1. Josephine Templeton – my dear friend and one of the Rowdy Girls. She has a pirate book and a fallen angel book coming out soon!

2. Leah Marie Brown – My dear friend. She is obsessed with Paris and has a book out about a spy in the French Revolution.

3. Geri Krowtow – Another dear friend. She writes contemporary romances for Harlequin.

4. Penelope Marzec – A friend who writes inspirational and paranormal romances.

5. Rachel Van Dyken – An Astraea Press author. She writes Regencies.

6. Joanne Brothwell – The Author of Stealing Breath, the first book I’ve edited for Crescent Moon Press that has been released.

7. Claudy Conn – A new author I met online and who came to HeartLA’s Readers’ Luncheon last fall.

8. Ursula Whistler – Another author who came to our Readers’ Luncheon. She lives in New Orleans.

9. Rhonda Leah – a good, good friend.

10. Laura Burks – a new author and a member of HeartLA.

11. Eleanor Cocreham – A member of HeartLA who writes glitz and glamour books.

12. Elaine Grant – one of my best friends, even if she moved away!

13. Jennifer Armintrout – a funny vampire author who loves Doctor Who and who would be one of my best buddies if we ever meet face to face.

I read the Twilight series about four years ago or whenever it was, at the insistence of my daughter who loved them. I didn’t.

I will admit that I read books these days like a writer, critiquing as I go, but also, later I kind of analyze what I’ve read. There are many times I ask myself where the author’s critique partners were when books were in their formative stages. What about all the things I’ve learned in all the conferences I’ve attended?

Why is it that some authors can seemingly break all the rules, or at least the big ones, and yet their books not only get published but are wildly successful?

Bella was not a great heroine. She has no wants, needs or desires of her own other than getting Edward. She wasn’t really complete person, and we never got any sense that she had a life before she stepped onto the first page of the book.

I could go on, as I’ve thought a lot about this, but that’s not the point of this post.

Those books were amazingly successful and they do generate discussion, especially among writers. There are people who love the series and others who cringe whenever they’re mentioned.

Regardless of your feelings about them, the author has to be thrilled. They sold, they have rabid fans of all ages, and they have become a cultural phenomenon. What more could an author dream of?

But most of us struggle to hone our craft, attending workshops, reading technical articles, polishing, critiquing, submitting, polishing more. We work hard every day to have our books be the best they can be, to make them shine, sparkle and sing, and yet we collect rejection after rejection, while books that seemingly never saw a critique or an editor’s red pencil soar to the top of the bestseller charts.

There’s a new series out now that is creating the kind of love it or hate it vibe that the Twilight series had. I haven’t read this “book everyone is talking about” except for the first chapter, and again, the writing isn’t great.

Last night, I went to a meeting of the Vacation Bible School committee at our church, and several of the women there – devout Catholic women – were talking about these books. Not just talking, but RAVING about them. One of them even said, “She’s such a good writer.”

I cringed. An author I admire has been doing a chapter by chapter critique of these books over at Goodreads and her post are hilarious.

Even with the not so good writing, the books are selling.

Why? Why do some of us struggle for years to make our work the best it can be and never succeed while someone can write a book riddled with cliches, inconsistencies and characters no one likes and the books soar?

I can’t figure it out. Do some books touch a nerve in readers that have nothing to do with tight, polished writing? Is it that the story hits the target market at exactly the right time? Is it that some stories are so new/timely/primal that they fill a need in their readers’ soul/unconscious/subconscious/some undefinable thing?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, I’d love to hear them. Also, have you read “The book everyone is talking about”? Did you like it? Why? Why not?

Today I’m sharing a small bit from early in the book. Moonrazer, the heroine, is talking to her sister, Whiteshadow, about one of Moonrazer’s duties as Exalted Warrior. I hope you enjoy it!

“What is the Confluence?” Adazzra asked.
“You have never seen one,” Moonrazer said. “At the last one, you were back on Awhyrrl dealing with the epidemic. A Confluence is when the three moons of Carrick line up in the sky. The night is nearly as bright as the day then.”
She smiled. “It is a major day of celebration. At the Confluence of the Three Moons, the Crystal Spirits can become manifest and help us decide whether the current Exalted Warrior shall continue her reign, or whether a new one should be chosen. The Sword Bearer is a trusted man who communes with the spirits and listens to their advice. Then he takes the Sword of Justice and either returns it to the reigning Exalted Warrior or names a new one.”
Whiteshadow frowned and said, “Up until now, that snake man has served as Sword Bearer.”
“I am sorry that you disapprove of my friends, sister,” Moonrazer said. “But Olaf is wiser and more trustworthy than any other man I know, and I see no reason that he can’t continue as Sword Bearer.”
“No, sister,” the Mother Prioress said, “you misunderstand my meaning. Tradition states, in the Laws of Lorelii, that the Sword Bearer should be the husband of an Exalted Warrior. Olaf served previously because you had only been Exalted Warrior for a short time and no husband of a prior Exalted Warrior was still alive.”
“I have not chosen a husband.”
“By your fortieth year you must find a mate, or the weakness will come upon you and make you unfit to serve even as a warrior. The Laws of Lorelii state that before then you must furnish a proper husband and Sword Bearer.
“The astronomers tell us that we face a rare event, two conjunctions of the three moons within the next year. By the second, the Crystal Spirits will choose your successor, but by the first you must marry, and that will happen in less than two months.”
She smiled. “To that end, I believe we should summon men from all of the Known Worlds to come and vie for your hand.”
“What?” Moonrazer said, staring at the Mother Prioress. “You want to bring in a line of men and have me mate with one of them? A man I have never met before?”
“Few Sarl men would feel worthy to claim you,” Whiteshadow said. “The only solution I can see is to invite suitors from all over the Known Worlds as well as any of our own men who are willing to participate.”
Moonrazer shook her head. “No, Whiteshadow. I will not do this. I will not select a mate the way I would choose a horse or a sword.”
Whiteshadow bowed again. “As you say, but you must choose by whatever means before the first Conjunction. What I am proposing is the traditional procedure, but I will leave you now so that you can decide how best to fulfill your duty. Please consider the knowledge I have given you in peace and in prayer.” She turned and walked toward the other end of the hall and departed.

Your turn!

Teaser Tuesday is simple. Post a teaser from your latest book on your blog. Link back to this one and add your blog to the list below. Let’s all support each other and check out great new books. You might find a new favorite author!

Questions:

1. For Mother’s Day I spent most of it at my in-laws’ house. At around 9:30 Noah and I met Juliette at Ihop for a wonderful brunch. I had blueberry Belgian waffles. The three of us had a nice time together. Later, Juliette and I went to a Mother’s Day bowling tournament. That was fun, laughing with her and her friends. Their moms, too. Juliette won $5, and I bought an order of Tater Tots. We made it to 6 pm Mass about 1/2 hour before it started. It was a busy but fun day.

2. What is your favorite dish that your Mom makes? My mother was the Queen of scalloped potatoes in our family. She always wished she could make meatloaf and complained that hers always fell apart. So, instead, she made the potatoes and my aunt made the meatloaf. However, to be honest, something I remember fondly was the “potato doughnts” she made in the deep fryer the year our kitchen was being remodeled. I don’t know where she got the recipe or why she decided to make them, but the memory of those days “smells” like deep fried doughnuts to me.

3. Who are you a “Mom” too? – Juliette and Noah!

4. What did you have for Mother’s Day dinner? – We had chicken, backed potatoes, green beans and salad.

5. What is your fondest memory of your Mom? – I remember coming home from the Army, very self-centered, and seeing that Mom and Dad weren’t happy. Dad was getting sick with his Polycystic Kidney Disease, but they didn’t know it yet. Anyway, in my self-centeredness, I asked her why she didn’t leave him. She said, “You don’t leave just because things get bad. Marriage is forever.” It was one of the best, most important lesson she every taught me.

Check out Never Growing Old and join the Meet Me Monday!

I’ve neglected this blog but with Sword & Illusion coming out in three weeks (THREE WEEKS!!), I’ve started thinking more about my social media/promotion efforts. I’m so excited about this book coming out! I think it truly is the best thing I’ve ever written and I can’t wait for you guys to read it.

Anyway, while I have TMIS (Too Many Ideas Syndrome) when it comes to my fiction, I stink at thinking up things to write blog posts about. So, today i’m going to do Fragment Friday, which I got from Half Past Kissin’ Time, which you can find in the link above.

The idea of Fragment Fridays is to think about your whole week and jot down little “fragments” about the days. Here’s mine:

– This past weekend was our church’s annual festival. As usual, we went Friday night. Also, as usual, I found a spot in the food tent and set up “home base.” Noah is ten now so he just runs off with his friends and after I get him a ride bracelet, he’s set for the night. He did come back at one point to get some food. He wanted fries but that line was too lone. I got him chicken nuggets and he was happy. The rest of the family got crawfish, naturally. I really don’t like seafood of any kind, but I’m getting better at being able to sit in the midst of people eating crawfish and not freak out too badly. And that’s a good thing down here in Louisiana!

– Saturday was a regular Saturday for us. We went to Chick-fil-a for lunch. Juliette joined us, then she and her dad went to see The Hunger Games. Steve got me a new keyboard before he left, and I set it up when Noah and I got home. Turns out, however, they couldn’t see the Hunger Games because the projector broke, so they got to see the Avengers AND got free movie tickets! I think the whole family is going to see it tonight! I can’t wait. I LOVE superheroes!

– Sunday I did some scrapbooking and of course, went to Mass. I told my friends in the choir about the book’s release and they were all thrilled for us. However, it still amazes me how many people don’t read ebooks. I have a feeling I won’t be selling many copies to that crowd until (and if) we sell enough that it will come out in paper.

– Weight Watchers on Monday. I was up 2.2 pounds, so it’s back on the wagon for me. A woman there had sent me three pages of a book she’s working on and I guess I did more editing than she expected and to thank me, she have me a lovely earring and necklace set she made.

– The rest of the week was average. Had a Cub Scout leaders’ meeting on Wednesday and actually got to play Guild Wars when I got home. In the process of setting up my new keyboard, which I’m still adjusting to, I unplugged my speakers so I had to play with no sound, but no big deal, except when the rest of the guild was talking about a growling sound I couldn’t hear.

– No Rowdy Girls on Thursday due to graduations and Charlaine Harris visiting BR. I haven’t read any of her books, and I heard the line was going to be LONG so I wasn’t interested. Also, we asked her to be the keynote speaker at our annual luncheon and she wanted $15,000! I’m not exactly impressed with her these days.

– Today men are here working on the duct work in the house. They have to AC on, I guess to see how it works, and it is getting cold in this house! Also, my “pile things on the desk and get to them later” filing system bit me in the butt as the guy asked if I had the estimate he gave me. I KNOW I saw it recently, but do you think I could find it for him?? Not on your life. So embarrassing. However, I do think he should have a copy since we didn’t get the original in the first place!

– Today I try to get Pigsty Princess back under control. I’ve been working on one scene for two days and it hasn’t come together. Last night, though, I think I came up with a new approach that should work better. We’ll see.

Okay, fans, that’s my week in a nutshell. Hope you have a fabulous weekend. I’m going to find a sweatshirt to put on!

This past week, I tracked as well. I used less points in the early part of the week, so I was set for the weekend.

I weighed in today and gained 4.4 pounds.

I’m stunned. I can’t figure out how that happened. I felt so good this morning. I even thought my stomach felt smaller. I put makeup on and walked into the new facility feeling great.

Then that STUPID scale.

I love my WW meetings and the ladies there, so they helped me keep from falling apart, but I don’t get why that kind of backlash. I didn’t expect another 3 pounds loss, and I would have been okay with a pound gain as I figured my body was adjusting, but FOUR POUNDS??

It makes no sense.

I get that it might be water weight, but it’s still discouraging, especially when other people get 5 pound stars left and right.

Well, onward and downward!

Let’s talk a little bit about our fictional heroes.

First and foremost, your hero has to be heroic. I know this sounds pretty obvious, but it might not be.

What does it mean for your hero to be heroic? After all, if he’s the hero, then the story revolves around him and he’s the one we’re rooting for and so on. Right?

However, if he doesn’t act like a hero, will we still root for him? Maybe, but don’t we need or deserve more? Surely our heroine does.

Recently, I worked on a story for Crescent Moon Press that will be released soon, but it had a problem with the hero. Since it’s been fixed and the book is wonderful, I think I can tell you a little about it without revealing too much of the story.

In a nutshell, the heroine’s life is in danger from the hero’s brother. The brother literally tries to kill her a couple of times, and while she’s been able to get out of danger, the villain escapes each time.

At one point she tells the hero they have to do something. They have to kill the villain, to which the hero says no, and he gives her a talk about how murder damages your soul and turns you toward being totally evil (there’s a paranormal/demon/witch element to the book). He says he can’t kill someone because his soul will be irreparably harmed. Although it would clearly be self-defense, that doesn’t seem to change his mind.

The heroine asks him what they can do, given that the villain won’t stop until they’re both dead, and the hero tells her they will run. Run and keep running, moving around so the villain can’t find them.

At the end of that version of the story, the hero and heroine are, indeed, on the run.

Clearly, this is not the way a hero should respond to this threat. A hero needs to step up to protect the heroine’s life, and even his own. The idea of a “heroic sacrifice” is an important concept.

Your hero has to be willing to sacrifice even his own life, if need be, to protect the heroine, or even other characters. A real hero would never offer the heroine, the woman he loves, a life of moving around from one motel to another, for the rest of her life.

As I said, the author of this book fixed the problem and the book has a much more satisfying story line now. When the book is released, I’ll make sure you all know it because it’s a wonderful story.

Heroes need to be heroes. They might not be super heroes, Conan clones, or the strong silent types, but they need to be worthy of the heroine or at least, the title “Hero.”

Beta males are heroes, too. They might not have to kill someone to save the heroine’s life, but they still need to be willing to step up and prove they are the man she needs.

Make sure to give your reader a man she can fall in love with, whether he’s an ex-mercenary or a high school science teacher. Your readers will thank you!

Jesus and I were walking through what appeared to be a construction site. People all around us carried huge blocks of stone, too big for any person to actually carry.

I asked Jesus what they were doing and He told me, “They’re building the New Jerusalem.”

Then I asked Him what he could tell me about my baby.

“He will build churches,” the Lord said.

I asked Him if that meant I was going to give birth to a boy. He smiled and said he wasn’t going to tell me whether it was a girl or a boy.

Within 24 hours, I had delivered a 2 pound, 7 ounces baby girl.

As the years went on, I decided that it was just a dream, not a prophecy, especially since a few years later, we became Catholic and the idea of Juliette becoming a preacher kinda fell by the wayside.

From time to time, I’d think maybe she would be missionary or an architect. Most likely, however, it was probably just a dream brought on by being so ill and lots of medication.

My darling daughter, 22 years old.

Now, about 9 years ago, a little boy was born and eight weeks later, he came to live with us.

To say that the last nine years have been an adventure would be a gross understatement. God has a sense of humor, and in every conceivable way, Noah is the opposite of Juliette.

Where she was a delicate flower of a child who was easy going, he questions every instruction and likes to be contrary about anything you can be contrary about. Where, at three years old, Juliette would look around and say, “Didn’t God make a beautiful world,” Noah would watch the priest during Mass and say, “I don’t see Jesus. Where is He?”

A few days ago, I got to thinking about that dream again. I wondered if possibly Jesus was telling me that someday I would have a son, all evidence at the time to the contrary, and He was talking about that child.

I asked my husband about it. I asked him if he thought it was possible that Noah might one day become an architect and design churches or maybe he’ll be a priest.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“I always thought it was more likely he’d run away someday to join the circus.”

A future circus performer?

Anyway, I thought maybe aspiring authors might benefit from some of the things I noticed in the books I’ve been working on.

The first thing, and this seems so simple, is that stories, regardless of whether you’re writing a stand alone or part of a series, need a coherent ending. I understand that your big picture might be a story that takes place over several or a dozen books, but each book has to have some kind of real ending.

Maybe you’re writing about an epic war between two huge fantasy empires, and this war will last for five or ten books. That’s fine, but each book also has to have a pretty big story that can be told completely in that book. Just because you stop writing does not mean the story – or the book – is over.

Every author makes a promise to his or her readers at the beginning of a book, the moment of first dramatic action. You promise your reader that that action is the beginning of a ride that will be exciting and fun, but most of all satisfying.

If you’re writing a mystery, you promise your reader that the murderer will be found and justice will be served. You don’t tell the story until three people have been killed, then end it with the idea that the next book will solve the crimes. Your readers will never pick up your second book because you lied to them. You promised to give them a satisfactory ending and you didn’t.

Now, you could write a series where a serial killer is tormenting a town or city and you don’t intend to reveal the killer’s identity until the third book, but that doesn’t mean you can end the first two without some kind of ending. You have to find a way to tell three distinct stories that will move the larger story forward. Each story, in itself, must have a beginning, middle and end, as well.

Think about Episodes Four, Five and Six of the Star Wars saga. Each one has its own story, its own end, but will moves the greater story forward.

For our purposes, though, we need to understand that each story provided a satisfying ending, while still leaving room for a sequel.

IF you are closer to my age and saw what we now call “A New Hope” in theaters, you just called it Star Wars and didn’t know there would be anything else after it. Coincidentally, there had been nothing like it in theaters in forever and it was a phenomenon, but we had no idea of the scope of the saga to come. When A New Hope ended, the Death Star had been destroyed. That was the satisfying ending. We had seen Darth Vader destroy Alderaan early in the book, so we had a picture of how horrible Darth could be, so when Death Star was destroyed, we were satisfied. The whole story had been leading up to that moment.

As a teenager, I missed that Darth Vader survived that last battle, so when I began to see “Darth Vader Lives” pins around, I was surprised and a little scared, let me tell you. Darth was a scary dude!

The point of all this was that there was enough of the story left to continue the saga, but if for some reason George had never gotten another movie made, we would have been happy.

There might have been this big rebellion against the evil empire, but the story focused on a small cast – Luke, Leia and Han and their goal of destroying the Death Star.

You have to do something like this with your books. Even with your epic war fantasy novel, you have to zoom in on a character or a handful of characters your reader can identify with and give them a story that you can tell in one book.

With the serial killer saga, you might focus one book on the main detective and her struggle to get her ex-husband to give her custody of her daughter. The Serial Killer story takes a bit of a back seat, but it’s always there, and you move it forward, too.

It might sound like a lot, and it is, but by weaving this stuff all together and giving your main character center stage, you are able to fulfill your promise to your readers while setting the stage for the next book.

You owe it to your readers to write the best book you can and to lay out your clues and hints and loose ends for your next book, without making them so big that the book doesn’t feel finished.

It’s a tall order but you do yourself no favors by taking short cuts. If you want the second (or third or fifth or tenth) book in your saga to get published, you need to make sure that each of the previous books have a good enough ending that if the series doesn’t go further, your readers will still be happy!

Get out there and write your book!

My little girl was about 7 or 8, I think, in this picture.

Today my darling little girl started her last semester in college. In about months, she will have her BA in English Lit, and God willing, will have a job working in publishing. I’m so proud of her.

Here she is at The Londoner celebrating her 22nd birthday.