Let's Communicate

Readers may think the hardest part of being an author is creating a novel, but although time-consuming, writing is the easiest part of the job.  The difficulty begins once you sign a contract.  Did you make a good decision?  Is the publisher savvy enough to stay in business and help promote your work? Are the lines of communication going to remain open so that you feel an integral part of the group?  So many things to consider, and many are risky decisions that must be made to get published.

I mention communication because it's such an important component of a contract. Number one for me!  All the written agreements in the world don't mean anything if there isn't a continuous exchange of information between author and publisher.  I've always done my best work for for someone who made me feel like I mattered, and the same applies for writing.  There's no worse feeling than being left in the dark, having decisions made without input, and wondering what's going on behind the scenes.  I actually signed with one publisher who took down the author's loop because she didn't want her "employees" sharing information with one another.  Isn't that how we all learn and grow as writers? If that house is still in business, color me shocked.  As a contracted author, I don't want to be treated like an employee, I want to be part of the team.  What happens with the house, happens to me, too.

I'm not intimating that as an author I have a right to know everything, but I am entitled by signing a contract to feel included in my future with a company.  A simple email from a publisher, alerting their authors to busy times, family distress, etc., can make a world of difference.  When posts go unanswered, imaginations run wild, and speculation begins.  It's no wonder that people jump ship when they fear a leak has sprung, and so much wasted time could be saved by just a few soothing words. 

I think problems begin when the houses have been around a while and take on more than they expected at the beginning.  There is nothing like the excitement and camaraderie of a new publisher.  The authors participate, share information, the publisher has time to join in, and everyone feels informed, jazzed and optimistic.  As time passes, more people sign on, the newness wears off and communications fail.  To me, this is the predictor of demise.  I've seen it happen too many times.

 If everyone helps by following instructions that are almost always ever present, taking time to read and stay informed, and most of all, taking off the lead boots that keep them from doing their own leg work to find answers to common questions, we can all help lighten the load on our publishers and make every day a more pleasant experience.  I cannot tell you how tight my jaw gets when I see the same people ask the same questions over and over because they're too lazy to use GOOGLE.  Why search when you can post an email, I suppose.  Me, I'd rather find the answer myself, if I can.  It's important for authors to realize that their aren't the only fish in the publishing pond.  As much as we'd like to maintain the "it's all about me" attitude, it really isn't.

In almost every job I've held in my adult life, communication is always key, and as an author, I find it to be even more crucial to stay informed and be included.  It might just be me, but I have a vested interest the moment I put my signature on that contract.  My expectations are no less important than those of the publisher, and I'm happy to say I'm signed with one house that truly treats their authors with the respect we all deserve and want. 

I gave a short presentation at the Muse On-Line Conference last year: The Pitfalls of Publishing.  Unfortunately, communication is the one area you can't gauge until you've been with the house for a while.  You can only sign on the dotted line and pray!  *lol*

Welcome Lisa Blackwood to DIO

A great thing about blogging is the ability to learn from others.  My guest today, Lisa Blackwood, a friend and fellow author from Muse It Up Publishing, provides us with something to ponder.   On with the show...

Write What You Know

As a writer, one thing I’ve heard several times is ‘write what you know’. In other words, write about a topic you are familiar with and incorporate that knowledge into your writing in some fashion. The idea is to make the story more believable, and it also has the added bonus of making the writer’s job a touch easier—less research and all that.(If only it was so easy. LOL.)

Which is all well and good, but when I first read that piece of sage knowledge I wondered how that applied to writing science fiction and fantasy, since both are not-of-this-world so to speak. Still, you can take things from the mundane world and add them to your made up world.

A beta reader once mentioned a great number of horse issues in my writing. I didn’t know a thing about horses at the time, and she suggested I go take some riding lessons to better understand them; as an added benefit, I’d stop annoying horse people with my inaccurate descriptions (you know, things like horses that can gallop all day, never spook, don’t have to spend hours grazing every day to live. You know, important stuff like that.) I took her advice, and started volunteering at a nearby horse rescue. After a year and a half, I now know enough to write realistic horses, I hope. I even went so far as to adopt one. I’m not saying authors have to go so far to get into their characters mindset, but even a few minutes of research is valuable.

Back to the topic of writing what you know. Another thing from my real life that was helpful in a fictional world was my knowledge of birds. Go figure.

Betrayal’s Price (Coming soon from MuseItUp Publishing) is epic fantasy with romantic elements and the hero Sorntar, a phoenix, is half avian. I knew from early on I wanted him to be more than just a human man with wings stuck on his back, I wanted him to be more, to be other. So I looked to nature—if he was half bird, then he needed a few bird traits. I’ve kept birds as pets since I was a child, so giving Sorntar a few bird traits wasn’t all the hard, humorous, but not hard.

The second novel I wrote, Stone’s Kiss, is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy, and has a gargoyle hero. Gregory was a little more complex than Sorntar, but twice as much fun to write. Gregory just knew who and what he was from the get go, and had no problems with deviating from my carefully planned plot. ::mumbles under breath about unruly, headstrong characters::  Whereas Sorntar was clearly birdlike and I could draw on the mythological phoenix for some character traits and magical abilities, Gregory, as a gargoyle, didn’t have a corresponding animal or even much mythology to draw on. So I started to look at other animals until I found the correct mix of traits that ‘felt’ like they’d match my vision of how a gargoyle would think and act. In the end, while still having a fundamental human quality, Gregory also had some canine and big cat tendencies mixed in too. 

My question to you—what can you take from your everyday life and put into a fictional world. Go on. Give it a try. You might be surprised what you’ll come up with.

Lisa Blackwood, author of urban fantasy, paranormal romance and epic fantasy.
 
www.lisablackwood.com
http://blackwoodsforest.wordpress.com/
Stone's Kiss http://www.amazon.com/Stones-Kiss-The-Avatars-ebook/dp/B006EAMITG
Betrayal's Price (Feb. 2012 from Museitup Publishing http://museituppublishing.com/ 

Welcome, Gabrielle Bissett to DIO

When I first began writing my current release, Blood Avenged, I knew I wanted the book to be the first in a series.  The idea of a group of vampires, the Sons of Navarus, sworn to protect the vampire world and the most ancient members of it appealed to me.  What also appealed to me was having the chance to write a variety of heroes. 

The first hero, Vasilije in Blood Avenged, is every ounce a hedonist.  He loves physical pleasure and seeks it out at every turn.  Over four hundred years as a vampire, he's a very sensual character who has seen so much of the world, so writing him was a delight.  Almost everything he says and does in the story is so thoroughly based in his desire for pleasure. 

Here's the blurb for Blood Avenged for a little taste of Vasilije:

I am everything you desire.  I am vampire.

Powerful and manipulative, Vasilije does as he pleases. A vampire beholden to no one, he takes what he desires, drinking deeply the pleasures this life has to offer.

When one of his own is staked, Vasilije must travel to New Orleans to exact his revenge. There he meets Sasa, a beautiful woman who arouses him like no other has for centuries. Vasilije’s need for vengeance is equaled only by his passion for her, but what he finds in his revenge is just the beginning...

Even the book's cover conveys his pure hedonism. 

And then there's the hero of the second book, Blood Betrayed.  Saint is a very different kind of character.  A far younger vampire, he was turned on the battlefield during the First World War.  Saint is a hero haunted by his past, so he's got some demons to deal with, especially concerning the heroine of the story, Solenne. Because of this, he's darker and more brooding than Vasilije ever could be.  He's also a criminal in the vampire world because he refuses to sleep with anyone but human women.

Here's the blurb for Blood Betrayed for a little sampling of Saint:

I am everything forbidden.  I am vampire.

Haunted by betrayal, Saint hides in the human world, giving his heart to no one and finding the only solace from his past in the arms of human women. Now as the Archons begin their takeover of the vampire world, this Son of Navarus has been marked for death. 

Summoned to defeat the Archons by the world that shunned him, Saint must face his past and Solenne, the woman he loved and lost a century ago, for only in accepting her will his body and soul finally find salvation.

And the cover of his book reflects his haunted nature.

Writing a series is great fun in many ways, but the ability to choose what kind of heroes will be showcased is one of the most enjoyable.  There are eight vampire heroes in the Sons of Navarus, so I'll have the chance to write six more after Vasilije and Saint.  I can't wait! 

Readers can find out more about Blood Avenged, Blood Betrayed, and the upcoming books in the Sons of Navarus series by visiting my blog at http://gbisset.blogspot.com/p/sons-of-navarus-series.html

In addition, readers can find me at these places too!

Website:  Gabrielle Bisset
Blog:  Gabrielle Bisset: A Writer's Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

Email:  gabriellebisset@gmail.com

Thanks Ginger for having me here at your blog today!  It was a pleasure.

Ginger's Six Sentence Sunday

Hi, and welcome back to Dishin' It Out.  I was on a little hiatus last week, and I sure missed following my favorites on SSS.  Today, I'm continuing with my current WIP, Hattie's Hero, which will  be an historical time-travel if I ever get it finished.  It started with a YA heroine, but I fear she's going to be a senior citizen before long.  *lol* Just a quick reminder; Hattie is preparing to leave the orphanage, answering an ad she found posted at Cronin's mercantile.

Here's my offering, and I hope you enjoy it:

 

[Hattie's] Her palms turned moist the minute she spied a dapper gentleman standing outside the mercantile. He wore the black Coachman’s hat Mister Cronin had indicated he would.

Despite her churning innards, she closed the gap between them on leaden legs and managed a weak smile. His tailored charcoal frock coat, starched white shirt and perfectly pressed trousers indicated a man of means. A thick moustache, broad shoulders, and angular jaw made him quite attractive, but clearly impatient if his tapping foot was any indication. A glance down at her tacky apparel brought warmth to her cheeks. If her employment rested on her looks… 

Don't forget to head back to Six Sentence Sunday and check out the links to more sites.  This is a really fun weekly event, so I hope you come back for a visit.  Don't forget to leave a comment.  You never know when I'll pick a name for something from my backlist.  :)

I'm baaackkk!

Wow, that was a fun trip, although short in some ways and long in others.  For those who didn't know, hubby and I flew to So. Cal to visit my mom and also enjoy a mini-reunion of folks who grew up with me and attended my same high school.  As much as I hate to admit, next year will be the official 50th year passed since that memorable day of graduation, and I think the one thing we all shared in common at our luncheon was the fact that none of us can believe we're sixty-six-years old.

The long part of the trip came when I had a "panic" attack and decided I didn't want to fly home.  Instead, we kept our rental car and drove.  I could have been home in five hours, instead I elected a thirty-six hour trip because I'm a big ol' wuss.  :)  The plane trip to California was bumpy, uncomfortable, and seemed endless, and I think the worst thing for me is the confinement that makes my claustrophobia surface.  I'm so lucky I have an understanding and patient husband.  The good news is I now have a credit I can apply to another trip...perhaps Kelly can go visit his mom.  :)

It's always fun to compare wrinkles with my female classmates, so here's a few photos to attest to the fact that I have some to share:

The female classmates

All classmates who came, including two brave guys

Me signing books for my friends.  Looks like I was thirsty!

It's always nice to travel, but even nicer to come home.  I loved spending time with my friends, and now it's their turn to come to Tennessee.  I came away with an invite to Mexico and Alaska and I might get brave enough to take my hostesss' up on their offers.

We also had a wonderful visit with my mother, brother and his wife and a scrumptious dinner at Northwood's Inn. Also got to see my friend, Leta, grandmother to Ryan Sheckler.  I gave her a book, hoping he might hold one and take a picture.  A few years back, I featured a picture of him that she'd sent me, and to this day, that page continues to be the one that gets the most views.  Hey...everyone...I'm sort of Ryan's aunt.  *lol*  Stay tune for a Ryan feature again.
 
 I couldn't believe how much the price of food and gas are in California.  I might shed one of those chins you see in the picture above if I stayed there long enough.  *lol*