Category: The Blog

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Review: Jenna Reynolds’ Kiss of Honor

A few weeks ago, Lianna Williamson won a copy of Jenna’s latest Ellora’s Cave release, Kiss of Honor, and Lianna was kind enough to send me a review to post!

Gawain (a descendant of the  Gawain) takes being a knight very, very seriously. Despite the general debauchery at court, he’s taken a vow of chastity, and he’s honor-sworn to serve a king whose cruelty he despises. When the king sends him on a quest to uncover the secrets of a magic ring, Gawain meets Miriam Wildrose, a strong-willed and beautiful witch. Miriam challenges every one of Gawain’s dearly held beliefs, and as the heat grows between them, and Beltane approaches, he must make a choice between duty and love, and learn where true honor lies.

Kiss of Honor is a quick read with well-developed characters, loads of conflict, hot sex, not one but two HEA’s, and the most hilarious mouse familiar ever. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thank you, Lianna!  I thought the mouse was very cute and expressive too — definitely a different sort of familiar!

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Goodbye 2010

Looking back…

  • Sold three books.
  • Released two of those books digitally this year (Lady Doctor Wyre will be in 2011).
  • Had another print release, my first with Samhain.
  • Completed editor revisions on three books in various stages of production.
  • Promotion strategies for three releases.
  • Signed with a new publisher with a launch title.
  • Worked with two new editors.
  • Sold the first book in a new series that has the potential to make me very, very happy for a very, very long time.
  • Began reading more regularly on my iPhone.
  • Bought a Kindle.
  • Finished two new projects and two free reads.
  • Worked with Drollerie Press to sponsor Coyote Con and hosted MayNoWriMo.
  • Failed at NaNoWriMo.

Looking ahead to 2011, I have:

  • One definite scheduled release (Lady Doctor Wyre 3/2011)
  • One tentative scheduled digital release (Return to Shanhasson) and print release (The Road to Shanhasson)
  • One project currently submitted, not yet contracted.
  • One project nearly ready for submission.
  • Three other serious projects in progress unrelated to series already contracted.

May 2011 be better for each and every one of us!

Happy New Year!

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Plotting Made Simple

This is not a treatise on why you should plot (because I don’t always plot either).  This isn’t a “my way is best” argument because I know that’s BS too.  Every book requires different skills or tools.  Right now, I’m at the stage of my writing where I need a quick check sheet, or reminder list, of what I personally need when plotting.  You may find this helpful, or you may run away screaming because I’m bringing out spreadsheets.  Just know that I do NOT always do this — but it does help me organize my thoughts when I’m feeling scattered or stuck.

(Upcoming will be THEME and CHARACTER sheets too.)

I’ve tried every writing software under the sun, from Scrivener to TextBlock to Liquid Story Binder to….Lord, I can’t even  name them all.  I do like many and use many for different things, but sometimes, I need the physical touch of paper and ink.  You may laugh, but there’s something very magical in purple ink.  When I bring out my favorite pen (I’ve resorted to hiding the entire box from the monsters and threatening them with deadly harm if they steal them) and some white paper, my brain is freed.  It touches on something creative – yet also analytical – in my brain that helps me tap down into the heart of what I’m trying to write.

I’ve got Marshall Plan worksheets, character portfolios, etc. that I’ve copied from online and print resources over the years, but there was no one single sheet that let me see the story at a glance.  How LONG is this story going to be?  Am I going to get to page 100 and realize I’m done?  Or page 250 and realize oh, @&#*%, I’m nowhere near the end?  I don’t want to have to carry around very complicated pages and details — I just want something brief and to the point, structured but also very simple and free.  I want to customize it for a short story, or use it for a full-length fantasy novel at the same time.

What I came up with is a basic Act sheet (Excel, pdf).

A few general comments:

  • These sheets print landscape on legal size paper.  I wanted room for my poor eyes to see!
  • The long skinny column on the left is for your character name(s).
  • Use each horizontal row to track a character’s progress through the story.
  • These sheets currently only allow 2 POVs.  I have similar worksheets to track many characters at a time, but I wanted simple, and most romances are going to concentrate on the protagonist and her/his love interest.
  • The large blocks are free form, with space at the top for you to title the scene (if you enjoy that), to jot location, etc.  Whatever floats your boat.

Here’s how I’m using this sheet.  No matter the size of your WIP, Act 1 should be about 25% of the overall length, Act 2 about 50%, and Act 3 about 25%.  This is not set in stone – merely a guideline for a satisfying story.   I’m working on a novella right now, so I don’t need a lot of sections or scenes.  5 per act felt pretty good, and so if I print out 4 of these worksheets, that’ll give me about 20 sections (one page for each act).

If I want to write a longer novel (50-60K, a good length for epub), then maybe I need 8 pages, giving me about 10 scenes per Act, or 40 total.  If I’m going to write a really detailed, longer single-title novel around 80-90K, then I’m probably going to need 3 or 4 pages per Act.

If I want to write a shorter story (around 10K), then I can probably get by with 2 pages, or 10 sections.  If the story needs to be under 5K, then I’ve got to figure out how to tell the entire story on one page in 5 sections or less.  See how that works?

Now if you want a little more structure to your sheets, I created 4 pages overlaid with the hero’s journey.  The major points of the hero’s journey are obviously very flexible.  e.g. you don’t have to have the dark moment happen in exactly  section 014.  This is entirely customizable to your story — so feel free to move the journey points around as needed.  Again, I’m working on a novella length project, so I fit the hero’s journey onto 4 sheets, targeting 20 sections.  Feel free to widen or narrow the pages down to fit your target.

Act 1:  (Excel, pdf)

Act 2:  (Excel, pdf)

Act 2 Part 2:  (Excel, pdf)

Act 3:  (Excel, pdf)

Just so you know, this is still a messy process.  I’m already on my second draft and still have scribbles all over the margins, etc.  But at least I can SEE how much story I have without worrying about the monsters pulling sticky notes off the wall or making flashcards out of my index cards!  I’m also probably going to end up using sticky notes on TOP of the spreadsheet to help me track the romance elements.  e.g. first kiss, or building sexual tension. 

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Guest Willa Edwards

I’m so honored to have Willa Edwards on my blog today, and teary-eyed from the wonderful things she has to say!  Please help her celebrate her debut release, Naughty List!  She’s offering a free copy for commenters, too. 

~ * ~

I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I realized you could earn a living making up stories (still working on that part). When I was fourteen years old I accidentally bought a romance novel, and had a revelation. All the stories I’d been writing, that I’d been calling paranormal, horror or mystery, were really romances. I was a romance writer.

I had a similar revelation a year and a half ago when I met Joely in a writers group and purchased her novel “Dear Sir, I’m Yours.” My writing style evolved and a dove head first into the epublishing world.

Today I stand before you on the release date of my very first publication. And I definitely feel its due in part to Joely. To her amazing work that shows the sweet and spicy side of all relationships, her bravery to write the truth (even if she has to do it with her eyes closed) and the support she lends so selflessly to other authors.

In honor of all Joely’s done for me I wanted to give a way a copy of my release, Naughty List, here today. Leave a comment and throw your name into the Santa cap. I’ll pick a winner at the stroke of Christmas.

Eric has been in love with Callie since the day they met, one month after someone else put a ring on her finger. Since her engagement ended Eric has been biding his time, waiting for her to be ready. Until he finds a naughty list of Christmas wishes hidden between her couch cushions with his name on the top.

He’s willing to do anything to make Callie happy, including take on the role of dominant Santa Claus and spank her to a blow-your-stockings-off orgasm. But is she ready for everything he wants? Does she want his love?

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Happy Release Day Giveaway

My friend and accountability partner, Jenna Reynolds, is celebrating another release today from Ellora’s Cave:

Tis the Season to be Kinky

Melissa enjoys indulging in spicy roleplay scenarios with her sexy lover, Colin. Doctor, patient. Professor, student. Plumber, housewife. When Colin dresses up as Santa, Melissa is surprised by the visions of naughtiness that dance through her head. After sharing one of her more risqué roleplay fantasies, she has a pretty good idea what he has in store for her following his firm’s holiday party.

What she doesn’t know, however, is that Colin has invited one more person to take part in her racy roleplay scenario. His good-looking, lusty and very hot friend, Jake.

It’s definitely the season to be kinky.

To celebrate Christmas and her release, I’m giving away a copy!  Comment on this post to throw your name in the hat by midnight, Friday, Dec. 17th CST.  I’ll pick a winner and announce it on Sat.

Merry Kinkmas!

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Recipe: Beef Stew

On a cold winter night, there’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of humble beef stew.  Usually I just throw all the ingredients in the crock pot, but this time I took a few extra steps.  Boy, am I ever glad that I did.  This was hands-down the best stew I’ve ever made.  I usually use a packet of dry onion soup mix and a can of cream of mushroom soup, but this tastes waaaaay better, and you don’t end up with all those questionable chemicals/ingredients in the pre-boxed stuff.  The kids weren’t real thrilled when I set bowls of brown stuff before them for dinner (Princess Monster even commented that it looked “nasty”), but there were no complaints after the tasting began.  In fact everyone had seconds and there almost wasn’t enough for the grown ups to have lunch the next day!

Beef Stew

2-3 lbs stew meat, chopped into 1″ chunks
1/2 c. flour (for dredging, with salt and pepper to taste)
oil to brown the meat
1 onion, chopped (finely for me, because the kids always moan in despair if they get a chunk)
garlic cloves to taste (I think I used 5 – we like garlic!)
1 c. red wine
1 c. beef broth (I made mine with those nasty salty cubes because I didn’t have anything else on hand)
potatoes, carrots, peas, etc.  whatever your family will eat
salt, pepper to taste
bay leaf

Toss the chopped cubes of meat in the seasoned flour and brown in a little oil.  I used butter in my cast-iron skillet.  Keep the meat in a single layer and take the time to turn each piece to get it evenly browned.  The meat doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through.  After they’ve browned, drop the cubes into the waiting crockpot.

Add another T of oil in the same pan (to keep all those yummy fried bits) and cook the onion and garlic until softened and flavorful.  Spoon them into the crockpot and then deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring up the browned bits into the sauce.  Pour over the meat in the crockpot.

Add the chopped veggies and the broth.  You don’t need a lot of liquid since this is cooking in a crockpot (you don’t want the meat to “boil”) so don’t worry if it doesn’t look like “stew” yet.  As the veggies cook down, more flavor and liquids will release into the broth.  You can always add a bit more broth if desired, and if you end up with too much, add some cornstarch at the end.

Cook on low for 8 hours (or longer) or high for 6 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.  Serve with buttered bread or biscuits. 

Pray you have enough for lunch tomorrow!

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Top Five Reasons I Should NOT Be Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner

This is a true story of how my first day off this week from the Evil Day Job has gone.

1. I’m behind on NaNoWriMo.  Waaaaay behind.  But I haven’t even opened Word or Scrivener yet today.  I have too much organizational, cleaning, prepping, etc. to do.  For example…..

2.  I wanted to move my granite-top kitchen island to be more convenient for prepping, but it’s tight quarters in the eat-in kitchen (and my kitchen is too small to use it as an “island”).  I huffed and puffed it into the spot I wanted, moving the table and chairs as I needed.  Unfortunately, I knocked over Middle’s bean plant she started at school that was precariously situated on the window sill.  DIRT ALL OVER THE TILE FLOOR and down in the grout.

3. Grumbling, I went to get my broom.  It wasn’t in the pantry.  I also couldn’t find my dustpan.  Fifteen minutes later, I found them in the garage.  ?? No idea who took them to the garage.

4. I began sweeping up the dirt.  WHEN I KICKED OVER THE DOGS’ WATER BOWL.  Now I had mud in the grout.

5. After sweeping up the mess, I took my soggy broom out to the deck to get as much dirt off as possible.  I whacked it on the railing and BROKE MY BROOM HANDLE.  (Honestly, I wasn’t that mad.  Not really.  I guess I don’t know my own strength.)

I am now making my first batch of homemade yogurt in my new yogurt maker.  (Why I have a yogurt maker instead of all the dozens of other ways I’ve TRIED to make yogurt without an other useless appliance deserves it’s own blog post.)  I’m also making two loaves of homemade bread today and roasting chickens this afternoon (so I can make my own broth for the dressing and noodles).

PRAY THAT I DON’T BURN DOWN THE HOUSE.

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NaNo Day 15, 16 and the Winner

It’s been a miserable few days. I caught some kind of stomach bug that’s had me very friendly with the bathroom for the last twenty four hours.  I didn’t have a single cup of coffee all day!  *shock*  I took the day off and was too weak and tired to do much more than watch the first four episodes of Castle (that’s Sis, for getting me hooked on another show!).  I barely did any writing at all, so now I’m good and behind, not just at NaNo but at work and around the house too.  Did I mention that we’re hosting Thanksgiving next week?  *dies*

Anyway, no counts today.  I’ll try to get a fresh total for tomorow and regroup.  I’m not sure if this novella is going to work or not — the perils of starting a new work in the middle of NaNo.

Now, for the winner of the Jenna Reynolds book:

Lianna Williamson!

Lianna, please drop me an e-mail (joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com) with your desired format, and I’ll get your copy of Kiss of Honor.

Congrats again, Jenna, on yet another release!

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NaNo Day 12 – A Break and Giveaway

I didn’t do a single thing for NaNo yesterday.  Instead, I took a quick break and read my good friend’s, Jenna Reynolds, latest Ellora’s Cave release:  Kiss of Honor.  A virgin hero, chivalry and knights, and a smoldering Beltane ritual combine to make a most enjoyable read.  If you’d like to read this book, comment on this post and tell me one of your favorite EC books.  I’ll pick one winner and buy a copy of Kiss of Honor for you in your desired format.  I’ll announce the winner on Monday.

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Handbag Winner

I pulled off the names for anyone who left either an Amazon or B&N review/rating for Hurt Me So Good and dropped the names in the magic hat.  The winner of the hand-made Pride & Prejudice book handbag is:

Jennifer Mathis, the owner of this review.  Jennifer, please drop me a note with your snail mail addy to joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com.

If I don’t hear from Jennifer in three days, I’ll pull another name (I kept them all just in case).

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to rate or review books!