A View From Garnet's World

Gone home to Scotland

2011-09-04T09:13:00.000-04:00

It is with great sadness that I must announce the passing of my sister, Mary Duncan. After a long fight with multiple myeloma, Mary succumbed on August 5th. She was in no pain when she finally left us, and that is my only consolation. Mary's husband, Dan, passed two months before her, and now they are together in the afterlife, roaming the hills and mountains of Scotland.

Her books will still be available on Amazon.com. I have toyed with the notion of trying to finish the sequel to Despite Them, but I'm not sure I have it in me to do that, at least not for a while. I guess like everything else, it will take time if I do attempt it. I'm not sure I could do it justice but who knows, maybe Mary herself will inspire me somehow.

Thank you to all of you who supported Mary by buying her books and passing the word to your friends and family.

Cathy Emmons
gemmons@comcast.net

Spring Tune-Up

2011-03-19T13:04:00.000-04:00

I just got out of the hospital for my spring tune-up, fluid level change and all around maintenance on this old body. Just like a fine automobile (I like to think of myself as a late 50's Jag or Corvette), some kind of loving conditioning must be performed or things won't run correctly. 'Course, things haven't run correctly for some time, so a little extra must be done to get me back up to par. I'm getting there slowly but surely. I will be starting another round of chemo for my leukemia to keep it at bay. Not really looking forward to it, but the consequences are worse than not doing it all.

Thanks for all your prayers, cards and phone calls.

As for my writing, it's slow. Some days it's too much to get to my computer, but I'm always thinking about it. Now that Despite Them has been out for a few months, I would love to get some reviews from you all. This can be posted on Amazon or Barnes and Noble via the following links.

Despite Them Amazon paperback

Despite Them Amazon Kindle version

Despite Them Barnes and Noble paperback

Around town, the snow is all but gone and the grass is waking from its winter slumber. Daffodils are poking up from the earth and the treats of warm days are scented with the soil I long to get my hands into. Happy Spring!

Indie Author

2011-02-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

I was reading J.A. Konrath's take on his sales on Kindle. He outsells James Patterson by being priced extremely low ($2.99), but he's also a traditionally published author. He says that doesn't matter; that it's all about price.

As an Indie Author (one who isn't traditionally published), it's harder to get your name out there. However, if an Indie Author floods the market with books, one would think it would just be a matter of time before someone catches on and says, well, she's out there with all these books, perhaps she's worth a read.

Do you agree?

Course J.A. Konrath doesn't spend 2 years or more doing research on a story like I do. He just puts his twisted mind out there and gets it done in a few months.

The question should be, who am I writing for? It's like when I used to paint and sell my work at outdoor art shows. I did it for me, for my creative side which doesn't ever stop, but I also enjoyed sharing my visions on canvas with others.

I can say one thing for certain. I may only have a small fan base, but you guys are the best! I know most of you tell others about my books and pass them along to your friends. Word of mouth is powerful stuff! And slowly it's working. Thank you all!

And I do so enjoy readers who tell me they felt like my characters were friends of theirs and want to know more about them. That's how I feel. They get into your heart and you actually care about what happens to them. Then again, I have no compunction in killing them off either...

Anyway, now that all my books are up on Kindle and in paperback form, I can finally get on with doing what I truly enjoy. Writing a new book. I've already begun the next Macgregor tale, and have also begun putting my thoughts on paper about my illness. This must be how James Patterson feels! He usually has about 20 books in progress at the same time. Who says I can't play with the big boys?

I'm Back

2011-01-31T10:01:00.001-05:00

Sorry I've out of touch for so long. My back has been trying my resolve for the past two months and is just getting back to some semblance of painlessness.

Anyway, while I've been recouping, I've been tossing around an idea for a new book. This one would be a story of what I've been through for the last year fighting to rebuild my body and life. I'd write it as a fiction, but with the facts of my journey.

What do you think? It may be cathartic for me to get it all out of myself emotionally and mentally, but I'm not sure how people would react to it. Or should that matter?

Give me your feedback.

Onto other matters.

I'm nearly done with Double Vision being reformatted for CreateSpace, the Amazon company who is publishing my books now that I fired my old publisher for non-payment. If you've been having a hard time finding the Eyes of Garnet trilogy online, fear not, they'll be up shortly.

And what about this weather? We're bracing for yet another blockbuster snowstorm this week. The Weather Channel is running out of adjectives to describe how bad it will be. They're on "colossal" now. How much worse can it get? And what if this becomes the norm? I do enjoy watching the videos clips on the crazy people trying to get to work on icy roads at the same speed they think they do when it's dry. Twisted, I know.

Let me know about my idea for a new book. Yay or nay?

A Holiday Feast

2010-12-26T10:23:00.003-05:00

We spent Christmas at home, but not without friends to share the day. We planned a fish-fest. When in Maine…

The menu consisted of champagne, and appetizers of scallops, pesto and Gruyère cheese in phyllo cups served hot out of the oven. After that, we sat down to a cup of homemade lobster bisque with puff pastry croutons. So good!

The main meal was baked stuffed haddock with crab and scallop stuffing, rosemary-roasted Yukon gold potatoes, and a corn, sundried tomato and onion sauté, along with more champagne.

And for desert, a Grand Marnier dark chocolate mouse with homemade whipped cream, orange zest and dark chocolate drops on top.

My husband also found a new pleasure; coffee-nog. I'm sure you can guess the recipe.

I hope you all had a happy day and wish you all the best for the New Year.

ps - as you can see from the photo above, the crows ate well also!

Time Travel

2010-12-22T09:59:00.003-05:00

I often get ideas for my writing from my dreams and last night was no exception. However, this one I'm going to need some feedback on.

In my dream Gregor Macgregor time travelled to this century and became a rock star! He looked a bit like Slash from Guns and Roses.

I woke up laughing, but then thought, huh, I wonder…

Let me know what you think about sending Gregor on a trip!

Bah, Humbug!

2010-12-15T14:14:00.007-05:00

I'm writing this as I wait patiently for the tech person to pick up the line to hopefully guide me to the reason this wonderfully technological devise isn't working. It's a digital photo frame and, of course, it won't repeat the slideshow when it reaches the end. I'm the first to tell you how much I enjoy technology, but when it doesn't work correctly… well let's just say the idea of tossing it out the window is very appealing!

Oops, here's the tech.

Great! After being put on hold several times to try and figure out the problem, she told me it's defective and it should be returned! It's a Christmas gift and there's no way this will all get done in the 10 days we have left. Crap!

So I hang up the phone and try it one more time before giving up. When I turned it on again, I noticed there was a couple photos still showing up that I had removed a little while ago. How can that happen?

It was like a hand slapping to my head. I have to empty the trash or the memory card still thinks the photos are in there. When I did that, it worked perfectly. Yay!

Moral of the story: keeping trying until every possible outlet has been used.

That, and in my case, always allow for operator error!

Just in time for holiday shopping!

2010-11-30T10:57:00.004-05:00

I received the proof copy of Despite Them last Friday as promised. It looks amazing! I've approved it and it's ready to be bought and read by all my dear friends who've pestered me for the last 2 years asking when the next book will be out. Just teasing! I love the fact that I'm lucky enough to have such a wonderful following.

Right now it's only available on Amazon.com. It will filter it's way through to Barnes and Noble and the like a little later. Here's the direct link.

https://www.createspace.com/3502290

Thanks in advance for your support and, shamelessly I ask that you please write a review.

Black Friday and My New Book

2010-11-21T13:27:00.010-05:00

Okay everyone, I was finally able to get all of my books up onto Kindle. Yes, even Despite Them! Now it's time for some shameless self-promotion. I thought, with your help, of course, that those who want to order the Kindle versions of my books can do so on Black Friday (Nov. 26th) and the rest of the weekend, and my books might actually get a good ranking. Maybe (dare to dream!) get close to the number one slot!

For those of you who'd prefer an actual book, I'm getting Despite Them printed in paperback, and with any luck, it'll be ready for purchase in December. I'm also working on getting the paperback versions of the Eyes of Garnet trilogy on CreateSpace, the Amazon print-on-demand company. They should also be ready in December. I'll keep you posted on Despite Them. My proof copy is due at the end of this coming week. It's a bit like birthing a baby! Exciting!

Here are the links to the Kindle books.

Eyes of Garnet: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BLJ89S

Sightless: An Eyes of Garnet Novel: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BLJ8C0

Double Vision: An Eyes of Garnet Novel: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BLJ86Q

Despite Them: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BDP30O

For those who don't have a Kindle and still want to read my books on your PC or Mac, iPhone, or other device, you can download the App right to your device and start reading in minutes. Here are the links.

Kindle for iPhone Available for FREE Download:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_01/?docId=1000301301

Kindle for Android Available for FREE Download:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_02/?docId=165849822

Kindle for PC Available for FREE Download:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_03/?docId=1000426311

Kindle for iPad Available for FREE Download:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_04/?docId=1000490441

What Dreams May Come

2010-11-03T08:45:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I had a dream about how to solve my formatting problem on Kindle. Then I hurt my leg and couldn't get back to my computer to test the theory.

Until yesterday.

What do you know? Dreams really do come true! When I removed all the formatting in my Word document, POOF! it came up perfectly in the Kindle previewer. Now I've got to go through each book and do the same thing so it'll still be a little while before all four books are up, but at least the problem is solved. Whooohoooo!

On another note, Monday I was pleased to be well enough to get out and talk with the book club at the Brewer Public Library. It was my first book-related outing of 2010 and it was a blast. There were about a dozen people there and they brought Scottish and Welsh goodies to eat while we chatted about Eyes of Garnet. A couple had read all three books but most had just read the first. My husband and I had a bet as to what subjects would be brought up and we hit them on the head. The two that always make me smile are, "What happened to the nephew?", and "Why did you have to kill off all the brothers?"

Like I've told many folks, I'm only the typist; the story writes itself and I have little say in the matter. It never really appeases them but I told them to read the rest of the books to find out what happened to Teàrlach.

Frustrated

2010-10-12T09:48:00.003-04:00

Uploading my book onto Kindle is proving to be a headache. I've finally given up and sent the file to a webmaster I used to work with for a fresh look at my html file. It's beginning to stress me out and I don't need that in my life right now.

So, I thought I'd share a little bit of Maine with you all.

October in Maine begins hunting season. And with hunting season, Mainers of all ages and status don their blaze orange. They wear it to the mailbox, to the grocery store, collecting seaweed, or just for a ride about town to enjoy the fall colors.

It's curious to me that 99% of these people never go into the woods where all the wild beasts hiding from hunters live. Perhaps I have it all wrong. Perhaps it's just an excuse to wear the color of Autumn and not feel foolish in clothes that rival the color of pumpkins.

Do I wear the official color of fall in Maine? Nope. Not even when I used to go into the woods. Why do I take my life in my hands when it's so easy to throw on an orange sweatshirt, you might ask? Because there is only 1% of the population who venture into the woods for a turkey in the center of my little town. It might save me from getting hit by a car crossing the street, but other than that, I believe it's just a fashion statement. And I've never been a slave to fashion.

Progress With Kindle

2010-10-03T11:15:00.002-04:00

Thursday afternoon, after my husband returned from the post office, he plopped a little brown box onto my lap that had the Amazon logo on it. I tore into it to find the Snow Leopard system software for my Mac. I promptly retired to my office and proceeded to upgrade my system, which took about an hour.

Then I was onto Kindle.

It's never as easy as you imagine it will be. Inconsistencies in Word have decided to not indent any paragraph beginning with a quotation mark. This sucks big time. Do you know how much dialog there is in my books? A lot! So I sought the advice of the system people at Amazon. They told me I need to work in HTML and manually correct the code at the beginning of all paragraphs that start with quotation marks.

Great! What I thought would take a day to do has stretched into three and I'm not done yet.

And now that I'm working in HTML, I can't figure out how to view it in Word again, even though I've saved it that way.

I'm certain I'll figure it out, and the other three books will be a breeze. Have patience I keep telling myself. And have fun. Well, easier said than done, on both accounts!

I'll update you when I've figured it out and it looks perfect in Kindle. Hopefully, that will be very soon...

Going for it

2010-09-28T08:26:00.003-04:00

After my last blog about whether or not I should put my books up on Kindle, with your blessings I got an overwhelming YES!

So, before I begin this process, I have to upgrade my system software so I can download something called the Kindle Previewer. This will allow me to see what my books will look like before I send them off into the ether and have them appear on a Kindle near you. The software should be here this week sometime and then I can begin.

I was asked if Despite Them is going to be put on Kindle as well. Yes it is! It may take a little more time to get an actual printed book out of it, but you'll all be able to read Gregor's story on whatever device you get the app for, or on your Kindle. Maybe, with your help, we can make it be a best seller on Kindle! How fun would that be?

I'll keep updating you on my progress and the ease of use (or problems) in world of ebooks technology. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing!

Bad News

2010-09-21T11:47:00.003-04:00

I called my agent yesterday about Despite Them. As I feared, the editor of Pocket Books didn't want to pursue the book with a contract. Here's what she said about my manuscript.

It was an intriguing story and she liked Gregor's character a lot, but she did not like the Scottish dialect used when he spoke. Then she went on, after she had already said she liked the story, that the writing didn't impress her the way she thought it would.

And it took her 5 months to tell me this bad news.

So here's my dilemma; do I change the dialect to be all English so these young folks who think they know what the public wants can understand what they're reading? Or do I keep it and try every editor in NYC until one says yes? You do understand that this could take years, if it ever happens.

I have had more compliments on the fact that I DO use the Scottish brogue because it makes the conversation feel more authentic. Never have I been told that it was impossible to read because of it.

Here's another option, one I've been trying out in my head since it came out.

Put my book on Kindle.

I know, I know, I've been talking about the piracy end of it, but I've been doing a little more research and found that unless you're a hacker and really have it out for me, there are some safety measures in place so once a book is downloaded to your Kindle or PC, Mac, IPhone, IPad or any other device, it can't be resent to someone else's device. This fact made my heart warm with joy!

I also found out that along with putting my book on Kindle, I can also get an actual book printed as print on demand, like I'm already doing with my old publisher.

I think this may be the best of all worlds. No agents taking 15%. No publishers telling me what and how to write and giving me 8% of all my hard work. The royalties on Kindle are up to 70%. I'm trying to find the bad in it, but not coming up with any faults.

What do you think? I want some feedback on this. Do I continue down the traditional path, or break out into the new world of ebooks? Let me know.

No News is Good News?

2010-09-09T10:05:00.003-04:00

I keep waiting for my agent to give me some news—any news—on what's happening with Despite Them. Pocket Books still has the manuscript, but apparently it has gone into a slush pile awaiting an overworked set of eyes to look at it. It's a bit disheartening. Do I continue with with next book? Is it really worth my time and effort? It's like this with most creative types. If you have a drive to create something and can't find a market it for it, do you just give it up? Questioning yourself can lead to failure. It can also lead to change, but that can mean doing something you're not passionate about. Or it can mean finding a new path, one you may not have ventured down if left to your own devices. Change can be good.

So, does this mean my writing isn't marketable with the big boys? I don't have the answer to that, though I wish to God I did. Some crystal ball to tell me I'm on the right track.

But if I was asked to change how I write or the subject matter which I write about, would I feel the passion it takes to create memorable characters and story lines?

I don't think I would. I've been asked to write about my illness. I can't. There's something about my own feelings and experiences I can't put to words. I've tried. Perhaps it's because I just want to forget it and move on with my life rather than reopening the wound and digging at it until it bleeds.

For now, I'll continue to let my characters play in my head, letting them come up with their own lives that always seem to involve murder and mayhem. I often wonder if that's my true self coming out. Devious, conniving, and always looking for trouble. Hmm. Something to think about.

Anyway, I know you're all waiting for something to read, but you'll just have to be satisfied with Diana Gabaldon and Sara Donati until I can get my break.

And thanks for waiting!

Shrouded

2010-07-10T11:27:00.009-04:00

This morning we got up early and went down to Stonington to try out a newly opened restaurant that serves breakfast. Fog was thick as we drove close to the water's edge. By the time we reached our destination we could barely see to the end of the inner harbor. The ghostly white veils settled in tightly, keeping all but the heartiest of fishermen at their moorings. Most washed their boats, or made those repairs they were meaning to get to, or filled bait bags for better weather. Those who did venture out were quickly swallowed by the unknown leaving me feeling uneasy for the wives of those men who go to sea in all weather conditions.

It made me wonder how, in the age of sail–without engines or radar–sailors managed the treacherous shoals and shallows to come home again.

After breakfast, we drove to an overlook to watch the scene unfold. There were harbor seals bobbing up around the boats, and crows vying for pecking rights on the bait boxes just in case a fisherman got careless and slopped some of the putrid fish over the sides. All the while, the fog rose and fell, much like a living entity, allowing us to see the village for a brief moment, then swallowing it up once again, leaving us to feel entombed.

Life along the coast is slower and the people who ply their trade from the waters are very in-tune with the earth and her fickle weather, much like farmers. And there's a certain charm and romantic vision one gets when visiting. Living it is a whole different story, and it's not always a pleasant one.

But for the visitors, the comments are always priceless and worthy of a spot here. Such as the woman from Connecticut who said how meticulous the fishermen were for parking their boats facing all in the same direction... Or perhaps the one where a couple from nowhere near the ocean commented on our drought not knowing our low tide is 13 feet from high tide...

Technology on Sale

2010-07-06T08:56:00.008-04:00

If you know me at all, you know how much I love technology.

After several years of being a wealthy person's toy, Amazon's Kindle is now affordable for everyone. At $189, it's finally in the realm of where even I want to run out and get one!

Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Generation/dp/B0015T963C/ref=pe_70020_16069360_fe_img_1/

I know in the past I've said how the piracy of books from such devices is a problem, but sales of books on Kindle, or Barnes and Noble's Nook are phenomenal, leading me to rethink it all.

Should I be seduced by money and have my Eyes of Garnet series put on the electronic market so those who use Kindle and Nook can read them, and say to hell with piracy?

Let me know your opinion.

Real Life

2010-06-14T08:30:00.003-04:00

As I begin to do more things on my own, such as walking and getting my own meals from time to time, my thoughts skitter towards writing. While my back can't take long durations in the chair, at least my mind is working again.

I'd love to think I'll be strong enough to at least get in the Maine Highland Games in August. I need to set goals for myself because I can be lazy.

I'm still waiting to hear from my agent on whether or not the editor at Pocket Books liked the rewrite of Despite Them. Boy, I'd sure love a sweet 3 book deal (or more!) and have them want to look at the Eyes of Garnet series as well. My agent tells me to have patience, but that's not one of my strong points. It seems like forever that my writing has been out there with no one in the publishing world taking notice. I think it's my turn!

Anyway, I'll continue to plug along and take advantage of the mild, late spring weather while I continue to heal.

Good to be back

2010-05-15T13:34:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time since I've physically been able to write a blog. Some of you know of my predicament, but many do not.

I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma - a lesser known type of leukemia. It caused a compression fracture in my back, which lead to a broken hip and congestive heart failure.

I was in the hospital for seven weeks fighting this and have finally come home to recuperate. There is a long road ahead, but with so many supporting me, I'm getting stronger everyday.

As for Despite Them, it's still searching for a publisher, and as I get stronger, I'll continue writing on the second Macgregor adventure.

Laid Up

2010-02-22T17:28:00.002-05:00

Sorry for my extended absence but I wrenched my back big time. The bed or the Lazy-boy are the only places I've been for three weeks now. Sitting up at my computer hasn't been an option until yesterday.

Since I'm out of work, it would have been a perfect time to be writing, but even that isn't getting done.

Day-by-day I see minute advances, but as with any major injury, time seems to stop and the healing process moves at a glacial pace.

Just thought I'd keep in touch.

Mary

Escapism and Bankruptcy

2010-01-23T10:59:00.005-05:00

Have you ever read a book where the story is so well written you forget you're reading words? All you feel are the emotions the words evoke and you get lost in the pages.

That's true escapism.

The time is set, the place is lavish in your mind, the action is immediate from the very first sentence, and the characters already feel like they're people you know.

It's a rare book that will allow you to see everything so spot on it reaches out and settles in your mind like a great movies would.

All right, I'll tell you what book I'm reading that has me giving such praise. Mo Hayder's, Skin.

It's a detective thriller set in England, and is the 4th in a series. I came across it in my local library and will have to get the first three as well.

Now, on to the kick in the teeth news I received earlier this week.

On Monday, a frantic phone message from the publisher who did my Eyes of Garnet series asked me to read his email and get back to him ASAP.

I never received an email from him, and I have nothing to say to him unless he wants to talk about royalty payments—of which I've not seen for 14 months. Not a penny from Sightless or Double Vision.

So I emailed him telling him to resend his email and I'll read it and get back to him.

The next day, I received a letter in the mail saying James Rock & Co., Publishing is going bankrupt!

Needless to say, I was pissed to the max. I called him and he immediately told me he had cancelled the bankruptcy claim.

At that point I was still only somewhat relieved because when I asked when I'd receive my royalty check, he said—after promising once again he'd send it within the 30-60 days—he didn't know when he could get MY money to ME. Mind you, he has already taken in the money from the sales of my books, but has chosen to run his business with it instead of sending it to me.

I called my agent and she wasn't all that hopeful I'd ever see it without spending more money than he actually owes me to take some sort of action against him.

Perhaps I should be write a book questioning the sanity of those of us who choose this path...

In the Meantime...

2010-01-09T10:27:00.002-05:00

So, what does a writer do when awaiting approval from a publisher?

Write!

I had nearly 60 pages written on Gregor's next adventure when I was asked to rewrite Despite Them. I set the new story aside for a few months to go back and live in Despite Them. It was easy as it was already complete, I just needed to flush out my characters a little more.

Yesterday, I opened the as-yet-untitled next story and read through it. With a memory like mine, it wasn't like revisiting an old friend, it was more like, Hey this is pretty good, but where the hell was I going with this story line?

I have characters in there that apparently were going to be integral to the plot, but damned if I know how. I've reread it several times and am trying to get back into what Gregor was thinking. As with all of my characters, they speak to me, so I just need to start writing again, even if it makes no sense. I trust that he'll (Gregor) guide me to where he wants me to go.

He'd better!

So how does a story line come to me? If my characters aren't guiding me, I tend to read or watch movies to immerse myself into the time period, speech, and scenery. There's always a pad of paper and pen nearby for my epiphanies, then I can steer the plot along until my characters pick it up and run with it.

I never call it a writer's block because to me there's no such thing. Whether it's good or bad, there's always something to write about. It may not be the next paragraph or chapter, but it could be a scene that will morph into a twist or turn, or even a new character.

The process works for me, while other writers might simply see me as daft. Whatever. As long as I get back on track—and I will—I'll just stay the course and wait it out.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:54:00.003-05:00

As the New Year begins, I'll not start out by preaching about resolutions. I profess, I enjoy doing things in my own time. I'm not a procrastinator—quite the opposite. I've mostly been accused of doing things too quickly.

What I mean is why wait for the New Year to make changes in your life?

Anyway, after having a week and a half off from work, I've finally managed to complete the rewrite of Despite Them. It's off to a copy editor then will be sent to Grace.

I know I keep saying this, but having an open enough mind for constructive criticism has made this book so much better. I added over 3200 words to it and did NOT get Gregor laid.

I know consummating the act is what Grace told me the editors wanted to see, but two things compelled me not to do it.

1) No matter how I tried, it just didn't add to the story or fit in anywhere.

2) It's not a Romance, it's an Adventure, which means, though there is sex in the story, it's not four pages of foreplay enough to heat the room on a snowy day.

I hope Grace and the editors at Pocket Books see it that way, as well. I did mention to Grace that the next Gregor adventure begins with a sex scene, so It's not as though he'll never have a release. While I may kill off my characters as easily as one swats at files, even I'm not that twisted!

Control

2009-12-20T12:22:00.004-05:00

Wow! It's hard to believe it's been over a month since I last blogged. My sister prodded me last night into writing to you explaining why. Sorry for being incommunicado for so long.

December has been a crazy month, and not because of anything to do with the holidays. I started a new job (nope, nothing to do with my writing career, more of the "put food on the table" sort), so I was very busy with that, plus trying my best to do the rewrite on Despite Them so I can get the new manuscript to Grace in early January.

You know how life happens just when you least expect it.

I was talking with a fellow writer the other day and he was saying how he's not sure how to deal with losing control of the story he wrote when it goes to the publisher.

After having total control of my books for all these years, I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with it when I go to a big publisher either. It got me to thinking about this reality, and I realized that doing this rewrite could be construed as such (losing control), however, I feel it's making it a better book.

So, does that mean losing control can be a good thing?

I've heard stories of writers getting editors who want them to change the entire story. My reaction to that would be to get a new editor. One that had the same vision I had when I wrote the book. Either that, or the book wasn't good enough to begin with, but apparently an editor thought enough of it to want to work on it. Who's to say?

It's a hard process having your dream ripped apart in front of your eyes. I could have taken that attitude, but when I really thought about it (and after I got over the crush of Grace telling me my characters fell short), I understood why she and the two publishing houses rejected it.

I'm about 2/3 done with the rewrite now and can honestly say, even those who've read my first three books are going to see the difference. I can't wait for Grace to read it again to give me her feedback, then pass it along to the publishers knowing it's the absolute best I can give them.

Happy Solstice and Holidays from the coast of Maine!

Agent/Publisher News

2009-11-16T16:38:00.002-05:00

My agent called me this afternoon with news about Despite Them.

Grace submitted my book to Avon, and to Berkley, which I didn't realize.

The really good new is that both publishers loved my writing and my story, which in of itself is AWESOME NEWS. However, both rejected Despite Them because of one crucial item.

Lack-luster characters.

It came as a surprise to me until Grace pointed out the fact that I was riding along thinking everyone had read the Eyes of Garnet trilogy, and already had all the background on the characters I used from that series.

Rejection can be taken many ways. I always use it as a tool to get better.

Here are the suggestions Grace gave me to WOW! the Publishers she'll submit to when I've revamped the book.

1) I need to pretend like I've never written the Eyes of Garnet trilogy, and start with fresh eyes to add the complex layers of my characters.

2) Please get Gregor laid!

Really, they asked that he get lucky at least once. And if that doesn't make you want to read the book, I don't know what will! ;o)

So I will set aside my 5th book, and go back to rewrite Despite Them, because the next set of publishers she'll submit to are Berkley (again), and Pocket Books, a division of Simon and Schuster!!! How can I NOT want to WOW! them!

I'll let you how I'm doing along the way.

Well, all except for the sex scene...

A Cosmic Thing

2009-11-07T17:43:00.005-05:00

Today I went to a signing of a couple of Maine authors I've become friends with at the Fertile Mind Bookshop in Belfast, Maine. Great bookstore, and terrific owners, Bruce and LaRue always host a wonderful event.

I went because Janet Chapman just came out with another Highlander book, and I wanted it. It was quite busy when my husband and I walked in, but I found a seat, while my better half went over to talk with Bruce, being the only other male in the place.

Before Janet got to make her first sale, I was already signing one of my own books! Then the we all began talking about the business of writing, as well as tanning beds, campers, naps, and a wonderful herbal remedy to help clear the cobwebs of an overactive mind; SamE.

By the end of the visit (which turned into 2 hours!), I had signed and sold 7 of my books. All at someone else's book signing event!

Was it a cosmic configuration that enabled me to crash an event and make out better than when I do when I'm on the sign outside?

Perhaps.

But I just think great bookstore owners who know their buyers can "guide" those buyers to books they'll enjoy. And, boy can these two do that!

LaRue, thank you!

And Bruce, thanks for entertaining Dan while I do my thing.

Writing Season

2009-10-25T13:12:00.032-04:00

As I begin the first few chapters of my fifth book, I find it difficult to concentrate. When the weather gets cold and snowy, my office is where I practically live, but when the crispness of the autumn air, the impossibly blue sky, and the multitude of brilliantly colored leaves taunt me from my office window, I just have to give in and get outside. There will be plenty of time yet to write.

This has turned into an especially brilliant year, attributing to the rather large quantities of rain throughout the summer. Berries are plump and plentiful.

And the usual maladies of blight on the leaves isn't so apparent.

The blueberry barrens, which are seen everywhere around this peninsula, are turning crimson, cranberry, vermillion and every other shade of red the eye can discern.

The coast comes alive with golden oaks, and vivid maples, mixed with the dark greens of the spruce. As the air becomes colder than the water, the vapor rises from the sea in fingers.

Then there's that one single tree that screams its brazen color, saying, "Look at me!"

Finally, the hardy asters chill under frosty nights, but continue blooming strong into November, adding to the colorful scenes.

So, dinna fret, the season is short and I'll be back in front of my computer very soon. Until then, when the weather's fine, I'll be taking advantage of the last of the season's beauty.

Despite Them Update

2009-10-09T15:26:00.004-04:00

Here's an update to let everyone know what the status is of my fourth book, Despite Them with Gregor Macgregor.

It's in the hands of Avon Books a branch of Harper Collins—a pretty big fish in the book publishing world!

Don't be fooled by the fact that they print a lot of bodice-ripping Romance novels, they also print many other genres, but Scottish Romance is big business. And why wouldn't it be? Who out there doesn't love a rugged Highlander in a kilt?

Since I've bent and twisted my genre into something barely recognizable, my agent, Grace Morgan, says this is a good fit.

The company in which I could be keeping is terrific. Examples of the authors Avon publishes: Michael Crichton, Janet Dailey, Jim DeFelice, Mark Fuhrman, Patricia Gaffney, Neil Gaiman, Bartholomew Gill, Johanna Lindsey, and Sara Bennett, to name but a few.

So, all I have to do know is wait for the good news that Avon wants to pick up my book, and, with every good thought I can send them, offer me a multi-book deal. Not difficult, right?

Well, to keep my mind occupied with something else while the time trudges by, I've already completed the first chapter of the second Macgregor adventure (no title as yet). I'd love to tell you what it's going to be about, but I haven't a clue! ;o)

I'll keep you posted!

Single Malt Whisky Cake

2009-09-30T13:01:00.018-04:00

Before I give you a terrific recipe that's sure to please (even if you don't imbibe in the Scottish nectar), I want to give you a wee bit o' history on the amber elixir.

First off is why you see whisky spelled two ways; one with an "ey" and one with just a "y".

The one true way to be certain that you are spending your money on a Scottish malt is whisky is spelled without an "e". In my opinion, as frugal as the Scots tend to be, they may have used this spelling so they are assured of getting a Scottish malt and not an Irish or American blend. No sense in wasting cold, hard-earned cash on something that's not the real deal, right?

But, Canadians, New Zealanders and the Japanese (honest!) also spell it the same as the Scottish, so be sure to read where it was distilled.

A Scottish single malt is always made from malted barley, whereas "whiskey" can be made from unmalted corn and other grains. The barley malt for Scotch whisky is first dried over fires that have been stoked with dried peat (a form of compacted grass and heather compost that is harvested from the moors). The peat smoke adds the distinctive smoky tang to the taste of the malt whisky, as does what type of barrel it's aged in.

The smoky-tasting Scotches tend to be aged in an oak barrel that's been smoked inside. Others are aged in sherry casks, lending its flavor to the brew.

Scotch Whisky Regions

The Highlands consist of the portion of Scotland north of a line from Dundee on the North Sea coast in the east to Greenock on the Irish Sea in the west, including all of the islands off the mainland except for Islay. Highland malt whiskies cover a broad spectrum of styles. They are generally aromatic, smooth and medium bodied, with palates that range from lushly complex to floral delicacy. The subregions of the Highlands include Speyside; the North, East and West Highlands; the Orkney Isles; and the Western Islands (Arran, Jura, Mull, and Skye).

The Lowlands encompass the entire Scottish mainland south of the Highlands except the Kintyre Peninsula where Campbeltown is located. Lowland malt whiskies are light bodied, relatively sweet, and delicate.

Islay is an island off the west coast. Traditional Islay malt whiskies are intensely smoky and pungent in character with a distinctive iodine or medicinal tang that is said to come from sea salt permeating the local peat that is used to dry the barley malt.

Campbeltown is a port located on the tip of the Kintyre Peninsula on the southwest coast that has its own distinctive spicy and salt-tinged malt whiskies.

I brought the infamous cake to an Equinox party last week (no, it wasn't one of those Pagan rituals where everyone dances around a bonfire naked. Thankfully!), and a young girl all of ten thought it was gingerbread.

Until she tasted it.

She handed it directly to her father, and said, "Dad, I don't think I'm supposed to be eating this."

He seemed to enjoy the fact that it wasn't gingerbread very much, as he was on his third piece when he told me the story.

Anyway, the following recipe has been praised by many, including wine distributors at the Wine and Food Festival in Blue Hill. I'll be there again October 18th at the Arborvine restaurant from 11:00-3:00 if you're in the neighborhood. One might ask why I would be a part of such a festival, and my answer is that my books sell best when found in places where a book is least expected to be. Plus, I can cook, and enjoy seeing the looks on people's faces when I ask them to sample my Single Malt Whisky Cake.

Single Malt Whisky Cake

2/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup water
1 stick real butter (Don't substitute here, please. Forego the waist for a real treat!)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup Single Malt Whisky (I've used Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Glenfiddich and Glendronach with good results)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cover raisins with the water in a small pan and simmer until only 2 tbsps. of water remain. Let cool a bit.

Cream butter and sugar; add egg.

Stir in dry ingredients.

Add rest of liquids (including water from raisins) and mix well.

Fold in raisins and pour into a buttered 8 inch pan.

Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Hooligans' Weekend, AKA The Highland Games

2009-09-20T17:14:00.036-04:00

Sunday morning dawned with crisp air, frost on the fields and a clear blue sky. We set out early for Sugar Hill, north of Franconia, bound for Polly's Pancake Parlor. A real treat, if you're ever up that way.

As we drove through Franconia Notch, the fog had settled thickly in the valleys overnight, making the mountains look as though they were islands floating on an inland sea. Some of the maples were beginning to turn red and orange creating a vivid distraction as the sun struck the swamps.

It was a perfect ending to a terrific weekend at the Highland Games at Loon Mountain.

We hopped the shuttle bus early Friday morning and arrived at the clan tent before nine. It was cloudy and cold, with predictions of periodic showers during the afternoon. It felt as though it could have spit snow, but luckily, it didn't.

The crowds were non-existent, so it gave us a chance to actually see the goings-ons, and of course, buy trinkets and eat without waiting in lines that can stretch for 50 or 60 feet. We searched for tea and coffee then set out to explore the festivities.

After awhile, I settled into the clan tent and got down to the business of selling my books, as well as the factual historicals about the clan, talking to people about the Donnachaidh history, and generally heckling those looking for a bit of…well, heckling. You can always tell those folks. They'll walk over with a mischievous look in their eye, then ask if this is the tent where they can get a wee dram of Scottish elixir. This usually means they're already well into the drink by then and are out looking to see what kind of trouble they can get into. Mind you, they can be men or women up for this task! The men wear Laphroaig hats; the fine single malt Scotch they've enjoyed at the Scotch Tastings. The women wear the "Official Kilt Inspector" t-shirts in search of…I don't know, shortest kilt, perhaps?

But mostly, it's people who want to talk about where they come from. We give them as much information as we can, sell them a book or two, a decal, a bit of Robertson ribbon, etc., and send them on their way.

Then there are those with stories they want to share.

Two sisters came up to me asking about their heritage. "We've got some of this clan, some of that clan, and oh, yeah, and some Campbell blood."

"Sssh!" I said, making them flinch. "You never want to say that in this tent, or many of the other tents, for that matter!"

"We've heard the stories," they assured me in a whisper. "Our mum's a true Campbell. Stubborn and nasty to the bone."

I couldn't help but laugh at their candor and say, "The Campbells stick together because no one else'll have them. You should stop in at their tent and introduce yourselves."

They looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, we're a little scared of what might happen," they said, still whispering.

Meanwhile, my husband was busy in his "Kept Man" t-shirt, advertising for my books and getting a lot of laughs, and even some promises to visit the tent to see what my books were all about. I was with him on one such occasion when a woman said she'd stop in. He said thank you and I stood there smiling. Then it dawned on me that I should have been the one to thank her and said as much. She just laughed.

At about 4:00 pm, we buttoned up the tent and secured it as well as we could. The wind had really started to pick up, so we all knew what that meant for unwary booth attendants. Overnight would be interesting.

Saturday morning, the wind was still gusty and we wondered what we'd find when we got to the tent. We had done a fine job of anchoring it, as it was still in place, but the tent masters, Doug and Sue Newton, and Herb and Mary Ann Dobbins said there was tent carnage all over the place when they arrived, nearly an hour before us. Some tents were ripped from their stakes in the tar and strewn all over the fairground. Flags, tartans, pamphlets—including raffle tickets to the Caribbean—tartan dog collars, and other interesting items flew around the clan village. It's a hard way to learn about the wind.

Saturday is the day where all the clans—63 all totaled—were to parade onto the field holding their standards high and shouting out their war cry as they're called. I was asked to participate this year! A real honor, as I'm not even Scottish. So four of us marched around clan village then onto the field. It's a brilliant display of tartans and costumes. Very fun.

Our clan's war cry is Fierce When Roused. It's been misprinted to read Fierce when Aroused, much to the delight of many. I had convinced Herb, Doug and Diane to say it the Gàidhlig, which is Garg 'n uair dhuisgear! This is pronounced GARG-en OOR GHOOSH-kar. They had been saying Garden Weasel. Sad, very sad.

So when Clan Donnachaidh was called we shouted it out, well, Herb said it in English, but we all shouted it proudly.

When the Campbells were called, a small group in the audience whoohoo'd, and the Historic Highlanders, the roughest of the bunch—barefooted and long-haired and carrying targes and broadswords—turned, as though practiced, drew their swords and held up their targes against the rebel clan. Even after hundreds of years, some Scots hold a grudge against them! I couldn't help but grin wondering how many others had seen the display.

Then, we marched back to our tent and I proceeded to sell my little heart out.

People of all ages are in the pipe bands. Here's an example of a young man getting a "tuneup."

Drummers practicing.

And the Royal Scots Guard was there with their beautiful uniforms and wonderfully decorated drums.

The "Heavies", the Highland athletes, toss the sheaf which weighs about 20 pounds, over the bar being held up by the lift.

And, they carry the stones. If two or more competitors carry the stones the entire length of the field, heavier stones are then used. In 2004 at the New Hampshire Highland Games, the record carry is a pair of stones weighing 508 pounds carried just under 100 feet.

Here are some other links to YouTube to experience at least a little of what goes on at the Games, such as the traditional pipers of the Massed Bands, the very non-traditional pipers of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers doing their rendition of Coldplay's, Clocks, and of course, Albannach just doing what they do.

Agent News

2009-09-13T14:36:00.007-04:00

I got a call from my agent, Grace Morgan, friday about my Despite Them manuscript. Without beating around the bush, she said she loved it! What a load off my mind. You never really know what someone else is going to think about your story until they actually read it. She told me she liked the way I handled my characters and asked if there were going to be other stories in the Macgregor series. I told her I had a plan for at least four.

"Good," she said, "because that bitch at the end has got to go!"

I love that my characters evoke such emotion! You can cry along with them, or you can be pleased that they got what they deserved, and you can rage at them (and me) when I decide to leave the story hanging with the bad guy (or gal) remaining on the loose, enticing you to want more...

She did want to see a few minor changes, things that didn't quite make sense to her, so I spent the day yesterday flushing them out, making revisions, then printing all 309 pages over again.

She told me she's going to pitch Despite Them to Avon Books and Pocket Books first, as they do many of the Scottish stories. If the violence is too much for them, she'll try a few of the men's book publishers. I asked her if she thought I should tone down the graphic nature of the story, and she said, "Oh, hell no. This will sell just fine."

See why I love her?

So now it's another waiting game to see who will pick me up.

Today, we went to the sea to chill out for the morning. Here are a few photos of the tranquility of the coast of Maine.

Irish Ale and Pirates

2009-09-06T09:18:00.016-04:00

We heard about an Irish Pub that has live music after lunch. Let's go, we said. It didn't matter that it was in Lubec, the last town downeast before you reach Canada—about two hours from us. So we hopped in the car on a perfect late summer morning around 8:00 a.m. We decided to make a day of it and return to Schoodic to see how it faired after Hurricane Bill took a slap at it. It was less than an hour out of the way.

What we found when we got there was pretty amazing. Trees that had a tenuous hold on the rocks were uprooted and toppled to the ground. Their skeletons will bleach in the salt air, then be carried away by the next big storm to land who knows where. Boulders weighing several hundred pounds were strewn across the road, many feet from where they'd been settled as barriers, pushed off the pavement by heavy equipment and left as reminders of nature's fury. Perhaps, those who hadn't seen what it looked like before the storm wouldn't see the changes, but we did.

Click on the first link to view a video that gives you an idea of how serene Schoodic normally is. We tried to match the exact location and tide yesterday to the tide we took in the video during the hurricane (click on the second link).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN2qsAX7fpc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVs--h90agM

After taking in the calm beauty of the sea at Schoodic, we ventured further downeast along Route 1, through small fishing villages, blueberry barrens, and old, open farmland, resting now, without plough or livestock to tend to it. Soon it will be reclaimed by trees and turn back into the woods it was a couple hundred years ago.

A little after noon, we arrived in Lubec. It's a small fishing town overlooking Canada. Home of West Quoddy Lighthouse and some pretty large tides that rise and fall at the rate of 5 feet an hour. You'd best know were high land is if you're on the beach or exploring and island at low tide so you have time to get to it before you're stranded.

We drove right to the end of the road, literally. At the juncture where you can choose to go to Canada or stay in the US, you take a left and follow the coast for a few hundred feet and then you see it. Cohill's Inn and Pub.

We searched for a place to park, as across the street is the ocean and a busy boat launch. We find a spot and walk in.

The place is filled with pirates!! Yup, Aaarrgh, matey! Eye patches, buxom women in wench-wear, men in ruffled shirts, breeks and long coats. And ale. Lots and lots of ale.

We walked up to the bar and the owner/bartender is wearing a kilt with a skull and cross bone t-shirt. I can't help it, but I love pirates! I looked at the owner with a broad grin and said excitedly, "I didn't know there'd be pirates here today!"

"We were invaded," he said happily, as though it occurred regularly.

So we took a seat with an incredible view of the water and ordered a Guiness and Harp. With our ales came a slightly inebriated older gentleman who took a seat at our table. He was a happy sort and told us he lived in the Virgin Islands, a place where there were no virgins.

"You saw to that, I suppose," I said to him.

He smiled and feigned shock, sadly said that he had nothing to do with it, then introduced himself as Mr. Moe. We chatted for a while until his wife was finished talking with a few of the pirates. I hope you're getting an idea of how crazy this was, and it was very fun. Music blasting, beer bottles clinking together, and pirates talking with themselves and anyone who wanted to join them at the tables, and walking around town. The funniest thing is that Mainers aren't fazed by much. They'd just drive by, take a look, raise an eyebrow and continue doing what they were doing. It's a bit like dream where everything—no matter how absurd—makes perfect sense. You gotta love it!

Soon, the pirates—and Mr. Moe, along with his lovely wife, Beverly—meandered out. The the landlubbers returned to their car and the pirates returned to their ship. Well, lobster boat. See, a Pirate Festival was happening in Eastport, just up through the Lubec Narrows, that's where they came from. Apparently, Lubec had more of an appeal for them. Maybe Eastport didn't have an open pub! Either way, we were happy to have been entertained by the jovial lot.

When our meal was served, we ate and watched the seals and seagulls across the street catch their own lunch in the swirling waters. The seals are the black heads popping up and down. They're black and gray speckled and look much like dogs.

We got home just before dusk, tired from the day, but happy with the excursion.

Progress

2009-08-29T10:57:00.007-04:00

I spoke with my agent, Grace Morgan, this past week, wondering where she stood in reading Despite Them. She told me she was caught in the middle of a rather tedious manuscript and, sadly, hadn't been able to get to my story yet. She said a couple more weeks and she'd be able to devote her time to it.

She gave me quite a compliment, though. When I mailed the manuscript, I also sent her copies of Sightless and Double Vision, which she had not seen or read. She told me she keeps glancing at the covers with longing. "Some covers are bad, some are okay," she told me, "but yours, which I understand you created, are the kind that you just want to pick up and settle in with."

I was thrilled by her professional opinion and can't wait till she actually reads them!

As the weather begins to cool (yes, we've already had temps in the low 40s!) and the days get shorter, my focus turns to writing. I still have another month of working full-time, but am looking forward to beginning Gregor's next adventure. I've already begun the story and know a little of what it'll be about, but as usual, I'm kept in the dark on what will happen until I actually start writing it. In the meantime, he (Gregor) will toss me hints now and again, which I scribble down and hope I can find when I sit down to write. Tidbits of where he's going with the plot, possible characters, and sometimes, lines of text. It's an interesting process.

When my editors read the Eyes of Garnet manuscripts, some tried to guess what would happen next. I just smiled and shrugged, because until it was on paper, I didn't have a clue. Sometimes they tried to interject what they thought should happen, but my characters always had minds of their own and wouldn't be dictated to.

So, I wait a little longer with toes and fingers crossed that Grace will enjoy Despite Them as much as my editors did.

While we wait, if you have a moment and would like to write a review about Double Vision—or either of my other books—write one on Barnes and Noble and/or Amazon. It's always appreciated, and after all it's part of my Shameless Self Promotion!

Mother Nature's Fury

2009-08-22T15:02:00.012-04:00

Saturday, August 22, 2009.

There's an anticipation of something in the air, an edginess that precludes a storm. Hurricane Bill is churning up the sea to our south. Here, thick fog so dense even the neighbors' houses look like dreamscape—not quite real, as the fingers of moist clouds dance like specters through the open fields and dark spruce. Humidity, the likes of which we don't experience often, hangs close, making it difficult to breathe. Floors are sticky and clothes are damp; towels never fully dry.

Near the sheltered coves where I live, hundreds of small islands protect our part of the Reach from the brunt of the large rollers that are pummeling the open coast right now. But there are places where the full force of the sea can be seen and felt not far from here. I'll wait until the storm is upon us to visit these places and experience the sheer exhilaration of what nature can produce.

Sunday, August 23, 2009.

Overnight we had torrential rains that flattened my deck plants and gladiolas. We woke to cloudy skies, but no fog. Perfect! We'll be able to see the waves at Schoodic Point. This place is about an hour and a half from us further downeast. The pink and black granite basalt left over from some ancient volcano lies in enormous chunks of rubble—the only thing keeping the sea from encroaching into this low-lying area.

We get there around 10:30 am and already there are many brave souls gathered along the rocks. But the Park Rangers have deemed it to dangerous to venture further than the very edge of the road.

Giant rollers lift themselves out of the icy water ever higher, making curls before crashing in thunderous abandon onto the time-smooth rocks. They gather in sets of three to five like hunting dogs in search of wayward prey that they can claim for their own. Every once in a while, a rouge wave, much larger, gets into the mix and shakes the ground as the brunt of its enormity smashes down, creating a foam that flies into the air, lingering for a moment before floating down and becoming mixed with the rest.

The wind isn't too stout, probably a maximum of 15 knots instead of the 30 they predicted. As we watch, the tide is flowing, expecting to peak at 2:30. The throng of people all wishing to glimpse this rarity along the coast is becoming thicker. A little before noon, we begin noticing droves of people retreating from the top viewing areas. The Rangers are moving them down because the waves have begun splashing over the road. There's talk of closing the park before high tide.

Within fifteen minutes, Winter Harbor's finest have decided there is too much splash over and they want everyone out of the viewing area. They herd us out like so much cattle. There are a few who give in and begin to moo. The waves are incredible now.

As we walk down the road, the lucky ones are being sprayed with the salty brine as the waves reach ever closer to the road. The not so lucky are being splashed from head to toe. Rocks, the size of large grapefruits are being tossed onto the road, along with tree branches and seaweed.

The exodus is unhurried, much to the dismay of the Rangers and Police. They sense an urgency we don't share. We're here to witness this event, but alas, we reach the parking area and begin the trek out of the park. Just before that, though, we get the video of a lifetime.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVs--h90agM

The Maine Highland Games

2009-08-16T13:48:00.007-04:00

The day was, as we Mainers say, "wicked hot." Temps in the mid-80s and high humidity. All those factors didn't bode well with wool kilts, heavy wool jackets, and long-sleeved shirts like this fine gentleman was wearing. He was part of the Historical Scots encampment and those lads must have been roasting in their costumes.

Clan Donnachaidh's tent was one of the chosen few that garnered a shady spot, but until the afternoon breeze kicked in, it was still rather oppressive, even under the big oaks.

Needless to say, the Beer Garden was overflowing with hot and thirsty people, including yours truly. There's nothing better than sipping a ice cold Guinness draught while watching the Heavies (that's what the athletes who toss cabers, sheaths, and stones are called).

I always enjoy selling my books and talking with the people who venture into the clan tent. Many people were previous readers of my books and were searching me out for Double Vision. They were very happy to see it was available. I even had a woman stop in looking for book number four! I was flattered when she said I wasn't writing them fast enough. Actually, I am, I just can't get them published fast enough.

Once again, the t-shirt sayings were interesting. New for this year were:

I married a Scot. Pray for me.

Got Scotch?

And, of course, my husband's t-shirt about being a "kept man" was a favorite with many who vowed to come to the clan tent and help him in his quest. ;0)

Preiden was there (first photo) playing their Scottish rock, as was a band from Scotland called Scocha (second photo) who sang rowdy pub songs and really got the crowd going, despite the blazing sun.

All in all, we had a great time, as always, and I'll leave you with a movie you can play for a bit of a Scottish experience.

Sign of the times

2009-08-08T16:01:00.017-04:00

I just returned home from spending a gorgeous day in Bar Harbor; one of the few such days we've had this summer. I did a signing at the Celtic Rainbow, well, I would have done a signing if anyone actually stopped to buy a book. For the most part, I had a feeling I would just be having a great chat with Linda Keady, the owner. She's always willing to have me at her shop, and I always enjoy being there, with or without sales.

For those of you who have never heard of Bar Harbor, Maine, here's a brief overview. Tourist trap of the most extreme sort. Hotels, restaurants, more gift shops than should be allowed in on small town, and yachts from around the globe. For those looking for more nature than glitz, there's Acadia National Park with its hundreds of trails, kayak tours, horseback tours, carriage tours—complete with tea and popovers!—and garden tours. A bit for everyone.

Needless to say, the masses from all over flock to Bar Harbor. Usually. Not this summer, though. The weather has really put a damper (pardon the pun) on the tourists trade. Shops were empty, sidewalks were passable and there were places to park if you looked.

It was the perfect summer day in Maine, yet the masses were nowhere to be seen. It makes me wonder if it's just a sign of the times economically, or if people really just don't care about buying books from the author anymore. Yes, I know there's a significant savings by shopping on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com, but it seems to me that there is less and less interest in going to hear an author speak or go to a signing.

Pretty much the same thing happened last week when I was invited to speak at our library. I hung posters, took out ads in the papers, send out invitations, and told everyone I knew. Most promised to be there and I was pumped to have a great night. I even made my Single Malt Whisky Cake!

Five people showed up, and one walked out halfway through.

Writing the books is the easy part. Truly! The rest is much like a bad business venture. Do you bail out and write it all off? Or do you wait out the storm and hope for better days?

I know what I'm doing. I'm going to do my part and write my stories and get my books out there. Then I'm going to rely on my readers to help spread the word. It can't be any worse than traveling all over and have no one show up.

But, even though sales were a bust, we had a great time. We ate well, did a little shopping to stimulate the local economy, and had a beer on the deck of a restaurant overlooking the water before heading back home.

Here's a taste of Maine at its best.

The view from the restaurant.

A globe trotter's yacht.

The Margaret Todd awaiting a crew.

A little local flavor.

A whale on deck while having a beer.

Serendipity

2009-07-18T13:23:00.004-04:00

Serendipity. I love that word.

However, it did not apply to all that transpired this week.

At the end of June I had placed an order for another two cases of Double Vision books. I didn't have a signing that I needed to bring my own books to until the end of July, so I figured there was plenty of time for them to arrive. No frantic rush jobs, no biting my nails and fretting something terrible wondering if the books would arrive in time. Each of the bookstores I was scheduled to have signings at were placing their own orders, so all was good.

Pfffttt! That idyllic world was thrown into chaos, as one by one, the bookstore last week and then this week weren't going to receive their books in time. It now fell on my shoulders to provide copies of Double Vision if I wanted to have my latest book in front of me to sell at the signings.

Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem, but the 50 books I had ordered two months ago had dwindled to a mere 7 and I still hadn't received my order from June!

I brought the 7 with me to the signing last week, and since there are people out there who haven't read the first two books in the trilogy, that amount sufficed for the day.

When I called my publisher to find out why it was taking so long to get my shipment to me, he found a slight problem. He hadn't even sent the order to the printer yet!

I called the bookstores in my area to see if I could borrow some to take with me, but they were only down to a few of their own and couldn't spare them. Dammit! They're selling too well!!!!!

Now the nail biting and fretting over whether I'd have books for the upcoming signing commenced. Big time! Rush jobs, special shipping, tracking the shipment when it finally did get printed, only to learn that the books wouldn't arrive until Monday. A bit late for the signing.

What do you do? Aside from swearing a blue streak (something I'm VERY good at!), you learn that you're not the only author this has ever happened to. I can now say I'm in a very select group of world-class writers who've had to work around these nuisance snafus, and take orders with a promise of delivering their book personalized and signed just as soon as possible.

So, when I arrived with just a proof copy of Double Vision in my hand for this morning's signing, the owner of the bookstore was a bit upset, but shrugged and said that it wasn't the first time, and that we'd work around it, just as I described.

I set up my table with plenty of copies of Eyes of Garnet and Sightless, and the lone proof copy of Double Vision with a skewed cover.

Then the most amazing thing happened.

Nothing!!

I sold one book right off, then barely a soul walked into the store. I sat there for an hour and spoke to one person. All that anxiety during the week for naught.

There's a lesson here. Worrying does nothing but shrink your nail length, turn your hair gray, and put you in a snarly mood. I really need to start taking my own advise and stroll through life with the intent that it will all work out in the end. Whether you fret or go through without a care, trust that everything happens for a reason, and normally, it's for the best.

The Perfect Day

2009-07-12T09:09:00.018-04:00

Yesterday, I did a book signing during Castine Days in Castine, Maine, a few towns to the west of me. The weather was finally sunny and, although very breezy, was a perfect summer day.

Sharon Biggie, owner of the Compass Rose Bookstore in town promotes my books at a phenomenal rate, and I was pleased to have a very nice sales day for her (and myself!), keeping my "Best Selling Author in Castine" title in tact!

Castine is also known as Pentagöet, the settlement Catrìona frequents when desiring an apple pie. It's a beautiful town filled with 18th and 19th century stately homes.

After a few hours talking with travelers from around the country, my husband and I walked down to Dennett's Wharf for a lunch on the water.

The breeze had turned to nearly a gale by then, and when we noticed french fries flying off the plates of those brave and unsuspecting souls sitting in the full brunt of the wind, we chose a seat under the canopy to have our lobster roll and haddock burger.

Email Malfunction

2009-06-26T10:58:00.003-04:00

When did everything we used to write in a notebook suddenly only appear on our computers? And, of course, saying you'll back it up, and actually following through with that task ... well, seriously, who does that?

I sure wish I did!

I've lost every email address I had the privilege of obtaining. Poof! Gone into the nether reaches of wherever those things go. All my loyal customers, friends and family.

So, since I hope you are checking up on my blog (even though you didn't receive an email indicating that I have a new post up), if you'd like to be placed back onto my email list, please send me an email at garnetseyes at myfairpoint dot net. Sorry I had to spell it out, but spammers love it when you put email addresses "out there", and I already get enough "want a bigger penis", "get cheap prescription drugs", and the like in my junk folder.

Help me rebuild my connection to the world. I'm counting on you.

Oh, and I promise to back it up from now on. Hard lessons always bring about change.

Print on Demand Just got Simpler

2009-06-20T08:23:00.006-04:00

Just when you thought the publishing business might fold altogether, a new machine emerges that may revolutionize how we buy books.

The Espresso Book Machine 2.0 will print, bind and trim a perfect library-quality paperback book with the touch of a few buttons all in about 5 minutes. It even remits royalties to the publisher.

Using pdf files via the web or your own computer, it will print black and white or color, with a 4-color cover.

How cool is that?

Just think, no more overruns of hundreds of thousands of books that use up natural resources and sit in warehouses as waste. This will allow you to purchase a book while you wait, having a cup of joe, perhaps (hence the name Espresso). Prices of books in the future will be less due to no shipping, warehousing, or destruction of unsold books.

More out-of-print and obscure titles would be made available using a global list instead of just by country by country.

Royalties will be accurate because the publisher won't have to wait for returns to cut the final check to the author. Only books sold to the public will be created, therefore, cutting out much of the distribution, hence allowing more money for the author. ;o)

It opens up a world of possibilities, and I like possibilities.

I had heard about this machine a couple of years ago in the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont. It was a much larger, slower machine, but the premiss was there and being modified for ease of use by nearly anyone.

Right now, the Espresso Book Machine 2.0 is being used in Blackwell's Book Store in London, England, and soon will be utilized in their 60 UK branches. It's only a matter of time before it's put to use in the US. The price tag is a bit steep—about $175,000.—but the ramifications are amazing.

I love technology!

Universal Knowledge

2009-06-12T11:37:00.002-04:00

Have you ever wondered just how little control you have of your life?

Last year, with the introduction of Sightless, I had scheduled 22 signings and talks for the summer, fall and winter. With Double Vision just having been released, I should have been doing the same thing.

But I didn't schedule anything for the entire month of June. Why not?

I'm fairly confident in my answer as, over the years, I've noticed how the Universe works . There's just some things you don't push on, some things you don't try to get accomplished because they'll blow up in your face.

The Universe knows what's going to transpire, even if we decide to forge ahead with plans of our own.

Case in point. On Memorial Day I tore the ligaments in my ankle. A stupid, unplanned, and rather painful ordeal that I'm still recovering from.

But what if I had a full schedule of signings to do this month? That would have really sucked, because aside from being a klutz, trying to get around in a city on crutches would have been a nightmare. That, and the fact that I have a clutch in my car, and it's my left ankle that's been ruined … well, suffice it to say, traveling would have been a disaster.

This all leads to a rather philosophical discussion on what we choose to listen to and what we choose to ignore in our lives. And, for that matter, who the hell is really in control here? It apparently isn't us.

Some will say it's God's will. Others will say it's Providence. Still others call it Fate. Whatever you want to call it, I just have one question. If we don't have control, who does?

Is there a lesson to learn from the experience? Or was the Universe telling me to stay home because in this economy, I'd have been sorely disappointed with all my efforts?

There are obviously forces bigger than us at work here. I'd just like to know how to get on the better side of it!

Nearly There

2009-05-30T09:43:00.003-04:00

Thanks for all your insightful emails on my cover last week. As a result, I have made adjustments to it and I'm fairly confident it's a winner.

I hope you agree.

The final copy from my editors is filtering back to me and, with luck, I'll be sending it off to my agent by the end of next week.

Usually, I take summers off from writing. Between working a four to five day week, plus the fact that summers in Maine are all too precious and short, I put the writing aside.

However, Gregor seems to have other plans. Yup, I've already begun the second in Gregor's adventure series. This one will take a bit of research, though, unlike Despite Them, where I just wrote and finished it in four months.

I can't really tell you anything about it yet, but suffice it to say, the big man will getting into trouble again. While I may be the first to know what's happening, it's not until I actually write it.

I read a historical fiction by James Irvine Robertson, which is more fact than fiction, and was pleased to be validated that what I write is based in truth, even in Gregor's story.

The jacket text for Despite Them is as follows:

Gregor Macgregor, an 18^th century Scottish Highlander, has seen his fair share of death. The Campbells saw to that with his father's murder at the strange standing stones when he was ten. As one of the hunted clan—as all Macgregors are—Gregor learned to melt into the mountains and stay one step ahead of the hunters: Clan Campbell.

With no family left, the man-sized child roamed the heather for two years before being taken in by Alexander Robertson, the Chief of Clan Donnachaidh. Now a man of twenty-one, Gregor wants to become his chief’s personal guard, but must prove himself at the Games that his strength and cunning are worthy to serve.

After taking his safety at Blair Castle for granted for so long, Gregor once again becomes entangled with the Campbells when the murders of several Macgregors in his old hometown sound all too familiar. Could his father’s killer still be on the loose after all these years? He has no choice but to find out.

When the murderer abducts the woman he desires, leaving her worse than dead, Gregor vows to capture the killer and make him pay. With his life. But first, Gregor has to find the elusive ghost before he kills again.

Despite Them Cover

2009-05-24T12:44:00.006-04:00

Let me know what you think of the cover for Despite Them, A Gregor Macgregor Adventure.

Also, if you've finished reading Double Vision, post your review on Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or both!

The Finishing Touches

2009-05-16T14:11:00.003-04:00

As I fight my way through the second draft of Despite Them, I stare at my computer screen with glassy eyes burning from looking at it for too long. Once I'm done with this rewrite, I read the entire story out loud to Dan, who, having a clearer mind, makes sure everything sounds right. Then it's off to my editors to correct any missed words, bad punctuation, or inform me of any story lines that don't make sense.

While I wait for their feedback, I work on my cover. Now, usually the publishing houses do this part, but there's no way I'm not helping them along with my ideas since I have the professional capability of doing it myself.

All I can think of is when romance author, Janet Chapman, gets surprised by the covers her publishers deem adequate, when they have absolutely nothing to do with the story. They just have a naked chest of a man on them, no matter what. Remember, sex sells.

My covers at least depict what the story is about. I'd like to think they also sell the books, as I've received many compliments on them.

So, once all that is done, and I've made the writing as best as I am capable of, I'll send it off to my agent with good wishes and lots of hope that she'll find it a great publisher. And hopefully, that publisher will want to take on the Eyes of Garnet trilogy so I can get good placement on the bookstore shelves with an immediate 4 books.

Remember, if you can't dream big, what's the point!

Excerpts from Despite Them

2009-05-08T09:42:00.003-04:00

The signing season is upon me. I have a multi-author Mother's Day event at the Fertile Mind Bookstore in Belfast, Maine tonight. I'll be with Susan Vaughan and Janet Chapman. We've all got new books just out and hope to have a good crowd. If nothing else, we'll have a blast!

This week, I'm posting the first three chapters of my next book, Despite Them. This is Gregor Macgregor's story of how he came to be. After playing such a large role in Double Vision, he seemed the next logical step to take for another book.

I've written it in the first person from his perspective, something more challenging than I thought it would be, though I feel like I know him better because of it.

I must advise you, though. This story is gritty, graphic and a bit twisted, so for those who might be a bit squeamish … well, I've warned you.

It's a story a man would enjoy, I think. And for those women out there who like in-your-face novels the likes of J.A. Konrath's "Jack Daniels" series, Tess Gerritsen's novels, and Patricia Cornwell's "Kay Scarpetta" stories, you'll probably enjoy this tale.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

http://www.eyesofgarnet.com/despitethemexcerpts.html

Favorite Lines and Chapter Titles

2009-05-01T07:49:00.016-04:00

Recently, I've been asked what some of my favorite written lines are in my books. There are a few notables, plus some I just shake my head over, and others that make me all out laugh about. Sometimes I go back over my books for the details I've written so I'm consistent, and wonder where some of this stuff comes from. Surely, I couldn't have been the only one thinking of such a verse; I had to have had help from my characters. It's the only explanation.

Each sentence was enough to evoke a clear image in my mind, or a feeling or memory. I'm always amazed how powerful words can be when put into the correct context.

And just to make this fun for me (and hopefully, you, too!), I'm not going to tell you from which of my books the verses came from. Let's see if you can remember them.

The dawn bloomed in a lemon sky.

Because when a man comes at me armed wi’ a teacup, I would hae to say that is drunk.

The moon rose large and full, much like Susan’s uterus.

Cat attempted to ask some questions, but in the gale, the wind sucked the words from her mouth and blew them across town.

Gregor was given the honors, as he so enjoyed the sport of frightening the life out of mortal men.

The moon rose brightly in the star-filled sky, a lazy, lopsided oval as if a drunkard drew it.

Gulls drifted overhead as though tethered, gracefully and effortlessly floating on the breeze.

She blew out a breath and in total seriousness said, “I’m too much woman for a man.”

He let out a high-pitched scream that made everyone in the room, including Gregor, jump out of their seats uttering profanities or prayers or nonsensical mumbles of terror.

The wind whipped at her long hair and filled her cloak, making it into a sail of its own.

Cat leaned back on her elbows, naked, and smiled.

Ye came in to fetch me and when I saw ye, I couldna move. Yer eyes trapped me in their green garden.

She poured some lavender oil into the water and the smell of it floated on the air like music.

All the public wanted was a distraction, the utterance of the obscene to titillate the senses, the fantasy of the taboo.

And for chapter titles …

A NOT-SO-JOLLY ROGER

THE REST IS SILENCE

THE PAST RETURNS LIKE A BAD PENNY

A DOG, A LOBSTER, AND AN INDIAN WALK INTO A CABIN

DEATH RIDES A PALE HORSE

I'd love to hear what your favorites were. Let me know.

In it for the money?

2009-04-23T07:39:00.008-04:00

First, let me update you on the clan dinner last Saturday night. It was great. Everyone was dressed to the nines in their kilts and tartan sashes, and from what I was told, it was the largest attendance they'd ever had—57 people.

James Irvine Robertson, from the UK was on hand with his swarthy British accent and witty banter, as well as telling us all about his historical fiction. We met up with friends we haven't seen since last September at the NH Highland Games, and ate very well, indeed.

My talk was very fun. Of course I can't show you any of it since the memory chip in the camera didn't hold as much as it was supposed to so only part of my presentation was recorded. I had many terrific questions asked about my writing and my stories, as well as giving the audience a preview of Despite Them, a Gregor Macgregor adventure. Oh, and yes, I sold and signed some books!

Which leads me to the title of this blog. Many people think that since I have three books under my belt, I'm rolling in money. Ha!

Let's get down to some hard number facts. Royalties are from 10-15% of what the book sells for. For all those romance writers whose books sell for $8.98, they make a maximum of $1.34 per book. So unless your name is Nora Roberts, James Paterson or Stephen King you're busting butt to make any kind of living from your writing. Fact is, there are only a handful of authors who make a decent living from their craft.

Why, you ask? The market for fiction especially, is tough. There are a lot of fiction writers, which makes breaking into the genre difficult. Then to become a bestselling author takes many years and many, many books, if you can find a niche in the already crowded arena.

When you look at the numbers and figure out what it would take to make a decent living from them, it adds up to getting your books out there, meeting your public, writing really well, publishing a book a year—minimum—and writing about something people actually want to keep reading about.

So when people ask my husband how he feels about his wife being able to make such a fine living from her writing, he politely tells them, "She's got a long way to go before decent comes into play."

Thank God for Scot-ophiles!

I know it's over-romanticizing a place and its people, but for some reason Scotland has a grand following. At the clan dinner, I met a woman who was born is Scotland but now lives in Virginia. We talked about the "aching loins" romances that portray making love in the heather with a broad-chested, long, flowing-haired Highlander an item every woman should put on her Bucket List.

"Don't they know what heather feels like?" she asked in her soft Scottish brogue. "It's woody, prickly and peat bogs are filthy places!"

Kinda takes all the romance out of it, doesn't it?

Anyway, for now, I'll be keeping my day job and continuing to write on my days off. My agent is looking forward to receiving the Despite Them manuscript, which will be happening shortly. Then, it's waiting to find a publisher to print it.

There's no resting on my laurels just yet.

Clan Dinner

2009-04-17T08:12:00.003-04:00

This weekend I'm off to Massachusetts to the Clan Donnachaidh Annual Dinner. I'm one of the guest speakers for the entertainment this year. That could good or bad, as I tend to get nervous in front of large crowds.

Don't get me wrong, I love talking about writing and my books, but the hesitation comes from childhood fears of … well, everything that had to do with the general public. I was much better with animals.

I know, I know. Those who didn't know me in my shy phase would never dream of thinking I could be flustered by anything. Believe me, it took great desire and a few decades to reach the point where very little bothers me anymore. I'm not even sure I could get embarrassed if I wanted to!

But, there is still the sweaty palms, shaky hands and far to many giggles to consider myself stage friendly.

That's why I'll be imbibing in a single malt—or two—before I get up there. With any luck, the dry mouth will be sated by the Scottish elixir and I'll stand up fearless, albeit on wobbly legs, and give my talk.

Dan, my husband, is going to make an attempt to video the Scottish affair so I can have something to share with you next week. With any luck I'll be able to make a pod cast out of it. That's if there's anything left after the editing process!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

By now, many of you who ordered Double Vision last week have received it, and hopefully are enjoying the read. Remember, I'd love to hear your reviews.

A Heartfelt Thanks!

2009-04-11T07:47:00.005-04:00

How'd we do in making Double Vision a Bestseller?

Excellent, it almost reached the top 100!

Because of your help on Friday, it rose to 393 in the sales ranking on Barnes and Noble—which is actually selling Double Vision now for $11.07—and a little over 12,000 on Amazon.

It's by far the best selling book in the trilogy and I've got all of you to thank for that. Eyes of Garnet and Sightless also scootched up a bit due to folks not wanting to start the trilogy at the end. Good call!

What's next?

Book signings.

I'm already marking my Shameless Self Promotion Tour with dates for signings and discussions (my favorite). I don't go very far, as traveling over 300 miles and selling six books is hard on the pocketbook, but I'll be heading to the Maine and New Hampshire Highland Games for certain, and I may pick up one of the Massachusetts Games, as well. Check the schedule on my website for the dates and places. It's updated regularly.

Once again, I want to thank all of you for making my book be a huge success!

Double Vision Bestseller Day!

2009-04-01T15:04:00.004-04:00

To update last week's blog of attempting to make Double Vision a bestseller on Barnes and Noble and Amazon, I've scheduled the date to purchase the final book in the Eyes of Garnet trilogy.

It's going to be anytime on April 10, 2009. It's not called Good Friday for nothing!

Below are the links to Barnes and Noble, then Amazon. It's actually less on B&N at $13.64 if you're a member. Amazon is selling it for retail at $18.95. It's your choice.

Barnesandnoble.com

Amazon.com

Also, feel free to post a review on either, or both sites after you've read it!

Thank you all for playing along, it's greatly appreciated.

Making Double Vision a Bestseller!

2009-03-25T12:47:00.010-04:00

I'm holding up the proof of Double Vision, the last book in the Eyes of Garnet trilogy. I received it today. It's always a thrill to see my books come to life. I doubt I'll ever tire of it.

This week, I'm asking for your help in making Double Vision, the last book in the Eyes of Garnet trilogy, a bestseller on Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon.com.

This strategy is a marketing tool that I've been researching and here's how it works.

On a certain day, everyone purchases Double Vision, thus catapulting it into the number one category on one (or both) of those sites.

How, you might ask?

Each of those sites goes by sales rankings. Many people who shop those sites search for bestsellers, because that's all they buy. I've spoken about this before. Yes, they're missing out on a lot of great reading!

So, if the sales of my book can reach into the bestseller rank, then even more people will by it, creating its own little media frenzy. It will also make the sales of Eyes of Garnet and Sightless go up because many people want to begin a trilogy at the beginning.

Clever stuff, don't you agree?

Double Vision is retailing for $18.95, but I'm certain it'll be less online.

As soon I get the actual release date on both those online sites, I'll send out an email to all of you with a date to purchase it.

If you aren't on my email list and want to be, please send me your email address and I'll happily add you on.

It's an experiment, but I've read that it has had great success.

Made for TV Movies

2009-03-20T09:14:00.004-04:00

We've all said it, the book was so much better than the movie. Why is that? I know when I read a well-written book, it's like a movie playing in my head. All the characters come to life; they are real. The scenes are believable and they work in your mind like dreams sometimes do.

Why is it then, that when the movie is made (and I'm generally talking about the made-for-TV movies), the characters have no personality, or depth. The actors don't seem to carry the story along, as if they never even read the book. They just say their lines without the emotion the book portrayed.

Now, I know, having written the screenplay to Eyes of Garnet, how difficult capturing the essence of the book is. You only have 120 pages to tell the entire story. But I also know that it can be done.

So, is it the actors' fault, or the directors' fault?

Case in point. Montana Sky, by Nora Roberts. A fairly lengthy book filled with the vastness of Montana, the ranching life of cows and men, and three sisters who've never met, reuniting, per se, over the one thing they had in common; their father's funeral. Oh, and of course, lot's of passion.

Each woman has their own story, and each is dysfunctional in their own way. However, they are bonded by a cause: a murderer in their midst, and a multi-million dollar ranch that is to be divided three ways, but only after they all live there together for 1 year.

In the movie, these actresses never for one minute made you want to know them, and by the middle of the show, you sort of hoped the killer would just off them and put us out of their misery! And as for the romance part? Well, suffice it to say sparks never once flew enough to light a candle, never mind give us the notion these men had anything on their minds but a fleeting peck on the cheek. Soap operas do a better job of conveying lust than those actors did.

Why? In the book, there was a plausible plot, characters who grew on you, budding lusty romance, and great visuals.

Yet the movie fell so far short, it was like watching an outline attempt to come to life. It just couldn't. And Nora Roberts was a consultant for the movie. Really? How could she approve that?

I also happen to say the very same thing each time a new Stephen King movie appears on the big screen. Crap. I mean, the books are so vivid and frightening, but there hasn't been a movie made yet from his books that conveys that. Plus, the writers always seem to change so much of it, they really push the envelope by saying it was based upon the novel by Stephen King.

The major motion pictures do a better job of bringing the story into life, such as Horse Whisperer. The movie followed the story line very well, except, once again, the ending was changed, but it made you believe the story. It came to life even better than the book. Robert Redford may have had something to do with that...

But, the point to my rant is why such lack-luster performances when a book is worthy of being seen in life?

Share your thoughts.

Representation and Validation

2009-03-11T13:40:00.004-04:00

I was at work when it happened. My husband called me with three words that made me shiver with excitement. Nope, not "I love you," though that works, too.

No, he said, "Call your AGENT!"

The second agent I sent my work to wanted to talk. I got right on the phone and she continued to say all the right things (referring to my previous blog When it Rains it Pours) .

First was, "I love the story." Next was, "I love the characters, and your writing style." Then, the pièce de résistance, "I'd like to represent you!"

Well, I wanted to leap from seat and do the dance of joy, however, my boss was downstairs and is already afraid I may be leaving soon. So, instead, I behaved with the utmost professionalism and told her (my AGENT) it was great, and asked what we do next.

She is now going over the contract I signed with my publisher to be certain I do, in fact, own the rights to my stories and characters. When she finishes, she'll call me and we'll talk business.

To say this is a long time coming would be an understatement. It took eight years and hundreds of rejections. It all seemed so easy with her, making me wonder why it didn't happen sooner.

Was it just finally my time? Or were the cosmos aligned in my favor (for once)? Whatever it was, I'm grateful.

Now, just because I now have an agent really doesn't mean anything other than a professional thinks my work is good enough to be on the market. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done.

She will have to pitch my Eyes of Garnet trilogy to publishers and editors, and get one (or more!) interested enough to want to take a chance on me. It's all about the bottom line: can they sell my work?

The reason an agent says yes to a writer is because they are excited about the story, the writing, the characters, and they are sure the writers will continue writing. She has to be as enthusiastic as I am about what she's pitching to convey her beliefs that the story(ies) will sell.

Since I've done so much of this (getting published, signings, sales, distribution) on my own already, she knows that I'm in it for the long haul. I want to be able to make writing my living. Lord knows, my muse never shuts up, so why not exploit it?

I know it won't happen over night, that's not how my life works, but this is one enormous step in the right direction.

So, with that all said, I've got some writing to do!

Guest Blogger J.A. Konrath on his Cyber Tour

2009-03-06T08:37:00.005-05:00

As promised in last week's blog, I'm presenting one of my favorite authors, J.A. Konrath, this week. He's taking a cyber book tour to promote his new book, Afraid, debuting on March 31, and I'm one of his stops.

Horror is a new genre for him, so he's using the pen name, Jack Kilborn. He's posted a few chapters of Afraid, and it sucks you into the story within the first few paragraphs.

Like every good horror novelist, he plants the seeds in your mind of the terror that's about to happen. And you know it'll happen, but you can stop yourself from reading on. Yes, it'll be gory, and filled with tension and suspense. And I suspect it'll make you not want to read it after dark. Ooh, I can't wait!

So, when Joe asked what I'd like him to talk about on this blog tour, I asked if he'd blog about what's happening in the publishing world right now.

Here's what he had to say.

Even if we take our waning economy out of the picture, publishing has been in trouble for a long time.

As a business model, publishing is flawed. I've heard that only one out of five books makes a profit, and that a fifty percent sell through is considered acceptable.

Think about if General Motors or Coca-Cola used those figures to determine success. For every five bottles of Coke sold, only one makes a profit? For every two cars built, one is scrapped?

The problem goes back to the archaic practice of returns. At any point, a bookseller can return a book back to the publisher for a full refund. In the case of a paperback, the whole book doesn't even have to be returned—the cover is stripped off the book and mailed back, giving the bookseller credit towards their next purchase.

What's the incentive to move a particular title? None. It either sells on its own, or they ship it back and replace it with something else.

While a sweet deal for the bookseller, this causes all sorts of problems for the publisher and author. Publishers spend a great deal of money promoting blockbusters, and apply heavy discounts to entice chains to carry multiple copies. Smaller bookstores don't get these same discounts, and lose sales as a result. Midlist authors who don't get the star treatment find their books have a shelf life of only a few weeks before being returned, which means they don't have the distribution or exposure to grow an audience that might someday make them bestsellers.

This high cost of promotion, the megabucks paid to to bestsellers, and the cost of returns is why a hardcover costs $25.95 when you can buy the third season of LOST for only $15.

Again, keeping the economy out of it, publishing now has to deal with new technology. Most of publishing still uses offset presses, which were invented hundreds of years ago, so the industry can't be considered an early adopter.

Technology fosters format change. VHS became DVD. Vinyl became CD which became mp3.

With digital ebooks and audiobooks, distribution is no longer an issue. Shipping to stores, stocking copies, printing, advanced orders—they're all soon to be things of the past. With ebook readers like Kindle 2, suddenly there is a cheap, fast, effective way to distribute books.

It isn't perfect yet. But it will be.

The ebook reader of the future will have the following features:

• Waterproof and scratchproof

• Under $100

• Long battery life

• Big storage capacity

• Backlit, with adjustable size font

• Internet accessible

• Large, no glare screen

• Interactivity

DVDs didn't replace VHS because they had better resolution. That's why BluRay is having trouble replacing DVD. It isn't about picture quality.

It's about extras. Alternate endings. Commentary. Deleted footage. Trailers.

Videophiles love extras, so they went to DVD. BluRay offer the same extras as DVD, but it is more expensive, so it isn't catching on in a big way.

Consumers switched to CDs only because CDs had extra songs, and could be copied. Prior to copy capability, CDs were just another overpriced format for technogeeks.

Mp3s replaced CDs because of ease of use and a free distribution method. Downloading the songs you want and putting them on your iPod is easier than lugging around 50 CDs. IPods can now store cover art, lyrics, liner notes, as well as play videogames, store addresses, and even play movies.

For ebooks to catch on, publishers and writers will have to offer more than just text.

Which brings us to the the next problem. File sharing.

Digital media wants to be free. People don't consider copying a bunch of ones and zeros to be stealing. Why are folks going to pay $15 for a Kindle download when they can get the hardcover on sale for $15?

Ebooks will replace print books. But along with a reader that has the features I've mentioned, ebooks have to also:

• Be 99 cents or less

• Offer extra content, such as author interviews, cut scenes, bonus short stories

• Be easily downloadable from a variety of sources

• Offer the audio version as well, (and not a monotone robot reading the text)

• Be DRM free, without copy restriction

When that happens, ebooks will take over. It may not happen right away, but it will happen…

Guest Blogger J.A. Konrath

2009-03-01T08:16:00.004-05:00

In this early blog I wanted to let you all know what's up on the blog docket. It's going to be treat for me and, hopefully, for you. I'm presenting J.A. Konrath.

For those who aren't familiar with Joe's work, he writes detective mysteries that are gritty, harsh, sarcastic, humorous, and wonderfully graphic, with a main character named Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels. Each book has been named after a cocktail; Whisky Sour, Rusty Nail, Fuzzy Navel, Bloody Mary, and Dirty Martini. I'm a big fan.

He's doing a Blog Book Tour promoting his newest book Afraid which debuts March 31. Check out his blog for more info on this way cool idea.

Why would I agree to do this when I really don't write mysteries?

Simple. Exposure. No, I'm not an exhibitionist (most of the time!), but for a newbie author, this is excellent exposure.

I've asked him to talk about the Publishing Panic that's going on right now and what it means to writers everywhere.

For all of you who want to understand this tenuous market better, check it out.

Sex Sells

2009-02-23T10:21:00.010-05:00

Before I get down to the part that actually made you stop and read this, let me update you all on the agent quest.

The first agent I sent a sampling of my manuscript to has declined. Her exact words were, "I didn't connect enough with the material to feel the passion I would need to go out and sell this book in this difficult market."

Am I disappointed? Yes, but this is what I've dealt with for the last eight years, and it's nothing new.

So now I await the second agent who seemed to say all the right things to me on the phone. Keeping a sense of humor, this should be a fun career, and ah, yes, "I don't know if I contain myself waiting for your book to arrive." Music to my ears!

With that said, on to the nitty gritty...

Sex.

All one has to to is place that three-letter word in any media and people will flock to it. A bit like the traffic accident you can't help but look at as you drive past.

But does it make for better reading?

All right, I'll admit to enjoying the romance genre very much. And there are some writers whose sex scenes make you want a cigarette afterwards. Even if you don't smoke!

It's the inappropriate, gratuitous sex that goes into graphic detail that I don't care for.

It's porn, plain and simple. And women do it better than men because we prefer our imagination to actually seeing it, the way men need to do. When a man writes a sex scene, it's not as intense emotionally. It's more about the act. Women writers go for the heart, the feelings, details. The whole package.

When Eyes of Garnet came out, I would tell people there was no sex in it. That was welcomed by many, but I noticed older women were disappointed. "But you said it was similar to Diana Gabaldon's books," they'd whine. I was amused. When I began writing Sightless and Catrìona was actually old enough to have sex, I still couldn't write about it.

During an interview with the newspaper I work for, the gentleman who was conducting the interview was himself a writer. When I told him there was no blatant sex, just lots of innuendo, he said, "Yeah, I can't write about it either. I'd feel like everyone would be saying, 'Oh, he likes that kind of stuff, huh?'" It's just too personal.

Aside from that, I also have to ask myself if it actually adds to the story. In some instances, just a hint will convey my message. There are other times when I've actually written a sweaty scene, giggled, then pressed the delete button. I just can't do it. The imagination should have all the details it needs, and probably be better than what I could write anyway.

As for the steamy covers of some of the books of that nature, well, who doesn't want to look at the broad bare chest of a fine physique, (I talking man's, here). It certainly catches your eyes while you're in line at the grocery store. Impulse buy! Book marketers know it'll fly off the shelf. But then, when you actually read the story, most of the time there's nothing in it to warrant the picture on the cover. It's just to sell books. And it works, sadly.

Does this mean I'm going to start putting hunky, bare-chested kilted men on my covers so I, too, can sell more books? Hmmmm. Doubt it. Although....

Just teasing. But what if I wasn't...

The Calm Before the Storm

2009-02-22T11:31:00.005-05:00

I tend to make analogies based on the weather. I think New Englanders do that as a rule. It's the one true constant in our lives, especially this time of year. Last Thursday, we were supposed to get an inch of snow, with possible snow/rain showers for the rest of the day. 8 inches of flurries later, they decided to plow the roads. Yesterday, it was such a beautiful, clear-blue day. We call such days weather breeders here. The calm before the storm. Now, the weather people are calling for 8-12 inches overnight and through tomorrow. Do we believe them? Not a chance. This time, we'll probably end up with 4 inches because at 41 degrees, it's too freakin' warm to snow!

Anyway, my reference to the calm before the storm doesn't really have anything to do with the weather, but with my agent quest. The first agent, who asked to have a 2 week exclusive read, should be getting back to me by tomorrow. The second agent, who I asked to wait, received Eyes of Garnet yesterday, and again, she requested a 2 week exclusive read. Perhaps the word calm isn't the best choice, as I've been anything but. Antsy, anxious, impatient is more like it.

Have you ever wondered why a deadline comes up too quickly, yet a goal takes forever to arrive? How is it possible, and how do we get around it? If I had a choice of superpowers, bending time would top my list, next to invisibility. Imagine being able to have your goals met within hours and your deadlines stretched out for months!

So I wait.

While I've been waiting, I've been getting a lot of writing done, and since my new book about Gregor Macgregor isn't research-heavy, so it's just pure writing. Fun. And where I'm writing as a man and in the first person, it's challenging, as well. I feel a bit like an actor. Before I begin writing, I have to get into Gregor's head: become him so I'm not writing like I was Catrìona Robertson.

I tend to giggle alot when I'm writing as him. He's funny, sarcastic, and exudes confidence, even though inside he's sometimes unsure. In that man's world, where warriors are strong and courageous, he exists as big as the times he lived in. Hard times, violent times. No wonder so many authors like to write about time travel. It makes a writer wonder and speculate about what it would be like if such a man were to jump into our future. Would he find it easier or more difficult? It is pure speculation though, and I think that's why I still prefer historical fiction. It's grounded. And while I may speculate how my characters lived during that time, it's based in truth.

So when I tell about the violence and injustice my characters face, it was how it was during that time period. Not everyone lived. I've been criticized for killing off too many of my characters, but times really were that hard. We have no idea what it would be like to have a war on our own soil, or to be hunted just because we had a specific last name.

Wait, I take that last part back. Some people do know what that's like. Those with Islamic names are looked at through wary, prejudiced eyes by many. Have we really not changed so much after all? But wait, again. We do have a black president now. If asked if that were possible even ten years ago, the answer would have been no way. I'll still never understand why there is a culture/color segregation, or why there ever was one. Who made the decision that one culture/color was better than the other? When did it happen?

Scientists speculate that the human race emanated from five woman. Five African women. I can hear the skinheads cringing now. But what if it's true? We would all be related. If we were all related, would we suddenly all get along better? Doubtful, isn't it. Hell, immediate families have a hard time getting along. I prefer to think that life is a play. We come here with a part. Some good, some bad, some creative, some analytical. How we mesh with the other characters is part of the play. The question is, do you want your play to be a flop, or are you out to gain a long running, multi-national phenom? It's up to each of us in the choices we make each and every day.

So go out and make your best decisions based on how they will affect those around you. Perhaps then when we use the phrase, the calm before the storm, it will really be weather related.

When it rains, it pours!

2009-02-13T13:00:00.004-05:00

One of the agents from the Speed-Dating session requested to see the first three chapters of Double Vision last Sunday, and a 2-week exclusive read. I granted her the 2-week read and sent the requested work to her as an email attachment. Many agencies are paperless these days, and I, for one, am happy about it. Saves time and money … oh, and trees. Now, I wait for the longest 2-weeks in history to hear whether or not she wants to see more or wants to jump ahead and actually represent me.

Then, when I participated in the multi-author signing last Friday evening, Janet Chapman told me to send her agent a query letter mentioning her name because her agent loves all things "Highlander." I put a letter and color flyer of all three of my books with their respective jacket descriptions in the mail with good thoughts the very next day. Then, while I was home writing on Wednesday, I received a call from Janet's agent!

I was ecstatic, and we talked for a little while getting to know each other. It was a great conversation because, if you read my blog from last week, I wrote the following: Well, if an agent doesn't have a sense of humor, I can't work with them either. This should be a fun, thrilling, creative and rewarding career path. If it's not, why should we do it? Towards the end of our conversation, I swear she said those very words, nearly verbatim. Did she read my blog? Nope. She hates technology; no email, no internet. She just told me everything I'd hoped to hear uttered from a agent's lips.

She wanted a 2-week exclusive read, just like the other agent did, and I told her I already had an agent reading my work. She told me to wait, then send my first book to her. And get this, she said, "I just hope I can contain myself for that long!" It was like music to my ears!

Part of me wants to just send it out, but I want to keep my promise to the first agent, too.

Now what's going through my mind is, what if they BOTH want to represent me? Who should I sign with? They are from different ends of the agent spectrum, but both qualified to represent my cross-genre stories. I hadn't thought of such a situation. Hell, just getting one to look at my work with any seriousness was all I'd hoped for. Now there are two! I love it!

I'll keep you posted on the continuing saga next week.

Things I Learned at a Multi-Author Book Signing

2009-02-07T08:26:00.006-05:00

Last night, 5 Maine authors congregated in Belfast at the Fertile Mind Bookshop for their annual Valentine's Day Gala, and I was one of them.

There were great goodies, wonderful hosts, and of course, super authors. As the 5 of us (from left to right), Kathy Lynn Emerson, Dorothy Cannell, Janet Chapman, LaRue Haynes, (the hostess), me, and Susan Vaughan, sat around the table waiting for the customers to begin pouring in, we chatted book.

What I learned is that agents call the authors they work for a stable. I was distressed by this at first, but upon further examination of the vernacular, I began playing with it. Firstly, if authors are part of a stable, then what does that make agents?

That's right. Book pimps!

Yes, I suppose I could have gone the horse route, where authors are called brood mares, but it didn't have the same ring with me. Hey, as long as we're not called bitches, I guess I can work around it.

I also learned that while one publishing house will give an author some freedom with titles and covers, other have the cover and title already complete before the book is even written. This is based upon what the author gives the agent/editor for their synopsis up front.

I wonder how such an agent would handle my books? What would I tell her (the agent)? "You'll have to wait until I finish channelling my characters to see what they want to do?"

I can see I'm going to need an agent who understands my work mode very clearly. It's my book, so I'm naming it and I'm having final say on what the cover looks like, or I'm not playing! Childish? I don't think so. To me, giving up your vision to someone else is giving up all creativity. If the agent/editor/publisher wants to write a book, let them, but to completely take over someone else's soul … well, it just ain't right.

Will I find such a person in the crowded book pimping arena? Boy, I hope so! But I can see it now. "Did you see what Mary Duncan wrote in her blog about agents?"

Well, if an agent doesn't have a sense of humor, I can't work with them either. This should be a fun, thrilling, creative and rewarding career path. If it's not, why should we do it?

Agent Pitch Quest

2009-02-03T15:03:00.003-05:00

Monday was a pretty good day overall. I drove down to Portland (3 hours one way) and got to the hotel where the Agent Pitch was being held just in time for lunch. We ate at the top of the Top of the East Lounge which overlooks all of Portland. It was really hazy for mid-winter's day, but sunny and temps in the mid-30's. Warm for us here in Maine.

My first pitch began at 1:10 so Dan and I headed back downstairs after we ate, and waited for the agents to return from their lunches; hopefully, rejuvenated from the break.

The gong (yup, a real gong!) sounded and I walked in with both of my books and the manuscript for Double Vision. I sat across from the first agent and we chatted for a minute before I let loose my spiel on her. She asked me what I wrote and I told her a paranormal historical adventure.

Perhaps I was mistaken, but I think her eyes may have crossed. Genre-bending is NOT what agents want to hear, and I've taken bending to new heights.

I didn't waste my seven minutes on her because right off the bat she told me she couldn't help me. She had no idea who would publish such a tale. "There's no way to market it," she said helplessly.

It's not like I haven't heard that before. It's the basic reason no agent will talk to me. Marketing is the entire reason an agent will take on an author. A story must be marketable.

It's not to say mine isn't marketable, it's just a bit of narrow-mindedness on publishers balking at creating a new market.

So, anyway, the gong sounds and I move onto the next agent, who tells me—nearly verbatim—the same thing. Only she actually looks at my books and reads a little, tells me I can write, and she loves my covers, but can't help me, either.

To say I was discouraged may have been an understatement, but I had 2 more agents to try and convince, so I moved on.

I took a seat across from a girl who was young enough to be my daughter (all right, there's more and more who fall into that category!), but she grabbed for my books and excitedly began reading the jacket text and browsing the innards. "These are great!" she said. I was instantly hopeful. "I don't have the contacts for such a trilogy, but my partner does." She gave me her partner's email address and told me to say that she recommended me. Yeah! Interest!

The gong rang and I headed for the final agent. She was very much like the young agent, only closer to my age, but just as excited. She told me her partner would love the story and actually asked to take both of my books. She would send them to her agent partner and he'd get back to me. I'll follow up in a few weeks to be sure he received them and has indeed looked at them.

So a 50% acceptance rate wasn't bad. Now, if they'd both express interest in representing me, I'll have spent my money wisely.

The Politics of Books

2009-01-31T10:47:00.003-05:00

While I don't write children's books, I have to wonder what the House and Senate did to the industry when, in October, they voted (apparently without reading or understanding) to allow the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act to check for lead content in all children's books on bookstore shelves. Check out these articles http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2009/01_29-07/REG and http://c3library.com/2009/01/05/cpsia-and-libraries/.

What the new law basically says is that since lead has been found in so many children's toys lately (thank you NAFTA for allowing everything to be made in China!), that books may also contain lead in the inks used.

"The first major requirement deadline is February 10, 2009 in which the initial lead ban goes into effect. Many in the retail industry are calling February 10th National Bankruptcy Day because of the devastating costs and testing requirements that apply to ALL children’s products," says the Convergence of Libraries and Technologies article.

Each book needs to be tested, and the largest problem is that there is only one place in the US that does this kind of testing. With a rather stiff fine of $100,000. per instance of non-compliance … well, let's just it's just pure stupidity.

I don't think I need to go on about how our elected officials are doing our bidding (NOT!), but it certainly makes you wonder what applying just a wee bit of forethought to their actions would have uncovered to prevent this mess of an already waning industry.

On the side of reason and intelligence, many societies and library associations are petitioning for a closer look at the law to make the necessary adjustments for a more realistic form of compliance.

Woes of the Newbie Author

2009-01-24T13:00:00.003-05:00

As a published author, I get lots of questions about this elusive business. I say elusive because it's damned difficult to get your foot in the door. I like to think of myself as being knowledgeable about much of it, but find that there are still many things I don't quite understand.

Like, why don't authors get more of the money the publishers make off of them. It's silly, really. We make 12-15% royalty on what we've toiled over for usually a minimum of a year; many more, in most cases. That's literally $1.00 to $3.00 for every sale we make.

The average book sells between 300-600 books for it's average shelf life of six months. As you can see, I won't be retiring anytime soon! We can't all be best selling authors like James Paterson, Stephen King, or Nora Roberts, where they sell in the millions.

I always laugh when people assume I'm now a wealthy woman solely due to being an author. The layman hasn't a clue.

I am a researcher, so if I want to do something I've never done before, I research out the facts on how to get it done, where to apply it, what it will entail, and in the end, why the hell I would want to put myself through all of that!

But, lately, I've had several emails from new authors about these struggles. I'm always willing to help, if I can. We have to stick together in this, after all. Anyway, I think many new writers assume many things about their publisher. Like, they'll send you on a national tour; they'll schedule all your signings for you; they'll help you write (allowing you to overlook spelling and grammatical errors); and they'll get your book into every bookstore on the planet.

Tcha, right! In my experience—and this includes the big publishers of new authors—once the book has been released, you're on your own. Granted, the big publishers will get your book into more of the big chains, but those stores still have the right to pass over your work if they deem it not interesting or salable enough. Herein lies the largest struggle of them all.

Distribution.

As a POD author, there is even less of a chance of getting my work to a distributor. They don't want to take the chance that they'll be peddling a writer no one's ever heard of with no following.

Hard to blame them, if you think about it, so I've spent a lot of time nurturing a following. Oh, I know it's not all that big, but by god, my readers are loyal! I have a good many great promoters of my Eyes of Garnet trilogy who tout me to all their friends as someone they have to read.

Will I become a best selling author simply through word of mouth? Not terribly likely with only three books under my belt. But as long as I don't stop writing, keep improving my craft, and keep adding to my following of merry readers, perhaps someday.

And when those snooty customers come up to me at signings and ask if I've made the bestseller's list (because those are the only authors they'll read!), I'll just say, "Not yet, but if you buy this book and tell all your friends to buy it, I will!" You certainly can't be shy in this business.

Hang in there, newbies. Unless, of course, you don't deem the struggle worth your while.

Apparently, I've decided writing is worth my while, and find the struggle—and yes, it is a struggle—something I'm willing to put up with. Remember, I'm a Taurus born in the sign of the dog. Can you say ox stubborn and pit bull tenacious?

Can you say, holy crap, it's cold out?

2009-01-16T09:40:00.003-05:00

This beautiful fox came around yesterday morning searching for food. Along with him came blue jays and crows. The scavenger birds tend to follow the crafty animals around just in case their furry brethren snag a morsel and there are leftovers. A gorgeous red cardinal even joined in the party, looking like nature's ornament when he perched in a cedar to watch the show.

Last night, as the temperature did a free-fall to 18 below zero, the bones of my house popped like my knees when walking up stairs. We haven't had this kind of cold for several years. You tend to forget what it feels like when you walk out into it. Your nose sticks together, your teeth ache when you breath through your mouth, and the wind; the wind steals your breath, makes your eyeballs water and feel as though they'll pop from their sockets, and pinches bare skin like thousands of tiny needles.

For all those reading in a warm place, or have never experienced frigid temps and have no clue as to what I'm talking about, count your blessings and your oil savings. Oh, and can I come for a visit?

The one thing it is good for is writing. What else can you do? So I've begun my fourth book. I don't know where it's going yet, but so far I know one thing: it's a historical novel set in 18th century Scotland. Why not, since I've already done so much research on that era. I'm also writing in the first person and as a man. I didn't think it would be any different than writing in the third person, but it is. In the third person, you feel God-like, directing your characters (or in my case they direct themselves), but I'm looking down on them, seeing the big picture.

In the first person, it's a bit like acting, really. I need to get into character, feel him in me, know him inside and out; his thoughts, emotions, likes and dislikes. It now becomes personal.

I'm liking it a lot.

Agent Quest

2009-01-11T09:03:00.002-05:00

I'm going to what the Maine Writer's and Publishers Alliance calls a "Speed Dating" session with four agents February 2. The MWPA is hosting about a dozen agents from Maine, Boston and New York, and authors wishing to attend get to sit with four of them for a 7-minute session to pitch their work. There's no guarantee any one of them will consider me, but I feel that a face-to-face meeting will be beneficial for me to land one of these elusive creatures.

Now, mind you, most of these agents have already received one or two of my queries in the past, and all have turned me down for whatever reason. This is my chance to change that, so I'm polishing my pitch to a high sheen. I'm going in armed with chapters, manuscripts, synopses, books, and a smiling professional demeanor. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

On the book front, Double Vision has been sent to the publisher and is set for a release date in April. I consider this my best writing to date. I think I've got the hang of it now. I've found a certain rhythm and style, and feel comfortable about it.

Is there another book started, you might ask? Why, yes there is! It's way too early to tell you anything about it, except that it's another historical fiction. As with all my stories, finding the character's place, age, circumstances, feelings, and so on, takes time. Plus, since it's historical, I've got lots of research to do. I'll keep you posted as time goes on.

The New Year

2009-01-01T09:29:00.003-05:00

I've never been one to make New Year's resolutions. I like to make my changes when needed and not wait for a specific date to begin. Goals are one thing, but I hate waiting for anything. Ha! Makes you wonder why I decided to write and play in the excruciatingly slow world of publishing, doesn't it? I've wondered it many times...

I've always liked the adage, "do what you are." One can't help what's inside, aching to come out. For some, it's music, others teaching, and so on. Me, I'm a creator. From creating memorable characters, to planting my flowers in the spring, to painting, pottery or sewing my own clothes, to setting the perfect table for guests when I serve the gourmet dinner I've prepared.

Making something tangible from nothing is a powerful thing. Speaking for myself, it gives me great satisfaction to know that, success or failure, I did it with my own hands and the tools of the trade and a little imagination. I'm always amazed by people who say they could never do what I do. But they don't even try, so how can they know?

In 2009, my goal is to "make it" in the publishing world. Why not? I say. I have the desire, I have willing characters ;0), and I have the tenacity of a pit bull to make it work. The way I measure failure is never trying in the first place. So, I won't be quitting just because it doesn't work out the way I have planned. My machete is out and I'm cutting through all the crap in my way that's slowing my journey. I see the end. Though it may not be the traditional way to get the outcome I desire, I will obtain my goal.

So, reach for the stars. If you miss your mark, who knows? Perhaps that was just the push to get you onto the path leading you to something even better.

Happy New Year!

Finishing Up

2008-12-17T07:48:00.004-05:00

The final draft of Double Vision has been printed and is about to go through the "Dan Test." That's when I read the entire book out loud to him. Two reasons: one, because I can hear if the cadence and correct words have been used, and two, so Dan can catch timeline, direction, sun angle, and all sorts of other errors that I take for granted when I write from the movie in my head.

As you can see, I've also been working on the cover. Let me know what you think of it. There's still the back cover, the spine, the chapter graphics and part one, two and three graphics to be done, so there's still quite a bit to do.

I'm hoping to have the completed book in my hands before the middle of April. My clan has invited me to speak at the annual clan dinner on April 18th down in Massachusetts, and I'd love to be able to present them with the last book in the trilogy. The clan historian from Scotland will also be there speaking about his newest book, so we'll have an Author's Night of sorts. It's quite an honor and I'm looking forward to it. I even ordered my custom-made kilted tartan skirt from Scotland last night!

Double Vision

2008-11-19T11:13:00.002-05:00

The third book in the Eyes of Garnet trilogy, Double Vision, is rapidly coming to its end. I should have it finished by the beginning of the new year. 'Course, finished is relative. After I complete the story, there's a period where I work on the cover art, the graphics for the chapters, cover text, etc. Then I go back and rewrite. And rewrite. And rewrite some more. It'll easily be March before it's ready to go to the publisher.

But, I'm truly excited about it, and can't wait to begin another book. I guess that makes me a real writer. Or a glutton for punishment! Perhaps they're one in the same.

As small publishers gain favor for their tolerance for new writers, as does self-publishing due to the fact that the big boys are getting more and more difficult to play with, I'm pleased that I can have my work out there and actually have people enjoy it. It's not that I doubted it could happen. If I did that, there'd be no point in going forward with any of it. But I'm truly pleased with my fan-base and the fact that they help to spread the word via friends and family.

Now all I need to do is get the movie sold and made. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander is being optioned for a big screen event, and Randall Wallace of Braveheart fame has been chosen to write the script. If it can happen to her, it can happen to me, though I do so pity Mr. Wallace for the task of taking only enough from the book to make a two, to two and a half hour movie out of it. No matter what he does, there won't be anyone happy about what and who gets cut out. That's why I wrote my own screenplay. So much easier to live with myself and not have to kill another screenwriter for leaving out the true plot of the story.

Pick Up Lines and Book Signings

2008-11-12T12:20:00.003-05:00

Yes, you read the title to this post correctly.

I was at the Barnes and Noble store in Newington, NH Sunday doing a signing. Now, I really do enjoy meeting people and talking to them about my books, so what better way to do that then at a crowded bookstore. Well, crowded may be exaggerating. It was actually pretty quiet, but given the sucky economy, there were still people buying books.

There was a lull in the action so I was browsing the new David Baldacci book. My peripheral vision caught sight of an approaching person. I looked up to find an elderly (in his 80's) gentleman with a cane staring at me.

"Hi," I said.

"I know you from somewhere, don't I?" he asked, still staring.

I told him I didn't think so, as I never forget a face.

"You're very pretty," he told me.

By this time, I'm thinking he doesn't care if I'm selling my books or women's underwear. This guy's trying to pick me up using his best lines from WWII!

I try to focus his attention back to my books, rather than my looks, by asking him if he had one of my books.

He said no, but perhaps his wife did.

"See, that's probably why you think you've seen me before."

"But you're very pretty," he reiterates. "I know we've met."

My husband is behind me hiding behind a bookshelf snickering the entire time, wondering how I'm going to get out of this one. He's always amazed that this can happen to me anywhere I go, although it's usually the mentally challenged who are the ones who brazenly approach to talk. I tell him I just look friendly.

After a few more minutes of staring, he told me he was with his daughter, who was about my age and that he'd see me later. Great, now I get to meet the family.

True to his word, about a half hour later, he's introducing me to his daughter, and we go through the whole conversation again. His daughter was finally able to steer him towards the door, but I never was able to sell them a book.

Living in the Past

2008-11-06T07:55:00.003-05:00

It's hard not to think about my next series of novels even though I'm still writing Double Vision, the last of the Eyes of Garnet trilogy. I'm really looking forward to putting Gregor Macgregor's story onto the page. He's such a character, and I'll be writing as a man and in the first person. A change that I welcome.

I wonder if I'm painting myself into a corner writing another set of historical fictions. But they're just so much more interesting than the time period we live in now. Not that there isn't much going on now, it's just so complicated. I've always been attracted to the past, not that I want to relive those terribly difficult times, but when you think of what our ancestors went through ... and still managed to survive it all. It's amazing in of itself.

Can you imagine people of today going back to the 18th century? I believe people are people, not matter what time period they've lived in, but would one have to be stronger to survive it? What would most of us do without the internet, or a washing machine, or something as simple as getting water from a faucet? I feel most would have a very difficult time of it.

There would still be the rich. There would still be the poor. But the street people of today would be the ones coming out on top in that world, having the knowledge of living by their wits and making do with what they have on their backs.

We've grown soft, fat, lazy, and all too willing to pass everything that involves work to someone else just because it inconveniences us. Sad really.

So with all that said, I guess I'll stick to historical fiction for the time being. Besides, it's so much easier to have men with magnificent physiques because they had to do so much manual work. Their hands were big and rough. Their shoulders wide and chests thick. And they probably weren't gay to have those bodies! ;o)

The Dark Side

2008-10-28T14:51:00.004-04:00

I wonder how many people have had experiences such as the night my husband and I were awoken because we couldn't breath. There seemed to be a dark presence sitting on our chests, pinning us to the bed. We could both "see" it in our mind's eyes; an angry black blob is the only way to describe it.

For hours we battled this thing, asking for the light forces to remove it from our space. It didn't belong here and the fact that it was actually interfering with us on the physical level is not allowed, in our books.

It finally did leave, but not after having to be ripped apart to make it see that what it was doing was totally wrong.

You see, the house we were renting for the winter was on a jut of land with a tidal river on the east and the open waters of Frenchman's Bay barely twenty feet to our south. And when it rained, we had a small stream run under the house, which was on pillars. This confluence of so much water created a large negative vortex on the property.

Ghosts wearing colonial dress were seen in my kitchen, and perhaps those going back before that time when the Native Americans used it for fishing grounds shadowed the spare bedroom.

When you walked past the guest house, the hair literally rose on your arms. All you felt was death, and worse. There didn't seem to be any way of clearing the house of gremlins, and in the dark, the place could hardly be spookier. It felt as though you walked through air thick and cold with crowds of those who'd passed, but hadn't left. It was a congregation of ghosts.

Some people wouldn't go near the place. Said it gave them the creeps. It certainly didn't look like a haunted house. It was the perfect summer vacation house on the coast of Maine. White clapboard two-story farmhouse with a great covered porch overlooking the ocean. The inside was all shiplap pine ceilings, dark wood paneled walls and wide pine floors. Each window had a view of the water and some amazing sunrises were seen from the bedroom.

But it wasn't lived in on a permanent basis. Many houses on the coast aren't. They remain vacant for most of the year; their owners using them for only a few weeks to a couple months during the year. This allows for displaced spirits to gather and call the place their own. They seem to know a good thing when they see it.

After doing some research, I found that the property once had a Revolutionary War era fort on it, and who knows what went on there. I had crystals everywhere to try and break up the negative energy in the house. Nothing you could do about the outside, though. Just too much area. At the end of our lease, we were happy to move on and leave the place to those who called it home.

Ghosts and Other Such Unexplainables

2008-10-17T09:33:00.004-04:00

We're getting closer to Samhain, the time where the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. Every culture has the day named. Some call it All Hallow's Eve, Day of the Dead, or Halloween. Doesn't matter, it's all the same. It does get one to pondering if it's the desire of the masses that makes this occur, or if it's really so. Can thousands of years of belief conjure (pardon the pun) those from the other side to get closer to us? Good and bad?

I believe one can speak with the dead anytime they choose. The trick is to be able to hear what the other side has to say. Most can't clear their minds enough, or get over the disbelief that it can actually happen. I believe and here are some of my experiences.

I was home sick one day and was in bed sleeping. My husband had gone to work, my faithful companion, Sam, a Lab/Chesapeake cross was outside my bedroom catching some Z's. I awoke to what sounded like keys jingling from the living room downstairs. I wondered what my husband, Dan was doing home at eleven o'clock in the morning, but waited for him to climb the stairs to our room.

Nothing.

What was more interesting was that Sam never stirred. If Dan were really home, she would have greeted him in typical dog fashion by running downstairs with her tail knocking over everything not bolted down.

I listened intently, suddenly wide awake. I wasn't facing the door, but had the distinct feeling someone was in my room. I rolled over, but no one was there. My ears were trained on the doorway waiting to see...someone.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I had a waterbed at the time (hey, it was the 80's). I was still watching the door when suddenly they bed sunk on Dan's side. You could actually see the indentation, but no one was there. I did smell chocolate and cigarettes, though.

The hair rose on my arms and I bolted from bed. It swayed a bit as I left it, but there was still "someone" in my bed. Without further adieu, I ran from the room past my sleeping dog and down the stairs.

To this day, I can't be certain who was there with me, but my grandmother was a closet smoker and always ate chocolates. It's what I remember most about her. Could it have been her checking on me in my sickbed? I believe so.

Another of my favorites was just after my mother had passed away. She had always considered her apple pies superior to any other mortal woman's, and she baked many in her time.

I was in my kitchen 300 miles from my childhood home and was making the apple pie recipe that I happen to consider pretty darn tasty, if I do say so myself. I was all alone in the house and the radio was blasting out some mindless rock, which I always listen to when baking and cooking. I remember it clear as the sky is blue. I said to myself, Mom always thought her apple pies were the best, well, I happen to disagree. Mine are much better.

As if she were in the room with me, I saw in my mind's eyes my mother's face glower out from behind what appeared to be a cloud, and she bellowed out, "No they're not!"

I was used to her "checking in" from time to time, but this incident actually made me laugh out loud.

"What are you going to do about it, Mom? Now, mine are the best."

I heard a bit of good-natured laughing from the other side and then she was gone. I smiled, knowing I finally got to say mine were better than hers without making her mad.

Wench-wear and Shameless Marketing

2008-09-22T13:44:00.012-04:00

The New Hampshire Highland Games are one of my favorite venues for selling books, and just pretending to be Scottish. I make no effort to hide the fact that I'm not a Scot, sad as it may be, but some people choose not to believe it, which is fine with me. Some say the red in my hair makes me look like a Scot. Ok.

I had just finished setting up my table of books, postcards, pamphlets, and other pertinent paraphernalia, when my husband rushes over with one of those looks in his eyes. "You have to come see what I found!"

Hey, I game for anything, so I follow him across the expansive parking lot of Scottish vendors. We stop in front of a gorgeous outfit befitting any Scottish wench wanna-be. A black bustier with white gauze peasant blouse over a Robertson tartan skirt. "You need to get this outfit!" he tells me.

I give him one of my own looks. The one that says, really?

"Just try it on," he says, which quickly summoned a perky salesgirl all too willing to get me into the tight-fitting top. It has the true corset styling of rigid heavy fabric and a lace-up front.

"Are you sure I can get into this thing?" I ask, eyeing the tiny-waisted vest. "My Victoria's Secret won't be a secret in this thing," I tell her.

"Oh, no, you can't wear a bra under it, they tend to fight each other."

I then begin to doubt this entire excursion. She (the salesgirl) has no idea what Victoria's Secret keeps in check. But I agree to try it on and endure the measuring before being shuffled into the make-shift dressing room.

Off comes everything (freeing, to say the least in the 35 degree morning), and I slip on the peasant top. Nice. Soft. Loose. Then I put the bustier on over the top. I begin the lacing up process when I hear the salesgirl from the other side of the curtain telling me not to fret over the laces, she'll help me with them. I'm thinking to myself, how hard could this be?

I finish tying the cord at the top, then do a bit of adjusting of the "girls" before showing the world what I would have looked like in the 18th century.

My husband smiles, impressed. We all know what that means.

The salesgirl comes over and begins the torture process of yanking the laces together so this wee bit of vest closes tightly. I find that, like my protagonist, Catrìona, that I'm not thrilled with this fashion. I can no longer breath, and when I tell my masochistic tender she says, "You need to learn to breath from your lungs, not your stomach. You'll get used to it."

Tcha! When hell freezes over, perhaps. Then she cinches the deal by bringing over the mirror. I have to admit, it really did fetching.

Then she tells me to bend over and lift and scoop.

"Honey," I say, "there's no way these babies are getting that much air time. They're just fine where they are right now. I'm working here, not vying for suitors."

She just shrugged like, your loss.

So the salesgirl rings me up and puts my comfortable, loose-fitting, warm sweater in a bag, and I go back to the clan tent. Apparently, wench-wear is very popular with most men. I was looked over a subtly as possible by the clansmen in the tent, all to approving nods.

My husband's job was done there, so he shed his heavy flannel shirt for the custom-made t-shirt he was wearing. Here's a picture of Dan working the crowd. I actually got a couple sales from that shirt! He's such a good sport. That and the fact that he likes the idea of being a kept man. Who wouldn't!

Giving Talks

2008-09-03T08:47:00.002-04:00

I'd baked some chocolate-covered shortbead and a single malt whisky cake for a talk I gave last night at my local library. Hey, when you wish you were in Scotland, the least you can do is eat like you were!

Nearly all the faces in the group were friends supporting me and my craft. I talked for almost an hour, reading a few pages from Sightless, then taking questions. The taking questions part is the most interesting. I'm always amazed at the intelligent questions people will ask. They really want to understand the writer's mind.

Why Scotland? was the most challenging question of the evening. It should be easy to answer, and it is for me, but to say it without scaring people in the audience is tricky. I truly feel a connection deeper than just a desire to see the place. How easily I can transport myself to the windswept moors blooming with heather. The rugged mountains, perhaps snow-covered, in the distance. I can literally smell the land, hear the quiet, and feel the peace. Can I do that anywhere? No. But I know I've walked the place and have known its secrets. Its people.

How did I answer it? "I feel Scottish and it has always been a passion of mine."

When I spoke about my screenplay for Eyes of Garnet, which always gets people perked up, a woman said she was very pleased to hear it was written because she could visualized each scene in the book and could clearly see it becoming a movie. Someone else asked if I'd cast it yet, and I told them who I could "see" playing the major parts. Some were pleased, some were surprised, a few thought they'd make a fine character. One never knows.

After I explained what haggis was, and why I won't eat it, we broke for goodies and coffee. The single malt whisky cake was a raging success, as always. I signed a few books and packed it all up again.

Is there another way to get your book "out there"? Yes, and I try to do them all. But reaching out to people one-on-one spreads like wildfire. If they like what they read and hear, they tell their friends, who will hopefully buy your book and pass along that they enjoyed it as well. It's a slow process, but when you're a newbie author, it's the only way to go.

Maine Writers Blog

2008-08-26T08:14:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post for today to let you know to check out my week of blogs on the Maine Writers and Publishers website.

http://www.mainewritersandpublishersalliance.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Ahhh, the Games...

2008-08-19T16:01:00.008-04:00

I had a great day at the Maine Highland Games on August 16th. I sold a good bunch of Eyes of Garnet and Sightless; not nearly as many as Diana Gabaldon did at the Grandfather Mountain Games in North Carolina a few weeks ago (she signed and sold 1606!! I could only dream of that notoriety), but I was pleased and that's all that matters.

As with every signing, there are bits of hilarity I need to share, and this was no different. A wonderfully enthusiastic woman who had bought Eyes of Garnet earlier in the summer was preparing to purchase Sightless. From the side of us where a short row of porta-potties was lined up (some called it the MacLoo clan's space!), emerged her husband who had just donned his kilt and he was adjusting it.

"I did just what you told me to do," he said to her. "I left my underwear off."

If you haven't already guessed my reactions to such devious behavior, I burst out laughing. I think it may have been more due to the evil twinkle he had in his eyes when he attempted to look innocent after that statement.

His wife turned various shades of pink and started fanning her face to cool down, and kept looking down in the vacinity of where his sporran should have been.

"We'll be back later", she told me, then exited at a rather quick pace. Her husband followed, but not before he turned and gave us a wink.

Sightless Release Date

2008-08-06T12:26:00.002-04:00

It's finally here! Sightless is out on amazon.com and soon to be everywhere. Its timely release will be just in time for the Maine Highland Games on August 16 in Brunswick, Maine. Since Sightless is written mostly about Maine, it should be an easy sell at the Games.

I plan on getting a leather bound limited edition in a few months for those who like to collect. They really are pretty, but a little pricey to get printed.

I'll be sending around a formal email in a day or two to those who've requested a head's up on the release date. I'm waiting for it to show up on Barnes and Noble and on my publisher's website. I'll be making a link on my site foe easy ordering, as well.

Thanks for all your support through the long months.

Happy reading!

Mary

I Could Get Used to This!

2008-07-21T12:50:00.008-04:00

For the second weekend in a row I've had a book signing with great results. I could really get used to this! This past Saturday, I was in Castine, Maine at the Compass Rose Bookstore. Sharon, the owner, has sold more books there than any other bookstore Eyes of Garnet resides in. I have now become the bestselling author in Castine! (Hey, I'm taking any award I can get at this point!)

Now, Castine is pivotal in Sightless, as this town is what was known as Pentagoët, where Cat and Greame have settled. Technically, Brooksville is where they built their settlement, but before Brooksville became a town in the early 1800's, all of the area in Sightless was know as Castine/Pentagoët. From what I've researched, a town was only considered such when a church was established in it.

Then to round out the weekend, my husband and I ventured over to Belfast, Maine for their Celtic Festival. It was a perfect Scottish/Irish day. The sky hung low to the water, releasing sprinkles for most of the afternoon. The masts of the many sailboats anchored in the harbor danced in the gloom as lobster boats came in with their hauls and caused a wake.

I'd brought an umbrella large enough for two (yes, I'm not one who enjoys getting wet. It's my husband who's the Scot, remember?), and we sat on the lawn and listened to Bohola and Prydein, the Celtic bands playing under the tent.

I'm a watcher of all that's around me. The color of the sky, the ripples the raindrops made in the otherwise calm sea, the cry of a lone gull as it swept over the land in search of a tidbit of food a youngster may have dropped on the ground. All these things I store away for scenes in my stories to help the reader feel as though they are there. Many people are oblivious to such subtleties and I always marvel at their lack of enthusiasm at everyday nature. Did they notice as they passed the beach roses that the Japanese beetles were eating them? What about the starfish that had attached itself to the oak piling just under the dock? Was I the only one who noticed it? Perhaps that's the reason a well written description goes a long way to making the heart smile. It's what someone else took the time to note and pass along so everyone else may enjoy it.

I'm going to be a Guest Blogger

2008-07-18T13:19:00.005-04:00

I'm a member of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance in Portland, Maine. They're a wonderful writer's resource and put on several author events throughout the year. I just participated in the Books and Blooms multi-author signing in Boothbay Harbor, Maine last Saturday.

The weather was perfect and the people came to buy. Always a great combination for authors. There were about 70 of us! I had a very nice sales day and there was lots of interest in the Sightless pamphlets I was handing out to perspective customers. If that's any indication of the sales my second book will generate, I think it will be a very good seller.

To get back on track, the MWPA sent out an invitation to its members last night for weekly guest bloggers for a new addition to their website. I jumped at the chance and was chosen! My week is going to be Aug. 24 -30. They ask that I post at least 3 blogs during my week. At this time, there won't be a chance to comment directly, but inquires can be directed to my email and I can answer them in the next blog. It should be fun and I can basically talk about anything, just as long as it's PG rated and not political. No worries there. I hate politics! And I'll try my best to refrain from my vulgarities ;•) Check it out at http://www.mainewriters.org/news.html

For the most part I will be ranting on about the publishing business, the movie business and whatever else is filling my head at the time. Perhaps not to the extent JA Konrath rants, though I visit his site everyday and always manage to get some great information from his blog. Much like Tess Gerritsen's blog. These two fine authors are making a great attempt at teaching us newbies the ropes of publishing. You'll find that even being at the top of the pile isn't always what it's cracked up to be, but I'd sure like to make it to the pinnacle and let you from there!

Sightless Progress

2008-06-22T11:32:00.003-04:00

It's so close!

I have just sent back my editorial changes to my publisher, and there was a lot of changes. This was due to a bug in their computer program which changed around apostrophes, commas and end quotes. It made for very tedious work making certain all were caught. Then there was the strange things it did to any Gàidhlig word with an accent. It "read" it as a "d", so once again I had to be sure all were corrected. Finally, any sentence that was supposed to be in italics wasn't. Yup, you got it, be sure all were changed.

Now onto the cover art. I do my own designs. Being a graphic artist by trade has given me that right, and I really like doing it. There's nothing worse than seeing a book—and yes, we all do it: judge the book by the cover—and pick it up to read only to find you were mislead by the cover. Knowing the story as well as I do, I try to convey the basis of the story to the cover.

For Sightless, since it's about a voyage (many, actually), I've used a schooner. As you may have guessed, there are Native Americans portrayed, so there is a quiver and arrows, along with the Penobscot people's double-curve design that is so often used in their artwork. Lastly, the bagpipe. Hey, it's still Scottish people I'm writing about. They just happen to be in America right now :)

But as with any graphics, colors, gradients, text and size are always a challenge when working with different platforms (Mac vs. IBM). So it was back and forth a couple times, but all in all, not too bad.

I should be getting a proof at the end of this month and I can't wait! My summer is already filling up with signings and Highland Games. This will continue well into the New Year.

As soon as the actual publication date is revealed to me, I'll post it here.

Be Careful What You Ask For.

2008-05-24T11:57:00.003-04:00

I always ask for people to give me reviews of Eyes of Garnet after they've read it. I've had some very interesting critiques come out of this process. Most have been great, some have been disappointing, and some have been downright scary.

Case in point. A woman I know bought a limited edition and I asked her to let me know how she liked the story when she finished reading it. About a month goes by and I've moved on, but then I get a phone call. It was her and she was all too ready to tell me what she felt about the story.

"At first," she said, "I didn't like Catrìona. I thought she knew too much for her age."

I thought to myself, well she did. But under the circumstances—being a reincarnate of her grandmother, and all—she had the advantage of being born with the innate ability to "know" how to see into the future.

She then continued on with, "But as I read on, I understood and it made more sense why she had the ability. I began to really like Catrìona. The plot became tense and it was great. Then, you had the torture scene of Willie Campbell."

I smiled, because it was one of most favorite parts of the story to write.

"Well, I just don't understand where that came from. You don’t appear to me to have those tendencies."

I thought to myself, I don't. I can't stand the sight of blood!

She continued by telling me that she told her two teenage daughters to stay clear of me because she wasn't sure about my displaced anger.

I had a difficult time trying not to burst out laughing. I do that at rather inappropriate times as a defense mechanism. You know, startle the aggressor.

Anyway, she ended her critique with, "But I can't wait to read the second book."

I think she liked it, but now I'm on the neighborhood watch's most wanted list!

I know that this line of work carries with it the ability to make people believe in your characters and stories, if you've written them well enough. I also know that a writer's skin must be armor-like in thickness, and one must let things roll off the back, but it isn't the first time I've been told that I apparently enjoy the morbid and sadistic. Huh. Maybe I'm a reincarnate of some deviant which enables me to write what I know, whether from this lifetime or another.

Something to ponder when you do or think something out of character, or what you perceive your character to be, isn't it?

Sightless, coming this summer!

2008-05-08T06:05:00.005-04:00

In this publishing time, with a bit of a recession going on, it's even tougher to get agents to take newbies on. They work with the bottom line; will it sell? It seems that unless an agent already has something in mind of what publishing houses are looking for (and they all want the next breakout book), authors are faced with getting creative.

That's why I chose to have my POD publisher print Sightless, the next book in the Eyes of Garnet series. I'm hoping for a late summer release.

Oh, I still have 30 agents perusing my queries, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I want to write, and I want to be published. With that said, now I'm excited to see Sightless in print. It's kind of like giving birth. The feel of the shiny, new cover; the soft touch of acid-free pages as they flip through your fingers. Then, there's all those wonderful words that make it your special book.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted as to the actual publishing date, and if you'd like a reminder, send me an email at garnet@midmaine.com so I can put you on my list. And fret not, the list stays with me and only me.

On the screenplay front, I've pitched Eyes of Garnet to Gerard Butler's agent, Tapestry Films, Focus Films and Fortress Features. My agent in Hollywood is also actively pitching, so keep those fingers crossed. And, if you have any thoughts on a young Scottish actress to play the part of Catrìona, please let me know. I'd love to hear your ideas.

How I Write

2008-04-11T11:04:00.000-04:00

I've been asked to describe how I come up with my scenes, visions and characters. That's not an easy thing to put into words, since for the most part, Catrìona is telling me the story, and I just type it. Really. I may have a general plan, but she directs me all the way.

In fact, when I try to take control because I feel she's going in a different direction than I perceive the plot should be going, I'm literally shut down. Talk about writer's block! Nothing happens. I can sit at the keyboard for a week, and unless I relinquish control back to her, the screen will remain blank. How's that for channeling!

She takes me to places I would never have thought to go, introduce characters as she needs them (she does let ME name them, though), and come up with some obscure bit of information that I have to research to be sure it's correct. There won't be another word typed until the research is complete. I'm not one who can skip around it, because many times the direction that is taken is derived directly from what I find in the history. It's like a light bulb turning on and lighting the path to the next scene. It's pretty fun actually, not knowing what's going to happen until it's typed. The story is as new to me as it is to the readers. Kind of like watching a movie and going along for the ride, letting each scene unfold with its twists and turns.

Many, many times, Cat will throw a surprise in that sets me to talking to the screen, saying, "Are you sure? But how will this tie in with the scene we're doing now?" Much like Cat does in the stories, there will be a voice in my head telling me to not think how, just see where it takes me. Hey, if it doesn't work, the delete key is a stroke away. It seems the only time I use the delete key to destroy a scene is when I try to take over.

So after six years of writing, I've learned to listen to Catrìona and let her lead me through the story. It's a blast!

What's Underneath...

2008-03-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

I remember the first time I went to a Highland Game. It was at Loon Mountain, NH some 20 odd years ago. I was with my husband (who is a Scot) and my sister. My husband was a photographer at the time, so my sister and I were left to our own devises. Probably not a wise move on my husband’s part! We, my sister and I, decided to see for ourselves just what was worn under the kilt. Mind you, this research project wasn't quite as easy as it sounded. One doesn't just go up to the nearest kilted man and ask, I mean what fun would that be anyway?

So, we found a set of outdoor stairs that were the open grate sort and nonchalantly stood under them. All right, maybe nonchalant is not the correct word for what we were doing, but I swear to God, it the most fun we'd had for a very long time! One by one, a kilted man would walk down the stairs and we'd look up. I can't imagine what people were saying as they heard us giggling under that stairway. We gave it a good hour in order to research the matter thoroughly!

Oh, and to answer the question on everyone's mind... shorts. Very disappointing. There wasn't a free-baller or commando on the mountain that day. Not like the gentleman in the photo above.

And just what is the appeal of a man in a kilt? My feeling is, if a man is confident enough with his masculinity to wear a skirt, he radiates a certain manliness that stirs the loins of a woman! This is seconded only by a James Bond tuxedo. Mmmm!

Screenplay Redux

2008-03-12T07:41:00.000-04:00

I just received my critique for the screenplay I wrote for Eyes of Garnet. All in all, for my very first try, it wasn't bad. Of course there's work to do, but it's not like they said, stick to writing books. That being said, writing books and writing scripts are two very different animals. I'm reading an older Nora Roberts book right now about a writer who's just had his book made into a movie. When the protagonist asked him why he didn't write it himself, his reply was, "what do you take for me for, a masochist?" Oh, how true I'm finding that out to be. First, while Eyes isn't all that long, there are tons of things going on. Things I couldn't fit into a mandatory 120-page story. That meant I had to chop and hack my way through entire scenes, vaporizing entire chapters and characters. The funny part was my critiquer told me it didn't flow quite as well as it could. I'm thinking, no shit! You made me cut out all the connecting scenes!
 Anyway, for my rewrite I have to stop thinking like the author of the book, and think about what would make a good movie. More visuals, less speech. More emotion that connects the scenes better. I need to find the one continuity and carry that through the movie. Feel it rather than read it. A new concept, but I do so love a challenge! I think by the end of this rewrite, it will definitely be more of "based on the book Eyes of Garnet".
 On the writing front, I've just send a new batch of queries to 37 literary agencies. Yeah, I know it's a lot, but with the age of e-queries becoming more prevalent (saves a lot of trees!), the agents get back to you much quicker than the standard 2 month wait. I still have one agency interested from the last batch I sent out, and a few haven't gotten back to me yet. It's such a slow, agonizing process. The third book in the Garnet series is coming along very nicely, though. I'm on page 140 and beginning chapter 16. And the signing season is creeping up quickly. I always love that part of the deal - meeting the people who have read, or want to read my book.

Finding the Elusive Agent

2008-02-21T15:41:00.000-05:00

Last week I sent out 23 queries to literary agents specializing in my genre (if it can really be described). I'm going for historical fiction for Sightless. Out of the 23, I've already had 4 returns. But wait! They weren't ALL rejections! One agency wanted to see the first three chapters and a synopsis. I promptly sent her the requested material, and now I wait.

Now, writing query letters is an artform in of itself. To me, it's much more work than writing my books! If I could pay someone to write the perfect query letter (one that agents actually makes an agent want to see my work because the hook was too terrific to pass up), the synopsis (a 1 page and a full blown, what-the-book-is-about one), the dreaded chapter-by-chapter outline, and whatever else each agency wants to see just be have them return all your hard work and effort with a form letter saying something like, it's not your writing, it's our passion that's lacking to promote your work to a publisher. And those are the elaborate ones! Sometimes it's a business card saying thanks, but not right for us at this time.

To sort of be fair about it, I know agents receive thousands of queries a week. That alone would be a daunting task to go through, never mind find the jewel in the rough and want to proceed with it further. But, it's still a hateful, dreadfully slow, agonizing process that one must go through to pay our dues. And pay and pay and pay.

So, the waiting begins. Most agents will return an answer within a month or two. Some take just days. I guess it's a good thing there are thousands of agents out there to choose from. I just hope the one who will represent me isn't the last one on the list!

Genre Wars

2008-02-14T17:03:00.000-05:00

Another rejection. I took this one kind of hard. Since many agents I query will tell me, I have a difficult book to place into a specific genre. I think Eye of Garnet is a historical fiction with a paranormal twist. The historical fiction agents get really spooked (pardon the pun!) by this "twist", and tell me they don't represent that stuff. So I queried a more paranormal publishing company. My rejection, though pleasant enough, stated that I wasn't paranormal enough. Hard to win with a genre-bending story. And no, I refuse to write to conform to one category. Can't. Won't! I write through my character's voice. I'm not my characters, they are themselves. So, I continue to query and keep writing ... what I want.

On a bit of a brighter side, my screenplay I wrote adapting Eyes of Garnet to the silver screen, has found an agent. 'Course, that means nothing if they can't sell it to a film company, but as ever, I'm blissfully naïve and always think something good will come of it. Hell, if I didn't, how could I keep going?

Ice Storms and Signings Don't Mix

2008-02-02T14:29:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to join four other authors last night for a Valentine's Day signing. There were romance authors, murder mysteries, historical fiction and the like represented. Well, that was until we ended up having an ice storm that pretty much put the kibosh on the event.

Me and Dorothy Cannell braved the storm, but we were also the closest to the event in Belfast, Maine. Somehow, we did manage to get a store full of customers and sold some of our books, but it would have been a real treat to sit with some of my favorite authors and chat about writing.

The owners of the bookstore said it was the first time in the thirteen years they've owned the place that a weather event stopped them. At the end of the evening, though, it all seemed to work out all right, and we ate, drank and drove very, very slowly home.

A Highland Fling

2008-01-29T09:24:00.000-05:00

Last night, my husband and I went to Bangor to see The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. They are Highland pipes, drums and dancers. Women in the crowd actually cried when they heard them play a few of the more traditional tunes like Amazing Grace. I'm not the weepy type, but I do love to hear the pipes.

Now, Dragoons are a calvary unit, so when the man came out to introduce the band, he was wearing spurs that clicked on the concrete floor of the auditorium. The woman in front of me said breathlessly, "Oh, I do so love a man in spurs." It was all I could do from letting one of my famous belts of laughter out. I think my husband was proud that remained restrained (he embarrasses easy). I mean, what did she love about spurs? Was it the old cowboy adage of keeping his boots on even when making love? Or was it some other fantasy she had of the silvery stars on a man's boots? Many ideas flew through my mind, all of which were a bit risqué. I think what was most amusing was that she never once mentioned their bare legs under their tartan kilts!

The rest of the program was very good and the sword dancers were terrific. Lithe and limber men in flying kilts. All too short of a performance, though.

Animal Symbology

2008-01-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

There aren’t many places around anymore where, on the way to the post office, you can see a deer, a bald eagle and a murder of crows (actually it was more like a execution of crows, as there must have been 75 or more!), within the span of 5 minutes. ‘Course the deer was dead, hence the reason for so many scavengers, but still, I was one of just few people who saw the scene, as walkers scared all but a few of the hardy crows away from their meal. And, crows, being as territorial as they are, probably chased the eagle as he took flight from the human intruders. I have no doubt that all will be back, since it’s hard to pass up such a bounty in the middle of winter.

Imagine a superstitious person seeing such a gathering of our black-winged brethren. They would surely have turned and run the other way. After all, who would chance getting that much bad news from the messengers of the dark side! They really symbolize creation and magic, and are one of my favorite birds because of their intelligence. As for the bald eagle, it is said that they are symbols of spiritual power and illumination. We can all use a little of that in our lives, can we not? I feel it helps in my writing as a kind of go-ahead-and-do-something-different story line. So, of course I added it to a scene in the third book I'm working on. Catrìona just so happened to have see further without being seen. Thank you eagle!

I have always noticed birds and animals and tried to apply their symbolism in my life. There are those who live in Maine and have never seen a moose. I can’t fathom how that can be possible, but then I look at myself, who has seen a bear only once, even though I lived outside Yellowstone National Park for three years. Perhaps their meanings don’t pertain to us, therefore, why would we see them? Something to ponder.

The Language Barrier

2008-01-22T09:07:00.000-05:00

To me, there's no better way of sending a reader to 18th century Scotland than by the use of language. Yes, I know, some people are offended by the fact that I have my characters speak similarly to how they would have spoken back then. It does take a little getting used to, but I am rewarded by many more readers who actually appreciate the vernacular. They say it feels like they're there, and they thank me for sending them back in time more authentically.

I have had some agents tell me that to use anything but how we Americans speak is childish. Na bi gòrach! (Don't be daft!) They go on to say that the American public isn't intelligent enough to follow along, and will not read further into the story if they are made to work a little. Shame on them for not giving the public enough credit to want to learn something new. I wonder if that's why Diana Gabaldon is a world-wide best-selling author with literally millions of ardent fans. Me included! That many people can't be wrong.

I do go a step further than Diana by putting a glossary of gàidhlig terms and how to pronounce them in my books. There's no way to please everyone, so all I can hope for is that some of you appreciate the fact that I write for ALL the senses. And just for the record, the way gàidhlig (pronounced gaah-lic) is spelled here is Scottish. Gaelic is the Irish spelling. Two different languages, but with many similarities, though I'd not care to be in a pub differentiating them!

So when you pick up Sightless to read, you will notice different dialects among the Scottish vernacular. For instance, Glaswegians (those folks from Glasgow) have much more of an accent than Highlanders, whose first language was gàidhlig, and English was their second. Highlanders had a softer brogue. Anyway, I hope this helps you to understand my thought process.