The Ultra Exciting Doing A Happy Dance COVER Reveal #publishing #ellorascave

Posted on May 19, 2013 by britb

waltzwithalawman_msrIt has been far, far too long since I’ve had a cover reveal.

I just read back over every email from my new editor and I can’t find a release date in case anyone asks.

I’m grinning about not finding one.

It’s probably because the story will be in edits for…how long?  Sigh.  Not sighing for me, but I hate to cause a lot of work for someone new in my life.

It’s complicated. :-)

Not the process, but the character’s life was complicated.  And I haven’t been in edits for a full length manuscript for an even longer time.

I feel so blessed that the new editor in my life saw fit to help me bring this story to life.  I’m really emotionally invested in this one.

The bones of the story idea happened way back in 2000.  It was my first attempt at writing.  The first story I thought of writing was a western.  The final result is not at all what it once started to be.  However, my love of both cowboys and all things west shows.

I’ve believe I’ve read all of the Louis L’Amour books.  I have the leather-bound collection.  I have the leather-bound The Old West Time-Life Collection.  I lived on the outskirts of Phoenix on a mountain with few neighbors for many years.  We were surrounded by other mountains that had visible mine shafts from the olden days.  I could see a mine shaft from my back door.  (Yes, I explored it and others) Our well driller taught us how to find the shards of Native American pottery on our land…and we found more than I would have believed when he told of us the possibility.  It was rumored to have once been an Apache settlement.

Last, but not least, I was raised on a horse ranch and all that entailed.  Sure there were other things, dairy cows, chicken and crops, but the horses took precedence over all aspects of life.  After over 40 books, this is my first western. Can you see why I’m dancing?

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Blocking a Scene and Why it Matters #publishing #self-publishing

Posted on May 17, 2013 by britb

Depositphotos_9238648_msmI was reading a book a couple of days ago and ran across an excerpt that surprised me.

And not because I haven’t seen this same scenario before.

I’ve seen it many times in point of fact. But I knew a little about the process that produced this particular book. While self-published, it had a professional editor. In a small section of dialog something like this happened:

First of all, let me point out that I’m in Little Ant’s POV (point of view). She’s meeting someone for the first time. And these are not the exact words taken from the book.

His voice had a potent whisky quality that sent chills down Little Ant’s spine. It exuded danger with more than a hint of sexual bravado. “Hello,” he said. “My name is Handsome Ant. Have we met?”

What just happened?  I know…you’re wondering if Little Ant has a spine.  But that’s another issue.

How did Little Ant know what Handsome Ant’s voice sounded like before he’d even spoken? The author didn’t catch it, nor the editor. If this was on the author’s first or second book, it wouldn’t have been so glaring, but it wasn’t. stone blocks

This is a simple example of what it means to BLOCK a scene. It can be simple. You can’t smell the gunpowder before the weapon is fired.  You can’t describe a voice before someone speaks.  And you’re thinking…I wouldn’t do that.  Huh.

Sometimes the blocking may be correct, but the author didn’t communicate well enough to make what’s happening clear.

Let’s try it together. I’ll give us a picture to block.  And it’s easy to find pictures like this to use as an aid. I see the scenes in my head, but don’t always get them to paper in a clear, Two hands with a movie clapper board close. Isolated over whiteconcise way.

Get Ready.

Set .

Let’s block!

I’m going to talk about a scene I have to do over, over, over and over again.  Doing a kissing scene is fun for me if it’s a first kiss, but it isn’t always so easy when it’s the character’s fifth or sixth kiss. I remember that “first-time” hesitation when a person is new to kissing and trying to figure out the process before and as it’s happening. I’m not talking about the kind of kiss where NO thought is needed. But then again…I guess that’s my point. The writer may know the kiss is the kind the character doesn’t self-block, but it has to be communicated to the reader in the right way.Depositphotos_7016223_originalsm

Here’s a picture of a knight and his lady. You can click on it to open it a little bigger.  Is there a lot of action that needs blocking? The way Sir Knight has bent his lady backwards is definitely worth mentioning. Did he sweep her into his arms and kiss her in one mighty swoop?

Her fingers are digging into the very expensive fur cowl over the long woolen cape covering his chainmail. And thank goodness. No way could she kiss him like this while he’s in his armor. Kissing a knight in his armor would be dangerous. Have you ever read a story where that’s happened? I have.

And there is so much to know about his appearance.  His hood is a coif.  Why does he still have it on as he kisses her?  The shirt of armor we can’t see under his cape is called a hauberk if reached to his knees, and a shorter one is a haubergeon .  One of his arms is surrounding her, supporting her, but the other is mysteriously thrust back under his cape as if he had a grip on his sword.

Come on…I’m talking weapon here… :-)

Or perhaps his lady is wearing a new gown he’s crushing. They didn’t have easy wrinkle-fixes in those days. What if there is someone who will see she’s been manhandled and take offense? The position of their mouths is telling too…her’s is open.  How did that happen?  He either kissed her when she was berating him or she’s no innocent maiden.

And what about the kiss? That could be a whole bunch of blocking. :-)

Depositphotos_12117482_lsmA kiss could be a more simple scene…I could have chosen this.

No, I wouldn’t want to block this scene.

However, I’ve been writing scenes lately with multiple characters, as in seven or more.  It’s really a pain.  And it slows me down.  Way down.

If you’re a reader does bad blocking bother you?  If you read a really bad case of misplaced blocking do you let the author know?

Heads up, I’d want yo know…in private.

 

Posted in As I see it..., Craft of Writing, Finished Manuscript, First Steps, Intermediate Steps | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jeanne Cooper who Portrayed “Katherine Chancellor ‘in the ‘Young and Restless’ dies at 84

Posted on May 9, 2013 by britb

All of the hours I spent sitting next to my mother watching this show…”her show”!  I couldn’t count the hours. Katherine was with us when my Mom lost Dad and I took his place there to sit with her for months on end. If we had any running to do, generally we didn’t do it until The Young and the Restless was over.

When Jeanne had plastic surgery it was Mom’ s favorite topic for a time. She talked about it obsessively. I later learned that she was considering having it too.

I can still feel the comfort of the overstuffed recliner; we had matching ones sitting side-by-side, the stillness of country living, the hummingbirds and Yellow Finches at the window next to the TV trying to distract us. And all our lively conversations about the lives of the Chancellors, Abbotts  and Newmans.

Mom didn’t have too many hobbies, she love to read, made quilts, knitted, was a great cook, kept a tidy home, and watched her soaps. I’d give anything to have one more day sitting next to her watching Katherine go off on one her infamous rants.

Bless you Jeanne Cooper. May you rest in peace.

Leanna S Niedermier - Oct.9th 1929 to Aug 8, 2005  Give her a warm welcome, Mom.

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Reviews Blistering or Brutal or Hard-Hitting Truth #goodreview #badreview #uglyreview

Posted on May 7, 2013 by britb

Depositphotos_21850227_msmI have been blessed to have had only one really ugly review in over 40 stories and more than 100 reviews. There may have been more than one, but that’s all I’ve seen. I didn’t pay it too much mind because most of the ugliness in the review was directed at the publisher of the book. I figured it was someone with an ax to grind with someone at the publishing house.

One thing I hear authors say all the time…”They either love me or hate me.”

I think that can be true.love or hate relationships communication impressions ratings reviews computer keyboard key

I’m reading a book right now that is a series I loved, but I hated the ending. I guarantee I’m going to want that next book in the series to see what happens.

A love/hate relationship doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. :-)

However, what brought this subject to my mind is because today I read several reviews for the same book that were not so hot. I quit reading with number five.  I know the author and wasn’t expecting this.  Could this affect the author’s chances for getting future contracts?

What can we as authors learn from a bad review…or even a so-so review?  In my disturbed mind, I can’t handle getting a 3 review.  It gives me the shivers to think of getting less than a 3.  I don’t know why this is so stigmatic for me…often the words accompanying a 3 are quite good.

Let’s examine one of my 3s.  Cave Creek Cowboy Kama

RT Rating (Romantic Times)

This fast-paced erotic treat features upbeat dialogue and steamy sexual situations. Because the plot is intricate, a longer length would have showcased the characters better. Although it’s a stand-alone tale in the Cave Creek Cowboy series, readers may want to check out previous stories for background on secondary characters. Overall, this is an enjoyable novella with interesting situations that will keep readers entertained. 

Kyle Hansen is about to participate in a Kama Sutra demonstration for his closest friend. Little does he know that the instructor will be his sexy ex-girlfriend. Although they share custody of their son, they’ve had little interaction in the past seven years. It’s safe to say she doesn’t realize that he still loves her. Juel Kelly can’t believe the love of her life will help her demonstrate sexual positions for her clients. She loves Kyle but doesn’t want to risk heartache again. A misunderstanding has kept them apart, but will Christmas

 (AmberQuillPress.com, dl $4.00)

So this review actually wasn’t bad at all.  The only drawback was the reader/reviewer wanted Depositphotos_18627199_lsma longer story, because the plot was intricate.  This was a common theme for my stories that received 3s.  It makes me wonder if other authors writing novella get dinged for the story being too short.  Regardless we all need feedback.

Getting it in The Romantic Times Booklovers Magazine is just very public. :-)

And it’s a really good idea if we get what we need before it goes to print… as Feedback, then Comments, then Opinions and finally as a Review.

A personal problem I have with reviewers is that I don’t mind if they are brutally honest, but in a nice way.  Can’t they do that?  Many, many do it well. Kudos!  However, I’ve seen reviewers who give snarky mean comments to get laughs.  And of course, should that ever happen to me personally, I do NOT DARE to speak up about it.  I’ve seen authors get aggressive with reviewers and it never ends well…mostly for the author.

Depositphotos_23375464_msmI read one review today in which the reviewer called the writer an idiot. WOW.

Me…I’m just keeping the mantra…need feedback, need feedback, need feedback.

It’s important for an author to have feedback.     And if many of our lesser reviews have a common theme then that can help while working of the next book. As I said earlier  I constantly heard reviewers say they wished for longer stories.

Just be careful…there are such things as faux reviews. There was quite a scandal about people who’d written reviews for nefarious reasons.

Often we have to rely upon word of mouth to get the news out about a release.  It is said the negative emotions are far more long lasting than positive ones.  I’ve often thought it would be cool to have a list of the BEST HATCHET JOB REVIEWS in ROMANCE.  Anyone have one they’d care to submit?

Going back to the fact I only had one really bad review…well I know for certain I had one really bad book…the sales are proof.

Other reviews I’ve had:

“…the funniest thing I’ve read in just about forever.”

“This story will have you squirming in your seat”

“will singe your fingers and leave you breathless while it keeps you turning page after page.”

“fun story that’s as hot as it is endearing,”

“CAVE CREEK COWBOY takes you on a wild ride of emotions”

“Brit Blaise has done a masterful job of creating a hero and heroine that the reader is able to quickly identify with, empathize with, and get hot and bothered with.”

“Cave Creek Cowboy by Brit Blaise is a nice story with some real potential to jerk tears from even hardened hearts…. ”

“definitely a keeper.”

“This story is a sexual firecracker.”

“author kept surprising me”

“Pull up a chair and enjoy Britt Blaise spin us all into the web of those Cave Creek Cowboys.”

“make you feel what they feel, which is for me the hallmark of an excellent author.”

I’ve been trying harder to collect them all again…they are on the REVIEWS link to the side.

Posted in As I see it..., Craft of Writing, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Social Media and the Author #howto #followback #booklovers

Posted on May 5, 2013 by britb

2007fairycourtThat’s me with the white arrow touching my head. My purple wings were so big they look like they belong to the author in red standing next to me.

The picture is the 2007 Fairy Court from the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention.

On the whole, it seems to me that authors are good at getting social and especially romance writers. We have all sorts of conferences we can attend, the latest newsworthy event was the aforementioned Romantic Times Booklover’s Conference (RT13) which was held this weekend in St. Louis.  The pictures on Facebook were so much fun to see.

As RT13 comes to an end, I’m feeling nostalgic for all of the Romantic Time Conferences I attended in the past…3 to be precise. For two of the three years I was a member of the infamous Fairy Court which was a blast. I don’t remember hearing anything about a Fairy Ball this year. How sad if the Fairy Court days are over. However, being a fairy was an expensive proposition. :-)

Conferences as a social media tool?  I don’t think you get the bang for your buck. During the years I attended conferences and did book signings, I also had a good following on MySpace.  There were rumors about Facebook, but I resisted.  Now I do both.

Depositphotos_13007008_lsmToday is the three month anniversary of having KStats loaded onto my blog.  In three months I’ve had 48,003 visitors, with 279,575 page views.

At this rate I’m going to have over 1 Million page views in a year.  I don’t have a clue how to measure this in terms of book sales…I don’t have a date for a new release yet.  The Cave Creek Cowboys sold fairly well last quarter, but they’ve been around awhile now…the first one came out in 2005.

When I used to post blogs on MySpace they were always in the top of the lists. It became a challenge for me to reach number one. I did it a few times, but it wasn’t easy.

Since I loaded the stats meter on February 4th, the visits have stayed relatively the same unless I stop posting blogs with consistency.  Then I see the stats drop.  My best day was 789 visitors on one cold March day and I’ve been hoping to beat it, but haven’t yet.

Today, I read a post by an author/social media specialist who says: “some people called me (him) a Social Media maven or Social Media evangelist,” His post today was about social media and his new book. Take a look at what Peter  Masters has to say.  He had a lot to share. His book sounds interesting too!

Depositphotos_9966824_originalHe mentioned blog posts visits dropping overall as a global phenomenon (my spin) and that’s what I’ve heard elsewhere too.

Could it be true that blogs just aren’t what they used to be?  Where’s the blog love going?

When I post a blog, I tweet about it, I send it to Triberr, to Stumbled Upon, to Linked In, to Google + to Facebook and all of my tweets go to MySpace.  Each post is tweeted between 150 to 300 times via my Triberr street gang.

In the six months that I’ve been actively tweeting, my followers have gone from less than Depositphotos_3469473_originalsm400 to 3,167 today. My tweets have gone from less than 100 to over 20,000.

I follow back…and delete those persons who don’t do the same within a couple of weeks. I guess I should qualify that statement. I don’t follow people who sell follower, followers who appear to be women with an agenda, and others who have nothing to say about their selves and have zero followers. I have a service that shows who isn’t following me and it’s easy to eliminate them.

Depositphotos_10159093_l One tool I’ll admit I haven’t effectively used is the hash-tag.  So today I added some to the title of my post. Will that generate more traffic?  I’m going to try doing it consistently for the next two weeks to see.  I’ll let you know.

I still don’t get a lot of comments on my blog, but I get them elsewhere too; Triberr, Facebook, and various loops.  So while I’m not sure how effective blogging is as a social media tool, I’m going to keep plugging along.  One day I’ll figure out a way to get an effective measurement.

Just another “As I see it…” blog post. Now excuse me while I work on my calculations:Set of doodle signs

How this for a complicated formula?! Bwahahaha!

 

Total February to May,  2013  May1st to 4th, 2013 Yesertday,   2013

Visitors

 48,193 2,705 658 666

Page Views

 280,708 13,074 3,182 2,373

Spiders

 14,685 734 151 88

Feeds

 24,029 1,336 293 216

 

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