New Release: The Wind Reapers, Book Two of the Blackburn Chronicles

I'm excited to announce that book two of the Blackburn Chronicles, The Wind Reapers, has been released today.

The Tremblers, book one of this steampunk/science fiction/post-apocalyptic/alternative history, action packed saga, came out last month. Reviews have been great. It became one of my new favorite books because it's different. It doesn't follow the steampunk cliches (which I also enjoy) of tea, parasols, witty repartee, and pointless goggles. She incorporates goggles, but they have a purpose, and that could be used as an example of the technology throughout the book. It meets the definition of steampunk in that it takes technology in the time of steam powered industrialism and turns it upside down, inside out, and imagines what could have been possible. Given that necessity is the mother of invention, how far would Victorians have progressed their technological prowess if their existence was on the line?

And author Raquel Byrnes made certain to threaten their existence: cataclysmic earth quakes, poisonous gasses, devastating storms, and a inexplicable sickness necessitated technological advancement. 

In The Tremblers, we meet debutante Charlotte Blackburn, living under the protection of a domed city state in the devastated post-Great Calamity (a series of earth shattering quakes brought on by on by irresponsible mining) remains of what used to be the United States. Through no fault of her own, she is soon a wanted criminal by the despotic leaders of the Peaceful Union. She escapes to Outer City, a community floating high above the wastelands of North America. This debutante learns how to rely on both her intellect and her heart in the face of extreme opposition. From ball gowns to leathers, opera glasses to guns, she goes from helpless girl to a force to be reckoned with, doing what needs to be done, no matter the cost.

The Wind Reapers is book two of the Blackburn Chronicles and brings us to the treacherous badlands outside the domed city states. Hosted and protected (sort of) by a nomadic community in a HUGE spider-like, constantly roaming land vessel, Charlotte learns of a conspiracy that will doom thousands of innocents.

From the back of the book:
Charlotte Blackburn—Hero, hunted, the unwitting symbol of a dark rebellion—she thwarted the deadly intent of the treacherous Order of the Sword and Scroll, but at a shattering cost. Now, she fights to survive among a tribe of fierce Wind Reapers who troll the wasteland aboard massive metal walkers. But a new storm is brewing and Charlotte is once again the linchpin in a deadly plan.

Sebastian Riley has one goal: Help the citizens of his floating Outer City to survive the Ashen Croup, a terrible affliction that drowns victims in their own lungs. But help comes in the form of the infamous Lady Blackburn, a woman wanted for treason who is determined to run headlong into destruction to prevent a coming war—even if it means reaching out to those who want her dead.

Pursued by the shadowy Order and hunted by the furious Reaper clan, Riley and Charlotte brave the monstrous hordes of decaying Tremblers and the terrors of the Wasteland to stop the bloodshed and secure a mysterious calculating engine—a device that can bring about the destruction of an entire nation.

With brutal forces gathering against the unsuspecting citizens inside the Tesla domes, a vicious scientist intent on capturing Charlotte for his experiments, and the whole of the country in deadly peril, one of them must make a sacrifice too terrible to comprehend.

My review of The Wind Reapers: 
This book is a non-stop adventure led by Charlotte, Tesla, and Riley. Technology can only do so much in the face of "blood storms" and a desert veined with fissures releasing searing gas and lava. Outside the dome there are a new set of obstacles and Charlotte doesn't know who she can trust. Having followed Charlotte's journey from naive girl to the point she is at at the start of this book, a competent and somewhat Machiavellian champion for what she perceives as right, this story follows her continued evolution. What struck me the most about this was that the author made the bad guys very real, not archetypal villains. I understood and sympathized with their motivation as well as I understood Charlotte's. This made the right and wrong of the matter very much a gray area. It was thoughtful and threatening, ruthless and emotional. I cried (when a book makes me cry, it has won me over) and cheered and gasped... I couldn't put it down. Wind Reapers is a heartrending adventure that full of hope and fear, a story that challenged me and made me question my own values. 

This is categorized as a young adult title, but the scale of this adventure and the questions it inspires will appeal to all ages.

Book three is (based on Amazon) due to be released next month. I can't wait.
In the meantime I just discovered there are a few freebies available now that go into the backstory of some of the main characters.



Of Books and Blades is the story of young Aston Wells and the events that brought him to the order of the Sword and Scroll.

This Perilous Path is the story of Lizzie and her life before and during The Great Calamity. These are the events that led her to be part of the rebels, fighting for social justice against the Peaceful Union. 

Viewing Your Own Work Objectively

It isn't possible. There. Done. Shortest blog post ever.

Nah, I was just kidding. My point has been made but I'm still going to babble. And, before I begin, let me explain that I am on pain killers for shoulder surgery. Be warned. I am not bi-polar but I play one on TV.

Okay, on point: Objectivity = impossible.  While I'm writing and excited, the book is the best book ever written. I am a GOD!  And then revisions of the first draft begin and I should not be allowed to live, let alone write. When everything is done and I have a clean, finished manuscript I, yet again, become awesome. At this point I usually don't look at it again and move on to the next project.

From time to time I've unearthed one of my previous works for a submission or competition or such. These times are iffy. I could be far enough removed from it to find the cadence of my writing unfamiliar and be pleasantly surprised by a book that (by that point, it's probably been rejected a few times) is obviously terrible. Or maybe it was so close to my heart that it hurts to even read it with the knowledge that it will remain under my bed. I've been through the gamut of reactions with my courtly books.

Possessing Karma was going to be my break out novel. It was edgy, different, super sexy, a little scary... it merged my love of history with my total fear of ghosts and came out awesome. Or at least I thought it was awesome until yesterday when I decided to do a quick once over for Golden Heart.

Things I remember including as part of my voice and my character's deep pov are not there. I must have cut them in favor of brevity or something. Philippe's a nice guy, maybe too nice. Karma's OCD because I say she is, but I don't show it. Damn. I don't know what I did in the final edit, but my work feels soulless and choppy. No wonder it didn't get the response I expected.

I think I may have to set aside Touched in favor of breathing life back into Karma. Either that or I'll read it again tomorrow and be awed by my brilliance.

Reviews on Amazon Missing

I like to write book reviews. With the lack of quality control on self-published books, reviews are important to the readers. Good or bad, reviews are also important to authors.

An author friend brought to my attention that a few of her reviews disappeared. When she brought it up to Amazon, they said the reviewer must have removed it. I was one of the reviewers with the mysterious, disappearing review and I did not remove it. Where is it?

No clue. Amazon asked me to provide the URL to the review, but I don't have that information. So, nothing got done.

I'm writing this to alert you in case this is a problem across the board. If you are published, are your reviews all still there? If you write reviews, see any missing?

Did I Notice Your Book? Blogfest

As part of Ciara Knight's blogfest, I chose to talk about Skeleton Woman by Mingmei Yip.

I met Mingmei at the Romance Writer's of America 2012 conference in Anaheim, Ca. She was sitting at the same fire pit after hours at the bar. I noticed Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, but was nervous about just dive-bombing her with my pitch. Mingmei, represented by Marsal Lyon, told me to go for it -- that the worst she could do was say no. Courage thus fortified, I attacked.

I ended up talking with Mingmei for a while. She told me about her books and gave me her card. I ordered Skeleton Woman when I got home.

Skeleton Woman is set in 1930s Shanghai in the midst the growing Western influence but the traditional Eastern values. A glamorous veneer hides the ever present danger. Intrigue, the life or death situations, showmanship and style sets the scene for an impossible love. For the main character, love is not an option when survival is the goal. The stakes high and the characters multi-faceted. I began this book over the summer, then lost my Kindle. I found it again last night and am just waiting for it to charge so I can finish the story.

The writing style is very formal in the way of English as a second (or third) language. The way the story loops back on itself reminds me of oral traditions. After the first chapter acclimated me, the pacing became comfortable and I found myself enjoying the author's voice very much.

Genre Norms

Ava Donja at Silk and Stone had a post about Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I am not agreeing or disagreeing with her opinion of the book, I will comment on her statement about genre norms.

Ava qualifies romance as "having an emotionally satisfying happy ending where the good guys are rewarded and the bad guys are punished."  I tend to agree with her synopsis.

Romance Writer's of America defines romance as:

A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.

An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love. 

Ava's novelette, Mind, Body, and Spirit, meets the norms. Boy meets girl, attraction, conflict, resolution, and lots of sex (even some hair pulling, if you're into FSOG type stuff). Does that make it less enjoyable read? No - I kept it on my Kindle, alongside Hearts in Darkness, and will probably reread it. Is it cliche? Well, what isn't? It's what the authors do with the norms that make the difference.

This is where criticism of romance is the most strong. Romance promises you a happy ending (take that how you will). How can anyone take the story seriously when you know it will all work out in the end? I would answer that the enjoyment is in the journey itself. Yes, I know the hero and heroine will live happily ever after, but as they get to know each other and discover their love, I'm getting to know them. I get a glimpse of their lives, their worlds. Cliche ending? Sure. But the same can be said of all genre fiction.

• Sci-Fi - cool hero uses cool gadgets to save the world(s)
• Fantasy - chosen one discovers destiny and saves the world
• Mystery - super detective solves the mystery
• YA - angst filled, under-appreciated teen comes to terms with self (eventually)

FSOG  breaks genre norms -- that is, if it was intended to be a romance. There is (spoiler alert) no emotionally satisfying ending. In this, it leans more toward how people define literature vs. genre fiction. Literature tends to be darker, leave loose ends, not end happily-ever-after. I know that is a gross generalization. Does that make FSOG a literary fiction novel? I'll let you answer that question.

Quality Control Rant

Self publishing has opened doors for writers, no question. It has also made the shopper's job that much more a research project than a leisurely browsing of titles.

When I buy a book from Avon, I can almost promise I'll enjoy the read. When I download a $0.99 cent ebook from an indie publisher, I can almost promise that there will be some major format/typo problems that will push me right out of the story. There will also be those side tracking bits than an editor would have asked the writer to cut because they're irrelevant. There will be word repetition to a point that my eyes find that word on the page before reading the first sentence. This is not an absolute, but it has happened more often than not. 

You really can't trust 5 star customer reviews because they  start out as all from the author and his/her friends. I downloaded a 5 star book once that turned out to be a sad retelling of Twilight that sounded like a teenager wrote it. When I gave it an honest review, there was an immediate rebuttal giving another 5 star rating. Now buying an ebook involves way too much thought.

I love to lose myself in a book. Life is crazy and I really cherish moments of escape. I hate it when reading something I paid for becomes an automatic critique/editing session (hard to turn the writer off). I am not escaping when the book I looked forward too turns out to be historical only in that women wore dresses of some sort or McDonald's is misspelled.

I see more stringent categorizing in the future for self published books, but I worry that they will be based on who paid for a certain service or level of marketing and who did not rather than what books are well written.

When I think of the excessive back story, horrible cliches, genre inconsistency, and history-teacheresque aspects of my first book and my certainty that it was a masterpiece I worry over newbie writers who just churn out their whatever and sell it. There's no more learning curve for them to help them advance as writers. Write. Publish. Done. Rejection and research has made me a much better writer today than I was when I started. If I had just self published then, I would have been crushed by poor reviews and probably given up.

It's unfortunate that experienced writers who know their craft and opted to go indie rather than jump through hoops for a publisher or losing $ to an agent are lumped in with all the crap out there.

What can be done to protect the ebook buyer from the ebook saturation of bad books?

When Posting in a Forum, Stay on Topic (alternative title) I Was Just Cyber Bullied

Today I decided to get involved in the Amazon.com community. You know, get out in the virtual world. Participate. Might lead to more blog followers, or just name recognition, or nothing at all and just be fun. Whatever.

I found and joined in on a forum. It started out great. People made witty comments about some of the cliches and/or just bad writing that can occur in romance. What I loved most about the thread is that all contributers were romance readers. Romance was not being mocked maliciously, but playfully, by the people who loved it.

Anyhoo, I posted and selected the box to follow the thread. Every post that came after mine was about completely unrelated topics. I went back to Amazon to look at the thread. For pages before my post, the discussion was about cancer. I had made the mistake of not reading all 190+ pages and not noticed when the thread was dropped. Then someone posted asking what had happened to the original thread. I responded that I was thinking the same thing, and just found myself clicking "No" for the question of  "Do you think this post adds to the discussion?" Well, no, it did not. Completely valid on my part.

This bothered some people, apparently. They joined up to mock me -- the person with comments that were on point. I am now ignoring several people. I also stopped following the thread. I'm sure my comments have had "No" clicked on them. It's just one more of those things that really is not important enough to waste energy thinking about, but is really annoying. What's worse is that they got what they wanted - they drove me out. What should have happened is the people who were using the forum as a chat room should have stopped posting and moved to a more appropriate venue to talk about movies, McDonalds, and hospice care.

This was a mild case of cyber bullying simply because I backed out so quickly. It still leaves me feeling icky and not interested in going back to Amazon (which sucks because I just got a Kindle).
Honestly, now I do not feel inclined to participate in forums on Amazon. I deal with disrespectful and rude people all day -- I don't need to do that in my leisure time as well.

Sexiest Man EVER

Alright, Sebastian Bonnington may have just topped V'lane. Every thing he does, says, breathes, is hot (in the way that's spelled HAWT). Craziness Eloisa James. And to think I thought you had outdone yourself with Villiers (One of my favorite movies and books is Dangerous Liaisons, and the Valmont sexiness that comes from John Malcovich was just amplified in Villiers), but Bonnington wins. I can't find the right image to do him justice, partly because some of his allure is in his voice (the voice I imagine at least) and physical presence.

Who is your favorite romantic male lead in (in the media of your choice)?

Just for fun, here's a hot guy.

Holding Hands

I am a big fan of Beatles music. In general, I prefer the more psychedelic stuff over their earlier C major, happy music but recently I have been loving Kurt’s rendition of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” from Glee in 3-D. A song I have always viewed as shallow took on a new meaning – a longing for a physical connection. A simple touch, a shared sensation. The ramifications could mean nothing or everything, and sometimes it seems worth almost anything to find out. Touch takes knowing someone to a different level.

I just finished (devoured, really) Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye. Two people who had barely glimpsed each other are stuck in a pitch dark elevator. All he saw was her long red hair as she rushed for the elevator. All she remembered seeing of him was the tattoo on his hand. Complete strangers, they end up finding that elusive connection – first through honest sharing, then through touch. I really responded to the way they had the need to reach out. They could not see, but the way his stubble felt beneath her fingers, the way her fingers traced paths of heat against his skin, his scars, was both emotionally moving and sensual. It's like they were learning each other. The heightened sensation of touch along with their whispered truths felt so much more intimate, and more erotic, than the simple actions would have been in any other scenario. I highly recommend this book.

Every romance is centered around that connection.  As the world we are in becomes more and more anonymous, faceless, true connection to other people becomes precious. Maybe this is why I enjoy reading and writing romance so much - it glorifies something I find lacking in the real world. Life is too busy to stop and treasure a simple touch.

Maybe holding someone's hand should be something sing about, to long for.

Blog Tour: Raquel Byrnes

Welcome to Raquel Byrnes, my first guest blogger! Raquel asked what subject I would like her to write about. Since she's always telling me how I need to go to conferences, I chose this one.

Enjoy!

Get Thee To A Conference!

Book proposals clutched in their hands, appointment slip at the ready, writers everywhere are taking one step closer to their dream of publication with a trip to a writer’s conference. From horror writers to inspirational romance authors, they gather at conferences every year with their name tags and pitch sheets.  And I have three reasons why you should join them.

·         Most agents meet their clients at a writer’s conference.  Snail mail or email queries can be effective, but the best way to get the attention of a prospective agent is by meeting them. Nothing can replace the passion and excitement you have for your book as you talk about it face-to-face. It’s also a great way to size up what you want in an agent. During your meeting you can ask what their level of involvement is, in what genre they feel they have the best contacts, and how they communicate with their clients.

·         You connect with other writers. As an author, you cannot get better unless you get feedback. Plain and simple, you have to show people your stuff. If you’re not ready to meet with an agent, then sign up for a critique. Most conferences offer them. It will give you an opportunity to find out where in the publication process you really are. Are you polishing up a ready to submit manuscript or just starting out and finding your voice? Meeting with authors both published and unpublished is invaluable in growing as a writer.

·         You have access to the experts. The best things about writer’s conferences are the workshops. Classes to learn pacing, character development, and crafting a page turner are all available. And the best part? They are usually taught by authors you know and read.  How about learning about character arc from your favorite romance writer? The art of the red-herring from a mystery writer? You can learn so much not only from the class, but from the question and answer period afterward.

Wherever you are in your writing journey, be it novice or seeking representation, a writer’s conference is a wonderful place to network, connect, and learn. If you’re serious about writing you need to go to a writer’s conference.

Read an excerpt of Raquel's book here!

To visit her other blog tour stops, visit the following:

• June 13th EA West @ The West Corner
• June 14th Cally Jackson @ The Hot Seat
• June 15th JoAnn Carter @ Encouraging Faith Through Fiction
• June 16th Hart Johnson @ Confessions of a Watery Tart
• June 17th Kristal Lee @ It's Kristal kLEEr

Congratulations Raquel Byrnes!!!!

Today Raquel Byrnes had the first of her three book series, Purple Knot, released by White Rose Press.

 Congratulations!

This book is available both electronically and in paperback.  Support a fellow blogger and enjoy a great story.  Buy the book!

Characters Wanted

She must be more than just a chambermaid.

My critique partner once asked me to choose my favorite books and figure out what about them drew me. What did the author do that made it a great book?  It has been hard for me to pinpoint any one thing. I love the setting, the story, the passion... I even the love costuming.  In short, I love everything.  How does that help me determine my own style? It doesn't.  I needed to pinpoint something that made my favorite books, the ones I can read over an over again, a notch above the rest.

I finally started reading When Beauty Tamed the Beast.  It has been on my shelf for over a month and I just have not had time.  Luckily (or unluckily) the need for dental work gave me some quiet reading time and I am loving this book.  This is not a surprise as I have loved every Eloisa James book I have read.  What is significant about this book is that it helped me realize what it is that draws me in to her stories.

The characters.

I immediately get a sense of who all the players are.  I mean ALL the players.  No character is too minor to be developed. I remember their names long after the book is finished.  I want to know what happens next.  They are each distinctive, very real and yet larger than life.  This is what I expect when I pick up an Eloisa James novel, and she has yet to let me down.

This holds true for the movies and TV shows I enjoy -- they have characters that are so much more than an archetype.  The USA network promotes their shows as being character driven and, in many cases, this is true.  The Closer would be just another cop show without each distinctive member of the Major Crimes team. 

Am I making all of my characters real? Distinctive? Memorable? Obviously that is something that is important to me. I look for it in other books, so I should apply it in my own work. But I think I cut corners. The periphery characters are just that, fuzzy and off to the side.  They exist because I will them to and serve a function, but my focus is on my main and supporting cast.  Although this realization means extra work on my part, I do not begrudge it if it makes my story higher quality.

What, specifically, about your favorite books make them stand above the rest?  Do you look for that in your own writing?

Z is for Zoe

Zoe Archer came to my attention after a recent RWR article about the perception of having made it.  The article offered a healthy dose of reality.  Basically it address the "what comes next?" question after each step on the road to publishing.  It warns us not to rest on our laurels and that success is a series of baby steps.  She shared her own experiences in becoming published, sort of successful, finding a bigger agent, being dropped by that agent, and then taking risks that payed off.

In her article, she wrote that at one point, while feeling frustrated at an industry that seemed to demand Regency, she decided to throw genre norms into the wind and wrote a paranormal historical romance set in Mongolia. This is where I realized I had to read her books.

I picked up Stranger.  It turned out to be the final book in a series, but it stood on it's own.  Set in the Victorian period, the story spanned the USA, England, and the realm of Faerie. It involved both magic and technology (I would almost classify it as Steampunk, but not 100%).  The characters that had been featured in previous books were intriguing (I will definitely read all the Blades of the Rose books). The primary characters, well, I did not want their story to stop.  They were layered, flawed, sympathetic, vulnerable, and strong.  The romance was HOT but always part of the developing story and character growth.  Did I mention it was hot?

Rebel by Zoe Archer has been nominated as a finalist for this year's RITA award.  I'm looking forward to acquainting myself with more of her stories.

K is for Karma

Specifically, A Bitch Named Karma by Stephanie Haefner.

I bought the ebook and started reading it over this past week. I knew from Francine Howarth's review awhile back that it was not the erotica implied by the cover art (when my husband saw my purchase on the screen, he inquired hopefully as to the nature of the book).

I started reading (using the Kindle app on my Droid) on the air plane. The whole time I was shaking my head at the cliches that seemed to make up the story. With direct nods to Sex in the City, Legally Blond, When Harry Met Sally, and  He's Just Not That Into You, I had no idea what I would say to Stephanie in the future. Yes, it was entertaining -- but I was expecting something more, something honest and thoughtful.

And I got it.  Without giving the story away, the cliches are part of what turns out to be a satire, mocking shallow women's fiction.  Real life gets in the way of the glamorous facade of chick lit and the story takes unexpected, wrenching paths that make you stop and think instead of just admiring the haute couture.  It is a smart, intriguing story with a very relatable main character. I give this book a gold star.

BTW, the censor bars were placed after my 6 year old daughter came in to my office as I was writing this. I had to explain what a bitch was and why we don't call people that. Then she told me that the girl really should not have her boobs showing, so I added the bars. :)

Yes, I know I'm a couple days off.  It's because I scheduled posts for Sundays.

Telling the Story FTW!

Not counting the Fabio books I read when I was too young, my first real romance novel experience was with Stephanie Laurens' The Promise in a Kiss.  My mother recommended it to me.  It had been recommended to her from my aunt.  I honestly enjoyed it and should probably dig it out to re-read it.

The Promise in a Kiss opened up a whole world to me.  Prior to that book, believe it or not, I had been a loyal sci-fi/fantasy reader.  Romances had the same escape, adventure, and promise of a happy ending (let's face it, the hero of the fantasy novel will always save the day) plus sex.  The passion rekindled feelings that complacency had replaced.  I'm sure this is TMI, but reading romance was good for my marriage.

Sex aside, it also taught me something about writing.  Grammar rules could be bent and remolded in order to suit the pacing of the story.  As a history major, I was used to churning out research reports and papers bursting with analysis based on cited sources.  My writing was with thick with credibility, scholarly vocabulary, and strict adherence to grammar and format rules.  Stephanie Laurens' writing reflected the mood of a scene with the use of sentence fragments - -sometimes just a single word.  She started sentences with 'and' and 'but' because the heroine thought that way.  This was her story and she was telling it her way.

As I write, I know I have been influenced by these formative romance experiences.  Sometimes a scene is too fast paced to write a beautiful, descriptive sentence.  Sometimes a word paint is too much and detracts.  Sometimes repetition is good for flow.  And a sentence that would never pass an English teacher's muster is exactly what it needed.

I gave myself permission to use and abuse fragment sentences. It was hard to shift gears from scholarly to fiction so dramatically, but it has been done and there is no going back.  I will mangle grammar if that is what is needed to tell the story.

By the way, "FTW" means "For the Win" in leet speak (which is gaming lingo).

Romance Gets a Bad Rap Yet Again

A friend has been sick in the hospital and I recently paid her a visit. I decided to bring a book her her -- The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe.  I bought this book at the grocery story before checking into the hospital myself a few years ago.  At the time, I had not heard of the author and usually didn't go for fantasy/romance cross over, but it was available.

I loved it. The legend, the characters, the story, all of it.  It was all tight, well developed, well paced.

I have since forced this book and the rest of the series on a variety of people.  Most of them loved it and bought their own copies.

I decided to lend it to my sick friend while she was laid up.  I had no idea if she liked romance specifically, but it didn't matter because the story was good in its own right.  My companion on this mercy visit commented that she had read it too.  Expecting a glowing endorsement I was stunned when she said, "Don't worry, it's the type of book that only has four word sentences."  My jaw dropped at the blatant disrespect.  Pleased with her witty put down, she continued, "There might be one or two sentences that wrap from line to line, but not many."

What?!!

The moment was actually awkward enough that my ailing friend picked up on it.  After all, my companion had just called the book, the book I had already said I loved and wanted to share, crap.  Under any circumstance insulting a gift someone just gave someone else would be inappropriate.  In this case it went even deeper.

My companion is a writer as well.  Her writing emulates the style of the wizened sage, rocking in front of the stone hearth and spinning tales of her youth, bursting with colorful descriptions and life lessons told in the slow, considered pace of Great Uncle Nephi who has wisdom to share with the youngsters.   I write character driven historical romance with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.  I keep euphemisms and purple prose to a minimum despite the industry standards of the early 1980's.  We cannot read, let alone edit, each other's work and I always thought this was due to our relationship.  Now I wonder if that might be, yet again, a sign of Romance Prejudice.

RP rears its ugly head so frequently that it's frightening. In no other genre do you hear belittling remarks based strictly on genre.  Sure, you may hear, "Oh, I don't enjoy science fiction," but people don't say, their voices thick with derision, "Oh, is that book about a chosen one who has to save the world?"  In mystery, non-mystery readers don't jeer, "I can't believe you read those books, they're all about crime and stuff."   But romance you get to hear it ALL THE TIME.  Apparently it is porn for women, too effusive, and they're all the same with different names and eras.  Sure, there are only a handful of story archetypes, but that is true in every genre -- it's what the author does with it that makes all the difference. Sometimes the harshest criticisms come from closet romance readers who are secretly ashamed of their low taste. 

I have a question -- why do you read it if it is so terrible, so beneath you?  You probably read it because it has a great story, good characters, and helps you escape real life for just a little while... In which case, why does that make it something to be mocked or hidden?

In which I realize that good writers do not have to be restrained by genre

My critique partner and I were discussion our next projects. I said I was planning to write my third Elizabethan historical romance and she asked me about the contemporary paranormal romance I had been playing with. I said I that since I was trying to establish myself in the historical romance genre, I should stick with that for the purposes of brand name.

Of course, she writes a wide and varied range of genres. She said she would rather people see her name and think of her as a writer of good books than a writer of a specific genre.

That made me think about my personal reading habits.

I got to know Susan Wiggs through her Civil War era historical romances. I did not bat an eyelash when she came out with Just Breathe, a contemporary women's fiction. I bought it, read it, and loved it. Shockingly enough, I have not yet read her Tudor era stuff.

I started reading Lisa Kleypas' Victorian/Industrial revolution era historical fiction. Again, I knew her to be a writer of good books, so read and enjoyed her contemporary romances/women's fiction (I generally do not read contemporary -- why escape into now?).

Shana Abe wrote some good medieval era romances -- so I gave her dragony book thing a try. The Smoke Thief and the other drakon books have become some of my favorites.

Karen Moning... well who doesn't enjoy a hot highlander? When a friend recommended the fever series, I jumped in with both feet. Awesome stories, more erotic than romantic (but no gratuitous eroticism), definitely paranormal, and kick-ass. AND she linked it with her highlander series.

Conclusion: I am limiting myself by not pursuing the non-Elizabethan stories percolating in my head.
Action: Heck if I know. I probably will still jump into book 3 of the Courtly series anyway. Or not.

Confused and Betrayed

I had a sad experience today with a blog I follow. It is completely unrelated to romance or writing or publishing or anything. It is a collection of real estate pics that are just plain bad or totally awesome. The blogger is hilarious. Somehow the prevalence of cheapo plastic white chairs in the pics inspired a side project following the life of Chair. Good stuff. Many hours have been wasted on this blog site. The blog is Lovely Listings. The windmill house image featured to the right (also a link) is an example of an awesome listing.

To keep things fresh, they have brought in a second blogger. The person's first blog on Lovely Listings was a review of a consumer product. The product was ridiculous and her narrative was funny, but it was not a lovely listing. I did not click on the link to see a review of an egg cup. Give me bad or glorious real estate, please. You have betrayed the promise of your name brand. *sobs*

The section in which I bring it back to writing:
Name branding is an author's dream. There are many authors I know I will always enjoy. They have established their name brand and I would buy any book with their name on it. I am a loyal reader and fan... until they let me down. Of course, not every book is going to be gold, but when you have a name brand that promises quality and you don't deliver, there's almost a sense of betrayal. These authors are so prolific and widely read that their name sells anything. Suddenly their name is the host to novellas with newbie writers, some that are really, really bad. Recently one of these authors started a new series and I did not get into to the story until about 80 pages into the book. I never found the characters believable and started questioning my loyalty. I will probably not buy the next book in this series and feel a little sad about that. Name branding is everything. You cannot betray your name brand by simply getting something published because the publisher knows people will buy things with your name on it.

Don't get me wrong... I am all about progress. No author should let themselves stagnate in their success. Nor should they throw us curve balls. It would be like Candyland writing with perfect English grammar and talking about horticulture. Raquel including beatnik poetry in her blog and/or encouraging people to just wing it. Tim Burton making a holiday chick-flick that did not star Helena Bonham Carter. Steinbeck including car chases and exploding helicopters. Anne Rice writing about Jesus.

No Such Thing As An Objective Reader

Whether or not a reader enjoys a books is an entirely subjective experience. I have always known this, and yet I did not apply it to my own writing.

I am about 80% finished with a romance novel. Usually I would have finished it by now. I don't want to even though my ocd demands that I must. It is just that bad. Seriously.

I don't like the author's voice. There is no believability to the thoughts/actions of the heroine. She is not a sympathetic character. Plot twist after plot twist drags the story on forever, all of which would have been avoided of the two leads had had an honest conversation. All of it, dialogue, narration, and inner monologue, is written in a very archaic and formal way designed to reflect the era it is set in. Just not a good read.

It was one of those moments when I wondered how the book got published in the first place. It turns out this was the author's first historical fiction. Since then, that she actually has had multiple books published. Her reviews are stellar, yet when I read the pages available through Amazon, her writing style is just as off-putting.

I have read more books than I could count. In the past, the only times I have not finished a romance was when a rape was involved and the main character ended up liking it and loving the guy (Sorry, no means no all the time). So, unless I'm totally disgusted, I finish every book I start -- and almost every book has some entertainment value to it. I like to think I can see the good in most books in my genre. In fact, when a book is able to get through all the hurdles to publication, I assume it must have some redeeming quality. I really could not find any in this particular book, and yet it seems that many people enjoyed it. Heck, it got published!

My point: I entered my manuscript in the Golden Heart contest last year. Of course, I thought my book was quality enough to at least be a finalist. It wasn't. Eventually, RWA sent me the judge's score cards. There were five judges. One gave me an 8/10 and one gave me a 7.6/10. This means they liked it. Those judges thought it was good enough to go through to the finals. They wanted to read more. Awesome.

But wait, there are still three judges....

One gave a me a 6/10. To me, that means she didn't hate it or like it. Meh. Another judge gave me a 6/10 (and marked that it was not a romance). Okay, so I'm not connecting with everyone. I've read books that I would give a 6/10. I might not seek that author out on purpose, but if another one of his/her books came my way, I would read it.

The fifth judge gave me a 4/10. Really? That bad? At the time, I just didn't get it. What did I do wrong? How could the scores be so across the board? Either it's a good book or it isn't.

This brings me back to my original point. I would give the book I mentioned earlier (which I may or may not finish) at most, a 4/10 (in general -- I do not know all the criteria the Golden Heart judges were using to determine their scores). I just don't relate to it on any level even though it's set in a era of history I enjoy (but am not an expert on, so I'm not analyzing the accuracy). But many people would give it an 8/10 or better. It got published, for goodness sakes! I probably will not enjoy anything by this author, ever. Yet many people do. There is nothing that author can do to court my good opinion -- and there's no reason for her to try. Not everyone will like her books. That's just the nature of reading. It's entirely subjective.

As for me, I know that not everyone will like my book. The 4/10 judge? I don't think there's anything I can do about that. I can't please everyone, not even when those people are already predisposed to like my genre. There was something about my writing that they actively disliked. I can't let myself be upset about that.

The judges that gave me the 6/10 -- they're on the fence. Something about my writing did not engage them, but whatever that something is, their opinion leaves enough wiggle room for me to fix it. So long as 80% of my readers do like my story to some extent, there's no reason I can't be a success.

As a result of really disliking this book I'm reading, I am able to let go of any residual feeling of inadequacy left behind by the 4/10 score. In fact...

Dear 4/10 judge,

You have the right to dislike my book. I understand it is just a matter of personal preference. I absolve myself of the need to please you. I will be the best author I can be and understand that I cannot please everyone.

I thank you for your honest evaluation.

Yours,
Erin Kane Spock

So, there was my spout off about hating on books and being good enough, smart enough, etc... Have you ever received harsh criticism? Something beyond a helpful critique? How have you handled it?

Addendum: I have since finished this book. I put it in the bathroom and made it through the last 50 or so pages a paragraph at a time. The good news is that the lead characters finally got their happily ever after. I wasn't sure they would. Then again, it is a genre requirement that the lead characters find true love.

Disappearing From the Face of the Earth

My Mom bought a few old romance novels at a garage sale and gave them to me. I was out of books, and read through one. It was published in 2004. A Medieval historical romance (which is the category I fall in, even though Elizabethan is a specific era and, if they want to generalize, they could say Tudor or even Renaissance. But no, they call it Medieval though it is clearly not. But I digress).

The book was entertaining. The main characters well developed and reasonably sympathetic. The romance/anticipation/seduction was well written even though the actual heat of the book was mild. The history appeared accurate (which I notice and appreciate). It gave the promised happy-ever-after between the knight and his lady fair. In short, it was an entertaining read. Not the best book I ever read, but nowhere near the worst. I was actually able to read and enjoy it instead of critiquing it, which says a lot.

I have read so many romances where the author has 20+ titles to her name. It was exciting to read someone's debut novel. Someday, someone will buy and read my debut novel. Maybe they'll be excited to see a new author. Who knows? I was excited to see what this author had done since.

Nothing.

What happened? She wrote a book. A whole book! That's a big deal. AND SHE GOT IT PUBLISHED! What a tremendous amount of work. She had done something right.
Then what? Was she done? Had she told her one story? Did the book not sell well? Did she have a bad relationship with her agent/publisher? Is she happy with her one book? Did she accomplish her dream? Is she still active under a pseudonym? Did she die? What happened? I want to know!

Alas, I never will know. I did find an author with a similar name who writes BDSM erotica -- probably not the same person. From what I can tell, she has disappeared from the face of the earth. Or at least the writing world. I wish I knew why.