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Kristy Tate: 6 Things I Learned In 16 Years @kristyswords #RLFblog #amwriting
Rescuing Rita Originally, it took me three years to write all 102,409 words
of my novel The Rhyme’s Library. Most of those were stupid words. The story has
since had a major haircut and is now a trim 80 thousand and something novel, but
it’s still more verbose than it needs to be. I’m not saying that in the last sixteen
years I’ve gone from stupidity to witty cleverness. Not at all. I’m still learning,
and I’ve learned a few things and I want to share.1. Use Grammarly—the best online editing program I’ve found,
so much more than a spell check.Here’s an excerpt of my novella, Rescuing Rita, before GrammarlyApplause thundered through the hall, and Rita and swept into
a deep bow. The lights flickered as she made her departure, heading for the sanctuary
of her dressing room.“Brilliant show tonight, Miss Ryan,” called a boy carrying
a food tray as they passed in the dimly lit hall.“Thank you, Charlie. Can you be a love and bring me a pot
of tea?”“Sure thing. Sad this being your last show and all. I know
everyone will miss you.”Rita flashed her smile and fought back a wave of fatigue and
loneliness. “And I will miss all of you,” she said, knowing there was
one she missed more than all the others.She blinked back the tears to which she had grown so accustomed;
they returned every time she thought of Christian. She ached, wishing that Christian
could be as predictable and ever-present as her tears. This wasn’t how the story
was supposed to end. She wasn’t supposed to go to Europe by herself.If only their last words had been more loving. Because she did
love him; she knew that now. And yet in cruel spite of his absence, her love for
his memory seemed only to grow rather than diminish. She sighed and pushed into
her dressing room.The Rhyme’s Library Her clothes lay scattered around the room, vying for a space
in the large steamer trunk she would take to Paris. Flowers in vases crowded the
dressing table and perfumed the air. She dropped her cape to the floor and slipped
off her shoes.All of her dreams had been realized. Yet she had learned weeks,
if not months, earlier that dreams are hollow and meaningless without someone to
share them. She would rather be riding in box car and sleeping on loose straw with
Christian than boarding a steamer ship and sailing first class to Europe alone.AFTER GRAMMARLYApplause thundered through the hall, and Rita and swept into
a deep bow. The lights flickered as she made her departure and headed for the sanctuary
of her dressing room.“Brilliant show tonight, Miss Ryan,” called a boy carrying
a food tray as they passed in the dimly lit hall.“Thank you, Charlie. Can you be a love and bring me a pot
of tea?”“Sure thing. Sad this being your last show and all. I know
everyone will miss you.”Rita flashed her smile and fought a wave of fatigue and loneliness.
“And I will miss all of you,” she said, knowing there was one she missed
more than all the others.She blinked back the tears to which she had grown so accustomed;
they returned every time she thought of Christian. She ached, wishing that Christian
could be as predictable and ever-present as her tears. This wasn’t how the story
was supposed to end. She wasn’t supposed to go to Europe by herself.If only their last words had been more loving. Because she did
love him; she knew that now. Yet in cruel spite of his absence, her love for his
memory seemed only to grow rather than diminish. She sighed and pushed into her
dressing room.Her clothes lay scattered around the room, vying for a space
in the large steamer trunk she would take to Paris. Flowers in vases crowded the
dressing table and perfumed the air. She dropped her cape to the floor and slipped
off her shoes.All of her dreams had been realized. Yet she had learned weeks,
if not months, earlier that dreams are hollow and meaningless without someone to
share them. She would rather ride in a box car and sleep on loose straw with Christian
than boarding a steamer ship and sailing first class to Europe alone.2. Use wordle. Don’t know what wordle is? It’s a website that
creates word clouds out of any document—the more frequent the word usage, the bigger
it appears in the cloud. This is an easy way to find your pet words. One of mine
happens to be “look.” He looked, she looked, everybody looked. Try it
out at www.wordle.net/3. Don’t use words you don’t typically use in conversation. I
actually stopped reading Elizabeth Peters’ novels because her frequent use of the
word orb bothered me. Some words shouldn’t be used more than once and some not at
all. Same with phrases. I read a friend’s novel where the lovers kept melting into
each other. I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds messy and really shouldn’t
happen very often. If at all.4. Watch out for passive sentences. The Rhyme’s Library is riddled
with them. Example: the word COULD. Claris COULD hear a soft voice in the background—versus–Claris
heard a soft voice in the background. Another example: the word FELT. Claris ran
a finger along Alec’s glass of soda, and FELT the cold condensation wet her finger
tips. Better– Claris ran a finger along Alec’s soda glass–the cold condensation
wet her finger tips. Example: the word WAS. The trip to the morgue WAS a trip she
COULD make alone–OR–She’d go to the morgue alone.5. Evaluate criticism objectively. Since writing The Rhyme’s
Library, I’ve been told the same thing by two industry professionals—my plots are
too complicated. The first to tell me this was an editor for a small romance publishing
company; the second was a reviewer for Publisher’s Weekly—the review was part of
the “prize” for my placement in the Amazon Novel Breakthrough whatever.
I live by the standard that I can swallow one critique with a sugar cube, but if
someone else independently tells me the same thing I should probably take note.
So, I’m reading my old manuscript and wondering–is this too complicated? Can I
be less convoluted? Another thing I’ve been told by more than one writerly person
is my work is “very British.” Can you believe that two people who don’t
know each other would actually use the words “very British?” I don’t even
know what that means. Or what to do with it. Which brings me to number 6.6. Love your work. It may have wrinkles, fat rolls, and zits,
but ultimately, it is your story. It’s your baby. Love it enough to cut away its
rough edges. Coax it into simplicity. Shave off unsightly adverbs. Love it enough
to leave it in a sixteen year time out. And if someone tells you your baby is very
British tell them thank you very much and offer them a cuppa tea.About the Author
Kristy is the mom of six incredibly brilliant and beautiful children,
and the author of several novels. Although many of her novels have won awards and
have ranked on Amazon’s top 100 list, Kristy has yet to realize her lifelong dream
of owning a Schnauzer farm. Kristy studied English literature at Brigham Young University
and at BYU’s International Center in London.For updates on Kristy’s upcoming novels, please visit her blog
at:kristystories.blogspot.comOr her author page, http://www.amazon.com/Kristy-Tate/e/B005YF4ODA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1Author Social Media
Website / blog http://kristystories.blogspot.com/Twitter https://twitter.com/kristyswords -
5 Easy Questions: Cass Peterson One Night in San Francisco @casspeterson1 #RLFblog #erotic
One Night in San Francisco 5 Easy Questions is an interview is designed to be quick, easy,
and fun. Today’s guest is Cass Peterson.What is your go-to meal to order when you dine out? Your favorite
“I know it will hit the spot” item.I try so hard to break away from this, but whenever I think a
steak will be cooked properly, tender and very rare I have to go for that one. I
know it’s boring, but a perfect steak with chunky home-cut chips and a salad is
just miraculous. And a bottle of good red wine too; steak’s naked without it. Oh,
and some French mustard on the side.Would you rather stay inside and watch snow falling, or get
out in it and build a snowman?I’d be out there, wrapped up and getting soaking wet. Snow is
my absolute favourite weather to play in.What is your favorite quote?What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.If the hero of your latest book called you on the phone, what
would be a perfect ringtone for him?Blur – Tender is the Night. A creature of the night, throbbing
and sensual, that’s Liam.About the Book
Title One Night in San FranciscoGenre Erotic romanceAuthor Name Cass PetersonBook heat level (based on movie ratings): RBlurb Nicky and Liam have only twenty four short hours to find
out if their instantaneous attraction can develop into something more than an electric
mile-high fumble. San Francisco has everything they need to put their previous disastrous
relationships behind them but when they lose touch with each other almost immediately,
fate seems to have other ideas. As the precious hours tick away, Liam moves heaven
and earth to find the woman of his (filthiest) dreams before she leaves the city.
Will he get to her in time?Buy This Book
Tirgearr PublishingNo links yet, but they will be here when the book is released:
http://casspeterson.co.uk/books/city-nights-one-night-in-san-francisco/Author Social Media
Website http://casspeterson.co.ukBlog http://casspeterson.co.ukAmazon
Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Cass-Peterson/e/B00E39TNNY/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_7 -
Publisher Week: Day 6 Alternate Realities @BoroughsPubGrp #RLFblog #Fantasy
This is Day 6 of Publisher Week featuring Boroughs Publishing Group. Romance Lives Forever has been showcasing this publisher and its authors.
—Publisher’s Week – Boroughs Publishing GroupYesterday we visited with those yummy shape-shifting weres of the Red Ridge Pack. Today we take a journey into fantasy, where, in new worlds and alternate realities, everything is at risk for the ultimate prize – true love.Awake
After losing her family to a tornado, the only thing that can help guilt-ridden Eve Cleary find peace is a nightmare come to life: a dangerous incubus whose masterful caresses have the power to grant her deepest desires.
The Pirate Princess
For a pirate, nothing is forbidden…except love. To gain her freedom, Charlee must seduce
the prince. To save the pirate, Prince Petra must win her heart.The Devil and Lillian Holmes
At the cusp of the twentieth century, an heiress-turned-vampire and her maker seek her stolen daughter and find themselves caught up in a world of darkness, danger, and mystery.
————————–We cherish the wonderful creative minds that built these new worlds, brought determined tangible characters to life and drew us in to a universe we wanted to stay in for a very long time.Tomorrow, on our last day during our Publisher’s Week with Romance Lives Forever – thank you, Kayelle – we’re going to tug on your heartstrings.Submissions
Are you an author? Fantastic. We adore authors. We’re seeking submissions from writers who can deliver the emotional punch readers crave. Space cowboys, gargoyles, the hunk next-door and crusty cops welcome. Boroughs Publishing Group will not limit your imagination; we encourage creative freedom. Stick to the tropes of the genre or push the envelope, as long as you’re providing well written incredible story-telling we’re game. Read more: http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com/submitPublisher Social Media
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/boroughspubgrp/ -
Caught On Camera by Destiny Blaine @DestinyBlaine #RLFblog #contemporary
Caught On Camera Cover Love at Romance Lives Forever is a short intro to a book
and includes a cover, blurb, buy links, and social media contacts for the author.
Today’s featured book is Caught On Camera by Destiny Blaine.Published by Siren-BookstrandGenre: Contemporary RomanceCaught On Camera is Love at First Sight, Book One—A series of
Love At First Sight romances, all of which stand alone.Bailey Chapman isn’t looking for love but when Nick Palmani shows
up at a bonfire and starts pursuing her, she notices. Soon, the two are grinding
out their passionate fantasies. Unbeknownst to the couple, the entire episode is
caught on camera.Nick Palmani knows Bailey possesses that special spark, but when
he discovers Bailey’s father owns the farm where he’ll soon work, things are complicated.
After a night of passion is caught on camera and the entire groping session goes
viral, he isn’t too certain of his job security. He’s more concerned about Bailey
and how her life will soon spin out of control.Fearing Bailey will do whatever necessary to pacify her family
and avoid unattractive labels, Nick whisks her away to an undisclosed location.
Soon, secrets are revealed in front of an interested public and Bailey and Nick
must decide if they can move forward together or find a way to leave their explosive
past behind.Buy This Book
Siren-Bookstrand http://www.bookstrand.com/destiny-blaineAuthor Bio
Destiny Blaine is one pseudonym for the award-winning international
bestseller Susan Smith Alvis. Destiny writes in most subgenres with a mix of intimate
pairings. Her upcoming title, Rendition, will be released soon from Siren-Bookstrand.A career writer for over a decade, Destiny and her husband live
in East Tennessee with their four pampered pets.Author Social Media
Website www.destinyblaine.comTwitter www.Twitter.com/DestinyBlaineFacebook www.Facebook.com/DestinyBlaine -
Kidnapped Bride by Heather Hiestand @heatherhiestand #RLFblog #historical
Kidnapped Bride Cover Love at Romance Lives Forever is a short intro to a book
and includes a cover, blurb, buy links, and social media contacts for the author.
Today’s featured book is The Kidnapped Bride.Genre historical romanceAuthor Name Heather HiestandBook heat level (based on movie ratings): RPursuing this elusive heiress will be the ultimate temptation…Lady Elizabeth Shield is used to saving herself from trouble.
And even if dashing private inquiry agent Dougal Alexander just rescued her from
white slavers, she’s definitely not returning to her stifling aristocratic life
and unsuitable suitors. Not when there are other women in danger—and a secret promise
to keep in Edinburgh. But outwitting Dougal’s tactics to return her to London and
her family will be easier than staying away from his intoxicating kisses…He’s a baron’s second son accustomed to making his own way and
uncovering the truth. Now Dougal must keep Lady Elizabeth close for her own protection,
but her spirited wiles are proving scandalously irresistible. His most difficult
case yet will be showing her that he’s everything she truly desires—and that love
is the greatest of adventures…“Before I realized it, the unusually strong and well-developed
characters of The Kidnapped Bride had sneaked up on me and captured my full attention.
This is one of the best shorter books I have ever read.” –Delle Jacobs, author
of Lady WickedBuy This Book
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kidnapped-bride-heather-hiestand/1119105213?ean=9781601832603Author Social Media
Website http://www.heatherhiestand.comAmazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Heather-Hiestand/e/B004NG0A98/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 -
Cover Love: Homecoming by Te Russ @TeRussNovels #RLFblog #contemporary
Cover
Love at Romance Lives Forever is a short intro to a book and includes a cover,
blurb, buy links, and social media contacts for the author. Today’s featured
book is Homecoming by Te Russ.Troy Hartford has finally returned to his small hometown in Texas,
and the first person he runs into is Veronica Baker. He’s amazed at the beautiful
woman she’s become.Veronica has been living her mundane life, making sure her father’s
business continues to thrive. She doesn’t even realize that she’s not truly living
until Troy shows up.Neither of them can forget the one kiss they shared over a decade
ago when they were teenagers, and seeing each other now has stirred up an attraction
neither of them can deny.Buy This Book
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Homecoming-Coalton-Texas-Novellas-Book-ebook/dp/B00MABC1TK/
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409098763&sr=1-5Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/homecoming-80Author Social Media
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TeRussNovelsFacebook: www.facebook.com/TeRussNovels