behind a basket in the closet. She was quiet for a long time but her soft whine finally alerted me to her dilemma. Or her habit of chewing twenty dollar bills whenever I leave my purse open. Or her clever way of distracting me with one naughty activity so that I’ll turn my attention to that while she does what she wanted to do in the first place.
Kinder’s breeder told me, “She’s smart. “Don’t let her put one over on you.”
Good advice, but it’s happened more often than I care to admit.
At present, Candy, a collie character in my Foxglove Corners mystery series, is patterned after Kinder, just as Jennet Greenway’s collie, Halley, was patterned after my Black Holly.
There’s a story about me and Holly. It’s a sad story, but it’s part of my history.
I lost Holly when she was thirteen and a half years old. At the time I was in the hospital, and my brother had taken her to his house in the country until I came home. Holly was my motivation for wanting to get well. Tragically, she died on her first night away from home. I wasn’t with her; I couldn’t even say goodbye to her. She took a large piece of my heart with her.
Before my accident, I’d planned to write The Collie Connection in which my heroine lost her beloved collie only weeks before her wedding. A few months after I came home, I was finally ready to begin a new book. But how could I write about losing Halley (Holly)? I didn’t think I could. One day, however, I changed my mind. I decided to write The Collie Connection and let Holly live in its pages.
Some months later, I was surprised and happy to learn that Holly’s book had won my publisher’s Golden Wings Award for overall excellence in its genre.
In a sense, having a dog in a book is a little like being responsible for one in life. Having introduced a canine character, you can’t simply forget about her—or use her only whenever the plot needs a dog. If your protagonist comes home in a downpour and goes out again on some mystery-related errand without tending to the needs of her dog, I guarantee you’ll hear from outraged readers.
My fictitious dogs may be in danger, but I never let them die. I cried over too many dog stories to do.
The room in which I write today is filled with pictures of collies. There are photographs of all my collies; old time prints and cards; and prints by my favorite animal artist, Cindy Alvarado.
I’d like to say that Kinder lies at my feet while I write, Albert Payson Terhune style, but she has her own diversions. Sometimes, when I’ve been at the computer too long, Kinder brings one of her toys or a Frisbee or a ball and drops it near my chair. It’s a not-so-subtle hint, and it always works. I stop what I’m doing and play with her.
So I write my books and enjoy my collie’s company, and the seasons go by, a little too fast these days.
This isn’t quite the life I envisioned for myself when I was a teenager reading stories about dogs and dreaming about owning a show collie, but it’s a very satisfactory life and the only one I want.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Autumn
The days are getting shorter as Summer makes way for Autumn in all her splendor. Moisture clings to the air when we go for our morning walks. Color is exploding in oranges and reds hues of the leaves on the trees while other leaves fall to the ground and crunch under our feet.
My favorite season is near and I anticipate our traditional drive to the beach to see the colorful scenery.
Pumpkins, apples sauce and dill pickles remind me of fall as food and canning are a large part of my family's life. Below is our favorite fall recipe. This is a German pastry that has been in our family for generations.
Apple Slices
5-6 apples peeled and sliced (Granny Smith's)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon CINNANMON
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoon flour
dash of salt
Mix dry ingredients set aside.
Make double pie crust- roll out half the dough to fit the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Alternate apple slices and sugar mixture, in turns. Roll top crust same size and place over last sugar layer.
Bake 400 degree in the oven for 45 minutes or until nicely browned. Drizzle powered sugar icing over crust while still warm.
Powder Sugar icing
Approx. 2 Cups powder sugar mix with 1-2 Tablespoon milk mix together.
Shh! Don't tell my mom I've given this recipe out or she'll disown me from the family. Enjoy the changing season. I know I will.
Cinnamon
My favorite season is near and I anticipate our traditional drive to the beach to see the colorful scenery.
Pumpkins, apples sauce and dill pickles remind me of fall as food and canning are a large part of my family's life. Below is our favorite fall recipe. This is a German pastry that has been in our family for generations.
Apple Slices
5-6 apples peeled and sliced (Granny Smith's)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon CINNANMON
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoon flour
dash of salt
Mix dry ingredients set aside.
Make double pie crust- roll out half the dough to fit the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Alternate apple slices and sugar mixture, in turns. Roll top crust same size and place over last sugar layer.
Bake 400 degree in the oven for 45 minutes or until nicely browned. Drizzle powered sugar icing over crust while still warm.
Powder Sugar icing
Approx. 2 Cups powder sugar mix with 1-2 Tablespoon milk mix together.
Shh! Don't tell my mom I've given this recipe out or she'll disown me from the family. Enjoy the changing season. I know I will.
Cinnamon
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Other people's perceptions
Hi all,
Sable Angel here. I recently bumped into the reality of perceptions. Since I've completed the beginning book of my dragon series, I'm moving to complete other novels I've had in the works. One is loosely based on a historical event that happened in Salem, Oregon in May, 1981.
Long before Kip Kinkle or the Columbine incident, Salem suffered a multiple shooting that made international headlines. Four were killed and nineteen were wounded. The incident occurred when many of us were in our prime and affected an entire generation.
When I mention I'm writing about the incident, invariably, the conversation will turn to the night; where people were, what they were doing, were they at the particular bar, and so on.
Where perception comes in is when I note I'm writing a 'novel'. Apparently most folks don't understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction. I'm asked what my book will be about and I offer a simple explanation.
That's when perception kicks in. Others don't seem to grasp the concept of literary license. I'm starting with a set of hard facts and picking and choosing those which will work to my advantage in my story.
It's been a hard lesson but I've learned not to mention the book anymore due to the still sensitive nature of the subject even after 29 years. I'll write my book and, hopefully, have it published but to much less fanfare than I had hoped.
Keep your wings dry.
Sable Angel
Sable Angel here. I recently bumped into the reality of perceptions. Since I've completed the beginning book of my dragon series, I'm moving to complete other novels I've had in the works. One is loosely based on a historical event that happened in Salem, Oregon in May, 1981.
Long before Kip Kinkle or the Columbine incident, Salem suffered a multiple shooting that made international headlines. Four were killed and nineteen were wounded. The incident occurred when many of us were in our prime and affected an entire generation.
When I mention I'm writing about the incident, invariably, the conversation will turn to the night; where people were, what they were doing, were they at the particular bar, and so on.
Where perception comes in is when I note I'm writing a 'novel'. Apparently most folks don't understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction. I'm asked what my book will be about and I offer a simple explanation.
That's when perception kicks in. Others don't seem to grasp the concept of literary license. I'm starting with a set of hard facts and picking and choosing those which will work to my advantage in my story.
It's been a hard lesson but I've learned not to mention the book anymore due to the still sensitive nature of the subject even after 29 years. I'll write my book and, hopefully, have it published but to much less fanfare than I had hoped.
Keep your wings dry.
Sable Angel
Monday, August 30, 2010
Summers End
Is this the end or a new beginning? For me September signals the end of a hectic summer: two graduations, a wedding, and a fantastic 2 week trip to Disney World. Now I begin the last year of teaching. I'm looking forward to retirement but in ways this stage of my life may be bittersweet. I've made many friends in the teaching world and I may never see them again. I won't see them because I will have to be starving to ever substitute again. However, I have my publishing house and my writing which will occupy my time.
So, only a paragraph later and I have diverged from my original topic. Sigh… my family has increased, two new grandbabies and a new son in law. Wonderful things here, but my youngest daughter announced she and her new husband will be leaving in a couple of weeks to take up residence in New York. They move to find work. Is this a new beginning or an end? I can't describe how totally empty I felt yesterday. I knew this would happen. They had prepared us for this before the wedding. But it was still hard. I know this will be an incredible adventure. She has always wanted to live in a large city, but frankly, I was hoping for something on the west coast.
As to the first question…Is the end of something always the birth of a new beginning?
So, only a paragraph later and I have diverged from my original topic. Sigh… my family has increased, two new grandbabies and a new son in law. Wonderful things here, but my youngest daughter announced she and her new husband will be leaving in a couple of weeks to take up residence in New York. They move to find work. Is this a new beginning or an end? I can't describe how totally empty I felt yesterday. I knew this would happen. They had prepared us for this before the wedding. But it was still hard. I know this will be an incredible adventure. She has always wanted to live in a large city, but frankly, I was hoping for something on the west coast.
As to the first question…Is the end of something always the birth of a new beginning?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Tired but happy
Hello all,
Sable Angel here. Today my wings are drooping but I'm thrilled. I had a book signing yesterday at a local pub in our town. It's one of those places every town has where the customers are generational--granddad goes, dad goes and now that the kids are over 21, they go too. It's friendly and relaxed. When the bartenders see you coming they have your favorite libation ready before you enter.
Every year this little place has two very memorable parties; one at the beginning of summer and one ushering out the warm season. The parties are memorable because this is the Northwest and outside parties happen within a very short span of time.
There was a band, food booth and, of course, everyone's favorite drink. When I approached the owner about a book signing for my current release Dragons Among Us, he's the one who suggested I combine it with the end of summer party. No problem! He paid for all the extra stuff and provided me shade and a venue to sell my books. Can't lose with that combination.
As myriad friends of the Wingman and mine frequent this establishment, they were aware of the coming release of the book. [Wingman is a terrific marketing manager. He hands out my cards and pushes my books more than I do!] I had verbal promises from many of them.
Well, we writers always smile and nod our heads as we know family and friends have good intentions but don't always follow through. When all was said and done and my weary tired wings and feet were back home, I'd sold four books in my back catalogue and four Dragon books. Now, that might not seem like alot to many of you but I was thrilled!
I'm taking my drooping wings and tired tukus and relaxing for one day before plunging into the faerie portion of the St. Patrick's Day story the other Angels and I are composing. I also need to complete a general fiction novel I've started then begin the next dragon book in the series.
I don't think I'll be bored this winter. How about you? What are your plans for the fast approaching fall and winter seasons?
Keep your wings dry and fly happy.
Sable Angel
Sable Angel here. Today my wings are drooping but I'm thrilled. I had a book signing yesterday at a local pub in our town. It's one of those places every town has where the customers are generational--granddad goes, dad goes and now that the kids are over 21, they go too. It's friendly and relaxed. When the bartenders see you coming they have your favorite libation ready before you enter.
Every year this little place has two very memorable parties; one at the beginning of summer and one ushering out the warm season. The parties are memorable because this is the Northwest and outside parties happen within a very short span of time.
There was a band, food booth and, of course, everyone's favorite drink. When I approached the owner about a book signing for my current release Dragons Among Us, he's the one who suggested I combine it with the end of summer party. No problem! He paid for all the extra stuff and provided me shade and a venue to sell my books. Can't lose with that combination.
As myriad friends of the Wingman and mine frequent this establishment, they were aware of the coming release of the book. [Wingman is a terrific marketing manager. He hands out my cards and pushes my books more than I do!] I had verbal promises from many of them.
Well, we writers always smile and nod our heads as we know family and friends have good intentions but don't always follow through. When all was said and done and my weary tired wings and feet were back home, I'd sold four books in my back catalogue and four Dragon books. Now, that might not seem like alot to many of you but I was thrilled!
I'm taking my drooping wings and tired tukus and relaxing for one day before plunging into the faerie portion of the St. Patrick's Day story the other Angels and I are composing. I also need to complete a general fiction novel I've started then begin the next dragon book in the series.
I don't think I'll be bored this winter. How about you? What are your plans for the fast approaching fall and winter seasons?
Keep your wings dry and fly happy.
Sable Angel
Sunday, August 15, 2010
END OF SUMMER
School kids will be back in the classrooms in a couple weeks, yet I feel as if summer has just begun. I know much of that has to do with the unusual weather we've been having here in the Pacific Northwest. Cool and rainy through most of June, then summer burst on the scene with record-breaking temperatures hovering near 100. Then back to cool and rainy. Now we're facing a week of predicted highs once again near the 100-degree mark.
In the meantime, many Oregonians are wondering whatever happened to sunny and 80ish, and the wild critters act like fall will be here soon.
I guess the up side of the hot weather is that I'm staying inside much of the time where it's cooler, so have more writing time to finish my story for the Rogue's Angels release scheduled for March 2011. A time machine spins through our stories, from the early 1800s to the time between the two World Wars and back to the present day.
This is the first story I've written with other authors. It's been an interesting process to get the time machine from one time period to another and share enough information about its unexpected passengers to keep them in character.
The stories should be finished by the time fall rolls around, and we'll hopefully get enough nice weather for me get my house painted before the rains start in earnest again. I might even get to relax and enjoy my favorite season.
Do you have a favorite season? Any special reason why?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Summer Vacations
One of my most memorable vacations was actually a road trip my family and I took about nine years ago. Our last major trip the family made together.
We traveled from Oregon to Minnesota to visit my extended family. By the end of the two weeks, we were all extremely tired and didn’t want to see a car or freeway for months. Like most people we planned our trip with an atlas and AAA books with sticky notes on places and cities we wanted to see. Only we didn’t realize the magnitude of the distance we needed to travel and the short amount of time we had available. Many of the sticky notes we weren’t able to visit.
We made the traditional stop of Mount Rushmore. Although I’d seen this as a child, I was once again amazed at the enormity of the sculpture and wonderment of how anyone could make something so grand. The day of our visit was the day before Pres. Bush was to speak there. The area was swarming with Secret Service and technicians preparing for his speech. The novelty of their preparations added to our memories and excitement of the day.
Another stop was to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota where my grandmother was raised. Although she’d never told us about her life there we discovered how desolate and isolated the area is.
The trip reminded me of the old song This Land is Your Land for we truly saw how vast and varied our country is, from the enormity of Yellowstone to the uniqueness of Deadwood, SD. There are many places my husband and I would love to go back and see again. This time without the kids asking every 15 minutes “Are we there yet?”
Cinnamon
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