Authors live Many Lives, their own and their characters

Authors are more than just what they write. I, personally, have a day job and that day job doesn't resemble anything to do with erotica or erotic romance. Still, I have specialized skills and knowledge that I employ for my day job.

There are those who have active family lives which consists of children, school, homework, love, and routines. There is writing but it's often in those times when the kids are asleep at night and the housework is finished. If a parent is lucky enough to be a stay at home mom/day then they get some writing in while the kids are at school.

What other lives do author's live?

CHARACTER LIVES

In some ways, authors much immerse ourselves in those lives so that each characters is unique. We must know the backstory of every character, their childhood experiences, moods, likes, dislikes, etc. Whether this information ever makes it into the book or not, authors know that such details make for a better writer.

How can you write a convincing character if you don't know their struggles, fears, frustrations, or even daily routine? Are they are sit on the couch, eat potato chips person when they're bored or do they get out and do something? Sometimes to know how a characters acts or feels, writers must put ourselves in that situation to understand the mindset.

For myself, a demon-bargainer like Sindriel is nothing like Brad Templeton from Bet Your Sweet Aces. Both men have different values, minds, affectations, appearances etc.

No two characters really react the same to the same situation. Consider your own emotions, and what affects them.

Personally, I love pushing my characters buttons, see how much they take before they start getting pissed with me. Haha. Okay, yes, I know they aren't real. Put away the cozy white jacket with straps.

Anyway, when you think of writers it's often as singular persons, but really we are many people living many lives. It's a fun existence if you ask me. I can be a vampire or demon one day/one story and a covert agent the next story.

Do I write from personal experience?

Short answer, no. I'm not a vampire, demon, covert agent, etc. I'm just someone who likes to get into the mindset of a character. I know secrets about them that many never make it into a book, but that just makes me a better writer.

So next time you pick up a book, think about the author and how many lives they might lead. If you're an author, how many lives do you lead?

Sexify your life,

Mary Corrales

Website: www.authormaryc.com

Ms. Corrales is a multi-published author who loves writing erotica and erotic romance. She has stories published in several genres including fantasy, paranormal, contemporary suspense, and dystopian. She's currently working on a new scifi/space opera book that she hopes to turn into a series. She always has some character or another in her head, waiting for their story to be shared with her readers.

She's an avid reader of romance in whatever catches her eye, which is why she loves vibrant book covers so much. She judges books by their cover, but will always give a new writer a chance if the blurb is enticing enough. She also reads nonfiction military biographies and is a proud military supporter.

When Ms. Corrales isn't writing, she can be found tending to her garden, growing herbs and vegetables. Autumn is her favorite time of year where she gets to cook soups and stews for the family.

She loves to chat with readers and writers alike. Tweet her up and follower her at MaryCorrales_A1 or follow her blog at Romance Author Lifestyle.

Does rape belong in a romance?

This is a controversial topic in any setting, but in a story that is supposed to be about love and happy endings, it seems to have no place there.

But, does it?

I think a writer should have the freedom to tell the story they want to without having to be censored. That being said, I don’t think rape should be glorified and used in a way that makes it okay or romantic. Because rape is not about love. It’s an act of violence. Sometimes rough sex can be misinterpreted as rape, and that can be a gray area if the lines are unclear. But most probably agree if a woman feels violated, there is no doubt that it is rape.

If a story calls for a rape scene and it is important to the plot, a writer should be able to do what is needed for that story. I can think of at least one example where rape could work in a romance—a woman recovers from a rape and has to learn to trust men again so she can find love.

It is a subject that should not be taken lightly, but it shouldn’t be taboo for a writer if it is a key part of the story they want to tell.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com           

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

http://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1341885749&sr=1-2-ent

Bake, Love, Write - a dessert cookbook compliation from 105 authors by Kaye Spencer

What do most authors have in common, no matter what genre they write? They love desserts. Sweets sustain them through pending deadlines and take the sting out of crushing rejection letters and nasty reviews. They also often celebrate their successes—selling a book, winning a writing award, making a bestseller list, or receiving a fabulous review—with decadent indulgences. And when authors chat with each other, they often talk about their writing and their lives. Recipes. Writing. Relationships. In this cookbook 105 authors not only share their favorite recipes for fabulous cakes, pies, cookies, candy, and more, they also share the best advice they’ve ever received on love and writing.

This is a delightful dessert recipe book, and the advice from the authors is as varied as the recipes. Since the cookbook doesn't include pictures of the recipes, you can find most of the recipe images here: Bake, Love, Write on Pinterest.

And to further whet your appetite, here is a 30 second book video. Purchase information is listed at the end of the video.

Enjoy!

Until next time,

Kaye

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances
www.kayespencer.com
Twitter - @kayespencer

Looking back and planning ahead - Kaye Spencer's 2014-2015 writing reflections

As I look back on my 2014 writing year, I do so with a sigh of satisfaction. As my writing life goes, this past year was productive and creative. Here are a few reasons why I can look back with a smile.

1. I *joined* a sisterhood of writers at an up-and-coming publisher, Prairie Rose Publications. In doing so, I returned to my original writing roots: western historical romance. It feels good to be *home*.
2. I wrote three western romance short stories for Prairie Rose Publications that were included in anthologies. With the rise in e-readers and the capability to read on cell phones, the short story and the micro story are hot right now. I'm pleased to be riding that wave. *grin*
3. For the second year in a row, I had a free download micro story included in a holiday-themed anthology with the international writing group, Exquisite Quills.
4.  My Hand-Me-Down Family recipe was included in the Bake, Love, Write book (edited by Lois Winston).
5. I made three quickie promo videos that I shared with my compatriots in two of my anthologies and for the recipe book authors.
6. But what I'm really pleased about is...
7. I've received the rights back on five of my books/novellas. This was a big decision for me, because it left me with only two novellas in circulation (not counting Prairie Rose anthologies). But I understand so much more about the whole business of writing than I did back in 2005 when I waded into the ocean of publishing, that I'm better prepared to take control of my writing career and made informed decisions rather than the I'm-so-excited-to-be-published decisions. I know the ins and outs of editing and how to interact with editors, and I'm well-versed in self-marketing now. I have big plans for these five stories. My goal is to have each story ready as a second edition and republished in 2015.

 It'll be interesting to see how it all turns out for me. As they say, time will tell.

Until next year,

Kaye

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances
www.kayespencer.com

Twitter - @kayespencer

It's NaNo time... almost by Kaye Spencer

National Novel Writing Month begins in two days. (Yay!!!)


I'm participating again this year, which is my sixth year in a row. The only year I crossed the 50k finish line by November 30th was my first year, 2009, and the story I wrote will NEVER see the light of day. 0_o It wasn't even worth revising, so I've wisely relegated it to the dungeon of my computer's files.


So, for the past five NaNo marathons, I've fallen woefully short of the goal. This year I'm determined to reach the winner's circle. To accomplish this, I've changed my strategy. In years past, I arrived on November 1st with an idea and just went from there.


This year, I've taken the time to do planning and plotting, so I'm going in with more writing ammunition than before. If anyone wants to by writing buddies, look me up on the NaNo website as KayeSpencer. I'll buddy right back.


Until next time,


Kaye


Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances
www.kayespencer.com
Twitter - @kayespencer

Do supernatural creatures belong in a modern setting?

When I think of vampires and other supernatural creatures, I picture them in time periods without electricity and other modern technology. I think of candlelight and moving unnoticed through darkened paths or streets. I have a hard time thinking of vampires or others of their kind in a modern setting. I don’t think creatures like that belong in modern times. But maybe that’s just me.

I prefer to write about these otherworldly creatures in Medieval and earlier time periods. I have numerous supernatural beings in my stories like faeries, shapeshifters, Greek vampires, a vengeance goddess and in my soon-to-be released series set in Bronze Age Arcadia, I have centaurs, nymphs, werewolves, blood-drinking creatures and a crow woman. But that being said, I’ve started a story with vampires, werewolves, witches, gods and faeries in a modern setting. I want to show how difficult it is for these creatures to exist in a modern world.

One of my challenges is whether or not my magical beings can work magic in a world with cell phones and computers. Does technology interfere with magic? Does technology weaken them? These are a couple of the reasons I feel that supernatural beings are out of place in a modern world. I wonder how they can move about without being captured on a camera. I suppose vampires wouldn’t be caught on 35mm film, but what about digital photographs?

It seems I have a lot to think about as I work out this story.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Two mortals are caught in the midst of the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.

Buy links on author website: http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html

Lighthearted thoughts about writing THE kissing scene by Kaye Spencer

I've written couple dozen romance stories, books, and novellas. Some have been published, others will someday be published, but many—for a variety of reasons—will remain unpublished and tucked away in the File Dungeon inside my computer. However, they all have one attribute in common.

Kissing.

Not just any kiss, but THE kiss. This is usually the first kiss that occurs for my hero and heroine.

 

I've written stories with plots that were simple to plots that took an Excel spreadsheet to keep all the details straight. I've written...

• an Old West gunfight that included paranormal elements of a herd of phantom cowboys chasing a phantom herd across the sky
• scorching love scenes that will make your toes curl
• a contemporary vampire story with a cowboy thrown in for good measure
• a love triangle that wasn't a 'threesome', but it will leave you sniffling and grabbing the tissue box at the end
• family saga of 150k that spans 15 years
• a mail-order bride story
• sweet romances that make you say 'ahhh'

BUT the kissing scene—the kiss that makes or breaks the story—holds me up every. single. time. In fact, during the rough draft stage in most of my stories, it's typical for me to *insert kissing scene here* and come back to it (them) later.

The kiss can't be too detailed or it can have an 'ewww' factor. But neither can it just be "...and they kissed". There's no emotion, no feeling in that. Whose point of view to write it from is sometimes difficult to decide. Is it the hero or the heroine who instigates the kiss? What are their hands doing during the kiss? Are they standing body-pressed-to-body or is there a little distance between them? Are they completely embraced in each other's arms or just 'holding' on to each other? Are the characters close to the same height or is one significantly taller than the other? This makes a huge difference in where they put their arms and how they have to bend their necks to make that kiss happen. Are they standing? Lying on a bed? Leaning across a fence or across the front seat of a car? Tongue or no tongue?

Decisions. Decisions.

Really, it all depends upon how well the two characters know each other when THE kiss happens, which is the major reason I write the kissing scene after my hero and heroine have spent the entire story together. By the end of the story all three of us know the emotions in the kiss.

In my current work in progress, a Halloween-themed western romance short story, I'm down to the wire before the deadline to submit the story to the publisher, and guess what scene is holding up the show. Yuppers, the first kiss. 0_o

So, I must trot back to the manuscript and finish that pesky kissing scene. The hero has figured out how he's going to accomplish the first kiss with the heroine, but the problem is, she's a hereditary witch, and he's just a little nervous that when he kisses her, he might turn into a toad.

But it's a chance he's willing to take. ;-)

Until next month,

Kaye

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances
www.kayespencer.com
Twitter - @kayespencer 

What are your favorite genres to read and write by Kaye Spencer

Readers, have you ever wondered why you ‘read what you read’?

Authors, what is your response in interviews about why you 'write what you write'?

For both readers and writers: If you're drawn to a particular genre over all others, have you ever considered why?

Over the years of my publishing career, I've encountered variations of these questions in author interviews. I have three general points for why I tend to write historicals and particularly stories set in the American Old West.

Reason 1—Research

Every historical I write allows me to follow rabbits down research rabbit holes. I've discovered the most intriguing and amazing tidbits of history in my historical research Wonderland. Researching is my ‘happy place’. It’s important to me to have the details in my stories as historically accurate as possible.

Reason 2—Living vicariously in the past

While I’m writing a story set in the past, I get to travel to a different place and time and live in someone else's shoes, so-to-speak. I’m like Anthony Marston in Quigley Down Under: “…Some men [women] are born in the wrong century.” All my life I’ve felt out-of-place living in our ‘modern’ world. So when I transport myself to the time in which my characters are living, I’m in another one of my ‘happy places’.

Reason 3—Challenge of overcoming inconveniences

I like writing stories that lack modern day conveniences. Without the amenities we’re accustomed to nowadays, there are so many juicy complications for the characters to face, deal with, and overcome that otherwise could be written away with a call on the cell phone or by hopping an airplane. The possibilities for plot complications in the areas of communication, transportation, physical relationships (particularly in the area of limited contraceptive options), and medicine—to name but a few—are endless.

Any thoughts on this? I’d love to hear them.

Until next time,

Kaye

Fall in love…faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances
www.kayespencer.com
Twitter - @kayespencer

Writing help: Finding my way back

I’ve reached a place in my writing where I’ve become complacent, especially when it comes to revisions. I need some discipline, maybe a kick in the butt to get myself back on track. I’m not sure how this happened. Maybe I have become uninspired when it comes to rewrites. What frustrates me is I can read through an unknown manuscript and easily find what needs to be fixed, but when it comes to my own writing, I’m blind. Something needs to be done to find my mojo again and get me out of this writing funk. I wonder if other writers experience this at some point.

I thought back to when I first started writing and how excited I was to get those words down and get them right without worrying about how I did it. Maybe it’s inspiration I need in order to find my way again—inspiration and some discipline when it comes to revising my work.

Discipline I can manage. So, how do I get that elusive inspiration back that I need? That’s the million-dollar question. This is almost as bad as writer’s block. One thing I noticed is I worry too much about breaking the writing rules now, and I think that fear is holding me back. When I was a newbie writer, I didn’t worry about the rules because I didn’t know all of them yet. I think some of my earlier writing is also my best, or at least, more unfettered than it has been lately. To be creative, I think you need to let go and not worry about rules too much. Yeah, I know. I just said I need to be unfettered and have some discipline—contradicting meanings. Surely, I’m crazy. Possibly. But, what I mean is there needs to be a balance of letting go of the rules and having some discipline during the revising process. I can’t just casually read through my manuscript. I need to go through it line by line and have a list of things I need to look at. This is where knowing my weaknesses can be useful. My editor helped me with that one.

So, how do I find the inspiration to write and revise my book to make it the best it can be? I need to let go of my hesitation, my fear of breaking a rule. I need to let the words flow naturally. That and a little kick in the butt of discipline might just help me get back what I lost.

 

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Two mortals are caught in the midst of the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.

http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html

My biggest frustration as a writer

I think everyone gets frustrated at some point with himself or herself. I’m feeling that way now. After writing and publishing seven books, I thought I could do a pretty good job of editing my own work. Since I’m self-publishing this time around, I decided to have an editor do a sample edit on ten pages. I was wrong about being able to do my own edits.

And here’s the worst part—I’m also an editor. I work for a couple of publishers and I also do freelance work. How frustrating is that? And not to mention, embarrassing. I can easily spot a writer’s weakness, but I am blind to my own weaknesses. It’s like having a super power you can use to help everyone except yourself. Or maybe it’s a writer’s curse. Writers have been gifted the skill to create stories, but we are unable to polish the stories by ourselves because we are too close to our own work to be able to really “see” the obvious errors. Another pair of fresh eyes is always needed.

Professional editors aren’t cheap, so it really bothers me that I have to shell out a lot of money to give to another editor when I am capable of editing. But this is necessary in order to publish a good book. I have reluctantly accepted that I need an editor, though I still complain about it. It makes me feel better to know that I’m not alone in this—all writers need an editor.

If I can give new writers advice, it would be this: Don’t cut out the editor. This is the same advice I would give experienced writers as well, especially for self-publishing.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Two mortals are caught in the midst of the battle between the Titans and Olympian gods.

Direct buy links on author website: http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html

Quick Reference Guide for making Diacritical Marks by Kaye Spencer

Every so often, I write a story that includes words that are spelled with diacritical marks, aka 'accent marks'. Diacritical marks are common to many languages, and the basic purpose is to change the 'sound-value' of the letter to which they are added. Each diacritical mark has a specific name, such as ‘tilde’ for the symbol that goes over the ‘n’ in the Spanish word, señor or the ‘umlaut’ over the ‘u’ in the German city of Düsseldorf.

Since I don’t use words that require diacritical marks enough to remember the combination of commands to create a specific symbol, I created a quick reference PDF to help me. I have a printed copy posted near my computer. Sometimes, I use the “Symbol” command in Microsoft Word, but there are a lot of symbols to wade through when all I have to do is look at my quick reference sheet for the keyboard command.

Even though I know I can add words to my custom dictionary, I’ve encountered annoying auto-correct issues when I’ve done this, so I tend not to add the occasional ‘odd’ word to my dictionary.

I know the image below is difficult to read, but to be able to include it in this post, I had to make it small. However, it does give you the basic idea of what my Diacritical Marks Quick Reference Guide looks like. The upper portion in the boxes explains how to make the symbols using a combination of keys with the CTRL key. The table below the boxes explains how to get those symbols, and many others, using the Alt key with a sequence of numbers.

I have a nice PDF of this 'cheat sheet' available for download at my website. Just click on this link and you'll land on the page where you can download the document: http://kayespencer.wordpress.com/writerly-downloads/

Until next time,

Kaye

Fall in love…faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances
www.kayespencer.com
Twitter — @kayespencer

Kaye's update from January 30th - writing, arthritis, and new computer mouse

Imgace image: http://imgace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/one-two-three-breathe.-hes-dead-jim1.jpg

A little recap…

My last post was January 30th, and it was the first of a two-part blog on arthritis, writing, and my new computer mouse called the "Handshoe Mouse". This is the website for more information on the mouse: http://www.handshoemouse.com

I’d been struggling with arthritis-like pain in both my hands, so I decided to try an ergonomically designed mouse with hope that it would relieve the swelling at the base of my thumb, which is right in the joint. I’m ambidextrous, but I prefer a lefty mouse, so that’s the one I replaced with the Handshoe.

Here’s the update regarding my arthritis and how the different mouse is working out…
Well, I have mostly good news. After having a series of blood tests and hand x-rays, I found out I don’t have arthritis. Apparently, the stiffness, swelling, and aching was caused by extreme overuse/stress from last August and September when I was involved in massive amounts of furniture moving, packing boxes, carrying boxes, etc. for three households. Obviously, I jumped the gun when I self-diagnosed the arthritis. A combination of rest and a regimen of NSAIDs has made a significant improvement in the pain and swelling over the last 60 days. Whew!

Now about the mouse—

The following is a quote is about the Handshoe mouse from my January 30th post:

“…the new mouse cost $99.00 (via Amazon.com), and it is made specifically for the left hand. I'd have to purchase another one for my right hand if I want to give my left hand a rest. That’s a lot of money for a couple of pieces of molded plastic screwed together to hold in the electronic parts that I’m betting aren’t all that expensive.”

The Handshoe mouse is probably a fine mouse, and maybe it’ll eventually be worth the $99, but my left thumb is still giving me trouble, and when I use a lefty mouse of any type, my thumb still swells and aches. So I’ve had to switch to a right-handed to allow my left hand to continue resting. Hopefully, in a few months, I’ll be able to try the Handshoe again.

Until next time,

Kaye

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances

www.kayespencer.com
Twitter - @kayespencer

Health Issue for Writers: Hand Arthritis

For the past few months, I've been struggling with arthritis settling in my hands, and particularly at the basal joint in both of my thumbs. This is making me completely insane. I'm a writer. I can't be bothered with arthritis in my hands of all places.

My arthritis is due to a combination of repetitive stress injury unrelated to typing or writing; being female and over 40, which puts me at increased risk anyway; and that my mom dealt with the same problem in her younger years, so there are some inherited issues in the mix.

After much consideration and research, one of the changes I made to my typing habits was to purchase an ergonomically correct mouse. Ergonomically anything sets my teeth on edge because of the price tag that goes along with the designation, and I’m not sold on the efficacy of ergonomics to begin with.

I’ve had my new mouse for a whopping two days, and since I’m a 'rather impatient sort' (to quote my doctor), I'd like to say it worked miracles and that my pain, joint swelling, and range of motion have already improved...but I can't.

With this new mouse, I'm holding my hand in an unfamiliar position, which has made my entire hand and arm ache. My thumb isn’t feeling so swell, either. Hopefully, this goes away or at least lessens as I use it. I'm ambidextrous, so I am comfortable with both right and left handed mice ('mouses' made me laugh), but a left-handed mouse is my preference. I mention this because this new mouse cost $99.00 (via amazon.com), and it is made specifically for the left hand. I'd have to purchase another one for my right hand if I want to give my left hand a rest. :-( That’s a lot of money for a couple of pieces of molded plastic screwed together to hold in the electronic parts that I’m betting aren’t all that expensive. And, the thing looks like a stingray—ocean creature, not sports car.

This mouse comes in small, medium, and large sizes according to the length of your wrist to the tip of your ring finger. My length was right on the line between small and medium, and I chose medium. I'm thinking I should have ordered the small, but time will tell. Overall, the mouse is comfortable under my palm, maneuvers well, and doesn't require a mouse pad if the writing surface is smooth. My table isn't smooth enough, so I've ordered an XL mouse pad to accommodate the larger mouse size.

The brand name of this mouse is "Handshoe Mouse". This is the website for more information: http://www.handshoemouse.com

Since you won't hear from me in February, I'll let you know how the new mouse is working out in my next regularly scheduled blog post on March 30th. I'll have had it two months by then.

This is a picture of my two mice on a sheet of 8 x 11 paper.

Until next time,

Kaye

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances

www.kayespencer.com
Twitter - @kayespencer

Falling Off The Writing Wagon

Perhaps it's simply the busy holidays, but I've for certain fallen off the writing wagon. I still think of stories, scenes, and exciting tidbits of conflict, but more times than not they stay in my head. It's now without some frustration that I'm coming to see that like any muscle, the more days that go by without writing, the more my writing muscles shrivels.

Yes, and as we all know, shriveling of any kind is unwelcome. *grin* What? I still have my dirty sense of humor. That never goes away.

Anyway, I have little excuse not to write now as my Christmas shopping is done and the wrapping nearly finished. The menu is also set; a lovely dinner of red chili tamales, beans, ham, and lots of desserts.

The big question is whether I will be writing after Christmas.

Certainly, not on New Years as I'll be working, but then we have 2014 to consider. I'd like to get a new book out for readers. I've certainly got enough stories, mostly unfinished and other gems to be polished before being sent out to publishers.

Well, I suppose no matter what I do, I'm going to have to get my focus back on writing. After all, love and romance doesn't happen on its own. It's a matter of craft.

The beautiful craft brought to life by romance writers.

Merry Christmas blessing to all,

Mary Corrales

Twitter

Romance Author Lifestyle

A Holiday Anthology, Genesis of a Story, and NaNoWriMo from Kaye Spencer

November was a darn good month writing-wise for me, and that feels fabulous after nearly a year of sailing around in the writing doldrums. As you read on, you’ll notice I’m a bit ‘link happy’, and I apologize for that, but I just have so many wonderful places for you to visit. ;-)
 
So, first on my happy writing list is how excited and honored I am be a part of an anthology of 15 winter-themed, family friendly stories that are offered as a FREE download on Smashwords. The anthology is A Holiday Anthology, Volume 1 from the international author group, Exquisite Quills. Rose Anderson, Exquisite Quills author, compiled the stories, and Carey Abbott of E-Book Cover Designs by Carey designed the gorgeous cover.

 
Romance author Victoria Adams invited me to her Blog to talk about my anthology story, Gifts to Treasure, which is set in America during the Great Depression: http://victoriaadams.blogspot.com/2013/11/kaye-spencer-shares-snippet-from.html 
 
As a way to help all of the authors in the anthology do a little promoting, I created a book trailer. Watch it on YouTube: http://youtu.be/yTph6-UV7mg
 
Now, for the most important link… Download a FREE copy of the anthology on Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/374815
 
For the second point on my list, on November 28th, I shared my "Genesis of a Story", on the Exquisite Quills Blog (Genesis is a weekly feature). I shared the influences and inspirations for my first published novel, Lonely Places, which is a western romance. This book is published under my other pen name, A.L. Debran.

 
Read my 'Genesis' here: http://exquisitequills.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-genesis-of-book-lonely-places-by-al.html

And, finally, my third point is I made it through another National Novel Writing Month. Since I’m still writing madly, because midnight hasn’t arrived at my house yet, I’m anticipating I’ll cross the finish line with around 35,000 words—just a tad shy of the 50k goal—but that's all right. I'm just tickled to be writing with more and more forward motion again.

Until December 30,

Kaye

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romance

www.kayespencer.com

Twitter: @kayespencer

Kaye - Back in the writing zone

Greetings NN-ers on this gorgeous southeastern Colorado September 30th!!!!

In my August 30^th post, I said I'd give an update in September on my writing progress. Well, I'm happy—giddy is more like it—to report that I've accomplished a lot of writing and writing-related 'stuff'. Whew!!! It's about time. ;-) If I could do either cartwheels or handsprings, I would look like this:

 

Breaking out of the non-writing doldrums has been an emotional and psychological relief. So what did I accomplish?

I have a new book trailer on my YouTube Channel—http://www.youtube.com/user/kayespencer?feature=mhee — The Vampire Oracle, In the Cards: Life (eBook erotic contemporary novella that is also in the print anthology by the same name: The Vampire Oracle, In the Cards - Vol. 1).

My previously published and now out-of-digital print [sensual] western novella, The Comanchero's Bride, is now on my website as a FREE PDF download. Yes, FREE download, so I hope you'll take advantage of this.

A little explanation on Comanchero...

I removed the original novella-length Comanchero from eBook publication in 2009 because it was begging to be rewritten as a full novel. It's about 85k now, which is double the original. This expanded version is the one on my website in a chapter-by-chapter unedited 'challenge' posting with my sister author, Sable Grey. However, our challenge project is on hold for a variety of unfortunate life-interrupting reasons. I hope to have this longer story polished and Indie-published in the coming year (perhaps that was clear as mud???) Regardless, enjoy the free download. ;-)

I've been doggedly writing on my current WIP, a 1950s FBI agent and moonshiner's daughter romance. My goal to finish this story is October 15^th (fingers crossed).

 

Autumn is my favorite season and October is my favorite month, so maybe this has influenced my emergence from the writing black hole I've floundering around in. <shrugging> Who knows? I'm just glad to sit at my computer and NOT stare at a blank Word document until drops of blood form on my forehead [paraphrasing a quote by author/journalist Gene Fowler].

 

Until next time,

 

Kaye

 

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances

www.kayespencer.com

"A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity." Franz Kafka



In my May 30, 2013 post here at Nocturnal Nights, I wrote the following about my life settling down after my dad's passing in April: "...I've had more time to myself, which I haven't had in nearly two months. I want to have two of my unfinished manuscripts completed by the time I'd normally return to school in mid-August, and one of them somewhere in the publication process. Time and inspiration will tell, I suppose."

 

Yeah, well, my life hasn't settled down and mid-August is a mere memory. The light I saw at the end of the tunnel was the train coming, not the beckoning light of my computer screen, because last Saturday, my basement flooded. Total disaster. Total remodel. Totally time-consuming to deal with. All my precious writing time has been taken up with sorting the salvageable from the destroyed and damaged. It's a good thing my material possessions don't own me, because I've had to throw away a lot. And I do mean a lot. :-( No news from the insurance adjuster yet.

 

My basement was my writing hovel. So now my writing space is on a five-foot long rectangular utility table in my way too small living room with boxes, totes, and stacks of 'stuff' piled all around with my husband sharing half of the table because his office was also in the basement. The furniture we could keep is in storage as are closets of clothing, coats, etc. It will be another several months before this arrangement changes.

 

A few hours ago, I reached the Kafka stage of my writing endeavors. I am now a monster courting insanity.

 

<shrugging> I guess life has handed me a basket of lemons, so I'm going to make the best of it and make lemonade...or margaritas. :-)

 

Until next time (when I hope to have something positive to report about my writing),

 

Kaye

 

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances
www.kayespencer.com

 

 

Location Makes All the Difference (Or I Might Just Be a Crazy Writer)

Over the course of the last month, I've had trouble staying focused. Edits are coming along nicely for The Convict and the Cattleman (due out in February from Lyrical Press), but I had no motivation when it came to doing pre-edits for The Wrong Brother's Bride (due in May from LP). I'm also trying to get myself geared up to release the last book in the Legends & Lovers series this fall. Yet, I've had almost no motivation.

Never fear, I figured out the problem.

In 2012, a tornado struck the town where my in-laws live. A tree fell on their house and after a lot of drama that made me roll my eyes and mutter about how crazy they can be, they finally got their #$%& together and moved into a double-wide on the farm they own, away from the crazy little town I disgustingly call Parasite (which sort of sounds like town's actual name).

They purchased a new recliner for my father-in-law. The old one sat in their old, tree-smashed house, which was livable and only leaked a little. I don't think any water leaked on the recliner, because it was pretty much sitting in the same place for, like, 7 billion years, even after the 'nado.

So the old recliner sat there all sad and forlorn because no one sat in it anymore. And one day my husband asks his parents if we can have the recliner, because hobos wouldn't sit in his, hand-to-God. We cart the recliner home and it takes up space where the old one did.

Now, I have this big ol' cushy armchair that I've sat in ever since we moved into the house. It's ugly as sin and broken down, but trust me, hobos would love to sit in it. It has years of accumulated crap under the cushions, it's been chewed on by dogs, nursed me back to health when I felt poorly, and has served as a home to wayward spiders on occasion (it's called character, people). This is the chair where I began my first novel after I started writing again in the fall of 2008, this is the chair where I finished my last novel months ago. I share this chair with my sidekick/doggy editor PeeWee, but lately it's been so hot and my husband has been working nights, so I let PeeWee take my chair and I sit in the recliner formerly of the Parasite town.

I've done some writing, but with my WIP, I was, um, sort of at work when I started it. And I've done more writing on it at work than anywhere else. Pre-edits were coming due for The Wrong Brother's Bride and I slogged through them with hardly any enthusiasm while my charming furbaby curled in my chair and I moved this way and that in the recliner, trying to get comfortable.

*Not the actual chair.
Image courtesy of
Detanan/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's the recliner! The recliner is the reason I can't write or edit! It's sucking everything that's good and writerly right out of me. This demonspawn chair from Hell is costing my talent.

The only reason I was sitting in the chair and the dog was in mine was because my husband said, "Don't let the dog sit in my chair." Well guess what, Buster? I'm reclaiming that which is mine. The dog is going to have to sit in your chair, or I'm afraid the writing process will abandon me completely!

Devil chair, begone! (Here's hoping I find my mojo again.)

When I'm not here, I'm blogging at Have Novel, Will Edit, hanging on Facebook, G+, or Twitter.

A little fun with Word Clouds

Greetings One and All,

I had a little fun today with playing with several on-line 'word cloud' generators. Without identifying the ones that didn't work for me, these are the general issues I had with them:

1. I didn't want to change my firewall settings to gain access to the program's features.
2. I also didn't want to grant access to my Facebook account including my photos, friends/contacts list, etc. in order to save/download the word cloud.
3. There is a 'tag' generator that accesses a specific url and generates a word cloud from tags, which wasn't what I wanted.
4. On yet another one, the terms and conditions didn't appear to be appropriate for posting on social networks as it is geared specifically toward elementary educators, parents, and students, although I really liked how easy it was to use.
5. I didn't want to create an account with user name and password.

So, the one that met my particular needs is called WordItOut. There are options for layout, fonts, font colors, and size.

 

I was able to save my image to my computer and on-line (with only verification that I'm a 'real' person - no username/password). I had the choice to make my WordItOut private or public. I went with private for the time being.

 

Here is the word cloud I made for my western historical romance, Lonely Places.

 

 

(Just in case you'd like to purchase Lonely Places: Amazon.com Kindle Store - Lonely Places )*wink*

 

This is the WordItOut website: http://worditout.com/

 

This is the 'private' link to my Lonely Places image: http://worditout.com/word-cloud/237963/private/81218c1a4d5b2e2e0e42dad87cf792dd

 

Nifty, huh? Just for fun, I'm going to make one for each of my books and put them on my website.

 

Until next time,

 

Kaye

 

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances

www.kayespencer.com

Retirement and Writing

As of June 1st, I am officially retired from a 23-year career in education. During those years, I worked as a...

• special education teacher
• preschool through 12th grade principal
• school psychologist then the director of special education for 13 school districts in a 7500 square mile area
• substitute teacher
• and for the last seven years, as a secondary English and history teacher while also teaching community college classes

Whew! I was busy.

It was bittersweet making that last, long look at my empty classroom, but I have no regrets about leaving (although the picture brings to mind the Les Mis song, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables). I'm ready to devote my time to my writing.

Seven years ago, my first book, Lonely Places, a western romance, was published by a brand new ebook publisher, Cobblestone Press, and a little while later, another new ebook publisher, Breathless Press, also published one of my western romances (Gambling with Love). I'm so grateful to my publishers for taking me in as one of their authors (Sable Grey and Deanna Lee at Cobblestone and Justyn Perry at Breathless Press).

It seemed that teaching had become a 24-7 job just trying to meet all of the requirements of the state and federal departments of education plus writing lesson plans, grading papers, and spending the extra time at school sponsoring, etc., that when I actually had time to sit at my computer and write, I was too tired—mentally and physically. By January 1st of this year, I was in the writing doldrums, floating aimlessly on a sea of unfinished manuscripts. I was afraid I'd never write again. Then my dad died on April 4th and, until this past weekend, I was absolutely convinced I'd never write another word, because my heart was so full of loss and anger.

Thankfully, as June 1st gets closer, I'm feeling tiny sparks of creativity returning. With my mom adjusting little-by-little to my dad being gone, I've had more time to myself, which I haven't had in nearly two months.

I want to have two of my unfinished manuscripts completed by the time I'd normally return to school in mid-August, and one of them somewhere in the publication process.

Time and inspiration will tell, I suppose.

Until next time,

Kaye

Fall in love...faster, harder, deeper with Kaye Spencer romances
www.kayespencer.com