The Sanibel Divas

Good post. I agree that it's sad to see writer...

2010-10-21T14:15:17.287-04:00

Good post. I agree that it's sad to see writers making fun of other genres.

Writing a good paranormal is just as challenging if not more so, than writing "normals." You have to make rules for your stories that are fresh, interesting and consistent within the story. Not always easily done. Like many others, I've read brilliant paras and absolute dreck (obviously the folks "just inserting" a vampire).

And a good YA can be as powerful and compelling as any adult novel - and not necessarily easy to write.

LOL I'm actually working on a paranormal YA. But I didn't do it because I was hoping for more money, just because it's the story that wants to come out right now.

The CRITTER Project and Naked Without a Pen

And they're both looking beautiful. g

2010-08-24T01:52:28.080-04:00

And they're both looking beautiful. *g*

What a shame that because of Dorchester's impl...

2010-08-21T07:22:25.372-04:00

What a shame that because of Dorchester's implosion, all your hard work and that cover with the fab Dakota Cassidy quote will go to waste. :(

Thanks so much for dropping by, Jaleta! I totally ...

2010-08-19T19:44:41.275-04:00

Thanks so much for dropping by, Jaleta! I totally agree with you, we can find the time to write if we really want to. I have a poster a critique partner gave me that says, "Writers write; everyone else makes excuses." I think that's very true.

I just found your blog and I love it! I've got...

2010-08-05T14:52:36.807-04:00

I just found your blog and I love it! I've got all sorts of ready-made excuses for not writing - 8 kids, half of them autistic, 1 getting married next week, a job, a home business, cleaning, cooking, too tired, not feeling well, etc, ad nauseum. But then I look at what I've written at the times when I had the most excuses and think, I have no excuses now, not compared to then when I wrote whole novels in just a month or two. It really does come down to discipline and scheduling and desire. Butt in chair, hands on keyboard, distractions unplugged or drowned out in music, and WRITE! I need to figure out how to push my marketing to just one or two days a week.

I love your post. I think you're exactly right...

2010-08-05T14:43:08.495-04:00

I love your post. I think you're exactly right. Belittling other genres hurts not only the public perception of authors, but the author's reputation. I may not like someone's book or dislike the entire genre, but I respect the work and effort it took to write it.

I write and publish science fiction space opera romance, which gets belittled by just about everyone. I also do comic horror short stories, another belittle genre. I think I just like rocking the boat.

And everything is better with zombies, not vampires. It's a known fact. So throw some zombies into your next historical romance and you'll make lots of money!

Hello Shannon/Saiorse: Congratulations on all you...

2010-07-02T20:01:55.851-04:00

Hello Shannon/Saiorse:

Congratulations on all your success!! I am very excited for you, especially since I knew you before you were Shannon Delaney. lol

I'm getting ready for a major virtual book tour for Lancelot's Lady, which debuts September 27th. The tour runs from Sept 28-Oct 10 and I'm looking for hosts who will allow me to be a guest blogger.

Would you consider hosting me on Texting Between the Sheets?

Since Lancelot's Lady was a contestant in the Textnovel/Dorchester Next Best Celler contest, I thought your blog would be an awesome stop on the tour.

I'm making it worth my hosts while. Free ebooks will be given to all hosts. Also, your readers who leave a comment and email on my post will receive free giveaways as well.

Sound like fun? I hope so.

Please email me at cherylktardif (at) shaw.ca and let me know if you'd like to be part of my "Cherish the Romance" Virtual Book Tour.

Cherish D'Angelo
(aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif)
www.cherishdangelo.com

Thanks, Gail. You are made of win.

2010-06-29T14:35:14.764-04:00

Thanks, Gail. You are made of win.

How exciting! We're so proud of you. :-)

2010-06-24T09:22:49.894-04:00

How exciting! We're so proud of you. :-)

YAY! Thanks!

2010-06-20T22:06:05.163-04:00

YAY! Thanks!

Hell yeah! Congrats!

2010-06-20T11:22:41.764-04:00

Hell yeah! Congrats!

M.A. - I think most writers feel that way sometime...

2010-04-26T20:55:08.121-04:00

M.A. - I think most writers feel that way sometimes, regardless of experience level. Thanks for coming out of lurkdom!

And Marjorie, thanks for dropping by. :-)

Lori, I LOVED what you said!!! It is SO true! I am...

2010-04-25T21:00:22.706-04:00

Lori, I LOVED what you said!!! It is SO true! I am not a writer but it can be applied to any activity in our life. I do write but it is journaling. I still find all the same excuses that everyone else does.

I am new to leaving a comment, but I'm not new...

2010-04-25T15:52:19.107-04:00

I am new to leaving a comment, but I'm not new to enjoying your posts. It's hard for a beginner like myself to stay focused with 'life' playing around me or targeting me. But knowing I'm not alone gives me hope. Keep up the great work.
Thank you all!

You're so right, Lori! We writers can be a pre...

2010-04-25T11:00:29.929-04:00

You're so right, Lori! We writers can be a pretty neurotic bunch that way. What are we so afraid of?

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh yeah, so so so true. Too busy, got a child to r...

2010-04-24T22:09:17.275-04:00

Oh yeah, so so so true. Too busy, got a child to raise, an apartment to clean, I'm wiped out.

And every single time I meet a goal my life becomes a million times better. Amazing how we love what's good for us but find reasons not to do it.

I think we're all in the same boat -- though s...

2010-04-24T20:53:58.580-04:00

I think we're all in the same boat -- though some of us are sinking faster than others! ;-) We just need to WRITE!

Oh, gosh. Where do I start? -I'm tired -Cramp...

2010-04-24T20:25:24.650-04:00

Oh, gosh. Where do I start?

-I'm tired
-Cramps
-Anemia
-MIL
-Editing
-Cleaning
-Distracted
-ADD
-Kids

Then I play games online to "relax my brain" when what I need to do is write.

Social networking. Marketing. Blah blah blah when I need to just write.

"I just finished a novel and I'm scared a...

2010-04-24T20:15:58.992-04:00

"I just finished a novel and I'm scared and depressed it won't sell.Plus I spent all week trying to beat out Sparks in a listopia poll that had my OCD flaring up like gasoline on a campfire."
--Jenn Hart, lunatic writer extraordinaire.

Really there's no such thing as a good excuse unless we have a Dr.'s note or death in the family.

I keep saying I need to get organized, but what I really need to do is stop stalling like a POS car.

Heck yea, Paranormal baby. I would like to see th...

2010-04-20T20:24:32.174-04:00

Heck yea, Paranormal baby. I would like to see them try just *inserting* vamps or wolves at random. Then I want to see them selling it to us paranormal readers and having us buy into it. You have to make them realistic but NEW. Most para-haters don't realize how hard that is to do this and not be cliche.

I recently told a fellow aspiring writer from my Church who "never has liked" Paranormal or Urban Fantasy, that as I see it now, I will always be a paranormal writer and reader. She looked at me all superior so I added "Hey its good enough for the BIBLE!" She stammered, "Wha-what?!" "It's filled with people rising from the dead, ZOMBIES- hello if that ain't paranormal!" She huffed off, I guess I won? ;-)

We all recognize that paranormal fiction is NOT a ...

2010-04-20T17:40:23.851-04:00

We all recognize that paranormal fiction is NOT a new genre, right? I mean, it first burst into critical fame during the late eighteenth century. I would have found it hard not to have dropped that kernel of info to those people that think it's the vamps that sell the books. Traditional is out, baby. It's dark and gritty and disturbing--kind of like the paranormal comics that were popular in the 1980's. Hold on here, I see a pattern.

Exactly. A pattern. Wanna know what will be popular again in romance fiction? I'm betting my two cents (cause that's all I have) that the civil war epic novels that were so popular in the late '70s early '80s are going to pop back into the forefront. Historicals are the next step for the year 2015. That's the way the romance wave rolls.

So, let's think of a new twist to that. We'll be raking in the dough by 2025!

Jennifer, The whole reason I don't think I...

2010-04-20T17:09:29.300-04:00

Jennifer,

The whole reason I don't think I'll ever do a vamp story is because I don't think I'd have anything to add to that mythos at this point--so I totally understand avoiding certain topics and characters.

And I sorta expect certain genre prejudices (writing romance we hear A LOT of them) but I don't expect it in a public forum FOR writers, I guess. Or as part of a panel. Oy.

Thanks for adding your thoughts--yep--a mile in another person's shoes makes all the difference.

Take care!
~Shannon

What is that old saying about walking a mile in an...

2010-04-20T13:37:13.925-04:00

What is that old saying about walking a mile in another person's shoes?

I'm sure there are plenty of authors out there writing paranormal that are not raking in the dough, not because of anything to do with their stories but more because there's plenty of been there, done that, got the T-shirt surrounding paranormal novels right now.

When I did NaNoWriMo last year I fully intended to do a paranormal, and guess what, I couldn't! I love the genre, but I have no idea how to add something fresh to it. So I ended up with a space prince instead o a demon or vamp or werewolf.
I'll leave those to the pros who know what they're doing. Like you divas ;-)

Saranna--It's the movies I like. I've neve...

2010-04-17T10:25:34.075-04:00

Saranna--It's the movies I like. I've never actually read anything he wrote, and after reading how he thinks he's better than Shakespeare, I will never read any of his books. Go ahead, rant. The man needs a reality check. He just knows how to make a woman cry. Whoop-de-do. Every man I've ever dated made me cry. He hasn't exactly stumbled upon a superpower.

Liane--Someday, there is going to be an ABC movie made about you. I know it sucks for you, but tell me the truth, when things do go your way, doesn't it feel sweeter?

Wynter--I have the hardest time being mean to my characters. I find I have to place a bowl of chocolate kisses next to me when I am going to kill off one of their loved ones or put them in a super nasty situation. I need the comfort.

I like to lull my readers into a false sense of se...

2010-04-17T09:04:54.368-04:00

I like to lull my readers into a false sense of security then ruthlessly rip it all away;-) Good post.