Category: The Blog

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Project Management: Stepping Stones

Hopefully you’ve taken your Dream List and broken it down into your top MUST DO priorities with a few ROCKSTAR goals just in case.  Now the question you should be asking yourself is HOW you can reach your goals.  

I’m reminded of the scene in The Mummy when O’Connell and Benny are yelling at each other across the river after the boat catches on fire.  Did you find yourself on the wrong side of the river?  Right now, the task may seem insurmountable. 

That’s because you’re looking at the river and letting it become an ocean in your mind. 

Instead of setting up a permanent camp of despair on the wrong side of the river, pick your number one priority item on your MUST DO list.  For me, that’s finish the first draft of Victor, the NaNoWriMo book.  Begin to make a list of all the things you need to do to meet that goal.  Anything, no matter how little, that you can do to accomplish the task.

So for Victor, I know I’m into Act III and the Resolution of the story.  That means I have a bunch of threads I need to tie up.

  • I need to tie up the romance between Victor and Shiloh, make sure they’re comforted and secure after the final showdown in the show.
  • I need to show how the trap Victor laid for the spy is revealed and resolved.
  • I need to reward Shiloh with the elixir, the very thing she created the show in order to win.
  • I need a clever, fun, sexy ending.

So I have about 4 scenes, give or take, that need to be written in order to finish my task.  I’m guessing this is less than 5K, and so I should definitely be able to finish by 12/7, which was my goal.

Maybe your goal is revisions.  I have three types of revisions I need to work on this month, and each will require a different set of tasks in order to accomplish them.  Maybe you like to read thru first and make notes as you go, and then tackle the revision.  Maybe you like to read online — or from a hardcopy with sticky notes.  Whatever your process, make a list of all the things that will enable that process and make you successful.

Maybe your goal is worldbuilding or plotting a new story.  (I have a ROCKSTAR goal for this.)  So my stepping stones are going to look something like:

  • Brainstorm and research.  These two often go hand-in-hand for me when beginning a story, until one particular element speaks the most to me.
  • Listen for the character(s) to show up.  Usually about the time I’ve settled on an interesting research item, a character starts blabbing in my ear about how cool all this stuff is.
  • Begin building the character.  (See the Character Clinic, the Emotional Toolbox, etc.)
  • Begin plotting the journey.
  • Write backstory.
  • Create a world bible (if the story needs it).

So pull out your A1 – MUST DO priority and figure out what step to tackle first.  Now you can cross small items off the list and feel like you’re actually paddling your way across the river, instead of stranded on the wrong side.  Don’t tell me you’re waiting for 2010, either – we’ve still got plenty of time to cross a dozen things off the list in December!

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Giveaway: Find Gregar!

I’ve had the idea for a very long time to create character cards for the cast of the Shanhasson series.  Since Rose (book 1) is releasing in print Dec/Jan, I thought it would be the perfect time to get a really nice trio:  Rhaekhar, Shannari, and Gregar, the three main characters of the entire series.

They’re the heart and soul of the Shanhasson trilogy, and to be honest, the heart and soul of my writing, but I’ll come back to that in a minute.

So the challenge then becomes the models for these characters.  Shannari is easy — she’s on the cover of Rose.

Rhaekhar

Rhaekhar is also easy.  Back when we were first working on the cover for Rose, Deena found Rhaekhar.  I looked at him and I recognized him.  I mean, I wouldn’t have been surprised at all if this man walked up and introduced himself as Rhaekhar.  The look of smug warrior arrogance on his face is perfect.  He’s Khul of the Nine Camps of the Sha’Kae al’Dan and carries the most honor on the Plains.  This man’s physique makes me believe he could challenge any warrior and win, hands down.

Of course, the hair isn’t right.  The Sha’Kae al’Dan warriors all wear their hair long, braided at the temples rather like Mel in Braveheart, but the rest is perfect.

So now, the question becomes:  who is Gregar?

Let me give you a little background.  To date, Gregar is my favorite character ever.  Yes, he beats out Conn and Victor, but to be honest, a little bit of him is in every male character I’ve written post Rose and Beautiful Death.  Why?

Gregar is my Muse.  He’s the one who drags me into the Well, the dark, watery place of inspiration from which all (my) stories flow.  Don’t get me wrong:  Conn is his own person.  Victor is his own person.  They’re not carbon copies of Gregar by any means.

No one lives up to Gregar’s sheer wickedness and danger, because the man has NO LIMITS.

Every time something a little bit politically incorrect pops up in a character, it’s Gregar’s fault.

Every time a character begins to walk on the Dark Side, it’s Gregar.

Every time the emotion is so raw and painful it feels like I’m going to rip your heart to shreds… Yep.  That’s Gregar.

So you can see why his image for this character card is so important to me.  I’ve looked off and on for years, but I can’t find him.  This is where I hope you can help me.  As much as I’d love to peruse the royalty-free photo sites looking at six-packs and bare chests…I don’t have the time.  Not if I’m going to get Victor whipped (haha) into shape for January submission.

I beg you.  Help me!  Help me find Gregar.  Look high and low.  He’s there, waiting, snickering in the shadows, but hidden from me.  I must find him.

I’ll be posting hints of who Gregar is off and on all month, little snippets from Rose, Road, and if you’re very lucky, perhaps even Return.  To give you the first hint:  if I could cast Gregar with any actor, I’d chose Adrian Paul, hands down.  There’s an episode of the Highlander television series where Duncan has his hair longer, loose down his back and he’s wearing a kilt.  YUM.  That is Gregar, except he’s wearing a red memsha about his hips in place of the kilt.

The Rules:

  • The photo has to be something I can purchase the right to use for promotional material, not a fan picture of Adrian Paul as much as I love them!
  • That means a royalty-free site like istockphoto.com.
  • The fewer clothes the better.  Get your minds out of the gutter!  It’s easier for Deena to manipulate the image to the Sha’Kae al’Dan style if he’s not wearing a shirt.

To suggest a model, e-mail the link to me at joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com.  I’ll gather the links and consolidate them in a post for voting and comments later.  Everyone who sends me a link with a suggestion will be entered to win the following prizes:

  • A $20 gift certificate to any online book retailer of your choice.
  • A set of the three character cards once we have the finished product.

The person who truly does find Gregar for me will receive the Grand Prize:

  • A $30 gift certificate to any online book retailer of your choice.
  • A set of the three character cards once we have the finished product.
  • As I add character cards, I’ll send you the new ones (e.g. I’d really like to have Dharman, Sal, and Mykal before all is said and done).
  • A signed print copy of Rose.
  • A copy of The Road to Shanhasson and Return to Shanhasson (once it’s released) in any electronic format.
  • And since this is soooo important to me, a signed print copy of Road and Return when they’re released (but this may be years away).

I’ll mail these prizes anywhere on the planet because who knows exactly where Gregar may be?

I’m deliberately not specifying a deadline for this giveaway because I really, really want to find the right Gregar, no matter how long it takes.  However, I’ll at least pick a winner for the $20 gift certificate by Dec. 31, 2009, even if we haven’t found Gregar yet.  The grand prize will not have a deadline on it.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Even if you’re not in the US celebrating Thanksgiving today, the holiday season is upon us.  That means family dinners, right?  If your family is anything like mine, that means drama!  (Just a day with three girls in the house is DRAMA!) 

So what’s your favorite way to cope with Aunt Agna who never has anything nice to say, or Uncle Frank who shows up drunk, or …?  Tell me your funny family scenarios — or simply throw your hat in the ring — in comments and I’ll giveaway a free download of the US Civil War anthology, Defiance, containing stories by Laura Anne Gilman, Angela Korra’ti, and myself.  (pdf, epub, etc) 

I’ll draw a winner tomorrow after I’ve recovered from the family dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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Reviewers for Defiance or The Rose of Shanhasson

Anyone who has a blog or writes reviews, I have two stories available if you’re interested!

Defiance is an anthology of sweet, romantic fantasy short stories set during the US Civil War.  Two of the stories feature multi-cultural protagonists.  In Storms as She Walks, the half-Comanche heroine is descended from Thunderbird, passing as a male soldier in the Union Army.  It’s available in pdf or any electronic format you’d prefer.

The Rose of Shanhasson is coming to print Dec/Jan and I have a boxful of printed ARCs I’m sending to reviewers.  Of course the electronic version in a multitude of formats is also available.  Larissa Ione, bestselling author of the incredible Demonica books (Pleasure Unbound, etc.) was kind enough to read Rose and provided a fantastic blurb:

The Rose of Shanhasson is a superb blend of fully-realized fantasy and scorching romance.  Joely Sue Burkhart dropped me into her fantasy world and left me breathless.  The Rose of Shanhasson is one of the best fantasy romances I’ve read in years!

So drop me a note or comment if you’d be interested in reviewing either book.  Thank you so much!

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Halloween Giveaway: Winner

The magic number is #3, which means the winner is SOLEIL!  When you get a chance, drop me an e-mail with your snail mail address.  I need to ship the book to Anna Black for her signature, and then I’ll send a copy on to you.

Thank you to everyone for entering — I hope you had a terrific Halloween!

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Chickens in the Road

I can’t remember when I found Suzanne McMinn’s blog, but it was many years ago.  I started reading because she was a romance author, and I loved the way she structured her stories.  She managed to fit in interesting worldbuilding and fabulous romance in an itty bitty category!  I was hooked.

But somewhere along the way, I began reading her posts not as a writer looking up to an author, but as a person in awe of another person.  There are two blogs I read every single day without exception:  Chickens in the Road and Paperback Writer.  I know that Lynn will always have terrific insight into the biz, a new technique to try, a fun generator to play around with, etc.  I know that Suzanne will have fuzzy animal pictures or a recipe, but more, each day, she’s going to touch my heart in some way.

Now not all her posts give me warm fuzzies.  There’s a story about a little banty hen that wanted to be a mama that I challenge the iciest heart to read and not sob with grief at her fate.  Suzanne has made us love her animals, the crooked little farm house, and her new farmhouse with the incredible porch and views of the countryside.  I’ve read about her killing an SUV in the creek that she has to cross to get to a paved road, her son making the decision to join the Navy, and how to milk goats and make cheese!  I’ve laughed at the darling Annabelle — the cutest little sheep — who thought she was a dog.  I’ve cried when her little male goats died and when the banty hen was butchered by the racoon.

Not a day goes by that she doesn’t make me wish I had chickens in the road too.

Suzanne is in the running for a fantastic paid blogging job (details).  If you haven’t read Suzanne’s blog, please stop by.  Get to know Clover, Coco, Mean Rooster, Jack the Donkey, and all the other adorable animals.  And if she makes you feel good and warms your heart like she does mine, please go vote for her to win this blogging job.  It will make a huge difference in her family’s life.

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Halloween Giveaway: The Sweetest Kiss

The Sweetest KissLove sexy stories?  Love vampires?

I have a copy of The Sweetest Kiss, Ravishing Vampire Erotica up for grabs containing wonderful stories by my very own beloved sister, Molly Burkhart, aka G. B. Kensington, and my fabulous writing accountability partner, Jenna Reynolds, aka Anna Black.  The book will be signed by both authors (but not by all authors in the anthology).  To enter the giveaway, simply comment on this post and tell me something about your favorite vampires (or you can throw your name in the hat via e-mail at joely AT joelysueburkhart DOT com).  I’ll accept comments through midnight (CST) this Halloween, Oct. 31st  and announce the winner sometime on Nov. 1st (but NaNoWriMo will be going full steam, so be patient with me).

This giveaway is open to anyone on the planet, even if you’ve won something from me before.  I do not retain your names or addresses (e-mail or snail) after the contest is over.

Who’s your favorite vampire?  Which movie?  Why do you like them?

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Country Bonfire

I burned my boob at a bonfire tonight.

We had a long day planned with an hour and a half drive north to Granny’s for an early birthday, and then a bonfire at my Dad’s tonight.  We slept in, which was wonderful, and finally got everything loaded in the van around 11 am.  I ran into Wal-Mart to pick up stuff for smores while That Man ran over to Uncle J’s and Aunt BB’s apartment (conveniently located across the street from Wal-Mart) to walk their dogs.  Middle Monster went in with me because I was supposed to get her a reward of paper (long story).  Of course I forgot the paper, and she didn’t remind me until I already had our cart unloaded, and because she was nagging me about her paper, I forgot to get the ice for the cooler.

So I ran all the stuff out to the car, went back in for ice and paper.  (Trip #2 to Wal-Mart)

We finally got out on the freeway headed north when I said, “hey, did anyone get the bag of coffee on the table?”  Of course not.  So we decided to make a quick trip to Target so I could get a bag of Caribou.  I mean, we planned a nice dessert for Granny, which just wouldn’t be the same without coffee.  In pulling off the freeway, we were almost in a horrible car accident (it would have been at least a ten-car pileup), so we missed our exit and had to hit the next one.

FINALLY, we have coffee and we’re back on the freeway, now out of city traffic.  About that time, Littlest Monster, who was in the very back of the van, said, “Mom, I don’t feel very well.”

Uh oh.  I passed back the Target bag (sans coffee) and made the monsters switch positions.  We made it another few minutes down the road and Middle Monster yells, “MOM, SHE’S THROWING UP!”

So not even 5 miles north of Springfield, we pulled off the road and I dragged Littlest out of her booster seat.  About half of her breakfast hit the bag, while the rest went all down her shirt, seatbelt, and seat.  Of course I didn’t pack a spare set of clothes!  At least I did have napkins, but no wet wipes.  I cleaned her up as good as I could and stripped her shirt off.  She wore her jean jacket and we headed back down the road.  (She was fine the rest of the day — just carsick from riding in the back of the van.)

Of course she got cold, so we had to turn on the heater, which only served to heat up the puke smell.

After another 20-30 minutes of smelling puke, we pulled off the highway in Bolivar for trip #3 to Wal-Mart where I bought her a shirt, Febreeze, wipes, and trash bags.

Four hours after leaving the house, we finally pulled into Granny’s house for dessert and coffee.  We visited until almost 5 pm, when Uncle J called, wondering how to get to my Dad’s for the bonfire.  We loaded up the kids and rushed over so J & BB could follow us down the gravel roads to my Dad’s, where he had three horses saddled.  The monsters rode about an hour, and then we started the bonfire.

It only took diesel fuel and three cups of gasoline to get the wood lit (we had 4-6 inches of rain Thursday).  Breezy as the sun set, the blazing fire was more than welcome….until something HOT hit my throat and rolled down my neck to lodge in my BRA.  I was doing the jig, fishing around in my shirt, flashing everyone, and couldn’t get the burning thing out, so I raced inside the house and ripped my shirt off.  I have blisters down my neck and all over my boob where a piece of burning rock danced a jig down into my bra.

Other than the puke in the car, 3 trips to Wal-Mart, a trip to Target, and the burns on my boob, it was a wonderful day in the country!