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!

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

Permission to Relax

One of the hardest aspects of transitioning from office work, chasing after kids, staying up on current events so as to be an effective blogger, etc., to almost a pure artist in terms of writing, music, and crochet, is learning to relax. Well, not so much relax, but learning to shut down and do nothing as a means of recharging the creative batteries.

I'm lucky enough to live in a hidden gem of a city where we have world class cultural institutions and amenities accessible year round thanks to them being on a tax base. Truly, taking advantage of the proximity is something I enjoy. However, escaping the guilt of living in a society where work is often placed above family and God - let alone mental health and natural stress relief - is much harder. Just sitting at the pool and watching people I've known for decades sunning themselves is a challenge.

After a challenging summer, that is where I find myself. I need to finish up a book, and get it published, but am only good for editing for about an hour and half. Composing I can last longer, and frequently do, but an hour and a half of work in a day?  Huh? I'm an American. How is that possible? So many people here are fond of saying "if you don't work, you don't eat."

Well, in writing, some realities just have to be worked around, and is something I have to reconcile, just like only being able to sing for so long before the voice and the rest of the body needs rest. The brain and the creative juices need it too.

And I have to take it. It's a learned skill in a family of people who have a tendency not to stop.

That's where I am. Learning to make a schedule that includes rest and relaxation as part of the work cycle.

News:

I started sketching out Alicia and Gabriel's story today. Will begin composing when I have "Talk Dirty to Me" published, and Draft 2 of "High Maintenance" in the can.

Draft 3 of "Talk Dirty to Me" should be done within the next week. Looking at the second week of September or so to publish depending on Draft 4.