A Few Lines From . . . Gail Roughton

The Dark Series:  The Color of Seven

He walked up to a little backwoods Alabama black Church. Seven Cedars Baptist. It stood right outside Seven Cedars, Alabama. He laughed. “Be you de sebbenth son of a sebbenth son, boy?” Well, maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. Sounded good, though. He went inside to join the ongoing service. Within a month, he’d collected a group of ten or so of the black community’s finest young men. He met with them down by the banks of Seven Cedar Creek.

“My name be Cain,” he announced. “An’ my color be sebben.”

http://gailroughton.blogspot.com

http://bookswelove.net/roughton.php

https://www.facebook.com/GailRoughton

 

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Gail+roughton

Barnes & Nobles

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Gail-Roughton?keyword=Gail+Roughton&store=book

Kobo:

http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=Gail+Roughton

Please join us again on May 17 for a few lines from Lisabet Sarai!

  

 

What's In A Biography

By Michelle Lee
BWL Art Director

During a conversation at the RT 2013 convention, the topic of Biographies came up.  From there it got me to thinking about what makes a good biography (in my opinion anyways).

So I figured I would share my thoughts ... feel free to comment if you agree or disagree with me. : )

BIOGRAPHY DO'ES: 

1. DO write in third person.  I know, it may seem silly to write about yourself that way, but really - it just makes the biography sound better.  Just avoid the royal "we" where possible. : )

So instead of saying "I love to write ______", it should read "Michelle loves to write ________"

2. DO mention interesting things about yourself.  If you have traveled to an exotic place, especially if you found it inspirational, mention it.

3. DO share some small details.  Now I am not saying give a full run down of your entire life from birth to the present.  At the same time, readers like to feel like they are connecting with an author.  So if you love to hike, or to cross-stitch, consider mentioning it.  Just avoid going into the 'too-much-information' category. Some things are private - and should stay that way.  *wink*

4. DO have fun with it.  I love to read biographies where the author had a little bit of fun writing it.  It should never come across to the reader that you felt it was a chore to write - even if it was.

5. DO include your website URL.  I can't stress this enough!!!  The purpose of a Bio is to share a little bit about yourself with readers - but also to let them know where to find more.  It drives me nuts having to goole for an author's website, and sift through the mountain of links for their books on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.  I want to find the author's website where I can see information they provide about their books.  (Speaking of author websites - if you haven't already, check out my Top 5 DO'ES for websites post'.

BIOGRAPHY DON'TS:

This section I not so affectionately call the 'what were they thinking' tips ...

1. DON'T ever give dates in your bio.  What I meant by that is, if you have a new book in your series coming soon - don't give the exact release date for when it will be coming out.  The reason for this is two-fold.  One - delays can and do happen.  Two - it dates the biography.  If you put a date in your biography, once that date has passed - then it should be updated.  Problem with that is, most publishers don't have the time to upload a new bio for all of their authors each time a new book comes out, and you are certainly not going to want to go to all of the websites you have your bio up on and do the same.  So save yourself the headache and don't go there.

If fact, I have found that shying away from the whole mentioning of the new books coming out, how many books your have available, etc.  Again, just details that will get out of date and require the work and hassle of updating your bio at numerous websites.

2. DON'T be too specific.  Don't give too many clues as to where you live, etc.  Stalkers can and do happen.  So make sure to protect yourself with a general "mid-Missouri" or whatever.  You might have a contact address on your website - but you don't want it out there on every book, promo, review, etc. site in existence.

3. DON'T mention books released with another publisher.  This one can be tricky.  You want to mention awards and best-sellers and yet you don't want to mention books out with another publisher on another publishers website.  Because let's face it, it is a little bit rude to say "Best-selling author of ____ book, and have the bio up on a different publisher's website.  Kind of like having your prom pictures displayed at your wedding - when your spouse was not your prom date.

So how do you get around that?

There are a couple different ways.  You can go the route of "published with ____, ____, and ____".  Pitfall there is, you have to change all of your bios if you add or remove a publisher.  I speak from personal experience here when I say it is a pain and a half to deal with.

Alternatively, you can create a tweaked bio for each publisher.  To do this, you would create the generic bio you have on your website, and then for each publisher delete the details for other publishers that are not really appropriate.  Then add in small details you want to highlight.  Problem here is, then you run into issues with websites where your releases with numerous publishers.  In those cases, generally the first publisher to upload a bio is the one shown for all releases.

My personal suggestion - a generic, one size fits all bio.  And if you have a release you want to highlight, maybe consider a simple, check out my website at _____ for latest fan-favorite and best-seller information.  That way you get in the URL for your website, a mention for your best-sellers, and still keep your publisher happy.  Then on your website, you can highlight whatever you want to, without anyone's feathers being ruffled.  Plus - when you only have one bio, it is very easy to copy and paste when submitting to a different publisher.

4. DON'T write a novel length bio.  Yes, you want to give details.  Yes, you want it to be fun and engaging.  But you do not want it to take up more than a page of text.  I'd say stick under 350 words.  500 words should be the maximum.  Go for succinct.

5. DON'T stress the process.  A lot of authors I know hate three parts about writing: the proposal, the publication info (writing the blurb, filling in a cover art form, and stuff like that), and writing a bio.  Like I said before - try to have fun with it, but if nothing comes to you, go for simple.

Just telling the reader that you  started out as a neuro-surgeon and then started writing when you were forced to take a vacation in a remote cabin in the woods (while hubby was hunting, fishing, etc - or due to ulcers, stress, and so on) and were without internet and phone.  That's fine.  You fell in love with the creative process when you actually had down-time and could think.

Maybe you started writing when your husband was deployed and the kids started school.  That's cool too.

Or it could simply be a matter of you love writing, and have always done so.  You started our writing in a journal, and in high school penned your first novella as a class assignment and it all went from there.  Perfectly fine!

Remember the K.I.S.S. process.  Keep It Simple Silly ...

BIOGRAPHY EXAMPLES:

So the first thing you are probably thinking right now is, well fine Miss Opinionated - what does your bio look like?

Author Michelle Houston/ Cover Artist Michelle Lee:

Born to ride on the back of dragons, to journey among the stars in a ship traveling faster than light, or to dance the night away in the arms of a mysterious vampire, Michelle Houston willingly shares the worlds in her mind in an effort to bring them to life.

Writing everything from short and sweet stories, to hot and spicy tales of kink, from contemporary tales of erotic romance to erotica romances featuring Greek gods, vampires and were-creatures, she has crossed sexualities and has gone wherever her mental muse has guided her, a journey she has never regretted.

For her alter-ego, Michelle Lee, creating graphics is a labor of love.  As much as she may complain about creating covers for certain genres - there is a simple joy in putting a face to a story.  With her covers, she hopes to provide the wrapping for the gift an author creates.

Beyond that, Michelle has a love of the natural world around us (except for insects, spiders, snakes, scorpions, and she reserves the right to add more at any time).  She's one of those people that actually liked Biology in High School, and enjoys learning about all things science.

In other words, she is an ordinary woman with an imagination that is only held in bounds by how fast she can type.

You can find out more about Michelle Houston on her author website at: www.michellehouston.com or her graphics site at http://eroticdesign.eroticpen.net 

Now that you have seen my bio, how about some good examples from your fellow BWL authors.

These authors have (in my opinion) nice bios.  I just kept hitting random authors pages until I found a couple good examples.  So if your bio isn't here it doesn't mean anything ...

~ * ~

Jenna Byrnes could use more cabinet space and more hours in a day. She’d fill the kitchen with gadgets her husband purchases off TV and let him cook for her to his heart’s content. She’d breeze through the days adding hours of sleep, and more time for writing the hot, erotic romance she loves to read.

Jenna thinks everyone deserves a happy ending, and loves to provide as many of those as possible to her gay, lesbian and hetero characters. Her favorite quote, from a pro-gay billboard, is “Be careful who you hate. It may be someone you love.”

For the latest news, visit Jenna’s website at

http://www.jennabyrnes.com/

~ * ~

Being born in Bristol, England, Victoria Chatham grew up in an area rife with the elegance of Regency architecture. This, along with the novels of Georgette Heyer, engendered in her an abiding interest in the period with its style and manners and is one where she feels most at home.

Apart from her writing, Victoria is an avid reader of anything that catches her interest, but especially Regency romance. She also teaches introductory creative writing. Her love of horses gets her away from her computer to volunteer at Spruce Meadows, a world class equestrian centre near Calgary, Alberta, where she currently lives.

http://victoriachathamauthor.wordpress.com

www.twitter.com/@VChathamAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaChatham

~ * ~

By day, Keira des Anges has the distinct pleasure of assisting teenagers with disabilities find employment while helping empower one life at a time. By night, she is a writer and avid reader of anything spooky, magical and totally out of this world.  

Keira is always a mother and a wife. Her children are her biggest inspirations and her husband is the rock that holds everything together while she continues writing and pursuing her dreams.

Find Keira on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeiraDesAnges

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeiradesAnges

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/pub/keira-des-anges/6/303/6a8/

~ * ~

Ann Herrick grew up in Connecticut, where she graduated from The Morgan School and Quinnipiac University.  She now lives in Oregon with her husband, who was her high-school sweetheart.  Their wonderful daughter is grown, married and gainfully employed, and has given Ann her only grand-dog, Puff, a bloodhound-rottweiller-beagle mix.  While she misses the East Coast, especially houses built before 1900, she enjoys the green valleys, fresh air and low humidity in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  Ann loves cats, walking, the Oregon Ducks and working in her back yard.  In addition to stories and books for children and young adults, Ann also writes copy for humorous and conventional greeting cards. She loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted through her web site: http://annherrickauthor.com

~ * ~

Jamie Hill was born and raised in a beautiful, mid-sized town in Midwest, USA. At various times she wanted to be a veterinarian, teacher, cheerleader, TV star or a famous singer. The one thing she always wanted to be was a writer. Starting at about age ten, she penned romance as she envisioned it in one spiral notebook after another.

 When she's not working at the day job she loves, Jamie enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and watching movies (the scarier the better!) In her ‘spare time’ she can often be found writing, editing, or doing something more mundane like housework. After that, she's probably taking a nap. She loves to hear from readers, so feel free to drop her a line.

 Find more about Jamie at these places online: 

Website  ~  Facebook

~ * ~

Multi-published author Rita Karnopp knew at a very young age she wanted to be a writer – and penned her first story at age sixteen. She is drawn to the history of the Native American and strives to bring alive the authenticity of a time past.  Whether writing suspense, Indian historicals, or contemporary romance, Rita enjoys bringing excitement and the enduring power of love to her stories. 

Rita currently resides in Montana with her husband and their loveable Cockapoo named Gema. 

When she isn’t reading, writing or doing research, Rita enjoys making dream catchers, gold panning, crystal or sapphire digging, rafting, fishing, canoeing, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Also find Rita at:

Website: http://ritakarnopp.com

Facebook: rita.karnopp@facebook.com

LinkedIn: rita karnopp

Blog: http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Contact her at  ritakarnopp@bresnan.net

~ * ~

Born way too many years ago, in a tiny community off the west coast of Canada, Jude Mason learned to love the outdoors and anything to do with the ocean pretty much as soon as she could walk. Married, at the ripe old age of eighteen to her high school sweetheart, they live very happily, still on the coast and in a small town.

Jude loves to hear from readers so feel free to drop her a line.

Website: http://www.my-haven2001.com/

Blog: http://jude-mason.blogspot.com/

Newsletter group on Yahoo:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Jude_Masons_Newsletter/

To be added to her mailing list: jude_mason@my-haven2001.com  

~ * ~

I hope that this post has helped on the topic of BIOGRAPHIES.  I know I personally hate writing the things ...

Remember, this post is just my opinion.  Mileage may vary.  So feel free to comment if you agree (or disagree) with my take on things.

A Few Lines From. . . Ginger Simpson

 A Few Lines From. . . A Novel Murder by Ginger Simpson

“I’m going to resign!”

“Resign?” Naomi’s mouth gaped.

“God, you sound just like Tony. Relax. Not right at the moment, but as soon as our current cases are solved. I can’t walk away when women...one of which I’ve met, are losing their lives.”

“So, have you really thought this through?”

“You have no idea. I actually made some progress on my novel tonight, but my muse isn’t cooperating because I can’t stop thinking about Kitten and Persia.”

“When did you get cats?”

“Oh, Nay. Those are the stripper names of the two dead women.”

“Hmm, yeah now I remember. Sorry, guess I had a memory lapse. So more about this resignation thing...”

“I have my writing to fall back on, and my editor thinks this next story is going to be the one that makes me big bucks. I’m making out pretty good on the first, but I love to write, so being free of the force will give me the time I need.”

http://www.amazon.com/author/gingersimpson

Ginger

Spice Up Your Life with Ginger

Ginger Simpson

http://www.gingersimpson.com

http://mizging.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/gingersimpson

Stop back next week for a few lines from Gail Roughton.

A Few Lines From. . . Sydell Voeller

A few lines from THE FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTER
By Sydell Voeller

 









http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00727LIBY/

 

"So you're a cop," she said, meeting his stunningly blue eyes, noting the breeze ripple through his hair. He certainly fit the stereotype. Broad shouldered and strong. Opened black leather jacket with the collar turned up. An incredible heart-stopper with his sophisticated good looks. But cops were the worst choice for a husband, she reminded herself--even if she were looking for one, which she definitely was not. Cops lived in the fast track. With violence. And danger. Cops were gunned down every day. 



Find out more about Sydell's books at: www.sydellvoeller.com

 
 

Make sure to visit again for a few lines from Ginger Simpson the week of May 3

kboards: "The Abduction of Mary Rose," by Joan Hall Hovey

kboards: "The Abduction of Mary Rose," by Joan Hall Hovey: Upon learning that she is adopted, and is the birth child of a woman who was raped and nearly killed, 28-year-old Naomi Waters vows to track...

THE ROAD TO PUBLICATION

BY JOAN HALL HOVEY

(Previously published in The Writer Magazine)

Where I write in pleasant weather.  A variation on 'A Room of One's Own'

　

Like you, I started out as a story 'listener'. Both my parents were avid storytellers, and I needed only to hear the words, "I remember the time when..." to feel that rare and exquisite pleasure in the anticipation of a new story. The dark, scary ones were best - stories my father told of the man with the cloven foot who showed up at the card game, or the discovery of a young girl's body in the woods behind the school ... the town drunk found dead in the cemetery, his face as granite-white with frost as the tombstones surrounding him...

From the time I could find my way to the Saint John Library, I was a constant visitor. For me, the library was a magical place - a hushed, warm haven where, through the pages of a book I could travel to far off exotic places in my imagination. I could experience vicariously all the joy, romance, terror, tragedy and triumph of the characters in the stories.

Among my favorite authors were Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Charlotte Bronte, Shirley Jackson and Phyllis Whitney. Far too many to list here. I am forever grateful to them all, for it was through reading their works that the seed to be a writer was planted in me. I wanted to join the ranks of those authors who had given me so much pleasure, and in turn tell my own stories. I had learned about the power of words.

Reading is, of course, where it all begins for all writers. Although it might surprise you to know that a number of aspiring writers have told me they didn't have time to read. Or that they didn't read because they wanted everything in their own work to be totally original. Sadly, I don't expect to read much of their work in published form. So the first key to publication is to Read! Read! Read! Nothing you didn't already know. But it's true; we learn by osmosis. And we learn by doing.

When I first set pen to paper with thought of publication, I didn't know bad literature from good. I devoured it all, and learned from it all. I came across the True Confessions in the market section of a copy of Writer's Digest Magazine, and it seemed possible to me that I could write one. I was right. That first story was titled: I Didn't Kill My Husband, But I Might As Well Have. Pretty bad, I know. But looking at the models on the page portraying the characters in my story, not to mention my cheque for $125.00, I felt like I'd won the lottery. The only downside was that my name wasn't on my story. You don't get a bi-line from the confessions. The stories are supposed to be true. Or at least read like they're true. Everyone I wrote sold. I seemed to have a knack. But I never approached the writing of these little stories lightly, or with tongue in cheek; I always wrote from my heart, in all seriousness. When I could no longer do that, I stopped writing them.

My children were small then, three under six years of age, and I was squeezing in writing time when I could find it. Usually, in the evenings after they were in bed. (Ah, to be so young again! ) Later, I wrote while holding down a full-time job. You do what you have to do. John Grisham rose at 4:00 a.m. to get in his stint of writing before going off to his law office. 

My second story, God's Special Gift, made the rounds for a time and finally sold to Home Life magazine in Nashville. It was about my grandmother, who died in a house fire when I was 15. Writing that story, albeit many years later, was very cathartic for me. And I got a bi-line. My work soon found its way into the now defunct, (unfortunate, because it was a fine magazine) Atlantic Advocate, both fiction and non-fiction, and various other magazines and newspapers. 

Pregnant with my fourth child, I determined to pursue my lifelong dream of writing a novel. That summer, I sat on our back deck and read a stack of suspense novels of the sort I wanted to write. I reread Poe, Patricia Highsmith, Shirley Jackson and many of the new authors who were also becoming my favorites. In the fall, I began writing my own suspense novel, The Strawman. (Later Zebra Books would change the title to Listen to the Shadows.) I wrote it at our kitchen table in longhand, and the book took a long time to write. I worked on it off and on over a period of maybe four years. 

Finally the novel was finished. I'd already gone through my Writer's Market, as well as checking out the books on the shelves of our local bookstore, and Zebra seemed right for The Strawman. I sent it off. It came flying back within a few weeks, but the attached slip of paper wasn't quite a rejection. Anne Lafarge, acquisitions editor at the time, had scribbled a note saying she liked the book, but it was too short. They needed 100,000 words; mine was about 75,000 words. 

 I settled down to work. It took another four months to add the other 25,000 words, which I did by weaving in a couple of subplots. In November I sent the manuscript off again, addressing it to Anne LaFarge. On the outside of the package, in bold black marker, I printed: Requested Material, just in case she forgot me, which I'm sure she did. 

One day in February the phone rang. I knew intuitively that it was Zebra. They wanted to publish The Strawman. When my husband came home that night I was at the stove cooking spaghetti. He took one look at my face, and said, "You sold your book." 

It was a dream come true. I felt weepy and humbled. And very happy.

Nowhere To Hide later received an Eppie Award for best thriller. After that Chill Waters received the Blood Dagger Award.  I was very happy.

End of story? Hardly. I completed and sent out the third manuscript and it was returned. I was told Zebra was no longer publishing suspense. At least the kind of psychological suspense I like to write. And I'm convinced you should only write what you really want to write. Otherwise, it's just too damn hard. The moral of the story: You're never there. (Unless you're Stephen King, but he's a genius.) 

Back to square one? Well, not quite. What I have now is a track record. Publishers tended to give my work a longer look before they turn it down.

This is a precarious business, with no guarantees for any of us. So you must love the actual process of writing. In the end, the only thing we have any control over is the writing itself. It takes courage to be a writer, to put our work (ourselves) out there, never knowing if it will be praised or ridiculed. We must rise above the fear, and do what we know we can when all cylinders are firing. 

So give that critical editor on your shoulder the bum's rush (He gets called in for work later.) and write your novel. Enjoy the writing; give yourself to it like a lover. Get out of your own way by focusing on the characters and their story. And know that you are not alone. All around the globe, at this very moment, writers are sitting at kitchen tables with pen and paper, or at their computers, struggling to write their own novels. 

Lastly, no matter your genre, be it romance, mystery, horror or science fiction, go where the passion, the pain, is. Write with joy! And believe in yourself. No one can tell your stories but you. No one. And if you need a little inspiration, check out the books on my site.  www.joanhallhovey.com

 

I’ve written five suspense novels to this point in my career, the new one on the way. All are published by a wonderful Canadian publisher Books We Love Ltd, all available at amazon.com , Barnes and Noble and various other online publishers, in both paperback and ebook.

Happy Reading~ 

Joan Hall Hovey

Books by Joan Hall Hovey

Defective

I Hitched a Ride into Hell (Teen/YA novelette)

The Abduction of Mary Rose

Night Corridor

Chill Waters

Nowhere To Hide

Listen to the Shadows

http://www.joanhallhovey.com