GOOD GUYS OR BAD BOYS?

My guest is the multifaceted  Leanne Ellis who writes the Plain Fear series—complex paranormal stories set with the Amish community that touch your heart and lift your spirit. Her topic today is good guys and bad guys.

Mention Russell Crowe to a room full of women, and you’re likely to get many different reactions, from a shrug of indifference to heart palpitations. He has played both the hero and villain in movies but he definitely has that bad boy quality. What about Benedict Cumberbatch? He is quite the villain in Into Darkness. But he still makes hearts go pitter pat. The same is true of any main character in your favorite book. Mention a character like Atticus Finch, and you’re likely to get sighs from a female readership, mostly because Gregory Peck portrayed him so well in the movie version of To Kill A Mockingbird, but also because Atticus makes hard choices and is a strong voice of reason during turbulent times. What about Rhett in Gone with the Wind? 

Good guys and bad boys are throughout literature, and I find them both equally compelling and desirable, depending on the tale to be told.

In my Plain Fear series, I was able to utilize both good guys (some being Amish) and bad boys (some also being Amish), and it was a lot of fun allowing these characters to reveal their true identity no matter what kind of clothes they wore or car or buggy they drove. In the first book, Forsaken, Levi Fisher is more like Atticus Finch, and he must make some tough decisions, choosing if he will fight for the woman he loves. Forbidden, the second book in the series, has Roc Girouard, a Cajun ex-cop, who is definitely a bad boy. His match is a not-so-goodie-goodie Amish woman, who brings out the good in him. In the final book of the series, Forgiven, Samuel Fisher, is an Amish man sitting on the fence, trying to right the wrongs he’s committed and trying to figure out where he belongs in this world—inside the picket fence of the Amish world or battling the evils that threaten his family.

• So do you like to read about good guys or bad boys or both?

Sourcebooks is giving away a set of all three books in the Plain Fear series, US/Canada only please.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

BUY: Amazon • Books•A•Million 

• Barnes & Noble 

• IndieBound

FORGIVEN

Leanna Ellis

What Must We Sacrifice to be Forgiven?

Samuel Fisher has committed a sin of biblical proportions—he killed his own brother, Jacob. Haunted by guilt and talked by a vampire out for his soul, Samuel starts down the same dark path of destruction that led to his brother's death.

A captivating coming-of-age story unlike any other, Plain Fear: Forgiven pits redemption against temptation, love against fear, and simple faith against the intricacies of sin and salvation. In the gripping final battle between hunters and vampires, Samuel must choose where his loyalties lie. The lives of those he loves—as well as his own ultimate forgiveness—hangs in the balance.

SNEAK PEEK

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Deep in the heart not only describes where Leanna Ellis lives in Texas but also the way she writes. Her books, whether romance, inspirational, women’s fiction, or paranormal, are infused with heartfelt emotion. Having written twenty published novels, Ellis has won many awards including the National Readers Choice Award and the Maggie Award.

When not chasing vampires through the darkened recesses of her mind or roping and riding along with her characters through sun-drenched plains, she stays busy driving her children to their multitude of activities, figuring out what to make for dinner (or where to order takeout), chasing her menagerie of crazy pets around the house, and researching the next idea. 

You can find Leanna: website, Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter.

IT TAKES A TEAM TO CREATE A BOOK

It's my pleasure to have Gina Lamm visiting with us Over Coffee. We often think that once you're published you don't have writing problems, and the stories just flow without problems. Certainly a published author doesn't get writer's block, especially when they have a deadline, right? 

But... what happens if they do? I'll let Gina tell you a bit about that. 

Hi again Sia! I’m thrilled to be back here at Over Coffee, chatting with you guys again. I had so much fun with THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL’s blog tour that getting to come to your place again was a real treat. Thanks for having me! J

Today I want to talk a little bit about my writing team. No, I don’t currently co-author any projects; all my books are single-author efforts. But even single authors need a huge team to get a book off the ground, and I’m totally no exception!

It has always fascinated me to find out how some of my favorite things came to being. Like my favorite books, or my favorite TV shows. Behind-the-scenes glimpses are really fun to me. So here’s my little behind-the-scenes for GEEK GIRLS DON’T DATE DUKES.

It all started in 2011, when I met Leah Hultenschmidt, then-editor at Sourcebooks. I pitched the idea for THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL to her, and she loved it, but she told me that Sourcebooks preferred contracting series of books over single titles. Could I come up with a couple more ideas for additional books? Sure I could, right?

Denise Tompkins, one of my BEST FRIENDS EVA and super-duper critique buddy, helped me brainstorm a couple more ideas, and between us, we hammered out the idea for GEEK GIRLS DON’T DATE DUKES. Sourcebooks liked it, and contracted books 1 and 2 of the “Geek Girls” series.

And then it was time to write the darned thing. Ever heard of the sophomore slump? I hit that, and I hit it HARD. Writer’s block was too good for what was happening there. I just couldn't get past the wall in my head, and here’s where my team came in.

My husband, my parents, my sister, Denise, my incredible editor Leah, all of them combined to pull me out of this hole and get me writing. My parents would ask me how the book was coming. My husband would listen to me moan and whine about why WAS THIS SO HARD???? Denise would help me brainstorm, and my sister would read things and shoot them back to me so fast. If not for that team helping me through, I don’t know that the book would ever have been finished!

And once the book was finished, it went to Sourcebooks, and they turned that little lump of coal into gold. First my editor Leah ripped it apart (wonderfully) and helped me put it back together. Then it went through copy edits and proofreaders, I don’t know how many passes. The incredible art department made one of the best covers I've ever seen on a romance novel, one that captures the attitude and characters perfectly on the first go. You may not know this, but authors get very little input on their book covers. There’s usually a little form to be filled out, and once the author has done that, they have to trust in their publisher to get them the right cover. And I have to say, that so far I've been so very impressed with Sourcebooks’ art department. Both “Geek Girls” books have looked incredible, and I couldn't be happier.

Then the book moves forward, to Netgalley, where wonderful bloggers like Sia can review it. These guys are also a hugely important part of the team. Where would a book be with no reviews? Sitting in the bottom of the Amazon rankings, that’s where! Through reviews, good and bad, word of mouth, advertising, bloggers and book reviewers can really shape the way a book sells. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity to post here and on other blog sites. I’m honored to have you guys as part of my team!

And then, once the advanced copies have been reviewed, and release day has come and gone, I get to the biggest (and most important) part of my book team.

You guys. The readers.

Without you, Leah and Avery can only live inside MY head. But with you? These two characters have traveled the world, having their adventure again and again, causing laughs and tears in so many different time zones, zip codes, and countries. And that, my friends, is a humbling thought. This book that took me so many months to create has flown worldwide, and I couldn't be happier, or more grateful.

Thank you for being part of my team. Thanks for reading these crazy tales that come pouring out of my noggin. Thanks for laughing, for sharing, for buying and borrowing and telling your friends.

I couldn't  do this without you.

                                                                                                                                                            

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND

GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES

The Royal Treatment

All Leah wanted was a little gallantry. But in this day and age, chivalry was most definitely dead. If only there were a way to travel back in time and snag her very own duke...

Avery Russell was polishing some boots when a woman fell through the bedchamber mirror into his arms. All he could make out from her breathless babbling was some nonsense about "my one true love, Your Grace." Clearly the chit was mad if she couldn't tell a valet from a duke!

As much as Avery wanted to give in and give her a good tumble, he knew it wouldn't be proper. No, he'd take as long as necessary to convince Leah that sometimes a duke just won't do. EXCERPT

                                                                                                                                                                              

Becoming a magician proved to be less interesting than Gina Lamm had anticipated when she was six, so in her adult life, she's turned to writing.

This belly-dancing, wisecracking, marshmallow-addicted mother of three energetic fur-children loves nothing more than penning funny, emotional tales of love, lust, and entertaining mishaps.

A multi-published author, Gina also writes erotic romance under the pen name Regina Cole. THE GEEK GIRL AND THE SCANDALOUS EARL, GEEK GIRLS DON'T DATE DUKES, INDELIBLY INTIMATE, CAUGHT IN CRIMSON, and DEAR ADDI are only a few of her stories.

Married to a real live superhero, she and her family live in North Carolina, surrounded by tobacco farms, possums, and the occasional hurricane. You can find Gina:  Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter. 

FIUANA LUND—MY WORSE ENEMY

You have to take control of both writer and critic and learn where and when to let each voice emerge.

She’s rude. She has no regard for my feelings—or anybody else’s for that matter. When I see her looking my way, I cringe. I mean, my stomach really curdles. I would

run in the opposite direction if I could.  But there are times when she has me trapped, backed into a corner. Those are the worst times. She’s mean, she’s ugly, she’s got a HUGE rear end—and she hates me. The worst thing about her is that I find myself facing her in the mirror every morning.

I am my own worst enemy, my toughest critic, and the least supportive person in my life where my writing is concerned.

The same can be said for most writers I know. That’s not to say that a part of me isn't still delusional, witlessly hoping to win a Pulitzer prize or earn the title of New York Times Bestseller at some point. But the truth is, when asked about my books or my writing, I struggle to find anything positive to say. In fact, I recently did a radio interview to promote my book. The kind host asked me to talk about Indigo, to get into the book and talk about the story. I opened my mouth and began to blather on and on about a mythology class I took in college. Why did I do that? Why did I practically change the subject instead of sing the praises for a story I poured my heart and soul into, a book I really do like?

I love writing. There are times when imagination matches energy and words spring forth with carefully controlled urgency and I find myself glued to my keyboard, unable and unwilling to pull myself from my constructed world. That’s where the magic is; those moments of writing flow are what we ink slingers live for. But the rest of it? The rest of it is pretty close to agony. In order to sell your work you must be able to sell yourself. How can you sell yourself while there is a battle brewing inside your mind between the writer and the critic? In a word: balance.

Mind over matter, is what my husband says. You have to take control of both writer and critic and learn where and when to let each voice emerge. To be a successful writer, you must cultivate both voices, temper them, and learn where and when each is appropriate. For example, during the creative phase of writing—you know, that point when you've outlined and storyboarded and it’s time to add meat to the bones of your story—that’s when the writer voice needs to emerge loud and strong. That other voice, the one nobody likes to listen to, the critic—well, she needs to shut up. No, like really. Cover her mouth with duct tape and hide her fat butt in a closet. That writer in you needs to be set free without worry or concern.

On the other hand, when it’s time to edit—and I don’t care who you are, you need to edit—tell the writer in you to go take a nap and let the critic out of the closet. Despite all the ugly things I've said about the critic, she’s not all bad.  In fact, in the right setting, she can become one of your greatest allies, allowing you to polish your skills, accept constructive comments, and manage your expectations.

But that’s pretty much where her reign ends. Sooner or later you’re going to have to find the energy and passion to sell your story. That’s when the critic needs to be put away—far, far away. Book her a ticket on a one-way cruise to somewhere icy and cold and perfect for witches like her. Am I right?

The bottom line is this: Believe in yourself. Believe in your talent. Trust your gut, paying attention to both the writer and critic in you. And when you find yourself loathing the critic staring you in the mirror every morning, take a break, take a breath, and then write her out of your next chapter.

• How do you overcome the blues when you become your own worst critic?

                                                                                                                                                                                      

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND

INDIGO

Fiauna Lund

Seventeen-year-old Brit Kavanagh is hiding something: Just before her mother disappeared, she gave Brit faery wings … sewn into her skin.

When her father’s death forces Brit to leave the only home she’s ever known, danger follows her like a shadow. Catastrophe strikes again and again, and at every turn, she is confronted by the terrifying apparition of an otherworldly banshee.

Desperate to unravel the mysteries behind her wings and the curse of the banshee, Brit turns to Gentry O’Neill, a handsome stranger who knows more than he’s telling. With Gentry’s help, Brit pieces together her mother’s troubled past and discovers the horrifying truth of her own existence.

Her mother gave her wings, but she never meant for Brit to fly.

EXCERPT
                                                                                                                                                                                        

Fiauna Lund is a grown woman with an overactive imagination, a passion for writing, four children, and the dirty house to prove it.

Reading and writing have always been passions for Fiauna. During her childhood she spent hours exploring the woods of rural western Pennsylvania where she first began creating stories about faeries, pixies, magic, and mystical creatures.

She met her husband, Aaron, while attending Utah State University, and later earned a degree in human services from Columbia College which allowed her to study the uniquely challenged and inspiring people who serve as her collective muse. She now resides in Farmington, Utah. When she's not reading, writing, or running, she spends her time caring for her four adorable children and two curious cats. 

You can find Fiauna:  Facebook, Goodreads, Website/Blog

WRITING THE DREADED...GROAN...SYNOPSIS

My husband has been querying agents for his detective series. He is now the proud owner of enough rejections to make a full sized shower curtain. Both sides. Despite all that, he has also gotten a lot of positives and some real constructive revisions, suggestions, and encouragement that he has a good idea and to continue on.

Yesterday, he told me that he has a request from an agent for a couple of chapters and…drumroll…the dreaded synopsis.

“Is this like an outline of the story?”

“Um…no. The synopsis isn’t as stark as an outline. It should give the flavor of your story enhanced by your voice to hook them.”

“Huh?”

“Think of it like telling a friend what the story is about and you’re hitting the high points or the arc of the story (plot) and filling them on the main characters and how they fit into the plot of the story. You touch on the goal, motivations, and conflicts of the main character(s). You also want to give the black moment—when all seems lost and then the how the hero wins the day.”

“Goals, motivations, and conflicts? That sounds too complicated. I don’t think you really need that.”

“Sure do. Every good story has that. Let me put it another way. Goal - what your Hero wants (both internally which gives the character arc; and externally—plot). Motivation—Why they want it (both internal and external). Conflict —why they CAN'T HAVE IT (both internal and external)”

“In two pages? Isn't there just a formula or something?”

Are we having fun yet?  

Once I stopped laughing over that last plaintive question and wiped my eyes, we sat down and discussed whys and hows. Yeah, I tried to give him a formula.

• What is the hook?  Another way to look at it is what’s the story in a sentence? A friend of mine, Nancy Parra, demonstrated this well with her book, Mr. Charming: 

A single mom with a secret past finds herself embroiled in a playboy’s murder. 

It shows the story and hints at the external and internal conflict and it gets your attention. This is a very short first paragraph.

• What is your hero/protagonist’s Internal Goal Motivation Conflict and External GMC? What does he want, why does he want it, and why he can’t have it? Internal shows the character arc, external defines the plot. Keep it brief. For romance, of course, we give both hero and heroine's and for other genres it would be protagonist A and B, or main characters. And you'd set this as two paragraphs. If you include the GMC for the villain then there would be a third paragraph. 

• What is the Plot? What happens in the story? Get the plot down in a clear concise manner. You want to include enough important plot points to convey the story. Once the plot path is clear in your mind then weave in why the unfolding events in the story are important. You can mention the secondary plot—as it impacts the primary—but the story is your main plot. That's what you need to focus on. This will be your biggest section of your synopsis.

• What is the Black Moment? This is the moment when, despite the best effort (or maybe because of his efforts) of the protagonist/hero, all seems lost.

• What is the Resolution? The protagonist/hero usually has to pull something from him/herself (character arc) to accomplish the resolution and win against the odds. Goals motivation and conflict are usually tied into the resolution. He's changed from what he/she was when the story began. The events of the story have taught him/her something.

You want to write the synopsis in PRESENT tense and be sure to give the ending. Be a professional. Make every word count. Putting your voice into the synopsis, you're giving them a taste of the story while they're reading for content. Your voice can also act as a hook.

Hubs will be working on this today. Hopefully, it will go smoothly. Once he writes it we have two guinea pigs to read it and give their feedback. We figure if it makes sense to someone unfamiliar with the story and they "get it" then we can declare it a success.

• How do you handle writing synopsis? Any suggestions?

AH, TO BE IN SCOTLAND AGAIN!

My guest is historical romance author Donna MacMeans. She shares her recent trip to Scotland with us.

Last year about this time I realized that if I was to set my next book in Scotland, I needed to “walk the land” -  get a feel for the countryside so I could present it accurately in THE WHISKY LAIRD (due for release in the spring of 2014).  So I packed my bags and booked a flight for Edinburgh.  As it’s a mind-melting ninety-four degrees here in Ohio, I thought I’d revisit that trip and cool off with a little nostalgia.  Want to come with me?

We stayed in the Grassmarket area in Edinburgh.  So named because long, long ago, horses and livestock there to be sold in the markets would graze in pens just beyond the western edge.  

As you can see from the picture, it’s below Edinburgh castle...way below.  Given that the Royal Mile, the main drag in Edinburgh, runs from the castle to the sea and that all the tour groups meet on the Royal Mile, we had to do some serious climbing to get to our tour bus - every day up, every day back down.  A quick way to get in shape is to vacation in Edinburgh LOL.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Lots of bars and all the patrons (and barkeeps) seemed engrossed in the same book!

Imagine that!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

We took a number of trips that took us into the highlands.  I like this shot of the little town of Callander

  

One a hot day like this, the low clouds make me feel cooler.  We saw a number of waterfalls.

    

Notice that the water has a slight brown tinge.  This is due to the peat in the water.  You don’t see many houses throughout Scotland.  Most of the population lives in the cities.  The rural areas belong to the sheep!

Here’s a shot of Highland landscape and heather (always wondered what heather looked like)

                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

We spent a night in Inverness.  Just as Edinburgh is clearly a medieval city, Inverness has a more Viking or Norman influence.  Can you see it in this picture? 

Inverness Cafe

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

We spent a day at St. Andrew’s and saw this familiar guy.  He was playing for a wedding in the chapel adjacent to this courtyard. 

St. Andrews 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Jonathan

Of course, as THE WHISKY LAIRD pairs a Scotch distiller with a woman devoted to the Temperance movement, we visited the Blair Athol distillery.  Here’s a pic in the courtyard of the distillery - oh wait!  What’s the tour guide reading?  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

I went to Scotland to become familiar with the scenery.  While on a tour bus going through some woods, I found myself thinking that much of the scenery reminded me of Virginia and North Carolina.  Right about that time, the tour guide mentioned that a few years ago, he had a geologist on the bus.  The geologist collected some rocks at one of the waterfalls and said that based on the limestone he found, Scotland was once part of the Appalachian mountain system of the United States.  Of course, it split and drifted away long before Columbus came to call.  But it struck me that I could have gotten a similar sense of Scotland right here in the States, but it wouldn't have been half as fun.

 

So how about you?  Have you been on a memorable vacation?  Ever been to Scotland?  Want to go?  

Someone leaving a comment will receive a copy of The Casanova Code - the book every one is reading? (grin).

FINDING THE MAGIC KEY

Romance author, Anna Sugden, is my guest today. She visits the blog on various occasions but I'm thrilled to have her visiting today with her debut novel, A Perfect Distraction. Yay Anna! 

Writing is Anna's third career, the first was working as a Marketing executive for a multi-national corporation, then as a primary teacher (we call them elementary teachers here), and now a published author. She started getting serious about writing shortly after 9-11. I'd like to tell you she was an overnight success but...well, I'll let her tell you about that and what it took to get to this point.

Thanks so much, Sia for letting me visit today. Your blog has always been a great place to hang out, so it’s especially nice to be able to visit as a published author, to celebrate the release of my first book, A Perfect Distraction! (Happy squee!)
Like many authors, I took a long time to sell my first book. Nine years, eight full manuscripts and four partial-and-synopsis proposals to be precise. That doesn't include all the revisions I did on most of those. As for rejections, let’s just say I could wallpaper my office quite nicely ;). During that time, I also had a lot of success -- I finalled in or won almost every prestigious writing contest for unpublished authors, including three Golden Heart finals. My manuscripts were passed up and across, but for a variety of reasons always failed at the final hurdle.

No-one ever said writing was an easy profession, and they were right!

One of the things you think, as you go round and round in that holding pattern of ‘nearly there’, is that you must be missing something -- a magic key that would unlock the door to that first sale. If you could just find that elusive magic key, you would finally get The Call.

You’re all expecting me to tell you that there is no such thing. Actually, there is. J In fact, there are several. The trick isn't finding a magic key, it’s figuring out which one will work for you. That’s part of the writer’s journey - trying out those keys until you find the right one.

So what are these magic keys?

1.    Perseverance. Writing is hard work. Fact. It’s hard for everyone, from Nora Roberts to the newbie starting their first manuscript. There are numerous inspirational talks from famous authors telling you about their journey to success. They will also tell you how they still have to battle every day for every book. Yes, you need a little bit of luck to succeed - the right book, landing on the right editor’s desk at the right time - but, to paraphrase Samuel Goldwyn the harder you work, the luckier you’ll get. Those who succeed are the ones who don’t give up. Obvious? Perhaps. But as my lovely husband always says - the only way to guarantee you won’t be published is to give up.

2.    Keep on learning. It’s not enough to work hard if you keep making the same mistakes. No-one writes a perfect book. There are many ways to learn - craft books, workshops, critique partners. Yes, even those of us who think we've seen, heard and read it all can learn something new from an expert. One of the ways I was able to make the necessary changes to my work was through expert advice - I bought a critique from a well known author in a charity auction. I also managed to get a fantastic agent, who provided me with excellent insight into what I needed to fix.

3.    Be prepared to change. Sometimes, as the saying goes, a change is as good as a rest. It may be that you should try writing something different - I learned a lot by writing romantic suspense and still hope to get some of those books published J. It could be that you need to try writing for a different line/editor/publisher. I started off targeting Special Edition, but switched to Super Romance because that line was a better fit for my writing. It may be that your strategy for getting your work to the right people has to change. I had more success through contests and editor agent pitches than direct submission or queries.

4.    It’s okay to take a break. Sometimes we just need to stop and rest. That’s not a bad thing, especially if you use that time to refill your creative well and re-energize your muse. After all, we are all chasing our dream. What is the point of hating every minute of it? Take some time off and read, watch movies, go for long walks, whatever it takes to recharge your writing batteries. Trust me, you’ll be back writing sooner than you think.

5.    Write the book of your heart. We all have the book we dream of writing. In fact, most of us have several. But, we also all have an excuse for not writing that book - the market isn't right, you need more writing experience, everyone is writing that kind of book, no-one is buying that kind of book etc. The truth is that you don’t need to write the book of your heart for anyone but yourself. Write it, enjoy it. You never know, things change all the time in publishing, so maybe one day, the book of your heart will be the book that sells. Mine was. Everyone told me that I’d never sell a sports romance, let alone one featuring a hockey player. J

• Have you found a magic key that worked for you, either for writing or something else? 
• Or, tell us about something you've worked hard at and succeeded in.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

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A PERFECT DISTRACTION

Anna Sugden

A face-off—head vs. heart 

For Jake Badoletti, this year is all about his career. He has a rare second chance to make the most of being a pro hockey player, so no parties, no scandals. Too bad he's met a woman who could sideline those plans. Maggie Goodman is not his usual type—right down to being a single mom. Still, the sizzling connection with this gorgeous brunette can't be ignored. 

With a little juggling and a lot of focus, Jake manages to have the game and Maggie. Then his performance on the ice suffers and a scandal erupts. Now he can't afford the distraction of Maggie…even if she is perfect for him. 

EXCERPT

Romance Times – 4 stars!

                                                                                                                          

Anna Sugden, is a three-time Golden Heart finalist who loves reading and writing happy endings as much as hockey! When not reading or watching hockey, she loves football, good food and wine, making simple cross-stitch projects and collecting memorabilia, penguins, and fab shoes.

Anna lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two bossy cats. 

You can find Anna: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Romance Bandits