Jennifer's Journal

Interview with Connie Cox

2012-01-31T17:21:00.000-06:00

From time to time, I like to interview authors of talent and promise. My guest today is Connie Cox, a fellow member of NOLA, North Louisiana chapter of RWA, who is currently writing for Harlequin. Please help me welcome Connie.

JB: As a start, Connie, tell us when you decided to become a writer.

CC: I’ve always loved to read, but never considered writing (Writers were those special, elite folks who lived in mansions in New York, right?) until I dropped into Betty’s Books one day and she told me about this new group of romance writers in town and said I should join.

The timing wasn’t right, but the idea wouldn’t go away, even after 8 years, a move away from the area and a move back again. So, I joined an online group, gained some confidence, then put on my brave girl panties and went to a monthly writers’ meeting. I’ve been hooked ever since.

JB: Did you read as a child? If so, what were your favorite books?

CC: I was an obsessed reader. I hid my novels inside my textbooks at school, walked down the hallways reading, read in bed using the crack of light that streamed under my bedroom door…. I was indeed a childhood reader. My fav books were the Trixie Belden series. I also read all the Louisa May Alcott books.

JB: Do you read much now? What is in your To Be Read pile?

CC: I read daily, but not continuously as I did when I was a child. Grown-up stuff interferes, you know? I’m very eclectic in my reading. I LOVE magazines of all kinds—Southern Living to Wired to Redbook. Right now, at the top of my stack are books by new medical romance authors Wendy S Marcus, Tina Becket, Louisa George and Susan Carlisle. One of my favorite authors of all time is Barbara Samuels O’Neal. She’s such a smart writer. I also re-read Dwight Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer at least once a year.

JB: You write in the romance genre. Do you consider yourself a romantic at heart?

CC: I think I’m more of a pragmatist. There’s a whole lot of life to be lived by a couple beyond that first moment of attraction. The men and women in my novels have more than an initial attraction to bind them together. To paraphrase Jack Nicholson in one of his movies, ‘He/she makes me want to become a better person.’ I think true love brings out the best in all of us, and that’s what I expect from my story people.

JB: Your book, THE BABY WHO SAVED DR. CYNICAL, is labeled a Medical Romance. Tell us what that term means to you.

CC: Being a medical professional comes with a brand of stress and expectation like no other. Preserving life, accepting death, are every day requirements, day in and day out. In a world like that, a person needs someone to understand, someone to find comfort and joy in more than in any other profession. So writing about medical personnel, people who must maintain their logic at the epicenter of emotional chaos, means creating strong people who need strong relationships. Strength-found-in-love are the stories I like to tell, and medical romance is the perfect background for them.

JB: Do you have a background for writing about the medical field?

CC: I’m an electrical engineer by training and worked in the field for over 25 years until I started to write full time. My first job was with GE Medical Systems were I repaired major diagnostic equipment like MRI scanners and nuclear scanners. As a ‘fly on the wall’, I was privileged to observe how medical professionals balance the stresses of their work and still remain compassionate and sane. With their stoic calmness, they are people like us, who ache like we do and seek joy as we do. I think we forget that, seeing only what they are trained to show us. I write to expose that vulnerable part that makes us all human, crafting stories that are a tribute to their heroics.

JB: What made you decide to write for Harlequin?

CC: I’ve loved Harlequin ever since I discovered them on my mom’s TBR pile somewhere in my pre-teens. I love that the stories which show, time and time again, that a loving relationship is the core of our humanity. I especially like that neither the man nor the woman ever settles for second best, but loves themselves enough to enter into a relationship with someone they love even more.

JB: What is your favorite thing about being a Harlequin author? And your least favorite?

CC: I LOVE that Harlequin is sold internationally! I had a Facebook message from an internet friend that she had just purchased my book from a shop in Belfast. Awesome, isn’t it? And I love my editors. I’ve had two so far, and each one knows just how to encourage me to stretch farther and dig deeper, to unearth character emotions and the motivations behind them. What I like least? I can’t write fast enough to send them all the stories I want to write!

JB: What is your ultimate goal in writing?

CC: I want to give readers the same thing all the authors have given me. I want to type “The End’ on a book knowing that I have expanded my own life’s view by living vicariously through my characters. I hope my readers come away with the same life-expanding experience when they read my stories.

JB: Tell us what a typical writing day is like for you. What is your day like when not writing?

CC: Typical writing day: I eat breakfast with my husband, play on Facebook.com, Twitter.com and Goodreads.com longer than I should, then I get down to work. I’m a morning writer and focus best before noon. After lunchtime, I still write, just in shorter spurts. Sometimes I have to bribe myself to pay attention i.e. thirty minutes typing and then I can do another row on the crochet project I’m working on. Then another thirty minutes, etc. When I’m on deadline, I usually work 5-6 hours a day at the computer. But the story is always working itself out in my head, 24/7. I like to think those hours count, too.

When not writing, I like to crochet. I’m getting into cooking (which means I buy cooking gadgets off the dollar rack, though I haven’t used them yet.) I used to like to garden and plan on getting back into that this spring. And, of course, I read.

JB: Do you have a book in progress at present? Tell us a little about it?

CC: My writing life is a busy one right now. I’ve just had two more story ideas accepted at Harlequin Medical Romance and I’m going over final edits on a single title my agent will be selling for me as soon as I send it to her. So many stories to tell, so few hours I can spend at the keyboard….

JB: What would you like readers to remember about your books?

CC: After reading one of my books, I would wish for readers to recognize the inner strengths of the characters and to acknowledge and celebrate their own inner strengths in their own life stories.

JB: No writer could hope for more. Thanks a million, Connie, for stopping by, and the best of luck with your career!

For more about Connie, check out her website at: www.conniecox.com

Irresponsible Reviews

2012-01-07T10:32:00.003-06:00

Review, def., Webster’s Unabridged: “to give or write a critical discussion (of a book, play, etc.)”

Critical, def., Webster’s Unabridged: “characterized by careful analysis.”

Most literary reviews these days, whether in print or online, are thoughtful studies of the books they present. But some are not. A disturbing trend showing up online is for anonymous, high-decibel opinion pieces masquerading as reviews. Marked by casual grammar, vicious language and an abundance of exclamation points, these posts make no attempt at balanced story analysis. They simply attack the work, and the author, that’s been chosen for special disdain.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, of course; they are also entitled to put that opinion online. But holding a writer’s work up to extended scorn is cyber-bullying of the worst kind. No author’s work, good, bad or indifferent, deserves that treatment. Add that authors are prevented by tradition from challenging such comments, and the problem is compounded.

Yet my main concern here is the lack of responsibility. Veteran authors can shrug off unfavorable mention, but beginners lack the thick skin that allows it. Ultra sensitive beginners—and what new author is not super-sensitive?—are all too likely to internalize poisonous comments as truth. Do these bloggers not care who they hurt or the harm they do to budding careers? Have they no concept of the possible consequences? Will they have to be named in a suicide note before they stop?

Something to think about next time you run across one of these posts.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter-November 2011

2011-11-07T22:15:00.002-06:00

Greetings:

A lot has been going on this past month, so let me get right to it. I have an exciting new venture to announce, one hinted at in a previous newsletter. It’s called Steel Magnolia Press, after the nickname given to me a decade ago by Public Relations genius, Nancy Berland. An independent, family-oriented online publishing house, it was established with my niece who writes as Phoenix Sullivan and is the tech master for the operation. Two other nieces are involved, Tamelia Tumlin and Trudy Edgeworth, and also my two daughters, Delinda Corbin and Katharine Faucheux. You can be among the first to see what the SMP web site looks like, for it went “live” just this afternoon at: http://www.steelmagnoliapress.com/

So what are we doing at Steel Magnolia Press? At the moment, we are presenting my current and backlist titles, plus great e-books done by Phoenix and Tamelia. The major event, however, is release of new editions for two of my Blake novellas. These tales were issued in mass market paperback anthologies in the 1990s, but have been out of print for years. They are OUT OF THE DARK, a historical romance about an unusual young woman who dares attempt to tame both a swamp panther and the famous duelist known as the Dark Angel, and a paranormal romance, THE WARLOCK’S DAUGHTER, which famed Avon Romance editor, Ellen Edwards, once said “reads like an ancient legend.” Other titles are set to follow. Coming from me in the next few months will be a Gothic mystery-suspense novel and a contemporary romance novella, both reissues, but also a never-before-published contemporary novella and a contemporary romance that continues my best-selling Louisiana Gentlemen series.

You can find the newly released novellas with their matching covers at the addresses below:

OUT OF THE DARK

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Out-of-the-Dark-ebook/dp/B0063RYGFO

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-of-the-Dark-ebook/dp/B0063RYGFO

ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-outofthedark-625013-158.html

THE WARLOCK'S DAUGHTER
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/The-Warlocks-Daughter-ebook/dp/B0063RYH2G
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Warlocks-Daughter-ebook/dp/B0063RYH2G
ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thewarlock039sdaughter-629837-140.html

Phoenix and Tamelia will have new novels out too, and as other authors in our group complete work now in the pipeline, their books, bios and photos will go up on the site. Fun additions to the site’s pages will soon appear: we will run free or low-priced e-book specials, provide book bundles and add to our current multi-author blog. Sign up for the monthly newsletter called Fresh Leaves, and you’ll not only get details on specials and prizes, future books and author news, but receive the bonus free e-booklet, 20 Tips for Writing Romance Novels, a Steel Magnolia exclusive. You will also be automatically entered in the weekly drawing for a collection of free e-books that can be downloaded to the Kindle or Nook, or saved as PDF files for reading on your computer screen.

Speaking of the Louisiana Gentlemen books, this 5-volume series of contemporary novels is currently being reprinted in hardcover large print editions by Severn House. LUKE was released this summer, and ROAN is scheduled for March, 2012. Look for these, with their stunning new cover jackets, on your library shelves. And coming in December from Sourcebooks Casablanca Classics is a reprint of a best seller from 1996 titled SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL, about a woman who wakes after an accident to discover herself married to a stranger.

Last week saw the online posting of nominations for RT Book Reviews Magazine’s annual awards. Book 1 of the Graces trilogy, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE, was nominated as Best Historical Romance, and I am also a nominee for the Career Achievement Award in Historical Romance based on the trilogy. Competition is stiff for both awards but, win or lose, it’s an honor to be among the chosen. Before this news broke, I’d already agreed to travel to Chicago for the RT Book Lovers Convention, venue for the awards presentation, April 11-15, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. While there, I’ll be on a special panel for a 30-year retrospective of the romance industry. In addition, I’ll be doing an Author’s Chat in company with best-selling authors Loretta Chase and Mary Balogh, plus autographing books at the huge, 400+ author book signing that’s always a favorite event. There will be parties, parties, parties and loads of free books and other giveaways. For registration information: http://www.rtbookreviews.com.

The Three Graces books can be viewed here:

http://www.amazon.com/His-Majestys-Grace-Jennifer-Blake/dp/0778312437/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320700584&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Grace-Possessed-Three-Graces/dp/0778312542/ref=pd_sim_b_1

http://www.amazon.com/Seduced-Grace-Three-Graces-Jennifer/dp/0778312658/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Another happening marked on my calendar for 2012 is a featured author chat with the Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers group on Facebook. This will take place on the first Friday in February, 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. EST. Focus will be on the medieval and renaissance periods in romance novels and the pleasure of “meaty” reads. If you enjoy reading something other than what’s been called “cookie cutter historical romances,” then you might want to join this group moderated by Emery Lee, talented author of FORTUNE’S SON.

Meanwhile, the big triple contest for the Graces trilogy ended on November 1, and names were drawn from Facebook and Twitter friend lists and newsletter loop members. Notices were sent to those selected, and I’m waiting to hear from all three before choosing the winner of the grand prize, the Three Graces Italian cameo pendant. The winner from this newsletter group was bluecrowofhappiness. If this is your yahoo email, please contact me from it with your mailing address at: Jenniferblake001@bellsouth.net, or patriciaamaxwell@bellsouth.net Another name will be drawn on Nov. 15 if contact information is not received before or on that date.

In other contest news, my 6-copy, Goodreads.com giveaway of Graces Book 3, SEDUCED BY GRACE, ended in October. The books for these winners were shipped two days later.

You might think this string of events kept me too busy to do much else. Close, but not quite! I also wrote a new book proposal in October. It covers three stories in what will be known as the Tudor Heiress Brides series, with settings in the same late-medieval/early-renaissance period as the Graces trilogy. Henry VII will continue to play matchmaker, pairing the young women he claims as his wards with his bravest and most favored knights. Fireworks naturally erupt as the couples struggle mightily against being wed at the king’s command. More about these books will be posted, including titles and tidbits about the characters, when a contract agreement has been reached.

While all this has been going on, the days have faded into fall here in northern Louisiana. Black gums trees and swamp maples are lipstick-red, and the Bradford pears are decked out in autumn hues. Marauding deer level fall gardens overnight, dogs howl at the harvest moon, and flocks of migratory ducks come and go on the lake. We’ve had rain, but not nearly enough; we still have a mud flat around our boat dock. But the summer heat is slowly giving way to cooler days, and I’m beginning to contemplate turkey and dressing, sweet potato casserole, pecan pie and all the other traditional fare. It feels like the right time for thinking of gratitude as well, as Thanksgiving draws near. And I am thankful, indeed, for good news, good times, good weather, good food, and all of you.

With warmest wishes for all the beauty and bounty of the season,

Jennifer Blake

http://twitter.com/JenniferBlake01

http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.blake#!/profile.php?id=100000468533638

Review - Doctored Evidence

2011-11-04T16:08:00.002-05:00

Doctored Evidence by Donna Leon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A housebound old woman with a mean temper and nasty habits is brutality murdered, and no one cares. No one, that is, except Commissario Brunetti. So begins DOCTORED EVIDENCE, an intriguing study of murder Italian style, one that explores the ramifications of motive, also the uneasy fit of modern murder into the list of Seven Deadly Sins. Brunetti is in fine form as he threads his way through the labyrinthine streets and waterways of Venice--which serve as a metaphor for tangled Italian law and politics—to right a wrong. A disillusioned knight in a well-cut Italian suit, armored in irony, balancing anger and due concern for his stomach, he fights always for justice. Sometimes using the system, sometimes going beyond it, Brunetti wields every resource at his command to force the killer out of hiding.

There’s no furious action and few thrilling chases in Leon’s Venetian mysteries. Like ancient Greek and Roman dramas, they grind their inevitable way through human pride and stupidity, greed and frailty to reach an end that may or may not be entirely just. Yet I enjoy the stories for their portrait of a philosophical man of fiercely-protected sensibilities pitted against the evils of the world—also for their “Aha!” moments when something recalls the Venice I've known as an awestruck tourist. I like their character interactions, their small mysteries and secrets that are never fully revealed, and especially their atmosphere that’s so strong I can smell the dank canals, taste the garlic, savor the espresso and pastries. I just enjoy them, period.

View all my reviews

Contest Winners

2011-11-04T10:53:00.000-05:00

Names were chosen on November 1 for the winners in the Three Graces trilogy contest, with one winner from Twitter, one from the Three Graces Trilogy FaceBook page, and one from The Jennifer Blake Newsletter list. The three winners are:

Twitter: katecarlisle
FaceBook: Debra Yates
Newsletter: bluecrowofhappiness

Notice has been sent to the winners, with a request for a mailing address for use in shipping the signed book sets offered as prizes. If a reply is not received by November 15, a new winner, or winners, will be chosen. The grand prize of the cameo pendant will be awarded to one of the final three winners.

Not a Dry Eye in the House

2011-10-27T12:58:00.000-05:00

You sit at your computer where you’ve been all day—or half the night. Your eyes are stinging or burning. As you rub them, you think: Eyestrain—I really should look away from the screen more often. Or maybe you fear your eyesight is failing and you’ll soon need glasses or stronger lenses. You could be right on either count--but the most likely culprit is something called dry eye syndrome.

On the last visit to my optometrist, he asked if my eyes ever itched or burned while writing; it seems he’d noticed redness. The most likely trouble, he said, was a common one for those who work with computers on a daily basis, particularly writers who enter deep concentration mode. As we sit thinking, deep in our stories, our blink rate slows to near nothing. Blinking is the mechanism which spreads moisture from special glands around eyes, sweeping it over the surfaces of our eyeballs. Failure to blink means a lack of moisture to keep the eyes from drying out, therefore, dry eyes—eyes so parched they itch and burn.

So what’s the solution? Before beginning work each day, he said, and any time you feel eye discomfort, apply a drop or two of over-the-counter eye moisturizer, or artificial teardrops, to each eye. Your eyes will feel better, and you'll be able to work longer.

Other causes for dry eye syndrome do exist. For more information see: http://www.medicinenet.com/dry_eyes/article.htm

Apps for Writers - OmmWriter

2011-10-24T14:57:00.001-05:00

It sounds like a fine idea, an app with a serene, non-distracting writing surface designed to encourage concentration in keeping with the OmmWriter name. And the app lives up to its basic promise, with a gray-white, wintery background featuring muted skeletons of trees and softly falling snow. Very pretty, even soothing, with no distractions from color, noise, ads or strident graphics. For those forced to write in the midst of chaos, it might be beneficial. Also on the plus side, the app does include automatic save and the ability to add accent marks for multiple languages.

For me, however, the sense of serenity--the main reason for buying the app--was banished by frustration over the lack of utility. The keyboard, though adequate for simple typing, did not have the interactive features of the normal Apple keyboard, such as automatic recognition of contractions, intelligent toggling between letters and numbers, highlighting for typos and misspellings, and suggestions for one-touch corrections. The rationale for leaving these off is that such functions encourage editing, so take the writer out of The Zone. Maybe. But if you’re used to having them, their absence is felt. The greatest problem, however, came from trying to transfer newly created text to a standard word processing program. OmmWriter has no built-in email capability, so text must be selected, copied, and then pasted into a different app for that action.

These things may sound fairly minor, and they might be in a free app. But OmmWriter is $4.99 in the iTunes app store. At that price point, it should be something more than nice virtual stationery.

Apps for Writers

2011-10-21T13:26:00.001-05:00

Writing is work, and anything that can aid the process gets my attention. One of the great things I've discovered lately is the little yellow "legal pad", or note-taking app, that comes with the iPad, iPhone and iPod. This app is always there as long as you have your device with you, instantly available while the device is turned on. You can capture story ideas on the run, jot down dialogue between characters, make notes on research details, plan future scenes--the possibilities are endless. Need to create a large block of text? The space is available. You also have the ability to change to a new page, or navigate between pages, to work with separate ideas. True, the touch keypad may never be as fast as touch typing, but those used to text messaging can build up impressive speed. And you can't beat the convenience of being able to work wherever you are, whether stuck in traffic, sitting in bed or in a boat on the lake, waiting in a doctor's office, or anywhere else in the world. No need to worry about saving what you’ve written, either; the app does that for you automatically. Once you’re done, getting the written text from the device to your working computer couldn’t be easier; you just email it to yourself using the built-in capability. The more you use this app, the more you’ll find to do with it.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter, October 2011

2011-10-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

The newsflash for this month is that SEDUCED BY GRACE, final book of the Graces Trilogy, was released on September 27, so is now officially “gracing” the book racks along with Books 1 & 2, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE and BY GRACE POSSESSED. Reviews continue to be gratifying. Harriet Klausner, well-known for hundreds of reviews for Genre-Go-Round.com and Amazon.com said: “The final Graces medieval romance is an engaging historical that combines love, honor and intrigue into an exhilarating thriller. The lead couple is delightful…Jennifer Blake is three for three as she provides another charming fascinating late fifteenth century tale.”

When SEDUCED BY GRACE made its official debut, I was in Colorado for the autumn turning of the aspens. It was an RV trip with my husband, my brother-in-law and his wife—Jerry and I in our Navion motor home, Eddie and LaDell with their 5th wheel rig. The weather was wonderful, a great escape from the heat of Louisiana. As for the leaves, we could not have caught them more perfectly if Mother Nature herself had planned our trip. The mountains were on fire with bright yellow and spots of orange and vermillion against the dark green of fir and spruce. We spent a while in Taos, New Mexico then went northward to the Buena Vista–Leadville area of Colorado. After several days of driving winding roads while “ohhing and ahhing” at the grand golden vistas, we then went south again to Antonito where we had reservations on the Cumbres-Toltec narrow gauge railway, a train pulled by one of the few coal-powered steam locomotives left in the country. This was an all-day trip over the mountains to Chama, New Mexico past deep canyons and over high, winding passes alive with color. At one point, it began to rain—then to sleet! From Antonito we went west to the Four Corners area where we visited the Anasazi Heritage Center near Cortez and the ancient pueblo ruins of Hovenweep. Photos from this trip (I took 475!) will be posted on Facebook as soon as I can get that done, and a few will accompany this news letter when it’s posted to Jennifer’s Journal, the blog on my web site.

Meanwhile, a blog post about how I came to create a Scots hero in a kilt for Graces Book 2, BY GRACE POSSESSED, is now available. You can access this and a story excerpt on the RT Book Reviews web site at: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/authors-spotlight-52. Also, Eye on Romance (http://www.eyeonromance.com) will be doing a special promotion for SEDUCED BY GRACE beginning tomorrow, one which includes an e-card with review quotes, a “Sizzling Scene” excerpt, and a Romance Preview featuring five days of excerpts, or the complete Chapter 1, delivered to your email box. You can still sign up for these goodies if you hurry. Just click to receive the Eye on Romance newsletter.

In other news, I’ve agreed to be part of the 30-year retrospective for the romance industry at the RT Book Reviews Chicago conference in April of next year. For the event, I’ll be appearing on a panel about the history of the romance novel with Roseanne Bittner, Patricia Rice, Mary Balogh and Kathryn Falk. I’ll also participate in an “Author Chat” session with Loretta Chase and Mary Balogh, answering any and all questions from readers in the audience.

Between following the trilogy through the publication process, packing for travel, traveling, and then unpacking, I’ve done little new work this month—or this summer, for that matter. The urge is growing, however, and I’ll begin soon. With a little luck, I’ll have something new to report on that front next month.

With warmest wishes for all the color and cool glory of fall wherever you are,

Jennifer Blake

http://twitter.com/JenniferBlake01
http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.blake#!/profile.php?id=100000468533638

http://www.jenniferblake.com/

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter-September 2011

2011-09-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

First, a special welcome to those who joined this newsletter group in the past weeks. It’s good to have you here. To those who arrived because of the Three Graces Trilogy contest, let me say thank you for taking the trouble to go through the process, and the best of luck to all.

Regular members may not know about the contest—or trio of contests. These began just a couple of days ago, and will run through November 1. The rules are simple. Three winners will be chosen by blind drawing, one from those who click “Like” on the FaceBook page for The Three Graces Trilogy, one from those who follow me on Twitter, and one from those who receive this monthly newsletter. The prize in each case is an autographed set of the 3-book Graces trilogy: BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE, BY GRACE POSSESSED, and SEDUCED BY GRACE. There will also be a grand prize given away, a lovely Mediterranean blue cameo showing the Three Graces of classical mythology. One of the lucky winners from the three contests will be chosen for this prize. All current members of this newsletter group are already entered for the drawing for it; you don’t have to join again. For details about the other two contests, plus a photo of the Grand Prize Three Graces cameo, see the "Contest" posted listed to the right.

The other big news for August was publication of BY GRACE POSSESSED. It was officially released on August 23, and became available in stores and on Amazon.com on August 30. Reviews have been positive (“By Grace Possessed is a keeper. I look forward to reading Ms. Blake's next masterpiece.” ~Goodreads.com), pre-orders were good, and it’s climbing in the rankings. If you’d care to read a series of five excerpts from this book, you still have time to sign up for the newsletter containing them at: www.eyeonromance.com. The excerpts will begin arriving in email inboxes on September 5.

Sourcebooks also reprinted an older title of mine, MIDNIGHT WALTZ, in their Casablanca Classics program for August. Reviews for this “classic” have been amazingly kind. The story setting is the plantation society of Southern Louisiana in the 1850s, and its climax takes place during the hurricane which destroyed the holiday island off the coast of Louisiana known as Isle Derniere, Last Island, on August 10, 1856. If you’d like to know what that great storm was like compared to Hurricane Irene, you can find a description of it in this tale featuring “secrets, passion and intrigue.”

Even as BY GRACE POSSESSED, Book 2 of the Graces trilogy, was making its debut, the author’s advance copies for Book 3, SEDUCED BY GRACE, arrived on my doorstep. Reviews for it are also starting to come in, with RT Book Reviews awarding it their highest rating of Top Pick! **** ½ stars. Reviewer Joan Hammond said of it: “The final book in the Graces trilogy is a well-crafted, memorable romance. The intelligent plot, a knight’s honor, a woman’s love and a king’s dangerous intrigue all play a role as Blake demonstrates her ability to build sexual tension and history into the tapestry of an emotionally moving love story. Blake is a true grande dame of romance.” This book is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble online.

Also this past month, I received the page proofs for yet another book to be reprinted by Sourcebooks in December. This is SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL from 1996, about a woman who wakes up after being injured in a steamboat accident and discovers she is married to a man she barely remembers. The cover art for this one is striking in its rich lavender-blue, orange and hot pink. Kudos to Sourcebooks art department for all the covers done for these reprints.

So what am I working on while these titles emerge from the pipeline? For the first time in years, I don’t have a book in progress. What I’m doing is marking time, waiting to see what happens with the Graces trilogy before I commit myself to another contract. I enjoyed writing the medieval stories, have ideas for another set of three. A couple of different publishers have expressed interest in any new proposal I write for them. But I have other book ideas crowding my brain as well, and must decide which may be the best use of my time. Meanwhile, I’m working on some of my older novellas, getting them ready to be published online. Many writers are doing this now, taking advantage of the opportunity to keep older work available to readers.

Please don’t forget that you can find frequent updates like those above, as well as other interesting or quirky bits about my life and career, by following me on Twitter or becoming a “Friend” on FaceBook. See the addresses for these web sites below.

Meanwhile, this long, hot summer of 2011 “slowly moves along,” slipping into September with little relief from the incredible 100 degree temps and draught that we here in northern Louisiana are sharing with Texas. At least we’ve been spared the wildfires so far, though the woods are tinder-dry. But seeing the incredible images of flooding from Hurricane Irene seems surreal when we are so parched here, the grass shriveling and leaves on the trees turning brown and falling two months before their time. Our lake frontage is slowly shrinking: we have at least 10 feet of mud flats beyond our seawall, and the boat dock barely has water under it. So it goes. But one day the cycle will turn and the rains will come our way again. We live in anticipation.

With warmest wishes for the turn of the cycle wherever you are, and in whatever direction suits your need,

Jennifer Blake

http://twitter.com/JenniferBlake01

http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.blake#!/profile.php?id=100000468533638

Contest, The Three Graces Trilogy

2011-08-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

Contest, Contest, Contest!!!

Three Contests for The Three Graces Trilogy!

3 autographed sets of the 3 books as prizes!

***Plus a Special Grand Prize***

An Italian cameo pendant/pin of the “Three Graces”

Mediterranean blue handmade, oval cameo pendant/pin featuring the Three Graces from classical mythology. Set in sterling silver with a beaded band of 18K gold, approx. 1” in length, value: $250. Jennifer chose this special piece at Donadio, Naples, Italy, famous for cameo jewelry since 1885.

Contest Details:

Each of the three winners will receive autographed copies of Jennifer Blake’s Three Graces trilogy: BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE, BY GRACE POSSESSED, and SEDUCED BY GRACE. Prizes will be awarded by blind drawing from the membership of each social media site or newsletter group listed below. Entrants must be 18 years or older. You may become a member of any, or all, the groups to be eligible to win, but may not join any single group more than one time. Current members of the various groups are automatically entered in the contest for any group where they hold membership. They do not need to join again.

Contest #1:

Winner will be chosen from those who have clicked the “Like” button on "The Three Graces Trilogy" book page on FaceBook by the date of the drawing, November 1, 2011. To complete the requirements for entry go to: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=name&id=100000468533638#!/pages/The-Three-Graces-Trilogy/204590232915219 (You may be prompted to register for a FaceBook account if you don’t have one.) On The Three Graces Trilogy Facebook page, click the “Like” button at the top of the page and then post a comment to complete your entry. The winner for this contest will be contacted by Instant Message sent to their FaceBook account on November 1, 2011. It will be the responsibility of the winner to respond to the Instant Message in order to claim their prize of three autographed books.

Contest #2

Winner will be chosen from those who follow Jennifer on Twitter @JenniferBlake01. To enter, go to www.twitter.com/JenniferBlake01, then click the “Follow” at the top of the page. (You may be prompted to register for a Twitter account if you don’t have one.) The winner of this contest will be contacted by Direct Message sent to their Twitter account on November 1, 2011. It will be the responsibility of the winner to respond to this Direct Message in order to claim the prize of three autographed books.

Contest #3

Winner will be chosen from members of the Jennifer Blake Newsletter group on the date of the drawing, November 1, 2011. To become a member, click on the “Newsletter” button on the top bar of the Jennifer Blake web site (above, or at http://www.jenniferblake.com/ ) and then follow the instructions for joining this Jennifer Blake Place Yahoo group. The winner will be contacted by email on November 1, 2011. It will be the responsibility of the winner to respond to the email contact in order to claim the prize of three autographed books.

***GRAND PRIZE***

From the three winners, one from each group, a single winner will be selected to receive the Grand Prize. This person will be contacted by email, as verified by previous contact, on or before November 15. It will be the responsibility of the winner to respond to the email contact in order to claim this Grand Prize.

The names of the three winners, plus the Grand Prize winner, will be posted on Jennifer’s blog, http://jenniferblakejournal.blogspot.com/, on or before November 15, 2011.

Good luck!!

Synchronicity and the Writer

2011-08-26T07:53:00.000-05:00

We’ve all experienced the odd synchronicity that goes with being a writer. We choose a name for a character only to have it show up next time we watch movie credits roll. We use some obscure mannerism in our books and it’s mentioned in the magazine we pick up at the dentist’s office. We create a disaster for our characters and a similar disaster flashes on the news. How these things happens no one knows, but they do, again and again. Understanding this, I should not have been so surprised at what took place after I was asked to write a medieval trilogy.

Genealogy is a hobby I’ve pursued in a casual way since I was a teenager, asking for birth and death dates from parents, grandparents and great aunts, begging for copies of family trees compiled by distant cousins. When genealogy software came out, I entered all the information I’d gathered over the years, but could never find time in my writing schedule to search for more. Then my computer crashed last year, not long after I’d agreed to change from writing Victorian-era New Orleans novels to the medieval time period. I lost the genealogy software I’d been using, so had to buy an updated version and then reload my saved data. Part of the upgrade was several months of free access to the improved online database for Ancestry.com.

Oh. Wow. Because I had such detailed records already in place, I was able to tap into literally thousands of family trees. My ancestors connected at once to English and Norman-French lines going back more than 50 generations, to King Alfred the Great, to William the Conqueror and, through him, to Charlemagne and even a Roman emperor. Here was an ancestor who was born in a castle; there was one who had died in a priory, in battle or on crusade. I clicked and clicked, mesmerized by the small trembling leaves on Ancestry.com’s world version. Good grief, a tie to Wales with a Tudor in the female line! And just look at the famous names from English history, the Spencers, de Montforts, Montagues, Nevilles, de Clares and, especially, the Plantagenets. Was I really descended from Henry Beauclerc, from Henry the II, John Lackland Plantagenet, Henry III and Edward I? Was I truly the 24th great granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine? I mean, these were people I’d been researching for months, the direct ancestors of both the York and Lancaster lines in my new trilogy. How could this be? Why had it appeared now of all times? Was it real or too good to be true?

Some 9000+ ancestors later I’m still not sure of the answer, and don’t want to look too closely. If it’s all a mistake, let me keep the illusion until I’ve finished the last book of my medieval trilogy set at the time of Henry VII. It tickles me to think that some form of atavistic memory may be at work as I write, that there’s a reason why I see so clearly in my mind the roads of 15th century England and the great halls of ancient castles.

Writers are like that, you know. We do appreciate and make use of our fantasies.

In Search of a True Hero

2011-08-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

Alpha males, we all know and love them. They are the stock heroes of thousands of romance novels and the secret relish of millions of women. We thrill to their strength, their daring, their ability to dominate those around them and bend the rules to suit themselves. We enjoy their limitless capacity for surmounting every difficulty, defeating every enemy. This preference is genetically programmed in us as females, for it represents protection for our offspring.

And yet the idea can be taken too far. No one really likes a hero who is too controlling or cruel to the point of pain. A hero who overrides the heroine’s will with too much force makes us uneasy. We can’t believe this man cares about her if he refuses to allow her any degree of choice. We have difficulty identifying with a heroine who stands for such treatment—no matter how good the guy may be in bed. When the heroine does an about-face at the end of 200 or 400 pages and decides she adores the son-of-a-gun instead of despising him, we are unconvinced. And that’s if the book hasn’t already bounced off the wall.

Where do we draw the line? What makes one dominant hero acceptable and not another? What turns one book with such a man into a treasure and another into a paper-and-glue missile?

he difference is in how the character is formed, the way he’s created by the author.

A hero, no matter how mentally and physically superior, should always be shown as multi-facted, with depth of emotion to equal his strength. He should care so deeply about one particular thing that it becomes his greatest weakness. Personally, I love it when this weakness is the heroine, but it can also be a child, father, mother or sibling; his clan, birthplace, home area or country. Added to this, an alpha hero may be given an internal code which forces him to act against his best interests, causes him to struggle with moral questions and decisions which threaten his control. He can have doubts and fears, though he may conceal their existence. His supremacy can actually be enhanced by his ability to rise above his problems with intelligence and internal fortitude instead of simply bludgeoning his way through them. His tremendous power can be used for its true purpose of protection rather than subjection.

In short, he can be created as a hero with whom a woman can safely fall in love.

Ten Tips for More Productive Writing

2011-08-23T15:33:00.000-05:00

1. Create goals. Decide how many pages or words you can comfortably produce in a day, then mark these potential daily totals on your calendar. Be realistic. Allow for rest days, also days when life may intervene—since it always does.

2. Set personal deadlines. Example: You have a six-month editorial deadline, but know you will need a major read-through for author revision, plus another for polishing, in order to turn in your best work. Mark your calendar with a two-month deadline for completing the rough draft, and two months each for the author revision and polishing.

3. Establish a daily routine. Doing the same things in the same order (shower, eat breakfast, exercise, check email, make a cup of tea or coffee) prepares your brain for work in the same way any engrained habit produces mental readiness.

4. Make certain your writing area is comfortable. Invest in a good office chair and follow ergonomic principles. You need to be relaxed and pain free in order to concentrate.

5. Put on music. Whether you create a playlist that reflects the theme of your story, opt for classical pieces such as Mozart that’s said to encourage concentration, or choose something that jars every brain cell in your skull, music can tune out distractions and put you in the mood to write.

6. Read over the last 5-10 pages of work done the day before. This will allow you pick up the threads of the story, and/or do minor polishing. Avoid reading back over too many pages as this can eat up working time.

7. Brainstorm the scene coming up. Jot down four or five points that need to be made at this point in your story, and then arrange them in order of occurrence. These notes will give your brain something to work with as you face the blank computer screen.

8. Start typing something, anything. Make a diary entry, a grocery list, a collection of things to be thankful for, or just rant about the last idiot who annoyed you. Segue into random thoughts about your characters, their motivations or up coming actions. Something will usually appear that’s useful for the book. Delete the garbage and go.

9. Set a cheap, portable kitchen timer. Challenge yourself to do your personal best number of words or pages in an hour. The time ticking away acts as a goad, and speed writing permits you to by-pass your internal editor for better creative flow.

10. Reward yourself for goals met and/or work completed. The prize can be as minor as a piece of chocolate when you make your daily page total, or as major as a trip to Europe when you finish a multi-book contract. Any incentive for your muse will encourage her to show up and lean over your shoulder, whispering, “You can do this. Yes, you can.”

Why We Read

2011-08-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

In a Sunday New York Times book review essay, The Plot Escapes Me, novelist James Collins admitted he often can’t remember the contents of the books he reads. He maintains that we read for the aesthetic and literary pleasure, yes, but also to learn something or to be changed in some way by the experience. His question then is, “Why read books if we can’t remember what’s in them?”

Well, he does have a point; I don’t always remember the books I read, either. But then I don’t expect to recall the details of more than a handful. I read to be entertained, to fill leisure time without resorting to television. I read to escape from the stress, disappointments and griefs of life. An added bonus is the euphoria that comes when I’m engrossed in a good story, that uplift of pure happiness caused by the release of endorphins as the brain relaxes. Like a cavewoman huddling near a leaping fire while listening to a tale, I glory in the story that will allow me to forget the cold and the wolves outside.

If a book can do that, isn’t it enough?

Dear Author Review - Spoil of War

2011-08-14T16:00:00.001-05:00

I’ve seen negative reviews before, but the comments posted on the Dear Author site for SPOIL OF WAR BY Phoenix Sullivan go well beyond normal literary criticism. Reviewer DA_January didn’t care for the book. Fine; that’s her privilege. But to use her position as a reviewer to attack the work of a beginning writer, holding it up to extended personal ridicule, is both unbecoming and unfair. Added to that, the reviewer must surely have known that concentrating on the sexual assault in the story, without regard for obvious historical precedent or the book's theme, would inflame her audience; the word “rape” has always been highly reliable for that kind of response. I can only suppose that was the purpose.

One of her most blatant acts was taking sentences from the book out of context in the attempt to prove her point. In one example the female protagonist, Elsbeth, overhears a young girl being assaulted in the room next to the one where she is held prisoner. In Elsbeth’s isolation and extremity after watching everyone she knew and loved killed before her eyes, she feels the fleeting need to be touched, the recognition in her despair that any physical contact might be better than the essential loneliness of her existence. At least this was my reading of the scene. DA_January, by contrast, seemed certain it meant nothing more than that Elsbeth was inappropriately turned on by the sounds she heard. Frankly, I’m not sure anyone so unaware of the nuances of human reaction—or the concept of showing those reactions instead of explaining them in words of one syllable—should be allowed to act as a filter for what others read.

For myself, I stand by the cover quote given my niece for this book about a woman who, rather like a male protagonist after a bloody defeat, accepts her fate with stoic endurance and uses her silent rage to best her enemies. While considering it, I did not make the mistake of applying romance novel criteria to a story that was obviously not a romance, nor did I credit the male lead with being heroic in any sense of the term. The book was evaluated on its own merit, not in comparison with my reading preferences or my work. Due warning was given for its depiction of the horrors of warfare in a brutal era. Enough said.

But I would suggest that DA_January’s comments are actually a testament to the writing ability of Phoenix Sullivan. The reviewer would not have been so affected by SPOIL OF WAR, for good or ill, had the author not fully engaged her attention and her emotions.

Please note that comments to this blog are monitored.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter - August

2011-08-07T15:20:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

Hot, hot, hot! If you watch the Weather channel, you may have noticed the red-shaded section of northern Louisiana that has the same triple-digit temperatures as Texas and Oklahoma. We are in the middle of that area, caught in a heat wave the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. The level of the lake we live on drops every day, and it’s all we can do to keep the landscaping alive, much less the lawn. I’d do a rain dance if I thought it would help. Meanwhile, we’re just trying to stay cool.

BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE, Book 1 of the Three Graces Trilogy, is in stores at last, as well as available for order online from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Reviews continue to come in with at least eight posted on Amazon.com, and more than that on Goodreads.com. The book is being featured on the Eye on Romance web site, also on the for RT Book Reviews Magazine site. In addition, it was chosen as the “Fresh Pick” for August by readers on the Fresh Fiction web site, a nice honor indeed.

Both this new book and MIDNIGHT WALTZ, my reprint out this month from Sourcebooks Casablanca Classics, received top honors on the Long and Short Reviews web site, with their highest review award of "5-books"—their version of a five star ranking. See them here:

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=By+His+Majesty%27s+Grace

And here:

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=Midnight+Waltz

My husband and I were in Colorado much of last month, where the air was wonderfully cool and dry. Considering how hot and humid it’s been since our return, we should have stayed longer! While there, we were joined by some of our children, grandchildren and other guests. If you’re on my Facebook page, you may have seen several photos of them enjoying white water rafting on the Arkansas River. If not, you’re more than welcome to take a look by joining me on Facebook. You never know what I may post or what kind of photos I might put up! I’m also considering hosting a weekly question and answer session there on the craft and business of writing. The link to sign up is below, beneath my signature. Once you’re on my Facebook home page, just send a “Friend” request and I’ll add you. The link for my Twitter page is below as well, if you’d care to “Follow” me there.

Because of traveling plus the promotional efforts caused by having three new books and a reprint out this summer, I’ve neglected the series of writing tips on my blog. I’ll get back to them later this month, if all goes according to plan. The next subject I’ll be posting about is choosing character names. Meanwhile, there’s a fun “interview” posted there, one in which Sir Randall of Braesford, the hero of BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE, asks questions of the author who created him. Scroll down below the copy of this newsletter to see it.

Book 2 the Three Graces Trilogy, BY GRACE POSSESSED, will be released at the end of the month, on August 30. My author’s copies, with their vivid green covers, were delivered while I was in Colorado. Reviews are already trickling in, as well. RT Book Review’s Magazine gave it 4 ½ stars, saying:

“With the second Three Graces novel, Blake draws readers into a tale of attempted murder, insurrection against the king and a high romance with her marvelous research of the period. She builds a strong background, creates three-dimensional characters and weaves sexual tension into a lively love story.”

And Harriet Klausner of Merry Genre Go Round said:

“The middle sister’s Graces medieval romance is an exciting period piece as armchair readers will believe they are at the court of King Henry VII in the late fifteenth century. Except for her belief in the curse, Cate is a typical historical heroine while Ross is a fascinating protagonist whose loyalty is stretched in diverse directions as he must choose between Scotland (and his father), the English king and Cate.”

Meanwhile, I have a new venture in the works which will involve some of my older works, also a couple of things that have never been published, a nonfiction manuscript or two, and work from my daughters and my nieces. It’s still in the planning stages for now, but you’ll be hearing more about it later in the year. Just what I need, another project, Well, it does keep life interesting!

With warmest wishes for cool days and interesting projects wherever you are,

Jennifer Blake

http://twitter.com/JenniferBlake01

http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.blake#!/profile.php?id=100000468533638

Sir Randall of Braesford Interviews Jennifer Blake

2011-07-26T15:20:00.002-05:00

Sir Randall of Braesford is the hero of By His Majesty's Grace, Book 1 of The Three Graces trilogy. Recently, he took time from his knightly duties and derring-do to sit down and talk with his creator, Jennifer Blake.

Sir Rand: I’ve a great curiosity about what you’ve done with this story of mine, milady. What brought you to write about the times in which I live? Or about my keep and estates, if it comes to that?

JB: It began with a workshop, if you must know, one taught with long-time friends and fellow writers, Bertrice Small and Roberta Gellis. The subject was how to avoid plagiarism while using books and other printed material for research. Roberta suggested that we each take the same bit research and use it to write two or three pages of a story to illustrate how we use factual details without copying from the information source. At the end the workshop, we would each read our pages to the group.

Sir Rand: Dame Roberta being something of an authority on my times, I suppose she chose the subject?

JB: Exactly, a paragraph on late medieval pele towers. That was hardly my area of expertise, but I studied the tower’s description, added a bit more research for color, and wrote what was basically the beginning of a story. In this tale, a well-born heroine, Lady Isabel, arrives at the home of the man the king has commanded her to marry. She is disturbed by the forbidding nature of the late 15th century keep, with its manse and pele tower, that was a reward from the king for services rendered by this new-made knight. The description of the tower was tied to the doubts and fears of the heroine, and the pages ended just as the hero—that would be you, sir—was about to make a dramatic appearance. When I read my pages at the workshop, there was a beat of complete silence. Then someone called out, “But where’s the rest of the story?”

Sir Rand: A most flattering reaction, I’d say.

JB: Oh, agreed. But truth to tell, there was no more. And it was unlikely there would ever be any more as nearly all my 60-something previous books and novellas, including several international best sellers, have been set in the southern U.S., in Louisiana. I was type cast as a Louisiana author.

Sir Rand: So what took place to change matters?

JB: A few months later, after finishing the last book of my Masters at Arms series, I created a proposal for a new trilogy set in New Orleans. The stories revolved around sisters, known as the Three Graces, who were prevented from marrying by a voodoo curse. My editor liked the idea, and we were about to go to contract. Before the deal was finalized, however, she attended a sales meeting where figures were presented which indicated books set in Europe were preferred over those set in the United States. Afterward, she emailed my agent to ask if there was any way I could transfer my Three Graces trilogy across the Atlantic. Yes!! I certainly could! So the pele tower and it’s manse, as described for the workshop, became your home.

Sir Rand: This voodoo curse you mentioned doubtless evolved into the dread curse of the Graces of Graydon, said to have carried off so many of Lady Isabel’s noble suitors.

JB: It did indeed, though the concept had to be altered a bit to make it fit into the medieval time period. But I actually prefer the way it turned out.

Sir Rand: As do I, since it gave me a role to play. Exactly how did you decide how I would look, what I would be like?

JB: It was a step-by-step process that began with the rooks, or ravens, that I’d described as circling the pele tower in those first paragraphs written for the workshop. The raven became your heraldic symbol, and I then more or less tied your physical description to that image.

Sir Rand: Less rather than more, I hope!

JB: In the most handsome way possible, you may be sure! Beyond that, I needed you to be someone the heroine would resent having to marry. Your status as the baseborn son of a lord guaranteed that. However, the place you had reached—companion to King Henry VII, a man knighted on the field of battle and awarded a keep and marriage to a lady of good birth for his service to the crown--required an unusual combination of intelligence, power and extreme loyalty. What? You are blushing, sir. Shall I stop here?

Sir Rand: By all means. But I would like to know how you discovered my long association with Henry Tudor.

JB: That was a matter of deduction based on research. Henry had been a fugitive from Yorkist assassination plots for almost half his 29 years. He had known friends and companions, however, men who shared his exile in Europe, and then accompanied him when he invaded England in 1485. I put your background together, so to speak, by assembling bits and pieces of notes from a dozen or more men.

Sir Rand: I’m far from sure I appreciate that image, but let it pass. How ever did you, a lady for all your modern dress, learn to think like a knight, particularly in the heat of a melee?

JB: A large part of it came from simply putting myself in your place, experiencing every scene through your senses and mind-set, feeling what you felt as it unfolded. But while visualizing the melee scene, it occurred to me that battle fatigue, known today as traumatic stress syndrome, could not be a totally modern phenomenon. It must have had severe consequences during a time when combatants met face to face, hacking and slicing at each other with all the mind-stunning effort, the horror of mangled flesh and blood that must have resulted. Much of the melee scene came from that perspective.

Sir Rand: You provided a squire for me during that combat, and afterward. Why was that? And how did you decide what he would be like?

JB: You received a squire because it seemed most knights had one during that time period, and he was a logical secondary character. David gained a more important place for himself as he became ever more useful to you and your lady. But it was as he told Lady Isabel something of his background and his dreams that he took better shape and form, became something more than just a minor player. In one sense, then, he created himself.

Sir Rand: How did you choose the lovely Isabel for me?

JB: You deserved someone who was your match in strength of will, courage and that illusive quality called “heart.” Beyond that, I have to admit she is made up of all the things I like in a heroine, including steadfastness in the face of difficulty, love of family, the ability to think under fire and the refusal to accept defeat. Her greatest flaw is pride, but then the two of you were well matched in that, as well.

Sir Rand: God’s teeth, milady, you’d not suggest I’m arrogant?

JB: No more so than I made you.

Sir Rand: Aye. Well. Since you put it that way. Touching on other matters you arranged for me--what of the tumble in the sheets with Isabel that took place amid a lather of raspberries? Not that I’m complaining, you understand, but still…

JB: That was your doing, I swear it. You were playing the lute, as I recall, singing a playful song about a youth and his lady-fair who went looking for sweet red raspberries and how they managed to enjoy them. The next thing I knew, you had found a goodly supply and were mulling over sundry things to do with them.

Sir Rand: ‘Tis a far cry from searching for raspberries to taking a crock of them to the bed where Lady Isabel lay innocently sleeping.

JB: Are you saying it was never your idea to make a sensual assault upon your lady’s truthfulness using berries and well-ground sugar?

Sir Rand: That’s just what I’m saying. ‘Twas your doing, and well you know it! If you could make me out to be an arrogant arse, then you could certainly turn me into a diabolically conniving and too randy lover of… raspberries!

JB: I protest, sir!

Sir Rand: Protest all you please, but I know the right of it. And another thing! Why did you put me in prison?

JB: You were in the way.

Sir Rand: Nay, milady. I’ve never been one to stay where I was not wanted.

JB: No, but how else was Isabel to discover how much she missed and needed you, how much she would mourn your loss if you were to hang? Beyond that, this was her story, and you were being a good deal too stalwart and heroic, leaving her with little to do. She had to show her mettle, don’t you see?

Sir Rand: You’ve a point, I suppose. And it was the Tower for me, anyway, I’ll be bound. Henry could hardly allow a crime such as I was accused of to go unpunished.

JB: Even if you were his friend and long-time companion, yes. Though I do regret leaving you in doubt as to whether Isabel would choose between being your wife or your widow.

Sir Rand: A likely tale. You’re a witch who likes to torture men is what you are, milady. You might as well admit it and be done.

JB: Am I really supposed to answer that? Sir Rand? Come back! Where are you going?

Sir Rand: Why, where else, but in search of raspberries? I’ve a sudden great yen for them, now that I'm put in mind of that scene and the delicious charms of my lady-fair…

Writing Tip of the Day-Prologues

2011-07-18T12:25:00.001-05:00

The writing style used for a prologue should be the same as for the story to which it belongs. It should never have the feel of material that has been grafted on or added as an afterthought.

Writing Tip of the Day-Prologues

2011-07-13T09:31:00.002-05:00

Many prologues have so little connection to the text which comes after that they act as a barrier to the story. Any prologue that does not materially improve the book should be removed.

Writing Tip of the Day-Prologues

2011-07-08T08:05:00.006-05:00

The prologue is an overused fiction device. A book should not begin with a prologue if the same information can be logically presented within the story framework.

Interview with Phoenix Sullivan

2011-07-04T10:23:00.014-05:00

Phoenix Sullivan

In the Brave New World of e-publishing, Phoenix Sullivan is sure to become a name to conjure with. Few have more enthusiasm for its possibilities, greater knowledge of the process, or a brighter future. Phoenix recently became an indie author with the release of her first book, an Arthurian Saga titled SPOIL OF WAR. It’s my pleasure to present this interview with Phoenix, who is, not incidentally, my niece.

JB: As a start, tell us when you decided to become a writer.

I don't think I ever had to decide. I've been writing in one form or another since I could hold a crayon, so I would have to say writing decided for me.

I've been very lucky in that for most of my adult life I was able to make a living as a writer/editor in the corporate world. Now that I'm retired (early retirement - I'm only 52!), I can concentrate on writing the kinds of books I've always wanted to.

JB: Did you read as a child? If so, what were your favorite books?

I was a voracious reader as a child, reading way above my grade from the time I was four. We didn't have much in the way of discretionary dollars, so I spent a lot of time in the library. Early on, I read just about every book that had a dog or horse in it. The Black Stallion Mysteries and the Big Red books were some of my favorites. I still cry over Black Beauty.

When I was nine, my brother introduced me to science fiction via 2001: A Space Odyssey and I was hooked. Lucky for me, I didn't know girls didn't read SF.

If I couldn't get to the library soon enough after I finished my last checked-out book, I hit up my mom's romance stacks. Gone with the Wind blew me away at quite a tender age. Pretty much, if a book found its way into my hands, I'd read it. One thing I'm very grateful to my parents for is that they never censored anything I read, either reading-level-wise or content-wise.

JB: Do you read much now? What is in your To Be Read pile?

I'm very involved in critique groups for writers right now and I read a lot of writing samples across all genres, as well as everything from book blurbs and first chapters to short stories and complete novels. Reading critically, though, is a different process than reading for pleasure. It's much more time-consuming and more draining. Plus you have to stay a bit distanced from the work in order to be objective. This is what makes up the bulk of my reading these days. I look forward to the time when I can back off the critical reading some and start reading again for the pure joy of losing myself in great stories.

I do make exceptions, though, and I'm going to be first in line to read Jennifer's By His Majesty's Grace when it comes out later this month ;o).

JB: Your book, SPOIL OF WAR, is labeled An Arthurian Saga, and a historical fantasy. Tell us what these terms mean to you.

Both of these terms are just helpful ways for readers to find the book online. Amazon.com tends to collect anything related to King Arthur under Fantasy in its browsing catalog, even if, like with Spoil of War, there really isn't a fantasy element.

Since the title itself doesn't give a strong indication of the time period, I wanted to be sure readers could immediately tell it was related to the Arthurian cycle, so I added the "An Arthurian Saga" subtitle. Calling it a saga helps readers quickly know it's a long-form novel rather than a novella or short story. It runs a little over 111,000 words or about 420 pages.

JB: What is your background for writing about the Arthurian era?

Well, I have a Masters in English with a concentration in Medieval Studies, as well as a minor in European history. I was also involved for several years with the Society for Creative Anachronism, a group dedicated to recreating the Middle Ages – if not exactly how it was, how it should have been.

Despite all the odd period trivia I have in my head, I've been complimented on my ability to add period details smoothly, without info-dumping on the reader. I work hard at that because not letting the details get in the way of the story is an ability I treasure in the authors I read!

JB: What made you decide to self-publish?

In a way, I think Spoil of War is a poster child for the right reasons to self-publish. The manuscript made the rounds among agents and traditional publishers, and the overall reaction was that the writing was great and the story engrossing ("I literally couldn't put it down," one agent told me) but, ultimately, it wasn't marketable through traditional channels. I was asked to either revise it to lose some of the emphasis on romance or to pump up the romance and incorporate the POV of a “hawt” hero to match contemporary conventions. In either case, the resulting book would not have been this one.

I think readers will read books that don't fit comfortably on a specific genre shelf if those books are well-written and well-formatted and include the themes and emotions, characters and situations that readers love. Through no fault of traditional publishing – it is a business after all – readers aren't given that range of options in the traditional publishing space.

Having industry professionals express enthusiasm for Spoil of War validated that it's a professional-quality book, so I was confident I wasn't going to be insulting any readers by putting it out myself.

I'm thrilled that my belief in readers seems to be panning out. For example, there’s this review that recently appeared in the Little Rock, Arkansas, Examiner.com.

The link is http://www.examiner.com/book-in-little-rock/book-review-spoil-of-war-by-phoenix-sullivan-review

JB: What is the best thing about self-publishing?

Seeing those lovely reviews! Realizing people I don't know are reading my stories and enjoying them. How amazing is that? Of course, that's just as true about traditional publishing, isn't it?

JB: What is the worst thing about it?

Trying to get my novel noticed without sounding like a carnival hawker. I have to give props to Amazon for helping in that arena. If I do my part right in telling Amazon what the book is about and to whom it might appeal, they're good about making it sure it's visible to someone looking for a read of its type. Barnes and Noble and the other online stores don't offer quite the same level of support and, as a result, the book is struggling a bit to be noticed outside of Amazon.

JB: Tell us what a typical writing day is like for you. What is your day like when not writing?

These aren't mutually exclusive in my case. I think my typical day always includes writing -- some days I just manage more creative writing than others.

Since I live on a small farm, every day is a balance between taking care of all the maintenance needed, such as mowing pastures, fixing leaking water pipes, and keeping outbuildings and fences repaired; feeding, cleaning, and playing with my beasties (mini horses, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, an iguana); upkeeping the house; and writing-related activities, including critiquing, promoting, and yes, actual writing.

I've certainly found that since I retired in January I haven't been bored! Not enough hours in the day. And now I wonder how I managed to do as much as I did plus work a 60-hour-per-week job before. One of life’s mysteries, I guess!

JB: Do you have a book in progress at present? What is its genre and time period?

I have a book under consideration with a traditional publisher right now. It's a near-future medical thriller with a few mammoths and sabre-tooth cats thrown in. There's also a sweet-level romance between Donna, a veterinarian, and Mike, a CDC analyst.

I'm currently working on another book derived from the Arthurian cycle that has a true element of fantasy to it. The romance angle is also amped: a beautiful fey lady magically bound to two brother knights, one an alpha, one a beta.

And later this year I'll finish an historical fantasy set in the Roman Empire during a time when pagan prophecy and Christian canon converge. That one has a m/m romance (another alpha/beta combo -- I'm a sucker for how that dynamic plays out on the page.)

JB: What would you like readers to remember about your books?

Remembering their titles would be great :o).

Beyond that, I hope readers will know that whether they pick up a Phoenix Sullivan story set in the near future or the ancient past, they're getting a well-researched story with strong settings and strong characters; a story that doesn't shy away from the hard truths or the tough questions. I can promise plenty of angst along the way -- characters won't ever have it easy; a romantic element, ranging from sweet to steamy, that grows organically from the story and isn't just shoe-horned in; and, eventually, the HEA that makes the emotional rollercoaster ride that comes before worth it.

Thank you for having me over for a visit, Jennifer. I’m soooo looking forward to your Three Graces trilogy. I’m a sucker for the Tudor period!

JB: Many thanks to you, Phoenix, for dropping by—and be sure to come back again soon!

PHOENIX SULLIVAN
DARE TO DREAM / BE THRILLED

http://phoenixsullivan.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Blake Newsletter - July

2011-07-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

Summer is truly with us here in the Deep South, with days of temps above the 100°F mark. Time to go inside, shut the door, and hope the air conditioning doesn’t quit. I used to say I’d have written more books if I lived in a frigid winter climate, but, on second thought, I’m not sure. Extreme heat from mid-June to mid-September actually drives us inside in the same way.

I was in Ft. Myers, FL for a week last month, hanging out with my daughter, Lindy, and her two girls, also watching the younger, Robyn, graduate summa cum laude. It was a lovely, lazy time, talking, laughing, walking the beach on Sanibel Island or just sitting with chilled drink in hand, listening to the rattle of the palm trees. Everyone needs a break now and then.

But after this trip, the one to New York in May and the Caribbean cruise in April, I won’t be taking a summer vacation. Well, other than escaping the heat by heading to our summer place in the mountains of Colorado, where we go every year. The main reason for staying close to computer and laptop is the summer publication of the Three Graces trilogy. Blog posts and other promotional efforts will fill my days from now until late September.

My author’s copies for Book 1, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE, were delivered this past Friday. These usually show up a couple of weeks before the books are put on the shelves. The original publication date was set for July 27, then changed to the 26th, and is now the 19th. At least the book will go on sale some time in the second half of this month. If you see it in stores, drop me a note? Send to: jenniferblake001@bellsouth.net

Reviews for BHMG have been coming in, with six or seven appearing so far. All are favorable, thank goodness! RT Book Reviews gave it a Top Pick! 4 ½ stars review, saying:

“With her distinctive voice, Blake sets her tale during the reign of Henry VII and sweeps the reader into the precarious lifestyle of battle-scarred knights, court intrigue, scandals and treachery. The sexually charged chemistry between her hero and heroine makes the first of the Three Graces trilogy an exciting, emotion-filled and unforgettable story.”

Eye on Romance posted:

“Set in 1486 England, By His Majesty’s Grace takes place in a new historical era for beloved award winning author Jennifer Blake. Her masterful writing and exquisite sense of pacing shine in this novel, bringing several elements together in one perfectly executed story. Blake includes a great deal of the background of the Tudor family as the story progresses, especially in regard to King Henry VII’s rise to power. Historical detail is abundant and well placed, and Blake’s breadth of research and knowledge is remarkable. The backdrop of a fascinating period in history along with a true whodunit mystery and a tender romance combine to make By His Majesty’s Grace a stunning entrée to a new sub-genre for Blake. Be sure to watch for the two remaining offerings in The Three Graces series, “By Grace Possessed” in August and “Seduced by Grace” in September, which will tell the stories of Isabel’s sisters, Cate and Marguerite.”

Links to additional reviews have been added to the FaceBook page created for the books and called simply The Three Graces Trilogy. If you happen to take a look, it would be helpful if you could click to “Like” the page. Thanks much in advance.

In conjunction with the book release, I will be the featured author for Harlequin’s August Reader to Reader Newsletter. A short article and photo will appear in this publication which goes out with books sold through direct marketing. Also, I’ll be showcased in an Author Spotlight on the RT Book Reviews web site, with an article about how I came to write the Three Graces trilogy and also a short excerpt from the book. I’ve done an online interview with Connie Cox, as well, a writer who frequently has guest author spots on her web site. This series of questions and answers will go public when the new book begins to appear. Look for it around July 19th at: http://www.conniecox.com

Speaking of interviews, I’ll be conducting one for a change. On July 5, I’ll post an online interview with my niece who writes as Phoenix Sullivan. An indie author of great talent and vibrant imagination, she recently e-published her first novel, an Arthurian Saga titled SPOIL OF WAR. For an in depth look at her background and writing life, check out the interview that will be posted on July 5th at: http://jenniferblakejournal.blogspot.com

Meanwhile, the quintessential Stars-and-Stripes summer holiday is looming. In honor of the Fourth, we will grill hamburgers, sausage and chicken, make potato salad and cut a watermelon or two. Afterward, as dusk falls, we’ll take to the boats to view the annual fireworks display held here on the lake. Family, food, fun and tradition, what could be more all American?

With warmest wishes for a happy Fourth, and all the good things of summer,

Jennifer Blake

http://twitter.com/JenniferBlake01

http://www.facebook.com/jennifer.blake#!/profile.php?id=100000468533638

Writing Tip of the Day-Prologues

2011-07-01T07:54:00.000-05:00

Because prologues are associated with literary fiction, many new writers create them in hope of elevating their work to a higher level. Use of a prologue for its own sake, with minimal impact upon the story it introduces, is the mark of an amateur.

Writing Tip of the Day-Prologues

2011-06-30T12:39:00.000-05:00

A prologue should have a distinct purpose pertaining to the accompanying story’s plot, background, or character conflict. It should not be included in an attempt to create excitement for a story that otherwise lacks it.

Writing Tip of the Day-Prologues

2011-06-29T13:36:00.000-05:00

Prologues can be useful literary devices. They engage the interest of the reader by presenting story insight, information or background detail which cannot be provided in any other way.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-24T04:12:00.000-05:00

It can be satisfying to add 'The End' to the conclusion of your novel, but is not necessary. The choice belongs to the author. To include this finale, drop down two double spaces below the last line of text, and then type and center the words.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-23T07:02:00.000-05:00

An Author’s Note may be included with a novel if there is information of interest to readers which could not be included in the book text. This note should have a separate page or pages of its own, and its text should be double-spaced. Center “Author’s Note” approximately a third of the way down the page, double space and begin.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-22T07:33:00.000-05:00

The acknowledgements page is where you express your gratitude for those who have helped or influenced the production of your novel. It's submitted as a separate page with double-spaced text. Center the word “Acknowledgements” approximately a third of the way down the page, double space, then type whatever you are inspired to say on the subject.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-21T10:13:00.000-05:00

The dedication for a novel should be placed on a separate page. Center the word “Dedication” approximately one-third of the way down the page. Double space, then type your dedication as concisely as possible. Center this text on the page.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-20T03:37:00.000-05:00

Traditional subjects for creating transition narrative passages include, but are not limited to: time, weather, and character reaction to events; character thoughts, beliefs or understanding of events; atmospheric descriptions of the setting, and the insertion of background or research information pertinent to the story.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-18T08:32:00.000-05:00

A space transition is created by dropping down two double spaces (one more than usual) before beginning the next scene. To insure that the transition is not ignored by the printer, a symbol such as a pound sign (#) or three asterisks (***) is usually centered in the extra double space.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-17T13:04:00.001-05:00

The change from one scene to the next is known as a transition. These transitions may be accomplished with one or two words or a useful phrase, as in “Meanwhile,” “Moments later,” or “On the following morning”. They may also cover one or more paragraphs of narrative. However, the simplest indication of a scene change is the space transition, or blank space left on the page.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-16T08:48:00.001-05:00

Books are written in scenes in order to avoid the inclusion of tedious details or the awkwardness of moving characters from one setting to another. Skill in choosing and developing pertinent scenes is the mark of a professional writer.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-15T08:17:00.000-05:00

Every scene should display one or more story points. If a scene has no definite point to make—if it doesn’t carry the plot forward or illustrate some useful aspect of character, setting or situation—then it has no place in the book.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-14T13:10:00.000-05:00

Chapters need not always end with the conclusion of a scene. A chapter break may be inserted in the middle of a scene if it will illustrate a point, add dramatic emphasis, or allow a change of point-of-view character.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-06-13T07:55:00.000-05:00

Traditional story form in commercial fiction follows a norm of two or three scenes per chapter, each being 7 – 10 pages long. This creates an average of 14 - 20 pages per chapter, and 20 – 25 chapters per book.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter - June 2011

2011-06-01T05:39:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

What a month. Tornado warnings were issued for our area three different times. We had high winds, lost a tree or two, but dodged the real bullet each time. My husband and I traveled to two high school graduation ceremonies, one in Louisiana and one in Mississippi, with the valedictorians in both cases being our grandchildren. I also flew to New York for BEA, otherwise known as Book Expo America. This is the annual convention for the biggest association of booksellers and librarians in the country. For it, publishers set up booths on the convention floor to display upcoming titles, and authors are brought in to sign ARCs, or advance reading copies, of their books. These ARCs are free to member-attendees willing to stand in line for them. I was there to sign Book 1 of my Three Graces trilogy, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE. Among those in line was a nice gentleman who wanted a book autographed to his wife who is a fan. An email thank you from her, next day, revealed the identity of this hero: Tom Wilson, creator of the Ziggy cartoons. How great is that?

My companion on this New York trip was my daughter, Delinda Corbin. Being a super-organized type, she found special express tickets to the Empire State Building online, a huge timesaver as we were waved past all the long lines and whisked on and off elevators. She also got third row center seats for us for “Mamma Mia!”, so we were practically on stage with the cast of this long-running show. It was a fantastic production, and I enjoyed every minute, still have “Dancing Queen” running through my head. Other than this, we walked all over the city, visited the Metropolitan Museum, took the ferry out to see the lady in the harbor, and had a lovely lunch with my agent at a French restaurant on the corner of Lexington and 75th. It was a special trip—but gave me no urge whatever to live in New York City.

What I’ve been doing since my return is reading and correcting the AAs, or page proofs, for Book 3 of the Three Graces trilogy, SEDUCED BY GRACE. Its release date is listed as October, but copies will show up on shelves at the end of September. Page proofs for Book 1 were corrected at the end of January, a rush job so copies of this August title would be available for BEA, while those for Book 2, BY GRACE POSSESSED, were done last month. With these tasks behind me, I’ll be able to concentrate on promotional activities for the books. That is, after I get back from a week in Ft. Myers, FL, where I’ll be attending the graduation of another granddaughter. Oh, yes, three grandchildren born in the same special year—and it seems only yesterday that they were all crawling babes. Where does the time go?

The summer is heating up here, with a temps hovering at or above 100 degrees this week. That’s hot for June, even in Louisiana! Such sultry weather makes me start thinking of Colorado and our summer place in the mountains—cool breezes, distant blue vistas, white-water rafting, wildflowers and hummingbirds. Plans are in the works for a family gathering there in a few weeks. I think I’ll be ready.

With warmest wishes for special events in your summer and your life,

Jennifer

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-31T07:46:00.000-05:00

There are no hard and fast rules for the length of a scene. It can consist of a few lines in a single paragraph or cover many pages, depending on the needs of the story. A rough average is 10 double-spaced pages, or 2000 – 3000 words.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-24T07:41:00.000-05:00

No guidelines exist for the number of chapters in a book. This can vary from ten or twelve in a 50,000 word category novel to 20-25 for 100,000-word mainstream fiction, but 50 or more in literary fiction. Author vision and story requirements dictate how many chapter breaks are required.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-24T05:09:00.000-05:00

To begin a new chapter in a continuous MS Word file, insert a page break, space down one-third the length of the new page, type your chapter heading, double-space, and then start your text again.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-23T07:37:00.000-05:00

Manuscripts are usually formatted with the complete text for the book in a single computer file. Page break commands are inserted at the end of each chapter so the next will begin on a new page. They may also be created with each chapter in a separate computer file if that's the author's preference. However, all chapters must be merged into a single file prior to electronic submission.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-22T08:24:00.000-05:00

The “cliff hanger” chapter ending is a useful device when used sparingly. The effect is lost when every chapter ends that way.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-19T07:42:00.000-05:00

No guidelines exist for the length of a chapter. Any given chapter can cover from a few paragraphs to 50 or more pages, depending on intent of the author or the needs of the story.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-18T07:18:00.000-05:00

Each new chapter in a manuscript should begin on a new page, with its chapter heading centered approximately halfway down it. The preferred heading uses letters and the number, that is, "Chapter 1" instead of "Chapter One."

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-17T09:33:00.000-05:00

Microsoft Word is the word processing program preferred by most publishers and editors. Working with the publishing house staff is easier if the same program is used for your manuscripts.

How I Came to Write the Three Graces Trilogy

2011-05-16T08:44:00.000-05:00

At the RT BookReviews conference in 2008, I participated in a workshop with long-time friends and fellow writers, Roberta Gellis and Bertrice Small. The workshop was on how to avoid plagiarism while using historical research materials. Roberta suggested that we each take the same piece of research text and use it to write two or three pages to illustrate how we incorporated factual details without actually copying from the information source. At the end the workshop, we would read these pages to the group. Since it was Roberta’s suggestion, she chose the paragraph of research, one which happened to be on medieval pele towers. I took the paragraph, added a bit more research for color, then wrote what was basically the beginning of a book. In it, the well-born heroine arrives at the home of the illegitimate commoner she is being forced to marry, and is disturbed by the brooding nature of the late 15th century manse and pele tower awarded to him by the king. The description of the tower was tied to the emotions of the heroine, and the pages ended as the hero was about to appear.

When I read my pages at the workshop, there was a beat of dead silence. Then someone yelled, “But where’s the rest of the story?”

Well, there was no “rest” of the story. My area of expertise had always been pre-Civil War Louisiana history, and nearly all my 50-something previous books, including many best sellers, were set in that time and place. It seemed highly unlikely I would be allowed to write something so radically different. No matter how many times Bertrice told me I should, must, had to write this late medieval story!

Fast forward several months. I finished the last book of my Masters at Arms series, and then created a proposal for a new trilogy set in New Orleans. The stories revolved around sisters known as the Three Graces who lived under a Voodoo curse which said any man who attempted to marry them without love would die. My editor liked the idea, and we were about to go to contract. Before the deal was finalized, however, she attended a sales conference where figures were presented which indicated books set in Europe sold much better than those set in the States. She emailed my agent to ask if there was any way I could transfer my Three Graces trilogy across the Atlantic.

Here was my opportunity to write that medieval tale! Though the storylines I’d intended for my New Orleans trilogy would not work in England, that was fine. After more indepth research, I created three entirely new stories that revolved around sisters known as the accursed Three Graces of Graydon, young women who could not be wed without love—though they were wards of the first Tudor king, Henry VII, who could choose husbands for them at will. My editor was pleased with the trio of tales, and to contract we went. Naturally, Book 1 used the beginning I’d written for the workshop.

If you’re curious about those few pages, they are included in the excerpt that’s now available for BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE. See it by clicking on the link below its cover art on the front page of this web site.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-16T07:51:00.001-05:00

Simplicity and easy readability are the watchwords for all aspects of manuscript preparation. If a story cannot stand on its own merit, no special font or unusual formatting will help it.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-12T07:26:00.000-05:00

The font chosen for your manuscript should be plain and easy to read. Script or archaic fonts should be avoided. This will benefit the eyesight of both author and editor.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-10T07:25:00.002-05:00

The preferred font for manuscripts was once Courier 12 point. This is an even-space font with every letter occupying the same amount of space, so word counts done by the averaging method were more accurate. Computer generated word counts make the font used less important.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-07T04:00:00.000-05:00

Word counts for manuscripts were once arrived at by counting every word on the first five pages, dividing by 5 to obtain an average, and then multiplying the average words per page by the number of pages in the manuscript. Some publishing houses still use this method, but a majority of editors accept the word counts generated by word processing programs.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

The accepted length for most mainstream commercial fiction is 100,000 words, or approximately 400 pages. Various genre fiction categories have other preferred word-lengths from 50,000 to 85,000. Check the guidelines of your targeted publisher before you begin plotting or writing your book.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter-May 2011

2011-05-02T09:27:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

Summer is a-coming here on the lake. The fish are biting, bass tournaments have started, hummingbirds and purple martins are here; the poule d’eau, or coots, that stay with us during the winter, have flown north; jet skis and tubing runs are making waves, and neighbors are having swimming parties on weekends. My roses, daisies and iris are blooming, and the sound of the lawnmower is heard in the land. We’ve had a few tornado scares, a tree and limbs lost to storms, but no major damage. The doors opening onto my screened porch are wide open. Life is good.

Meanwhile, the build up to summer and fall publication of my Three Graces trilogy continues. The covers for the three books are now up on the front page of my website. Clicking on them will bring up the cover blurbs describing the books, as well as an excerpt for Book 1, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE. Each information page also has a link for pre-ordering from Amazon.com, if that should be your choice. The books will ship (or be available for download) on their official publication dates, respectively, beginning on July 19 with the release of Book 1. Pre-ordering may be helpful as an indication to the publisher of the number of books to print.

Something else available on the web site is a direct window to the YouTube book video for the series created by Siren Projects. It’s a great overview of the theme, setting and atmosphere of the trilogy. I love the images and background music. Check this out and let me know what you think?

Last month, I mentioned a cruise planned as a reward for finishing the trilogy. We—my husband, two of his brothers and their wives—departed on April 9 out of Port Canaveral, FL aboard the Norwegian Sun for the eastern Caribbean, stopping at Nassau, St. Thomas, and St Maarten. Though I’ve been on a dozen or more cruises, this was my first “Freestyle” venture, and a fine trip it was. However, on April 7, as I was packing, I received the emailed pdf file of the page proofs for Book 2 of the trilogy, BY GRACE POSSESSED, along with a request for their return by the week of April 18. Yikes! I’d been afraid of this when I booked the cruise; it’s just the way things happen. But no worries. I printed out the complete set of page proofs and slipped them into a briefcase, then read and corrected them on the days at sea included in the cruise. These corrections were zapped back to my editor when I returned. Now there’s only one more set of page proofs left, for Book 3, SEDUCED BY GRACE. The trilogy will then be out of my hands. This final set of proofs should appear near the end of this month—probably about the time I leave for a few days in New York…

This New York trip will be for Book Expo America, where I’ll be signing advance copies of BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE for booksellers and librarians. Also involved will be meetings with my editor and agent. Business, in other words. Regardless, I’ve arranged to stay on for a couple of extra days, for a bit of sightseeing and to catch a couple of Broadway shows. My older daughter, Delinda Corbin, will be joining me, which will add much to the fun and relaxation.

So what’s next on the writing front? That’s still undecided, and should be a subject for discussion with my editor and agent in New York. Much may depend on how the Three Graces trilogy is received by booksellers. Though more medieval stories are stirring in the back of my mind, other projects drift through my synapses every day. Stay tuned.

A new blog post for the Mira Author page will be up on or before May 9. The subject will be "The Appeal of Romance Novels." You can access these random thoughts and rambling of mine at: http://community.eharlequin.com/content/mira-author-blog

In this same vein, I’ve begun a new series for the “Writing Tip of the Day” section of my web site blog at: www.jenniferblake.com/jennifersjournal These are on the how-to of manuscript preparation and formatting. Basic information, yes, but something beginning writers often ask about. By the time this subject is exhausted, I’ll be at Writing Tip #300. Will I stop at 365, a calendar’s worth, or try for 1000 for a future book? We’ll see!

Another project for this month has been the creation of a special FaceBook page for the Three Graces trilogy. I’ll be posting progress reports on the publication process for the books, of course, but also snippets of scenes, character descriptions and short interviews with my heroes and heroines; how I came to write the book, research info, etc. I’ll have a special contest for followers of the page as publication draws nearer, as well. Look for it and become a “friend” by typing “The Three Graces Trilogy” into the Facebook search pane.

Finally, I have something listed in Brenda Novak's Cure for Diabetes annual online auction. It’s part of author Winne Grigg's “My Crafty Friends and Family” category, Item #2106033, and consists of a hand-knitted silk and wool scarf in shades of turquoise , as well as an autographed copy of the final book of my Masters at Arms series, TRIUMPH IN ARMS. Bidding started on the site on May 1, and ends May 31. An amazing array of wonderful items has been donated for this auction, including many, many signed books. Do yourself a favor and bid to support this great cause at: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com

That about covers it for another month, I think. With warmest wishes for blue skies and reading pleasure as summer heads your way,

Jennifer Blake

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-05-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

A header should be included on every manuscript page. The text for this is normally located in the upper left hand corner, and includes the book title and author name or pseudonym with a slash mark between them, i. e., title/author. The purpose is easy identification of the manuscript, as well as aid in matching any straying page to its appropriate book and author.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-04-29T09:36:00.000-05:00

Manuscript pages should always be numbered. Most word processing programs provide a simple command for this formatting. Page numbers should be placed in the upper or lower right hand corner for easy location while thumbing through the pages.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-04-28T07:50:00.000-05:00

Manuscripts text should be double-spaced, with only a single double space between paragraphs. The first line of the each chapter’s first paragraph should not be indented, but all other paragraphs should have a default indentation of 5 spaces.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-04-27T08:50:00.000-05:00

Margins for manuscripts should be set at one inch on all four sides, top, bottom, left and right, when using a standard manuscript font such as Courier New at 12 points. Wider margins of 1.25 to 1.5 may be used for more compact fonts such as Times New Roman. Ideal margins once resulted in 250 words per page, but the computer word counts used today make this less essential.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-04-26T08:56:00.000-05:00

The information and formatting required for the first page of a manuscript is as follows: Upper left corner: contact information for the author and the author’s agent, including email addresses. Upper right corner: number of words in the manuscript. Halfway down the page, centered: story title (bold, upper and lower case preferred) with author byline or pseudonym on the line below it. Double space and center the Chapter 1 heading. Double space again and begin the first paragraph.

Writing Tip of the Day-Manuscript Formatting

2011-04-25T08:35:00.000-05:00

Manuscripts in the past included a title page with the author’s name, pseudonym, address, phone number, contact method for the literary agent and number of words in the work. Today, this information is usually included on the first page of the manuscript, with Chapter 1 beginning immediately below it. The purpose is to prevent accidental separation of the manuscript pages from vital author contact means.

Writing Tip of the Day-Theme

2011-04-22T08:31:00.000-05:00

The theme of any novel is best shown by example so it can be slowly assimilated by the reader. Too much exposition upon your life view is unwarranted author intrusion into the story. Few readers want a sermon served with their fiction.

Writing Tip of the Day-Theme

2011-04-20T04:41:00.000-05:00

Theme in fiction is whatever you, the author, have to say about subject of your novel. It’s how the actions and fates of your characters illustrate your view of life and how to live it, or your insights into the human condition.

Writing Tip of the Day-Theme

2011-04-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

Many sub-themes exist in romantic novels. They include, but are not limited to, the value of family, creation of family; trust in the male-female bond; the value of honor and duty; the nature of sacrifice for those you love, and the joy and worth of romantic love.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter-April 2011

2011-04-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

How many times have I told you spring is my favorite time of year? I’m always struck by that realization as the world turns green again and flowers begin to bloom—and in spite of the thunderstorms and tornado warnings that go with the warmer weather. Recently, I signed up for the Code Red Alert system, a service of the local sheriff’s office. With this you get a phone call whenever bad weather approaches, not only tornados but thunderstorms that might have damaging winds or hail. One night this past week, I woke to an automated phone call at 11:00 p.m. and then another one at 2:00 a.m., though the most we got from either line of thunderstorms was a few flashes of lightning and a sprinkling of rain. But that’s okay. Next time, it could be the kind of disaster that shows up too often on TV news. Hopefully, I’ll be downstairs in an enclosed hallway if it happens.

The last book of my medieval Three Graces trilogy is done and off my desk. SEDUCED BY GRACE was corrected its final time in mid-March, then zapped to my editor as an email attachment in MS Word. Big sigh of relief! As this is the last book in my current contract, I’m now without a deadline. Well, okay, I still have to answer copy editor’s queries and read the page proofs for Books 2 & 3 (BY GRACE POSSESSED due out in September and the book just sent in that will be published in October) before I’m totally done. Also, my editor has asked me to be thinking about more medieval books. But that’s for the future. Right now, I’m taking a break and planning a Caribbean cruise as reward for completing this contract.

In other news about the trilogy, my web mistress will soon have covers for the three books on the home page of my web site, along with the back cover blurbs and an excerpt from Book 1, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE. This advance material should be available on Monday, April 4. Look for it at: http://www.jenniferblake.com

Also, I had a request from the agent who handles my international sales for a copy of the manuscript for the first book of the Three Graces trilogy, in addition to cover art and blurbs for all three. He wanted to take these things with him to the huge London book fair. It should be interesting to see what kind of foreign sales come of that.

The Masters at Arms books, about the sword masters of old New Orleans, continue to be released around the globe. I received copies of the Australian edition of ROGUE’S SALUTE, Book 3 of the series, out this past month. I’ve had several reader queries about these swordsmen lately, as well. It seems people want to be sure they’ve collected all six books now that the series has been completed. I understand the impulse since I prefer to read a series in sequence and all at once myself, without having to wait between books. That can be a little scary for an author, however. The Masters at Arms series was written over a six-year period, so there could easily be things that slipped my mind between books one and six. These bits should be much more obvious to readers plowing straight through all of the books in a matter of days. No one has mentioned anything so far, but you never know!

I continue to contribute posts, or short essays, to the Mira Author blog. Up this month is one titled “In Search of the True Hero.” It’s about the problem with heroes who are too domineering, and how to fix it. I’ll be posting that on Monday or Tuesday of next week. Up last month was a list of “10 Tips for Productive Writing” that’s still available if you scroll down the page. Look for these at: http://community.eharlequin.com/content/mira-author-blog

Romance authors have complained for decades about the lack of respect shown the genre. Maybe it’s a function of living in the Deep South, where there’s less elitism over literary versus commercial writing, but I’ve had little experience with that attitude. I was invited to be writer-in-residence at ULM some years back based solely on my writing career, and have had requests from two different universities for donation of the manuscripts, letters and other papers comprising my “literary legacy.” In addition, my local library has long had a special display of my books. This past month the library staff, headed by Angela Holder, moved the collection to a larger glassed-in and sealed bookcase near the entrance. She also included a decorative background and a few personal items pertaining to my writing. I’ve always been grateful to the Jackson Parish Library for its support over my long career, but this is an especially heartwarming gesture. If you’re in the area, check out the new display at 614 South Polk, Jonesboro, Louisiana.

That’s it for this month—except to wish you all the lovely green promise of the season and a quick end to its unsettled weather!

Warmest,
Jennifer Blake

Writing Tip of the Day-Theme

2011-03-30T13:24:00.000-05:00

Few books have a single theme. Most are multi-layered, with insights about life and human nature presented in conjunction with a larger, more mythic premise.

Writing Tip of the Day-Theme

2011-03-29T14:09:00.000-05:00

Most commercial fiction books are morality tales with an underlying theme of the battle between good and evil. They are examples of how to use high principles to overcome obstacles and receive the reward of a life well lived. Romance novels are no exception.

Writing Tip of the Day-Theme

2011-03-28T09:09:00.001-05:00

Examination of the human condition is not limited to literary fiction. Any written work, including commercial fiction, can become a forum for author insight.

Writing Tip of the Day-Theme

2011-03-25T09:44:00.002-05:00

Romance novels are explorations of the male-female bond. A major underlying theme is the importance of this bond to the survival of the human species.

Writing Tip of the Day-Theme

2011-03-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

The basic themes of literature are said to be Man Against Nature, Man Against Man, and Man Against Himself. For romance novels, the overriding theme is often Man Against Woman, or the battle of the sexes.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-23T09:39:00.000-05:00

Strict rules of grammar forbid the incomplete sentence. It's allowed in commercial fiction as an indication of natural speech or for dramatic emphasis, but should not be overused or allowed to become a habit.

Writing Tip of the Day

2011-03-18T06:14:00.000-05:00

Exclamation marks should be reserved for moments of high drama or excitement as frequent use dilutes their impact. Word usage, or word order in the sentence, should provide any emphasis required.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-17T08:57:00.000-05:00

The accepted "go-to" reference for the prevention of accidental anachronisms is Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. It includes dates of first usage for thousands of common and uncommon words and phrases.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

Modern words and phrases used inappropriately in historical fiction are known as anachronisms. They should be avoided at all costs, as nothing destroys the careful construction of a historical world so completely.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-10T05:18:00.000-06:00

Slang words and phrases should be avoided. They are often too localized to be useful, or else tie a book to a particular time period so the text becomes dated or inaccessible to readers in future decades.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-08T08:34:00.000-06:00

To create the illusion of a character of foreign extraction, it’s best to use a few well-chosen exclamations, oaths or endearments from his native language. Readers should not be overwhelmed with excess foreign words or phrases.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-07T09:41:00.001-06:00

Foreign words and phrases are placed in italics when used in dialogue. Exceptions are foreign words that have become so familiar (senorita, monsieur) they are easily recognized by the average reader.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-04T08:17:00.002-06:00

In normal conversation, people seldom use more than three sentences without a break. Dialogue will seem more natural if it follows the same pattern.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-03T05:44:00.000-06:00

Character speech should read as if it's issuing directly from the brain of the person speaking. The vocabulary of the author should not necessarily be the vocabulary of the character.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter - March 2011

2011-03-01T13:08:00.000-06:00

Greetings:

So much has been going on here recently that I’m not sure where to start except to take things more or less in order. First up was the reprint of FIERCE EDEN by Sourcebooks in their Casablanca Classics program of presenting romance novels from the classic period of romance in trade-size editions. Reviews for the book have been heart-warming with many sites awarding it top honors of 4 ½ or 5 stars. A selection can be found at these web addresses:

http://www.loveromancepassion.com/review-fierce-eden-by-jennifer-blake/

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nor/Reviews/Danya-reviews-Fierce-Eden-by-Jennifer-Blake.aspx

http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/2011/02/fierce-eden-by-jennifer-blake.html

http://www.suite101.com/content/historical-romance-fiction-book-review--fierce-eden-a337219

http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=28008

http://saveyspender.com/2011/02/10/fierce-eden-book-review/

http://debsbookbag.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-fierce-eden.html

A great “5 book” review was also posted at the Long and Short Reviews web site, where readers voted FIERCE EDEN the Best Book of the Week for February 6 – 12. The review and special button showing its winning status are here: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2011/02/fierce-eden-by-jennifer-blake.html

For work in progress, I completed the second round of pen-and-ink self editing/polishing for SEDUCED BY GRACE, book 3 in the medieval Three Graces trilogy that will be out later this year. Though I still have to transfer the corrections and additions from paper to computer, it looks as if I’ll easily make my editorial deadline of April 1. The closer I get to the final The End, the more I like this book, which is always a nice feeling. As this is the last book in my current contract, I’m looking forward to a few weeks of R & R after I zap it off to my editor.

A side note: book 1 of the new trilogy, BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE is already available for preorder on Amazon.com. It won’t ship until late July, but readers can reserve their copies. Last time I looked, Amazon had no cover art available for the title. I posted the covers for the trilogy to a Facebook album last week, so my “friends” there got an advance look at them. I’ll add these to the Photo section of this Yahoo group soon, so you’ll have a sneak peek, too. If you’d like to join me on Facebook, just do a “search” for Jennifer Blake. Several people have that name, but I’ll be only one with a book cover for my profile photo!

Meanwhile, the Three Graces trilogy has been sold in Turkey. I was in Istanbul year before last while on a Mediterranean cruise. It’s a great pleasure to think of my books being read in this lovely old city beside the Bosporus.

I can’t remember if I told you that TRIUMPH IN ARMS, final book of the Masters at Arms series, has been nominated as Best Historical Romance 2010 in the Romantic Adventure category by Romantic Times Book Review Magazine. This award will be presented to the winner at the RT convention in Los Angeles next month. In addition, I received my author’s copies of the hardcover library and large print edition of TRIUMPH IN ARMS this past week. That means it’s out there now in this additional format.

For some time I’ve been posting a “Writing Tip of the Day” to the blog on my web site. I’m now coming up on Tip #250, and will actually post that one tomorrow. The current subject is Dialogue. The next will be Manuscript Preparation, the dos and don’ts of preparing professional-looking manuscripts. You can view these at: http://jenniferblakejournal.blogspot.com/

On the subject of blogs, I’ll be posting a new one on March 9 to the Mira Author Blog on the Harlequin web site. The title for it will be “10 Tips for Productive Writing.” Check it out here: http://community.eharlequin.com/content/mira-author-blog

On March 11 -12, I’ll be at the NOLA Stars conference, the annual writing conference for the North Louisiana branch of Romance Writers of America. I’m not speaking or giving a workshop this year, but have donated a basket of writing-themed goodies to the silent auction to be held during the weekend, and also a personal critique for a synopsis. You’ll need to be present to bid on these and the other great items, as well as to enjoy the super workshops and speakers. A Barnes and Noble book signing with several authors from NOLA will be a part of the conference as well. FMI: http://www.nolastars.com/nola-stars-conference

I’ve also contributed an autographed book and hand-knitted lace scarf in turquoise/aqua shades of silk and wool to Brenda Novak’s annual auction for the benefit of diabetes research. These things will be included in a basket of books and hand-crafted items gathered by author Winnie Griggs, a fantastic collection from romance authors who are also do handicrafts. FMI: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Home.taf

And, speaking of autograph sessions, I’ll be signing books at Book Expo America in New York on Wednesday, May 25th. At this session, advance copies of BY HIS MAJESTY GRACE will be given away to booksellers. The invitation-only event is by arrangement with my publisher, Mira Books, and should be great fun.

While all this has been going on, the unusually cold weather here in Louisiana has slowly warmed to something near normal, or even a bit above. Daffodils and narcissus are blooming, along with maples, pears, plums and redbud trees. The grass is beginning to show a haze of green, as are the weeping willow trees at the lake’s edge. What grand timing, to be almost done with my book and contract just in time for my favorite season of the year. It couldn’t have worked out better if I’d planned it that way!

With warmest wishes for a well-timed spring wherever you are,

Jennifer

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-03-01T01:23:00.000-06:00

All dialogue is not created equal. Lines for characters should be written to reflect the personality of the speaker, his/her place in the world, and the time period in which they live.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-28T08:03:00.002-06:00

Scenes can be slowed for dramatic effect by the inclusion of longer dialogue tags, also by setting descriptions for mood, by character descriptions, actions or thoughts. The impression of greater time lapse can also be given as one character summarizes information needed by another but that is already known to the reader.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-27T08:29:00.000-06:00

Dialogue in action scenes should be short and punchy with few tag lines. Incomplete sentences also give the impression of movement and drama.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-26T05:39:00.000-06:00

Dialogue between two or more characters may be used to relay information to the reader. However, it should never be used to transmit information that should already be known to everyone in the conversation. The exchange will feel stilted and false.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-24T09:42:00.001-06:00

A dialogue tag is not required for every spoken line or paragragh. If the speech pattern, rhythm or context of what’s being said is sufficient to identify the speaker, leave it untagged.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-23T10:53:00.000-06:00

Varied combinations of verbs and adjectives used in tag lines (“she gasped breathlessly,” “he huffed scathingly,” “he exclaimed in stentorian tones”) can become annoying when used to excess. They slow the story and often indicate the intrusion of the author into the character’s viewpoint.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-22T07:35:00.000-06:00

Tag lines that include an adverb(“he said calmly”,) can become a bad habit. Use with caution.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-21T06:08:00.000-06:00

Straining to create different or unusual tag lines for each and every speech is considered bad writing because it can distract the reader. Simplicity is much preferred.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-19T04:32:00.000-06:00

The appropriate tag line for a question is “he asked” or “she demanded,” and so on. Only when the author intends dialogue written in interrogatory form to be read as a statement is it correct to use “he said” or “she said.”

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-18T09:56:00.001-06:00

Words and phrases used to let the reader know who is speaking are known as tag lines. The most simple, and often most effective, are “he said” or “she said.” Unobtrusive alternatives used for variety include “he replied,” or “she answered.”

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-17T08:17:00.001-06:00

Dialogue for each character should be given a separate paragraph to aid the reader in understanding who is speaking. However, a change of subject by the same character can require an additional paragraph or more. To establish that the speaker has not changed, the original quotation marks are left open until after the final sentence by that character.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-16T07:14:00.000-06:00

British publications use a different system of establishing dialogue--different, that is, from the American variety. The standard in the U. K. is a single quote mark (‘) for normal dialogue, with double quote marks (“) for material quoted within a speech.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-15T09:04:00.001-06:00

When indicating speech for publication in the United States, double quote marks (“) are used. When a character directly quotes another within a piece of dialogue, single quote marks(‘) should be used.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-14T08:50:00.000-06:00

Story tellers from time immemorial have declaimed the speeches of their different characters and imitated their voices. However, dialogue as a fictional device had its origins in classical Greek drama.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-14T08:47:00.002-06:00

Quotation marks are used to distinguish dialogue from narrative. It sets the spoken words apart from the character description, actions, thoughts and background of a story.

Writing Tip of the Day-Dialogue

2011-02-11T09:47:00.000-06:00

Dialogue is the interchange, the discussion of events and ideas, between two or more people. In terms of a novel, it’s the conversation between characters.

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

2011-02-10T10:57:00.000-06:00

There are no absolute taboos in narrative construction. The writer is the architect of his or her story, so free to use the language and writing techniques which best express that vision.

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

2011-02-08T03:09:00.000-06:00

Present tense narrative lends immediacy to a story, making it feel as if events are happening in real time. It’s a difficult narrative to maintain, however, and can distract readers, preventing their submersion in the story.

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

2011-02-07T09:33:00.000-06:00

First person narrative is useful for stories which depend for their effect upon close reader identification with the main character. It’s a narrow point of view with limitations which may outweigh the advantage gained from it.

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter - February 2011

2011-02-01T11:22:00.000-06:00

Greetings:

February 1, at last. The reprint of FIERCE EDEN should be showing up on the shelves as we speak. I received my author’s copies a few days ago, and must say I’m impressed with the presentation Sourcebooks has done for the book. They’ve gone to trade-size paperback—paperback the size of a hardcover book—with their Casablanca Classics reprint program. The lovely shades of green and rose they chose for the cover look like spring and Valentine’s Day, and should make it easy to spot on the shelves. You may have seen this “profile” picture on my FaceBook page, though you have to click on the image for the full, enlarged effect. I’ve said it before, but will repeat it to be perfectly clear: this is a reprint of a bestseller from 1985, not a rewritten book. So many authors are reworking their earlier books these days that the question naturally arises. The only thing different about this reprint is correction of a few printer’s errors plus a small continuity bit that the original editor missed. FIERCE EDEN is available for the Kindle on Amazon.com. Other e-book formats can be downloaded at: www.ereads.com.

I also received a couple of contributor’ copies this month for FALL IN LOVE LIKE A ROMANCE WRITER, TRUE LOVE STORIES BY 67 AUTHORS. This collection was compiled by Amelia Gray, who is a romance author herself. My love story is in there, along with those of Robyn Carr, Heather Graham, Eloisa James, Kat Martin, Linda Lael Miller, Bertrice Small and 60 others. And it’s just in time for Valentine’s Day, too!

Meanwhile, I’ve completed the first round of author revision and polishing for Book #3 of my medieval trilogy. I think I gave the title for this as BY GRACE SEDUCED last month—not surprising as I’ve gone back and forth on what to call the story. The title for publication will be SEDUCED BY GRACE. I’m not sure what difference it makes, but there you are. The book is set for publication in October, following BY HIS MAJESTY’S GRACE in August, and BY GRACE POSSESSED in September. As I’ll be doing a second round of revising and polishing before I ship the manuscript to my editor, you’ll still be hearing about this book next month, I’m sure.

We’re under a tornado watch this morning, and rain has been pouring down. The storm delayed my sending this newsletter as I had to shut down my computer for a while as a precaution against power surges and outages. Otherwise, our winter has been fairly normal. We had a few snow flakes, sleet and freezing rain for a couple of days last month, but nothing compared to the horrific snow and ice elsewhere. (My heart goes out to all who are under blizzard and deep snow warnings today!) Last week saw our usual late January “warm spell,” with daytime temps in the high 50s and low 60s. I took advantage of the sunshine to work in my garden, pruning my antique roses (or helping my husband since this is a man-size job on these 6-feet tall shrubs), also cutting back the huge oleander that’s been trying to take over the driveway, and making art bonsai forms out of my intermediate-sized crepe myrtles. The plants fought back, and I have the scratches to prove it! But things are looking more orderly, at least for now. Funny, how much better that, plus a few hours of sun, can make you feel.

I’ll be attending the Written in the Stars writer’s conference for NOLA, the North Louisiana Branch of Romance Writers of America, on March 11-12. A book signing, sponsored by Barnes and Noble, is included during this event. I’ve also agreed to participate in the Silent Auction that’s part of the conference. My contribution is the critique of a synopsis, with auction proceeds to benefit NOLA. Anyone attending is free to bid. For information and registration go to: www.nolastars.com

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, ever wonder what a romance author does for it? My husband and I usually go out to dinner. Sometimes, he gives me a piece of jewelry, sometimes roses, sometimes candy—it’s always a surprise. In return, I usually make one of his favorite desserts, but with some special twist. This year, the plan is for a made-from-scratch cheese cake (Betty Crocker Ultimate Cheesecake recipe) with a center decoration of a hand-sized Reese’s chocolate and peanut butter heart-- Reese’s being one of his favorite things. Ah, romance!

With warmest wishes for love and remembrance this month and all through the year,

Jennifer

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

2011-02-01T08:58:00.000-06:00

Third person is the standard narrative form in published fiction because it most closely matches oral storytelling tradition. It feels familiar and “right” to the reader.

Writing Tip of the Day-Narrative

2011-01-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Narrative “flow” is a mark of good writing—sentences with an internal rhythm which draws the reader ever forward, ever deeper into the story. Flow is created by an instinctual presentation of connected ideas, one leading naturally into another.