Fiction Scribe

Hello everyone! Today I have a very fun interview to share with you. Author LaConnie Taylor-Jones has joined us to talk about her book When I’m With You. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming her to the site.

If you’re interested in a chance at winning a $100 amazon.com gift card, check out the end of this interview!

Hello and thank you for stopping at Fiction Scribe, Ms. Taylor-Jones. Tell the readers a bit about yourself.

Hello everyone!! I’m a native Memphian currently living in Northern California with my husband and four kids. By trade, I’m a health educator consultant and an active volunteer with several social and community organizations. I started writing in the summer of ’03 and my debut novel, When I’m With You released in November ’07.

What brought you into the world of writing? When did you start?

The one thing that catapulted me into the writing world was my husband. In the spring of ’03, I was in bed reading a novel that was horrible. It was pass midnight and I think my husband was tired of hearing me whine about the book because he said, “Honey, if you can write a better book, do it, but baby, turn out the lights.� I took him up on the challenged and I’ve never looked back.

You’re currently on virtual tour for your contemporary romance novel When I’m With You. Could you tell us a bit about the book?

When I’m With You is a story that shows the damage caused by an abusive relationship, how the person who’s abused suffers, how to trust again, and why one has to FFF: forgive, forget, and move forward.

What inspired you to write When I’m With You? Where did the idea begin?

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Yes, it’s Valentines Day. Love it, hate it, whatever, it still exists. I never felt much this way or that about it when I was younger, but it is nice now when I can do special little things for my husband.

Including writing a little love note. I have rules when it comes to what I write in my love notes, but not everyone does.

For your amusement…

1. We need to talk.
2. Hi there snooky pooky peeky weety pushy wooshy lovey wuvey cuddle wuddle wuv muffin!
3. So, I was going to take you out to dinner, but I thought this and the bagel from the deli would be much better.
4. Butter, milk, bread, peanut butter. For Vday, I made the grocery list for you. Enjoy!
5. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
6. I lOvE u So MuCh
7. I spent all my money on my other girl, but I really think you’ll like this poem!
8. Today is just another day…
9. I think it’s more important to save for those fancy hubcaps so I didn’t get you anything, but I wanted you to know how much I love you.
10. I’m going out with my friends tonight, but when I get back…
11. I hope you’re not allergic to cats…
12. I don’t know where you’ll put this humongous teddy bear, but it represents how much I love you.
13. [unreadable handwriting]

Check out my other Thursday Thirteens at Write Anyway, Long Relationships, and The Book Stacks

It’s more than past time for some more publishing opportunities. These ones come to you from ChickenSoup.com

…No Specific Title…
If you have a great story but you are not sure where it should go, please submit it here. When our editors read it they will forward it on to the appropriate book title.

…Results Stories…
Have you read a particular Chicken Soup story and, after reading it, found that it changed your life? We are looking for stories on how a story made important changes in your life and what, specifically, happened to you after you read it. Please be sure to let us know the title of the story that touched your life.

Actively Retired Soul
Just as the title suggests, there is no “retiring” after you retire! Most retirees are busier than ever and this book will share humorous and fun stories from those who are actively enjoying their “senior years!” The deadline date for story submissions is May 31, 2008.

Basketball Lover’s Soul
Stories of inspiration and resilience from basketball players and from the fans who love basketball. The deadline date for story submissions is March 31, 2008.

Catholic Soul
An affirming collection of powerful and heartwarming stories and poems full of faith and inspiration. The deadline date for story submissions is May 30, 2008.

Christmas Pet Book
Many people feel that their pets are a part of their families. Do you have a special holiday story to share with us involving your pet? We would love to have you submit it to us. The deadline date for story submission is March 31, 2008.

Getting In…To College
An amazing statistic is that there are over three million high school seniors who graduate each year and more than half of them apply to college. There are many books published that tell you how to get into college but this book will be different. This book will be the one that provides emotional support to both students and their parents. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2008.

High School Student’s Soul
The high school years are some of the most difficult but, at the same time, some of the best. You will be able to relate to and learn from the stories in this book. They will make you laugh, make you cry and let you know that others are having the same experiences in high school that you are. You are not alone. The deadline for story submissions is April 30, 2008.

Life Lessons for Leaders
Some people inspire and bring out the best in others. These people are considered to be the leaders in our society and the stories and lessons in this book will be about them. The deadline date for story submissions is June 30, 2008.

Middle School Student’s Soul
The years in middle school can be tough and wonderful - all at the same time. There are so many changes going on and so many things to deal with. The stories in this book will be about the issues going on in your life - the things that you deal with everyday - and they will inspire you. The deadline for story submissions is April 30, 2008.

Resolution Stories
We all do it!! We make those New Year’s resolutions each year and we try so hard to keep them. How did yours work out? We would love to hear from you about the resolutions you made, those that worked and those that didn’t. What did you learn? The deadline date for story submissions is August 31, 2008.

You finally get an idea for a story. Not just a story – an awesome story. The story that could really get your name out there, you think. Your story is about a writer (heh) who gets to travel through time to the very time he was writing about! Oh, goodie.

Given the time and location difference, many of your characters will talk differently to your main character. Given this, you decided to do what you’re sure many authors before you have done before you: use accents!

How about I stop you right there, okay? Accents are not something to do lightly. Unless you have done your research, any attempt you make at using accents is either going to be heavy-handed or just plain wrong.

Let’s say you’ve done your research. Okay. Kudos to you. Even so, a lot of writers use too much.

“Och, laddie! Ya dinna think I was gonna be as thuck as tha!� might sound like it’s just the right thing for your story, but do you really want to write all the characters speaking with an accent at that or around that level? Because you’re going to have to. Consistency is everything.

If you decide that yes, you can write all your characters at that level of accent throughout your piece, you still have something to think about it: Is your reader going to want to read almost every character speaking like that throughout your story?

Hm. Computer says no.

Accents can be a wonderful addition to fiction if done right.

Never assume you can do it right until you’ve talked to someone who has studied the time period, language, etc.

One of the hardest things for aspiring writers (and some accomplished writers) is to complete this equation.

As we know all too well, doing the laundry or washing the lawn never looked as good as it does when you’re supposed to be writing.

So how do you get yourself in the chair? Here are a few tips:

1. Just do it. Yeah, I know you’re groaning now, but give me a second. It’s obvious that a big part of this is getting yourself in the habit, right? Well, you can’t start a habit by waiting for motivation to come, that’s for sure.

Whether you write or end up doodling for half an hour, sit at your desk at the same time every day. If you can’t swing the same time every day, at least do it for the same amount of time every day. It takes three weeks to get into a habit, so start now.

2. Mind drain. This is useful no matter what you’re doing. If you find yourself getting distracted or caught up in other things, take some time to do a mind drain. Pick a notebook and for a certain amount of time or pages (I usually do it for a half an hour each morning before starting work) write without stopping.

Get everything off your mind and onto the paper. Keep a notepad there, too, if you find you are checking back to the page because you wrote a to-do list.

3. Close the door. This advice comes from Stephen King. The first draft of any story you write is strictly for you. You are telling the story to yourself. When it comes time for working on the following drafts and editing, then you can open the door.

Get to it and get writing.

I say … and you think … ?

1. Score ::
2. Luxurious ::
3. Party ::
4. Limited edition ::
5. Security ::
6. Betty ::
7. Under construction ::
8. Pest ::
9. Director ::
10. Express ::

Courtesy of Luna Nina

Hello everyone!

Today I have a real treat of an interview for you. The lovely authors who wrote The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Enhancing Sexual Desire are here today answering questions about the book. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming them to the site.

Hello and thank you for stopping at Fiction Scribe, Rachel and Judy. Tell the readers a bit about yourself.

Rachel: I have worked as a social worker/therapist in the past, and right now I am a stay-at-home mother of two small children (ages 5 and 2) and a freelance writer.

What brought you into the world of writing? When did you start?

Rachel: I have been writing since the age of seven. I had an amazing second grade teacher who encouraged all of us to write poetry, and that’s when the love of writing all started for me. After that, I had lots of encouraging teachers, and I was an English Major and Sociology minor in college.

When I got married in 1990 and moved from New York to Massachusetts, I took an adult ed. creative writing course with the amazing short story writer and novelist Melanie Rae Thon. Melanie in turn introduced me to the late and much missed short story writer Andre Dubus, and I had the great good fortune of taking part in a Thursday night writing workshop that he ran out of his home in Haverhill, Massachusetts up until his untimely death. I tried to write fiction, especially during the time I was in Andre’s group, but I feel much more comfortable writing nonfiction, especially self-help books, so that is what I focus on now.

You’re currently on virtual tour for your book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Enhancing Sexual Desire. Could you tell us a bit about the book?

Rachel: We are so excited about this book. Our approach is very positive, very joyful and playful. People get very busy and very stressed out, and sometimes, as a result of fatigue and stress and a general feeling of being sort of over-scheduled and overwhelmed by life, they may neglect their relationship with their partners, or allow it to drop to the bottom of their “priority list� (well below children, careers, community involvement, hobbies, social obligations, etc.). Our book offers readers a powerful reminder to make time and save energy for each other, both in the bedroom and outside of it.

What inspired you to write this book? Where did the idea begin?

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Happy Thursday Thirteen everyone!

Do you love Thursdays? I do. I always thought Thursdays are better than Fridays.

Today I have decided to do something a little different (again) with my thirteen list. Today I am listing thirteen publishing companies to make a point. Since I was a young girl, I always wanted to be published by Tor publishing because I found myself always enjoying the books they put out.

I want you to look at this list and realize this is a very small list. There are a lot of publishing companies out there and you should take time to find and research the ones you want to submit to. Do your part to start wasting the time of people who work for these companies by doing your research and submitting to places that are accepting the genre your work is in.

1. World Ahead
2. Orion
3. Penguin
4. Tor/Firebird
5. Prelude Press
6. Alpha
7. Writer’s Digest Books
8. Pelican Publishing
9. Del Ray
10. Rain Books
11. Simon and Schuster
12. HarperCollins
13. Seal Press

Check out my other Thursday Thirteens at Write Anyway, Long Relationships, and The Book Stacks

Fear. That’s what it all comes down to, doesn’t it? The reason you’re not writing?

Oh, I used to tell myself that I was just too busy to right, too. There was just too much going on for me to think about writing. I mean, not only do you have to sit down, then you have to think about what to write, and then? Then you actually have to write it.

Sound familiar?

Well, whether you know it or not, the most likely reason you’re not writing (or doing whatever artistic activity brings you pleasure) is not lack of time but lack of confidence.

I’m not trying to criticize you. I’ve been there. I avoided my creative writing for months by drowning myself in as many writing related tasks as I could. That way I could still say that I was writing, but I could also avoid my creative writing.

I didn’t want to consciously avoid my creative writing; I was simply afraid. Why? Well, part of getting past the fears, doubts, and blocks is figuring out your own personal reasons for not writing.

Do you think you’ll never be successful? Is your past filled with people cutting you down and telling you that you’ll never be what you want to be? Did you have a childhood focused on being told you need to do something that will pay the bills?

Take some time and think about why you’re not writing. On of the best ways to do this, courtesy of The Artist’s Way, is to write “I [your name] am an excellent writer who will get published.” Doing that will bring out all your little fears and doubts so you can snatch them and figure out what’s behind them.

This could be the first step in unleashing your creativity like it has never been unleashed before.

I like poetry. I truly do. Poetry can be beautiful and present images and emotions in ways prose can’t.

What I don’t like are poets who write something that I and no one else can understand. I and the other readers go on to comment about how we don’t understand it. Then the poet goes on to make comments like “Well, it’s just too deep for you then” or “It’s not my problem if you can’t understand my message”.

It’s happened more than once.

If you’re talking about iridescent lilies in the sky and mean it to represent your relationship with your father, that’s fine. But as a writer and poet, it’s your job to make sure your readers understand it as well.

If your readers come back to you not understanding, then maybe you should take a hint.

Excuse me, but if I don’t understand what you’re talking about, I’m not going to nod along and talk about how deep and meaningful your poetry is.

If other people understand it, okay. There are probably a lot of things I don’t understand that other people do. However, if you have to explain what your poem means to the majority of people who read/hear it, maybe you should take the hint.

Just because you’re a poet doesn’t mean you aren’t a writer. If you write purely for yourself, fine. But if you write with the intention of having an actual audience, then you need to pay attention and adjust if people simply don’t understand.

Being too vague never helped anyone.

Welcome to the February 4, 2008 edition of Scribes. I have had a lot of great entries this round and I am excited to share them with you.

I would like to remind people that you are limited to two submissions per blog. I had someone submit five things this round and, while I appreciate the enthusiasm, I don’t like flooding the carnival with any one person.

Danogo presents Pushing the Limits of Creativity for Personal Development and Business Innovation posted at Danogo.com - Discover. Inspiring. Media, saying, “An overview of the creative process and the importance of it in developing personal and business innovation.”

Steve Osborne presents “Are You Done Yet?â€? posted at TheWritersBag.com, saying, “Steve Osborne, author of “Writing Tips for the Real World,” is a professional freelance writer and writing instructor with over 20 years of experience.”

Michael@TSM presents Travel Writing Contest! Win $150 Cash Prize | Traveling Stories Magazine posted at Traveling Stories Magazine.

Jenn presents The Letter (Part One) posted at Mixed Metaphor.net, saying, “A multi-part fictional story about a woman coming to grips with the choices she made in her youth, the state of her life, and the direction she wants the remainder of her journey on earth to take.”

Fiction

Alice Audrey on behalf of Mr. Al presents Suzie’s House: 1 A Matter of Economics « Alice’s Restaurant posted at Alice’s Restaurant, saying, “A continuing tale of love and mayhem”

CG Walters presents Djalma : Mystic posted at Into the Mist, saying, “Excepted article from Sacred Vow by CG Walters (ISBN 978-0-9774271-0-9, visionary fiction). Ian has met a young mystic, Djalma, who is trying to explain how Ian has been traveling into parallel lives to meet with a mysterious woman that he seems incomprehensibly bonded to.”

How-To

Steve Osborne presents “Has Gotâ€? Has Got to Go posted at TheWritersBag.com, saying, “Steve Osborne, author of “Writing Tips for the Real World,” is a professional freelance writer and writing instructor with over 20 years of experience.”

Michael Bass presents Hints for writing great blog posts. posted at Debt Prison, saying, “Don’t write junk, anything worth writing is worth writing correctly. Bad articles will leave readers with a negative impression of your site.”

Rebecca Suzanne Dean presents How To Kick Writers? Block posted at Rebecca Dean.

Maria Fernandez presents It’s or its, how do I know which one is right? posted at A blog about the books you love, saying, “Do you ever hesitate whether to write “it’sâ€? or “itsâ€?? Here are some tips that’ll help you get them right every time.”

Brent Diggs presents Writing Prompts for the Not-So-Prompt posted at The Ominous Comma, saying, “Humor for writers”

Kilroy_60 presents A Moment Of Inspiration posted at Fear And Loathing - The Gonzo Papers, saying, “How To…write blog comments people will remember?”

Jessse Hines presents Got Writer’s Block? Just Eat that Frog. posted at Vigorous Writing.

Jessse Hines presents Want to Write Better? Read Some Road Signs posted at Vigorous Writing.

Non-Fiction

Bela presents How to Catch a Mouse | House Chronicles posted at House Chronicles.

MLBGirl presents Hey, I’m a Carnie posted at In Honor of Judge Landis (Commodo servo nos, A. Bart Giamatti).

Thursday Bram presents What If? Emergency Planning for Your Writing posted at thursdaybram.com, saying, “Protect your writing business in an emergency.”

JHSEsq presents What is Your Legacy? posted at Colloquium, saying, “What would you say to your family and friends if you were to compose a message to be published upon your death? One soldier thought about that question and extracted a promise from his friend to publish his words if he should die in Iraq. Sadly, that post was published earlier this month”

Publishing

Karen Shanley presents Do You Have to Have an Agent to Sell a Book? posted at Karen Shanley.

Stephen Dean presents Deciphering Cosmopolitan Magazines posted at Stephen Dean’s Copywriting And Internet Advertising Blog - Copywriter.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of scribes using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

I say … and you think … ?

1. What women want ::
2. Epidemic ::
3. Taxes ::
4. Hello ::
5. Confidential ::
6. Lights ::
7. Summation ::
8. Hard feelings ::
9. Electric ::
10. Fresh start ::

Courtesy of Luna Nina

Since February is the time for cupids and hearts and all things romantic and sometimes not-so-romantic, what better time than to write a letter to your lover?

On February 1, 2008, Rachel Greene Baldino and Judy Ford, authors of the book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Enhancing Sexual Desire, are embarking on a virtual book tour around the world collecting letters from bloggers who would like to tell their lovers how they really feel about them - the good and the bad - and become a part of their tour!

If you would like to become involved in their contest, this is how it works:

1. Think of the things you would like to say to your lover, but haven’t had the time or the reason, whether it’s to say how much you love them or how they drive you up the wall. Yes, the good and the bad and the funnier or more outrageous the better! Let everything hang out!

2. Do not use names. Name your blog post “Letter to My Lover” and begin your post with “Dear Lover” They’ll have to guess who it’s for!

3. Post your message on your blog between now and February 14th and send us the exact link to thewriterslife(at)yahoo.com. Please put “Letter to my Lover” in your subject line.

4. When we receive your link, we will add it to Rachel and Judy’s tour page!

5. But, that’s not all! Rachel and Judy will pick one of the bloggers who participate a FREE copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Enhancing Sexual Desire! That’s their Valentine’s Day present to you!

6. And not only that, we will promote your blog through our daily promotions using your blog post as part of their virtual book tour, thus bringing you lots of traffic during February!

7. We also ask that you include a jpeg copy of Rachel and Judy’s book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Enhancing Sexual Desire, in your blog post. You can find their book cover here (you are welcome to copy and paste from there).

8. All participants will be listed on Rachel and Judy’s tour page so that everyone can read YOUR letters to your lover!

That’s all there is to it! Hurry before time runs out. Become involved in a nationwide campaign to tell the world what you think about your lover and see how much fun it will be to read the letters of others. Share your letters and become involved in RACHEL AND JUDY’S “LETTER TO MY LOVER” VALENTINE’S DAY CONTEST!

Rachel and Judy’s virtual book tour will be highly publicized including press releases and other promotions and is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book promotion. You can visit their website at PumpUpYouBookPromotion.com.

Rachel and Judy will be taking over Long Relationships February 11th to the 15th, so be sure to stop by!

Hello and happy Friday, everyone.

Today I have an excellent interview by a woman whose name truly die hard Dallas fans will recognize, Camille Marchetta. She is here today to talk about her novel The River, By Moonlight. I hope you’ll join me in welcoming her to the site.

Hello and thank you for stopping at Fiction Scribe, Ms. Marchetta. Tell the readers a bit about yourself.

Hello. Please call me Camille. And thank you for your invitation, Jaime. Tell a bit about myself? Yes. Well . . . I was born in Brooklyn, one of New York City’s five boroughs. I went to elementary and high school there and to college just about thirty minutes farther north. A very romantic adolescent, I dreamed of being an ex-patriot, and though I made it almost to the Canadian border when I was about twelve (car trouble ended that holiday), I never actually left the country until after I got my degree. My first trip abroad was to the Grenadines, on vacation.

A few months later, I went to London, fell in love with it, decided to stay, and worked there as a literary agent for several years. (One of the many perks of my life at the time was that I got to travel in England, as well as on the continent, for business and for fun.)

When I decided I was ready to start writing, I went on to Los Angeles, where I had friends working in television. It took a while, but I did finally get a job, first as a scriptwriter, then as a story editor on Dallas (at the very beginning, as it happened), and after that my career was off and running. I wrote pilots for new series, a TV movie, worked as a writer/producer on other series, including Dynasty, and took time off in between to write novels. I co-authored two with Ivana Trump and, so far, have three of my own

What brought you into the world of writing? When did you start?

Writing was something I always wanted to do. My mother claimed that, long before I could read, I used to bang away at my father’s old Underwood typewriter, pretending I was writing a story. And I remember beginning my first novel when I was eight.

I never finished it, which – unfortunately – was the tale of my writing life for many years after. It was a matter of self-confidence, I think, of being too timid to try to elbow my way into a “club” that included Tolstoy, Wharton, Fitzgerald, so many writers I admired. But getting that job at the literary agency in London really was a stroke of good fortune. Working with my clients, I learned that all writers, at least from time to time, lose their confidence; and that it’s necessary to push past that, focus on the work, keep writing, and hope for the best. Now, that’s what I try to do.

You’re currently on virtual tour for your novel The River, By Moonlight. Could you tell us a bit about the book?

The novel is set in New York City and the Hudson River Valley, in 1917, just as the United States is about to enter the First World War. It deals with the death of Lily Canning, a talented young artist, and the effect of her loss on her family and friends. They are devastated by grief, tormented by questions of how and why, and if that isn’t enough, they’re all terrified that the coming war will cost them more lives, more loved ones.

How do we get beyond our pain and fear, how do we move on? These are among the questions raised in the novel. Each of the main characters has a different answer. Some of those answers are satisfying. Some are not. But I believe they’re honest answers and that, in the end, a case is made for the resiliency of the human spirit and the power of hope.

What inspired you to write The River, By Moonlight? Where did the idea begin?

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