Guest Author Interview: Diana Duncan …by Susan Lute
Author Diana Duncan went out into the Indie publishing world, and conquered. She’s come back to tell us how she fared. Diana’s newest titles are, Deal With The Devil and Devil May Care. You can find her in all the usual places, but I’ll let her tell you all about it. Welcome, Diana!
Tell us what’s new in your publishing journey.
I now have 3 Indie published books for sale! And with this last one, Devil May Care, I finally was able to beat down those pesky little doubt demons that have been hounding me for the past 4 years, and I can honestly say I had more fun writing this book than any of the previous twelve!
I laughed, I cried, and totally fell in love with mischievous, sexy, Harley-riding Irish bad boy Flynn Devlin. No matter how many books I write from now on, Devil May Care will always be one of my all-time favorites.
What’s the funniest thing to happen since we last visited with you, and what is the most exciting?
Funniest: Hmmm… Some people think writers live “glamorous exciting lives, right?” Well, I have this next door neighbor who makes Martha Stewart look like a slacker. I kid you not, this woman’s house is always spotless, her kids are perfect, heck, she even mops her front porch—and she always looks gorgeous. In fact, we had a neighborhood fire a few summers ago, and she came running out in a velvet robe with a lace collar, and not a hair out of place. Her husband is very, very conservative and uptight.
Me, I’m lucky if I get a shower and dressed every day and some sort of food on the table, especially if I have a deadline.
So the other morning at 7:15 a.m. I’d already cleaned up a pile of steaming cat poo off the floor and went bopping out to the garbage can carrying stinky bag of cat poo, wearing my usual morning bedhead that looks like Don King, pillow creases in my face that make me look like Larry King, and my dancing flamingo short PJs with a tank top and bare feet. Of course, who did I run into in the driveway but Mr. Martha’s Husband?
He looked so aghast, I had to laugh. Then I bet he rushed into his own house and thanked his wife for being normal.
Most Exciting: I got my mojo back! After 4 years of struggling, I can now sit down at the keyboard and let my crazy imagination go wild! A lot of it is due to the fact that I’m no longer attempting to please agents and editors and write to the market. I’m writing what I want, when I want, and am only worried about what readers will think of my stories! It’s so liberating and soooo much fun! For the first time since I got published, I’ve rediscovered the joy in my creative process. And it feels so good. I’d lost myself for far too long, and I finally feel like myself again.
What has been the biggest challenge in your new publishing endeavor?
Self-discipline. Oy vey. No editors or agents also means no real hardcore deadlines. The only deadlines are the ones I set myself. And forcing myself to stay in the chair and write on schedule is a constant battle. My family, pets, the never-ending household chores, my garden, and my craft projects are constantly attempting to lure me away. Luckily, my critique partners, published authors Susan Gable and Jennifer August, are terrific at kicking my butt and keeping me on task.
The 3 of us do 30 minute sprints all day long mostly every day, where we start at a specific time, do nothing but write for 30 minutes, then report in with our word counts. Take a 10 minute break for a snack or potty break or to re-caffeinate…and then rinse and repeat. That’s been the single most helpful tool in increasing my concentration and output!
What are you currently reading?
The 2nd book in Nora Robert’s Boonsboro Inn trilogy: The Last Boyfriend. It has a fun romance AND lots of decorating all in one book…my idea of heaven. *G*
What’s coming next?
I have 2 new romantic suspense[novels] going up, Laws of Attraction in June, and its sequel, Big Bad Wolfe in July. After that, I’ll probably start on my 3rd Devilish Devlins book, but I also have a military romantic suspense series plotted out and a mercenary romantic suspense/adventure series partially plotted. I’m going to be busy. 
Devil May Care Blurb:
Free-wheeling rogue Flynn Devlin roars into Marisa Matheson’s well-ordered life on a Harley, with a
devil-may-care attitude, a body made for sin, and an Irish lilt that could charm the panties off a nun.
Exactly the kind of bad boy she doesn’t need.
Except Flynn also possesses magic talent with a camera—something she desperately needs to keep her wedding planning business from tanking after her regular photographer is injured.
Flynn Devlin is the only thing standing between Marisa and complete financial ruin.
He’s also hiding a damning secret from her. All in the name of love, but still…Flynn knows that when the lass who’s capturing his heart as easily as he captures images finds out he’s not quite what he claims to be, all hell will break loose.
And his devil-may-care attitude doesn’t include his heart.
Because this devil doesn’t want just a one-night fling with his stubbornly independent lass…he wants forever.
Lists, Androids, And The First Day of …. by Susan Lute
I’m a list maker – surprise, surprise. I have many lists. A list of things I wanted to do as soon as I was sure the new day job was real. A publication calendar for the rest of 2012 – a list of sorts. The list of writerly things I wanted to accomplish before I get on the bus for my first day of work. A list of things to take with me. Groceries to buy for the first week. What clothes to wear…
The job is real (I have an employee number), so in the last 48 hours I’ve gotten more done than in the eight weeks I’ve been off. Hilarious, right? After ten chapters of hard copy revisions to my current wip (writer slang for work in progress – for you readers out there, who’s great love is reading), last night Jane’s Long March Home went up on Smashwords. E-Formatting Fairies does the manuscript conversion, so it was easy peasy. This morning I’m awake at 4am. No point in laying in bed. Info for the Bewitching Book Tour sent. Then it’s time for coffee, and See Jane.
Those of you who know me, know I’m last in line for any technical update in my daily life. Hang onto your seats. Don’t snicker,
it’s not polite. But taking on a 40 hour a week job, and because I’ve decided to take mass transit to work (an 80 minute bus ride), preplanning called for some organization and innovation. Finally I was pushed into getting an Android phone. Considerations: New job, less time for writing, even without social networking. Long bus ride; could be cannibalized for writing, but even better, social chit chat. Plenty of time to learn how to use the Android – we’ll call her Luci, the Droidette. So I go to Verizon, talk to a very nice young man, who answers my very specific questions clearly and concisely. You would be so proud. Thanks to all who talked about their droidettes within my hearing, thus giving me many fact-finding questions. The end result, I walked away with a Lucid.
This is where the fun begins, because now that I’ve leaped over the edge, I need Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads on the phone. That happy job fell to the wonderful son-in-law, another Luddite, who’s only recently gotten his own droid, and taken to it like a duck to water. After his tender care, Luci is ready for her first trip into town, except… how do I find the Spinning Wheel Cafe, or See Jane, or any other blog I’d like to visit? …{Jeopardy music} You all would be glad to know I just now figured out how to navigate. And how to book mark the pages. All without breaking the phone. Not a complete Luddite, after all.
What’s left to do? Make sure the Kindle is charged. Get clothes ready. Pack my bag. Make sure purse has all essentials. On the first day, I’ll lunch in the cafeteria, that is if I don’t go for a walk in the glorious sunshine. The prediction is for Portland sun all week. Note to self: take an energy bar.
I’m reading Marie Force’s Ready For Love. Diana Duncan is returning to See Jane to share her remarkable journey since we last saw her. Stay tuned for that. What are you doing, this first full week of sunshine in the Pacific Northwest, while I’m off to the new job?
Rose City Rhapsody… by Nancy Brophy
Love television? Does Portlandia have you thinking about moving to the Pacific Northwest?
First let me break the sad news, Kyle MacLachlan is not our mayor and we don’t put a bird on everything. But it is true we are more laid back than many cities. Someone wrote that Portland is what San Francisco would be like if it was run by Canadians. I love that line.
Weather: You might not have heard but it’s true, we get a little precipitation. Bring an umbrella. The Portland Rain Fest lasts from October through June.
Dress: Princess Kate may be encouraging wearing pantyhose in England, but we don’t. Historically, hasn’t that always been true? In the Revolutionary War, they wore red coats, we dressed casual.
London is as rainy as Portland, but if you think Gore-Tex is sexy, you belong here.
Sucker punch: Come in July. After one summer here, you will never go home. It is our summers that let us survive months of rain.
Food: Expect fresh, local, seasonal almost everywhere. Pick your own fruit – apricots, peaches, berries, and cherries in mid summer. Some things never go out of style. You will learn to preserve produce, make jams and jellies and fill your pantry with jars of product from your backyard.
Exercise: Bring your bicycle. We jog, we hike, we cross-county ski. (I don’t, but I can show you photos of people who do). There are kick-ball leagues and soccer isn’t just for kids. You can learn to paddle a dragon boat and compete in races.
Professional sports: Blazers, Winterhawks, Timbers. Need I say more?
Cool Stuff: If transportation is an issue, Portland is one of the few places you can live without a car due to remarkable public transportation, streetcar, train and bus.
If you have a car, we don’t pump our own gas. Tha’s right. You will never smell like gasoline again. And once your tank is filled, you’re only one hour to the coast. One hour to the mountains. Mt Hood has year round snow.
Home Gardens: Most places you will live will be man against nature. You plant and you pray. In Portland, it is also man against nature. But this time you’re given a weapon – a machete. Everything takes root. If you plant a Popsicle stick in the ground, next summer’s garden will yield some interesting results.
Festivals: Summertime brings the festivals, Cinco de Mayo, the Rose Festival, Crawfish festival, the Greek festival, the Highland Games festival, numerous brew and food festivals. Every weekend can keep you busy.
Money: No state income tax. An item priced at $3.95 is $3.95. Portland isn’t like Denver. Twenty percent of your salary does not come from the view. There are lots of careers here that aren’t available elsewhere. Have a Saturday Market booth. Sell your home-grown produce at one of the many farmer’s markets.
Coffee: Practice your snobbishness about coffee. You will be tested. ‘Folgers in the cup’ designates a tourist, not a local.
Prepare to be dazzled. Prepare to make friends. Prepare to love us.
Got Motivation? by Cassiel Knight
One of my favorite things is to discover quotes, motivational, inspirational and just plain interesting. In my home and around my desk, I have posted my favorites.
I’ve been thinking of promotion and marketing a lot lately, especially since one of my publishers, Lyrical Press, has hired a Promotion and Marketing Director.
So, I thought I’d do a search about the web (because I have so much free time 
) to see what I can find that speak directly to advertising, marketing and promotion. I found a wide-range of quotes and while many of them were specific to product advertising and marketing, I found some I thought fit quite well into what we need to consider as authors and our product–our books.
I hope you enjoy these as I have.
- Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising. – Mark Twain
- Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read. – Leo Burnett (Pioneer American advertising executive)
- Without promotion something terrible happens…Nothing! – P.T. Barnum
- Putting out a newspaper without promotion is like winking at a girl in the dark – well-intentioned, but ineffective. – William Randolph Hearst (American publisher, editor and politician)
- Do not wait; the time will never be “just right”. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along. – Napoleon Hill
- It is all about marketing; that is where the real craft comes in. The best actors do not necessarily become the biggest stars. And vice versa. – Dirk Benedict, Actor
- The final key to the way I promote is bravado. I play to people’s fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That’s why a little hyperbole never hurts. –
Donald Trump - Advertising says to people, “Here’s what we’ve got. Here’s what it will do for you. Here’s how to get it. – Leo Burnett (Pioneer American advertising executive)
- Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief. – Leo Burnett
- Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does. ~Steuart Henderson Britt
In case you haven’t had enough (and I never do), here are some more inspirational ones on writing in general:
- A critic can only review the book he has read, not the one which the writer wrote. – Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic’s Notebook, 1960
- Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand. – George Orwell, “Why I Write,” 1947
- Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. – Mark Twain
- I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. – James Michener
So, dear readers, what are some of your favorites?
How To Build A Book …by Susan Lute
Okay, let’s get business out of the way, then we’ll get to the fun stuff. This week:
Books read: one
Currently reading: Two
New words written: 0
Pages revised: 47
Cold read: one (I’m about half way through)
Dinner meeting to discuss upcoming anthology
Worked with E-Book Formatting Fairies to format novelette for Smashwords
Published on Smashwords: A Girl Named Jane. Yay! A milestone
Made a publishing schedule for the rest of 2012
Determined the nuts and bolts of publishing a novel from finishing fist draft to launch
Developed a spreadsheet to track publishing steps
Entered Jane’s Long March Home and The London Affair in the International Digital Awards Contest.
Scheduled blog tour for The Return Of Benjamin Quincy (starts June 4 – mark your calendars)
Third interview for possible day job
Accepted job offer! Cheers!
Discovered the perfect place for a writer’s retreat while on walk with author Darla Luke
Took Annabelle through the robowash (my truck)
Conclusion: Not enough writing or revising done. Need to kick that piece into high gear.
This is the life of today’s writer. Whether you’re traditionally pubbed, e-pubbed, or indie, this is what being a published author looks like. It’s a demanding career where writing the story is only the beginning.
So I wanted to talk about how to build a book. There are lots of resources out there to help, but here are a few raw nuts and bolts. Stories get started in generally two different ways. The writer has an plot idea, or a character won’t let go. These kernels nag and nag until the writer puts pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard.
The author’s approach can happen in two ways. Some write plot first, then fill in with character. Others come at a story from character first, then figure out the plot as they go along. This would be me. I love a deeply defined character; can’t resist the discovery of who they are, what they want, and what obstacles they have to climb over to get to the one thing that is going to turn their lives completely upside down.
A good story has a story arc. The best stories have several – the external plot, each major character, and in my case, the romance arc. Each one has to have a beginning, middle, and end to keep the reader turning pages (right?).
In addition, and this is what really makes the story… each novel is made up of multiple scenes. Each scene has an arc, a beginning, middle, and end; goal, conflict (what’s the problem?), then disaster – the worst thing that can happen, or a moment when the involved main character reacts to the previous scene and dilemma with a decision that will propel the story forward.
My next dragon book is about one of the brothers, whose dragon has been taken from him. In the next Rosewood book, I 
want to write a reverse makeover story. I’m completely fascinated by how my characters will rise above their deepest, sometimes darkest problems to be the heroes and heroines of their own story. The bare bones of a plot arise from the characters, and then it’s off to the races.
It’s time to make tea, so what are you reading? And do you read for plot or for characters?
From Farm to Fork …. by Nancy Brophy
My husband raises chickens in our backyard.
A lot of chickens.
We live in an unincorporated area, which translates to no streetlights, no curbs and no sidewalks. Finding my house at night is difficult. But unincorporated also means large lots – we have a half an acre – farm animals – the neighbor behind us have llamas and alpacas – and lower taxes.
Two years ago we had a house fire. Dan’s co-workers immediately jumped in with offers of help. Dan suggested he could drop off 40 chickens to anyone who would take them. No one did.
There are benefits to having backyard poultry aside from the obvious – brown free-range eggs and future stock ingredients. The dogs are endlessly fascinated. On nice days the dogs organize the chickens into putting on a show to save the orphanage. So far they’ve done Animal Farm, Charlotte’s Web and their favorite, Chicken Run.
Life is a science project. This is my husband’s motto. And the chickens play right into that operating as a mobile compost dispenser, top soil aeration team and organic slug eliminator.
We have bees – 2 kinds. Wild and domestic. Mason and honey. One set of honey bees moved in unannounced and took over an unused sprinkler utility box. Rather than try to remove them, Dan built a hive above them. Live and let live is the subtext of life is a science project.
The bees have, for the most part, ignored his efforts, but our painter (who hates bees) did apologize for the untimely deaths of three. “I feel like a killer,” were his sad words of confession. Which may have been prompted by Dan’s telling him. “I’ve taken an inventory and I seem to be three bees short.” (The average hive contains at least 50,000 bees.)
Dan loves the sounds of the rooster in the early morning. I, on the other hand, did the dance of happiness when the rooster was invited to an early “retirement party” after he mistakenly attacked the hand that fed him.
A few years ago I was surprised with the addition of turkeys. Whoo hoo. Not only did we have turkeys for thanksgiving this year, but when we had three left, we also had them for Easter. I commented on Susan’s post that April had been peculiar to say the least, but part of that was Easter. We went from fifteen potential guests to two. (I ho
pe you are keeping count because we’d killed three turkeys for the event.)
Some of our guests had to refuse because they had guests of their own. But one couple was busy in the maternity ward. I know you think you have cute children and grandchildren.
But our new grandchild is the world’s cutest baby. Not only do Dan and I think so, but so do the dogs and chickens.
The turkeys have been used to nourish the mother that feeds the child.
Hakuna Matata.
Guest Author Interview: Deanne Wilsted …by Susan Lute
Today we are very excited to have author, and President of Rose City Romance Writers, Deanne Wilsted with us. Here are a couple of lines I pulled from her website, which I think says a lot about Deanne and her approach to writing and life.
“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
When she’s seriously writing, she’s at Starbucks.
Her favored drink is half-decaf Americano.
Betting Jessica is her first published novel (you can buy it @Amazon). You’ll find her on Twitter @dwilsted, Facebook, @Deanne’s Writing World, and on her blog, Overheard At…
Please give Deanne a BIG SJP welcome.
Deanne, tell us about your publishing journey.
The rainbow is a ladder from the earth up to the sky, the sunset more a backdrop as clouds crowd by.
This is the beginning of a poem I wrote in first grade. It won me an honorable mention at our county fair and it made clear, to me anyway, that writing was therefore what I was meant to do. Unfortunately my father didn’t necessarily agree, and so I spent a great deal of my academic life studying business… something that he assured me would keep me employed.
And it did… for many years; employed, but not really happy. As with many writers, later in life I found myself drawn back to my original passion and decided to find out if I could, in fact, write a novel. Ten years and a lot of edits later, I published my first book, Betting Jessica, on Kindle and now find all of that business experience coming in handy again as I try to market myself and my writing.
What’s the funniest thing to happen to you along your road to publication and what was the most exciting?
The funniest? This is tough. When I asked my husband about this he laughed and pointed to the very anal excel spreadsheet I created to track agent and editor queries. Recently I was told that my second novel would be considered for publication at a specific press if I upped the heat (sex) and added a paranormal aspect. Since it is sort of a soft romance with inspirational elements I decided to continue looking for the right publisher instead.
The most exciting thing to happen though is easy to answer. A few months after Betting Jessica was released my neighbor threw a surprise party for me. He invited friends who had been my support along the way and made a big deal of interviewing me during the dinner. I was touched and honored and most importantly, for the very first time, I truly felt like the author I am.
What has been the most challenging thing related to publishing you’ve had to deal with on your journey?
After years of marketing my work to agents and getting positive feedback but no contract I finally 
decided to self-publish Betting Jessica. This was a tremendously difficult decision, so I can relate to many authors who weigh out the pros and cons of going this route.
Ultimately, it became a matter of staying true to my writing journey…. From day one I have focused on learning each, new, small task: How do I write a complete novel? How do I edit? How do I query? And eventually, how do I publish? Taken from this perspective the choice became much simpler. Self-publishing became the most immediate way I had to learn the answer to this last question. Since then it has forced me to continue to learn… How do I market? How do I network? How do I blog… the list keeps growing.
Who is your favorite author, and what are you currently reading?
Hands down my favorite author would be Sophie Kinsella. I love her humor and characters. In general, any British authors rock my boat…. There is just something about that wry sense of humor that I relate to.
Right now, though, I admit I find myself drawn to a lot of middle grade novels, like Rules, by Cynthia Lord. And though it is outside my normal genre I just finished reading The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.
What’s coming up next for you?
So much is coming up my head is spinning. First off I am working on publishing the other two novels I have completed. The first one, Untie the Knot, has been edited for self-pub but is also in the hands of some interested presses. One way or the other I am hoping to get it out this summer. The other, which is set in Italy, has lots of crazy characters and is my favorite so far. It is in the stage of being marketed to agents. It’s title is Molto Mayhem in case readers want to search it out someday.
Along with this, I love managing my Blog, Overheard at…. which I post Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Finally, I have three new projects started. The one I am focusing on now is a novel about a mother who takes her daughter to Cornwall to recover from heartbreak, but then finds she is having her own, long distance difficulties with her husband back in the States. It is still very much my voice, but reaches an older audience and is a part of my ongoing focus to learn and grow as an author.
Most importantly, though, I plan to spend lots of time with the wonderful authors who currently surround me (like the See Jane Publish authors). I have a ton to learn from them and continue to appreciate their experience and wisdom…. Not to mention their support.
Thanks so much for letting me visit!
Rejection, Lightening The Load, New Job, OMG! …by Susan Lute
I have a special fondness for my blog titles, so for a little while you all will have to put up with my trifecta thinking process. Grab your coffee, this is going to take awhile.
This week, Nancy and I have been a bit down in the dumps. One of my favorite projects got rejected, and since we Jane’s tend to ride the same rail, she and Kim jumped on board to offer solace. We’re better now (aren’t we, girls), so not to worry, but I want to talk about it, because the business of selling your baby is so subjective. You have to learn early on how to take it on the chin, pick yourself up, and move on. If you can’t, you’re in the wrong business, and I’d suggest you take up robbing banks, taking on a Supreme Court Judge, or teaching irascible children. It would be easier.
To aid in my recovery, I dug into my office, put up new shelves, rearranged things, got rid of ‘crap’ that’s been laying around for years, and continued working on the doctor story. Dana is at a crossroads. The road ahead is blocked. There’s no getting through. Should she go left or right?
Life would not be worth the living if it didn’t occasionally throw us a curve ball. My curve ball came in the form of a rejection, and two offers for a job. A job, you say? Yup. Though my big dream is to stay home and write to my heart’s content, it’s become abundantly clear it can’t happen yet. One day. Just not today.
So, here I stand, with crazy Dana, at a crossroad. Behind me, my load has been lightened. In front of me, I have two 
completely opposite ways to go. Each direction has its merits, and its challenges. The choice in the end will be mine.
I guess that’s the point of today’s blog. Probably I’m writing it more for me, than for you, but how do you decide which direction to go? For yourself, and by a strange extension, your characters?
I actually have the answer, since this is not my first dance. First, be sure to examine all the possibilities. I honestly believe, if you hold out for the gold, everything else will fall into place. Know the pitfalls you’ll encounter. No matter what decision you make, there will be good and bad, but mostly good. In your heart you have to believe that. And in the end, trust your gut. 
Whatever decision you make, things will turn out for the best (unless you’ve missed all the sign posts on the way).
A writer’s journey is exactly that. A journey. The way is paved with challenges, excitement, disappointments, pulling up your big girl panties, taking charge, making decisions, having fun, brawling with friends, charging full steam ahead (my personal favorite).
So hoist your cups, dear reader. Celebrate with me. This week I got a rejection, eliminated clutter I don’t need, stood on the brink of choosing a new job. And I’m still writing. What better way to spend the glorious days of spring?
When Marriage Fails Us … by Nancy Brophy
Is there a woman among us who has not been affected by a man who’s violated our trust? As romance writers we tend not to write about the ugly side of love. If a man is unfaithful in one of our stories, it is a man our heroine leaves only to be rewarded by finding true love with someone who does everything better than the cheating scum bucket – including sexual performance.
Real life is not always so clear. Do you stay or do you go? How much do you weigh the time invested and the children born? Does forgiveness say more about you than the relationship or the man? Is the lesson taught, the lesson learned?
There are some who believe a cheater will always cheat. So when you forgive him you have convinced him there are no consequences to his actions. The opportunity to forgive will be presented again and again. Another school of thought believes everybody makes mistakes and should be allowed a second or third chance.
Every relationship is different and all are fluid. Power shifts back and forth between the players. Regardless of your status – single, dating, living together or married – each avenue houses both the good and the bad in equal measures. Some days are good, and we like our lives, and other days we want anything but what we’ve chosen.
When George Harrison’s second wife, Olivia was asked how she made the marriage work for over twenty years, she responded, “We didn’t get a divorce.”
I once had a friend who maintained you should never commit to a man with whom you have not have a terrible fight. Because you have to know even in anger that he holds your relationship and you sacred. Today we have more opportunity to marry for love than we’ve ever had in the past. Yet, many of us cling to the fairy tales of our youth. A man (even without a white horse) will save us from ourselves. When that turns out not to be true, we feel cheated.
Someone coined the adage, women give sex to get love, men give love to get sex, and in the 60’s we learned free love was never free. There was always a cost to be paid, mostly on the wear and tear of your soul. Intimacy is supposed to create a safe haven where every one can drop their guard if only for a brief period of time. It is why a man can tell a prostitute the secrets he could never say at home and why a woman is annoyed (or worse) if the man immediately drops into a dead sleep.
The best relationships share several common traits. You must know and like yourself. Another person will not complete you, nor be the wind beneath your wings. At least not every day. Understand what you want. If you’re telling him what you think he wants to hear, your relationship hinges on lies.
Have you chosen a partner based on his resume rather than the man himself? While sex might be a microcosm of the relationship, it is not the barometer. A great physical encounter does not determine the success of the relationship. (Please don’t bring up the times I’ve said it does in books)
Love is tough. Riding off into the sunset may blind you temporarily, but sooner or later your sight returns. Everyone’s story includes pain and underneath it all, we share the same story. If I’ve learned one thing about life and love, it is that time is the sponge that soaks up the hurt. Before you hire a divorce attorney, give the relationship time to cool down. I read somewhere that after being divorced for a couple of years, most people believe they could have made it work, if only they’d tried harder.
Historically women stayed in relationships because they had no choice. Today we have a choice, which makes our decisions more complex. We rarely see all of the ramifications that occur when someone throws a stone into the water.
I write romance because I believe in true love and happily ever after, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t also written a blog about how to murder your husband, which is why I’ve never included a scene in which the hero and heroine ride off into the sunset.
Industry Interview: Champagne Book Group by Cassiel Knight
Today’s Industry Interview is with J. Ellen Smith, Publisher/Owner of Champagne Book Group, an independent small press located in Calgary, AB Canada. CBG books are available in electronic and trade paperback forms. Established in December 2004, CBG threw open their cyber doors in April 2005 with four titles. Since that time, and with the belief that ebooks are the future, they have continued to grow and now boast authors in all corners of the globe. As of recently, I’m proud to say that includes me. My first book with them, Blood on the Moon, is an October release. You can find more information about them, see the terrific books and enjoy the lovely covers at Champagne Book Group.
Please join me in welcoming Ellen and Champagne Book Group to See Jane Publish!
What made you decide to become a publisher?
Call me a disgruntled reader. I got tired of reading the same thing over and over, just with the details slightly skewed. I wanted to read something fresh and original, which I wasn’t finding. Then, as an author with one too many bad experiences behind me, I figured there had to be a better way. One day over vanilla lattes with a friend, who had listened to me moan and groan for years, the idea of creating my own house was born. It wasn’t for another year or so that the ‘idea’ was brought into fruition.
You’ve recently changed your name/logo. Why did you decide to change? What’s the significance?
The logos for each imprint are still the same. We still have Champagne Books (our romance and mainstream fiction imprint), Carnal Passions (the erotic romance imprint) and our newest imprint, BURST (science fiction and fantasy). Since all three imprints are managed by the same executive team, it only made sense to ‘group’ them, hence the Champagne Book Group. The logos for each individual imprint are still the same; however, we’ve got the corporate logo for the book group now.
Could you please tell us specifically what types of books Champagne Book Group publishes?
Genre fiction. We do not publish non-fiction, biographies, children’s books, short story collections. We do publish romance and all its sub-genres, erotic romance, mystery/suspense/thrillers, science fiction and fantasy.
If you could get your hands on more stories in a certain genre – or with certain characters – what would it be?
Historical highland romances are high on our list. We’re also looking for steampunk as well. Our Carnal Passions line is looking for good quality, erotic romances in all the subgenres, specifically male/male and ménage.
What are you absolutely not looking for?
Right now our needs are pretty wide-spread, so the best way to explain what we’re not looking for is to simply say ‘non-fiction’. The proliferation of YA vampire romances has
been so strong lately, that we are not looking for those either.
Will you be doing both e-books and print books? Where can you find Champagne Book Group books?
As a digital publisher, we focus first on the electronic book, and then if there is enough interest, the book goes into print. Our eBooks are widely distributed in all the major online stores, and our paperbacks are available on our website, Amazon and Lulu. Those that have high demand get moved into increased distribution for availability in bookstores.
Most new writers have visions of agents and New York publishing houses dancing in their heads. Can you tell us some of the advantages of signing with a digital/small press publisher over a New York publisher?
I can’t imagine that a new author (or any author for that matter), can call up the publisher of Simon and Schuster just to say hello and to ask for help with a problem. They can with a small press. We tend to be a little less formal, a lot more hands-on, and much friendlier than those huge corporations. While submissions times aren’t near as quick as they used to be with small press, they still may get their book out faster than waiting in line at NY, and they definitely have more input into editing and cover design.
What do you look for in a prospective writer?
We look for someone who writes well, spins a great story and understands that the work isn’t done with typing ‘the end’. On submission, we ask authors to send along a ‘promotions plan’ which, hopefully, gets their head wrapped around the idea of promoting their work once it’s available for sale. We want authors who are good to work with and who don’t fight the entire process. We want authors who aren’t afraid to take the initiative.
After you receive a query/synopsis – approximately how long does it take you to reply to the author?
The acquisitions editor confirms that the query has been received within a few days if she’s busy, but she tends to be on that one fairly quickly, so you’ll likely hear that she’s received your query as soon as she’s seen it. Then it is 1-2 months for her to review all the initial submissions. Should the complete manuscript get requested, expect another 2-3 month wait. Our submissions email is very busy, so if those time parameters have come and gone, it doesn’t hurt to email to see where things are. But please only do so if you’ve 1) never heard if your submission was received, 2) it’s been longer than 2 months for your initial query or 3) it’s been over 3 months since you sent in your complete manuscript. DO follow our guidelines for compiling your submission package. If you do not stick to the requested format, your submission will be deleted.
Most authors seem to feel it’s the publisher’s responsibility to do the marketing – that all an author should do is write. In your opinion, how important is marketing and what’s the writer’s responsibility in this area?
Who knows your book better than the author who wrote it? That’s the person who should be out there yakking it up the most. Marketing is very important, but there’s a definite difference between marketing and promoting, although many authors use the terms interchangeably. Marketing is broader in scope, and promotion is just one tool used as part of an overall marketing strategy. While promotion is important to marketing success, it does not constitute an entire marketing strategy on its own.
Basically, the marketing mix is composed of the 4 “P’s”—product, price, place and promotion. Obviously the author has no control over price and placement, which means the price of the product and where it is sold, that’s the publisher’s job. But promotion is the method that is used to let customers know about the product.
So, again, who better to let customers know about your book?
Across the Internet, the most common expressed concern is the perceived lack of quality control in eBooks. Would you like to comment on where Champagne Book Group is with respect to performance in this area?
I think this perception is changing as eBooks go more and more mainstream. Yes, there is still a lot of junk out there since so many people feel that they can produce an eBook and get it for sale without much effort. But the reality is, everyone needs a good editor and everyone needs good cover art.
Since Champagne opened in 2005, we have strived to keep our quality high, which we have done with several editorial reviews prior to publication. We don’t put out a lot of books per month because we want to be able to maintain that high standard.
As a publisher, what is the best advice you can offer a writer on how to be successful in the business?
First of all, develop thick skin. You’ll be criticized and critiqued over and over. Listen to what is said about your work and use it to improve. Then write what you know, and what you like to read, and write every day. If you can find a writer’s group, use one. If you can’t, find an online critique group–peer interaction is not only extremely helpful, but keeps you from feeling that you’re alone. Lastly, once you’ve got something out there for the reading public, don’t hide. Be visible. Take a look at what some of the successful authors in your genre are doing and never, ever stop learning and growing as an author.
Please tell us in one sentence – why we should read Champagne Book Group books/authors.
Quality fiction at fantastic prices.
Anything else you’d like to say?
Dear God no, I’m exhausted!
