The GBU of a Writing Career by Diane Burton

Many of my fellow Roses have written about their Good, Bad, and Uglies. I read them when they came out but have deliberately not gone back and reread them. I hope my take on a writing career isn’t a rehash of what has gone before. Since I prefer to end on a positive note, I’m changing the order.

BAD  Writing is a solitary occupation. We sit in our caves surrounded by characters who talk to us. No, wait, they yell. Some are demanding that we start their story when we’re in the middle of someone else’s. Or they want the current story to go in a different direction. Our family doesn’t understand how we can sit for hours at the computer. Even the most supportive spouse or child can feel neglected and they let us know about it. Some writers aren’t blessed with a supportive spouse, one who sabotages the writer’s time and efforts.

UGLY  We send our “baby” out into the world and someone says she’s ugly—an editor, an agent, a critique partner, a contest judge, a reviewer. Everyone in the writing community tells us to develop a thick skin. Easy to say, hard to do. We want, no, need a critique partner who will tell us the truth. If we want only praise, we should send our work to our mothers. Rejections are part of the writing process. Sure they hurt. If we’re lucky, the rejection is accompanied by reasons that we can learn from. We’re told don’t read reviews. How unrealistic is that! And, of course, we’re more bothered by one bad review instead of celebrating the eight 5-star ones.

So why do we do it? Why put ourselves through all the heartache?

GOOD  Despite all the BAD and UGLY parts of a writing career, writing is fun. Or it should be. Our imagination takes us to a different place and time. We can go back in time and meet historical characters. We can write about places we’ve been or long to visit. We can go on adventures with our characters who become real people to us. I will never go into space. I accept that, but my characters can. And I can enjoy that adventure with them. I’ll never be young again (don’t I wish I could have that do-over), but I remember the thrill of finding my soul mate. I can experience that exhilaration again and again in each of my stories. Writing gives me the freedom to be my own boss, to do what I want to do. What could be better than that?

In my newest science fiction romance, THE CHAMELEON, my heroine has a dual personality. She’s a ditz who doesn’t seem to have a brain in her head. She’s a tough, driven woman who wants to run the family business. I love the fabulous cover (by Rebel Ink Designs) that shows both sides of her. This story presented a challenge. While I have no trouble writing strong women, writing a ditz is a lot harder. But even challenges can be fun. Since our theme this month is movies, the tagline for this book fits right in: Legally Blonde Meets Mata Hari.

 I blog here on the 8th and 30th of each month and Mondays on my own site http://dianeburton.blogspot.com

Seven Ways to Know if You Are Your Own Horrible Boss

We’re talking horrible bosses on the Roses this month, and we’ve probably all had them. They can make our working lives a living hell and make us unproductive and unhappy. In fact, the stress of working in tense surroundings can actually make us ill. Many people dream of being their own bosses, but that dream can become a nightmare!

When we’re working for ourselves, especially in any kind of creative venture, we tend to be much harder on ourselves and have much higher expectations of our abilities and time than an employer would. This applies whether you’re a writer, artist, a realtor or sales person cold calling for clients for your product or service, a designer, or any other line of work that means you alone are responsible for your success or failure.

Here are seven things that show you’re being a Horrible Boss to yourself:

1)      You set yourself daily targets which ten people working full time couldn’t possibly achieve in a week. This is known as setting yourself up for failure.

2)     You’re all ready to start work when you remember some urgent non-related task. The kitty litter needs cleaning, the refrigerator needs emptying, emails must be checked and replied to, your calendar needs updating – you get the picture. This is known as procrastinating.

3)     You get angry and resentful when social or family obligations come along that mean you can’t get your work targets, and take it out on everyone around you. This is known as transference – you feel under pressure to complete a project and now you convince yourself that if it wasn’t for these demands, you’d have got it all done. Yeah, right.

4)      You go on to waste time disliking yourself about being such a horrible person and spoiling the social event for others because of your attitude. This is known as guilt tripping.

5)     You beat yourself up because you haven’t achieved as much as you set out to do today. See #4

6)      Finally, you become reluctant to actually sit down and start your work – no matter whether it’s writing a book, cold calling for new sales clients, because all the demands on your time and skills have become overwhelming. This is being defeated before you’ve even started.

7)      You start looking for comforts, whether food, television, reading blogs, chatting on the phone – you can justify these distractions by saying you needed a break from the computer – even though you haven’t written a word yet. This is fear of failure – or fear of success - writ large.

I’m sure many of us could add to this list. Here are some answers I recommend:

 

#1). Know what you need to achieve, break it down into smaller goals, and then pencil in each goal into your daybook.

#2) Once you know what you need to do, follow your own guidelines and do it.

#3) This is a tough one – especially for people who work at home. Lay down some strict ground rules about your availability There are some things you can’t and shouldn’t miss out on – a social life is important to your mental health. You just don’t have to attend everything – and you don’t have to stay for hours. Choose what you do and how long, then relax and enjoy.

#4) You’re not a horrible person, you are someone following a dream. If you keep a tight rein on time sinks and on social events, you won’t need feel angry about ‘time wasting’.

#5) If you’ve followed #1 and set reasonable goals, you won’t need to beat yourself up about getting nothing done. Remember, too, that you can’t control everything. Go with the flow.

#6) This is a difficult one. You need to explore the reasons you’re reluctant. Is it connected to the earlier issues, have you not prepared enough, are you afraid of failure? Or success? We all have our own demons that can keep us from achieving. Find out what yours is and work through it..

#7)Sometimes, if you hit a snag, taking time out for a walk or a quiet read with a cup of coffee – or cleaning out the kitty litterJ - can help your subconscious come up with a solution. Just make sure it is a break and not quitting!

I’m writing this from my experience as my own Horrible Boss. Are you a good boss, or do you give yourself a lot of problems?

 Glenys O’Connell is working on her demons. Meanwhile, her book, Winters & Somers, is to be re-released on June 4^th by Tirgearr Publishing, she’s working on edits on another book and deadline with a third. Stress? Really? You can read the first chapter of Winters & Somers at her website

 

 

 

Putting You in Your Story by Cathy Tully

Please join me in welcoming Cathy Tully to The Roses of Prose today.

A few years ago I listened to a woman speak at one of the writer’s conferences I attend every year. She had twenty plus books published so I figured there must be something I could take away from her talk and put to use. Guess what? There was…

She encouraged our group to think about how our hero/heroine might become more relatable--more three-dimensional--and how it would be easier for your reader to sympathize with because they’re so real? Long after this workshop I thought about what the speaker had said and something clicked. It was my light bulb moment. So, I took her advice and incorporated a part of who I am into my next book, and like they say, the rest is history : )

My first book, All You Need Is Love features, Little Man, my family dog, who we lost to illness. It is the biggest tribute I can pay him and his cuteness jumps off every page. I love dogs, always have, and through no planning of my own, a dog pops up in every book I write. In my mind, dogs are better than human secondary characters because they make people vulnerable without saying a word. We’re allowed to be our true selves around them without any judgment; and their unconditional love brightens the darkest day.

Marrying Mr. Right, my first novella, has a heroine, Missy Modesto, who is similar to a good friend I’ve known my whole life. Missy is a strong woman with a heart of gold and although years may pass between visits, when we do meet, it feels like only yesterday : ) Training Travis, my new contemporary romance, is about a divorced dad who gains custody of his fifteen year old daughter after his ex-wife’s untimely death. And even though I can’t personally relate to being divorced, I am the mother of two girls, so I can relate to Travis’ fifteen year old daughter and the mood swings of a teenage girl : ) 

My work in progress is a woman’s fiction about a menopausal mother of two. Candy is a substitute teacher and decides she’s fed up and wants a career of her own. So begins her journey into interior design : ) My old stomping grounds twenty years ago. Putting a piece of ourselves or our life’s experience into our stories enriches the readers experience because the characters jump off the page. I’ve gotten great feedback on my characters and their journeys, if you’re a writer, try putting ‘a type’ of someone you know into one of your stories. I guarantee it will not only be fun for you as a writer, but your reader will love it too : )

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Cathytully23@gmail.com

www.cathytully.com

@_cathytully

www.attackingthepage.com

TRAINING TRAVIS BLURB

Rebecca Evans resents Travis McGill. Not only did he break her heart years ago, but he and his daughter represent the family she lost.  Now, all the caffeine in the world wouldn’t prepare her for his permanent move back to the hometown, Golden, PA, they once shared.

Due to the untimely death of his ex-wife, Travis McGill receives full custody of his fifteen-year-old daughter. He can kiss the quiet lifestyle he’s come to enjoy goodbye when he must live full-time with a teenager.  Soon, renovations not only begin on the old Victorian he’d purchased, but on Travis’ heart.

 Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Training-Travis-Cathy-Tully-ebook/dp/B00G8HXWAE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1393872992&sr=8-4&keywords=cathy+tully

TRAINING TRAVIS EXCERPT

Travis sat opposite Becca so he could watch her cook. When she turned to place the bottle on the counter, he noticed she was wore a pair of pointy high heels. Damn. She looked good in anything she wore. He couldn’t help think she looked great in everything that was underneath too.

In an effort to get his mind off her curves and avoid the embarrassment of being caught staring, he said, “So where did you learn to cook?”

Rebecca opened the broiler and turned the pork chops. “Television.”  She placed the fork on the spoon rest and covered the cooked carrots with foil. “What’s so funny?”

His laugh was husky and low. “That’s where I learned. I’m surprised Liz hasn’t bragged about my culinary skills by now.”

Rebecca smiled. “She has mentioned you make one mean marinara sauce.”

He shook his head. “Leave it to a kid to only remember spaghetti sauce.” She held out a wooden spoon filled with salad greens she had just tossed for him to taste.

When Travis’ tongue flicked over his lips, her knees went a little weak.

“What is this dressing? It’s delicious.” He took the spoon from her hand and ate the remainder.

When he licked his fingers, she groaned inwardly.

“Homemade vinaigrette,” she answered weakly.

Travis handed her the wooden spoon and the tips of their fingers touched. Hers tingled. Now more than ever, she knew whatever barrier she had thought she put between them no longer existed.

God help her.

Corporate Goddesses and Other Mentors

By Betsy Ashton

I know I'm supposed to be writing about horrible bosses I worked for and hated. I can't do that. What I can do is write about why more women don't climb high enough in the corporate structure. It's about mentoring, white guys in ties and corporate goddesses in stilettos.

Sheryl Sandburg made big bucks with Lean In where she writes about why women are and aren't promoted in corporate America today. Sure, she made it to the top. She had good mentors along the way. Heavens knows, she dropped enough names. She wasn't afraid to try to have it all, to lean in and ask for promotions and challenges, to balance work and life from a position of advantage. Well educated and in an industry that recognizes potential over experience. Sure, she made her way to the top. I'm not taking anything away from her. I applaud her, but what she writes about is out of reach for most of us.

Jane Rosen, author of My Life as a Corporate Goddess, offers a witty, pointed look at the difference between men and women in offices with great views. She's been there. She's done that. In this book, originally published in 2008 and now out for Kindle, she uses satire to make her points. (Don't you just love the cover? I'd buy the book based on that even if I didn't know what was inside.)

One of her points is about the proliferation of white guys in ties. Power ties. $200 nooses around the neck. There are so many of them. They're everywhere. But let a woman walk into a room wearing stilettos and men's eyes follow her, maybe even drool. But promote her to sit at the table, most likely not.

Rosen writes of the need for women who made it to mentor those on the way up. Mentoring starts at home where parents should encourage children of both sexes to do their best, set goals and achieve them. Mentoring continues through school and college, where teachers, counselors and professors should guide boys and girls, not tell them some jobs are closed to them. Mentoring becomes critical in the workplace.

Note in Sheryl Sandburg's book, she tells readers not to ask her to mentor them because she doesn't know them. Fair enough, but does she really mentor women she knows? Rosen has done that all her life, whether it was in public broadcasting (Yes, you'll find an Emmy on her bookshelf) to working for top management at NCR, she's had women assistants whom she taught to excel.

Okay, time to confess. I met Jane in 1996. She was fresh off a divorce, a single mother with a great young teenage son, returning to her home town (Dayton, OH) after a whirlwind career working in public broadcasting in Austin, TX. You figure out which show she produced to earn her Emmy. We became friends, still are. When she was thinking about writing about corporate goddesses, she interviewed a variety of different women in the workplace. She thought my story was one worth sharing.

I learned more from Jane than she did from me, I think. We both mentor women, she working with them to shape the marketing messages for their businesses. I work with newbie writers through social media and countless speaking engagements.

Jane and I both write. She's working to get two wonderful plays produced; I'm working to get my second Mad Max book published. There's always more room on the ladder to the top. Climb on, women. We'll be there to lend a hand, an ear and a tissue.

Yours in goddess-hood.

###

Betsy Ashton is the author of Mad Max Unintended Consequences. She is the current president of the state-wide Virginia Writers Club where she finds ample opportunity to mentor writers.

The GBU of publishing

Publishing is an up and down world. One day you're on a best-seller list, the next day you can't get a contract. It's not a job for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

It seems like every year around this time, I decide to throw in the towel on publishing. June is my anniversary month. In 2007, my first 4 books came out (yep. 4 in one year).

That's 7 years ago, and now I have about 26 books out. Every year I think, "no need to continue. You've done what you wanted to do." And then I'll get another idea and I'll think, "Well, I'll work on this, and maybe it'll find a home, or maybe I'll self-publish it ..." and the merry-go-round begins again.

The Good of publishing? For me, it's the people I've met and the fun I've had at conferences and events. I've always said when it isn't fun any more, I'll quit, and that still rings true.

The Bad of publishing? The variability of it all. Why do some people hit it big and others don't? Some of it is promotion, lots of it is word of mouth, a ton of it is luck, and a fraction of it is hard work.

The Ugly of publishing? That can be related to the variability. It's too easy to fall into the trap of envy when you see a peer succeed. It's important to remember that everybody has a different journey and a different goal. My goal was never to be a best-seller. My goal was to tell stories and have fun doing it.

So far, so good. Yep. Second wind. Time to start writing!

And lest I forget, I have a new book out today -- at least, available in wide release now. Head over to my web site and find out how to get this summer book. Like the heroine, I used to work at a summer resort, and like her, I fell in love. And that's all the hints I'm giving right now!

J L Wilson

P.S. Hope you're having a good Memorial Day weekend if you're in the States!

Ten Things I Love About Writing Romance by Babette James

I’ve always loved writing and making up stories, beginning back when I used to act out epic fantasy tales with my dolls. (My Barbies had swords and knew how to use them.) I remember carting home armloads of books from the library, loving all the different stories and worlds and I wanted to write the stories I imagined, too. I remember playing out complex tales with my dolls and studiously writing out pieces of stories in spiral-bound notebooks and on backs of school papers. I even have a degree in Literature, but it wasn’t until 2004 that I wrote my first full rough draft of romance novel and fell headlong in love with writing romance. I fully admit to being a sucker for "and they all lived happily ever after. So, what do I love about writing romances?

1. Exploring a setting. Whether it’s my contemporary romances or my fantasy romances, I enjoy researching the different settings and choosing the details that build the world my characters live in.

2.  I like writing characters you could actually meet and be friends with, and who have familiar faults, problems, and joys. Exploring emotions and working with my heroes and heroines dealing with life’s up and downs despite their flaws and pasts. Watching the hero and heroine’s relationship grow and seeing their mutual respect and trust developing as they help each other on their journey.

3.  Love scenes. I love writing love scenes. (Well, I love them more after I’m done writing them. While I’m writing them, there tends to be hair tearing and crying to my writing friends. J But it all works out in the end.)

4.  How romance encompasses so many different stories. It’s so much more than boy meets girl, rinse and repeat.

5.  Romance heroines. Getting to know them as I write their story is like making new friends.

6.  Romance heroes! I fall a little bit in love with my heroes every time. You can never have too many book boyfriends lol

7.  The challenge of solving problems and the fun of learning new things. I’m a pantser and sometimes write myself into corners, but it’s a great feeling when the plot and threads finally all fall together.

8. Getting through the emotional, heart-wrenching scenes. Tissues!  

9. Writing the humorous scenes. I love having fun along with my characters. (And maybe tormenting them a little, too.)

10. The happily-ever-after!  I love romance for the happy ending. Sometimes, like in life, it’s a difficult road getting my characters there, but in the end the journey is worth all the twists and turns and traumas it takes to get there. It’s comforting. I love seeing that problems will be solved and wounds begin to heal.

What do you love most about romances?

Blurb for Summertime Dream

The Fourth of July is over, but for these summer lovers the fireworks have just begun.

An unexpected inheritance brings business consultant Christopher Gordon from Los Angeles to quaint Falk’s Bend. He’s carved a week from his demanding schedule to list his great-grandparents’ house for sale and explore his roots. However, disturbing family secrets and the sweet temptation of writer Margie Olsson derail his plans, challenging him to seize the elusive dream missing from his hectic life— love.

A recent brush with death shook Margie’s life, but not her dreams and she’s ready to move forward. Only, standing up to her loving, over-protective family isn’t easy. Helping Christopher explore the derelict mansion and unravel his grandmother’s mysterious past should be a harmless fun taste of independence. But when her experimental summer fling ignites into unexpected love, how can her small town dreams work with his big city life?

Excerpt:

Margie touched his shoulder and had him turn away from the mess to focus on the view toward the river.

Here the picturesque natural beauty of the property began: the land sloped gently down past the ancient summer house and purple martin houses to the reedy pond where a duck flew in and landed with a quack, and stretched on through weedy tangles of wild blackberry and rogue saplings to the ancient apple and plum trees sagging with unripe fruit, and beyond to the river invisible in the distance, marking where the Engberg’s farm began on the far bank.

Appreciation softened his tense face.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? I fell so in love with this place when I was little and dreamed I’d live in a house like this someday.” Margie laughed. “Of course, in my dreams it was a bit less rundown.”

“I’d imagine so. Interested in buying?”

“Oh, if only I could, I would in an instant. I’m sure the property alone is worth far more than I can afford. It’s a huge piece of land. And the repairs and restoration...” Longing swelled. She sighed. Someone else would buy and live in her dream home.

Quiet fell between them for a while. Bees buzzed in the clover. Birds sang, chirped, and flitted. A hummingbird whizzed past. Two more ducks joined the first amid quiet bickering quacks. Dandelion fluff drifted by on an unfelt breeze.

A truck rattled down the lane, breaking the moment.

“Suppose we ought to head back...” Christopher turned, so close their arms brushed, but instead of retreating, he hesitated. Their eyes locked. Where dismay and frustration had filled his green eyes, want simmered. The heavy air electrified.

You need a change.

On a surge of bewildering crazy courage, she stretched up and kissed him. The brief brush of lips to lips left her shaken and her heart pounding, like she had just come up for air.

His eyes widened in his serious, craggy face.

No, oh, no. Blowing out an unsteady breath, she pressed a hand to her stomach. She’d carried her day’s adventure one impetuous step too far. Her heroines were the daring part of her. She’d never even kissed on a first date before, and this wasn’t even a date.

Before the apology fluttering in her mind could break free, he cupped her cheek and touched his mouth down on hers.

Come fall in love at the river:

Summertime Dream is available at:

Amazon.com (Print and Kindle):

http://amzn.com/B00HJDS3E6

The Wild Rose Press (Print and ebook): http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=5517

Barnes & Noble Nook:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summertime-dream-babette-james/1119073773?ean=2940149283262

All Romance Ebooks:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-summertimedream-1468219-149.html

About the Author:

Babette James writes sweetly scorching contemporary romance and loves reading nail-biting tales with a satisfying happily ever after. When not dreaming up stories, she enjoys playing with new bread recipes and dabbling with paints. As a teacher, she loves encouraging new readers and writers as they discover their growing abilities. Her class cheers when it’s time for their spelling test! Born in New Jersey and raised in Southern California, she’s had a life-long love of the desert and going down the shore. Babette lives in New Jersey with her wonderfully patient husband and extremely spoiled cats.

You can find Babette at:

Website: http://babettejames.com/

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ltvyP

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BabetteJames

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/babette.james

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/BabetteJamesAuthor

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.com/e/B007KDJWV8

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/babettejames

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