Amberly Smith

5th Anniversary for Dreamspinner Press

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:35:00 +0000

Dreamspinner Press turns five this month, and with it comes a huge, month-long celebration that includes sales, giveaways, prizes, and more!

Over the course of the month, all our our titles will be discounted according to how long the author has been with us.

May 1-5, we will offer a 40% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks) by authors who signed with us during our first year of business: Rhianne Aile, Eric Arvin, Connie Bailey, Alix Bekins, Nicki Bennett, Giselle Ellis, Catt Ford, Shay Kincaid, Marguerite Labbe, Clare London, Dar Mavison, Anais Morten, Chrissy Munder, Zahra Owens, D.G. Parker, Abigail Roux, John Simpson, Fae Sutherland, Ariel Tachna, Madeleine Urban.

May 6-12, we will offer a 35% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our second year of business. Watch the web site for the list.

May 13-19, we will offer a 30% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our third year of business. Watch the web site for the list.

May 20-26, we will offer a 25% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our fourth year of business. Watch the web site for the list. This is my week!

May 27-31, we will offer a 20% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our fifth year of business. Watch the web site for the list.

In addition, we have three scheduled giveaways for the month!

One lucky participant in our Time Is Eternity Daily Dose chat at the Literary Nymphs Yahoo! Group on May 5 will win a Kindle Fire!

One lucky participant in Jeremy Pack's Meet the Author at Dreamspinner Press's Facebook page on May 19 will win all the eBooks on his or her wishlist! Time to load up that wishlist.

One lucky customer on our web site during the month of May will win an iPad! Each purchase from midnight EST May 1 to midnight EST May 31 constitutes an entry.

We'll also be doing special flash sales, so keep an eye on the web site for unannounced excitement!

Closet Case Reviewed!

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 10:05:00 +0000

Tam over at Brief Encounters has posted a review of my short story Closet Case.

"this is a nice taste of the author’s style and the repeater universe for newbies to the concept."
Thanks Tam! Overall the review told me two things, give us more details on how the repeater thing works and get your butt in gear to publish the second novel. Message received.

http://briefencountersreviews.com/2012/04/20/closet-case-by-amberly-smith/

Release Day +1 and Excerpt

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:03:00 +0000

Yesterday Closet Case, Peat's coming out story, was released from Dreamspinner Press. Woot! Woot!

Here's an excerpt. Enjoy.

WHEN his cell phone rang, Peat Harris stood in that breath of space between car collision and awareness, an instant of structured chaos. He had made the stupid mistake of calling home the day before, so he couldn’t curse fate for this awkward moment about to happen.

Today, as a Repeat day, should be disconnected from reality like an island from shore. Repeat days, for whatever arbitrary reason, ended at midnight, hit the delete key and started with a blank screen. As if the day had never happened, had yet to happen.

The days disappeared, existing only in Peat’s memory. He alone remembered the original¬ sequence of events. He alone remembered the alterations he manipulated each time after, trying for the right combination.

He had learned that the hard way. On Peat’s first Repeat, he had written and lost a term paper twice before he realized his efforts disappeared at the restart of each day. On a different Repeat day, he’d lost his virginity and now was the only one who remembered how powerful it was. The relationship couldn’t develop after that with chunks missing from their romance.

On today’s original version, he woke with his hands vibrating like a tuning fork, an icy chill of awareness that he had just woken up in the middle of a Repeat day. The accident happened on the I-5 heading south: a pile of commuter travelers stacked like mis-sized Tupperware, with razor sharp edges, ready to topple. The dark sky blunted all the sharp metal angles of the compacted, twisted, mangled cars and trucks. A Miata bit into the foreskin of a Mac truck like a Shiatsu biting the forward flank of a Doberman. The rusty, dull Cadillac had diced up the Prius into little cubes. Glass, shoes, and rubber tires garnished the edges. The dreary pulse of rain made all but the red blood muted, turned off.

….

When his phone rang a second time, he answered on autopilot. “Hello?” Stepping carefully around the metal carnage, he looked for the car with the kids in it. A little compact car. Maybe the quick ambulance response would save them today.

“Darling, what is that noise?”

Bloody hell. It was his mom. “Roommate’s got a video game going.”

“‘My roommate is playing a video game’,” she corrected. “Can you please ask him to turn down the volume?”

“Mum, I’m going to call you back.” But she’d insisted her son be trained in etiquette and he just couldn’t bring himself to hang up the phone.

“Absolutely darling, but first tell me why you called yesterday. You indicated it was quite important that we speak.”

He rolled his eyes and cursed. The medics had shown up, and he stepped to the sideline to watch. The day would Repeat and maybe he could prevent the accident the next time. Right now he needed information on exactly what had happened so he’d know how to save all these people tomorrow.

His conversation with his mom would reset as well. He could tell her and gauge her reaction and then decide if he really wanted to tell her at all.

He laid on his best British accent—which was natural since Mum and Da were originally from London—knowing she’d be chuffed to hear him use it. “Mother, I wanted you to know. I’m gay.”

Closet Case - Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 04:49:00 +0000

I am officially on Dreamspinner's Coming Soon page. Hooray! Closet Case is Peat's coming out story. Take a look at the cover and finalized blurb. Set aside your 1.49 so you can pick up your copy come March 7.

Closet Case
more about Peat? Rinse and Repeat

Closet Case - Galley Proofs

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:58:00 +0000

I turned in the galley proofs yesterday for my Repeater short story Closet Case. No changes needed, nicely done Anne Regan and Dreamspinner Press. I don't have a release date yet, sometime in March. As a short story it gets this lovely Anne Cain cover

Random Things - Five things that made me smile

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:00:00 +0000

This is a new section where I share random stuff. Feel free to send me your random in reply. See the blog hop steps below.

I interviewed and hired someone at work. Always great to tell someone that yes, after months of unemployment, you have a paycheck in your future.
Suzanne Brockmann (call me Suz) posted to the RRW yahoo loop about her upcoming futuristic urban fantasy which will have a major gay romance subplot. (And this by a 'mainstream' publisher) I'm a fan girl and I'm counting down the days until the official count down to the book. Yep, you read that right.
Had the opportunity to blow someone's miss guide expectations and assumptions of me out of the water. I look sweet, innocent and conservative but I'm not.
Bought the oldest a pair of boots she's been eying for over a month with a 40% off coupon. She's a very happy tween.
Out latest End Results user, a critique service I coordinate for my local romance chapter, gave us glowing praise. "What your chapter does with End Results is amazing." Yes it is.

Please share one or more random thing that makes you smile. Put up a quick post on your blog and enter the new link into the linky tool below. Also, be sure to include a link back to this post so your readers can check out all the random goodness below. Check back to see new links.

RRW Meeting - Speak up

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:33:00 +0000

The Rainbow Romance Writers will have a general meeting for members from 8AM CST Friday, January 13 until 8AM CST Monday, January 16, 2012.

This meeting will be held at the yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rainbowromancewriters/

During the time of the meeting, no non-meeting business should go on the loop. Chatting to each other is fine, as we want to encourage members to get to know one another. However, during the time of the meeting, please no promotional announcements. Think of it as a meeting: you wouldn't stand up in the middle of a meeting and announce your blog tour. Once the meeting closes, all normal activity will resume.

No member is required to attend, but all members are welcomed and encouraged to. Since this is our first time trying to hold a "meeting" with so many people over such a long period of time, we'll be feeling our way as we go. Obviously no one will be "present" the entire time, but all four officers will be as present as possible and will answer questions, etc.

The agenda for the January meeting will be as follows:

1. Introductions/goals for the yearhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

2. New committees: call for leaders & members

3. Website changes and what we need from you, including the transfer to myRWA

4. MEMBER DISCUSSION: is there a need for liaisons for the LB&T members of our community to the board

5. Any questions/concerns you might have

If you have any questions now about the upcoming meeting, please contact one of the members of the board.
emails available on the website www.rainbowromancewriters.com

Saturday Snark

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:40:00 +0000

Marie Sexton, here, puts up little snarky excerpts from her writing each Saturday and a blog hop ensues. For my first time participating I http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhave an excerpt from Men's Shirts, Short Skirts. Enjoy and then check out all the other snark by going to Marie's site and following the lovely links.

He looked me in the eye and kept looking. Holy smokes he is sexy. I sighed and my mouth took that as permission to open and dump words on his head.

“I am so sorry. I didn‘t know he was your dad or that you weren‘t out to him. Your brother should have said something. Not that that‘s an adequate defense for being a complete idiot, but he should have said something.” I shook my head. “No, it‘s my fault.”

Roger stood up from his desk and stepped in front of me. “Dad said that you taught the team the line dance.”

I blinked. “Yeah, I did.”

“I love to line dance.”

“Great for you! What the fuck about your dad?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I smacked the side of my head and groaned.

He laughed and I realized two things: one, he had a sexy laugh, musical and unrestrained. I love men who can laugh. Two, I realized it was the first time I‘d ever heard him laugh. I wanted to make him laugh again.

“Can I just say that brother of yours has two left feet? We worked two hours just on the chorus steps. Two. I kept saying left, and he would step all over the chick next to him.”

He laughed and took another step toward me.

“Sure the man can sing, but with moves like this….” I did a snazzy two-step tap with flaying arms.

“No way was he that bad.”

“Was.”

Read more about Nate and Roger in the Higher Learning anthology.

Literary Nymphs Chat 3pm Eastern

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:01:00 +0000

From Pam of Literary Nymphs "Please join Literary Nymphs, on October 18 from 3:00 to 10:00 pm Eastern time, as we welcome the authors of Dreamspinner Press' latest anthology Higher Learning so they can talk about their stories. Authors attending are: M. Lee, J.J. Levesque, Dar Mavison, Jamie Lowe, Amberly Smith, Cooper West, G.P. Keith, Dawn Kimberly Johnson, Ellen Holiday, Leora Stark, Ellee Hill, Claire Russett, Jeanette Grey and Eve Ocotillo. Looking forward to
seeing all of you there!"

I'll be posting on my breaks at work and chats are always a lot of fun.

Literary Nymphs Chat

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Ten of the authors from the Higher Learning anthology will be chatting over at the Literary Nymphs Yahoo Group. October 18th, tomorrow, from 3 to 10 pm.

Join now and enjoy all the excerpts, chatty goodness and your chance to win a free copy of the anthology.

Hope to see you there.

Release Day

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 06:00:00 +0000

The college anthology Higher Learning is coming out today October 17! I can't wait to read everyone else's stories.

Leora Stark's Second Beginnings is about a history professors second chance at love. Check out her website for more info.

Ellen Holiday is leading us off with Rainy Days and Star Charts about college freshman finding love while star-gazing. She actively blogs here.

Cooper West's first hand knowledge of graduate school must come into play for his story Accismus. Check out him and his other books here.

Dawn Kimberly Johnson, possibly our most prolific of the anthology, recently clued me into Husbands. Her story is Surprise Me with a professor and campus security guard trying to survive a campus shooting.

Get a chance to check out excerpts, chat with the authors and win free stuff on tomorrow Tuesday, October 18th from 3 to 10pm on the Literary Nymphs Yahoo Group.

Higher Learning: Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:02:00 +0000

Shania Twain is a hottie but in this video...whoa. It inspired my story in the Dreamspinner's college anthology. Check out the video
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Men's Shirts, Short Skirts and the rest of the anthology is available from Dreamspinner Press.

Please Call Again

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:16:00 +0000

I remember the first time I saw a Please Call Again sign in a store window. We had our own pharmacist (father was a diabetic, sister is asthmatic) who wasn't part of some chain store. They sold home made caramels at the check out counter and I'd look through their greeting cards while we waited for the prescriptions to be filled. Best caramels I've ever tasted. The sign hung on the glass door and probably said Open on the other side. I thought it was so weird that the sign didn't say Come Again and Mom had to explain that visiting used to be calling. You paid a call or went and visited way before they even had phones.

Why the trip down memory lane? I just realized that comments for this site weren't notifying me. Lovely friends and readers stopped by to say kind things, they came to call and I didn't know. So, I'm sorry I missed your call. Please Call Again!

Higher Learning: Blurbs

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:55:00 +0000

Here are the other stories that will be in the Higher Learning anthology from Dreamspinner Press out October 17th. Four days!

Rainy Days and Star Charts by Ellen Holiday

College freshman Joel is admiring Andy’s freckles from the seat behind him in their shared Astronomy lecture. Overwhelmed by all of the math involved, Andy turns around one day to bemoan the lack of star-gazing he’d expected when he signed up for the class. When Joel tells him about the astronomy club’s \"star parties\" on Monday nights it seems like a match made in heaven. But every Monday night it seems to rain, so instead they end up spending the time getting to know each other, sharing their stories, each learning how to take a risk and reach out into the universe—at college or in the cosmos—and make discoveries in unexpected places.

Tutor Me, Love by Ellee Hill

Zach is a college sophomore with no time for fun and games. He’s at school on scholarships and is determined to not let anything distract him from proving to his parents he can make it on his own. He earns extra money by working as a tutor, and so far he’s successfully kept on track without losing his focus—until he meets Deacon. Deacon is a guitarist in a band and a flirt and he’s evidently been interested in Zach since Orientation. Zach doesn\'t want to think beyond his next homework assignment, but Deacon is a delicious temptation who won’t give up.

Inspiration by Claire Russett

Physics professor Dr. Eric Hardiman is working late one evening on a research project that’s causing him problems—there’s an error somewhere in his equations, but he just can’t find it. He’s distracted and frustrated when Matt Wilkinson, an engineering professor, arrives on the scene. Buzzing with energy from his own night’s work, Matt inspires Eric in more ways than one.

Second Beginnings by Leora Stark

History professor Braydon Rothfuss has been alone since his long-time lover was killed almost a year ago. He’d thought his heart had stopped for good that day, but then Jay Mitchum walked into his classroom and took his breath away. Jay, recently discharged from the army after being wounded, is still struggling with his sexuality. Forced to spend time together both in class and in tutorial, their mutual attraction grows stronger and, after a series of heated looks, some lust-loaded moments, and a few misinterpretations, the two find themselves at an off-campus bar talking things over.

Bug Boy by Jeanette Grey

Dan Holbrook remembers Jesse Milner as the social misfit from his third grade class—the quiet boy in the glasses who liked to play with bugs. When he encounters Jesse again as a junior in college, the glasses and the bugs are still there, but in every other way he’s changed. Handsome and self-assured, Jesse is exactly Dan’s type, but a decade of resentment over past rejections has made Jesse wary. Dan resolves to do whatever he has to in order to crack that prickly exoskeleton and get close to Jesse, no matter how hard Jesse tries to push him away.

Accismus by Cooper West

Charlie Harper has had a crush on handsome, popular, straight frat boy Lance Milton since they were both undergrads. Lance graduated first, and in the following two years Charlie thought he had recovered from his hopeless crush. He was wrong: when starting graduate studies in Rhetoric and Composition, Charlie runs into Lance once again. Lance remembers Charlie, and starts up a friendship that is fueled by a shared love of a local coffee shop. Charlie doesn\'t hide the fact he\'s gay, but he does hide his attraction to Lance, knowing it would be unreciprocated. Or would it?

Men’s Shirts, Short Skirts by Amberly Smith

My goal at the party was to win the costume contest, but when Roger hit on me I thought—when I could unravel my brain—that he’d make a great prize. Until I learned that the cute guy from my psych class wasn’t a closet case I could lure out, but a pledging frat boy with something to prove. His talented tongue might have made me flush with heat, but the only action Roger was going to get would be me teaching him the error of his ways. Except I got it all wrong, and I\'m going to need to quick-step it before I lose any chance to win him back.

Learning After Hours by Jamie Lowe

Greg is a standoffish junior who works in the writing tutoring lab. One day Jordan, the popular pretty-boy from his history class, asks him for help with a paper. Greg refuses—they’re not friends—but Jordan won’t be dissuaded, and when he comes in to the writing lab, Greg can’t turn him away. The situation gets complicated as Greg discovers that Jordan likes historical trivia... and that maybe he’s not a moron after all. But when Greg realizes their encounters might not be coincidences, tensions rise between them, and Greg might not be the only person at risk of being hurt

Universally Gay by M. Lee

Eighteen-year old Mark is leaving behind a repressive home for the freedom that college offers. Determined to be true to himself, Mark weathers the ups and downs of being out for the first time, finding a refuge in his roommate’s acceptance and the university’s gay student community. There he sees Seth, blond and glittery and full of courage. Their shared lit class gives Mark the excuse he needs to talk to his crush and maybe to let himself fall in love for the first time.

Literature and Lust by J.J. Levesque

When Jamie signs up for the “Vice in Literature” course with his friend Sadie, he doesn’t expect to find anything other than a few good books to sink his teeth into and analyze. But when Ethan appears at his side at the bookstore, looking for the same course materials, he finds the man of his dreams. The two students quickly discover shared interests, but nothing romantic seems to come of their friendship. It isn’t until another chance encounter in the library late one night that things heat up between them, nearly setting the pages of the books on fire.

Statistical Outliers by G.P. Keith

Opposites often attract, as Ben—a post-doctoral researcher teaching a course in statistics for a group of football jocks—discovers when he finds himself drawn to one of his students. Tom is a big, quiet young man, but not as innocent as he first appears. When Ben is inadvertently “outed” by another of his students during a lecture, a bond of support begins to develop that is furthered when Tom injures himself during practice. Ben must teach Tom other ways to feel good about himself, such as by mastering the difficult subject of statistics, and Tom in turn teaches Ben to feel good about a more physical education.

Surprise Me by Dawn Kimberly Johnson

Each fleeing heartbreak from opposite ends of the country, Biz and Tock both wind up in tiny Marcia, Texas. There the professor and campus security guard find themselves thrust into the even tinier space of a utility closet in the college’s science building. Gun-wielding thugs are on the other side of the door, and Tock wants to protect the cute civilian at his side, while Biz just wants to survive the night and have the chance to love again.

Close Distance Education by Dar Mavison

Cassidy is a young student taking distance education courses along with his full course load to speed his graduation. He is beautiful and sensual and poses semi-nude to help pay the rent. Gavril Dalcro is his mysterious older classmate— a foreign businessman with no real need for a distance education course on business writing. Cass is intrigued by Gavril before they even meet at the library to work on their group project. Both are both pleasantly surprised at how attractive they find each other, and when Gavril asks Cass out for dinner, Cass begins to suspect he’s being seduced. He’s not wrong, though Gavril prefers to call it “wooing”.

Brazos Mud and Horn-Rimmed Glasses by Eve Ocotillo

TJ is an easy-going and affable native Texan who frames houses for a living and picks up odd jobs to make ends meet. While moonlighting as a university janitor, he meets Daniel, a young chemistry professor newly transplanted from Michigan. Daniel is everything TJ is not—soft spoken, elegant and intense—and TJ is instantly attracted to him. Over the course of several weeks, TJ woos Daniel, chewing nails wondering whether a professor could be interested in a mere janitor and trying to interpret the mixed signals he seems to be getting.

Higher Learning: excerpt of Men's Shirts, Short Skirts

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Men's Shirts, Short Skirts is part of Dreamspinner's college anthology Higher Learning
October 17, 2011

Here's an excerpt:

“You look very fuckable.”

Since I'd gotten to the costume party, I heard a few compliments about looking hot in the black mini skirt and trench coat. Even a few of the frat boys had cat called and whistled. It didn't bother me. It just meant our win of the five hundred dollar grand prize was a lock. My roomies in their tight red mesh shirts and dark khol eyes were getting a lot of attention from the ladies. Which was great since the costume idea had been a tough sale. If we didn't win, which we would, they'd still have a blast and hopefully get some play. Even timid Tommy looked good as one of my backup singers and was chatting up a cheerleader.

I turned my head slightly, smile on my face just in case the speaker had a judge ribbon pinned to his shirt. Not a judge. It turned out to be the activist from my psychology class. You know the type. Recycles, won't wear leather, marches in protests. Looks a bit like the male version of an earth mom. A hippie minus the peace signs and psychedelic clothes. I thought his name may have been Roger. In class he slouched in his seat and took up our whole row with his personality. He’s cute, smart and truth be told I’m a bit intimidated.

My friend Lorrie, who I’d been talking to, stepped in for me. “Really? I was going for gruesome.” Unless the guy was into the walking dead, no way would anyone say fuckable about her tonight. Normally? Totally. But with peeling flesh and bloody splatters...well, I'd had to look her in the eyes when we talked so I didn't focus too long on the rotting flesh and get queasy. She was just giving the guy an out. I looked like a chick from behind, even with the top hat, because the black corset gave me an hour glass shape. But up close, even with the makeup and half veil, it was pretty obvious I was all male.

“Actually, I meant your friend.”

I turned a bit more to eye Roger the Activist. He was dressed as a cop. The irony of it, a down-with-the-man, free spirit buttoned into the blue uniform of a police officer, made me laugh.

He touched the badge on his respectable pec and grinned, possibly knowing what I was thinking. “It's my brother's uniform.”

It looked good but there were other cops at the party, just like there were other zombies, so I wasn't worried he'd be competition. The smile and blush and the way he shifted under my leer, made me think he'd spoken before he really got a look at me.

I decided to ignore his earlier comment, like Lorrie, willing to give him an out now that he had seen me and would realize I was a guy too. Don't get me wrong, he looked plenty doable every day. Add the uniform and I was swallowing to keep the drool from ruining my lipstick. I have always had a thing for men in uniform. Recently I had the opportunity to try out handcuffs and I definitely had a horny spot for restraints. So, rebellious hottie with a pair of cuffs on his hip? Hot, hot, hot. But you couldn't hold someone to something they said at some loud college party.

This was the house party. The people who lived here promoted the monthly event all over social media. The place was huge. I’d come to a couple parties last year and still hadn’t made it to the backyard.

“Lorrie, Officer Do Right is in my psychology class.” I figured it was close enough to an introduction that it covered the fact I couldn't remember his name. Now I'd politely pull him into the conversation. I couldn’t remember what we were talking about, the hottie had me distracted, but we’d wing it. “We were just talking--”

“I'm serious.” He rushed to talk over me. “You look good.” He stepped close and let his hand brush across my exposed thigh, just above the thigh high black boots.

Word Choice

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 06:01:00 +0000

Cozy two bedroom in trendy neighborhood. Original hardword floors and fixtures. Pets allowed with deposit.

Real estate listings are great examples of proper word choice. They spin the description to sound positive and hide the negative. No matter how they intended us to interpret the meaning, our experiences influence what we think when we hear ‘cozy’ and ‘original.’ To a DIY type (do it yourself) ‘original’ could mean a great opportunity to restore, or remodel. To a hoarder ‘cozy’ just does not denote enough space. And if you had allergies? But what does the listing say about the property manager? Hold that thought.

What makes something sexy? Scary? Intense? Can you create tone and emotion but be brief? Or does it require an intricately detailed story? Choosing the right words can turn your writing from okay to emotionally heavy, powerful. And you want power, yes?

Denotation is the defined meaning of a word. You can look a word up in a dictionary and it will tell you what most people think that word means. It is not what the word means to everyone. Dictionaries don’t create the rules they report on what the general public are using and how.

Connotation is the implied meaning of a word. Skinny, slim, thin, and scrawny may have the same denotation but their implied meaning depends on context (when and where they are said) and content (who and how). If your bitchy, self-righteous animal activist is calling the local butcher scrawny, with a shocked tone, it means something different than a fat girl calling her ex-boyfriend scrawny. Connotation and Denotation, the first two layers of meaning.

The third layer is what is revealed about the character whose POV we are in. Their level of education, their past sexual partners, their birth order. Are they from the south? Do they think they deserve love? Is their accent legit? If we are in the butcher’s head it will sound differently than when we are in the animal activist’s head.

Great. So what? Well, if you are aware of the importance of word choice, you can make your story stronger, more powerful as you revise. You’ve seen the difference. As a reader you’ve read sex scenes that didn’t feel sexy. Characters have sobbed emotional tears all over the page and you’ve shrugged your shoulders. But you’ve also read stories where the briefest touch or smoldering look between two characters made your heart race and fan yourself. A simple story about a mom that cut the crust off sandwiches can make you weep through a whole box of tissues.

Pride and Prejudice is a good example, partly because it is fairly likely that you’ve read the book or seen the movie. As a reader I hated Darcy and was absolutely shocked when he proposed marriage at the end of the book. Why? Because Elizabeth’s POV was skewed after his unintentional cut at their first meeting. She was determined to see him in a certain light so the reader does too.

Another example is Suzanne Brockmann’s characters Jules Cassidy and Adam Wyndhem. Adam is about to get his own Happily Ever After in her upcoming ebook When Tony Met Adam. As a reader I didn’t think he deserved one. All her characters are flawed but he cheated and made some really stupid mistakes. But all of that? All those opinions formed about him are from other character’s POVs. What Jules thinks of him and the words he uses to describe him are different from the words Alyssa Locke (Jule’s friend and FBI partner) uses. Adam screwed up but so did Jules, who in my opinion has a Superman complex, but we’ll save that for character flaws. Adam’s side of the story isn’t so black and white, good and bad.

Here is an everyday example. Think of the woman at work/church/school who is always complaining about her husband/boyfriend, he treats her like scum and you can’t imagine why they are still together. And then you meet him at a Christmas party or company picnic or grocery store and he seems nice and even normal. In her complaints she leaves out the positive. You don’t hear his side of the argument.

I recently read an entry for a contest in which a character was reliving a car accident. The scene described the accident and the death of one of the passengers. It read mechanical and empty and I wondered if the writer had ever been in a car accident, if they had ever loss someone they loved. I wasn’t convinced.

Now this isn’t about writing what you know. You don’t have to be in a car accident to describe how it feels. The distortion of time, the howling void in your stomach, the rush of adrenaline after it is over that makes you shake. Instead you can imagine. You can take how it felt to take a major test and intensify it. That date that went horribly wrong becomes the perfect fodder for a public knife fight.

Here is a way to practice. The hands-on part of this lesson. Right now you are sitting some place reading this article. Write a page describing the room but do it from the POV of a person who is tied to a chair. A whole page to describe the room, no dialogue and no other characters.

Practice, part b. Now describe the room from the POV of a person who has just been told that she is going to be a grandmother for the first time. A whole page to describe the room, no dialogue and no other characters. Yes, you can read ahead but make sure you actually do this. Time yourself and see how quickly you can whip out a page.

Now the hard part. Go back and look at the description and find ways to emphasize the tone. Yes the captured prisoner is looking for things that will help him escape but does he use words that signify that he has given up hope? Are objects rounded and soft or sharp and bitter. Same objects but if he is confident that help is on the way those objects are nothing compared to how bad it could really be.

Same objects, same room and the grandmother-to-be is either thinking about baby proofing the room or everything looks beautiful and magical because she feels those things inside. She loves that ragged old pair of tennis shoes. The captured prisoner might see them as salvation, despite their jagged edges, when he has to run for his life. Ragged. Jagged. Same denotation, different connotation and different character. Right word.

So now, as Cherry Adair would say, write the damn book. But then go back and make it stronger by choosing words that mean more, that reflect all the layers of meaning.

"Word Choice" first appeared in the April 2011 edition of Heart of Romance, the newsletter of the Coeur de Bois
Chapter (www.cbcrwa.com) of Romance Writers of America in Boise, Idaho.

Loooking for New Blood

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 22:10:00 +0000

Calling all fellow writers and readers. Popular Fiction Assoc. of Idaho who puts together the Mayhem in the Grove conference (formerly known as Murder in the Grove) are seeking new members to join our group. Since our conference is now open to all genre fiction, we would like to invite people from all local writing groups to join us at this informational meeting. During this meeting we hope to map out the future of the Mayhem in the Grove conference and the nonprofit organization.

We work together to bring to Idaho creative workshops, coveted agents and editors and our favorite authors.This is your chance to be a part of something incredibly fulfilling and challenging.

Over the years we have had some tremendous talent come to the Treasure Valley and we want to keep that spirit alive by bringing in new members with new and fresh ideas. Come to our meeting at Hastings located at Overland and Five Mile on Saturday August 20th, 7:00 pm. Bring your ideas and your enthusiasm and join us.

Victoria Gray

Mayhem in the Grove, member-at-large

My First Radio Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:06:00 +0000

Amanda Turner hosted me on The Writers' Block. It was fun and I think it went really well. We talked about gay romance, Popular Fiction Association of Idaho, authors (Dick Couch, Sarah Black, Rick Reed, Marie Sexton, and more) and Boise Pride Week.

Take a listen
http://radiowritersblock.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/amberlysmith.mp3

All Writers Write, Now Get To It.

Five Out Of Five Angels

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 04:44:00 +0000

Teresa gave GI Joe Holiday Five Angels!
http://fallenangelreviews.com/2011/May/teresa-gijoeholiday.htm

The Writers' Block

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:55:00 +0000

6/16 – The Writers’ Block – Amberly Smith is the president of the Popular Fiction Association of Idaho, as well as an author of gay romance, including Rinse and Repeat. We’ll talk about popular fiction, how a hetero married mom begins writing an all-male romance, and what she has planned for Pride Week. Listen live at 89.9FM or check back at www.RadioWritersBlock.com to download the show.

Happy Birthday Dreamspinner

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Sun, 01 May 2011 21:18:00 +0000

Happy Birthday Dreamspinner Press - May Specials
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A drawing each week for an ebook reader of the winner's choice: Kindle WiFi, NOOK WiFi, or Sony PRS 350SC
49.99 on the 2011 DD set - First Time for Everything until May 25

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Check the Dreamspinner Press Homepage May 29, 30, and 31st for three special surprises.

Obsidian Bookshelf: Review Rinse and Repeat by Amberly Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 06:46:00 +0000

A recommended read from Obsidian Bookshelf! Sweet.
Obsidian Bookshelf: Review Rinse and Repeat by Amberly Smith

Coming Out Excerpt from Rinse and Repeat

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:05:00 +0000

Peat's POV (Bert and Molly are Jake's parents)

Part of being out and open about his sexuality had been coming out of the closet, though he'd only resided briefly in said closet. There was the big coming out, the times—yes, plural, long story—he had told his mom, and there were small coming outs. For a while it felt like a constant process, so many people to tell, so little desire to continue talking about it.

Coming out was not a big deal when you were introduced as “my boyfriend Peat” or “this is Peat. I told you about him.” But introductions to complete strangers sometimes lead to the opening of the closet. They'd ask. Or Peat would say. But only when they needed to know. Gay or straight wasn't required information if they were issuing him a ticket or trying to find his dry cleaning among the turnstile.

Jake had given his dad a hug and said, “This is Peat.” Peat left the closet door open and kept an eye out just in case he needed to step out properly.

“Well, you of course didn't leave us a note.” Long pause from Bert. “Because you didn't know we were coming home early.”

“True,” Molly said. “I found your cell phone under your bed.” She waited for her son's response, but Peat's was instant: unmade bed and condom wrapper. Forget stepping out, Peat had just been slingshot out, shiny-white-ass naked. The blush was the body's stupid idea of camouflage. Like, what? Red, a target color, was better than we-come-in-peace white?

Jake didn't say anything, and his face remained neutral, passing the potatoes to his father. He darted a glance at Peat and smiled, a flashy grin, then refocused on his plate.

Molly sighed. “Well, I just hope you guys are being careful.”

“I‟m a safety girl,” Peat sing-songed, trying for humor.

Bert looked up from his plate, and Jake, eyes narrowed and fork halfway to his mouth, stared. Peat was about to explain when Molly said, “Julia Roberts?” Not asking a question of Peat but seeing if Bert and Jake were able to follow. “Pretty Woman?” Her eyebrows and tone said, “Hello?”

and he says to me, "No, really."

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:32:00 +0000

Chris gave Rinse and Repeat 5 Stars on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/145951876. In other news my mother-in-law has skipped the love scenes but liked the ending. LOL. Since she isn't my target audience I've decided to be okay with that.

Today I am guest blogging over at CupOPorn about telling the family I write gay romance. Come for my article stay for the eyecandy. NSFW stands for Not Safe For Work, fyi.

Happy Wednesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Amberly) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 07:14:00 +0000

Pictures from the local skate park that is featured in my book Rinse and Repeat. You can see the ice warehouse and basketball court in the background.

These are the murals and above is what locals call the connector.

Rinse and Repeat just went on sale. Watching my cover switch from the coming soon to the new release page...definitely worth staying up for.