The End

Normally when you’d hear or read those words, it’s not in a positive context.

To a writer though, The End are two of the sweetest words they can put to paper. Well, I’m sure “best” and “selling” top the list, but since that’s something you can’t control, my favorite words are “the” and “end”.

Why? Because it means I’ve completed another story. Oh sure, it may not seem so monumental to the reader. Hell, as a reader, I breeze through books like there’s no tomorrow and look for more. As a reader, I never want the story to end. But as a writer, it’s like a huge weight being lifted from my shoulders.

I’ve been working on this story on and off for several months. The characters were stubborn as all get out. They didn’t want to open to me. In fact, at the beginning, I started out with completely different characters, but once I figured out this story was about Zach and Colette, I went with it. Slowly. Painfully slow. Which is not my usual speed when it comes to writing. I thought the end would come a couple of weeks ago, but it turned out once I broke the shell my characters had around themselves, they had a lot to say. The 48k story turned into a 58k story turned into a 68k story and then ended at 79k.

Yowsa. But I can’t even begin to explain the sheer joy I felt when I wrote The End in bold letters. The. End. I threw my arms in the air and did a whole “whoo-hoo” thing, except that wasn’t enough. I needed to…jump to my feet and run around the house. My dog barked at me. I swear it’s because I startled her, not because I was singing. I picked up fat cat who was sleeping and sang to her as well. But throughout it all, this sense of elation, of complete happiness and relief drowned out any sense of goofiness. I wasn’t embarrassed by my actions. I didn’t care that I was acting like a kid on the last day of school.

I’d hit The End.

And what better way to celebrate than to sing this:

Ah, bliss. Le sigh.

Of course it isn’t really over. This story is starting its metamorphosis from a rough draft to a polished work. It has to go through the critique gauntlet and then revisions and then more revisions before I can send it to my editor. From there, it’s weeks until I know whether they’ll take it or not. *fingers crossed* But if things work out well, if the story is as good as I think it is, it should be brought to full life in early summer. I hope. Until then though, I’ll be working hard at the other stories that have been waiting their turn to be written. And there are a lot. Trust me.

So next time I’m griping because it takes so long to get my hands on a new book by one of my favorite authors…yeah, I’m going to read this blog post and kick my own ass. It takes time to birth a novel, y’all. Honest.

What stories are you impatiently waiting for? Or what stories do you have backing up your work load?

Grammar Goggles

Tour long Giveaway: $50 GC to editing services with Grammar Goggles

Dates: 2/1 thru 3/31/2013
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Contact information:
anyaedits@gmail.com
www.grammargoggles.blogspot.ca

Bio:

Whether just starting out or an experienced author, looking to break into a new market or planning to self-publish, Grammar Goggles can help you polish your manuscript and take it to the next level.

Introduction:

My main focus is on grammar and line editing but my rates also include low-level content editing, where I make note of any questions regarding continuity, pacing and story line. These services are built into the charge since I know, from experience, I can’t see problems in those areas without making mention of them.

Are You The One?

So, you’re eager to get your book out into the world and figure it’s time to stop futzing with the manuscript and get an editor to give it that important coat of polish.

WAIT!

Before you start emailing your contacts and sending your manuscript hither and yon, you need to make some decisions.

First, is your book really ready to be edited? For many authors, this isn’t a consideration. They’ve written books before and know when the manuscript is ready for the next stage. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. I’ve come across manuscripts that actually are first drafts, not completed books. Frankly, it’s a waste of money to have an editor edit your first draft, except in very specific circumstances. A first draft, unless you self-edit like a Boss as you go, is too raw for in-depth editing. After all the changes and corrections the editor may suggest, what you’re most likely left with is the manuscript you should have sent out for editing. Make the mistake of publishing that and the readers howl, and not with pleasure.

I’m going to assume you’re more experienced. You’ve harassed your critique partners into reading it, maybe even twice over. Your Beta readers have had a go too, and declared it as fine a piece of writing as you’ve ever done. If you’re a lone-wolf author, disinterested or perhaps downright put off by the thought of involving anyone else, you’ve probably gone over the book as many times as you can stand to. So, bottom line, it’s ready. Time to call in the polishing crew.

But which kind?

Not all editors do the same job, although there’s a fair amount of overlap, and some do it all. There are content editors, line editors, fact-checkers and proofreaders, all of whom can be of value, depending on your needs. Are you branching out into a new genre and worry you may not have covered the subject in a believable manner? Then you need a content editor, and one with more than a passing knowledge of the genre you’re writing in. They’ll look at your manuscript and let you know whether you’ve got it right or not, if there are holes you need to plug or if your story has gone off the rails in places. Content editors will be looking for plot, pacing and any other factors that pull the reader out of the story, rather than sucking them in.

On the other hand, if you’re very happy with the story as it stands and confident it doesn’t need that kind of input, you probably want a line editor. We’re the geeks who love language so much we’ve taken the time to commit to memory a lot of the grammatical rules most people forget as soon as the English teacher’s mouth closes. Weird crap about syntax and sentence construction, like whether onomatopoeia is always italicized or if moving an adverb from one place to another will actually make a difference. Not just academic knowledge either, but knowledge of how to apply those rules to fiction, or when not to.

There are some authors so confident of their abilities in the areas of grammar and syntax all they want is someone to check for spelling errors, and they’ll hire a proof-reader for that purpose. Others, especially when writing in genres such as historical fiction, military and police procedurals, etc. may hire a fact-checker to ensure they haven’t put something into the story that doesn’t belong.

Most authors are looking for a little of everything, and it’s not an unreasonable request. Just be sure the editor you hire offers all the services you require and always remember it’s a professional association. Don’t be afraid to check an editor out, ask questions, request they edit a small sample from your manuscript to see how they work, if it will help. It’s your book. You have to be comfortable and know, in the end, it is the best it possibly can be.

New Look

As you see, I have a new banner.

I’ve spent the last two weeks working with a designer who could come up with the perfect logo to represent me and my writing.

Since I began writing “seriously” in 2008, I’ve tried to find the right wording and look for my work. I started off with Romance with a touch of Cajun spice because everyone said you had to have a tagline. Can we say I had no idea who I was as a writer? This is something I think that new authors spend too much time on when they should be discovering who they are. It’s kind of like growing up. You shouldn’t make life-changing decisions at eighteen because do you really know who you are at that age? No. I’m thirty-(mutters something) and I’m finally getting into my groove and realizing who I am. That’s what it’s like being a writer. You have to find your voice, find your niche and then you can figure out how to brand yourself.

Case in point, after I wrote my first two books in the Veil series, I realized I was writing just paranormal romance. That’s when I changed it to Paranormal Romance with a touch of Cajun spice. Kind of like when I was in college and went from the Psychology program to Education program because I hadn’t taken a single Psychology class by my third semester.

After I wrote Immortal Love, blushing all the while because those characters were naughty, I changed it again. Erotic Paranormal Romance with a touch of Cajun spice. But really, that’s a mouthful. Bwahaha. *snickers*

Ahem. Writing for Ellora’s Cave and joining up with the girls in the Cabal of Hotness showed me I could write something other than paranormal. And to my surprise, it isn’t complete crap. I think. I’ve spread my writing wings and written two spoofs and an erotic romance for men and there isn’t a shapeshifter, Amazon or banshee in sight.

Hence it’s now…

Thanks to Valerie at Inkblot, I have a logo that fits me. A sexy demon woman (just in case people forget my roots) and some smexy writing? Oh yes, I lurves it. I’ll have to find that picture my mom took when I was 4 or 5…with my pitchfork and the maniacal laughing face…she should have known then that I was no good. Or is it good at everything I do? Hm.

Happy Tuesday, y’all. Be sure to stop by tomorrow because we’re gonna blow the roof off with awesomeness!

Randomness

First off, I nearly overslept this morning. I could blame it on nyquil because I took a dose before bed last night, but that stuff sort of wears off after four hours. No, the blame for me waking up too late to work out or even have a cup of coffee this morning goes to my characters.

It all started innocently enough. Sort of. I was waffling on a story. Okay, I was waffling on several stories and it occurred to me that others in my group—yeah, that group, The Cabal of Hotness—were suffering from the same inability to write. One night, after being frustrated by my characters yet again and hearing of another author’s problems getting the story out, I decided we needed to make a pact. And so we did. We’ve all vowed to complete and submit a story to a publisher by December 31, 2012. Failing to meet this deadline means at RomantiCon 2013, you’d have to buy the cabal drinks. The motivation here is money because some of us are lushes *cough “not me”*. If we meet this date we get to toast ourselves and pat ourselves on the backs for a job well done.

This brings me back to my original point. Seeing as how I don’t want to have to buy drinks for everyone, even though I’ll probably get toasted and start playing Lady Bountiful and buy drinks anyway, I realized I needed to get off my ass and write a friggin’ book. I have so many stories started, so many characters who don’t want to friggin’ cooperate with me, I’ve been pulling my hair out trying to decide which one needs to be the “one”. Writing on more than one wasn’t getting me anywhere, so I closed my eyes and picked one and that’s what I’ve been working on slowly. Very slowly.

I was supposed to write six thousand words yesterday, but only managed about 2500 before I got distracted by Duck Dynasty. But I have been trying to figure out where the first “real” sex scene because that’s what I dreamed about in my nyquil haze. Sex, sex, and more sex between my hero and heroine. In a gym, positions I’m still trying to figure out, you name it, they were doing it. Is it any wonder I woke up all bleary-eyed and exhausted?

So yeah, I’ll be writing lots and lots of sex it seems. I figure I can probably eek 15k in sex scenes which will put my story in the novella category. Throw in the conflict, the dark moment and the happy ever after and I can probably push this story to 38k, possibly 40k. Now, if I can do all of that, edit it, send it off to CPs and revise it one more time before sending it off on December 31st, I’ll be good.

*crosses her fingers*

What did you dream about last night? Oh! A few quick announcements to make. Don’t miss today’s edition of Demystifying the Male over at Lea Barrymire’s blog. And if you have any questions you’ve always wanted to ask a man but were afraid to, be sure to let her know so she can pass it along. Also, tomorrow I have the sexy and fun Taylor Cole on the blog talking about nearly anything I could think to ask him. It’s a great interview so be sure to stop by.

The Bad Stuff

It’s been a little over a month since I quit smoking. I was using Chantix to help me and it helped. It really did, I won’t lie and say I was able to do it on my own. This time of quitting was a lot harder than last time. I’m not sure why, but there you have it. The cigarettes had a tighter hold on me the second time I started than they did the first time around.

But that’s not what I’m blogging about today. It’s related though, so follow along on a rambling blog post…

No. I was at my nephew’s birthday party on Saturday and one of his great-aunts asked me how I come up with my stories. I just kind of shrug because how can I answer that? Stories come to me. I don’t go to them. And I was having some major trouble luring them my way.

Yesterday I talked about my muse returning from the red-light district in Amsterdam and I swear that’s what it feels like. This is where the first part of the blog post comes into play. My last book came out September 19. Since then, I’ve had vague ideas, but hadn’t been able to write them. Then I went on the Chantix…

And it was over. I was done for. There was no writing to be done. I could barely even blog about anything. The Chantix mellowed me out too much. I couldn’t get worked up, pissed off, interested, excited about anything. I think the real reason I’m so enamored of RomantiCon is because I stopped taking the Chantix while I was there and it burned the fog of drugs away.

Danica has stepped out again and the sun feels damn good. My muse is no longer stoned out of her mind. I’m dreaming about the cavemen. Okay, it wasn’t illicit or anything, dammit. I was really hoping for something naughty. What do I get? Taylor Cole working on my house. And no, he wasn’t naked. *mutters*

Anyway. I’m writing again. I’m excited about projects and feeling more like the Danica who could throw out a 50k word story in two weeks. Woot! Now if I can keep away from anything else that will distract me…Ooh! Cavemen!

Oh! By the way, I have a special Caveman Spotlight this Friday…An interview, so if you want to know something about Caveman Christian, be sure to stop by!

The New Me?

There’s something different about me. I’m going out on a limb here, but I think RomantiCon was actually good for me.

Sure, I only slept about 12 hours in four days, but I came back home happy and…different. No, I’m not howling at the moon unless it’s a tight, bare ass, in which case, I can’t seem to help myself. No, the change is for the better, I believe. I could actually kick myself for not going to this conference before now because it was better for me than any other has been.

I promise y’all, Ellora’s Cave is not endorsing this blog

I’m not knocking the other conferences. They’ve been fun and I’ve met a lot of people, but as my writing has progress into sexier, naughtier territory, my comfort among other authors has decreased, especially when I’m talking with young adult authors, or inspirational authors. Yes, we all share the writing gene and we all understand writer’s block, but it’s difficult to say ‘I just can’t come up with a good sex scene that isn’t the same as the others’ or ‘is it okay to use cunt in a love scene’? If I said that with those authors, they’d kind of look uncomfortable and change the subject. With my EC sisters (and brothers), it’s ‘Why don’t you do this?’ or in one spectacular author’s case ‘There’s an app for that’. Yes, there is an app for sex positions and some of them look downright painful unless you’re Stretch Armstrong.

There was never the feeling that I should watch what I say. If anything, it was a free for all for every thought I’ve ever had at a conference. And since then I feel…free. Comfortable in my own skin. Confident that no, I’m not a complete freak and if I am, there are a lot of others just like me so ner!

But attitude isn’t all that’s changed. My habits have changed. Okay, so I might be suffering from a touch of insomnia, but I can live with that. I’ve done it before. No, what’s really weird is that I haven’t read a dozen books since I’ve been home. I’ve read one and a half, the half is what I’m still working on. Instead of me drinking my coffee and reading several chapters first thing in the morning, I work out, then drink my coffee while I do a little writing.

This can only mean one thing: I’m feeling the muse. She’s back from Amsterdam, free of funky smoke and alcohol. She has ideas she can’t wait to share with me and drags my ass out of bed at 3:30 in the morning to start my day. She doesn’t give a shit that I want to bury my head in the pillows and dream of cavemen (which hasn’t happened yet). She’s become a right bitch, to be honest. Like a drill sergeant on crack. Write, write, write!

And so I am. Writing = good. Sober muse = good. Muse in Vegas watching Thunder Down Under = bad unless she returns with inspiration for a story. So yes, I do believe I like the “new” me who has a muse tossing ideas out left and right. I like the confident Danica who’s almost a hundred percent certain she can write one hell of a good story.

Thank you, my fellow EC authors for dragging the new Danica into the light. You’re probably going to regret this. Bwaha!

 

Another Week

Well, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s Monday again. Boo, hiss. No, actually it’s okay. I’m sleepy from writing and trying to watch as much of the Denver Pittsburgh game last night, but I’m here and ready to get more words on paper.

I’m actually kind of proud of myself. I normally get too distracted over the weekend to get much written, but I got 10k words in between Saturday evening and Sunday. Why so late on Saturday? Because I had the best pedicure ever. Ever, I tell you. By the time I got out of the salon, all I wanted to do was climb in my bed and sleep. Which is exactly what I did. Then I was ready to write.

It was as though my characters knew it was the right time. They were in rare form, giving me some great scenes and I ate it up. Ate. It. Up. Now I have to make sure I don’t lose my momentum, but tonight is Monday Night Football…and I can’t resist watching, even if it’s with only half my attention on the game.

Speaking of my writing…I’m over at S.J. Maylee’s blog today talking about my writing habits. The blog tour is still going strong and next week…oh, next week is the release of Primal Design. Hello, excitement, so glad to see you again! I’ll be a nervous wreak on the 19th, but in a good way, I swear.

And because I was so proud of this set of lines, I have to share them with y’all. I normally don’t post anything from my books prior to them being finished, but I think the end of this scene perfectly sums up my hero, Zach, and definitely suits my heroine, Colette:

His cock twitched again and that’s when Zach realized he’d been fooling himself all this time. He didn’t want women who were easy and fun-loving. The girls he’d been entertaining himself since he hit puberty weren’t what he wanted. No, he wanted crazy and mean and a little scary.

The Writing Break

I feel like a slacker. I haven’t written anything in several days. For the last three years it seems like I’ve written every day, or at least every other day. But I took a break after submitting my latest book to my editor and getting an acceptance.

That doesn’t mean I’m at a writing end. I think sometimes writers need to stop writing for a little while to help recharge their brains. Instead of putting words to paper, I’ve been brainstorming in my head. I’m not a big fan of plotting. I’ve tried several different ways to plot, have taken several courses on the subject, but I’m a pantser. Nearly everything I have planned for future projects is in my head and when I’m in between works, I’ll pluck one of those ideas from my brain and ponder it.

Now, I’m not saying this method works for everyone, or that I never write anything down. I currently have six blurbs for writing projects and several opening scenes written and waiting to be worked on. And that’s the key word “waiting” because they will be written when my creative mind is ready for it.

So I’ve been playing games and brainstorming my next book. I can see my heroine so clearly. I know who she is, what she wants in life, and how she’s going to get it. It’s the hero who’s giving me fits. I wanted to take the story one way with one particular hero, but then I realized he didn’t feel “right” for her. She needed someone who is the opposite of everything she thinks she wants in life. And I may have hit upon the perfect way to bring them together while driving this morning.

That’s how it works for me. I can spend hours brainstorming in the comfort of my home, sipping a cup of coffee, staring off into space, but most of my ideas are sparked when I’m doing something routine. I’ve mentioned before that I’ll get ideas while taking a shower or brushing my teeth. This time it was while driving and it’s that spark of an idea that helps me start my stories.

I’ve been asked before, by writers and by non-writers, how I come up with my ideas. I don’t really know. They just sort of hit me like a two by four and then the story consumes my brain. Some people can plot. Others can’t. I’m in the latter category. Some people can write even when their creative juices aren’t flowing. Others can’t. Again, I’m in the latter category. I have to feel the story to put words down. If I try to force it, I end up throwing away entire scenes because it doesn’t flow well for me.

I think the most important thing to remember about writing is that no two authors are the same. We’re all as different as snowflakes and what works for one won’t work for another. You have to find your own method to writing and plotting (or not plotting) and go with it.

How do you write?

Giveaway Results

The weekend is over *boo, hiss*, but it’s not all bad news. I’ve picked the winners for the two copies of You Bet Your Banshee from my release day giveaway and the giveaway held on Stacey Espino’s blog. They are…Marsha and flchen1! If you missed a chance to win this time around, never fear for I’ll be giving away three more copies at the end of the month. I’ll announce those guest appearances closer to the dates.

It was a horrible weekend. The weather was atrocious. Seriously atrocious. I think it might have been worse than when we had Tropical Storm Lee pass through her over Labor Day weekend. Rain, rain, more rain, and wind. My yard looks like a pool which means my pampered puppy tiptoes to do her business and old cat refuses to leave the porch.

I took a break from writing, but not brainstorming. In fact, I had one of the best brainstorming sessions with my mom yesterday. Sometimes writers need to talk to a non-writing person to get their thoughts straight. She helped me get through a huge plot snarl I plan to untangle this week and hopefully I’ll be able to send that story off to Evernight in a couple of weeks. Then, the WIP I finished last week is in the final stages of pre-edits for me to submit to Ellora’s Cave which I’m hoping to send to my editor this week.

Lots going on and more to come it seems, but that’s what a writer’s life is like, isn’t it?

How was your weekend?

Can You Feel the Cover Love

Yesterday I received an awesome email. Yup, you guessed it. I got the cover for Primal Song, my Ellora’s Cave book. Let me give you a little background on the story before I show you the cover. (Like you can’t scroll down to see it for yourself.)

Not the official blurb:

Deputy Daisy Picou had her heart broken by a harem-forming lion when she was younger and now wants nothing to do with the mangy cats. But when a beast of a lion shifter shows up in her small town for an impromptu concert, her body decides it has to have him. Fighting against the pull of a lust stronger than anything she’s ever known, Daisy succumbs to Ram’s seductive moves and promises of forever. But she isn’t sure she can let of her past to grab hold of a future with a rock star whose life is worlds apart from her own. 

Ramsey “Ram” Reinhardt has done the rock star thing for a long time and has never felt anything like what he feels for the bear shifting deputy. He had no intention of sticking around the tiny town ofMaison Rouge, but with Daisy as its prime attraction, he has a feeling he’s finally found a home. It won’t be easy convincing the wary bear shifter to take a chance on him, but Ram hasn’t become a star by giving in. He’ll use every weapon at his disposal to make her realize they’re meant to be together. Forever.

That’s the gist of the story and here’s what the art department came up with for my cover:

Weee!!! They managed to fit the girl, the guy, their beasts, and the rock star bit. How awesome is that? I think you can tell at a glance this book is about shifters, hot sex, and music. What do you think?

And wait, is it any coincidence that I have two cover reveals this week? Will there be three? Because I’m still waiting on cover art for You Bet Your Banshee. *bounces*