5 Ways to Avoid Insta-Love

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Man, am I ready for the weekend. I'm hoping this crud flushes out of my system all the way by Monday. Not sure what you Floridians are cooking up down there, but this is one nasty as hell cold. Yeah, I've had it since my (cold) trip south. Fun, right? Anyway, enough about that! Today I want to give you five quick and dirty tips to avoid portraying insta-love in your novels. Readers generally hate it when there's no buildup to a feeling of all encompassing love. So grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

1. Give Your Characters Empathy for One Another. This easy to implement angle gives your characters some reference when they meet again for the first time. In The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta have a bit of history together. It made the love he had for her more realistic.
2. They Have so Much in Common. Again, this is rarely revealed when the characters only spend a few days together. You have to solidify the bond over time. But having things to talk about will help you write the story and show your readers how well your two lovers get along.
3. Make One of Them an Ex. Perhaps one of them dumped another and a number of years have gone by in which each character matured. This builds on the previous relationship. Think about the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Melanie wanted to marry Jake from childhood. It was a great backstory to work in.
4. He or She was the Best Friend's Best Friend. Maybe your two lovebirds eyed each other over their significant others years ago but kept it friendly. Now, they're single and things are heating up where they couldn't before.
5. Friends Forever. Often, the best romantic tales begin with the two lovers being friends without realizing how they feel under the surface. Or, maybe one of them does and is afraid to tell the other on the off-chance that person doesn't feel the same way. Hell, there's a reality TV show that's made millions off this exact scenario.

I'm betting you're noticing a trend in the list above.

If not, I'll give you a moment to read it again and see if you can find the common denominator.

...

...

Got it? Yep, that's right, it's always a love that develops over time. Whether past or present, these people don't meet one moment and spend the rest of their lives all googly eyed over one another. While that might be lovely to experience, it rarely happens in the real world (if at all) and you have to be careful of falling into that trap as an author.

Be sure you're figuring out why these two love one another the way they do and you're letting your reader in on the big secret.

By all means, feel free to describe the butterflies, tingly palms, loss of words, and shortness of breath that occur when one is physically attracted to another human. Apply caution and try to remember: That's not love.

Love is complete trust in someone else to not betray your secrets, a great deal of caring about the well being of that person, and faith they won't leave your side when you need them. In other words, it's two people knowing one another inside and out; and adoring each other just the way they are.

That's why it takes time to develop; even in books.

What was your best and worst case of insta-love (either in something you read or something you wrote)? Share with us!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Relationships

Good morning, people of the blogosphere! Today, we're going to talk about relationships. No, I'm not gonna tell you how to catch or keep a man (or woman). This isn't a dating advice blog. I'm talking about relationships between your characters and how to add tension. So grab that pencil and notebook and let's get going!

We're all familiar with the classic love triangle: one man two women or one woman and two men. The main character is torn between the two and it heightens the suspense in the book. This triangle has been well used in the Twilight series and most of us are familiar with that one. It's basically Bella loves Edward, Edward loves Bella, Jacob loves Bella, Bella thinks she might love Jacob for a minute but not the same way... You get the idea. This is a great relationship plot with a ton of tension opportunity (especially since Jacob's entire reason for being a wolf is so he can kill Edward and those like him).

In addition to having the love triangle, you also need some reason the main character shouldn't be with one of the love interests in order to make the story work. In Canopy, Lissy loves Jash and Tristan. Jash is fused, Tristan is not, Lissy is a purist and refuses to fuse, being with Jash puts her at risk. In Twilight, Bella loves Jacob and Edward. Edward is a vampire, Jacob is a human who happens to sometimes be a wolf, Bella is human, being with Edward puts her at risk.

See where I'm going here?

If you don't want the whole love triangle thing, then you need to give the relationship some kind of problem to overcome. We all have them so draw from your own life or the lives of those you meet. Get out and talk with people. Find out what issues they've had. Are they still with the person? Why or why not? What was the final straw? Why did they choose to forgive and stay?

Humans are human. They make mistakes. In order to have characters that are believable, you must have characters with personality flaws, impulsive behavior, or indecision issues. Get inside the character's head and try to understand where they're coming from. Don't be judgmental, just tell their story. Using a character's flaw can bring you to a decision about how he/she will change from the beginning of the story to the end. If you have a perfect little character with no flaws, they won't be believable. You can add even more tension by adding another love interest for one of the main guys/gals. Now that gives you power!

One of the most believable characters I've read in a while was in the book Beautiful Disaster. He wasn't the main character, but he experienced change from the beginning to the end. Boy was he ever flawed! Succumbing to tempter tantrums, jealousy, and control issues were the least of his problems. It made me interested enough to turn the page again. These character flaws were so bad, he almost became the antagonist and he put the main character through hell.

Remember, every protagonist is on a journey of some kind. They must experience change from the beginning of the story to the end. Either a change of heart, beliefs, character, or something in their life. Without that change, you have a flat, static character.

Your reader wants someone they can identify with or understand. Give it to them.

What characters have you really gotten into lately? Why?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Facts - Stranger than Fiction

Happy Thursday!!!! Wow, what a week! I've been busy gearing up for my blog party next week and have some amazing prizes for you guys to win! Be sure and come back every day to see what's new!

Today I'm going to spend some time doing a quick, "Did you know?" post for anyone who may not be familiar with the great man known as Genghis Khan. This is in honor of the book Yassa being on sale for the month of October both in Kindle (just $2.99) and paperback (just $7.99) formats. The paperback has had a beautiful re-work and the interior is to die for (screenshots after the post). I hope you all enjoy this post and that you learn a little, too.

The following are all facts that I based Yassa on. Yassa is a work of fiction steeped in factual history.

Did you know:

• Genghis Khan began life as a boy named Temujin.
• His father was poisoned when Temujin was just nine years old; forcing the child to step up and lead his people.
• In Mongolia, it was common for a young boy to live with his betrothed's family to learn the ways of their people for up to four years before the marriage.
• Temujin spent four years of his life in slavery, and his escape got him noticed by powerful men.
• Blonde girls were an anomaly but highly sought-after prizes (I could find nothing that said Borte was one of these but I read it happened and went with it).
• The Merkits stole Temujin's wife, Borte, just two weeks after they were married and his retribution made him a household name.
• Jamuka was Temujin's anda (brother in life) but no one knows why they had a falling-out (most assume it was over power).
• No one is sure if Temujin's first son, Jochi, was of his loin because of the timing of the child's birth (~ 9 mos after Borte was taken).
• In the span of just twenty-five years, Genghis Khan took over much of Mongolia; uniting the tribes under one banner.
• Genghis held the idea of loyalty above all else and wrote Yassa law based on it.
• He developed a new writing style and demanded it be used across all of Mongolia so writings could be understood by all.
• The cultivation of the Silk Road, made famous by Marco Polo, was done under the guidance of Genghis.
• He truly believed he spoke to God and was tolerant of all religious followings.

Genghis Khan was one of the great men from history. He did things others had only dreamed of.

If you want to learn more about Genghis, in a fun way, you can find out a lot of fact by reading my historical fiction novel. I stuck as closely as possible to the actual timeline of events and used many of the facts you see above to mold my character and get inside his head.

Now for a shot of the new interior of Yassa.

Smaller type, smaller format, better design, and less expensive for you, the reader. Go grab a copy and get your learning on!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

3D Characters

Good Wednesday, people of the blogosphere! I'm revisiting an old favorite of mine: character creation. So, sit back and buckle up, grab your coffee and your notebook, and get prepared to join me on this short journey.

How long is your book? That's the first question you must ask yourself. If your book is part of a series, how much do you want to reveal in book one? That's question two.

Every character has a past, present, and future (unless you kill them off, you cad!). They all have a set of core beliefs and an intrinsic nature. These things should be decided upon before you ever put down the first word.

I cannot stress enough how important a character bio is. It will give you a document to reference when gauging how a character will react when placed into a specific situation where they have a decision to make. For example: If your character is very humble, they won't brag on their accomplishments in a group setting, take praise well, or be comfortable in a situation where they're the center of attention.

But a decision must be made on how to convey these values to the reader and if/when to tell the reader where the values were instilled in the first place. In a series, don't reveal everything about the character from the first book. Leave some to work in later. In your character bio, be sure and mark through what you have and haven't told in the story.

You do need to make your character 3D though. Show their emotions, living conditions, and perhaps even give a little background information. But those moments of reveal should come from things that occur during the story. Have a reason for showing the reader the past.

If you do the above, your characters will be loveable, connectable, and three-dimensional.

If you're writing Historical Fiction, you already have a good idea of how your character will behave. When I wrote Yassa, I knew Genghis Khan was very strict, believed in God, and was loyal beyond all else. I used his loyalty against him when I made him react to his wife's relationship with Jamuka. It provided tension that couldn't have come from any other source. His inner struggle was severe because of what he did.

If you'd like to get an idea of how powerful characterization is, I've put Yassa on sale for the month of October. It's priced at $2.99. You can pick up a copy on Smashwords, Amazon, or B&N for this price (Amazon will update sometime today, Kobo, iBooks, and others will update throughout the month). Go pick up a copy and have a read. Then pop on over and tell me what you thought.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Contractions

No, not the birthing of a baby kind. I'm talking about using contractions in your writing. Unless you're writing formal dialogue or historical fiction, please please please use contractions!

I see so many writers make this basic mistake on their blogs and in their books. As badly as we wish to sound formal, the reading of such writing is difficult, at best.

I'll give a couple of examples:

John stood in the room and looked at Marsha. She looked like a goddess sitting there in her nightgown with the sun streaming through the window behind her. "Honey, how about we go tonight to that restaurant you like so much?"
"Oh, I am too tired for all that today. How about you come and sit with me?"
He would have joined his wife on the couch, but he knew if he did not get moving, he would be late for work. "I wish I could, darling. But I have not got the time. I am going to be late for work if I do not get going." John shuffled toward the door. "I love you." (116 words)

It sounds stilted and it's just plain difficult to read. Let's try again, shall we?

John stood in the room and looked at Marsha. She looked like a goddess sitting there in her nightgown with the sun streaming through the window behind her. "Honey, how about we go tonight to that restaurant you like so much?"
"Oh, I'm too tired for that today. How about you come and sit with me?"
He would've joined his wife on the couch, but he knew if he didn't get moving, he'd be late for work. "I wish I could, darling. But I haven't got the time. I'm going to be late for work if I don't get going." John shuffled toward the door. "I love you." (108 words)

Not only is it easier to read, it also cuts your word count down. Try speaking the dialogue or story into a recorder before you write it if you struggle with dropped contractions. Above all else, it needs to be natural.

Let's try again and see if we can't cut it further.

John stared at Marsha. She looked like a goddess with the way her nightgown hugged her shape and the sun illuminated her hair. "Honey, wanna go to dinner at that restaurant you like so much?"
"I'm too tired for that today. Come and sit with me?"
"I wish I could but I'm gonna be late for work if I don't get going." John shuffled toward the door. "I love you." (70 words)

There must be a thousand ways to write a section like this. I could add dialogue, add action, charge it with emotion, or do just about anything to it. If you noticed, the part where I jumped to observation of John being late for work and not joining Marsha was removed. It was redundant because he says as much when he speaks. Above all else, you have to write what you feel. Just remember to be true to your characters and use those contractions! Just like taking out the adverbs, it can help you reduce word count and say what you need to say in a more succinct manner, leaving the reader to fill in the scene (they're good at that!).

Also, check out my post on Descriptions how much is too much? for some ideas on leaving things to the imagination and don't forget to go enter the 100 FB Like Giveaway! Today is the last day.

What issue drives you bananas when reading a book?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Interview with Bronya from Mystic

Happy FRIDAY, people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you an interview with Bronya Thibodeaux from the first book in my Mystic series. I hope you all enjoy the interview today. She's quite a character.

Jo: Hello everyone! Please help me to welcome our guest, Bronya Thibodeaux! Good morning, Bronya. How are you today?

Bronya: I'm okay, I guess. Hey peeps! (waves at audience)

Jo: I'd like to jump right into my questions today, if you don't mind. Waste not, want not, and our time is precious.

Bronya: That's fine. Go ahead.

Jo: Okay, first up: In the book, you seem surly and a little like a loner. Can you tell us what events in your life led you to feel out of place in Houma High School?

Bronya: Yeah, I suppose. I was always bigger than the other girls. At six-foot-one, I'm rather imposing and I like to wear boots, jeans, and tee shirts. I was never really a girly-girl, you know? Well, when you're different like that, people tend to single you out for ridicule or they don't trust you. I just felt better being alone rather than constantly wondering who I could trust.

Jo: I certainly understand that. I had my fair share of cruelty by others in High School. You are very tall... Anyway, when did you realize you were gay and how did that impact you socially?

Bronya: Wow. You just come right out with the questions huh? I realized there was something different about me when I was in the sixth grade. All the girls in my classes went boy-crazy but I never had an interest. My affections were for my neighbor, a girl named Cecilia. We used to play together when we were little but her best friend, Stephanie, was always mean to me and pulled my hair. So, after a while, I quit going over there. We grew apart after that but I've always loved Cecilia as far back as I can remember.

Jo: That's so touching. Stephanie sounds like a real winner. I suppose you can't help who is in your general sphere of being, huh?

Bronya: Yeah. But she never crossed me before that day in the bathroom. I suppose supporting her best friend when they had a falling out wasn't the smartest thing I could have done. I didn't mean to hurt Stephanie as badly as I did.

Jo: You sure whipped her, that's for sure. So, you've been in New York a while now, tell me about your decision to move there.

Bronya: It wasn't a decision, really. I had no other choice because of what happened at home. I couldn't find a job, people threw things at me, and I couldn't be around Cecilia after what she said to me. I had to leave. The offer from WSTW came at just the right time. Meeting Lily really changed my perspective on a lot of things. I thought I had it bad but that girl, ouch.

Jo: What do you mean?

Bronya: Her whole life got ruined because of what happened to her. She lost everything. I had to deal with almost the same thing but I can walk away and pretend and just fit in, you know? She can't.

Jo: Yes, I know. But wouldn't that be like lying to yourself if you pretended to be heterosexual?

Bronya: Yes. I've been struggling with it. Knowing how other people will react once they find out I'm a lesbian doesn't help matters. (turns to audience) Just leave me alone, okay? I don't put you down, don't do it to me. I am who I am. No amount of Holy Water is gonna change me. Just because I'm gay, doesn't mean I'm a sinner or a bad person. (turns back) I just get so sick of people treating me like I have a disease that's catching, you know?

Jo: Yup. I've been sitting here for a while now and I don't feel anything. Wait... No, that's just a mosquito bite. (winks and smiles) Now, tell me what you plan to do with yourself.

Bronya: I plan to work for WSTW when they finally call me in. I've been sitting around this huge apartment, waiting on something. When Lily showed up, I thought perhaps I could start working; but that's not the case. We have been reading those books we were told to read though. Weird things are happening. But, I'm not gonna get into that. If you wanna know, you gotta read the books.

Jo: That sounds like an awesome plan. I hope everything works out for you and Lily, too.

Bronya: Thanks.

Jo: Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us, Bronya. I know this wasn't easy and I appreciate your time.

Bronya: No problem. Glad to help.

Jo: This concludes our interviews. If you have any questions you'd like to ask Bronya, please leave them in the comments section. Thanks for stopping by!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Mystic ~ Bronya you can do so on Amazon by clicking here. Also, if you'd like to read interviews with some of my other characters, go here for Genghis, here for Kutula, or here for Abigale. Genghis Khan was a riot to interview! Remember that Yassa is on sale until after Labor Day for just $3.99 on Amazon or Smashwords. That's $6 off the usual price of $9.99. Get one today!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tough Cookies

Some days, I struggle with what to write here. Today, I'm giving you all a taste of what my new series Mystic is about, and what message I'm trying to convey by writing it. Disclaimer: This is my author's note from the book. It will appear in every copy. People need to understand my message. If I make a difference in just one person, I'll feel like I did my job as an author.

Without further ado:

I see our world falling apart with hate. I’m not a person who preaches there should be no war or we should share in free love. What I am is someone who understands just because one person is different from another, it doesn’t make them less than human and doesn’t make them less deserving of my acceptance. I don’t hate or judge because I wouldn’t like to be hated or judged myself.

Everyone makes choices. Every single person on the planet is different in their own way. I choose my religion and my beliefs. There are some things I didn’t choose. Those things are what make me different from you, and what make you different from the person next to you.

Maybe you’ve made a choice I don’t believe in or that goes against my strong values. I’m going to try to understand you either way. No one told me it was up to me to shove my beliefs or values down your throat. So, for example, if you’re a Christian person and I’m an Atheist or Agnostic, would you want me to tell you you’re wrong for being a Christian? No. You’d want me to understand and realize your choices aren’t mine and you’re free to do and believe what you want. You’d want me to leave you alone so you can practice your beliefs with security and safety.

I wish for nothing more than a world where people understand the Golden Rule and actually live by it. As you read my Mystic series, try to understand what hate does when brought down upon the head of someone who is different or who makes choices other than what you might have made. Try to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. Learn how hate can grow and be nearly impossible to stop. Study how to be accepting to those who didn’t choose the path you did. Discover their reasoning instead of casting them off. I promise you, they are struggling anyway. Don’t make their struggle more difficult than it already is.

WSTW (Women Save the World) is not a real company as of the date of this book’s publication. I wish it were. We all have strength in us and the only way we’re going to be able to battle hatred is when we quit hating each other and ourselves. Hate manifests just like the creature in this series. Start looking around and you’ll see it, too.

I’m sure I’m living in a fantasy land, wishing for all of the above; but I am a writer, after all, and if I cannot find solace in my words, I fear there may be nothing left to hope for. What a sad ending that would be…

Pick up a copy of Mystic ~ Bronya when it releases on Tuesday, August 21, 2012. Read it. Come back here and tell me how you felt about what happens to Bronya.

Have you ever been put down for your choices or ridiculed? Did you change your beliefs or did it just make you angry? What did you do in response?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

I'm Gonna Fire You Up

Mystic ~ Bronya is edited and ready to roll off the presses after some formatting. It's a novelette of just over 17,000 words so it shouldn't take you long to get through it. What I'm hoping, however, is that you do read it and you do take something away from it.

My goal here is to show you what happens on the other side of the wall you're staring at. I will show you what it's like when someone ridicules you or tells you you're a heathen, grotesque, immoral, or that you brought everything that happened to you on yourself when you find yourself in circumstances beyond your control or understanding. This series is intended to let you see into the world of another person who may be different from you, and what the ultimate consequences of not stepping around that wall could be.

If you disagree with my message, that's your right. Many people will. That's okay. Bronya goes through some pretty tough times and experiences a lot in her short tale. Lily is struggling with different issues but they are just as difficult to stomach.

Mystic ~ Lily is currently sitting at just over 3,000 words that have made me cry, shake, get angry, and be sad. Her tale is a lot like Bronya's because Lily's choices also change her life and the people that surround her can't accept her anymore.

I consider myself lucky because I have a voice that speaks loudly and clearly and I'm not afraid to use it.

If you're a writer and you're reading this blog, I challenge you to write something you believe in with all your heart. Buck the consequences, get out there, and fire people up with your message. Books have shaped the world as we know it.

The pen is mightier than the sword. Use your pen and make a difference.

Everyone has an opinion. Yes, they are like assholes in that everyone has one but no one wants to hear them. Make people want to hear yours. Make them listen. Present your case in a compelling way. Show them something they don't already know or give them information they may not have been privy to before.

I double-dog dare you.

I can almost guarantee it'll be the best writing that's ever dripped from your fingertips onto a keyboard. You have passion, use it.

Now that I've gotten you all worked up and your brain going a million mph, I invite you to check out my interview posted over on the Chapter Book Challenge blog. Go give it a read and tell Becky I said, "Hello!"

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Empathy in Spades

As you all know, the first book in my new series, Mystic, is due to release this month. I'm thinking sometime around August 21 but that could change depending on the amount of time it takes me to get it formatted and the back cover worked out for the print version. Keep your eyes here for the release announcement!

I've had my usual reader and my usual editor ripping me apart for the sake of everything that's good and forcing me, in their wisdom, to re-write a number of sections. Something that they've both said while reading my series has given me reason to pause and consider.

"I can see you and your struggles in this book."

I have wracked my brain to figure out why in the world they would say that. I've never had to struggle with coming out to my family and friends and I've never lost my looks due to a horrific accident. Then, like a lightning bolt thrown by the mighty Zeus, it hit me: I can put myself in someone's shoes and feel right along with them. As a writer, when I'm crafting a scene, I'm in the body and mindset of the character. I feel what they feel and allow my fingers to relay that to the page.

Writing is taxing, emotionally, some days because of this.

Sometimes, I have to pause and play the entire scene out in my head, thinking about what I would do next and how I would feel if I were experiencing what the character is going through.

Writers have empathy in spades. Writers tend to feel very deeply. Writers must identify.

If you all remember my post a while back about Writers that Cannot Feel... Cannot Write, you'll have an idea of what I'm talking about. We must be able to communicate those emotions effectively to the page. Remember my post about keeping a feelings bible? I practice what I preach and keep one myself. When I need a great sadness or a great fear to come across on the page, I delve into my feelings bible and come out with the mindset to empathize with my character. It gets easier to call on it when I need it with time.

But, I digress.

My point to all this rambling is, I know very few novel writers who are judgmental. They tend to accept you for exactly who you are. Writers listen as well as they talk. It's so rare to have people who are genuinely interested in our life story, when we come across them, we word vomit. It's a safe haven for venting. Sure, you may show up in a book at some point because you spilled the beans to an author, but your name will be changed. Hell, you might even acquire a super-power.

Journalists may be a whole different story. Just sayin'...

I read a post today over on Depression Cookies where Tia talks about meeting writers and how they feel like friends after just a short period of time. It has to be the empathy factor.

But when you tell your life story to someone who writes novels, or let loose with an admission of something you feel badly about doing, you're more likely to get a pat on the hand than a slap in the face. It's because they traveled with you during your tale; they felt what you felt. Hopefully, when your life shows up on the page of a book, other people feel it, too.

After all, that's our job, right?

Have you ever had someone tell you they felt very strongly what your character felt and could identify with them? How did that make you feel?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Mystic ~ Bronya: Tolerance and Hate

As promised, today you all get a deeper look into my Mystic series. It's six books in all with five novellas and a full-length novel at the end. I won't give away the ending, nor will I explain what the monster is an embodiment of but read on and become intrigued.

This is the synopsis for the first book in the series Bronya.

Bronya Thibodeaux is an eighteen-year-old senior at Houma High School whose life is about to be changed forever. She's always felt like an outcast, but thinks she may have found a friend when a strange, new girl named Markaza who has blue hair, a number of tattoos, and a strange way of dressing appears. She accepts Bronya for who she is and the two hit it off.

Markaza isn’t around long before she moves away. Bronya goes back to feeling lonely and different. Trouble arises when Bronya's love interest - a girl named Cecilia - is accidentally revealed to the entire student body. Bronya’s life choices make her a pariah in her small town. After getting thrown out of school, not being able to find a job, and being subjected to ridicule and cruel treatment, Bronya chooses to leave her old life behind forever when she receives a compelling invitation from a mysterious company named WSTW.

What Bronya doesn't know, is the mysterious company is owned by Markaza; a mystic who knows the end of the world is coming and is gathering together the only people who can stop the evil that's threatening to take over. Bronya is just the first. But going to New York is only a baby step toward her true journey. As Bronya races against the clock to unlock a power she never knew she had, Markaza races to collect the others: Lily, Sheila, Melody, and Coralie.

This is the synopsis for the second book in the series Lily.

Lily Conyers is a twenty-year-old who had it all going for her until a car crash left her with terrible scars, no modeling job, and an addiction to pain killers. When she meets a strange young woman named Markaza, Lily begins to re-build her life with encouragement from her new friend.

Problems arise when Lily leaves the safety of her apartment for the first time since her accident to venture back into the world she used to know. Her so-called friends shun her and her boyfriend recoils at the sight of her face; leaving her standing in the road alone - crying. She rushes home with thoughts of suicide only to find a letter on her step from a company called WSTW; promising her a new life.

Lily packs her bags, bids Markaza goodbye, and sets off for the city. But going to New York is only the first hurdle Lily must jump. She must learn to use the power inside herself to help defeat an evil that is threatening to destroy the world. Once there, she meets a girl named Bronya and the two help one another re-build what was so negligently broken.

As Lily is boarding the plane bound for New York, Markaza boards another headed to Tennessee so she can collect the next young woman on her list: Sheila.
_________________________________________________________________

As a note: I'm a person who speaks out against taking offense to anyone just because they make choices I don't. We're all human and we need to practice a little humanity. I know I want to be accepted just as I am so I'm accepting in return. I don't care what choices you make, I'm going to do my best to understand you and accept you for who you are. We all need to follow the Golden Rule and just stop allowing hate to live in our hearts.

Just because someone is different, doesn't mean they're bad or evil. The true evil, in my opinion, is the hate and judgment that's thrown around so freely.

Would you want to be judged because of your life choices? Guess what? No one else does either. I don't wish for free love or think there should be no war (sometimes it's necessary to protect what we hold dear, like freedom), what I do wish I could see is human beings stop fighting one another to conform. We're all different. If you shun everyone who is different from you, eventually you'll be all alone. Start looking at a person's heart instead of their life choices and I promise you, your quality of life will improve.

Countless men and women have died fighting for freedom. We show our disrespect for their sacrifice every time we put someone else down for their choices. This is AMERICA the BEAUTIFUL. Let's work harder to keep it the land of the FREE and show our appreciation for those that died for the cause, shall we?

I'm going to share something with you all now that I was ashamed to see happen. When you click on the link, go to the section labeled History and read the last paragraph. Can you believe these folks wanted to do this?

Link to Wiki article.

I started writing Mystic ~ Bronya a good while back (I always have a number of works going at once) and slated it for release this month. I couldn't think of a better time considering the hate I'm seeing spewed all over the news about Chik-Fil-A and what was said. It saddens me. I have faith in humanity as a general collective but, once in a while, I'm let down. This was one of those times.

When you pick it up, be sure and read my author's note. It might give you a new way of seeing the world. I'll do the cover reveal later in the week.

Watch my Amazon author page for the release of Mystic~Bronya.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Life is a Road

Sometimes, the road of life is straight and free from obstacles. More often, it twists, turns, forks, has branches in it, or is covered in snow. What do we do when we come upon something that impedes our forward progress?

Some of us lie down in the road and are quickly overcome with despair. Those who succumb to the stress are often walked past by others on the road and looked at with scorn. People who give up are usually stuck where they are until they die. Every great once in a while, a kind soul stops and picks one of the forlorn up to place the poor wretch back on their feet. They are the lucky ones. They aren't the driven ones.

Some of us face the road and make decisions on which path to take when it forks, lean with the turns like riders of motorcycles to keep our balance, and obliterate the branches with balls of fire from our fists. The people that keep going no matter what are the ones that succeed. Sometimes, they help someone else by carrying them on their shoulders or giving an encouraging word where it's needed. They are the hard workers; the driven ones.

Still others coast down the road and take the turns as they come. These folk usually walk around the branches and take whichever path in the fork is suggested to them by a passerby or throw a stone and see where it lands; taking that as guidance from a higher power. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't. But they are rarely stressed out and tend to take life with a grain of salt.

We also have those who look at life through jaded eyes. Every person that passes them on the road makes them angry. If they go left and you go right and your road ends in a pot of gold, they feel cheated. These are the people who bring bitterness and anger into the world. They scoff at those who fell down and feel they deserve better; though it was their own decisions that put them where they ended up. People like this are never happy and can rarely just take things as they come. Oftentimes, they don't survive on the road for very long.

Everyone falls into one or the other categories above and, sometimes, we waver between a couple of different ones. Life is not about the beginning or the end, but what you do on your road between the two; both for yourself and for other people you meet or pass.

Food for thought today.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Biting and Chewing

We write like we eat: plan the book (idea), write an outline, write chapter-by-chapter, plan the meal, cook the meal, eat the meal bite-by-bite.

We can't really get to the last part unless we do the first two parts. Even if we eat a lot of fast food, we still have to decide where to go and what to order. You can't skip parts.

Seasonings are the feelings and settings you put into your book. I could write a lovely few lines like this:

I walked to the fridge and pulled out hot dogs. I popped one into the microwave and heated it for a minute, then added ketchup and sat down to eat. When I was done, I cleaned my place and headed to get out of my pajamas so I could go to the store.

You get the idea of what I'm doing but I certainly seem like I'm a zombie and have zero emotion, right? Let's try again:

I felt hunger pangs for the first time since the incident occurred so I shuffled over to the old fridge that looked like something from 1972 (much like the kitchen it was in) and jerked the door open to peer inside. I scanned the contents and let out a heavy sigh before I settled on hot dogs. I slammed them down on the counter and slit open the package with a knife from the block nearby. Digging out one of the dogs, I grabbed a paper towel and wrapped it up like a caterpillar in a cocoon before popping it into the microwave and pressing the button that would get me thirty seconds of nuke time.

While the appliance whirred, I stuffed the remaining hot dogs into a bag, zipped it closed, and reached for a paper plate. Tears filled my eyes again as I thought about what happened and my head screamed How could this happen to me? Haven't I endured enough? I got a less-than-satisfying ding, opened the microwave, and grabbed my breakfast. After I plopped it on the plate, I stuffed the leftovers back into the fridge and grabbed the ketchup. I squirted a squiggly line next to my dog and popped the bottle back into the still open fridge; slamming the door.

Shuffling to the two-person table that was situated under the naked bulb in my sparse dining room made me feel like all my energy was suddenly being drained from my body. I sat down and ate my meal while fat tears rolled down my face and plopped into my already-watery ketchup. Sighing, I stood and took my small mess to the over-full trash can before heading to change out of my pajamas for the first time in a week so I could go to the store.

Now, even though you have no idea why I feel the way I feel, you have more emotional response than with the first section, right? You know something is troubling the poor soul that's being spoken about, right? Would you read on to find out what's wrong?

I'm building suspense to my plight by letting you into my thoughts and emotions before telling you what's going on. It's a useful trick to pickup and also useful to see the opposite way and realize how you can pare down and remove emotion and scenery. All I did was add a few spices to your meal.

If you haven't picked one up yet, go get a copy of one of my books. There's something for everyone there!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Target Market

On to another prompt for the 28 Day Author Blog Challenge:

Describe the market for your book - to the tiniest detail (e.g., childless divorced women past age 50 who want to remarry). Why that demographic? How do you connect with them to market to them?

My market for Yassa consists of anyone who has loved fully, intensely, and faithfully. People who understand and appreciate the power of that faithfulness. Most of all, people who want to connect with a character and take something away from a story for once. While my intended audience was women from age 25-45, I have found that teens like my book a lot and that older women seem to gravitate toward it.

My market for The Abigale Chronicles is young readers from age 6-13, male and female. Those kids with imagination who can grasp that something weird is going on with Abigale. Kids who need to identify with a character and understand that when they have a problem, they should face it head-on with their eyes wide open.

Why that demographic? For Yassa, it's because women need to understand the inner workings of a man. Men desire to protect and be loved unconditionally. When any of that fails, they struggle. It changes them in ways we don't understand. For The Abigale Chronicles, it's because I want to teach them that reading can take you places you never dreamed you'd go.

In Yassa, Temujin fails to protect Borte and the act of losing her drives him a little crazy. It's Genghis Khan's coming-of-age tale. It tells why he was shaped into the brutal man he became. Life shapes us all in interesting ways and his life was hard. But he loved like no other. He was loyal to his friends and family and took slights against them personally, making anyone who dared to dishonor him the next target on his list of payback.

With The Abigale Chronicles, I feel like I have a last-ditch chance to get kids to pick up books and read. All books, not just mine. Abigale is intended to inspire a love of reading and realize the places books can take you with their words.

I connect with my target markets through advertising and networking. When I'm out and about, I talk about my work with anyone who'll listen. I do giveaways on Goodreads so those that are interested, have a chance at a copy for themselves. Word-of-mouth should take it from there. Don't forget to enter the giveaway at Goodreads for a chance to win one of two signed copies of Yassa!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Surprise!

There's still time to join the Author Blog Challenge! If you haven't, just do it. Moving right along to today's prompt... 

What has been the biggest surprise about writing/publishing your book? What has been the most enjoyable or most memorable aspect?

My biggest surprise was all the different formats that were wanted by all the different e-book publishers. Why can there not be consistency? Geeze Louise!

I love that Amazon has started to crack down on allowing public works publishing. It clears the market for real books. When I heard that, I did an Emeril Lagassi style, "BAM!" in my head.

Take that, you profiteers of other people's work!

I have enjoyed the people I have gotten to know through my networking efforts. There are some great folks in the publishing world. Many of them can be found here. Yes, that's The Author Blog Challenge participant link. So what if I invited my friends to join as well?

I never realized what a wonderful community writers have formed around the globe. How great is it that I can talk to Ashley Howland in Australia, Lisa Cherry in the UK, and meet people from the US as well? I adore intelligent discussion and giving people a new way to look at things that they may not have considered. A number of them have returned and given back as good as they have gotten.

I enjoy talking with writers because they are almost always open to new ideas and constructive feedback.

I enjoy talking with artists because they have a different view of the world we live in and take the time to paint or draw it.

I enjoy talking with most people on most topics as long as their thoughts are original and not pulled from the main-stream way of thinking.

Many of the people I now know, I would not have met without networking or voicing of my own, rather skewed opinion of the world. I wouldn't trade it.

Since this post is short, I am going to take today to share with you all some of my photography and illustrations. I hope you enjoy the eye candy.

Illustrations shown large, original photograph in icon. First is colored pencil on black canson drawing paper. Second is india ink on hot press illustration board.

In tandem with today's post comes an interview with Ashley Howland, author of Ghostnapped! Tomorrow will be my review of the book.

That's all for today, folks, Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

My Editor and My Friend

Today's prompt from the 28 Day Author Blog Challenge: 

Describe your editing process. Who edited your book? What was your relationship with your editor like? What could each of you have done to improve it? What might you do differently in the future? 

My editing process consisted of:

Giving my book a cool-down period of six weeks then printing it and hitting it HARD with a red pen for additions.

Hitting it HARD with a red pen again for subtractions.
Again to tweak language and take out erroneous words.
Passing it to Crystal Lee for outside editing.
Hitting it with her suggestions and edits in tow.
Thanking her for her beautiful insights.
Formatting for all platforms.
Hitting the printed version with a designer's eye for hangy things :)
Uploading and clicking publish.

Crystal Lee edited my book. It was a great working relationship because we think alike in terms of writing. It was easy to veto or re-word items based on her feedback. I knew she wouldn't take it personally. We had a deep understanding that everything passed to and fro were suggestions and not concrete laws.

To improve, we could have had a better way to communicate. We only used e-mail. haha!

I don't think I'd change a single thing. Her view may be very different but we worked well together, I thought. My books are better products because I took the time to have someone read them and give me an honest opinion with feedback before I released them to the masses. Yassa is priced at $9.99 and it's damned well worth every penny. You'll take a piece of the book with you; of that, I am certain. Everyone does.

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!!

Jo

All About Query Letters

Today, I post my query letter for a roundtable discussion that will take place via Rachel Horwitz ‏@rachelhwrites on twitter. Scurry on over there if you would like to participate!!


This is my pitch for Yassa:


***Updated***

Dear Ms. XXX,

When Temujin is ten, he murders one of his half-brothers in self-defense. That one act of brutality shows him the animal that lives inside his heart, sets into motion a string of events that bring a boy named Jamuka into his life, and gives Temujin the idea to write the law he calls Yassa. He marries his betrothed, Börte, only to have her kidnapped a week later by a rival tribe and sold at auction.

Yassa law states that, above all else, you are to be loyal to those you pledge yourself to. There is only one punishment for breaking Yassa law: death. Deep conflict arises between Temujin and Jamuka when they go to rescue the beautiful and fair Börte from the kidnappers because Jamuka sees her, falls in love, and decides to take her for his own. In a fit of fever, Jamuka attacks Börte and tries to force himself on her. Setting aside the law for the love of a friend, Temujin casts the man out instead of killing him.


Jamuka is bent on revenge for being cast out and is driven to win Börte at any cost. As a result, the two men are plunged into battle over power and a woman. Love drives the conquering of the greatest continuous empire in History in the hopes that the victor will win the affections of Börte, who is being driven mad with her own choice while the men are crossing swords. Only one man can succeed and become Genghis Khan.

Yassa is a completed 90,000 word historical fiction novel set in 18th Century Mongolia.

Thank you for taking the time to read my query.

Sincerely,

Jo Michaels

I appreciate all feedback.

That's all for today, folks!!

Until next time, WRITE ON!!

Jo

The Best Feeling!

When one of your beta readers comes up and asks you if you finished your book yet because they really want to know what happens next is the best feeling in the world next to being head-over-heels in love (which I am lucky enough to be! I love you, Babydoll!).

It's even more thrilling when that person says they didn't want to be pushy but considered e-mailing and asking you for the rest because they were getting antsy.

That happened to me today. I gave someone the first 21 chapters of Yassa and they said they were dying to know what was going to happen to Temujin, Borte, and Jamuka.

LOVE IT!!

Look for the release on June 5th on my Smashwords page. Don't forget to get your copy of The Abigale Chronicles - Book One on Smashwords today. Just $1.99!! It's a great young reader's book!!

Have you ever had that happen to you? How did it make you feel? What were the circumstances?

Sorry this is short today but I had to give my book some props, ya know?

Until next time, WRITE ON!!!

Jo

Best Practice

A blog is good writing practice. If you do it every day, it can also serve as a warmup before you begin writing in earnest. If you are a fan of short stories or not, write them.

Your writing will be at its best when you are feeling. It doesn't matter what you're writing about, just write it. Describe the way you feel, what you smell, what you see. Use all your senses. A good example is this post. Feeling and writing about it are parts of inviting your reader into your character's soul. It's part of drawing them in and making them care and identify with the person in the story.

It goes back to my post about Writers that Cannot Feel, Cannot Write. If you are a snail, you probably shouldn't be writing in the first place, right? Plus, that slimy trail you leave on the paper isn't very attractive...

So write your blog when you feel strongly about something. If it's something you read in the news and you're angry, write about it. You have a voice, use it. After all, that's why we write, right?

If you haven't gotten The Abigale Chronicles - Book One yet, go get it now. At $1.99, it's one heck of a deal! Abigale is about to embark on a new and exciting adventure! Book Two will be out in July, 2012!!

Remember to look for Yassa in June, 2012!! Editing away, I am.

Until next time, WRITE ON!!!

Jo

"Indescribable" and Why it Cannot Work for a Writer

Ever hear someone say, "I don't know how to describe it!"? As writers, we are duty bound to describe everything. It comes with the territory. So I discuss feelings today and how we might describe them with our words.

Angry - Having a strong feeling of or showing annoyance, displeasure, or hostility; full of anger.

Okay, there's the definition. What about the feeling itself? How does it affect your body, mind, and thought process? That is what a writer must describe. Forget the damned definition for a minute and think of something that makes you angry. Dwell on it and let it consume you for a few minutes. Now, close your eyes, put your fingers on your keyboard, and describe that feeling.

My attempt (I will use a time I was betrayed by someone I considered a friend in school):

I want to rip her head off her shoulders. If I thought I could physically do that, I swear I would. My heart is racing, my stomach feels like it's on fire, everything in my vision is blurry. I am shaking from head to toe and I am scared I will not be able to control this beast if I let it out of its cage. My hands want to connect with something while balled into fists. My throat is tight and I want to scream horrible things at her. I want to ruin her life so she can feel the same way that I do right now. I would tear her hair, punch her face, and call her every name I think she deserves (which is many).

Now, you can tell someone exactly what betrayal of a friend feels like to Jo. In every book, we read feelings based on those that the writer has experienced. In every character, the writer suffers. If the writer does not suffer, the characters are flat and boring. Let's try another one.

Love - An intense feeling of deep affection

hahaha!! Now that definition is so basic, it makes me want to gag!!

Repeat steps above and write it down.

My attempt (I am thinking of my boyfriend and love of my life, Mike):

My heart is pounding in my chest and my whole body feels like every nerve ending is on overdrive. His face fills my mind and tears spring to my eyes because I am overwhelmed by the intensity of it and there's no other way to release the feeling. If I don't let it out or express it somehow, I am afraid it will keep growing and cause me to shut down completely until I feel his hand on mine or his arms around me. I feel like there is a steel cable that runs from my heart to his and that the further apart we are, the thicker and stronger it becomes. I have a pulling sensation in my stomach and chest that tells me I need to be near him. When I am near him, it stops pulling and lies at rest. I feel an all encompassing fear along with everything else because I worry that it's too good; too much. I see his face and smile because he is beautiful, he makes me unbelievably happy, and my feet and head feel light as a feather.

If you want to, feel free to draw on those descriptions. If you notice, they intertwine with other feelings.

I set this challenge for you today: BEGIN YOUR BIBLE OF FEELINGS

Open up your word processor and list every feeling you can think of. Spend a few minutes every day filling it out. I beg you not to try each and every one of them in a single day because you will end up totally spent and with such a tumult of emotions in you, you might not be able to think. In addition, drawing on all of those memories may leave you with the lingering feelings. You have memories! USE THEM!

Leave a comment today with your attempt. I would love to read them! List your feeling, the definition, and your description! Let's make it fun!

I am running late today. Time to write!!

Until next time, WRITE ON!!

Jo

Writers that Cannot Feel... Cannot Write

Today I am discussing feelings (or lack thereof) and what happens to a writer that cannot feel.

We all have those days when we are upset and the words flow. We all have those days where we are sublimely happy and the words flow. But what happens when we are numb? When the brain empties itself of all ability to do more than stare at a blank wall?

We read. At least, I do. I find solace in the words of others and they provide me with an escape from my numbness. When I read that Mr. Darcy insulted Ms. Eliza, I feel his insult just as she would have. It provides a way for me to connect to another human being (even if they are fictional).

Readers - and all writers MUST be readers - are a hypersensitive bunch. A true reader will pick up a book and become lost in the story flowing from the pages. If the story is well written, the reader carries a little piece of that book with them for the rest of their lives; especially if the characters have qualities we admire.

Example: When I read about the totally unassuming way that Ms. Jane Bennet looks at every person on the Earth and makes allotments for their shortcomings and flaws and never speaks ill of anyone, I find that quality endearing and my drive to be more like Jane increases. Ms. Eliza Bennet has a sharp tongue and a quick wit that keeps me engaged with her and those are qualities I find most people lacking. I instantly want to be more like Elizabeth.

If you ever find yourself lost in a book or character, ask yourself why. What is it about them that you love? Maybe they are so evil that you are stunned and that's why they stick with you. You begin to watch other people for signs that the character displayed so you will know to avoid them.

Books have a deep impact on our psyche, whether we want to admit it or not. Writers need books to read in order to fuel their passion and introduce them to unique qualities in people that we may never have met in real life.

When we cannot feel, we cannot write because we cannot bring passion to the pages of our stories.

But we can always read.

Remember, today is the last day to get your copy of The Abigale Chronicles - Book One!! Follow me on twitter (@writejomichaels) or follow my blog to get your code for the free download.

I am early today so I am going to poke around and comment on other blogs that I follow.

A question for all you writers out there: What do you do when you can't write? What causes your block?

Until next time, WRITE ON!!

Jo