The Beauty is in the Details

I have one of those fancy DSLR cameras but I'm no photographer. Ask me to take a wide angle shot of  my kid's birthday party and it won't look any different than if I'd used a Polaroid camera (if you aren't old enough to remember Polaroid pictures then get off my blog...and my lawn).

Granted I know very little about how the damn thing works, or any photography basics, for that matter. And since I bought it second hand I only have the Spanish version of the owners manual. I don't speak Spanish. Additionally, I'm far too lazy to look up the manual online, so I fumble around to the best of my abilities, which are sorely lacking and will never produce an amazing picture of my 4 year old blowing out her birthday candles.

What I am reasonably decent at is zoomed in photographs of the small details. Why, you ask, can I capture the tiniest mushrooms growing under a fallen log in the Olympic National Forest and make you feel like they were the most incredible part of the forest (they weren't)? Because I see how to frame the mushrooms in the picture, how to highlight their color, and how to give them presence.

Because I'm a writer. Details are what I DO. 

I could tell a story like this: A woman had lunch on the patio of a restaurant and a good looking man walked by. 

Or like this:  The faint scent of cologne trailed behind him as he passed her table. Winding silken strands of hair around her fingers, she commited the masculine build of his shoulders to her memory. Cool wind caressed Violet's cheek as she continued to watch him, allowing the rest of her lunch to remain untouched. Hot pink embarrassment blossomed across her face as the waiter cleared his throat from the other side of the table. 

Which story would you rather read? That's what I thought. 

The beauty of any story is in the details, my friends. There is no story to tell without them. When reading a book, you're going to lose interest pretty quickly if you can't imagine where the characters are, what they look like, or how they feel. 

But remember, there is a FINE LINE between beautiful description and Purple Prose. If you find yourself going into long-winded soliloquies about the color of the grass, you're in need of a dose of humility. Don't be so in love with seeing your own words on paper that you write just to hear yourself sound eloquent (which, in my opinion, is the crux of the Purple Prose phenomenon). 

Make it beautiful, make it simple, and make it vibrant. Your writing will improve seven fold when you find that balance. 

What does "Self Published" mean to you?

The debate over the legitimacy of self publishing is heated and very, very long. Some people argue the mainstream publishing industry is dying and that self publishing is squeezing the Big Six out of the market. Other's balk at the thought that self publishing will ever eclipse the stronghold these publishing powerhouses have over the industry.

I've read both sides of the debate many times over. One thing is clear – it's complicated. Regardless of what I read, and what side it's supporting, I'm left with a very important question. So I will ask you, my friends, this very same question. Because maybe someone, somewhere, might give me a definitive answer.

What constitutes self publishing?

Is it only those who publishing their own work via companies such as Smashwords and the like? Is it those who form a publishing co-op, providing services such as editing and cover design for each other, and then sharing the cost of publishing? Does it include authors like myself, who have been published by a small, independent publisher?

These questions arose for me mainly because of various articles I've read on the publishing phenomenon known as Fifty Shades of Grey. I know, I've stayed away from discussing this book, for the most part, and I intend to stay away from discussing the book itself. The only part that truly intrigues me is almost every article I've read describes the initial publication of FSOG completely differently. The dominance of this book over the NYT Best seller list, the fact that it was picked up by a major publishing house, and it's origins raise many questions for authors in a variety of areas.

But mainly, I'm curious about how the rising tide of changes in the publishing industry are reflected in this phenomenon. Some articles I've read referred to Fifty Shades as self published. Others called TWCS Publishing a "vanity house". A few made reference to it coming from a small independent publisher. This got me to thinking – what does "self published" really mean?  And I still haven't found an article that provides a clear answer.

I'll tell you what I think, though. Concerns over publishing fanfiction aside, posting fanfiction online is a work of self publishing. Yet, I consider TWCS Publishing an independent publisher and not a vanity press (as authors do not pay to have their book edited, produced, or published in any way by TWCS). Therefore, Fifty Shades falls into all three categories: self published as fanfiction, indie published by TCWS, and then picked up by Random House.

Maybe I'm biased, but I believe wholeheartedly that indie publishers are carving out their own niche in the publishing industry. They're creating a space for those books that have been passed over by agents mainly because, as the gatekeepers and voluntary filters of crap-writing, they're struggling to fit reading over 100 queries a day into their schedule. Indie publishers are providing an alternative platform for amazingly talented writers to get their stories out to readers. And they're giving readers the opportunity to find authors who would have otherwise remain unheard simply because the machine of the Big Six can only produce so much. But what indie publishing is not, is "self publishing".

I think traditional publishing is fantastic, I think self publishing is a valiant labor of love, and I think independent publishers are the Steve Jobs of the publishing world. Each path is a valid path (albeit challenging in different ways) to follow and I'm very excited to see where the industry goes these next ten years.

Author Spotlight: Cyndi Tefft

I'm a blogging failure, I know. My most sincere apologies. In my defense, I'm still learning how to juggle my freelance jobs, The Bombshell Mommy, and the publishing of Frozen Heart. Not to mention trying to squeak in work on my new WIP. 


Meanwhile, I'd like to introduce you all to Cyndi Tefft, the author of Between and the newly released sequel Hell Transporter.  Her YA books come with a heavy dose of skillfully written sexual tension. They are not to be missed. Plus, a grim reaper with a Scottish accent, how can you resist? Cyndi recently took time away from working on the last installment of Aiden and Linsey's journey together to chit chat with me about her books and her writing process.  


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Between 
It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water's life isn't alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent.

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates.

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven's siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.


What inspired you to write such a unique version of a grim reaper? And how did you decide on the delicious idea to make him Scottish? 

I wanted to write a good versus evil story, but I felt angels and demons had been done pretty extensively. Having always been fascinated with near death experiences, I thought it would be fun to create a world in between earth and heaven with a guide from one to the other.

Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series made me a Scot fanatic and I had just finished her sixth book when I started writing mine. Her seventh was not yet out at that time and I was hungry for some more Scottish Highlander hunkiness, so I decided to make one of my own!

Did you plan to write a romance novel with a strong religious theme or did it develop as the story evolved? 

Because the story is set in the afterlife, I knew God and heaven would play a strong role in the book, but things definitely evolved as I wrote. I am much more of a pantser than a plotter (I just start writing and see how things develop, rather than outlining ahead of time). 

The faith themes in the book are an integral part of the story, as I would imagine that in death, most everyone would wonder how the God thing comes into play.

You write fantastic sexual tension. What advice do you have for other authors *cough*me*cough* when it comes to writing the tension that comes before the actual sex? 

Thanks! *grin* Writing love scenes is one of my favorite things to do. It’s much easier for me than writing fight scenes! Between was actually an adult book when I finished the first draft. It went through countless revisions and finally ended up a YA novel. There are three *deleted* sex scenes from the book that I’ve made available upon request to readers who want to know the characters a bit more... intimately. hehe

As for writing sexual tension, I believe the key is making the reader want it to happen as much as the main characters do. We all want to fall in love with the characters and when we do, their longings become our own, and the ultimate satisfaction of that longing is all the sweeter.

Every writer comes across pitfalls in the writing process. What is your biggest challenge and how did you learn to overcome it?

When I finished the first draft of the story, which was actually one big HUGE book that I later split into Between and Hell Transporter, I thought it was done. *shakes head* Little did I know that I would spend years revising those books and that they would bear little resemblance to the first draft once they were finished.

My biggest challenge early on was underestimating how much I still had to learn about writing. Now I know much more about the craft, but more than that, I know I still have much to learn. That knowledge, rather than being depressing and defeating my spirit, actually provides me with grace for the present and excitement for the journey ahead.

I am a better writer than I was and not as good a writer as I will be.

Quick three:

Favorite Book: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Jamie Fraser- swoon!)

Favorite Drink: Diet Pepsi (followed closely by espresso)

Favorite Article of Clothing: My Sketchers tennies. I wear them every day!

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Thank you again to Cyndi Tefft for visiting the blog and sharing her insights. For more on Cyndi you can visit her website , her Twitter, and on Goodreads. Her books are available at her site, as well as Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords. 

There's no crying in baseball...or writing.

First, I owe you all an apology. I've been MIA for too long. In my defense, I have had a TON of stuff going on. So many really great things have been happening. Let me fill you in on what's been eating up my time.

I finalized the manuscript of FROZEN HEART and readied myself for the rather intimidating process of querying said manuscript. Querying is no small feat. I know what you're thinking, "Just throw it in an email and send it out!" Ya, not even close. Every house has different requirements. It's paramount that you follow each publisher's requirement perfectly or your submission goes right into the trash folder. The query process takes many hours over many days. And that's just to get it out to the publishers that allow you to have simultaneous submissions at different houses.

I made the typical rookie errors. Misspellings in editor's names. Attaching wrong documents (like the first three chapters instead of a full, or vice versa). And various other ridiculous mistakes. But you know what they say – there's no crying in writing. Or was it baseball? Whatever. You know what I mean.

Instead of letting myself get all mopey (Okay, I was totally mopey, but only for like 5 minutes), I did what any self-preservationist does and kept sending that damn thing! I knew I couldn't give up. Not if I wanted to achieve my goal of being a PUBLISHED author.

And GUESS WHAT? Go on. Guess. I'm waiting.

No, not that. Okay. YOU'RE RIGHT! I TOTALLY GOT A PUBLISHING CONTRACT! I am proud to announce that Frozen Heart will be published by Inkspell Publishing this summer! I am beyond thrilled to be working with a company like Inkspell. They are new to the scene but they are high class straight out of the gate. I look forward to a long and successful relationship with them.  I'll keep you all updated as we get closer to the release date.

And that's not all. There's another big announcement coming mid-March. More fun, more romance, and more writing! I know, I'm telling you, it's been CRAZY around here! I can't wait to take you all on this ride with me. What an adventure this will be!

How Editing and Polishing a Manuscript is like Putting on Make Up

You know how you get out of the shower and your hair is up in your super-sexy plastic shower cap, and yesterday's mascara is streaked down your face, and your skin is all red and splotchy from the hot water, you look in the mirror and think, "my poor husband"? (No, just me? Well go with it, for the sake of metaphor, okay?) Well, that's what it's like when you read through the first draft of your manuscript.

You cringe at the way "just" and "was" are littered across every page. You stab your fork forcefully into the plate of black beans and cous cous (it's all that was in the cupboard because you were locked in the house writing your manuscript) at every terrible simile. You throw your hands in the air and yell things like, "What the Hell is a Finnimbrum and why did I write about it?"

But then, you grab your cold cream and wipe away the remnant mascara. You moisturize and tweeze, and work your magic. Skillfully highlighting your best features and covering the blemishes. You consult fashion magazines to figure out if it's shimmer gloss or matte lipstick this spring and ignore them when they say orange is the new pink (it isn't).

Editing your first draft is just like that. You rewrite entire scenes, move chapters and consult every grammar site you have in your bookmarks. If you're like me, you even take a self editing course BEFORE your write your book, sometimes wondering if it did more harm than good (it didn't).

If you're feeling really brave, or lost, you head to Sephora and ask one of those heavily adorned women that hawk thirty dollar sticks of eyeliner to show you how to perfectly apply blush and recommend a better color palate for your skin tone.

And that's exactly what it's like to give your second draft to your critique partners. They point out when you use the same adjective 15 times and how you forgot to mention the heroine was missing an arm until the last chapter when the hero gives her one glove for Christmas.

But in both scenarios, you aren't throwing in the towel. You don't say "screw it" and put a paper bag on your head, just like you don't print your manuscript, delete it from your hard drive and then set all 300 pages on fire (even if you fantasize about it).

You clean it up, make it the prettiest it can possibly be, and then send it out into the word for everyone to see. And jut like you, not everyone is going to think it's pretty, but there is always one person who will find it to be beautiful. That, my friends, is the only person that matters. And they are worth every tweezed eyebrow and red penned page.