Book-A-Week Challenge

I decided that we all need to read more. Actually, I usually read two books a week. I also decided that we need to get us authors more exposure.


In honor of those two big decisions made by me (LOL!), I have created a Book-A-Week Challenge. Look to the left column on my blog and scroll down past the kitty pictures. I started the list.


What exactly is that? Well, every week we should read a book. Okay, yeah, that was kind of self-explanatory. But, besides reading the book, we should post comments/mini-reviews of the book we read.


My thought is that I will post ahead of time the book that I will read for the next week. You can choose to read the same book or read another. Either way, on Sunday, I will post my review of the book I read and ask you to add your comments for the book you read.


What will we get out of this? Simple. We can expose each other to books that we may never have heard of or read if someone else hadn't recommended it.


Added benefit is the fact that some of the books we read may not be on the NY Times Best Seller list. In fact, what I would like to do is suggest to authors like me who are just starting out that you submit on a post your book titles for the TO BE READ PILE. I'm game to read.


Here is my one caveat: I personally like to read mystery, suspense, romance, and the occasional true crime. I will read another genre if someone says "OMG! You have to read this." Well, I will if you beg and plead. :-)


Remember, it's all about being hooked, so hook us to want to read your book.


My first Book-A-Week Challenge post will be next Sunday, May 10. I'm starting with Sweet Forever by Ceri Hebert http://www.cerihebert.com/.

Book Hooks Day 2

What is a hook?

It is not the thing dangling at the end of a fishing line, but pretty darn close. A hook is a concise, tagline for your book. It hooks your reader’s interest, and reels them in.

It refers to the first line, paragraph, or page of a story, or sometimes all three. It is the first impression a reader has of the story and the first impression an editor or agent has of a submission. For both, it may mean the difference between buying this story and buying something else.

Why do you need them?

The hook is the part of the story that draws the reader in. It says, "This is the one you want to read." Since the first person to read your completed story will be an editor or agent who has millions of books, proposals, and contracts to read, if he/she doesn’t like the very beginning they will not be reading any further. Neither would any other reader who has a few minutes to grab a book and go.

Where can you see a hook?

The best way to understand how to write a hook is to read a few examples.


Your exercise, should you choose to accept it, is to post 5 examples of hooks from books that you have READ, not written. Why am I suggesting that? Because. . . what made you buy the book? Show us what made you buy 5 books. It can be the first sentence, the first paragraph, or the beginning of the jacket blurb. You choose.

EXERCISE:

1. Roger Seagraves walked out of the U.S. Capitol after an interesting meeting that, surprisingly, had had little to do with politics. That evening he sat alone in the living room of his modest suburban home after arriving at an important decision. He had to kill someone, and that someone was a very significant target. Instead of a daunting proposition, Seagraves saw it as a worthy challenge. ~first paragraph from The Collectors by David Baldacci

2. She was dead the minute she answered the ’link. ~ first sentence from Promises in Death by JD Robb

3. When Lizzie Rush uncovers evidence that thrill-seeking billionaire Norman Estabrook may be at the center of an international criminal network, she finds herself playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. ~first sentence of jacket blurb from The Mist by Carla Neggers

4. Ellen Gleeson was unlocking her front door when something in the mail caught her attention. It was a white card with photos of missing children, and one of the little boys looked oddly like her son. ~first two sentences from Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

5. THERE ARE SOME men who enter a woman’s life and screwit up forever. ~first sentence from One for the Money by Janet Evanovich


Don't forget to share your examples! See you tomorrow.

Book Hooks

I think we'll spend the next couple of days discussing hooks for your books.

BOOK HOOKS

Let’s say you have to go on a business trip or you’re going to visit your family and you need a good book to bury your face in while your brothers and sisters argue over who gets the house when your parents are dead. By the way, your parents are sitting right there, alive and well.

Okay, yes, this has happened to me, although I only have sisters.

Now that you know this situation is inevitable, you need to get a good book to read. With so many books available, how will you choose the book you want to take with you?

Standing at the newspaper stand in the airport, you have five minutes to get a book. Staring at the wall of books, shuffling your feet back and forth, you pull one out. What do you look at to decide if that is the book you want to take on that 3-hour flight to tune out the screaming kids all going to Disney?

Come on, we have all been on that plane ride.

Some people judge a book by its cover, some will read the blurb on the back, and yet others will read the first page. Remember you only have five minutes to make a decision because they have just announced that your flight is boarding.

Whether the reader is a man or woman off the street, an editor, or an agent, five minutes is the rule of thumb to capture a reader and get them to want to read more and buy your book.

This is what you, the writer, need to keep in mind when you are writing the very first page of your book. No matter what you write, you have only five minutes to hook your reader. Therefore, your hook needs to be on that first page, in the first paragraph, even better the first sentence of your story.

Here is your first exercise for Book Hooks.

Exercise: Post a first sentence of a book you have written or one from your WIP, or even just do a free write. Feel free to post several examples.

My examples:

A warning whisper in the back of her mind didn’t stop Ruby from pushing open her fiancé’s bedroom door. - from It Happens in Threes

Tiny hairs danced on the back of Charley’s neck. - from Connect the Dots

When she discovered her date wore pink women's underwear with frills, Jane did not stick around to find out what else he may or may not have. - from my Pink Undie story free write

She had turned the place upside down, inside out, and could not find it. - free write


Have fun and look forward to seeing what you write!

Book Covey Trailer Awards

Good evening!

I just got home and saw this in my email. My book trailer for It Happens In Threes is up for a covey. Take a look, vote, and leave a comment if you wish.

http://thenewcoveytrailerawards.blogspot.com/2009/04/entry-14-it-happens-in-threes.html

Jeannie Ruesch did the work on the video. Checkout her site at www.willdesignforchocolate.com

"The List" by Carmen Shirkey

Looking for something light and entertaining to read? Checkout http://www.thelistbook.blogspot.com/

I had the pleasure of finding Carmen Shirkey and getting a signed copy of her book. Below is my review posted on Amazon.

The List" is a fun read and a must read for anyone who has ever dated. You will laugh and cry and say to yourself, "Been there." What woman, young or old, hasn't made a list of quality traits wanted in Mr. Right? Whether you've written it down or kept it in your head, you can relate to the heroine, Candace and her search for the perfect guy.

It is practically summer and the weather is wonderful. Take "The List" to the beach or your back deck, even dinner at your favorite watering hole and lose yourself in the trials and tribulations Candace has to go through to get to her version of Mr. Perfect.

Everyone can relate to this book.

Dreams and Writing

Last night I had the weirdest dream. For the record, I am not a teenager. I know you could not tell by my photo. :-) HA!

Anyway, I dreamt about going to the senior prom. How weird is that? I don't remember all the details just that it was about the build up to the dance. I even picked out a dress which the guy in my dream said was perfect. Like a guy on prom night would say otherwise?

But of course, I can't remember who the guy was. Actually, I remember the dress better than the guy. Some slinky, silk thing that hooked over one shoulder and left the other exposed. I think that's because I like my shoulders and consider them one of my better features. Yeah, yeah, who cares what Freud would say to that.

So here's the thing. Dreams are very important to me, especially in my writing. Many times I will get a clear vision of a scene and yes, it will end up in a book or it is the beginning of a book as in the case of my current WIP. But, what was the senior prom with an unnamed guy supposed to mean? How am I supposed to use that in a book? No, it will not fit in my WIP nor my next story that is already drifting in and out of my head like a nagging man. :-)

What dreams have you used in your writing? Do you write them down as soon as you wakeup or do you let the images percolate?

The smell of writing prompt response

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and all your smells were of the pleasant, fragrant, and flowery kind. I spent most of my time outdoors clearing away tree limbs from the winter ice storm. There were tons of them. I got to plant very few flowers, but I did find this annual called Sweet Alyssum. You should have seen me walking around Home Depot. I went through the aisles with my nose in the air sniffing as if a dog on the scent. All I knew is that I had to find this sweet smell, the kind that makes you want to take deep breaths and never let them out because the aroma is so intoxicating. I planted it at the edge of my deck so everytime I sit outside I can get a big whiff. Ahh!

On to the homework. On Friday I put out a prompt: The smell of

Here is my brief response. I'm going to add this to the Starbucks burning one last week.

The smell of the burning building was toxic, stinging her lungs and the little hairs in her nostrils, and it would not go away. Even after the fire engines arrived and put out the flames, the odor of coffee, gasoline, and burnt human flesh permeated her nose. A firefighter gave her a hanky and she held it to her face, covering her mouth and nose, but it did not prevent the acrid, pungent stench from creeping in and making her gag. It hung in the air like a curtain of death.

Friday Writing Prompt

Supposedly it is going to be 80 degrees this weekend so yours truly will be trying to unburden her yard of broken limbs from the winter ice storms and plant more flowers. I love the smell of spring and the flowers blooming.

In honor of the gorgeous weekend ahead, I thought I would post a new writing prompt.

Prompt: The smell of . . .


Have fun! Enjoy your weekend and I look forward to seeing what smell you write about.

Commute and Writing Prompt Response

The prompt was: On her way to work. . .

On her way to work at the most ungodly hour, Jane felt like a walking zombie.

“Coffee, all I need is hot, strong coffee,” she muttered sliding into her car, keying the ignition and taking off.

Thank goodness for Starbucks. They had pre-dawn hours. She pulled up to the drive-thru squawk box and was greeted by an overly chipper salesperson.

“Good morning! Welcome to Starbucks! May I take your order?”

Geez, did the girl mainline caffeine? Jane rubbed at her temples. “I’ll have a Venti Raspberry Mocha with an extra shot of espresso.”

“Would you like whole or skim milk?”

“Skim, please.” She liked the foam.

“Would you like whipped cream?”

Her voice so sticky sweet, Jane envisioned the girl’s irritating smile plastered on her face. “Ugh.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

Jane rolled her eyes. “Yes, whipped cream.”

“Would you like a granola parfait or anything from our bakery case?”

“No, thank you.” But she’d love to tell the cheerful woman what she could do with all those pastries.

“Anything else?”

“A silencer,” she grumbled.

“I’m sorry?”

“Nothing. Thank you.”

“That will be five dollars even. Please pull forward.”

Jane glanced at the clock on her dashboard. The green illuminated lights read 5:17. “Too freaking early,” she mumbled putting the car into drive and easing forward.

At the window, the chirpy cashier slid the glass pane back. “Good morning! That’ll be five dollars, please.”

The blinding grin the girl offered her as she held out her hand for payment made Jane gnash her teeth. Did she not understand that people were not supposed to be peppy in the wee hours before the sun came up and before she had her caffeine? For a brief second, she had a fantasy of punching the smiling woman’s lights out, but she had her coffee.

After rummaging through her bag, she located her loose cash and handed it over to the bubbly blonde. Jane snatched the paper cup from the salesperson as soon as money exchanged hands.

“Thanks,” she said bringing the cup straight to her lips and taking a gulp of the hot, extra-caffeinated drink before setting it between her legs.

“Have a nice day!”

Jane glared at the girl beaming at her. She only had one sip. She still had to finish the cup before the day would even come close to nice. Shifting the car into drive, she gave the vehicle a little gas, and slowly accelerated to the stop sign ahead where she braked.

As she peered left then right, she lifted the cup to her lips again and took another drink. Her gaze went to the rearview mirror when she took another sip. The cashier leaned against the window. Smiling.

Jane rolled her eyes heavenward. “All morning people should die,” she murmured.

Holding onto her coffee in one hand, she steered with the other, let up off the brake, and rolled forward. Once again, she looked left then right and glanced up at her rearview mirror. The blonde was out of sight.

She accelerated and a loud explosion ripped through the air. She slammed on her brake and the car lurched forward. Her coffee cup went flying, hitting the windshield. The lid popped off and hot liquid spilled everywhere. “Shit!”

A metal crashing thud smashed into her car. She gaped at the drive-thru speaker planted in the hood of her BMW. Jane twisted in her seat to see what had happened, but the damn seatbelt would not cooperate. Shoving the gear into park, she punched the release, and freed herself from the clutches of her car. As soon as she did, she spun in her seat.

The sight that greeted her was a macabre of black and gray, orange and red. Smoke billowed up from a large ball of flames.

“Holy. . .”

Sightlessly, Jane reached for the door handle, pulled, and fell out of the car backwards onto the pavement. Fire spit at her but she dodged it as she ran toward the shop in hopes of finding the cashier. She had to be alive. “Please, let her be alive.”

When her foot struck the sidewalk in front of what used to be Starbucks another blast rocked the ground and sent her to her knees. Glass shattered, littered the pavement, and smacked at her backside like hail in a storm.

Clasping her hands over her head, Jane risked a look. Nothing. There was nothing left but burning embers and a melting green sign.

Sirens wailed in the distance, and tears stung her eyes as she rose to her feet. She stepped back, keeping a safe distance, at least what she thought was a safe distance from the inferno and stared in horror at the skeletal remains of the building.

“Be careful what you wish for,” she murmured dragging a hand through her hair. “Ouch!”

I just have to whine

First, let me tell you that I am not normally a big whiner. What I mean to say is that I don't whine very often. But when I do whine, og yeah, I whine big time.

So why am I whining today?

Because of my new job and the horrible, disgusting, and very painful drive to and from south Boston. Last night it took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to get home in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

I left my house at 7 AM and arrived at work at 8 AM. As soon as I walked in I found out that I had an 8 AM meeting, for which I was now late. The rest of the day was spent in various meetings, including one that ran until 5 PM. (I was supposed to leave at 4.) When I left an hour late, I sat in that brake light - to - brake light traffic. I wanted to pull my hair out!! Not to mention the crazy drivers that don't know how to use signals and just cut you off, but hey, we expect that.

By the time I arrived home, oo you think I wanted to do anything?

Heck, no!

I gave my kitties who missed me desperately some treats and played with them for a few. I feel so neglectful being gone 12 hours a day. Then I ate some cereal because yes, I was too gosh darn tired to go back out or cook anything.

After that, I tried getting my new laptop up on the internet but, of course, it was not cooperative. Dang 64-bit operating system! So, I never got that accomplished.

Writing?! What writing? HA! How do other writers do it? Seriously. After working or commuting and working 10 to 12 hours a day where do writers find time to actually work on their manuscript?

Now wonder my first two books took years to complete.

Whew! Okay, I'm glad I got that out there. Thanks!

Commute and Writing Prompt

In case you all hadn't figured it out yet, I started my job in South Boston this week. I apologize for not keeping up with the blog and all. I'm hoping that once I get used to it that I will be back to more posts.

I will try to come up with an online learn and share like our love scene posts the other week.

In the meantime, in honor of my new and long daily commute, here is a writing prompt.

On her way to work. . .

Good luck and share! Don't forget to make them want to read more.

Gardening and Writing Writing Prompt Response

The prompt was: Digging a hole for her pansies. . .

Digging a hole for her pansies, Kara poked her mini-shovel into the dirt and swore when it struck another rock. This is what she got for living in and trying to grown a garden in the Granite State. She blew out a frustrated breath that lifted her bangs away from her face and swiped the sleeve of her shirt across her forehead.

“Okay, Mr. Rock, it’s you or me and I vote me.”

Up on her knees, she once again dipped her little metal shovel into the hole and tried to wedge its tip to the side of the stubborn stone. “Come on,” she said, the muscles in her arms straining while she held her breath.

When the shovel slipped from her hand and went sailing across the dirt, landing near her old apple tree, she plopped down on her butt, and pulled out her bottle of water. After taking a sip, she resealed the lid then leaned over the hole and eyed the source of her irritation.

“Nope.” She shook her head. “I will not move my hole. I will defeat you,” she vowed, and got to her feet.

This called for use of the big dog, her wide-mouthed, dull-length shovel. When she returned from the garage, she addressed the hole and its unwanted resident.

“Last chance,” she called out.

Kara shrugged, moved her head side-to-side, and cracked her knuckles. From the opposite side of the hole, she stuck the tip into the dirt, wedged it between the rock, then pulled it back, and stepped on the flat part of the blade so it went deeper. When she thought she had it positioned where she wanted it, she lowered her center of gravity, grasped the wooden handle, and heaved.

The damn thing fought back, but she was stubborn and persistent. “Come on you pain in the butt. My flowers want a home and you are it. Now get the he – ll ou –t!”

Suddenly, the offending stone, gave way, her shovel slipped, she fell back, and the rock went airborne. When it dropped right between her legs, Kara eyed the miniature meteor.

“Hm.” It didn’t look like a rock. With a gloved hand, she picked it up.

It wasn’t a rock. It was some kind of chest. It was small, but was definitely a small chest. Its ornate scrollwork and the gold latch made her think it was a woman’s jewelry chest, one she would set on her dresser for decoration.

She tried to lift the latch but the thing was just as stubborn as it had been to leave its dirt home. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out a pair of snippers, placed the gold flap in-between the snipper’s mouth and twisted her wrist. The metal gave way.

Heart hammering, Kara licked her lips. She dropped the tool, held the base of the chest in one hand, wrapped her fingers around the lid, and lifted.

When she peered inside, her eyes grew wide, and her mouth dropped open. At the sight of the blood-red stone the size of her big toe cushioned in blue velvet, her hammering heart skidded to a halt.

Gardening and Writing

There is nothing like a long day in the yard, digging and planting, and adding color to get the creative mind flowing.

While I was out there in the beautiful New England sun getting filthy dirty, I came up with a new writing prompt.

Digging a hole for her pansies. . .

Have fun and let me know what you come up with.

You know it's a bad day when. . .

Yup, that post title says it all. You know it's going to be a bad day when you drop and break your laptop before 7 AM.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that's what yours truly did this morning. And do you know what I did?

I cried like a baby. I have had this laptop for almost three years. It is my baby and my lifeline to writing. I carry it wherever I go and now it has died a tragic and heart wrenching death. I cannot believe after all this time that I made the mistake of setting it on a chair and it fell and crashed to a hard floor below causing instant and permanent death.

In honor of my little Sony Vaio's passing, I am wearing black. Please feel free to do the same. While you're at it, backup your PCs.

More later.

Online interview of me, a writer, author, and lover of the written word

HA! Didn't you just love my blog post title?

Anyway, Stephanie Giancola, a writer for www.examiner.com, posted the interview she did with me. Check it out here. http://www.examiner.com/x-2533-Romance-Novel-Examiner~y2009m4d14-Romance-author-QA--newly-published-Denise-Robbins

Tuesday's Creative Writing Prompt

I was going to think of a new topic to start a discussion, but this morning I am pressed for time so I will do that for Wednesday.

In the meantime, I have this for a writing prompt: "Dear Diary,"

Have fun with that one!

Monday's Creative Writing Prompt Response

The prompt was: "Come here often?"

Okay, I surprised myself on this one and kind of went to town. See what ya think.

"Come here often?"

Jane pulled her attention away from the book she had been reading and looked up to see her new neighbor standing next to her chair, not even an inch of space was between her elbow and the fly of his well-fitted jeans. She immediately jerked the joint to her side and squinted at him.

“Jake.” He offered a stretched out hand. “I’m your new neighbor, Jake.”

Jane eyed the large hand with skepticism. She knew who he was. She would have to be an idiot to not know. His face was plastered all over every news channel and newspaper within 500 miles of Osseo, Minnesota. He was Jake Tyler, business magnate and most eligible bachelor.

When she didn’t take his hand, he pulled out a chair and sat in it next to her. His knee brushed against her thigh, a sizzle of heat shot straight to her face, and she felt herself flush. Sheesh! Did she have to get all hot and bothered just because the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on sat next to her and accidentally touched her?

“You’re Jane Grant, right?” He smiled a wide grin that had his lips twitching up at the corners.

She lifted a brow. How did he know her name? She wasn’t a multi-millionaire, celebrity, or the most eligible bachelorette. So what did he want with her?

“What are you reading?” He reached in front of her and laid his hand on her book.

That was when she finally spoke. “Don’t,” she told him between gritted teeth. She snatched the book off the table, and shoved it into her lap.

“So she does have a voice.” Jake sat back, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and grinned at her. “A very sexy voice,” he told her, leaning in and whispering against her ear.

OMG! Shivers of ecstasy just ran down her spine and went to all spots erogenous. Clutching her book, Jane jumped up from her chair sending it tumbling back and crashing against the wooden floor. “Uh, I’ve got to go.” Her voice quavered. “Nice to meet you.”

She snatched up her purse, spun on her heels, and face-planted straight into Jake’s very hard, very nice chest and warm, strong arms. When she glanced up to see gorgeous blue eyes laughing at her, she shut hers and wished to be invisible.

Monday's Creative Writing Prompt

Don't ask me why, but I saw this line some place and thought it was so cliche the it would be a hoot to post it out here as a writing prompt and see what we come up with.

Prompt: "Come here often?"

Have fun with it! Be creative, unique, and don't forget to grab your reader as if this were the hook of your story.

Next Interactive Discussion Topic

I know many people did not actually post to the blog but have been doing the exercises along the way. I hope you found these "lessons in love" educational and entertaining. Maybe in the future, the non-posters will feel more comfortable with sharing. Remember, we learn from each others examples.

Yesterday at NHRWA it was so neat to have everyone given the same set of scene structure and them all come up with a totally different outcome. The guide was a carriage with leather seats and windows, mid-afternoon in london in the fall, with dark-haired, beardless Brock as the hero, and Amelia as the heroine.

I have received great feedback on the writing prompts as well so I will keep those going. Besides, they really do make me get into the creative mindset. And if you have a prompt you want to submit feel free to do so.

I have enjoyed this immensely! Are there other topics that would be beneficial for us to do more of these types of interactive exercises?

Feel free to send me your thoughts and ideas.

Love Scene Discussion Day 6 Recap & NHRWA Meeting Finale

First, let me just tell you all that we had a blast at the NHRWA meeting yesterday. 90 minutes of discussing love scene writing with lists, and excerpts, not to mention "fun" chocolate lollipops for indpiration.

Ultimately, the goal of thid discussion topic was not just to know how to mechanically write a love scene, but to have fun doing it, be comfortable in writing them by knowing that the scenes are not you but your characters, and then to feel comfortable enough to read them aloud. Reading them aloud truly does make finding the errors along the way much easier. Not to mention that you can tell if someone gets bored or is totally enthralled.

Beyond that, my theory is, if you can read a love scene in front of a group of people, you should be able to give a pitch or introduce yourself and your work to an editor or agent and not get the heebie-jeebies.

I also shared with the group a link to a terrific site I just found while doing this research for alternative phrases. http://home.epix.net/~jlferri/sexrom.html

Day 6 Recap: What do we call "it?"

The first it was the Penis. We came up with quite a few names for this yesterday. Let's see if I can remember them.

his sex
rigid flesh
rigid arousal
hard shaft
fullness
manroot (this one cracks me up)
Willy

The second one was Penetration.

buried himself inside her
thrust (this word could be used for many things)
slammed
drove into her
impaled her
merged their bodies

Final Act.

She reached for his sweater, tugged it over his head without a thought. Then she remembered his injured arm, tugged it to her lips and soothed it with a kiss. When Sam looked up, she saw Max watching her, desire heated his whiskey eyes turning them flaming amber. Standing, she moved so Max’s knees were pressed against the bed. With swift movements, she undid his buckle, unzipped his jeans, and unleashed his arousal.

Wrapping her fingers around him, Max moaned as she stroked him, felt the silky strength. Then she pushed him back so he landed on the soft bed, rid him of the clothing that was around his ankles, and straddled him.

With her forehead pressed against his, Sam whispered a question. “What do you intend to do with that weapon?”

Max laughed, and before he stopped, he shifted. In the blink of an eye, Sam was on her back, Max on his knees positioned between her thighs. He was so handsome, and strong, and overwhelming, she thought, as his lips met hers. As she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, Max entered her with one smooth thrust.

“Ohhh,” she murmured.

Love Scene Discussion Day 6 - Part 2

Day 6 - Part 2: Use ALL five of the senses. Touch - Taste - Smell - See - Hear

“Don’t you use all the senses when you’re making love?”
“Yes!”

Use all the character’s senses. Show sound, sight, smell, and touch, as well as the hero and heroine’s physical reactions to make their coming together emotionally dimensional. Using all the senses will pull the reader into what the characters are feeling. Remember, the reader wants to experience it too.

Don’t forget the scenery. Are your characters sharing their first kiss in the moonlight at the ocean or the childhood bedroom of the heroine where the bed is dressed in a pink canopy and covered with stuffed animals? What do they hear, see, and smell in the background?

"Why go through all this trouble?"

1. Because you want to show the reader what is happening, allow them to get a visual through your words. We want to see, be drawn into what the characters are feeling, how her skin feels, if his chest hair tickles his nose.

2. Lovemaking is sensual, not just physical. Are the Boston Red Sox playing in the background or do they have Barry White playing in the background? At the sound of the bat cracking against a baseball does the hero drive in for his own "homer?"

Exercise: Show a love scene from BOTH sides using all senses from the hero POV and all senses from the heroine's POV.

This should be loads of fun. Be creative in the place if you want. Sometimes a different place, other than a bed, can make it easier when it comes to incorporating more senses.

Love Scene Discussion Day 6

WARNING - This exercise may push your comfort zone.


Love scene writing Day 6. Let's talk about "it."

Before you begin, let me apologize if this gets tricky for some folks, but this is fiction not real-life. This is not you on a stage showing the world. It is your characters. No inhibitions in fiction.


Some of our examples have shown "it", but now we want to really discuss "it."
It? What it? The "it" I am referring to is two different things. The first one you have to have in order to achieve the second.


Are you confused yet, or just saying, "Tell us what it is!"


The first it is the penis. GASP! She said it. Actually, no, I wrote it. And guess what? You will too in your book. Hey! We're writers. We do it and write about it. That's my slogan.


Part 1: What do you call "it?" Here's a tip. Ask your spouse or boyfriend. I will bet you dollars to donuts they have a pet name.


Exercise: List 5 examples of what you could call it in your manuscript.


Now that we have taken care of the hard part (oops! no pun intended), let's talk about what we do with it.
Part 2: What do you call the "act" of doing it? Example: He buried himself inside her.

Exercise: List 5 terms for the act of penetration you might use.



The final act (OMG! I am cracking myself up!) is to write a snippet that shows hero and heroine doing it and how you refer to it without using the words that begin with P.

Love Scene Discussion Day 5 Recap

Day 5 Recap: The focus of this lesson was to talk about the "Big O." To talk about it from both his and her perspective.

Exercise 1: List 5 examples of the heroine "getting hers". (You may not use any of the 3 commonly used terms I mentioned above.)

· convulsed around him
· ripples of ecstasy flooded through her
· she cried out with unabashed abandon
· screamed in ecstasy
· wave after wave of rapture

Exercise 2: List 5 examples of the hero "getting his". (You may not use any of the 3 commonly used terms I mentioned above.)

· shuddered and convulsed
· cry of satisfaction
· soared over the edge
· plunged over the crest
· exploded within her

Exercise 3: Write an excerpt, just a small one, that shows the hero and/or heroine reaching that pinnacle. Same rule applies.

When her thighs quivered against his hips and her eyes glazed, Lucas drove into her, buried himself deep within her heat. She came in a cry of ecstasy, her gaze never leaving his, as he pulled back and slammed into her again. The rhythm of her pulsating muscles clamped around him and sucked him in. She milked him wave after wave until he shuddered and convulsed and then she pumped her hips and rode him again until he collapsed on top of her.

Love Scene Discussion Day 5 - Part 2 Recap

Day 5 - Part 2 Recap: Love scenes are never just rustling sheets and heavy breathing. They include two people revealing more about themselves through their thoughts, action, and even dialogue.

The assignment for part 2 was to give an example of a love scene with dialogue.

Here is mine: This is actually after it has started.

Jake sat up, grabbed Charley’s bare shoulders, and flipped their positions. Breathing rapidly, he spoke. “You’re going to end it too soon,” he whispered in a husky voice.
Charley giggled. “I want it fast.”
His eyes went wide. “Not that fast, Shugar.”

Shugar? “Mmm.” She liked the sound of that. Wow! The tug of her nipple between his teeth sent shivers and heat through her. When he suckled one breast and squeezed the other, she arched up wanting more, raked her fingers into his short chestnut hair, and moaned.

Grabbing his head, she tugged him to her face so she could kiss him, thoroughly. As their tongues danced, Charley wrapped her legs around Jake in a plea for more. She wanted him. Now!
Jake chuckled then purred in her ear. “What’s your favorite lollipop?”

She blinked in surprise, trying to figure out if Jake just asked what she thought. “Lollipop?” She rasped out the word because his hand had just slid into her shorts and her mind swirled.

“Mm. My favorite is a Tootsie Pop.”

He was sliding down her body, taking her shorts with him. When he spoke again, his breath was hot against the tiny patch of hair between her legs. “Know why?”
Charley didn’t know, didn’t care. She just did not want him to stop stroking her.

“Go ahead, Charley, ask me why.”

“Wh – why?” She managed to ask on a breath of air as he sent one finger inside her. She thought she had been wet before.

“Because I like to see how many licks it takes to get to the . . .”She covered her eyes with her hands as Jake’s tongue slid inside her then found her button, and oh – my – freaking –.

And yes, I will leave you hanging there. :-)

New writing prompt

Needed a boost to get me going when I get back from a 1 PM appointment. So here it is.

Prompt: The postcard said, "Greetings from . . ."

Hehe! I like this one.

Share what you come up with.

Judge my book by its cover

Had to put this out here because of an interesting thing that happened to me. So let's do a quick blog about book covers.

Do you judge a book by its cover? Do you judge how good it is by the cover? Do you judge what genre type of book it is by its cover?

The reason I ask this, is because of an invitation I was extended and then was later rescinded all based on the cover of my book. First, for those of you who are asking yourselves, "What does the cover look like?" Check out the left column of my blog or go to www.deniserobbins.com and voila, there it is.

Now that you have seen it. What do you think? Is it offensive? Does it make you think it is a "smut" book? Is it any worse than what you see on television or in-person at the beach?

Personally, I love it. It leaves everything to the imagination and lets you know that the story has swimming and diving and sharks in it. At no time do you see the woman's face because I don't want you to know what she looks like. I want you to use your imagination. Honestly, the only thing I want you to know is that she likes pink. . .see her fins. :-)

Now that I have asked my questions, let me tell you what happened. Yesterday afternoon I was asked if I wanted to be on a community TV show and talk about my book. WAHOO! Yeah!
So I emailed the woman who contacted me the information she requested, one of which she wanted to see the book cover. Well, about 15 minutes later I received the following message back.

I am so sorry Denise, but I am not going to be able to have you as the guest. My viewers will have a heart attack. I could get away with it if the cover was not so sexual because the story sounds fabulous. I have a lot of viewers that are of the older generation and they let me know what they like and dislike. Please do not feel bad but perhaps when you next book comes out let me check out the cover and that might work. We always show the book on the air as you are talking about it.

Notice that her take was that my cover was "sexual." For the record, I am a pretty easy going person and thought her email was hysterical. It was the first negative comment I have received about the cover. Most people think it is eye-catching and gorgeous. Me included! Yes, the book is a romantic-suspense, therefore it does contain love scenes, but so do books by Jonathan Kellerman, David Baldacci, Janet Evanovich, etc.

Here's a question. Do you think if David Baldacci had that same cover on his book that anyone would have thought it was "sexual?"

So, do you judge a book by its cover? Should you?

Share your thoughts.

Love Scene Discussion Day 5

Day 5: The big O

In a love scene, the pinnacle is reaching the almighty climax. It's the same thing with your manuscript overall, right?

But what do you call the Big O? How do you describe it? Is it described differently for the hero than it is for the heroine?

The 3 most commonly used terms are climax, release, explode. There, I said them so you don't have to.

Your assignments should you choose to accept them are as follows.

Exercise 1: List 5 examples her the heroine "getting hers". (You may not use any of the 3 commonly used terms I mentioned above.)

Exercise 2: List 5 examples her the hero "getting his". (You may not use any of the 3 commonly used terms I mentioned above.)

Exercise 3: Write an excerpt, just a small one, that shows the hero and/or heroine reaching that pinnacle. Same rule applies.

Have fun!!

Love Scene Discussion Day 5 - Part 2

Because of the emails and posts I have received, I decided to add a second part to today's discussion. Apparently, this topic is not actually discussed openly very often. Really? You would think it would be a huge topic, especially for romance writers like me.

Okay, so I have toyed with the next topic and have actually written two other posts, but thought I would still ease you into this whole love scene thing. However, be aware that after today the next few exercises may "push your comfort zone." You have been forewarned. :-)

Day 5 - Part 2: Let's talk about talk, dialogue.

Huh? Talk during a love scene? "No way. Isn't it all rustling sheets and heavy breathing?"

What about laughing? "You want my characters to laugh while making love?"


Just don't let your heroine laugh at the wrong time in the scene. That could cause shrinkage. ew!


Be honest. Haven't you laughed while in the act? Or talked about something with your partner while you are flowing with the motion in the waterbed?


Dialogue in sex can be useful. Use it to reveal information about your characters. Too much talking can get your characters in trouble with each other. It creates conflict between the characters or clues the reader in on the conflict between them. Talking during sex may reveal the characters attitudes toward sex and sexuality. Heck, tell a joke to lighten the mood.


Exercise: Write a love scene that uses dialogue while in the act.

Have fun! Can't wait to see what you write. I'll write the recap later today.

Love Scene Discussion Day 4 Recap

Day 4 Recap: Let's talk about "where" your characters make love.

So your assignment was two-fold.

Part 1 - Identify 5 places your characters could make love (none of them having a bed).

You've seen several responses. All GREAT! It's so much fun thinking outside the box or in this case the bed. Now, here is my contribution.

Airplane bathroom (Mile-high club)
The stairs
Against the wall
An underground tunnel
Hammock
*Glass-enclosed elevator*

Part 2 - Give an example of a scene with your characters making love anyplace but in a bed.

Don't ya just hate only getting excerpts?? It's such a teaser. :-)

This is just after the hero and heroine had dinner and cleaned up. Guess where they are??

“Jake.” She whispered his name and it was all he could do not to shove her against the counter, strip her naked, and slam into her. Charley needed comfort and if this were the only way she would take it from him then he would give it. For now, physical comfort was enough.

She reached up and grabbed him at the back of the neck, pulled his face to hers, and she kissed him. His finger was wet and she tightened around him. He felt himself get even harder. She turned in his arms, pushed at the hem of his shirt, and the next thing he knew her tongue flicked out at his nipple. His eyes widened and his stomach tightened at the new and quivering sensation.

When she moved to his other nipple, her hands went to his zipper. Okay! He undid his own pants, letting them drop to the floor still wrapped around his ankles, and in the next instant, he had Charley stripped and sitting on the counter. He feasted on her breasts, capturing one nipple in between his lips, his tongue teasing it to an excited little nub. His fingers tweaked the other nipple caused it to rise and beg for his mouth.

Her head flung back and hit the cupboard.

“Oops.” Not good. He needed more of her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, he pulled her from the counter, and spun around forgetting that his pants were still around his ankles. Not wanting to fight to get them off, he splayed Charley across the table.

Sliding his arms up under her back so she didn’t bruise, Jake slammed into her. Charley fisted around him, and she ignited. She moaned and writhed, tightened her wrapped legs around him. She pulled him in and under her spell. His head swam as he felt her climax build. The muscles in her legs started to quiver. He thrust into her hard then withdrew slow, feeling the tug of her as he retreated, then she opened and welcomed as he thrust again. It was like coming home.

Love Scene Discussion Day 4

Continuing the love scene discussion - Day 4: Let's talk about where your characters make love.

Do you plan where your characters are going to make love? Does it need to be a bed? With bed being the most comfortable location, why have sex in other place?

The answer is that, in fiction as well as in real life, it's usually not a premeditated decision. "Because it's there," is a typical reply.

Truthfully, that's probably pretty accurate. Let's say your characters are so overwhelmed with desire they have to pull over on the side of the road, or maybe the hero is so thrilled and overwhelmed by emotion that the heroine is alive he has to take her then and there, wherever "there" may be.

Come on, admit it. You have probably had sex in at least one or more places and there was no bed in sight. I mean seriously, who has not at least thought of "doing it" in a a glass-enclosed elevator? Well, okay, maybe that's just me. :-)

Wait! Don't you remember playing "truth or dare" when you were in college on a drunken night with your guy and girl friends and of couse, one of the questions was "Where was the strangest place you did the deed?" Be honest. I am so remembering what some of the answers were.

But that gets me to the next exercise. This is a 2 part exercise.

#1: List 5 places where your characters could make love. (None of them include a bedroom or a bed)

#2: Show an example of your hero and heroine making love some place besides a bed.

Good luck and I can't wait to see your list!

You don't say no to girls - T-shirt

Deb and Kim just sent me an image they took at the Made in NH Expo.

Here is an image of the front side of the T-shirt from my new friends at http://www.youdontsaynotogirls.com/.

Disregard the blonde chic modeling and imitating the girl logo. It's the shirt that counts.

The second image is Kim talking while the lovely backside you see is mine modeling the ". . .before caffeine" T-shirt.

Kim and Deb are working on my T-shirts that you all voted on "You don't say no to girls . . .who do it and write about it"

I will have some Friday evening!! Yippee!

Thanks, Girls!!!

Love Scene Discussion Day 3 Recap

Day 3 Recap:


So your goal was to write a scene where the hero and heroine kiss WITHOUT using the word "kiss" in the paragraph. Even if you did not share it could you do it?


What words did you use to describe the mouth, lips, tongue?


Here are some examples that you may have come up with:

• captured her lips with his
• took her mouth with hungry urgency
• tasted her sweetness
• sipped from her lips
• tongue darting inside her mouth
• entangled with hers
• his tongue found hers
• reclaimed her mouth
• sweet invasion

You get the idea. :-)

Here is my rough example from my WIP:

“Uh, Gilly.”

“Hm,” she answered, flicking her tongue against the flat brown disc of his nipple. The quiver that rippled through him sent shivers over her body. With her free arm, she reached her hand up and entwined her fingers in his silky black hair, and tugged his head down. When his face was within an inch of hers, she leaned up and met his mouth with hers. The gentle, warm nature of their embrace was intoxicating. Lucas parted his lips and her tongue darted out, teased, and explored the taste of him. When his tongue tangled with hers a hungry urgency to claim him invaded her senses. When he pulled back and peered down at her, she was breathless and his chest was heaving.

Response to writing prompt

Can you tell I did very little writing on my WIP today? Oh, well.

The prompt was: She looked through the telescope. . .

Here is my quip to finish it:

She looked through the telescope on her back deck and saw. . .she blinked to clear the fuzz from her eyes. It didn’t help. She saw pirates? Jane flipped the telescope around, wiped the lens with her shirt and then peered through it a second time. On the bow of some big ship stood a man in tall black boots and one of those puffy poet shirts, his hair whipping back behind him.

Jane stepped back and squeezed her fist against her chest. Okay, she was losing her mind. That was the only explanation. This was 2009. There was no such thing as pirates. Once she stopped hyperventilating, she pressed one eye to the telescope again and this time her heart jumped out of her chest and did a jig before it leapt back in and raced out of control. He winked at her! The pirate, his dark hair waving, turned his head, and looked straight in her direction. Then one lavender eye winked at her! Now he was grinning.

Could he see her? No way. She was the one with the telescope, not him. But, but. . .knees weak, vision blurred, her world went black.

Love Scene Discussion Day 3

Day 3: Let's talk about Kissing!

What is used to kiss? Yes, I'm talking about parts of the body.

Lips, mouth, tongue. Heck! A really great kiss ususally involves hands and body contact.

Remember that movie "Bull Durham" with Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon? Remember his line about kissing?

". . . and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."

I don't know about you all but that made my toes curl.

Your assignment:

Show a kiss. Use the lips, mouth, tongue, etc. Make toes curl!

But here is the kicker. You cannot just say he kissed her or she kissed him. Uh-uh! Use another word besides "kiss".

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Love Scene Discussion Day 2 Recap

Recap day 2: Sexual tension is more important than sex itself. “The buildup makes the actual act that much sweeter.”

Your assignment: What leads those characters to sexual tension?

Yes, you guessed it! The characters conflict leads them to sexual tension.

The hero and heroine are physically drawn to each other, but the fact that they are enemies, or in competition keep them apart. The stronger the conflict, the higher the sexual tension and when the love scene finally does happen, it is more meaningful and exciting. Whatever you use as a conflict to build sexual tension, make sure it is part of the plot.

In my case, the logline for my book It Happens in Threes says it all. "Once burned, twice learned, did she dare trust again?"

The hero had walked out on the heroine before, would he do it again? There is more than the heroine's trust issue, but you get the idea.

Authors Promoting Authors

Tina-Sue from Author Promoting Authors blog just posted information about It Happens in Threes. Stop by and leave a comment. http://authorspromotingauthors.blogspot.com/2009/04/it-happens-in-threes-denise-robbins.html

Time for a Writing Prompt

I needed a little boost so I thought I would toss out a writing prompt for you as well.

Here it is: She looked through the telescope . . .

See what you come up with and share your hooky sentence or paragraph.

Countdown to love scene discussion - Day 2

First, let's start with yesterday's post. The 3 elements of a love scene are. . .

Place, action, and emotion. The most important element being emotion just like Ceri mentioned in her comment.

What your characters do and where they do it, is not as important as why they do it and how it changes them and their relationship afterward. For a love scene to be satisfying it must change the relationship between the hero and heroine. It can bring them together, pull them apart, make them question the other person's motives, even their own motives. Those emotions help propel the story forward.

Here is an example from my book, It Happens in Threes. This is the beginning of the first love scene between the hero and heroine.

“Hmmm. . .my favorite idea is. . .” His sentence trailed off as his mouth crushed down on hers. The kiss sent heat streaking through her, overwhelming in its intensity.

She knew she should protest – needed to – couldn’t – really didn’t want to.

This was a mistake of gigantic proportions. They were friends, not lovers.

Can you see how the heroine was feeling?


Next tidbit: Sexual tension is more important than the act itself. Remember anticipation makes the physical act that much sweeter.

So the question here is. . .What leads to that sexual tension between your hero and heroine?

Give some examples you've used in your own writing.

Countdown to writing the love scene - Day 1

In honor of the fact that I am going to be presenting a discussion on "Writing Love Scenes" Saturday, April 11 at NHRWA, I thought I would post some prep work to lead up to writing that sizzling hot scene.


First, let me start by saying love scenes or romances do exist outside of the romance genre. Let's make that clear for everyone. Pick up a book by Jonathan Kellerman, David Baldacci, John Sanford, Janet Evanovich, and you will find romances or love scenes in their books.


That said, let's get to the basics. What are the basic elements of a love scene?


No, the answer is not, "insert Tab A into slot B."


Hint: There are 3 basic elements.


Next question. Of those 3 elements, which one is the most important? Why?

Post your thoughts and we'll chat about them.

Robot help for my Work in Progress

Okay, so I have this very cool robot technology in my next story, but I have to decide what it is going to look like in its "non-morphed" stages. Yes, it is a morphing robot.

This robot will move on land, climb buildings, go airborne, and is submersible. Its "non-morphed" stage is on land. The requirement is for it to be no bigger than a softball and has to morph into something 1 cm.

So, what would a robot look like if you could hold it in the palm of your hand? I'm hoping to come up with an idea that at first glance you would not notice it was mechanical.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Weekend Over

Ahh! The weekend is over. Did you get to enjoy some of the spring weather? Or did you stay indoors and write all weekend? HA!

Saturday I fought with my love scene off and on. Then the whole chapter ended up longer than anticipated. But, my editor will like that. And dad, minus the red marks, liked the chapter so that's cool.

I spent several hours Sunday doing outdoor clean up. I trimmed a bunch of stuff, moved leaves that I didn't get to in the fall, and saw tulips, pansies, and primrose all coming back up. Hoping for fruit on my trees this year.

After all that fresh air, I came inside and wrote. I actually managed to write about four pages in the next chapter and am hoping to get it finished today so I can take it and the love scene to critique tomorrow.

Response to writing prompt

Remember the prompt from the other day:

The day started off pretty much like any other until. . .

My response:

The day started off pretty much like any other until the unthinkable made it a day Jane would never forget. The office called and their computer systems had been hacked. All her customers were in a state of panic that someone stole their secure information. In a rush to get to work, she didn’t see the truck that piled into her car and left it totaled and her stranded in the middle of the intersection. To top that all off, there was a strange man standing at her door with flowers and a box of chocolates claiming she had a date with him. Her mother, no doubt, had a hand in the sweaty man with the bad comb over and the ugliest suit she had ever seen.

What did you come up with? Did you hook the reader? Sometimes these little writing prompts are so much fun!!

Romance Writing T-shirt vote

Okay, so after meeting the women that own www.youdontsaynotogirls.com, I decided I wanted a T-shirt made to reflect romance writing without it saying romance writing.

Now what we have to do, with your help, is narrow the list to 2 at the most 3 sayings. So here are your choices. Please vote and let me know what you think.

The front of the shirt will say "You don't say no to girls"
On the back it will say any of these, unless you have a better suggestion:

. . .who create happy endings
. . .who provide a great climax
. . .who tell tales
. . .who keep you up all night
. . .capture you cover to cover
. . .with novel ideas
. . .who can make you blush
. . .who do it and write about it

Let me know which if any you like or make another suggestion. Remember, it is about romance writing.

A new writing prompt

Yesterday's writing prompt was so fun, I thought I would give another one.

Prompt: The day started off pretty much like any other . . .

Don't forget to share what you come up with. Remember to make it a hook!

My 3-Day Event

I thought I would share how my 3-day event went last weekend.

First day I only sold one book but it was to a woman who came looking for me in particular. That was neat! Lesson learned . . .it is all in the presentation. People were confused by my chocolate and book display. I kept getting "Is this a diet book?" HA!

The ladies that own www.youdontsaynotogirls.com in the booth next to me gave me a good display suggestion. The next day after plastering pictures of myself next to the display and wearing one of the other vendors T-shirts, I sold 15 or so. And believe it or not, I got people eyeballing the photo, then me, and back again. Then, and I am dead serious here, they would say "Is that you?" or "You look much younger in person than in the photo." Okay, the young part was cool! :-)

Sunday, I think I sold about 10. Not bad, considering my feet were killing me!! Had one woman, a retired English teacher, when she realized I was a NH author flip out with excitement. She stood in the middle of the aisle and yelled to everyone that they should buy my book because I was a local author - who cares what kind of book. Excited is just too weak a word for her enthusiasm.

Another woman, bought two books from me on Saturday (one for her and one for her sister). Then on Sunday she sent her daughter to buy a third book for her neighbor's birthday.

My favorite part was watching the guys try to pretend they weren't oggling the cover art. I even had two guys literally standing in the middle of the aisle between booths staring as if their eyes were going to bug out of their sockets and drooling. I stepped out and asked, "Do you read?" My thought was "hey, if you like the cover, you'll love what's inside." They were too embarrassed at being caught oggling. TOO FUNNY!

All in all, I had a blast.

PS - I sold a ton of chocolate lollipops.

Writing Prompt Response

Okay - so here's my shot at yesterday's writing prompt.

Prompt: When she discovered. . .

Answer: When she discovered her date wore pink women's underwear with frills, Jane did not stick around to find out what else he may or may not have. She bugged out. Running for the door in high heels, she never even glanced back at the deep voice that yelled for her to wait. In spite of running short of breath, she never even considered stopping until the deep voice yelled, "Stop, police."

She paused at the door and looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, the big man in pink lace panties stood there holding what appeared to be a police badge. She gulped and started to laugh. Then he moved, coming toward her.

"No flippin' way." Jane turned and bolted out the door and down the cement steps. Let him chase after her in public in those barely-there undies.

New writing prompt

Anybody besides me need a little creative boost? Let's get those creative juices flowing. Here is a new writing prompt.

When she discovered. . .

That is a wide open beginning. See what you can do with it and share it here. I will share mine as soon as I come up with it. :-)

Remember to make it a hook so the reader wants more.

Editor/Agent Pitches - Feel the pain

Last night, I returned from my long weekend at the Expo - exhausted. But, I did manage to read some of my email. In it was a message from one of the writers who attended the NEC conference this weekend. Apparently, she gave a pitch to an agent and it did not turn out well.

I have no details other than she never wants to do it again. :-)

How many of you have ever felt the same way? Maybe the agent/editor did not ask for anything? How about the editor/agent asked for a submission only to reject you via letter?

This writer's answer to her pain is to never pitch in person again. Can you sympathize or what?

How do we boost her and any other writer's confidence and get them prepped for taking on the in-person task of sharing her passion with the ultimate being YES - GIVE ME YOUR WORK but the scarier response being THANKS BUT NO THANKS?

Being a person who used to spend her time in front of classrooms teaching computers to business folks and more computer literate people than myself, I know how it feels to put yourself out there. Maybe I'm immune to rejection because I know I can never be 100% to everyone, not even myself. But I don't think that's how I survived getting rejections on my manuscripts.

So how do you survive the pitches?

Here is one theory. Know this. . .There is always someone who won't like you or your manuscript. In opposition to that there is always someone who will like you or your manuscript. Believe me!

Look at the pitch as an opportunity to learn from it and go in with no expectations. It used to take me 3 times teaching a class before I was comfortable and good at it. Each time I improved and enjoyed it more. Pitches and queries are the same. Take away from each meeting/response how you could improve your pitch, if at all. Also, remember that it could be that the particular agent/editor just does not like your kind of story and it has nothing to do with your pitch or writing. No matter what you do, you would not succeed with the wrong agent/editor.

With that in mind, research the editor/agent you are going to pitch to. If you write cozy mysteries, don't waste your time or the editor/agent when all they do is historical romance.

Remember, that even big-time published authors still get rejections. Yup, it is true.

What else? Anyone want to add their 2 cents??

Made in NH Expo Special

If you can't make the Made in NH Expo, I posted on my website http://www.deniserobbins.com the opportunity to order a signed copy of IT HAPPENS IN THREES from me between March 27 and March 29 and automatically be entered in a drawing to win a FREE copy of KILLER BUNNY HILL when released in July.

Yesterday's Writing Prompt Response

Prompt:

Throwing her purse over her shoulder, Jane opened her front door and froze. . .

My hook sentence:

Throwing her purse over her shoulder, Jane opened her front door and froze as a masked man shoved a black 9-millimeter Beretta in her face.

What did you come up with?? Feel free to share.

Made in NH Expo Setup & Writing Prompt

Luckily, I have already done some writing this morning, but the majority of the day I will be packing and setting up for the Made in NH Expo that starts tomorrow.

Checkout their website for more information and I hope to see you there. http://millyardcommunications.com/index.php?submenu=madeinnh&src=gendocs&ref=MadeinNHExpo&category=events

Since it will be such a busy next few days, this morning I am going to leave you with a writing prompt. I will, of course, come up with a response to the prompt and show that tomorrow after you all respond with your own idea. Think HOOK!!

Prompt:

Throwing her purse over her shoulder, Jane opened her front door and froze. . .

What is toe headed?

First, is it toe-headed or tow-headed?

Second, what does it mean?

This morning I was listening to an audiobook and that word was mentioned. I came home and looked it up, or I should say I attempted to look it up and could not find the definition.

So, what is it? Why use it? And am I the only person who has no clue as to the definition?

More books in library

If you're a writer, you should read. Correct? At least that's what everyone says in all the articles you see about being a writer. Since I agree with that and I have always been a book fiend, I decided to take a picture of my library shelves.

What you see are shelves of my previously read books. . .with the exception of the plastic bag on one shelf that has the 8 books I just purchased today. Sheesh! I just could not help myself. Now this does not include the 6 books I picked up the other day at Miranda Neville's book signing.

The top 3 shelves are doubled-up so there are twice as many books. What you do not see is that below my shelves are 4 cupboards, each with three shelves in them, also doubled-up. All of them except one cupboard are previously read books. So you can see I just HAD to get more books for my TO BE READ PILE.

How about you? What does your library look like? Is it mostly the previously read pile or the to be read pile?

A book you refuse to part with

Is there a book on your shelf that you refuse to part with? Maybe there is more than one.
What is the title and who is the author?
Why do you refuse to lend it to another living soul, not even your spouse or best friend whom you have known since 2nd grade?
Is it autographed by the author? Did you meet the author in person? Was it a gift from your first love or your parents?
Do you every once and a while look at the book and think, "I should get rid of it." Then you get heart palpitations, freak out and put it back.
How many times have you read the book cover to cover?

Me? Well, I used to have an all-time favorite first edition by Iris Johansen called THE UGLY DUCKLING. A couple of years ago I gave it to a friend. Bye-bye book.

I have a couple of signed Janet Evanovich books. One, I waited in line for hours to get (my first book signing ever). The nice thing was that the bookstore gave all of us in line a slice of cheesecake. When I finally made it up to meet Janet, she was funny and friendly and made the drive and the wait well worth it. Ever since then, I have loved going to book events.

Reviews of It Happens in Threes

The following are review links on my computer-thriller/romantic-suspense It Happens In Threes. Check them out and leave a comment on their pages.

http://reviewsbychristy.blogspot.com/2009/02/it-happens-in-threes.html
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Ithappensinthrees.html
http://bookbirddog.blogspot.com/2009/03/it-happens-in-threes-review.html

Review from Coffee Time Romance

My day just got better. A lot better!

IT HAPPENS IN THREES just received a review from Coffee Time Romance. I posted the review to the right. . . see their image.

Or, click here. http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Ithappensinthrees.html

Gosh darn computers

Okay, is it just me or did some windows update hose my computers. Everytime I reboot them and sometimes it doesn't wait for that, I have to reset stuff that should never change. This just started happening in the last couple of days and it's driving me nuts!

Yes, I'm ranting. No, I will not switch to Linux or some other such thing. I'm a Microsoft baby and always will be, but gosh darn it, I just want my stuff to work correctly.

I'm also probably more freaked out because I still haven't made a decision about the job thing. UGH! Which also means I haven't been writing squat. And tomorrow morning I have to have some writing done to take to my critique partner and I have to have a decision mad about the job in south boston.

Can't life, just every once and a while, be a tad simpler? You know, kinda like a in a good book. Something happens but in the end everything ends happily ever after?? :-) I don't think that is too much to ask. Do you?

Miranda Neville's book event

Good morning everyone!

While my mind will obviously be occupied today, I am also going to enjoy myself. I will be attending Miranda Neville's book event at Booked Solid in Bradford, VT from 11AM to 1PM.

If you're in the area, or like my want to enjoy a nice drive on a beautiful day, then you should join us. Meet a great writer and a wonderful person with a terrific accent.

Hope to see you there!

Writer's Dilemma

For 3 days now I have done very little writing because I have spent the majority of my time mentally debating with myself.

About what you ask? And I'm glad you did.

On Tuesday, I was offered a job (contract-to-perm) at a company in south boston. The money is good. The commute is not. That's at least a 90 minute drive in traffic each way and it could be more.

I've just recently gotten comfortable with my current situation and have found myself VERY happy because I am writing. . .like a crazy woman! I mean I just had book 3 signed for publishing and I'm 1/3 of the way into writing book 4, which I hope to have completed by end of April.

It's killing me because I am ecstatic that I believe I am doing what I was not only meant to do, but love doing, and now I have to decide if making a living is more important.

Yes, I believe that is the choice I have to make. Why? Because the commute will take extra hours from me. And if you don't know me, I am one of those people who is a perfectionist so therefore I pour all of me into anything I take on, which mean I will also spend more time at the office cleaning up the mess the company has. (Which is the only kind of place I like to work :-) )

It's a 6 month contract to permanent position, but just like everything else in life there is no guarantee.

Now that I have spilled everything, I need feedback. I've had some people say get a grip and walk away from it as life is too short. Others say, the pay is good so go for it, especially in this economy. And yet, others who say consider it for just the contract portion and decide after that.

So, I ask you all, my fellow writers and friends. . .what say you?

440 Chocolate lollipops

Ready for the Made in NH Expo. Wanna see what 440 chocolate lollipops look like??

Good writing day

In spite of the fact that my mind has been on something else all day and in a mental debate, I did manage to get some writing done. I got to over 35000 words today and just sent dad chapter 20 for editing. Now he has two chapters to send back to me. So happy when I get ahead of him.

I went out to my publisher's website http://www.lldreamspell.com/DeniseRobbins.htm
and noticed that they have my third book already listed with its ISBN number. Wahoo!

Check it out and look at the top of the page in the red block to see how the title CONNECT THE DOTS was typed in. It's so cute! Love my publishers.

What's on a book cover?

Now we all know that in spite of what we say, "don't judge a book by its cover", that we all do. Speaking of which, let me tell you a little story.

I had this call with a man for a radio interview.
Anyway, the guy is a marketing guy and when we chatted about the cover of my book, he stopped me and said, “Wait. You have a woman’s butt on the cover of a book?”
Of course, I answered, “Well, it’s not her naked butt. She’s wearing a bikini.”
He went off. He thought it was terrific! He said, “I could make you famous on that idea alone.”
HA!HA!
So then I said, “The second book will probably be similar only she’ll probably be in a tight-fitting snow suit.”
He laughed and said, “OH MY GOSH! A series of butts on book covers. That’s genius.”

I have to say, I never realized there are no “tushes” on book covers. But (no pun intended) it sounds like it was a winner of an idea.

CONNECT THE DOTS

Yeehaw!

Yesterday, I was given a bottle of champagne and decided to save it and celebrate when/if I sold book 3, CONNECT THE DOTS. My favorite hero!!

Well, it just happened tonight. I got the email from my publisher and the contract.

Now I am dancing the happy dance. . .champagne will be tomorrow night!!!

NHRWA meeting today

Fun, fun, fun!

If you ever want a good laugh, just attend a NH Romance Writer's meeting. Think you're hearing voices in your head? Nah, it's just the writer in you wanting out. If you're not sure, just attend a NHRWA meeting. You'll find out you're in good company.

Plus, think of all the young (not necessarily in age) writers you can and will meet. There are a bunch of us that are just ready to bust out. It's only a matter of time. You can honestly say "I knew her when." And vice versa.

Oh! Next month I will be the speaker. Great. . . tough act to follow Carla Neggers. But, I shall try.

First, I have to come up with something interesting to talk about. Notice, I said "interesting". The last thing I want to do is put people to sleep. And, I would really like to do something that had a lot of interaction between all the attendees. So, I am hereby opening this up for any terrific suggestions. If you were going to go see a writer give a spiel on some topic, what would you want to find out?

I know what Jennifer will say. . . the journey of a novel. Cool by me, but tell me what that means. :-)

Book Exposure and Free Book

Only two days left to leave a comment at Jessica's blog and possibly win a free copy of my book IT HAPPENS IN THREES.

Check out her blog at http://bookexposure.blogspot.com/

Good luck!

Booksigning Reminder for Saturday, March 14

For those of you in the area and who want a good breakfast along with a fun book to read, I will be at Sammy J's Breakfast Cafe at 144 Main Street in Salem NH from 8 AM to 10 AM Saturday morning signing my book IT HAPPENS IN THREES.

Stop by, have a cup of coffee or some Italian French Toast (my personal favorite), and get a book to read.

Hope to see you there!

After that, I'm off to see Carla Neggers talk at NHRWA and hopefully get a copy of her latest book (signed). If you have not read Carla. . .you definitely should! She writes terrific romantic suspense. Gee, do you think I consider her a mentor? :-)

You know you're a writer when. . .

It's not the day you decide to write a story. It's not the day you finish your first or even third manuscript. You're not a writer when a publisher accepts your manuscript. You're not even a writer when the book hits the stand and you can hold it in your hand.

Although all of those events make you feel good, make you believe in your skill or talent, make you feel like you accomplished something major in your life. And you have! But none of those things make you a writer.

It's the culmination of all of those that lead up to the one event that marks you as a writer. For me, that was yesterday. For me, that was having two women I barely know who purchased my book come up to me at different times and tell me that they love my book.

One woman came up to me yesterday at breakfast and with a smile on her face and cheer in her voice exclaimed that not only did she read my book, but she loved it. You should have seen and heard the surprise in her voice. She proceeded to exclaim that she had never read a romance before, but was thrilled that she had read my romantic suspense because she liked the mystery. Not fond of a lot of swearing, she was happy to see that there was a minimum in the story. She also loved the fact that she could tell when it came to the computer stuff, I knew what I was talking about and that I described it so she could understand. She loved that she got to use her own imagination to get a feel for the characters and they weren't spelled out in every detail. She cannot wait for the second book. :-)

Yesterday afternoon when I met my friend Nora for critique, another woman who had my book approached me in the ladies room. (Yes, us women do those things.) Anyway, drying her hands, she told me with a great deal of excitement she had read the first 135 pages of my book the previous evening and didn't want to put it down because it was so good. She said it was even funny and went on to tell me the funny part she liked with Jake and Ruby in the bathroom. She could not wait to read more.

All the 5-star reviews could not do for me what those two ladies did. Those two ladies not only made my day, but let me know I had achieved something I didn't even realize I hadn't until yesterday. When I started writing It Happens In Threes, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Yesterday. . .I became a writer!

Thank you.

Nothing like a good critique session

Late this morning, I met my author friend Nora Le Duc at Panera to critique our works in progress. She just returned from Florida, the lucky dog. I mean that in the nicest way. Mostly.

Anyway, we chatted about her trip. She had a marvelous time! Chatted about politic stuff. Ick! Ate some good, warm soup on a miserably chilly day.

Then we got down to writing. It is amazing how someone else can pick up on nuances in a story that you the writer cannot catch. Afterwards, I came back home, put in the edits, and then was able to tweak a few spots Nora suggested which gave me almost another 1000 words. Yes! I have achieved the 30000 mark in my story.

Plus, thanks to Nora's and my Dad's effort, I concluded that they were both slacking on the job. As I read back through the story, I realized that we all forgot a piece of the story that happened a little earlier but then fell off the face of the earth.

The heroine had picked up an envelope, stuffed it in her pants and gee it never appeared again. And that was after she had been shot and taken a shower. HA! That letter must be pretty nasty by now. :-)

Long story short, well, not that short. Critiquing and editing right afterwards is a great way to motivate the writing.

Forgot to blog today

Wow! There are days where time just gets away from you. This morning I got up and after working out (yes, I do that most days for the energy), I made some chocolate lollipops for the Made in NH Expo. Then I made some chocolate books for this Saturday's book signing.

After that, I ordered business cards which seemed to take an inordinate amount of time. Then I moved on to crafting interview questions and tweaking my bio for an upcoming radio interview.

Finally, I did a little bit of writing . . .actually editing in my WIP by putting in the tweaks dad sent back to me.

Between all these things, I emailed friends working on schedules to get together, updated my salon appointments in my calendar which somehow got completely hosed, and spoke to recruiters about various jobs and a possible interview TOMORROW. But that will only work if the VP can meet me up here since I'm already committed in the middle of the day.

Then I realized I hadn't blogged today so here I am. I should probably be writing, but obviously the creative juices went elsewhere so now I'm deciding if I want my hair stylist to put more blonde or red in my hair. Either way, I need something new. You ever feel that way?

Anyway, tomorrow will be all about writing and critiquing unless I go on that other interview.

KILLER BUNNY HILL

Okay, forgive me if I mentioned this already, but did I tell you I found out that KILLER BUNNY HILL is scheduled for release in July?

I emailed my editor last week to ask what she thought of CONNECT THE DOTS, but of course she'd only had it a few weeks and hadn't read it yet. Not to worry, she knows I have no patience. :-) She just laughs at me when I ask such questions.

Anyway, she said that CTD wouldn't be released until next year anyway until several months after KBH. So then I was like. . . WAIT! Does that mean you know when KBH is coming out.

I'm not allowed to hold her to this but she said KILLER BUNNY HILL should be released in July 2009. WOOHOO! Two books in one year.

And yes, I'm shooting for two books next year too. If I ever finish my current WIP.

Chocolate and Book Happenings

First, let's start with IT HAPPENS IN THREES. This week it is featured on Jessica James Bookexposure Blog. http://bookexposure.blogspot.com/

Next, I will be at the Made in NH Expo (March 27 - 29) doing double duty, signing IT HAPPENS IN THREES and selling Sweets by Denise chocolate! Check out my chocolate site to get an idea of what I'll be selling. www.sweetsbydenise.com

Anyone who buys a copy of the book at the Made NH Expo will get a FREE chocolate lollipop!

Who could ask for anything better than a great book and delicious chocolate.

What undergarments do your characters wear?

Like the topic? What can I say? This morning this question struck me.

What do your characters wear for undergarments? Do the womem all wear thongs or "granny panties"? Why? Is it because that's what you the writer wear or is it because of something your character has revealed?

And if your character sleeps in a G-string, have you ever? I mean seriously, have you ever worn a pair to bed and woken up with the string some place it just should not be?

Do the men wear "tight whities", Speedo type underwear, or what? Again, why? Especially the Speeedo type. Ick! I would gag if one of my characters did that. That's like going to the beach and seeing these bigger men walk around in the "barely-there" swim suit thinking they look sexy when in fact their wife or girlfriend should tell him to go put on those white socks and flip-flops because then his outfit would be complete.

Seriously. How many of you describe that part of your characters wardrobe? Including what color are they or the type of material? Does the heroine always wear silk or does she occasionally wear cotton?

Is there ever any humor involved when you show these undergarments? Like what?
Like does the hero get caught going commando? Who catches him. . .the heroine?

These are all very interesting questions. Let me know.

Book Exposure

Remember last week I told you about a blog called Bookexposure and the author Jessica James who was a newspaper editor? She also writes historical fiction. Truly a woman of many talents.

After she helped me with my press release for IT HAPPENS IN THREES, she has given me many more tips on how to expose my book for others to know it exists.

The other day, she sent me an email to let me know that she was going to feature my book on her blog. If you haven't checked out her blog before then, please check it out from. . .

03/09/2009 - 03/14/2009: IT HAPPENS IN THREES will be featured on Bookexposure, http://bookexposure.blogspot.com/.

New Romance Novel Column

Good morning all!

A friend of mine and writer, Stephanie Giancola, has announced the launch of a new romance novel column.

Take a look here and subscribe. Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/x-2533-Romance-Novel-Examiner~y2009m3d2-New-romance-novel-column--the-launch

Congratulations Steph! and best of luck!

Description Writing Prompt

Today the prompt is to spend 20 minutes describing a smell and what that smell makes you feel. For example, honeysuckle or fresh cut grass, or even a dead body.


Again, feel free to share what you come up with.

Dialogue Writing Prompt

Since the inner monologue really kicked off my creativity (actually kind of scary what came out), I thought I would pass this one on. A dialogue prompt.


This one you get 30 minutes to write a dialogue between two characters using appropriate speech differences and movement. Here's the idea. . .


Write a dialogue in which each of the characters has a secret. Do not reveal the secret but make the reader intuit it.


Feel free to share what you come up with.

Inner Monologue Writing Prompt

I'm taking a creative writing course and this week one of the writing sessions had us starting with a prompt and then taking 10 minutes to write an inner monologue.


I thought I would share the prompt with you all and see if it could ignite any creative juices. Good luck!


Write a brief inner monologue beginning with the words, “What I could never tell you…”

Feel free to share what you write.

Win FREE books

About a week ago I found this very cool site that gives away books.

http://www.bkgiveaway.com/

Each week they change the books that they are giving away. All these books are donated and signed by the authors. Check them out!

Starting today until next Friday morning, my book is available to add your name in to get a copy free. Yes, absolutely free!!

Who doesn't want a free book?!

Editorial submission to Post

Well, bummer!

The Washington Post rejected my editorial on the stimulus. What's the deal with that? We can publish everything the politicians thinks but not what we, the middle class, think.

At least my ediotrial even offered a solution to the issue as opposed to some of these politicians who just whine about it but never offer up anything.

Anyway, not to worry, I won't be posting any political comments on my blog. :-)

Press Release

Although I have been writing. . .at page 85 as of this morning, I also did spend a little time on the publicity thing.

I found this wonderful person named Jessica James and her blog at http://bookexposure.blogspot.com/.

Jessica is an author and a newspaper editor with 18 years experience. She knows how to craft a press release and how to address an email to an editor to get their attention.

I worked with Jessica through email the past three days where she asked me a bunch of questions and in the end, I have a press release that I have already sent out to a local paper and the blurb to attach to submit to a newspaper editor to catch their interest in possibly doing an interview.

Seriously, if any of you are having troubles with getting that press release done, check out her blog and contact her. I highly recommend her!

You Write - but do you Read?

Every week you manage to do some kind of writing. Whether it is 100 words or 1000 words, it does not matter because it is all good.


Do you also read?


Me, I read at least 1 book a week and sometimes several just depending on the length and obviously how good it is. This week I have managed to read three, oops four books. Thanks goodness for excellent writers. My TO BE READ pile is dwindling. I now only have one cabinet of books to read.


How many books do you read? What was the last book you read and when?


Do you read the same kind of books that you write?


I write romantic suspense. I usually read romantic suspense, mysteries, romance, and even true crime. When I do research for my books, I read anything and everything, but have to admit I tend to shy away from reading a whole non-fiction novel.

Why do you read?

Relaxation? Escape? Learn more about your craft?

Writing - but not my WIP

Yesterday I did manage to write about another 2000 words getting me to page 82 in my WIP. Yea!!

Then I could no longer concentrate and decided to write an editorial with regards to the current economy and the "stimulus". On a normal basis, I am not a political person, but - yes, I do live in New Hampshire.

Anyway, this whole situation has me in quite the tizzy and the TV media around it pretty much drives me nuts. Realize, I rarely watch television (prefer books), but occasionally I will go out for breakfast and you have no choice but to listen to the so-called news program. In thirty or sixty minutes they drone the same comment/opinion into your head at least 4 times throughout the program. No wonder everyone is depressed.

So, I wrote a 2 page editorial on our economic situation from my POV and submitted it. What do you think? Will someone at the newspaper actually take the time to read it? Or will it end up in the recycle bin? Will they go a step further and print it? Or is it only the politicians whose voice counts?

Personally, this is why I write fiction. :-) Fiction will make me laugh, cry, jump out of my seat, fall in love, smile, and believe that anything is possible.

Miranda Neville's book release

Good morning! Big news today. A friend of mine and fellow NHRWA member has her first book released today. Please suport her and go out and buy it.

Here's the information:
NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION by Miranda Neville
Avon. ISBN: 9780061715914

Beautiful, spirited Jacobin de Chastelux would have been the perfect prize for any man . . . but she never imagined one would win her at a game of cards. When she learns that her dissolute uncle and guardian had wagered her virtue--and lost--she flees. A cunning disguise and her culinary talents landher in the Prince Regent's kitchen under master chef Antonin Carême. All is well until her uncle dines with the prince and is poisoned by one of her desserts. Jacobin must escape again . . . to the home of the very man who won her in that infamous game!

Romantic Times writes "Neville skillfully combines revenge, murder and a good dollop of sexual tension to bring readers a delicious and delightfulread. The unique overview of the makings of French pastries adds to the flavor of this debut novel." According to Publisher's Weekly "the byplaybetween the hero and heroine is genuine, lusty and fun."For an excerpt, visit http://www.mirandaneville.com/

Next Book Signing

It really is nice to have friends. A friend of mine owns a small breakfast and ice cream shop and she has decided that my next book signing will be at her place.


Between bacon and eggs, you can buy a book. :-) Or buy the book before breakfast and start reading it while you're there.

The event is Saturday, March 14 from 8AM - 10AM at Sammy J's. The address is 144 Main Street in Salem, NH.

Mark your calendars!

Page 75

Woohoo! 19000 words and page 76 today. I am feeling good!
Lots of action and movement.

If I can keep this pace up, I should reach page 100 by the end of the week.