kate rothwell

but apparently other people don't. I was afraid of that.* You have to wonder how people who get huge numbers of stinky reviews for their first book ever manage to keep going. I’m fairly demoralized with two bad reviews and I can’t imagine how it would feel if this was my only book. We authors tell each other not to check Amazon or Goodreads, and that's good advice -- just because it’s too much work to get back to normal operating speed after being slapped in the face with a bad review. Yes, yes, such an overdramatic response, but any author can tell you--that's how it feels. Really. It's the feeling, the internal authorial response, that contains the greatest quantity of suckage. The fact of a bad review is out in the world hardly matters. Much. Anyone is allowed to leave bad reviews, for Pete’s sake. I resent my own inability to ignore it. I hate how it entirely unfloats my boat. I get swamped and there are no life vests onboard. (“May day! May day!”) Authors wi...

I just gave away Thank You Mrs. M to a bunch of friends and acquaintances. I didn't beg for reviews, I didn't expect a thank you (they're nice, though) I just gave it away. Want one? I'll give you a copy too. Some books are like that. I like them enough that I don't mind giving them away. When I say "I like them" I'm not talking about the actual book. No, once the book is written, edited, proofed, I'm not foolish enough to reread them. Not the story.. It's the process I enjoyed, so the book itself is a favorite. At the end of the day,** the book owes me nothing, which is a lovely feeling. Why do I like Thank You Mrs M? The story came pretty easily, almost as if a plot fairy was in charge. I got to ask my professor pal Kathy to read it and she did and gave me advice and she liked it. My sister, one of my main beta readers, made great suggestions and the story improved with them. I love it when a tweak transforms something. Using the ...

Here's what I loved this year: Craft workshops . When I took a craft workshop, even the ones that are full of familiar stuff, I got sparks again. CWs used to bore me because I'd overloaded on them, they are basically restating the same True Facts, after all. I'd grown tired of getting preached at and I didn't want to learn jargon for stuff that doesn't need freaking jargon. Yeah, some of that's still true. But the good workshops, man, I'd forgotten how cool they can be. Michael Hauge, Toni Andrews, Jenny Crusie (of course) -- those were a few of the ones that gave new words to something that I needed to hear again. As I listened, I'd relate them to my life or books and feel my writerly brain expanding, if only for a moment. Instead of doodling or jotting down jargon, I wrote notes for books. I won't be able to read the notes I wrote about the books or the jargon, but it was good stuff. And the craft workshops gave me that message over and over, yo,...

overheard at the conference: I can forgive a lot, but no dessert? That's not negotiable. I paid good money for this. Agents are absolutely necessary--you're not going to want to try to sell your books in Russian, French etc. Let us do it for you. I've always believed that anyone who claims to know where the market will be in a year is a liar. Now I know they are. Add to that anyone who claims to know how we'll be reading our books in two years. Except it'll be some kind of hand-held device like a iPhone. That's no lie. Really. seen at conference: coming in from publisher parties: Lots of fascinators. MANY OF THEM. Most with net and feathers. Also corsets--a fair number of them (many of them at the Passionate Ink party I crashed at the very end, then paid full admission for. What can I say? I'm a crappy party crasher) Most corsets are dark colors and worn with no covering. Lots of blue jeans and teeshirts. And I don't see as many fancy-pants decked-out ...

Yet another great review for The Gentleman and The Rogue ! And yet another letter I wrote this week pointing out that Bonnie Dee didn't write that book on her own. (ARe left off Summer Devon with Seducing Stephen ) Hey, Bonnie could have written those books alone -- but she didn't. And I didn't get annoyed the first couple of times Summer got left off a review or listing, but when I was reading that JERR review (which is great, but I'm not sure about their policy about reproducing it, so I won't) I finally got Shirty and Annoyed. I mean, jeez. Does Mandy Roth and/or Michelle Pillow deal with whichever one of them doesn't make it onto the lists? Is that why I don't see them writing together any more? I hope not. And yeah, I know. It really isn't truly a big deal. It didn't bother me the first couple of times.For some reason it's happened enough times that I'm officially annoyed. Repetition apparently makes a big difference. Like one of those s...

I read Goose Girl and Austenland and went on a search for more, much MORE Shannon Hale, and found this in which she explains exactly that which I've been trying to say, only she's much less snarky (except about poor Plum, I suppose) and much more articulate about it. Thank you, Shannon Hale. About the contest that 2-3 of you are waiting eagerly to see: I have to grab my judge and peel him from his computer to read the entries to him. So I'll post results tomorrow because now I'm going to go order more Hale books. Damn them for not showing up the minute I hit "buy" ..... God, how spoiled I am by ebooks. --Plum Savage

Well, then I Give UP. I don't know what it is. Sara Reinke didn't get a new contract. Here's why I don't get it: She is one of the writers who busts her butt at promo. And it's good promo, too. As in positive, upbeat, inclusive, professional. She draws in other writers, has contests, really works hard. There might be somewhere on the web where she's been negative or nasty, but I haven't seen it. Maybe on occasion she might have been a little Hey, I'm an author! Have I told you about my books? But hell, that's what you're supposed to do, especially when you're newly published. I'm confused by this, because I'd become convinced lately that with all-out professional promo, you can't lose. You'll beat the odds and stay published. And what about the "It's all about the books " argument? Short answer: No. It isn't. I've seen some godawful writers get new contracts. And despite that it's all subjective l...

Not about the release coming up because, lordy, now I'm all in a sweat. Two bad/meh reviews. I've never had two bad in a row. Seriously, I have been very spoiled through all of my books--almost always I hit reviewers that like my stuff (and yes, that's not false modesty, that's knowing how it words--subjectively) But now, I forget that basic truth and am in the mode of Yikes! oh NO! I can't write! I'm DONE! Oh, NOOOoooooo. And that's boring, even for me. I might hunt down the two reviews (the only two I've gotten) post the good bits, and make you have to google if you want to read the meh/ugh parts. It seems only fair. So okay SBD is about reading as a writer. Saturday I went to a Mary Buckham workshop (and she's great, btw.) that reminded me about scene and sequel, and hooks and I'd forgotten about them. Not exactly forgotten, just not thought about them. And much as it's good to be reminded of this stuff, and shove it all into the active ...

1. Habit, habit, habit. Pick a place, a chair, a desk where you only work. Start the work day the same way every time. Maybe play the same piece of music, a theme song for your book. Don't do anything else in that chair, ever. Not even check email or pay bills. Except sometimes that habit thing doesn't work. So then . . . . 2. Make up a Change of Habit kit (easy. Take these ideas and a bunch of others, put them on notecards. Then you can pick one at random) Remember to include a timer with an alarm in your kit. You'll need it or you might end up having too much fun and missing the whole day. 3. Take a walk or run or swim. Do not bring your MP3 player. Think about your book as you go. 4. Do ten minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise. Yo, do a version of this every few hours even if the muse is on your side. 5. Take a bath/shower. Instead of singing, talk aloud about one of your troublesome characters. Or talk to them if you can manage that. (I can't) 6. Rewrite that last...

K. G. McAbee is one of those writers I found by accident. For some reason when I stumble across a writer's work on my own (like Bonnie Dee, and A.M. Riley and Elaine Corvidae**), I turn into a bigger fan girl than when someone sends or recommends great stories. The serendipity is thrilling and that makes me more possessive, I guess. Those are the writers I will google every now and then just because I might have missed something. Don't want to miss anything. Yessiree, It's the found-on-my-own factor that makes me more possessive because it holds true for the bigger names too. My Layton, Farr and MacAvoy. My precioussess. I will find you all when you publish. I will track you down. [crazed cackling goes here] So I found McAbee a few years ago and promptly did a glom. I think I even wrote a fan-letter--I think a real letter, not an email--and she wrote back. That's how long ago it was. Then I waited for her new book(s). And waited. And googled. Nothing. Anyway. I gave u...

The person who doctors taglines and blurbs for Samhain? She's very, very good. A genius and I wish I could have a few of her neurons. I'd just borrow them now and then, seriously. You'd think someone who can recognize the difference between effective and lame taglines would be capable of writing the first kind. You'd be wrong.

.....VERY specific. Thirteen special interest group romance blogs. For some reason a lot of group blogs with writers fail to flourish. Any theories why that is? (Mine: I suspect people think writers only use them for promo-type articles and that gets dull fast. I expect the ones like romancing the blog-- which have readers as well as writers and that don't shy away from controversial topics-- do better.) I don't read all of the blogs I listed. I comment on the ones I know, or sorta know. 1. Slip Into Something Victorian Blog: 12 Writers Unmask Victorian Romance and Adventure Definitely not just the promo. Some good stuff here. 2. Animal lovers: A group blog for romance authors who love animals and incorporate them as characters in their own right or use them as inspiration for male protagonists (or antagonists) in their book .... Seriously, that is the full name. 3. Seekerville. A group of contest junkies. Not exactly about romance reading, but definitely a niche and a ...

I'm a better writer when I'm happy. I went looking for a particular blog entry in my old blog and the entries I wrote during my high times were more fun to read. Although maybe I'm not a particularly good judge. no doubt I'm not the person to decide what constitutes good in that case because I'm not just reading about my life, I'm reliving it. Never did find the entry. Bummer. It was so full of good advice, too.

I'm over at Total Ebound blogging about shape-shifters again.

Doug has one of her covers at his place and it's a beaut.... Love Hungry Doctor . Here's another and it appears way tamer than LHD . (I lifted it from vintage sleaze where you can buy it) I saw Florence and her work at Doug's and thought there she is! The mother of my trade! This woman wrote more books than most people read in a lifetime and most of her titles were either steam-city--or sold to some disappointed people. Just the titles are titillating: Love Life of a Hollywood Mistress, Bedroom Agent, The Fleshpots, The Whipping Room . And those covers make the standard torso-gleaming, bodice-heaving, hair-rippling Fabio-esque event look tame. I want to get my hands on a Florence Stonebraker. Mother's day is coming up. Maybe my family will buy me this one. It's so strange that someone can have written that many books and not show up on any radar I know of. As someone pointed out, a women studies major would have a field day with Florence Stonebraker. What a pseud...

I have to get my TUTGBBMCSMB done. Chapters one and two are online , and breathless fans are waiting for the big sex scene. Considering how quickly Nic roared in chapter two t's just a good thing I've only got 750 words. No, I am wrong. Difficult work lies ahead of me. How I can work in the phrases lovecream, purple helmeted warrior of love, heaving mounds of creamy delicious she-flesh with these restrictions? Especially if I want to beat Carolyn Jean's excellent roaring, nipple hardening chapter points.

I have a new agent and she's a new agent--as in her agency hasn't sold a book, yet, but she's been in the business for a while elsewhere so it's not like she's brand new. Okay, I sent back the contract and we're getting started with our business of being agent and writer. I was fine with that. But then one of my dream agents wrote back at last and said, oops, yeah, I'm interested in representing you. Sorry I took so long to respond. Dream agent. A woman I've admired for years. Friends have said dump the newbie! Go with the dream agent! Nope, not gonna. I signed a contract. But I'm going to say waily waily waily a bit and crivens . And if this newbie doesn't sell in a few months.....then.... then.... I'll hang around a few more months. This is publishing for god's sake. No one moves fast until everything moves all at once. ach, damn. And then I'll remind myself that not so long ago I was in despair of ever selling a manuscript or ge...

1. Hey, I like the BOBs, Corn Dog! (see comments in previous thread if you wonder what the hell I'm talking about.) I've even voted in them previous years.** In fact, you should be up for one. And so should doug and elsewhere and hula doula and bettie and tumperkin and sam and everyone else I read and admire. If I had any gumption, I'd go nominate you all (okay, maybe I won't nominate you, CD, after the comment, though I do think you should get some kind of this is a Great Blog award) . 2. Today I'm over at Hitting the Hotspot, inventing love holidays. I was inspired by today, which, as you know, is Steak and Blowjob day Oh, 3.14...it's also Pi day! Happy pi day! I'm rather smitten with my November 14 idea and might make up some cards for it. The October plan has the potential for even sicker and sadder results than Festivus. 3. Yes, the evidence is in. After getting a BOB nomination and a really nice letter from an editor, Kate is now strutting around l...

Oh, damn. This phrase at tumperkin's place "fierce authors" caught my eye. It's a great phrase and I nodded along and I agree. Impassioned, fierce. That's what readers want. That booming back-beat sort of music--nothing wispy--directed and intense that moves your belly. Stories with boiling hot action, anger, hunger...intensity. I'm reading those books and I can feel that word fierce in everything, from the plots, characters to word choices. That isn't me or my writing. At my very best, I approach EF Benson's pace. There are only so many slots for the wispy stuff. Please, fate, don't make me have to go back to writing magazine articles again. I really like writing fiction.

I'm somewhere else again, today , blogging about Red Haired Heroine Remarks (aka RHHR, code for WTF? comments about stories.) Part of my wroth week series. Heh. I forgot about it being wroth week. Any suggestions for next week's sin? Maybe greed and it'll be a 3000 calorie chocolate recipe a day. Sloth is nice ...mmmm. Naptime. That will be a week with no entries. Some day I might try for a blog like PBW, with useful facts and ideas. Or maybe not.