The 10+ Things I Learned at the 2011 RWA Conference

For weeks I looked forward to the RWA National Conference. I was eager to attend the various workshops and my publisher’s events. Most of all, I looked forward to putting names to faces. The run up to the week was busy as I finalized my plans, bought clothes, and planned workshops to attend. I talked and tweeted with friends (some that I only knew online) and got even more excited. I wasn’t disappointed.

Times Square - New York 

The Conference was at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel at Times Square. The fast pace of Manhattan carried permeated the week. The conference was high energy from the time you stepped into the Opening Session on Wednesday morning until you strutted out of the gala Awards Ceremony Friday night.  

There was a lot to take in and learn. I look forward to applying it all. So, what are the top ten plus things I learned at this year’s RWA Conference?

·         I learned that networking both on-line and in-person is vital to an author’s career and absolutely necessary for one’s personal growth.

·         I learned one could get frustrated waiting for the programmed elevators.

·         I learned Carina Press is an incredibly supportive and caring publishing house.

·         I learned Sharon Sala is as wonderful as I thought and was truly excited for me when I told her I sold my first story.

·         I learned Delilah Marvelle is a dancing queen with whom I could almost keep up (it will take a week for my feet to recuperate).

·         I learned that tweeting and blogging are important but writing trumps them both.

·         I learned Eliza Knight is a great friend and conference companion.

·         I learned the six magic words every author should know to keep the reader in the story.

·         I learned that transmedia is on the horizon.

·         I learned that Kim Killion is dynamite and Brooks’ not bad either.

·         I learned Julie Rowe’s book and mine both release on November 14 (yea!)

·         I learned that wearing the first sale ribbon gets you acknowledged not only by friends, well know authors, agents, and publishers but also by complete strangers in the elevator. It will take me a week to wipe the smile off my face.

·         I learned I could dislike chicken real fast.

·         I learned I felt like a princess at the Harlequin Black and White Ball.

·         I learned I wasn’t rooming with a total stranger, Denise Pattison, but my new best friend.

·         And finally, I learned I have an outstanding support network. Women who care about me and my success. I was reminded that I couldn’t have gotten this far without them.

The Top 10 Things I Learned From My First Round of Edits

For a new author, the thought of publisher edits can be intimidating. Review, re-write, re-plot, re-align subtext, and forget if you have action scenes.

My first round of edits reached me while I was getting on a plane at the Las Vegas airport. Paul and I were from a great vacation. The shows were spectacular. I was excited to see what my editor, Denise Nielsen, had for me. I tried, without success, to read her edits on my android phone before I had to turn off my phone. I would have to wait another five hours.

Once back home, I read the message and instructions, made a large pot of coffee and dug in. To start, I read all the track changes and comments to get an idea of what lay ahead for me. After 13 days (one day ahead of deadline), I got the edits back to Denise. I found I worked hard, got frustrated, made changes, had several aha moments, and fell in love with Arik, Rebeka and their story, Knight of Runes, all over again.

Here are the top ten things I learned from my first round edits. Go get your coffee and enjoy.

10. Well meaning friends, who are ‘in the know,’ sometimes don’t know. The advice of a good friend and published author was to remove irrelevant words in order to stay in the action and make things sound crisp and immediate. It’s the way to hold your reader attention. Not, however, when you splice commas. Words such as and, but, are essential, not extraneous.

9.  Cut extraneous exposition and let the reader see it. What some people see as extraneous exposition (which I went through and deleted) my editor said was necessary to set up the next scene or action.

8.  Don’t give your editor (and reader) a headache by head hopping. Head hopping, I mean real leaps in the same scene, may work for Nora but not for Ruth. Ever.

7.  POV is an art. If your POV character can’t see it, hear it, and doesn’t know it then it doesn’t exist. Unless, the other POV character says it or (this was an eye opener) thinks it in his head. Cool heh.

6.  Edits are a learning experience and my editor is a fabulous, and patient, teacher. I learned to see patterns, hear echoes, and feel rhythms. It only took the first 100 pages to get there.

5.  Immediate voice is much more powerful and compelling than passive voice. Chopping ‘ing’ to makes the action sound immediate. It’s is essential, although, passive voice has its place, but only occasionally.

4.  Filler words do not move a scene along. These words can usually be eliminated without changing the meaning and will also make it more immediate.

3.  Questions in the readers mind can be provocative. Some of Denise’s comments were questions that were answered in the next paragraph or scene. I made my reader think. Not bad!

2.  My deepest apologies to Mrs. X. My high school grammar teacher must be spinning in her grave. I won’t embarrass her by mentioning her name.

The number one thing I learned from my first round of edits…

Call me crazy, but I enjoyed working through Denise’s track changes and comments. She made me think, make decisions, see opportunities, and ultimately she helped me make the story the best it can be and isn’t that what we both want.

Come on Denise, I’m ready for round two.

A Free Gift for You

This week's blog is a gift from me to you from Carina Press.


Carina Press is a digital-first imprint from Harlequin. They connect authors with a great story, with readers who will love to read them.


At Carina Press you'll find weekly releases of ebooks from talented authors in a wide variety of genres. New Releases are added every Monday. Find them on the Carina Press homepage, or see Carina's weekly release schedule on their New Releases page.


Whether you like to read contemporary romance, steampunk, erotic romance, gay/lesbian fiction, science-fiction, fantasy, or any number of other fiction genres - you'll find something to love at Carina Press.


Every weekday, all week, Carina is offering a spectacular title for free download. And when they say free, they mean ACTUALLY free. Not "sorta free", or "free with a $50 purchase" free, but actually, totally, no strings attached FREE! So, get thee to Carina press to download a free book every day! Here are the books being offered, and the links and promo codes for your free download:

Monday's FREE BOOK is:
The Debutante's Dilemma by Elyse Mady
Just type in the promo code DEBUTANTEFREE at checkout
(insert the following link: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=50C0978A-DAC7-44E7-B627-C26A520471C0

Tuesday's FREE BOOK is:
Demon's Fall by Karalynn Lee
Just type in the promo code DEMONFREE at checkout
(insert following link: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=1E5A3A07-9BC7-4449-9B8F-377C21E2F664

Wednesday's FREE BOOK is:
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell
Just type in the promo code TWISTEDFREE at checkout
(insert following link: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=D79D7CD6-1BAA-4D2E-AE65-FF0E42F79BE7

Thursday's FREE BOOK is:
Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley
Just type in the promo code GALAXYFREE at checkout
(insert following link: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=827CC21D-6F33-437A-977B-B0F291B70367

Friday's FREE BOOK is:
Friendly Fire by Megan Hart
Just type in the promo code FRIENDLYFREE at checkout
(insert the following link: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=E1466469-DB0C-404F-A0AA-3491BB9E9B14

Birds of a Feather

 Years ago, I’m told, all authors had to do was write. They left promoting their books up to their agents and publishers. It’s different today. Now authors are not only the creative product developer, in charge of research and development as well as delivery of the final manuscript, but also the head of marketing and promotion.  Authors must proactively promote their work by developing a relationship with their readers through regular contact and interaction. A great example is Twitter, with 140 characters of unique pithy interaction.


With thousands of Tweets flying around, how do you get yours noticed? Just when is the best time to Tweet?


For the last two years, HubSpot’s Dan Zarella has been studying tweets and has come up with some suggestions for the best time and frequency to tweet.

·         Be prepared to resend your tweet 2 to 4 times a day for maximum impact.

·         Schedule tweets for 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM and the last one at 8 PM. This will expose your message to the most people and drive your traffic and retweets.

·         Alter your message for each tweet so it doesn’t look like spam

·         Zarella also found that the best days to tweet were Saturday and Sunday

Do you Twitter? What time is best for you? How often do you Tweet?

Happy Birthday

 I’ve seen more birthdays than I want to admit besides, at my age one is much like the last. Now I watch the children get excited about their special day. But this past week I’ve been excited about one particular birthday. On June 7, Carina Press will celebrate its first birthday.

Smart Bitches had a wonderful blog when Carina Press launched.

“Carina is a constellation in the Southern sky, and is Latin for “keel” - as in, the fins and structures operating below the surface of the water unseen yet keeping the ship balanced, and on its course. Here’s an interesting bit of physics I didn’t know: the keel’s job is to convert a sideways force to a forward force, sort of like trying to figure out how to convert a changing tide or market to keep your industry moving forward. 

Nice name. 

It’s even more awesome when applied to Harlequin, who launched Carina Press today, a digital-only publishing house. It is a division of Harlequin Enterprises LTD but because it is digital only, as in, no print, it operates separately.”

Angela James, the Executive Editor of Carina Press, called me February 3 to tell me Carina Press wanted to publish my book. The call was exciting for many reasons. I would be part of a forward thinking, major publisher. Many of us have our dream publisher, Carina Press was mine.

Carina Press, a division of Harlequin Enterprises the largest publisher of romance books, publishes books weekly across many genres, not just romance. There are currently over one hundred Carina authors and the number keeps growing.

 I lift my virtual glass and salute Angela, her team, her authors, and Denise Nielsen (my editor extraordinaire).

Cluttered

"Three Rules of Work: 
Out of clutter find simplicity; 
From discord find harmony; 
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." 
Albert Einstein (German theoretical physicist)

I’ve always been suspect of a person who has nothing on their desk. I remember sitting with an operations manager whose desk had a phone and desk blotter, nothing else, nada.

Not my desk. I have a blotter but that’s where the similarity ends. Being an empty nester, I waited about a year before I commandeered my daughter’s room, cleared out the last remains of her childhood, and made the room my own. It was fun to decorate just to please me. My design was simple, books. I surrounded myself with them, floor to ceiling. I did put in some necessities, a corner desk for the computer, printer, and a phone. I decided on a large library table, sitting catty corner, would be my work area. It seemed fitting with all the research and resource books I usually had stacked or scattered about.


My desk is usually covered with a small stack (or two or three) of paper/files for my different projects, research books (the ones I’m reading for pleasure are in a pile next to the sofa), a lamp (I hate using the overhead), pictures of the family, my favorite picture from the mound at Warwick Castle (for inspiration), and a bud vase with some tired lavender one of the kids brought back from a class trip (I did mention I’m an empty nester, a sentimental one). Then there’s the odd stuff that seems to magically appear, a news article my husband has left for me to read, a stress ball in the shape of a heart and my gold star paper weight for my first sale. It’s really a comfortable room.


I put things on the desk and eventually take the time to sift through it and put things in their proper place whether that’s filing, rearranging, or tossing it out all together.


I used to have a ‘clean as you go’ theory. Clean of edits that is. Whenever I picked up my writing I would read the story from the beginning, no matter how far along I was. I’d look for the weak words, put in the five senses, etc. I always found something to edit. One day I laughed out loud. I had over 125 pages written, if I started from the beginning each time I’d spend more time reading than writing. Geez, I’d never finish the story.  


Now I use my cluttered desk theory. Put it all down, then tackle the edits and rewrite.  I’m organized, to a point, but find myself putting the story down to get it written not really worrying about overused/weak words or verbs, using the five senses, tightening up sentences, making certain all the hooks are in place, reviewing and editing the Point-Of-View, combing through for show vs. tell, well the list goes on.


In essence, I’ve de-cluttered my desk as well as my writing. What does your desk look like? 

Letting Go

Good, bad, or indifferent, I’m a nurturer. Even though my children are all grown and on their own I suppose I will always be involved in their lives, by their design as much as from my desire. Our son is off cross country to California on an inter-office job interview. It’s a wonderful opportunity for him and one I wholeheartedly support. Like his older sisters, he is ready to strike out on his own. Perhaps it’s because he’s the youngest, the only boy, I don’t know the dynamic, whatever it is his separation seems to be the toughest. Our family constellation is small and thrives on our close relationships. When everyone’s together there’s lots of laughter, tumult, of course the family dinner, sometimes everyone sleeps over (at our house), and usually a delicious Sunday brunch.

Our son, like his sisters, is more than capable and ready to move on. It’s so difficult to let go but now is his time to shine, stand on his own, and show the world the stuff of which he’s made. As with each of my children, I look on with pride, and sometimes misty eyes, as they take the lead and move forward in their own adventure. They each know I am always here and ready to listen.

Is it any wonder I have the same problem letting go of my manuscript.

 I’ve tended it from conception through to completion. I nurtured and breathed life into each character crying with them, laughing with them, feeling their passion and disappointment. I’ve shaped the plot, delivered a cohesive story, while staying true to the values and ethics of my genre.

However, as ready as it was I hesitated sending it out. Just one more rewrite, one more edit. It had been a part of me for over a year, how could I let it go.

Finally, after some prodding from my dear writing friends, I sent it out and had great results. Now it’s in the very capable hands of my awesome editor, Denise Nielsen at Carina Press, getting ready for publication.

I feel the pride in my accomplishment and the excitement builds as I move toward the next step of my journey. When I speak to the kids I find eager ears listening as I recant plans and ideas, enthusiastic voices chiming in with encouragement and suggestions. My younger daughter startled me when she mentioned it was time for them to let me go. That they all watched on with pride at my drive, creativity, and accomplishments. She also said I make a mean brisket.

How do you feel about letting go? And let me know if you want a great brisket recipe!

Helping Hands

We have a guest blogger today, Allure Van Sanz. Allure writes erotic and romance novels, novellas, and short stories. She’s with us today for a personal reason. A sufferer of fibromyalgia, she is very active in the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association. Realizing that there are many organizations that authors promote, she has developed MAP, the May Awareness Project, where she provides a platform for her fellow authors to tell you about the charities that are near and dear to them. Please see her blog at http://allurevansanz.blogspot.com 

She has an awesome schedule planned. Many of the authors will be doing contests and give-aways. Everyone has their own reason for supporting a specific charity. Some have been touched themselves, some watch as close friends or family suffer, still others just feel a need to help. Here is Allure’s story in her own words.

What cause do you champion?

*****

I remember my first migraine headache. I was around seven years old, give or take a year, and I thought for sure I was dying. I couldn't move, I couldn't eat, and I definitely couldn't sleep. I wanted Bumblebee, my stuffed bear with the big yellow ears, and I couldn't reach him. Thus started the years and years of secret pain. I couldn't remember a day of something not aching or hurting. I just assumed all humans were like this, and I was a complainer. LOL

Growing up, my stomach hurt all the time, whenever I ate anything, whenever I had plans--it felt like I would never be able to go anywhere without having to plan for the worse and prepare to come home. I had tests done, and they found nothing. Just nerves and anxiety due to a broken home, they'd said. Okay.

When I reached my later teens, I did a little better, but started to feel out of sorts. I still had pain all the time, and had upped that pain to muscle spasms at night with weird head twinges that would startle me awake. "Caffeine" my doctor said, "you're having an adverse reaction." Okay.

I moved out of state to be with my boyfriend, giving up all I'd known. After a few months, I felt like I was dying one night. I had an out of body experience while not dead or dying. LOL Weirdest thing ever. I still had pain and my stomach issues were back. "Panic attacks and IBS. Your anxiety makes you feel like you're in pain. Take these anti-depressants." When I couldn't feel any emotion (including stimulation of any kind) I couldn't handle the meds. They tried all kinds and eventually, I just talked myself through the panic attacks and anxiety. For years I had a really tough time, but struggled through. 

Then childbirth. My already out of whack body crashed. I had month long migraines, severe pain throughout my body and the medications for the migraines made me suicidal.

After about 3-4 years of struggling through, I was eventually given a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. A lot of doctors still don't like that diagnosis. So every time I get a new doctor or go to a specialist, the first thing they do is retest. I'm with my third neurologist. LOL One of my doctors retests me every six months for lupus. Another tests me every year for diabetes (as I had gestational diabetes while pregnant)...and every year I get another MRI or x-ray, etc. I started to research everything to understand what was going on. I became involved in the Fibro community, learning not just about Fibro, but a lot of other conditions. There are so many people out there suffering, living an alternative lifestyle to what many others consider normal. I wanted to DO something. I wanted to take what was going on with me, and turn it into something positive.

May 12th is Fibromyalgia Awareness day, but to bring attention to only my condition seems self-serving, so this year I've begun MAP, May Awareness Project, and with the help of my friends and fellow authors, we are highlighting, not just Fibromyalgia for Awareness, but many other conditions that affect our minds and bodies.

From May 6th-31st my blog at http://allurevansanz.blogspot.com will highlight several great causes, and donating authors will be running contests for swag and free books for those who stop by and leave a comment. I do this because it feels right, and the donating authors have joined me because they're beautiful people, full of giving. Let's give a little of who we are in time, or money, to some very great causes.

And it starts with me. One lucky commenter will win their pick of my Noble Romance releases. Thank you for reading my story.

All my best to you and yours,

Allure Van Sanz

A Full Heart

It’s been a busy week for me. At my office, my project is in full swing with deliverables coming due. I have everything staged to make the June 1 deadlines on the internal communications and marketing materials needed. I’m fortunate. I love what I do.

It’s been a busy week at home too. Paul and I are practicing our cha-cha routine for our ballroom dance exhibition. It’s a group routine with five other couples. We started ballroom dancing in an adult education program in our town when our kids were still at home. It was one way to make certain we spent at least one night together and not running with the kids. We intermittently continued taking classes long after the kids could drive themselves. It’s something else I love to do.

My Mother’s Day celebration was today. I went into Manhattan for the New York RWA chapter’s annual May Luncheon. Our speaker was my good friend, the multi-published, twenty-five books I may add, author Caridad Pineiro. The food was good, the company was terrific, and Caridad was inspirational as always. I walked off out lunch with Caridad and Patt Mihailoff by walking the twenty-six blocks down 8^th Avenue to Penn Station and went on back to New Jersey. I enjoyed lunch and renewing my writing battery. Patt and Caridad had both encouraged me to send my ms into Carina Press. They are just two of the writers who have encouraged me. I have found that the romance writing community is a supportive one where the rule of support and paying it forward is really embraced. In an industry where rejection is part of the deal, it’s wonderful to have a positive support network. In many ways, it soothes the pain. I love this too.

When I got home, the day only got better. Flowers for Mother’s Day arrived from my son who lives in Boston and wouldn’t be home. He always says the right thing to tug at my heart. My daughters both live nearby and came over with all the fixing for dinner. Paul had cleaned the deck and readied the grill. The day cooperated and we have a great bar-b-que. I got handmade gifts from the grandbabies (sorry, big girl and big boy), they played in the yard, we watched the Kentucky Derby, and feasted.  As they day wound down and the kids tired, we packed them off home with left overs. I waved good-bye to them with a soft smile. I love tumult and excitement when we all get together.

I remember when I was pregnant with my second child. My daughter how would she love her new sister. I told her all those years ago that her heart was very special. It just grew bigger to make more room for more love. So, dear reader, here is my wish for you this Mother’s Day. May your heart grow with love for you and yours. 

Happy Beltane!

May 1^st, Beltane (bright fire), is an ancient pagan festival marking the end of the winter half of the year in the Northern hemisphere. With the winter over, the lengthening of the days, and the first planting completed, farmers celebrated with great bonfires of purification and transition into the new growing season, all in hopes for a good harvest.


Beltane provides a gateway between our own Earth and the magical Earth of Faerie. The true inner powers of the Earth reveal themselves and the curtain between the worlds is especially thin during Beltane.  


The pagan rites, led by druids, the priests for their time, centered on protecting people, livestock and the land from the spirit world which they felt was particularly close at hand during this season and encouraging fertility. It was a call to awaken the body from its winter hibernation.


The turning points of the Celtic year were marked by four great “fire festivals, Beltane, along with Samhain (Nov. 1), Imbolc (Feb. 1), and Lughnassadh (Aug. 1). Ancient records tell us that all hearth fires, throughout the country, would be put out on Beltane eve. One by one the druid would re-ignite them from the “need fire,” one of a pair of bonfires on top of a hill lit on Beltane eve. The villagers would drive their cattle between the fires to purify them and bring good luck.  The villagers also passed between the two fires for purification and to ensure their own good fortune and fertility.   


Another custom associated with Beltane is the “bringing in the May.” Here the young people would gather in the neighboring fields and forests Beltane eve and gather flowers to adorn themselves, their families and their houses. They would proceed through the village and stop at each house leaving flowers in exchange for the best food and wine. As they went along, they would bless the flocks and fields of those who were generous and wish ill on those who did not.


Later on, the May Pole was added to the bringing in the May. It was a phallic symbol that represented fertility. The village revelers who went out in the fields and forest would cut down a tree, bring it back into the village, decorate it with flowers, and dance around the May Pole.


Over time the holiday, first associated with the farm laborers, became synonymous with International Worker’s Day and took on a political meaning with demonstrations and celebration of union workers and other groups. The May 1^st demonstrations in Australia led by the Stonemasons Society in 1856 and the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886, eventually led to the adoption of the 8 hour work day. In addition, May 1^st has long been associated with various socialist, communist and anarchist groups. May Day celebrations in communist countries feature elaborate military parades.  


Today, to Wiccans and those in other pagan circles, Beltane is a happy time filled with laughter that includes the May Pole, bringing in the May, and other activities symbolic of fertility.