Interview with Tia Dani

I’d like to welcome our guest today, Tia Dani. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a release out called Death Unseen. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous book?

We’d love to Kim. It starts when Navajo Tribal Policeman, Lance Logan, discovers his cousin’s body brutally mauled and senses there’s more to the death than it appears. His intuition leads him from Four Corners, New Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona where he finds himself embroiled in another murder.

Our heroine, Carly Carlton, could be considered an ordinary woman—except for two traits she tries to keep hidden—clairvoyant powers and the ability to experience death in dreams. Her talent to see beyond the veil of reality, as she and Lance try to find a killer, helps to soothe his embittered heart and softens his revenge.

DEATH UNSEEN is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

It seemed fitting for our mystery. Murder, intuition, and death in dreams, are all a part of this book.

What made you decide to write in this genre?

Although we write in various genres, paranormal has always been our favorite. When this story line bloomed in our minds, we became so excited that we put all our other stories on hold until this project was completed.

Where did you get your idea for this particular book?

We must have channeled it from somewhere out in the universe. The idea came to us as we talked about storylines over coffee. We bounced it around for several days and did a lot of research, but before long we had a basic plot down. Of course we had to work out the details, but the main idea popped out during brainstorming.

What are your favorite paranormal research books or sites, and why?

In truth there isn’t any one particular book that’s our favorite. We use a mixture of books that explore all types of elements. In, Death Unseen, we researched a lot on Native American teachings and modern clairvoyant experiences.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

All our characters are special to us, but maybe Lance. He gave us an exciting, strong and determined man to work with which is always a good thing. Although, our villain was certainly interesting. He’s a very sick and evil man who gave us an opportunity to step outside our comfort zone.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research and/or world affect your character development?

Character sheets are very important to us and we get very detailed with them. We write background history for each character, including, family, hobbies, pets, and relationships with brothers and sisters. We go through magazines and cut out clothing items our characters would wear. We feel, to be able to write about a character, we need to know everything about them and how they would react in any given situation.

How do you go about building your world if you use one? Do you use maps, charts or drawings?

Photographs of scenic places helped visualize the landscape and buildings. We also created a scrapbook page of each chapter with important points. It helped us by looking at it whenever we became stuck.

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

We’ve discovered that every author we read, from best-selling to first-selling, gives us an insight into writing one way or another. To mention them all would take forever.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

Promo is hard. As fairly new authors we are still experimenting with author promotion. We want to find out what works the best for us and what doesn’t. Authors need to get their name out there. A nicely designed website is important, along with personal blogs, and other internet sites such as facebook and twitter. Contests with prizes seem to generate interest. Be creative. Your goal is to draw readers to your site and get them excited about your writing and your books. Another step is to be involved with local and national activities. We have several workshops planned and will be offering them at different conferences in the near future.

What do we have to look forward next?

We have another short erotic story that just released with Sapphire Blue Publishing, titled, COME FLY WITH ME.

Blurb:

Expanding her business means constant travel, leaving Bree Alexander with no time for a social life and no sex life. For months, she has fantasized about a fellow frequent flyer she’s labeled Mr. Sex God.

Steven Cain notices her every time he travels. Despite his secret desire he hasn’t been able to “connect” with her—at least not in the way he’d like. But when an unexpected flight delay strands them together, will Bree and Steven take the opportunity to turn their erotic fantasies to reality…before their layover ends?

Thanks, Tia Dani!

Bio.

Tia Dani is the published writing team made up of good friends, KrisTia Eaton and Dani Petrone. Together they create endearing and realistic characters, humorous dialogue, and unusual settings.

Storytelling has been a passion for Tia since childhood when she regularly enthralled the neighborhood children with make-believe fairy tales and wild adventures.

Always the lover of a good romance, Dani’s goal is for you to step into the shoes of her heroine, fall head-over-heels in love with her hero, and most of all believe in the magic of love.

Tia and Dani happily call Arizona home where they play in the sunshine and dance in the twilight of the beautiful Sonoran desert.

Check out author’s website at www.tiadani.com

When Life Gets in the Way

There are times when life gets in the way. It doesn't matter if you work at home, at an office, or in a factory. Life intrudes sometimes preventing you from showing up to do your job. Frankly, I don't mind taking an occasional sick day from the day job to watch over my children/husband/dog.
But these sick breaks don't just effect my job in the lab, they also effect my writing.
You see the romance genre isn't just about the Happily Every After, it is about the emotion--love, arousal, and acceptance.
To write while under emotional stress is a lot like taking the cap off a hot radiator. It's liable to blow up (literally) in your face and lead to a painful recovery. So how do I cope?
Lately, I've set myself writing goals for the month. It works out to 5 pages a day, but because my life is quite hectic, I give myself permission to take days off. Sometimes this means I'll write 95 pages in the last week of the month. Other times, I'll write four days a week then none on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This gives me the flexibility to deal with the other matters without stressing myself out.
Another way I deal with stress is moving about. Okay, I do this at work so I'm well aware that it looks funny, but I'll either hike up and down the stairs once a half hour or do ten lunges at my desk. Movement helps and both my day job and night job are pretty sedentary.
I also drink plenty of water. Did you know staying hydrated actually helps fight stress? Drinks with sugars/electrolytes/etc inside them tend to be viewed as food stuffs by the body, so it takes a bit longer to be absorbed. Try this trick: hold the liquid in your mouth for about thirty seconds, allowing it to touch the soft palate. What effect does it have on you?
Conscious breathing also helps. Inhale through the nose to the slow count of four, hold for two seconds, then exhale through the mouth for a slow count of four. By focusing solely on this counting, your conscious mind will allow the subconscious mind to look at the problem.
Talking to others about the stressors also helps. But be careful, we have people in our lives who are solvers. They will take your problem and present you with solutions. Which is good in a way, but sometimes, you just need to vent without judgment.
And lastly, my favorite way to deal with stress is to read a book. I write what I like to read and romance may twist my emotions but I know I'll get that happily ever after in the end.
And that is usually just the right boost I need to put things in perspective.

Arizona Night Writers Conference

20th Annual ANWA

Writers Conference

February 23 - 25, 2012

Registration opens October 1, for the 20th annual ANWA Writers Conference, Time Out for Writers, February 23-25, 2012 at the Mesa Hilton Hotel. Space is limited - so register early.

The first 20 to register for the full conference AND book their Mesa, Hilton Hotel room will be eligible to have breakfast Saturday morning with an agent, editor or author on the faculty.

Also, Thursday night's workshops on Query Letters and Pitches and Critique Camp are FREE if you register for the full conference AND book your Mesa, Hilton Hotel room.

A variety of classes for beginning to advanced writers are available. Lisa Mangum of Deseret Book, Joshua Perkey of the Ensign, Linda Radke, President of Five Star Publications, and several national literary agents will be on the faculty. Other faculty members include million-book selling author Janette Rallison, award winning authors Donna Hatch and Joyce DiPastena. Well known children's author, Conrad Storad, will be back by popular demand. Sara Fujimura will teach essay writing and writing for magazines. Illustrator/author, Deirdra Coppel will teach about illustrations and contracts.

Learn how to make money doing Copy Writing with Matt Peterson. Other classes include; Writing Basics, Dialog, Characters, Plot, Family History and Music Writing. Pitch opportunities will be available. Check back for updates as we add more exciting presentations.

For the FIRST TIME EVER ANWA will host the "BOB" Writing Contest. BOB stands for "Beginning of Book". Attendees will have the opportunity to enter the first 500 words of their manuscript. Enter as many manuscripts as you wish. There will be awards, and entrants will receive comments and feedback from the judges. More details will be posted on the ANWA Conference web page.

Another new opportunity this conference: The Meet & Greet Friday Evening with the editors, agents and authors will ALSO include bookstore owners and managers scheduling book events for their stores with authors that attend the conference.

The Wisdom of Breaking the Rules

Should you or shouldn't you?

Some people think that’s the best advice any creative person can hear. Let’s face it, rules are the enemy of the creative process. I mean, what’s this stuff about plotting, about character sketches, about inciting incidents and turning points. I just write and those things take care of themselves.

Don’t they?

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes everything just flows. Your people come alive, your story holds together and sizzles with tension. Never, ever, have you not needed rules more.

What happens, though, on those days when you aren’t quite in the groove? If it’s just a day or two, you think it’s a touch of the flu or your preoccupation with an upset in your life, and it goes away. But then your editor calls and offers you a novella and you’re tearing your hair out trying to find an idea. Plus, your work in progress hits a really saggy middle. The realities of being a successful author sink in.

When inspiration fails you, rules come in handy.

Not stuffy rules like, oh say, the heroine’s mother always has to be a paragon among women. Or the hero always has to be the richest man in the free world. Or there can be no romance or sex in mysteries and fantasy. At one time these were standard conventions in contemporary fiction and cross genre writing was a big no, no, and no one read erotica that didn’t come in a brown paper wrapper.

No, I’m talking about using rules to build a comfortable structure in which to write. Rules like, say, every story needs an arc. Characters should have flaws. Listing twenty things that could happen in your book on a daily basis keeps ideas flowing. A consistent writing schedule is the surest way to productivity. Take rejection in stride. Pay attention to methods of promoting your career. Be alert to a changing market.

These rules create professional writers. Craft and business rules provide a foundation for your daily writing routine and support your writing efforts when inspiration alone isn’t enough.

That said, I now circle back to the title. Watch out for the subtler rules that inhibit creativity. We often call them conventions. For instance, for a long period of time contemporary romance was always written in third person — definitely an unspoken rule. Before that, much of it was in first person, then that died one day and, lo, first person was shunned. Mysteries remained solidly first person; you seldom saw one written in another voice. Although taking place in invented worlds, fantasy were always Medieval-like. Westerns could only be written by Louie L’Amour (just kidding).

If no one had ever broken through these conventions, we wouldn’t have riveting third person thrillers, chick-lit would have never been born, urban fantasy would still be a fantasy, the western romance would be even more unpopular than it is today (another joke).

Another area where rules are being challenged is the area of being published at all and the arenas in which our works will be offered. Nobody knows right now where publishing is going and writers who cling to the rules are in danger of being left behind.

Rules are a mixed bag. Even the foundational rules of structure — plot, character flaws, scene and sequel — can sometimes hinder. Which mean we have to be willing to stretch beyond “what everybody does.” Once upon a time the way to modest success was to find someone who’s doing it well and emulate them. No more. Those who soar to the top always write with a distinctive flair. They push stories to the edge, and then slightly beyond. They take a different approach than the average meerkat. And at the same time they scrupulously follow important rules like consistent writing schedules and meeting their deadlines and networking as needed.

Most of us know how to follow rules. It takes tweaking of the perspective to break rules. If you’re interested in pushing your own personal edges, take a hard look at your current writing. Do you always write in third person? Try a chapter in first person. All your heroes are alphas? How about introducing yourself to a beta hero.

Is your writing style in a distant and objective point of view? Try writing just one scene in the emotional deep pov. If you always write romance, try you hand at a young adult, or a mystery, or a goofy comedy – not the whole book at first — my, that would be too daring — but a scene, a chapter, a short story. Stretch the way you write, continually look for new approaches. Just for the heck of it, despite your deadlines. Who knows, you could enter a new period of your writing when a fresh voice just bursts out of you.

How do you deal with rules and with the need to adapt in your writing career and, just as important, in your own life? If you have comments or insights, I invite you to post them.

Connie
http://bootcampfornovelists.com
http://connieflynn.com

And the winner is......

Congratulations Na. You're the winner of Linda's book. Please contact Kim at kwatters21 (at) hotmail (dot) com (no spaces) to claim your prize. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

Interview with our very own Linda Andrews

I’d like to welcome our very own guest today, Linda Andrews. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

I understand you have a new release out called Fiona. Can you tell us a little bit about your fabulous new book?

Fiona is the story of an American heiress who receives a telegram from her aunt and uncle requesting help speaking with the dead. Fiona accompanied by the spirit of her dead fiancé sets off to England. She arrives only to find her aunt and uncle missing after a shipwreck. Hoping to find clues to their disappearance, she has to enter London Society during the Season. Unfortunately, matchmakers and fortune hunters keep getting in her way. Enter Kingslea a destitute Earl whose past has given him a deep aversion to American heiresses and an even bigger one to the Duke of August. The very man who may be threatening Fiona's life.

Fiona is a very interesting title. How did you arrive at that name?

Well, I thought and thought and thought and then my editor just named the book after the lead character because she didn't like what I'd thought up.:-)

What made you decide to write in this genre?

I love ghost stories and the Victorian Era. And really there's no place that screams Victorian more than London. When I was doing my research, I discovered that many American Heiresses paddled across the pond in search of buying an English title. So what would happen if an American heiress traveled to London and had to enter Society, but everyone was determined to win her and her fortune? How would she survive the treachery and keep her reputation intact with only the ghost of her fiancé to protect her. And even he is determined to win her a husband.

What are your favorite paranormal research books or sites, and why?

I didn't really do a lot of research on ghosts for this book because it is a genuine interest of mine. But I love to visit ghost hunters website and love to follow Urban legends.

Which character did you like writing about the most, and why?

I loved to write Kingslea. He is in many ways a bit of an homage to Sherlock Holmes who donned fabulous disguises to blend in with his surroundings and get information. Of course, he is quite vexed when Fiona sees through each one.

Tell us about how you develop your characters. Do you create character sheets, do interviews, that sort of thing? How does your research and/or world affect your character development?

I'm not sure how I develop my characters. I'm pretty sure I just wait on the literary street corner until they come by and start talking to me. It is when I'm writing and they do/say/or act a certain way that I write it down. Habits, favorite phrases and mannerisms usually help the reader define the character and also gives a good indication of what they're thinking versus what they're saying. The Victorian era was quite constraining for American Misses, and Fiona is a departure in that she went into business, is willing to speak her mind (even if it offends some) and has an opinion. She is her parents' daughter although she fights to conform to Societies expectations. Kingslea is also bound by rules he doesn't like. He was a second son and never expected to inherit, but he fell in love with an American Heiress who threw him over for a bigger title. Now, he's determined work (Good heavens, the scandal!) except he deals in secrets of the nobility which puts him right in Fiona's path.

How do you go about building your world if you use one? Do you use maps, charts or drawings?
I have maps and charts of Victorian London, but I pretty much used the one that actually existed. Only the ghosts have been added, although I think England has it's share naturally (or supernaturally, if you want to get technical).

Do you have any authors that inspired you?

I grew up reading Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and MM Kaye. Lately I've been downloading a lot of indie authors and finding gems, but for the big names I always pick up Amanda Quick, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood and lately I found Gail Carringer.

What do you feel is the most effective promotion you have done for your book?

I really don't know what is effective or not. I just keep trying different things and hoping something sticks.

What do we have to look forward next?

Animosity is also out this month. It is a SciFi Romance set on another planet. Here's the blurb: Commander Brongill of DaHap and his Earthling wife, Alderina of Rutgers, crash onto a planet he never wanted to see again: His home world of Terrill. War has ravaged the landscape for more than a thousand years and both sides are still fighting to the death. While Ally’s children and Brongill’s crew have been taken prisoner by the defiant Neitz, Brongill and Ally are captured by the fanatical Isfer. Both sides demand, Brongill fulfill the Prophecy of Ages and vanquish their enemies once and for all.

For the sake of Ally’s children and his crew, Brongill is determined to forge his own destiny and unite the two sides in peace. But can he overcome centuries of hatred before the last habitable zones of Terrill are destroyed? For underground lurks an enemy with its own agenda: To see everything and everyone on Terrill erased forever.

Next year, I'll have the last of the Grey sisters out. This time I traveled to Egypt!

Thanks, Linda!

To celebrate her book release, Linda is offering a free ebook of Fiona to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (please check the blog Monday night to see if you won. Chances of winning determined by the number of entries.)

She will be around all day today. I'm sure some of you have questions or comments for her, so please ask away...

Linda Andrews lives with her husband and three children in Phoenix, Arizona. When she announced to her family that her paranormal romance was to be published, her sister pronounce: "What else would she write? She’s never been normal."

All kidding aside, writing has become a surprising passion. So just how did a scientist start to write paranormal romances? What other option is there when you’re married to romantic man and live in a haunted house?

Check out author’s website at www.lindaandrews.net

Birthday Girl

One of us is having a Birthday. Guess who?

Nope. It's not Dani. But, Dani wanted to make her a cake.

She wanted the cake to look just like this.

But it turned out like this!

Dani wanted to have pretty candles on top.

But Dani was afraid it would look like this!

So we ate pie.

Happy Birthday Tia!

Tia Dani wants to wish all our Virgo friends and fans a happy birthday. We're thinking of you warmly and wishing you a birthday that will bring a lot of happiness to you. We're hoping that your day begins a year that's really special, a year when all your favorite dreams come true.

Be sure to watch for our, COME FLY WITH ME, from Sapphire Blue Publishing. Coming soon!