The Growing 2B Read Pile

As a fiction addict I’ve been getting my fix via Castle, Mentalist and Doll House all of which I totally recommend. I can DVR them on my Directv Receiver and watch at my leisure when the kids are sleeping. But I’d like to read more. Whose on my pile and whose been knocked down?

ZA Maxfield – soooo good at the gut twisting emotional impact with a side of sex.

Suzanne Brockmann – never makes it to the actual pile. I read her the first week they come out.

Jan Hambright’s – besides just being an all around great chapter mate she’s the guru of plot twists.

Right now I’m reading a ton of Silhouette Nocturne because I think my Amazon series would be a good fit with that line and I’m ‘researching’.

Books knocked off the pile unfinished?

I’ve tried to read (name with held to protect the writer) Again. There is no story question. If I hadn’t read the back of the book, which I never do, I would have no clue there was supposed to be some great world ending conflict. They do the dead on page 55, it should have happened on page five, and then what? Why should I continue? She is often placed on my pile, I’m intrigued by the story concept or a friend recommends a series by her but I have yet to finish one.

Harry Dresden, which is a dorky, wizardly version of Elvis Cole. I have a strong geeky side and I like the first person detective series. But there were soooo many characters and I haven’t decided if I care enough about any of them to read book 2.

So if you are one of the two people still reading this blog, tell me what’s just been placed on or knocked off your to be read pile and why.

Back in the Saddle and Ready to Ride

I haven’t posted in a very long time. If this is on your friends page or your blog reader you may not remember why you ever added me, so let me do a quick refressh. Citizen Police Academy, Hero’s Journey, GMC and the Great Deb Dixon, and Murder in the Grove Master Class Weekend.

Since I posted last I came to terms with having to return to work full time to make the ends meet. I’ve changed board positions a bit on the local non-profit groups and finished the 2nd draft of SAR and sent it to my beta reader who promptly sent it back with helpful, though painful, tips on how to make it better.

I entered both the Emerald City Opener and the Golden Opportunity and have a full of RNR at Loose Id I’m waiting a reply from (they rejected it very politely and I’m revising before I send it out again). I joined the RRW (Rainbow Romance Writers) and put together a new playlist for the WIP. Twittering, conferences, and my mother–in–law is living with us.

I’m Really Excited About END RESULTS. For $25.00, you will receive a detailed feedback sheet and comments from four readers on the first 25 pages and synopsis of your manuscript. Readers will report on characters, story development, dialog, narrative, setting, and plot. This is a perfect opportunity for feedback if you don’t have a critique group or if your only access to “readers” might be friends and relatives. This is a must use service.

I also just went back to school full time online through Kaplan university. I picked them for their class structure and bonus, work is paying for it. I’ll get my bachelors in communication in just over two years.

Crazy of all crazy, I plan on doing NaNoWriMo. Taunt me on or let me know if you need encouragement.

Practical Chemistry for Writers

From Val Roberts

Sorry for the x-posting, but I wanted to get the word out that I’m teaching Practical Chemistry for Writers as the first Murder in the Grove online class. This is a reprise of the class I taught through RWA KOD’s COFFIN program last year (with a couple of easter eggs they didn’t get). It’s also probably the last time I’ll teach this class for the foreseeable future. Practical Chemistry will cover: Poison 101 – the basics Poison 102 – overview of alkaloids Meanwhile Back at the Lab – how we handled things in my lab Herbal Medicine that Really Works Suburban Terrorism – what HSA won’t tell you Love Potion #1 – neurochemistry of attraction, infatuation & attachment Soapmaking Distillation You can find more information (or sign up for the class, hint hint) at http://www.murderinthegrove.com Feel free to forward this information wherever you think it might be useful or welcome. Thanks, Val Robertson — Blade’s Edge – Sept 2009 from Samhain Publishing Chemistry for Writers – MITG online class Oct 2009

Sex Scenes

Cross-posted to Genre Benders

At a recent writers meeting a few twitter stalkers of Ken’s was teasing him about writing love scenes. The story goes that when he got to a love scene in his WIP, he twittered that he hated to write them. The next day his mom, via computer web cam – cool mom – told him he needed to write more love scenes. Old ladies like them. Ken, feel free to add to the story.

So to help my friend out, here’s a link to a Romance Writers of America article on writing love scenes by Cara Summers a Harlequin Temptation and Blaze author.

Behind the cut below are the 12 stages of intimacy that Valerie Robertson was talking about at the meeting provided by Kerri-Leigh Grady. She says that Linda Howard was the first to introduce them but I’m not sure that’s true.

And here are my helpful tips. Build the tension so when you do get to the scene it doesn’t take as much to pull it off. *smiles* Remember that no one gets it perfect the first time. Sex doesn’t solve problems, only complicates things. And if you feel awkward writing or reading it, so will your reader. Write what you’d like to read. You can write a love scene where it fades to black (no actual on stage action) and still get the reader’s blood pumping. Me, I love to add humor to love scenes. The condom that won’t unroll. Trying to be sexy and falling on your butt. Tickling.

I’m Bloging over at Genre Benders