Just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who voted for my book trailer! I thought you might like to know that the "Last Chance Rescue" mini-movie came in FOURTH place. It missed the top-3 honors list by just 2% ... but out of 20 videos, that ain't bad!
Now that my virtual tour is over, I'm getting back to writing Novel #2 (two hours last night!)...
P.S. If you haven't already done so, become my Facebook "FAN"!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I Know It's a Good Book When...
I'm still thinking about it 10 days after I finished it.
I've been reading Iraq military memoir as I've been working on novel #2 (since the novel involves a military officer held hostage in Afghanistan), and I recently finished 'The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell' by John Crawford. Here's what I thought:
I was looking for brutal honesty and the raw emotional toll of war (not a factual history tome), and I got it in this book. Sometimes it was as much what WASN'T written as what was. That is a delicate balance for a writer and it was powerful. (Note: toning down the swear words and tightening up the sentence structure would have made it even more powerful by making it less distractive to read.)
I caught a snippet of a documentary on TV the other night, about a situation where our bombers killed our own soldiers because they "got confused by the smoke." It's dismaying to realize that some things never change. I WANT to believe the Army Reserve is smarter and better organized now than my experience in it 20 years ago, but John's experiences sound uncomfortably familiar – our tools were outdated, our training was under par, and the left hand never knew what the right was doing.
I (like the author) joined the National Guard to help pay for college; the recruiters laughed off any suggestion that we'd actually be sent anywhere to fight. What do you expect an 18- or 20-year-old to believe? And when you are immersed in a culture, you tend to adopt that culture's attitudes (especially when you're young) – and the military IS a culture. I lost site of some of the morals I'd been brought up with and I'd be willing to bet some of the author's less tasteful characteristics may have been 'exacerbated' by this immersion too. I would have liked to know more about who the author was before he went to war, and what happened when he returned home (perhaps that's another book altogether?).
There was one mind-blowing moment in my life when I thought I was being activated to Desert Storm. Thank God it was our armory-sharing MP unit instead – or I might have had the same disillusioning experience!
I've been reading Iraq military memoir as I've been working on novel #2 (since the novel involves a military officer held hostage in Afghanistan), and I recently finished 'The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell' by John Crawford. Here's what I thought:
I was looking for brutal honesty and the raw emotional toll of war (not a factual history tome), and I got it in this book. Sometimes it was as much what WASN'T written as what was. That is a delicate balance for a writer and it was powerful. (Note: toning down the swear words and tightening up the sentence structure would have made it even more powerful by making it less distractive to read.)
I caught a snippet of a documentary on TV the other night, about a situation where our bombers killed our own soldiers because they "got confused by the smoke." It's dismaying to realize that some things never change. I WANT to believe the Army Reserve is smarter and better organized now than my experience in it 20 years ago, but John's experiences sound uncomfortably familiar – our tools were outdated, our training was under par, and the left hand never knew what the right was doing.
I (like the author) joined the National Guard to help pay for college; the recruiters laughed off any suggestion that we'd actually be sent anywhere to fight. What do you expect an 18- or 20-year-old to believe? And when you are immersed in a culture, you tend to adopt that culture's attitudes (especially when you're young) – and the military IS a culture. I lost site of some of the morals I'd been brought up with and I'd be willing to bet some of the author's less tasteful characteristics may have been 'exacerbated' by this immersion too. I would have liked to know more about who the author was before he went to war, and what happened when he returned home (perhaps that's another book altogether?).
There was one mind-blowing moment in my life when I thought I was being activated to Desert Storm. Thank God it was our armory-sharing MP unit instead – or I might have had the same disillusioning experience!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Vote for my Book Trailer!
The mini-movie ("book trailer") for Last Chance Rescue is in a contest and I need you to vote for it (entry #6)!
Besides helping me out, you'll have fun checking out all the trailers (there are some tough competitors!).
Please vote by Friday (entry #6!), before the polls close: click here.
Besides helping me out, you'll have fun checking out all the trailers (there are some tough competitors!).
Please vote by Friday (entry #6!), before the polls close: click here.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Three "Must Haves" When I Write
1 - QUIET (easier said than done when you have two young children)
2 - No distractions (i.e., no internet!)
3 - I must be in the mood (I don’t write for a living and don’t want to because I never want it to stop being fun)
And what crayon color would I choose to be? Find out here!
2 - No distractions (i.e., no internet!)
3 - I must be in the mood (I don’t write for a living and don’t want to because I never want it to stop being fun)
And what crayon color would I choose to be? Find out here!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Journey through a World of Books
That's where I am today (electronically, that is...physically, I'm working a motorcycle show in San Francisco)! And she asks:
If you could wish for anything, what would it be?
I'm pretty satisfied with where I am in life. But in terms of my writing...what the heck, if you're going to dream, why not dream big? I would like my next novel to be picked up by an agent and publisher and become ridiculously popular - to the point there's a bidding war for the movie rights (to BOTH novels) and I finally get to produce a musical (in which I would do the singing). :-)
Read more here!
If you could wish for anything, what would it be?
I'm pretty satisfied with where I am in life. But in terms of my writing...what the heck, if you're going to dream, why not dream big? I would like my next novel to be picked up by an agent and publisher and become ridiculously popular - to the point there's a bidding war for the movie rights (to BOTH novels) and I finally get to produce a musical (in which I would do the singing). :-)
Read more here!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
How I got Into Flying Helicopters
Today I'm at "Reading at the Beach" talking about how I became a helicopter pilot. Here's an excerpt:
"The Army trained me as a medic and an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). I was not a good soldier...but I loved being a paramedic. Where I responded to Army 'regiment' with near-distain, what I was trained for had the opposite effect: I liked splinting a broken leg. Inserting an IV. Dressing a sucking chest wound. One weekend a month I was a grunt soldier and a token medic. But for two weeks in the summer I was a soldier medic. And during our two-week training of my third year in the Guard, I took part in a mock battlefield exercise that changed my life..."
Read more here!
"The Army trained me as a medic and an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). I was not a good soldier...but I loved being a paramedic. Where I responded to Army 'regiment' with near-distain, what I was trained for had the opposite effect: I liked splinting a broken leg. Inserting an IV. Dressing a sucking chest wound. One weekend a month I was a grunt soldier and a token medic. But for two weeks in the summer I was a soldier medic. And during our two-week training of my third year in the Guard, I took part in a mock battlefield exercise that changed my life..."
Read more here!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Advice for Aspiring Authors
That's just one of the interview questions from Katie Bug today. Here's what I said:
Forget about writing what you know (that would be so boring for most of us!), but do your homework to make it as real as possible (but don't get too carried away - it is fiction, after all!). Don't write for a particular goal or market; write what makes your heart sing.
Read the rest of the interview here!
Forget about writing what you know (that would be so boring for most of us!), but do your homework to make it as real as possible (but don't get too carried away - it is fiction, after all!). Don't write for a particular goal or market; write what makes your heart sing.
Read the rest of the interview here!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Writing Sex Scenes!
Today I'm also at Mary Eason's Blog, and she's got some good questions for me, including one about writing sex scenes!
I try to write scenes with sexual tension rather than actual sex (usually) – which I find more difficult than an actual sex scene, but so much more powerful! I also like to place that tension in unexpected places or situations.
To read a FREE 'sexual tension' excerpt from Last Chance Rescue, check this out!
I try to write scenes with sexual tension rather than actual sex (usually) – which I find more difficult than an actual sex scene, but so much more powerful! I also like to place that tension in unexpected places or situations.
To read a FREE 'sexual tension' excerpt from Last Chance Rescue, check this out!
What I Like to Drink and other Oddball Questions
J.A. Saare had some fun, unusual questions for me today, including this one: "What's your favorite beverage when you write?"
My answer: If I'm home: wine (white zinfandel is a favorite) or Hornsby's hard apple cider. (I also like Smirnoff Ice but it's too much high fructose corn syrup.) If I'm stealing an hour at a café, I'm smitten with Panera's mango smoothie.
See what other oddball tidbits Jaime got out of me here!
My answer: If I'm home: wine (white zinfandel is a favorite) or Hornsby's hard apple cider. (I also like Smirnoff Ice but it's too much high fructose corn syrup.) If I'm stealing an hour at a café, I'm smitten with Panera's mango smoothie.
See what other oddball tidbits Jaime got out of me here!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Why the Colorado Rockies?
That's what Tamela Quijas wanted to know. Today she hosts me at her Web site (check it out!).
Here's a sneak preview...
In essence, the setting is an external analogy for their internal struggles (or: an external parallel to their internal struggles).
The physicality of the location (mountain) offers me as a writer plenty of obstacles to put in my characters' paths. And obstacles are what I use to show how my characters develop over the course of the story. Without obstacles there is no story. And - for me - if a character isn't changed by his/her experiences, then it's not a very interesting story...
Here's a sneak preview...
In essence, the setting is an external analogy for their internal struggles (or: an external parallel to their internal struggles).
The physicality of the location (mountain) offers me as a writer plenty of obstacles to put in my characters' paths. And obstacles are what I use to show how my characters develop over the course of the story. Without obstacles there is no story. And - for me - if a character isn't changed by his/her experiences, then it's not a very interesting story...
What is the Hardest Thing about Writing?
Today I'm being "hosted" by Book Junkie! Here's one of the questions:
For you, what is the hardest part of writing a novel? Concept, Characterization, Plotting, Writing the story, Synopsis/Query letter writing, etc.?
I think it's ALL hard! Thank goodness I don't have to do it for a living! Characterization is a challenge. I do better if I take time up front to flesh out the characters before I start writing, but if I've been inspired, I'm off and writing before I've got a full 'picture' of a particular character in my head. And writing the story often comes down to just putting my butt in the chair. I often find it more enjoyable to just daydream and fantasize about it...getting it onto the computer screen is much more difficult!
For you, what is the hardest part of writing a novel? Concept, Characterization, Plotting, Writing the story, Synopsis/Query letter writing, etc.?
I think it's ALL hard! Thank goodness I don't have to do it for a living! Characterization is a challenge. I do better if I take time up front to flesh out the characters before I start writing, but if I've been inspired, I'm off and writing before I've got a full 'picture' of a particular character in my head. And writing the story often comes down to just putting my butt in the chair. I often find it more enjoyable to just daydream and fantasize about it...getting it onto the computer screen is much more difficult!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tomboy Talk
Today I am 'talking' with Marianne Arkins about why I wrote "Last Chance Rescue" from a male point of view. Here's how the post starts:
"Did you consider yourself a tomboy?"
When I was a kid, all the neighborhood kids ran around together. We were a mini-gang and we were outdoors all the time, climbing on jungle gyms, playing tag and hide-and-seek, creating chalk drawings, running through sprinklers or building elaborate snow forts.
I never fell out of a tree. I never broke a bone. I didn't play organized sports (not that I didn’t want to, but that’s another story).
I didn't have dolls, but I had LOTS of stuffed animals, each with their own name and personality (hmm ... the early writer in me??).
So...no...I never felt like a tomboy!
But...
Read the full interview here!
"Did you consider yourself a tomboy?"
When I was a kid, all the neighborhood kids ran around together. We were a mini-gang and we were outdoors all the time, climbing on jungle gyms, playing tag and hide-and-seek, creating chalk drawings, running through sprinklers or building elaborate snow forts.
I never fell out of a tree. I never broke a bone. I didn't play organized sports (not that I didn’t want to, but that’s another story).
I didn't have dolls, but I had LOTS of stuffed animals, each with their own name and personality (hmm ... the early writer in me??).
So...no...I never felt like a tomboy!
But...
Read the full interview here!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Book Tour: Talking Motorcycles (ah, one of my favorite topics...)
Today I'm talking motorcycles with Susquehanna Writers...
My transformation is almost complete.
“Where the devil did I put those gloves?” I mutter.
By “gloves,” I don’t mean winter gloves. I mean riding gloves.
Because today—for a few hours, at least—I am, simply…a biker chick. Today I will seek comfort and tranquility where I have found it so many times before: in the arms of an “iron horse.”
Read it here!
My transformation is almost complete.
“Where the devil did I put those gloves?” I mutter.
By “gloves,” I don’t mean winter gloves. I mean riding gloves.
Because today—for a few hours, at least—I am, simply…a biker chick. Today I will seek comfort and tranquility where I have found it so many times before: in the arms of an “iron horse.”
Read it here!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
TWO romance book tour stops today!
The second is Diane Craver's Blog at www.dianecraver.com/blog
She asked me how I met my husband, and I told her about my difficulty with flashbacks while writing Last Chance Rescue (hint: they kept trying to steal the show).
Check out HER books too!
She asked me how I met my husband, and I told her about my difficulty with flashbacks while writing Last Chance Rescue (hint: they kept trying to steal the show).
Check out HER books too!
"My Defining Moment" on today's book tour stop
Today I'm at LONG LIVE CHICK LIT! Here's a teaser...
I've tended to “grow into” each new identity.
Being a writer is no different.
Perhaps I should pause here and try to define the difference between "writer" and "author" (in my opinion). I do this because I've been a writer since I was in my teens; I wrote for fun and relaxation with no thought to ever being "published." Almost anyone can write (maybe not well, but they do).
Being an author, on the other hand, requires a more intentional approach - and a whole lot more persistence! (And in many ways, it's also tied to publication.)
Until recently, I didn't consider myself an author.
In fact, I'm still getting used to the idea (e.g., "growing into" that identity)!
So what was the defining moment?
There were two...
Read the rest here!
I've tended to “grow into” each new identity.
Being a writer is no different.
Perhaps I should pause here and try to define the difference between "writer" and "author" (in my opinion). I do this because I've been a writer since I was in my teens; I wrote for fun and relaxation with no thought to ever being "published." Almost anyone can write (maybe not well, but they do).
Being an author, on the other hand, requires a more intentional approach - and a whole lot more persistence! (And in many ways, it's also tied to publication.)
Until recently, I didn't consider myself an author.
In fact, I'm still getting used to the idea (e.g., "growing into" that identity)!
So what was the defining moment?
There were two...
Read the rest here!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Second virtual book tour stop: Razlover's Book Blog
Sample interview question: If you weren't an author what would you be?
TLC: I would be what I already am: a wife and mother (my children are 2 and 6), a daughter and a sister. A business owner (my husband and I own a motorcycle accessories business, www.LeaderMotorcycle.com). A pilot, a skier, a singer, a taiko drummer ... in short, I wouldn't trade the fullness of my real life for what is admittedly a full 'fantasy' life!
Read the complete interview!
TLC: I would be what I already am: a wife and mother (my children are 2 and 6), a daughter and a sister. A business owner (my husband and I own a motorcycle accessories business, www.LeaderMotorcycle.com). A pilot, a skier, a singer, a taiko drummer ... in short, I wouldn't trade the fullness of my real life for what is admittedly a full 'fantasy' life!
Read the complete interview!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Virtual "book tour" is now underway
First stop, Chris Redding! Here's a sample of the discussion so far:
CHRIS: What is your favorite word?
TLC: Actually, I have two favorite words: ‘discombobulated’ and ‘caddywampus’ (and you would have laughed to hear them as some of my childrens’ first words!).
CHRIS: What place haven’t you visited that you would like to go?
TLC: Alaska. Baja, Mexico. Sea kayak the Santa Barbara Islands. Heli-ski the Canadian mountains. Raft the Grand Canyon. There’s a lot of rivers I’d like to raft someday...
CHRIS: What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?
TLC: I would like to have been alive (preferably male) during the gold rush period in the American ‘wild west.’ I have a fascination with old mining towns.
CHRIS: What’s your favorite thing about your book?
TLC: The girl gets to be the hero! :-)
See all tour dates and locations here!
CHRIS: What is your favorite word?
TLC: Actually, I have two favorite words: ‘discombobulated’ and ‘caddywampus’ (and you would have laughed to hear them as some of my childrens’ first words!).
CHRIS: What place haven’t you visited that you would like to go?
TLC: Alaska. Baja, Mexico. Sea kayak the Santa Barbara Islands. Heli-ski the Canadian mountains. Raft the Grand Canyon. There’s a lot of rivers I’d like to raft someday...
CHRIS: What other time period besides your own would you like to experience?
TLC: I would like to have been alive (preferably male) during the gold rush period in the American ‘wild west.’ I have a fascination with old mining towns.
CHRIS: What’s your favorite thing about your book?
TLC: The girl gets to be the hero! :-)
See all tour dates and locations here!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Last Chance "Book Trailer" Goes Internet-Wide
Did you know there are entire Web sites devoted to "trailers" (like mini-movies) for BOOKS? They are much better than YouTube if you're a reader. But one warning: These are addicting (I had to pull myself away)! The trailer for Last Chance Rescue has been accepted/posted at the following:
bookscreening.com
previewthebook.com
blazingtrailers.com
TrailerSpy.com
To go directly to the Last Chance Trailer, click here (windows media file). Thanks to Gregory Rohm for the design work!
bookscreening.com
previewthebook.com
blazingtrailers.com
TrailerSpy.com
To go directly to the Last Chance Trailer, click here (windows media file). Thanks to Gregory Rohm for the design work!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Interview: Why I "Write Like a Man"
I was recently interviewed about "Last Chance Rescue" by a radio station in Maine. We talked about writing from a male perspective and why men would enjoy the book (the interviewers were both men) and why I don't consider myself a tomboy even though I 'write like a man'!
The interview was about 18 minutes long (although commercials take up minutes 3-6) and if you're so inclined you can listen to it here (windows media file). Special thanks to Tim for formatting!
Hear about my experience as a military medic, as well as why I decided to become a helicopter pilot (and how I ended up doing ride-alongs with Dick Chaney's Secret Service team!).
We talked about the idea behind the book (how a major wake-up call can change a life) as well as what I like to explore in my writing (internal struggles with past/intimacy/regrets or unreasonable fears) and how I use the setting/physical danger to develop the characters.
Sometimes it's better than reading!
The interview was about 18 minutes long (although commercials take up minutes 3-6) and if you're so inclined you can listen to it here (windows media file). Special thanks to Tim for formatting!
Hear about my experience as a military medic, as well as why I decided to become a helicopter pilot (and how I ended up doing ride-alongs with Dick Chaney's Secret Service team!).
We talked about the idea behind the book (how a major wake-up call can change a life) as well as what I like to explore in my writing (internal struggles with past/intimacy/regrets or unreasonable fears) and how I use the setting/physical danger to develop the characters.
Sometimes it's better than reading!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Last Chance Rescue Scores in Contest
"The Long and the Short of It" romance reviews Web site put "Last Chance Rescue" on its weekly poll this past weekend. Although it didn't win top honors (I think its final 'standing' was third out of the ten listed), the site's review is phenomenal and is worth reading whether you've read the book yet or not. Here's the start of it:
"You rescued me, and I don’t mean just from the mountain." The how, where, when, and why of this quotation is the essence of this beautiful love story that is full of action, emotion, introspection, and sharing of life.
The learning to love oneself in order to truly love another who will give love in return is another compelling part of this novel. In addition, the acceptance of others and their limitations comes into play as the main characters come to terms with issues that cause deep-seated anger, guilt, and feelings of self-doubt.
To read the complete review, click here.
Thank you to those who got my link this weekend and voted for me!
"You rescued me, and I don’t mean just from the mountain." The how, where, when, and why of this quotation is the essence of this beautiful love story that is full of action, emotion, introspection, and sharing of life.
The learning to love oneself in order to truly love another who will give love in return is another compelling part of this novel. In addition, the acceptance of others and their limitations comes into play as the main characters come to terms with issues that cause deep-seated anger, guilt, and feelings of self-doubt.
To read the complete review, click here.
Thank you to those who got my link this weekend and voted for me!
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