Monday's Helpful Hints - a wrap up

Today I intend to summarize the last several weeks, so this should be short and simple. I can hear some of you saying, "Oh, yeh! The other blogs were supposed to be short."

No, this will be short.

My best advice is always take what you hear and apply it to you, to the house your are trying to sell to, to the genre you write. Don't take my word for gospel. It may not fit your situation.

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of sites on the Internet that detail any of the subjects I've covered here, so with a little searching through "Google" or "Bing" you can read many other opinions about what to do and how to do it. I've tried to approach these blogs with what I've learned over the years. However, remember, my genre, my own style, the houses I write for, and the more I learned have always determined what I'm doing and how I do it. So, do your research.

It's your career, they are your books, not someone else's work. What works for you might not work for another author. It's determine by your time, money, personality and talent.

So happy writing and researching.

Now I have to decide what I'll blog about for the next month or two.

See Ya!

Allison Knight
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
"Betrayed Bride" available from www.ChampagneBooks.com
"Lynbrook's Lady" coming in August from www.ChampagneBooks.com

Monday's Helpful Hints - Press kits.

Late again. Sorry about this.

Okay, what is a press kit. It's something to give to the press, make available through your web site, send to your publisher, provide to a speaker's group. There are any number of reasons why you should have a press kit available. So what should it include and basically - why?

Yes, I have a press Kit, and yes, I prepared it myself. You can do it yourself, or you can pay to have it done. I don't have the kind of money available to spend on things like a kit when I can do it myself. So what did I use and how did I assemble this advertising medium, because that it what it is. This summarizes your writing career - in detail.

Fist, I started with a clear plastic binder to hold the information. You can get these at any office supply store. Next I printed a copy of the book cover I was presently promoting in good glossy photo paper. Also with everything I printed I used good 24 lb paper. Think of it as a resume for an important job.

I printed a bio, and this was extensive. But it was only about my writing experiences and career, starting with the education classes I took to learn to write fiction. Since I didn't teach English I didn't bother with a description of my teaching experience. Only that I taught high school and recently retired.

I did detail the books I had published, the kind of genre I wrote, and awards I'd received. Next, I included a recently professional photograph of me, a book mark, a list of my published works, a short description of any speaking engagements or appearances I planned, offices held that involved my writing career.

Some authors include a disk of their ebook, or a copy of their print book, but unless the organization you are submitting to, is reviewing books, or is interested in you genre, it might be a waste. That's for you to decide.

Last but not least, I include my online connections, URL's, publisher's URL, and personal contact information.

The object is to look professional, sell yourself and your career. Do you really need a press kit? It's another of those things you have decide for yourself. I decided years ago, I needed one.

I'd love to see what those of you who have press kits would be willing to share.

Allison       
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
Betrayed Bride available from Champagne Books
Lynbrook's Lady available in August from Champagne Books

Monday's Helpful Hints - What didn't work - for me.

There are several things I did, as far as I know, (note the caveat here) had little effect on my marketing of my books. I also had a good friend who was a military analyst who agrees with my own results.

It doesn't seem that much benefit is gained from online advertising. It's way down on the list of things that work. I'm not certain about paid advertising in print medium because I've seldom had the money to be able to buy an expensive spread in a retail spot. So I'd have to say - for me at least - paid advertising was a waste of my money.

Also, today, many of the loops devoted to romances, which I write, are full of other authors promoting their books. So, for as much time as I spend on those loops, I doubt I gain much help in selling my own books.

Giving away books also doesn't do a lot either. I have to buy my print books and except for the few copies I get when the book is released in digital form, I must buy the digital book from my publisher if I want to continue to gift the ebook to others. Contests stir up some interest, but giving away a lot of books doesn't seem to aid in my actual sales numbers.

The three best things I do, is first word of mouth. It's been reported that your name has to register at least seven times, before people will begin to recognize you. So, if that premise is true, then you have to have someone talk about you at least seven times before you'll be remembered, they'll have to see your name in print at least seven times before they get it. So, word of mouth is the most important and seeing your name in print is next. That means blogging for others and well as at least one blog for you, tweeting and facebook, and the other forms of internet media.

The third thing I've found that helps is always carrying a bunch of bookmarks (mine are business cards and I'll explain why in a minute). I pass these out to anyone I see reading, in a restaurant, doctor's office, where ever. Of course, I will also pass them out to people I see reading from a digital device like a kindle. I usually ask what they are reading and if it's history, romance, or most forms of fiction, I'll pass out a card or two. I also keep my doctor's office supplied, hand them out at the hospital when I go for blood tests, at the beauty salon, and I add them to almost all of the mail that leaves the house.

Now, why do I use business cards as opposed to regular bookmarks? First, I can make them myself and print as many or as few as I want or print them as I need them. I can print both sides, and let face it, today not everyone uses a bookmark, but people do keep business cards. The stock available is excellent, not horrendously expensive and with the new printers, you can produce a reasonably good product. I put the latest cover of my book on one side and my back list and buy info on the reverse. I'm definitely looking into using a small QR code on my next card.  Don't know what that is? Look it up and you'll notice it's now frequently on all kinds of products.

Okay, I'm a little long again, but there is much to share. I'll wait until next Monday to get into the press kit. So, see you then.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
Betrayed Bride available from Champagne Books
Lynbrook's Lady coming in August from Champagne Books

Monday's Helpful Hints - Marketing

Okay, today is about hints about what I've learned.

First, I learned, years ago, when my books where being published by NY, that unless you were one of the BIG authors, your publishing company was not going to spend any bucks on you, to tell the world you have a book available. You had to do it yourself. Of course, I didn't know that. At the time, I was teaching in a conservative, rural high school, and didn't feel comfortable advertising the fact that I was writing steamy (well at the time it was considered steamy) romances. I could just hear some of the parents having fits. So, I selected a pen name and kept my mouth shut. Only my family knew.

Mistake! My sister and the wife of our principal were good friends. So, right after my first book was published, when we are at a teachers' meeting after school, my principal announces to the assembled teachers - he wanted me to autograph my first book. The 'cat' was out of the bag.  So, here I was with a book, not knowing a thing about how to sell, market, advertise, or even defend myself if there was a need - nothing.

So hint # one, if you don't want anyone to know you are writing a book - don't tell anyone. However, know that no one, except maybe your aunt Tellie, or uncle Joe (depending on what you write) will only ever read your book, because that's what they read. If you want others to read your book, you are going to have to market it - yourself!!! You need a plan. I had no idea where to start, and I've learned, it's different for every author, depending on time, money, genre, commitments,  a hundred and one things. 

My next hint is probably the hardest one to achieve. Learn to control you time. Life has a habit of getting in the way, so you have to be committed. Okay, you've written a book, but are you going to be a one book wonder? You need writing time and time to learn, as well as life in general. Most people who write also work - somewhere, at a go-to job, at home, whatever, so you must make time to write, and promote. There's that word again. So you need to start with a written plan and try to stay with it. As I said, that's the hardest part.

My next hint is be realist. Little goals, once achieved, can multiply into larger goals. You decide what you can reasonably do and if you've planned too much, pare down your goals a bit. And, remember, don't break the bank. If you can't afford to pay for advertising, don't sweat it. Lot's of us don't pay for much. I can't afford a big promo budget. Most mid list authors can't.

So with all of that in mind, take a peak at the Internet, and start reading about marketing plans. I'm not giving you a detailed plan, because what works for me will not necessarily work for you.  Go to google or Bing and look for marketing plans for authors. Check them out, read a bunch, then decide what you can do. And pick those things you are comfortable with. If you don't like speaking in front of people, don't plan to do readings or talk to groups about writing. You'll make yourself sick and won't achieve a thing, other than making yourself sick.

Last hint for today. First and foremost - You must decide who you are writing for and why.  I think the why is probably the most important. I write because I must. I have always written - something. Now, I write love stories. I do want others to read my books, so I have two goals. One for me - write, and one - to get others to read my books. How I'm going about that is my marketing plan.

Next Monday - There are some of things you really should do and I'll details those. Then I'll name some things that didn't work - for me! Remember, they just might for you. In the meantime, spend some time searching for marketing plans for authors!

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
"Betrayed Bride" available now from Champagne Books
"Lynbrook's Lady" coming in August from Champagne Books

Monday's Helpful Hints - Marketing plans

Today, we'll talk a bit about Marketing plans. And we'll discuss them in more detail over the next two weeks. Today, a few cautions and some information.

These are going to be as different as you and the genre in which you write. Unfotunately, these are now a part of the business of writing. At one time, authors wrote, companies distributed, and if you were lucky and the company for which you wrote thought you were going to make a splash, or you already had, then they were willing to do all kinds of promotion on you behalf.

Those days are probably long gone. The big six appear to be struggling to keep up with the influx of the independent authors and the small print and expanding digital market. Promotion of any kind is restricted to only the very big names. So, you have to be able to present your publisher, or yourself if you've decided to go the indie route, with a plan to sell your book.

Some things I've learned and some things other author friends of  conveyed to me are some of the things we'll cover in the next two weeks, starting with what are some of the things I've learned. And let me repeat, every plan will be different.

You will need to give some thought, well, probably a lot of thought, to how much money you want to spend in the way of promotion. And that means being very realistic about what you can make from the sale of your work.

This will probably surprise and annoy a lot of writers, but several years ago, a survey gave an honest appraisal of what exactly a freelance author could make in a year. The dismal number of about Six thousand dollars was the number finally agreed upon. And that was for the year. It hasn't change much over time, for it was about that twenty years ago. So, writing is no way to get rich quick.

There are sites available on line that detail the amount of money an author of certain genres can make,  if you are lucky and write a best seller first time out. One of them is "Show me the money" and covers the categories of romance novels.

So, we'll look at just how you plan to market your book. In the meantime, you might want to take a look at how much money you can spend, if you want to spend anything, how much time you will give to promotion. Most people forget about the amount of time promotion takes and believe me, that eats into writing time. Know that the plan will probably have to be written and present to your publisher, if you plan to contract the rights for your book. Even if you decide to go it alone, you should write out your plan. This then will be your guide line for marketing.

What I've learned and what worked for me next week.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
"Betray Bride" available from www.ChampagneBooks.com
"Lynbrook's Lady" coming in August form www.ChampagneBooks.com

What I Don't Know About Contracts

Plain and simple! I have no legal training. I never took a class in law, litigation, court proceeding, anything. So I know squat about contracts.

I do know they can be altered by either party before they are signed. Some publishers refused to change a word, some will be happy to change a phrase, wording made simpler, or spelled out in more detail. Even some agents now required contracts, and again, those can be changed before they are signed - but don't count on a lot of changes unless you have a huge backlist and even then, the second party may not want to change a thing.

I do know contracts are binding under the laws of the country in which they are written - usually. To break a contract can cost money. Way back when, breaking a contract could cost you a lot more even perhaps your life. Well, we are a bit more civilized today - I hope.

What I do know about a contract is simple. Read the thing. If you don't understand it, consult someone who will, that usually means a lawyer, or someone with some knowledge of the law. Even if it is something that looks simple to you, if you don't understand, then you need to.

No, I not promoting the legal profession, only that contracts can be binding and if you don't understand what you are signing, then you could, and I emphasis could, be heading for trouble.

I do know a bit about rights. So I'll explain what I know about them and call it a day, because as I said,  I know squat about legal matters.

Rights are what you are selling. You are giving someone the right to publish you work. You still own the work. You are not selling what you have created, or you shouldn't. The length of time, and to whom, for what, are spelled out in the contract you sign. The right to publish is granted to someone else for a specific good (spell that money - or copies of say the magazine, if it's a short story for a mag, or even an article, picture, etc.) The time the publisher has to hang on to those rights, how much they are willing to pay, when and how, based on what and also with what, usually, naming the currency, should be spelled out in that contract.

The most important thing I can tell you about contracts. Read every word - before you sign! If you don't understand, ask someone who will understand. Last, but not least, make sure you keep a copy yourself. Put your contract in a safe place. I have each contract I signed with the finished copy of the book and all the work sheets for each work I wrote and published. That's a lot of paper, but at least I know where everything is. I can put my hands on the contract I signed for that book, years after it has faded from memory. 

If you expect to sign a lot of contracts (grinning) then buy yourself a bunch of file folders and put them somewhere safe.

You won't be sorry.

Next week, we'll take a look at a promotional plan. Maybe you can give me some ideas.

Allison
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch.
Betrayed Bride coming in May, 2013 from Champagne Books
Lynbrook's Lady coming in August 2013 also from Champagne Books.

Rejections

If last week's topic was frustrating, this week's topic is downright discouraging.

Rejections are also part of this business, one I had to learn to handle. When my very first book was returned with that nice letter I mentioned originally, I was devastated. My year's work - rejected. They didn't want it. I had a hard time not shedding a few tears.

I never stopped to ask why, nor think it could possibly be my fault. Nay! They didn't see talent when it hit them in the face.

After I calmed down, I took another look at what I've done. Could there have been a reason they didn't want my book? Slowly, I realized I didn't know enought about what I was analyzing to make a proper judgement. So, I tramped over to the local book store and started buying how-to books. It didn't take long to figure out I had an awful lot to learn. More books, magazines, classes, by mail and at a local college, were part of my new writing routine. In the two years that followed, I learned, I wrote, I submitted and I kept getting rejected.

Finally, the call came. They wanted not one, but the three books I had written so far. Devastation turned to elation.

Since then, oh, yes, I've been rejected. Time and time again. Wrong timing, wrong story line, the line I was submitting to was being dropped, the editor was having a a bad day.

However, I've learned a couple of important points in analyzing rejections.

Read them carefully. If two or more editors find fault with the same problem/s i.e. point of view, story line, grammer mistakes, inconsistent motivation, maybe you should take a look at your manuscript.

If it's a form letter (and that's usually what you'll get) don't send a scathing letter off to the editor. It will mark you forever in the business. Don't rewrite the manuscript - yet. Take another look. Ask someone you know (not a close friend or relative) to read your story. I asked my lawyer, who I knew read romances, if she'd read my second book. She was going on vacation and took it with her. Her comments were invaluable.

And study the business. I failed to do that. If I had taken the time to see what was selling and what was in a downward spiral I would have noticed the gothics I'd started to write were no longer being published. I missed the boat there.

One other important point. Write what you are comfortable writing. The genre may be hot today, cold tomorrow and hot again next week, or in a month or a year. Historical romance and various time periods and locations come and go so you must know the business. But it's your book, your genre, your work. So write what you want to write and keep writing.

I guess the best advice I can give is rejection happens, it hurts, but it's part of the business. As one of my kids would say - "suck it up" and start in on another project.

Next week - what I don't know about contracts.


Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
"BETRAYED BRIDE" coming in May from Champagne Books
And in August - "Lynbrook's Lady" - a Regency Period Historical Romance

Monday's Helpful Hints (The Synopsis)

This is the one I suffer through, have suffered through, will continue to suffer through. But I've found a couple of things that have helped me to write the "Dreaded Synopsis"!

First, if you are a panster, you need to finish the book. You have to know what's going to happen at the end. Most pansters I know, have no idea until they get to the middle or sometimes close to the end.

I outline so writing a synopsis should be easier, right?  To that I reply, HA!

But let us assume you have the book nearly finished and you know what's going to happen at the end. You do need to know that, for the editor is going to want to know. This "And the end is a surprise", won't cut it and won't help you sell a book. In fact, it may result in the editor refusing to even read your first three chapters. A sure fire rejection.

I've found if I break my synopsis down into sections, I can do a better job. Maybe this will help you as well.

The first paragraph of a synopsis needs to be a short description of where the story takes place. You aren't writing a novel here, you are going to give a summary so we need to know where this is happening, and maybe a hint as to what is happening, especially if you are writing a mystery, scfi, space romance, historical, be it fiction or romance. Not much description, that needs to be in the novel.

So a short paragraph telling (a synopsis is a lot more telling than showing) where, when, etc. at the beginning of your book. I think that's why they don't advise dialogue in a synopsis. Dialogue is a great way to show instead of tell.

Next comes motivation. I need to tell what is driving my characters, what they think they want and how they think they can get it, their goal. Cover the main characters, that is the hero, heroine, and the villain/s. I'll include only the secondary characters if they are central to the plot, that is if their goals will directly impact the central characters.

Next a summary of the story. I break this down into the first turning point, the result, the mid point, the second turning point, again, the result, the black moment and the conclusion. That's why I say you must know the ending.

In all, I try to keep the synopsis of a 75,000 to 80,000 word novel to around four or five pages, shorter for shorter novels, and longer if the novel is lengthy. Although I'm told that today, most publishers like a novel of around 100,000 words or less. People today say they don't have time for too big a book. (I'm only repeating what I've read! It's really up to you and your story)

Good luck and let me know if this is helpful. It works for me.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
Watch for "Betray Bride" coming in May from
www.ChampagneBooks.com

Monday's Helpful Hints

We've covered the basics, kinda, so today we look at what goes into a submission, what you mail (or e-mail).

First, I'll say it again, read the guidelines. Legitimate publishers, the big six and indies, will tell you what they want.

Here's the standard rule of thumb - in case they don't.

First the perfect cover letter. (We covered that)

Then a synopsis (Okay, many of us hate that word - me among them, but I've learned few tricks, if like me you do not like them)

Then the manuscript. It might be the first three chapters, over the first fifty pages, or the whole book. Don't send them bits and pieces. I don't care if you've written the world's greatest love scene. If it's not in the pages they want don't send it. Nothing marks you an amateur like that.

Guidelines will usually spell out what font they want and about how many words to a page, (we've covered fonts and we'll cover how to estimate the number of words if you don't use a computer with a word counter on it)

Again, as clean as you can make the copy. If it's on paper, print out a new copy and if "e" they will probably tell you how they want you to send. Follow their guidelines.

Don't forget to include you name (especially if you are writing under a pen name), and if you are sending a print copy to a publisher, be sure to include return postage. (That's another thing I didn't do, first time around. I don't remember what it cost Pocket to return it, but they did.)

And, whatever you do - don't send your only copy. I print out copies of my "e" submissions, and also save them on disk and flash drives.

In some cases, the publisher might want a marketing plan but if they do, don't worry, we'll take a look at marketing plans later, probably in May.

Send and WAIT.  We'll get into that soon.

Next Monday I'll tackle that horrible thing the synopsis (Can you tell I don't like them?)

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
Betrayed Bride coming in May from Champagne Books

Monday's Helpful Hints

Today we start with what I've learned over the almost thirty years I've been in this business, because, it is a business.

I decided the best place to start is the beginning. Kinda like the alphabet song from the movie, Sound of Music.

Let's get one fact out of the way at the start! If you want to be published, and some people don't, then you have to submit your work. Just saying you could write a good book, doesn't mean you can get it published unless you are willing to submit it. And that means you have to know how.

I've told the tale before, but with my first attempt I sent a complete, poorly formated manuscript, all 650 pages to the president of St. Martin's Press.  The only thing I did right was send the manuscript to a publisher of romance. Everything else was wrong, wrong, wrong.

So today, I want to begin with the Format of a Submission. 

1. (And foremost) You might not want to send the whole manuscript to a publisher. And you don't want to do anything with that manuscript that screams rooky! They will usually tell you how much they want of your FINISHED work. Okay, I'll yelling. Unless you have a track record of publishing many books, most publishers, print or 'e' will not want to know about your unfinished book. Finish the book and then submit the amount they request. If they are interested, they'll ask for the rest.

2. Know the rules for submitting, which means you need to read the guidelines for the publisher to whom you are submitting. If they don't specify what format they want, then choose the standard format and yes, there is a standard.

3. Okay, here's the standard.
        Margins -      1 inch all the way around, top, bottom, left and
                             right sides
        Font  -          Nothing fancy. This is a business. Use a regular
                             computer font. Times New Roman, Arial, or Verdana
                             are always good. This will make you look
                             professional. Underlining and bolding your font
                             says you're a novice and you don't know anything
                             about the business.
       Spacing -       Unless the guidelines say otherwise, double spacing is
                            a good choice. Editors have a lot to read every day,
                             particularly submission editors. All they do is read.
       Headers -      Again, read the guidelines. Usually, Your Title/Your
                             name on the top of every page.
       Numbering -  Top right or bottom is always good if the guidelines
                             don't say.

Summing up! Read the guildines.

That's it for this week.  Next week we'll look at how to send a manuscript to a publishing company.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch

Something Brand New!

After too long an absence, I've decided I need a better blogging plan. Instead of rambling about this and that, which I will continue to do occasionally, I intend to share what I've learned over the years in this business of publishing, specifically publishing romance novels. I'll leave the 'short story' business to someone else.

So starting Monday, I'm going to be offering MONDAY'S HELPFUL HINTS DAY! That blog will be available all through the week.

Each week, I'll tackle some aspect of what I've learned, either from a lot of reading, researching the markets, or from my many, many mistakes as I pursued this road to my publishing career.

I make the claim to having learned something because I've being doing this for nearly thirty years, but also because I was published in print, by a New York publisher, Kensington Publishing Company, along with several e-publishing companies, two companies now defunct. I am currently publishing with Wings ePress, Red Rose Publishing and now CBG. (Champagne Book Group) I have book # twenty (20) coming in May or June, with another book awaiting a decision on my editor's desk, book # twenty-two (22) in process (which will be the last of the 'song' books) and two more already started, one taking place in England and one out West both in the mid 1800's. Believe me when I say I've learned a lot about this business.

I promise not to offer pages and pages of do this and don't do that. I'll keep it short and each week, tackle just one little subject. If the subject of the day doesn't interest you, you won't have to read through pages of examples, thinking you might miss something. (I've done that a lot lately. Read through long treatises, hoping to read something new and different.) I won't promise to be different, but I will be short. Count on it.

Please, if I help you, let me know. If there is simple you want clarified or want to ask a question, fire away. As a retired teacher, I've never lost the need to impart knowledge. (sighing) Guess it's in the blood.

See you Monday!

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch

Finally, writing!

Finally, after weeks of procrastinating, I got started on Lovesong. Why did it take so long, you ask? Simple. The story hadn't jelled in my mind. I had the basics, the hero, the heroine, some of the characters. I knew where the story started, or thought I did, and where it ended, but I'm not one of the pansters (writing by the seat of my pants). I have to have a vague idea where I'm going and how I'm going to get there, the later being the more important.


Oh, that's not to say things don't change as I go along, but I have a pretty detailed framework before I start. And with Lovesong, the framework was missing.

One afternoon as I sat waiting for one of my many doctors, ideas came out of nowhere and suddenly the story began to grow. That's also why I never go anyplace without a notebook and a pen. As I waited I wrote. I now knew not only where I was going but why.

So I'm off to work on Lovesong. And I can hardly wait for y'all to meet Catherine.

Of course, I gotta get pages written before the game today. This is Saturday and that means college football. I guess I got the love of the game from my dad who never missed listening to a game on the radio. His team is not my team. And in the south and in Alabama, you either root for Roll Tide or the Tigers (Alabama or Auburn). I feel sorry for my friends who have kids who attend or have attended both schools. They kinda have to root for both.

Not in the household. We're for Alabama all the way. Roll Tide!

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch

How about that - blogging two days in a row!

I worked on my Contemporary today, yesterday, and
even the day before. I'm getting back in the swing
of things again. Surprising how a lung infection
has a tendency to grab any creative juices and
destroy them. When you can't let your mind flow
'cause you're coughing all over the place, have
a fever and are stuffed with high powered
antibiotics, it useless.

I'm much better now and want to be at the keyboard.

In each story, there's a point where everything
begins to jell. The characters are known,
the plot is moving in the direction you want,
you can see the end and the growth of your characters
is nearly complete. I've reached that point. And, it's
hard to stay away from the computer. Here's hoping
my editor likes it and it will soon see the light
of day.

But there's a serious problem with writing novels.
Before you finish one, another plot, a character,
a beginning, even an ending occurs and you KNOW
you have to start on that story. The temptation to
leave your wip and start the new book is teeth gritting.
I'm holding off. My next 'song' book is mentally
taking shape and I want, really want, to start on it.
However...

Whoever said writing fiction was easy is nuts! Or
the authors are. That's up for debate.

Allison

www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch

Free books

Books, books,and more books! December first, all day, the authors of Champagne Imprints- That's romance, erotica, scfi, fantasy, (you name it we have it,) are chatting at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bethwylde/ Many of the authors attending will be giving away thier books, either trade paperbacks or digital books. My contribution is a pdf of BATTLESONG.

So mark your calendars and come visit. However, you must join the group to participate.

My bad

Here I am blogging for everyone else and neglecting
my own blog. Darn, I keep saying I'm going to do
better, but I don't. I've invited some people to
join me, so you won't have to listen to me all of the
time at least for the next month.

I've also spent a lot of time with my web designer,
preparing a better web site. She did a fabulous job.
Take a look.

Of course, I've also been busy with edits and copy
edits for Windsong which is out now and A Matter of
Passion, a short story being released in December.

I also wrote a short short for Red Rose Publishing
for their 12 Days of Christmas. It's not as if I haven't
been writing. Just not here.

I don't make New Years Resolutions, Maybe I should! Do a
better job on my own blog.

Enough for now.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Windsong available now in digital format
from Champagne Books.
Coming in December from Champagne,
A Matter of Passion

An author's shinning moment

Some have asked me what value there is in writing Romance.

There was one shining moment in my early career which gives purpose to what I do.

I'm a retired school teacher but for nearly thirty years I taught school. When I started writing I was teaching Home Economics in the high school. At the time, I was forty something (No woman tells her true age.) I was definitely seen as the grandmotherly type.

One afternoon, as I hurried to the workroom for something, (I don't remember what) one of my male students, a senior, stopped me in the hall. He wanted to know if he could talk to me. He wanted to talk about my novel. By this time, I got a bit defensive if anyone said they wanted to talk about MY book because in my conservative district a romance author teaching Home Ec was frowned on by some parents.

He indicated he wished to have his say someplace private, not in the hallway, so we went to a corner of the library. I assured him we would talk, and I figured, "Oh boy, here it comes again! Another - shame on you, or how could you, or my parents..." I'd heard it all before.

However, once we gained a quiet corner, he hung his head and admitted that my book was the first book he'd ever read. I remember asking if he liked it and all he did was nod.

A couple of years later I ran into that same student in a local bookstore, his arms full of hardbacks, best selling novels and nonfiction books. I got an accusing look and he quiped, "Look what you've done to me. Now I spend all my extra money on books."

If my books convince one young person reading is worthwhile, then my work has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch
Watch for my December short story, "A Matter of Passion"
from Champagne Books

My life is a bit chaotic

I'll begin at the beginning. (grinning) All stories
begin at the beginning.

Last Saturday, my husband went out to the garden shed
at the edge of our property to feed our resident
outside cats and sundry other animals who come to be
fed. He spotted a gray and a yellow tail. Kittens!
When our son arrived to check on us,(he stops by
after work) we told him about the kittens and he
went out to check and came back for a flashlight.

Four, he said. And the shed was no place for them.
So, early Sundy morning he caught all four and brought
them inside to us. I put them in our second bathroom.
The intent was to take them to our vet on Monday morning.

When we got to the vet, his assistant came running out
of the office. They couldn't take them; they already
had kittens running out of their ears. I wasn't about
to take them to the local shelter for they would be
killed. So we found out we needed a big, and I do mean
big, dog cage, cat food, liter box and a place close
to us to tame them.

So I now have four adorable kittens in a cage in my
living room. Which wouldn't be too bad but the other
three adults cats, our cats, are having fits. I have
home for two and hopefully will find homes for the
other two. I'd better find homes for the other two.
My adult cats will not tolerate kittens.

Allison
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch.

And information about my WIP (work in process)
and my short Story scheduled for a December
release tomorrow.

MEET ANOTHER AUTHOR!

Allison Knight is on my blog today sharing her story of how she became a writer. So I thought it would be fun to share my experience on her blog. I wish I could say I always knew I’d be a writer and that I’d won an essay contest, but my career didn’t begin that way. The area in which I excelled in elementary school was art. Several of my colored chalk drawings were entered into a contest. I didn’t win anything, but it was an honor to be selected to participate.

Even though I loved to draw, I spent hours reading. Art was forgotten and interest didn’t resurface until the 1970s when my children were small. I took oil painting lessons for several years and turned out a number of pictures but nothing spectacular. During high school, college, and the thirty years I worked as a public school teacher, I read. In college I read The Agony and Ecstasy and other literary works. In the 1970s I read the John Jakes series, everything of Barbara Michaels, Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, and Anya Seton I could get my hands on. It wasn’t until the late 1970s and early 1980s I discovered the romances of Rosemary Rogers and Kathleen Woodiwess and from then on romances became a large part of my reading material.

Today, I read a little of everything—suspense, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, mainstream—but romance is still at the top of the list. My husband and I both enjoy reading eBooks, Larry on his cell phone and I use both my Nook and my cell phone. No, I don’t believe paper books will become obsolete nor would I want them to. I love to see my own books in print.

Now, about how I came to be a writer. Back in 1990 I’d just finished reading a romance and commented to my husband, “I think I could write a romance novel.” He said, “Well, why don’t you.”

Seventeen years and about seven rewrites and many classes later, my first novel, When the Ocotillo Bloom, came out with Wings Press. Champagne Books re-released it in 2009. Since then I’ve had five additional releases and two short story releases. In December 2011 my futuristic romantic suspense, Born in Ice, will be released by Champagne Books. Another short time travel story, A Marshal of Her Own, a sequel to A Law of Her Own will be out from The Wild Rose Press sometime soon.
At present I’m working on a romantic suspense that takes place along Route 66 in New Mexico and the third short time travel story to follow A Marshal of Her Own.
My latest work, A Way Back, from Champagne Books is a time travel set in the 1930s oil fields of Texas.

Here is a short blurb.
In the 1930s oil fields of Texas, a woman from the future finds new purpose as she helps a banker rebuild his financial empire.

Amber Mathis, a Wall Street investment banker, returns to her office after burying her mother. Distraught, tired of the rat race, she's determined to make a career change. In the elevator she falls and rises to find herself in a vintage lift. The date is February 25, 1930, and a man stands on the window ledge in her office ready to jump.

Wellman Hathaway, owner and CEO of Hathaway Bank in New York struggles to pay his depositors half their losses. A woman claiming to be from the future appears in his office and involves him in a scheme that forces them into marriage. With Amber's knowledge of the financial history of the 1930s, they travel to the oil fields of Texas to recoup Wellman's funds.

Two people from different centuries are thrown together to survive a difficult time. Will they find more than A Way Back to prosperity?

Thank you all for stopping by today. I’d love for you to leave a comment for me and one for Allison on my blog at Linda Laroque Author I give away an eBook every month to one lucky commenter.
Happy Reading and Writing!

Linda

Linda LaRoque is a retired teacher who loves Texas, it's flora and fauna, and its people. Her contemporary and historical time travel stories paint pictures of life, love, and learning set against the raw landscape of ranches and rural communities in Texas and the Midwest. You can visit Linda on her website at Linda Laroque

Some information from the past - Long past

As I work on the next 'Song' book, Heartsong, the
first, Battlesong, the second, now Windsong, I've
had to do a lot a research into life in the middle
ages.

We have little information about daily life,
although we can guess that without our electric
conveniences life was tough. A couple of misconceptions
need to be mentioned. Some of the castles had glass
windows. They were little, expensive and the glass was
wavy but they did have them. Also the walls of a castle
were often painted or whitewashed, so they weren't the
dark, drab places often depicted.

We do have some knowledge of their entertainment, again
from the tapestries, and certain celebrations were
passed down from generation to generation until today,
but we can only guess how much has changed over the
centuries.

You can get an idea of how that might happen if you
ever played the game of telephone with your friends,
where one person whispers something to one other and
it's then passed around a group, until everyone has
heard something. Of course, it's never the same as
what has first whispered.

I'll be sharing more fascinating information from the
past over the next couple of weeks, so visit often.

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch

Spring's Here

Finally, it looks like Spring has really arrived.

How do I know?

Well, a trip to the local Lowe's and the outside is
a sea of plants and flowers. On top of that about
this time of year, I get the urge to get my hands
dirty.

This is the only time of the year when this urge
strikes. Ordinarily I'm happy with a couple of
indoor plants, hanging high so the cats can't eat
them. (Oh Yeh! My cats like indoor plants -- a lot,
especially african violets.) That's a tale for another
time.

But, even in the south, we look forward to spring
and warm weather, before it gets too hot.(grinning)
Never satisfied come to mind.

Anyway, I caved again and bought flowers for outside.
And a pepper plant. I tried tomatoes last year, but
our birds are real fond of tomatoes. Ever watch a
mocking bird demolishing a nearly ripe tomatoe you
grew. It's disheartening. So, this year, one lone
pepper plant. We'll see how it goes, and yes, I did
get my hands dirty. A little bit. At least enough to
satisfy for this year.

As ever,

Allison
www.AllisonKnight.com
Heart-warming Romance with a Sensual Touch