Studying The Masters (Or Is It Mistresses?)

In my quest to improve my writing and make stories more irresistible for the readers, I've been doing some research. It's amazing the number of online resources there are for writers who give away some of the secrets of creating interesting characters and keeping the plot going. Much of what exists online is applicable to any genre, but, like all the others, there is a secret sauce when it comes to romance that keeps the readers coming back for more.  What is it? What need in life does romance fill?

After perusing several websites that did not exactly answer the question but did give a name to the climax of a romance novel (dark moment, remember that), the mentions of an old classic, Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women, caught my eye. It seems that this is as close to a go to textbook on how to write romance as exists.

And, as it happens, I had a copy on my bookshelf, unread until now, from when I first thought to be a romance author over twenty years ago, before I rehabilitated my singing voice and gave opera a try. (Seriously, talk about an obsequious world. Stuck in the 18th century, and full of blood suckers.)

Imagine my delight to find on the front cover that the small tome was edited by my (now) idol in romance authorship, Jayne Ann Krentz. I'm not sure what it is, but her books are like crack. You just can't get enough. (Incidentally, I think the same of roasted cauliflower and sparkling water, so it's gotta be more than just a drug.)

This monograph (did I mention I used to work in a library?) is over twenty-five years old, before the internet was really a utility, and when connecting to other computers was done pretty strictly by modem. Publishing at the time was a matter of standing out in the slushpiles of the New York City publishing houses, not just signing up for Smashwords or B2B and pressing publish when you were sure the thing was polished enough. Seriously. You had to really put the time and effort into a submission.

It's that time and effort that needs to be honed for true artistry. That I know from being a singer. It takes study and practice of technique to perfect an art form.

So, now that I have some direction, let the study begin!

By the way, I've been busy.

• I put a draft of my first short story, Secrets of the Bayou, in the can this week. It takes place on the Mississippi Delta a few years after the Louisiana Purchase and the American takeover of sugar plantation life. I'll have more on that later.
• By reader request, Stephen and Manon Pernoud's story is developing. It will be a short story and out probably sometime early in 2018.
• Gabriel and Alicia, also by reader request, is in production. Figuring out their "dark moment" is giving me a run for my money.

Planned releases subject to change depending on this household sheltering more hurricane evacuees, and family members having medical crises:

December 2017 - High Maintenance, Mickey Dolan and his southern belle, Tara McKenzie

March 2018 - No Turning Back, Sean Dolan and quartet member Marianne Drummond

Until next time!

Detailing The Flavor Of A City

At the top of Art Hill in Forest Park

Yes, I'm somewhat into self-mortification. Last week, before I pressed "publish" on my latest novel, I actually looked at the reviews of the first one. The one that started it all. For a variety of reasons, I'm reworking it, and since it is free, I need to add it to an online retailer that hasn't ever carried it. So, I wanted to know what needed to be fixed.

One review was amazingly disheartening as the reader completely missed the interplay between the characters and went straight to objecting to their faith demonstrations. Okay, maybe I overdid it with all of that, but when it comes to "write about what you know," that's what I know.

In a way, though, all of that detail was supposed to be a reflection of the character of the city. My hometown of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by Pierre Laclede, a Frenchman who came up the Mississippi to set up a fur trading post. One of the first buildings built was a church. As a friend who is not a native put it, in STL Catholics still rule the roost. We have two St. Patrick's Day parades, a Mardi Gras celebration second only to New Orleans and maybe Carnival in Brazil, the open container law in the state is you can't be the driver and have an open container...and then there are the Lenten Fish Fries.

Yes, I poured on the fish fries a bit thick in the first book, but when I say there are websites dedicated to posting which parishes have one which week during Lent, and listings in the newspapers, I'm not kidding. Radio stations do remotes from them. St. Ferdinand, which is mentioned in the book, is legendary for being the best of the best. St. Mary Magdalen actually has a drive through every week. My parish does two. They're big fundraisers where everyone pitches in and has fun - and it is part of the culture.

Perhaps that wasn't explained well, but there it is. EVERYONE goes to the fish fries. EVERYONE.

And so it is, as I go to write the tenth installment (started the first draft today), this one takes place in August and September. Honestly, for the first three weeks of August NOTHING happens around here. It's hot, and a lot of people are out of town. September, on the other hand, is one festival or event after another. Trying to work all of that in is going to be a challenge. Greek Fest, the Japanese Festival, the Clayton Art Fair which is a nationally judged event, the Great Forest Park Balloon Race. These are the weekend events by which we mark time.

It also speaks very much to the culture of the city, one that is not well understood outside of it. There is so much to do here, it's not even funny.

I'll try to work more of that in.

Pressing "PUBLISH" And Avoiding The Reviews

Well.... It happened. Whether the book or the cover was ready or not, I pushed "PUBLISH" today. The plain and simple reality is that I need the income from it, and the boost of book buying that I get whenever I put out a new installment of the series.

What was maddening today, though, was that, in the pit of my stomach, I really wondered if the final product was too racy to be considered "clean romance" even if the characters never take off their clothes in front of each other. The premise is that they are attracted to each other and do a lot of dirty talking before giving in. Yes, all of that is natural and healthy, but was it enough to spin a book?

The thing is, in a series, there will always be one or two stories that don't quite add up to the angst of the others. I fear this was one of those times. The next one is in a different category when it comes to that. (Yes, there is a tease at the end.)

There is always a chance to revisit a published work later (and a definite opportunity to put a new cover on it), and make necessary changes. The problem is knowing what changes to make. That usually involves reading the reviews.

And just like in my other artistic endeavor, classical music, avoiding the reviews is a good thing. No one wants to read trash talk about what amounts to their baby, even if reviews - good ones, anyway - are how new readers find new authors. Good reviews are always appreciated, so are politely honest ones. Snippy and snarky ones, not so much

So, today I pressed "PUBLISH" on Talk Dirty To Me, the first book in the second half of the Turn My Head series. Now the waiting begins as the distributor takes it the rest of the way.

The first six books of the Turn My Head series are:

Turn My Head – Adam Pernoud and Mae Jones

Break Through – Ben Pernoud and Darcy Platt

Third Time’s the Charm – Christian Pernoud and Sarah Jane Rappaport

Conflict of Interest - Damian Pernoud and Margot Dolan

Romeo Night – Ed Pernoud and Beth Hartke

Last Man Standing – Francis Pernoud and Rosemary Fallon