My Brain. My Blog.

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Just as I was about to leave for a internet-less writer’s retreat last week, Helena Fairfax asked if I’d like to participate in The Next Big Thing blog hop. I said yes even though I’d would be out of touch with the world and I’d have to tweak the format a bit because my novel-in-progress is too in progress to share just yet.

I'm really glad I checked my email that one last time and that she was was okay with me talking about something that’s already out. It gave me a chance to participate in a great blog hop and I got to talk about one of my favorite characters. Thanks, Helena!

What is the title of your book?
The Brenda Diaries. It’s not very original but I pride myself on picking the perfect name for the main character.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
Brenda started out as my nameless, imaginary assistant. She proved to be highly efficient and thorough despite being a tad surly. My husband, who owns his own company, asked me to help out in his office and I said, “I can’t do it, but Brenda can.” It then spiraled into barely controlled chaos (both imaginary and real) from there.

What genre does your book fall under?
Short answer is chick lit, longer answer is commercial modern womens fiction. Brenda is in her early 20s, recently out of college and trying desperately not to define herself even though she knows who she is.

Which actors would you choose to play your main character in a movie rendition?
I won’t pretend I haven’t thought about this. It’s equally split between Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) and Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider Man) and I’d be more than happy with either. Honestly.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Meet Brenda. A temp with a bad attitude and an excellent work ethic. (Technically two but the first one is really short.)

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My first four novels (Underneath It All, Life Over Easy, More Than This and Good-bye To All That) were published by Kensignton and Touchstone. The Brenda Diaries was my first as a self-published author. I worked with an editor and copy editor as well as corralling readers to slog through my early drafts.
I was already used to doing a bulk of the outreach for my first four novels so taking on that part of the process for The Brenda Diaries wasn’t as daunting as it could have been. Marketing is a lot of work, though, and I could be a lot better at it. Someday. Maybe.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
The Brenda Diaries started out as a Twitter feed (@BrendaDiaries) and a blog which I then turned into a diary based novel. The hard part was taking what had already been shared with followers and figuring out how to fit that into a narrative that would start on the day the feed did and end on the day the ebook came out. All in all, I’d say it took about six weeks with another six for reader notes, editing and copy editing.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
A blog reader commented that Brenda reminded her of a cancelled Showtime series called Dead Like Me. Lucky for not dead me, it was available for streaming via Netflix at the time so I watched it while I wrote.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Brenda is a fictional character with her own Twitter feed. Then she got a real job at my husband’s company and had more to write about. I was doing it as a lark but a friend asked if it was going to be my next book. That was the push I needed to take what I was doing for fun and approach it as an almost real-time writing project.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Brenda's Twitter feed continues on and I tweak how I approach it every once in a while. I thought I’d stop after the book came out, but I really enjoy Brenda. Because of that, I’m hoping to write a more traditional first-person or maybe third-person novel featuring Brenda sometime next year. It should be easier this time since I won’t have to worry about plotting it via Twitter.

And here are few fellow writers I’d love to answer the above questions….No pressure, ladies.
Anne Van
Mary Castillo
Heather Poole

The Commerce of Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:07:00 +0000

A couple of months ago, I left my Kindle Touch at the gym and someone decided to take it home and order a couple of Christian romance e-books on it.

Me forgetting it which then turned into theft (by a Christian romance reading thief) was bad enough, but I also had to worry about what my Kindle said about me. I had a ton of books on it and, I'll admit, more than a few that I purchased just because I could "hide" what I was reading unlike with a physical copy of a book. Being able to read about something I was shy about wanting to read about was what really drew me to the Kindle and why I was horrified that someone, the thief, now had an intimate glimpse as to what was going on in my noggin.

I had also begun to read a lot more fiction, something I tend to avoid when I'm writing. My beside table had become cluttered with New Yorkers, Vanity Fairs, Atlantics and Time magazines (this is only a small sample of what I subscribe to, the rest are picture heavy) because I had become Kindle dependent.

The one thing (well maybe more) that I didn't like about my Kindle was having to use Verso clip-on reading lamp and since I read a lot at night, the battery expense was getting, well, expensive. When Amazon announced the Paperwhite, which has a built-in light, I felt more than a tinge of regret knowing that I'd be stuck with my lamp and batteries for a long time.

Then it was gone. I called into the gym and asked them to keep an eye out for it. That I'd already cancelled my membership because I was unhappy with the place only added to my annoyance. I started looking for a new gym and reading my magazines again. My consumption of fiction dropped off even there there were plenty of books I wanted to read. Including the one I was right in the middle of when it was stolen.

My husband gave me his Kindle Touch as he was annoyed at having to pay for separate subscriptions to The New York Times and The Economist through Amazon even though we subscribe to the digital edition of both and accessed online or on the iPad.

I wiped it and loaded my books on it but it's not the same, it has the ads on it which annoy me to no end but not enough to upgrade to the ad-free version. This morning I sent it off to school with my kid who has to read an autobiography for school. He's a book reader and buyer, as in real, physical books. He's convinced that his collection will someday be very valuable. But since this autobiography wasn't something he was so sure he wanted to treat as "his own" book, he was more than willing to read it on the Kindle.

He promised to take care of it and even took it to school in the Kate Spade iPad case I forced on him (the thief now owns the padded sleeve I ordered off of etsy for it which is the only useful thing about it since I deactivated my Kindle and called it into Amazon who set up a block making it just a sad, dead grey slab of nothing).

If he were to lose it, which I'm sure he won't, or break it, which might happen since backpacks get tossed and kicked around by accident and on purpose, I'd really have no choice but to get that Paperwhite I've been sighing over. Or he might decide he likes to read on it and want to keep it for himself. Again, I'd be forced to order that Paperwhite which has been sitting in my cart since the pre-order days.

As for my Verso lamp, it turns out it works just as well for late-night magazine reading.

DB Sweeny Made My Thirties

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:07:00 +0000

I could rattle off a list of things I should consider high points that happened to occur in my 30th decade.

For instance, the realization that my kid, just having turned 5, could read. We were turning onto Wilshire Blvd, in Santa Monica, and he piped up from the back seat, "Why is this street named after Will Shire from Pirates of the Caribbean." His words confirmed that all those hundreds of hours I'd spent reading to him before bed and just about whenever he asked were worth it.

Or getting the phone call from my editor, also when we lived in Santa Monica, with the news that she wanted to buy my first novel, Underneath It All. That was big as well as a big relief.

There have been other little things but the pinnacle for me as a person, a woman, not a mother, wife, daughter or friend, was when D.B. Sweeney stopped mid-sentence to check me out.

I've had a crush on D.B. Sweeney since I saw The Cutting Edge where he played a hockey player turned pairs figure skating Olympic champ. And even though he played kind of a jerk with a weak stomach in Memphis Bell, my devotion to him was still strong. (Memphis Bell also featured three other of my ‘90’s crushes, Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz and Harry Connick Jr. In fact, Matthew Modine is the only celebrity I have ever approached and asked for an autograph...which I did at a Harry Connick Jr. concert. I didn't see Eric Stotlz around which is good because that would have been the pinnacle of my life and I'd hate to think I peaked that early and didn't realize it.)

But back to D.B. While I haven't actively followed his career or made a point to obsessively watch all of his movies (though I do own a copy of The Cutting Edge), he's just someone I'm happy to see every so often when he happens to pop up on the screen in front of me.

I never considered seeing him on purpose or in real life, though. Even my imagination has its limitations. So when I did, my first thought was the same one I have when I catch him on TV or in a movie, "Hey, it's D.B. Sweeney!"

I was walking down Colorado Blvd, again in Santa Monica, and he was coming out of an office tower with another guy. The guy, who was wearing a suit so I assume he was some sort of agent, stopped on one side of the sidewalk while D.B. went around to his car. I realized, from a few feet off, that I'd have to walk between them so my plan was to do it as quickly as possible. Then I heard his voice and I knew immediately the guy by the car wasn't just some random dude in a baseball cap. It was none other then "Hey, it's D.B. Sweeney!"

I wasn't about to rush over to him and confess my long festering crush and I wasn't going to jay walk to avoid them, so I just plowed forward. As I put my head down, D.B. Sweeney glanced my way and stopped talking, mid-sentence, and stared. At me. For the entire 15 or so seconds it took me to walk past them. I turned the corner, even though I needed to go straight, because the whole time I was thinking "Did D.B. Sweeney just check me out?" and needed a moment to gather my thoughts and restrain myself from giggling like a dork.

This was (more than) a few years ago and I haven't seen him since. Even if I did, I still wouldn't approach him. Hell, I don't even know what his initials stand for. I don't want to. To me he'll always be the cute actor from a movie I hold sincere fondness for as well as the guy who was rendered speechless (for a few seconds) by, well, me.

New Sweet Look for SweetSpots Novelettes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:45:00 +0000

I've been focusing on my first YA Lit novella series, Celebrity Prep, for most of this summer in preparation for the first book's fall debut. But all work and no play drives me stir crazy so I indulged in a little creative fun. I took some time to work with my graphic designer on cover revamps for Just Like That and No Need to Ask from my SweetSpots line of contemporary romance novelettes written especially for eReaders.

In redoing the covers, I told my designer I wanted something retro, sweet with a bit of a kitschy dime store feel to it. I love what she came up with! The covers are different from the usual "clinch" images that are associated with romances and, most importantly, convey a sense of humor that's totally in keeping with my writing. I'm hopping to release a third SweetSpots before the end of the year.

BUY IT: Kindle | NOOK

Smashwords | All Romance

No Need to Ask

(SugarMissile, April '12)

When it comes to making sure a room looks effortlessly perfect, Jillian Winters is the one to call. She loves her job as the set decorator for a hit TV show, she and her ex have come to mutually beneficial arrangement and her dream of launching her own decorating business is closer to becoming a reality.

When recently divorced Ethan Marshall gives her carte blanche as well has his credit card to turn his new and very empty loft into a home, she finds herself falling in love with it and the man she’s creating it for.

BUY IT: Kindle | NOOK

Smashwords | All Romance

Just Like That

(February '12)

Leslie Quinn might have been dumped by her longtime boyfriend, but she still has her determination to make it as a top stylist at an exclusive Manhattan department store.

When her manager offers her a last minute plum assignment, Leslie packs her bags to meet a mysterious client who is in need of a complete wardrobe overhaul. She soon realizes that this mystery man holds the key to her success at work and also to her heart.

The Where, Why and How of Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:45:00 +0000

I have a deadline. Actually more than one, but the one I'm worried about making is for my next novel which I'm supposed to finish, polish and allow time for editing by early September so it can be published later this fall (exact date tbd). I have the cover, the outline and the first few chapters, but none of that amounts to anything unless I get the whole thing finished in time to stay on schedule.

It's how I'm planning to do this that's causing a few issues around my house. I'm lucky enough to have a spacious home office all to myself (when it isn't doubling as a guest room for visiting family or friends). My desktop computer, ergonomic keyboard and 22" monitor and not to mention my HAG Capisco chair all should make time spent on any writing project in here as pleasurable as possible.

So why is it that I've spent the last few weeks looking into what my laptop options might be? It's not like I'm one of those writers who can (or wants to) type away at Starbucks. The only time I ever took my writing out of the office was when I was facing a nervous breaking inducing deadline a few years ago and reasoned that I'd be too embarrassed to loose it in public so I wrote at my local library. The husband pointed this out when I lingered over a 11-inch MacBook Air during a recent side trip to the Apple store. (He also pointed out that I was a monogamous PC gal.)

So, yes, I don't need a $1,199 or a white 14" Sony Vaio for $699, but I still do want to tweak where and how I write. I decided that my best option was to work with what I already have which is an iPad.

The kid and I share it except on weekends when he hogs it, but it's pretty much mine during the week when I get most of my writing done. After a little more research, I ordered myself a wireless keyboard and purchased some writing apps (with a $100 Apple gift card I was gifted by someone very nice about giving good gift cards). I did this all very quietly as the husband had stated (unasked and repeatedly) that there was no way to turn the iPad into a "laptop" because it wasn't meant for creating content, just consuming it.

Minus the iPad, it's cost me under $75 to take my writing out of my office. Even though I haven't taken it further than the dinning room table, I'm sure I'll get a fast return on my modest investment as soon as I start churning out those chapters and finish the manuscript (even if I'll have to reformat the text on my desktop before I send it off to editing).

Work on my next novel resumes in a few days (after I turn something else in) and, as proof that this will work, I wrote this post on the iPad at my local library. I have a feeling that my writing is going to go well for me this summer.

It's (Still) All About the Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000

My first novel (Underneath It All) was published in 2007 as was my second (Life Over Easy) by Kensington Books. By the time Touchstone released my third (More Than This) and fourth (Good-bye To All That) novels in 2008 and 2010, I was a bit burnt out. I needed a break.

It just so happened that my writer's sojourn coincided with a seismic shift in the publishing world. Even though I wasn't working on my next novel, I was still talking to my editor and what she had to say wasn't good. Her boss told her they were scaling back, way back, on women's fiction and chick lit acquisitions and focusing solely on non-fiction by celebrities and "book club" type books. (She's now at a publishing house that specializes in uber literary novels and commercial fiction is a dirty word that she dare not utter much less champion during pitch meetings.)

Once again, I was on the short, fuzzy end of the publishing stick. Even though I was never much for writing specifically for a publishing trend (vampires! erotica! erotic vampires!), I knew that I had to adapt. If I wanted to continue writing, I'd have to figure out a way to do it on my own. No matter what some publisher sitting in a New York City high rise said, I knew readers still want to read funny and smart fiction about modern women. How? Because I'm one of them. I don't only write women's fiction and chick lit, I'm also a voracious reader of it.

I took everything I'd learned, figured more than a few things on my own and have surprised myself with flashes of ingenuity and my sheer determination to make this work. Best of all, I get to write the kinds of stories I want to tell and, even though it's a lot more work (hiring a cover designer, working directly with a copy editor, coming up with a marketing plan, etc), I've never felt more in control of not only what I'm writing, but of my writing career.

Funny enough, my own life has started to mirror that of a chick lit plot: a plucky gal decides to go against the tide and hilarity/heartbreak ensue. While I would never would presume a happy ending for myself (it's just not in my nature), I'm positive it's going to be a hopeful journey. As a writer and reader, I can't ask for more than that.

5/21/12 Note: Winner of an e-copy of No Need to Ask: A SweetSpots Contemporary Romance is...Lauren M. Thanks to everyone for participating!

Amazon Only SweetSpots Special

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:31:00 +0000

My latest contemporary romance No Need to Ask is out tomorrow (4/25) and to celebrate, I'm offering a special combined edition that includes Just Like That only on Amazon for Kindle and Kindle Apps. That's two novellas for the super affordable price of $1.49 and it's free for Prime members.

Published by SugarMissile, llc

April 25, 2012

And just when things couldn’t get any more perfect, everything goes in the opposite direction. Her ex proves to be just as untrustworthy as always, her boss makes it clear as to who will be taking credit for her work and unexpected expenses shrink her nest egg to hummingbird proportions.
When recently divorced Ethan Marshall gives her carte blanche as well has his credit card to turn his new and very empty loft into a home, she finds herself falling in love with it and the man she’s creating it for.

Published by SugarMissile, llc

February 25, 2012

Leslie Quinn might have been dumped by her longtime boyfriend, but she still has her determination to make it as a top stylist at an exclusive Manhattan department store.

Busy dodging knives from her back stabbing co-workers, Leslie keeps her focus on doing the best job possible and going on the occasional (and unsuccessful) blind date to keep her friends off her back. When her manager offers her a last minute plum assignment, Leslie packs her bags to meet a mysterious client who is in need of a complete wardrobe overhaul.

She soon realizes that this mystery man holds the key to her success at work and also to her heart.

New Cover, Great Price

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:40:00 +0000

I've been busy at work on my SweetSpots series (No Need to Ask is out April 25), outlining my upcoming young adult lit series and trying to take care of mundane things like walking the dog and making sure I don't keel over from dehydration.

I've had to put some projects on the sidelines, but I'm hoping a new streamlined work schedule gives me time to focus on the next in my reality meets fiction collection of short stories and essays, Domestic Arts. (And a novelization of The Brenda Diaries, but that's a whole other kit and caboodle.)

For now I'm happy to relaunch Life Observed with a new cover and as an Amazon exclusive. I'll be announcing a free-for-all download day soon (hint: It'll be on a Wednesday), but I'm hoping the under a buck price is friendly enough for readers to give it a try.

Read The Brenda Diaries for Free

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:01:00 +0000

Read it for free at Amazon

While I still look forward to the mail being delivered so I can see what magazines Danny, my postal guy, has for me and my main criteria for buying a new purse is if it easily fits a trade paperback in it, I'm fully converted to the gosple of e-books and e-readers. They're easier to travel with and while my bookshelves might be a tad more bare, it just leaves that much more room for the kid's attempts at handcrafted presents.

I own a Nook and read scripts on our family's shared iPad. I've also dropped some not so subtle hints that I wouldn't mind unwrapping a Kindle this Mother's Day. With my new SweetSpots contemporary romance series, I'm writing with an e-reading experience in mind. What hasn't changed is the huge challenge of getting what I read in front of the eyes of potential readers.

This is why I've decided to make The Brenda Diaries KDP exclusive until June 1. This means Kindle owners who are Amazon Prime members can download and read The Brenda Diaries for free. I also have the option of offering it to all readers for free up to five times before June 1 (dates which I'll be sharing via @MargoCandela on twitter). I'm meeting with a producer later this month and I'm definitely going to pitch The Brenda Diaries as a TV series. I'm polishing a spec script right now and "Brenda" is still keeping her almost 5,500 twitter followers entertained (@BrendaDiaries).

I really like Brenda and, I hope, you'll give her a chance and make some room for her on your Kindle.

Sometime This April

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:01:00 +0000


Sweet Spots by SugarMissile, llc No Need to Ask (April 2012)

My SweetSpots contemporary romance e-series will debut on Feb. 27 with Just Like That, but the next one is already waiting for it's own special day. As soon as I have a firm date in April, I'll post it, but until then, below is a preview of what No Need To Ask is about...

When it comes to making sure a room looks effortlessly perfect, Jillian Winters is the one to call. She loves her job as the set decorator for a hit TV show, she and her ex have come to mutually beneficial arrangement and her dream of launching her own decorating business is closer to becoming a reality.

And just when things couldn’t get any more perfect, everything goes in the opposite direction. Her ex proves to be just as untrustworthy as always, her boss makes it clear as to who will be taking credit for her work and unexpected expenses shrink her nest egg to hummingbird proportions.

When recently divorced Ethan Marshall gives her carte blanche as well has his credit card to turn his new and very empty loft into a home, she finds herself falling in love with it and the man she’s creating it for.

I Love to Hate Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:35:00 +0000

A poem by my 6th grader...

Valentine's Day is like a thorn,
like exposed skin, torn
like a trip to the dentist
worse than being a dancer's apprentice.

With me looking forlorn,
like eating burnt corn
I hope I'm not on Cupid's list
love is worse than Santa's naughty list.

Even though the chocolate's nice
I would rather have lice.
I would even pay
to not have to deal with Valentine's Day.

Get To The Point

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I'm the first to admit that I'm a huge proponent of what I like to call uniform dressing. I tend to wear the same shapes (skinny pants, bateau or v-neck tops, wrap or sheath dresses) and stick to a limited palate (black, gray, cream and some saturated, but never primary hues). This works for me even if it doesn't sound to exciting because, as a writer, I like to keep the color on the page except when it comes to my shoes. For the last few years, I've accumulated more than a few classic ballet flats in all sorts of colors with J. Crew being my go-to place to blow my shoe budget.

A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through the latest issue of InStyle magazine and read that my beloved ballet flats were making way for pointy toe flats. Whatever, but will admit to having hung on to a couple pairs of (very) pointy Delman flats that seem way too pointy even if, according to the fine editors at InStyle, pointy is back. I'm not going to chuck my round toe ballet flats, but that doesn't mean I can't make room in my closet for something slightly more to the point.

Since I'm not entirely convinced that at my age I should be jumping into a trend with both feet, I've given myself three options at three price points, but all in black.

Entry Level Tester:

I have a thing for suede shoes because they're the exact opposite of patent leather which I avoid like the plague thanks to an unfortunate Easter outfit I was forced to wear when I was 10. These suede flats from Madewell ($88) are free of bells and whistles and are a good everyday pair of shoes. They're a nice, safe shoe and I'd predict no one would notice I was wearing them. Including me.

Mid-Pricer:

While I'll never own a pair of Frye boots (they're just not my thing), I do know they make good shoes, sandals and, yes boots. While Reginas ($128) is tagged as a ballet flat, it's not the classic round toe with the ribbon and bow detail on the vamp. Instead, there's a subtle lacing up the back which makes this pair of flats worth a second look. While the leather is a bit shiny for my taste, I have a feeling they'd wear well and scuff marks would make them all the more appealing.

Seriously Committed:

I'm a grown up, a grown up who has spent a whole lot of time thinking about shoes. As such, a pair of Elizabeth and James Zolts ($265) with a seam detail on the vamp and a slightly squared off pointy toe looks very grown up to me. As I don't really need another pair of black flats, pointy or otherwise, if I am going to buy, I may as well invest in a pair that's classic with a twist. That's what grown ups do. Right?

First SweetSpots Novella JUST LIKE THAT Coming Feb '12

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:32:00 +0000

For a writer on a deadline there's no such thing as a vacation even (or especially when) everyone around is enjoying one. While I haven't been meeting my daily word count goals since about mid-December, I have been working on Just Like That for my new SweetSpots series of contemporary romances.

I'm really excited about this new line becaause it gives me the chance to try something new (romance! third person pov!) and I'm gearing it for e-readers (not too short, not too long) and at a friendly e-reader price ($1.49).

Just Like That
(SugarMissile, Feb. 27 2012)
Leslie Quinn might have been dumped by her longtime boyfriend, but still has her sense of humor and her determination to make it as a top stylist at an exclusive Manhattan department store. Too busy dodging knives from her back stabbing co-workers, Leslie keeps her focus on doing the best job possible and going on the occasional (and unsuccessful) blind date to keep her friends off her back. When her manager offers her a last minute plum assignment, Leslie packs her bags to meet a mysterious client who is in need of a complete wardrobe overhaul. She soon realizes that this mystery man holds the key to her success at work and also to her heart.

10 Questions: Gale Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I'm happy to be a stop on Gale Martin's blog tour for her new novel Don Juan In Hankey, PA. When she asked me for a blurb, I was more than happy to delve into the juicy drama that happens both on stage and off when an opera production goes deliciously awry.

Today, Gale has been nice enough to answer 10 questions on writing and life as a writer. If you're a published author and would like to subject yourself to the 10Q treatment, send me your info.

Visit Gale's site for more info on Don In Hankey, PA, where to pick up a copy for yourself and find out where her next blog tour stop will take her.

1. Any writing rituals you have to get it going?
Every time I sit down to write, before any text hits the page, I check out the Classical Composers Database to see if there are any milestones to Tweet on my opera Twitter page (@Operatoonity) and/or opera Facebook page (Operatoonity), such as opera premieres or composer birth or dying days. Many opera lovers are based in Europe. By the time I roll out of bed at 5:30 a.m., Europeans have been up for five or six hours. I like to share something for them to chew on, to enjoy, which several followers will kindly Retweet for later risers. After that's done, I find I can get to work.

2. What’s your cure for writer’s block?
I have numerous projects going at one time. (I must have Adult Deficit Disorder undiagnosed, seriously.) If I can't get into the project I'm working on, I jump to my opera blog or my writing blog or the cozy mystery I'm writing or the suspenseful novel I've been writing and dive in. Sometimes when I'm really stumped, I go do something physical-- mow the lawn, take a walk, go to Curves--and then come back to my laptop, usually ready to work.

3. What do you tell people who ask what you do at cocktail parties and such? I say that I'm a marketing officer who used to be a teacher and that I write creatively in my spare time. Then they often ask me if I'm vying for some lofty prize like the National Book Award or Pulitzer Prize, as if I'm in that class of writers, as if that's the only reason to write, to make that grade. Or they (used to) ask whether I expect my novel to make Oprah's Book Club. "Wouldn't that be great?" they ask. Oy! Thank goodness the Oprah's Book Club obsession is now moot. I say this because there are so many other wonderful reads (thousands of them) out there that never earn those singular accolades.

4. What’s the worst part about being a writer? You're not really a writer in the estimation of others in the publishing world until someone else publishes your work. Unpublished writers belong to a low caste, a clan whose family motto is "Kick Me." Also, even if people know you're writing a book, they tend to give up on you long before you publish. It's hard for non-writers to understand how much time, life energy, and patience the whole process takes (and how little control a writer has over much of it). I've withdrawn from lots of fun things--picnics, parades, dinners--to meet writing deadlines imposed on myself, and I'm sure those choices endeared me to absolutely no one. Now that I have one of my books published, I see more parties and parades in my future. And I am really thankful to have a spouse and a few friends who all understand the ups and downs of the writing life.

5. If you could have written any book, which would it be?
I loved The Princess Bride by William Goldman. It's hilarious, dramatic, romantic, fantastic, exciting, and clever, page after page after page. I love Goldman's characterizations throughout--even minor characters such as Miracle Max and his witch are just exquisitely drawn. His genius is in the details--exquisite tangents--how Fezzik landed his first punch, the reaction of Buttercup's parents when the Count comes to visit, and all about Inigo Montoya's charmed boyhood.

6. What were you doing ten years ago? Ten years ago, I was teaching my own daughter's seventh-grade English class at a local parochial school. As I recall, I was sweating my students to turn in their Newspapers in Education features to see if any of them might have futures as journalists. Up to that time in my life, I had not written a creative word, other than comments on report cards such as, "Your child is a pleasure to have in class." Actually, most of my students were great in class. It does take some creativity to compliment badly behaved and poorly performing students. So, I owe those students a debt after all. They launched my creative writing pursuits.

7. What do you hope to be doing ten years from now besides writing? I only recently began teaching adult undergraduates in a degree completion program and discovered I really liked that whole scene. Working adults are wonderfully engaging students and make the job of teaching fulfilling. I would like to be able to do that or teach part time in a graduate creative writing program.

8. What’s your biggest anxiety about your writing/writing life?
The writing life is sedentary and solitary--not exactly life choices for zestful living and longevity. In order to be published, writers have to realize a bit of luck and find at least one entity in a position to help them advance--an ombudsman or advocate in an agent, publisher, or editor. I'm very fortunate that the publisher and other creatives at Booktrope have the same idiosyncratic sense of humor as me, that a core of talented people in a position to advance my writing career also "get" me. As a certain wise and wonderful author once said, "The most important factor in surviving, if not thriving in publishing no matter the genre, is to have someone in your corner." I certainly have felt supported and lifted up by the folks at Booktrope Publishing, almost like catching a leprechaun and stumbling onto his kettle overflowing with appreciation.

9. If you could have anyone’s job/life but your own, whose would it be?
I wish I could be an opera singer but only at curtain call. (Being a professional opera singer is too tough otherwise.) At the opera, the curtain call is a love fest. I don't understand audience members who cut out of the theater right before curtain call (and I want to scold them for doing so). Honestly, it's my favorite part of the opera, where you can lavish praise on a performer, and they openly can accept your admiration. Opera curtain calls are the most extraordinarily indulgent things, going on for multiple ovations, hauling everyone up on stage. I adore curtain calls. I'd switch places with opera singers at bows in a heartbeat!

10. What’s the biggest misconception about you now that you’re a published writer?
The greatest misconception? I wonder how many people think that the bit of success you've realized was easily won. No one knows how many words and pages you've written, how much rejection you've experienced to get to this point, how many pages and stories you threw out, how many derisive comments from contest judges, agents, and other writers you've endured en route to getting your first novel published, or how your characters invade your waking life and even your dreams. Writing may sound like a glamorous pursuit, but it can be gritty, sobering work, especially when you realize how much better you've gotten over time and how much better you have to become to be truly admired. Also, a writer's work is never done. There's always more to write about and stories to improve. There are always insights and gifts to gain from continuing to write and engaging with other writers and their work. And new things to learn, with the nature of the publishing industry changing so quickly.

List of Lessons Learned

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:14:00 +0000

I went to Starbucks today, as I usually do on Tuesdays, and noticed they'd broken out the holiday cups. As lame as it might be, I always take this "event" as a marker that yet another year is coming to a close and it's time to give a good think to what's happened between now and when the red cups last appeared.

So what's happened to me? A whole lot and, sometimes, very little. I'm going to break my year-to-date down in easy to managable chunks because this is as much for me as for anyone else.

One: Writing and Pricing

The Brenda Diaries started as a fun Twitter feed and tumblr blog for my alter-alter ego who used to be my imaginary assistant before she went to work for my husband. Now Brenda has almost 5,000 followers and a novel with another to come 2012. But first, she's getting the TV treatment. I'm working on a pilot script while keeping up with her Twitter feed.

Also, and more importantly, I've lowered the price of the ebook across the board and for all ereaders to 2.99. The print version will be out in time for the holidays for those of us who still love the look and feel of a good old fashioned book. Not sure what the list price will be, but it'll be priced to sell.

Two: Shorter is Better

I know what my next novel is going to be (see Four below), but I'm also aware that I need to maintain a steady stream of fresh content for readers to enjoy. This December I'll be releasing my second "reality meets fiction" short story and essay collection, Domestic Arts.

Once again, I'm liberally mining the lives of friends and family, but fictionalizing it enough so they'll still talk to me after it comes out. I'm not only doing this because I value their privacy and friendship--if they cut me off, there won't be a third in the series.

As I've discovered that I rather enjoy the almost instant gratification of short stories, both reading and writing them, I'm working on a sexy, smart and sassy contemporary romance series. They're going to be funny, people are going to get busy, and endings will be happy but not cheesy. My poor graphic design goddess has been instructed to come up with a cover that perfectly reflects all my vague yet specific notions and I'm looking forward to unveiling it soon along with Traveling Companions, the first in the series in early winter.

Three: Teens Today and Tomorrow

Teenagers today are incredibly sophisticated this is why writing for young adults isn't as easy as most people think. One thing teenagers don't like are phoneys and whiners and I'm guilty of being both when it comes to writing YA. I have more than two, but less than five YA ideas in various states of development. (One was almost a reality show series before I backed out after admitting to producers I just didn't have it in me to delve into that world.) And, as I take a swing of my no water, no foam, extra hot soy chai, I've decided to put up or shut up.

I've made it my goal to start and finish (then polish and publish) at YA novelette by spring 2012. To make things more interesting--at least for me--I'm posting chapters of The Fat Girl Chronicles as I write them on wattpad.

Four: The Next Novel Idea
I don't have an image for my next novel as the nut of the idea occurred to me yesterday as I was handing out Halloween candy. I'm still working it out, but I have a feeling there is enough there to carry me through a full length book. Even though I want to set a "published by" date right now, I know I can't and shouldn't be more specific than say it will definitely be out in 2012.

Writing a novel is a time consuming endeavor and there's a 100 percent more work when you're doing it all yourself. As I want to make sure the ebook and print version come out at the same time, it's going to take a lot more coordinating and favor asking to make sure it happens and the outcome is professional and polished.

Last Minute Halloween Costumes for Mom and Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Though I will admit to going through phases, I've never been very crafty. But, as a parent, I'm sometimes forced to get creative when throwing money at a problem won't solve it. This Halloween I'm reviving a makeshift costume idea for myself and the husband that I came up with years. I had put all my effort into making the kid's costume and had to whip something up for us grownups an hour before we were due at a super hero themed party.

My super simple costume idea could run you under $5 (not counting travel time, maybe parking and so on and so forth) if you already have a couple of tees you're willing to sacrifice.

Here's what you need to make your own costumes:

Two (2) long or short sleeved Tees. One for you and one for your mate.
One (1) bottle of puff paint in a color that will show up on each of the tees.
A steady hand, and, ideally, heroic penmanship ability with a squeeze bottle.

After figuring out optimal placement for lettering (ladies, you must take the boobage into account), lay tees on a flat surface and start writing. Since a duo is never equal, the person who does all the work gets to be the Super and the guy who just shows up and puts on what you tell him to is the Side.

From left: JCrew perfect fit long-sleeved tee in Henna, $24.50.
Tulip Slick puff paint in White, $3.79 at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft.
Gap slub waffle crew T in Navy Heather, $29.95.

Super easy with plenty of snickers and Snickers! Plus, if you pass out in a candy coma, you'll sleep in relative comfort. Happy Halloween All!

Work In Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:00:00 +0000

I'm previewing my YA novel-in-progress over at wattpad with the goal of publishing it by early spring 2012. For right now, I'll be posting a couple of chapters a week until I'm done. Please stop by, take a look and leave a comment!That's what wattpad is all about.

The Fat Girl Chronicles by Shelby M.

Be pretty. Be popular. Be skinny. For Shelby "Bee" M. the pressure is on to be all of these things.

It's Clear the Future is Now

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:53:00 +0000

Very rarely has clarity hit me all at once except when it does. Sometimes it's good. Like, while in the middle of shampooing my hair, I'll figure out how to untangle a plot point or the perfect name for a character will come to me. Sometimes the obvious is a lot harder to accept even though I've had lots of time to accept it as inevitable.

Earlier this year, my editor told me I'd have more success if I self-published my fifth novel, The Brenda Diaries. We'd had many conversations lamenting how traditional publishing was changing directly under our butts. While neither of us was willing to predict what state publishing would be a year from then, it was clear that I had reached that much talked about fork in the road.

After a couple of days of moping, I came to the conclusion that I had no choice but to pick a fork. I decided to take my editor's advice and go it alone knowing full well that not only would I have to do the writing, but I'd have to see a manuscript through every step of the way--from initial idea to loading html code at midnight on publishing day.

Funny enough, almost instantly, I felt like as if a weight had been lifted off of me. It was like one of those overdue break-ups where the long, slow trek to it is actually worse than life afterwards because you realized that while you're fully broken-up, you're not broken.

I also realized that I needed help to make anything happen. Ideas are great, everyone has them, but turning an idea into a book is a whole other enchilada. As someone who hates asking for favors, this was the hardest part. But it was clear to me that if I didn't ask for help, I was going to fail. The fear of failure forced me to get over my reluctance and showed me how very lucky I am.

My dear friend Ruby saved my grammatically challenged butt by serving not only as my copy editor but general sounding board. Rocio, my talented graphic designer, didn't fire me as a client after it took almost a dozen tries to get the cover right. Thousands of strangers also played a part, following @BrendaDiaries on Twitter, and cheering her on through bad temp jobs and breakups.

I'm not sure what's going to happen, but one thing is perfectly clear to me now--I'm certainly not in this alone.

Meet Brenda

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:15:00 +0000

A temp with a bad attitude and an excellent work ethic.

click image to visit book site

Working assignments all around Los Angeles, Brenda was the official purse holder for a high powered event planner, has had an employer ask about her ovulation cycle, worked as a kiosk gypsy at an upscale mall and suffered as the reluctant muse for a frustrated architect who'd rather write screenplays on company time.

Off the clock, Brenda's boyfriend and best friend compete for her attention while she spends a little too much time with a guy she met on a job. Brenda’s positive she can handle it all, but sometimes work and life get to be a bit too much even for someone as organized as Brenda.

The Brenda Diaries. All the dirty details of Brenda’s not so tidy life.

Phase Five: Promotion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:30:00 +0000

I was talking with a good friend the other day. He'd just finished the first draft of his novel and was exhausted. I didn't have to have the heart to tell him that his work was just beginning. So far he'd made it through one of the six steps that make a writer an author: writing, rewriting, editing, polishing, promotion and, lastly, publishing. (Followed by more promotion, but that's beside the point.)

As of this week I'm on step five and it only took me six months to get here. The Brenda Diaries will be out October 1 as an E-book, but before then I have to get the word out. So I'm putting the call out to book bloggers and reviewers who are willing to let me and Brenda take up a little of their time and space.

If you're interested in Q&A and/or taking a look at an ARC of The Brenda Diaries for review, drop me an email with your particulars. I'll make sure Brenda gets back to you as soon as possible.

I'll Read What I Want To

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:04:00 +0000

The husband has known me for very many years and he knows one of my favorite things to do with my time is read. It's a habit I've never hid from him even though he's never been quite supportive of it--it's rather expensive and doubly sedentary. This is why it came as a surprise to both of us when I admitted to him a tawdry truth I'd been hiding in plain sight. We were walking the dog, having some sort of debate and he brought up nugget by either the Dalai Lama or Sartre which was met by a big blank stare on my part.

"I can't believe you don't know what I'm taking about," he said.

"Just because I read a lot it doesn't mean I'm well read," I answered. It was the most honest thing I've said to him in the entirety of of our relationship.

And to prove it, I've filled my free hours this summer with a series of books I'd be reluctant to take with me to the beach. While I've enjoyed reading them, I have to admit they're lightweight and some are morbid and have even learned a thing or two. (Monaco is a principality, not a kingdom; Jackie Kennedy Onassis liked to shop; Diana, Princess of Wales, liked to shop....You get the idea.

While I won't lie about what I'm reading or have read, I have had to hedge a bit here and there. Why? There are just some books I know I'll never, EVER, read and it's not because I have such high standards (see first image below). I consider it one of the great luxuries in my life that I can read what I want if not necessarily when I want (that pesky thing called life and work get in the way).

Yes, I know I'm missing out on some truly great literature or being able to partake in cocktail chit chat (see image below top image below), but I'm willing to live with that. In the end, life's too short to wear uncomfortable underwear and read a book just because everyone else has...or claims to have read.

How I spent my summer:
So far I've read four books on the Windsor family (yes, I tend to stick to a theme or idea), and am now moving on to Hollywood and Wall Street type books. When I'm writing, I prefer to read non-fiction as I find novels too distracting.

As for the three books I won't be reading, only Eat Pray Love has gotten me the most flak. People (women) think I'm trying to make some sort of point (against them) for not wanting to pick it up. Hey, I sat through most of the movies, that should count for something.

Read and Reading...

What I won't be reading this summer or the next and the one after that and...

The Pecking Order Question

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:45:00 +0000

Dear Author Margo,
I belong to a writer's group and critiques and conversations sometimes get a tad personal if not downright nasty. There’s one person who creates all this drama and most of us are intimidated by her. She’s also a very talented writer with some important industry connections. One well liked member left the group because was a bit thin skinned. She recently signed with a big agent and her manuscript is being considered by editors. Is it too late for me to let her know I'm not a back biting bitch like the rest of the group and ask her out for coffee to celebrate her great news?

Dear Pollyanna with a Bow On Top,
This may come as a surprise, but you're as big of a bitch as the biggest bitch of the bunch bitches. Oh my god, do you feel attacked? And it just came out of nowhere! And there's no one to back you up! How unfair! I mean, you ask an innocent question and then you get singled out and judged. How rude is that?

Sorry, I take that back, you don't have enough balls to be a bitch. You're what in my Granny's day was called a toadie. You hide behind the biggest bully so that bully won't bully you. A bully isn’t much of a bully if she doesn’t have a toadie to “haha” at her mean jokes and keep her trap shut when she’s told to. What bullies, and their toadies, don't realize is that a bully spends so much time bullying they don't do much more than bully. This is why your big bitch of a bully only has a loyal group of bootlickers, like you, to kiss her ring to show for her efforts. And those industry connections of hers? She’s never, ever, going to share them with you. Ever.

I'd be surprised if the former member and now soon-to-be published author took you up on your invite. Or maybe she will. If you've gotten this far, you know as well as anyone what gluttons writers are for punishment.

Best,
Margo

Fast and Cheap: E-book Reads

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:02:00 +0000

The first volume of Life Observed is out now for Kindle and Nook for the grand total of .99 cents.That's a whole penny less than a dollar!

Life Observed is all about friends, family, marriage, life in Los Angeles and more than slightly fictionalized to protect the innocent, the not so innocent and me so I don't get sued. It'll be a continuing series with the next installment coming this fall.

The Get A Clue Question

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Dear Author Margo,
I wrote a novel, landed an agent and signed a publishing contract...now what?

Dear Lucky Duck,
Turn to page two of your five-year business plan. What? You haven't got one? Because you didn't think you needed a business plan? Because you’re a writer?

It really doesn’t matter if you wrote your novel in the woods of Vermont, high on cough medicine in a roach infested New York City tenement or even at a picture perfect café in Paris. You did the work because you wanted that writing to be published and for people to read it. And, yes, to make some decent scratch off of your efforts. For this you need a plan to figure out what you plan to do with yourself now that you're about to be a published writer. (Really, you should have started this process a long time ago, but I have a soft spot for late bloomers.)

Start by asking yourself a few questions. Do you want to win a prestigious award in ten years or be the featured speaker at Comic-Con within the next two? Piers Morgan or Charlie Rose? Do you want to your book to excerpted in Vanity Fair or be reviewed in the New Yorker? Do you just want to pay your mortgage?

Writing, it turns out, is a lot more than just typing. Especially nowadays when a writer has to wear many hats. And when someone (your agent, editor, Charlie) asks you what's next for you, you have bar graphs and bullet points to refer them to. Just because you don't have a "real job" it doesn't mean you shouldn't think of what you do as one.

Best,
Margo

Coming Soon: Short Stories and Essays

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

I'm excited to announce, super officially, that I'll be putting out a collection of 10 short stories and essays for Kindle and Nook this month.

Life Observed is all about friends, family, marriage, life in Los Angeles and more slightly fictionalized to protect the innocent, the not so innocent and me so I don't get sued. I hope to make it a continuing series and release a new volume every month or so.

Life Observed will be out later this month and is the first of much to come including The Brenda Diaries in October and short stories inspired by characters from each of my four novels.