Getting Serious.

Writing is a little like falling in love.

You meet writing for the first time. 

You dive in recklessly and with abandon, without any real aspiration other than just seeing if you CAN. Seeing if what's in your head looks good on paper in the first place. It's a heady feeling. You are the consummate artist, tapping frantically into your laptop in the back of a coffee shop, fueled by an irrepressible idea and too much caffeine.

But as with any love story, things don't go smoothly...

Conversation is always a little awkward on the first date. 

Where do those pesky quotation marks go anyway? Do you start a new line? Hit the tab key for dialogue? What do you say after or before or in the middle of the conversation other than...'he/she said'?! Why is this so complicated?

On the second date, you start getting a few niggling doubts. 

Do you really have a plot? How long is it going to take to get to THE SCENE that's been burning a hole in your mental pocket since you typed the first word? Can you even make it that far? And is it lying or laying? Really. That just doesn't look right.

Then...

A friend reveals your writing's true feelings for you. 

You finally pull together enough courage to actually SHOW your writing to someone, and they come back to you raving and saying that they LOVE IT and please WRITE MORE and I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE SO TALENTED. It is a revelation. The relationship takes a whole new serious tone. This isn't just playing around with a few ideas and paddling in the shallow end of the writing pool. Now you're considering getting serious with writing.

So, you take a bit leap and...

You bring your writing home to meet the parents (a.k.a. real reviewers). 

Oh. Not good. They really REALLY disapprove. A debrief reveals that out of an entire chapter, one partial sentence might truly show promise. Your writing has been tried and found wanting.

You consider breaking up with writing. It was obviously not meant to be. You turn to your good friends quilting and Facebook as a focus to get your mind off of the train wreck that is your relationship with writing. Quilting lets you tell sad stories over a glass of wine and doesn't judge you. You decide it's all over with writing.

But...

Writing just won't leave you alone. 

It keeps bugging you with new story ideas. New characters wandering around your head wanting to be let out. What has writing done to you? What horrific brainwashing has taken place?

So...

You confront writing, and agree that you want to go steady. 

You write not one story, but two. You're hitting 2000 words a day, despite your full time day-job. You buy Scrivener so you and writing can spend more quality time together. You start a blog to tell the world about the journey you and writing are on in your relationship. You start to tweet with other people who are also in love with writing, and laugh together about the foibles and struggles of being in love with writing.

Then...

Writing gets down on one knee and asks if you want to make this relationship...permanent.

And you panic.

You run away. Far away.

You are too busy. You have no time. Your laptop has a virus. Writing has so many other lovers, why would it need you? And how would you make a living, married to writing? Everyone knows there is no money in it.

You and writing 'take a break'. 

So, now what? The fence is a painful place, especially when you find yourself perched on it for nearly a year. You halfheartedly check twitter every few weeks. You occasionally pick up one of the twelve stories you started and never finished. You change a few words here or there. Change them back again. Watch 'Breaking Bad' from end-to-end. Eat a lot of ice cream.

*Siiiiiiiiiiigh*

You decide to go see writing. Just to say 'Hi.'

You look deep into writing's eyes (stay with me, no matter how thin the metaphor is stretching here). You take a deep breath.

Okay, It's time. No more denying how you feel. Let's do this thing.



Ryan Gosling memes courtesy of  http://goslinggetswriters.tumblr.com/
Balloon image Copyright: federicofoto / 123RF Stock Photo

Kindle Romance Covers of the Week - 21st April 2013

It's that time again! I've romped through the recently released romances as if they were a field full of spring flowers, and picked out my favourite covers for another week. I can't promise to be able to do this every week, but I got such a great response to the last two that I can't help keeping it going.

You'll note that I don't use any form of scientific analysis, scoring or other formal evaluation. I just pick out what I LIKE. So, the following is entirely my personal and purely subjective opinion. No critics were injured in the writing of this blog post.

And as ever, My Disclaimer: I haven't the foggiest if the following books are the next big sensation, or if they'll end up in your e-reader's DNF folder. I leave the reviewing of any contents to the experts (and to you, Dear Reader).

But first...

VICTORIA DAHL - TOO HOT TO HANDLE

That's right, folks, Victoria Dahl's latest full-length novel is now available in the UK on Kindle! Was chuffed to see this cover pull through into the list this week. If you don't already follow Victoria on Twitter, you are missing out on serious entertainment. As for the cover, I love the bold, fresh 'non-regulation-issue' colours she uses. And who can resist a pillow fight?

TREND SPOTTING: IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONOCHROME

I'm only going to pick on one trend this week, as it seems to be a rather BIG one. And I confess, I'm cheating a little, as I was curious about trends in the most POPULAR books from the Hot Release section (ebooks published on Amazon in the past 30 days).

With all the spring colour bursting up with the first warm weather we've had, I was sort of expecting to see a lot more vibrant Romance covers in the Popular list. But it seems the 50 Shades effect is still firmly with us, and all I can see is wall to wall shades of grey/blue/brown...monochrome.

Okay, there are a few with contrasting colour in the titles, but I was shocked at how many of the top 50 titles went for the two-toned look. It must appeal to readers though, as many buy a book by judging the cover, right (I know you do...you DO)?

RUNNERS UP!

LOVELY COUPLES

Here are some of my faves from this week - nice cozy couples (see? I don't just go for weird, abstract, dino-slipper covers!)

Title: Scarlet Heat

Author: Evangeline Anderson
Publisher: Evangeline Anderson Books
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

This is probably the closest I get to putting a stamp of approval on a 'traditional' Romance cover (i.e. barely-clothed dramatic/passionate couple, wrapped in a torrid embrace)! She's a reluctant vampire, he's a secret werewolf with a cross-species marriage of (in)convenience thrown in. What I liked was the whole balance of colour - the gentleness of the figures, which leans more towards tender than raving-lust-filled, and the combination of title fonts. It's very pleasing on the eye. Though for all that, Evangeline does promise "Lots and lots of steamy sex." o_O

Title: Falling into Forever
Author: Lauren Abrams
Publisher: Amazon/Self-Published

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Simple, uncomplicated composition. Another in the 'monochrome' theme, but the simplicity is sexy, I think. At first I thought this might be another vampire romance, based on the neck-nibbling. But it's listed as Contemporary New Adult, set in New York and involves a hunky movie star and a lost love. Verdict: Simple and sensual. 

Title: Faster We Burn
Author: Chelsea M Cameron
Publisher: Amazon/Self-Published
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Love the soft colours on this cover, with the flowing text over-top of the cuddling lovers. The way the hands are just touching is tender and intimate - makes me want to know what's going to happen between these two. It also gives a much gentler and vulnerable impression than the story blurb - hoping the inside and outside line up! The only thing that kept this cover from being my favourite of the week was that for me, the title blended into the background picture. Even in this size, its hard to make out the words, and in an Amazon-size thumbnail, the contrast was too low to read it at all. otherwise, it's a lovely combination!

LONELY LADIES

In which I prove to have a weird thing for women's necks. Apparently. 

Title: Shades of Truth
Author: C.L. Stockton
Publisher: Amazon/Self-Published
Genre: Historical Romance

It's hard to go wrong when you start with such a pretty photograph. The tendrils of hair are nicely echoed in the swirl of the h in 'Truth'. The fine, dark lines of her hair, the text and the necklace pull the whole piece together. The only thing that lets this cover down (in my opinion), and also out of the running as my pick of the week, is the somewhat claustrophobic thin black border that's been added around the left-hand side. Perhaps without it, it looked too contemporary for a historical romance? Either way, I feel it spoils (just slightly), the tranquillity of the image. But other than that...LOVE.

Title: The Vessel
Author: Felicia Tatum
Publisher: Amazon/Self-Published
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

If she touches you, Olivia can see how you'll die. Scott is under a family curse, but can visit Olivia in her dreams. Sound like a rather intriguing set-up? The cover caught my eye - how can you miss all that red hair? Very Pre-Raphaelite. Lovely contrast with the blue, and the pose is very pretty. I believe the rest of her is visible around the back of the printed book, which is clever. Again, slight issue for me with the title text blending into the image (sensing a trend here!).

Title: Ripper - A Love Story
Author: Lance Taubold & Richard Devin
Publisher: 13Thirty Books
Genre: Historical Romance/Thriller

You have to admit, this is the perfect cover for a historical serial killer romance-thriller where the leading man is also a suspect. There's elegant sensuality, mystery and splashes (literally!) of bloody murder. The font is strong and fits well with the historical timeframe. And for that little addition of something chilling, how's the 'telling ghost stories by the campfire' upwards lighting working for you? I'm hooked.

Title: Barely Breathing
Author: Heather Allen
Publisher: Heather Allen
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Not sure if it's just from following the intrepid and incredible Ksenia Anske as she chronicles the writing of her Siren Suicides novel(s), but I see a lot of amazing underwater photography around these days. And where better to utilize it than on a mermaid love story!! Gorgeous muted colours, dramatic pose, and the text against the red is lovely. I can't resist a cover that seems to plunge me into the middle of the story (is she drowning? dead?) before I've even read the first page.

LAST BUT BY NO MEANS LEAST...

No neat categories for these other than 'I LIKE'. And I'll have to suspense my analysis for now or this post will be out just before Christmas 2014 (if we're lucky).

Title: Cross Currents

Author: Beatrice Aird O'Hanlon

Publisher: SilverWood Books

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Title: Poison
Author: Sarah Pinborough
Publisher: Gollancz
Genre: Fantasy Fairy Tale Romance

Title: Second Hand Lace
Author: Jenna Lehne
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance


Drum roll please...

PICK OF THE WEEK

I actually surprised myself with this one. As you can probably tell, I gravitate towards moody, dramatic images with lots of contrast. But each time I went through the covers, this one kept grabbing me. Okay, so on the surface it has a feel of that 'Chic Lit' clip-art feel that we've come to love/loathe. But somehow this one goes further.

I think what I love about it is the pink calligraphy. I've seen some of those old, original manuscripts where the scribe just went bonkers (or got bored) and did more swirls of the pen than seemed entirely necessary, and that's exactly what we have here. That or a wedding invitation gone horribly and irrevocably wrong. It's the way the calligraphy then tangles with the other little elements which pulls it all together for me. The title is still clear and readable (a miracle, in all those swoops and swishes), and it's just...FUN. (Yes. I occasionally dabble in...fun.)


Title: Brave Hart (One Woman's Search for that Most Elusive of Things, a Happy Ending)
Author: Kristofer Spyrou
Publisher: Amazon/Self-Publish
Genre: Contemporary/Humour Romance

Not to be forgotten....

ABS OF THE WEEK AWARD!!

I'm sorry, but this man's arms HAVE THEIR OWN ABS. Is that even possible?!

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Before I go, a few words of warning.

Beware of George Wickham...especially if he has a glowing eye. o_O

Beware the disembodied hand. With a ring.

Beware the Grammar Police if this is your title. Eep.

There are no words.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did - See you all next week!

eReader-with-books image Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos (with some editing from me!)

Kindle Romance Covers of the Week - 13 April 2013

Had some fun last week, so here we are again! Trolling through the ridiculously huge number of freshly published Romance Kindle books from the past week. Seriously, folks - do you even KNOW how many books come out in a week now? And how many of those are going to be any good?

Well, that's not my concern for now - I'm only interested in which ones are decidedly PRETTY. 

My disclaimer, as before: I have nary a clue whether the following titles are any good, or should instead be re-purposed as virtual loo-roll or so much digital compost for your game of Farmville.

But first...some TRENDS:

The All-Seeing Eye

I find this homage to the Dark Lord a particularly disturbing and icky trend (four, in a week?!), considering these are meant to be ROMANCE, baby! Perhaps opticians find these particularly sexy? I expect, in hindsight (ha!), these authors may regret the use of ONE BIG EYE on their front covers?

The Upside-down Backwards Spidey Smoochers

I'm seeing this a lot. Reminiscent of the Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst famous upside-down-Spider-Man-kiss, I suppose the pose does lend itself to an interesting composition. But have you ever actually tried kissing anyone like this? Not only does it feel...weird, you end up staring at their chin, which has you instantly imagining that you are now kissing an alien creature which has a very small head, and no other facial features other than some ENORMOUS HUMAN LIPS. That, and you might chip a tooth. Disorientation etc. 

Okay, on to some of my favourites from this week...

Runners Up (so many!!)

Title: Killer Smile

Author: Anita Bell

Publisher: Amazon/Self-Published

Genre: Comedy/Romance

I picked this one out partly because it caught my attention (PINK FUZZY DINO FEET SLIPPERS!!! Need I say more?), but more because I thought it captured the comedy/romance genre mix well. Whether it's actually funny or not - you tell me!

Title: The Hot Scot

Author: Kate Eden

Publisher: Kate Eden

Genre: Romance/Fantasy/Vampire

I just thought this was a great piece of graphic design, really. Bold contrast, cute tartan highlight, and great choice of font for the text. Hot Scottish vampire meets sexy art curator? Might be an interesting read!

Title: All I Want Is You

Author: Elizabeth Anthony

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Genre: Historical Romance

I know, there are plenty of scantily-clad-ladies-type covers out there, but I thought this one was particularly good. Following the trend to more minimalist colouring (thanks again, Ms James), your eye is more focused on the sense of fragility and insecurity in the woman's pose. There's something going on emotionally, which draws me in. The font-choice is also to be commended - with the story set in the 1920s, the Art-Deco style is fitting.

Title: Dear Thing

Author: Julie Cohen

Publisher: Transworld Digital

Genre: Contemporary Romance

This is definitely a beautiful cover, photographically and compositionally. I was in two minds about it, though, as it's one of those covers you're supposed to think is beautiful. Almost a little too 'sweet', if you know what I mean. As if someone polled every woman on Pinterest and made a composite image of the most popular pins. But the story itself centers around a woman desperate for a child and how her attempts to have one affect her relationships with those around her. So I have to say, if the little shoes fit...

Title: Exile

Author: Muffi Beyer

Publisher: Amazon/Self-Published

Genre: Contemporary Romance

What with the Captain Jack Sparrow sailing ship on the horizon, I wouldn't have taken this for a Contemporary Romance, but it is! A closer inspection shows the composite nature of this cover, but I felt it was very well put together. The title married with the image creates a certain intrigue. Nice use of a single-word title, and well-balance, nicely contrasting composition.

And Finally...

My Pick of the Week

Title: Angel Fall

Author: Susan Ee

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Genre: Fantasy/Post-Apocalyptic Romance

Another Hodder & Stoughton title, this was a done-deal the second I clapped eyes on it. It's just...delicious. What can I say? Simple, elegant, mysterious. Textures and colours...yum. It is just so darn PRETTY. I am incapable of dissecting it any further other than I LIKE IT. A lot. If you could just bottle it, you'd be very rich.

Part of a series, this book is apparently fairly hotly anticipated, and it looks like I might just have to read it sooner or later. Published this week in the UK and already 222 reviews with a 4.5 star average? They can't all be wrong, just sayin'. 

Wait...not quite done! Can't forget...of course, our...

Abs of the Week Award!

Okay, I admit it. I'm cheating this week. This one is pure 'back-abs' (IS there such a thing?!). But I figured y'all wouldn't mind.

Though however pretty the cover is, this is one very poignant reminder of the importance of DOUBLE-CHECKING spelling! Can you spot it?

Have you had any publishing typo-horror stories happen to you?

EReader/Books Image: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Kindle Romance Covers of the Week

I can't resist it any longer. I've just got to do some eBook cover art 'reviews' before I bust! I had a wander through the latest Romance releases on Amazon (UK), and thought I'd pick out a few that caught my eye - for good or ill. I didn't manage to get ALL the way through all 300 pages of new eBooks, but decided to concentrate on everything published in the past week starting from the 'Hot New Releases' section on Amazon.co.uk:

Kindle Store › Kindle eBooks › Romance › Last 30 days

The list on Amazon is a mixture of traditionally published and self-published books, so you might think it's not exactly a fair fight. But I was pleasantly surprised how the quality of self-pub covers is going up (in places *ahem*). There are still plenty of clangers out there, but I'll try to be kind!

DISCLAIMER: Any and all of the below thoughts expressed are based entirely upon my personal opinion and on the cover artwork alone. As these books have just barely been published, I leave the judgement of their contents up to the readers...

But first..

Sensing a Trend Here...

Ladies...seeing this pose a number of times. Is this like...a thing? Do I need to dust off the old thigh-master workout? And seriously...WHO has legs that long?

Prettiest Cover

I love the delicacy of the blossoms with the text. It surprised me even more to discover that this is actually a somewhat dark-sounding M/M romance! Intriguing. Not sure if the juxtiposition of the cover with the story blurb is a mismatch or a clever hook...

Best of Black & White

I liked both of these for different reasons. Bound to be Punished looks like it follows in the 50 Shades 'tradition', but unlike so many 'erotic romances' (read: people get tied up), this cover is tasteful, sensual and beautifully photographed.

The cover for Taste of Love by Stephanie Nicole is just too cute. Different, and how many romance covers do you see where the guy is wearing a hat? And if they weren't both half-naked, I get the feeling they'll break out into a rumba any second now.

Runners-Up

Scandal in the Recency Ballroom - Louise Allen: I loved the pose and attitude of the model for this one. I am FAR from being any sort of expert, but is she really wearing regency dress? I usually think empire-waistlines, but I might be wrong. Still, it's a strong image and it sits well against the text.

Alpha Girl - Kate Bloomfield: Got to love that amber eye staring out at you! In a world of thumbnails, a cover like this catches your attention, which is exactly what you want. It also sits well for me as it's cross-genre, and I can instantly pick that out the moment I see it.

 

Fever - Maya Banks: A very pretty, minimalist cover, and gets us away from all the embracing couples!! Nothing wrong with embracing couples, of course, but as you've probably already guessed, I'm a mixed-genre kinda gal, and I like a cover that's unique with a hint of mystery.

My Pick of the Week

I've selected Unraveling by Micalea Smletzer as my favourite for this week. The composition is strong and emotive. The contrast between her skin and hair great, and then the light detail motifs and the text just set the whole piece off. I loved the little detail of unraveling below the text, which itself follows the theme of its title. Split into three, it's as if the title itself is unraveling. I love it when the concept is taken right through, but not in a hit-you-over-the-head sort of way.

Aaaand just for fun...The Abs of the Week Award!

Because...we can.

P.S. I've linked all the pics to the 'Look Inside' on Amazon, so you can see all these lovely covers up close and in full detail.

EReader & Books image Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Love for Sale - Valentine's Eve

Here I am, again posting on Valentine's 'Eve' for another year! The funny thing is, my husband and I don't actually celebrate February14th. Don't get me wrong, we don't consciously avoid it. I have no boycott-type feelings about it at all. But somehow it's not one of our 'special' days - probably because it never figured into our original courtship.

But of course, it's a special day for Romance, so let's celebrate that!

And, as usual, there's a flurry of articles floating around the interwebs regarding romantic love. It always seems to bring out everyone's gripes or applause for Valentine's Day. And along with it comes the big question: WHAT IS ROMANTIC LOVE?

Obviously, this is a question quite important to anyone pursuing a relationship or looking for a partner. But it's also a huge question for Romance writers. What image or theory of love are we infusing into our writing? What 'brand' of love are we selling?

In his article on the BBC website, "Down with Romantic Love", writer Mark Vernon makes his point against the "romantic myth". According to Mark, this myth "...is that there is someone out there with whom your life will be complete, and conversely, without whom your life would be a half-life."

Okay, so we can toss poor Mark out of the Love Boat and condemn him as he falls overboard. It's easy to feel defensive when someone is critiquing a concept you hold dear! Do I believe that if someone is single, they are living a half-life? Hell, no. Is it possible for two people to become more than the sum of their parts when together? Hell, yes.

The truth is, it's not so black and white as Mark lays out, and I somehow doubt that this ''romantic myth" is nearly so pervasive as he implies. There is a middle ground, and this middle ground is where I intend to remain.

My fear is not so much that too many people will believe in the destructive "romantic myth". My worry is that not enough people in this world believe that true, deep, exciting, long-lasting and 'romantic' love is actually possible. After all, what is 'romantic'? Isn't it something to do with that little thrill you feel when you haven't seen that person for a few hours or days, and you see them walking towards you and you know that they are somehow, irrevocably YOURS? That you share a life, and being in it together makes it more exciting, not less?

I totally agree with Mark when he says that, "Love is made in the gritty ups and downs of being with someone who is as flawed as you." I'm with you there. But that doesn't mean that after years of marriage or partnership that you shouldn't expect there to still be a spark. That when the honeymoon is long over, you should stop yearning for thoughtful gestures and playfulness in your partner.

So here's the sorta love I want to "sell" in my writing...

• A love that is HOT. There is chemistry. There is steaminess. It's a match so true that even your bodies know you should be together. It's not everything, but it's pretty essential.
• A love that digs down DEEP and keeps on digging until all the darkness and shadows are out in the daylight and you can sift through them and cry through them and get to the other side. 
• A love that is REAL. Eyes-open, grounded and made to last.

Not much to ask for, right?

Happy Valentine's Day, Romance - we're not giving up on you yet!

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever." – The Notebook


Image Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos