Romancing the Card

You may be scratching your head regarding the title of this post. Let me explain. Are we too dependant on debit/credit cards? I went to the grocery store yesterday and when I swiped my trusty debit card the clerk looked at me and said those dreaded words ‘INSUFFICIENT FUNDS’. Well, at first I made her repeat it. As an accountant I know in my head what I have in every account.

My first thought was that the card didn’t read correctly. So I told her no problem and handed her my credit card to complete the transaction. I immediately went home and asked my hubby if he’d used his debit card. Since he hadn’t I got online with my account and I broke out in a cold, outraged sweat. There it was. The thing you dread. Fraud!

Of course I didn’t know how bad it was until I called the bank. The fury escalated to a heated level. Apparently this clever little thief had wiped out my checking and since I have my main checking attached to my savings for emergencies, they proceeded to wipe out my savings. Yep, someone had a good time yesterday at our expense.

You know we work hard to save money for a rainy day, in our case to pay our taxes. Then someone comes along and takes it away. The Fraud department at our credit union have been awesome. They immediately stopped my card, (Of Course it was my card that was hit) and the accounts are being monitored. As an accountant the first thing I did was Google all the companies that showed up because I did not recognize any of the names and was aware that some were foreign. All of them are located in Pakistan.

Of course we will get our money back, but not until all the paperwork is complete which could be late next week. What’s sad is that person was able to enjoy our money and never worked a second for it. Do we rely on our cards too much? When did we get too lazy to write a check? The last time I wrote a check the clerk sighed in frustration. So I reverted back to my debit card. Just one swipe and you’re out the door.

I can say this, the anger erupted in a furious writing frenzy last night. I pounded the keys and took out all my frustrations in my latest manuscript. Of course I will be reading that over this morning to make sure it went with the story line. Check your accounts daily and make sure you can account for everything.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Getting lost in the story…

Have you ever been so into a story that you got lost? This could happen either when writing the story or reading the story. You know when you’re reading a story and get lost, well the author has done a good job. When you’re writing a story and get lost, well, maybe you’re doing a good job.

The story I’m working on now has me immersed in the story. I just love romance and especially the build up to a relationship between the characters in my mind. It’s funny the architecture of a story. First you have to build the characters to let the readers know a little about them. Then of course you have to work on the story. It’s amazing how into a story you can get.

I love the build up. Sometimes I get ahead of my fingers in my mind. I have to be careful when doing this. It’s difficult to slow down my brain when the story is pouring out. Yesterday as I typed my mind was overflowing. That’s a good problem to have when you’re a writer.

I hope all of you are lost in a story. It helps you to get out of this crazy world for a little while. As I finish this post I will open my manuscript and continue the story. The outline is clear and now we’ll just see how the story fills in the blanks. Have a wonderful Thursday and enjoy the crisp Fall air.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

2nd Cup of Coffee and Cool Fall Morning

I just love this time of the year. It’s so cozy curled up in the corner of the couch with my throw and coffee. I feel invigorated. The leaves are on the verge of change and the air is so clean. It’s amazing what God has given us.

I am nursing my second cup of coffee as I type this post. Yes, I’m still on vacation, so no hurry to shower and get dressed. I actually typed 4000 words yesterday. It was a very productive day. I have my outline beside me now and am pumped about today’s word count. If you’re a writer you know what I mean. It’s fun when the story is just spilling from your mind to your fingertips. The only problem I have is I want to get to the happenings of chapters ahead of where I am. Funny thing about a story is it unfolds sometimes in a crazy order. I can see the last act so clearly and it guides me through the middle story which leads you up to the final words.

I’ve taken some advice from a fellow blogger and writer that has helped so much with this manuscript. I am so guilty of editing and proofing as I go. It’s a slow process when you do it that way. I’m bad about going back and rewriting parts or correcting spelling or grammer. As she said in her post, don’t do that until the first draft is complete. It does hinder your rhythm as you work. If you stop and go several times your brain gets in a fog. I typed yesterday continuously and refused to go back and edit even though at times I wanted to sooooooo bad.

How do you write? What’s the pet peeve of your writing? If you have a finished piece of work and need some help with the polishing, go to the Horseshoe Publishing tab at the top of my page and check out our polishing services. Your hard work needs to be out there, so get it polished and shiny and ready for the public to ooh and awe over it.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Good Morning! I’m Back and Raring to Write…

As I told you Friday I took a short social media vacation. I’m actually on a real vacation from my accounting job, but not my writing. I spent the last three days at my mom’s lake house with my hubby and son. It was so relaxing to get up and bring my coffee to the front deck. I sat every morning and watched the sun rise above the trees.

We had reservations at Mexico Beach for the weekend, but the threat of Tropical Storm Karen cancelled that. It would have been nice to go to the beach, but we still enjoyed our restful weekend. The boys were able to fish and I did manage quite a bit of writing. I was able to get in a little over 5000 words. That was a great thing. We arrived back home yesterday. Now I’m just lounging around in my pjs catching up on my sites. I did cheat a little this weekend. I was able to get a weak signal but not strong enough to do too much.

Friday Avon Romance sent me a special message. I was crowned with the Star Member Badge. For the month of October I’ll be listed as a Top Contributor on their front page. That was so special. As a writer and blogger I’m humbled to receive this award. Especially from Avon Romance which is one of my favs.

Now, today is the last day to enter the SYTYCW 2013 Contest with Harlequin. Since I entered the work in progress “Finding The Right Time” over a week ago I’m starting to sweat with anticipation. I’m so excited about this one. Some writers have blogged that someone called them even though they didn’t advance. Wouldn’t that be the coolest thing… I’ll keep you updated.

Well, it’s time to get back to work. No, not accounting… Not this week. I’m doing my fun work which is writing. I’m so pumped. Not to mention it’s so gorgeous here in the south. Of course I love Fall so that makes it even better.

As always good writing and May God Bless You…

Weekend on my mind…

At 4pm today I start my vacation. I’ve been so excited. Had planned a trip to Florida, but anyone that’s been watching the weather reports know why this has been cancelled. It’s going to be a writing vacation and a social media vacation.

I’ve entered my newest work in the So You Think You Can Write contest on Harlequin’s site. I’m really excited about this contest. The fun thing is the manuscript is not completely finished. Yikes, this means I’ve got to spend a lot of time finishing it up. I have it completed in my head, but unfortunately I can’t print directly from my brain. So, I’m taking a social media vacation to keep down distractions. I’m not going to check my sites or post on them for a couple of days, but I’ll be back up and running at full speed next week.

Do you have weekend plans? For me I’m planning a restful, writing excursion. Not sure where it might take me, but my laptop will be attached to my fingers. If you get a chance go over to this link: http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts-sytycw-2013/finding-the-right-time/ and read my first chapter submission. If you feel inspired write a comment and forward it on Facebook and Twitter.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I’ll be back on here when I come out on the other side of this writing frenzy. I just hope I can stay away from my social media sites and book sites.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Social Media and writing…

I was a little leary about starting a lot of social media accounts. Then when I started publishing my books it was a must. My editor/assistant got me started with a blog, then came Twitter and after much anxiousness Facebook. I’ve never been one to push myself in anywhere.

Of course now I get up, drink a cup of coffee and look at all my many sites. It’s funny how many I have now. What’s really funny is when I tweet or send out my book links on any of my sites, the sales go up. What would happen if you didn’t do social media in today’s world? Would you sell a book? If you’re in book stores and various chain stores you would do alright, but people rely on social media and the internet to find books. It’s just part of life.

Make sure you keep your sites updated. Keep the posts going and don’t do anything that you don’t want the whole world to see. So go by and check out my sites. I have links on this page…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Researching Romance

As a writer of romance it’s not always easy to just put your thoughts in the computer and be done with it. Even a run of the mill romance needs a little research. Have you done your research?

With my newest book “Victoria” I had to do a lot of research. I printed 3 different Civil War Timelines. Each one had a little different description that went along with the timing of the story line. It’s amazing how a reader can pick up on even the smallest misstep in regards to history. I made sure the time and date was correct with aspects concerning the war itself.

A fellow author friend wrote a medical romance. She laughed telling me she felt like she was studying for the medical exams. Before she started the book, she wrote down her outline and got in touch with a doctor friend. She then told him what the book had in it medical wise and he gave her several books that would help make the medical part look real.

Another author was writing a thriller/murder mystery. She had to study several serial killer cases with the local police. They were more than happy to help her with the research. As she has a weak stomach she said a lot of the reading was hard to get through, but she made sure she did it on an empty stomach.

I’ve even researched romance itself. There’s a lot on it if you look around. It helps when you are coming up with story lines. You don’t want to write about what everybody is writing about. If everything coming out is about cowboys, well, maybe put cowboys but give it a different spin. Make your writing stand out.

So the next time you pick up a romance novel, think about the hard work the author went through to get it where it is. Especially when you look at the price. So many people want them for free or nearly free. That’s nice but the author put their heart, soul and hard work into that book you’re holding.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Contests, New Releases, and just WOW…

Well, as promised in my blog last week, I jump. I entered the So You Think You Can Write Contest at Harlequin. This has been a year long process of do I want to or not struggles. Suddenly two weeks ago I started feeling the tug and coincidentally I saw a post that entries were being accepted. That was the sign I needed to jump. Here’s the link: http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts-sytycw-2013/finding-the-right-time/ So go over and read my submission and let me know what you think. I’m really excited about this entry.

“Victoria” was officially released today. That’s an exciting thing also. I tried out the preorder with Smashwords.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Apple iTunes. We will see how that goes because as you know those sales won’t show up for a little while. It you get a chance go over and check out this book. It’s also available on Amazon, CreateSpace and Allromanceebooks.com.

As with everything I do, I stay busy. Late last week “With All My Heart” was released in audio form. That was exciting, but what was really exciting was Apple iTunes picked it up immediately upon release. You may be saying, well iTunes is affiliated with Audible. The exciting thing is my other audio book that is out has not been picked up yet by iTunes, so this makes me wonder at the picking process.

I had another author ask my opinion of audio books and my opinion is they’re great. My sales have been good and I’m excited about the rest of the books that are in production even as we speak.

As Rosie Amber and I wind down our Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour, I sit to ponder the results. We were able to meet 30 talented authors in 30 days. As bloggers and readers alike we were able to see a small part of their lives and books for a moment. It went really well. If you haven’t check them out, just go through my last 30 days posts and you can see my side and the link to Rosie’s side.

So as I leave you today, think about the day. It’s Monday, a new week to make a better you. God made you in His image and that means do your best at everything you do.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Day 30 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 30 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?” I can’t believe it’s the last day. It’s been a great tour, thanks to all the great authors that participated. Thanks ladies!

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Cynthia Harrision and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Cynthia and her book Blue Heaven.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

My answer to that question is some of the things that publishers (not my publisher, they are the best!) think readers want and so we romance writers must write them even if it is out of our comfort zone. A good example is the “condom mention” which to me always seems awkward, stops cold the momentum of a hot scene.

Biography

Cynthia Harrison

Cynthia Harrison had already published one novel “Sister Issues” through Amazon’s Kindle Digital Platform as an eBook when The Wild Rose Press offered her a contract for her second novel “The Paris Notebook” available in print and eBook editions from a variety of booksellers, including Amazon.

Set at the popular 99 cent price point, “Sister Issues” comically illuminates the relationship of half-siblings Cher and Ariel. Spoiled younger sibling Ariel thinks “half” means she gets half of everything that belongs to Cher. Cher’s not perfect either, and both sisters make mistakes as they seek their true hearts’ desires.

“The Paris Notebook” is part campus romance, part comic caper. Jack and Deena, two teachers sharing an office, fight their attraction all year. Then Deena’s rock star ex steals a notebook of Deena’s poetry, claiming the words are his original lyrics. Jack offers to help Deena get back her notebook, and soon they act on the desire that has been building for two college terms.

The award winning “Your Words, Your Story” Harrison’s non-fiction manual for writers, again at that great 99 cent price, is available in print and Kindle editions. The text is part memoir, part instruction manual, for writers at all levels. Harrison uses the text in the popular creative writing classes she teaches at her local community college.
Harrison has been posting writing-related entries at “A Writer’s Diary” since 2002 at http://www.cynthiaharrison.com. Her work has been published in national magazines, journals, and anthologies. She has been a staff reviewer for “Romantic Times” and “Publishers Weekly.” Cindy’s poem “Africa” recently won an excellence award from the heritage organization Detroit Working Writers and her short prize-winning memoir “Snow Day” has been anthologized in “Cup of Comfort for Divorced Women.”
An avid Tweeter (CynthiaHarriso1)and Facebook fan (Cynthia Hines Harrison) Harrison is busy at work on her next novel. She loves to hear from readers and writers. Email her at cindy@cynthiaharrison.com.

Publication Date: July 23, 2013

With a tight budget and two months, Eva Delacroix has to turn six dilapidated cottages on Lake Huron into a shabby chic tourist destination. Fulfilling her father’s renovation dreams and her own needs for family, Blue Heaven is Eva’s last resort.
Daniel Bryman will do anything in his power to stop city girl Eva from destroying the integrity of the historic structures his ancestor built. But as they work together to rebuild the main cabin, Eva’s determination makes him question his own life choices.
Despite their opposing views, they do agree on what to do with the attraction between them. When everything they’ve built threatens to crash down around them, will love be enough to save Blue Heaven?

Go over and check out Cynthia.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2sp

Day 29 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour

Welcome to Day 29 of the Romancing September Across The World Blog Tour. The question I put out to all of these authors was “What challenges do you face in writing romance in today’s society?”

Don’t forget to go over to Rosie Amber’s page and check out her page too. I’ll put the link at the bottom of this post.

Today my guest author is Sherry Gammon and I want to thank her for blogging with me today. Here is a little about Sherry and her book Unloveable.

What Challenges do you face writing romance in today’s society?

I feel the biggest challenge in writing romance in today society is really not just about the romance industry. The biggest challenge about writing is the flooded market. There are so many books to choose from. You really have to market your book to get it noticed in the sea of books that are out there. Doing blog tours, finding reviewers, and making sure your book has been professionally edited, all of these things will help you to get your book noticed by the reader.

I also believe it is important to remember that book bloggers work hard to promote our (author’s) books so treat them with respect. I’ve heard of author becoming anger because they didn’t receive a good enough review or the blogger was a day or two late in their posting…Seriously? Bloggers are doing us the favor, for free, I might add. So rude authors: play nice or go home ;}

Probably the most important thing is to write a quality book. All the marketing in the world will not make your book successful if the quality is not there. It is a tough market. There are not many stories like JK Rowley out there, sadly. Wouldn’t that be wonderful if there were?!

Biography

Sherry Gammon author

Unlovable was Sherry’s debut novel and quickly rose to many top seller lists on Amazon. She is pleased to announce that Unlovable is currently being made into a movie. She has added two more novels to her body of work. Souls in Peril, the poignant story of Max Sanchez who is on a journey to help the struggling JD Miller survive high school, and Pete & Tink, a fun, light-hearted novella of a manga-loving geek and a five-and-a-half inch fairy.
Sherry and her husband, along with their children and a couple of crazy dogs, call Upstate New York home. It is where she spends her nights writing instead of sleeping.{:
Her Blog is:WordpaintingsUnlimited.com
Unlovable Video book trailer:
youtube.com/watch?v=AGsz1q_DYZM
Souls in Peril book trailer:
youtube.com/watch?v=0ZoHO_sfP8c

UNLOVABLE
Seventeen year-old Maggie Brown is truly the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes. But drugs are not Maggie’s problem… her mother is.
Maggie’s struggling with her growing feelings for the new guy at school, Seth Prescott, and fears he is just another person who will let her down, like everyone in her life has done thus far.
Seth Prescott is an undercover cop assigned to Port Fare High, and despite his job, he’s developed strong feelings for Maggie.
Seth’s working tirelessly to flush out the sadistic drug peddlers that have invaded the small town of Port Fare, New York, while Maggie fights to stay alive as the search turns deadly. Seth and Maggie’s romantic journey is one of humor, heartbreak and self-discovery as their world is about to change forever.

Check out Sherry and her book. I know you won’t be disappointed.

Here’s the link to Rosie’s side of the tour: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2zm