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News You Can Use – A Mashup

February 9, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as ,

This month, I decided to share with you some of the interesting things I’ve been finding on the Internet lately. Some of this, you may already know. Some of it may be new and interesting to you.
You know that we have a cool class coming up next week here at OCC. Linda O. Johnston is teaching a class on writing cozy mysteries. I am totally signed up! 
Another writer friend told me about this class, More than Word: Getting the Most from Scrivener for Mac. My friend took it last year and she just raved about it. I’m signing up for this one, too! And if you’re a Windows user, it says that you can sign up, with instructor approval. 
If you missed our November class on talking back to your brain, the instructors wrote a great blog post about it at Writers in the Storm. Trust me, you need to read this article if you haven’t yet. 
I personally love learning about how the brain works, and my husband sent me this link about how storytellers and their listeners begin to sync their brains.  Even though this is a study with a verbal storyteller, I bet there is something to the rhythms in our writing that could be studied in a similar way.
Speaking of writing, I found this checklist for your scenes interesting. 
If you prefer questions to ask yourself about your writing, or if you like writing prompts, the Donald Maass Agency has this list on their web site. It’s on the page that says, “what we’re looking for this month.” Nothing is listed there right now, but if you want to know what agent Nicole Resciniti is looking for right now, here is an interview with her on Honestly YA. 
You probably already heard about Harlequin buying the Heartsong Presents line from Barbour Books. I read about it on Steve Laube’s blog. Even though I know Steve, I’ve never gotten around to reading his blog before. (Sorry Steve!) But I noticed there is all kinds of great stuff on it, including a series on creativity by author and former agent Karen Ball. 
You’ve probably also heard the rumors about Amazon opening a bricks and mortar store. Here is an article confirming a store opening in Seattle later this year. 
And finally, the most fun item comes from my friend Shonna at Routines for Writers. Here is a blog post with a whole list of fun writer gifts! I totally want a bag with my book cover on it! LOL!
I hope you find one or more of these topics of interest to you. Enjoy!
Kitty Bucholtz decided to combine her undergraduate degree in business, her years of experience in accounting and finance, and her graduate degree in creative writing to become a writer-turned-independent-publisher. Her first novel, Little Miss Lovesick, was released in September 2011 as an ebook and will be available soon in print format. Kitty has also written magazine articles, devotionals, and worked as a magazine editor. She is the co-founder of Routines for Writers where she blogs every Monday. Her next novel, Love at the Fluff N Fold, will be released in Spring 2012.

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Cooler Than the Other Side of the Pillow

February 7, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , , ,

How’s this for a hero:
He strides into the story, ripped and ready, but with an understated calm reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart, Mr. Darcy, or Aragorn. He makes things happen with a mere flick of his eyes and remains in control of all he surveys. But this hero is a flesh and soul man – capable of making mistakes, but even more adept at shaking them off and getting on with it. He’s got a backstory of royalty, yet he’s worked like a coal miner to get everything he has. As the story surges towards its climax, he gets sweatier and dirtier, but the eyes remain steady. The battle he’s fighting makes your heart stutter and your breath catch – he makes you gasp and scream – both in ecstasy and in terror. You’ve thought about leaving him – maybe you should have! – but you never could. The promise of the next time was always too deliciously inviting. And there is always a next time – he never lets you down. When he finally vanquishes the demons and sweeps you away on a gush of euphoria, you love him with all your heart: the challenges, the heartbreak, the agony of the past make every moment in the afterglow unbearably sweet. You want it all again and again, and so rich is his potential that you’ll be plumbing the depths of his character for sequels to come.
“That’s Eli, man, cooler than the other side of the pillow.”
So said New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham about his quarterback Eli Manning just moments after their Superbowl victory Sunday night.
Mmmruh…
And for those of you who don’t like football, I get it. I spent 30 years of my life resenting televised sports. In my family, guys watched sports as they shooed girls out of the room. Lucky for me, I grew up and married a guy who loves football so much that he loves explaining it to me, teaching me, sharing it with me. Football is smart, complicated and chock full of amazing history. To get a sense of this, just check out Don Cheadle’s NFL Playoffs commercials on YouTube. (My favorite is the one titled “Joe.”)
And if you missed the Superbowl, NFL Network is replaying the game Wednesday at 8. And the replay is better than the televised broadcast. NFL films gives amazing shots and angles of the action, sound bytes from players and coaches who were miked up throughout the game, and best of all, they cut out all the downtime between plays so all you get is sixty minutes of rocking action that will leave you breathless. 
Check it out. You just might find yourself inspired.

 
-Geralyn Ruane
Ten year New York Giants fan and lifelong fan of men in general
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Kiss Me or Kill Me

February 6, 2012 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston, Writing tagged as , , , ,



My OCC Online Class

What else would I be blogging about today but my upcoming online class for OCC? I’m really excited about it!

It’s called Kiss Me or Kill Me: Writing Cozy Mysteries 101 for Romance Writers, and it starts on Monday, February 13.

As I’ve been saying all along, it’s not only for romance writers, although I will be discussing some similarities and differences between the two genres. But the course will focus on the basics of writing cozy mysteries, from choosing a protagonist and theme, to starting your story, working in clues, and finishing in a satisfactory manner.

I’ve been writing cozy mysteries for a while now, along with also writing romances. Plus, I’ve taught classes in person and online. I hope to make this an especially fun one. I’ll include assignments and hope everyone will participate.

It’s not too late to join… so here’s the link, in case you’re interested! 

http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassFeb12.html 

Hope to see you there.

By the way, I also blogged about this class, and my resulting self-analysis of my own writing, in my Killer Hobbies blog post this week. Here’s its link: Killer Hobbies 
Linda O! Johnston
LindaOJohnston.com 
Killerhobbies.blogspot.com
HOUNDS ABOUND, April 2012
Berkley Prime Crime
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Conversations with Barb and Jann

February 2, 2012 by in category Jann says . . . tagged as , , , , , ,

    
by Barb DeLong and Jann Audiss

Jann:  Well, Barb, how are you doing in Kitty’s on-line Time Management class?

Barb:  Not so well.  Can’t seem to find the time to get assignments done.

Jann:  I know what you mean.  I did my first two assignments and posted every day what I loved about my writing, then fell off the wagon on Sunday.

Barb:  We’ll get back on track.  What’ll help is when we get down to the nitty gritty and mark up our calendars. 

Jann:  Calendars?  Last night I counted five: my Smart Phone, my Franklin, my day planner, my pocket planner and the cutest Mary Engelbreit calendar, if I could only find it.  I want to settle on only one because it’s driving me crazy.  I might miss a hair appointment if I’m not careful.

Barb:  And we can’t have that.  I’m afraid after I fill out the calendar or calendars with all my appointments, working full time, yada yada, there won’t be enough time to write.

Jann:  That’s what we’re taking this class for, Barb.  Where are your priorities?  Is writing even among them?

Barb:  Okay, mom.  I am getting some writing done, but there’s only so many quality pages one can do in the bathtub.

Jann:  Thanks for that picture.  Seriously, it’s all in how you figure out your goals and prioritize them.  You’ve got to take a hard look, decide what you really want.

Barb:  Well, baths take a long time.  I could cut them out, but showers will get my paper wet.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  I’m following the class.  I’m working on Lecture Four.

Jann:  Hate to tell you, but Kitty has just posted Lecture Five.

Barb:  Oh, crap.     
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Sci-Fi, Inspiration & Foodie Romance: Calls for Submission

January 31, 2012 by in category Archives tagged as , ,

Mmmm. How yummy can delicious foodie romance be? If you’re like me, and the Food Network is a favorite channel, then maybe you’ll want to slip out of the kitchen and in front of the computer. I’ve put together quite the eclectic mix this month, with calls for submissions from the writing worlds of science fiction to Harlequin’s Love Inspired line to Smut by the Sea. Enjoy the inspiration, and please let me know any success stories!
EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing: Professor Challenger Anthology
A broad range of new and original stories built around Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s LOST WORLD character Professor George Edward Challenger. Stories derived from the aftermath of events in the Lost World are welcome; however, simply revisiting or rehashing the Lost World without good cause is not. Challenger is a man of science first and foremost, not an explorer.
Deadline: May 31, 2012; short story: 1,000 to 7,500 words; novelette: 7,500-10,000 words.
For more information, http://www.duotrope.com/market_6864.aspx
Food Flair
Do you adore the Food Network? Do Bobby Flay and Rocco DiSpirito titillate your senses when they caress a flank steak, whip cream to a sensual cloud, or lay a beautiful table? Does a man’s skill in the kitchen impress and delight you as much as the way he kisses?


Then we want you to write a Foodie romance for Decadent Publishing!

Foodie romance focuses on romance, but food would win the prize for best supporting character. Maybe the heroine is a chef or a food critic, or maybe the hero just appreciates a meal masterfully prepared for maximum enjoyment. Like any art form, the Culinary Arts can be enjoyed as a sensual experience, exciting to the eyes and pleasing to the palate. Whether your taste is gourmet Kobe burgers in Seattle, European pastries in Salzburg, or delicate sushi in Sunagawa, foodie romance is about the culture of cuisine and the people who enjoy it.


Our general submission guidelines apply to this category. When submitting, please note that it is a Foodie romance. For more information, visit http://www.decadentpublishing.com and click on Submissions.
Smut by the Sea

A new collected anthology of stories, pictures and poetry with a saucy seaside feel, edited by The Northern Birds Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse.

The Smut By The Sea Anthology will feature stories from a variety of genres, but they must have that overall “Seaside” feel, either in location or style. If you’d like some clarification before submitting your story then please Contact Us.

Length: 4,000 to 6,000 words;
Genres: Any:
Heat Levels: Any;
Ending: Any;
Orientation: Any;
Submissions Due: June 1, 2012. Also accepting Poetry submissions of any length.

Royalties will be split 50% of the net profits with contributing authors, exact values will be given once we know how many stories will be in the final anthology.

You can submit your story/poem by emailing it as an attachment to victoria[at]victoriablisse.co.uk. (Please include Pen Name, Author Bio, Genre, Word count)

For more information, visit http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/blog/call-for-submissions-smut-by-the-sea/?utm_source=rss

Love Inspired
The Love Inspired line is Harlequin’s series of contemporary, inspirational romances that feature Christian characters facing the many challenges of life and love in today’s world. Books run 55,000-60,000 words.
Each story should have an emotional, satisfying and mature romance; however, the characters should not make love unless they are married. These are “sweet” romances. Any physical interactions (i.e., kissing, hugging) should emphasize emotional tenderness rather than sexual desire or sensuality. Please avoid any mention of nudity.
All stories should focus on one hero and heroine who meet as early in the book as possible. The hero and heroine should be on the page together in the first chapter—the first page is even better. By the end of the story the main characters should be in a committed relationship.
Because Love Inspired sells to both CBA and ABA bookstores, we must adhere to CBA conventions. The stories may not include alcohol consumption by Christian characters, card playing, gambling or games of chance (including raffles), explicit scatological terms, hero and heroine remaining overnight together alone, Halloween celebrations, magic or the mention of intimate body parts. Lying is also problematic in the CBA market and characters who are Christian should avoid lying or deceiving others. Exceptions can be made but must be approved by an editor.
For more information, visit http://www.harlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=559&chapter=0
— Compiled by Louisa Bacio
Love Knows No Bounds

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