AKA's Top Ten List: Peanut Butter, Murder & Interventions

Yet another collection of this past week's events. News. Bits and pieces from around the web. Plus, blog posts. Mine. Yours. Theirs. There is no rhyme or reason to this collection. It's a recap of what caught my attention, brought a smile to my face, or made me pause and think WOW! Enjoy... 

1. Velvet steamroller characters conjure wonderful images and I had a blast chatting with Richard Brawer over at Muriel Reeves Mysteries. I interrogated, um, I mean, interviewed him and we talked about his latest release, Beyond Guilty.

2. There is this theory flying around cyberspace that using Google is destroying memory. Way back when in the Stone Age was I was a school girl, memorization was key to success. I never understood it. I failed to see the importance of wasting hours on stuff that didn't matter (to me). What's your take?


3. Tuesday was National Peanut Butter Day. But you know Peanut and Butter are also two wonderful little chihuahua's in my debut novel Defending Glory? 

4. Pamela S. Thibodeaux dropped by my Piedmont Island Trilogy blog. The author of The Visionary joined me for a chat by the fire, and we did what we both love best - talk writing!

5. On J.L. Walter’s weekly feature, Saturday's Chapter post, I shared an excerpt of Defending Glory.


6. Remember when you were a kid and you banged on your mother's pots and pans and heard beautiful music? This Youtube video is the same concept, only a gazillion times better! Enjoy. :)

7. Walking is good for you. Unless you're the walker's husband. Then, you could be dead. That's the premise of Nancy Lynn Jarvis's mystery The Widow's Walk League. I interviewed her this week on my blog and she's offering a giveaway, so leave a comment to enter.

8. Follow me, I'll follow you: @annekalbert. Here are nine things you didn't know about Twitter.

9. Are you an author? Do you use hashtags? Check out these 44 Essential Twitter Hashtags every author should know.

10. Last, but definitely not least: Writers write, but many admit it's become a struggle to find the time, and social media is to blame. Is it possible you might require a social media intervention? 

That's it for this week. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated. Just a reminder, to ensure you don't miss a single post, interview or giveaway, why not become a follower? It's easy with either GFC (Google Friend Connect) or NetworkedBlogs. Both are to your right. Thank you, and as always, happy reading! 

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The Widow's Walk League by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

My guest today is Nancy Lynn Jarvis. Nancy has been a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor for twenty years. She owns a real estate company with her husband, Craig. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager of Shakespeare/Santa Cruz.

Nancy's work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years. Writing is her newest adventure.

She invites you to take a peek into the real estate world through the stories that form the backdrop of her Regan McHenry mysteries. Details and ideas come from Nancy's own experiences.

If you're one of her clients or colleagues, read carefully - you may find characters in her books who seem familiar. You may know the people who inspired them - you may even see yourself in print.

Anne – Welcome, Nancy. When did you first realize you were destined to be an author?

Nancy - I didn’t realize I was going to be a writer until I took a timeout from being a real estate agent, got bored, and started killing people. Maybe I better back up a bit. I’d been a Realtor in Santa Cruz, California since 1989 and had seen down markets with all their cruelty before, so when the real estate market tanked in 2008, I hung up my for sale signs and experimented with being retired. I got bored within a couple of weeks and decided, strictly as a game, to try and write a mystery.

I had the beginning and ending in mind and lots of stories I could use as background if I made the protagonist a real estate agent. I set the book in Santa Cruz since I knew the community so well. The protagonist, Regan McHenry, began her life as me, only younger, thinner, and more successful than I was. She didn’t stay me, though. Like a method actor who feels his role, I’m a method writer. Regan had to become her own person about the time she found a body because I couldn’t take being her any longer. I couldn’t keep up with her any longer, either. She’s much more daring than I am and eagerly gets herself into messes I would avoid.

Anne - What one or two lines best sums you up as an author?

Nancy - I’m an author who is having more fun than she’s ever had before and wakes up each morning excited by what the day may bring.

Anne - Tell us about your most recent release. (Title and story blurb.)

Nancy - The Widow’s Walk League. 

Santa Cruz husbands are being murdered. The local news media is buzzing because a dark-clad figure witnesses describe as Death has been seen lurking nearby each time a murder is committed. When new widows start hiring real estate agent Regan McHenry to sell their houses, she discovers all the murdered men have something in common: their wives belong to a walking group called The Widow’s Walk League. No wonder Regan is worried when the group’s leader starts paying special attention to her husband, Tom. 

Anne - How long does it take you to write a book?

Nancy - Writing the book usually takes three to four months including putting together an outline and a timeline, which I have learned is critical for a mystery because it is necessary to keep track of who-knew-what-when. Editing takes as long as writing and involves a lot of groaning, flopping around dramatically, and arguing with my editor. Finally, when I believe the book is completely clean, the copy editor gets it. She’s fast, but I’ve yet to be right about the book being ready when I think it is.

Anne - Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Nancy - My favorite character remains Mrs. Rosemont from the first book I wrote. Most of my characters begin as someone I know, but Mrs. Rosemont, who is 86 years old, tiny, and rather unique looking with flaming red hair and a hunched back, sprang completely from my imagination. Considering that, you can imagine how stunned I was to run into her in a grocery store. I was writing her at the time and imagined she had a touch of a British accent acquired from years living abroad with her British military officer husband. I wanted to talk to the live Mrs. Rosemont but was terrified she’d be from New Jersey and her manner of speech would ruin the character’s voice for me. I settled for following her around the store to see how she moved until she became so unnerved she abandoned her cart and hastily left the store.

Anne - Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person? 

Nancy - I’m definitely a glass half-full person. Oh, I sometimes try to be a glass half-empty person, but it doesn’t stick.

Anne – Of all the authors I’ve interviewed, I don’t think anyone has ever said they’re a half empty kind of person. I like that! What makes you cry? Laugh? Lose your temper?

Nancy - American politics. All at the same time.

Anne – Enough said! Quick. Your five favorites – author, actor, movie, song, quote.

Nancy - Author: Amy Tan. Actor: Alan Rickman. Movie: any movie that would appeal to a six year old boy like the original Star Wars movies, Indiana Jones movies, the first three Harry Potter movies, and UP. When I’m feeling more grown up I’ll watch Shakespeare in Love, The Usual Suspects, or Holiday. My favorite song is the Beatles, “In My Life” because my sister-in-law sang it for my husband and me at our wedding. My favorite quote comes from Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

Anne – I’m excited that you’re giving away a copy of one of your books. How does a reader get in the draw?

Nancy – Leave a comment and your email addy to enter. I have four books in the series. All contain the elements listed below, but please tell me if you prefer mysteries that:

-Are more why-dunnits than who-dunnits. (The Death Contingency)

-Are traditional mysteries with many red herrings and broken alibis. (Backyard Bones)

-Are more likely to put the heroine in harm’s way. (Buying Murder)

-Are more humorous and witty. (The Widow’s Walk League)

The winner will receive a book in the category chosen in print or e-book format, winner’s choice.

Anne – Final question, Nancy. Where can readers reach you online?

Nancy – At my website, at Amazon, on Facebook, and on Goodreads.

Anne - Thanks for dropping by today, Nancy. I wish you every success with The Widow's Walk League, and I know readers will want to comment to enter your giveaway draw. (The winner will be announced on February 3, 2012.)

Readers, to ensure you don’t miss a single post, interview or giveaway, please become a follower. It’s nice to know someone is out there! Thank you, and as always, happy reading.

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Happy National Peanut Better Day

Huh? If today is Happy National Peanut Butter Day, why did I include a photograph of chihuahua? 


Simple! That cute little dog is a she, and her name is "Peanut". She belongs to the heroine of Defending Glory, book one of the Piedmont Island Trilogy series. Peanut also had a puppy, and her name is...yup, silly and sappy as it sounds, Mac, the hero of Defending Glory, named the pup "Butter". 


It seems only fitting to share this snippet from Defending Glory with you on this oh, so, special day. Enjoy!

..............................

“Peanut! Butter!” Glory shouted.

Mac strolled down the porch steps to the sandy cove beach, watching his wife playing with the dogs. She called their names once more, and tossed the tennis ball as far as she could throw it.

Peanut’s saffron colored offspring, whom Mac had had the honor of christening “Butter” moments after she and two other puppies were born, romped alongside the older dog. The two Chihuahua’s zoomed past him, their tiny tails wagging and each hoping to reach the cherished toy first.

As always, their antics made Glory giggle with delight.

She waved, and welcomed him with open arms. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

He kissed her, savoring the delicious sweetness of her lips, and... 

..........................

To read more of Defending Glory, see the BookBuzzr widget to your left. 

Now, a few tidbits about peanut butter: 

(1) More than 1/2 of the American peanut crop becomes peanut butter  

(2) It takes 540 peanuts to make a 12-oz jar of peanut butter 

(3) the average American child eats 1500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before graduating high school.

Happy National Peanut Butter Day, and as always, happy reading!

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AKA's Top Ten List: Jail, Edgars & Bestseller's Myth

This is a collection of this past week's events. News. Bits and pieces from around the web. Plus, blog posts. Mine. Yours. Theirs. There is no rhyme or reason to this collection. It's a recap of what caught my attention, brought a smile to my face, or made me pause and think WOW! Enjoy... 

1. The setting of a novel is much more than scenery, flora and fauna. I discussed its importance on Shirley Kiger Connolly’s blog A Pen for Your Thoughts.

2. Beginning writers have enough to worry about with pace, sentence structure, conflict, character development, etc. but it’s equally important to understand why readers read. That’s the topic this week on the Muriel Reeves Mysteries blog.

3. Ask anyone who knows a writer and they’ll admit we’re a strange bunch. Sometimes we’re put behind bars. Enjoy this list of ten famous jailed writers.

4. Creating believable characters and understanding why they act the way they do is important. But did you ever stop to think about how their intentions affect others? Good Intentions Ease Pain. Really!

5. All this talk of how writers write is a perfect lead in to J.L. Walter’s weekly feature “How She Does It”. I may not be typical, but I’m there! Also, on her Saturday's Chapter post I shared an excerpt of Defending Glory.

6. Editing used to be a silent endeavor with just pen and paper. Now a writer can sit back and listen to their story. I use NaturalReader. It’s amazing, and free!

7. Getting nominated for an Edgar is every mystery writer’s dream. I chatted with Steve Ulfelder who’s Purgatory Chasm is in the best debut novel category.

8. Jean Henry Mead snags author interviews to die for. She talks with Julie Garwood on her View from My Mountaintop blog.

9. Bestsellers? J.A. Konrath blogs about The Myth of Bestsellers. 

10. Last, but definitely not least, from YouTube: 500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art by Philip Scott Johnson.

 

That's it for this week. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated. Just a reminder, to ensure you don't miss a single post, interview or giveaway, why not become a follower? It's easy with either GFC (Google Friend Connect) or NetworkedBlogs. Both are to your right. Thank you, and as always, happy reading! 

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Edgar Nominee Steve Ulfelder's Purgatory Chasm

My guest is Steve Ulfelder who is floating up on Cloud 9 because this week it was announced Purgatory Chasm is an Edgar nominee for Best First Novel. Congratulations, Steve! It's a joy to talk writing with you today.

Anne - What activity (cause, charity, organization) consumes your time when you’re away from the keyboard?

Steve - My day job is co-owner of Flatout Motorsports Inc., a company that builds, rents, and supports race cars. This business sprang from my hobby, race driving – I campaign a Honda S2000 in Sports Car Club of America competition.

Anne - Tell us about Purgatory Chasm.

Steve – My debut mystery, Purgatory Chasm, introduces Conway Sax – a washed-up NASCAR driver and mechanic who helps out members of his renegade AA group in ways that are illegal and usually dangerous. Conway agrees to rescue a friend’s classic car from a shady restoration shop, but the friend soon turns up dead – and Conway was the last to see him alive. To clear himself he must untangle the death, which involves generations of deceit and family tragedy. I should also note that the second Conway Sax novel, The Whole Lie, is coming out in May 2012.

Anne – Huge congrats again on the Edgar nomination. How long does it take you to write a book?

Steve - Generally speaking, 6 months for a first draft, with 2 to 4 additional months for rewriting and polishing. Call it an average of 9 months from the time I type “Chapter 1” to the time I ship it to my agent.

Anne - Do you belong to any writer’s organizations, critique groups, and/or depend on beta readers?

Steve - I’m proud to be a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. I’ve tried a few writing groups but never found one that worked for me. So far I have no beta readers, but I am looking to change that – my agent, Janet Reid, tends to be first to read my manuscripts, and I’d like to unburden her!

Anne - How long did your journey from wannabe writer to published author take?

Steve - I was a journalist for 20 years, the last six as a freelancer. One day in 2007, I informed my wife I’d like to drop that profession to focus on two things: growing Flatout Motorsports and writing mystery novels. Shockingly, my wife neither left me nor hit me with a skillet. My first manuscript landed me an agent, but the full trip to publication took four and a half years (and three completed books!).

Anne - Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Steve - Conway’s girlfriend has a 12-year-old daughter, Sophie. Conway is crazy about her, and so am I. She’s smart, complicated, vulnerable, wise … many readers seem to enjoy the relationship between these two, and I confess I do too.

Anne - Are you a glass half-empty or half-full kind of person?

Steve - Half full! I’m a cheery optimist, often to an extent that irks my wife. I’ve spent my life expecting good things to happen to me – and so far it’s worked out that way, so why change?

Anne – I can relate to that because that’s my take on life, too! Outside of writing, what accomplishment are you most proud?

Steve - In 2011, after a decade of trying, I finally won the North Atlantic Roadrace Championship Runoffs at my favorite race track, Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park. There is no feeling sweeter than a long-awaited victory lap!

Anne -  You may soon have another moment to savor, Steve, as the Edgar® Awards will be presented on April 26, 2012 in New York City! Final question. Where can readers reach you online?

Steve - At my website: www.ulfelder.com, on Twitter: @SteveUlfelder and Facebook. I’m the only Steve Ulfelder you’ll find!

Anne – Thanks so much for dropping by today, Steve. It’s been a pleasure to chat about writing and I wish you ever success with Purgatory Chasm.

Readers, to ensure you don’t miss a single post, interview or giveaway, please become a follower. It’s nice to know someone is out there! Thank you, and as always, happy reading.

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AKA's Top Ten List: Painting, Dying and Writing

This is a collection of this past week's events. News. Bits and pieces from around the web. Plus, blog posts. Mine. Yours. Theirs. There is no rhyme or reason to this collection. It's a recap of what caught my attention, brought a smile to my face, or made me pause and think WOW! Enjoy...


1. When is One Promise Too Many? When it's book one of the Detective Stark Mysteries by Rick Bylina. I had the pleasure of interrogating, um, I mean interviewing him on my Muriel Reeves Mysteries blog. 


2. Many, many years ago, well, more like when the planet was a bubbling and boiling, seething mess, I was an art student. Now, don't get all excited. I can't draw a straight line to save my soul, but I DO have a healthy appreciation for art and artists. This interactive link to the Sistine Chapel is awesome. Just click to get a 360 degree view. 


3. I'm a huge fan of mysteries and mystery authors. Jayne E. Self's Harbourlight's and Seaglass Mysteries are set in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. (Hence the U in harboUr!) She stopped by my Piedmont Island Trilogy blog this week and we discussed her latest release, Murder in Hum Harbour. 


4. If you haven't watched this YouTube video of 5 people playing 1 guitar (Somebody That I Used to Know do it NOW! Enjoy!


5. It's early January and new year's resolutions are still fresh in our minds. Do you have the courage to live your life YOUR way? Or will it be one of your Regrets of the Dying?


6. Do you know how to write a query letter that gets results? Roland Yeomans explains how.

7. A funny thing happened on the way to this post. I received an award. TWICE! Thank you Fiona J. Phillips and Ivana Milakovic for considering me a Versatile Blogger. It's very much appreciated!


8. Okay, you've written your book, and you're ready to self publish. But is that e-book ever completely written? Nicholas Carr believes it's never ending.


9. When I think of ghost towns, an image of a 19th western town pops to mind. That's not always the case as this article shows. Enjoy 6 Most Mind-blowing Modern Ghost Towns.


10. Last, but not least, you could win an e-copy of author Wendy Soliman's A Class Apart. For details, and her interview click HERE.


That's it for this week. Your comments are always welcome and appreciated. Just a reminder, to ensure you don't miss a single post, interview or giveaway, why not become a follower? It's easy with either GFC (Google Friend Connect) or NetworkedBlogs. Both are to your right. Thank you, and as always, happy reading! 

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Wendy Soliman's A Class Apart

My guest today is Wendy Soliman. She is a British author, now dividing her time between Andorra and West Florida. She writes regency and contemporary romance and, as W. Soliman, a series of marine crime mysteries. Learn more about her and her books from her websites: www.wendysoliman.com & www.wsoliman.com

Welcome to my cyber world, Wendy. If you’re comfy, let’s get down to business and talk writing.

Wendy – Let’s do it!

Anne - When did you first realize you were destined to be an author?

Wendy - I don’t think I actually knew it at the time, but looking back, the clues were there. The only two things I was any good at during my school years were writing stories and history. Unsurprisingly, my first love is historical romance. I also wrote my first novel at age fifteen, which I guess is another pointer.

Anne - What one or two lines best sums you up as an author?

Wendy - Obsessed to the degree that I don’t always hear what people say to me because I’m living in my own little fictional world. What was that? Did someone speak?

Anne - What activity (cause, charity, organization) consumes your time when you’re away from the keyboard?

Wendy - I’m an animal person. Until a few years back I had my own horses and have had dogs for years – but only rescued mutts! My current baby is Jake Bentley, a rescuee of indeterminate pedigree, named after the hero in one of my books on the basis that they’re both handsome mongrels with independent spirits and naughty streaks. Jake and I spend a good hour and a half every day pounding the countryside. Obviously, I use the time to iron out thorny issues in my latest plot. A writer is never off duty!

Anne – I love that description! It says so much about both dog and man! Do you have a fear, phobia, or bait you’d rather no one knew about?

Wendy - Yes, but I can’t tell you because then you’d know. Snakes—who said the ‘s’ word? Shudder.

Anne – Oh, yes. Snakes make me shudder, too. How long does it take you to write a book? 

Wendy - I can probably do a first draft, (my books are usually 75,000 plus words), in two months – provided I stay in one place long enough. It then takes another month or so to knock it into saleable shape. Bear in mind there are always interruptions – edits, on-line activity and all the other stuff we authors have to involve ourselves with. So, to answer your question, on average, about four months start to finish.

Anne - How long did your journey from wannabe writer to published author take?

Wendy - I started writing seriously about eight years ago and joined the British Romantic Novelists’ Association. It was the best move I ever made and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. They have a brilliant critique scheme for unpublished authors. Thanks to them my very first novel was published about two years after I first picked up my pen. Seventeen more titles have followed. I’ve been lucky.

Anne – I think hard work, determination and talent has more to do with it than luck! What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself from your writing?

Wendy - That people take me seriously. I’m married to a very clever man, and there’s never been anything I can do that he couldn’t do better. He’s never written a book, though – pause for a smug grin - much less had eighteen published! You have no idea what that does for my self-esteem.

Anne – LOL! Of all the characters you’ve created, does one hold a special place in your heart? Why?

Wendy - Jake Bentley, in A Class Apart.  This was my first attempt at a contemporary novel and was re-written and renamed, (it started life as Reinventing Radleigh), several times before it saw the light of publication last year.  It’s basically a modern historical, if that makes any sense. The heroine, Lady Octavia Radleigh, is in a jam. Her family has fallen on hard times and it looks like Radleigh Manor, her ancestral home, will have to be sold to cover her grandfather’s crippling debts. Jake Bentley, boy made good from the downscale East End of London, wants to buy it but Octavia has other ideas. She plans to turn Radleigh into an upscale hotel, aimed at the American market. All she has to do now is to persuade Jake to finance the venture.

A Class Apart, available from SirenBookStrand in digital or print form  and, from June this year, as an audio book from Audiolark.  Also available from Amazon.

To win a digital copy of A Class Apart please leave a comment saying who in my family is named after Jake Bentley.

Thanks for having me here, Anne, it’s been a blast.

Anne – My pleasure, Wendy, and thank you for offering an e-copy of A Class Apart to one lucky reader. Just a reminder, to ensure you don’t miss a single post, interview or giveaway, please become a follower. Thank you, and as always, happy reading.

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AKA's Top Ten List: The Simpsons, Rings & Library Retreats

This is a summation of this past week's blog posts. Mine. Yours. Theirs. There is no rhyme or reason to this collection. It's a recap of what caught my attention, brought a smile to my face, and/or restored my faith in humanity. (Hey, it can happen!) Enjoy...

1. A list of twelve authors who refuse to use computers to write.

2. New Year's Resolutions...are they worth the time and effort? More is Less - Or is it?

3. Norwegian Library Retreat - An architectural Wonder

4. Interview with Lois Winston re her latest release Death By Killer Mop Doll

5. Losing and finding a wedding ring...with the help of a carrot!

6. Are enhanced multimedia books the future of publishing? Author Alina Adams thinks so.

7. Can you name 10 authors featured on The Simpsons TV show?

8. The Insecure Writers Support Group is not for sissies!

9. Available worldwide, The Espresso Book Machine prints books in minutes.

10. Looking for a great read? A book with heart? Try these from Vanilla Heart Publishing.

Well, what did you think? Do you have a favorite? Did one post stand out above the rest? Your comments are always appreciated and welcome.

Have a great week, and of course, happy reading and happy writing!

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Alina Adams

My guest is Alina Adams. She is the author of four romance novels - When a Man Loves a Woman is available as an enhanced multimedia edition, five skating mysteries, two non-fiction books, and three New York Times best-selling tie-ins to the soap operas, "As the World Turns" and "Guiding Light".  She is currently in the process of digitizing and enhancing her entire backlist, as well as partnering with other authors to do the same for their out of print books and media properties.  

Anne – Welcome, Alina. What one or two lines best sums you up as an author?

Alina - And then what happened? And then? And then?

Anne – Cute! What activity (cause, charity, organization) consumes your time when you’re away from the keyboard?

Alina - My husband is a teacher, and we’re both passionate about education, not just that of our own three kids’, but everyone’s. I write a column on it for Examiner.com and he develops educational software and other Instructional Technology. In fact, an enhanced e-book we produced, The Worldwide Dessert Contest by Dan Elish is a way to get kids hooked into reading, by offering not just a story on a page, but music and videos to be experienced as part of it, more HERE.  I realize you asked for what I do away from the keyboard but… I kind of do everything on the keyboard.

Anne – I understand! Sometimes I think the computer is a part of my anatomy. Tell us about your most recent release.

Anne - Enhanced e-books are my current passion, digitalizing my own backlist and working with other previously published authors to do the same. In addition to The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition, there is my own romance title, When a Man Loves a Woman: Enhanced Multimedia Edition, and all five of my Figure Skating Mysteries (previously for Berkley Prime Crime), Murder on Ice, On Thin Ice, Axel of Evil, Death Drop, and Skate Crime. 

Plus, I created an original non-fiction title, Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsuleof Daytime Drama’s Greatest Moments, where you can read interviews with the actors, writers and producers who created the top moments selected by fans – then click on a link and immediately watch the scenes on your laptop, desktop, iPad, phone, tablet, etc.

Anne - How long does it  take you to write a book?

Alina - When I worked at Procter & Gamble Productions, I wrote tie-in novels for their soap operas, “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light.” The process of merging television and book production was not an easy one. I was writing the books close to a year in advance of when it would show up on air. But, because book production is so much slower than television, I still needed to write the book in six weeks (to tie-in to a TV story that hadn’t been written yet, and could possibly change. For instance, in “The Man From Oakdale,” the character of Dusty is dead. Everyone talks about him being dead. Alas, by the time the book was released, Dusty was alive again. Oops.)

Also for P&G, I wrote an officially sanctioned continuation to one of their off-the-air soap operas, “Another World”. It was a weekly series, and each webisode was about 7000 words. Your average book is between 70,000 to 100,000 words, so that would be a book every two months or so.

I don’t know if I’m a good writer. But, I am a fast one.

Anne – I’m always envious of fast writers. I tend to plod along. Word by excruciating word! How long did your  journey from wannabe writer to published author take?

Alina - I wrote my first full-length novel when I was 17. I sent it out. Shockingly, it did not get published. I kept writing and sending out my manuscript until, at the age of 23, an editor rejected a woman’s fiction novel I had written, but suggested I try my hand at a Regency romance, since that was where they tended to publish new writers. I read my first Regency romance in two days, wrote an outline and three sample chapters in a week and then, at the editor’s request, an entire book in a month. She bought that book (and sent me three pages of single-spaced typed revisions). It was published about a year later. Like I said, I do things fast.

Anne - How many rejections did you acquire along the way? What kept you going?

Alina - I honestly don’t remember how many rejections I accumulated. I sent out multiple queries and partials at a time, and I kept a file for each of them with a list of where I sent the manuscript, when, and what the response was. If I had to guess, I’d say about 7 or 8 manuscripts with an average of ten rejections each…? (And none of them ended up selling. After I sold the first Regency, I kept writing new material.) What kept me going was that, honestly, there is nothing else I’d rather do than write. So what choice did I have?

Anne - How many books have you written to date? Are you most proud of one in particular? If so, why? 

Alina - Well, I’ve written dozens and dozens of books. I’ve published two Regency romances, two contemporary romances, five murder mysteries, two non-fiction books on figure skating, three soap opera tie-ins, and an original enhanced e-book. If I had to pick the one I’m most proud of, though, I’d have to say, Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama’s Greatest Moments, simply because both the way I got input for the book (crowd-sourcing) and the enhanced e-book technology I developed for it truly makes this project one of a kind. No one has ever done anything like it before, and I enjoy being a pioneer. I can’t wait to see where enhanced e-books will go in the future!

Anne - What is the hardest  part of writing for you?

Alina - Stopping and making sure that my children are fed, bathed and not sticking forks in the electrical outlets, while also making sure my husband doesn’t feel neglected and that the bills are paid. I love writing so much and I tend to get so wrapped up in the tale I’m spinning, it’s hard to step away and live life… so that I ultimately have something interesting to write about.

Anne - Any words of advice for struggling, unpublished writers?

Alina - If you can do something else for a living, do it. If you can’t, and your goal is to be published, rather than just to write for your own enjoyment, then write, write, write, and send, send, send. I cannot stress this enough. I know it’s a controversial stance, but I do not believe in writing classes, writing majors, writing programs or writing groups.

If you want to be a writer, don’t study writing. Study history, anthropology, sociology, psychology. Study people and what they do and why they do it and what the consequences are.

Writing classes and writing groups only teach you how to write to please the person reading your work. Which is a very useful skill (in fact, it’s the key skill to a professional career), but instead of learning to write to please other aspiring writers and/or college professors, you might as well be learning to write to please the people who can actually purchase your work – editors. Send your writing out and see what feedback you get from them. Because, in the end, they’re the only voices that matter.

Anne – Great advice. Where can readers reach you online?

Alina – At my websites: http://www.AlinaAdams.com and

http://www.AlinaAdamsMedia.com and on Facebook.

Anne - You’ve offered to give an ecopy of one of your books to a reader. Tell us about it.

Alina - I will send an e-book of either When a Man Loves a Woman: EnhancedMultimedia Edition or Murder on Ice: Enhanced Multimedia Edition to the winner. (Their choice.) I am also happy to send *everyone* who leaves a comment "Skate Crime: Multimedia" an excerpt sample of what my enhanced e-books are like.

Anne - What question would you like them to comment on to enter their name in the draw?

Alina - I have added professional skating footage to my figure skating mystery novels and music to my romance novels. And that’s just the beginning! What kind of enhanced extras (audio, video, links, historical background, bonus material, anything!) would you like to see in an enhanced e-book?

Anne – Thank you so much for dropping by today, Alina, and best of luck to one lucky reader who will receive your book!

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Insecure Writers Support Group...I'm IN!

The reasons for participating in a blog hop are many. Self promotion is usually at the top of the list, mainly because by nature most writers dislike the spotlight. Yet, we want to reach readers and sell our books. 


This blog hop is different. 


The brain child of Alex J. Cavanaugh, the purpose of the INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP is: "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" 


If you are friends with a writer you'll understand that statement. If not, it probably sounds a little weird. Writers are insecure? Writers have doubts and concerns? 


Pul-eease! Can we talk? We have so many 'issues' this blog hop will take place the first Wednesday of every month. Yes, I said every month, and twelve posts will only scratch the surface for most of us. Why? Writers tend to be neurotic. It comes with the territory. In order to spin tales and create imaginary worlds, our imagination runs wild. Constantly. 


It's our greatest strength and our Achille's heel.


Here's a personal example of what it's like to be me. 


If a friend telephones and mentions they have a cut, my brain cranks into overdrive. I see rivers of blood gushing from a jagged, disgusting wound that extends from the top of their head to the tip of their toes. I can smell the stench of blood. I can see the torrent that refuses to clot as it seeps onto the flooring and spreads out to the four corners of the room. My knees go weak. Nausea whirls. My heart thunders inside my chest. AND, (and I'm serious) I prepare myself for the worst case scenario....


My dear friend is going to DIE! 


Oh, yes. Die, she will. It's just a matter of time, and frankly, with all of that spurting and oozing and loss of bodily liquids going on it certainly won't take long. My next thought is that I should call 911, and then my brain does a 180 degree turn and I find myself considering what to wear to her funeral. 


Yup. I said funeral. I warned you about the worst case scenario thing I've got going on.


When my friend adds a few seconds later that it's just a paper cut, I relax. Somewhat. But really, a flesh wound of any size should not to be taken lightly. Bad things can happen. I know. I write about them. I think about them. I search for places to hide the bodies for crying out loud.


Do I feel foolish or weak about revealing this truth? Absolutely. Do I feel this is a safe haven now that I've actually confessed? Well, that depends. It depends on you. Leave a comment. Tell me what you think. Are writers doomed or just ditzy? Oh, and if you really feel the need to tell me about your paper cut, please, NO details are necessary. I can fill in the blanks all by myself. 


On a serious note, please make the rounds of the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Click HERE for a complete list of participants. (Trust me, they need you. They're insecure. Needy. They're writers....)


Happy reading! Btw, should you feel a need to learn more about my insecurities, follow my blog. :) 

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Resolutions and Virtual House Cleaning

It’s customary, if not expected, to discuss resolutions at this time of year. I’ve learned, however, that my annual desire to alter, change, modify, vary, transform, amend and/or adjust my behaviour rarely lasts longer than it takes for the ink to dry on the page.

So this year I’m doing things a little differently. My top three goals are the same as they’ve always been--writing more, eating less, and walking daily. But in order to be successful, I realized I would first have to clean house.

My virtual house, that is.

I took inventory at the end of 2011 and was surprised, shocked and even a little dismayed at how much time I spend online each day. It’s a necessary evil, of course. As an author I want to promote myself and my books. But after missing a deadline last year, I came to the conclusion I had to whittle that down to a more manageable package.

Easier said than done, you say?

I made a list of all of the places a reader might expect to find me online. Then I compiled a list of where I actually am. This includes my website, three blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Google+, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Red Room, She Writes, and many other “writerly” sites and email groups.

Next, I visited each site. I discovered I’d signed up for some and never returned! The information was woefully outdated. Of the others I’d frequented, some hardly seemed worthwhile. They felt like virtual ghost towns. What had once been a thriving online community was now nothing but a faded memory. And then there were those places that shall forever remain a mystery. I have no idea or clue what possessed me to log on and join the party! What was I thinking?!

The solution? I cut, slashed, edited, revised and deleted. All of the sites I mentioned above are my ‘keepers’. The excess groups and sites I felt I could live without are now duly noted and should free up at least a few precious minutes of my time each day.

Whether or not this virtual house cleaning translates into more writing and completed books during 2012 remains unseen. But like losing weight and exercising more, I’m going to give it a try.

Happy 2012!

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