Writing…it really is just YOU

Writing is hard work. It’s grueling, mentally exhausting, sometimes stressful, anxiety ridden and SOLITARY! Well, unless you’re a NYT bestselling author with an agent, publicist, editor and an assistant or two LOL.

Even then, it’s still just you sitting at that keyboard creating and weaving stories. It’s all on you to come up with the next idea and execute it the way you see it in your mind and within a given timeframe. No-one else can do that part for you. It’s all on you to draw your inspiration from somewhere and wield enough discipline to keep going all in the face of increasing competition and possible rejection. Oh, and of course, none of us just write with nothing else to occupy our time.

There’s family, other jobs, LIFE, which sometimes just gets in the way! In addition to being THE ‘creative director’, an author also has to worry about sales and marketing, branding and advertising, business planning and strategy, epiracy, going to conferences to continue to improve on the craft of writing and to network, and…probably a hundred other things. At least! I have to say for me…I love that part about being an author.

Yep, I like to be in charge. I’ve been the boss before and I really, really like it J. It’s gratifying to know that it is just you. You’re the one in control of your own writing destiny, you’re the one steering your career, you’re the one who gets to make all the decisions. It’s kind of like being the CEO of your own little (perhaps VERY small J) empire and it requires you to learn and utilize a wide range of different skills. I just LOVE being an author!

Do you love YOUR job or do you yearn for something else, secretly or otherwise?
Do you have a dream job you’d prefer?

About Kaily:

Kaily Hart, a seemingly straight-laced mother of four left corporate America and a high-powered, lucrative career to be a stay at home mom. Ha! That lasted about four weeks, during which time she realized she had a deeply repressed dream —to write. And romance at that! By day, Kaily plays conservative wife and soccer mom, but at night crafts hot and steamy tales of romance and love with gorgeous heroes who wouldn’t dream of leaving the toilet set up. Ever. She’s smart and sassy, at least in her own mind, and is trying her best to bring the alpha male solidly back to contemporary romance, one hot story at a time. Two years ago she never would have thought she’d be doing this, but now that she is? Well, you couldn’t pay her enough to do anything else.

Kaily’s books, PICTURE THIS, PAY UP & PLAY ME are all currently available from Ellora’s Cave and other ebook outlets.

If anyone would want to contact me (which I would love by the way) or just keep up with what I’m doing, you can find me all over:

Web – www.kailyhart.com
Blog – http://kailyhart.blogspot.com/
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/kaily.hart
Twitter – http://twitter.com/kailyhart

The Promo Ho and Red Ribbon Fairy contests continue! See details here! ~DD

TIMELINES IN SERIES BOOKS
—more important than you’d think!

Well, summer’s here, at least it is in the steamy part of Florida that I call home. My orchids moved months ago to shady spots outdoors, the DH’s tomato plants are just about burned up from the sun…and I’m fantasizing about cooling myself off at the beach or in the pool. BEST RECEPTION, my latest contemporary BDSM, came out last week—I hope it went to Memorial Day picnics or into vacation to-be-reads with lots of eager buyers!

My good friend Delilah asked me to talk about the writing process, so I’ll try to put into words my convoluted method for writing series since I’m now working on PRIME DEFENDER, the last of four books in my Necessary Roughness series for Ellora’s Cave. First, about this time last year, came the idea for a spinoff from my Gridiron Lovers series—one that would deal less with football and more with the BDSM club where the guys go to play. That took very little effort because I loved Jimmy Bronson, a secondary character in COACH ME. I wanted to give him his own story—a big, lovable guy with a very unusual fetish that readers heard a hint about from Coach and his lady love.

So…I had my hero for one of the books. A person would probably think I would then sketch out the other main characters for the books. I didn’t, though. Since Jimmy had this unusual fetish—and since I had decided up front that each of the books in the new series would explore an unusual BDSM practice, I picked three I found interesting. Then I sat back and did some research, trying to figure out what might cause different people to be dominant or submissive, why some would get turned on by things that would scare others away…and more.

Once I felt I had the psychology of my chosen kinks sorted out in my head, I sketched out a series proposal for my editor—descriptions of each hero and heroine, a brief idea of how the story lines would go in each book and a separate synopsis for each book. What I also should have done was establish a formal (written) timeline for the series. If I had, I would have avoided many revisions made necessary when my eagle-eyed editor noted inconsistencies among the books. But I didn’t, and I digress…

Next, I started writing the books—one at the time, because I rarely bounce back and forth from one work in progress to another. SACKMASTER, the first, came out last fall; END RUN in February; and BEST RECEPTION last month. I’d hoped to have them released closer together, but two things came in the way: the publisher’s decision to release a seven-book series of mine alternately with the Necessary Roughness books, and my aforementioned stupidity at having written myself into a corner by writing the Necessary Roughness series books as solo titles, not parts of an integrated, planned whole.

The series will come to a close with PRIME DEFENDER, which I set after the other three stories in order to avoid any lingering, head-scratching problems like the ones I encountered earlier. It’s been a learning process. I’ve brought away the knowledge, if I ever again propose a series with multiple books sharing a tight time setting, that I need to outline the action in the first book and verify the consistency of action in subsequent ones, in order to save myself a great many unnecessary headaches.

Hopefully, this book will go well, and I’ll be able to take a breather at the beach before the weather gets too hot to venture out from air conditioning. Thanks for inviting me to your home on the web!

Ann Jacobs
www.annjacobs.us

Hello everyone! First let me say thank you to Delilah for letting me guest blog here today. Usually when I guest blog I have a clear idea of what I’m going to say or do but today I don’t. Instead I’m going to send you all on a treasure hunt. Below you’ll find a list of websites and things that I’m looking for. Find them all and I’ll enter you in a chance to win all four of my books.

Ok, let’s begin.
1. What is the title of my cowboy series?
2. Who is the next book in my cowboy series about?
3. What are the titles of my paranormal romances?
4. Name the blogs I participate in.
5. My latest release is….
6. Auburn Football or Alabama Football? I’ll give you a hint! ROLL TIDE BABY!

All right everyone. Here are a few websites to help you with your search:
http://www.wildrosepress.us/wilderroses/
http://www.sirenbookstrand.com/
http://saydegrace.com

Ok, remember to comment and that if you get them all right you’ll be entered to win free digital copies of all four of my books. Have fun y’all and thanks again to Delilah for letting me take over today!!

Sayde

The Promo Ho and Red Ribbon Fairy contests continue! See details here! ~DD

I’m out the door this morning—early. O-dark-thirty early. And since I’m yawning over the keyboard, I’ll keep this short.

What is one vacation destination that many people think is fabulous, but which you personally have no desire to ever visit (or revisit)?

Remember, there are two contests prizes you can work on winning today. See yesterday’s post for details. I’ll check in later today to read your answers and start a list of vacation destinations I never want to visit! 🙂

Recently I read an awesome little contemporary erotic romance by the wicked talent, Delilah Devlin. Saddled has been in my nook for a few weeks and I’ve been waiting for a free minute to dig in. Now, I bet you thought this post would be my on-my-knees-kissing-DD’s-toes post, but I think I’ll surprise you. I’d rather talk about pushing the boundaries.

Without giving too much away, there was a scene in this book that had me shoving my nook across my pillow and calling my hubs in for some clarification (as if he’s the expert on ménage) (lmao) on the capability of a scene. Of course the “I don’t know, want to try it?” didn’t shock me—that’s a man for you—but the part that really got me was the boundary that had been broken. This is the first time I’ve read this in any book. (I can’t tell you what it is; you’ll have to buy the book) Then I started thinking about other novels of DD’s that I’ve read. Darkness Captured was another one of those that shocked me. There is a scene in that book with some foliage that made me a truly devoted fan. (Letting in on some of my deviant nature, lol)

Okay, so here’s what I’ve learned from my studying the fab Delilah Devlin’s writing:

1. If you are going to break a boundary, it has to work. It has to work in the world and it has to work in the flow of the book. Yes, Saddled threw me for a loop, but I was right back to reading it to find out what those two hot cowboys would do next.

2. If you are going to tease your writers with a boundary you plan on crossing, you better cross it in a big way and then deliver on the goods. Don’t give it to us, then cut it off. I want details, flavor, smells, and emotions. I want it all.

3. Know that not every book has to cross a boundary, but if you do it once, you’re fans/readers will expect it again at some point. This is what builds your loyal reader base. This is what keeps me coming back as a reader.

So, I’m sure that there are a million other lessons I could have learned about boundaries, but these were the three that stuck out. I hope you are now ready to dig into your own writing with new purpose and hint of the forbidden. Have a great weekend and a very safe Memorial Day!

When empath Piper Anast meets sexy, tormented vampire Bennett Slade, she stumbles headlong into a telepathic connection with his missing daughter—and lust.

As they close in on the evil creature holding his daughter—and each other—Piper’s powers turn deadly. She must face down demons she never knew she had if any of them are to survive her fury.

For more information about this book and to read an excerpt go here.

Buy here

Rachel’s writing career began at the impressionable age of twelve with a poem dedicated to the soldiers of Desert Storm. A dark macabre affair that earned her a publication in an anthology and many raised eyebrows from family and friends, she hid her poetry and artistic style for years…

Tucked away in the heart of Central Texas, with the loving support of her husband and three children, she dusted the cobwebs from her craft. Returning to those twisted regions of her mind, she creates dark urban fantasies and soul-searching paranormal romance.

To learn where love twists the soul and lights the shadows, visit Rachel at http://www.rachelfirasek.com/

The winner of the Mermaid Journal is….Melissa P! Melissa, send an email to me at del…@delilahdevlin.com with your snail mail address. Congrats!

For the rest of you, be sure to check back tomorrow. I’ll start TWO new contests that will run while I’m away.

An Inspiring Man at 20″

There was a time when I drove an hour and a half each way to spend time with a man. Many know of his extraordinary strength, courage, ingenuity, and sexual prowess. He was always naked and prepared to conquer me, which is why I can tell you he is beyond gorgeous and a true hero. However, one day I turned around, and lost myself to another.

HA! A bit flowery, but oddly true. Way back when for almost three months I went once a week to visit and study a 76″ sculpture called The Lansdowne Herakles. That’s right, he was originally known as Herakles until the Romans decided to call him Hercules, but enough about that. It was no hardship to study this particular sculpture and yet, no matter how wonderful he is, Herakles was not who inspired me to write Tied Up For Love, that honor belong to a lesser character who was broken.

When the work I needed to do was finished, I would leave the courtyard where Herakles stood and spend time with Marsyas. The sculpture is small at less than 20″ and has lost some bits, but he still packs a powerful punch. While his pose, arms stretched above his head, is seductive the story behind it isn’t so much. I won’t go into details as it plays a part in Tied Up For Love, although I will tell you he pissed off the wrong Olympian, and paid a big price for being the best.

The sculpture has been with me in photos I’ve taken over the years. That’s right, I continue to visit him, although he’s currently not on show – shame. Anyway, this is such a memorable piece that when I was sat down to write another installment in my Mythological Messes Redux series, I chose Marsyas. Not only was he cut off at his prime, but later artisans and mythologists messed up his origins, and his importance was lost.

The picture above [from the Getty Museum website] hung on the wall above my monitor and I wrote this man a seriously hot and somewhat kinky second chance.

Thank you, Delilah, for allowing me to share how a sculpture fed my need to write Tied Up For Love.

Filla is a nymph used to the raucous ways of a Dionysian festival and allows a handsome newcomer, Marsyas, to strip her down for a passionate interlude while tied to a tree. After time spent alone, together, she knows little about him beyond the physical. However, her feelings for him are growing until he brings her back for the next festival, and suddenly she’s not sure of anything.

Love is found in the most unlikely places, but will it last?

eBook now available at All Romance.

Tilly Greene
WARNING! Red hot romances ahead!
www.tillygreene.com

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I am slammed this morning—the six-year old is getting Citizen of the Month at her school and there’s going to be a special breakfast. Funny, considering she was kicked out of pre-school for misbehavior and spent three weekends in the high school detention center as a kindergartener for fighting. I’m not missing the breakfast!

So there will be no winner announced in the Mermaid contest this AM. I want to have the next prize ready to go and I have to look through a ton of entries here and Facebook. What I’m taking a helluva long way around saying is that you have one more shot at winning!

Post a comment here, or on Access Romance where I had to dash out another blog! So TWO more chances to win.

And as a side note, Her Soul to Keep is now ready for you to order! Be sure that if you do buy it, that you take a moment to tag, like and review it! I’d be forever grateful!

You can buy it at the following sites:
Buy at Amazon.com
Buy at Barnes & Noble
Buy at All Romance eBooks
Buy at Smashwords