Some secrets we take to the grave. Others we just take to bed…

Lady Isobel Maitland cannot afford to be caught doing anything even remotely scandalous, or she risks losing everything she holds dear. But one night, in a dark garden at a masquerade ball, Isobel gives in to temptation and lets an innocent flirtation with the notorious Marquess of Blackwood turn into passion.

The Marquess is no stranger to seduction or intrigue, and his rake’s reputation disguises a deadly mission. When his mystery lover flees before he can learn her name, he knows he must find her. But all clues lead toward the prim and dowdy Isobel Maitland. It appears the lady has secrets of her own, secrets that Blackwood would dearly love to uncover . . .

How long had you been writing before you were published? Was it everything you thought it would be?

I wrote for about ten years before I was finally lucky enough to land a publishing contract with Avon. At first, writing was a hobby, then when my family moved to Calgary from Ottawa, I was able to write fiction full time. I joined the Calgary Chapter of the Romance Writers of America, which is an incredibly dedicated, supportive group of writers. I began submitting my work to agent’s editors and contests, and I joined a wonderful critique group.

There’s a huge learning curve on the pre-published side of writing a book, and there’s another one after. It’s not just a hobby anymore. Now it’s my career. I had to learn how to do revisions and copy edits, and juggle deadlines. An author must do a lot of promotion, both of themselves and for their books, and I had to find out how that worked. Like learning anything new, it’s been a fascinating process.

How many books did you write before you sold?

I have a massive pile of manuscripts in my basement, both finished and unfinished! Four or five are actually complete. When I got serious about actually being published, I realized that I had to finish what I started. It took several years of writing full time, honing my craft and my pitching skills before I got an offer. There were nibbles along the way, like positive feedback from agents, editors and writing contests that kept me going and made me feel like I was getting closer. That’s the key: persistence, continual improvement, and most importantly, submitting your work.

Can you tell us a little bit about your debut release, SECRETS OF A PROPER COUNTESS? How did you come up with the idea?

Secrets started as something fun to write during the summer of 2008, while I was working on a more serious story. It was meant to be light, funny and help me improve my skill at writing sex scenes. Along the way, I fell in love with the characters and realized I wanted to make this book much more than it was. I added an intrigue plot, made the characters deeper and more interesting, put in some great secondary characters, and kept the sex.

I’ve always loved fairy tales, and I often use the themes of well-known stories. Isobel’s story in Secrets follows Cinderella—complete with a magical ball that changes the heroine’s life, a wicked mother-in-law, and a hero who must find the mystery woman who stole his heart at the ball, and left without telling him her name…

Blackwood’s character is based on an old movie, ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’. In the movie, Sir Percy plays the fool to hide the fact that he’s actually a clever spy. Delicious danger lurks around every corner for Sir Percy, just as it lies in wait for Blackwood.

Do you have a daily ritual to get you into the ‘writing zone’?

I drop my daughter at school, give the dog a run on the way back, and then I come home to work. I spend about four or five hours a day writing. Once I’m focused, the time flows by unnoticed.

What do you like to do in your spare time outside of writing? How do you stay inspired?

I have many hobbies and interests. I hook rugs from old wool sweaters, I love to bake and garden. I have four cats, one big dog and two teenagers that keep me busy. I volunteer as often as possible at my daughter’s school.

I find inspiration everywhere! I love watching people and making up stories about what they’re doing or where they’re going (this is lots of fun in airports, but less amusing at the grocery store). The past always offers inspiration. The true stories from history are so good, and they make a wonderful backdrop to build a story around! For example, the intrigue plot in Secrets of a Proper Countess is based on real historical events. Louis XVIII of France lived in exile in England during Napoleon’s reign. For Secrets, I invented a plot to kidnap him and return him to France that Blackwood must foil.

What is the most difficult part of your writing journey? What is the most exciting part?

The most difficult thing about writing, and this is probably true for any writer, is facing the rejections that come on the way to ‘yes’. Remember, aspiring writers, the keys are persistence, improvement and submitting your work.

I love the process of writing a book. From outlining the plot, and choosing names, to researching the history and getting that all-important opening line perfect, I love every bit of it.

There have been so many exciting moments for me as a writer… the Call, the moment I set eyes on my gorgeous book cover design, holding the first copy of my book in my hands, reading the first book review, and release day. These moments make the struggle for the right words, the rejections, the angst, and all the uncertainty worthwhile.

What personal goals have you made for yourself this year?

Beyond my goal of writing two new books, I’ve joined Weight Watchers (and lost 15 pounds so far!), and I plan to attend the Romance Writers of America National convention in New York City this summer (I hope I’ll see you there!). I’ve already accomplished my goal of learning how to use Facebook and Twitter, and since I’m horribly tech challenged, that’s a very proud accomplishment for me!

Tell us one thing or habit that you have that no one knows!

I’m the biggest chicken in the world, but I’d love to try skydiving!

What last word do you have for your readers?

I hope you like reading Secrets of A Proper Countess as much as I enjoyed writing it! I would love to hear your comments, good and bad. Please drop me an e-mail at leciacornwall@shaw.ca

What should we expect from you in the future?

My next book, The Price of Temptation, is coming from Avon in January 2012.

Evelyn Renshaw is the hostess of the masquerade ball in Secrets, but her husband is one of the story’s villains, and a traitor to his country.

In The Price of Temptation, Evelyn is a widow—or is she? Everyone, including Evelyn, wants to know if Lord Phillip Renshaw is alive or dead, since he hasn’t been seen in months. His enemies are closing in on Evelyn, and time is running out as she faces ruin, scandal and deadly danger.

Captain Sinjon Rutherford needs a place to hide while he proves himself innocent of some very serious charges. He’s recruited to help the Crown find Lord Phillip by spying on Lady Evelyn, disguised as her footman. But Sinjon discovers Evelyn is hiding some deep secrets of her own.

… Watch for an excerpt of The Price of Temptation on my website in the next few weeks!

Lecia Cornwall lives and writes in Calgary, Canada, amid the beautiful foothills of the Canadian Rockies, with four cats, two teenagers, a crazy chocolate lab, and one very patient husband. She is hard at work on her next book.

Want to learn more about Lecia? Visit her online at www.leciacornwall.com

Karenna Colcroft has been writing since she was five years old. In 2006, she began writing erotic romance on a dare from a friend, and she was hooked. Her first e-book was published in 2009, and since then she has been published by companies including Pink Petal Books, Ellora’s Cave, Noble Romance, and Siren Publishing. Karenna lives in the northeastern US with her two children, her real-life romance hero husband, and two cats, one of whom tries to sometimes read over her shoulder. Fortunately, the cat is over eighteen in cat years.

When Reesa Boyd goes on a date with yet another Mr. Not-Quite-Right, she doesn’t expect to end the day with a job offer from the owner of Marine Tow, a marine assistance towing company.

On her first day of work, she meets Micah Ward, son of the Marine Tow owner and the company’s best captain. And the man who steals Reesa’s heart. Although the instant attraction between them catches her off-guard, she’s willing to open herself to the possibility of a relationship with him.

During a tropical storm, Marine Tow’s boats are cut loose and Micah takes off alone to recover them. Will he make it through the storm, or will Reesa lose the first man she’s truly loved?

Available from Pink Petal Books

How long have you been writing before you were published? Was it everything that you thought it would be?

I started writing when I was five, and even then I knew I wanted to be published some day. My first publication, a phonics-based reading program, was published when I was 32. After that, I didn’t have anything else published until my first erotic romance in 2009, when I was 38. So it was a lot of years.

So far being published has been amazing. I didn’t realize how much work an author has to put into promotion, but other than that it’s been everything I imagined.

You started out writing young adult romance and along the way you tried your hand at erotic romance and this genre took off for you. Do you have any plans to get back to writing YA?

Actually, I still write YA under a different name. In that genre, I have two books out now, another coming March 17, and three contracted beyond that.  My YA isn’t romance, though. Most of it’s urban fantasy, some of which has romantic elements, and one of the contracted books is contemporary YA with very little romantic content.

Was it difficult to switch gears or did you find it an easy transition?

Between YA and erotic romance? I think the most difficult part has been keeping track of which name I’m supposed to be using. “Karenna Colcroft” is a pen name, and I write YA under a variation of my real name. I have, however, been known to send emails to YA author loops with my Karenna Colcroft signature, and I once posted a blog post on my Karenna Colcroft site that was supposed to have gone on my YA author site. As far as writing both, though, I haven’t really had any trouble switching between the two. Right now I’m working on two erotic romances and a YA novel, usually doing a little bit on each one every day, and I haven’t had any difficulty switching off.

Can you tell us a little bit about THEIR HOME PORT? How did you come up with the idea?

THEIR HOME PORT is about Reesa Boyd, a woman who’s found a whole lot of Mr. Wrongs in her search for Mr. Right. After another failed date, she meets Erland Ward, the owner of a marine assistance towing company, a company that goes out on the water to assist pleasure boaters who have run out of gas, are having engine problems, etc. Erland offers Reesa the opportunity to work in the company’s office. On her first day there, Reesa meets Micah Ward, Erland’s son and one of the company’s captains. The chemistry between Reesa and Micah is instant.

The idea for this one was pretty easy for me. My husband works for his father at a marine assistance towing company, and I work in the company’s office, though that isn’t how my husband and I met. I’d been wanting to base a story around that idea, and then this one came along. My husband beta-read it for me to make sure I had the marine stuff correct, especially the radio communications, and afterward begged me never to ask him to beta read again. He also insists on mispronouncing Micah’s name; he says “Mick-ah.” LOL

Do you have a daily ritual to get you in the “writing zone”?

No, I don’t. Every morning I sit down at my computer and check emails. Some days I manage to transition straight into writing or revising; other days my head just isn’t there in the mornings, so I dub around online or do other things around the house. I work part-time outside the home for my father-in-law, as I mentioned, but my schedule there is flexible and, especially in the winter, not many hours a week, so I still have plenty of time to write. It’s just that sometimes my brain isn’t in writing mode, and I’ve found that it’s best not to force the writing.

What do you like to do on your spare time outside of writing? How do you stay inspired?

Between writing, raising my kids, and working, I really don’t have much spare time! I enjoy reading, mostly urban fantasy though I do read some romances, especially ones written by people I’ve “met” online. I enjoy spending time with my kids and my husband; sometimes that time is just us sitting around watching TV together, but it’s still fun.

As for inspiration for my writing…honestly, I don’t know. I’ve been writing most of my life, and I still haven’t figured out where some of the ideas come from. They’re just there, but that’s the most fun part of writing for me.

What is the most difficult part of your writing journey? What is the most exciting part?

The most difficult part was conquering my fear that no one would like my work enough to publish it. And honestly, I still worry about that every time I submit something, either that the publisher will think it’s awful or that no one will buy it once it’s published. The most exciting part, every single time, is receiving a contract offer, with receiving edits a close second.

What personal goals have you made for yourself this year?

I have a lot of writing goals. As for personal, non-writing goals, the main one is to take care of my own health and to keep improving as a parent and a wife. My husband and I are coming up on our first anniversary (April 17), and I’m still learning how to be part of a healthy marriage.

Tell us one thing or habit that you have that no one knows!

I’m very, very fidgety and find it almost impossible to sit still. I have a stress ball that I keep nearby to keep my hands busy, and I’m often jiggling my leg or shifting position. Even when I’m writing, I’m fidgeting, and sometimes I even get up and walk around my apartment for a couple minutes to “get the wiggles out”, as my daughter puts it.

Any last words for your readers?

I love to hear from readers, so please feel free to stop by my website, http://karennacolcroft.com, and leave a comment, or to friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I’d like to thank all my readers for reading my books and encouraging me to keep writing.

What should we expect from you in the future?

I have quite a bit coming up. For romance, I don’t have any releases scheduled after THEIR HOME PORT. But I have an MFM contemporary novel under contract with Passion In Print Press; an M/M shifter novel under contract with MLR Press; and an MF fantasy romance novella under contract with Pink Petal Books. I recently submitted an MF contemporary novella to Ellora’s Cave, and I’m working on a contemporary novella for Pink Petal and a contemporary novel.

On the YA side, as I mentioned, I have a book coming out March 17. I also have one scheduled in May; one in July; and one that doesn’t have a release date yet. And I just submitted another which is tentatively scheduled for September. The March and July releases are part of a series, and the May and September releases are part of a different series; both series are urban fantasy. The one without a release date is a stand-alone YA contemporary novel. (I realize I haven’t given my YA author name here; if you’d like to find out more about my YA, please feel free to contact me and I’ll give you that name and my YA website link.)

Award winning author, Kate Pearce was born into a large family of girls in England, and spent much of her childhood living very happily in a dream world. Despite being told that she really needed to ‘get with the program’, she graduated from the University College of Wales with an honors degree in history.

A move to the USA finally allowed her to fulfill her dreams and sit down and write her first romance novel. Along with being a voracious reader, Kate loves trail riding with her family, ‘western style’ in the regional parks of Northern California. Kate is a member of RWA and is published by NAL Signet Eclipse, Kensington Aphrodisia, Ellora’s Cave, Cleis Press and Virgin Black Lace/Cheek.

To learn more about Kate, visit her online at: www.katepearce.com

How long have you been writing and if you could do it all over again, would you still have chosen to become an author?

I’ve been making stuff up all my life and got into trouble a lot as a kid because I seemed unable to grasp the difference between reality and fiction. LOL But I’ve been writing with a view for publication for the last 10 years and having a big family, it suits me perfectly. I really felt I’d found the missing piece that made sense of everything about me when I started to write seriously.

You’re a very prolific writer and have written historical, paranormal, and contemporary books. Is it difficult to change genres or do you enjoy the challenges of going from one to the other?

I love a challenge. I love to expand my core writing skills with every book or short story I write, so being able to try different sub-genres has been important to me.

Your historical paranormal series set in the Tudor series has garnered lots of buzz and your first book in the series KISS OF THE ROSE did fabulously. Was it difficult to write the sequel or did the storyline flow well for you?

I always envisioned it as a series so I pretty much had book #2 worked out along with the first one as I intended to use the same hero and heroine in both books. The premise of the series was to base each book around one of Henry VIII’s queens, and there was plenty of drama to borrow. Writing the second book was actually easier because I had to spend a lot of time world building in book #1 and less in the second book. Also, Anne Boleyn was such a great character.

Can you tell us a little bit about BLOOD OF THE ROSE, the second book in the trilogy?

It’s based around the assumption that Anne Boleyn is a Vampire who has designs on the king. The main question for the Vampire slaying Druids is why Anne hasn’t simply turned the king into a Vampire? What does she want and how does she intend to achieve it? Along with that deadly question, we have Rosalind Llewellyn and Christopher Ellis trying to patch up their tempestuous relationship, while Christopher is threatened from all sides. It’s a page-turner. I’m very proud of it. J

You’re one of the luckiest authors I’ve met when it comes to cover art. Did you have a lot of say in it and are you excited to see the next cover in the series?

The Tudor Vampire covers have been awesome. I was given some input and I originally sent them both real Tudor portraits and a set of images from Showtime’s “The Tudors”. The look they came up with captures a modern interpretation of Tudor times perfectly. For the second book, we wanted to go with Anne Boleyn on the cover and I was thrilled when they included a detail from an original portrait of Anne that I sent them-her pearl necklace in the shape of a ‘B’.

How are readers receiving your new series because it is so different from your historical erotic books? Do you find that readers are more open-minded or are you drawing a different audience entirely?

Well, it’s been interesting. Some of my long time erotic readers haven’t liked the new books at all and others have enjoyed both. I have also drawn a new paranormal audience, which is great! The more readers the better.

What do you like to do on your spare time outside of writing? How do you stay inspired?

I love to read and walk my dog. I play a lot of Angry Birds and patience on my iPad and listen to a lot of music, much of it given to me by my teenage kids, so I’d say my musical tastes are eclectic to say the least. LOL. I’m still a daydreamer and a terrible eavesdropper so I am constantly inspired.

What is the most difficult part of your writing journey? What is the most exciting part?

I think rejection is still very hard, coupled with the reviews. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem worth all the effort when you keep being rejected or you finally get published and not everyone loves your book. But really that is so much a part of the business that you have to deal with it or you won’t survive.

The most exciting part for me is when someone contacts me to say what the book meant to them; because that’s really what this is about-communicating something and hoping other people understand.

What advice would you give writers who are in pursuit of traditional publishing?

I’d advise them to pursue as many options as possible at the same time. I’m published with NY, small press, digital press and I’ve self-published something. I really believe at the moment that you need to keep your options open and try everything.

What has been the best type of promotion for you and what hasn’t made a difference in your marketing efforts?

I wish I knew the answer to that one. I’ve had a great experience working with the Nancy Berland PR company over the last year when my writing schedule was so tight that they took a lot of the promo burden off my shoulders, but I also think you have to focus on writing a great book that gets people talking about you as an author. Then you just need to keep doing that forever. LOL

What personal goals have you made for yourself this year?

I actually decided to slow down my writing schedule a bit this year after 2 years of crazy deadlines where I hardly seemed to get up from my desk. It was full of great opportunities but I felt quite drained by the end of 2010. I wanted to rediscover writing for fun. So slower, more emphasis on learning and getting better and producing a quality product.

Tell us one thing or habit that you have that no one knows!

I often dance around my bathroom and lip synch to Madonna. Have I scared you now?

We love stories about “the Call”. Do you remember what you were doing at the time or how you felt?

I was naked. No. Really. I’d just gotten in the shower. The phone rang – I knew I was expecting a call from my agent, so I hopped out to look. It was her. I answered the phone and then grabbed my towel. Here’s the kicker. I was in a public restroom at the marina where I live. I get the towel wrapped around me, get the water shut off and here Emmanuelle Morgen tell me that Berkley wanted to offer me a two book contract. While she’s talking, two women in the restroom are making snide comments about how one *ought* to be able to get away from the phone long enough to take a shower, at least!

Please tell us a little about your current release and what should we expect to see from you in the future?

Enemy Within started with the heroine’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – I was really curious how a hero could exploit a heroine’s weakness without damaging her. The first scene that popped into my head, then, was the duel (early in the book) – a game within a game to the point that if you win you aren’t certain you actually did…the rest of the book followed in that vein. As for what to expect in the future? More. If everything goes to plan, there are five books in this series, each focusing on a different hero and heroine, but all following the arc of the war that begins in Enemy Within. The second book, Enemy Games is due out in May of 2011.

How did you come up with the concept or what inspired you to create this world?

A misspent youth. I grew up in an Air Force family. For years, I’d planned to go to the Air Force Academy. Then I found out the military wouldn’t take me because I have asthma. I thought that was terribly uncharitable of them, but they didn’t seem interested in negotiating. I obviously found other work, but the military bug and my ambition to fly fighter jets (did I mention I get dreadfully airsick? Yeah. Career planning. I didn’t do it well) stayed with me. It had to show up in my writing. I’m also a science junkie – I love watching science shows on TV. I read all kinds of science books. Relocating my fighter pilot/military ambitions to space just seemed like a natural.

Your covers are very eye-catching. Did you have any say with your publisher on the final product?

Berkley does a fantastic job with covers. If you read the first book and look at the cover, you’ll see right away that the cover scene is nowhere in the book, but it works because it conveys a pretty accurate feel for the story behind that cover. I am asked for character and clothing descriptions. I’m asked whether there’s a scene from the book that I think would make a good cover. For the second book, I was able to hand in an video that conveyed a specific fighting style and feel. The cover artist(s) did a tremendous job of translating that all into a really cool cover.

All authors have a particular scene or character(s) they adore, who are yours? Why?

Whoever I’m working on at the moment. I have to be in love with my characters in order to do their stories justice. That being said, I’m always going to love the duel in the beginning of Enemy Within.

What are you reading right now?

I’m actually between books at the moment. I’m clearing my head to write book three and I need to either read nonfiction (science) or I have to go on a reading fast for a week or two in order to let everyone else’s words trickle out of my head. If I try to read a novel while I’m writing my own, I end up sounding exactly like whoever I’m reading.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve come across about being a romance author?

That it’s somehow a lesser calling than being any other kind of author. “Will you write *straight* scifi now?” Uhm. Wow. Didn’t know what I was writing was crooked…but really, relationships will always be a part of what I write because that’s what’s interesting to me. Besides, from a cold, practical standpoint, there is no smaller niche market than the one for hard scifi.

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

I am mindlessly, unreasonably afraid of earthquakes (squashed in a past life??) and for someone writing about hurtling through the far reaches of outer space, I really hate to fly.

If you were a nail polish color, what would it be called and why?

Dark Nebula Shimmer. Black background, shot through with shimmers of glow-in-the-dark color. We’re none of us surprised it had to be space related, right?

What advice do you have for unpublished writers?

Write what’s fun for you. Keep at it. Don’t give up. Learn everything you can – keep what works, toss the rest. Trust yourself and your story.

Any words for your readers?

Thank you!

I blame my father for my love of science fiction and fantasy. We watched many a late night science fiction movie together. I was five. By the time I was six, I was having raging nightmares inspired by The Omega Man, The Fly, and The Incredible Shrinking Man. The sum result seems to have been that I wouldn’t walk into a dark room until well after I’d turned ten. Growing up an Air Force brat, I moved often and traveled all over the US. We spent two years in Iceland, watching blue whales migrate, volcanoes erupt and geysers spew steaming, superheated water into the cold air. The whole family did plenty of reading. When the tiny base library ran out of interesting books in the kids’ section, and wouldn’t allow me in the adult section yet, I began writing my own stories. My family finally settled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Western Washington. I graduated with a BFA in acting from Cornish College of the Arts in 1990 and promptly went to work for a large software company. I live with my husband and our cats aboard a sailboat on Puget Sound. Visit her on the web at www.marcellaburnard.com.

AOTM WORKSHOP:
DATES: DECEMBER 6 – 8, 2010

TOPIC: Acting on the Words

Adapt an actor’s tools to help you draw readers into your characters’ lives and heads. Explore a number of techniques to deepen point of view, uncover your voice, and build story tension.  Bring your WIP and be prepared to experiment with your characters.

**Workshop is featured in our FORUM for current members only. At this time, membership is closed through the New Year.**

Bestselling author Donna Grant writes historical paranormal romances for St. Martin’s Press. She lives in Texas with her husband and two kids. Come visit her on the web at www.donnagrant.com.

**Donna Grant will be giving away a copy of FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER to one lucky commenter. Please leave your eMail addy if it is not associated with your username link.**

We love stories about “the Call”. Do you remember what you were doing at the time or how you felt?

When I got my first epublishing contract, we’d finally been able to come home a month after Hurricane Rita because our house was being fixed. I was sitting on the couch with my laptop too afraid to open the email.  LOL

For my first NY contract, I was at the Romance Writers of America conference at the Literacy Signing autographing books when my agent let me know the editor who had my submission had called to say they wanted the book and would be in touch after RWA. I was flying high the rest of the conference.

You started out in ePublishing and had a series of successful releases before selling to NY.  How has your journey been?

Just as everyone goes about writing a story differently, everyone’s journey in publishing is different. My goal was always NY, but I thought the experience with an epublisher could only help.  And it did.  It was a stepping stone for me, but it’s not for everyone. At the time, I was frowned upon because I was epublished. There were times when the road was bumpy, but I never gave up. And when I signed the contract for my Dark Sword series with St. Martin’s, all the hardships had been worth it.

With anything there are highs and lows. Its part of publishing, but being able to do something I love helps me pick myself off the floor when I’ve hit rock bottom.

How does it feel to see your Highlander series take off?

My heart and soul are poured into my Dark Sword series. Those Highlanders are my life, and I’m delighted beyond words to see them on the bookshelves. Once again I’m doing something a bit different by writing historical paranormal, I get to mix my love of medieval Scotland and Highlanders with that of fantasy/paranormal.

Please tell us a little about your current release and what should we expect to see from you in the future?

My current release is WICKED HIGHLANDER, the third book in my Dark Sword series about a group of Highlanders with primeval gods inside them that give them powers and immortality to battle an evil Druid.  This book is about Quinn, the youngest of the MacLeod brothers, and how he must overcome the demons of his past to have the future with the Druid mate he’s destined for.

In January I’ll be a part of the Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance with my story FOREVER MINE.  The novella isn’t part of my Dark Sword series.

Then in April 2011 the fourth Dark Sword book, UNTAMED HIGHLANDER, releases followed in November 2011 with SINFUL HIGHLANDER.  May 2012 is book 6, DARKEST HIGHLANDER, and books 7-10 will follow with back to back releases.

All authors have a particular scene or character(s) they adore, who are yours? Why?

Hands down, my favorite character so far is Hayden (UNTAMED HIGHLANDER Apr 2011).  I didn’t want his story to end. He was so tormented that I couldn’t wait for him to have his HEA.  And the fact that his heroine was just as strong as he was only made their story better. It’s also my editor’s favorite story of the series as well!

What are you reading right now?

Larissa Ione’s SIN UNDONE.  Love her Demonica series.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve come across about being a romance author?

That every sex scene I’ve written I must have performed. As if a murder writer commits the murders he writes about. 

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

LOL.  That I used to have to sit on books when I began driving my dad’s full size truck to be able to see over the steering wheel.

If you were a nail polish color, what would it be called and why?

Mystic Fantasy – because I love paranormal/fantasy and I like myths and legends.

What advice do you have for unpublished writers?

Never give up. Keep your dreams in front of you and put your heart and soul into obtaining them, no matter how long it takes.

Any words for your readers?

I’m humbled by your support!  Thank you for everything.

AOTM WORKSHOP:
DATES: NOVEMBER 8 – 10, 2010

TOPIC: The Write Way

Think its too confusing to write a series? Think you’ll never be able to remember all the little facts needed from one book to the next? Having a cohesive grasp on your series world and characters can make writing the series so much more enjoyable.

Join bestselling author Donna Grant as she explores a variety of techniques that can help you build – and retain – your series.

**Workshop is featured in our FORUM for current members only. At this time, membership is closed through the New Year.**

Bestselling author Donna Grant writes historical paranormal romances for St. Martin’s Press. She lives in Texas with her husband and two kids. Come visit her on the web at www.donnagrant.com.

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**Donna Grant will be giving away a copy of FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER on the Romance Divas BLOG. **

We love stories about “the Call”. Do you remember what you were doing at the time or how you felt?

When I got my first epublishing contract, we’d finally been able to come home a month after Hurricane Rita because our house was being fixed. I was sitting on the couch with my laptop too afraid to open the email.  LOL

For my first NY contract, I was at the Romance Writers of America conference at the Literacy Signing autographing books when my agent let me know the editor who had my submission had called to say they wanted the book and would be in touch after RWA. I was flying high the rest of the conference.

You started out in ePublishing and had a series of successful releases before selling to NY.  How has your journey been?

Just as everyone goes about writing a story differently, everyone’s journey in publishing is different. My goal was always NY, but I thought the experience with an epublisher could only help.  And it did.  It was a stepping stone for me, but it’s not for everyone. At the time, I was frowned upon because I was epublished. There were times when the road was bumpy, but I never gave up. And when I signed the contract for my Dark Sword series with St. Martin’s, all the hardships had been worth it.

With anything there are highs and lows. Its part of publishing, but being able to do something I love helps me pick myself off the floor when I’ve hit rock bottom.

How does it feel to see your Highlander series take off?

My heart and soul are poured into my Dark Sword series. Those Highlanders are my life, and I’m delighted beyond words to see them on the bookshelves. Once again I’m doing something a bit different by writing historical paranormal, I get to mix my love of medieval Scotland and Highlanders with that of fantasy/paranormal.

Please tell us a little about your current release and what should we expect to see from you in the future?

My current release is WICKED HIGHLANDER, the third book in my Dark Sword series about a group of Highlanders with primeval gods inside them that give them powers and immortality to battle an evil Druid.  This book is about Quinn, the youngest of the MacLeod brothers, and how he must overcome the demons of his past to have the future with the Druid mate he’s destined for.

In January I’ll be a part of the Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance with my story FOREVER MINE.  The novella isn’t part of my Dark Sword series.

Then in April 2011 the fourth Dark Sword book, UNTAMED HIGHLANDER, releases followed in November 2011 with SINFUL HIGHLANDER.  May 2012 is book 6, DARKEST HIGHLANDER, and books 7-10 will follow with back to back releases.

All authors have a particular scene or character(s) they adore, who are yours? Why?

Hands down, my favorite character so far is Hayden (UNTAMED HIGHLANDER Apr 2011).  I didn’t want his story to end. He was so tormented that I couldn’t wait for him to have his HEA.  And the fact that his heroine was just as strong as he was only made their story better. It’s also my editor’s favorite story of the series as well!

What are you reading right now?

Larissa Ione’s SIN UNDONE.  Love her Demonica series.

What is the biggest misconception you’ve come across about being a romance author?

That every sex scene I’ve written I must have performed. As if a murder writer commits the murders he writes about. 

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

LOL.  That I used to have to sit on books when I began driving my dad’s full size truck to be able to see over the steering wheel.

If you were a nail polish color, what would it be called and why?

Mystic Fantasy – because I love paranormal/fantasy and I like myths and legends.

What advice do you have for unpublished writers?

Never give up. Keep your dreams in front of you and put your heart and soul into obtaining them, no matter how long it takes.

Any words for your readers?

I’m humbled by your support!  Thank you for everything.

AOTM WORKSHOP:
DATES: TBA

TOPIC: The Write Way

Think its too confusing to write a series? Think you’ll never be able to remember all the little facts needed from one book to the next? Having a cohesive grasp on your series world and characters can make writing the series so much more enjoyable.

Join bestselling author Donna Grant as she explores a variety of techniques that can help you build – and retain – your series.

**Workshop is featured in our FORUM. Required registration. Become a member and participate for free.**

Miranda Neville is the author of historical romances set in Regency England. She grew up in England and spent her youth devouring historical novels. After studying history at Oxford University, she spent several years writing catalogues of rare books and original letters and manuscripts for Sotheby’s auction house in London and New York. Later she worked as a journalist and small business owner before discovering the delights of writing fiction. Always a sucker for happy endings, a few years ago she decided to try her hand at romance. How hard could it be? Several manuscripts under-the-bed (or deep in the hard drive) later, HarperCollins bought Never Resist Temptation, published in 2009 by Avon Books. The Wild Marquis appeared in March 2010 to be followed later this month by The Dangerous Viscount. She now lives in beautiful rural Vermont with her daughter, a college student and confirmed drama queen.

More information about Miranda may be found at www.mirandaneville.com.

**Miranda will be giving away 1 copy of her latest release here on the RD blog and 1 copy during her workshop on the Romance Divas FORUM. Please comment to be eligible for the random drawing. Winner will be contacted via email so please provide this info if it is not attached to your user link. **

We love stories about “the Call”, what were you doing at the time and how did you feel when it happened?

I always feel my call story is rather undramatic. My agent called one morning to say a couple of editors had turned down my book. Later that afternoon I was sitting at my desk, feeling depressed and trying to write, when she called again with the news that Avon had made an offer. I was kind of numb at first, then of course I called everyone and screamed and drank champagne.

Please tell us a little about your current release.

THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT is the second in my Burgundy Club series. Sebastian Iverley is not your typical hero. To be blunt, he’s a bit of a nerd, Regency style, and he has always avoided women until he falls for Diana Fanshawe, a beautiful widow. When he learns Diana has been using him to attract his hated cousin, the nerd swears revenge. With the help of his fellow club members (lots of opportunity for male banter) he gets an extreme makeover. Sebastian cleans up well, turns into a real hottie and the sparks fly. I loved writing this couple: Diana is much less sophisticated than she thinks, while Sebastian is much less clueless than he appears.

Do you think you’ll branch out and write other genres other than historicals?

I haven’t any plan to do so, but never say never.

What should we expect to see from you in the future?

I’ve just finished the third Burgundy Club book, to be published next summer, and there’s one more for me to write.

If you weren’t a writer what would career path would you choose?

I have to laugh! Being a writer has been almost an afterthought careerwise. I came to fiction relatively late. But writing historical romance is my best job yet. Now I’ve always wished I could be an opera singer, but I never had the necessary talent (like a basic ability to sing in tune!)

What is the biggest misconception you’ve come across about being a romance author? I find people are interested in what I do and curious to know more about the business of romance writing, about which they know absolutely nothing. I am often asked if I have to write to a formula, if there is a set of rules that we all have to follow. You know, there are days that the Muse isn’t cooperating and computer screen frighteningly blank when a formula would be nice (“I’m on page 42 so it’s time for the first kiss”)

If you were a lipstick color, what would it be called and why? Oh boy! That’s a difficult question. OK, here goes: Crimson Rose Twist – deeply romantic with a touch of sarcasm.

What are you reading right now?

A medieval historical by my CP, getting it ready to send to her agent. She isn’t published yet but it won’t be long! For entertainment I’m reading Katharine Ashe’s Swept Away by a Kiss, a really fun high-drama Regency.

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

I’d rather eat fruit than chocolate. And yes, I know this fact could get me thrown out of the romance writers’ guild.

What advice do you have for unpublished writers? Finish your book. The one novel that is absolutely never going to sell is an unfinished one. And when you’ve finished it, start the next. Every book you write will be better than the last. One day you may be pleased your first manuscript didn’t sell (I am). Or you may be pleased when it does sell and you have the follow up book already written.

Any words for your readers?

Thank you reading my books. And please feel free to tell me what you like or don’t like (particularly the former!) or ask me any questions. All writers know a huge amount about their characters that never get into the book. I love chatting about them. Send me an email: miranda (at) mirandaneville.com

AOTM WORKSHOP: DATES: SEPTEMBER 21-23

TOPIC: Motivation and Voice: Character Autobiographies

Ever got to page 75 and wondered who the heck these people are? Get your characters ready to drive your plot. Establish their motivation and conflict from page 1. Develop a distinct voice for each of them. Avoid Back Story Dump. Learn how to write your characters’ autobiographies and do all this, plus clean your bathroom and achieve World Peace.

**Workshop is featured in our FORUM. Required registration. Become a member and participate for free.**

With over 50 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than six million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader’s Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books.

Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country. You can visit her on the web at www.tarataylorquinn.

**Tara will be giving away copies of her latest release(s) during her workshop on the Romance Divas FORUM. Registration is free.**

You have a long history of writing for Harlequin and have published over 50 books in their category and single title lines, how has your journey been with them?

A dream come true.  When I was fourteen I used to tell people I was going to write for Harlequin some day.  And here I am.  Some days I can still hardly believe it. I read every single Superromance that had ever been published before I submitted to them.  I knew what they wanted.  What I, as a reader, wanted.  To me, giving it to them was as natural as breathing.

We love stories about “the Call”, so how exciting was yours?

Very!  It was mid-morning.  I was home with my young daughter, in the room I used as an office.  I’d been writing while she played in the room behind me. I remember answering the phone.  I remember hearing the voice.  I remember who called.  I can remember her tone of voice.  And I remember not breathing.  I was very calm.  Didn’t say much.  Because I couldn’t.  I wasn’t breathing.  I simply and professionally agreed to sell her my book.  I agreed to the terms.  I thanked her.  I hung up the phone and screamed and then started to cry.  I couldn’t sit still.  Couldn’t think.  Eventually I started to breathe again.

Please tell us a little about your current release.

I have a series coming out this fall – The Chapman Files.  It starts with four back to back books.  The First Wife is a Superromance out in September, 2010.  That’s followed by three MIRA suspense titles.  The Second Lie, 10/10; The Third Secret, 11/10; and The Fourth Victim, 12/10. The series is centered around an expert witness psychologist, Kelly Chapman.  Each book is one of her files – one of her cases.  The fourth book is her story.  Each book stands alone, as each case is separate from the other, but there are continuing elements that readers will recognize in each book.

What should we expect to see from you in the future?

I’m currently working on a new Superromance.  It’ll be out in 2011.  I wrote a series of books several years ago set in a fictional town we called Shelter Valley.  The 2011 Super is going back to Shelter Valley.  The current heroine was nineteen in one of the previous books. I’m also hoping to continue with more from The Chapman Files.

If you weren’t a writer what would career path would you choose?

Can’t think of one.  I had my first professional writing job when I was sixteen.  I worked as a stringer for the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio.  I’ve known since I was in first grade that I was a writer.

What are you reading right now?

One of my old Shelter Valley books, Nothing Sacred.  I’m doing research for the book I’m writing!

What is the biggest misconception you’ve come across about being a romance author?

I thought once I got published I wouldn’t worry anymore about my validation as a writer.  I still worry.  Every single book.  The clothes the worry wears change.  But the body of worry does not.  Is this book as good as the last?  Will the numbers be good enough?  Will the publicity I’ve done be enough?  Will the book get shelf space?  A good cover?  Will anyone like what I wrote?  Will someone decide I’m not good enough anymore?

Now for something fun–If you were a nail polish color, what would it be called and why?

Deep Burgundy.  A shade of red to symbolize intense emotion.  Deep because I live, write, talk think and breath deep.  Burgundy because I’ve got a bit of darkness in me.  I’m no ordinary red.

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

I have no idea.  I don’t know how other people see me.  I’m surprised to know that I’m an avid roller blader.  I never saw myself as the athletic sort.  I never thought I had it in me to love the hard work, the sweat.  I certainly never thought I’d crave it.

What advice do you have for unpublished writers?

If you have to write, write.  Just write.  Don’t listen to the rules.  Don’t set yourself up with an awareness of rights and wrongs regarding your writing.  Just write.  Allow what is within you to flow freely without boundaries. When the story is told, you can always go back and work on grammar,etc.  You can pay attention to the rules after the art has been created.  You can’t create art by paying attention to rules.

Any words for your readers?

Please join Kelly and I as we reveal The Chapman Files and let us know what you think of them!!!

AOTM WORKSHOP:
DATES: AUGUST 16-18

TOPIC: “YOU HAD ME AT HELLO” – How to Stay Driven in a Time Crunched World

Getting what you want IS within your control. We all have the power within us to make our dreams come true. Come and participate in this hands on experience to find out what you have and how to use it to get what you want.

**Workshop is featured in our FORUM. Required registration. Become a member and participate for free.**

Vanessa Kelly was born and raised in New Jersey, but eventually migrated north to Canada.  She holds a Master’s Degree from Rutgers University, and went on to attend the Ph.D. program in English Literature at the University of Toronto.  While there, she spent many happy hours studying the works of 18^th century British authors and writing about the madness of King George III.  She left graduate school to work as a researcher and writer for a large public sector organization.  She now writes Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra.

You can visit her on the web at www.vanessakellyauthor.com.

**Vanessa is giving away,  MASTERING THE MARQUESS and SEX AND THE SINGLE EARL. If you’d like to be added to the random drawing, please post a comment and provide an email address if it is not linked to your username.**

Readers love hearing about “the call”, tell us about your experience. How long did you write before you got published?

I was only writing fiction for about two years before I acquired an agent and sold my first Regency-set historical romance.  To this day I can’t believe it happened so quickly. That book was Mastering The Marquess, the second I’d written and my first historical romance.  I’d been working with my agent for a few months when she called with the offer from Kensington.  Of course, I was out with my husband when she made the call.  She left a cryptic phone message, telling me to call back later in the day since she had important news.  That was it.  Hours later, when I was finally able to reach her, she put me on hold!  Fortunately, it was only for a few minutes because by that time I was a nervous wreck.

Seems like historical romances are making a comeback, how do you feel about it? What do you think contributed to this?

Naturally, I’m thrilled that the historical romance market seems to be fairly robust these days, although it’s not as strong as writers in the genre could wish for.  Regency romance and Highland historicals still dominate, and Victorian and Medieval romances have their followers.  The Western romance also has a slice of the historical pie.  But it’s a crowded and competitive market, with lots of really great writers competing for limited shelf space.  So even though things are getting better, it’s not the easiest genre to get published in—or stay published.  But there are encouraging signs.  There are several good e-publishers like Carina Press, who are actively seeking historical romances, especially those that take place in unusual settings or time periods.  I also think that writers like Christina Dodd and Karen Robards returning to the genre is a very good thing.  And there have been some really great new authors the last few years who have helped raise the profile of historical romance.

As for what contributed to a renewed interest, I think the Jane Austen craze certainly helped.  And historical romance has always had great world-building, so those qualities which attract readers to popular genres like paranormal romance are also now attracting them to the historical.

Did anyone or anything influence you to choose the genre you ultimately wrote or have you always known you would write historicals? Do you write any other genres?

My love of Regency romance began in high school when my sister turned me on to Georgette Heyer.  I also loved Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and all kinds of historical fiction, so that became my natural reading bent.  I studied English literature in university, and went on to spend several years in graduate school studying the writers of the Georgian and Regency eras.  My thesis subject was Fanny Burney, a very popular novelist during those periods.  So when I turned my pen to romance, Regency-set historicals were a natural fit.

I do, however, write in other genres—with my husband!  We write contemporary romances and romantic suspense under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.  Our first book, CaddyGirls, will be released by Carina Press on July

It’s a really fun, sexy contemporary romance, the perfect read for a hot summer day.

What do you like best about the writer’s life? What do you like least?

I love the fact that I can disappear into my writing.  No matter how crappy I’m feeling on any given day, the very act of entering my fictional world and playing around with my characters makes me feel good.  I think writing—any kind of writing—is a deeply therapeutic and empowering act.  What I like least?  Deadlines.  Most writers don’t like deadlines.

Most writers are consumed with deadlines but when you have time to read, what genres and/or which authors are on your auto-buy list?

There are so many!  For historical romance, I auto-buy Eloisa James, Teresa Medeiros, Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase, Anna Campbell, and Joanna Bourne.  All of them are spectacular and innovative writers who really deliver the goods.  For romantic suspense, I love Karen Rose, JoAnn Ross, Christina Dodd, and Bronwyn Parry.  Parry is a recently published Aussie author who is phenomenally talented.  For contemporary romance, I love Toni Blake, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Susan Mallery, and Jennifer Crusie.  For paranormal and sci fi, Linnea Sinclair and Angela Knight.

If you weren’t a writer what would career path would you choose?

I did do other things before I started writing romance, one of which was working as a union researcher.  I loved that job.  It was hard work, but the satisfaction that came from helping people in the workplace was tough to beat.  When I was kid, I wanted to be a marine biologist but I was terrible at math and mediocre at science, so that was out.

If you were a lipstick color, what would it be called and why?

Clear gloss.  I know.  Boring, but I can’t stand the taste of lipstick.

What advice would you offer to the unpublished romance writer?

Be patient and be courteous.  Learn your craft.  Publishing is a game of endurance.  If you want to achieve your goals, you have to be in it for the long-haul.  And do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  There are great people out there in romancelandia who are very giving of their time and advice, and who can really smooth out the bumps in the road.  But I’ve also run into some people who make me want to hide under a rock.  Trust me.  You don’t want to be that kind of person.

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

Probably that I wrote romance with my husband.  That earns us a lot of funny looks.

AOTM WORKSHOP

DATES: JULY12-15

TOPIC: TECHNIQUES FOR HISTORICAL ROMANCE

**Workshop is featured in our FORUM. Required registration. Become a member and participate for free.**

Kris Kennedy writes sexy, adventure-filled medieval romances for Kensington and Pocket Books.  THE IRISH WARRIOR, winner of the 2008 Golden Heart(R) Award for Best Historical Romance, released June 1st.  Read a sexy excerpt!

http://kriskennedy.net

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Let’s see, how long before I bore you all to tears . . .

I used to be a psychotherapist, working with high-risk, suicidal and self-harming women, doing therapy and training other clinicians and designing programs using the concepts.

It was exciting, highly-rewarding work, although the non-clinical work (regulations, cover-your-a** considerations, etc etc) started to be more draining than the work.  And I found I kept getting pulled to writing.

Finally, after I had my son, I really cut back on therapy and the consultations, and focused more on being a mom and writing.

You won the Golden Heart in 2008 for THE IRISH WARRIOR, your second novel. Can you please tell us a little bit about it and how you came up with the concept?

This was the craziest, morph-ing book.   I LOVE this book,. But at times, it seemed like the endless trek.   Fortunately, I love this book, so I could stick with it.  LOL  I love the hero and heroine: they’re funny, smart, truly in love almost from the first moment, but unable to admit it for a variety of reasons, not least of which is all the soldiers and barons hunting them down.  :-)

It started, though, as a much simpler story.  After the GH win, when my editor suggested we use that as the 2nd book in the Kensington contract, I decided I needed to amp up the stakes and make it more . . . stake-y.  :-)  Basically, I needed bigger plot, and I needed it organic to the character’s and their arcs.

And so, after many considerations and much tweaking, enter the beautiful weapons: the Wishmé Dyes.  This was amped-up external plot, and it was exciting and fun to research.  But I have to say, the best part of the book for me is Finian and Senna together.  And they are together, alone, for a great deal of the book, since they’re on the run, working together to survive.

I’m incredibly excited to say that Eloisa James read the ARC and is featuring The Irish Warrior in her June Barnes & Noble romance column!   I’m beyond honored, and thrilled to know the story is reaching further than the traditional medieval-reading reader.  Roxanne St. Claire also gave a quote for The Irish Warrior, and I can’t tell you how honored I am to have such stellar voices in the romance world taking note of IRISH.

What other projects do you have in the works and are they all historicals?

Ooh, yes!  Great question.

I am at work right now on a medieval for Pocket Books, set on the eve of Magna Carta with a dangerous knight on a mission who runs up against a very determined heroine.  She completely upends his world, but unfortunately, her mission crosses his, and threatens the tottering kingdom one of them is trying to save.

What inspires you? What were your writing influences?

Good writing inspires me.  The act of writing inspires me.  I love the creative well.  I get excited by the notion of being excited, and I feel tremendously blessed by that.  I think sometimes it’s hard to be persistent, if you have your eye on the prize, so to speak, say a publishing contract, or a certain level of talent or skill.  But I love the act of writing itself, I love getting better,  honing my craftsmanship.

Not to be trite and almost-useless in my reply or anything, but I suspect every book I’ve ever read has influenced me.     From Little House on the Prairie books to Anne of Green Gables to Julie Anne Long to E.M. Forester, I can sometimes feel the energy of those words–and the way I felt when reading them–running through me.

As far as specifically the medieval-ness of my stories….  when I first read Marsha Canham’s medieval series, Through A Dark Mist/ In The Shadow of Midnight/ The Last Arrow trilogy, I think it was that night I started writing medievals.  So, I dunno, does that count?  :-)

Tell us about the day you got “The Call”.

Oh, yes, the day of the Pink Eye.

I was tending my son’s pink eye when my agent called with the news. It was all, “Oh, wow, mmm, wow, yes, uh-huh” while holding a compress to my son’s ragingly pink eye, hoping I wasn’t getting pink eye germs on the phone.

Fun!  Glamour!  Whimsy!   Ah, the life of a romance writer…

What is the hardest part of being a writer? The easiest?

The hardest part is what I think must be true for all artists and athletes, for anyone who does something because they MUST, but that doesn’t they do it well every day.   Certainly, will alone is insufficient for the task.   Will and discipline are essential: with them, nothing meaningful occurs.  But alone, they aren’t enough.  The muse has to show up too, and she is fickle.

You can show up for work and will yourself to smile even when you don’t feel like it, but you can’t show up at the baseball game and will yourself to hit a homerun.  (Or, if you’re the Seattle Mariners, you can’t, apparently, will yourself into even a simple base hit.)

Likewise, I can’t sit at my computer and will myself to write wonderfully.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m a craftsman, so I sit at the computer anyhow, and  write crap those days.  I keep writing.  It’s just that it’s painfully hard when you keep hitting a wall, and can’t access the creative the Well.

That is hell.

The easiest part…  Hmm.  Can I say the best part?  Accessing the aforementioned Well.  ;-)

What is the biggest misconception about romance authors that you’ve come across?

Cats.  We all have cats.  And we write ‘smut’.    That it’s easy.  And that I’m too smart for this, and one day, I’ll start writing ‘real’ things that have substance and meaning.

Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring writers?

Persist.  And love the craft.

If you don’t love writing, the process of it, it’s going to be hard to be persistent over the long haul.

And by ‘love,’ I don’t mean ‘enjoy.’

At least not all the time.  I don’t mean you have to love the times your stuck, or the way you can’t tap into the Well, or whatever.  I mean LOVE it.    Love the craft, the process, that it exists.  Be devoted to it.  Appreciate its depths.  Acknowledge how it taps into you, and changes you.  Give it at least some of your high-quality attention & time.

And in that state of being, persistence will pay off.  Persistence like that always pays off.

Finally, what can our readers learn from your workshop this month?

It’s going to be a terrific week!  We’re going to talk about tension.  Your readers’ tension.

We’ll talk about how to build page-by-page tension and generally how to make your characters suffer.  It’s going to be a blast.  Hope you enjoy!  (Your characters might not, btw. They may even rebel.  But in the end, they will thank you.  It’s Tough Love for the Fictional Folk.)

JUNE AOTM WORKSHOP JUNE 7-11
TOPIC: TENSION

**Workshop is featured in our FORUM. Required registration. Become a member and participate for free.**