I’m not a huge John Wayne fan, but I rather like this line from Big Jake (1971):

“Well, son, since you haven't learned to respect your elders, it's time you learned to respect your betters.”

There wasn’t a better man than John Wayne, when it came to not taking crap off…

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on the name change question. I'm afraid some of you will be disappointed, though. I can't let Varis and Vargas appear multiple times on the same page (much as I couldn't handle Kieran and Kiril), but there will not be any cute in-text reasons for this. (Okay, I say that now, but I may think of one later.) I just have to change it. The first reader who actually notices will get a cookie.

The true lesson to be learned from this is: there's no such thing as a throwaway name. At least if one is writing a series, anyway. One never knows when Random Character Bob will show up again, and when he does, you may regret naming him Bob.

In other news, Agent F just passed out while watching Animal Planet an hour before her bedtime. This is an unlooked for windfall of writing time, if I can manage not to pass out.

Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware

Two fascinating surveys appeared this week. They look at opposite ends of the writing business, but dovetail in interesting ways. (This is going to be a long post, so please bear with me.)

The Writers' Workshop Survey of Professional Authors

In March, the Writers' Workshop, a UK-based writers' consultancy, launched a survey of traditionally published authors. The aim: to discover how authors feel about their publishers in a time of rapid change, where "it has become possible – arguably for the first time in history – for authors to detach themselves from publishers."

The survey results were posted this week, and they make for interesting reading. Authors are generally happy with a number of aspects of the traditional publishing process--notably, the editing they receive.

Around 75% of authors rated their editorial input as having been good or (more commonly) excellent. Just 14% disagreed...

Similarly – and again contrary to many stories about declining standards – authors rate their publishers extremely highly on copy-editing, proof-reading, page design and so forth. More than 80% of authors regarded their publishers as being good-to-excellent in these areas...

On the matters of cover design and jacket copy, authors remained broadly positive. About three-fifths of authors were highly satisfied with the way these things turned out. The remainder were, on the whole, ‘somewhat’ satisfied.

Marketing, however, was a different story. A majority of authors felt they weren't adequately consulted on their publishers' marketing plans, that their skills and strengths weren't adequately utilized, and that they had little input or control (ah yes--I know the feeling). About half the respondents felt that communication by the publisher was poor, and nearly half said that their publishers never sought feedback from them.

And while there is much grumbling in the writing community about the lack of publisher loyalty, with publishers no longer willing to stick with writers over several books while they build an audience, authors are just as fickle. 40% of survey respondents said they'd move to another house if given the chance. 22% weren't sure.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mirrored from SFWA | Comment at SFWA

Patrick Swenson at Fairwood Press has posted the cover for my new collection, Flying in the Heart of the Lafayette Escadrille.   He found this spot-on image for it, but the artist was Russian, and it took a bit to contact her to negotiate the rights.  Thank goodness we were able to, because the art is perfect for the cover story.  The collection should be out in October.

The past week, foreshortened by recovery and then my mom's birthday dinner and the lecture, has been much about me utterly unable to focus. I didn't know why - my brain WANTED to work, and there is, dog knows, enough work for me to be doing....

And then I thought about what I'd said in an earlier entry, how my apartment didn't seem quite 'right' to me when I got back, and thought about past periods of distraction, and went "oh." Because I'm very smart, but sometimes not so bright.

So today - in between passes of writing - has been all about cleaning and sorting and the usual summertime rearranging of furniture (moving the sofa so it doesn't block the AC, etc). Because I am very fond of CatSitter B, but her staying here had made it not-quite-so-much-my-own-place. And now it's mine again, properly sorted and everything where I want it to be.

I suspect the focus will be much more, well, focused, going forward.


(it had BETTER be. So damn much to do OMG)

http://www.samhainpublishing.com/2012/05/10371/

http://www.samhainpublishing.com/?p=10371

I'd like to welcome the hero and heroine, Alex Donovan & Maddie Saunders from my latest contemporary romance, WHAT A GIRL WANTS to the Samhain blog. I hope you enjoy my interview with them.

Selena: Thanks for jumping out of the book to join me today. Maddie, let's start with you. What was your journey like in What A Girl Wants? 

Maddie: The plane trip from to Hawaii was uneventful—

Alex: I have to interrupt here. Uneventful? Is that what you call it?

Maddie: Come on, Alex, even you have to admit it was classic. Besides, you laughed at the prank I pulled on you. Anyway, as for your initial question, Selena, I enjoyed the adventures you created for us, especially the humorous moments. Of course, what’s a romance without heartache, physical pain, angst and and ton of conflict?

Selena: Are you complaining about all that?

Maddie: Me? Never. I’m not a complainer, especially to my creator who has total control of my destiny. I may be a little impetuous—

Alex: A little?

Maddie: Okay, maybe more than a little. But as I told you off the pages, Alex, Selena gave me those traits. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Selena: Your turn, Alex. How would you describe was your journey in this book?

Alex: There’s no other book I’d rather have been created in, even with all the pain we both went through. Maddie’s right, the humor helped a lot, especially when it got real serious and sorrowful.

Selena: If you each had a free day and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

Maddie: You created me, Selena, what do you think? *wink* Okay, seriously, I do love my career as a travel journalist, and I’ve been to a lot of exciting locales, but coming home and staying put for a few days, sitting around in my comfy lounging pants and a certain someone's sweatshirt I pinched from him, no make-up and hanging out with my friends, enjoying a glass of wine and chatting about our adventures is always a blast.

Alex: What Maddie said. There are some things we both agree on, that’s one of them.

Selena: Alex, what’s your philosophy on life?

Alex: Live without regrets.

Maddie: Life’s a beach and then you have sex on it. Not that I’m a nymphomaniac or anything, but, after all the angst, conflict and pain and the dysfunctional family you created for me—again, it’s not a complaint, just stating a fact—I have to rely on my sense of humor and not take everything so seriously…like someone else I know.

Selena: What scares you?

Maddie: Needles. However, what’s really scary is when you get so anal about editing and polishing and not moving forward fast enough. It wasn’t a lot of fun when you left me in a certain position for months, I got a cramp. I am eternally grateful you finally finished the scene. Good thing I have a lot of stamina and I’m a patient gal.

Alex: You, patient? Since when?

Selena: What about you, Alex, what scares you?

Alex: Besides the fact that sometimes I can get inside Maddie’s head and figure out what she’s thinking. Reckless cruelty, corruption, hypocrisy and knowing there are kids out there who desperately need help, but the system keeps letting them down.

Maddie: I agree with Alex. I just tend to bury those things, because some of what he said has affected my life and the people I care about. All those months in draft mode, having to deal with that, until you finally yanked the story out of draft mode, stopped editing and helped me overcome my fears.

Alex: Uhm, Maddie, you’re still petrified of needles.

Maddie: Uhm, Alex, you’re still scared of assisted showers.

Alex: I wouldn’t say scared. I think we need to move on before you give away too much of the plot.

Selena: Which of your character traits is most important to you and why? Maddie, you first.

Maddie: My persistence and my quirky sense of humor. I had no choice, the way my life was written, if I didn’t find the humor in it, I’d be on a therapist’s couch for life.

Selena: What’s your biggest fault?

Maddie: My persistence and my quirky sense of humor. It did drive Alex crazy at times.

Alex: It caused me bodily injury, Maddie.

Maddie: Don't blame me, I didn’t write the scene that way. Although, knowing me, I probably would have suggested that scene, but without the injury of course.

Selena: Alex, your turn. Which of your character traits is most important to you and why?

Maddie: Can I answer that for him?

Alex: Selena already knows what you’re going to say. That I’m uptight, suspicious—

Maddie: A perfectionist, a health food-freak—

Alex: Thanks for your help, Mads, but I can finish answering this question. My integrity, having and living by an ethical code of sound moral principles. I’m self-disciplined, as an investigative reporter this is essential, so I pride myself on my ability to remain focused, alert and possess a lot of self-control.

Maddie: Well, there is all that of course. However, as for your self control—

Alex: What’s your next question for me, Selena?

Selena: What’s your biggest fault?

Maddie: Can I please answer this one?

Alex: Not a chance, Doll. Disclaimer: for any women out there who takes offense to me calling Maddie doll, there’s a good reason why I sometimes call her that.

Maddie: There is, you can find out about it in chapter one.

Alex: To answer your question, Selena, I’d say my biggest fault is that I can sometimes be stubborn and moody.

Maddie: You think?

Selena: Tell our readers what your favorite foods are.

Maddie: Chocolate and bacon. Not together….at least I haven’t dipped any bacon in chocolate as of yet. Those two things are in a food group of their own and are guaranteed rocket ships to delectable cloud nine.

Alex: Food that won't clog my arteries.

Selena: Alex, what do you admire most about Maddie?

Alex: Her persistence and sense of humor.

Selena: Maddie, what do you admire most about Alex?

Maddie: He's not perfect and he doesn't wear a cape or leap off buildings, but he does have a lot of hero qualities that I admire. Namely; his integrity, loyalty and ethics. Even though I love to pull a lot of pranks on him, on the whole he's showed a lot of patience. Don't let that get to your head, Alex, I said on the whole, you did get cranky more than once. Now, about that self control he talked about—

Alex: Thanks for having us, Selena.

Maddie: Thanks, Selena. Can I make a little request before we sign off?

Selena: Sure.

Maddie: Can you please hurry up with your current work in progress and not only because Alex and I make an appearance. I really do want to know what happens to the hero and heroine of that book, and of course, I’d love to wave hi to the readers who read our journey in What A Girl Wants.

Selena: I'm going as fast as I can. Now, get back into that book you two.

Selena Robins

Genre-defying, Witty, Sexy Romances

Read an excerpt of What A Girl Wants and BUY at Samhain

 

 

First, you people who recommended The Exotic Marigold Hotel film, two thumbs up! I went last night with some of my Jane Austen discussion group. We all loved it.

Tonight: Avengers with the family.

A juicy discussion of fanfiction and literature by alecaustin here.

Wow, was yesterday the day from Hell.

It could've been much, much worse. I know that. The whole thing was made less awful because a number of people stepped up to help. They deserve a lot of credit. It started the day before when my car was in the shop due to the slave cylinder on the clutch. Friday morning I woke with an awful headache, and before I had a chance to make coffee my husband called to tell me his car was having problems. He'd barely made it to work. Great. Okay. We'll work it out. I called the mechanic, made arrangements. I found out that my contacts didn't come in yet. I can't go to the eye doctor and get some temporaries. That's okay, I tell myself, I've a couple pairs of blue-tinted lenses left over from my old prescription. I can see to drive. Then Dane calls and tells me he's fixed his car and that he can come pick me up so we could get my car before the mechanic closed for the holiday weekend and long before my reading. No problem. We're on our way up to Round Rock when his car starts acting up again. We cross our fingers and hope to get to the mechanic before the car breaks down again. However, it's 5pm and traffic is stop and go the whole way. His car stretches its resources as far as just north of Pflugerville and dies. We barely made it to the break down lane. This is okay, I think. We've still got time. Automotive Specialists has a courtesy vehicle and a towing service they prefer. I've a phone. I can call the bookstore and warn them that I might be late. I can make this work. Dane and I laugh because sometimes there's nothing left to do but laugh. It'll work out one way or the other.

Except it's the holiday weekend. Everyone is slammed. There are wrecks up and down I-35 due to the sheer numbers of people heading up to DFW for the weekend. We end up waiting for over an hour. I finally pull the "I've got somewhere to be, y'all" card. And that's when things get pretty cool. The towing service sends one of their trucks which already has a wrecked vehicle on it. Tow truck driver says, "It's cool. I've got this." He pulls out some gear from the bumper and attaches Dane's car so that now the truck is pulling the Hyundai along behind. The driver then lets us crowd into the truck cab with him, and he takes us to my mechanic first. (Bless him. He certainly didn't have to.) The Automotive Specialist guys wait for us even though the shop has been closed since 6pm, and it's a holiday. We leave Dane's car, pay for mine and then haul ass to get back to the house, grab my stuff, brush my hair, get a jacket, and go to Bookwoman. I'm thirty minutes late, sweaty, windblown, I still feel like shit, and I can't see to read worth a damn because my old prescription is, in fact, bloody useless even with reading glasses. [sigh] I got through it as best I could. (People waited for me. I didn't want to let them down.) Dane said it wasn't bad. (I hope not.) I feel I've earned a new Professional Writer merit badge. LOL.

Thank goodness for the marvelous folks at Bookwoman and the wonderful, fabulous people who waited around for me. Seriously. Y'all freaking rock my world. (Kit and Sheilagh, we gotta have coffee soon.) Oh, and do drop by Bookwoman soon, if you're in Austin and have the chance. It's a marvelous little independent bookstore. I like it a lot. They deserve lots of business.

The search for the winner of this year's Meager Puddle of Limelight Award for Best Short Story Title continues with heat eight (the last of the preliminary heats).

There are nine heats in all. The winners (or joint winners) from heats one - eight go straight through. The second place finishers battle it out in heat nine to see which title joins the others in the final round.

What's at stake?
Bragging rights for the winner? An interview and/or guest post here on An Englishman in New Jersey, as well as signed copy of my book, Fur-Face, and a couple of I are a writer! pens, as shown in the pic below.You'll need an LJ account to vote, but they're free).

Poll #1842793 2012 MEAGER PUDDLE OF LIMELIGHT AWARD FOR BEST SHORT STORY TITLE: HEAT 8 OF 9
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 13

From the following list, please select any short story titles which you think should progress to the final round

Links to the other Heats and the final:
Heat one
Heat two
Heat three
Heat four
Heat five
Heat six
Heat seven
Heat eight
Heat nine
Final Round

Voting in Heats 1 through 8 will close on Sunday, June 3rd 2012 at 6:00pm (US/Eastern). Heat nine will take place soon after.

Good luck to all who take part! Vene, vidi, puddli!

Yesterday was even more entertaining that Thursday. I cracked my happy ass out of bed extremely late by my own standards, hit the health club for some time on the stationary bike, then caught breakfast in the Green Room. After some bloggery and email time and whatnot, I had my massage — And how cool is it that World Steam Expo has a masseur on retainer for the pros!? — and then went exploring. This eventually involved use of the hot tub, among other things.

I spent a decent chunk of the day hanging out with the inestimable Howard Tayler, who created a truly impressive steampunk caricature of me. (When I get home, I shall scan and post this, but at the moment it is my badge art.) Howard is his own self hanging out in the Aegis room, which is basically a camp for combat geeks. Inside the Con hotel, these cats have a rappelling tower, weapons training with actual pointy objects, a bunch of Nerf weapons, and a Victorian encampment. They are pretty much a real life incarnation of the Black Briar group in J.A. Pitt's Black Blade Blues [ Powells | BN ]. The Aegis group helped me make a notable entrance to opening ceremonies.

Also spent a lot more time partying with The League of S.T.E.A.M. and a whole bunch of other folks, including briefly running across the few people besides Howard that I actually knew before I turned up here. Specifically, Gail Carriger, G.D. Falksen (who has an important planet named after him in the Sunspin universe) and Evelyn Kriete (who is responsible for me being invited to this convention). I caught the last part of the The Men That Will Not be Blamed for Nothing concert.

I even got a bit more work done on Going to Extremes.

Today I have lunch with Howard, a High Tea to host, and a plan to hear some more excellent performances. A bit more programming tomorrow.

Interestingly, I am way off my normal schedule here, even my normal convention schedule. I'm not sure what clock I'm living on, but it's neither Jay time nor Con time. I'm just going with the flow. Which it turns out is remarkably difficult for me to do. I feel twitchy about not being up at 5 am exercising (hard to do when you're going to bed at 2 am) and why I'm not writing more.

But I'm here to have fun, which I am decidedly doing; and to see and be seen, which I am decidedly doing.

Is this what time off feels like?