FRIDAY STIR FRY - I Caved

http://morguefile.com


 

Okay, I'm doing the book signing I wrote about last week. The determining factor: It is at a book store, which means people actually go there to buy books. And it's a local store, not the one remaining chain store. Buy local and all that. My one and only other book signing was at a library. There wasn't much interest in purchasing books by people going there.

My books came in today, so no backing out now. And the charms I like to attach to my business cards arrived a few days ago. All that's left to buy is the candy. Last time I gave away Hershey's Kisses. I think this time I'm going with those heart shaped Dove candies. Nothing says "Want to read a romance?" better than chocolate. Right?

I still need to make a small poster advertising my next book. Too bad it's not done, but they don't need to know that. Maybe that's the incentive I need to finish it. I have been working on it this past week at my day job ... shhh. That's between you and me. My job is really slow right now, I've got to do something to look busy.  

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Can't Decide

https://morguefile.com

I have to decide today if I want to participate in a book signing. I've only done one other formal book signing and I didn't enjoy it. I'm not much of a social butterfly. I don't like small talk and I felt a little like a fish in an aquarium with people walking by, gawking at me, and whispering "What a strange specimen".

Most of my author friends love doing book signings. They have no qualms about hawking their wares like a carnival worker. They smile and talk and are nice. So ... much ... work.

I don't have a new book to promote but, I guess that really doesn't matter. I still want people to read the two books I have, so this would be a chance to get new readers. Unless, of course, nobody buys; shudder

If I decide to go ahead, I'll need to buy copies of my books and swag and chocolate to give away. Plus, I'll probably need a table cover. I just don't know if I want to fool with it all.

I know to be a successful author, I need to not only write the books, but promote them. I haven't been doing much of either lately.

Decision time.

FRIDAY STIR FRY - An Author Spotlight

Please help me welcome Michele Stegman to my blog today.

Don't you just love the cover of her new novel?

Blurb:

Her people conquered his country. How can they overcome the distrust they feel to find love? 

In 1067 England, Madeline, a Norman, wants a big, brash, never-defeated-in-battle, Norman knight. What she gets, by order of the king, is a wiry Saxon who once studied for the priesthood instead of warfare. But is this gentle man she is falling in love with entangled in the rebellion now sweeping the land?

Ranulf wants to marry the girl next door. What he gets, by order of the king, is a lush, strong Norman woman who just might be a spy reporting his every move. He wants her in every way a man can possibly want a woman. But can he trust his heart to a woman who might have been sent to root out the struggle for freedom his people are engaged in?

I love to interview authors and find out a little more about them. Here are some fun questions for my guest. 

Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what is your favorite playlist? 

I love music. I play piano for church. I go to the opera. But when I write, I turn off the music. Music, for me, is so full, there is so much going on in every measure, that it becomes a distraction. Now, for inspiration to write, that's another story! Classical music and some movie themes paint pictures in my head, and sometimes that leads to a story idea.

 What is your favorite food and what food would you never eat? 

I don't eat coconut, coffee, chocolate or liver. I just don't like them. I think coffee is the most disgusting tasting stuff! How can people drink it? I sometimes like a little mild milk chocolate, but not much. As for my favorite food, that's just about everything else. Seriously, I guess if I had to pick I would say bread. My husband and I both love good bread. I bake it myself two or three times a week. It seems that even if I have just brought home a big load of groceries, if we are out of bread, there's nothing to eat in the house. When I take loaves out of the oven, I often say to my husband, "There's food in the house!"

What is the best advice you've ever received about the writing process? 

I used to think I needed to wait for inspiration to write. Well, that helps, but getting the words down takes work. I like this quote from Pearl Buck: "I don't wait for mood. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work."

 Tell us something interesting about yourself? 

I am a hand spinner and weaver. I enjoy taking raw fleeces just as they come from the sheep (shearing doesn't hurt the sheep), and preparing them for spinning, and then spinning the wool into yarn. I then weave the yarn into shawls or scarves, or I knit or crochet it into other garments.

Thanks so much for answering those questions, Michele. Now, enjoy an excerpt from Conquest of the Heart

 He let his gaze travel back to his bride walking stiffly, reluctantly, toward him. For once, Ranulf felt speech was beyond him. She was so much more than he had expected. So beautiful. So clean. She  glittered like a bright jewel in a dung heap. For Etherby, no matter how much he loved it, was not much better than one right now.

 If only he could say to this magnificent woman, "Go away. Come back in a year. Give me time to build the castle the king has ordered, tear down this rotting hall, teach cleanliness to servants to whom filth is a way of life. Then you won't have to grit your teeth and square our shoulders as if going into battle as you come to wed me." But it was already too late. She was here. The wedding was now. And he felt as randy as a billy goat.

He would begin building the king's castle immediately. The work would distract him from Lady Madeline's seductive lure. She would find no treason with which to fill the king's ears, and, like his mother's attitude toward his father, he was sure the lady would be glad not to have him in her bower, not the way he felt now, the things he wanted to do to her.

 I hope you enjoyed this visit with a talented author. Please check out her links below.

You can contact Michele on her website, www.MicheleStegman.com, or on her Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/MicheleStegmanAuthor.

Buy links for Conquest of the Heart

 Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1cVjVKN

Smashwords:  http://bit.ly/1JP7QFB

Bio:

Michele Stegman has always loved history and she lives it every day. She spins, weaves, makes her own soap and bread, and lives in a 175 year old log cabin with her husband, Ron, who is the basis for all her heroes.

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Where Is My Muse?

What happened to my muse? Did somebody come into my head in the middle of the night and whisk her away? Then tied her up and put a gag in her mouth? Because she has not been talking to me lately.  No middle of the night wake-ups screaming a story idea to my sleepy self. No mid-shower inspirations. No middle of traffic "oh no, I need to write this down" moments. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.




   
 

There are plenty of writer's who claim there is no such thing as a muse.  You just need to sit your butt in a chair and write. Well, that's fine and dandy and does get words on a page. But, for me anyway, forcing the writing brings dull, colorless words. Stuff that ends up on the editing room floor. True inspiration usually comes other times, when I least expect it, when I'm not at my desk, My muse brings me morsels of delicious words dripping with eloquent prose.

If you see Ethyl (yes that's her name) please tell her to come home. Her writing buddy needs her.
 
P.S. Tell her I have chocolate.












 

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Missing For The Next 30 Days

Yep, it's almost here. November or as I like to call it Insaneber. Because anyone who thinks they can write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days has to be insane right?

Believe it or not it is possible but it takes a lot of energy, courage and caffeine. Here are a few tricks and treats I've learned over the last 6 years I've participated. (notice how I referenced Halloween there?) Happy Halloween/Samhain! Now to my tips.

• Absolutely no editing. This is the first rule of NaNo. Lock that editor in the basement. You have no time for his nonsense this month. 
• Do not use contractions. Don't is one word - do not is two. You can fix it later with find and replace. 
• Everyone has at least two, three or more names. And they repeat their names a lot. Not only does this up your word count but it helps your brain remember all your characters. Again, you can fix later. 
• Have a music play list. This not only sets the mood for your story, but, at least in my case, the words flow easier if there is music in the background. 
• Lots of caffeine and chocolate. Self explanatory. 
• Set a timer for 10, 15 or 30 minutes. Write non-stop until that sucker goes off. You'll be surprised how many words you will get.
• Finally - and this is very important. BACK UP YOUR NOVEL AT LEAST EVERY DAY. I can't tell you how many horror stories I've heard of people losing all their hard work. Don't be that person.

 
I hope you join in, but if not please understand if you don't see or hear from me, I'm probably okay, just busy trying to wrestle a novel out of my brain. You can track my progress by coming by and checking the word count widget to the right.

FRIDAY STIR FRY - Learning Curve

So, I received my first round of edits from Breathless Press for my novel Beyond The Horizon. Wow. Talk about intimidating. I have to learn how to use Track Changes in Word. I'm sure it's not that hard, right? After all, I wrote an entire novel, surely I can do this in a few days. Yep, that's right, my deadline is less than a week from now.

I also found out there are different styles of quotation marks - straight and curved and you can pick which one Word uses. Who knew? I had to Google how to do that, because the ones I used are wrong and need to be changed.

Mind you, I'm not complaining. After all, I've dreamed of saying the words edits, publisher, and deadline for a long time. It's exciting! I just have to keep telling myself that. It's exciting! Plus, I have so many people pulling for me and cheering me on. I can't fail. It's not an option.

I need to load up on caffeine, chocolate and pizza. See you next Friday.