March 23, 2010

My ‘Chat’ with Gail Delaney of Desert Breeze Publishing

If there’s one certainty in the current publishing environment, it’s that once a month at least one new electronic publisher will set up shop. It’s a crowded market but every once in awhile one publisher grabs my attention. Desert Breeze Publishing did just that and did it the old fashion way by publishing top notch books that I couldn’t put down. I’d read three of their mystery novels and was intrigued not only by the quality of writing but the high level of editing too. I wanted to find out more about the company so here is my chat with editor in chief and co-owner, Gail Delaney. www.desertbreezepublishing.com

 

Susan Palmquist( SP)- My favorite question to anyone who starts a business…how did you get the idea?

 Gail Delaney (GD)-That is a very interesting question…Prior to opening Desert Breeze Publishing, I was published with another e-book publishing company that has since filed bankruptcy and closed – much to the surprise of the authors, but that’s another story. J  Anyway, while with them my family and I traveled across the country to visit with my closest friend – Jenifer Ranieri (co-owner of DBP, btw) who lived in California.

While there, I was sent artwork for one of my future releases.  The cover was… awful.  I hated it.  I won’t go into which book or why it was horrible, but sufficed to say it was bad.  It wasn’t appropriate for the story, the characters, or my style of writing – and it looked amateur and thrown together. Jenifer, who is a gifted artist, told me I should beg my publisher to allow HER to make my covers.  They refused.  Somewhere through the course of this conversation one of us said “We should just open our own company”.

That was a few years ago.  Since then, the publisher closed their doors and my family and I relocated from New England to California.  At every turn, another door opened leading us in the direction of opening a publishing company of our own. Finally, we both threw up our hands and said “Fine!”  We then began the ‘research’ stage… finding out all we could about opening an e-book publishing house.  We refined what we wanted to be about, and worked out as many kinks as we could before opening our doors.  It took months of preparation, but in the end, it was well worth it.

And now… here we are.

SP-Do you think the publishing business is easier today because so many books are now in electronic format or has this just made it more competitive environment?
 
GD-I wouldn’t call it easy… not by a long shot.  The business environment is competitive because you need to find new ways to make your books stand out amongst the others. 
 
 
 
 SP-You’re also an author. How long have you been writing and what genre do you write?
 
GD-I’ve written stories and such since I was in fourth grade, and wrote a fantasy novel when I was fifteen (which is still under the ‘proverbial bed’).  But, I began writing with the intent of seeking publication in January of 1996.  I remember that date so clearly because it was just a few months after my mother passed away. While helping my father organize all the necessary paperwork, I found a box my mother had kept for years.  In that box was everything I’d ever written… poems, book reports, short stories, and every draft of that fantasy novel.  It helped me see what my mother always had… I was a writer.It took many years before I got that first contract. All my novels fall under the big umbrella of romance, but I’ve written in contemporary romance, romantic suspense and science fiction/futuristic romance.  My favorite genre is sci fi romance, but I recently went back to my roots and wrote a contemporary romance.
SP-I recently read one of the Desert Breeze titles, Book One of the New Orleans Detectives by Melanie Atkins. I loved it and noticed you publish many mystery series. Have you been seeking mystery series or did this happen just by chance?
 
GD-I am a fan of series.  I enjoy them because as a reader I can become emotionally vested with the world and people the author creates.  So, I did actively seek series – especially suspense.  I have known Melanie for many years, and I was ecstatic when she contacted me about her New Orleans Detectives series.  In fact, I just signed another brand new series with Melanie that will begin releasing just as the New Orleans series ends.

SP-I know you’re closed to submissions until July 2010, but when you do start reading manuscripts again, what will you be looking for?

 GD-I would be excited about seeing a few different genres, the first probably being epic science fiction romance.  I love science fiction and I love romance – so when I can get them both together in the same place, I’m ecstatic.  J I like space operas and character-driven stories with sweeping storylines and elegant arcs to tie the books together.

 I also want suspense, and while my first choice is a contemporary setting, I’ll look at romantic suspense in any setting.  I love the thrill and edge of danger in a good suspense novel.  This can be an individual book or a series. I recently read an article that said 20th Century Historicals would be the next big thing… but I’ve been saying that for a couple years now, and have said since opening DBP that I’d love to see some historical fiction set in the first half or so of the 20th century.  Novels set around any of the major conflicts of the 20th century, novels intricately woven through the era of the Great Depression… anything along those lines.

SP-What are common problems you’ve seen with submissions?

 GD-Two things… first, not thoroughly reading our submissions page to understand just what it is we publish and what we’re looking for.  Second, not sending me a book that is polished and edited within an inch of its life. 

Of course, if you send me a manuscript that doesn’t meet our guidelines, which in the most basic of terms would be a fictional romance novel that is not erotica or erotic romance, then I will reject the submission.

Equally, if you send me a novel that has a wonderful concept that meets our guidelines, but your manuscript is riddled with problems – i.e:  head hopping, passive voice, poor grammar, etc – I will most likely reject the submission.  I have been known to take on a book that needs extensive editing because I see the potential of the book itself, but don’t bet on that getting you in the door.  Time is a precious commodity, and generally speaking, I need to sign books that are well written, well planned, and well executed.

 I will not reject your manuscript for not being formatted as I state on the website… but it’s got to be well written. 

SP-Any particular Desert Breeze titles you’d recommend writers read to get a feel for what you’re looking for?

GD-Oh, wow… that’s a tough one.  I’m exceptionally proud of all the books we offer and really feel we’ve gathered some of the best authors in their particular genres. I guess you’d have to look at each category.  For instance, for Inspirational Romance I’d say read either Deborah Kinnard, Michelle Levigne or Michelle Sutton.  J. Morgan writes great humorous novels with a paranormal twist.  In Science Fiction, read P.I. Barrington, Vijaya Schartz or myself.  And in suspense, Melanie Atkins is just chilling.  If you like a wonderfully sweet and outstandingly hilarious read, then you’ve got to read Sandra Sookoo.  She’s wonderful. 

SP-You don’t accept erotic romances or erotica but what about heat and sensuality levels in your books? What would be going too far and get an instant rejection from you?
 
GD-We grade our books on four ‘heat’ levels.
 
 Sweet novels have nothing more than a few brief kisses and physical intimacy wouldn’t exceed hand holding or an embrace.  Many – but not all – of our inspirational novels fall into this category.

 Warm novels would involve more heated kisses and embraces.  Physical intimacy may or may not occur in the book, but if it does it ‘goes to the door’ and no further.  Firmly shut that door and let the reader’s imagination go from there.

 Sensual novels have a higher level of intensity in the physical contact.  Kisses are intense, physical contact more frequent and with high sexuality and sensuality in its intensity.  If physical intimacy occurs, it will be ‘on the page’ but not in extensive detail – leaving the description more to implication rather than detail.  But… no purple prose.

Finally, the Intense rating would imply a much higher level of physical need, intense sexuality and more mature themes.  However, scenes of physical intimacy will be appropriate to the story and characters and will never be gratuitous in nature.  Many of our intense novels may have one detailed love scene, with the implication of others that go behind that proverbial door.  Descriptions will be more detailed than the Sensual rating, but always tasteful and never using terms and descriptions common to erotica or erotic romance.

I’ve actually never rejected a book for sexual detail unless the author clearly states their book is intended to be erotic in nature (usually because they haven’t read the guidelines).  What I will reject a book for is if the plot of the book is intricately tied to sex.  The book shouldn’t be about sex, about getting sex, about how sex is so important to the arc of the story that it couldn’t exist without it. 

 I’ve had numerous cases where I’ve enjoyed the book, but found the sex scenes to go a little further than I felt was necessary or appropriate for the rest of the novel – and for our guidelines.  In those cases, I’ve contacted the author and explained that while I’m interested in the book, I would ask for changes to those scenes should they accept a contract.  I would say that 95% of the time the author has been more than willing to make the necessary adjustments.  In fact, in most cases, the author tells me that they only put that much detail in the book because they felt it was necessary in the current market environment and they weren’t comfortable with it themselves. 

SP-Do you make the final decision about a manuscript or do you leave it up to your editors?
 
GD-I am the final say on all manuscripts.  Truth be told, right now I am the only editor.  I have copy editors who review the books after they’ve gone through edits between myself and the author – I’m a firm believer that at that point all manuscripts need a new set of eyes to make sure they’re correct.  I will be bringing on editors in the future, but for now I have such a high standard for editing that until I can train editors in the way I want things done, I do it myself.That probably makes me sound like a control freak, but I hold myself and Desert Breeze to a very high standard.
SP-Any recent acquisitions you’d like to tell us about?
 
GD-I just closed up submissions for all of 2010, and yes… there are definitely some exciting releases in the works. 
 I mentioned before the new series by Melanie Atkins, titled Keller County Cops.  I’ve also just signed a series written by new author Jennifer Harts titled Future Savior, which is a science fiction/fantasy series with a strong Christian-based theme.  Many of our already established series will be carrying through 2010 and beyond. The Love Bites series by J. Morgan is exceptionally funny and shines a whole new light on the paranormal world.  Esther Mitchell will be joining us in 2010 with a wonderful new fantasy series beginning in June of 2010. I could go on and on. 
SP-Any genres or sub genres you’d like to publish but as yet haven’t come your way?
 
 GD-I would like to see some more dramatic contemporary romance pieces.  Not suspense, but stories with a sharp emotional edge.  And in contract, some more modern cowboy romances. 
SP-What sets your books apart from others, what can a reader expect to find between the pages?
 
 GD-In a market flooded with erotica and erotic romance, Desert Breeze Publishing has tried to return to a more classic form of romance storytelling.  We like to say that books at DBP are classic romance novels told in not so classic settings.  We have vampires and werewolves and time traveling Vikings, but the stories are always character driven and all about the romance.  We want romance to be about the slow boil of falling in love… the rush you get when he looks your way and smiles or takes your hand unexpectedly. 
SP-What’s ahead for you?

GD-Over the next year, we are going to focus on expanding our catalog size by slowly increasing the quantity of books we release each month.  We are also going to be offering our novels at several outlets to best offer our books to as many readers as possible.  We are already at Amazon for the Kindle, but soon we will also be at Barnes and Noble for those readers with The Nook (myself included!) and I hope to be at several other sites in the near future.  Further ahead, we are considering options for growth such as going to print and expanding our offerings to include mainstream novels.  But, that is further down the road.

 

 

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February 23, 2010

My ‘Chat’ with Agatha Nominated Author Hank Phillippi Ryan

How do I begin to tell you about my first interviewee of the year? She’s had success in just about every venture of her life. Hank Phillippi Ryan is a multi Emmy Award (yes, 26 of them!) winning investigative reporter who currently works for Boston’s 7News.

She’s been the vice president of the Midwest Chapter of the National Beatles Fan Club, she’s worked at Rolling Stone magazine. She’s interviewed famous people like Prince Charles and Warren Beatty. She’s undercover to catch some bad guys. Oh, and don’t let me forget to tell you that she also writes great books too. Her first Prime Time won the prestigious Agatha Award. Her latest, Drive Time is released next month (February 2010). So here without further ado is my chat with the very talented Hank. www.hankphillippiryan.com

Susan Palmquist (SP)-Growing up, did you ever think you’d be an investigative reporter?

Hank Phillippi Ryan (HPR)-Definitely—not. You know, I have a funny juxtaposition of desire to be in the spotlight—and sheer terror of being in the spotlight. I love my job in TV—and have to go live and unrehearsed all the time. Confession: I’m still terrified every time. I want to be perfect, and when you’re on live, you can’t possibly be. That’s one reason why I love investigative reporting—there’s more time to work, and dig, and polish, and produce, It’s like making a little movie, and I can make it as perfect as possible. Anyway, my sisters and I used to create musical shows when we were all young, and perform for our parents in our back yard. I did acting in high school and college. I wanted to be a DJ on the radio for a long time!  But I thought I would be an English teacher, or a lawyer for the Mine Workers union, or for awhile, a political activist. (My mother, though, says she always knew I would be a television reporter—but I think that was just her way of rationalizing that all I did as a pre-teen and teenager was read books and watch TV.) I knew from my first Nancy Drew that I loved mysteries. Nancy was my first best friend—I was a geeky unpopular kid, and it was such a relief to go home and hang out with Nancy. She was smart, and made it be okay to be smart. She was confident and inquisitive and resourceful. I loved that.  But being a TV reporter was not in my sights. Little did I know!

SP-How did you get started in that type of journalism?

HPR-I got into TV by chance. I had worked as a radio reporter (hired because, as I informed the radio station, they didn’t have any women working at the station! Hey. It was the seventies.) But after a few years working in Washington DC (on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide and then for Rolling Stone Magazine,) Rolling Stone closed its Washington office and I needed a new job. I went back home to Indianapolis, and applied for a job as a TV reporter. It was 1975. I had covered politics in Washington, and the news director of the station figured he could teach me to be a TV reporter. (This was incredibly risky—I had never taken journalism and didn’t know one thing about TV. But I wasn’t afraid and I knew I could do it.) Problem was, I should have been afraid! I quickly learned I had no idea what I was doing. I went home every night for the first two weeks, sobbing. Because I thought I would never understand it. Soon after—it hit me–oh, I get it! And I have adored it ever since. I took a chance, and found my calling.

I started as the political reporter (and was also the movie reviewer, of all things! At age 26.)  At various times I’ve been the medical reporter, a weekend anchor, and an on the road feature reporter.  When I came to Boston, I was the funny feature reporter–cat shows, sports features, poems, and anything quirky or funny. They used to call me “something out of nothing productions,” because I could find a story in anything. But starting in 1988, I covered the presidential election, doing long elaborate think pieces. It was terrific. And then I told my news director I didn’t want to be the funny one anymore. I wanted to be the serious one. And from that day on, I’ve been the investigative reporter. And I love it every day.

SP-When I was reading about all the things you’ve done as a reporter… like being chased by criminals, confronting corrupt politicians, etc, it’s almost like immersing myself in a nail biting novel. Have any of these experiences found their way into your books?

HPR-There’s a huge been-there-done-that element to the books—I’ve wired myself with hidden cameras, confronted corrupt politicians, chased down criminals…been in disguise, been stalked, and threatened and had many a door slammed in my face. I’ve had people confess to murder, and others, from prison, insist they were innocent.  So when that happens to Charlie, it’s fair to imagine me. Although the plots are completely from my imagination, those are real-life experiences!

SP-How did the character of Charlotte ‘Charlie’ McNally come about?

HPR-What a great question. I have NO idea. She was born when I got a weird spam in my email. It was what looked like lines from a play by Shakespeare.  I thought–why would someone send a spam like that?  And it crossed my mind–maybe it’s a secret message. I still get goose bumps telling you about it. And I knew, after all those years of wanting to write a mystery, that was my plot. And that turned out to be the Agatha-winning PRIME TIME. But Charlie? Well, I knew I had a good story, but who would tell it? A television reporter, of course. And she just instantly popped into my head. Named, fully formed. I knew her perfectly. The other characters were more difficult to get to know. But now, Charlie surprises me a lot! And I love when that happens.

SP-Is she anything like you? Has she ever done anything you wouldn’t do to get your story?

HPR-When my husband talks about Charlie, he calls her “you.” As in—when “you” are held at gunpoint, when you track down the bad guys, when you solve the mystery… and I have to remind him, “Sweetheart, it’s fiction. It didn’t really happen.” But a couple of things: I’ve been a TV reporter for more than 30 years. (Yes, really.) And so it would be silly, in writing a mystery about TV, not to use my own experiences. Think about it—as a TV reporter, you can never be wrong! Never be one minute late. Never choose the wrong word or miscalculate. You can never have a bad hair day, because it’ll be seen by millions of people! It’s high-stakes and high-stress—literally, people’s lives at stake–and I really wanted to convey that in the books. And everything that TV people do and say in the books is authentic and genuine. (Of course, Charlie can say things I can’t say, and reveal things I can’t reveal.) We’re both devoted journalists, and over-focused on our jobs. But Charlotte McNally is different, too. She’s single—I’m happily married. She’s ten years younger than I am, and so is facing different choices and dilemmas. She’s braver than I am, certainly. Funnier. And a much better driver.

SP-You’ve got four books under your belt, you’ve won an Agatha, and been compared to Lisa Scottoline. Will there come a time when you say goodbye to journalism to focus full time on your fiction?

HRP-Ain’t that the question! I still smile in delight every time I see my Agatha teapot. And when the starred review in Library Journal for DRIVE TIME compared me to Lisa Scottoline, well, I burst into tears. But I still love my job in TV. So–you could ask me that question every day, and every day I’d have a different answer. And I guess the bottom line is: who knows? 

SP-Any plans to write a non Charlotte McNally novel?

HPR-Yup. Absolutely. It’s in the works. You heard it here first.

 SP-Any other genre you want to tackle?

HPR-Yup.  :-)   It’s in the works. You heard it here first.

SP-Your husband’s a criminal defense attorney. Does he read your work or give you any tips or even ideas for plots?

HPR-He’s the most patient man on the planet. Yes, he’s really the only person who reads my pages while they’re in process. When I first started writing PRIME TIME, I’d give him my five pages or so a day, and I’d hear him laughing and I was so delighted!  And he would tell me every day how terrific it was. Then, about fifty pages in, I went in for my daily pat on the back. And he had a funny look on his face.  “Honey?” he asked. “Is something going to happen soon?”  So I knew I had some work to do. Ideas for plots? Ah, no, not really. I’m always running ideas by him, to see if he thinks they’re plausible and believable.  And sometimes he’ll come up with just the perfect little thing I need to pull something together. But we think very differently. He’s much more–wedded to reality.

SP-Your first two books were published by Harlequin Next but then the line was axed. Did you have other Charlie McNally books planned or already written? What was your reaction to the news?

HPR-Oh, yeah, that was briefly terrible. I got the news the day–I know it sounds crazy but it’s true–the day I finished book 3, AIR TIME. I was really happy about that, because I’m not sure I would have had the emotional wherewithal to persevere in the face of an imprint that was dying.  I–well, I freaked out. Then I went on a mental hunt for the good news in it, which was not terribly successful, I must say. But then–as so often happens–the good news emerged. A week or two later, my agent called to tell me the series had been moved to MIRA!  That was fantastic. And the rest is history.

SP-You’ve won accolades from some of the top writers in the business including some of my favorite authors like Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton. Any tips you can offer for writing top notch mysteries and creating a great character like Charlie?

HPR-Well, thank you! Yes, it’s great, and Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton are my idols. (They’re also wonderfully generous, and truly authentic. I have three little talismans on my desk that Sue Grafton gave me, and I look at them every day.) Tips? Well, I read an interview with the poet Anne Sexton some time ago–and she was asked, “What, truly, can a creative writing teacher give her students?” And her answer was:” Courage.”  I think that’s so wonderful. And I think my advice would be similar–just don’t be afraid. Fear is a waste of time. Write your book. One page at a time. You can do it.

SP-Any mistakes you’ve made along the way, have you learned anything from them?

HPR-Hah. That’s another long blog for another day. Mistakes? Ah, on a huge level, people always yell at me for working all the time. ALL the time. Is that a mistake? None of this would have happened without that. Would I change it? I have to say no. So is that a mistake? I’m not sure.  On a tiny level, I should have put together a mailing list of bookstores. Still haven’t done that. Wish I had. 

 SP-What’s next for you?

HPR-Exactly what I’m trying to figure out. DRIVE TIME comes out February 1, with fantastic blurbs from the much-missed and iconic Robert B. Parker and Suzanne Brockmann and Margaret Maron and Carla Neggers and a rave starred review from Library Journal. So I’m hoping people love it. (And I’ll be visiting lots of places across the US–hope some of our readers come visit! And then…we’ll see. I can’t tell you how excited I am.

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February 15, 2010

Five Books Review

 

Sleeping With Fairies received a five books review from Long and Short Reviews.  Here’s the link-

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/sleeping-with-fairies-by-susan.html

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January 24, 2010

My ‘chat’ with Angela James of Carina Press

If there’s one thing that gets romance writers talking, it’s anything connected with Harlequin. So it wasn’t too surprising that the Internet was buzzing when news of Carina Press hit the web. JIf there’s one thing that gets romance writers talking, it’s anything connected with Harlequin. So it wasn’t too surprising that the Internet was buzzing when news of Carina Press hit the web. Just in case you haven’t heard, Carina Press is a new digital only publisher. Their philosophy is simple ‘no great story should go untold’. They’re not only looking for romance novels, but other genres too and best of all they intend to publish previously released material too. Here, Angela James, executive editor, talks about Harlequin’s new venture. Check out www.carinapress.com for submission guidelines.

Susan Palmquist (SP)-Your first titles premiere in spring 2010. Can you give us preview of what to expect, what type of books we’ll see? Any well known authors or bestselling books being re-released?

Angela James (AJ)-We’re just beginning to make our first acquisitions, so I don’t have too many specific titles and authors to share. We haven’t acquired any reissue titles yet, as we were concentrating on original material first. Now that acquisitions of original material are underway, we’re going to begin looking at all of the emails we’ve gotten in regards to backlist titles/reissues. I can say that we’ll be focusing on romance, but will have a nice mix of non-romance as well, including historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers and women’s fiction.

SP-When word got out about the creation of Carina Press the Internet was buzzing with excitement and little else was discussed on just about every writer’s group I belong to. Why did Harlequin (HQN) decide to create a separate entity from its parent company?

AJ-Harlequin has done an excellent job of staying ahead in the digital market and I think moving into the digital-only space was a natural extension of that. They’ve seen digital grow and realize there’s a market of readers who are eager for more content, and different genres, and books that the traditional market may not be able to support.

SP-I know lots of writers are wondering if they get published with Carina Press will it increase their odds of becoming a Harlequin author. Any truth to that?

AJ-I suppose anything can happen!

SP-You’re looking for all types of stories, anything from romance to sci fi. I’m guessing you’ll be seeing more romance submissions than anything else and not just because of your connection to HQN. Will there be a set number of books released in a specific genre each month? And if so, does that mean a writer stands a better chance by submitting say a mystery or sci fi manuscript?

AJ-No, there is no specific formula for the release schedule that we’re going to follow. It will all depend on the submissions and what we get that’s excellent.

SP-Speaking of romances, the guidelines mention you love to see cowboys, vampires, babies…Harlequin staples, anything new you’d like to see?

AJ-Harlequin staples or romance staples? Remember, we are going to focus on romance, so of course we want things that romance readers love, and those do include cowboys, vampires and babies. As for new things, how about aliens, ancient beings and mythological creatures? Really, as long as the story is good and the characters interesting, we want to see it!

SP-Carina Press Web site also says that digital publishing allows books to be brought to market faster, so if you see a new genre developing, readers can read them a lot quicker. You’re a veteran of the publishing business, any genres about to hit the big time, any hybrids you see on the horizon?

AJ-This question often makes me feel a bit like a magic eight ball, remember those? Also, I have great fear that someone is going to write down my prediction and come to me in a year or two and say “Nyah, nyah! You were wrong! You were so so wrong!” Ahh, the fears of an editor. But, to answer your question, I’ve recently seen a resurgence of interest in romantic suspense, which was interesting to me. I don’t know that it’s going to “hit the big time” but it does seem to be circling back around. If you asked what I’d like to see, I’d love to see more action-adventure romances. Somewhat in the vein of the old Harlequin Bombshell line, but even more action- packed and sexy–like National Treasure meets Tomb Raider with some of the spicy bits shared. I’ve always loved those adventure-quest movies, there’s something so transporting about them. I’m still always hoping for a fantastic space cowboy story (Firefly anyone?) but I’ve been asking for them for almost as long as I’ve been in publishing and I’ve yet to see one! And last, I love a great fantasy or futuristic romance and I think there is potential for those genres–and all the ones I’ve mentioned–in the digital space. SP-Okay, you’re a writer who’s been rejected by Harlequin and your Web site says you have greater flexibility with the books you’ll accept. Lots of writers might take that as the rules are a lot less rigid. With there be more flexibility in what type of stories get published? And what will continue to earn instant rejections? AJ-I’m not sure which rules we’re talking about! The beauty of digital-only is that it allows for greater flexibility in things like what books you choose to publish and how many you publish, though there are still things to consider. For instance, we’re not going to publish as “romance” a book where the heroine is killed at the end. That doesn’t mean that we won’t publish it, only that it won’t be as romance. We’ll still be respectful of readers in that regard. But perhaps Harlequin rejects a book, not because it isn’t good but because it doesn’t fit within the category parameters of a particular line. Then, sure, Carina would love to see it.

SP-Seems like there’s going to be a lot of collaboration between Carina Press and its authors. Plus, you’re going to help them with promote their work. What’s the advantage of being published with Carina?

AJ-I asked one of our first authors acquired, Shannon Stacey, for an assist with this question and here’s what she said: “From an author’s point of view, the advantage of being published with Carina Press is the opportunity to work with a team coming from a long and successful print program teamed up with Angela James, whose work in digital romance publishing is incomparable. It’s a unique opportunity to be a part of a new and exciting venture, without the risk that comes from working with unknowns.” To that I’d add that the team behind Carina Press, not just myself, but the others working on all aspects of Carina, from editorial to acquisitions to marketing to formatting all have a wealth of experience in print and digital publishing, and we are dedicated to and have a plan for making Carina Press successful.

SP-For readers, what will set a Carina Press book apart from other digital titles? How will they differ from a HQN title?

AJ-I think the biggest difference between Carina and other digital publishers is going to be the variety of genres available. And I believe readers still think of Harlequin and category books synonymously, despite the fact that they do publish single titles in a variety of genres. Carina will showcase single title books, in both romance and non-romance genres, without the category line restrictions but that are also able to be somewhat out of the box in regards to settings, time periods, and character details.

SP-Do you expect to see a loyal following of HQN readers buy Carina Press books?

AJ-One thing I have learned in publishing is that you can never expect anything! We hope that Harlequin readers will want to buy Carina Press books, certainly, and we will do our marketing best to convince them to do so.

SP-Will the decision to accept a manuscript be a team decision or down to just one editor?

AJ-Currently, the acquisitions process is a team process. An editor recommends a book for acquisition, another team member reads it and gives their recommendations to the team and then the team discusses it. Recently, we had a book that an editor recommended, and the second team member to read it didn’t like it, so we had to have a third team member read it and be the “tie-breaker”.

SP-I heard just today that you’ve already had so many submissions your server crashed. Do you anticipate closing the doors to submissions at any time or will you always be open to receiving manuscripts?

AJ-I don’t know that our server crashed. Did it? I don’t think so. But to answer your question, I can’t predict what will occur in the future. Right now, we have 8 editors and 8 acquisition team members reading submissions and trying to keep up. I don’t anticipate that we’ll always have the same amount coming in as we did initially, so I foresee that slowing down. But it’s impossible to say what might happen a year from now and if we need to take a break.

SP-Books will range from 50,000-100,000 words, any plans to go with shorter books or will they only offered at HQN with the Briefs, Undones and Bites lines?

AJ-Our word count is actually 15,000 words on up and it doesn’t cut off at 100,000 words. We’ve had an interesting number of 100k+ submissions, actually!

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January 8, 2010

Blog Talk Radio and Coffeetime Romance Chat

On Monday January 11th, 2010 at 6 p.m. Eastern, I’ll be the guest of Sylvia Dickey Smith on her radio show Murder She Writes, www.blogtalkradio.com/murdershewrites/2010/01/11/susan-palmquist

And on Tuesday January 12th at 9-10 p.m Eastern, I’ll be taking part in the Coffeetime Romance Chat www.coffeetimeromance.com.ctr_chat.htm

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December 30, 2009

Writing to Fit the Genre

During a recent interview I was asked how I’m able to write both romances and mysteries. My first thought…writing is writing. Write in one genre and you can easily write in another. However, the next time I sat down to work on my WIP, I realized that’s not 100% true. Each genre has its own set of rules and ‘standards’. Knowing what the standards is essential if you want to sell in a particular genre. So how do you do just that?

Read

This might sound like something you already know or do, but read as many books in your genre of choice before you sit down to write one. Not only will you get a feel for the backbones of the genre but you’ll soon figure out what type of book you’d like to write. I’ll use mysteries and romances as examples.

Mysteries- do you like legal dramas or perhaps you’re hooked on books featuring an amateur sleuth.

Romances-are you a fan of romantic suspense or do you get whisked away to another time with historicals? And if you’re a fan of category romances, think about what line you’d like to write for. Is it Silhouette Romantic Suspense or maybe a sexy Harlequin Blaze?

Take Notes

The first time you read the book, do it just for pure reading pleasure. Then read it again with a notebook handy. Jot down notes about the hero/heroine, conflict, etc. then read a second book, making notes of any similarities to the first one. Do you see any pattern forming? While the stories are obviously very different, each genre has certain things readers and yes, publishers have come to expect.

Mysteries- a crime is committed. There’s a cast of suspects and a sleuth. And, yes, a few red herrings. In the end the guilty person is caught and hopefully punished for their crime.

Romance

There’s a heroine the reader can identify with and live vicariously through. A hero who both the heroine and reader can fall in love with. A conflict that keeps them apart and an issue they have to work out. Sexual tension is a must. How about that first kiss? And depending on the line or publisher, the first time the couple make love. And let’s not forget the happy ending.

Choose Favorites

Who are the genre’s bestsellers?

Pick up some books written by them and learn from the masters.Try and figure out what makes this particular writer so popular with their readers? Is it because each chapter is more suspenseful than the next? Is it because the author takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride?

Some Publishers Make It Easier Than the Rest

Some publishers give us clues about what their ‘standards’ are. If a publisher offers guidelines, read them through until you know them by heart. Do they have a rigid word count? What type of plots are they looking for? What type of plots aren’t they looking for?

Writing to fit a genre can be the key to making your first or next sale.

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December 30, 2009

How to Keep Writing When Life Gets in the Way

I’m no stranger to putting aside my writing while I deal with a family illness. I quit writing when my father was battling pancreatic cancer. After he died, I thought I’d just get straight back to it but I couldn’t. It was almost a decade until I got back on track.

So when my mother was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, my first thought was, does this mean my writing has to go on hiatus again. My mother’s battle lasted a lot longer than my dad’s so it gave me time to prepare, time to think about how I would handle my writing commitments when her journey came to an end.

None of us are immune to life getting in the way of our writing. Whether it’s a family crisis, our own illness, or even happy events like marriages and births. Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way and I hope they help you when life gets in the way of your writing.

Write Every Day

One thing I did wrong when my dad was ill was not doing any writing at all. Sticking with a schedule is crucial and it’s even more important when something else is happening in your life. It might not be your usual output, but get something down on paper. Even if it’s just your feelings about what’s happening in your life. Capture it and who knows you might be able to use it some day.

Don’t Get Angry

After my dad died and I sat down to write and nothing happened, I used to turn my frustration inwards. What’s wrong with me? I used to ask myself. Nothing was wrong, I just needed more time. If I’d allowed myself to take some time away instead of rushing back to it, I don’t think my writer’s block would have lasted quite so long.

Use The Time Wisely

Another thing I learned the first time around was when you’re not writing on your usual schedule, it’s the perfect time to think ahead.  What manuscripts are you going to work on next month, next year? Jot down ideas for plots, profiles of characters you’re going to create. Write a ‘business plan’ for your writing career. What are your goals, how are you going to achieve them?

Writing Can Be Healing

So what’s different this time around? I did take some time off, but was able to get back on track within a week of mom’s passing. I didn’t rush back because of my fear about what happened last time, but now I’m finding it’s actually healing. These are early days and I know some are going to be better than others, but creating characters and writing about them and their lives gives me something to think about other than myself and my loss.

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December 30, 2009

What Type of Writer Are You?

Are you a plotter or do you just write by the seat of your pants?

That’s a question I get asked no matter who’s doing the asking.

Last year I would have told you that I’m a bit of both. I’m more of a plotter when I write mysteries, more of where are the hero and heroine taking me when I sit down to write a romance. But now I’m definitely a plotter.  So what changed?

Late last year, I was offered the opportunity to try writing for a new detective series being launched by a book packager. They gave me an in-depth character analysis and a 90 pages detailed synopsis for the plot they had in mind. My job was to write a prologue, first chapter and tell them how I would break the synopsis into subsequent chapters.

While I wasn’t chosen as the writer for this new series, I did learn some valuable tips when it came time to work on my next book.

The first one was the more pre-work you do, the easier the actual writing is.

For example, you jot down what you need and want to include in each chapter. How many characters will you introduce, what scene will the bad guy make his appearance?

Using this method, you’ll be surprised just how fast you can write. And an added plus is you don’t sit there wasting valuable writing time thinking about what comes next. And the dreaded sagging middle becomes a thing of the past.

Another tip I picked up was writing a more detailed outline means inconsistencies jump out at you. Some of them even slap you in the face. You can see what research you need to do, maybe learn about a certain profession, the climate of a particular country. Writing the outline gives you the perfect opportunity to jot down all the questions you’ll need answered.

While I don’t think I could come up with a 90 page synopsis for every manuscript, my days of just sitting down to write without a plan are a thing of the past.

Next time you sit down to write a book, give the detailed outline and synopsis a try. And I’d love to hear if it worked for you too.

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December 30, 2009

Secondary Characters…why you need them

Sometimes I’m in the middle of reading a book and wish the writer would have given more on stage time to one of the secondary characters. Sometimes they’re just as lovable as the main characters. Many times they’re the villains of the novel. Either way they’re fun to read and even more fun to create.

Here’s why I think secondary characters are needed in very book-

They Move The Plot

One of the rules of top notch writing is to move the plot with every sentence. Adding a colorful secondary character allows you to do just that. It might be a conversation between the hero/heroine and the secondary character. Or it could be a scene where the secondary character tells someone about the main character and what happened to them.

They Add A Touch of Evil

Remember your main character can’t be all bad or all good because readers won’t believe they’re real. Therefore, adding a villain into the mix can add justify their actions. The main character might be in pursuit of the villain, they might be tested by this character. They might even be forced to save the world by taking the villain’s life. The main character is able to show their true colors by interacting with this villain and it’s believable.

They Take It Up a Notch

In my mystery novel, Death Likes Me, one of my favorite characters apart from my main character, Niki Webber is Joel Clancy. He’s cute’ he’s a bad boy who by story’s end gets himself into a bunch of trouble. However, he’s a perfect sparring partner for Niki. Some of my favorite scenes are between Niki and Joel and the words they throw at one another. Joel brings out another side of Niki’s character and without his help I couldn’t have shown the reader who Niki really is and what she stands for.

They Can Make a Sub Plot

If you’re writing a longer novel, you need a sub plot. What better way to weave that into your story than with another character and a mini story that interacts with the main story line.

They’re Just Plain Fun

Even if you’re writing a dark novel, adding a secondary character along with some humor can add more depth to your book and break up the tension. After all no reader likes all doom and gloom.

One to Check Out

One of my all time favorite characters and TV shows is Inspector Morse. Morse is the creation of writer Colin Dexter. Pick up one of his novels or watch some Inspector Morse reruns and see what great secondary characters Dexter creates. He’s also one of the best writers when it comes to sub plots too.

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December 30, 2009

Five Reasons to Love Revisions

Writing is fun but revising what you’ve written…let’s just say it can be a major pain the butt. But it also has it pluses. I once hated the revising part of creating a book but here are five reasons why I’ve embraced it.

View Your Work From a New Perspective

I’ll make a confession right here, when I was a new writer I never listened to this sage advice. The one about not starting on your second draft for at least two weeks after you’ve finished your manuscript. Now I’ve gone to the extreme and wait at least a month until I take a second look. When I open the file and start to read it’s almost as if someone else wrote the work. I look at it from a different perspective and with a more critical eye.

You Become a Better Writer

You’re writing should improve with not only with each book you write but each draft you create. Each revision you tackle makes you a stronger writer. If you don’t believe me, read something you penned a year ago. Yes, even a published book or story, and tell me what you think. If you’re like me you’ll feel some embarrassment that you actually used to write like that.

A Different and Better Story Might Emerge

When you get to the revision stage of your manuscript you might realize you’re writing the wrong type of story. Maybe you intended it to be a romance, but it’s taken on a whole new life and now it could be a top rate mystery. Or you might realize you’re writing in the wrong POV.

You Don’t Waste Time

Revision is oftentimes a reality check. Did you have some doubts about the story while you were writing? On the second draft you know this one’s not going to make it and you move on to something more worthwhile and productive.

It Means You’re A Writer

Lots of people say they’re going to write a book, few actually do. If you get to the revision stage of the manuscript, congratulations, you’ve written a book!

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