THE DEAD HERO

My guest is romance author, Elisabeth Naughton. Her topic is one of interest because as writers we do have a plan when it comes to our characters and our stories. Sometimes the story is better served when we allow input from our beta readers or critique partner, even when the suggestions take us in a different direction than we first planned.

Gryphon: The Dead Hero

Thank so much to Sia for inviting me to stop by during release month for ENSLAVED, the fifth book in my Eternal Guardians series. I’m super excited to be here talking about the series and my hero who almost wasn't…Gryphon.

For those of you who don’t know me…I write the bestselling Eternal Guardians series about a group of gifted warriors all descended from the heroes of Greek mythology. They protect their realm and the human world from threats born of the Underworld, specifically one evil goddess with a bad attitude. Gryphon, one of these warriors, has been in every book in the series, but it wasn't all unicorns and sunshine for this guardian. No, he’s been to hell and back—literally. You see, Gryphon spent three months in the Underworld being tortured by Hades and his father Kronos, so in every way possible, he’s the tortured hero (again, literally) of the group. His story is all about coming back from the brink of insanity and becoming who he was meant to be. But originally, I didn't set out to write him this way.

I am an author who believes in writing reality. It’s not realistic that seven warriors span time and realms and battle evil again and again, only to triumph at each turn with no loss of life. Even the best warriors die in battle – look at Achilles! So originally, I planned to kill Gryphon off. I had his death scene all planned out. It was to happen in TEMPTED, book three in the series. He was going to take a mortal blow by sword in an attempt to rescue the heroine of that book. The hero in that story would ultimately be responsible for his death because his actions contributed to Gryphon’s death. It was going to add even more angst to an already angst-ridden story. But when I started to write that death scene, and my critique partner—author Joan Swan—caught wind of it, she freaked out.

I believe her words were, “You cannot kill Gryphon! If you do I will never speak to you again! Your readers will never speak to you again!”

Harsh words from a usually even-keel person. I considered. However, it wasn't realistic that everyone always survives!

And then….after much thought…I realized that realistic in the paranormal world is different from realistic in the real world. Gryphon didn't have to die…exactly. I could simulate death—even simulate torture in the afterlife—all while leaving a thread of hope for his resurrection. This is paranormal…anything can happen! In the end, I wrote it so his body was possessed by a power-hungry warlock and his soul was sent to the Underworld. The hero of TEMPTED was still blamed for Gryphon’s tragedy, the rest of the Eternal Guardians still didn't know if Gryphon would ever be rescued, and it still added in a whole new level of angst and betrayal to an already dark and emotional story. But it added something else. Something I didn't expect. It gave me a brand new storyline to explore in future books.

Gryphon’s imprisonment in the Underworld led to book four - ENRAPTURED – and a brother’s quest to rescue Gryphon from the Underworld. Then it culminated in ENSLAVED – a story where Gryphon is now free, but changed in every way imaginable. Can someone survive that kind of torture? Can a man so mentally and emotionally scarred learn to live in the real (er, paranormal) world again? If I’d killed Gryphon off in TEMPTED, I’d never know. Because my critique partner saved his life, readers can now answer that question for themselves.

One of the fun parts about writing—for me—is that things don’t always happen exactly the way I plan. Over the years I've learned to be open to changes. Yes, I wanted to kill Gryphon off for the storyline in TEMPTED to work, but I accomplished the same thing by sparing him. And my readers got so much more out of the fact he lived.  When I sit down to write, I usually have a vision of where I want to end up. Getting there is always the fun part. For me it means taking characters to the brink, sometimes pushing them off, but more often than not pulling them back and giving them a reason to become more than they ever were before. And after all, isn't living up to ones destiny the true definition of a happily ever after? I think it is.

I've got a copy of ENSLAVED to give away to one lucky commenter. Just ask me anything about me or my books in the comments to be entered to win!

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ENSLAVED

ELISABETH NAUGHTON–IN STORES NOVEMBER 2012

GRYPHON–Honorable, loyal, dependable...tainted. 

He was the ultimate warrior before imprisonment in the Underworld changed him in ways he can't ignore. She calls to him. Come to me. You can't resist. But Cryphon will not allow himself to be ruled by the insidious whispers in his head. And there's only one way to stop them: kill Atalanta, the goddess who enslaved him. But with so much darkness inside, he can't be sure what's real anymore, Even the Eternal Guardians, those who protect the human realms and the gods, want to exile him.

Finding Malea is like a miracle. Somehow he doesn't feel the pull of the dark when she's near. And he's determined to keep her as near as possible, whether she wants him close or not. But she's a temptation that will test every bit of control he has left. One that may ultimately have the power to send him back to the Underworld...or free him from his chains for good. EXCERPT

“Creative worldbuilding and ever-present danger pull the reader into this mesmerizing tale.” —RT Book Reviews, 4-½ star review of Enraptured

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test-tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full-time from Oregon, where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards, including the RWA RITA© Award, the NJ RWA Golden Leaf, and the RWA Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park, or dreaming up new and adventures. Visit her at www.elisabethnaughton.com and follow her on Twitter, @ElisNaughton.

COPING WITH LEAVING YOUR DAY JOB

Learning to cope with leaving your day job and writing full time—I haven’t yet!

Hi Sia! Thanks for inviting me to guest blog at Thoughts Over Coffee today! I wanted to choose a topic that I’m currently struggling with in the hopes that I’m not alone. 

After years of working part time in an office during the day while our kids were in school—writing early in the morning before work, and then again at night and on weekends—my darling husband suggested that I give my writing career my full attention and quit my day job. Now this wasn't because I suddenly was raking in the dough—not the case, or really the point—it was the spirit behind his offer, which I accepted after he reminded me that I supported him fully when he started his own engineering consulting business ten years ago and that it was my turn.

So, I quit my day job and that’s when then the Universe decided to throw a monkey wrench in our grand plans. I added driving our youngest son back and forth to work—a daily round trip of 4 hours—to my schedule, but again not the point… We needed to be there for him and to support him while he was waiting to get his license back. He needed to keep his job in order to become independent again.

I adjusted to another new writing schedule because I was fortunate enough to have back-to-back deadlines, for which I was eternally grateful, but it meant I had to focus completely during the hours I did have available to write in. Finally I saw the light at the end of the tunnel when he was able to get his license back—more writing time, I thought…Perfect!

And then the Universe laughed and our daughter and son-in-law asked me to babysit our grandbaby three days a week when maternity leave was over. The catch is that they both work in retail and neither one has a set schedule week to week. Soooo… I've been babysitting—and loving every minute of it! By the way, it is sooo much easier when you’re 20 years younger!

Two years have come and gone since I've quit my job to write full time, and I’m still trying to find my balance. There are days when I get sidetracked feeling guilty that I’m not bringing in a weekly paycheck, how does one get over that? If anyone has the answer, I’d love to hear it!

By far the hardest part of my job as an author is juggling the social networking part of it. There are days when I’m on deadline and completely forget that I haven’t posted to FB or tweeted or blogged about what I’m doing, nose-to-the-grindstone days when I’m writing or dealing with family issues and life itself.

Things have changed drastically from when I published my first book in 2000, hard to believe it people, but we didn't have the internet as it is today…no Facebook, Twitter, etc. We had email and on-line writing groups, but our promotional efforts were concentrated on mailing bookmarks, postcards and pens to bookstores and attending conferences. :-)

I wonder if the Universe is just reminding me that nothing in life is ever easy and that anything worthwhile never comes easily—and it shouldn't because we might not appreciate it as much if our goals were too easily met and obstacles too easily climbed over. So I’ll keep adjusting my writing schedule and meeting my deadlines and will try really hard to remember that I need to keep up with those wonderful friends and contacts in my social-networking life on FB and twitter and post more often.

My question for readers today is how have you balanced a career change with family and other obligations? Has it worked for you, or have you had to readjust?

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND

A WEDDING IN APPLE GROVE 

BY C.H. ADMIRAND 

He's not so sure about small town life.

She can't imagine living anywhere else

Welcome to Apple Grove, Ohio (population 597), where everyone has your best interests at heart, even if they can't agree on the best way to meddle. When the townsfolk of Apple Grove need handiwork done, there's no job too small for the Mulcahy sisters: Megan, Caitlin, and Grace.

Specializing in hard work and family loyalty, tomboy Meg Mulcahy has left behind any girlhood reams of romance. Enter newcomer Daniel Eagan, looking to bury his own broken heart and make a new start. He's surprised-and delighted-by the winsome girl with the mighty tool belt who shows up to fix his wiring.

But Dan's got a lot to learn about life in a small town, and when Meg's past collides with her future, it may take all 595 other residents of Apple Grove to keep this romance from short-circuiting. 

“A terrifically fun read... With quick dialogue and a homey feel, this is a wonderful book to curl up with. Small-town romance at its best!” —RT Book Review, 4 Stars

C.H. ADMIRAND was born in Aiken, South Carolina, but grew up in New Jersey. She has been delighting readers with her Secret Life of Cowboys Series, featuring three cowboy brothers with Irish charm, and is now working on the next books in her small town contemporary romance series, featuring the town and quirky characters of Apple Grove, OH. She lives with her husband, who is the inspiration for all of her heroes’ best traits, in New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.CHAdmirand.com.

MONDAY MUSINGS: THE GIFT OF WORLDS

A Friend sent me this. Isn't it great?

Reading has always been a gift and each book a beautifully wrapped window to another world. I've visited wonderful places and gone on some grand adventures. 

This past couple of weeks has been incredibly busy and rather stressful. I read more when times are rough or stressful. It’s a form escape but it’s also a way to calm my mind. Times like this I don’t accept new books for review. Reading to review is a job. You read with a different mindset than when reading for pleasure—even if it’s a book you want to read.
 
I want to share three books I bought and read for pleasure. Three different genres and very different authors but each book put me in a world I enjoyed and help me escape from the world of work, kids, chores and whatnot. My Kindle is loaded with lots of books. I buy many books when I spot deals or want to try an author I haven’t read before. Yesterday I went searching titles for something I hadn’t read and found a great one.

NEVER BACK DOWN

William Casey Moreton

John Coburn, a Harvard-trained doctor still reeling from his father's sudden death a few days earlier, wanders into a bar in New York City's Greenwich Village a few minutes before midnight. He encounters an old friend from college, a man named Brian Ripley, whom he hasn't seen in nearly 20 years. Ripley is with a beautiful young woman and is clearly in a hurry to leave. Coburn could have never been prepared for Ripley's reaction to seeing him, and he is even less prepared for what happens next. 

The following morning, the young woman with Ripley is found dead in Washington Square Park, the victim of a brutal murder. Coburn goes to the police and tells them of his encounter with Ripley the previous night. What the police tell him shakes him to his core - Brian Ripley has been dead for 15 years. 

The story moves at breakneck speed as John Coburn searches for the truth behind the woman's murder and whether or not he really saw his friend, or merely a ghost, that night. 

I read it in about 6 hours and finished it, reluctantly, at 12:45 a.m. this morning. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book I literally didn’t want to put down. It grabbed my attention from the first sentence. I’m not going to tell you it was some unheard of new plot, I don’t think there is one of those, but it was highly entertaining and some serious kick-ass situations, lots of action, some questions to find answers to and a great set of believable characters.

I liked John Coburn, former military, a bit of an adrenaline junkie, with some impressive skills, and tenacious. He’s a bit of a boy scout and by choice, prefers to be in the hot spots of the world plying his trade of physician (he loves practicing medicine and patients, hates the hospital bureaucracy). This story takes a man at loose ends after the death of his father and his recent divorce and adds the premise of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and then adds jet fuel to the mix. What a ride. Good story, great tension and pacing, satisfying denouement. Moreton is on my list of authors to read. I can also recommend his story, 72 Hours.

CHANGLING DAWN—Changeling series

Dani Harper  

Kenzie Macleod has spent her whole life hiding the fact that she's a werewolf. She's not about to open up to any man, even one as powerfully attractive as wildlife expert Josh Talarkoteen.

But legend says that a Changeling cannot escape the call of her true mate, even in the wilderness of backcountry Alaska.

An isolated archaeological site, a terrified Changeling cub, a shadowy research facility - as Kenzie and Josh face the ultimate betrayal, his obsidian eyes promise untold pleasure and hint at dark secrets of his own...

  

Dani Harper offers a different take on shapeshifters hiding in plain sight and I enjoyed that. Each story, so far, uses the MacCleod family as a base and put in a strong romance coupled with suspense. Every story adds a bit more to the knowledge and background of the world and hints at other skills that might have been lost over time but are being rediscovered and alludes to other supernatural people (like wise woman Birkie with some rather special talents).  A lot of potential for some great stories in this world.

Kenzie has had to deal with the terror of being hunted centuries before and the resulting fear and distrust she lives with daily. She has to learn that making a life is more than just existing and fear, not faced and conquered, can be more confining that any prison built.

The story is a solid romance, which is fun and sexy.  Well-crafted characters with realistic careers, fears, prejudices, traumas, sprinkled with danger and mystery. Lots of action. There’s a kidnapping, the majestic backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness, old tribes with talents, and at the base, the greatest risk of all—trusting your heart to another.

I really enjoyed this series so far. It was one that I picked up because it sounded interesting and I hadn’t read this author before.

THE BACKWORLDS

M.Pax  

After the war with Earth, bioengineered humans scatter across the Backworlds. Competition is fierce and pickings are scant. Scant enough that Craze’s father decides to hoard his fortune by destroying his son. 

Cut off from family and friends, with little money, and even less knowledge of the worlds beyond his own, Craze heads into an uncertain future. Boarding the transport to Elstwhere, he vows to make his father regret this day.

This one was just plain fun. I’ll admit, I was curious to see how she, a new to me author, told a story and I liked the idea of bio-engineered humans. Given the science of today, not all that far fetched.

I enjoyed the adventure of the story and the rich imagination of the author in creating people and worlds. But, the story deals with the very real fears of a person being cut off from everything familiar and having to use their wits to succeed. It takes courage and the ability to stand up for what you want and having an open heart to make your own family from a circle of friends. I’m looking forward to the further adventures of Craze and his band of friends/family. Plus, you gotta love a story where chocolate is precious.

• Read any good books lately that you'd like to recommend?
•  

TEN THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR

KEOKE COFFEE

Ingredients

1 ounce Kahlua
1 ounce crème de cacao
1 ounce brandy
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
Whipped cream

Directions

Combine Kahlua, creme de cacao, and brandy in a large mug or heat-proof glass. Add one cup of fresh brewed coffee and stir. Top with whipped cream.

Makes 1 drink. 

TEN THINGS I’M THANKFUL FOR:

1. ALL my appliances work (now about that light switch in bathroom…)
2. I have a short commute to work this winter.
3. I don’t have 3 feet of snow to shovel (sorry grandma).
4. I didn't have to deal with no electricity, floods, winds, hurricanes, or tornadoes. THIS year.
5. My 18 year old is FINALLY mastering deductive reasoning and the principle of cause and effect. It’s only taken…never mind.
6. That my husband does dishes, laundry, feeds the critters, cooks a fab breakfast, brings me coffee, and cleans (next week, the cat box).
7. The rancher on the next property finally realized he was missing a bull and 3 cows and came and got them from my pasture—before my dogs went mute from excessive fits of barking.
8. That there is more than one use for lasagna pans.
9. That the family Thanksgiving Dinner is at my mom’s house (I did mention I have a large family) and my 2 Wild game potpies and 3 desert pies are all cooked. Whew!
10. That God gave me a well-developed sense of humor and good friends to handle life’s glitches.

Laughter isn't just good medicine—it’s life’s saving grace.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

MONDAY MUSINGS: REMEMBERING HOLIDAYS PAST

The twenty-four pound turkey was cooked to perfection. It was my first Thanksgiving turkey, all golden and as pretty as the picture in the cookbook. The stuffing was fabulous. I couldn't wait for my mom and dad to see it. But first, it had to make it to northern Idaho before it graced my parent’s table. I had researched and talked to a chef I knew at a restaurant in town about how to take it out with about thirty minutes left to cook so when it was warmed up in the oven it wouldn't be overcooked. I even made a rich broth to inject so it wouldn't be dry and extra for the gravy to be made in when I got to moms.

 

My husband and I were stationed in northern California and I was still getting used to the oddness of warm temperatures and sunshine in November. It felt strange baking a turkey and pies in summer like weather—but I was excited about making the meal, the trip north, and seeing everyone’s faces when I put that turkey on the table. The pies were so pretty, too, with all the cut pastry autumn leaves set atop the pumpkin pies.

Everything was finished the night before we left. I had a special pan with a top for the turkey and containers for the pies so and we rigged up a place in trunk of my Cougar XR7 to put them so they’d be safe and cool for the journey. At 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning I was carefully packing it all up for the drive north. We figured we be driving up the drive way to my parents’ house between 8-9:30 p.m. It was a bit overcast since we were expecting rain and such a difference from the bright sunshine the day before. We were excited and primed for a fun trip north.

It was the trip from hell.

Unbeknownst to us, the California drought had elected to end the day we left. We knew there would be rain but not how much. By the time we got to the Oregon border we heard that the rain could turn to slush and snow in the upper Siskiyous. Being young and adventurous—read not having the sense God gave a gnat—we pressed on. It was awful by late afternoon. Mountain passes were being inundated with record-breaking precipitation. We had no problems driving through the rain into the mountains; it was driving through the two feet plus of snow coming down the passes and facing ‘chains required’ that became the problem. Oh and getting out of them alive.

We were halfway through the passes and figured we’d beat the heavy snowfall. Pfft—that snow hit and hit hard. We were screwed either way. Not a lot of places to stop up there so the stupid gnats, I mean we, pressed on. Let me tell you, there are places up there that guardrails are non-existent. All those gorgeous visas you see off to the right where the ground drops away hundreds a feet? Not so pretty when you’re driving slippery roads downhill and limited visibility—not to mention brainless people driving too fast for the road conditions. Both Dan and I had lots of experience driving in snow and we were careful but you can’t control others.

Like the car almost a quarter of a mile ahead of us pulling a U-Haul. I had noticed it slipping and the U-Haul trailer weaving a bit and had backed off, letting distance grow between us—just in case. When they hit black ice and lost control I saw it. I don’t panic in dangerous situations. I’m very calm and focused but I’ll admit I felt fear as I watched it unfold.

Oh. My. God.

My heart jumped and I could feel the sharp tingles of adrenaline surging through my body as I lightly tapped my brakes. I knew the moment my car lost its grip with the road and spun towards the right side and the drop. I fought with all the strength and skill at my disposal to keep my car from going nose first over the drop and death. I turned the wheel hard to swing the back end around and away from the drop. Two 360-degree turns are fun at amusement parks but not so much on icy downhill grade. I wrestled with the wheel to bring the car back towards the snow packed median while sliding downhill and finally got the hood aimed in the right direction.

My husband had been sleeping in the passenger seat and my dog in the back and Dan woke up shouting and the dog came flying from the back window, where she had been laying, and hit the back of the passenger seat. I dimly heard her kayoing from floor. I didn't have time to soothe anyone. My entire focus was fighting to stay on the slick road. The car slid sideways toward the median and I corrected the trajectory so the left side of the hood was pointing in the correct direction. I didn't want to hit it the wrong way and slingshot the car back and across the road and off the precipice. I needed the snow to grab the car and hold it. It did but I still slid about twenty-five feet against the snow bank made by the snowplows before getting the nose and wheel right.

Ka-thunk 

I did it.  I dropped my head to the steering wheel, breathing in and out. It felt good to be able to do so. Thankfully no one had been behind us. 

I was bruised. Dog was bruised but okay. Dan was doing his Italian sputter with colorful metaphors, so he was okay, too. But we were alive and the car in one piece so far as I could tell. I didn't give myself but a moment to take stock before getting out of the car to assess the damage and how soon I could get back on the road. We couldn't stay there.

I was stuck in the snow bank. Oh yippy kai yay. But, it was better than the alternative.

I waded through the snow on the left of the car—at least three feet of snow between the car and the concrete—and decided we had to dig left front tire and fender out the snow. While Dan cleared the road area in front of the car I cleared the back tires and then we went to work on the packed snow and ice holding the left front tire and fender. Your hearing is acute up in those passes and I heard the semi’s air breaks and jingle of heavy chains long before I saw it. He was in control and gently braking as he came down to where my bright red hazard lights were flashing in the dark.

Sam’s truck was the last vehicle allowed through before they closed the pass. Sam chose to come through the pass to help us.

He came to a stop about thirty feet behind us. One of the truckers going the opposite direction had warned him about us. The last he had seen was our car heading towards the drop. Another trucker a bit behind him said we did some fancy driving and drove into the median snow bank and were digging the car out. Sam helped Dan dig away all the snow from the front of the car—which wasn't even scratched, btw—so he could attach a thick tie-down strap to the front of the car and then pulled us out of the snow bank.

Sweet dear man.

Sam shared some hot sweet coffee with us. Said since I had been driving and would continue to drive I needed it. He was right. I didn't have time for the shakes that were sure to come. I knew I had to get us down that last grade and out of the mountains. My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel and followed Sam down the last steep grade to fairly level ground. Officers and a paramedic were waiting for us to be sure we were okay. The others were still up where the U-Haul went off the road.We were fine which is more than I can say for the other car. They set a thirty-minute observation for us and it gave us time and get warm and rest a bit. Those donuts sure were good.

Sam came back from his truck with some hot chocolate/coffee mixture with some marshmallows on top and made it a point to tell me a woman needed chocolate in cases such as this.  That chocolate about kicked my ass. He laughed and winked at my expression when I took the first sip and realized there was brandy—just a bit—in that mix. Forty-five minutes later we were back on the road and on our way to Portland where we would spend the night before pressing on to the family.

By the next day it was much easier to drive on northeast to my parent’s house. There was lots of snow but well plowed roads. My dad and brothers were waiting with the trucks to take us up the mountain. No way my car would have made it the three miles up the mountain to the house.

Thanksgiving was celebrated by candlelight on Friday evening that year. One pie was slightly crushed by something in the trunk that had crash-landed on it during the wild ride. My family still oooh and aahed over the turkey and fixings.

The silly gnats had a lot to be thankful for that year.

• Any memories you'd care to share?

Happy Thanksgiving!

SARA HUMPHREYS: Pros & Cons of Working From Home

Working from home is actual work and has its own set of challenges. Up until four months ago, I held down a full-time job outside the home. I’d been juggling the day job, a growing writing career, four sons, a marriage and the house stuff for the past several years. After many soul-searching (and bank account scrutinizing) conversations, my husband and I came to the conclusion that I would become fully self-employed and work from home.

Whooo hoooo! No more being at the mercy of someone else’s timetable. No more late night events or weekend command performances.

No more steady paycheck. Wait. That one isn't as fun.

There are sacrifices being made in order to pursue this self-employed career path but it’s worth it.  The only problem is that when people hear that you work from home, you can tell that some of them don’t think it’s actually work.

Not true.

I work every day and while I’m not at the mercy of someone else’s day to day schedule, I am still on deadlines. I still have responsibilities to meet. One benefit of working from home is that I don’t have a “boss” looking over my shoulder. That’s nice. The challenge is that I have to kick my own ass and be more disciplined than I’ve ever had to be before.

The temptation to fiddle around on the net, or read a great book or watch a great movie on television is always lurking around the corner. Don’t get me wrong there are days when I will do one of those things but that only means more work the next day.

One of the other challenges working from home is that when my kids get a day off, then I have to take the day off of work. I have discovered that I get a whole lot of nothing done when they’re home from school but that’s way it should be. One of the major reasons we pulled the trigger on this life change was so that I could be fully available for my boys. So if they have the day off then that day turns into a non-work day for me and that means double the work the next day.

You’ll get no complaints from me about this gig.  The advantages far outweigh the challenges.  Here are my favorites.

·         I make my own schedule.

·         I don’t have to get gussied up for work and can stay in my gym clothes all day if I want to.

·         I do something I’m passionate about and work hard at it every day.

·         I’m more accessible for my children and what they need.

·         I’m happy.

·         I’m a lucky woman.

• How about you? What are the pros and cons of your job?

BUY: AMAZON, B&E, INDIEBOUND

UNTAMED 
BY SARA HUMPHREYS – IN STORES NOVEMBER 2012

An ancient race of shapeshifters has lived secretly among humans for thousands of years...they are...the Amoveo

HER WORST NIGHTMARE IS COMING TRUE...

Layla Nickelsen has spent years hiding from her Amoveo mate and guarding a devastating secret. But Layla's worst fear is realized when the man who haunts her dreams shows up in person ...

HE HAS FINALLY FOUND HER...

William Fleury is as stoic as they come, until he finds Layla and his feelings overwhelm him. She won't let him get close, but then an unknown enemy erupts in violence and threatens everything Layla holds dear... EXCERPT

UNTAMED TRAILER

Sara Humphreys has been attracted to the fantasies of science fiction, paranormal, and romance since her adolescence when she had a mad crush on Captain Kirk. An actress and public speaker, Sara lives in Bronxville, NY, with her husband, who is very considerate of her double life, and four amazing boys. 

For more information about her books and to join her street team, please visit www.sarahumphreys.com or follow her on Twitter, @AuthorSara. 

DEFINING CHARACTERS

It's my pleasure to have contemporary fiction author and fellow blogger, Helen Ginger, as my guest today. Helen leads a busy life as an author, teaching public speaking and workshops, works as an editor, and book consultant. She is also an incredible resource for writers and bloggers alike. 

Today she talks a bit about defining characters through actions.

How do you define characters without saying, this person is strong or this person is mean or this person is reliable? If you're the author of the book, you don't say these things. You show their personalities through their actions. If you're reading a book, you come to know what kind of people they are through those actions.  Like in life, actions speak louder than words.

Angel, the main character in my book, Angel Sometimes, shows who she is over the course of the book. If you read the back cover blurb then you know that when she was 12 she was taken 800 miles from home and left on the streets. She was just a child, alone. But the book is not about her at 12; it's about her at 22. She's grown. She's an advocate for the homeless. She has friends. And she still has the plan to go home and confront her parents.

The streets made her strong. When she was 16, she hitchhiked to Austin, and found a help wanted sign at a bar/restaurant. Every day she waited outside for the owner to show up. Every day she asked for a job. Every day he said no, she was too young. On her 18^th birthday, he hired her. He had no idea how close she was to dying.

Because of the life she had growing up, she's what I would call an "old soul." She doesn't remember a time when she didn't work - and scrounging for food is work, an even harder job than she has swimming as a mermaid in the bar/restaurant. She's built a life for herself and for others that she's helped. But she hasn't forgotten the past. Nor has she forgotten her plan to go home.  All she needs is a car, her G.E.D, and a gun.

As a reader of Angel Sometimes, you live her life as an adult. You find out what happened to her as a child. When she goes home, you go along with her.

I define Angel as a strong person. Someone told me they saw her as an old soul. I've had readers ask when the next Angel book will be out. I hadn't planned on a sequel, but the more I think about it, the more I'm wondering if she has another tale to tell. After all, she is a survivor.

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ANGEL SOMETIMES

Just before her thirteenth birthday, Angel Sometimes' aunt took her 800 miles from her home in Oklahoma, gave her $50 and left Angel on South Padre Island, Texas. 

Four years later, Angel hitchhiked to Austin and got a job swimming as a mermaid in a bar in the music district. At twenty-two, she has friends and a place to live. When a homeless girl is beaten and a waitress killed, Angel realizes she will never be whole until she confronts her parents. 

She needs three things: her high school diploma, a car and a gun. She has a car. She's finished her final test for her GED. The only thing she needs is the gun and she knows where to get one. 

Preview (on Amazon)

Helen Ginger is the author of Angel Sometimes, three non-fiction books with TSTC Publishing, and a contributor to the short story anthology, The Corner Café. She's also the Coordinator of Story Circle Network's Editorial Services.  Her free ezine, Doing It Write, which goes out to subscribers around the globe, is now in its thirteenth year of publication.  She’s also an Owner/Partner and Webmistress for Legends In Our Own Minds®. 'Course, what she gets asked about most often are her three years as a mermaid at Aquarena Springs. Swimming with a shimmery tail, picnicking underwater, performing synchronized ballet, blowing air bubbles ... all year round, even in the winter.  

You can follow Helen on Twitter  or connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and her blog, Straight FromHel .

BRINGING BACK THE SPARK—Writing Three-Dimensional

To me, the connotation of “spark” is putting life in your writing.  I think you can have a distinct voice and still not quite have the spark there. For me, it’s that moment when my characters become real, or come to life on the pages.  They act and react realistically, and not always as I may have originally envisioned the situation. It’s not so much you, the author, writing their lines…more like you as the author are channeling your character’s lives on to the pages of your story.

One of the ways I know I haven’t gotten the spark is when I've written something and there is that niggling feeling that tells me something isn't right or something is off in this scene.  It feels…flat.  Like I'm playing with paper dolls and moving them around the story. It might be that I’m trying to force my characters into a situation, or plot area, they wouldn't be in, or have them reacting in a way, given their backgrounds, they wouldn't  Or I’m trying to take the easy way out in solving their problems.

I think about how an actor approaches a role. As an actor, you have to step into your character, see who they are, how they react, understand what their goals are, what their motivations are, and what their conflicts are. Once you understand those things, then you know how these characters will act and react in pretty much any situation.  You have to be able to do that to portray them in a play or on the screen.  An actor can know the character they are depicting so well, that if a scene is rewritten they can and will argue it isn't right, the character wouldn't do this or that.

I think as a writer we need to do the same. We have to know our characters well to do justice to them. Some writers put together elaborate files on each character, likes, dislikes, favorite colors, etc.  My files aren't that elaborate. Many times I don’t have the character file when I start my story.  I do by the end of the story. I usually write the beginning of the story. My file grows as I write.  This is also where I dump exposition edits I've done that define my characters, things I need to know, but my reader doesn't.

There are times when something doesn't feel right but I can’t put a finger on it, other than my characters are feeling flat. It’s time for what I call Dr. Sia’s couch time. I put my characters on the psych couch and start analyzing them. I will sit down and write out each main character’s goals, motivations, external and internal conflict.  I do this with the villain too. By the time I’m finished, sometimes before I've finished, I usually have that ah-ha moment and I can see clearly where I went wrong. The black moment is in the wrong place, or I’m making it a soft gray moment rather than black, maybe my hooks to draw my reader forward are dull or indistinct—not good.  Seeing what’s wrong may also mean some rewrites but it puts me back on track and my characters and story again become three-dimensional. It makes their reaction to conflict sharper. Reaching their goals sweeter.  It makes a better story. 

Life is good again because my characters are back to being real people acting and reacting realistically.  They cease being paper dolls I dress and move around the story. The spark is back and the one-dimensional cardboard character is gone.

Writers:

How do you know the spark is missing?

What do you do to get the spark back in the scene or story?

IWSG—SURVIVING CRITIQUES

CRITIQUING: There’s a big difference in being honest and being brutal—constructive and destructive

When I got serious about my writing, and wrote my first novel, I made a cazillion mistakes. I was such a newbie. 

List of Participants

What saved me was entering a contest and in the course of that contest, I came into contact with real creative writers. That was my real prize—feedback and serious critiques, that and learning terms. What the hell did they mean when writers and judges would say ‘good bones’ and  ‘need to work on POV’? Keep in mind, I hadn't taken any writing courses in at least ten years and fiction-writing styles had changed considerably in that time. I didn't win the contest (which was a romance writing contest where you also received critiques from other writers and contestants) although I finished in the top 20% out of about 1200 entries. Not bad, considering the mistakes I made.

I like to receive honest critiques.  If something isn't working, I’d like to know that. I take my work seriously. I don’t hand my work to just anyone.  I tend to pick those who know what they’re doing, whose opinion I value, and who write the same genre or similar genre.   I like suggestions, questions, and I also love it when someone reads something that they really like or makes them laugh and they mention it. 

The contest taught me the need for a tough skin, which was reinforced by the first serious critique of my manuscript.  The poor thing about bled to death with all the red lining. CPR was difficult but it survived and so did I.  

But you know what?

She was right. 

She wasn't harsh, but she was to the point and honest. She’s a published author and one for whom I have a great deal of respect.

I've always said if you want someone to tell you your writing is wonderful, hand it to your family or your mother. I call that blowing sunshine and butterflies. 

You want honesty then give it to a fellow writer you respect. And then listen to what they say. Give yourself think about it a bit—once you get over the shock. 

And the sting to your ego.

When I critique, I’m never brutal or critique to hurt. I don’t believe in destructive critiques at all. There’s no point to them.  There’s a big difference in being honest and being brutal. Constructive critiques improve your writing or style. That’s what we want, suggestions or pointers on how to make the story stronger, make the characters more realistic, or how to plug those holes in our manuscript big enough to drive a Mack truck through.

I may have been writing all my life and won contests but that doesn't make me a great writer. Critiques will do that and the willingness to listen and learn.  A readiness to sharpen your craft and be willing to put your manuscript on a strict diet to trim away the excess fat so you can see those great bones in your writing.

• What has been your writing experience?

                                           How do you feel about critiques?