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Showing posts from June, 2013

Better Late Than Never

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I thought I had a guest blogger for today, but when I emailed her I learned that she had decided not to visit me today because her book was no longer available. So rather than do nothing, I've decided to bring everyone up to date on what's been going on in my life. First, I can't seem to get nearly as much done as I used to. Even though I am retired from a very time-consuming profession, I seem to have less time than I ever did. Why? I have no idea. It almost feels like the hours have shortened. Saying that, I do manage to accomplish quite a bit--but anything that uses my brain I like to get done in the early morning hours. So what do I need a non-fuzzy brain for? Writing, of course. My main writing is my work-in-progress, which right now is the next Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel. I love being in Rocky Bluff and finding out what is happening to all the folks who live there--especially the police officers of RBPD and heir families. And right now, a major disaster is g

The Me in My Characters

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by Carolyn J. Rose Let’s admit it. When it comes to creating characters, most of us “borrow” from real life. And often we borrow from close at hand. We borrow from relatives, mixing Aunt Molly’s determination with Uncle Joe’s sense of humor and a young cousin’s ability to turn every recipe into a culinary disaster. And we steal from friends, putting Cynthia’s curls, Brenda’s expressive hands, and Joan’s eyes onto a character named Phyllis. We collect attributes from co-workers: the woman who pops her gum to punctuate each sentence, the man who cracks his knuckles after every phone call, the office manager who rules like a despot, the salesman who never turns off the smarmy charm. We pick and choose characteristics from strangers we encounter: the parents at the next table trying to find something on the menu their kids will eat, the bickering couple in line ahead of us at the grocery store, the angry man who can’t wedge his enormous carry-on case into the ov

Working on the PSWA Conference

It's almost time for the PSWA Conference to begin. As usual, there have been a few blips. The biggest one this year was having one of my keynote speakers having to cancel. Certainly not his fault, family emergencies happen to all of us. Fortunately, one of our members was willing to step in and fill his spot. We have more people coming than ever before--57 as of today. Some signed up at the last minute. Not a problem unless they'd like to be on a panel which took some juggling. This was the last day for anyone to send their information and pictures in to be in the program book. Anyone else is out of luck. Of course we've sent out reminders. What I've learned is that not everyone checks/reads their email in a timely manner. This ought to be a priority for anyone who is in the business of selling their own books. This is my last year to be in charge of the program for the PSWA conference. My own choice because I think I am getting too old and it's time for

How Much of Yourself is Revealed in Your Books?

Certainly, I am not any of the characters in my books, nor are they based on me. As far as Deputy Tempe Crabtree is concerned, we have but one resemblance to one another. Certainly it is not in ethnicity--I have no Indian blood whatsoever. My ancestors came to the states in the mid to late 1700s from places like England, Holland, Scotland and Ireland. Or at least that's what I've been told, and in some instances searching genealogy has proven. I don't look anything like Tempe either, I'm short, she's tall, I'm chubby and she's not, and she's nearing middle-age and I passed that up long ago. I've never been in law enforcement either. The closest I've come is to have many relatives, past and present, who have served as police officers or deputy sheriffs. What Tempe and I, and some of my other female characters, do have in common is a strong streak of independence, bravery and willingness to stand-up for those who are falsely accused. Thou

Hotline Girl, YA by K. Dawn Byrd

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I am delighted to have K. Dawn Byrd visiting with me today and I asked her a few questions about this latest book, Hotline Girl. 1) What would you like readers to take away from your book?   It's important that when Christian teens choose a boyfriend or girlfriend, they choose someone who shares their Christian faith. 2) Why did you write this book? I thought it would be fun to explore how a couple could fall in love on-line. When my heroine's high school begins a counseling hotline, she's chosen to work it anonymously. She finds herself giving advice to a guy she's had a crush on forever. Once she knows all the hero's secret, will love blossom or fail? When he divulges the problems he's having with his girlfriend, she's tempted to give him advice that will break them up. Will she do the right thing? 3) What did you learn while writing this book? I really love writing for the young adult market. Bouncing back to YA after writi

Time Out

Yes, I actually took some time out from writing and promotion. I know some folks think I push on relentlessly--which certainly isn't true. I take lots of time outs. I work best in the mornings so that's when I try to cram in everything: answering emails, checking Facebook, writing, and even household chores. After lunch, I really need time out. Usually I watch General Hospital which my husband and I think is funny. Nothing that happens is real: what goes on in the hospital itself would never happen and the same with the police station. People are shot in the heart and recover in a few days. Others die and come back to life. No one stays in a relationship for any amount of time. Affairs abound. People lie. Good characters become bad. The plots are outrageous and unbelievable. Hubby and I laugh. But there are some great actors on this soap--though I wonder how they can keep a straight face. The villains are the best. Oh, do they know how to milk a scene. One of the most f

Why I'm Sticking with My Two Small Publishers

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The first reason is time. Yes, time. I barely have enough time to write the two books a  year that I want to write. I am not ready to try and figure out how to format a book for Amazon and all the other places that you are expected to post it, design a cover, and do everything else that needs to be done. Let me back up a little. I began writing in the typewriter, carbon paper, submit you manuscript in a box with another box inside with return postage days. I sent out queries and then the whole manuscripts, more time than not, having the manuscript bouncing back covered with wine and coffee stains and smelling like cigarette smoke. I've been through crooked publishers, those that have died, at least three that have just decided to quit the business. Which of course results in looking for new publishers. I've been through the do-it-yourself phase when it was costly and really you weren't doing it yourself, you were paying for someone else to do it for a certain fee--or

Tips for Writing Your Bio

When I have a guest on my blog, I always ask for a bio. The length doesn't matter for the blog--but what I've learned about blog posts is that they are more apt to be read if they are short rather than long--and in my opinion that goes for the bio too. It is helpful when I've asked for a guest post if everything is put right on the post itself--whether it be an interview of an original post, at the end put the bio along with the book blurb and any links. This saves me having to open 3 or more attachments. You may be asked to write a bio for a conference. ALWAYS read the instructions. Usually there is a word count--stick to that. Remember a bio helps readers or in the case of pitching to a publisher see what a fascinating person you are. Putting in the right stuff and leaving out the wrong stuff is important. What you write should be relevant to the book you are promoting or pitching. When sending your bio off to someone (other than to a blog host--I told you how I&#

Meet Christy Dyer, the New Kid at Oak Tree Press

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Christy Dyer Oak Tree Press now has an intern, Christy Dyer, who will be working with acquistions. I was curious about her so decided to ask a few questions which she was kind enough to answer. Marilyn: Tell us something about you, such as where you are from and what are you doing now. Christy: I am from New Lenox, Illinois. And I am just currently working at Oak Tree Press, but looking for a job. Gotta move on in the "real" world. Marilyn: What did you always want to be when you were a kid. Christy: I knew I wanted to work with books. I was a huge reader when I was a kid. I was entertaining the idea of becoming a writer, well actually I still am! It's just hard actually writing down the story! Marilyn: What do you do for fun? Christy: Read, write, watch movies...I pretty much live a boring life at the moment! Marilyn: What kind of books do you like to read and do you have a favorite author? Christy: I really enjoy fantasy. I like