Today on Make-believe Mondays I'd like to introduce Wayne Jordan, one of my friends from RWAonline. Wayne writes for Harlequin Kimani Romance and BET/Arabesque.
Wayne, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Wayne: I’m working on, ONE GENTLE KNIGHT, the first book of a trilogy called, THE KNIGHTS OF BARBADOS. The story features hero, Shayne Knight, who has a “No Strings Attached” liaison with a visitor to the island. Three months later, she turns up at his home, pregnant. Shayne still doesn’t want any complications in his life, but the sparks begin to fly and he starts to dream of forevers.
Debra: This story sounds intriguing and Barbados is the perfect setting for romance!
Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?
Wayne: I don’t usually need to do anything to help my creative juices from. I just sit to write and the juice. It’s some crazy thing going on inside my head that I have no control over. Days will pass when I can’t write anything and then one day I’ll sit and turn out pages of my story.
Debra: The process is a bit mysterious, isn't it? This is one of the things that fascinates me.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Wayne: I see and hear them before I start writing my story. They start to speak to me from the time the idea comes to me in the still of the morning hours just after I wake. And they refuse to stop speaking until I write THE END.
Debra: So they are always with you waiting to tell their stories.
Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?
Wayne: Sorry, I don’t. At least not yet. Ironically, I’m a linguist by academic qualification and I’m fascinated by the way individuals speak. I believe that your speech patterns are a strong part of who you are as an individual. When my characters start to speak to me, I easily figure out how I want them to speak.
Debra: Fascinating! I wouldn't be surprised if you began to play with words in some way down the road.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Wayne: Oh, yeah. Too often to count. But yes, sometimes a scene comes as an image in my mind. Maybe, it’s because when I’m writing that story, the characters and plot are already rooted my subconscious even if I’m not sitting writing.
Debra: I'm convinced the subconscious works even as we sleep and I suspect it's key to tapping into our full creative abilities.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Wayne: I loved a series of books featuring a hero called Biggles and written by Captain W.E Johns. Biggles was a fighter pilot in World War II. I wanted to be just like him – strong, brave and heroic.
Debra: Wonderful! I'm planning to create a list of recommended books for parents to buy as Christmas gifts and post it here on my blog in Dec. So if you have other good recommendations for boys, let me know. I've had more than one parent tell me its hard to find good books for boys.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Wayne: Wow! That’s a hard one. Let me think. It’d probably be a story that includes the elements of the links of stories I enjoy right now. Romance, suspense, mystery and action. Maybe, I’ll bring Biggles into the future, give him a mystery to solve, of course there will be plenty of action and he’d fall in love and live happily every after.
Debra: Oh, Wayne, you are the man to write that story!!!
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Wayne: One of my favorite poets, Keats, believed in the power of the imagination when it related to artistic composition. I believe that any good writers must have a vivid (crazy) imagination and the ability to allow that imagination to guide them where ever it wants to go. And dream? Yeah, dreams are an essential part of the imagination. They definitely go hand in hand.
Final message – don’t put any limitations on your imagination, listen to those voices and let them tell their story. All you have to do is write it down.
Debra: Wayne, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
You can visit Wayne at http://www.WayneJordan.com/ and http://thoughtsandreflections.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 30, 2006
Make-Believe Mondays With Jenna Peterson
Today on Make-believe Mondays I'd like to introduce Jenna Petersen. Jenna writes for historical romance for Avon and erotic romance as Jess Michaels.
Welcome Jenna, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Jenna: I just finished the first draft of an erotic romance for Avon Red that will come out next fall under my Jess Michaels name. It’s about a voyeuristic young lady, her very naughty neighbor and the bargain they strike to save her family.
Debra: Now that sounds intriguing!
Jenna: AND I also just turned in the manuscript for my third Lady Spies book, which will also be out next fall. This is Emily’s book. She’s a very strong character and she’s paired with an equally strong hero in spy Grant Ashbury. And once the two of them stop chasing each other, they’ll have to foil a plot that might very well involve the assassination of the Prince Regent.
Debra: Ooh, exciting!
Jenna: So I’m a bit in between, but I’m very excited about both these books!
Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?
Jenna: Wow, that’s a great question. I think I do tend to let my well (or my cup) go dry by over-exerting myself. When I do, I let myself have breaks. A weekend spent with my husband doing something fun or reading a great book or even playing a video game can give me enough relaxation to get back to business. But I have to tell you, writing is really what turns me on. Most of the time, writing itself fills up my cup.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Jenna: I rarely see or hear them, but they always come alive enough that they change the story. LOL I’m a plotter, but there always comes some time when my hero turns left instead of right or my heroine makes an offer I never expected. Those are great moments! Scary, but great.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Jenna: I have dreamed books, but I don’t think I’ve ever written what I’ve dreamed. I seem to dream outside my chosen genre and I love writing Regency-era historical romance too much to go into the realm my dreams take. I figure my dreams are stories for my entertainment alone.
Debra: Now we'll all be wondering what you dream about, but a little bit of mystery is always good.
As a child, did any particualr book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Jenna: L.M. Montgomery most definately in all her books, but especially Anne Shirley's world of Avonlea and Green Gables. I so wanted to live there. Later on, it was Tolkien (when I was in high school). Who wouldn't want to visit the charming Shire or, uh, maybe go pass some time with Aragorn... oh sorry, I was distracted.
Debra: And what a wonderful distraction he is!
Jenna, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
You can visit Jenna at http://www.JennaPetersen.com and at http://avonfanlit.com
Jenna also runs a wonderful website called the Passionate Pen
http://www.thepassionatepen.com
Monday, October 16, 2006
Make-Believe Mondays With Charlotte Hubbard
Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'm pleased to introduce Charlotte Hubbard. Charlotte writes historical inspirationals and she writes erotica as Melissa MacNeal.
Charlotte, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Charlotte: Since I write historical inspirationals as Charlotte Hubbard and
erotica for Kensington’s Aphrodisia line as Melissa MacNeal, I always have a story perking these days! Just turned in #3 of my “Angels of Mercy” series, a heart-tugger where Billy Bristol reunites with his long-lost twin (now an outlaw!) and reclaims his family’s horse ranch and home.
Debra: Now that sounds intriguing!
Charlotte: So now I get to spend my next 6 months as Melissa, writing a private island/pirate adventure! HOT FOR IT is about Cat Gamble winning the Powerball jackpot and buying her own little Caribbean island—complete with a yacht, lovely villa, a pair of very randy caretakers, and of course all that gorgeous blue water where she can watch the dolphins play from her bedroom balcony.
Debra: Wow! Wouldn't we all love to trade places with her!
Charlotte: But as we all know, even that $158 million jackpot can’t buy happiness, and Cat sends out an online personal ad to find a playmate: Captain Jack to the rescue! (yes, he looks like Johnny Depp! Jack owns a fleet of those pirate ships where cruise ship passengers love to party, but he also offers a special package which includes a pirate kidnapping onto his ship where you become a love slave for a week. Of course, Cat signs on! Trouble is, she gets abducted by REAL pirates before Jack shows up to kidnap her.
Debra: Oho! When fantasies turn real anything can happen! I've been on one of those pirate ships off the island of Grand Cayman and even walked the plank! (It was great fun, but they weren't real pirates.)
Charlotte: This one’s going to be a LOT of fun to write, and is already presenting me with some little surprises which spice up the story even more. I love it when that happens!
Debra: It sounds like fun! There's nothing like a pirate....
Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?
Charlotte: I’ve learned that refilling that cup is VERY important, and letting my Inner Kid out to play several times every week is a must for me. This might mean I allow myself to wander through Barnes and Noble or Hobby Lobby just looking and fingering—and when something jumps out at me, I listen to that call.
debra: What a wonderful idea, and so multi-sensory.
Charlotte: I’ve recently bought a how-to kit for beginning to paint with watercolors; I went to a really fun lecture on Sears catalog homes last spring that I know will be a springboard in a future story; I’ve indulged myself in some new, really fun ragtime band CD’s, sensing this musical genre will figure in somewhere with those Sears houses.
I love to tour historical homes when we’re on vacation, and then I load up on little local history books they sell in their gift shops.
For my Angels series, I’ve become an avid reader of angel resources and I’ve begun meditating with Doreen Virtue’s Archangels oracle deck—and that got its boost from when I taught myself to read Tarot cards a few years ago as research for a story character.
Last year I had this yen to learn the accordion (yeah, go figure!) so I bought one and some how-to books, partly as research for a Cajun hero I was writing, but also because learning a new instrument gives your brain cells a little extra muscle!
Debra: It's fascinating how multi-talented authors are. Painting and playing the accordion and writing in two genres. Wow. These are such great ideas for other writers to try.
Charlotte: And I’ve learned that quiet time, and self-care, and time away for vacations and family gatherings are just as important. My motto is: “they don’t pay me enough to miss out on Real Life” and I’m stickin’ to it!
Debra: I agree. There's writing about life and then there's living it.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Charlotte: When I first began writing historical romances in the early ‘90s, I saw characters and scenes very vividly before I wrote them. Over the years that’s changed, and I’m not sure why. Now, while I start from a fairly detailed synopsis—as I did back then—the characters and their activities don’t usually unfold until I’m sitting at the Mac (or the AlphaSmart) actually composing the main draft.
I now make collages of faces from magazines to represent my characters, so I can look at the bulletin board beside my desk and call them up as I need to. I sometimes do a spread or two with my Gilded Tarot deck—SO beautifully illustrated and provocative of character—when I need a boost or ideas for habits and motivations.
This is true even for my “Angels” series, which is the most character-driven work I’ve ever written. I’m guessing my process has evolved, so I don’t stress about it! My characters always seem to spring forth when I need them to, and my readers compliment them highly, so I keep trusting my Muse to kick in when I need her.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Charlotte: I wish it were that easy! I wish I could recall my dreams—or have dreams that actually made enough sense to use as parts of stories! These days I’m just thankful when I get a good, uninterrupted night’s sleep! (which doesn’t sound like an erotica author talking, does it?!)
debra: Well, no. Unless you're having erotic dreams.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Charlotte: No doubt I’d write a historical adventure of some type, probably set in the West or on a pirate ship! Lots of action and plot twists and surprises. Actually, my early historicals tended to be that way anyway, because the market would support that kind of story then.
Debra: Historical adventures are my favorite romances, so I'll be waiting for the day you can write that story!
Charlotte: My early erotica, which Melissa wrote for Black Lace, was wildly imaginative, too, because the veil of history allowed you some sexual leeway without having to include that obligatory condom scene. While I’m enjoying Melissa’s fresh new contemporary voice, I felt less limited by reality (especially by technology) when I wrote historicals.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Charlotte: Where would any of us be without our imaginations?! As an only child I depended upon mine to entertain me—and now as a writer I still crave that escape from reality. In my mind, I’ve been a concert pianist, a night club torch singer, and married to WAY too many men over the years! Not to mention being a beloved member of the Cartwright family when “Bonanza” was big on TV!
Fantasy and imagination—deliberate daydreams rather than those uncontrollable night dreams—have always been great fodder for stories, as well as a way to visualize goals I wanted to attain or phobias/foibles I hoped to overcome. Lord help me if I ever get Alzheimer’s and lose this ability to see things clearly—as I WANT to see them—in my mind’s eye!
For more about my stories—proof positive of what happens inside this crazy head!—click on www.charlottehubbard.com or www.melissamacneal.com. I love to hear from readers and writers!
Debra: Charlotte, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Charlotte: Thanks for this interview opp! I enjoyed it!
Debra: It was such a pleasure having you here!
Charlotte, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Charlotte: Since I write historical inspirationals as Charlotte Hubbard and
erotica for Kensington’s Aphrodisia line as Melissa MacNeal, I always have a story perking these days! Just turned in #3 of my “Angels of Mercy” series, a heart-tugger where Billy Bristol reunites with his long-lost twin (now an outlaw!) and reclaims his family’s horse ranch and home.Debra: Now that sounds intriguing!
Charlotte: So now I get to spend my next 6 months as Melissa, writing a private island/pirate adventure! HOT FOR IT is about Cat Gamble winning the Powerball jackpot and buying her own little Caribbean island—complete with a yacht, lovely villa, a pair of very randy caretakers, and of course all that gorgeous blue water where she can watch the dolphins play from her bedroom balcony.
Debra: Wow! Wouldn't we all love to trade places with her!
Charlotte: But as we all know, even that $158 million jackpot can’t buy happiness, and Cat sends out an online personal ad to find a playmate: Captain Jack to the rescue! (yes, he looks like Johnny Depp! Jack owns a fleet of those pirate ships where cruise ship passengers love to party, but he also offers a special package which includes a pirate kidnapping onto his ship where you become a love slave for a week. Of course, Cat signs on! Trouble is, she gets abducted by REAL pirates before Jack shows up to kidnap her.
Debra: Oho! When fantasies turn real anything can happen! I've been on one of those pirate ships off the island of Grand Cayman and even walked the plank! (It was great fun, but they weren't real pirates.)
Charlotte: This one’s going to be a LOT of fun to write, and is already presenting me with some little surprises which spice up the story even more. I love it when that happens!
Debra: It sounds like fun! There's nothing like a pirate....
Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?
Charlotte: I’ve learned that refilling that cup is VERY important, and letting my Inner Kid out to play several times every week is a must for me. This might mean I allow myself to wander through Barnes and Noble or Hobby Lobby just looking and fingering—and when something jumps out at me, I listen to that call.
debra: What a wonderful idea, and so multi-sensory.
Charlotte: I’ve recently bought a how-to kit for beginning to paint with watercolors; I went to a really fun lecture on Sears catalog homes last spring that I know will be a springboard in a future story; I’ve indulged myself in some new, really fun ragtime band CD’s, sensing this musical genre will figure in somewhere with those Sears houses.
I love to tour historical homes when we’re on vacation, and then I load up on little local history books they sell in their gift shops.
For my Angels series, I’ve become an avid reader of angel resources and I’ve begun meditating with Doreen Virtue’s Archangels oracle deck—and that got its boost from when I taught myself to read Tarot cards a few years ago as research for a story character.
Last year I had this yen to learn the accordion (yeah, go figure!) so I bought one and some how-to books, partly as research for a Cajun hero I was writing, but also because learning a new instrument gives your brain cells a little extra muscle!
Debra: It's fascinating how multi-talented authors are. Painting and playing the accordion and writing in two genres. Wow. These are such great ideas for other writers to try.
Charlotte: And I’ve learned that quiet time, and self-care, and time away for vacations and family gatherings are just as important. My motto is: “they don’t pay me enough to miss out on Real Life” and I’m stickin’ to it!
Debra: I agree. There's writing about life and then there's living it.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Charlotte: When I first began writing historical romances in the early ‘90s, I saw characters and scenes very vividly before I wrote them. Over the years that’s changed, and I’m not sure why. Now, while I start from a fairly detailed synopsis—as I did back then—the characters and their activities don’t usually unfold until I’m sitting at the Mac (or the AlphaSmart) actually composing the main draft.
I now make collages of faces from magazines to represent my characters, so I can look at the bulletin board beside my desk and call them up as I need to. I sometimes do a spread or two with my Gilded Tarot deck—SO beautifully illustrated and provocative of character—when I need a boost or ideas for habits and motivations.
This is true even for my “Angels” series, which is the most character-driven work I’ve ever written. I’m guessing my process has evolved, so I don’t stress about it! My characters always seem to spring forth when I need them to, and my readers compliment them highly, so I keep trusting my Muse to kick in when I need her.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Charlotte: I wish it were that easy! I wish I could recall my dreams—or have dreams that actually made enough sense to use as parts of stories! These days I’m just thankful when I get a good, uninterrupted night’s sleep! (which doesn’t sound like an erotica author talking, does it?!)
debra: Well, no. Unless you're having erotic dreams.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Charlotte: No doubt I’d write a historical adventure of some type, probably set in the West or on a pirate ship! Lots of action and plot twists and surprises. Actually, my early historicals tended to be that way anyway, because the market would support that kind of story then.
Debra: Historical adventures are my favorite romances, so I'll be waiting for the day you can write that story!
Charlotte: My early erotica, which Melissa wrote for Black Lace, was wildly imaginative, too, because the veil of history allowed you some sexual leeway without having to include that obligatory condom scene. While I’m enjoying Melissa’s fresh new contemporary voice, I felt less limited by reality (especially by technology) when I wrote historicals.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Charlotte: Where would any of us be without our imaginations?! As an only child I depended upon mine to entertain me—and now as a writer I still crave that escape from reality. In my mind, I’ve been a concert pianist, a night club torch singer, and married to WAY too many men over the years! Not to mention being a beloved member of the Cartwright family when “Bonanza” was big on TV!
Fantasy and imagination—deliberate daydreams rather than those uncontrollable night dreams—have always been great fodder for stories, as well as a way to visualize goals I wanted to attain or phobias/foibles I hoped to overcome. Lord help me if I ever get Alzheimer’s and lose this ability to see things clearly—as I WANT to see them—in my mind’s eye!
For more about my stories—proof positive of what happens inside this crazy head!—click on www.charlottehubbard.com or www.melissamacneal.com. I love to hear from readers and writers!
Debra: Charlotte, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Charlotte: Thanks for this interview opp! I enjoyed it!
Debra: It was such a pleasure having you here!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Make-Believe Mondays With Nikki Poppen
Today on Make-believe Mondays I'd like to introduce Nikki Poppen. Nikki writes regency romance for Avalon. (Nikki also happens to be married to my agent, Scott Eagan.)
Nikki, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Nikki: I have four projects going now. I have a three book series that I hope will become a follow up to the three book series I have at Avalon. The first series was a regency era series. This next series is set in the 1880s. The first book is currently entitled “Newport Summer” and it’s a ‘reverse’ of the usual American heiress goes abroad to bag a title. It’s about an earl, Gannon Maddox, fourth Earl of Camberly. He needs a bride with money fast so he auctions off everything of worth from his home (like the Earl of Marlborough) and sets sail for Newport and one final gamble to save Camberly from bankruptcy.
I really like the idea of doing the story from the male-being-on-the-quest standpoint. I think that’s rather fresh. I know I like books that are a bit more hero focused. His big tag line in the synopsis is “Gannon Maddox had looks and a title. He just needed the fortune to go with it.” I also like the idea of telling most of the story with the American Victorian setting. I get to show off some different Victorian research that doesn’t get highlighted so much in the English Victorians.
The second book is “The Madcap” and it is about an American heiress out of San Francisco—her name is Marianne and she’s hilarious and daring. Her big tag line in the synopsis is “She wasn’t the type one brought home to mother. No wonder he loved her so much.” The Third book is about Gemma (she doesn’t have a last name yet)called “The Carlton Caper.” It focuses on a woman masquerading as a man who infiltrates the sacred bastion of The Carlton Club.
OK, that’s a great project, but here’s a super important project to me that will take awhile to get done but I am very committed to it. I am working on a historical fiction piece called ‘Freedom’s Mistress’ about the Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew. She was a southerner, living in Richmond during the war and she spied for the Union. An amazing story. My academic background is in southern history and rhetoric so this is very dear to me.
Debra: They all sound wonderful!
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Nikki: Tolkien!! Does everyone say this?
Debra: Well, not everyone, but quite a few do. From the responses I've had, I'd list it in the top ten.
Nikki: I absolutely loved Lord of the Rings. I’ve been in love with it since the fourth grade. I had posters and even bed sheets with Lord of the Rings characters on them. I can honestly say I’ve slept with Aragorn.
Debra: Oh what dreams you must have had!
Nikki: Viggo Mortenson looks just like the Aragorn on my bedsheets. I was very sad when they finally wore out when I went to college.
I loved the world of Middle Earth, but mostly I loved the characters. I recognized early (no kidding) that each of the 9 in the Fellowship represented one of the choices anyone might make in the face of world altering events. It was fun to think about who was I most like. I’ll leave it there since I could go on for ages. Anyone into that discussion can e-mail me and we can continue from there.
Debra: I might just have to take you up on that.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Nikki: I would write about women who travel through time and participate in history. Sort of like the American Girl series only with time travel. I would write about a history professor who travels back to the late 1850s and has the opportunity to stop the Civil War or at least postpone it for ten yearsShe’d be Jewish, she’d fall in love with a handsome plantation owner’s son, who the local villain has a homosexual fetish for, they’d make a marriage of (she and the planter’s son) convenience to keep him out of jail for aiding escaping slaves, and take things from there. I might even make a three book series out of that.
Oh wait—I have written this book. Oh wait, it has won awards but alas there is no genre for this. It’s not time travelly enough for the science fiction people. It’s not paranormal enough for the paranormal people. It’s not historical enough for the history people because a) it’s not set in England b) there’s no kilts in it c) it’s not on a dusty wagon train where we eat nothing but beans and biscuits for months on end with half breeds.
Debra: We just need more publishers who are willing to publish fresh and unsual stories.
Nikki: I do mean that in good fun. We’ve all got at least one of those manuscripts under our beds. It’s my favorite book out of all the manuscripts I’ve written and I have not given up on this gem. Someday it will have a place and when it does—whooee watch out world.
It just goes to show that writing is about passion and one should never give up on their passion. It keeps us alive.
Debra: Absolutely!
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Nikki: If you need to write, do it and don’t worry about what anyone thinks, unless you want it published. Publishing is all about audience analysis. But good writers can be good writers without a big commercial contract. Write for your friends, write for your family. Write for yourself and vanity press it. It’s all good if you feel good. Don’t be pressured into thinking commercial publishing is the only way to go or let that be the only standard of judging your success as a writer.
Debra: Nikki, thank you for joining us on this Make-believe Monday to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
You can visit Nikki at http://nikkipoppen.homestead.com/
Nikki, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Nikki: I have four projects going now. I have a three book series that I hope will become a follow up to the three book series I have at Avalon. The first series was a regency era series. This next series is set in the 1880s. The first book is currently entitled “Newport Summer” and it’s a ‘reverse’ of the usual American heiress goes abroad to bag a title. It’s about an earl, Gannon Maddox, fourth Earl of Camberly. He needs a bride with money fast so he auctions off everything of worth from his home (like the Earl of Marlborough) and sets sail for Newport and one final gamble to save Camberly from bankruptcy.
I really like the idea of doing the story from the male-being-on-the-quest standpoint. I think that’s rather fresh. I know I like books that are a bit more hero focused. His big tag line in the synopsis is “Gannon Maddox had looks and a title. He just needed the fortune to go with it.” I also like the idea of telling most of the story with the American Victorian setting. I get to show off some different Victorian research that doesn’t get highlighted so much in the English Victorians.
The second book is “The Madcap” and it is about an American heiress out of San Francisco—her name is Marianne and she’s hilarious and daring. Her big tag line in the synopsis is “She wasn’t the type one brought home to mother. No wonder he loved her so much.” The Third book is about Gemma (she doesn’t have a last name yet)called “The Carlton Caper.” It focuses on a woman masquerading as a man who infiltrates the sacred bastion of The Carlton Club.
OK, that’s a great project, but here’s a super important project to me that will take awhile to get done but I am very committed to it. I am working on a historical fiction piece called ‘Freedom’s Mistress’ about the Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew. She was a southerner, living in Richmond during the war and she spied for the Union. An amazing story. My academic background is in southern history and rhetoric so this is very dear to me.
Debra: They all sound wonderful!
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Nikki: Tolkien!! Does everyone say this?
Debra: Well, not everyone, but quite a few do. From the responses I've had, I'd list it in the top ten.
Nikki: I absolutely loved Lord of the Rings. I’ve been in love with it since the fourth grade. I had posters and even bed sheets with Lord of the Rings characters on them. I can honestly say I’ve slept with Aragorn.
Debra: Oh what dreams you must have had!
Nikki: Viggo Mortenson looks just like the Aragorn on my bedsheets. I was very sad when they finally wore out when I went to college.
I loved the world of Middle Earth, but mostly I loved the characters. I recognized early (no kidding) that each of the 9 in the Fellowship represented one of the choices anyone might make in the face of world altering events. It was fun to think about who was I most like. I’ll leave it there since I could go on for ages. Anyone into that discussion can e-mail me and we can continue from there.
Debra: I might just have to take you up on that.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Nikki: I would write about women who travel through time and participate in history. Sort of like the American Girl series only with time travel. I would write about a history professor who travels back to the late 1850s and has the opportunity to stop the Civil War or at least postpone it for ten yearsShe’d be Jewish, she’d fall in love with a handsome plantation owner’s son, who the local villain has a homosexual fetish for, they’d make a marriage of (she and the planter’s son) convenience to keep him out of jail for aiding escaping slaves, and take things from there. I might even make a three book series out of that.
Oh wait—I have written this book. Oh wait, it has won awards but alas there is no genre for this. It’s not time travelly enough for the science fiction people. It’s not paranormal enough for the paranormal people. It’s not historical enough for the history people because a) it’s not set in England b) there’s no kilts in it c) it’s not on a dusty wagon train where we eat nothing but beans and biscuits for months on end with half breeds.
Debra: We just need more publishers who are willing to publish fresh and unsual stories.
Nikki: I do mean that in good fun. We’ve all got at least one of those manuscripts under our beds. It’s my favorite book out of all the manuscripts I’ve written and I have not given up on this gem. Someday it will have a place and when it does—whooee watch out world.
It just goes to show that writing is about passion and one should never give up on their passion. It keeps us alive.
Debra: Absolutely!
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Nikki: If you need to write, do it and don’t worry about what anyone thinks, unless you want it published. Publishing is all about audience analysis. But good writers can be good writers without a big commercial contract. Write for your friends, write for your family. Write for yourself and vanity press it. It’s all good if you feel good. Don’t be pressured into thinking commercial publishing is the only way to go or let that be the only standard of judging your success as a writer.
Debra: Nikki, thank you for joining us on this Make-believe Monday to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
You can visit Nikki at http://nikkipoppen.homestead.com/
Monday, October 02, 2006
Make-Believe Mondays With Deidre Knight
Today on Make-believe Mondays, I'm pleased to introduce Deidre Knight, one of my friends from RWAonline. Many of you know Deidre as a literary agent, but she also writes for NAL and her book hits the bookstores tomorrow!
Deidre, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Deidre: Without spoiling anything about PARALLEL HEAT, I’ll just be coy and say that PARALLEL SEDUCTION—the one I’m knee-deep in at the moment—completely continues the Parallel world. The great thing about this series is that there is a wealth of stories to tell, so much to explore. I think the first book may have been a little frustrating for some readers who wanted all the loose ends tied up, but what they will discover as they plow farther and farther into the overall series, is that they will get their answers. It’s like I’m an evil executive in charge of “Lost,” telling fans, “You’ll get to know! The hatch does lead somewhere.”
Debra: So, like all good books, we'll have to read on to get those answers. I'm looking forward to reading it!
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Deidre: Honestly, it’s a lot about making time for myself. As a mother and literary agent, I don’t have as much “mental play time” as I might want or crave as a creative individual. So I make sure to carve that time out, doing things that fill my well back up. Whether I get a massage, or take a few days at a hotel alone, I just work in that “alone” time—sometimes it might even just be in the shower.
These are the places where I’m refreshed and I re-tank. Driving time used to be serious “head time,” but once I had children, that ceased to be the font of creativity it had once been. Now, I carve out the solitary moments that are necessary to build my writing world, even if it means taking a long walk alone. Still, I balance all of those creative impulses with my driving needs as a mother—and as a literary agent. It’s all a great high-wire act!
It is tough to be juggling all those roles, but you handle it so well. It's so important for women to take that time for themselves. So I ask all you readers and authors reading this - how long has it been since you took time for yourselves? Doesn't a massage sound wonderful? Deidre, you've inspired me. I'm calling today to schedule one.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Deidre: I used to disdain the idea that characters assumed a life of their own. To me, it seemed a bit pretentious. Well, that was long, long ago! The more I’ve spent time writing, the more I’ve simply come to accept that sometimes characters put themselves in the drivers’ seat. I have definitely found myself writing, feeling relatively assured of a certain direction, only to hear my characters chattering, making their own paths known. To me, that’s become the beauty of writing. I’m not one to do big character sketches ahead of time: I find that the most important moments between me and my characters happen on the fly. They simply assert themselves, and I hear what’s happening, become a translator of sorts. Characterization is probably my favorite element of writing.
Birthing “people” and letting them be heard.
Debra: I love this idea so much that I'm jotting this one down right now to add to my list of quotes and inspirational messages.
Deidre: There’s no easy method, I find; it’s more a matter of listening and translating what’s being whispered inside my head.
Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?
Deidre: It’s amazing that you ask this because I just posted on my Amazon blog about a word we have in our family, a made up one called “secloistered.” It’s a joking malapropism that grew out of a combo of sequestered and cloistered. In my books, I do have a whole dictionary because, in fact, I’m writing about aliens. They have extremely “foreign” names, as well, but they use their human aliases. I think in writing this genre it’s important to keep the characters accessible while still being realistic that, hey, back on Refaria nobody was going to name S’Skautsa, “Scott Dillon.” So he’s got his home name, and his Earth name.
Similarly, I think it adds authenticity to the world to occasionally have them stray from English and use a word from their native language. I would say that the Refarian language I am using is a kind of Eastern European blend with a tad of French. For instances, “meshdki” is basically what the French call “merde.” (stinky stuff that we have a basic cuss word: s**t. Well, hey, I don’t have to use the real word, can have them call it meshdki and the reader gets it in context. Plus, let’s face, cursing is pretty darn universal.
Deidre: Fascinating! As a reader I tend to read through those words I don't know, letting the context allow me to guess at their meaning. But I do like the idea of a dictionary for checking those words later, just to be sure.
And you're right. If a man hits his thumb with a hammer, some kind of curse is going to come out, whatever his language or world.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Deidre: This is absolutely true for me. My dreams tend to be particularly vivid, and often a bit frightening. For instance, in the past five years I often have nightmares about terrorist attacks (ever since 9/11). In the book I’m writing now (PARALLEL SEDUCTION) I even drew on that fact, creating a dreamscape for my characters that was riddled by alien terrorist imagery.
Debra: Deidre, I hope your nightmares fade away soon and your dreams become more of a comfort. I'm convinced that our dreams are where our subconscious works out problems and plans for the future. They also provide a vivid canvas for our creativity to flourish. Perhaps it is those very dreams that allowed you to create such a vivid world in your fiction.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Deidre: I was a “latch-key” kid, back in the 1970’s when the term was quite in currency. I had much older siblings, a mother who worked, and spent a great deal of time alone. Looking back, it was no accident that I connected strongly with Scott O’Dell’s ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, about a young girl who is marooned alone on an island. I passed many hours alone in the woods around my home, pretending that I was the marooned one, and had to find a way to survive. I guess you could call it a truly literary game: I had recast myself in the lead role of that novel, and spent many a day playing alone figuring out my own way of the proverbial island.
Debra: Oh, how that book remains vivid in my mind. It's been years since I read it, but I can still close my eyes and picture the setting.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Deidre: I am so grateful because I’m writing that series now with NAL. They have given me a ton of freedom to push the envelope, take a ton of chances, and truly write outside the usual bounds. My series is about parallel worlds, and that’s not necessarily the most mainstream of romance novel subjects. I feel incredibly thankful that my publisher has allowed me to explore the outer-edges of my creative landscape.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Deidre: Recently my seven-year-old completed a questionnaire at school. One of the items was, “What do you enjoy the most?” Her answer was sleeping because dreaming was like watching a movie. Her reply embodied my own take on dreams… I may not always mine them for my books, but that wealth of imagination is such a wellspring that we harken back to as writers. For many years I kept a dream journal because I was fascinated with what my subconscious might do without me. To this day, I find that there are book concepts, or small story ideas in my own dreams. It’s like watching a movie, as my daughter so succinctly said. The trick as becoming a translator to that fact.
Debra: A dream journal is an excellent idea for authors. Sometimes we have just minutes to capture those images after waking.
Deidre, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
You can visit Deidre at www.deidreknight.com or www.DeidreKnightBooks.com or http://deidreknight.blogspot.com or http://parrallelseries.blogspot.com
Deidre, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Deidre: Without spoiling anything about PARALLEL HEAT, I’ll just be coy and say that PARALLEL SEDUCTION—the one I’m knee-deep in at the moment—completely continues the Parallel world. The great thing about this series is that there is a wealth of stories to tell, so much to explore. I think the first book may have been a little frustrating for some readers who wanted all the loose ends tied up, but what they will discover as they plow farther and farther into the overall series, is that they will get their answers. It’s like I’m an evil executive in charge of “Lost,” telling fans, “You’ll get to know! The hatch does lead somewhere.”
Debra: So, like all good books, we'll have to read on to get those answers. I'm looking forward to reading it!
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Deidre: Honestly, it’s a lot about making time for myself. As a mother and literary agent, I don’t have as much “mental play time” as I might want or crave as a creative individual. So I make sure to carve that time out, doing things that fill my well back up. Whether I get a massage, or take a few days at a hotel alone, I just work in that “alone” time—sometimes it might even just be in the shower.
These are the places where I’m refreshed and I re-tank. Driving time used to be serious “head time,” but once I had children, that ceased to be the font of creativity it had once been. Now, I carve out the solitary moments that are necessary to build my writing world, even if it means taking a long walk alone. Still, I balance all of those creative impulses with my driving needs as a mother—and as a literary agent. It’s all a great high-wire act!
It is tough to be juggling all those roles, but you handle it so well. It's so important for women to take that time for themselves. So I ask all you readers and authors reading this - how long has it been since you took time for yourselves? Doesn't a massage sound wonderful? Deidre, you've inspired me. I'm calling today to schedule one.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Deidre: I used to disdain the idea that characters assumed a life of their own. To me, it seemed a bit pretentious. Well, that was long, long ago! The more I’ve spent time writing, the more I’ve simply come to accept that sometimes characters put themselves in the drivers’ seat. I have definitely found myself writing, feeling relatively assured of a certain direction, only to hear my characters chattering, making their own paths known. To me, that’s become the beauty of writing. I’m not one to do big character sketches ahead of time: I find that the most important moments between me and my characters happen on the fly. They simply assert themselves, and I hear what’s happening, become a translator of sorts. Characterization is probably my favorite element of writing.
Birthing “people” and letting them be heard.
Debra: I love this idea so much that I'm jotting this one down right now to add to my list of quotes and inspirational messages.
Deidre: There’s no easy method, I find; it’s more a matter of listening and translating what’s being whispered inside my head.
Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?
Deidre: It’s amazing that you ask this because I just posted on my Amazon blog about a word we have in our family, a made up one called “secloistered.” It’s a joking malapropism that grew out of a combo of sequestered and cloistered. In my books, I do have a whole dictionary because, in fact, I’m writing about aliens. They have extremely “foreign” names, as well, but they use their human aliases. I think in writing this genre it’s important to keep the characters accessible while still being realistic that, hey, back on Refaria nobody was going to name S’Skautsa, “Scott Dillon.” So he’s got his home name, and his Earth name.
Similarly, I think it adds authenticity to the world to occasionally have them stray from English and use a word from their native language. I would say that the Refarian language I am using is a kind of Eastern European blend with a tad of French. For instances, “meshdki” is basically what the French call “merde.” (stinky stuff that we have a basic cuss word: s**t. Well, hey, I don’t have to use the real word, can have them call it meshdki and the reader gets it in context. Plus, let’s face, cursing is pretty darn universal.
Deidre: Fascinating! As a reader I tend to read through those words I don't know, letting the context allow me to guess at their meaning. But I do like the idea of a dictionary for checking those words later, just to be sure.
And you're right. If a man hits his thumb with a hammer, some kind of curse is going to come out, whatever his language or world.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Deidre: This is absolutely true for me. My dreams tend to be particularly vivid, and often a bit frightening. For instance, in the past five years I often have nightmares about terrorist attacks (ever since 9/11). In the book I’m writing now (PARALLEL SEDUCTION) I even drew on that fact, creating a dreamscape for my characters that was riddled by alien terrorist imagery.
Debra: Deidre, I hope your nightmares fade away soon and your dreams become more of a comfort. I'm convinced that our dreams are where our subconscious works out problems and plans for the future. They also provide a vivid canvas for our creativity to flourish. Perhaps it is those very dreams that allowed you to create such a vivid world in your fiction.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Deidre: I was a “latch-key” kid, back in the 1970’s when the term was quite in currency. I had much older siblings, a mother who worked, and spent a great deal of time alone. Looking back, it was no accident that I connected strongly with Scott O’Dell’s ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, about a young girl who is marooned alone on an island. I passed many hours alone in the woods around my home, pretending that I was the marooned one, and had to find a way to survive. I guess you could call it a truly literary game: I had recast myself in the lead role of that novel, and spent many a day playing alone figuring out my own way of the proverbial island.
Debra: Oh, how that book remains vivid in my mind. It's been years since I read it, but I can still close my eyes and picture the setting.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Deidre: I am so grateful because I’m writing that series now with NAL. They have given me a ton of freedom to push the envelope, take a ton of chances, and truly write outside the usual bounds. My series is about parallel worlds, and that’s not necessarily the most mainstream of romance novel subjects. I feel incredibly thankful that my publisher has allowed me to explore the outer-edges of my creative landscape.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Deidre: Recently my seven-year-old completed a questionnaire at school. One of the items was, “What do you enjoy the most?” Her answer was sleeping because dreaming was like watching a movie. Her reply embodied my own take on dreams… I may not always mine them for my books, but that wealth of imagination is such a wellspring that we harken back to as writers. For many years I kept a dream journal because I was fascinated with what my subconscious might do without me. To this day, I find that there are book concepts, or small story ideas in my own dreams. It’s like watching a movie, as my daughter so succinctly said. The trick as becoming a translator to that fact.
Debra: A dream journal is an excellent idea for authors. Sometimes we have just minutes to capture those images after waking.
Deidre, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
You can visit Deidre at www.deidreknight.com or www.DeidreKnightBooks.com or http://deidreknight.blogspot.com or http://parrallelseries.blogspot.com
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