Love in the Time of Mortals

Last week I had the wonderful pleasure to sign another contract with MuseItUp Publishing.  The feeling is exquisite.  There is something deeply satisfying about getting the opportunity to share my words, to have the chance to give to someone else and hopefully make a difference and inspire. 

Muse is the company of all companies to work with.  Honest, hard working and lots of fun.  We have a great time in our author's group and my colleagues are the best editors on the continent.  Really, I am so blessed and grateful.

A few months ago, Muse put out a theme call for Summertime Romance stories for the summer of 2011.  Immediately an idea whooshed by and I grabbed it, committing it to paper as soon as possible.  I love how those little things work.  It's like I'm sailing on the ocean with the sun at it's zenith sparkling on the water like a thousand diamonds strewn about.  A jewelfish rushes by in the current and I capture it in my hand carefully, peeking through my fingers as light streams out.  If I hold it gently and let it breath, it blossoms into a living story.  I've got my nets out, let me tell you!

Love in the Time of Mortals is about Lucille Lamphere's crazy world.  Lucille is on her wedding anniversary all by herself because her beloved Jack drowned at sea on their wedding day 15 years ago.  Lucille has a lifetime reservation for their tropical getaway on their anniversary as a tribute to his memory.  Except this year someone joins her...the hotel has apparently double-booked her suite.  Lucille, ever the diplomat, decides to make the best of it and despite her best efforts, falls madly in love with her handsome roomie.  Moments collide to an  unusual ending when Lucille discovers all is not what it seems and the ocean holds more secrets than she realized. 

Sometimes love slips through your fingers, only to return like waves on the sea...     Love in the Time of Mortals,  August 2011

photo credits: morguefile.com

L'Enfant Terrible!

We all have 'em.  Those awful "extra" chapters in our manuscripts.  The ones the editor sends back for a diaper change.  "Um, please fix this."  What?!  So what's a parent to do?  Don't toss those little gems, stash them a in folder.  There is a place for L'Enfant Terrible!

With a little sprucing, you can offer them as a free read on your website or your publisher's website.  And every holiday is a time to celebrate.  Can you take one of those cranky babies and make it into a cute little Christmas story for your readers?  Readers love to have the extras that authors are willing to share.  And you will rapidly become known as a generous writer.  People will flock to your website.  If you share it, they will come.

So the next time you write a chapter that has no place in your novel, or your editor sends a chapter back for a rewrite in the main characters point of view and not the strange dude who showed up one day, (ask me how I know this...)  put it in the L'enfant Terrible file folder for a free read for your fans.  They will love you for it and the little tykes will be happy you didn't scrap them.

Do you have any l'enfant terribles?  Where do they live or were they banished from the kingdom?  I bet they are still lurking somewhere and would welcome an invitation home.

Please note, I have a new section here called Bits and signed by the "The Red Pen Speaks."  This is my new place for little writing tips from the editor.  Enjoy!



Photo credit: idahoeditor from morguefile.com

I Write Like...

I don't know about you but I grew up with the P word.  I daydreamed constantly, aka Procrastinating, so naturally I became a writer.  I didn't know what I was doing then, but now I call it incubating and put up a "do not disturb" sign on the back of my laptop!  So today I was Procrastinating, um, incubating, also cover for "gathering pertinent information for my next project" and I happened upon Nathan Bransford's blog starring a double rainbow.  Not bad for inspiration.

As I skimmed the comments I came across another way to spend valuable time and quickly decided to share this little gold mine.  It's called I Write Like...  Of course I entered my prose and here's the results:

First I entered my Writer bio from this blog and I got Dan Brown.  Cool.  I just finished reading Angels & Demons.  Love the adventure suspense and he has a helluva story going.

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Then I entered a blog post and I got David Foster Wallace. I've not read anything by him so I have some research to do. His essays reviews sound pretty wild. Do I write wild? Introspection is definitely fodder for Procrastination but not nearly as fun as daydreaming.

I write like
David Foster Wallace

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

And then I entered a few paragraphs from my novel that is contracted and unedited at the moment.  I wrote the prologue like Dan Brown, that's twice now for Dan.  I'm on a roll.  And I wrote the first chapter like Mario Puzo.  Mario Puzo!  Well now, I have some stories...

I write like
Mario Puzo

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

 
Champagne and caviar all around!  (This rocketed my ego to the stars.) 

Please post who you write like!

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Welcome to Boston daydreaming...

Welcome to my new blog!

This is my author blog for writing tips, novel updates and editing.

Please feel free to leave comments on things you'd like to see about the publishing world. Or at Boston dreaming... which is for devotions and homeschool.

I'm hosting author interviews here soon.

Thanks for stopping in!