Is it the universal elements in the story structure – good vs evil, hero saving heroine (or vice versa)? Is it the archetypal characters that draw us in? Is it the heroic actions of ordinary people – like Beauty sacrificing her freedom with the Beast? Is it the ideal that one person can make a stand against stronger forces, and win – like Snow White versus the Evil Stepmother Queen? Or is it the pure romanticism of personal risk to save others – like the Prince from Rapunzel?

Or is it the gowns and shoes? Cinderella, we love you!

When I told my close friends and writing partners that my next release, Enamoured, was a romantic suspense with fairy tale elements, I attracted a lot of questions.

Where you on drugs when you wrote it? What did you use to blackmail/bribe the publisher? Did you seriously think it through? The answers: No, nothing and not even a little bit.

I think there is something so iconic about a fairy tale that it transcends genre boundaries. (Yes, that’s me justifying my juvenile dream of writing a fairy tale with sexual tension and murder, but it sounds better the first way). Then there is the fashion.

My daughters use the term ‘girly-girl’ – and depending on the tone used this can be a positive, neutral or negative term. I, personally, would not consider myself a girly-girl. I like wearing shorts, jeans and sneakers. I’m likely to run away from a bottle of nail polish rather than use it, and I preferred to rumble and tackle than to dress up dolls (but that’s because I never had a Barbie. Deprived, I know)  – until we start talking about fairy tales. When that happens, I turn into a pile of pink fairy-floss mush. With sparkles, thank you. I even giggle.

Maybe it’s because Prince Charming is so unbelievably, out-of-this-world handsome, or because Cinderella can really rock her frock – and (gasp) those SHOES!!! The Frog Prince’s princess doesn’t just play with a tattered tennis ball, no, her ball is GOLD, and nobody does great hair like Rapunzel.

Okay, I know this makes me sound very superficial, but it’s more than that (otherwise I’d be just plain old superficial). These characters play clearly defined roles. One book, The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines, by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever and Sue Viders, outlines them beautifully (as a writer, you need this book on your resource shelf – do yourself a favour and buy it).

Prince Charming is (I guess rather obviously) The Charmer; charismatic, appealing, fascinating, although would rather not talk about touchy-feely stuff, likes to get by on his personality and wit.

Cinderella, on the other hand, is The Waif. She’s ethereal, adaptive and doesn’t complain, but endures a situation until she’s saved.

The princess from the Frog Prince would be The Free Spirit. She’s a handful, but charmingly so. Zany, high-spirited, and more than a little impulsive, she finds herself stuck in many a tricky situation.

Rapunzel would also be The Waif, waiting for her knight to rescue her from the tower.

All of these characters are so well-known to us that each time we read them, in whatever guise, unconsciously we accept them, like familiar friends. Despite the fairy-tale endings, though, these characters do face tests. They must overcome trials, resolve deep personal flaws, and change and develop into better, stronger, faster (oh, oops, that’s the Six-Million Dollar Man – totally another blogpost!) people by the end of their story. Not unlike a romantic suspense – or…any other story, for that matter. Because archetypes are the recurring personalities that people our stories from the Dawn of Storytelling.

Tell me: who is your favourite fairy-tale heroine? Leave a comment to go into the draw to win a copy of my new romantic suspense novella with fairy tale elements, Enamoured.

5. Truly, Madly, Deeply – by Savage Garden.

This was an awesome Aussie band, and I still sniffle over the fact that these guys aren’t making music together anymore, because they were AWESOME!!! But anyway, back to the song. Love it. Not too schmaltzy, just enough.

4. From This Moment On – Shania Twain.

Oh, speaking of schmaltz. I don’t think I can go to a wedding without hearing this song. It’s one of those over-played, could-be-irritating, but just stops short because it really is so lovely kind of songs. Or else I’ve had enough to drink by that stage of the wedding that it makes sense to get teary over how ‘beeeeyooooootiful’ the song is, the dancing couple are, and the flowers. Beeeeeyoooootiful flowers. Sniff. Oh, and we learned that Shania Twain looks beautiful all covered up. (The amount of shawls I went through only to finally discover I look nothing like Shania Twain all rugged up).

3. Everything I Do, I Do It For You – Bryan Adams

Well, Bryan Adams had to feature in this post somewhere – Heaven, Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman, All for Love, Run to You, Summer of ’69 – er, sorry, I get carried away with the legend that is Mr Adams. But, this is about romantic songs, and I know that when Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves hit the cinemas, my girlfriends and I swoooooooned over this song. It’s the reason I actually like Kevin Costner in a movie – despite the minor hiccup of having a Robin Hood with an American accent. Minor detail, really.

2. I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston.

I know, controversial, another Kevin Costner association – that seriously wasn’t my intention. This is the song that you just have to belt out into a hairbrush – and your partner will just have to love you for it. Okay, maybe wearing earplugs – but I seriously believe that if you can sing this in front of your darling, and they still want to talk to you, then it’s the REAL THING.

Just before I announce MY number 1 Best Romantic Song Ever! I wanted to say – there wasn’t enough room to put Foreigner, Air Supply, Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Phil Collins, Elton John, Elvis, etc. I will agree, they have ro-MAN-tic songs that are croonworthy, so tell me all about it in the comments!

Now:

1. Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars  

Okay, this is really one for the girls, but guys – here’s a secret handshake from me to you: play this for your darling, and you’ll have a great Valentine’s Day – because it will make her feel special, and then you’ll feel special…

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, TWC Press is offering the Kindle version for Moonlit Encounters for sale at 99c!

But you could win a copy of the book by leaving a comment – what is YOUR Best Romantic Song Ever?

What is a goal?

The definition of a goal is: the achievement or result to which effort is directed or aimed; A defined area, basket, cage, line, etc, toward which players of various games and sports will attempt to kick, throw, hit, etc, to score a point or points.

Why Use Goal Setting?

Goal setting is a way to clarify what it is exactly that you want.  It’s hard to take that first step in any direction if you don’t know the destination.  Setting goals is also a motivational way of ‘thinking’ your way to success (I know, sounds a bit wankerish, but bear with me).  Visualising yourself, in where you want to be, doing what you want to do, is a great way to give hope and drive to achieve your goals. It’s also a way to create a strategy in order to meet your objective.

How to Set Goals:

One fantastic tool for taking steps forward to your own defined success is using the S.M.A.R.T. Goal theory. It’s been so helpful for me in the past, and it can be a springboard to more efficient time management.

So, what are S.M.A.R.T. Goals? S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound, and all are aspects that will help tighten your goal, and give you the direction you’ll need to achieve it. I’ll explain each point, and I’ll use personal goal-setting and writing goals for examples. Please note: these goals are not my own, merely examples.

Specific: Stating general goals is a great way to set yourself up for failure, or at least a minimal effort requirement. By being specific, you are clearly stating what it is you want, by when, and how.  Giving yourself details and deadlines gives you a benchmark to aim toward.

Eg; Weight Loss: I want to lose weight. Well, how much weight? And when do you want to lose it by? Having an open-ended goal means you may never achieve it.

Eg; Writing I want to write a book. Well, how long is the book? Is it a novella? A category length book? A single title book? What kind of book – romance, self-help? When do you want to finish it – July? The 12th of Never? How are you going to achieve this? Two thousands words a day? Ten pages per week?

Measurable: Giving your goals a measure will help you ascertain whether you’ve achieved it or not. Stating it in measurable terms will give you deadlines, and a way of monitoring your progress.

Eg; Weight Loss: How much weight do you want to lose by when?

Eg; Writing: What project, or how many words do you want to write by when?

Achievable: Your goal has to be something you can actually do. It’s no use setting a goal for something that is impossible – this is a recipe for failure, and just darned depressing.  Notice I use the word impossible – something might be highly improbable, but can still be achievable if you are willing and able to put in the work to achieve it. Also, achievable means something that YOU can do – and not reliant on some other party in order to achieve that goal. For example, if you’re wanting to go the path of traditional publishing, and have an established publisher buy, print and distribute your book, then your goal wouldn’t be: I want to publish a book. The publisher will need to action most of that. Your goal could instead be: I want to write a book. That is completely within your control, and YOU make that happen. So achievable = something YOU have control over. Once it’s outside of your control, and requires external forces to align and action, then your achievability factor drops significantly.

Eg; Weight Loss: I want to lose half my body weight – well, that can not only be impossible for some of us, but possibly dangerous. Or wanting to lose a massive amount of weight overnight – it’s not going to happen. I want to get fit – this is totally achievable.

Eg; Writing: I want to write a bestseller overnight. Yeah, well, join the club. Talk to any consistent bestselling author, and ten-to-one they’ve been writing for a while, and are not an overnight success.  I want to write my best possible book – totally achievable.

Realistic: This harks back to the previous point – if it’s not realistic, it’s not achievable. This is a great point to challenge yourself on. YOU decide what is realistic. YOU can control how much time, effort and enthusiasm you can dedicate to reaching this goal.

Eg; Weight Loss: I want to lose a massive amount of weight overnight – this is simply not realistic. I want to lose 8kgs in 3 months – depending on the effort and time and enthusiasm you commit to this goal, it is entirely achievable.

Eg; Writing: I want to write a single title book in 2 weeks. Well, if you’re willing to forego sleeping, eating, and engaging with family and friends… no, I still don’t think it’s a realistic goal. I want to write a 100,000 word single title book in 9 months – with time, effort and enthusiasm, this is possible, therefore realistic and achievable.

Time-Bound: Putting a time limit on your goal is the final measure of whether you’ve achieved your goal or not. Having an open-ended goal means you may never achieve what you want. Losing weight – well, whenever that happens. The same with writing a book – give yourself the 12th of Never to do it, and you’ll never do it.

S.MA.R.T. Goals:

Eg; Weight Loss I want to lose 8 kgs in 3 months by going to the gym four times a week.

Eg; Writing I want to write a 100,000 word single title romantic suspense book by October 30th this year by writing 1,000 words a day during the working week.

These goals are specific – what do you want to accomplish? When do you want to accomplish it by? How are you going to achieve it?

They are measurable – by the end of 3 months, did you lose 8kgs – yes or no? By October 31st, did you complete your 100,000 word single title romantic suspense book – yes or no?

They are achievable – these goals are dependent upon your time, effort and enthusiasm, and need nobody other than yourself to complete, no influence from outside of your control. You CAN do it!

They are realistic – these are completely do-able, they are not impossible and totally achievable.

They are time-bound – there is a deadline by which you can tell if you have succeeded.  At the deadline, did you achieve your goal: yes or no?

Go ahead and write your S.M.A.R.T. Goals. If you’re brave enough, let me know what your goals are! One brave soul will win a S.M.A.R.T. Goal pack – a notebook and pen to jot down your career, personal and artistic goals!

Yeah, I see you.

I’m a list person. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll agree. They may even use the ‘anal-retentive’ or ‘obsessed’ phrases in conjunction with this statement. I’ll just leave it ‘list person’. I like making lists for a very good reason – if I don’t, I’ll forget something. Okay, I’ll forget a lot of things, for example; the milk, or paying bills, the release date of my new book, a guest blog post, or ordering the swag of author goodies… the list could go on (pun completely intended). I mean, even Santa has a list. Two, actually.

I also set my goals – writing, lifestyle – no portion of my life is safe from this exercise.  The pleasure I get from crossing an achieved goal off my list makes me wonder if I might have a problem, but I’m not ready for therapy, yet. But I know at this time of year, we all do some sort of life-affirming nod toward organising a better life for ourselves over the next year, and while listing what we want to do may seem easy, delivering on that promise to ourselves is something we sometimes struggle with. (I’m using the royal ‘we’, here, folks.)

Here’s a trivial factoid: People who make resolutions are 10 times more likely to achieve their goals than people who don’t.

So, instead of blabbing on about my customary S.M.A.R.T. Goal-Setting session, I’ve decided I’m going to try a different angle, by using a writing tool – G.M.C., and using it for Life Strategies.

Must Buy!

Goal, Motivation and Conflict is an insightful book written by Debra Dixon – a very, very smart lady with a knack for explaining the basic building blocks for creating great characters and great fiction. If possible, I now have an even deeper appreciation for Han Solo. If you’re interested in writing, regardless of the genre, then this is a book you must have.

In essence: Goal – what does your character want? Motivation – why does your character want it? Conflict – why doesn’t your character have/get it?

Or, as I call it, the What, Why and Why Not?

Again, I can’t stress what an awesome resource this book is, and I’ll go more in-depth about it another day, but for now, how can we use the GMC writer’s tool for life strategies?

Well…

Goal: What is it that you want? To lose weight? To spend more time with friends and family? To quit smoking? To get out of debt? Identify your own specific goal, and make it specific. For more tips on setting goals, read my article on S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting.

Motivation: Why do you want what you want? This is possibly one of the most important aspects of writing – why does the character want that job/artefact/guy/gal/treasure/evidence? How has their experience and core values interlinked to set up a desire? Motivation is a reflexion of the complex moral fibre, so identifying your motivation is a good way of ensuring your goal is in keeping with your own moral values – if it’s not, or if it contradicts your own core value system, then you will naturally resist accomplishing it. For example: Do you want to lose weight to look good? Or to be fit and keep up with the kids? Or for your own self-assurance? Identifying why this goal is important to you will help it ‘click’, or resonate, and will strengthen your resolve, particularly when you reach a hurdle. This is what will drive you through the tough times, knowing why it is so important to achieve that goal.

Conflict: Why not? What is standing in your way to achieving your goal? For example, if losing weight is your goal, but your partner keeps stocking the cupboard with naughty munchies, this creates conflict for you. If you want to stop smoking, but always find yourself surrounded by those seductive cigarettes in other people’s hands, that’s going to create conflict. So is shopping if you’re trying to get out of debt. Identifying the conflicts, those ‘hiccups’ that naturally oppose and prevent you from attaining your goal, will give you some insight into your own character – will help you identify potential weaknesses, or areas that require just a little focus, or a little tweaking, to resolve that conflict. Figuring out why you can’t get/do what you want is part of the way to reaching your goal. Knowing what you’re facing, and planning a way around it, past it or through it is in itself a success.

And yes, here comes that old chestnut: Failing to plan = planning to fail. Get some insight into what makes you tick with your personal goals, and get strategizing to insure success.

So, get out your notebooks, and jot down your own G.M.C. for 2013 – and good luck!

During my ‘start-up’ years, when I was entering writing contests and getting feedback from judges, I learned that there are some people who will respond well to your work – and some who just won’t ‘get it’. On the rare occasion, there will even be a few who downright hate it. But here’s the thing – contests are conducted in the spirit of anonymity. The judge doesn’t know it’s YOU they are reading, so they are responding to the work in front of them, not you as a person. They’re critiquing the work, not you.

Toughen up and get over it.

Rejection…

Then, as I graduated to finishing an actual story and submitted it to publishers, I learned again that the publishing world does not revolve around moi (I know, I was shocked, too).  My first book (that I thought was just awesome) got rejected. Actually, I believe I’ve gotten the fastest rejection from that N.Y. publisher for an Aussie writer – ever.

I remember tearing open that tiny little envelope, heart-pounding, to read the “thank you for submitting your work, but…” line.  I even tried to cry, then gave up because it felt forced. They hadn’t liked it enough to want to offer a contract. That’s okay.  I mean, I was still breathing. The world was still turning. The sun was still shining, damn it. So, I guess life goes on.

I also realised that publishing is a business, they’re making a business decision. A publisher needs some sort of guarantee (however tepid) that the book they commission will sell, and sell well.  They know what has worked in the past, what hasn’t, what they are willing to take a risk on – and what they’re not willing to take a risk on. So, business decision, not personal. So don’t take it personally. It’s that particular project they’re rejecting, not you.

Please note: manuscript may not have been so awesome…

Toughen up and get over it.

Negative Reviews…

When I did finally sell my first novel to a publisher, I was ecstatic. And then the reviews came in. Much like a writing contest, there were some reviewers who responded well, others who just didn’t ‘get it’, and a few who downright hated it.

I will admit some of the not-so positive reviews can be hard to take, especially if you actually respect, admire and even like said reviewer. During my working years as an export agent, there was a saying in our department that has become a little mantra for me: Love it, leave it or fix it.

So I employed this attitude to reviews. I could either love it (hey, not so hard when they’re positive!), leave it – press delete, especially if it’s attacking more than the writing, like…me, personally. Or fix it. Yes, seriously, fix it. I found (duck head) that some of those reviewers may have actually had a point. That buried in the “I’m not adoring you right now” blurb, there was a little kernel that I could use to develop and improve my craft.

I’ve also learned that you will never please everyone, all of the time. Life is balanced, you have to have the negative with the positive, the good with the bad, the Yin with the Yang.

Internet Trolls…

My mother used to always say, “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. She used to also say “treat others like you want to be treated”. These days, though, there are a rising number of incidents online that show this message has somehow been lost with a minority group.

A troll is a mythical creature, mean, ugly, hiding under a bridge to try to stop others from progressing forward on their journey (think Three Billy Goats Gruff), and it seems the internet version is not so far from that mythical beast.

With the recent cases of Charlotte Dawson and Robbie Farah in Australia (two personalities I have a lot of respect for, they’ve worked darn hard for their success), as well as a close writer friend, the culture of trolling has been spotlighted.

Trolls are people who will say the nastiest of things in order to get a reaction – kind of like a bully. But these special bullies are anonymous, and feel not only capable, but compelled to make comments from a protective distance that is meant to undermine, hurt and possibly even defame their target. Note – they won’t say it to your face, or within physical reach. A troll is also similar to a two-year-old (sorry, no disrespect intended to the two-year-olds!) in that their opinion is the only one they’re interested in. You can’t reason or use logic on a troll, they ignore it in their strategy of inflaming and getting what they want – attention.

Kate Cuthbert, recently-appointed editor for Harlequin Escape and long-time reviewer, stated at the 2012 Romance Writers Association Conference (AU) to any writer dealing with negative comment: “Do not engage. Just…don’t. And if you’re thinking of doing it – don’t.” I happen to agree.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion (this is pretty much the essence of any blog!), but I think it reveals more of a person in the way they express that opinion. As the recipient of the opinion, you can choose to respect it, disregard it, or ignore it completely. Bearing in mind that the sole aim of a troll is to either get attention, or cause maximum damage, the only way that can be achieved is by actually giving them attention. When dealing with a troll, take a leaf out of the legend. Be that third Billy Goat Gruff, and push the troll off the bridge. Block them. Delete them. Move on.

Tips on Handling Rejection, Reviews and Internet Trolls

1. Do not respond. No matter how tempting it is to tell that editor that they’ve missed the point, here is what you really meant, or that reviewer that no, your character is really deep, they just glossed over the carefully woven backstory, or the internet troll that they really are rude, wrong, and ridiculous – don’t. Just don’t. You can’t retain your dignity when wrestling with muck.

2. Toughen up. There will be some folks out there who may not like what you do. There will be somethings that are said that will hurt. You can choose to dwell on it, or get over it. Get over it.

3. Respect a difference in opinion. You love your book, that reviewer didn’t. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong, or you are right, or vice versa, merely that you have a different opinion. Books can never be viewed objectively. It’s a subjective material, to be interpreted and received differently from person to person, based on experience and attitudes.

4. Block and Delete. When faced with negative attacks (note: this is different to a negative review!), stop the person from getting to you again, and delete the comment. Don’t give it any attention, as that can quickly become toxic.

5. Commiserate. If all else fails, have a glass of wine, some chocolate, and laugh/cry about it with the friends who realise your true worth, and support you. Let them help you put it into perspective.

And whatever you do, don’t feed the trolls!

It’s great to be here for a Q & A session, which had me digging deep at times. Thanks for the interesting questions.

How did you get started writing?

Okay, now I have to ‘fess up to being an obnoxious teen. Back in the day, I loved to read (still do, of course).  Anyway I read this book (nope, not going to mention the title), which I absolutely loved. Except for its ending.  I figured I could write better. (Well, I was an obnoxious teen.)  I gave it a go and soon realised that–duh!—I couldn’t do better. In fact, what I wrote sucked so badly, it didn’t even score a place in my bottom drawer. Only one option: immediate and total destruction. It was a year before I summoned the courage to try writing again. This time accompanied by some much needed humility.

What was your journey to publication?

Well, it was full of speed bumps. Lots of flitting from hot genre to hot genre (not recommended if you want to find your own voice). Many rejections later, I took a chance and wrote a story in a quirky first person voice that felt kinda natural. To my utter amazement, publishers were interested. That little story became the first book in the Allegra Fairweather series.

What is your “call” story, when your first work was accepted for publication?

When I got the call, which was actually an email, I didn’t react the way I’d expected. Instead of screaming and happy dancing, I went numb. I couldn’t believe I was actually going to get published at last. I kept thinking the email must have been meant for someone else. Until my husband pointed out it was unlikely anyone else had written a story called Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator. Then he took me out for a celebratory lunch. After that it kind of sunk in, and I did some happy dancing. Line dancing that is.

What have you learned about readers since getting published?

Readers are wonderful! Without readers there would be no one to hear our stories, no hearts to touch, no funny bones to tickle. I love readers. In fact, I am one. It’s hard to be a writer without first being a reader.

What have you learned about writing since getting published?

I’ve learned to juggle. Let me explain.

Last year I was working full steam ahead on the latest Allegra Fairweather story—let’s call it AF5—when I was offered the chance to write a novella for the anthology Carina Press Presents: Editor’s Choice Vol II. To be included, I first had to submit a synopsis for approval. That meant temporarily abandoning AF5 to write the synopsis. When it was approved, I got to work on the novella. Once again it was full steam ahead until I received extensive edits for Island of Secrets. You still with me? Great. So, I stopped work on the novella, and spent four weeks completing the edits. Then it was back to the novella. Around this time I was also brainstorming new titles for both works in progress. Fast forward three months and I’m working on edits—developmental and copy—for both Island of Secrets and the novella, which was published as Dance of Flames.

So I can now claim to be an experienced, if not expert, juggler.

What are you working on next?

AF5—remember the one I was working on all those months ago—well it’s been accepted by Carina Press. All I have to do now is…finish the darn book!

Tell us about your most recent release.

Island of Secrets is the third novel in the Allegra Fairweather series. (The novella, Dance of Flames is kind of a 3.5). By the way, if you’re wondering who designs the gorgeous covers for the series, it’s Frauke Spanuth of CrocoDesigns.

I’m a paranormal investigator without a home of my own. So when a wealthy client offers me a lucrative job on a private South Pacific island, I jump at the opportunity.

It’s not all fun in the sun, though. A dead merman—no, really—with an arrow in his chest has washed up on shore. My investigation reveals a century-old war between the mers and a goblin tribe, who believe the mers stole their treasure. But the real thief was a pirate! He buried the treasure and died before digging it up again.                        

Casper, my guardian angel and sort-of-but-not-really boyfriend, usually helps me out but he’s acting all weird and busy. The only person left who can help me find the treasure is the pirate’s former girlfriend, who happens to be a forgetful, alcoholic ghost.

Oh, and I’m not the only one searching for this treasure. Someone else wants it badly and they’re prepared to commit murder to prevent anyone else from getting it…

Island of Secrets is set on an island (no, really) near Tahiti. Tell us your favourite vacation spot, and you could win an e-copy of Island of Secrets.

I have a question for you: are you a series woman or a stand-alone fan?

While I’ve been told I’m not exactly the most discriminating reader, I love both. I fall in love with a book for its characters – and when I love characters, I want to spend time with them. Lots of time. I love watching a character grow and develop. In my favorite series, the author weaves together long-running plot threads and character arcs to produce a truly satisfying conclusion – one that completes the series or trilogy.

A series can have dangers that a stand-alone might not face. As a reader, it’s fine for me to love characters without reservation. But authors have to maintain enough distance to step back and consider the book’s structure, independent of the characters. Otherwise, you can write the same book over and over without a new conflict. The book’s pacing may slow because even well-loved characters need to advance the plot in their scenes. Sometimes it’s time to move on and create a new world or new protagonists.

When it comes to my writing, I’ve had series books – or at least related, spin-offs – on my mind. The Professor, a suspense with romance, released from Carina Press earlier this year, and readers tell me they want more. While I’m not sure I want to create a series for Mick and Meg, there are a few secondary characters interesting enough to make me look at them twice. For the first time, I’m writing a novella featuring one of these characters. I’ll have to visit again when it’s closer to release.

So what about you? Series or stand-alone? Any reasons or favorite series/spin-off?

If you’d like to contact Cathy Perkins directly (and she loves hearing from readers!), you can find her here:

http://facebook.com/CathyPerkinsAuthor

http://twitter.com/cperkinswrites

Http://cperkinswrites.com

The Professor can be found at amazon   http://amzn.to/tm7uf6 and B&N  http://bit.ly/rQKCHp , as well as most e-retail stores!

At least I was, once upon a time before I popped out three kids in quick succession, losing one much-loved soap-opera with each one of them!

Why do they insist on putting soap-operas on at terrible times for Mums? Here in Australia, my two fave soapies were Neighbours and Home & Away and they were on at 6.30pm and 7pm at night, smack-bang in the middle of the time I get my kids bathed and into bed. Yes, woe is me, I could have recorded them I suppose but I was never good with stuff like that.

I must admit, I don’t miss them as much as I thought I would, but I DO still get nostalgic when I read an article about the anniversary of something special on the show. Recently TV Week did a special on the anniversary of Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene’s (Kylie Minogue) wedding and I lapped it all up. I was VERY little when that wedding was screened but I remembered LOVING it. In fact, I loved all the relationships and weddings that happened on my two favourite soaps so I guess it’s not surprising that this little girl grew up to write ROMANCE!!

As a writer, we’re often asked where we get our ideas from and for my recent rural romance JILTED, my love of soap operas formed one of the puzzle pieces. I needed a heroine who had left a small town and started another career that looked to be far more glamorous than life in a small town – she doesn’t think that but the residents of the small town do. Then, suddenly I thought of my love of soaps and decided one way to pamper this love was to make my heroine a soapie actress!!

When I’m writing (or planning) what a character does for a career plays a big part for me. I’ve written about a voice talent, a cultural anthropologist, a country pub owner, and of course a soapie star. I guess in a way, through my writing, I get to experience careers that I may not ever have the chance to actually do.

So, this is my roundabout way of saying that although my books are not auto-biographical, they do each have a little bit of me in them!

Now… before I go, let’s chat TV shows! Are you a soap-opera fan like me or do you prefer something else? Reality TV? Dramas? Crime shows? I’d love to hear what your favourite TV show is and WHY!?

Thanks for having me Shannon!

Jilted Blurb:

She left him at the altar, but her heart was always his…

After more than ten years away, Australian soap star Ellie Hughes returns to the small country town of Hope Junction, determined to remain anonymous while caring for her injured godmother, Matilda.

But word spreads fast in the tight-knit community. It isn’t long before the people of Hope’s are gossiping about the real reason for Ellie’s visit and why she broke the heart of golden boy Flynn Quartermaine all those years ago.

Soon Ellie and Flynn are thrown back together again, forced to deal with the unresolved emotions between them. For Ellie is not the only one with secrets. Flynn has his own demons to battle, and Matilda is hiding something from her much-loved goddaughter.

When all is uncovered, can the ill-fated lovers overcome the wounds of their past? Or is Flynn destined to be jilted again?

If you’d like to contact Rachel, you can find her lurking in these areas:

Website: www.rachaeljohns.com

Blog: www.rachaeljohns.wordpress.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachael-Johns/260103224001776

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/RachaelJohns

Rachel’s book, Jilted, can be purchased from Harlequin and Amazon, and all good e-retailer stores.

I know what plot is. It’s action, and especially, it’s conflict. Conflict drives stories. But conflict is hard. I hate making my heroine suffer. She’s so nice. Why can’t everybody just get along? But of course, there’s no story if everybody’s happy. Without action, without conflict, there’s no plot, and then there’s no story.

Not all actions are created equal. To be plot, actions have to have consequences. In one of my favorite series, Charlaine Harris’s character, Sookie Stackhouse, likes to take showers. Early in Dead Reckoning, Sookie takes a shower after a tough night waiting tables at the bar. She relaxes in the hot water, letting her concerns wash away.

Then she goes to bed.

Is that plot? Of course not. It’s description, and it’s foreshadowing, but Sookie’s shower doesn’t have any consequences. There’s no real action in the action.

It’s different, though, when Sookie takes a shower with Eric. As anyone who reads the series knows, that shower had a lot of consequences, and not just the immediate, ah, steamy ones.

And then compare those showers to the shower scene in Psycho. In it, Robert Bloch’s character Marion Crane is bathing to wash away her guilt about embezzling from her employer. (Conflict there, much? She feels guilty—internal conflict—and she’s being pursued as a suspect—external conflict. Conflict galore!)

We all know what happened in that shower scene in Psycho—Marion Crane is stabbed to death, and what washes down the drain in that scene is a lot more than just her daily worries. But her disappearance triggers an investigation, which leads to more mayhem. That’s consequence. That’s plot.

When I read books (sometimes many books) where the world is threatened, or the universe is threatened, or all the universes in all the galaxies in all of space are threatened, I sometimes think that’s a bit of overkill. I like a nice, juicy scare as much as the next person, but in real life, my biggest scare is usually along the lines of whether I’ll finish the milk before it goes sour.

But in writing Zero Gravity Outcasts, I went for the Big Scare myself, in the form of an interplanetary civil war. It’s because the consequences of actions have to be important. If they’re not, who cares? Not the readers, and not even the characters. The heroine might as well stay home and defrost the fridge.

Which I sort of like in a heroine, but I get that readers don’t—except maybe unless the secret capacitor compartment was punctured, and the freon escapes, and the world is threatened by expanding, poisonous gases… and the heroine doesn’t want to call Gas Busters because she’d planned to settle in with a movie and some popcorn, but the handsome agent rings the bell, and…like that. In any event, the concept of struggle—of conflict—is key.

The thing I have to keep asking myself when I write is, what’s at stake? If my protagonist fights the Deadly Hammer for 300 pages, killing angels and fairies and puppies along the way as collateral damage, suffers grievous wounds and the loss of family and friends, she better get more out of it than a trip to the store for a fresh quart of milk.

But that’s a whole other story. One that, I hope, I’ll be able to plot better next time.

Kay Keppler likes happy endings, whether they’re in the fiction she writes, the fiction she edits, or the fiction she reads. After all, an unhappy outcome is what the newspaper is for! Her characters are resourceful to a fault, hard-working to the extreme, and loyal to the end—but she’s still working on a decent plot. You can find her at kaykeppler.com, kaykeppler@yahoo.com, or @KayKeppler.

Zero Gravity Outcasts can be found at:

Carina Press

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Sony

Kobo

And all good e-retailer stores!