DONNA GALANTI— CHARACTERS ARE WHO WE WANT

It's my pleasure to have suspense author, Donna Galanti visit with us today. She discusses characters and how readers may view characters in their heads and might not match what the author had in mind as they wrote the story.

How many times have you been irritated by actors chosen for the movie a book you've loved?

Books. They fill a need. We create the faces of our characters in our mind. We create their stage, their world. No one else visualizes our books like we do. The people, places, and events in them.

 

I fell in love with Lord of The Rings as a teenager, decades before the book hit the big screen. Aragorn, also known as Strider, was my first crush. I knew his face, his stance, his body. He was so in my heart that I dressed up as him for Halloween. Brown woolen hooded-cloak, darkened face, cracked leather boots. I strode down the hall at school, face hidden, my cloak swirling behind me as if I parted the foggy woods I dashed through on a perilous mission. This only validated the fact a therapist had once said that my problem in life was that I wanted to be a boy instead of a girl.

 

Hmmm. Not sure about that considering I also wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. We had hogs too and I fattened them up with apples and slop. Then on slaughter day I got to keep their tails to roast and eat, just like Laura did. My mother drew the line about blowing up their bladders like balloons so I could play with them. And I really did believe that if I stayed in a closet long enough it would open onto another world that was just like Narnia.

 

Anywho, I get mad when movies are made of my favorite books with super stars. I boycotted The Bridges of Madison County because Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood played the main characters. They weren’t the people I envisioned as those characters (but I do love me some Clint though). How dare they! Then there’s the Jason Bourne series by Robert Ludlum. Really? Matt Damon as Jason Bourne? That’s just wrong. He’s too young, blond, and looks like a boy scout. Put him in a Disney flick (oh, wait, they did.) I’ll stick with the books.

 

And have you often debated with someone about scenes in a movie, and then realized you never saw the movie? It turned out to be the movie you created in your mind. Worth the argument I would say.

 

I discovered recently that readers see the characters in my book, A Human Element, different than I do. I purchased iStock photos of my main characters, Ben and Laura. Two friends told me I was wrong. That’s not Ben, they said. He wasn’t dark enough, cruel looking enough. They were right. The other man appealed to me, yes… but he wasn’t Ben. When a friend and I argued about the kind of person Laura was she said I was wrong. Laura didn’t cry too much in the book at all. I was told she had to be that way because she is a healer and sensitive. Okay. Okay. Too funny.

 

So whoever you envision your favorite characters to look like and speak like, they are yours. Cool, right? Then I guess I must accept the fact that my readers will darn-well envision my own characters as they please. Yep. We get to keep them just how we want them for ourselves. No one else. You can visit them, always. They don’t change. They don’t leave you. They are the perfect friend or lover.

 

Books. They fill that need of going home. When we feel lost we can go home to them. To our past, our first love, our childhood, our first broken heart. They are a safe haven for our unique memories. And no one can take them away. They are…ours.

Donna is giving away one ebook copy of A HUMAN ELEMENT. Just comment to win! Winner will be picked by Random.org and contacted by the author. Giveaway is international. (trust me when I say, you'll want to read this book)

 

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, CREATESPACE-print
SMASHWORDS

HUMAN ELEMENT by Donna Galanti


One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.

Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite–her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a mad man, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test.

With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his and she has two choices–redeem him or kill him. Excerpt

“A HUMAN ELEMENT is an elegant and haunting first novel. Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” 

Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of DEAD OF NIGHT

MY REVIEW 

Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense novel A HUMAN ELEMENT (Echelon Press). Donna has a B.A. in English and a background in marketing. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, The Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, and Pennwriters. She lives with her family in an old farmhouse in PA with lots of nooks, fireplaces, and stinkbugs. Visit her at:


Donna Galanti Website 
Donna's Blog

Donna’s AuthorFacebook page for news and updates!
Goodreads

Twitter

MONDAY MUSINGS: FIRST LOVES

Alex Cavanaugh has suggested using today as a First Loves Blog. His ‘inquiring mind’ wants to know what our first love was in movies, songs, books, and person.

You can find a list of participatingblogs here.

First Loves is a topic can cover pages. Alex said we couldn’t take pages, drat the man anyway. So I must do the best I can in fewer words. Keep in mind; falling in love with something isn’t the same as loving it. It’s a first.

BTW-MY MUSIC COMES ON AUTOMATICALLY. SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BLOG AND CLICK THE OFF BUTTON SO YOU DON'T HAVE THE MUSIC AND THE CLIPS BELOW PLAYING AT THE SAME TIME.

FIRST MOVIE

I’ve loved a lot of movies. Everything from Call Of The Wild to Star Wars, but the movie I have to say I fell in love with enough to watch countless time and know much of the dialog is Princess Bride (in that context, I’d have to say my second is Star Trek, The Voyage Home). One reason I love Princess Bride is because it takes a common theme of fairy tales and mixes it up. It tells the fairy tale backwards—it begins where most fairy tales end—the commoner becomes the princess and is slated to marry prince charming. Great twist.  There are so many scenes in this movie I admire—just love the layers in this story. There’s Vizzini’s use of inconceivable, the battle of wits between Vizzini and Wesley, Inigo Montoya’s mantra, and I could go on, but here is a scenes I absolutely love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoSHmVkjmuA

MUSIC

When it comes to music, it’s basically the same, too many songs I’ve loved. As a kid I fell in love with a musical storyteller. I loved the stories this man sang. Trust me, when I say, he packed a lot of emotion, conflict, heroes, and villains into a 4-minute song. Marty Robbins sang songs that I could listen to repeatedly because they were good stories. One of my favorites, was Big Iron (a funny anecdote to this is when I was little, I thought it was Pig Iron. My dad heard us singing it and corrected us, lol! Teased us unmercifully for years later).


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OntwwcBVe6o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OntwwcBVe6o&feature=related

BOOKS

The first stories I remember hearing, as a little kid, Hiawatha (loved the rhythm of the words) and Heidi. This is how I was introduced to Treasure Island, My Friend Flicka, Big Red, and The Call of The Wild. I would beg for those stories. My mother never read cutesy stories to me; she read books, an installment at a time. I’ve always been a voracious reader and I have a list longer than I am, of books I loved. I have to say, the series I fell in love with was The Dragonriders of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey, a fine Celtic storyteller. I found The White Dragon and read that one first. When I realized it was #3, I went back and bought the first two volumes. I’ve read every book in that series that Anne McCaffrey wrote—didn’t like the ones her son wrote as much.  There are times I go on a Pern vacation. I love the characters and the setting. I LOVED the dragons and Master Robinton—I cried when he died and I still do. The second series I fell in love with is Roberta Gellis, Roselyn Chronicles—ah those were the joyous epic historicals I loved.

PERSON

You know? I can’t remember my first crush as a grade schooler. I think part of that was my parents’ directive and the fact I was a tomboy. I was much too busy running around with the guys and working with my dad to deal with crushes. But I do remember my first crush as a teen. His name was Paul and he was a senior when I was a freshmen and he lived up the street from me. French, six foot one, blue black hair, gold eyes, and a smile that would melt an igloo.  Parents squelched that quickly. Didn’t want their barely 15-year-old hanging around with a guy who was almost 19 and with ideas they didn’t want me to have. Can’t say as I blame them.

But I do have a first love of a person that is precious to me. The day I looked into my son’s dark eyes I fell in love. Children can do that to you. But for me, it was even more special. You see, I had lost several babies prior to my son’s birth. Ten years worth of anquish and loss. I had always wanted to be a mother and with the difficulties I had carrying a baby beyond the first trimester it was fast looking like it would never happen. The last one I lost, at four months and too young to live crushed me in spirit. I remember praying; Father, if I can’t carry them, please don’t let me get pregnant again. My heart can’t take anymore.

This my son and I from a couple years
ago, before I got sick.

That prayer was on February 25, 1993. My son, Jake, was born February 24, 1995. Almost to the day. It was a scary pregnancy and I was terrified something would go wrong. There were some problems, but this time, a miracle. A healthy baby boy, 7 lbs. 12 ozs, and 21 inches long. Great joy then, with my little man, great joy now. And this is also why Mother’s Day is very special to me—more than any holiday. I celebrate this holiday because of the greatest gift ever given to me, my son. I got the title of Mom.

Nothing can beat that in this life.   

CATS DOGS AND OTHER BEST FRIENDS

This a favorite drawing from Cyra R Cancel

Look at that smile!

My guest today is romance author, Dee Davis. She writes the series called A-Tac and Deadly Dance is the latest release and featured in Cosmo as a HOT READ FOR MAY. Dee is a full time writer juggling family and writing and has been published since 1998. Some of her hobbies are cooking, traveling, finding new restaurants, and exploring Manhattan. As for writing, she says the hardest part of the story is the middle and by that time she just wants to blow everything up and "have done with it."

Today Dee talks about using animals in her writing.

Animals play all kinds of roles in novels.  From lead characters, like Old Yeller or Black Beauty, to antagonists like the whale in Moby Dick or giant squid in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.   They can guide the protagonist like the unicorn in A Swiftly Tilting Planet or Aslan in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  Sometimes they’re used to establish the character of their master, like Hagrid’s dog Fang in the Harry Potter books.   And sometimes they simply have a cameo—as in Asha, the cat featured in my latest book, Deadly Dance.

But like most characters, they often start out to be one thing and wind up being something else altogether.  Initially, I intended for Asha to have only a bit part, appearing in a video that Harrison Blake and Hannah Marshall discover.   But once I’d met him, I really liked the little guy and wanted to make sure he was taken care of.  So he wound up not only getting two additional scenes, but having his own happy ending. 

SASHA

Over the years, I’ve had the chance to feature several animals in my novels.  A dog named Mac, a horse named Jack, and another dog, a westie, named Bentley to name a few.  And each of them developed their own personality as their role in each story grew.   Of course, I do have animals of my own.  A cardigan welsh corgi and a tuxedo cat.  And both of them like to hang out (at my feet and in my lap, respectively) as I write.  So I suppose it’s no wonder that animals often make their way onto the pages of my books.

I suspect that Asha will not be the last.  But he is certainly the first to have helped solve a crime.

• How about you?  Do you pets play interesting roles in your life?  In others lives?  Got a great pet story to share?  Spill!

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, BAM, 

DEADLY DANCE  Dee Davis

Available in bookstores or online now 

As the intelligence officer for A-Tac, a black-ops CIA unit masquerading as Ivy League faculty, Hannah Marshall is used to working behind the scenes. But when a brutal murder hits too close to home, Hannah finds herself in the middle of the action, falling in love while racing to outwit a sadistic mastermind. 

A KILLER CLOSES IN

After the death of her A-Tac partner, Hannah doubts everything she thought she knew about love and loyalty. When handsome Harrison Blake joins the team, she's reluctant to trust him - or to act on her intense attraction to him. Then Hannah receives a podcast of a gruesome murder, and the only person who can help her find the killer is Harrison.

Harrison has spent years trying to hunt down the cunning monster who killed his sister. Now investigating with Hannah, he faces a shocking possibility - his sister's murderer has resurfaced. As the danger escalates, Hannah and Harrison grow closer; the desire simmering between them ignites. And when Hannah disappears, Harrison has only one chance to save the woman he loves. Excerpt

 

---when not at the computer writing, award winning author Dee Davis likes to explore Manhattan with her husband and dog.  Check out her newest romantic suspense, Deadly Dance, book five in her A-Tac series. Available now. www.deedavis.com Facebook, Twitter

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE—MANU FORTI—WITH A STRONG HAND

This year, 2012, has been a period of reflection for me. Taking stock. Looking at what I’ve accomplished and what I still want to achieve. Revisiting and revising my goals. I’m not sure if this reflection is the result of losing a dear brother, days shy of his fortieth birthday and seeing what it did to my family. Perhaps it’s seeing my son finish high school and knowing a chapter is closing and another beginning. Maybe it was because I almost died. Any or all of them, most likely. Whatever the reason, I’ve been thinking about past, present, and future.

In case you were wondering, Manu Forti is my clan motto. My father’s family also had a coat of arms and motto, Non Sans Cause.  That motto dates back, according to the family tree passed down through the generations, to the 13^th century, with the Lord of Prideaux (he was one of the knights that came over with William the conqueror) and was awarded lands in Cornwall. Many of his descendents settled in the Devonshire, England. My paternal, many times great, grandfather, Walter Geere, married a daughter from the house of Prideaux (late 1400’s).

A Family tree chart

I mention this because both sides of my paternal family have some pretty tough mottos and have had some tough and strong people living them. My mother’s family have never been slouches when it came to stick-to-it thinking. They were real rebel rousers, literally, in the 1700’s in this country. Not particularly liked by the crown during the revolution. But they fought for what they believed in and very much a part of making this country free and independent. Two went on to be presidents—a father and son duo. Hey, we predated the Bush family by several generations, lol!

As a family, we’re not the type to give up easily. I’ve been taught that all my life. Determine a course of action, set your goals and do it. Be willing fight for what you believe in, what is important to you, and don’t give up. Strategic retreats are okay, but only for regrouping.

These mottos and all the stories surrounding them were the backbone beliefs that went into our immediate family. And there were lots of stories told of bravery, courage of convictions, and deeds of valor. One of these days I’d like to write some of those stories. Or use what I know as a basis for stories I want to tell. There were definitely heroes and villains and a good measure of happy ever after.

It didn’t matter what it was, we were taught to fight for what we wanted and stand for what was right. If you can envision it you will find a way to make it so. But we were also taught another lesson. Don’t just look out for your self but pay forward. Give a helping hand where you can, not for the accolades and praise, but because it is the right thing to do. Don’t ever compromise your principles.  I call that honor and having principles. 

Those principles and mottos worked well for my career, finally having a child, building a life I wanted, more or less. I can definitely apply that to writing as well as other pursuits. Yes, I’ve retreated more than once and there’s no dishonor in that. I set up strategy, made plans and regrouped—always with the plan of moving forward. I’ve maintained a sense on honor, chosen the right path based on principles. I’m teaching my son to do the same.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Use your experiences of the Past, in the experiments of the Present
To achieve your expectations for the Future. 

Personal goals work that way too. You have a goal and you created reasonable steps to accomplish that goal. Don’t give up when the going gets tough—and it always gets tough at some point. Retreat if you have to. Regroup, employ strategy, and move forward.

Conclusions? I like knowing my past. It determines my present, which determines my future. I’m not in control of my past or my future. I have a measure of control over the choices I make for this day. They are only small steps towards the future. But I know, the best things in life; be they large or small, are worth fighting for. 

Giving up is not an option.




.

MONDAY’S MUSINGS: I DID IT MY WAY—A-Z REFLECTIONS

FYI. As Alex Cavanaugh mentioned: several sites were hit with malware warnings this past weekend. Some of us, because we were link to those sites, have also received warning flags—even after removing the links. Over Coffee is absolutely clean from all malware.  

REFLECTIONS: I DID IT MY WAY 

This was the second challenge I followed and while I didn’t participate officially, I did put up articles that corresponded to the letters when I could. I tweeted and Facebook articles where I could and visited as many blogs as I could. I met so many new people, read so many interesting articles and commented on them. There are so many fascinating people blogging these days.

What I noticed more this year was the camaraderie between most of the bloggers. That was cool. I also noticed this year, many had particular themes that were interesting to read. An enormous amount of work went into blogging everyday and making the articles interesting. I loved the humor. Face it, blogging every day, visiting blogs everyday is exhausting and many of the blogs I visited humorously alluded to scraping the barrel for both energy and creativity to put those articles up. Daily.

I loved the separate A-Z blog site. This year it was so much easier to follow the participants. The co-hosts worked together both in supporting the contributors and providing encouragement and help along the way. This on top of contributing their own articles.

Round of applause on a job well done host team!

I had people ask, what’s the purpose of such a challenge. It’s too much, too time consuming, and time that could be used for other things, like writing.

Here are my thoughts on doing blog challenges: 

• Creativity and presentation isn't limited to writing fiction. The whole purpose of writing blogs is the desire to share something with others. Whatever your something is, you have to capture and keep your readers’ attention.

Think of the teacher who has certain points students have to know. The teacher can make it fun and engage the class or just present the facts—cut and dried. Boom. They’ve done their job and probably lost half of the class to daydreams. There is a seminar you have to attend for work. Certain facts have to be relayed. You can make it interesting or a boring monologue. It’s up to you.

It’s all in the presentation.

So challenges like A-Z sharpen those skills. Challenges teach you to think outside the box about subjects that may or may not interest everyone.  It stretches you. If you think about it, you can make just about any subject interesting to your readers by knowing your audience and streamlining the subject matter to meet and capture the majority of that audience. Again presentation and playing to your strengths to get your thoughts across to that audience.

• The other lesson that comes from such challenges is discipline—for writers. You have a deadline. To meet it you have to write every day or regularly and you have to juggle life with that writing. Thought has to be given to what and how you’re going to write. It takes discipline to sit your butt in the chair and get it done.

• The third lesson that comes from such a challenge is learning how to promote you and your writing or blog. Promotion isn't always comfortable, is it? Regardless of whether we are introverted or extroverted, promotion is a necessary task. The challenge allowed each participant to strengthen those skills. Helped all to see we can promote and make connections. Making those connections weren't as difficult as many thought. Connections, networking, cyber friends.  All good things, and you learned could be yourself and accomplish good promotion for your name, your blog, and your writing.  You didn't have to be anyone but you.

As Frank Sinatra sings, “I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption. I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway. And more, much more than this, I did it my way. Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew when I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way.”

Congratulations! 

AND THE BAND PLAYS ON...OR NOT

Note to readers: I have had a rash of anonymous spam commenters of late. Blogger is working on it but meanwhile, I check my computer twice a day with TrendMicro and another professional malware program to keep my site and computer clean.

Fresh Flowers, Good Coffee, and Conversation--Life is Good!

My guest is romance author Addison Fox. She discusses the divergence of expectations and reality. There is also a chance for a commenter to win a copy of her latest book in the Zodiac series, Warrior Enchanted. I can tell you she writes a great story!

I always had this very grand vision about being a writer. I saw this delightful version of myself sitting in a coffee house, earbuds in my ear with some beautiful classical piece playing and endless hours with nothing but my keyboard for company as I wrote my books.

Um….yeah.

So I love coffee and almost always have a cup next to me when I start my writing day (then switch to hot tea around Noon). But the few times I’ve tried writing IN the coffee house….I got about 6 words written.

Six. Maybe ten if it was a good day.

And the music…..well, in THAT part of my grand vision I forgot the fact that I hate having earbuds in my ears. Hate, Hate, HATE….like “I wish I could pull my ears off” sort of hate.

So there goes that lovely thought, too.

And the whole “oodles and oodles of time” concept….well, I haven’t seen “oodles” since I was about four. And even then, there were play dates with my sister and Sesame Street watching parties and a great new Dr. Seuss to catch up on. You know, I was busy.

But here’s what I learned when I stopped thinking about my “vision” of writing and actually began “sitting-in-the chair” and writing. I discovered that the idea we have about things are seldom the way those things actually are. (I think there’s a bigger life lesson in there, but I suspect that’s a whole ‘nother blog!)

The wonderful and wacky things that make us who we are don’t change when we pursue various interests in our life.  While I consider myself a very social person, I don’t like having people around me when I’m working.  And I’ve had sensitive ears since I was a small child, so voluntarily putting things in my ear canals…yeah, not so much. And the whole time crunch. No one has lots of time – we make time for the things that matter.

Instead, the big takeaway I learned is that you need to forget your vision for something and get to the place where you’re DOING the thing instead. And funny enough, you’ll figure out exactly HOW you’re supposed to be doing it.

Your way. The way that makes you feel comfortable and productive and happy.

I very rarely write outside my home. Instead, I park myself behind my desk, a small lamp nearby and not a shred of music playing anywhere. And whether I have thirty minutes or eight hours, I enter my zone because I’m in a place that feels private and comfortable and quiet and all mine.

And that is exactly the way it’s meant to be.

• So what about you? Where have your expectations not matched reality and you discovered what a good thing that was.  

One lucky poster will win a copy of my new release, WARRIOR ENCHANTED.

BUY ONLINE: AMAZON, B&N, POWELLS

WARRIOR ENCHANTED Addison Fox Available in stores and online.


Pisces warrior Drake Campbell and his zodiac brethren have driven themselves to the edge. He'd love to take comfort in the arms of the woman he cares for, if only she would lift her emotional barriers to him.

White witch Emerson Carano has more to worry about than the Pisces warrior. Their affair may be red-hot, but she keeps the sexy man at arm's length to avoid getting hurt. When her estranged brother, Magnus, suddenly reappears—wielding a dangerous dark magic—Emerson has no choice but to ask Drake and his brothers for help.

Long-buried secrets and dangerous alliances will threaten the very foundation of the warriors while striking at the heart of Emerson's carefully constructed world. Can she put aside her fears to join forces with the only man who can help her—even if her own family must pay a terrible price?

Addison Fox is the author of the Sons of the Zodiac paranormal romance series for NAL as well as the upcoming Alaskan Nights contemporary trilogy, which launches with BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE in November 2011. You can find her at her home on the web, www.addisonfox.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Addison lives in New York City.

SECRETS I'VE LEARNED

My guest is romance author, Houston A.W Knight, aka, Hawk. Many may know her from her blog and also know she’s been deep in her writers cave the past few months.

Aspiring authors work hard to get their work published. Sometimes it feels like pushing a stone up a mountain. There is just so much to learn and apply.

Most writers I know are professionals with successful careers. These writers have worked hard for the measure of success they have.

Breaking into fiction writing, however, levels the playing field because they’re starting out entry level and dealing with rejections. A place many haven’t been in years. Oh, and let’s not forget most these writers are doing this while juggling life, family, jobs, and trying to carve out time to write. To follow a dream and build a writing career. 

I love hearing success stories. When any of my friends get THE CALL, I’m thrilled for them.  I know how hard they’ve been working for this day, this call. 

When I received a giddy call from Hawk (yes you were keyed up and giddy, my friend), I was so excited.  I asked her to please take the time away from her deadlines and talk about her journey to publication and what she learned along the way.

To be Published Or Not To Be Published, that is the question. To which I answered, I wanna be published!!!

And I have. 

First, let me reassure Sia, that my dog still has his hearing and no windows were broken in my house. Yep, she asked me that. I think she was a wee bit disappointed to hear I was very calm and business like when I received the call from the publisher. I wanted deadline details and release dates. Once it sank it I was excited and shared my news with friends. 

I know the frustrations, and doubts we struggling writers go through. I want to share what secrets I discovered to make my dream come true. 

I joined a writers’ chapter and learned a lot of basic things. The 'helpful' information given by the 'Pros' sounded good, but didn't really help. I wondered what secret information they were all dancing around and why they just didn't come out and tell me what I needed to know to get the job done. Being an Irish lass, I had to uncover their secrets. 

• First secret: I'm sure you all have heard it; Show Don't Tell.  

We all know that means showing how the hero walked into the room instead of telling the reader he walked in. But more importantly is picking the right things to SHOW. How do you know what to pick? You’re writing a romance, go for showing the deep POV of the Character (show their emotions) with a few details of the surroundings. What the Pro’s don’t tell you is YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THAT SHOWING WITH "TELLING" ~ so the rule 'show don't tell' didn't work for me because if you study published authors…they "show AND tell." 

• Second secret: They'll say, be sure to give the GMC (Goals, Motivations and Conflict). 

What they don't tell you is that you have to put that in the very first paragraph if you want a publisher to look at your work. Actually, your first three lines of your opening paragraph should be the heroines full name, her profession and her GMC and the forth line should be a hook. Pick up a book by a new author and check the opening paragraph and you’ll see just often this is true with new authors. Those already published will break this rule, but you're not published…yet  :-) you've got to play by the rules…for now!
 

• Secret three: What in the heck did they mean, "Focus on the romance." 

I’ll bet most of you said what I did ~ Well duh, I'm writing a romance…but what did they really mean? 

If you want to sell a book…every two or three lines should have an emotion. That's what they're not telling you. Go to your favorite author…don't read the book, read the lines and mark the emotions and see just how often she slipped in an emotion you weren't even aware of reading. SURPRISE!
 

• Secret Four: Giving the details. 

When they say give details, what they don't tell you is, we don't care if Tom passed the salt to Mary. What we are interested in is that as Tom passed the salt to Mary his heart was breaking because he couldn’t bring himself to confess his love for her. Now THAT'S a detail we care about. 

There are a lot of secret shadings in the advice writers are given. Advice that appears helpful but if you don't delve deeper…you'll spend years trying to understand what they want. 

Another key to getting published it watching what's going on around you in the business. There will come a time when you'll have to decide your options. Do you keep writing what you love knowing it won't sell or change and write what sells? I'm not saying chase the market…I'm saying study what's happening in the market. Know what’s selling and what’s not. Then be willing to change Genre. 

There was a time in my life when I was about to give up. We all hit those days. DON'T GIVE UP. I'm telling you right now…it won't work, you'll be like a druggy sneaking off to write a story and you'll tell yourself you're not really writing, you are…so, forget about it…you're a writer and accept you'll have those days. KEEP GOING!! Hanging in there is your only chance at getting your foot in the door. I don't care if you're hanging on by your last fingernail…HANG IN THERE…you can make this happen.