Wistful Wednesday

Deep in the Land of Edits

Hello, just dropping in briefly to let you know that I'm deep into the edits of my next book, Sloane Wolf. So in lieu of an actual post, I'm just going to tease you a little bit. I just viewed and approved the cover yesterday and it is gorgeous! Perhaps I'll share the pictures with you soon. To whet your appetite, here is a little bit on the story:

For more than a hundred and fifty years, the gray wolf has failed to roam the hills of Massachusetts, leading to the belief that they are extinct. But with a spattering of sightings across the Berkshires, the legend of the gray wolf comes to fruition. The product of that legend, Micah Sloane will go to great lengths to protect his kind from the threat of outsiders, who seek to exploit the legend for their own interests. One thing he didn’t count on, however, was finding his soul mate in the company of such men.

From the first time she predicted a stranger’s imminent death when she was little more than a child, Shiloh Beck knew she was different. Wishing to cultivate her gift, her parents made the fateful decision to enroll her in a private school for paranormally gifted children. Unbeknownst to them, the school was just a front for a research facility simply called the Institute, whose secret board members weaned gifted children from their families to exploit their gifts. Shiloh has spent the better part of her life trying to escape the Institute and reunite with the family she was told had abandoned her.

From their first meeting, Micah and Shiloh share a connection that goes beyond the normal to bond them in a way that love alone cannot. But before they can build a life together, they must deal with the fall-out when the legend of the wolves collides with the men behind the Institute.

How's that for a teaser? Oh, and for anyone who might want to read my first book, Nora's Soul, from today until June 8, it's available at a special price - just 99 cents! Check out the details here: http://secondwindpub.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/second-wind-publishing-99-kindle-sale/  (You need to scroll down to get to my link) or you can go directly to the Amazon page (if you're not interested in checking out the other Second Wind titles on special) at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024NJVRY/sr=1-1/qid=1306812373/ref=sr_1_1_oe_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306812373&sr=1-1

Happy reading!

In the Moonlight with Pat Bertram, Author of Daughter Am I

Grateful to be an Author

by Pat Bertram

It seems a bit paltry to have a single holiday to give thanks when I have so much for which to be grateful. I am grateful for my online friends and for my fans. (Odd to think I actually have fans!) I am grateful for the readers of my blog, who never fail to offer support and suggestions. I am especially grateful for my publisher, who understands my books better than I do. But I am most grateful for being the author of my novels rather than being a character in them.

It’s an author’s responsibility to put her characters through as many traumas as possible. Readers want to worry about characters, they want to see how characters act when faced with horrendous conditions and dilemmas, and they want the characters to go bravely where they themselves would never go. As an author, I might give readers what they want, but frankly, I would never choose to be in any of the situations my characters encounter. And, although I am trying to be bold and brave in my own life, I will never be as bold as my characters. Nor do I want to be.

When Mary Stuart, the hero of Daughter Am I discovers she inherited a farm from recently murdered grandparents she never knew she had, she becomes so obsessed with finding out who they were, why someone wanted them dead, and why her father claimed they had died before she was born, that she ends up driving halfway across the country with strangers. That these strangers are all in their eighties might have put her at ease, but when she finds out about their less than lawful pasts, it still doesn’t deter her from her goal. In fact, she heads for Leavenworth, hoping to talk to Iron Sam AKA Butcher Boy AKA Samuel Bornstein, a hit man for the mob who might have known her grandfather.

Um, yeah. Like that’s something I would do! I am grateful that I have never had to deal with such a situation. When Mary discovers that one of the aged crooks is carrying an illegal weapon, she confiscates it and tucks it in her purse. Forgetting for the moment that I don’t carry a purse, having a gun tucked away in a handbag where it might accidentally go off is not high on my list of priorities. (Though I would be interested in firing a gun just once to see how it would feel. Strictly for research purposes, you understand.)

Sneaking onto the property of a connected guy to dig for stolen gold . . . hmmm. Perhaps I might do that, but I’m grateful I don’t know of any such treasure in real life that would put me to the test.

And that’s just one of my books. When I consider all of them, my gratitude is unending. I am grateful I never had to twice attend my mother’s funeral as poor Bob Stark did in More Deaths Than One. I’m grateful I have not yet had to deal with an epidemic so severe that the entire state of Colorado needs to be quarantined as described in A Spark of Heavenly Fire. I am grateful that I am not being held captive in an underground installation run by a quasi-government agency as are my heroes in Light Bringer, which will be released in the spring of 2010.

I am also grateful to Margay Leah Justice for inviting me to be a guest here on Moonlight, Lace, and Mayhem.

So, what are you grateful for!

Pat, thank you so much for the shout out. It is my pleasure to have you here on our blog today!

Pat Bertram is a native of Colorado and a lifelong resident. When the traditional publishers stopped publishing her favorite type of book — character and story driven novels that can’t easily be slotted into a genre — she decided to write her own. Daughter Am I is Bertram’s third novel to be published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC. Also available are More Deaths Than One and A Spark of Heavenly Fire.

Whose Idea Is It, Anyway?

The other day, my fellow Second Wind author JJ Dare wrote an interesting post on ideas that really got me thinking. Entitled “Steal This“, the post tackled the issue of authors (or one, at least) blatantly stealing ideas from other authors and writing their own stories from them. Now this is a little different than coming up with a story based upon a similar premise. That happens all of the time – how else do you explain the plethora of vampire and shapeshifter books out there? The difference there, however, is that each author has taken the initial premise and made it their own, developing whole worlds that are far different than their peers’. This is also different than having someone say that you or your story inspired them to write their own and then to discover (happily, as I did) that their concept in no way mirrored your own. I have no problem with that. In fact, I revel in the experience of being the inspiration for others to write. What I have a problem with is people blatantly stealing from other people.

I wish I could say that this was an isolated incident, but sadly, it is becoming far too common. With stunning frequency, accounts are coming forward about one author lifting material from another and trying to pass it off as their own, as “original.” How they can do this with a clear conscience is a mystery to me. I labor every day to make my stories as unique as I possibly can. I won’t even read anything with a similar theme until long after my book is done because I don’t want it to influence me in any way or give anyone a reason to accuse me of pilfering. Sadly, it seems that too many people are jumping on the bandwagon of accusing (mostly famous) authors of stealing their ideas – and some are actually doing it. How did we ever come to this? Whatever happened to professional courtesy and respecting our peers?

After reading JJ’s story, I will be even more careful about sharing any ideas with others – until the ideas are 300-page books, that is. What about you? What do you think of the outbreak of plagiarism that has struck the book world lately? Will it make you more reluctant to share your ideas with others, or will you still participate in workshops and critique groups, trusting that no one will hijack your idea? And if you have any suggestions on how I can calm my fears of idea/story theft, please feel free to share them. All comments are greatly appreciated.

Author's Note: This post was originally published on the Second Wind blog at http://secondwindpub.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/whose-idea-is-it-anyway/ but I believe, in light of some more famous cases of idea theft (or plagiarism, if you will), that it deserves more attention. Please read JJ's post, Steal This, to see what got me so fired up. It might make you think a little differently in the future. Thank you, Margay

In the Moonlight: Claire Collins

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us! Claire Collin’s newest release is Images of Betrayal. Her full length Suspense novel became available in paperback in August 2008! Her next Novel, Seeds of September is scheduled to be available by the end of the summer.



http://clairecollins.wordpress.com/
http://www.secondwindpublishing.com/ClaireCollins.html
http://www.amazon.com/Fate-Destiny-Claire-Collins/dp/1935171003/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2YWSD68DP3ZYB&colid=2D8C073V6CV8V
http://www.amazon.com/Images-Betrayal-Claire-Collins/dp/1935171011/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243106062&sr=1-2

http://www.facebook.com/people/Claire-Collins/1526866242
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iF28PXMOcI
http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=claire+collins



When/how did you know you wanted to write?

I started writing when I was four and I’ve never really stopped wanting to write. I’ve just developed better ideas over the years.


How long did it take you to become published?

I sent my first query letter out in 1998 or 1999. I set the concept aside for several years, then looked at it again and rewrote 90% of it. Then I spent a couple of years editing. I restarted sending out queries again in 2007. Within a year, I was fortunate enough to be in on the ground floor of a publishing company just starting out, Second Wind Publishing. My experience with the company has been fantastic.


How long does it usually take for you to research a book? Write the book?

Every book is totally different for me. Fate and Destiny took over ten years to complete and I think the research was minimal. Images of Betrayal flowed constantly and only took a couple of months for me from start to finish. My upcoming novel took a huge amount of research because it starts in 1956 and I don’t have first hand knowledge of the events of the time, so I have to learn them to write about them.


Is there any character in your books that you can really relate to?

As their creator, I think I relate to all of the characters. Each of them, even the villains, have pieces of me in them. They’re all just as closely related to me as my own family, including the weird cousins I don’t want to claim.


What advice do you give to those who are just starting out or trying to become published?

Get ready for the long haul. There really isn’t a good fast track to being published unless you’re willing to do it on your own. This isn’t a quick road to fame and fortune. This is all about loving the written word and the stories that go along with it. It’s a lot of hard work.


Where do your story ideas come from? Do you use people you know as characters sometimes or even sometimes a certain event from real life happenings?

I have tons of ideas. I could be driving to work and see someone sitting at a bus stop and before I get to work, I’ve created an entire life story for them. I use personality pieces from actual people I know, but that’s where the similarity tends to end.


Getting back to your books coming out soon. Tell us a little about what to expect from them.
Here’s a teaser for you:

In 1956, Tommy Benson left the plains of Kansas for a new start in California. Little did he know when he started driving down Route 66 that his childhood friend Lainey had stowed away in his truck. Seeds of September relates the story of Tommy and Lainey's life together through fifty years of joys and sorrows and an everlasting love.


When and where can we purchase your books?

My books are available from the Publisher at www.secondwindpublishing.com, on Amazon, and on Smashwords.


What are you reading right now?

I spend a lot of time reading novels written by new authors at Second Wind. I’m always amazed at how talented they are and what wonderful stories they create.


What are your experiences with publishers and agents?

I probably sent out more than 30 queries trying to get someone interested in my first book. Even getting a nibble was rare. I had a couple of agents who responded with interest and had me dangling on the hook for an extended time before they rejected me. I’m privileged to now be a part of Second Wind.


What will the role of the Internet play in the future of publishing?

The future of publishing is a huge topic. I could write pages and pages about that subject alone. I will just summarize by saying that I hope to be along for the ride as the publishing world changes over the next few decades.


Why did you choose your genre?

Authors get to choose their genres? I just start writing and the novel comes out, then I have to figure out which cookie cutter mold it fits into. They never do fit just right.


Have you ever gotten to a point where a story wouldn't come? If so, how did you get back on track?

I’ve hit that point with everything I’ve ever written. Sometimes I’m lucky and it lasts a few minutes. Sometimes, I’m not so lucky and it lasts for weeks or months. Suddenly, the next word will come and the story takes off again.


What do you think is the most important characteristic of a prolific writer?

Ask me in twenty years when I have the experience to answer that question.


If you could choose one thing to be remembered by, what would it be?

Wow, I hope I’m remembered by almost everyone I meet for one reason or another. I guess I hope that when my children remember me, they remember how much I loved them. No fame or fortune can do that.


Some authors start out with a plot in mind, others with characters whom they’ll follow to reveal the theme. What works best for you and why?

I tend to see a character and I start writing about them and they tell me their story.


Many writers have had success writing in different genres. Do you think it is difficult to switch over to another genre?

I don’t think any of my books fit tightly into a specific genre. They all have aspects of other genres. I plan on writing across genres.


Where did you receive your most valuable lessons in becoming a writer?

I think I learned the most valuable lessons after the book was published and I had to go out and tell people it existed. I’m just a horrible salesperson.


Do you belong to a critique group or have a critique partner? Which do you prefer?
Would you recommend critique groups to other writers? If so, what elements, in your opinion, make a successful writer’s group?

I have 5 or 6 people who read what I write as I’m writing. They’re invaluable.


Is writing your full time job or do you have another job also?

I actually have several other jobs. I’m a wife and mother of four. I work full time at a job that pays the bills. I also work diligently on a start up business that doesn’t pay anything yet, but I’m hoping will replace my day job at some point. Somewhere in all of that, I write.


What do you do to unwind in your free time?

What’s free time?

Thank you, Claire, for sharing your time with us today. It was a pleasure to have you here. ~ The Moonlighters

The Moonlight Shines on Juliet Waldron

Thank you for taking the time to interview with us. Juliet Waldron’s newest release is an old-fashioned romance/family saga. Hand-me-Down Bride is available in paperback and in Kindle format as of April, 2009.

Websites: http://www.amazon.com/Hand-Down-Bride-Juliet-Waldron/dp/1935171224/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242245879&sr=8-1

This book is available in Kindle format @ Amazon.com

http://www.secondwindpublishing.com

When did you know you wanted to write?

I had my first play produced in the 4^th grade—for the other 4^th grades. I loved to read, and so it just seemed to naturally follow that I loved to write, too.

How long did it take you to become published?

I’m still working toward the big time NYC goal, but I’ve been published in e-book and small press format since 2000. It’s been good to receive validation from readers!

How long does it take you to research and to write a book?

Depends on the book. A big semi-biographical historical takes a long time, at least for me, because I like to study the characters carefully and really do the primary source digging that it takes to find the real story. I'll tell the truth as I see it, even if it isn't pretty. Romances take me about 14 months. I’m not a fast writer, and I always do a lot of chopping and changing, especially after the characters stand up, begin to walk around--and start arguing with me!

What advice would you give to those who are trying to become published?

Learn the craft before you go public. Work is involved, not just desire.

Where do your story ideas come from? Do you use people you know as characters?

Always. Fortunately, I’ve known a lot of really off-the-wall people!

You were recently published. How does this feel?

It’s always good to get another “baby” out of the drawer! It makes me anxious, too, though, because I hope readers will like my story.

Getting back to your new book. Tell us a little about what to expect.

I wanted to write a traditional romance, and had a true story—of my immigrant great-grandmother--upon which to base it. Hand-me-Down Bride is set in Dutch country, quite near where I now live. More than sixty percent of Americans have German ancestors, but because of two terrible world wars, this heritage has been swept under the rug. Germans might not seem, on the face of it, to offer as much sexy fun as those hot-blooded Celts, but their traditions are a strong influence upon today’s American. And even these stolid, stern farming volk had story-worthy family problems—and romance!

When and where can we purchase your books?

Now! At Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Hand-Down-Bride-Juliet-Waldron/dp/1935171224/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242043542&sr=8-1

and at Second Wind Publishing

http://www.secondwindpublishing.com

What are you reading right now?

Audrey Braver’s Helluva Guy, Badeaux Knights by Suzette Vaughn, and Firefly Beach by Meira Pentermann, and The Free Negress, Elizabeth," which is based on a remarkable true story from 18th Century Suriname.

What was the book that most influenced your life?

Many, but I’d have to single out The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Although this is ostensibly a mystery, it started me on the path to a deep study of history, and to look further than mass market biographies for true story. I’m a huge fan of primary source.

If you had a book club, what would it be reading?

Well, my books, of course! These are Mozart’s Wife, Independent Heart (A Revolutionary Romance set in the Hudson Valley), and Hand-me-Down Bride, all available through Amazon, as print and as e books. Genesee, winner of the 2003 EPIC Best Historical, is set in Leatherstocking Country in N.Y. State.

Give us some “good to know” facts about you.

I’ve lived in Barbados and in England, in fact went to school there. My Dad disappeared in my early teens and my Mother took off for “more exciting” parts. We didn’t live as wealthy travelers, either, but as ex-pats, scraping by. I learned a lot in those days about how “the other half” lived, and in the W.I. saw the Third World up close. The experience has served me well as a writer. I was always an edge of the playground kid, so this “exile” was an extension of being outside looking in. It reinforced my tendency to listen and watch others.

Favorite ways to unwind?

Music, from Classical to Rock, Folk and World. I like to dig in the dirt. Gardening sounds a bit too organized for what I do. Every year I get tomatoes and salad, at least, and I’ve planted 25 trees on our small property. I’m definitely a tree hugger. Everyone ought to hug a tree once in a while, just to feel it “being.” I’ve got grandkids, but they are at a distance, so we’re into presents, phone-calls, and emails to keep up. I ride my bike and I walk, but I’m sightseeing, not speeding. My husband and I ride his Hyabusa, but for both of us this is more enjoying the countryside than zooming. Fortunately, we live in a little motorcycle heaven, here in Pennsylvania, with lots of scenic back roads and old time diners. The other fun thing is cats. I’ve got four, and they are all huge characters, and they require a lot of my time, because I’m their resident doorman, groomer, and housekeeper. As my lonely, now deceased neighbor lady used to declare: “Kitties are a whole lotta company.”

What role will the Internet play in the future of publishing?

It’s already playing it, by providing niches for writers who don’t fit into the NYC molds, writers who have talent and something to say. I look forward to the break down of these traditional monopolies, who really haven’t served readers particularly well.

What’s your next project?

Wish I had time for some new creation, but at this point, I’ll probably be re-working some of my 13 “drawer babies.” (They should be called “file babies” or something now, shouldn’t they?) I am the re-write Queen!

Have you ever got to the point where a story won’t come?

Never, not once I write that first chapter.

What is the most important characteristic of the prolific writer?

As Jimi Hendrix said, “Get Experience!” The stories will come.

How do you come up with original story lines?

Ever heard that old joke about “stranger than life?” Look around. Stories are next to you in that line at the supermarket.

Some authors start with plot, some with characters. What works best for you?

If I’m writing historical, the plot naturally comes first. It isn’t always clear, even with the big fat biography in hand, who the characters really are. That takes time to understand.

Many writers have success switching genres. Do you think it is difficult to switch?

Well, I have no inclination to write chick lit, (I’m too darned old) but I could go to paranormal, fantasy or S/F without difficulty . I love messing with Time and building worlds.

Critique partners?

I believe in ‘em. I’ve belonged to some wonderful writer’s groups, too, and received a lot of constructive criticism there. No group or partner at the moment, and I miss it. However, if there is a lack of sincerity and helpfulness in the group—run like mad. Negativity, cruelty, and one-upmanship are poison, and can easily kill a budding writer.

Are you a full time writer?

Yes, for years now, thanks to increasing age and my husband, generous patron of his own starving artist.

Conferences?

Yes, I go to a few as they are the only way I know to get a face-to-face with an editor or agent. They are expensive and can be demoralizing, but they can also give you lots of information on publishing, and you can meet some terrific people at conferences, too. Some huge ones, like RWA Nationals, are mostly marketing extravaganzas for the multi-published. Stick to regional conferences, if you’re interested in that market. You can still talk to editors and agents, go to informative presentations, and come home with both your ego and your pocketbook intact.

Reviews:

Rich in detail amidst the charm of Pennsylvania Dutch country, HAND ME DOWN BRIDE is a tender love story set among family rivalries and powerful enemies. This is a book that will grab you by the heart strings from the very first sentence—and never let go.

--Jacqueline Lepore: A HANDFUL OF DUST

From the first page of Juliet Waldron’s tender romance, the reader will be rooting for beautiful, mail-order bride, Sophie. Far from home, newly married and even more newly widowed, she is left virtually penniless and adrift in post Civil-War Pennsylvania. Unfamiliar with the language and resented by her dead husband’s family, the last thing she expects is to be is attracted to another member of the haughty Wildbach tribe. Karl Joseph is still trying to forget his wartime experiences, and the painful relationship he had with his late father.

The author has a way of blending all the special elements which make an engaging romance, from the old time country setting to the twists and turns of the love story, as Karl and Sophie rebuild their lives and discover a surprising new love.

Barbara Workinger,

Author of Amish Country Mysteries