Fiction Flurry

Author Reading Today!

2012-02-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

Susan Gee Heino

Will be reading from her upcoming release

Passion and Pretense!

at The Ohio State University's

Thompson Library

with Author's Donna McMeans and Paige Cuccaro

From 3:00-4:00 in room 202

Co-Sponsored by Ohioana Library

Grandma's Taters

2012-02-08T09:19:00.000-05:00

My grandma was born and raised in the hollers of West Virginia. Likewise, my mother was born in an unplumbed log cabin just across the Ohio River. From the two of them, I have heard folklore, legend and tall tales throughout my lifetime. I often use much of this material in my writing.

Grandma is no longer with us, but in her stories she lives on. Grandma also left me with some beautiful memories, most especially my recollection of Christmas mornings. The whole family – aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings – all congregated at Grandma’s for the festivities and we started our day off with a big, hearty, West Virginia breakfast. Eggs, sausage, bacon, buttered toast, doughnuts, and the potatoes - ah those potatoes! Grandma’s Taters, we called them.

Grandma's Taters (A Facsimile)

My friends who know me will not be shocked when I tell you this: I hate to cook. Love to eat, mind you…just hate the cooking part. I know many women (and a couple of men) who genuinely love the whole cooking business – and are pretty darn good at it, to boot! (Our very own Michele D. being amongst them!!) Sadly, the cooking gene skipped right over me.

I don't care where he's going...I'm gonna follow this guy there!

Luckily for me, however, finding delicious food is not quite as labor-intensive as it was back in the hunter-gatherer days. I only have to drive a block or two to be offered over a dozen tasty choices! And lucky for you, our next COSTOWRIMO write-in is going to be held at Der Dutchman Restaurant!

Der Dutchman Restaurant, Bake Shop and Gifts!!

And in case you were wondering – they do have some really delicious potatoes there, almost as good as Grandma’s Taters!

Serving up home cookin' since 1969!

Join us Thursday, 2/9 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm:

Der Dutchman Restaurant

445 S. Jefferson (Route 42)

Plain City, OH 43064

(614) 873 - 3414

Have you had your Whoopie today?

Inspiration Can Come From Anywhere

2012-02-06T22:28:00.004-05:00

There are times when I can place exactly the moment I get a story idea, and others when the ideas just seem to sneak up on me unexpectedly. The first novel I completed, which was about a radical religious cult...I couldn't tell you what spurred that idea. I remember being bored in Philosophy class sophomore year of college, and then I just started writing a story about a girl with the name of Elizabeth McLancy.

I've also gotten ideas from the news. The first year I crossed the NaNoWriMo finish line, I got my story idea from watching the news one night.

My current project, I can also place the exact moment I got my inspiration and where it came from. I was on a walk, listening to one of my favorite podcasts--Smart Mouths. They were talking about the earthquake in Haiti and what teenagers were doing to help, how wonderful it was that teenagers were stepping up and donating money through text messages, using something that they're usually made fun of doing all the time and turning it into something good.

One quote in particular stood out to me: "Our generation's gonna kick ass."

It was all downhill from there. I'm now querying that novel, and working on revising its sequel. And it all started with a podcast.

Sharing Your Vision with Your Readers

2012-02-04T12:58:00.006-05:00

I think monkeys might actually fly from my butt the next time I hear someone tell me, “You need to do more showing and less telling”.

As avid readers of speculative fiction, young adult, period romance, science fiction, non-fiction, dystopian, etc., we expect to pick up a story and be magically whisked away into some alternate state of consciousness, a place where we can escape the humdrum of everyday life and be someone and someplace else for a while. But when we pick up a book and never forget the fact that we’re lying in our bed, sitting in our chair, or maybe soaking in the tub, our expectation has not been met. It’s never very obvious to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong. We just know that, for some reason, we weren’t able to suspend our disbelief and get into the story.

As critics and reviewers, it’s easy to replicate that morsel of overused advice and simply tell the writer he’s “telling, not showing”. It’s even worse for the poor writer, who’s often left scratching his head and wondering what you meant, exactly. More puzzling is what he can possibly do with that vague feedback to improve his writing. Just how do you “show” rather than “tell”?

Here’s a classic example. Think back to grade school when it was your turn to bring in your favorite teddy bear for “show and tell”. (Aha! This damn term has been ingrained in our heads since the first time we began learning to read and write!) You could have shown up to class on your day with absolutely nothing. You could have stood up in front of your teacher and all your friends and “told” them something like this:

“My favorite toy is my teddy bear. He’s brown and fluffy. He has black eyes and a red scarf around his neck. He’s my best friend.”

If, however, you actually brought the cherished ursine into the classroom that morning, you could have “shown” your friends something like this:

“I’d like you all to meet Maximilian Scruffy Paws. Max and I go way back. My dad got him for me when I was four. He won Max at the county fair when he hooked four rings over some milk bottles. I call him Scruffy Paws because, as you can see, the pads on his claws are starting to wear off from all the adventures we’ve had. One time when it was really cold out, Max and I built an igloo in the snow by the street in front of our house. I put this scarf on him so he wouldn’t get cold, but then forgot him outside when Mom called me in for dinner. The plow truck came by and ran over our igloo and Max got squashed inside. When we finally dug him out, the scarf was smashed into his neck and we couldn’t get it out without tearing him. That’s why Max is a little lopsided. But I don’t mind. I love him anyway.”

Is there a difference?

Telling a writer that he’s “telling, not showing” has become a vague and morbidly overused cliche. I prefer to think of it rather as “sharing your vision with the reader”. As writers (I’d call us “story tellers”, but that would imply that our job is to “tell” a story rather than to “show” one) we already have a pretty good picture in our heads of the story we’re trying to convey. True, it might only be bits and pieces at a time - a location, a physical characteristic, a curious quirk of one of our characters, a cool building or piece of equipment, maybe even a clever quotation that someone might often repeat. But something in our heads prompted us to start writing a story and not always, but usually, we can imagine what it looks like in fairly vivid detail.

The problem is that, because we already know exactly what it looks like/sounds like/feels like/smells like/tastes like, we often neglect to inform our reader what he should be seeing/hearing/feeling/smelling/tasting. Combine this with our determined drive to simply finish the first draft and our poor reader plods along feeling completely disconnected from our story.

So what can we do about our writing to help our readers experience the immersion of the story worlds we create? First, slow down! What’s the big rush anyhow? I remember starting work on my first story more than six years ago. It’s still not even close to being done. While I work on it, I often find myself thinking, “I need to just hurry up and get this one done so I can move on with revising (or starting another story).” I’m so consumed with finishing it that I completely overlook the enthusiastic experience and pure enjoyment of creating it. And if I slow down and take the time to get it right the first time, that’s less time I’ll need to spend later in revisions. Not to mention that the first or second draft will be that much more enjoyable for someone to critique. As it goes with life, so it should go with writing - the reward is not in the destination, but in the experience of the journey.

Here’s another great way to share your world with your readers: involve all five senses in your exposition and dialogue. Sometimes I feel that reading through my draft manuscripts is akin to suffering slow, two-dimensional, optical paralysis; there’s simply nothing there but black words on white pages. Where’s the color, the vibrancy, the life? Take that vision you have in your head for your current scene and paint it onto the pages for your readers. What does the air smell like? How does the surface reflect or refract sun or artificial light? How does her soft skin feel against his calloused hands? What kind of texture does the food produce on my tongue? Don’t hand me an apple and tell me it’s red and sweet. Make me bite into it, roll the juicy pulp around the inside of my mouth, maybe gag a little on a piece of stiff peel that lodged itself in the back of my throat on the way down. You get the idea.

You’re probably great friends by now with all the characters in your story. After all, you’ve been spending a lot of time following them around, making detailed mental observations and taking copious notes. You know who they are, what they like to do, where they like to hang out. We spend so much time with our characters and their locations that we get to know them very well. But your reader doesn’t know anything about them. It’s up to you to introduce them. Take the time from the very beginning to set the scene, paint the stage, and share with your reader the vision that you imagine in your creative mind. Your writing will be much more enjoyable for it. What’s more, the reading will be much more immersive, which is what readers really want and expect from a good story.

Come Write With Us!

2012-02-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

Throughout the entire month of February, Fiction Flurry will be hosting on-line write-ins! That's right, you can join us from the comfort of your own home, fuzzy slippers and all!

So pop on over to the Fiction Flurry Facebook page and write to your heart's content. We usually hang out from about 7:30 to 10:00 most nights. Come support one another and let's conquer those writing challenges together!

Ready, Set, Write!!!!

2012-01-30T16:05:00.003-05:00

We are now only two days away from our very own version of writing a novel in a month. Personally, I'm very excited about this opportunity, as I am not able to participate in November.

Currently, I have been working on revisions for a novel I completed entitled Only The Chosen. For this writing challenge I plan to finish a novel entitled A Matter of Conviction.

Here's the opening line:

Only two things stood in the way of Cassie Donovan’s freedom. One was the nine-foot chain link fence with spiraled barbed wire crowning the top. The second was a six-foot wall of a man, sporting a sleeve of tattoos, and wearing some type of delivery uniform.

What do you think?

Morelli or Ranger?

2012-01-27T21:30:00.000-05:00

Perhaps it's just that time of the year. The shininess of the New Year has been rubbed bare, our resolutions have worn thin and we've begun to realize that the next holiday weekend is 5 months away. Five Months!! (I would like to have a serious discussion with the people who schedule holidays). It seems the winter blahs have arrived.

What are your plans for the weekend? Any fun, adventurous outings? Or are you planning to hibernate and maybe catch up on your reading?

If you don't have plans yet, might I suggest a movie? This is a project near to my heart, because it's based on one of my favorite books, by one of my favorite authors.

One for the Money

The book is also called One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. It's one of the few books that makes me laugh out loud. Plus I have a serious crush on both Morelli and Ranger. I just can't decide between them.

If you've read the book or see the movie, come back and tell us - which is your favorite?

CoStoWriMo

2012-01-25T13:19:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars writers!

Here are the dates, times and places for

Columbus Story Writers Month

Saturday, 2/4 - Marysville Library 11:30 - 2:30

Thursday, 2/9 - Der Dutchman in Plain City 6:00 - 8:00

Wednesday, 2/15 - La Chatelaine 6:00 - 8:00

Sunday, 2/19 - Panera Bread, Avery Rd 12:00 - 2:00

Tuesday, 2/28 - Casa Fiesta - 6:00 - 8:00

Hang out with us afterwards @ Casa Fiesta to celebrate!

So, What Type of Work Do You Do?

2012-01-25T12:23:00.000-05:00

As I hope you all know by now, Fiction Flurry is busily preparing for COSTOWRIMO (Columbus Area Story Writing Month) – our very own version of NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month)! To that end, we are planning both on-line and in-person get-togethers and write-ins.

During the preparation for one of these write-ins, a group e-mail was circulated with ideas and suggestions for meeting places. One of our very own writers, Colleen, wrote that we should consider having one of our gatherings take place at Panera Bread. Colleen wrote, “I’ve been working there most Monday evenings.” This piqued my interest! I love Panera and wrote back to tell Colleen this.

Here is my confession: it took me an embarrassing amount of correspondence before I realized that Colleen was not working as a barista, a cashier or a “sandwich artist.” Nope. In fact, Colleen – who is a marvelous and gifted storyteller, I might add – was “working” on writing!

This is not the type of “work” in the sense that I believe most of us think of. You know, spending 40+ hours per week residing in Cubicle 107F, Soulless Mega Company, USA. This is work that is done out of passion, as a choice, not out of obligation or necessity to pay the electric bill. This is taking your writing seriously, realizing that it is “work” and should be honored and respected as such. It is realizing that in order to go from writer to published author, you must dedicate yourself and a portion of your time to this endeavor – in other words, work!

So I wonder, what type of work do you intend to do on your journey to publication?

PLEASE BE SURE TO JOIN US FOR COSTOWRIMO

OUR FIRST WRITE IN WILL BE ON

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012

FROM 11:30 TO 2:30

AT THE MARYSVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

231 S. PLUM STREET, MARYSVILLE, OHIO 43040

And please come visit me at: bethnbijoux

White Board Oddities

2012-01-23T21:53:00.003-05:00

As you may or may not already know, I moved out of my parents' house last July. I'm living on my own for the first time since college, being all grown-up and paying for fun things like rent and electricity and cable. I live with two of my best friends--Tracy, whom I've known since kindergarten, and Kathleen, whom I lived with throughout college. Fortunately, we're rather similar, all things considered. None of us are terribly organized (most of the time, the state of our apartment could be called "controlled chaos"), we all have strange sleep habits that include staying up irrationally late and being tired the rest of the next day, we watch several of the same television programs, we're all nerds (of varying levels).

But the biggest, most important thing is...we all have very strange senses of humor.

There's a white board that hangs in a corner in our living room. Half of said white board consists of a huge list of places we need to go or things we need to do. This was started due to the fact that Kathleen grew up in the tiny bubble of Newcomerstown, OH and hasn't experienced even HALF of what Columbus has to offer. The rest of the white board is filled with either inside jokes (many of which are either Harry Potter or Team Starkid related) or...stupid quotes. We say a LOT of stupid things in our apartment. And I'm fairly certain that, if need be, this white board will serve as dialogue inspiration sometime down the road.

Thus follows a very small selection of weird stuff heard around our apartment:

"Hi. Love me, please."

"Everything's funnier in a montage."

"I don't eat people's soul...I just nibble a little."

"Hey, it's Reformation Sunday! Let's go tack up some theses!"

"Wow. We've gone 24 hours without saying stupid shit."

"It's like a word I know in my head."
--"As opposed to your butt?"

Dealing with Distractions

2012-01-21T20:50:00.007-05:00

Saturday 9:15 AM

“Where are you going, Dad?”

“Upstairs to write for a while.”

“But we were gonna watch a family movie together.”

10:15 AM

“Alright guys...I’ve seen this movie before and I need to get some writing done.”

“Hey honey, before you start writing, will you throw down the laundry from our bathroom and help me sort it real quick?”

10:35 AM

I sit down in front of my laptop and suddenly remember that I haven’t checked my email or Facebook account in two days. I should probably make sure there’s nothing important awaiting my response. I wonder how Tim Tebow’s stats are fairing...

11:45 AM

“Dad, Mom said it’s time for lunch.”

12:25 AM

“Hey honey, where are you going?”

“Upstairs to write.”

“But you’ve been writing all morning!”

Does this sound like the conversations in your home (or in your head) every time you think about sitting down to write? Sure, every writer experiences the occasional supernoval flare of a new story idea; fingers cramping, struggling to keep pace with the deluge pouring from your neocortex. It’s only when your bladder threatens to drown you that you look down and realize two hours and four thousand words have passed and you really feel this time that you’re well on your way towards the next New York Times Best Seller!

The next day you wake up, full of excitement and energy at the prospect of another one or two thousand words, only to discover you’ve cranked out a meager one or two hundred because the job, the kids, the spouse, the housework, the laundry, the cell phone, the friends, the internet, the TV, the movie, the library, the bills, the errands, the dishes, and the ten thousand other things that compete for your time have robbed you of your goal. You climb into bed at night feeling drained, unfulfilled, and guilty because you failed to write anything substantial that day. You vow that tomorrow will be different. So today becomes tomorrow, tomorrow becomes this weekend, this weekend becomes someday. Why do we give in so often and for so long to those things that keep us from writing? There are lots of reasons. Let me share two big ones I feel encompass all the others.

First, we don’t feel like we should write. Given everything we must accomplish every day, we feel - at least on a sub-conscious level - that we can't make time for such “silliness” as story-telling. After all, it’s our day jobs that put food on the table and maintains the roof overhead. When we’re not working, children and spouses need attention and care. And let’s not forget the importance of maintaining or improving our health. All these priorities consume us and it’s easy to give in to that whispering voice at the end of the day as it beckons our wearied heads toward soft pillows, “Stories are for kids. You’re an adult now. Grow up. Be more responsible. Get a good night’s sleep before the craziness of tomorrow starts all over again.”

Trapped inside every adult is the little kid we used to be, the one who’s imagination fueled the dreams of a million undiscovered worlds. At some point we became adults and bought into a belief that “growing up” meant we had to deny that inner child. As adults, we still dream occasionally (if for no other reason than to reminisce about what dreaming used to feel like). We all long for a chance to escape from time to time. It’s why we’re so easily distracted. Distractions take us away, however briefly, from the mundane adult lives we’re now forced to lead.

Writing doesn’t make us any less of an adult and we shouldn’t feel guilty for giving voice to that inner-child. Just face it; that little kid is never going to shut up and go away! Besides, denying him means denying half of our own existence. Chances are that most of your fondest memories come from childhood. Take time to go back and talk with that kid every day. He can help you remember what things were like before you became so concerned about all the troubles in your life. Let him teach you how to dream again. Give those memories and dreams a voice and let them spill out onto the pages.

Another reason we become so easily distracted is because we don’t feel we can write. Whether you realize it or not, your life has been influenced by at least one book (or perhaps a movie adaptation) that changed how you thought or felt about life. For me, it was Tai Pan by James Clavell. One Saturday afternoon when I was fifteen, my grandmother and I were cleaning her attic when I found Tai Pan sandwiched between dozens of hardbacks inside some musty box. I finished the book in a couple of weeks and knew when I closed the cover that’s how I wanted to live my life. Did my life really turn out that way? Of course not! And although I’ve never read the book a second time, I can still vividly recall the adventure, the politics, and the intrigue that Clavell so exquisitely imprinted on my memory.

As I sit down in my writing sessions, I’m constantly comparing my work to James Clavell, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Arthur Clarke, Octavia Butler (insert your own list of cherished authors here). Then I review what I’ve vomited onto the pages and think to myself, “What bile! No one’s ever going to be influenced by this!”

I’ve accepted that statement to be true insofar as I do nothing to practice my craft and hone my skills any further. Would I honestly expect an editor or agent to accept the first draft of my first story? Heck I don’t even like it! But what about my sixth revision or my hundredth story or my fifth novel?

It’s only through writing every day that we’ll get any better. It’s only through reading a lot of stories that we learn to distinguish the tripe from the truly inspirational. As I learn what’s good and what’s bad, I incorporate good techniques into my own stories. Eventually I find my own voice and my stories become amazing, if not to anyone else but me. Most importantly, I learn to write for myself.

Distractions are always going to bombard us every single day. When we get into a habit of writing for ourselves, writing because it’s healthy for us, writing because we know we’ll get better, writing to give voice to that imaginative inner child that won’t go away, then writing itself becomes the distraction from all the craziness surrounding us. It’s ok to escape for a while every day. In fact it’s very healthy to do so. Of course, your own personal circumstances will dictate when you can and can’t write. But I guarantee you can find at least an hour every single day to write if you really look for it and you’re serious about writing. Rid yourself of all the other unnecessary distractions in your life and focus on only one distraction - writing - for a little while every day.

Things I Wish I Never Knew....

2012-01-16T10:35:00.008-05:00

Last week while homeschooling my fourth grader we learned about the Hag Fish. Although science is not my favorite subject one thing about this fish is very unique. When threatened, this fish vomits out two gallons of disgusting slime. Once the slime is out, this fish makes it's escape.

After reading this in his science book, of course my ten year old boy wanted to see this done, so we headed over to YouTube. That image is now forever embedded in my mind. If you're bored, hop on over to YouTube and type in Hag Fish...it really is kind of fascinating.

As for me? I still prefer English over science any day!

CoStoWriMo Countdown Clock

2012-01-13T07:04:00.001-05:00

Check out the new countdown clock we've added! Keep an eye on this so you don't miss the opening of CoStoWriMo, a second chanc NaNoWriMo in February.

Here at Fiction Flurry, we're sharpening our pencils and gathering our notebooks (not really, we mostly use our computers, but it's a fun visual) in anticipation of February 1st.

Get your story ideas ready - if you've always wanted to write a novel, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!

The concept is simple: 29 days, 50,000 words.

Can you do it?

Heads up to all you Historical Regency lovers!

2012-01-11T13:57:00.001-05:00

Susan Gee Heino

Has a new author page on Facebook!

While you're there check out her March 2012 release:

Ch-ch-ch-changes and Something Called "CoStoWriMo"

2012-01-09T21:47:00.005-05:00

CoStoWriMo??? What is this nonsense? We're making up stuff again, aren't we?

Why, yes. Yes, we are.

But before I explain our newest dose of insanity, I want to tell you about some exciting changes coming to the Fiction Flurry blog!

You may have noticed that over the past several months, we've tried numerous ways to post on this blog. We've talked about writing, we've talked about reading, and then we reverted to "we'll talk about whatever and post whenever and see what happens." The problem is...we've run out of things to talk about. And posting "whenever" doesn't work, because we're all easily distracted by shiny objects elsewhere in our lives and forget.

So what we're doing now is posting about "whatever"...but we're going to have assigned days! You'll be hearing from each of us, twice a month. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Saturday. And we'll be talking about whatever sparks our fancy at the time. And if we don't post? Well, Michele D has sworn to reap her vengeance on anyone who doesn't post on his or her assigned day...and, trust me, I've learned to believe Michele D when she makes threats.

You'll be hearing from me every other Monday (I know. Please try to contain your enthusiasm. It's quite unseemly).

But what is CoStoWriMo already?!

I'm so glad you asked.

Back in November, many of our members didn't have the time or energy or inspiration or what have you to pariticpate in National Novel Writing Month. But some of our Flurriers, well, NEED a writing month. So we've decided to put on "Columbus Story Writing Month" (or CoStoWriMo). It'll be happening this February and have the same basic rules of NaNoWriMo, but you'll just be tracking it yourself.

If you live in the Columbus area, we'll be hosting several write-ins around the city. Come hang out with the Flurriers and write! It'll be great fun.

But this is NOT just for Columbus people! If you live ANYWHERE you can participate with us! We'd love you to! We'd love you to comment on our Facebook page or @ reply us on Twitter or leave excitement here on the blog. This is open to ANYONE!!!

Questions? Exclamations? Joyous internet happy dancing? Feel free to leave them in the comments! We hope you can join us!

Evolution of a Sedentary Writer

2012-01-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the New Year! How many of you have committed the annual faux pas of a resolution? Hum? Well, I did. Again. Although this year I feel I may have gotten it right. I did not write on my bathroom mirror my goal weight or inches. I did not post on Facebook an unattainable fitness achievement of a triathlon.

What I DID do was join a very friendly fitness website that is FREE! My Fitness Pal.com As an aspiring writer I tend to spend a lot of time sitting. You would think this wouldn't be a big deal since I'm also the mother of two little boys, 5 and 3, with enough stamina to put the energizer bunny to shame.

My resolution for 2012 is simply this: I want to become fit and active enough to keep up with my children.

I'm thinking this should be simple enough. I already chase, fetch, climb, & crawl after them as necessary. I should get faster as they do, right? Wrong. The more they can do for themselves the LESS I have to therefore the slower I seem to be getting. This point was driven home the day my oldest rode his bike without his training wheels. He got faster, a lot faster, in a matter of seconds. A curve loomed up ahead on the sidewalk, I saw disaster fast approaching and ran to grab his bike seat. I wasn't fast enough.

Thankfully, he didn't get hurt or scared but hoped right back on and took off again screaming "Let go Mommy!" But, the fear was already instilled in my heart. I hadn't been able to catch him. And as all good paranoid mommies do, I thought about bigger fears. What if a car stopped and a man jumped out to nab my small child? I would lose him because I had become to sedentary. Guilt swamped me.

Now, I realize my thought was a bit far fetched and reason has returned but I still want to be able to keep up with my boys. So, my husband and I have implemented a few small ways to tone and strengthen our fluffy frames. My Fitness Pal has wonderful and very easy tools that help you track your weight, measurements, food and exercise. You can put in as much or as little info as you want. My favorite function is the Track Food option. You can enter ANYTHING. I mean that. I typed in Knorr Pasta Sides and up popped every flavor they make. Easy peasy.

Another great site I use is Livestrong.com. I only use the mapping function because it is awesome. You input your starting location and up pops Google Maps. You trace your route and the system calculates the distance and calories burned. Amazing! We go on lots of walks and bike rides and something about tracking my progress keeps me accountable.

And lastly, we bought an Xbox Kinect. I have long sworn off video games for a myriad of reasons but we fell in love with this system. The games are entertaining and exhausting. My boys take naps again for crying out loud! How could I not love a product that resulted in wearing them out? Last night we played Just Dance 3. My husband showed off his stellar lack of rhythm. My boys, well, the oldest gave me a run for the lead score and the youngest he hopped until he collapsed onto the couch for a nap. Success all around!

I think I'm going to achieve my goal this year. How about you?

2011-12-08T14:05:00.001-05:00

Amazon has updated
Tales of Summer Romance is on sale for $1.99!

From all of us at Fiction Flurry we wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday season.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-01T12:44:00.001-05:00

COUPON ALERT!

Tales of Summer Romance

Promotional Code MK99Z

Use at Smashwords.com to download your eCopy of our short story compilation for $1.99!

Good through 01/15/12.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Day brings to mind the blessings in our lives that usually go unnoticed:

a home that surrounds us with comfort and protection;

delicious food, for pleasure in both eating and sharing;

clothes to snuggle up in, books and good entertainment to expand our minds;

and freedom to worship as we choose.

Most of all we are thankful for our family and friends,

those treasured people who make our lives extra special.

Beth

Michele D.

Annie

Morgan

Michele B.

Rachel

Susan

Colleen

Erin

You, our followers, are part of that cherished group.
On Thanksgiving, (and every day) we appreciate you.

From all the bloggers at Fiction Flurry

Poem by Joanna Fuchs

Hunger Games trailer

2011-11-16T19:08:00.003-05:00

There are few movies that I get so excited about that I count down to the release of the trailers. In fact, I can't think of a single one outside of the Harry Potter movies (particularly the last ones). I love movies, as a whole, and I always have a few each year that I feel like I have to go see before they leave the theatres, but it's a rather rare occasion when I actively anticipate a movie's release. I've only been to the midnight premieres of the last couple Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and the last several Harry Potters(and Batman Begins, but that wasn't entirely voluntary).

In other words, I love movies, but not nearly as much as some other people.

Next spring, a movie is coming out that I am so excited about I was DEEPLY upset that the trailer was released while I was at work. Deeply. To the point that I went and found high-resolution screencaps from the trailer, just so I could get SOME kind of glimpse as to what everyone was talking about on Twitter.

The Hunger Games.

Here's how excited I am for this movie. I have followed casting announcements and other movie news surrounding it since production was announced last year. I have fangirled each poster that has gotten released (and one time, when I went to see Deathly Hallows: Part 2 for the...third time...I actually got a Hunger Games poster at the movie theatre. That poster now hangs on my bedroom wall). I have freaked out about every movie still that has been revealed. When we found out the teaser trailer was going to premiere during the VMAs, I made a point to record the show, just so I could fastforward to where the thirty second teaser trailer was. I have speculated with everyone else, guessing when the first full-length trailer would be released...which movie it would be in front of.

And then, when we found out last week that the trailer would be premiering on Good Morning America this past Monday, I nearly had a heart attack. It was a bundle of mixed feelings--excitement, because of finally getting a full trailer...nervousness, for finally seeing what this movie will be like...and pure bitterness that it would be premiering only half an hour or so after I would get to the office and that I would be unable to see it until after I got home.

And yes...when I finally got to watch it...I watched it several times in a row.

My opinion? I think this looks phenomenal. I know some people are having issues with the fact that the stars are in their twenties, while the characters are in their teens, but I don't think it looks like an issue at all. I totally see Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. I LOVE how epically creepy Effie Trinket looks. Peeta...could probably be blonder for my taste, but I'm not going to pass judgment until I see more of his acting. I love how the Capitol looks, especially in comparison to District 12. I CANNOT wait until the Reaping scene in the movie, because just this small taste of it at the beginning of this trailer gave me absolute chills.

And I absolutely, positively cannot wait until March 23 and the midnight premiere of this movie. I can guarantee that I will be there.

Happy NaNoWriMo!

2011-11-01T21:49:00.002-04:00

Today started National Novel Writing Month, one of my absolute favorite times of the year. And even though I'm writing some novel or another at any given time, I use NaNoWriMo as license to shut my inner editor down and to be completely ridiculous. Anything is fair game. If I want a duck to walk through a subway stop for no apparent reason, then a duck will go chill with the subways. Whatever.

This is my eighth year participating and hopefully will be my third time winning.

Any of you guys participating in NaNo this year? Good luck to any of you that are!

(And, as a treat, here's a song for the occasion, by one of my favorite nerd bands, ALL CAPS. Fun fact: Kristina Horner, the girl singing in the video, is the model for my main character in the novel I'm currently querying.)

My Favorite Season

2011-10-12T07:26:00.000-04:00

I love fall.

Hands down, it's my favorite season. If you talked to me in person, you might not pick up on that right away, because after a winter in Ohio (ugh!) Spring is just so wonderful that I tend to go on and on about how much I love Spring. And on those rare years when Summer cooperates by being a) not too hot and b) not too humid, you might think it's my favorite season.

But no, it's always been fall.

I admit, I'm a little in love with the crunchy leaves. And all the colors that the leaves turn. And the crispness in the air.

Which is why I'm really excited about this weekend. My husband and I are driving into northern Ohio - Amish country - to see what we can see.

Next week I'll (hopefully) have some photos to share from our travels. Until then, these will have to keep me going.

What's your favorite season and why?

Recovering From A Conference

2011-09-28T16:51:00.004-04:00

I just returned from a five day conference in St. Louis, MO. This is the third ACFW conference I have attended, and each year I meet more people, sharpen my writing skills, and have a great get away talking for hours with people who love writing.

Traveling to the conference was a little stressful. On the way to the airport we encountered a little traffic. A truck over-turned, leaving a load of cabbage and some diesel fuel on the highway. Thankfully, I made it to the airport with fifteen minutes to spare....thank you Southwest for allowing me to board!

My classes were all very interesting, and I was able to plot out a sequel to the book I was pitching. I had four meetings with agents and editors, and I was very encouraged by the response to my latest book. The picture included with this post was taken on the last night of the conference.(I'm the one on the right.) There is an awards banquet, the food is always excellent, but the highpoint of it all is hearing who won the awards.

If you haven't attended a conference, I highly recommend them. Which writer's conferences are you considering attending?

Digital Scrapbooking Software to Write a Book?

2011-09-23T23:18:00.000-04:00

I was recently approached to review some digital scrapbooking software called My Memories. As I was exploring the software, I thought that it might be a useful tool for someone writing a memoir or a family history with a lot of pictures and digitized archival documents. I've been thinking a lot lately about the latter.

I have been tinkering with genealogy for over a decade now and have accumulated hundreds of pictures of my ancestors, as well as interesting documents that summarize the high and low points of their lives. Take, for example, my grandma's two young uncles, who were tragically electrocuted in 1918 while working on a barn. I found a newspaper article detailing the incident:

I'd like to be able to share the fruits of my labor with my extended family, and have been thinking about putting together a book with the best pictures and documents from my research. The digital scrapbooking software came to mind. Most of my family history pictures and research is already digital anyway. It would be really easy to dump the pictures into pre-designed templates and add the text containing the details and dates necessary to identify the subjects.

For people who are writing memoirs, I think the software might be useful as well, depending on the nature of the memoir. Let's face it. Memoirs are really difficult to market to traditional publishers unless you're...well...somebody. Self publication might be the way to go for many memoirists. If your life story is very image heavy, then it's worth checking out software for digital scrapbooking. You can distribute your book in a variety of forms, including on CD, DVD, and hard cover.

Finally, if you just have a ton of digital pictures and video that you want to organize and share,there are some really powerful software products out there.

If you're interested in a chance to win free digital scrapbooking software, hop on over to my place at
http://racheldilley.blogspot.com/2011/09/digital-scrapbooking-software-giveaway.html

What I Did Over My Summer Vacation

2011-09-18T19:09:00.009-04:00

Remember how sometimes teachers would assign that ridiculous essay asking what you did over your summer vacation? Our little Fiction Flurry hiatus felt a lot like a summer vacation to me. I feel like telling you what I did.

1. I turned 24. And while I'm still the "young'un" of the group, it feels old to me. I keep thinking there's NO WAY I'm 24. And, yet, I am.

2. I celebrated 4th of July with my friends the only way we seem to know how--going to downtown Columbus for Red, White, and BOOM and hanging out with the million other people who do the same. There were some drunk teenagers on our bus on the way into the city. One girl puked in her own purse. It's moments like that when I ask myself why I love RWB so much, but I do.

3. I helped run Portkey, which was a special online conference of sorts that the Harry Potter Alliance staff put on during LeakyCon, which was the BIG Harry Potter convention that was down in Orlando, FL this year. I headed up Gryffindor house for the house cup and Livestreamed a lot. We gained fans. It was...surreal.

4. I nerded out over the last Harry Potter movie, re-read all the books, held a two-day "Potterpalooza" with my friends (where we marathon-watched all the Harry Potter movies), and then I dressed in costume and went to the midnight premiere of the last movie. I cried. But my costume was AWESOME.

5. I went to a couple of concerts, all indie artists. One was in Cleveland, to see a few "nerd bands" as you might call them--Alex Carpenter, Jason Munday, Christian Caldeira, and Mike Lombardo. They're all YouTube musicians, three are/were in wizard rock bands, and I fangirled with the best of them. The second concert was Harry and the Potters. Judge away.

5. I moved out of my parents' house, and into an apartment with my friend Tracy (whom I've known since kindergarten) and my friend Kathleen (who was my roommate for four years in college). We have yet to kill each other, so I count it a success. I finally finished unpacking my room this weekend.

6. I watched an obscene amount of NCIS, after stocking up on all the seasons on DVD. I'm currently on season 8 and trying to see if I can catch up before the season 9 premiere on Tuesday.

7. I kept Livestreaming with Portkey, but not as a conference. We decided to keep the fun alive, and somehow I found myself as a regular host. On the night of July 30/July 31, we spontaneously decided to pull an all-nighter to try to get into the beta of Pottermore with the first clue posted in the "Magical Quill Challenge." Ten. Hour. Livestream. I went to bed as the sun was coming up.

8. I started beta testing Pottermore...getting access to the site one week after access started. That was a painful week to wait. And then I had a slight identity crisis as I got sorted into Ravenclaw, as opposed to Gryffindor. And then I got over it. Now...dude, I'm a Ravenclaw and don't know how I didn't see it before. Since getting access...I've successfully brewed a handful of potions and successfully exploded two cauldrons (and I still have no idea why).

9. I started re-reading the Harry Potter books. Again. After buying a third set of the books to mark up, highlight, and write in the margins to my heart's content. Now, let's be fair. I'm reading it through this time much slower...mostly only at night, before bed. But it's still fun to have a set of Potter books that I'm allowing myself to mark all over.

10. I danced at the Dublin Irish Festival, as I have done since I took up Irish dancing two years ago. I won five medals in the dance competition. And then, recently, we lost our dance teacher to cancer. It's been strange starting the new dance year without her there.

11. I went to the Ohio Renaissance Festival with my friends for the first time in about five years. I bought a quill, a leather journal, and a jar that says "Floo Powder," because I can't go anywhere without buying something nerdy (at the Irish Festival, I bought a Deathly Hallows symbol...and if you know what I'm talking about, you get extra points in my book).

12. I finished my third draft on my novel. Then I bought myself a HUGE cup of frozen yogurt, with WAY too many topics at Menchie's.

13. I went to the 20th Anniversary Homecoming game for my high school, and marched in the alumni band with people who represented 16 of the 20 graduating classes from the school. It was amazing and fun and stressed me out to no end, because I somehow found myself in charge of organizing it.

In summary, I did many, many geeky things and had many, many adventures. And now it's the fall, and I'm getting ready to send out my novel to literary agents, and I'm counting down to NaNoWriMo, and I'm still doing Livestreams with Portkey, and I continue to work with the HPA. I've also become a writer for the Potter Games, a choose your own adventure style online game, and I've made amazing friends over at an RPG called Magic is Might Continues, which has become a great writing exercise for me and entertains me to no end. Yes, I've fallen even more into the Potter fandom, and I'm okay with that, and I continue to learn more about my own writing. It's been an amazing summer, but I'm ready for the fall and the new adventures that will bring.

So what did all of YOU do during the "summer vacation"?

A Lady and her Wolf

2011-09-18T14:55:00.010-04:00

To all our dear followers; readers and authors alike,

I have been on my writing journey for nearly a year now and am coming to the portion of my novel where I'm wrapping up the various mysteries and romances. With that in mind I'd like to ask a favor of you all. What are your opinions on the short blurbs at beginnings of chapters?

You see, I'm writing a historical romance/mystery. If you are a follower of Sabrina Jeffries you'll be familiar with what I'm talking about. For several books now she's had snippets of correspondence between two characters at the beginning of each of her chapters. If you aren't aware, she's finally come out with the story where these two have the starring roles.

I have employed this same tack in my current piece of work. I did, however, put my own spin on the technique. I've used the secret diary entries of my leading lady's great aunt, from the age when she was on the marriage mart.

I have included the first entry for your perusal.

Sept 17, 1715

Today I received this journal as a gift from my father for my sixteenth birthday. After much consideration I have decided I will use this wonderfully made tool to document my search in such hopes that it will help me chronicle a categorical search culminating in the discovery of the legendary Settrington jewels. I have armed myself with a copy of the poem my father shared with me. I shall begin by systematically searching the household for hidden rooms, passageways, and compartments. My hope is that through these efforts I will be led down the path to discovery or at the very least leave behind a detailed path of my journey that one of my descendants might be compelled to continue.

Remember, these are the diary entries of a long dead relative. Though both women are after the same goal. The heroine of this story lives in 1813 England and is the tender age of 19.

Thoughts? Ideas? Criticisms?

Sincerely,

Michele Buchholz

Reinventing Ourselves

2011-09-17T18:30:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed that the gang at Fiction Flurry has been on hiatus for a month or so. To be honest, we were burned out. Frustrated. Uninspired.

We took a break from our meetings. We took a break from blogging. Some of us took a break from writing. The good news is we're back! And things are going to be a little different around here.

The Fiction Flurry writers are going to blog about what ever strikes our fancy. It might be about what we're writing, or what we're reading, or even about what was for dinner last night. The point is, we don't want the blog to be a chore for ourselves or more importantly, for our readers.

Stay tuned. It's going to be a fun ride!

Getting To Know You...Part Seven

2011-08-10T09:52:00.001-04:00

Today we are interviewing Colleen Scott

FF: How long have you been writing?

I have loved writing since elementary school. I started writing fiction about ten years ago. It started with an idea that woke me up in the middle of the night. Three novels later, I can comfortably say, I’m addicted.

FF: What genre do you write in?

I write for the CBA. Most of my books are romantic suspense, but the first book I wrote could is more of a romantic comedy.

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.

The title of the story is The “I Do” Blues. It’s about a woman who is engaged to marry one man, but is in love with another. She has lost her family, and will do anything to keep the family ranch.

When her first love comes to town to walk her down the aisle, she must make a crucial decision. Marry someone you don’t love and keep your family memories and property, or marry the man you love, and lose it all.

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?

Yes, and I’m having a lot of fun. The title of the book is A Matter Of Conviction. It’s about a woman who is thrown in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. When she escapes prison she unknowingly accepts help from a ex-convict out on parole. Together, they must evade the police and find out who really committed the murder she was convicted for.

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?

The best advice I’ve received is to write the nifty two-fifty. The first conference I went to I attended a class offered by James Scott Bell. He recommended writing at least two hundred fifty words a day. When I follow this advice I usually end up writing a whole lot more. The worst advice? That’s a hard one. When faced with negative comments or unhelpful advice, I try to see if I can learn from it. If not, I disregard it.

FF: Any other information you want your readers to know?

Currently, I don’t have a website or blog. But as things progress, that will be in the works. I am on facebook, and I also enjoy hearing from readers at cscott36@juno.com.

Getting To Know You....Part Six

2011-08-06T08:43:00.001-04:00

Today we are interviewing Erin Millar.

FF: How long have you been writing?

I wrote my first story when I was seven, for a reading group project in first grade. I had always loved reading and making up stories before then, but I think that's when I realized that it was also fun to write them down. It was really all downhill from there

FF: What genre do you write in?

Typically young adult, but I've also written some things that could probably classify more as literary or commercial fiction. Regardless, my protagonists tend to be teenagers. The project I'm working on currently is a young adult dystopian

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.

It's very nerdy. It's set at an all-encompassing fandom convention in the middle of summer. The story is told from a girl named Beth's point of view. She doesn't really want to be there, but was forced to go by her friends, because they've always gone. And then she meets this guy who's volunteering for the convention and isn't nearly as comfortable with his nerdiness as she is

I got the idea due to the fact that I'm on the staff for an online-based nonprofit social activism group called the Harry Potter Alliance. There was a convention in Florida this summer that most of the staff went to, but I wasn't able to make it. Listening to everyone talk about their plans and excitement about it got me thinking about conventions and general nerdiness. This is what happens when I embrace my own nerdiness more than I usually do

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?

I am. It's a young adult dystopian. I'm currently revising it to get it ready to send out to agents. I'm also writing the first draft of another installment of the project I'm revising. I'm trying to focus more on the revisions, though, but I've always found that I do better if I have at least one thing to just write a first draft of. First drafts require far less energy than revisions

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?

The best advice I've received is to keep going. Of course there are a lot of times when you just want to stop, or give up, or move on to that shinier idea, but you'll never getting anything accomplished if you don't try to focus. The worst advice I've received...I don't know if I've ever gotten strickly bad writing advice. I guess the worst advice would be that taking my writing so seriously is a waste of time. But it's not like I listen to anyone who tells me that kind of stuff anyway

FF: Any other information you want your readers to know?

Let's see...I have a BA in Creative Writing from Ohio Northern University and have lived in Columbus my entire life, excepting the time I spent at college. I work a boring day job in order to pay for my nerdy habits. Because I really am a nerd--I mean, I've read Harry Potter a ridiculous number of times and have way too much Potter paraphernalia. I'm on the volunteer staff of the Harry Potter Alliance, which is great fun, and I write freelance theatre articles and reviews for the Columbus, OH edition of Examiner.com. I'm also an Irish dancer and I play handbells in the choir at my church. You can find me on Twitter @ErinLMillar.

Getting to Know You...Part Five

2011-08-02T09:42:00.004-04:00

Today we are interviewing Michele Buchholz.

FF: How long have you been writing?
My journey started four and a half years ago after my oldest son was born. I’ve always loved to read, and being a stay at home mom I burned through our small town library pretty fast. Throughout my life I’ve taken creative writing classes and literature studies, even tried my hand at poetry. One day, I was conversing with my husband about how bored I was, because let’s face it, a baby doesn’t offer much interaction for an adult who’s used to working full time. And did I mention we’d relocated 1200 miles away from anyone I knew, thanks to the hubs new job. So, smart man that he is, he suggested I write something for a change.

FF: What genre do you write in?
I took my love of historical romances and wove in a mystery. I absolutely love getting lost in history. Dreaming of a simpler time coupled with the glitz and glamour bestowed upon the romanticized peerage. I grew up sharing, discussing and solving mysteries with my grandmother. She instilled in me a deep love of literature; some of my earliest memories are reading Go Dog Go with her. And isn’t everyone just mesmerized by the party tree at the end of the book?

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
“Washed Ashore” is about bored and lonely Lady Lenora Brightly. Ensconced at her family’s island estate in the Northern English Isles she discovers a ship and a naked man wrecked on the rocks outside her private harbor. As a shipwrecked spy, Nathanial must decide how deeply to embroil his rescuing angel in her father’s world of espionage. A dance of intellect begins as the two ensnare each other in a web of secrets and attraction. Through intrigue and deception they work together to smuggle him off the island under the Royal Guard’s nose. Lenora pins all her hopes on him. Will he deliver her the story book ending she desires?

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
Yes, a historical romance set in 1813 England. Nineteen year old Lady Elena St. John has spent the last three years running an impoverished barony and searching for a hidden family treasure. She is plagued by the ghost of Lady Katherine, the one who devised the secret, complete with clues, though the apparition refuses to give up any answers. Enter Lord James Stewart, Earl of Richmond, who had inherited the barony upon the death of Elena’s grandfather during his decade of absence from England. On the run from the match-making machinations of the Ton he escapes to this forgotten barony. Frustration mounts as Elena, desperate to hide her family’s smuggling business, deflects James’ curiosity with the legendary hidden treasure. They embark on a journey of discovery following the clues to the treasure and each other’s hearts.

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?
Best advice, I’d have to say is this quote, “Writing is more about re-writing and editing.” Every time I’m ready to give up and bang my head on my laptop, I’ve reminded myself the phoenix always rises from the ashes. I’ve found that it’s fairly easy to get the bones of the story out on the page. The hard part is sitting through the editing process and putting your work out there for someone else to critique. You have to be very open to change and more change. Fine tuning, re-working and completely deleting your ‘darlings’ has been the toughest on me.

I am an avid reader of Historical Romance and lover of mystery. Reading and writing are my favorite pastimes. Whether by the fireplace on a cold winter’s night or soaking up the hot summer sun, I find the opportunity to indulge in imagination. I am married to a very supportive and patient engineer who corrals our two miniature gentlemen-in-training, for which I am very grateful.

Getting To Know You....Part Four

2011-07-29T09:07:00.003-04:00

Today we are interviewing Michele Downey.

FF: How long have you been writing?
Forever it seems like! No really, I started writing when I was 10. I had the most amazing teacher (thank you Mrs. Alexander!!) who taught me to love words. One of the things we did every week was use our spelling words to write a story….and let’s just say I made the most of it. I believe her words were “You certainly have an imagination.”

FF: What genre do you write in?

Paranormal Romance. Although it’s very trendy right now, I’ve loved vampires, werewolves, witches and the like since I can remember. I’m so glad to see them all getting their due these days and I hope that eventually it won’t be seen as a trend at all, but an ongoing, sustainable sub-genre.

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
In Second Chances, Samantha Grayson returns home after a horrific car accident that claimed both her parents. Battling her memories, Sam must decide if she is ready to take a chance on love with the most unexpected person of all.

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
Yes! My current WIP involves the ageless struggle between the Light and the Darkness. Lila and Gabe must battle the Shadows, save the Book of Light and somehow find a way to be together.

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?
Best advice: start writing and keep writing. I still struggle to take this advice every day. Worst advice: hmmm….I can’t really think of any bad advice I’ve gotten, because I try to at least consider it, even if I don’t end up using it.

FF: Information to share with your readers:
When she's not working on her novel, Michele enjoys reading paranormal romance, writing short stories and cooking for her (extremely tolerant) husband. You can follow her at Fiction Flurry.blogspot.com

Getting To Know You....Part Three

2011-07-26T16:06:00.005-04:00

Today we're interviewing Rachel Dilley

FF: How long have you been writing?

Though I was an English major in college, I really didn't start writing until about five years ago. I found myself in a situation where someone was demanding my attention at all times, leaving no time nor energy for myself. I started writing short stories mostly because they were...well...short. I still don't have a lot of time to myself, as a wife, mother, and full time paralegal. However, on those occasions when I do write, I enjoy creating something that is all my own.

FF: What genre do you write in?

I write mostly contemporary fiction with some kind of historical twist. I love history, but writing historical fiction is so much work! I also really enjoy writing non-fiction. I've had some success in publishing personal essays.

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.

As most of my fiction does, my story Full Circle has a bit of my real life at its heart. I started vacationing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina since I was about 5 years old. Back then, it was a bare bones island with very little commercialization. My family started vacationing with another family year after year, and I eventually ended up marrying one of the boys from the family with whom we vacationed. Full Circle is about a woman who returns to the Outer Banks where she spent summers as a girl, to heal from a divorce. She is reunited with a childhood friend who remained on the Outer Banks, and the pair quickly pick up where they left off.

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?

Well, yes and no. I have started a novel and I'm 6 or 7 chapters into it, but I don't have the chance to work on it as regularly as I'd like. It's a contemporary thriller with American History at its core.

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?

The best advice I've received, I wish I had actually followed. It is to write every day, even if it's just a few hundred words. Time is elusive and I find that it gets eaten up very easily by the tasks of daily life. You can accomplish big things in writing with only little chunks of time.

Rachel Dilley's personal essays have been published in BGSU Magazine and in the Columbus Dispatch.

Getting To Know You - Part Two

2011-07-25T11:11:00.004-04:00

Today we're interviewing another one of our authors, Beth Zellner.
FF: How long have you been writing?

Beth: I think I have one of those stories that will resonate with a lot of people. I have always been an enthusiastic reader, ever since I first learned how. Oftentimes when I would read, I would wonder, “why?” or “why not” or “and then what”? and so it seemed just a natural transition from reading to creating my own stories.

In college, I was majoring in International Studies and also learning three languages (French, Russian and Spanish). My dream was to be an interpreter and travel the globe. Ha! Nowadays I don’t believe that our brains are actually fully baked until we are about twenty-five years old. I was so naïve!

Of course, as with any good story, there must also be a strong antagonist. In my case, that turned out to be Econ 101. I couldn’t move forward in my degree without the one class that foiled me. It proved to be (at least in part) the undoing of my grand world adventures. So, I ended up switching my degree to Creative Writing/English Literature instead. This was back in the mid-‘80’s, and everyone was saying, “Oh, you can’t go wrong with a Liberal Arts major. All the businesses are hiring Liberal Arts majors these days.” As it turns out, that wasn’t quite true (as anyone who has lived through the ‘80’s can attest to!).

In the end, writing proved to be more an avocation than the lucrative, high-paying vocation I might have envisioned, and life just unfolded to where I am now.

FF: What genre do you write in?

Beth: I love to read literary fiction. Though I strive to write where I read, I find that my writing is more organic…it kind of varies between contemporary fiction to historical to literary. For our anthology, I ended up going with contemporary fiction – we already had the QUEEN of historical romance (Susan Gee Heino) graciously submitting a piece and who wants to compete with that – ha!

FF: Tell us a little about your writing process.

Beth: We’ve all seen those cartoons where there is a little devil sitting on one shoulder and a little angel sitting on the other shoulder. As a reader, I actually hear the voice of that little angel reciting the words to me. For me, a piece must be as much an auditory journey as it is visual. After all, a story is more than merely black and white, it is all the colors and sounds and textures held within our imaginations. I find that I actually hear the ebb and flow of the words, the ocean of their sound, as I am reading them, and this makes my reading experience all the more pleasurable.

As a writer, on the other hand, it’s the little devil who is whispering in my ear. Writing is like a giant Word Jumble or a great big Find and Seek puzzle for me. It’s an exhilarating game where I am trying to find just the right word in just the right context to express what I am trying to say. I want it to be both subtle and significant at the same time. It’s at this point that the little devil will pop up and say, “No, you can’t use a period there,” or “Word choice! Word choice!” He can be a little annoying like that.

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?

Beth: I have one historical novel finished. It’s the coming of age story of a young woman in the year 1911 and set in the hollers of West Virginia. I queried very lightly back in the fall, then decided to put it on the shelf and let it percolate for a bit. (That little devil on my shoulder was back, this time asking me, “is this the best that you can do?”) I have several ideas at the moment, but I will be frank: I need to seriously work on my BIC technique (butt in chair). Only BIC will get my “great American novel” out of my hard drive and into the hands of readers! To that end, I’ve been more actively working on my blog - bethnbijoux - and laying the foundation for novel number two, which I hope to complete this year.

I’d love for folks to come swing by my blog, and I hope you will enjoy all of the great stories from the Fiction Flurry writers in our e-book, Tales of Summer Romance!

Getting To Know You.....

2011-07-21T10:48:00.003-04:00

In Celebration of our recent release, Tales of Summer Romance. We're going to be taking a few posts to introduce the authors behind FictionFlurry. Today we're interviewing Susan Gee Heino.

FF: How long have you been writing?

I've been writing since before I could read. I'd sit at the kitchen table scrawling out stories, forcing my poor mother to spell out every word for me. In college I studied creative writing in its various forms, and discovered playwriting. After graduating with a degree in Theatre, I had several plays produced at small theatres here and there, and then moved into writing drama for church productions. Always my dream was to publish a novel, though, and in 2003 when my children were small I turned my focus toward that. I joined Romance Writers of America and worked very hard to educate myself and slowly move toward my goal. I had six completed manuscripts before I finally made my first sale in 2008.

FF: What genre do you write in?

I adore stories with happy endings about people who discover that life is better if we can learn to love. I write romance. Specifically, my first published novels have been set in the English Regency time period, but I do have some other projects in the works so hopefully I'll be expanding my scope a little in the near future.

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.

The story I have included is "The Sister Solution" and it is set in the Regency time period. If you're not familiar with this, just think of Jane Austen. Her works were published during the English Regency (1811-1820), so think Mr. Darcy in a starched cravat and Lizzy Bennet with a scuttle bonnet. I just love that time period and all its social strictures. This is one of the elements I've capitalized on in my story. It was very much a man's world back then and women had few options if they wished to better themselves. Basically, if a girl was not blessed to be born with a fortune, the best she could hope for was to marry well. And that, of course, would never happen if her family members were prone to scandal. This is Lizzy Courdray's dilemma as my story opens. With her father deceased and her mother behaving quite shockingly, how is poor Lizzy to look after herself and her flighty younger sister? What's to become of them if their reputation in town is dreadfully ruined?

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?

Yes, several! I just turned in the forth novel in my current Regency series and I'm in the brainstorming process for the next. Also, I'm polishing a contemporary-set romance that I just love and my agent is getting ready to start shopping it. And as if that's not enough, I've got a really fun YA thriller series that I'm working on, as well. My agent is very excited about this and is stalking me to get it finished up so she can shop that, as well. I'm a busy gal!

FF: Best/worst advice you've received?
I've gotten lots of "best" advice over the years. Depending on what stage I was at in my writer's journey, different things have turned the light bulb on for me. One of the really brilliant things I picked up a long time ago was, "Don't write the boring parts." It seems like this ought to be intuitive, but believe me, I really want to write the boring parts. It's a constant battle in my brain: Is this scene really necessary? What does the reader learn about these characters? How does this build the conflict or the tension? Trust me, even the funniest/sexiest/most tragic scene is wasted paper if it does not move the story along and help develop your characters.

What's the worst advice I've gotten? That's hard to say, since I tend to filter this out and toss is aside so it doesn't take up space in my already too-cluttered mind. I think some of the worst advice is the stuff people love to tell beginning writers: "Don't use words like was and that." "Avoid all adverbs." "Write only what you know." And the very worst, "Hardly anyone ever gets picked up by the big New York publishers. You might as well give up now."

Susan Gee Heino Bio Information: In 2008 I was honored to win Romance Writers of America’s coveted Golden Heart ® Award in the Regency Historical category. My winning manuscript sold at auction and I signed a two book deal with Berkley Publishing. MISTRESS BY MISTAKE was published in 2009 and became a national bestseller.

DAMSEL IN DISGUISE followed in 2010 and I signed another two book contract. Now this summer TEMPTRESS IN TRAINING has just hit shelves and PASSION AND PRETENSE will release in April, 2012. I live in rural Ohio with way too many pets, my very supportive husband, and my two adorable (and frighteningly creative) children.

I love to hear from readers! You can contact me through my website at www.SusanGH.com or check out my neglected blog at www.susangeeheino.blogspot.com.

And the Winners Are.....

2011-07-18T21:20:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who is following Fiction Flurry. Stick with us, as we have a lot of fun reviews, author interviews, and giveaways!

Here are the BlogFest 2011 winners:
Maria (pronounced Mariah) $15 Amazon.com gift card
Shelbie and Amanda $15 Barnes and Noble gift Card
Ellie $15 Starbucks gift card
books4me free copy of Tales of Summer Romance
Barbara Hightower free copy of Tales of Summer Romance
Judy free copy of Tales of Summer Romance

Check your e-mails later tonight from Fiction Flurry to claim your prize.

Congrats to all!

BlogFest Winners to be Announced Monday Night

2011-07-18T07:34:00.000-04:00

Hi All:

We're so happy with the response to our giveaway! There are so many entries that it will take us a little time to draw the names. Please check back Monday night for our list of winners.

Happy Monday!

BlogFest 2011 Giveaway

2011-07-14T23:02:00.001-04:00

Welcome, welcome, welcome to Fiction Flurry! Fiction Flurry is a writing critique group based in Marysville, Ohio. Our members write in a flurry of different genres: YA, Romance, Historical, Inspirational, Paranormal, and even a little non-fiction now and then. This blog is devoted to lovers of reading and writing.

So, we know you have a lot of blogs to visit in a short period of time, but we would like to first tell you about the short story anthology we recently published. We would love for you to check out Tales of Summer Romance: A Collection of Short Stories. There are seven summer-inspired stories by Fiction Flurry authors, including Regency Romance Author extraordinaire, Susan Gee Heino. The e-book is only $2.99 and half of the net proceeds from the sale of this book between now and the end of 2011 will be donated to our local humane society. How can you go wrong? You get some fun summer stories and help cats and dogs find homes! Click here to purchase the book or download a sample.

So enough shameless plugs. Onto the business at hand. Here's what Fiction Flurry is offering during this giveaway:

1. Amazon.com gift card, $15
2. Barnes and Noble gift card, $15
3. Starbucks gift card, $15
4. 3 winners will receive a free copy of our e-book, Tales of Summer Romance

We ARE open to international entries.

Here's what you need to do to enter:
1. Be a Fiction Flurry follower through Google Friend Connect (see right margin)
2. Leave a comment indicating your e-mail address, your favorite genre, and whether you prefer e-books or hard copy books, or both.
3. Though it is not required, you will be entered for this giveaway twice if you follow us on Twitter or friend us on Facebook.

Have fun! Here are your next 5 blogs, if you're going in alphabetical order:
57 For What It's Worth
58 Free & Frugal Mommy of One
59 Frequent Reader, Infrequent Blogger (INT)
60 From the Shadows
61 From the TBR Pile

THANK YOU to http://www.ajourneyofbooks.com for organizing this BlogFest!
If you are keeping track, here's the link to the tracker:
http://blogfest.ajourneyofbooks.com

Get Ready...BlogFest 2011 Giveaway July 15 through 17

2011-07-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

Come back to Fiction Flurry from Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17, 2011 to enter our giveaway for some great prizes, including gift cards and copies of Fiction Flurry's new anthology of short stories, Tales of Summer Romance.

See you tomorrow!

Short Stories: Love'Em or Hate'Em?

2011-07-12T08:47:00.000-04:00

As I hope you now know, the writers of Fiction Flurry have just completed an anthology of short stories entitled, Tales of Summer Romance. There are seven short stories, all centered around a summertime setting and each with a romantic twist. (Additional information can be found here.) Short stories can be a great way to hone your writing skills. They require you to get to the point and limit yourself to only the most important details. Every word counts when you are restricted in the number of them that you can use!

On the flip side, if you are a reader, a short story can be a perfect, brief escape. As one of our members stated: a short story is to a novel what a 30-minute television show is to a three-hour movie. Sometimes, you simply don’t have a big chunk of time to commit to reading an entire novel. You just want a “quickie.”

If you love a good short story, you are in luck! The internet abounds with sites created for the specific purpose of sharing and promoting shorts. A few which come to mind:

American Literature

Classic Short Stories

Short Story America

From Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart" to O. Henry’s "The Gift of the Magi" to Stephen King’s "The Body" (which was made into the movie Stand By Me), short stories offer a spectacular return for a very small investment.

How about you? Do you like to read or write short stories? Do you have a favorite short story or short story author? Share it with us!

Tales of Summer Romance: A Collection of Short Stories

2011-07-08T06:56:00.000-04:00

The authors of Fiction Flurry proudly announce the publication of our anthology of short stories! Seven romance stories, including historical and contemporary genres, will delight you on these hot, lazy days of summer. We are happy to feature a story written by Susan Gee Heino, whose third book, Temptress in Training, was released this week.

What's even better than a playful summer read is knowing that your purchase of Tales of Summer Romance will help the Humane Society of Union County, Ohio. From now until December 31, 2011, half of the net sales proceeds from the sale of our book will be donated to help the pooches and kitties in our area.

Tales of Summer Romance is an e-book available for $2.99 now at:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69671

You can download the book today to your PC, Kindle, NOOK, Sony Reader, or Kobo directly from Smashwords. The e-book will be available soon on Amazon, Apple, and Barnes and Noble.

We want to thank our followers and readers for your support and loyalty. Fiction Flurry hopes that you enjoy these short stories. After all, what's better than summer love?

Review: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

2011-07-07T09:32:00.003-04:00

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

3 ½ Stars out of Five

It is 1942, and twelve-year-old Henry Lee straddles two very different worlds. At home, his immigrant Chinese parents refuse to let him speak his native Cantonese, yet at the same time insist he wear an “I Am Chinese” button on his lapel. At his all-white school where his parents have sent him “scholarshipping,” Henry is regularly ridiculed and even outright physically harmed for being different. Yet despite what might seem to be dire circumstances, there are some bright points in Henry’s life – his black, jazz playing, street corner performer friend Sheldon, and the new girl at school – Keiko. But Keiko is Japanese – the sworn enemy of both America and China. Add to this mix the chain-smoking lunch lady, Mrs. Beatty: is she a friend or a foe? (Hint: think Coach Beiste from Glee!)

I would most definitely recommend this novel. I think author Jamie Ford has done a fantastic job of pacing, for one. So many times, authors are encouraged to start “in the middle of the action” and then just speed headlong from scene to scene. Ford allows this tale to deliciously unwind, while the reader is given the rare opportunity to savor every nuance along the way. The book actually opens with Henry as an adult, having just nursed his ailing wife through a losing battle with cancer and also contemplating how to mend his relationship with his son, Marty, who is soon to graduate college. Ford deftly moves the story back and forth in time from 1986 to 1942 and back again, like a slow, sensual dance, taking the reader right along with him. I was constantly driven to read “just one more chapter,” the ultimate compliment to any writer.

Just as adult Henry is adjusting to his new station in life, a commotion in what was once The Panama Hotel – a gateway between Seattle’s Chinatown and Japantown – shakes his world, and causes him to reflect back, remembering the place…“where he’d once met the love of his life.” I especially appreciated the fine details that Ford gives throughout the entire tale. I could feel myself sink into the depths of the dank basement of the Panama, lit only by bare bulbs, and feel the damp air send chills along my spine as Henry surveys the long forgotten belongings of entire families. In addition, the relationship between Henry and his own parents is richly drawn. Yes, it is rife with conflict, but the reader is equally invited into the intimate world of the Lee home, where Henry’s father (a Chinese nationalist) and his mother (conflicted by the two men in her life) sincerely want to create a better existence for their only child.

In an historical context, Ford’s novel reminds us (by “us,” I mean the collective us of America) of a most troubling time in our own recent past. Sadly, I believe there will be a number of readers who may be completely unaware of the fact that the U.S. government once imprisoned over 100,000 of her very own citizens. I sincerely hope that everyone who reads this novel will use this as an opportunity to learn more about this chapter of American history and about Executive Order 9066 which was issued by Franklin Delano Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. This order set up an “exclusion zone” that consisted of the entire Pacific Coast where any persons of Japanese descent – despite their US birthright – were prohibited to live, work, travel or otherwise occupy unless interred in a special camp.

I always find it especially engaging to read the version of any book which contains a “Reader’s Guide” within. I appreciate the extra insight the author gives, as well as delving deeper into the motives/characters of the particular piece. In this instance, there was also a Q/A with author Jamie Ford. When asked about the split-narrative, Ford gives this response (from the 2009 Ballantine Trade Paperback Edition):

I wanted to give the book a more redemptive ending. That’s a literary way of saying, “And everyone lived happily ever after.”

The short story wrapped up on a fairly tragic note. And even if I continued the story in the ‘40s, there really wasn’t a way to give it an ending that felt satisfying. I mean, after the war was over, it didn’t suddenly get better for Japanese American families. Their lives had been completely turned upside down – sort of like people who survive a hurricane. Sure the wind stops blowing and the floodwaters recede, but what do you have left except rubble, and does that provide happiness or just relief? It took decades for most of these families to recover. It just seemed natural to have that redemptive ending come years later as well.

Also, I think that most people can relate to seeing their first love again, at a class reunion or just by chance, and there’s this wave of nostalgia and melancholy – it’s very poignant and universal, I think.

So, now I toss this over to you. Whether you have read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet or not (and I suggest that you do!), I want to know: do you still remember your first love? How old were you when the two of you met? Do you still see this person? What would you do if you were to run into him/her on the street this very afternoon?

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

Ode to Thomas Jefferson, Patriot and Writer

2011-07-01T23:39:00.001-04:00

This Fourth of July, I think it's important to pay homage to some of the greatest writers in American history. They weren't novelists or poets. They were the technical writers of their day. There's no glory in technical writing, but as a reader trying to figure out how something works, you know immediately if the technical writing is bad. The writers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were the ultimate technical writers, weren't they?

Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison, among others, wrote the documents that have been our nation's "user's guide" for over two centuries. If you're like me, when you're trying to assemble some complicated toy on Christmas morning, nothing annoys me more than poorly written directions. Think about the set of directions written by our founders: they are general enough to leave room for interpretation, but specific enough that essential rights are identified and preserved.

The writing process for the Declaration of Independence was not unlike the publishing process of today. We can consider Jefferson the author. He presented his draft to John Adams and Ben Franklin, his writers' critique group. It was a painful process for Jefferson, who had chosen every word of his draft with intention and care. Nonetheless, Adams and Franklin suggested some changes. The document then went forward to the Continental Congress, or the publishers, who made additional changes.

The Declaration was a proclamation of rights and a notice to the King that because he refused to recognize these rights, we were leaving the umbrella of his rule. The Constitution, written in large part by James Madison, is the real blueprint for how our government would operate with the goal of preserving the rights enumerated in the Declaration. Where Jefferson was artful in explaining abstract concepts, Madison was masterful in the specific implementation and protection of those concepts.

If you're a writer or just someone who appreciates well-written instructions, I hope you spend some time re-reading these important documents and recognize the skillful craft that went into their creation.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

ePublishing - The Cover Image

2011-06-26T15:45:00.017-04:00

As you all know we at Fiction Flurry have recently been working on publishing our first anthology of short stories. During this process we've learned quite a few things which we'd like to share with you.

Seven of us chose to write short pieces for inclusion in our first publication. During the conception of this project we batted around a bunch of ideas, carefully wrote out a to do list and bravely got started. Each author forayed into their own imagination to create a short story.

At our next group meeting we shared a short synopsis of our personal creations. Then we set out on the Herculean task of a cover concept. One author stepped forward and undertook the task of perusing sites that offer photos for publication use. Several eMeetings over email later we all agreed on the summer beach theme.

Introduce Jennifer Unruh, my wonderfully creative sister. Jen has worked in the advertising industry for several years. She has a natural eye for photography and an artistic sense of design. Frequently she will walk into our father's enormous farm shed and emerge with works of art worthy of any showroom. So, as sister's do, I begged a favor for our first self-publishing endeavor. And, well, she agreed.

Now, my sister is no stranger to the creative arts by any means. She has tackled multiple projects for my job that pays the bills at a real estate and mortgage broker. She has created commercials, videos, light shows and much, much more. So, this was a relatively easy assignment. True to form, she gave us a finished project more beautiful than we could have imagined.

Thank you Jen for the amazing cover you cobbled together from the ideas of seven creative individuals!

Please keep checking back for more details as we get nearer to publication in July 2011.

Fiction Flurry Announces Anthology

2011-06-21T21:04:00.001-04:00

Big News!

Fiction Flurry is excited to announce the publication of a very special e-book: A collection of short stories that will warm your heart like a sunny day at the beach. Tales of falling in love and finding romance that mends the broken heart, romance that's just for fun, romance from days gone by, and romance that lasts forever.

Dip your toes into Tales of Summer Romance from the writers of Fiction Flurry with titles ranging from "The 'I Do' Blues" to "Washed Ashore" to "Full Circle," and featuring one short by our very own Susan Gee Heino (author of Mistress by Mistake, Damsel in Disguise and her new release, Temptress in Training)!

Summertime is heating up, so grab a cool drink, kick back, and get swept away by a flurry of summer romance

Check back for downloading options and more details...

arrival date July, 2011.

The Magic of Books

2011-06-15T19:56:00.004-04:00

I've been taking a lot of flack over the last few weeks from my fellow Fiction Flurry bloggers about the fact that I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series for the five-thousandth time. The others are getting great amusement by trying to "confiscate" my books at group meetings and teasing me if I say something too British in an email. It's all in good fun, of course. I'm not offended or annoyed by it, not the least because they're not the only ones to pick on me over my nerdiness. But it has gotten me thinking.

I have a collection of books that I can re-read any number of times and never grow tired of them. It's a habit of mine that seems to baffle some people in my life (namely, my parents). I have been asked on numerous occasions how on earth I can read books so many times--doesn't it get boring? I already know what's going to happen. Some of the books, I can practically recite verbatim. When I re-read these books, I'm just as invested and I walk around with my nose stuck in them like it's the first time I'm reading them.

When these questions come up, I always think of a quote from one of these books that I love. It's from The Sweet Far Thing, by Libba Bray: "We sit and listen and are enthralled anew, for good stories, it seems, never lose their magic."

I think there's something magical about any book that holds that kind of intrigue over its readers. There's something to be said for a story that you can read over and over again and it never gets old. When I pick up Harry Potter, I read it like I've never read it before--I still stay up until the early hours of the morning because I can't put it down; I still want to know what will happen. I hope that the books and stories I write will one day hold that same magic over people.

Some of the books that hold this magic over me are:

1. Harry Potter (obviously)
2. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
3. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray
4. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
5. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
6. The Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy by Michelle Zink
7. The Hollow trilogy by Jessica Verday
8. The Dawn Rochelle Novels by Lurlene McDaniel
9. On Writing by Stephen King
10. Grania by Morgan Llywelyn

Are you one of the people who can read the same story over and over again and never get bored? What books hold this magic over you?

Romance Novels

2011-06-14T15:52:00.003-04:00

Today I'd like to discuss the finer points of the romance novel.

1. Romance

2. Conflict

3. Romantic Interlude

4. Misunderstanding

5. Romantic Interlude

6. Resolution and forgiveness

7. Romantic Interlude

8. Happily Ever After

That about sums up every romance I've ever read, regardless of genre. So, here is my question. What is your favorite part of a romance novel? I have a few favorite authors that I go to for certain types of entertainment to accompany my Romance.

Stephanie Laurens - 1st Lady of Drama & Suspense

Sabrina Jefferies - Mistress of Intrigue and Hilarity

Nora Roberts - Queen of Mystery

I could go on but think I've made my point. Notice a pattern yet? My favorite romance writers all have a sub-plot. As a reader I need a bit more entertainment than the 'he loves me, he loves me not' merry-go-round. Anyone else share my complexity out there?

Now, don't get me wrong. Sometimes I want to put on the swimsuit, pick up a book, then lounge in my backyard carefree for an hour or so before I'm thrown back into the chaos of my life. Those times, though few and far in between, I do want a quick read. But, by and large, I prefer to be invested in the main characters of any novel I read. I want to feel their need for each other grow as much as I want to solve the mystery.

This is a personal preference, of that I am aware. I'm just wondering if I'm as much in the minority as I feel. I'm not saying I don't love reading through the sensual scenes, but I don't always want an entire book of them. See list of favorite authors above as proof.

So, sound off. What is your favorite part of a Romance? Pet peeves??? General thoughts?

First Line Winner Is......

2011-06-13T09:31:00.003-04:00

FictionFlurry would like to thank everyone who participated in our first line contest. We had a hard time picking just one. That being said, we would like to congratulate Miranda Hardy. Your first line made us want to read more....keep up the good work. Miranda, please email your snail mail address to cscott36@juno.com, and we'll send out your gift card.
Happy Writing!

FictionFlurry First Line Contest!

2011-06-09T10:14:00.003-04:00

I love first lines. Some novels start with such a great first line, it's embedded in my memory. "Sisters are overrated." From A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman. In honor of great first lines, FictionFlurry is going to sponsor our first ever first line contest.

Here's the rules: * You must be a follower of FictionFlurry.

* In the comments, leave the first line from your WIP.

* Contest starts today (6/9/11) through (6/11/11).

What do you win? Well....bragging rights, and a $10.00 gift card to Starbucks. After all, what writer doesn't love his or her coffee? The winner will be announced on 6/12/11.

Have fun....hope to see lots of comments.

Paranormal Book Review - First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

2011-06-07T15:30:00.000-04:00

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, Book 1)
by Darynda Jones

Charley Davidson has a gift - she sees dead people. They are drawn to her - because as the Grim Reaper she is bright and shiny - and her job is to point them to the light. However, those who have been murdered want her to make sure their killers are caught first. Which is why her police-officer father and uncle began consulting her for help in solving murders when she was five-years-old. Charley's latest recently departed clients are three personable lawyers, all murdered by the same person on the same day. Charley must use all of her beyond-the-grave resources to solve their murders - before she becomes the next victim.

And when she's not helping ghosts with their ultimate closure, Charley is trying to figure out who her sizzling-hot dream lover is.

This novel won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart for Best Paranormal Romance - and I can see why. A friend of mine gave me this book to read, saying "It sounds like something you'd like." She was right. (Thanks Annie!) If you like paranormal or romance or detective stories - or some combination of those, you are going to love this book!

Charley Davidson is Mary-Janice Davidson's, Betsy meets Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita with a dash of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mixed in for good measure. Sassy and sarcastic, Charley takes crap from no one - which is why this is a fun, flirty, grab-you-by-the-throat read.

As with all good books, there's a cast of support characters who are worth getting to know: Uncle Bob, who doesn't want to know how Charley does what she does, just as long as she solves the case; Garrett Swopes, who is by turns funny and irritating - but is there to back her up when the shit hits the fan; and Cookie, her "neighbor-slash-best friend-slash-receptionist" who is equally snarky and has an unhealthy obsession with coffee. And let's not forget Mr. Wong, the uncrossed soul who lives in the corner of her living room.

Despite being a quick read (anyone looking for a book for the beach this summer?), this is a well thought out plot, that leaves you both satisfied and wanting more (more Reyes, please!). The good news is that the next in the series, Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, Book 2), will be out in August - so we don't have to wait long.

For those of you, like me, who like to know a little more about the characters you read about, check out Darynda Jones' blog. She talks about how some charaters came to be - plus there is a smokin-hot picture of the actor she based Reyes on. One word....Wow!

The Pale King by David Foster Wallace: The Insomniac's Cure

2011-06-02T07:34:00.000-04:00

So perhaps it was my morbid curiosity. I decided to read a posthumously published novel of a celebrated, intelligent, literary fiction writer and essayist. David Foster Wallace committed suicide in 2008, but his editor pieced together a "novel" from the boxes and computer files full of Wallace's latest work-in-progress. I shouldn't really say it's a novel. It seems to be more a string of vignettes, some with recurring characters, some not. The setting of some of the scenes, but not all, is an IRS processing center. Yawn.

I think that was Wallace's point...yawn. Life can be monotonous, boring, seemingly pointless at times. Get up, eat, go to work, think about what you'd rather be doing than working, go home, eat, watch a little TV, go to bed, start the process over again the next day. The author successfully captured the inane, self absorbed, neurotic little worlds we create for ourselves.

Perhaps, though, Wallace was holding up a mirror, begging us to take a look at our pathetic selves. A character in The Pale King describes a play he's written. A man sits at a table writing, writing, writing, sitting, sitting, sitting. Nothing happens. Only when the audience gets bored and leaves does something happen, though the playwright doesn't know quite what. The Pale King is like that play, only in novel form. I readily admit that I didn't make it to the end. I got bored and walked out. Maybe Wallace wanted his readers to get over themselves and go do something.

The irony of Wallace's book is that we escape the barrage of minutiae that life tosses our way by reading, but his book purposefully leads us right back to the boredom we were trying to run from in the first place. Don't get me wrong, there are some brief portions that are amusing in a neurotic kind of way. But I think I would actually have rather been reading the IRS code than most of The Pale King. At least by reading the IRS code I might have discovered some underutilized loophole to save myself a few bucks on next year's returns.

I couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps I'm not intelligent enough or deep enough to "get" Wallace's book, which the turned-up-nose literary types have praised. I guess "stupid is as stupid does," in the immortal words of Forrest Gump...now there's a guy who got up and did something.

Writing for the Ear

2011-05-31T08:38:00.000-04:00

I recently submitted a piece to the group for critique. As the comments came back, they contained much of the standard fare:

“This is a run-on sentence.”

“Fragment, delete.”
“Consider rewording.”

And that is when it dawned on me for the very first time in my entire writing life: I do not write for the eye. I write for the ear. Whenever I read – or write – a story, in the back of my head I am constantly hearing the hum of the words as they lift from the paper and zing between my ears. I can hear my characters speak; I can feel their frustration, their angst, their undiluted joy held within the pauses, the stops, the crescendos of the words. Sometimes it’s not pretty. Because it exists in a place beyond the eye. The world is not shaded merely by black and white, and neither should our writing be.

This got me into considerable trouble when I was younger. No, Mom, I actually didn’t hear you calling me to dinner. You see, I was lost in the mist with Carl Sandburg as he ominously informs me:

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Can’t you hear that delicious alliteration? Can’t you feel the darkness deepening around you as it silently overtakes you, as it settles down around you, before you’ve even taken note?

Sure, you can write: “Mary ran outside to play.” That’s a fine sentence. Nothing wrong with it. Our gal Mary just wants to head on out and get some fresh air and sunshine. But if you write: “Mary ran outside. To play.” Hmm, now we’ve got ourselves a whole new situation. Was there another choice besides playing? Don’t you wonder: what was she doing before she ran outside? Why does the author feel he must inform us that she went out to play? There’s an implication in breaking the Rules for Writers contained in this sentence. There is more here than a sweet little girl and a dreamy day. There are things unsaid.

Conversely, run on sentences can be used to show enthusiasm, breathlessness, an overabundance of anxiety or anticipation. It’s called poetic license, and I utilize it liberally. I think Encyclopedia Britannica has captured the essence of it quite succinctly:

…The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, and the sounds and modulations of the words themselves all affect the subtle meanings and feelings that the poet may be trying to convey or evoke. Poets may distort normal prose patterns for the sake of form and therefore assume poetic license…

Writing is about more than what meets the eye. Writing should encourage all of the senses to join in. When you read about a field of lavender, you should see the royal purple tide swell before you, smell the subtly spicy fragrance as the tender leaves succumb underfoot, feel your boot solidly moving amongst the stalks. And yes, hear the words as they fall down upon you, a sudden, unexpected but oh-so-sweet spring shower.

Writing for the ear may not be pretty on the page. But then again, it shouldn’t be.

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

Critique Partners: A Love and Hate Relationship

2011-05-19T20:56:00.009-04:00

I don't know about you but a critique partner is a must in my world. I love and loath these meetings with my writing girlfriend. We both work so diligently to put our imaginary worlds down on paper. We agonize over all the details and are so invested in our characters, we become emotionally tied to their struggles as our own. Then, we give them over for that trusted friend to critique, caress, question, and annihilate. We lay our souls bare and hope we don't have to "kill any of our darlings".

I look forward to my meetings with my girlfriend with nervous anticipation. I know for a fact she's going to poke the sore spots, divulge the obvious glares and call me out on the contradictions and fabrications. I know these things need to be done to make my story better. But anticipation of the pain tends to exponentially increase the awaited outcome. When you don't know about the rock from the mower that is going to hit you in the back, as you lay comfortably on your lawn chair reading a book, it is less painful than the one you see flying at you from the spinning tire of the car, passing you on a walk.

Thankfully, my friend always follows her criticisms quickly with words of praise and appreciations of my plot twists. And, I know my turn for roasting her work will come soon. Mind you, that doesn't mean I take any pleasure out of pointing out the short comings in her work. In fact, there are times when I'm more energetic about the possible plots twists she could work into the story line than she is. Those instances she must talk me back to the path she intends to meander along.

If you don't have a critique partner to bounce ideas off of, you should. Having a creative sounding board is priceless. There have been numerous times we have spent hours hashing out story lines only to discover they don't work with the over-riding purpose of the novel. Had I spent the days writing, weeks waiting for my work to be reviewed by my writing group and agonizing sessions of editing the errors out of the story I would have been truly down trodden and desolate. However, in the space of coffee and doughnuts she and I have built and torn down several possibilities before settling on the most viable scenario.

But, be forewarned, the position of Critic is not for the the light of heart. Do not choose the love of your life, best friend or family member. Nor should you choose a candidate based on convenience sake. You don't want to wake up to blue Kool-aid Powder in the shower head due to retaliation from a loved one who didn't win the word war the night before. Similarly, you don't want that treasured friend to give you negligent feed back for fear of 'crushing your dream'. You want a true Critic, who will give you the good, the bad and the un-print-worthy. This must be a person of strong fortitude, willing to do battle over purpose and plausibility. They must be able to see the weakness in your writing AND help to make your story better.

It is easy to find fault in others, it is difficult to choose the path you intend to trod.

So I would like to say Thank You!

Not only to my friend Michele D. for the late evenings at my house with thing 1 and thing 2. But also, to my Sister for having the patience to put up with my neurotic schedule and delays between submissions. I know you're dying for the end of the story!

And lastly, to my writer friends here on Fiction Flurry for letting me in on the club. Without all of your input my story wouldn't be anywhere near what it has become.

Book Review: Don't Breathe a Word

2011-05-17T18:38:00.005-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to read Jennifer McMahon's new novel Don't Breathe a Word, which was released today.

"On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.

Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear the dark and doesn’t have bad dreams—who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam’s hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed—a promise that could destroy them all."

I found this book to be incredibly captivating. I enjoy mysteries and I enjoy fairy tales, so this is an interesting mash-up of the two. Told in alternating chapters, there are essentially two storylines--what exactly happened the summer Lisa went missing, and the adventures of Phoebe and Sam fifteen years later.

This is certainly a dark book and things are never what they seem. There are so many twists and turns in the plot that it's impossible to get bored or, frankly, to put the book down at all. The characters are vivid and the mystery itself is well thought-out and complex. The story harkens back to the age of fairy tales and playing make believe, but the dark twist to it gives it a wonderfully unnerving quality.

I'm always drawn to covers, and this cover is absolutely gorgeous. It definitely sets the tone for the whole novel in the both innocent and haunted qualities of the girl. Another feature of the book I enjoy is the passages from the "Book of Fairies" at the beginning of each part. These passages offer an intimate look at the world Lisa believes in.

I truly enjoyed Don't Breathe a Word. If you're looking for a good mystery to read this summer, I would suggest you check out this one!

What Attracts You To a Book?

2011-05-11T21:52:00.000-04:00

What are you reading right now and why?

As a group of writers, we here at Fiction Flurry are always interested in what attracts readers to books. If you read a book that's outside your favorite genre, what makes you select that book? How do you go about picking your next read from the genre you like best?

For me, I'm first drawn to new works of authors whom I've already read. I just purchased a hardcover, full priced Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks because she's one of my favorite authors. I have a Nook e-reader and could have purchased the e-book for half the price, but since Brooks is tops on my list, I splurged.

Next in my hierarchy of book-purchasing selection criteria is genre: historical fiction, literary fiction, mainstream fiction. If I'm not familiar with the author, the cover better draw me in. When I purchase an e-book, I've usually seen it in the bookstore first. Otherwise, a recommendation from a friend who has similar taste in books usually is a good way to go. When I'm in the mood to buy a book, I go to Good Reads to see what my friends recommend.

I would like to purchase more books by self published authors on my Nook. What's the best way that you've found to search for titles by self published authors? What kind of luck have you had with the quality of self published books that you've purchased?

We'd love to hear from you about your book selection process. What websites to you use to help search for the next perfect book? What attracts you to a book?

Congratulations Spring Blog Hop Winners!

2011-05-09T20:37:00.000-04:00

We are so pleased with the response to our giveaway. THANK YOU for following Fiction Flurry. Here are our winners:

Laura H. of Kansas, you win the Romance Bundle
Latishajean of Wisconsin, you win the Paranormal Bundle
Jessicas-Bookshelf of Utah, you win the Lovely Cover Bundle
Sarah the Hobbit of Pennsylvania, you win the Jodi Picoult Bundle
Kimmel Tippets, you win the Heavy Reading Bundle
Laurie Carlson, you win the Commercial Bundle
Rachel of Alberta, Canada, you win the Writers Bundle
Rebecca Shaw, you win the Non Fiction Bundle

Please check your e-mail for a message from Fiction Flurry so that we can get your snail mail address.

If you didn't win, keep checking back with Fiction Flurry for more giveaways. Better yet, sign up for new posts to be delivered to your e-mail address through our RSS feed.

Thanks to all!

Spring Blog Hop Carnival is now Closed. Check back later today for winners!

2011-05-09T10:05:00.000-04:00

Thank you all so much for participating in our giveaway. To those of you who are new, welecome! For those of you who have been with us a while, we're thankful for your loyalty. Check back later today for the list of winners of the book bundle giveaways!

IT'S HERE...THE SPRING BLOG CARNIVAL GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

Welcome readers and writers, one and all, to Fiction Flurry! Our blog contributors are members of a writing critique group in Marysville, Ohio. The Fiction Flurry writers come from a variety of genres: romance, paranormal, YA, historical, literary, and inspirational fiction.

We here at Fiction Flurry are so excited to participate in the Spring Blog Carnival that we have assembled for our readers not one, not two, but EIGHT separate giveaways. Each bundle of books we have to offer comes from a different genre, just like the writers here at Fiction Flurry.

Here's a list of our Book Bundle Giveaways to eight lucky winners, to be announced May 9, 2011:

1. Romance Book Bundle: Mistress by Mistake and Damsel in Disguise by our very own Susan Gee Heino; His Expectant Ex by Catherine Mann; A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action by LuAn McLane; Heartbreakers by Lori Foster.

2. Jodi Picoult Book Bundle: Vanishing Acts and The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult, both hard cover.

3. Heavy Reading Book Bundle: Light on Snow by Anita Shreve; The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (both hard cover).

4. Paranormal Book Bundle: Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall by Erin Kellison; Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes; Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead.

5. The Writers Book Bundle: The Wealthy Writer by Michael Meanwell; Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg.

6. Commercial Fiction Book Bundle: Oh My Stars by Lorna Landvik and The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd.

7. Non-Fiction Book Bundle: Why We Fight, Why We Need Love, and Why our Decisions Don't Matter, edited by Simon Van Booy; Everything Is Going To Be Great by Rachel Skukert.

8. The Lovely Cover Book Bundle: The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (both hard cover).

Here's how to enter for a chance to win one of our bundles:

1. Be a Follower of Fiction Flurry
2. Leave a comment including your e-mail address and tell us your favorite fiction genre.

Though not a requirement to enter for the giveaway, we would be so happy if you would subscribe to receive our posts via e-mail, become our friend on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!

A limit of two bundle winners can be outside the US/Canada.

Good Luck, and here's a listing of the other Spring Blog Carnival participating blogs...

Focus on Writing

2011-04-30T13:41:00.000-04:00

At our last critique group meeting, we were discussing how each of us can start at the same place but write a completely different story, because our genre focus is different. One person writes a comedy, another a mystery.

So, just for kicks, we wanted to let our readers in on the fun. Below is a scenario – leave us a comment and tell what happens next in your world.

Scene setting . . . there’s a man in a boat in the middle of a large lake.

I know – simple huh? So tell us what happens next.

I love everything paranormal – so in my story, the man in the boat is attacked by a dragon and an epic battle ensues.

Author Interview: Michelle Muto

2011-04-26T08:23:00.015-04:00

THE BOOK OF LOST SOULS

by Michelle Muto

Synopsis

Making the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history’s most nefarious killers. Ivy’s got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end.

Hunks, hexes, and magical mayhem!

Amazon for Kindle
Barnes & Noble for Nook
Smashwords for eBook
Coming soon to iBook, Sony, Kobo, and more!

INTERVIEW With Michelle

FF: Let's start with a little bit about your back ground.

Michelle: I'm married, with dogs. Yes, one of them really IS a Beezlepup. Kidding. But, he is the inspiration for Devlin, the Beezlepup in the book. By day, I'm a freelance tech writer when the work is there, and a fiction writer when it's not. As a kid, my favorite past time was spending hours at the library or entire rainy afternoons reading. I guess I've always wanted to be surrounded by the written word.

FF: We love the fresh spin on the supernatural world! How did you come up with the idea for Book of Lost Souls?

Michelle: I've always loved stories about witches. Who wouldn't want to be magic? And, I've always loved humorous stories. There's just not enough of them, in my opinion. One day, this small town teen witch came to mind. All she wanted was a normal, verycontrollable life. Despite her best efforts, she discovers her life is as far from normal as it gets and at times, it's total chaos

FF: What can readers expect out of this story?

Michelle: I hope some good laughs, some palm-sweating, swoon-worthy romance, and loyal friendship. Oh, and a cast of eclectic, memorable characters along with some fast-paced action.

FF: What forms of research did you do for this novel? Anything unique?

Michelle: I did some research on Vlad the Impaler and Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Creepy.

FF: Can you tell us more about your current projects?

Michelle: I'm editing a darker, more emotional tale, set in a different world than Souls and writing a new book.

FF: Any teasers about what you’ll be publishing next?

Michelle: It's a heart-rendering, haunting tale of a girl who discovers death isn't at all what she thought it'd be. In places, I think it's a guaranteed tear jerker. In others, it's downright horror. And the ending is well, you'll have to wait until this summer to read it. Think a darker, more supernatural novel in the vein of The Lovely Bones.

FF: Any advice for aspiring author's on the publication process?

Michelle: Write. Always keep writing. Keep digging into your work and find areas where you need improvement. And always let your imagination run wild.

FF: Lastly I’d like to blast a few personal tidbits out to our readers

A must when you are writing...
Complete solitude and quiet. No music, no interruptions.

Book you are currently reading...
The Rite, by Matt Baglo. I meant to read the book before

I saw the movie,
but it didn't work out that way.

Favorite Quote...
If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right. ~Henry Ford

Thank you for the opportunity to pick your brain Michelle. I thoroughly enjoyed Lost Souls and

am eagerly anticipating your next project.

Super-Magic-Word-Count-Upper

2011-04-20T21:55:00.007-04:00

...Or: The Only Way I'm Able to Reach My Word Count Goals Each Day

Over the last couple of months, the group has gotten some great amusement at giving me a hard time when I manage to kill my word count almost every day. The truth is, my word count smashing isn't quite as miraculous as it may appear. In fact, I typically only write during my lunch breaks anymore, because my evenings have become devoted to revisions, writing theatre articles, and doing whatever work I need to do for Harry Potter Alliance.

Actually, I fully devote my ability to get large amounts of words down during lunch to my fellow Fiction Flurriers. I wouldn't have even known this magical device existed if it hadn't come up in conversation during one of our meetings a while ago.

This shiny bit of plastic has been almost literally attached to my side ever since I bought one off of Ebay back toward the beginning of the year. It's called an Alphasmart 3000, and I love it dearly.

Essentially, it's a word processor. It can hold up to eight saved files at a time and it's small enough to fit in a small bag. The screen space is limited, so I feel less temptation to edit myself as I type, because I can only see about five lines of prose at a time. I usually get terrible writer's cramp when I write freehand, so this means I get a lot more written during my 45-minute lunch breaks than I used to.

And the best part is, when I get home in the evenings, I just hook my Alphasmart up to my computer and it transfers what I wrote directly into my manuscript's file. It actually "simulates the keyboard," so it's fun to watch the words zoom across the document as they're transferred!

I would highly recommend an Alphasmart 3000 to any writer who may find themselves away from their computer for hours at a time, but still wants to get a decent amount written. Mine wasn't expensive--you can find Alphasmarts on Ebay for twenty or thirty bucks. They run on AA batteries, which can be even cheaper if you use rechargables like I do, plus they're ridiculously user friendly, proven by the fact I completely took mine apart and put it back together when I first got it.

But that's a different story for a different day.

The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto

2011-04-20T08:35:00.000-04:00

Wow does this YA book start off strong! Such a new take on the world of the supernatural! The author has a distinct voice with none of the teenage angst typical of today's novels. The comedic conversations between the three best friends comes through fresh and real.

Synopsis:

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before - that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.

Making the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers. Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end.

Hunks, hexes, and magical mayhem! $1.99

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Review:

I must say that this cover is quite alluring. It immediately drew my interest and I had to find out more. I was pleasantly surprised to find the story is a blessedly fresh new take on the supernatural world. There is a lot of mystery, plotting, subterfuge and generous handfuls of comedy throughout the story. While there is a love triangle, it does not overwhelm and derail the plot line. I particularly liked the group of friends and their intra-dynamic.

The story itself is fast-paced, had me laughing out loud and rooting for bad-boy love interest Nick. This YA novel is definitely worth the wait.

Watch for my author interview coming soon!

If you're interested in learning more about Michelle Muto check out her website.

Self-Publishing Your Novel as an Ebook

2011-04-19T12:38:00.000-04:00

During our most recent writers' group meeting, the topic of ebook publishing made for quite lively discussion. Landing an agent and publishing with a traditional house is no guarantee of financial success. Authors who travel the traditional route to publication often find themselves with the sole burden of marketing only to take home just a sliver of royalties. Why not do all the marketing you know you're going to have to do anyway and keep most of the royalties for yourself.

Whooosh. Do you hear that? It's the mass exodus of writers from traditional publishing.

Okay, maybe I exaggerate...a little.

As a reader, I know that a hard copy book I purchase from the bookstore has been through the vetting process by layers of agents and editors. I can expect a traditionally published book to be nearly free of grammatical and typographical errors. A risk I take, as a reader, in purchasing a self published ebook is that the quality might be poor. What's the trade-off? The price might be as low as 99 cents, so I haven't lost much if the ebook is the cherry on the dung heap of literary crap.

There was an interseting article last month by Carolyn McCray on Digital Book World. If you really want to post some good numbers for your e-book sales, it takes planning and foresight to make it happen. Some pointers are obvious, like the use of social media to publicize your book. Others, as McCray points out, have to do with knowing how to work Amazon to your advantage.

Ask your friends and family to post a few "seed" book reviews of your book to grease the sales wheel. Make sure a potential buyer knows the genre of the book. Ask friends to buy your book on Amazon and then purchase one or two other books so that the Amazon "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" gadget will populate. When reading McCray's article, make sure to scroll through the comments. She graciously offered feedback on commenters' Amazon pages.

One of the things we do at our Fiction Flurry group meetings is to discuss our progress with finding agents or publishers who have accepted our work. It's terribly frustrating. We see in each other's work beauty and potential, but getting a busy agent to see the same qualities sometimes feels like it might take an act of God. It's plain to see why self publishing, and better yet self e-publishing is becoming such a draw for so many writers. But e-publishing should not be considered the easy way out. There's platform building to be done, Facebook and Twitter marketing, cover design, Amazon strategies, and personal appearances to be scheduled. Of course, all this only comes after your novel is in pristine condition. Hiring a professional editor before self publishing is SO worth the money. Your reward? Larger royalty percentages and control over the process.

Some of us at Fiction Flurry are giving self e-publishing serious consideration. We'd love to hear your experiences with the process. What are the drawbacks that you've come across? Better yet, we'd love to hear about your successes!

Here are a few books that may help you in the process:

The eBook vs Print Book Saga Continues

2011-04-14T15:57:00.002-04:00

From Publishers Lunch: And btw...I'm becoming a little addicted to the print vs. digital saga - if anyone would like a partner to discuss, chat, weep or sigh with on the subject [or you know someone who does] let me know.

Came across this today and thought it was note worthy. With the ever changing book climate it is wise to keep in the know. And frankly, the stats this publication reports astound me. I love facts.

eBook Sales Set Another Record, But Can't Outpace the Decline in Print

eBooks indisputably comprise a significant portion of trade revenues following the Christmas boom in ereading-capable devices, confirmed by another record ebook sales tally from among the 14 publishers who report. The AAP data also shows what publishers' net shipments look like in a world in which no one is sending books to Borders.

February ebook sales totaled $90.3 million, significantly ahead of the record $69.9 million reported the previous month. In January ebooks were the second-largest trade segment, behind trade paperbacks, but in February they moved ahead as the single largest-selling format (with trade paperbacks at $81.2 million).

Just as ebooks rose, print book shipments were down across the board by significant percentages, with adult hardcover suffering the most, declining 43 percent compared to February 2010. Net trade print book sales for the month among the reporting AAP members were $215.2 million--down 30 percent from $308.7 million.

In January, the increase in ebook sales of $37.5 million did not make up for the decline in trade print sales of $50.4 million. It was the same in February, with ebooks' gain of $60.4 million lagging print's decline of $93.5 million.

Overall, ebooks comprise 29.5 percent of the reported trade sales for February. (Which means they are actually somewhat higher, since more publishers report print sales to the AAP than report ebook sales. Similarly, we remind you that direct year-over-year comparisons of ebook sales are skewed because two additional publishers starting reporting ebook data for 2011.)

Are You A Cry Baby?

2011-04-05T13:58:00.003-04:00

In light of events over the past week, this post is dedicated to critique etiquette. As a writer you must be able to accept criticism in order to improve in your craft. I once heard this great piece of advice regarding criticism: If it is false, ignore it, if it contains some truth, consider the source, and if it is true, learn from it. Nothing turns off agents and editors more than a defensive writer. Here are a few tips in order to avoid over-reacting to a harsh critique.

* Take a deep breath - This really works. Before your review or meeting, take a deep breath and relax. A bad review isn't the end of the world, it's only the beginning of the re-write.

* Read the critique then put it down for a little. Go for a walk and think about the areas that were pointed out that need improvement. Is there some truth to the critique? How can you improve your writing?

*Never react in anger, it only leads to trouble. An email shot off in anger, or a response quickly spoken can never be retrieved, and in fact can damage your image as a professional. Instead, think of a polite response. If you can't think of one at the time, wait a day or so, maybe what you have to say is best left unspoken.

*Always thank an editor/agent for their time. A handwritten note goes a long way. If you don't have time, even a simple email helps establish you as a professional.

*Be willing to help others. The publishing business is harsh. Take every opportunity you have to help others, you'll be well received for all of your efforts, plus it makes the process so much more enjoyable.

*Finally, if you do receive a bad review....take a few moments to sulk privately, then fire-up your computer and start the re-write...you'll be glad you did!

This Book Trailer Made Me Giggle!

2011-04-05T09:27:00.002-04:00

Thought I'd share something that made me laugh today! Watch all the way to the end, so funny!

If You Were Here is going on my TBR list. Jen Lancaster has a great sense of humor!

Fresh Face Giveaway Winner!!

2011-04-04T18:49:00.000-04:00

Our Winner is LISA!! Thanks to all who entered!

My Muse and Inspiration

2011-04-01T13:12:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, it has been a few weeks since I've had the opportunity to write. Both my sister and grandmother are clamoring for the next installment of my manuscript and frankly so am I. Not only have I missed creating my characters and their world but honestly I want to know what happens next. I guess you'd classify me as a 'seat of your pants' writer. This is my second attempt at my first novel. Yep, you read that right. Second attempt, first novel four years into the process at this point.

Shrieks are coming from the floor beside me as I type this post. Both my children are home and running rampant as usual. So what is a girl to do when there are constant distractions and interruptions. Why the answer is simple...build yourself a creative writing world!

My adoration and appreciation go out to Sabrina Jeffries, one of my favorite writers. I took her advice to heart and I'm going to share it with you.

"First, learn to be selfish sometimes. You already give more to your family than the average person. Don’t let your loved ones make you feel guilty about taking something for yourself. If you don’t take what you need, you won’t write and you will go crazy. Establish boundaries and protect them fiercely. If you don’t have a room that you can dedicate to writing, then find a corner, but make it yours alone. Fill it with objects and books that inspire your writing—dictionaries, inspiring quotations, etc. If you have a family typewriter or computer, set hours during which only you are allowed to use it. I know it is hard to tell your husband (or wife) that you can’t type that letter to the insurance company until after you write your three pages, but you must treat yourself as a professional before anyone else will treat you as one."*

I took this to heart and began by creating a 'Novel' file on my desktop. Anytime I had an idea it went in there, my notes, my inspirations, pictures of people I use when I describe my characters looks, photos of scenery, buildings, maps etc. I have a whole world pieced together that I can browse. This helps me get in the mind set of my story. I've heard other authors talk about their writing space. And you know what, they all talk about having similar puzzle pieces for their muse around them in one version or another. Either up around their working space or in a portable version.

In theory, I have a library in my mostly finished basement with a beautiful built in bookshelf my husband created. It is lined floor to ceiling with books that I love. I've an amazingly comfortable chaise lounge where I while away hours reading said novels. I also have a newly installed wireless internet system. A hand-crafted framed bulletin/cork board posted on the wall doubling as the entrance cover to my crawl space. I am patiently awaiting the money tree fairy to make a generous donation to my account so that I can finish this basement project. I wish for nothing more than to happily relocate from my particle board desk in my kitchen to the cozy space my Shining Knight created for me.

What is stopping me? A desk or laptop. At this point I don't really care which comes first. Currently I'm anchored to an ancient desktop with an 18" deep monitor that flickers. I long for the moment I can print my inspirational items and hang them around my creative space. My wonderful husband has declared he will be making my built in desk to match my bookcases. Did I mention the large bookcase anchored to a piano hinge that will swing out from the wall to access the utility area? I have a very uniquely designed 300 sq ft basement that we have squeezed every spare inch out of. I am very thankful for my handyman of a hubby who may look at me like I've lost my mind but attempt to create my haven anyway. But I digress. Until the day finally comes that I have my writing oasis I am learning creative ways to have one anyway.

In my 'Novel' folder I have letters my characters have written. Pictures of locations, places and people. Anything that brings my story to life. I have a whole file simply of discards, things I needed to know creating my imaginary world but my readers don't.

At our last writer's meeting a member showed me her portable version. She had a notebook with her that was simply AMAZING! I have pondered the advisability of creating one myself. There were character synopses, outlines using sticky notes that she could rearrange, photos and much much more. Needless to say I was supremely impressed. While I'd thought of carrying around a small notebook which fits in my purse, for the express purpose of jotting ideas when and wherever they struck, I hadn't thought to package my inspiration in such a fashion as to make it portable. Thanks for the tips Erin!

When you get discouraged and struggle with immersing yourself in the world you've created. Don't forget to get out those mementos of inspiration. Just as setting is important to characters, let your setting help you.

*http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/zindex.cfm?fuseaction=author&pageID=17

COVER LOVE: Temptress In Training by Susan Gee Heino

2011-03-31T11:48:00.002-04:00

Get ready to be excited all you historical romance junkies, because Susan Gee Heino's next novel TEMPTRESS IN TRAINING hits shelves July 5, 2011. Susan's books are some of my very favorite romance novels. I was privileged enough to read the intro to this one and the first line made me giggle because of it's sheer naughtiness. It's also my favorite cover out of her novels so far, and I'm excited to see this one in print. Mark this one down on your to be read (TBR) piles guys! You'll love it! :)

Temptress in Training

From Amazon:

A handsome earl and a beautiful seamstress are looking for answers. Both are willing to do what it takes to get them-even if it requires a little seduction. After the Earl of Lindley's search for the double agent who killed his family leads him to Miss Darshaw, he decides bedding her is the best way to get some answers...

Congrats Susan on another awesome novel!!!

Let the Music Move You

2011-03-29T20:38:00.004-04:00

I'm always fascinated by the different habits writers have. I think it has to do with the fact that we all have different ways to reach the same goal--tell a story. Some writers need their writing space to be neat and tidy, others need it to be cluttered. Some write out of sequence, others have to write chronologically within the story. Some of us have to have background noise when we write, others need complete silence.

I fall into the background noise camp. Granted, most of the time the background noise is whatever random thing I can find on TV. I've been known to write while watching Grey's Anatomy, NCIS reruns, and various Food Network shows. Sometimes during NaNoWriMo, I'll write while watching old Gilmore Girls episodes, because they talk so fast and so much it somehow gets me to write the run-on sentences I need to write that many words in 30 days.

And when there's not something that interests me on TV, or if I need to write a particularly difficult scene, I listen to my novel's playlist.

I first got introduced to the concept of making playlists to write to only a couple of years ago, and I've gotten hooked. First of all, it's a great way for me to procrastinate. When I hit that rut that I can't get through, I have a tendency to use making a playlist for said rut as an excuse to not deal with it for a short bit of time while I think it over. But, more than that, playlists are a great way for me to get into the emotional heart of the story. I don't usually make separate playlists for different characters--typically, I only have one playlist for the whole novel. However, there was one time when writing the end of the novel I'm currently revising that I needed a separate playlist just for those scenes. They were particularly emotional and I was having trouble getting into that mindset. So I made a playlist just for those scenes and it worked wonders.

I know many people can't have songs with lyrics in their playlists, but I'm quite the opposite on that one. Most of my playlists consist of songs with lyrics. Musicals, movie soundtracks, random things I hear on the radio or that people recommend...all of these types of music end up on my novel playlists. My iTunes library is pretty eclectic anyway, because I like most everything, and I find this is incredibly helpful when it comes to putting together a playlist for whatever I'm writing--a novel, a scene, a character.

To give you an idea of what kinds of things end up on my playlists, here's a short list of songs that are on the playlist of the novel that I'm currently revising to get ready to send out:

1. We're Not Gonna Take It--Twisted Sister
2. Our Lives--The Calling
3. A Little Hope--composed by Scott Alan, performed by Shoshana Bean
4. O Children--Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
5. The Call--Regina Spektor
6. I Stand--Idina Menzel
7. Sing--My Chemical Romance
8. Get It Right--Glee cast
9. Do You Hear the People Sing?--Les Miserable
10. American Elegy--composed by Frank Ticheli
11. Totally F***ed--Spring Awakening
12. 21 Guns--Green Day
13. Hope--Idina Menzel
14. The Human Heart--Stephanie J. Block
15. A Thousand Beautiful Things/A Beautiful Day--Julia Murney

Plus, a good half of my playlist for this novel consists of clips from a podcast called Smart Mouths, much like the clip right here (warning, there is some language involved).

What kinds of things do you like listening to while you write? Do you make playlists? What songs are on yours?

Accio Books!

2011-03-26T14:22:00.005-04:00

Spring is in the air. (Well, only sometimes for us here at Fiction Flurry, because Ohio can't make up its weather-related mind.) And, for some people, spring means it's time for spring cleaning. To be honest, I don't do spring cleaning, because I'm the kind of person who is happier with piles of junk all over the place. But more power to those of you who DO participate in the spring cleaning ritual.

If you do the spring cleaning thing, I have a suggestion of something you can do to clear out some of that clutter on your bookshelves. Yes, you. I know you have cluttered bookshelves, because you're a reader. And as readers, we tend to have too many books and not enough space to put them.

If, as you're doing your spring cleaning, you come across a bunch of books that you can't remember why you bought in the first place, or that you or your kids have grown out of and intend never to read again, or whatever the case may be...stop! Don't throw them out! How about you donate them? Hmmm? Crazy idea? I beg to differ.

In the limited free time I have between the day-job-working and the how-can-I-possibly-revise-this-more-but-clearly-I-can novel writing and the oh-my-God-Dublin-Irish-Festival-is-in-five-months-will-we-possibly-be-ready Irish dancing, I also have a volunteer job with the pure awesome that is a nonprofit organization called the Harry Potter Alliance. I get to write copy and edit copy and spend my free time talking to people as nerdy as me, which is great. My team is a bunch of English literary geeks.

And right now HPA is running an annual campaign that was MADE for literary geeks.

In true Harry Potter spirit, the campaign is called Accio Books! Never heard of it? That's quite alright. I shall elaborate.

The short version is that Accio Books! is a book drive. HPA wants people to donate their gently used books to communities or organizations that have a need of them. And, while people are certainly encouraged to donate to local organizations, HPA also selects a partner group so books get sent to people who really need them. In 2009, the partner group was Agohozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda. In 2010, half the books were distributed to communities in need in the Mississippi Delta.

This year is particularly exciting--HPA is, literally, building a library for the Bedford-Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School in Brooklyn, NY. They opened in 2010 and they don't have a library yet, which is nothing short of tragic, in my opinion. Last weekend, HPA worked with Borders for a fundraising drive to buy the school shelves. But now it's all down to the books that people will donate.

The library is for K-5, so people are being urged to donate books that fall into that age group. Picture books, early readers, the younger side of middle grade. Non-fiction, fiction. Any and all topics. If it's something YOU read when in elementary school, then these kids need it!

Now, there may be some of you who are like me and can't imagine parting with any of your books, even if you haven't read them in years. I hear ya. It's something we'll probably regret in five years when we're drowning under piles of books, but I'm with you on that one. So here's what I've been doing. I've been buying books second-hand or on sale. I bought several books during the Borders Days fundraiser last weekend that I had shipped directly to the school. I've been taking a little too much advantage of my local Borders going out of business and hitting up the liquidation sales. And all those books that I've been collecting over the last few weeks...they're going to be sent off to Bedford-Stuyvesant in the next week or so. I encourage you all to do the same. You can find the school's address here.

And once you send some books off to Bedford-Stuyvesant, enter the number of books you donated on the form at the bottom of this page. This will help the HPA keep track of the donation numbers and you can give your "points" to whichever house you want to support in the House Cup. (In case you're wondering, I've been giving my points to Gryffindor!)

So help out and donate books! Help HPA build a library! Because if there's one timeless thing we can pass along to these kids, it's the gift of a story.

Fatal February - A Review

2011-03-25T16:00:00.003-04:00

"It's John Grisham in spiked heels." Was the quote from another reviewer. As a fan of John Grisham I was too curious to let this review request go by. When I review a book I look at it in three different levels. First, the opening line...does it draw me in? The second thing I look at is the characters...do I care enough about them to keep reading? Finally, I look for plot and how the characters are woven into the plot.

Fatal February is written by Barbara Levenson. It is set in Miami-Dade, Florida, the author has lived in Florida and has experience as a prosecutor and and with the circuit courts. This experience shows throughout the entire book.

Now...onto the review. The opening line was fantastic. I immediately wanted to know more. Her
lead character Mary Macgruder Katz was a fun and intelligent woman. I found myself cheering for her throughout the whole book. The plot was nicely woven, and even surprised me a little in the end.

If you want a good mystery, filled with fun characters, that is an easy read, I would highly recommend Fatal February.

Unfinish Manuscripts: How Many Do You Have?

2011-03-22T12:45:00.000-04:00

Let's be honest, most of us writers get shiny new ideas (SNIs) that we start off gun-ho about when we open that new document, but soon we let them fizzle. We close out the document when we run out of steam and leave the story sit, sometimes forever. I'm guilty of this myself. I have a whole folder of stories with only one chapter. Why do we do this to ourselves? I've often wondered how the idea seems so brilliant and then when I go to write it, blah, nothing great ever comes out. I guess you could say that's a form of writers block or maybe the idea truly wasn't as fantastic as I thought it was. Who knows. On the other hand, I've started a couple different stories where I couldn't sleep until they were completed. They kept calling to me and the characters kept talking to me (You writers know what I mean. To everyone else, I swear I'm not completely insane. It's just a writers thing.) I would get aggravated that there wasn't enough time in the day to get it finished. I once competed a first draft in roughly 3-4 weeks. Yeah, crazy. I know. That story stayed/and is still on my mind ALL THE TIME.

What I'm wondering is: What are the elements of a SNI that grabs you to where you feel like you have to finish or you just might die if you don't get it out? And what makes us fizzle out on great ideas? What can we do as writers to keep ourselves motivated? Shout it out! Maybe something you do will work for someone else. :)

Happy Writing!!

For YA Reviews:

READING, WRITING AND WAITING

Fiction Flurry Blog Make-Over Giveaway!!

2011-03-20T14:07:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Fiction Flurry!! If it's your first time here, WELCOME (insert full-on welcoming committee here), feel free to pull up a chair and join us. We are a writing critique group out of Marysville, Ohio and our members include just about every genre of writing there is: Romance, Christian, Young Adult, Non-Fiction, Historical, Literary and any other type of writing that peaks our interest. We welcome it all.

What's awesome about all those different genres in the same group is the array of new ideas that turn up when we brainstorm together. A critical eye from someone outside your own genre may pick up things you've completely over-looked or assume is standard knowledge.

With all that said, we hope you'll hang out with us a bit and discuss your writing and/or your favorite books. To get us started we have two books to giveaway to go along with our blogs fresh new face:

To Enter: Comment and tell us YOUR genre and email address and you are entered to win the romance title SILENT KILLER and the young adult title THE SEVENTEENTH SUMMER. It's not required that you follow us on Google Friend Connect, but we can't tell you how much we enjoy having a new Storm Member!!! Contest closes April 2, 2011 at 11:59pm and is open to US only. We will select one winner, and announce that winner here on FICTION FLURRY on April 3, 2011. GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Writing Suspense: Use of Red-Herrings

2011-03-15T11:40:00.008-04:00

Definition of Red-Herring: a false lead, assumed outcome or obvious solution that a writer plants in a story to fool the audience from guessing the real outcome.

This technique introduces one or more suspects or sets up false possibilities to add more tension and conflict in the novel and, in the process, prolongs the suspense and confuses the reader. These suspects will have motive and opportunity to have committed the crime.

Secondary characters are often used as red herrings. Though they might have a legitimate goal in the plot, they can also be set up to mislead the reader to think they have a part in the criminal action. Remember, a Red-Herring must always have some kind of motivation and opportunity. Suspense has to do with anticipation and expectation which helps create anxiety and tension.

Examples of Red Herring Uses

Distracting the main character
Appearance of lending support but tendency to send momentum awry
Get in the way of resolution intentionally or not
Cause of new events though not always helpful towards solution

A word of caution, never place something in your story simply to mislead your reader. You must always have a reasonable explanation for your misdirection that will come to light or be explained later in the story. Furthermore, don't incorporate too many Red-Herrings, this will be overly frustrating to your reader. And lastly, there is a difference between misleading your reader and misleading your investigator. Readers enjoy following the crumb trail with the investigator, they are especially drawn in when they know something the investigator does not.

As with all things "Practice makes perfect". Pull out your favorite suspense or mystery author and examine what it is about their style that draws you in. Don't forget...enjoy your trip through a good book!

Book Review: ROOM by Emma Donoghue

2011-03-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I'm a little late hopping on the bandwagon, but I recently finished the audio book version of Room, by Emma Donoghue. If you subscribe to Writers Digest Magazine, you'll see the author on this month's cover. Room explores the fictional life of Jack, a five-year old boy born into captivity to a mother who's been held as a sex slave for 7 years. Think Elizabeth Smart or Jaycee Dugard.

First off, the subject matter is unquestionably intriguing. What happens in the mind of an innocent girl or young woman kidnapped for the purpose of being someone's sex slave? More interestingly, what's the perspective of a child resulting from from such a disturbing union? Donoghue tells her story in first person from the son of the captive woman. Jack has never known anything outside the 11 foot square room he and his mother share, which is really a sound-proof, locked down prison of a shed in their captor's back yard.

If you don't have children, I do have to caution you as to Jack's "voice." Having a four-year old myself, I can attest that the author's mastery of diction, syntax, and thought content of a preschooler are spot on. The entire book is from Jack's perspective, in his five-year old voice. Just as a child can't always verbalize what's causing him stress, Jack, put in stressfull situations, is simplistic in his expression and literal in interpretation. If you're not used to how children think and speak, I'm guessing it might slow down the flow of the book for you. The audio book version was particulary helpful in that respect.

I was particularly impressed with the range of emotion and depth of character that the author explores in Jack's mother's character through Jack's eyes. We can see, through Jack, his mother's anxiety at keeping him safe from their captor, at her desperation to get themselves out of their situation, and her despair in not being able to have given him a normal childhood. Even though Jack might not realize it, the reader can see his mother's strength and understandable vulnerabilities.

Finally, Donoghue takes what would ordinarily be a heavy theme and makes it lighter somehow by telling the story from kid's point of view. If you're not distracted by the voice in Room, I think you'll find it a worthwhile read. After all...we came to embrace young Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, didn't we?

What are your writing goals for March?

2011-03-01T22:22:00.000-05:00

You can't see or feel it, but time is slipping away.

February has all too quickly become March, so take a moment to evaluate the progress you’ve made on the writing goals you made in January.

I have discovered that if you don't take a step back once in a while, months have a way of disappearing without any visible progress. Before you know it, December has arrived and your book still isn't finished.

The best way to make sure that you make consistent progress is to cultivate two habits:

1. Track your progress at the end of each month.
2. Create deadlines for finishing specific tasks for the next month.

It's easy to do both of these things if you list your accomplishments during the previous month on a sheet of paper and hang it on your wall where you can glance at it (often) and feel good about what you’ve accomplished. Likewise, commit your upcoming month’s writing goals to paper and hang them on the wall next to your accomplishments.

How you do this is up to you...use a calendar (online or printed), type out a list or jot it down on the back of a napkin. But make sure you keep them so you can look back at the end of the year to see how far you've come.

Don't let 2011 slip by, take control of your goals now.

Leave a comment and let use know how you stay on track with your goals.

Confessions of a YA Addict

2011-02-23T20:17:00.007-05:00

Hi. My name is Erin.

(Hi, Erin...)

I'm nearly 24 years old and I...

I...

I love Young Adult fiction.

Whew! It feels so good to get that off my chest!

Okay, perhaps that was a bit on the dramatic side, but that's how it feels sometimes. I cannot tell you the number of times I've been trying to explain to someone a novel I'm reading, and I've finally just resorted to sighing and saying, "It's Young Adult." And then they stare at me like I'm a head case.

It doesn't happen all the time, especially not around my fellow book nerds, but it happens far too often to be ignored.

Usually, if I then go on to explain that I also write Young Adult, I'll get an understanding nod or whoever I'm talking to will at least stop staring at me like I'm nuts. Leading me to believe that it's perfectly okay to read Young Adult if you also write it--have to do "market research," after all--but it's a little strange for a twenty-something to read YA just because they like it.

A few years ago, my local library went through a huge remodel. To prevent the invasion of younger kids in the YA section, which had apparently been getting on the teens' nerves, they moved the whole section to the back corner of the library. They made it into a "cool" space for the teens to hang out, decking it out with restaurant-style booths, bright colors, and a giant glass garage door to section it off from the rest of the building. If I had still been in my teens when they'd done this, I would have been over the moon.

As it was, I was in my senior year of college.

The way the YA section had been set up previously, it had been sandwiched between the Large Print and General Fiction shelves. As someone who was no longer a teen, it was easy to be inconspicuous when the section was mixed in with everything else. No one ever gave me a second glance.

But there's something vaguely awkward being a twenty-something browsing the shelves in a neon-colored room with a garage door, set way back in the library away from all the other books, so I have to walk past all the people using the computers who give me funny looks as I head in the direction of the YA room. Don't get me wrong, no one at my library has ever said anything to stop me going to the YA room. In the long run, I doubt anyone even cares. But with people's tendency to stare and my tendency to over-analyze such behaviors, I've gotten into the habit of rushing into the YA room, searching out whatever specific author or title I'm hunting, and then beelining my way out of there as quickly as possible.

I hate doing this. I like browsing, but I dislike the awkward staring more. I've always loved reading YA, and I love writing it as well. There's something about the teenage experience that continues to fascinate me. I hate how there's this unspoken awkwardness toward an adult loving Young Adult novels. I hate that I feel so out-of-place in the YA room at my library now and how this very slight age gap between teens and me also puts a gap between me and the "real" adults.

What's the moral of this story? Read what you love. Ignore the awkard stares or the comments or the raised eyebrows or whatever it is you receive when you're judged for what you like reading. No one should make you feel out-of-place around books.

I have a goal to progressively spend more time in the YA room at my library, learn to ignore the stares. Perhaps someday I'll actually sit down and write in there. But while I'm still getting used to the YA room, my love for the genre is still there. That's definitely not going anywhere.

Interview with JENNIFER LAURENS

2011-02-21T12:07:00.003-05:00

Today Fiction Flurry is lucky enough to be interviewing Young Adult author Jennifer Laurens about her New Release Overprotected. Thanks so much for chatting with us today Jennifer!
For those of you who haven’t yet become familiar with Jennifer Laurens she’s the author of Heavenly, Penitence and Absolution. And let me just say they are exquisite work! If you haven’t read them yet, run-don’t walk, to the nearest retailer and get a copy!

Personally, I can’t wait for you next book, Overprotected, to be released in April 2011.( It's available on Kindle,Nook and all e-versions - :)

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.
Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.
Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.
Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.
Daddy was wrong.

FF: Let’s start with a bit about your background…

JL: I'm a SoCal native now living in Utah with my husband of 27 years and 6 children, one of whom has autism.

FF: What can readers expect out of this new story?

JL: This is not your cliche "bodyguard" novel. It's really a coming-of-age story about a young woman fighting for independence, about a family living a life of pretense, about real love gone overboard into obsessive love. It's character complex and highly emotional. It's the first story I ever wrote, and it occupies a special spot in my heart for that reason. I wrote 3 different versions of it! ( not three drafts, three complete, different versions ) before finally choosing this POV to settle upon to tell the story.

FF: I know your novels are more than just teenage angst and love, so what is the driving theme in this one?

JL: There are several basic themes in Overprotected: what is real love? What is right? When are our fears justified? How far is too far to go when it comes to love, family and control?

FF: I have to take the opportunity to quote you: “My life experiences have worked into all of my novels. Some more heavily than others, but parts of me are in each story. I love stories rich in family drama, where family members overcome obstacles through love and miracles.” Any specific examples related to Overprotected you’d care to share?

JL: I'm an only child, and Ashlyn ( the heroine ) is an only child. Her family is loosely based on my cousin's family: only child raised in NYC on Park Avenue. My mother was very protective of me growing up, to the point where I battled feeling obligated to behave certain ways to please her, versus allowing myself to participate in what other teens my age were doing during that time of my life.

FF: How did you come up with the idea for Overprotected?

JL: As I mentioned above, this was my first book I wrote. They say "Write what you know" and, since many of the themes in the book are familiar to me, I strung them together with an unusual love triangle between a girl, a boy and the girl's father. I loved the unusual nature of that kind of love triangle -- but not in a perverted way -- her father loves her too much.

FF: Was any part of this novel difficult to write or research?

JL: Probably Ashlyn's realizations of her parents' marriage. My parents separated when I was 16 and, like Ashlyn, I was mature enough at that age to realize ( and see ) they'd be happier separated. Still, it's not easy seeing your parents marriage ( with all of it's weaknesses ) crumble.

FF: Can you tell us more about your current projects?

JL: It's another early story of mine I'm re-writing for YA.

FF: Any teasers about what you’ll be publishing next? Only that it's another intense story.

JL: I love writing my characters into deep love and plenty of challenges.

FF: Lastly I’d like to blast a few personal tidbits out to our readers.

A must when you are writing…music. I create a soundtrack for each novel and I listen to it 24/7 while working on the project. Drives me family nuts :)

Book you are currently reading …I keep Endless Love by Scott Spencer open and on my NOOK constantly. Other than that, I pick and choose reads carefully because of time restraints.

Favorite quote…"No other success can compensate for failure in the home." David O. McKay.

FF: Everyone here at Fiction Flurry would like to send a big THANK YOU to Jennifer Laurens for this opportunity to interview her. Good luck on your upcoming projects Jennifer!

What Makes a Good Romance Novel?

2011-02-15T18:37:00.004-05:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, today's post is dedicated to romance novels. As a reader, nothing thrills me more than a well-crafted romance novel.

Romance novels come in all types of genres. Sweet, contemporary, historical, fantasy, and of course, the steamy novel. No matter the genre, there's a certain format that we all look for in order to be satisfied at the end of the novel.

First off, we must start with a heroine worthy of our time. She must be interesting and not completely helpless. Add in an irresistible, handsome hero and a little conflict and you have the makings for a great book.

I don't know about you, but I must have the happy ending. There must be resolution or I'm left feeling disappointed. Here's a list of several good romances that appeared when I researched "Top Ten PG Romance Novels". I selected the ones that appeared on several different lists.

Beauty - A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley

Sophie's Heart by Lori Wick

Another Chance to Dream by Lynn Kurland

Frederica by Clifford Norgate

Crimson Roses by Grace Livingston Hill

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen.

How about you...what's your favorite romance novel?

The Best Writers Are Crafty Thieves

2011-02-10T12:33:00.000-05:00

Preserving Family History Through Fiction

I love history. I didn’t always. In elementary and middle school, I quickly became bored with the repetitive stories outlining all the high points of American history. Yes, wonderful things were accomplished, but it all seemed so mundane and academic. What about the human emotion of it all? What did Paul Revere feel deep down during his “Midnight Ride”?

Through the years, I began to realize that the best historians were walking amongst us. My grandmother, for example, was born in 1911. Although she has since passed, the stories she had to tell of her years as a girl and woman during prohibition, then surviving the Great Depression, World War II and Vietnam are spectacular and far more engaging than a lot of what is printed in those dry tomes on the same subjects. Can you even begin to fathom how much changed in just her lifetime? She went from a log cabin with no phone to phones in your hip pocket! It is simply astounding, and her stories were just as extraordinary.

Much has already been written by others on how to capture family history or narrative. One of my personal favorites is StoryCorps, which encourages conversations to occur between the generations. You will truly be surprised when you put on your “listening ears” to learn just how fascinating your elders’ – yes, even your parents’ – stories can prove to be. (I know I was!)

But hey, hold up a minute. I’m a fiction writer. I make stuff up; right? Well, yes…and no. Actually, I do make up some story details…names, descriptions, plot lines. But I steal an awful lot, too! Yes, it’s true: the best fiction writers are no more than crafty thieves. And like the old saying goes, “imitation is the highest form of flattery.”

In my family, there is a great tale of my mother as a young bride, away from home for the very first time in her life, and trying to make her own way. My father was stationed in Germany, and mom had gone over to be with him. Wanting to impress him with her extensive culinary skills (she, in fact, had none), one afternoon she determined to make his favorite dish…baked beans. Seems simple enough, no? Take a few beans, add a little brown sugar, slather the entirety in ketchup. Well, folks, if you don’t cook, you wouldn’t realize that you actually have to soak the beans first – or else they end up as hard as tiny little dried marble pellets. This story was simply too irresistible not to reuse, and thus it went into my first novel.

Think of your family history in this way: taking a story from your family is like taking a ready to wear dress off the hanger. Sure, everyone’s got a dress a little bit like that, but as you take your needle of imagination and your thread of words to it, you embellish it into something that is not only spectacular to read – but also pays homage to those whom you cherish.

Encouraging Your Kids to Write

2011-02-08T18:14:00.002-05:00

I suspect that I've always been a proficient writer, but I waited until my late 30's to practice at writing. Heck, I was an English major in college but never wrote a single piece for the pure enjoyment of it. My mother, an English professor, always gave me high praise for the papers I would write for school, but I don't remember ever expressing an interest in writing just for myself. If I had, I'm sure my parents would have offered encouragement, pushing me to pursue something I enjoy. In writing, I got a late start.

I have an 11 year old daughter who showed an interest in what I was writing, so I challenged her to write something that she would like. It turns out that she is a wonderful poet. She's now branching out to short stories and even began a NaNo novel. My hope for her is that with an early start, she'll be published (if she wants to be) by the time she's in her 20's rather than her 40's like her dear old mom. Even if publication is not her goal, she's working on treasures that her children might enjoy someday.

If you have a kid who consistently gets good grades in language classes, why not challenge him or her to write a story or poem just for fun? Here are some resources that might help you help your child:

Check with your library, which might have workshops for young writers.
Your child's school might have an extra curricular activity for writers such as Power of the Pen or a school newspaper.
Plenty of magazines for kids, both online and hard copy, have writing contests or accept submissions from kids.
There are a lot of great instructional books for your young scribe. Here are my daughter's favorites:

My only other piece of advice would be not to ask to read what your kid has written. If he or she wants to share, then praise the effort and creativity. Good Luck!

Polishing Your Writing

2011-02-03T10:01:00.002-05:00

I will admit up front that misspelled words are a pet peeve of mine. Perhaps it's because I’m a bit...ahem, shall we call it “diligent” about grammar and spelling? Or perhaps it’s just because I love words. Yes, all of them. (Thank you, Mrs. Alexander)

I imagine we’ve all seen an article or blog post (or 2, or 10) bemoaning the decline of the written word in the era of texting, Twitter and the like. If you’re looking for the other side of that argument, this isn’t it. Sorry.

As writers, our job – our whole job – is about choosing the right words. We have a reason for choosing the word “conundrum” instead of the more commonly used “problem.” So after carefully choosing your words, it’s just as important to make sure you’ve spelled them correctly, especially if it’s one of the “problem” words that sound alike but have different spellings. We all remember this from 2nd grade – their, there and they’re come to mind. And don’t forget the words that are misused – effect and affect, for example.

Consider the following sentence: I don’t no what there whether is going two bee tomorrow, but it won’t effect me to much.

Phonetically, you can figure out what is being said, but technically it's not even close to being correct. So you’re probably thinking that Word (or similar word processing program) will catch and/or fix your spelling and grammar mistakes – and I’ll admit, it probably will catch most of them. But it probably won’t catch all of them. There are 7 misspelled or misused words in the above sentence – can you find them all?

If spelling and grammar is something you struggle with in polishing your writing, there are some websites that can help.
Grammar Girl – a great resource for all of your grammar questions
Your Dictionary – there are links on the home page to help with navigating
Google search – sometime the easiest way to find something quickly

Having a friend or group to read your work can also help with this problem. In our local critique group, no surprise, I’m known as “grammar chick” – but really, everyone in our group is good at finding problem words. Yes, even I have been known to screw up a word or two.

Challenge for today: In the comments, rewrite the above incorrect sentence and make it “right.” No ~~peaking~~ peeking at other peoples answers either!

Contests and Conferences

2011-02-02T10:53:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again. Writer's conferences are starting to advertise their dates, classes they offer and what publishers and agents will be available. Many of these conferences also offer a writing contest. Question is, are conferences and contests worth it?

In my opinion I think the answer is a definite yes!

When researching a conference a writer should consider the following: Cost of conference, classes offered, contacts you can make...both agents, publishers and fellow writers. Do your research, it will pay off. Big conferences offer great classes, but don't ignore the smaller conferences, they also have a lot of excellent classes and the smaller size increases your chances of speaking directly with industry professionals.

Writing contests are another way to gain exposure for your writing. If you are already published consider what added exposure this will give your book. If you are still-to-be-published, try to enter the contests that have agents and editors as the final judges. It's a great way to get your work in front of professionals.

A Not-So-Lonely Writing Life

2011-01-26T19:21:00.005-05:00

Most people tend to agree that the writing life is a lonely one. As writers, we do weird things that most "normal" people don't understand. We argue with characters in the middle of supermarkets and hold bizarre sleep schedules and spend hours at a time living in our own little worlds. It ain't a spectator sport.

But it also doesn't have to be completely solitary.

I was in a Creative Writing program in college, so I spent a good 80% of my time around like-minded writers. We told bad literary jokes. We encouraged each other to finish one page. Then one chapter. Then one novel. We critiqued each other's work. A majority of my last two years in undergrad was spent in workshop-style classes where the goal was to produce some potentially publishable writing.

Imagine my surprise when I graduated and entered the "real world" and found myself, for the first time in at least four years, completely alone.

People are supportive, of course. My family cheers me on, even if they have no idea what I'm talking about half the time. I'm lucky to have a few friends who like writing too, but agents and query letters and publication aren't on any of their minds yet. The rest of my friends pretty much go with the flow and buy me helpful books and "like" my Facebook statuses when I need encouragement and keep me rooted somewhere in the realm of sanity. But it's still a little lonesome.

What's a writer to do?

I've only recently (finally) started figuring it out. Here's what I've learned.

1) Network. And I don't mean just so you can boost your career. Writers tend to be pretty supportive of each other and know the pain of the process, particularly writers who have actually gone through the publication process. I have a wonderful author friend, Michelle Zink, with whom I've been in close contact for a couple of years. Whenever I feel discouraged by the process, she almost always offers a few words of encouragement to keep me pushing through. Because she's been there and she knows.

2) Keep in touch. If you have some serious writing friends, keep in touch with them. It sounds simple, but even long-distance understanding and encouragement is better than going it completely alone. I've tried to keep in touch with a friend who graduated a couple years ahead of me from the same Creative Writing program. We got each other through NaNoWriMo this year and laughed when it was over. She's determined to get me to an MFA program. I'm just determined to read all the writing craft books she recommends for me.

3) Online communities. I recently joined the Litopia Writers Colony. There's something about having so many serious writers in one place that's uplifting. In just a few short weeks, I've seen so much support and so many thought-provoking discussions in there that it blows my mind. And somehow, the Litopians always manage to find the strangest news stories to share with each other.

4) Critique groups. This was the biggest step for me and the one piece I didn't realize I was missing. There's an immediacy and trust involved in critiquing each other's work face-to-face. I was used to it in college, but got away from it in the two years since. At our last writing group meeting, I got critiqued for the first time. It felt good to get back into that. Plus, writing groups give you several nearby people who can help hold you accountable. That's half the battle really--having people close by who truly understand this life.

And if we writers can't count on each other, then it's a lonely life indeed.

Tips for pushing through the block

2011-01-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

Free Associate: This is probably the most popular writing exercise to get the juices flowing. Pull up a new Word document, take a deep breath and just write whatever comes to mind. Dig as deep as you can into your subconscious and don’t worry about what comes out. Sometimes there’s a mental blockage with something that’s been bothering you, so it helps to write it down and get it out of your system.

Get out of your box: Think of something you’re passionate about, like a hobby or a love interest, and write everything you know about it. Sometimes writing slumps happen and it helps to write about something you love. Even if you just write a paragraph, it’s better to write something that’s not your current project. This will rejuvenate you to re-start on your current project.

Sharpen your wits: Something I do is read a favorite author’s work, especially an author who writes in the same style or format as my current project. Escaping into someone else’s world for a bit can relax you enough to delve into your own imaginary world again.

Eavesdrop: This is a wonderful exercise if you struggle to write natural dialogue between your characters. Sit in a public place like a park or at your local college campus and listen to the things people say as they walk by. Take copious notes and share them with other writers. This exercise is also great if you need a laugh.

Use Music: Writers feel their work, and when you can't quite get the description on paper, it can be frustrating. Find some songs that appeal to you and the scene or piece you’re working on. Grooveshark.com and Pandora.com are two websites that offer free, instant music streaming to get those juices flowing.

Practice Writing Prompts: A writing prompt is simply a topic around which you start jotting down ideas. The prompt could be a single word, a short phrase, a complete paragraph or even a picture, with the idea being to give you something to focus upon as you write.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/10-writing-exercises-to-tighten-your-writing/

LIFE IN THE WAY OF WRITING: Writing gets a foothold

2011-01-20T16:06:00.000-05:00

At our first writers meeting of 2011 we decided it would be a good idea to have some goals. As we were all sharing those goals someone mentioned the 'nifty two-fifty'. Of course I, with my dumbfounded look, asked for an explanation. The answer I got was pretty straight forward and simple. Write 250 words everyday. I decided to adopt the 'nifty two-fifty' as one of my goals.

Today was my first attempt, even though I'm three days out from my pledge. However, I did manage 262 words. That's how much I added to my manuscript today. Quite an accomplishment for me considering both my children are home and awake.

This was accomplished after serious negotiations with my 4-year old about computer time, sharing and who got to go first. Finally, I won and programed our timer for 20 minutes. Yep, 20. That's all I got. My 2 year old was taking his afternoon nap.

So, I sat down, spent some time on email, facebook and generally getting comfy. I checked the timer and whoah! Fifteen minutes, twenty-three seconds left on the clock. I better buckle down. I open my word doc and review the last few paragraphs from my previous session. 253 words later the timer dings. My 4-year old excitedly jumps out of his chair where he'd waited ever so patiently thanks to his favorite cartoon.

"My turn Mommy!"

"Just a minute dear," I hold up my hand to stop him "Mommy needs to finish her thought."

A few seconds later I've done my word count, posted my email to the group. Yes, we are holding each other accountable to our self made goals. And my turn was over.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment. It hadn't taken me very long. No real disruption to my daily routine and chores or my family's needs.

262 words

4 paragraphs

18 lines

20 minutes

That's it. For a 55,000 word novel it would only take me 220 days to finish if I simply wrote 250 each day. And honestly, I have always written more than that when I do sit down. Look at today's count, it was over, even just barely but every bit adds to the whole.

Today I surprised myself. No more excuses, I learned that I definitely have had ample opportunity. Thanks to my ultra-smooth negotiating skills with my little guy I now have time every day. And possibly my own stubborn dictator, since he never misses his daily computer time.

Gee, I Hope the Feds Never Confiscate My Computer

2011-01-18T08:28:00.004-05:00

Research and writing go hand in hand. Last year, I was fortunate enough to attend a short series of classes on the topic taught by local author Alicia Adams (Bathroom Book of Ohio Trivia). One vital lesson she drilled into us was: never let the internet be either your sole or primary resource! Get out there and be sure to get your facts right.

Incredibly enough, I have even heard some anecdotal tales about folks basing their information on works of FICTION (and I’m not just talking WIKIs). Here is a word to the wise: don’t do it!

Now, having said all that, your Home Computer or Laptop is a great place to START your research, however. Call it the tip of the research iceberg, if you will.

Here are a few of the things I have looked into for my fiction over the last couple of years:

“Totally Pedestrian and Not at all Suspect” Searches:

Native Flowers of West Virginia
Carnegie Libraries
Ladies Fashion in the Early 20th Century

“Possibly Suspicious, But Hopefully Under the Radar” Searches:
How to Make Moonshine
Drowning

“Momma, I’m Gonna Need Bail Money” Searches:

How to Detonate a Home Made Still

How to Prepare a Corpse for Burial

Using Arsenic to Embalm a Body

How about you?

What interesting/unusual/weird things have you researched

while writing?

We Need Your Input!

2011-01-16T09:50:00.002-05:00

Hi Fiction Flurry readers and followers! 2010 turned out to be a great year for us here at the Fiction Flurry blog, and we were really pleased to provide you with pertinent content, engaging author interviews and great give-aways.

But we want to make 2011 even bigger and better. To do that, we need your input. So please, please, please give us some feedback.

Give us your thoughts on:

*What genres do you read?

*What genres do you write?

*What subjects would you like to see discussed?

*Do you enjoy the author interviews?

*Do you like our contests and give-aways?

*What thoughts do you have about the book reviews?

*What do you want to see more of?

*What do you want to see less of?

*What ideas do you have to improve the blog?

Your opinions matter,

and we greatly appreciate both your input and your continuing support!!!

Rediscovering Old Favorites in a New Format

2011-01-13T09:32:00.000-05:00

So did you get an e-reader for Christmas? The opportunities abound as far as downloadable content. Sometimes I find it difficult to browse for titles from my Nook. If I'm shopping for a book without having anything in mind, I prefer to do that in the brick and mortar bookstore. I'm still attracted by interesting covers and the text on the back jacket, giving me a glimpse into the feel of a book.

Recently, I've decided that it might be a good idea to download to my e-reader all those classic, notorious, or other books that I always meant to read, but never had the opportunity. Right now I'm reading In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. I've never read anything by Capote. Heck, I haven't even seen the movie version of Breakfast at Tiffany's. I borrowed the movie Capote starring Philip Seymour Hoffman from the library over my holiday break and decided I then had to read the author's seminal work. I purchased In Cold Blood on my Nook for just under $5. What a worthwhile purchase! I'm not a true crime fan, but the writing in the book is spectacular. If you've read it, you'll recall that it's non-fiction that reads like fiction.

Books on the craft of writing are coming out in e-versions as well. Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones is getting a well-deserved new life through e-publishing. You can download it for less than $10. Ms. Goldberg has taken an active role in marketing the e-release of her book two decades after its first publication.

Some other "older" books on writing available for your e-reader are On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King and Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott, which are both excellent and dirt cheap in e-book form!

Your e-reader is a great way to use new technology to connect with old favorites! What kinds of books do you download?

Podcasts for Writers

2011-01-11T06:44:00.000-05:00

This post is really "Achieving Your Resolutions - Part 2" continuing my post from last week about online learning for writers.

As I said before, learning, no matter what the format is a good thing. So this week I want to talk about podcasts. It's definitely the most convenient way to learn...well, almost anything!

Look, I'll be the first to admit that regardless of the technology, I will never be an "early adopter" so I'm new to podcasts. If you, like me, are new to podcasts - but you have a computer, MP3 player or iPod, you can find out how to subscribe to podcasts here.

Once you are set up to subscribe, check out these podcasts especially for writers.

1. I Should be Writing: covers the ins-and-outs of writing, from coming up with ideas to self-publishing to writing queries. Mur Lafferty is straightforward and has some good insights into the writing and publishing world. (RSS iTunes)
2. The Writing Show: The Writing Show Slush Pile Workshop is designed to help you practice engaging readers. In each podcast, Paula B. plays agent and comments on your anonymous submissions. Does she want to see more, or does she lose interest? Beginning in December 2010, the format of this podcast changed to feature only Slush Pile Workshops. You can find other writing topics in their archives. (RSS iTunes)
3. Litopia: Litopia consists of two podcasts. The first, “Litopia Daily”, is a short daily round-up of news of interest to writers. The second, “Litopia After Dark”, is a longer weekly round-table dscussion of issues in the writing and publishing worlds. (RSS iTunes)
4. Grammar Girl: Mignon Fogarty offers “quick and dirty tips for better writing” in this twice-weekly show on the ins and outs of English grammar. (RSS iTunes)
5. Writing Excuses: features three writers (Brandon Sanderson , Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells) talking about various writing challenges, either amongst themselves or with guests. It's a brief 15 minutes - because, they say, “you’re in a hurry and we’re not that smart”) — fun, and surprisingly helpful. (RSS iTunes)

I hope you find these podcasts informative and interesting.

Do you know of other podcasts dedicated to writing? We would love to hear about them. Please post a link in the comments section along with a note about why you like it.