Choices Meant for Kings

We're lucky enough to have Sandy Lender back with us today for a blog tour for her next book, Choices Meant for Kings.

I always love getting a sneak peek into authors' lives, so Sandy's been kind enough to answer some of my questions. Lucky you, you'll get to eavesdrop on our conversation:

When did you first decide to become a writer?

I started on this dream of being a writer when I was a little kid. I used to write stories for my great grandmother and she’d share them with folks in her apartment building. I like to say I wrote my first speculative fiction story when I was six or seven because one of those stories was about a spider that ended up haunting an old lady.

Ah. My beautiful great grandmother always supported my dreams and goals. She didn’t just share a six-year-old’s stories around a building, you know. I could devote an entire blog to her.

Tell us a bit about your road to publication.

That road is paved with frozen tears. Mwuahahahahaha. Seriously, I finished CHOICES MEANT FOR GODS the summer of 2003 and announced such at the summer Duran Duran party. My friend Steve Thomas said, “Now you need to get an agent.” An agent.

So I did some research online and bought that Herman book about agents. (Note the importance of that in this story…) I found a couple agents in that book who A) claimed they handled fantasy works, B) claimed they accepted new clients, and C) claimed they accepted writers who hadn’t been published before. I researched those further online and figured out which one seemed fabulous for me. I mean, she looked like the IDEAL agent for me to work with. We would totally click. I wrote a fabulous query letter according to all the research I was doing, mailed it to her with the SASE, and got a reply back requesting the first three chapters. I WAS ELATED. So I sent that to her formatted exactly the way her Web site said to.

The night that I got her “I’m just not suitably excited to represent you properly” rejection in the mail, I cried as if someone had killed my best friend. When the guy I was married to at the time got home from work, he found me sitting in the living room floor, leaning against the couch with the mail strewn out around me, a tumbler of amaretto in my hand, a box of tissues with wadded-up-used Kleenexes salting the carpet in a trail everywhere I’d been in the house, and sobbing quietly into the couch cushions. He was stunned, to say the least. I don’t remember if I waved the rejection letter at him or just pointed to it, but I said, “I got a rejection from (fill in name here).” I think he said, “I’m sorry,” before he tucked his tail between his legs and slunk off down the hall to his den and closed the door with a quiet click against the insanity unfolding in the house.

But, you know…the next day…I started researching who to send a new query letter off to. The thing is, I figured out on my own that getting a literary agent wasn’t the way I was going to get my foot in the publishing industry door. I stopped the query-rejection-letter blues a couple months into the exercise. After moving to Florida in 2006, I attended the Naples Press Club’s annual writer’s conference where I had a pitch session with Bob Gelinas of ArcheBooks Publishing. Pow. The dream came true!

That's a wonderfully inspiring story and points out that persistence is the key. All of us have been down the rejection path, but isn't it wonderful when you find an editor or agent and you click? (For all you as-yet-unpublished authors, don't give up hope. Someday that "click" will be yours too.)

Now on to some nuts-and-bolts writing questions. How do you come up with your ideas? And what do you do when you face writer’s block?

My ideas come from anything and everything. People at Wal-mart really have to start being more careful around me…they’re turning into comic relief characters. Even though I can write under any conditions and at the drop of a hat, I know I have certain triggers that will get ideas flowing “on command.” When I was preparing for a recent timed contest, I set up my writing “area” with comfy pillows and certain candles and ornate bookends around my reference books and paintings of the type of dragon I wanted in the story and specific, moody songs on my iTunes.

Luckily, writer’s block is not something I have to deal with. I’ve heard other writers complain about it, but…you know…it’s just not in me. My brain is too full of bizarre crap. And funky dreams. I swear, I have vivid, bizarre, four-color, sometimes violent dreams. That’s why I keep a notebook and several pens next to the bed.

My author friend Jamieson Wolf has a non-fiction book that’s a guidebook for writers. It includes a chapter on preparing what he has coined an “idea jar.” It’s a fantastic idea that he’s come up with if you fear writer’s block may catch up to you some day. I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing this, because I’m giving away a majority of that chapter here, but you essentially write down ideas or characters or concepts that bombard you during your ultra creative times and stuff them in an “idea jar” for use during those dry spells. You can find Jamieson’s writer’s guidebook (as well as a ton of his fiction work) at his site www.jamiesonwolf.com.

What’s your typical writing day like?

I don’t think I get typical writing days. Now, having said that, I do work as the editor for a construction magazine, so I write (and edit) for that on a daily basis. Even that, though, requires writing some days, interviewing people and discussing article ideas some days, editing and assembling things some days, etc. For sure, every day, whether I’m going to write, edit, or do marketing work, the day starts with offering appeasement to the birds. I have companion parrots who are pretty smart, so they need puzzles and games to keep them occupied during the day. So the day starts with treats and foraging puzzles for the birds. The work day ends with me diving into marketing adventures. Then I write before I pass out at night. There are myriad other tasks in between all that stuff. That’s sort of a “general” writing day if not typical…

What hobbies do you have besides writing?

What? Besides writing? I don’t think I understand…He he he. To be serious, I’m passionate about sea turtle conservation (check the links section of my Web site to see the link to the group I volunteer with), Charlotte Bronte and her sisters (because they are amazing and awe-inspiring), Duran Duran (because they have provided the soundtrack for my life), companion parrots (because mine rule my life and provide TONS of entertainment), and probably many other things I’m neglecting to mention. You can become my friend on Facebook and see “some” of the craziness…

What books are you reading now?

Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox; The Exodus Gate by Stephen Zimmer; Facets of Fantasy by Sarah Scheele; The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein

If you could be anyone throughout history or in the present day, who would you choose, and why?

You know…I’m kinda struggling with this. I don’t think I want to “be” anyone else. I don’t even want to say “Chariss” from my novels because I know what she has yet to go through.

Sounds as if you're content with your life as it is, Sandy. A rare and wonderful gift. :-)

What’s one secret that no one knows about you?

This isn’t really a secret, and my parents know it, but when I was in like second or third grade, I wanted to set up a science section in my room. I wanted to have a microscope and telescope and science books and gems and stuff.

What one question would you like to ask the readers of the blog?

I have a presence on tons of Web sites and book-buying sites. I’d like to do more than ask where readers like to go to look for new authors or new books…I’d like to ask which sites you guys trust to give you good info about the author and the book? Thanks for sharing your opinions!

Thank you for a great interview, Lily. Good questions…my poor brain is really getting a workout on this tour! I hope your visitors are very kind with their follow-up questions, and I hope they weigh in with their opinions on book-buying sites they trust for info. Thanks for the opp to ask!

“Some days, you just want the dragon to win.”

You're welcome. And readers, why not leave some answers for Sandy and give yourself a chance to win a copy of her latest book, Choices Meant for Kings.

To whet your appetite, I've included a blurb and excerpt below:

BLURB:

Chariss is in danger. Her geasa is hampered by the effects of a friend’s marriage. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family’s estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette The Betrayer know she’s there, and their monstrous army marches that way.

When prophecies stack up to threaten an arrogant deity, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned-Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

A Tense Little Excerpt From Choices Meant for Kings

By fantasy author Sandy Lender

http://www.authorsandylender.com

You won’t find this excerpt anywhere except Sandy’s current online book tour…

As the soldier stepped toward him, Nigel reached out his arm and caught him by the neck. He slammed the captain against the far wall. He pinned him there with his body, leaning against the man as if he could crush the wind from him with his presence.

He brought his face close to the soldier’s ear and spoke lowly, fiercely, so that no one could have overheard him. The menace and intent behind the words was as surprising to the captain as the words themselves.

“I asked you to accompany [Chariss] on this journey tomorrow because I have faith in your sword, and until this moment I trusted you to keep your distance from her. Now, I find her down here at your side with a look upon your face that suggests more than you realize. So help me, Naegling, the only thing that stays my hand is how displeased she would be if she learned that I sliced you open.”

“The look you see is merely my concern for her honor. Nothing more.”

“I’m not a fool. And I’ll use every last piece of Arcana’s treasury to pay the prophets to justify my reasons for marrying that woman, so you can unconcern yourself with her honor.”

Hrazon stepped off the staircase then and saw Nigel pressed against his guard.

“I still believe you’re one of the best soldiers Arcana’s ever seen,” Nigel continued, “and I want you at her side for this journey, but, so help me, Naegling, she comes back alive and well and not confused in the least about her affections for me, or I will string you up from a tree in the orchard and attach your intestines to your horse’s saddle before I send it—”

Hrazon cleared his throat. “Excuse me. Is there an issue here I should address?”

Writing Memorable Characters

Diane Craver, author of Whitney in Charge, who's joining us today, has agreed to share her insights on writing characters. She obviously has had a lot of experience with that because she's a multi-published author. Here's a bit about her latest release:

TV producer Whitney Benson is tired of her older sisters’ attempts to fix her up with every single male they meet. Shannon and Regan cross the line when they arrange for her to go skydiving with the simple excuse that more guys like to float in the air than women.

Whitney meets two eligible bachelors, Jack and Ben, who constantly battle for her affection. Which one will she choose? Both men make Whitney realize, even a heart shattered by her husband’s death, can once again be made whole.

But did she have to fall off a cliff to learn that?

Intriguing, right? So let's take a sneak peek at two of Diane's characters:

When the fireworks went off to celebrate a Reds homerun above the Ohio River, the crowd roared and clapped. Whitney let herself be caught up in the enthusiasm, jumping up from her seat to clap and whoop, cupping her palms around her mouth. She sat down, laughing, enjoying herself more than she had in a long time. When Jack had invited Whitney to go to a baseball game on Wednesday, she’d hesitated even though she loved going to the stadium. They’d just gone out Saturday night. She wanted to take things slow and easy. But, in the end, she’d said yes.

And she was so glad she did.

Who was she kidding? She wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss him until neither one of them could think or breathe. But she couldn’t smother his lips with hers during a baseball game. She took a quick glance at Jack. Regan was right – he did look a lot like Matthew McConaughey. She wondered if McConaughey also loved baseball.

Jack tugged on her visor. “Hey, you look pretty cute in this cap.”

She took a bite of her nachos and cheese. “I like the eating part a lot at games.”

Jack glanced at the boy sitting a couple rows in front of them munching on a box of popcorn. The delicious aroma of popcorn and butter drifted up to them. “I might have to buy popcorn, too.”

“Please help me eat the nachos first.”

He dipped a chip in the cheese, popping it in his mouth. He smacked his fingertips between his lips, licking off the melted cheese and salt. “I wish you hadn’t paid for the beer.”

“You bought the tickets. I wanted to pay for something.” She licked warm cheese off her finger. “So did you rescue any cliff climbers today?”

“Nope. I only rescue beautiful women on Mondays.”

“I’ll have to remember that. Since the pool’s open now and if it’s not too cold, we can go swimming after the game.” Why did she blurt that invitation out to him? Could she handle him if he got too intimate? She hated taking a step forward, then a step back again, but she was just confused about what she wanted from Jack.

“I’ll have to go home to get my trunks first.”

“I have several suits in different sizes.”

Jack smiled at her. “Do you collect trunks from your guests?”

She laughed. “No. Unless my mom did. People used to drop in a lot, and she’d invite them to go swimming with us. They didn’t have their suits. Mom bought a few girls’ suits and women’s and men’s in different sizes.”

“Bases are loaded. Bring them home.” Jack patted her knee. “Isn’t this fun? I love the Reds.”

“You’re right. This is fun. I’m glad you─”

“Hey, the kissing cam’s on us.” Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, covering her mouth with his.

She’d forgotten how they had a kissing camera to zero in on couples and when it happened, the pair usually waved or kissed each other.

She enjoyed kissing Jack back and hated it when he stopped. “You didn’t need to stop because the camera’s no longer on us.”

“I don’t want to spoil you.”

It occurred to her why he wanted her to switch T-shirts before the game. “You gave me a Reds’ t-shirt to wear to increase our chances of getting on the kissing cam.”

He shrugged. “Ben already got you on TV when you fell. I had to get you on TV again. I didn’t want you to think I’m a slacker here. And I managed it without you falling out of your seat.”

“We can’t have you being a slacker.” She glanced down at her red shirt. “Do I get to keep this shirt?”

“Only if you get me a baseball cap like yours?”

“This one was my dad’s, but it’s a deal.”

So let's find out some of her secrets about how to write characters:

One of the hardest things to do in writing is to create characters that readers will care about, and will want to read on. You can have a well-written novel but if the editors, agents or readers don’t care that much about your characters, you won’t get very far.

A Memorable Character should have the following attributes:

1. A strong, independent personality.
2. Believable motivation.
3. Consistent behavior.
4. Imagination.
5. Courage to take the initiative.
6. A bigger-than-life image.
7. Human traits - good and bad.

The above traits will develop over the character’s life. In other words, a character usually doesn’t begin her or his novel life having all 7 attributes.

Each writer has their own system in creating their characters. I jot down as much information about each main character as possible - eye color, hair color, and write down a goal for each one. Some authors are more detailed in their approach and use a chart method, filling in vital information. Mine is more a narrative approach. You need to know your characters very well so that you can make them real to the readers.

Character description shouldn’t stop the action. The writer needs to convey description without stopping the flow. I try not to convey description by saying the character stopped and looked in the mirror at his or her appearance. Boring!

A pet peeve of mine is when a writer tries too hard to be different in naming their characters. If the names are hard to remember or I can’t pronounce them, I will become annoyed. But you don’t want to use Mary Doe or John Smith either. Poor usage of character names may signal an amateur writer. Switching between first and last names makes it hard for a reader to learn a new character. For example, referring to a character as “Mary Doe” in the first sentence, then “Mrs. Doe” in the second, then “Mary” in the third will confuse the reader, especially if there are many characters in the scene.

There are drives, strong feelings, and motivations that are common to all of us. We all need to be loved, to get recognition, and to know who we are. When any one of these basic drives is blocked, there is conflict. When you have conflict, whether it is physical, psychological, or spiritual, you have one of the fundamental elements of all fiction. Conflict is what drives fiction. Without conflict, there is no action or reaction.

I love to research occupations for my characters because it’s fun to write about jobs I have never had. Although I was a teacher before starting our family, Mallory is the only teacher I have for a main character. I’ve used teaching careers for secondary characters. I’ve gone to the library to get books on occupations used for characters, but I also have used the internet for a lot of my background information. I did buy a used book from Amazon on broadcasting for my Whitney in Charge book. I enjoyed reading how a TV program is produced.

It’s not good to launch into the story without stopping to establish any of the characters. In many “high concept” novels, a heated scene occurs immediately without the readers knowing anything about the characters. Readers have to know something about the characters to care what happens to them before the exciting scene happens. The characters are the plot - their needs, wishes, developments. Their introduction and establishment should be the most important. Introducing too many characters in the beginning pages will confuse the reader.

I pay close attention to those around me in my daily life. I remember any interesting or unusual traits or habits that I can use for my characters. Observation is important for a writer. Also what might be interesting to me may not be to someone else. I consider what makes a character intriguing to others. I try to avoid cliché traits and to create unique characters.

While reading or writing, what kind of characters do you enjoy the most?

Readers, answer Diane's question or just leave a comment about her book or this blog and you'll be in the running for a free copy of the book. And a bonus: All this week, I'm picking one commenter to win an e-copy of my book, Spark of Magic. Will YOU be one of the lucky winners? Leave a comment and see...

Need Some Writing Motivation?

Another writer and more great writing tips...

I asked Lorhainne Eckhardt , author of The Captain's Lady, to tell us how she manages to keep herself writing. I know many people would be writers if only...

If only my life weren't so busy. If only I had the time. If only I didn't procrastinate. If only... If only...

So here are Lorhainne's suggestions:

How I motivate myself to write is such a good topic for a blog, since I am sure I am one of many who fights that urge to procrastinate. I love to write, but there are days where it is easy for me to find anything else to do, such as clean the house, mow the lawn, go grocery shopping, talk on the telephone, you get the idea. My children are my biggest motivator.

I developed a schedule. I get up in the morning generally around 4 am, but sometimes it’s 5 am. I put on the coffee, and I schedule a good two hours of writing time in the peace and quiet before the kids get up. During this time I actually get more accomplished then any other time of day.

After the kids are at school, I write for the next five hours. What I do is establish a goal each day. When I am writing a novel, it’s two thousand words a day. So if I can maintain my focus I can be done in three or four hours. On those days, I’ll reward myself. I’ll take some me time, and it could be anything, such as sitting down and reading a book of one of my many favorite authors or working in my garden. Whatever it is at that moment that will bring peace.

There have been many days where I struggled to get two pages written. At anytime if the words aren’t flowing or I’m struggling with a particular scene, I’ll close up my computer and take a walk outside in nature to clear my head. This works for me, it helps me to ground myself to go back and write.

It’s important that I don’t schedule anything during the day when I’m writing. But life is such that things do come up. If I need to schedule an appointment, I do it late enough in the afternoon that it doesn’t cut up my day. I plan meals in advance too, so I don’t spend every day preparing a meal from scratch. When I cook, I make lots so there are leftovers and freeze any extras for a quick meal. Otherwise I found I always had that one thing in the back of my mind, that I still needed to do and that would took my focus away from my writing.

I never write when my kids are home, I maintain that time as our time together. Basically what it boils down to is that this is my career choice, and I treat it as a job, one that I love. No matter what the deadline is, I never write at night.

Thanks, Lohrainne! You've given us some great ideas. I especially like the tip about not writing at night. Have to try that one. And I must admit, my kids were a great motivator for writing too. Writing was the only way I could keep my sanity.

Well, I know after viewing the terrific cover above, you'd love to learn more about The Captain's Lady, so I'm including a blurb below:

Captain Eric Hamilton is a powerful force in the U.S. Navy, having earned himself a reputation of being a hard-nosed chauvinist. He’s commander of the USS Larsen, a destroyer, currently deployed in the Persian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Abby Carlton has just escaped from the man who held her captive for a year. Abducted while travelling in Paris, she was given to an Arab man as a gift, until one night she makes her desperate escape.

While on patrol one morning Captain Eric Hamilton discovers a dinghy floating aimlessly. Abby is found, battered and in an advanced state of pregnancy, lying in the bottom of the dinghy. From the moment she lay on the deck of his ship her innocence finds a way to penetrate his hardened heart. But time is running out. Eric is falsely accused of sexual assault and the CIA wants Abby and the baby for bait to flush out her captor.

Sounds great doesn't it? Here's a sneak peek at an excerpt (and at Lohrainne):

“We have no reports of a ship in distress in the area, Captain.”

“What about fishing boats?”

“No, sir, no reports.”

Looking once more at his first officer, Eric issued curt orders, the harshness grating in his voice. “Send a rescue team to check it out.”

Handing the binoculars off to one of the crew members, he strode with determination off the bridge, heading directly to the ship’s launch. His well-trained crew scurried about. Joe appeared at his side and they watched from the rail as the small rigid hull sped off in the direction of the dinghy. His pulse rose and the dampness on his back soaked through his short-sleeved shirt.

“So what do you think?” Joe leaned on the rail, uncertainty clear in the crinkle of his brows.

“Don’t know, dammit.” Eric focused on the scene unfolding in the distance. Again he commandeered the binoculars from Joe and scrutinized the three-man team approaching, then securing the boat to the dinghy.

His senses were keen; over the years, he’d learned to trust them. The uneasiness that crept its way into his gut, the hairs now standing up on the back of his neck and the racing of his heart; this unshakable feeling was telling him that things were about to change—drastically. Puzzled, he felt the mounting frustration build inside, along with something else he could not quite put his finger on. Shaking his head, he realized it was not a feeling of dread.

The crackle of the radio interrupted his speculation. A voice from the rescue team came over the line. “There’s someone in here, a woman, and she’s in bad shape.”

Thanks so much for sharing, Lohrainne! Good luck with the book sales! And one lucky commenter on Lohrainne's book tour will win a copy of The Captain's Lady, so get out there and comment. Here's a question for you to answer: What do you do to motivate yourself to write?? Best answer will also be eligible to win a free e-copy of Spark of Magic.

The Magic of Ireland

Today we have a special blog with author Clare Austin on a subject near and dear to my heart: Ireland. It's easy to wax lyrical, when the lush fields of green surround you. And the loveliness of the redheads catches your eye. As you can see, Clare has captured that magical beauty. I, too, am a redhead, so we have much in common as we both love Éire and love to write.

I asked Clare to tell us a bit about how she researches her stories. And one of her recommendations is to visit Ireland. If you haven't done so, I highly recommend it. (Just think of the tax write-off.)

Thanks for joining us, Clare! And now I'll turn the blog over to you for some words of wisdom:

Thank you for having me on your blog today. I have been thinking about how I research my stories. I would have to say it’s a dynamic process. Researching Ireland is always a joy. Invisible threads pull me back each year to the shores and hills I’ve loved since a child. My muse thrives in the weather, dances to the music of the sea caressing the cliffs and breathes deep into her soul the fragrant air settling over a field of stone and whitethorn.

When I started writing fiction four years ago this fall, all the Irishness in me once again surfaced. I had recently been back to Éire and as I traveled I made copious notes for story ideas. If you get off the tourist track, it won’t be long before someone will tell a tale, sing a song, raise a pint in celebration of a victory or to salve a defeat. The Irish love to talk. I love to listen. Story telling is a national pastime…right up there with Gaelic Football and Hurling. History, both recent and ancient, is a nebulous thing mixed with lore and a touch of blarney.

Years ago someone asked me “Why Ireland?” My answer… “Why anywhere?” Apart from the obvious, the physical beauty, the friendly people, the magical charm, there is a gravitational pull. The land of Yeats, Joyce, and Sheridan tugs on every cell of my body until I once again return to that greener shore.

My writing has been described by more than one reader as “lyrical.” I have to believe some of that tendency is in my mitochondria, passed down from generations of Celtic folk. But, I also have a vast curiosity about how environment shapes us.

I cannot walk past the General Post Office in Dublin without visualizing the struggle for Irish Independence…and a story will start to gel in my consciousness. When I stand on the shore or swim in the sea, I literally hear the music of harps, fiddles and pipes in my head. I’m “Off with the fairies.” This is a very Irish phrase that gently depicts a condition lacking reason or sanity. It rather sweetly illustrates a state of blissful confusion. My friends and family will attest to the fact that I can get lost in my own neighborhood. I know it is because those “fairies” called me off to places in my heart.

I’m not at all sure this qualifies as research. Yes, I do actually read, study articles on the internet, talk to experts. In the Fad Trilogy the Irish characters are native Irish speakers. I have an Irish language expert who helps me not sound like an illiterate when I use an Gaeilge in my books. I have a great little book called Slanguage by Bernard Share to help wade though the street slang of Dublin. The film “The Commitments” is fabulous for getting a feel for modern urban Irishness. I am a voracious reader. Frank Delaney, Maeve Binchy, The Táin translated from the Irish by Ciaran Carson and the Princes of Ireland series by Rutherford sit on my bookshelves beside the poetry of W.B. Yeats.

But, if you are going to write about Ireland, there is no research better than being there. You will feel the stories soaking into your skin, your hair, your lungs as gently as the rain that falls on a soft Connemara morning. Be mindful to keep your voice silent, ears tuned, to quiet your heart and wait. It will come…that’s Ireland.

Thank you for this opportunity. I hope you will stop by my website www.clareaustin.com and take a look at my other books, Angel’s Share and Hot Flash, both due to release early in 2010. If you wish to contact me personally, my email is authorclare@gmail.com. Don’t be shy…I love to be chat with people about writing, books and Ireland.

Clare

And here's Clare's most recent release:

Flannery Sloane is a free spirited bohemian with a soul blessed by Irish musical tradition. She doesn’t give a care for where she’s going or how she’ll get there. Joy and passion are her only map. And, though she’s not interested in falling in love, she wouldn’t mind a little fun with a fine looking man. Hunter Kincade looks like he could fill that bill and have a bit of change left over.

Flannery never wears a watch. She’s late for everything but the downbeat of a fiddle tune. She’s happy serving pints in the pub and playing for tips and smiles. Hunter thrives on punctuality. He is in the music business with his focus on the bottom line. The pretty fiddle player with the bright green eyes would make his next production worth the price of a CD.

Their only common ground is the belief that falling in love is a danger to health and sanity.

Will it take more than Irish magic to pull a man like Hunter into the spell of a woman like Flannery? They are all wrong for each other...and they are so right.

Upcoming Surprises

I've been globetrotting and just returned, but have 3 wonderful surprises coming up soon--visits from 3 different romance writers who will be sharing writing tips.

Here's the fun lineup:

August 14 -- Clare Austin's debut novel Butterfly, the first of in the Fadó trilogy

August 15 -- Lorhainne Eckhardt's debut novel The Captain's Lady

August 20 -- Christine Clemetson, author of A Daughter's Promise

Tomorrow I'll post blurbs and additional information, but for now, I hope this whets your appetite.

TIPS ON GETTING PUBLISHED

Hi, all! For those of you excited about Don Helin's latest release (see below). You'll have an opportunity to hear him speak about writing on April 4. [NOTE: If you're joining us late & missed the show, check out Medallion's website for a transcript.] Here's a letter from Medallion Press that tells all about it:

Greetings!

Medallion Press is pleased to announce that our internet radio show, Medallion Press Radio (MPR), is airing its first ever LIVE show on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. CST! We would like to extend a personal invitation to you and all your readers to come join in the discussion.

Writing a Great Manuscript and Getting It Published

Want to get published? Join us at www.blogtalkradio.com/medallionpress for a special live edition of Medallion Press Radio on Saturday, April 4, from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. CST. This is a live, round-table discussion about writing a great manuscript and getting it published. Call in and ask questions of our Medallion Press authors live, on air, or text in questions via the chatroom. We’re only presenting this live show once in 2009, so make sure to tune in if you want to call!

Participating authors include Beth Ciotta, author of Jinxed (Medallion Press, 2004), Charmed (Medallion Press, 2004), Seduced (Medallion Press, 2005), Lasso the Moon (Medallion Press, 2006), Romancing the West (Medallion Press, 2007), and The Fall of Rome (Medallion Press, July 2008). Beth also writes The Chameleon Chronicles series for HQN and is a member of Romance Writers of America.

Kathy Steffen is the author of the award-winning First, There Is a River (Medallion Press, 2007), Jasper Mountain (Medallion Press, November 2008), and the upcoming Theatre of Illusion (Medallion Press, May 2010). Kathy is a member of several writing associations, including Novelists, Inc., Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America, and she also teaches writing courses at the University of Wisconsin.



Don Helin is the author of Thy Kingdom Come (Medallion Press, March 2009), his first published fiction novel. Don is an active member of Pennwriters, a statewide Pennsylvania writers' group, as well as the International Thriller Writers.

If you have any questions, or if you would like digital photos of the authors on the show, a digital Medallion Press logo, or further information about this event, please do not hesitate to contact me at (630) 513-8316 ext. 228 or paul@medallionpress.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Paul Ohlson
Marketing Manager
Medallion Press