Book Clubs Rock!

My first REAL introduction to "book clubs" was as an author. I have had the privilege of speaking to several book clubs, of answering questions, and finding out what readers thought of my book, Feisty Family Values.  I'm not a big joiner, but I must say those folks seemed to have a great deal of fun. And each time I've been tempted to ask if I can join their club.

Last year I joined a book club. We meet once a month and I've only really enjoyed reading a couple of books on their list so far. They seem to gravitate toward the dark stories. Deep. Sad. Traumatic. When someone suggested something fun for Halloween, a witch bounty hunter, I was ALL in. And it was great fun to read. But the other books, not so much. The gals are great. We have a lovely visit and talk about the stories and characters, family and spouses - which I do enjoy. But...

A week ago I visited one of our local independent book stores (Watermark Books) for their annual book club event. Not only did we get free books, we got delicious cookies and a discussion with a global pub house editor. Great stuff. Watermark has a Chick Lit book club that was reading The Language of Flowers, which just happened to be on my "to be read" list (actually on my bookshelf waiting, in fact). I read it and LOVED it, but the night of their meeting landed the day after a huge snow storm and I decided to stay out of the muck. So disappointing.


I was at Watermark this past Saturday to cheer on Lois Ruby, a YA author buddy of mine, who has a new book out Rebel Spirits. Having arrived an hour early I grabbed a delicious lunch and chatted with Ann, who is the Chick Lit book club leader. We both loved The Language of Flowers. She asked me if I thought the main characters (who are terribly flawed, but endearing) would stay together. "We always like to speculate on that," she said. Laughing, my response was yes, they spoke the same language - the language of flowers.

What I love about book clubs is the shared experience of the book we all read. When we share our reactions and thoughts, the story opens up, becoming even bigger and better. We each find something that resonates (or not) with us and our experience, and it's nice to be able to share that with others who may have felt the same way. Often we disagree, but it's wonderful to hear the "why."As an author I am really into the "why." The emotions and stories that one small word generates can inspire is amazing.

Do you belong to a book club? What was your latest book club read? What books do you recommend? 

I have such a backlog of lovely books on my shelves that Ann suggested I begin my own book club and read through it. What a great idea? Who wants to join?

Great Love Stories in History and Literature by Jacqueline Seewald

I confess. Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday. I suppose it’s because I’m a romantic at heart. Last year I blogged about how my older son and his wife were married on Valentine’s Day. It was a joyful wedding, loving and romantic. No big fancy affair, just the bride and groom, my husband and myself, the bride’s best friend, and a judge happy to officiate, followed by a wedding breakfast at a local hotel. Afterwards the bride and groom took a long drive so that my son could represent in court a couple accused of white collar crime.

Love stories have always been an important part of history and literature. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar--Cleopatra got around. As Shakespeare said, “she was a woman of infinite variety.” Then there is the story of Napoleon and Josephine, another passionate love affair. In the Bible, we also find some of the world’s greatest and unforgettable love stories. What can be more romantic than the story of Ruth or Solomon and the Queen of Sheba? And there is the story of Esther which is celebrated on Purim.

A lot of the world’s most famous, classical love stories, of course, did not end happily: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Helen of Troy and Paris, Lancelot and Guinevere are tragedies. 

Thomas Hardy wrote a number of tragic love stories as did the Bronte sisters. For something lighter, I prefer Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy are memorable. I’ve read and reread that novel numerous times.

Love quite literally makes the world go round. Give yourself a Valentine’s gift today and choose to read a romance. Candy will make you fat. Flowers wilt and die. But a great romance can be read and reread offering continuing enjoyment.

 If you’re of a mind to read some romantic historical fiction, I suggest a look at my contest-winning novel THE CHEVALIER, available in all e-book formats from:  http://steamereads.com.au/product/the-chevalier/

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GY95RTU/

If you enjoy romantic short stories, consider my collection BEYOND THE BO TREE:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DTV0750 

All my romances have happy endings. I won’t consider writing any other kind.

Can you think of any romances you would recommend to readers? What sort of romances do you particularly enjoy reading?

Keeping up with changes

Language is changing, but this is nothing new for writers. We know this, and for us the struggle is which side to stand on when the issue is any one particular word. For instance, I have a few pet peeves when it comes to writing, and I know I’m not alone, but am I right to want certain words used in certain ways? Or am I merely recording my resistance to a change in progress?

When writers get going on what bugs them, the list of pet peeves ends up longer than the telephone book. (Remember those? No? They were long.) Anyone who follows the discussion on word usage, either by lurking or sharing, is sure to find one of his or her own quirks on the list.

I know one of my writing habits annoys other writers. I have taken to using then as a conjunction. For example, “Anita directed the driver to pull up at the next stop sign, then gave him a new set of directions.” In this sentence I omitted the conjunction and and let then serve as the conjunction. This is an error according to some other writers. My Webster’s (2d College edition) does allow one usage of then with conjunctive force, but the manner in which I use it may go farther than that allowed. But the use of then as a conjunction is clearly the sign of a word in transition. Nevertheless, I was pondering correcting this error in my own writing and enjoying The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers when I came across not one, not two, but three sentences in which then was used in the sense of the conjunction and. What’s a writer to do?

Of course, I have a few pet peeves of my own. I cannot hear the word humble without thinking of Uriah Heep, who was anything but. Furthermore, when I hear or read it today, I think the writer must mean modest, moderate in one’s behavior or opinion of oneself, not boastful, rather than humble, not proud, aware of one’s defects, and even a lack of self-respect.

Another word pairing that comes to mind regularly is enormous and enormity. The first, enormous, suggests great size. The second, enormity, suggests great wickedness or outrageousness. Only recently has the dictionary come to recognize that enormity can be loosely used for great size.

Back in the dark ages, in the late 1970s, I carefully read the instructions for preparing a dissertation to be submitted to the graduate school office, not my professors or a panel of academics, but the secretary of the department. One requirement concerned the word none. The word none was to be treated as singular throughout. “None was available” was required, not preferred, usage. Students were warned that no exceptions would be made on the issue of this word. Apparently, the office grammarian could overrule the dissertation committee on a technicality.

Less troublesome but still startling for me is the overuse of the word hero when the word winner would be more appropriate. Indeed, I see the word hero applied to instances of simple good behavior when the person might simply be called decent.

Last, I offer up the fading use of disinterested to mean without bias or interest for personal gain; objective and fair minded. It is not synonymous with indifferent, which can mean neutral but generally means lack of interest. These two words are like ships passing in the night.

The words I have examined here are words in transition. Their meanings are changing, and purists pounce on examples of the new usage as though by correcting one writer we can stem the tide of change. We can’t. We can no more make ain’t acceptable usage for the first person contraction “I am not” than we can change other points of grammar and word usage. Our lectures to our fellow writers are really records of our response to the change happening around us. And sometimes (note the use of a conjunction to begin a sentence, another no-no in the 1970s), we’ll be on the wrong side of the change, and sometimes on the right side. And I personally never know which side I’m on.

A Well Crafted Story

I would like to showcase a book by one of our own AE bloggers. THE  CHEVALIER. Jacqueline Seewald has written an award winning romance.  It is a Romantic Historical saga of the 18th century, but her engaging style weaves the Jacobite Rebellion and societal constraints into the story beautifully.

The Chevalier by Jacqueline Seewald
A bird's eye Review by Mary F. Schoenecker

The author's descriptive style makes it easy to picture Madeline DeMornay, the teen-aged heroine, born of Scottish and French aristocracy. A surprising mix of innocence and sensuality, Madeline falls in love with English Colonel, Gareth Erickson, the illegitimate son of an English nobleman. Gareth, a favorite with the ladies, wants none for a wife, but is attracted to Madeline from the beginning and the attraction is mutual.
The suspense and excitement accelerates when the reader learns that Madeline is betrothed by her mother to her Scottish cousin Andrew. Andrew is a lovable,stalwart Scottish soldier who is eventually captured during the defeat at Culloden.The two soldiers, Andrew and Gareth provide the twists of tension and conflict, keeping the reader immersed in the drama that unfolds.
 The author deftly captures the Scottish burr in dialog, making the words sing, and her literary descriptions of Scotland's Highlands and Northern England are masterfully drawn. Although the sensual scenes between Gareth and Madeline are not for me, The Chevalier is a well crafted story  with a satisfying, love inspired ending. I gave it a well-deserved five stars.

If you missed it on Amazon or Goodreads, do look for it. 
I'm hoping that I can tell you about the publication of my book, SAFE HARBOR, next time.

Writer's Life, Part 2

I know I've talked about the "writer's life" before, but hey - it's not easy and I want other writers (new ones especially) to keep on trying. It's worth fighting the empty page. It's worth the hours of editing. It's worth the endless waiting and rejection, because eventually several things will happen.

1. Your writing will improve.
2. You'll make some wonderful new friends in the form of peers, mentors, and industry experts.
3. The rejections will lessen and you will find an editor that will want you to write for them. It might be a magazine article, an advice column, a short story, a poem, a book review, a novel, or a non-fiction book.
4. By believing in yourself, so will others.
5. You will get help. It might be signs from the universe, an answered prayer, a shoulder to cry on...someone will be there when you need them.

I know you didn't ask for it, but I'm going to offer some advice (free of charge).  Pay it forward. I've met and worked with so many wonderful teachers and authors on this creative path.

We all have something unique to offer readers out there.
We share a common dream.

And we usually receive a little help along the way. So, whenever I can I help new writers. It might be a cup of coffee and a sympathetic ear, it might be publishing industry information I've learned, it might be resources or reviews or ideas. It might just be a smile or email that says: "I understand, don't be afraid to keep trying."

People that know me have heard me say, "There are angels among us." This I truly believe. And we writers aren't alone. There are other brothers and sisters on the same path, stumbling over the same ruts and rocks. And to think, we get to create new worlds filled with interesting characters and resolve that world's problems with the stroke of a computer key. That rocks!

Interview with Author Catherine Dilts by Jaqueline Seewald

To Catherine Dilts, rock shops are like geodes – both contain amazing treasures hidden inside their plain-as-dirt exteriors. Publishers Weekly calls her novel Stone Cold Dead – A Rock Shop Mystery, an “enjoyable debut,” and that “readers will look forward to seeing more of this endearing and strong protagonist.” Catherine works as an environmental scientist, and plays at heirloom vegetable gardening, camping, and fishing. She has published short fiction in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Visit her at http://www.catherinedilts.com/

Question: What is the title and genre of your novel?  Why did you select them?

Answer: Stone Cold Dead – A Rock Shop Mystery is an amateur sleuth murder mystery. I hope using “stone” in the title reinforces the setting of the novel, a rock shop filled with minerals and fossils. I wrote an amateur sleuth novel because one bit of advice given to beginning writers is to write what you love to read. I have an eclectic reading taste, but by far my favorite books are cozies and amateur sleuth mysteries. 

Question:   What inspired this novel? How did it come about?

Answer: On a trip to Moab, Utah, the idea for a novel germinated at the same time that we visited a shop owned by a rockhound of international renown. I hadn’t run across any mysteries set in a rock shop. I wondered whether anyone would be interested in a mystery set in that rugged, dusty environment, and learned that I’m not the only reader who loves rock shops. 

Question:  Could you tell us a little bit about the heroine and/or hero of your novel?

Answer:  Another bit of writing advice is to write what you know. I don’t know much about geology, and neither does my protagonist, Morgan Iverson. I do know about empty nest syndrome and dramatic mid-life changes. As a widow in her forties with grown children, Morgan finds herself alone and far from home at a point in life when she thought her future was secure. It can be difficult to switch gears from the wife and mother role. Morgan has lost her sense of purpose, and needs to blaze a new trail in life.

Question:   Can you tell us about some of your other published novels or work?

Answer:  Stone Cold Dead is my debut novel. My short fiction appears in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. “The Jolly Fat Man” was in the April 2013 issue, and “Tweens” will appear in the May issue, on sale February 15, 2014.

Question:   What are you working on now?

Answer:  I am writing book two in my rock shop mystery series.

Question:   What made you start writing?

Answer: Boredom. My childhood summers were spent with relatives in rural South Dakota. This was the era before cable TV and personal computers. We played in the lake or explored the cornfields on nice days. When it rained, we had to come up with our own entertainment. My siblings and I created illustrated stories on sheets of typing paper, taped them together to form rolls, then cut up cereal boxes to scroll the paper through, making our own movies.

Question:   What advice would you offer to those who are currently writing novels?

Answer:

Number One - finish. I have seen too many writers fuss over the first three chapters and never reach “the end.” If you have trouble shutting off your internal editor in order to get that first rough draft completed, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo - http://bit.ly/1dNpTrZ ) is a great exercise.

Number Two – let it rest. Once you think you are finished, set your writing project aside for as long as you possibly can. If you do this for even a week or two, and then go back to reread and edit, you’ll discover all kinds of things to improve. Every time I have done this, the story has benefited.

Number Three – let your baby go. I have also seen writers labor over the same manuscript for years, never actually reaching the “done” moment. I believe many writers who have worked for newspapers or as technical writers understand there’s a point where you have to be done enough. 

Question:  Where and when will readers be able to obtain your novel?

Answer: Stone Cold Dead is available now in hardcover at independent bookstore The Tattered Cover, as well as through Barnes & Noble. It is on Kindle and in hardcover through Amazon.

Tattered Cover Book Store: http://bit.ly/IC97SG 
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1bFVaQz
Amazon: http://amzn.to/18XVQiR

Comments and/or questions for Catherine are welcome here!

Writing Contests: Enter or Avoid? By Jacqueline Seewald

I've entered a number of writing contests over the years. Some were worth the effort, some were not. 

Some I won, some I didn’t. On a positive note, winning writing contests can provide recognition for writers. However, I discovered that I could be cheated if I wasn't careful. There are some smooth operators out there. Their scams are likely not illegal, but they are still to the detriment of writers.

Most writing contests these days cost money to enter. Some of them ask quite a lot of money. So naturally it’s wise to be wary. But even some of the “free contests” aren’t really what they seem to be. You must read the contest rules and fine print with care.

Some “free” contests promise to put your work in an anthology. All you have to do is buy the anthology. Some poetry and short story contests on the web offer a prize for the best work. The catch? They reserve the right to archive your work in perpetuity regardless of whether or not you have won the contest. So you will never be able to sell that story or poem for first rights. And chances are no one will accept it even as a reprint since it's now out there for free on the Internet. This kind of contest is just a scam for a site to obtain free content—your content! So read those rules carefully before you decide to submit your work.

Be aware that you need a statement as to how long a site intends to archive your work. Again, if it's in perpetuity, you are out the reprints. And reprints can be lucrative. Even print publications may insist on internet rights and display your work for all to see. Make certain archiving rights are limited and that you have it in writing.

With so many contests out there, try to submit your work to publications that have been established for at least several years. Many publications come and go, often folding before you even receive payment for your winning work.

You’ve won a book writing contest? Great! But book contracts can be tricky. The publisher may demand all sorts of rights. Try to limit what you give away. For example, if the publisher only does e-books, you shouldn’t be signing away audio and print rights. If you can afford it, have a lawyer familiar with intellectual property rights look the contract over for you.

The best thing at this point is to contact a literary agent. Have another book ready for consideration. Then it may be possible to have a literary agent represent you, but be aware that the reputable ones are often harder to obtain than publishers. The key here is to make certain that money is coming to you, not the other way around. Never, ever pay an agent or publisher a cent up front. Legitimate agents take a percentage, usually 10 to 15 percent of what you will earn. Always remember that money must come to you as the author and not the other way!

     Another thing to check for, make certain that there is a time limit as to how long the publisher can hold your book without publishing it. After two years without publication, you want the rights to revert back to you.

I will share with you some good news regarding a recent writing contest. I was one of the winners of an Australian publisher’s romance writing contest receiving generous prize money paid upfront. It was not an advance against royalties. THE CHEVALIER is an historical romance set in Georgian England. I’m also happy to say that the novel is now available on Kindle at a reasonable price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GY95RTU/                 

and also available in all ebook formats from the publisher:

http://steamereads.com.au/product/the-chevalier/

Obviously, there are still some good free contests out there for writers to enter!

For legitimate writing contests that don’t

charge fees, I have found some helpful 

listings. Here are a few to examine: 

 http://www.writing-world.com (offers a 

free monthly newsletter with all sorts of valuable info including contest listings)

http://www.erikadreifus.com/newsletter/current/ (another valuable monthly newsletter with a free subscription)

http://winningwriters.com/newsletter/public/2013/nl_public_1311.htm#.UoakPnCTiu0 (regularly lists free contests and rates them)

http://www.writejobs.info/

(lists freelance jobs and lots of free international writing contests)

THE WRITER offers a mixture of fee and non-fee contests:

http://www.writermag.com/writing-resources/contests/

The following websites provide warnings or discussions of ways in which writers may be scammed:
SFWA's Writer Beware: http://www.sfwa.org/beware/
Preditors & Editors: http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

What’s your opinion on this subject? What experiences have you had with writing contests? Do you intend to enter writing contests or avoid them?