CELEBRATING!

                                            

Yes I'm celebrating the 4th of July.  As a devoted, patriotic American I love this holiday!  I feel so honored and proud of the fact that I live in the United States. 

Today however, I really celebrate the release of my critique partner's debut novel this past Monday!

 

Christine and I met and became critique partner under circumstances that can only be explained as fate.  I know you're going to love her -- and this book.  It might be her first but I can promise it will not be her last.

 

 

Hi Pam!

Thanks so much for hosting me on what I know is one of your favorite days to celebrate: INDEPENDENCE DAY! I’m so happy to share the day with you and talk about my writing process. 

 

1) Who or what has had the biggest influence on your writing?

I have to say that the romance authors who have entertained me throughout the years with their books gave me the desire to write my own romance stories. And then when I finally got brave enough to write my first book and get in involved with the Romance Writers of America, I learned that these incredible authors are also mentors, teachers, coaches, and examples of how to grow as writer and become published one day. The generosity of those who have gone before me is incredible.

 

2) What aspect of the writing process do you enjoy the most?

Next to developing characters and the ideas about the story, I’d say revising is my favorite part about writing. I don’t write a great first draft (or second or third or fourth...). That’s the way I get to know the characters and the story elements better. Then when I dig into the revisions, I find ways to layer in the subtleties and stuff like clothes, setting, senses, etc. It’s fun playing with the story and finding ways to make it stronger and better even when the answers aren’t always easy to dig out.

 

3) What has been your biggest surprise since you sold? 

The doubt and fear that I had to push down before I sold still exist. I’m still the same person who worries that she’ll let down the editor, the readers, myself. If anything, I think it’s worse now than before I sold. So that battle continues daily. The other huge surprise has been the awesome support I’ve had from the most incredible people behind the scenes at Entangled Publishing. Everyone from the publisher to the authors to the editorial and support staff has been gracious and kind to me as I embark on this new journey as a newbie author.

 

4) Generally, which comes first – character or plot?

 

I’m all about the characters first. Then I like to loosely plot the emotional turning points of the story. I think that the emotional highs and lows are truly the essence of the romance story/plot.

 

5) What are 3 pieces of advice you would give new/aspiring writers? 

A. Remember that this is YOUR journey and don’t feel like you have to rush to get to the finish line. There is NO finish line. There are just new paths to travel. Enjoy the journey, and make friends with people you can trust now and in the future. 

B. Learn your craft. Study, write lots of words, go to conferences, and absorb all the knowledge you can absorb.

 C. Have fun! Don’t lose sight of why you started writing before and after you get published. This writing gig is a gift, precious and wonderful, so enjoy yourself and celebrate every milestone big or small. They all count!!

 

Now y’all know I LOVE to celebrate—heck I celebrate writing every day with a nice glass of wine on the veranda. Today one lucky commenter will receive a free copy of my debut novel THE MAVERICK’S RED HOT REUNION.

Now let’s get the hot dogs and burgers on the grill, watch the fireworks, and celebrate the Fourth of July!!!

 

Here’s a little info about The Maverick’s Red Hot Reunion

 

 

Can he satisfy his craving without losing his heart?

 

Corporate Maverick Zach Tanner returns to North Carolina to rebuild his dying friend's resort. He's got the money, the power, and the will to transform Sweetbriar Springs into a premier spa for the glamorous, but he doesn't count on the woman he once loved…and lost…to handle the construction contract. Zach thought he'd buried his desire for Kennedy five years ago. He was wrong, and now he’s determined to satisfy his craving...

Construction company owner Kennedy Gibson is eager to restore Sweetbriar Springs, but when she realizes Zach is her new boss she's terrified he'll learn the truth about their breakup so long ago. She vowed never to hurt him again, but she can't deny the passion he reignites in her. She wants to believe she has a chance for a different future with him, but will her secret threaten to destroy their red-hot reunion?

 

Buy Links:

Amazon Barnes and Noble kobo Amazon.ca

Christine’s Bio:

Born in the Netherlands, Christine moved to Canada where she spent her formative years. Then she married her Texan Alpha Physicist, moved to the United States and she has lived both south and north of the Mason Dixon line. Now Christine resides in Alabama with her husband, two insane cats and her wonderful daughter. She enjoys finding the silly in the serious, making wine out of sour grapes, and giving people giggle fits along with heartfelt hugs. When she’s not writing, you can find her traveling the world, cooking gourmet food, and desperately seeking a corkscrew.

Christine loves to meet new people.                  

 Email: christinegloverauthor@gmail.com

Blog: www.christinegloverauthor.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Glover/158387587541698

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cjglover63

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website: www.christinegloversite.com

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While visiting family last weekend my sister in law, an English teacher, mentioned she didn't know if she could abide the isolation necessary to be a writer. You know, all those hours shut up by yourself in order to find the words to convey the thoughts and feelings that are pushing at the edges of your heart and brain. I agreed with her that writing can be very isolating. On the other hand, with the internet now there are countless ways to connect with not only other writers but readers as well. It could be argued that the internet in fact is more of a deterent - c'mon, we all know how easy it is to become distracted while playing around with social media.

Many authors are planning to attend the National RWA Conference in San Antonio, TX from July 23-26. Many of them, if you asked, would claim to be introverts and enjoy the privacy of sitting in their office creating worlds, expanding plot devices and introducing readers to intriguing characters. If you were to stand off in a corner of the lobby, or lobby bar, during that conference, you'd be tempted to believe all those claims were just so much fiction.

I'm not fortunate enough to attend this years conference but I have in the past. There will be much laughter, many, many hugs and smiles as authors greet friends, many of whom they only see this one time a year. Readers will smile with delight at meeting so many of the authors who have given them countless moments of book pleasure. Everyone will be hurrying from one event, workshop or appointment to another, trying to cram as much information into the day as they can.

When I attended my first National Conference, I pleaded with my friends to not abandon me, that I was shy and couldn't visualize myself on my own. They now tease me unmericifully that I was so very wrong in my assumption. I am thrilled to say I met some wonderful people at those conferences. It's not just about making connections from a professional standpoint. It's about connecting on every level, it's about giving and receiving encouragement, celebrating accomplishments and commiserating disappointments.

I'll take all of that - even if from a distance!

As I've mentioned The Craftsman and I have finally made progress on a long-awaited DIY project.  Last weekend I painted the room. Until we moved into this house, I had never done any of the painting in any of our houses. At a very young age, while working on a service project, I experience the horror, not to mention the resulting splatter of paint, when I let the paint roller continue to spin after I moved away from the wall. :)

However, in the last dozen or so years, between our house and helping out assorted family members, I've made up for lost time.

My favorite part of painting is the 'cutting in'. You know, the outside edges of windows and doors, along the ceiling and floor. It's the detail work and I see it as a challenge to get that line as straight as possible. And avoid getting it onto the ceiling or baseboard.

Anyway, this past Sunday I was on the last wall of the half bath when The Craftsman poked his head inside. "You know you're going to need another coat, right?"

I sighed. One of the reasons he's The Craftsman is due to his attention to perfection. But, yes, in this case I agreed with him and set about adding on the second coat.

At some point during the application of that second coat, I thought about how painting has much in common with writing and especially revising.

By time I was done applying that second coat, the room looked much better. Never have I revised a manuscript and not believed it was better for having taken that second pass and layering more detail. It was a richer, smoother read. Of course every time I hand over a manuscript to my critique partner there is a small part of me that thinks "Okay, this time I've got it right." Only, you guessed it, for her to point out the parts of the manuscript that needs a second coat, thin areas where the characters and/or the plot isn't as defined as it should be. Or where the plot should be cut a little closer. Sometime adding that second coat can be difficult because it's harder to see where you've already layered on, perhaps added too much, or where you still need to apply more. It helps to have that second eye looking at it, seeing the imperfections, telling you which spots you overlooked or missed.

For the most part, however, the manuscript - as this particular room did - is a more beautiful project for having taken the time and effort to make it shine.

Sometimes it takes a broad stroke, sometimes a dab here and there.

Using every tool

The Craftsman is a bit of a perfectionist. You know the kind - he measures the wall from every conceivable angle before he hangs a picture. Me? I hold it up, decide whether or not it 'looks good', then drive home the nail. That's just one of many reasons why he makes beautiful furniture and I stick to words that can be changed, altered, or revised. 

That's not to say everything made by The Craftsman has come effortlessly. Quite the contrary. Once or twice I've seen him improvise and deviate from his original concept.

I try to remember this whenever I find myself at odds with a character or plot that isn't working the way I had envisioned. Believe me, I know how hard it can be to face that blank computer screen and pound those keys until you have something that flows and falls in line with what you had planned. All while keeping in mind that you also need to be flexible enough to be open to possibilities.

In other words, it takes work, YOUR work, to find the right path, to add a new plot twist, depth to the characters or emotion to the conflict. That's where the work really begins. It's actually quite easy to come up with an idea, a set of characters, conflict. The hard part is sustaining it through all the trials and tribulations that keep the reader turning pages.  

If you're as lucky as I am you have a terrific critique partner that will help you through these rough spots where you question your direction. If you're as lucky as I am, that critique partner will be honest and tell you what you need to do to improve the story.

I recently experienced this when I sent my last chapter to my critique partner. She was as supportive as always but she also didn't hesitate to tell me she thought a different approach to the last scene would be more powerful.

It would be easy to ignore her, after all these were MY characters, MY story idea. But I took a lesson from The Craftsman and looked at the project from another angle, measured all the components using different tools. And have a much more beautiful project as a result.

A writer uses every tool at her disposal.