As a writer, I try to learn and grow all the time. As my mother once said -- or will say to anyone standing nearby-- "some people learn and grow; some people just grow old." So I try to be the former. I may write light and fluffy stuff but I take the writing of it very seriously. I am currently doing edits for my upcoming book Murder is a Family Business, due out January 1, by MuseItUp Publishing. And yes, I, too, tend to repeat things to anyone standing nearby. The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
In rereading my work, as I scrutinize it, going word by word, I have discovered that I don't need most the adverbs I have used. Honestly, truly, really...whoops. Old habits die hard.
In some ways, using adverbs is taking the easy way out. The real work comes when I have to create a phrase that encapsulates what I have come to rely upon an adverb doing.
Of course, there are times when using an adverb is perfect. Rare but it does exist. And when it is perfect, I leave it. But more often than not, the reader gets what I'm saying without me adding: slowly, gently, sadly, laughingly, brightly, etc.
An added bonus is, I find I have tightened my work. Sometimes I think I should just do a global and delete every single word that ends with an 'ly.' But I lie down until that particular urge passes.
Still and all, I am a new member of the Adverb Police and proud to display my badge -- to anyone standing nearby.
Heather Haven, writer
San Jose, CA
Heather
Please click on Heather's Blog: This and That for the latest!
Esther Williams Did it Better
When I was a child, I remember seeing photos, magazines, and moving pictures of the beautiful film star and competitive swimmer, Esther Williams. I knew she was gorgeous, with long legs and great bathing suits, but what impressed me the most was not that part. When you’re a kid, you often don’t look at things they way the rest of the world does.
You see, I was practically a junior Esther Williams. Born and raised in southern Florida, I spent my youth in water of one form or another. Ocean, pool, creek, river, it didn’t matter, I was there. I also competed in local competitive swimming until I discovered rock and roll at age twelve. Until then, my life was spent in one bathing suit or another, practically year round. In fact, when we go through family albums, most of us know what year it was by what swimsuit I was wearing.
So what amazed me about Esther Williams most was not all the fancy dives and breast strokes but how she could pop up out of the water with a sparkling smile and eyes wide open.
Have you ever tried to open your eyes coming out of either chlorine or salt filled water? I could never do it. My eyes were usually bright red and blinking like someone had thrown medicinal eye drops at them. And forget smiling. Smile and your mouth fills with water. Now grant you, I was missing a few teeth at the time, but I couldn’t do it for nothin’.
Then let’s move on to Esther’s hair! In real life, even if you’re wearing a bathing cap, your hair is going to be wet after swimming. There is a caveat. Some swim caps, if they’re tight enough, can keep out a certain amount of water, especially if you don’t dunk your head. These are the ones applied with a shoehorn and once on, cause an immediate and intense headache. In truth, a swimming cap is really there to keep the hair out of your face and out of the pool’s water.
I never wore one as a kid and I remember continually standing up out of the water and being temporarily – but completely - blind. Not just by the chlorine or salt, but by the bangs plastered against my face and, mainly, over my eyes. I remember spending at least fifteen seconds spitting out water, rubbing my eyes, and pushing back gobs of sticky, wet hair off my face so I could see again.
Anyone remember Esther doing that in any of her movies? Of course not. Most of the time, her hair was beautifully styled atop her head even after she came up from a 20-Thousand-Leagues-Beneath-The-Sea dive. Every single hair was perfectly in place. In fact, it didn’t even look wet!
It was a mystery that started me on my career of sleuth writing (this is the segue). Finally, after years of research, probing, and heartbreaking toil, I happened upon an article revealing Esther’s impossibly neat and dry coiffeur in all her films. Vaseline! Yes, petroleum jelly was the secret ingredient, revealed by a hairdresser who is still in the witness protection program.
I don’t think I could have handled this revelation as a kid, so keep the news away from your children. Unless you are asking, who is this Esther Williams?
Then all I want to say is, read Murder is a Family Business, by Heather Haven, the first in the humorous mystery series about a family of detectives in Silicon Valley. This ebook is available at MuseItUp Publishing, along with other places. Thanks a lot and happy swimming.
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2/23/11
Today my gust blogger is the very talented writer, Roseanne Dowell. Thank you so much for being here, Roseanne. Please tell us what your new short story is all about. Where did the idea come from?
"Stranger on the Shore" started out as part of a 1000 word assignment for a writing course I took. Needless to say, Jordan wasn’t happy with that and over the years, I’ve expanded it.
After numerous revisions and expansions, it turned into an almost 7000 word story.
I first got the idea for this story when we went to a cottage along Lake Erie. Not isolated like Jordan’s but we drove past many like that. As we walked along the shore, I wondered what it would be like to live there during a storm. Lake Erie, being a shallow lake is notorious for sudden, treacherous storms. When the weather turns cold it produces Lake Effect snow. 
Being no stranger to lake effect snow, away from the lake, I can only imagine what it’s like on the shoreline.
So as usual, my imagination took over and Stranger on the Shore was born.
Author, Jordan Blake rescues a handsome stranger from her shore and more than a storm rages inside and out. To make matters worse the sexy stranger has amnesia. Against her better judgment, Jordan finds herself strangely attracted to the man. Heck for all she knows he could be a serial killer. It’d be just her luck to be stranded in a storm with someone like that. To avoid her attraction and the stranger, who can’t tell her anything about himself, Jordan locks herself in her office. Not that she can work. Thoughts of the stranger interfere with her writing. Besides she can hear him moving around and whistling in her living room. What will happen when he recovers his identity.
Stranger on the Shore will be available March 1st from Muse It Up Publishing, http://tinyurl.com/4kg9645
If you’d like to know more about my books, visit my website, www.roseannedowell.com or my blog, http://roseannedowellauthor.blogspot.com Or join me on twitter, http://twitter.com/roseannedowell
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2/12/11
In character chit-chat!
On my mother,
The-Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day,
Lila Hamilton Alvarez
By
Lee Alvarez
(Protagonist from Murder is a Family Business)
My mother makes me crazy. I say this because she is perfect. I once heard a joke that went like this: Two men are drinking at a bar. One man says to the other, “What brings you here every night? For me, my wife can’t do anything right. I can’t stand being around her.” The second man shakes his head and replies, “It’s not my wife’s faults that are killing me. It’s her virtues.” The first man says, “Wow! You have my sympathy. That’s even worse.”
I can relate to the second man’s point of view like nobody’s business. All my life I have lived in the shadow of the most beautiful, in-control, stylish, intelligent, and knowledgeable woman on this planet, my mother, the Blond Ice Princess.
Since I was a little kid, my girlfriends used to tell me how lucky I was to have such a ‘with it and gorgeous’ mom. When I got a little older, all my boyfriends developed huge crushes on her. I think most of them hung out with me, just to get to her.
When Dad was alive, he said Mom was the only woman alive to clean fish in a beaded Halston gown. Mom would respond, arching one of her famous eyebrows, that she didn’t see anything wrong with that, because she always wore an apron over it. Then they’d both laugh. It was a running joke between them.
These two were seriously in love. Dad worshiped Mom and Mom adored Dad. They were a modern day Romeo and Juliet, he the Mexican immigrant made good, and her the Palo Alto blueblood.
I’m told I take after my father in nearly every way. Dark hair, twilight colored eyes, fiery temper. When I was a kid, everybody said, “Lee’s got Roberto’s features but not his fixtures.”
Not that anyone ever said this around Mom. First of all, too crude. Gender-based innuendos are not made around L. H. Alvarez. She would be scandalized. And secondly, my mother can’t stand it when people use nicknames or abbreviations. She calls it lazy. I have been called Liana, since I dropped out of the womb. Whoops. Scratch that remark. Back to being too crude.
And what really makes her crazy – ha ha - is how at the tender age of eleven, I became enamored of Dashiell Hammett, the quintessential writer of hard-boiled detective stories. Dad had given me a set of the famous writer’s books for my birthday and, man oh man, it changed my life. I never looked back. Becoming a PI was the next logical step.
You could say I cut my teeth on Sam Spade. That’s who I emulate. Of course, I like to wear a Vera Wang and sip on a Starbuck’s mocha latté as I emulate.
Well, after all, I am my mother’s daughter.
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1/28/11
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
I received a surprise award for my blog from my new friend Kay Dee Royal. Is that a sweetheart, or what? Click on her name to go to her blog.
I took this award to heart and spent hours chosing my ten recipients. What was wonderful about it was, it gave me the opportunity to think about why I visited some blogs more than once and why they made an impression on me. In light of that, I decided to list my reasons for choice after each one. The lineup is not in order of preference.
As a 'taggie' I am supposed to do the following:
1) Share 7 things about myself.
2) Pass this award on to 10 other bloggers recently discovered.
3) Notify the recipients.
4) Link the blogger who gave this award.
Here are my ten award recipients for the Versatile blogger:
J.W. Nicholas Blog – http://avomnia.wordpress.com/ This is a first-class blogsite with topics provoking thought and response, and done with style. When a blog is this good, people should know about it.
Ginger Simpson’s “Dishin’ It Out” – http://mizging.blogspot.com – I know, I know. Ginger gets added time after time because she puts humor and oomph into blogging. What can I say? It’s a great blogsite.
The Book Connection - http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/ Does guest blogging with great panache. Hosted by Cheryl Malandrinos.
Karen McGrath - http://www.karenmcgrathauthor.com/blog.html Lovely, inspiring blog, filled with positive feelings. It makes me smile.
Craig Gehring - http://www.craiggehring.com/#/column/4542146806 While this is not labeled a blog - it’s called a column - I can't see much difference. I feel Craig offers great versatility i.e. a Sci Fi author writing about Ben Hecht “The Shakespeare of Hollywood” is a pretty broad spectrum.
Geri Spieler - http://blog.gerispieler.com/ - The range of this blog goes from politics to books, with many guest bloggers. Whether you agree with the ideas or not, you are in for one stimulating read.
The Writing Life For Me - http://thewritinglifeforme.blogspot.com/ - Alice M. Roelke An absolutely charming, charming blogsite.
Illusions of Intimacy – Marsha A. Moore – http://marshamoore.blogspot.com – Just one beautiful blogsite. So ethereal. Another smiler.
Patricia Bates - http://ofinkandquille.blogspot.com/ Of Ink and Quill is a blog loaded with information. A good place to spend a twenty-minute break boning up on how to bring a book into the world.
Cindy Sample - http://cindysamplebooks.com/my-blog/ - This blog is just plain fun and worth the time. I love it.
Here are 7 things about me:
- My favorite drink is a martini. And bruise that sucker, please. 2 olives.
- I watch All My Children as faithfully as possible. Even I don't know why.
- I love living in the foothills of San Jose. I think the weather is glorious.
- I have a sneaky feeling I’m a little spoiled.
- I hope to write another 8 books, at least.
- Even though the subjects I write about are light-hearted, I take the writing of them very seriously.
- I regret not swimming with a dolphin named JoJo in the waters of the Caribbean when I had the chance. I wish I'd seized the moment. Lesson learned.
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1/19/11
To Blog or Not to Blog?
That is the question. Whether t'is nobler in the mind....whoops....sorry. Got carried away. Lost in the idea of blogging.
One of the problems with blogging - for me - is blogs take time away from the more "serious" writing, if someone who writes humorous murder mysteries may say without fear of being pummeled to the ground by her peers.
I mean, when do my fellow authors get the time to blog? It's all I can do to get up in the morning, drag myself to the computer to start yet another chapter - all right, page - of my 3rd novel in the Alvarez Mystery, Death Runs in the Family. Yes, that was an insufferable and undisguised plug, but this is my blog, after all.
Then I do have other things that fill my day, such as a husband, life, cats, friends, errands and All My Children. Erica Kane is working on her 11th husband and is being accused of murder. Do you think I'm going to let her go thru that all alone?
My daily schedule is in place. It takes time. Something will have to go. Probably, I should stop watching AMC, and replace it with my daily blogging. Nawwwww. Who am I kidding?
I'll just stop cooking dinner, order in Chinese, and blog with that added time. I feel inspired.
Time to go blog.
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1/16/11
And Now That It's Published?
My book is out. So far, the reviews are great but is anybody seeing them and buying the book? I don't see a mob beating a path to one of the virtual stores, but I remain hopeful. I remain hopeful Norman and I will be able to buy dinner one of these days from the sales of my book. Are we talking steak Diane or are we talking a Big Mac? Have no idea.
This book publishing thing is an anathema to me. I’m not completely sure how to get out there, have your book seen, recognized, rise as cream above the rest of the milk without spending buckets of moola on it, which I don’t have. There are hundreds of books being published every day, especially ebooks. I’m one of many.
But I take heart. I’m with a great publisher, MuseItup Publishing, so if it can be done by someone who’s not Stephen King or Danielle Steele, they can help me pull it off. I’m also told a book here, a book there, royalties eventually add up. Good. Should I live long enough to have a dozen or so books epublished, maybe I can actually go to Napa Valley’s The French Laundry, billing it to a writer’s tab.
Meanwhile, back to the computer. First draft of the Third book of the Alvarez Mystery Series almost done. Taking heart.
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Happy New Year!
The most amazing New Year's Eve I've spent was shared with my husband, nearly thirty years ago. It wasn't romantic, even tho we were newly-weds, and I will never forget it.
We have a good friend, Bill Stabile, a set designer for Broadway, off-Broadway, and touring shows, television productions, such as Law and Order, and virtually anything that needs a set. He was also good friends with Tom O'Horgan, American theatre and film director, composer, actor and musician, best known for his Broadway work as director of the hit musicals Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Bill got Norman and I invited to Tom's New Year's Eve celebration and it was phenominal. At that time, Tom lived in a loft apartment, spacious by any standards, especially New York City's. As you wandered around the apartment, you could help but notice that hanging on every wall of the eight or nine rooms were hundreds of musical instruments. They were large, small, simple, ornate, easy to figure out, confusing as all get-out, and collected by Tom during his travels the world over.
At around 11:55 pm, Tom invited everyone at the party - and there were around 75 of us - to grab as many instruments as we wanted and at the stroke of midnight, begin to play it or them, whether you knew how to or not. We all raced around the room, gathering instruments off the walls. Most of us had no idea how they worked. Some had four or five instruments piled on their laps or sitting on the floor around them, waiting for the magic hour to come.
And when it came, the din was unbelievable. it went on for hours after the New Year was rung in, long into the night and early morning. Around three o'clock, Norman and I were wiped out and left, but many were still there, playing, laughing, loving the experience, a once in a life-time experience.
Thank you, Bill, for letting us tag along with you to the party so many years ago. And thank you, Tom, for trusting a lot of strangers with what I know to be prized possessions, your musical instruments, treasured and loved, from around the world. I still treasure the memory.
9/13/10
Welcome Lorriane AKA Larion Wills, two names, one writer, thousands of stories!
I am delighted Lorriane is visiting with us today. I've asked her a few questions, just to get to know her a little better:
WHAT IS THE FIRST BOOK YOU REMEMBER READING AS A CHILD?
The first I remember the name of, which was a long way from the first, was Kazan, the Wolf Dog. It was first in a series starting with Kazan being orphaned as a puppy through his mating and his puppies. Long time ago. I was a regular patron of the grade school library and carried books out by the armful. I've come a long way from real wolf stories in reading materials. I even started one book of my own on a werewolf. When I get the time without other responsibilities, I'll go back and finish it, some day.
WHAT DO YOU READ AS AN ADULT?
I'm the most into suspense, mystery and romance now. I like complicated stories where I can't know what's going to happen before I get there. Straight romances, for instance, are a bit boring to me. I like that mystery or suspense mixed in with it just as I like romance mixed in with the mystery though I read a lot that are straight suspense. I love paranormal mixed in as well, meaning ghosts, ESP, that type of thing.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF WRITING TO DO?
Mystery, suspense, romance. Lol. Bet you could see that one coming.
AS A FICTION NOVELIST, HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN MEMOIR? IF SO, WHAT?
No memoirs, too many people who would take offense at what I might write about them. Lol. I did write one short on some of my family history, two generations ago. It's available as a free read at Museitup Publishing. The White Stetson Hat is a brief collection of some of the stories my grandmother and great uncle told me about their growing up years in an oil boom town. Once those two got started, I could have listened for hours. I'm just sorry I didn't get more details and write more of them down before we lost them.
IF YOU COULDN’T WRITE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD BE ANOTHER OUTLET?
Go back to what I did a lot of before writing started dominating my life. I was always doing some manner of crafts: sewing, knitting, crocheting. Even tried my hand at piecing and quilting. I think I took out my sewing machine two or three years ago for a day of making book covers and book bags to use as prizes on my site. The only time it'd been out of the closet before that in at least seven years was to move.
WHAT WRITER(S) INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST IN YOUR WRITING AND WHY?
In my early years, authors like Barbara Michaels (Elizabeth Peters) and Mary Stewart, even Ira Fleming come first to mind. Henlien among several when I was on a science fiction kick. Louis L'amore dominated when it was westerns I was bingeing on. I still love to go back and read some of them. Even now every favorite writer influences me in wishing I could put down the words to make a story as interesting to others as theirs are to me. Those I haven't liked provided lessons as well, in a 'don't do that' way.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PITFALL OF WRITING FOR YOU?
Promoting, not any kind of a new complaint. You'll hear it all over the loops from different authors. I swear, promoting takes more time than writing and editing the book does, and doesn't leave time to do more writing. It has to be done, though, if I'm going to reach out and let people out there know about my books rather than just letting them set on inactive pages of various vendors. I loop and blog and chat and guest blog--which is why I'm here--to let people know I have those books written and would love to share.
WHAT IS THE EASIEST PART OF WRITING FOR YOU?
Writing the first draft. In the first draft I don't agonize over grammar, punctuation or continuity. I don't worry about historical facts being accurate, that type of thing. That first draft is just the story, letting it flow, getting it on paper. I do make notes to myself in the margins, check this, change that. In the second draft, I do the research, make sure I remember correctly things like names, eye and hair color, where they were, did they have time to get to the next place, etc. The third is typing it into the computer. Yeah, that first draft is the easiest and best part.
FOR YOUR FELLOW WRITERS OUT THERE, HOW DO YOU GET THE MOST AND THE BEST WRITING DONE?
Earlier I said I read in binges. I write with the same type of single-mindedness. The story is the last thing in my head when I go to sleep at night and the first thing when I wake in the morning. In between I get little of anything else done. I set on the couch instead of going off in my office so my husband doesn't feel like he's living alone, tell the dogs wait a minute until they jump on the couch and paw at me to take them outside, pretty obsessive. I forget to eat, let the chores go, and have to be reminded when it's time to fix dinner. If I am pulled away, my head is still in the story, working out details. I'm not very good company, but all my family and friends seem to understand and tolerate me.
YOU USE TWO NAMES. WHY IS THAT?
That's an effort to separate the various genres I write in for my readers' convenience. I have some who like my science fiction, but don't care for contemporary romances and vice verus. I use Larriane Wills for science fiction and fantasy and Larion Wills for everything else. I thought about separating contemporaries from historicals, sweet romance from hot, paranormal for not, with yet more pens, but it didn't take me long to realize keeping track of all those names was a lot of additional work and stayed with just the two. Both names are pronounced the same, just spelled a bit different. Think Marion with an L instead of an M and you've got it. My mother had a friend who mispronounced Laraine, (Like Laraine Day, an early actress that many who read this won't even know) She, meaning my mother, liked the way it sounded and gave me the name. By the time I was out of grade school, I answered to just about anything. Most commonly people glance at it and think Laraine, missing the AI to IA switch. I've been called Larry Ann, asked if daddy wanted a boy, had people transfer the the duel r to an n to be called Lani Ann, even Laramie by one man who couldn't remember. I've had people correct me in the spelling and pronunciation of my own name. I know I get preoccupied at times--a nicer term than air-headed--but I really do know how to spell my name. Okay, so sometimes I have to go through all eleven of the grandkids names before I get the right name. One time I was talking to one of my nieces, called her by the wrong name three times, going through all the nieces, before she retorted, "My name is Glenna." I told her, "I know, I just haven't gotten there yet." Ummm, better read back over this and see if I got around to answering you question.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR LATEST NOVEL.
Museitup Publishing will be releasing White Savage in the spring of 2011 under my second pen name of Larion Wills. I don't have my cover yet, sorry. White Savage is the fifth in my western romance series. (The previous four are available a http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com or the usual places, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Fictionwise, Mobi Pocket, etc) When I say series, I don't mean a continuing story. They are all seperate with different people in different places doing different things, taking place in the late 1800s with strong female protagonists and sometimes female antagonaises. They're sweet romances, and White Savage is no different. An old timer scout recues a white boy from the Apache Indians. He's warned by everyone that Jimmy had been too long with the Indians and could never learn to be 'white' again. After being caught thiefing, the boy is put in jail, taken out by another man, Johns, who had been there when Jimmy was rescued, and both disappear. Ten years later, Clay appears, accused not only of robbery and murder, but of the attempted rape of the woman at the ranch where they find him. They, meaning Jimmy's enemies from ten years before, believe Clay to be Jimmy, but is he? Have they mistaken one man for another and what secrets does Te, the rancher's wife, keep hidden? Did he kidnap her when he made his escape, or do she go with him willingly?
Larriane AKA Larion Wills, two names one author, thousands of stories
buy link: http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com
http://larionmusing.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/people/Larriane-Wills/1535007230
Thanks, Larriane!
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9/3/10
Lots of fun stuff happening, especially at my new publishing house, MuseItUp Publishing. Very exciting! See the announcement below from MIU:
It’s time, dear readers, to announce what we have in store for you...one surprise at a time.
Beginning October 1st, and on the first of each month, one lucky reader will win a FREE e-book.
Join our discussions, ask questions to our authors, have fun with us, that’s it. Participate and you have a chance to be one of our monthly winners.
http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/MusePub_Readers/
First prize: a year’s worth of ebooks (12 in total)
Second prize: six month’s worth of ebooks (6 in total)
And be sure to read Heather's Halloween offering, a three-part short story called Jemma and All Hallows Eve, on October 19, 20, 21!
8/4/10
This Writing Game
Writers draw from everyone and everything around us, and not so much from ourselves, if I am any example of it. I’m not as much in my characters as some readers like to think. My characters tend to be more a composite of people I’ve met or known throughout my life. It isn't that I don't share the human experience with my readers, I do. But for me, it's so much more fun to explore another person's foils and foibles rather than my own. After all, I have to live with mine 24/7.
For instance, a lot of people say the character, Lee Alvarez, the main protagonist in my upcoming book Murder is a Family Business, is a lot like me. Actually, Lee is based on many facets of my mother's personality, with a few other women I’ve known thrown in for good measure. However, the more I get to know Lee, the more she becomes her own person. I find it interesting that people who have read excerpts from the book relate Lee to me, because I don't see it. First of all, she's a lot younger, 34 years old, and I'd hate to be hanging since I was 34. Maybe Lee has some of my vulnerability - or the vulnerability I can remember from way back when - but I'm nothing like this kid now. And kid she is to me.
But truth be told, I don't care who or what readers see in my characters as long as they enjoy the read and come back for more. Off to write the 3rd book in the series of the Alvarez Murder Mysteries. What fun!
6/21/10
Banner, banner, who's got the banner?
Lucky, lucky me. I belong to a wonderful stable of writers at MuseitUp Publishing, where 2 of the books in my mystery series are going to be published next year. But another reason I'm lucky? My fellow authors at MIU.
Case in point; I wanted to create a banner, like the rest of my fellow authors did. Wanted to be one of the guys, look cool, be with it, man. Could I make one? No. Could I get it work? Never. Did I feel like a dummy? Yes.
Finally, today I gave up and sent out an sos to my fellow writers. Before you can say yippeedoodlebugs, I had two new banners, one is on the home page, created by Chastity Bush, and a 2nd, smaller banner is by Ginger Simpson (see above), which is perfect for using on pens. I can't believe it!
Two months ago I was a writer who felt lucky to get all her emails answered, her writing done and feed the cats. Now I've got 2 books coming out, a website, business cards, flyers, postcards and banners! I'm in business!
Maybe I'll branch out and banner t-shirts, baseball caps, and a car! Can I banner all over my car?? And there's sky-writing! I could splatter the name of my book all over.... Wait a minute. Slow down, Girl. Take a deep breath.... go feed the cats.
Let me just say, that I am blown away with the generosity of spirit that exists on MIU and a lot of this is due to the parameters that have been set up by the Editor-in-Chief, Lea Schizas.
Lucky, lucky me.
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5/24/10
5/15/10
Just found out that the book cover for my upcoming book, Murder is a Family Business, being launched on January, 2011, is being featured as one of the best covers on the Rate My Book website: http://www.ratemybo okcover.com/ bestof.cfm
I knew when Delilah K. Stephans created the cover for MuseitUp Publishing, that it was something with charm, personality and humor. Don't know how long it will hold onto that placement, but it makes me very happy.
If you can, go and vote for your favorite covers(vote for me). Oh dear! I'm having one of those Dancing with the Stars moment. Anyway, it's fun to see them all and there's a brief summary of each book there, as well.
5/11/10
One thing about blogging is that if you're not a person who takes to writing a diary, it's not as easy as it looks. When I was a kid, back in the Punic Wars, all the little girls had a diary. I remember my mother went out and dutifully got me one for Christmas. Shiny pink patent leather it was, with little colored stones that spelled out the words "My diary." It also had a lock and key as if most nine-year olds have something to say that can't be read by one and all. In about three hours I lost the key, which was all right with me because after I put in my name and address, I had pretty much nothing else to say. I remember shutting the thing -- December 26th it was -- and not opening it again until the middle of July when I came across it at the bottom of my sock drawer. Most of my friends wrote gobs in their and were reluctant to share that writing with anyone, once again, as if a nine-year old girl had anything secret to say. I guess you have to find your own life fascinating and I, for one, would much rather write and read about other people and other things. I think from the beginning, I was a fiction person and it hasn't changed much since then.
And as for this Twittering thing, I don't get it at all. 144 characters - that includes space, commas, etc - in which to say something to the world. But here's the deal, why would anyone want to know when I arrived at a Safeway to buy bathroom tissue? Once again, I don't get it. But it's a changing world and now everybody gets their fifteen-minutes of attention and fame and at the same time as everybody else, a 144 character reality show.
Happy New Year!
The most amazing New Year's Eve I've spent was shared with my husband, nearly thirty years ago. It wasn't romantic, even tho we were newly-weds, and I will never forget it.
We have a good friend, Bill Stabile, a set designer for Broadway, off-Broadway, and touring shows, television productions, such as Law and Order, and virtually anything that needs a set. He was also good friends with Tom O'Horgan, American theatre and film director, composer, actor and musician, best known for his Broadway work as director of the hit musicals Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Bill got Norman and I invited to Tom's New Year's Eve celebration and it was phenominal. At that time, Tom lived in a loft apartment, spacious by any standards, especially New York City's. As you wandered around the apartment, you could help but notice that hanging on every wall of the eight or nine rooms were hundreds of musical instruments. They were large, small, simple, ornate, easy to figure out, confusing as all get-out, and collected by Tom during his travels the world over.
At around 11:55 pm, Tom invited everyone at the party - and there were around 75 of us - to grab as many instruments as we wanted and at the stroke of midnight, begin to play it or them, whether you knew how to or not. We all raced around the room, gathering instruments off the walls. Most of us had no idea how they worked. Some had four or five instruments piled on their laps or sitting on the floor around them, waiting for the magic hour to come.
And when it came, the din was unbelievable. it went on for hours after the New Year was rung in, long into the night and early morning. Around three o'clock, Norman and I were wiped out and left, but many were still there, playing, laughing, loving the experience, a once in a life-time experience.
Thank you, Bill, for letting us tag along with you to the party so many years ago. And thank you, Tom, for trusting a lot of strangers with what I know to be prized possessions, your musical instruments, treasured and loved, from around the world. I still treasure the memory.
9/13/10
Welcome Lorriane AKA Larion Wills, two names, one writer, thousands of stories!
I am delighted Lorriane is visiting with us today. I've asked her a few questions, just to get to know her a little better:
WHAT IS THE FIRST BOOK YOU REMEMBER READING AS A CHILD?
The first I remember the name of, which was a long way from the first, was Kazan, the Wolf Dog. It was first in a series starting with Kazan being orphaned as a puppy through his mating and his puppies. Long time ago. I was a regular patron of the grade school library and carried books out by the armful. I've come a long way from real wolf stories in reading materials. I even started one book of my own on a werewolf. When I get the time without other responsibilities, I'll go back and finish it, some day.
WHAT DO YOU READ AS AN ADULT?
I'm the most into suspense, mystery and romance now. I like complicated stories where I can't know what's going to happen before I get there. Straight romances, for instance, are a bit boring to me. I like that mystery or suspense mixed in with it just as I like romance mixed in with the mystery though I read a lot that are straight suspense. I love paranormal mixed in as well, meaning ghosts, ESP, that type of thing.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF WRITING TO DO?
Mystery, suspense, romance. Lol. Bet you could see that one coming.
AS A FICTION NOVELIST, HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN MEMOIR? IF SO, WHAT?
No memoirs, too many people who would take offense at what I might write about them. Lol. I did write one short on some of my family history, two generations ago. It's available as a free read at Museitup Publishing. The White Stetson Hat is a brief collection of some of the stories my grandmother and great uncle told me about their growing up years in an oil boom town. Once those two got started, I could have listened for hours. I'm just sorry I didn't get more details and write more of them down before we lost them.
IF YOU COULDN’T WRITE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD BE ANOTHER OUTLET?
Go back to what I did a lot of before writing started dominating my life. I was always doing some manner of crafts: sewing, knitting, crocheting. Even tried my hand at piecing and quilting. I think I took out my sewing machine two or three years ago for a day of making book covers and book bags to use as prizes on my site. The only time it'd been out of the closet before that in at least seven years was to move.
WHAT WRITER(S) INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST IN YOUR WRITING AND WHY?
In my early years, authors like Barbara Michaels (Elizabeth Peters) and Mary Stewart, even Ira Fleming come first to mind. Henlien among several when I was on a science fiction kick. Louis L'amore dominated when it was westerns I was bingeing on. I still love to go back and read some of them. Even now every favorite writer influences me in wishing I could put down the words to make a story as interesting to others as theirs are to me. Those I haven't liked provided lessons as well, in a 'don't do that' way.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST PITFALL OF WRITING FOR YOU?
Promoting, not any kind of a new complaint. You'll hear it all over the loops from different authors. I swear, promoting takes more time than writing and editing the book does, and doesn't leave time to do more writing. It has to be done, though, if I'm going to reach out and let people out there know about my books rather than just letting them set on inactive pages of various vendors. I loop and blog and chat and guest blog--which is why I'm here--to let people know I have those books written and would love to share.
WHAT IS THE EASIEST PART OF WRITING FOR YOU?
Writing the first draft. In the first draft I don't agonize over grammar, punctuation or continuity. I don't worry about historical facts being accurate, that type of thing. That first draft is just the story, letting it flow, getting it on paper. I do make notes to myself in the margins, check this, change that. In the second draft, I do the research, make sure I remember correctly things like names, eye and hair color, where they were, did they have time to get to the next place, etc. The third is typing it into the computer. Yeah, that first draft is the easiest and best part.
FOR YOUR FELLOW WRITERS OUT THERE, HOW DO YOU GET THE MOST AND THE BEST WRITING DONE?
Earlier I said I read in binges. I write with the same type of single-mindedness. The story is the last thing in my head when I go to sleep at night and the first thing when I wake in the morning. In between I get little of anything else done. I set on the couch instead of going off in my office so my husband doesn't feel like he's living alone, tell the dogs wait a minute until they jump on the couch and paw at me to take them outside, pretty obsessive. I forget to eat, let the chores go, and have to be reminded when it's time to fix dinner. If I am pulled away, my head is still in the story, working out details. I'm not very good company, but all my family and friends seem to understand and tolerate me.
YOU USE TWO NAMES. WHY IS THAT?
That's an effort to separate the various genres I write in for my readers' convenience. I have some who like my science fiction, but don't care for contemporary romances and vice verus. I use Larriane Wills for science fiction and fantasy and Larion Wills for everything else. I thought about separating contemporaries from historicals, sweet romance from hot, paranormal for not, with yet more pens, but it didn't take me long to realize keeping track of all those names was a lot of additional work and stayed with just the two. Both names are pronounced the same, just spelled a bit different. Think Marion with an L instead of an M and you've got it. My mother had a friend who mispronounced Laraine, (Like Laraine Day, an early actress that many who read this won't even know) She, meaning my mother, liked the way it sounded and gave me the name. By the time I was out of grade school, I answered to just about anything. Most commonly people glance at it and think Laraine, missing the AI to IA switch. I've been called Larry Ann, asked if daddy wanted a boy, had people transfer the the duel r to an n to be called Lani Ann, even Laramie by one man who couldn't remember. I've had people correct me in the spelling and pronunciation of my own name. I know I get preoccupied at times--a nicer term than air-headed--but I really do know how to spell my name. Okay, so sometimes I have to go through all eleven of the grandkids names before I get the right name. One time I was talking to one of my nieces, called her by the wrong name three times, going through all the nieces, before she retorted, "My name is Glenna." I told her, "I know, I just haven't gotten there yet." Ummm, better read back over this and see if I got around to answering you question.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR LATEST NOVEL.
Museitup Publishing will be releasing White Savage in the spring of 2011 under my second pen name of Larion Wills. I don't have my cover yet, sorry. White Savage is the fifth in my western romance series. (The previous four are available a http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com or the usual places, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Fictionwise, Mobi Pocket, etc) When I say series, I don't mean a continuing story. They are all seperate with different people in different places doing different things, taking place in the late 1800s with strong female protagonists and sometimes female antagonaises. They're sweet romances, and White Savage is no different. An old timer scout recues a white boy from the Apache Indians. He's warned by everyone that Jimmy had been too long with the Indians and could never learn to be 'white' again. After being caught thiefing, the boy is put in jail, taken out by another man, Johns, who had been there when Jimmy was rescued, and both disappear. Ten years later, Clay appears, accused not only of robbery and murder, but of the attempted rape of the woman at the ranch where they find him. They, meaning Jimmy's enemies from ten years before, believe Clay to be Jimmy, but is he? Have they mistaken one man for another and what secrets does Te, the rancher's wife, keep hidden? Did he kidnap her when he made his escape, or do she go with him willingly?
Larriane AKA Larion Wills, two names one author, thousands of stories
buy link: http://www.swimmingkangaroo.com
http://larionmusing.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/people/Larriane-Wills/1535007230
Thanks, Larriane!
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9/3/10
Lots of fun stuff happening, especially at my new publishing house, MuseItUp Publishing. Very exciting! See the announcement below from MIU:
It’s time, dear readers, to announce what we have in store for you...one surprise at a time.
Beginning October 1st, and on the first of each month, one lucky reader will win a FREE e-book.
Join our discussions, ask questions to our authors, have fun with us, that’s it. Participate and you have a chance to be one of our monthly winners.
http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/MusePub_Readers/
First prize: a year’s worth of ebooks (12 in total)
Second prize: six month’s worth of ebooks (6 in total)
And be sure to read Heather's Halloween offering, a three-part short story called Jemma and All Hallows Eve, on October 19, 20, 21!
8/4/10
This Writing Game
Writers draw from everyone and everything around us, and not so much from ourselves, if I am any example of it. I’m not as much in my characters as some readers like to think. My characters tend to be more a composite of people I’ve met or known throughout my life. It isn't that I don't share the human experience with my readers, I do. But for me, it's so much more fun to explore another person's foils and foibles rather than my own. After all, I have to live with mine 24/7.
For instance, a lot of people say the character, Lee Alvarez, the main protagonist in my upcoming book Murder is a Family Business, is a lot like me. Actually, Lee is based on many facets of my mother's personality, with a few other women I’ve known thrown in for good measure. However, the more I get to know Lee, the more she becomes her own person. I find it interesting that people who have read excerpts from the book relate Lee to me, because I don't see it. First of all, she's a lot younger, 34 years old, and I'd hate to be hanging since I was 34. Maybe Lee has some of my vulnerability - or the vulnerability I can remember from way back when - but I'm nothing like this kid now. And kid she is to me.
But truth be told, I don't care who or what readers see in my characters as long as they enjoy the read and come back for more. Off to write the 3rd book in the series of the Alvarez Murder Mysteries. What fun!
6/21/10
Banner, banner, who's got the banner?
Lucky, lucky me. I belong to a wonderful stable of writers at MuseitUp Publishing, where 2 of the books in my mystery series are going to be published next year. But another reason I'm lucky? My fellow authors at MIU.
Case in point; I wanted to create a banner, like the rest of my fellow authors did. Wanted to be one of the guys, look cool, be with it, man. Could I make one? No. Could I get it work? Never. Did I feel like a dummy? Yes.
Finally, today I gave up and sent out an sos to my fellow writers. Before you can say yippeedoodlebugs, I had two new banners, one is on the home page, created by Chastity Bush, and a 2nd, smaller banner is by Ginger Simpson (see above), which is perfect for using on pens. I can't believe it!
Two months ago I was a writer who felt lucky to get all her emails answered, her writing done and feed the cats. Now I've got 2 books coming out, a website, business cards, flyers, postcards and banners! I'm in business!
Maybe I'll branch out and banner t-shirts, baseball caps, and a car! Can I banner all over my car?? And there's sky-writing! I could splatter the name of my book all over.... Wait a minute. Slow down, Girl. Take a deep breath.... go feed the cats.
Let me just say, that I am blown away with the generosity of spirit that exists on MIU and a lot of this is due to the parameters that have been set up by the Editor-in-Chief, Lea Schizas.
Lucky, lucky me.
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5/24/10
The Adverb Police
As a writer, I try to learn and grow all the time. As my mother once said -- or will say to anyone standing nearby-- "some people learn and grow; some people just grow old." So I try to be the former. I may write light and fluffy stuff but I take the writing of it very seriously. I am currently doing edits for my upcoming book Murder is a Family Business, due out January 1, by MuseItUp Publishing. And yes, I, too, tend to repeat things to anyone standing nearby. The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
In rereading my work, as I scrutinize it, going word by word, I have discovered that I don't need most the adverbs I have used. Honestly, truly, really...whoops. Old habits die hard.
In some ways, using adverbs is taking the easy way out. The real work comes when I have to create a phrase that encapsulates what I have come to rely upon an adverb doing.
Of course, there are times when using an adverb is perfect. Rare but it does exist. And when it is perfect, I leave it. But more often than not, the reader gets what I'm saying without me adding: slowly, gently, sadly, laughingly, brightly, etc.
An added bonus is, I find I have tightened my work. Sometimes I think I should just do a global and delete every single word that ends with an 'ly.' But I lie down until that particular urge passes.
Still and all, I am a new member of the Adverb Police and proud to display my badge -- to anyone standing nearby.
In rereading my work, as I scrutinize it, going word by word, I have discovered that I don't need most the adverbs I have used. Honestly, truly, really...whoops. Old habits die hard.
In some ways, using adverbs is taking the easy way out. The real work comes when I have to create a phrase that encapsulates what I have come to rely upon an adverb doing.
Of course, there are times when using an adverb is perfect. Rare but it does exist. And when it is perfect, I leave it. But more often than not, the reader gets what I'm saying without me adding: slowly, gently, sadly, laughingly, brightly, etc.
An added bonus is, I find I have tightened my work. Sometimes I think I should just do a global and delete every single word that ends with an 'ly.' But I lie down until that particular urge passes.
Still and all, I am a new member of the Adverb Police and proud to display my badge -- to anyone standing nearby.
5/15/10
Just found out that the book cover for my upcoming book, Murder is a Family Business, being launched on January, 2011, is being featured as one of the best covers on the Rate My Book website: http://www.ratemybo okcover.com/ bestof.cfm
I knew when Delilah K. Stephans created the cover for MuseitUp Publishing, that it was something with charm, personality and humor. Don't know how long it will hold onto that placement, but it makes me very happy.
If you can, go and vote for your favorite covers(vote for me). Oh dear! I'm having one of those Dancing with the Stars moment. Anyway, it's fun to see them all and there's a brief summary of each book there, as well.
5/11/10
One thing about blogging is that if you're not a person who takes to writing a diary, it's not as easy as it looks. When I was a kid, back in the Punic Wars, all the little girls had a diary. I remember my mother went out and dutifully got me one for Christmas. Shiny pink patent leather it was, with little colored stones that spelled out the words "My diary." It also had a lock and key as if most nine-year olds have something to say that can't be read by one and all. In about three hours I lost the key, which was all right with me because after I put in my name and address, I had pretty much nothing else to say. I remember shutting the thing -- December 26th it was -- and not opening it again until the middle of July when I came across it at the bottom of my sock drawer. Most of my friends wrote gobs in their and were reluctant to share that writing with anyone, once again, as if a nine-year old girl had anything secret to say. I guess you have to find your own life fascinating and I, for one, would much rather write and read about other people and other things. I think from the beginning, I was a fiction person and it hasn't changed much since then.
And as for this Twittering thing, I don't get it at all. 144 characters - that includes space, commas, etc - in which to say something to the world. But here's the deal, why would anyone want to know when I arrived at a Safeway to buy bathroom tissue? Once again, I don't get it. But it's a changing world and now everybody gets their fifteen-minutes of attention and fame and at the same time as everybody else, a 144 character reality show.
Some of my friends and fellow writers:
Rosanne Dowell, check out her upcoming book and her blog. (see below) She's dynamite!
http://roseannedowellauthor.blogspot.com/
Another fabulous talent, Chastity Bush
This list of MIU talent just goes on!
Larriane AKA Larion Wills, two names one author, thousands of stories
http://larionmusing .blogspot. com/
And yet another talented writer, Ginger Simpson! Check her out!
http://www.gingersi mpson.com
http://mizging. blogspot. com
San Jose, CA
Heather
