Today on Make-Believe Mondays, we're taking a break from our regular schedule so I can make this announcement.
My first novel, Desperate Journey, the American Title II manuscript, just sold to Samhain Publishing and I am thrilled!
One of my friends once asked if I had answered the Make-Believe Monday interview questions for my own interview for the day when I sold my first book. I hadn't thought of that, or of who I might get to interview me. :) I'll schedule my interview for the week the book first comes out, but since I don't have a publishing date yet, I don't know when that will be. I'll keep you posted. ;)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Make-Believe Monday with Melissa Mayhue
Today on Make-Believe Mondays I'm pleased to introduce my friend Melissa Mayhue. Melissa writes for Pocket and her first book is coming out in July.Melissa, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript
you’re working on now.
Melissa: Right now I’m working on the third book in the Daughters of the Glen series. The first – THIRTY NIGHTS WITH A HIGHLAND HUSBAND – is due to hit the shelves in July 2007. The second – HIGHLAND GUARDIAN – is slated for November 2007. This third book, tentatively titled SOUL OF A HIGHLANDER – is a time travel back to 13th century Scotland, just like the first. And like both the other two, it’s set in a world of where Faeries, both good and evil, walk among us. I’m enjoying writing this book because my heroine appeared in the first book, and the hero comes from the second book. It’s almost like a reunion!
Debra: Highlanders and faeries, well I can't even begin to tell you how I'm looking forward to reading these books.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Melissa: My characters come alive from the first moment I envision them. I ‘see’ them before I ever write the first word. But, I do have to admit, they constantly surprise me. I’ve had more than one character who just refused to be what he was originally written to be. As a result, I’ve had to learn to be flexible with my characters and their stories!
Debra: And as some of your characters are faeries, I wouldn't be surprised if they played tricks on you as well. ;)
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Melissa: I was an avid reader from the moment I learned to read. To me, there was nothing better than escaping into a whole new world within the covers of a book. I loved the entire Nancy Drew series and had every single story. But the first book that I loved enough to read over and over and over was THE MOONSPINNERS by Mary Stewart. Though I haven’t read it in many years, I still have an old copy on my bookshelves.
Debra: Oh, I loved that book! Wouldn't mind getting my hands on a copy of it as well.
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?
Melissa: I honestly don’t think I set out to write to meet any categories or expectations, other than my own. I write what I like to read. When I finished the first book, it was difficult for me to describe what category it fit into exactly. It’s a little bit historical, a little contemporary, and a little suspense, with a little magic and a healthy dose of Faeries. Oh, and of course there’s the time travel. Thank goodness for the all-encompassing category of “Paranormal!” And when you’ve got characters that spend part of their time in the world of Mortals and part of their time living in the Realm of Faerie...well, I think my imagination is already engaged here!
Debra: I agree. And the stories sound wonderful.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction?
Melissa: I believe reading is all about imagination and dreams. I want a heroine I can identify with and a hero I can fall in love with. To me, if I’ve invested hours of my time in reading a book, when I turn that last page, I want to be happy and feel satisfied that things turned out the way I wanted them to. I can find enough sorrow and controversy in the newspaper or on television, or just in everyday life. When I sink into a book for a good read, I want a Happy Ever After. My goal as a writer is to deliver that!
Debra: Yes, we all need a bit of dreaming. Everyday life is hard enough. The joy a good story can bring to the reader is a great gift.
Any other message for our readers?
Melissa: I’d like to invite everyone to stop by my website [www.MelissaMayhue.com] where they can read a sample from each of the first two books. And by all means, if anyone has questions or comments, don’t hesitate to drop me an email. I’d love to hear from you! Also, my new MySpace page is taking shape now. Feel free to visit there, where I’ll try to keep the latest information on my books and writing updated. [www.MySpace.com/MelissaMayhue].
Debra: Melissa, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Melissa: Thank you, Debra! I think it’s wonderful that you offer this spot for readers and writers to connect. I’ve loved being here today.
Debra: Why thank you, Melissa. It has been my pleasure.
Melissa: Right now I’m working on the third book in the Daughters of the Glen series. The first – THIRTY NIGHTS WITH A HIGHLAND HUSBAND – is due to hit the shelves in July 2007. The second – HIGHLAND GUARDIAN – is slated for November 2007. This third book, tentatively titled SOUL OF A HIGHLANDER – is a time travel back to 13th century Scotland, just like the first. And like both the other two, it’s set in a world of where Faeries, both good and evil, walk among us. I’m enjoying writing this book because my heroine appeared in the first book, and the hero comes from the second book. It’s almost like a reunion!
Debra: Highlanders and faeries, well I can't even begin to tell you how I'm looking forward to reading these books.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Melissa: My characters come alive from the first moment I envision them. I ‘see’ them before I ever write the first word. But, I do have to admit, they constantly surprise me. I’ve had more than one character who just refused to be what he was originally written to be. As a result, I’ve had to learn to be flexible with my characters and their stories!
Debra: And as some of your characters are faeries, I wouldn't be surprised if they played tricks on you as well. ;)
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Melissa: I was an avid reader from the moment I learned to read. To me, there was nothing better than escaping into a whole new world within the covers of a book. I loved the entire Nancy Drew series and had every single story. But the first book that I loved enough to read over and over and over was THE MOONSPINNERS by Mary Stewart. Though I haven’t read it in many years, I still have an old copy on my bookshelves.
Debra: Oh, I loved that book! Wouldn't mind getting my hands on a copy of it as well.
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?
Melissa: I honestly don’t think I set out to write to meet any categories or expectations, other than my own. I write what I like to read. When I finished the first book, it was difficult for me to describe what category it fit into exactly. It’s a little bit historical, a little contemporary, and a little suspense, with a little magic and a healthy dose of Faeries. Oh, and of course there’s the time travel. Thank goodness for the all-encompassing category of “Paranormal!” And when you’ve got characters that spend part of their time in the world of Mortals and part of their time living in the Realm of Faerie...well, I think my imagination is already engaged here!
Debra: I agree. And the stories sound wonderful.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction?
Melissa: I believe reading is all about imagination and dreams. I want a heroine I can identify with and a hero I can fall in love with. To me, if I’ve invested hours of my time in reading a book, when I turn that last page, I want to be happy and feel satisfied that things turned out the way I wanted them to. I can find enough sorrow and controversy in the newspaper or on television, or just in everyday life. When I sink into a book for a good read, I want a Happy Ever After. My goal as a writer is to deliver that!
Debra: Yes, we all need a bit of dreaming. Everyday life is hard enough. The joy a good story can bring to the reader is a great gift.
Any other message for our readers?
Melissa: I’d like to invite everyone to stop by my website [www.MelissaMayhue.com] where they can read a sample from each of the first two books. And by all means, if anyone has questions or comments, don’t hesitate to drop me an email. I’d love to hear from you! Also, my new MySpace page is taking shape now. Feel free to visit there, where I’ll try to keep the latest information on my books and writing updated. [www.MySpace.com/MelissaMayhue].
Debra: Melissa, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Melissa: Thank you, Debra! I think it’s wonderful that you offer this spot for readers and writers to connect. I’ve loved being here today.
Debra: Why thank you, Melissa. It has been my pleasure.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Make-Believe Monday with Diane Whiteside
Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Diane Whiteside.
Diane, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Diane: I’m currently working on Bond of Fire, Volume 2 of my Texas vampire trilogy. It’s Jean-Marie St. Just’s story, a Frenchman who’s loved only one woman and has waited almost two hundred years for her. But to save his family, he may need to do the one thing she can’t forgive: kill her sister – who’s trying to murder his brother.
Debra: That sounds like an exciting story.
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?
Diane: Music and meditation keep me relaxed and happy enough to let my muse bubble up.
Debra: Relaxation is important when getting into that creative zone.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Diane: Always. A story’s starting point is always a high-emotion scene. But I can’t really begin to write until the characters are banging on the inside of my skull, desperate to get out and onto the page. That’s when I can see and hear them, just as if they were standing in front of me.
Debra: What a great image. I can just see it.
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?
Diane: Alas, no. I do like to play with words from very obscure languages, though.
Debra: What fun!
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?
Diane: Visuals rarely come to me from dreams but words frequently do. I actually once unlocked a very complicated plot this way, coming up with three major plot points for the backstory, which sent the book spinning forward.
Debra: How interesting. I hope you keep a notepad by the bed.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Diane: Zane Grey, JRR Tolkien, Georgette Heyer, and Elswyth Thane. I can still recite entire passages and see their worlds in my mind’s eye.
Debra: It's wonderful how some stories stick with us this way.
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?
Diane: It would definitely be a futuristic space opera with pirates, based on the 17th-18th century world. Swashbuckling to the max!
Debra: Oh, what fun! I hope you write that one some day.
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?
Diane: Trust them. Don’t edit or dilute them. They’re the greatest source of creative power.
Debra: Such excellent advice.
Diane, thank you for joining us here on Make-Believe Mondays to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Diane: Thank you for letting me join you, Debra!
Debra: It was my pleasure.
Readers may visit Diane at www.dianewhiteside.com
Monday, May 07, 2007
Make-Believe Monday with Beth Williamson
Today on Make-Believe Mondays our guest is Beth Williamson.
Beth, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Beth: I’m working on The Legacy – book 7 of the Malloy family series.
Debra: 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?
Beth: I love that quote! Hm, how do I keep my creative cup filled? I think I suffer from an overabundance of imagination to begin with, so it doesn’t take much for my creative cup to tip over. LOL! But to energize myself, I read a book from my enormous TBR pile or watch a good movie. Sometimes I pick one of my favs to re-read or watch again.
Debra: Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Beth: If I say yes, you won’t call the men in white coats will you?
Debra: Oh, no. You'd be in good company as so many authors I know (including myself) experience this with every book they write.
Beth: Yes, absolutely! I hear them and see them all the time. I carry an MP3 player that I can record on and as I drive back and forth to work, I write scenes out loud.
Debra: 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?
Beth: I don’t write fantasy or paranormal or sci-fi, so I’ve never had occasion to make up words. However, I do like to use phrases or character-specific words that you always associate with them. Like in The Bounty, Tyler called Nicky “Magpie” – it started as an insult and became a term of endearment.
Debra: 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?
Beth: Absolutely! I had a very, er, erotic dream last week that I proposed to my editor at Loose Id for a story. She thought she might need a new fire extinguisher. ROFL!
Debra: As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Beth: You know I always read books and went to the library, but I can’t remember any childhood book pulling me too hard. However, when I started reading romances, that’s when it happened. Man alive, I fell in love with the genre immediately.
Debra: 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?
Beth: A story where the reader gets completely captivated by the characters, cannot put it down, and experiences true emotions when reading it. The very best books are the ones that make me cry, laugh, and rage right along with them.
Debra: 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?
Beth: I think imagination is the cornerstone of what it is to be human. Without dreams and imagining things, there would be no books or readers. What fun would that be? Writing books allows me to share my dreams and imagination, to spread my wings and soar in the land of words, carrying readers on my wings.
Debra: And as your imagination allows you to soar, the readers can soar along with you. :)
Beth, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Beth, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Beth: I’m working on The Legacy – book 7 of the Malloy family series.
Debra: 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?
Beth: I love that quote! Hm, how do I keep my creative cup filled? I think I suffer from an overabundance of imagination to begin with, so it doesn’t take much for my creative cup to tip over. LOL! But to energize myself, I read a book from my enormous TBR pile or watch a good movie. Sometimes I pick one of my favs to re-read or watch again.
Debra: Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Beth: If I say yes, you won’t call the men in white coats will you?
Debra: Oh, no. You'd be in good company as so many authors I know (including myself) experience this with every book they write.
Beth: Yes, absolutely! I hear them and see them all the time. I carry an MP3 player that I can record on and as I drive back and forth to work, I write scenes out loud.
Debra: 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?
Beth: I don’t write fantasy or paranormal or sci-fi, so I’ve never had occasion to make up words. However, I do like to use phrases or character-specific words that you always associate with them. Like in The Bounty, Tyler called Nicky “Magpie” – it started as an insult and became a term of endearment.
Debra: 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?
Beth: Absolutely! I had a very, er, erotic dream last week that I proposed to my editor at Loose Id for a story. She thought she might need a new fire extinguisher. ROFL!
Debra: As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Beth: You know I always read books and went to the library, but I can’t remember any childhood book pulling me too hard. However, when I started reading romances, that’s when it happened. Man alive, I fell in love with the genre immediately.
Debra: 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?
Beth: A story where the reader gets completely captivated by the characters, cannot put it down, and experiences true emotions when reading it. The very best books are the ones that make me cry, laugh, and rage right along with them.
Debra: 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?
Beth: I think imagination is the cornerstone of what it is to be human. Without dreams and imagining things, there would be no books or readers. What fun would that be? Writing books allows me to share my dreams and imagination, to spread my wings and soar in the land of words, carrying readers on my wings.
Debra: And as your imagination allows you to soar, the readers can soar along with you. :)
Beth, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Make-Believe Monday with Susan Stephens
We're a day late on Make-Believe Mondays this week because I just returned home from the RT convention. It was a pleasure to meet so many authors and readers at the convention and to discover how many of you enjoy reading this little blog. Thank you for all the kind and supportive comments. And now, I would like to introduce Susan Stephens.Susan, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript
you’re working on now.
I have just finished working on an on-line Daily serial for e-harlequin, called The Venetian's Defiant Woman, which plunged me into the drama and glamorous eroticism of the international Presents genre, and now I’m working on a manuscript for Harlequin Modern Series Extra, which is young and sassy, and very, very sexy, with arguably a lighter look at life and love. For this I’ve taken a super bright heroine, who nevertheless sees herself as a bit of a country bumpkin, and set her in conflict with a wickedly attractive Italian American called Lorenzo Domenico who holds our heroine, Carly’s legal career in the palm of his hand. For Carly and Lorenzo it’s a case of light the blue touch paper, and stand well back!
Debra: Sounds like sparks will be flying in this one.
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?
Susan: Life itself fills my creative cup. Every day my senses are replenished with the stuff of enough stories to keep me writing well into my dotage! Walking in the countryside seems to be when my ideas crystallize. I start off with the germ of an idea, and by the time I get back home I’m burning to get back to the computer.
Debra: There is something about the motions of walking or riding on a train which allows those creative ideas to flow, isn't there?
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Susan: I hear snatches from the word go, but even though I work to a vague sort of word map I write several drafts before I finish, because it’s only when I get to the end of a book that I understand the journey my characters have taken. I just have to go back at this point and flesh our their sentiments and bring them to life.
Debra: Susan, thank you for joining us here on Make-Believe Mondays to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
you’re working on now.
I have just finished working on an on-line Daily serial for e-harlequin, called The Venetian's Defiant Woman, which plunged me into the drama and glamorous eroticism of the international Presents genre, and now I’m working on a manuscript for Harlequin Modern Series Extra, which is young and sassy, and very, very sexy, with arguably a lighter look at life and love. For this I’ve taken a super bright heroine, who nevertheless sees herself as a bit of a country bumpkin, and set her in conflict with a wickedly attractive Italian American called Lorenzo Domenico who holds our heroine, Carly’s legal career in the palm of his hand. For Carly and Lorenzo it’s a case of light the blue touch paper, and stand well back!
Debra: Sounds like sparks will be flying in this one.
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?
Susan: Life itself fills my creative cup. Every day my senses are replenished with the stuff of enough stories to keep me writing well into my dotage! Walking in the countryside seems to be when my ideas crystallize. I start off with the germ of an idea, and by the time I get back home I’m burning to get back to the computer.
Debra: There is something about the motions of walking or riding on a train which allows those creative ideas to flow, isn't there?
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Susan: I hear snatches from the word go, but even though I work to a vague sort of word map I write several drafts before I finish, because it’s only when I get to the end of a book that I understand the journey my characters have taken. I just have to go back at this point and flesh our their sentiments and bring them to life.
Debra: Susan, thank you for joining us here on Make-Believe Mondays to share a bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
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