|
|
Don't miss the
latest issue!
Now get the
Dream Weaver
emailed direct.
SUBSCRIBE HERE |
|
June/July
2004
Subscribers: 523
|
Published by Su Kopil
Email
|
Inside this Issue
[ Beyond the Pages: Three-Year Drought by SUSAN VAUGHAN
]
[ What are they Reading - Multi-published Author BETTYE
GRIFFIN]
[ Susanna's Bookbuzz]
[ Creative Spaces with Bestselling author JILL SHALVIS
]
[ Look Who Got The Call! ]
[ Win! Win! Win! ]
|
|
|
|
Susan
Vaughan
|
|
Susan
Vaughan has had two novels published. Her romantic suspense Dangerous Attraction was a June 2001 issue by Silhouette Intimate
Moments. Pentangle is a young
adult mystery published by Wings ePress in March 2002.
Ms.
Vaughan is a West Virginia native, but she and her husband have
lived in Maine for many years. A retired teacher, she has two nonfiction
publications on teaching beginning reading. Besides curling up with a
good book, she enjoys sailing, traveling, collecting Wade figurines,
hiking, gardening, and walking her dog.
www.susanvaughan.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Titles
|
|
GUARDING
LAURA
August
2004
Silhouette
Intimate
Moments
CODE
NAME FIANCEE
January
2005
Silhouette
Intimate
Moments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Guarding Laura (Silhouette Intimate Moments #1314)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THREE
-YEAR DROUGHT
By
Susan Vaughan
|
Imagine
my thrill when I got that first Call that Silhouette Intimate Moments wanted to
buy my book. It was even a bigger thrill when I saw Dangerous Attraction on the shelves. The book, sold well, received
good reviews and even won two awards. Little did I know that it would be three
years after publication before the second Call came. Here’s a sampling of what
went on.
“Hi,
Susan, this is Silhouette. Your editor has retired. We’ll assign you a new one
soon.”
Months
passed while I waited for a decision on my new submissions.
“Hi,
Susan, this is Silhouette. Your editor has left the company and she seems to
have misplaced the two manuscripts you submitted.”
More
months passed.
I
resubmitted to the new editor.
More
months passed.
“Hi,
Susan, this is your new editor. Unfortunately, we must pass on your new
submission. Your hero is too over-the-top alpha. We can’t see the reasons
beyond sex that these two people should be together. And the plot overshadows
the romance. But do submit something else soon.”
The
bad news was that nearly two years passed with submitting, revising,
resubmitting, and mucho waiting. The good news was that I continued to write new
stories. The even better news was that my new editors saw something in my
writing that sparked their interest. First Susan Litman and then Shannon Godwin
were interested enough to work with me on revising what is now Guarding Laura, an August 2004 Intimate Moments release.
Certainly
one of the reasons for the delay and for the rejections was the constant
turnover of editors. But the main reason could be found in my writing. I had
written Dangerous Attraction without
examining what exactly made the story and the characters mesh so well. I needed
to analyze my writing more thoroughly so that I didn’t make the same mistakes
that caused the rejections. When I make new mistakes, I’ll have to analyze
again. I needed to learn to create emotional complexity in the internal
conflicts without making my hero too extremely alpha, and I needed to focus on
the romance more than the external plot.
You
may ask what kept me going during this long drought. I’m not sure I know.
There were some real down times with tears and anguish, but I never considered
for more than a minute giving up writing. I have those stories in me, after all.
My husband, my critique partners and my Maine RWA chapter were wonderfully
supportive and encouraging. Other writers reminded me that only in the romance
genre are authors expected to publish every year and even twice a year. Many
others have years between books with no one wondering if their publishing days
are over. Of course, having new editors who both praised and made suggestions
kept me going. I had new revisions to work on all the time. And deep down, I
believed I could learn what I needed to learn to make that next sale. I believed
in my stories and in my characters. Hope never died totally.
So
when the Call came recently that Silhouette wanted to buy a third book, did that
mean I’ve turned the corner? Does it mean I can relax and sell, sell, sell?
Hardly. Each new book begins with a blank page. Each new book is a challenge.
And with each book I want to improve my craft, delve deeper into my characters
and write a better story. I’ve already revised those rejected manuscripts and
am ready to resubmit them. And I’ve started a new project I’m very excited
about. As a former teacher, I know that we never stop learning.
I
hope readers will look for Guarding Laura in August 2004 and the next book in the series, Code
Name Fiancée, in January 2005.
| |
|
|
|
|
 
Straight to the Heart
|
|
4 1/2
STAR TOP PICK! Romantic Times Bookclub |
|
January
2004
BET Books
Paperback: $6.99 |
|
|
|
www.bettyegriffin.com |
| |
|
Attn: Readers. Would you like to appear in our "What are they Reading" section?
Email Su Kopil with WHAT ARE THEY READING in the subject line at sukopil@aol.com
|
|
|
With
Multi-published Author
Bettye
Griffin
|
BUYS BOOKS AT:
Barnes & Noble. They're the closest to my home.
BOOKS READ PER MONTH: Probably one. Because I'm a writer producing two books a year under deadline I don't have a lot of time for reading, maybe 20 minutes, longer if I get on the treadmill. But I don't exercise as much as I should!
LIKES TO READ: I admit to being fond of books about three or four females, like one of my all-time favorites, Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls.
MUST BUYS: I don't have any. I look at a lot of new books, and if the story moves me I'll pick it up.
TBR PILE: I only read one book at a time.
READING NOW: A social satire called The Right Address. It was co-written by two women, but I can't remember their names.
|
|
 |
|
Susanna
Carr
|
|
Susanna Carr is a contributing author for the Kensington Brava
anthologies How to be a "Wicked" Woman (8/04) and Merry Christmas, Baby (10/04). For more articles and resource recommendations, visit
www.susannacarr.com |
|
| |
| |
| |
|
 
How to Be a Wicked Woman
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inspiration
"If you want to get somewhere you have to know where you want to go and
how to get there. Then never, never, never give up."
- Norman Vincent Peale
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
REVIEW BY SUSANNA CARR
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
By Stephen King
|
|
Paperback,
320 pages
Pocket, 2002
ISBN: 0743455967 |
 
|
Anyone who is interested in writing should read Stephen King's ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT. It doesn't matter whether you write literary or
popular fiction, for personal or professional reasons, as a form of expression or as a way of life. This is a necessary resource for every
writer.
The book is broken into essentially three parts. The first part is a
glimpse of King's childhood and early struggles before Carrie, his first successful book. He believes that writers aren't created, but rather
"formed". If you're ever feeling disheartened about the submission process, reading the first part of this book will bolster your
determination.
The middle of the book gets to the nitty-gritty of storytelling. King strips
it down to the basics of vocabulary, grammar and style that he feels need to be mastered before working on the skills of description, dialogue and
character development. He also delves into the writing process, such as reading and writing voraciously, doing revisions and research, and the
importance of finding an I.R., or Ideal Reader. He grazes over the topics about critique groups, writing courses and the business aspect of publishing
at the end of this section, keeping the emphasis firmly on the craft.
The last part of the book describes his life after a serious accident. Not
only did he rediscover that "the scariest moment is always just before you start" writing, but he also realizes that writing helped him get through a
lot of tough moments in his life. And once again, the writing pushed the pain to the side and helped him on the long road to recovery.
If you are looking for a book about writing that will entertain, empower and
educate, then you must pick up Stephen King's ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE
CRAFT.
|
|
|
|
A Look Inside the Office of
Award-winning
Author
JILL
SHALVIS
|
THE WHERE:
I work on our deck, which faces the woods and is great inspiration
FIRST THING WE'D SEE: In the winter and spring, like now, you'd have to duck past all our
skis in the foyer.
CREATIVE ENHANCEMENTS: Lots of candles. I love to write to the flickering light. But I
can't write to music so it's silent except for the birds screeching, the dog chasing after squirrels, the kids giggling ... come to think
of it, maybe it's not so silent.
MOST HELPFUL: Comfortable swing chair on the deck, definitely. I write on a laptop
and love it.
DESIGNER HELP: I'd rather have a maid. <g>
|
|
|
|
BLYTHE
GIFFORD'S
Harlequin
Historical Debut
|
THE WHERE?
I had finished my shower. Still clad in full-length terry cloth robe, I was putting in my contacts when the phone rang. I answered with only one contact in, so I was even more disoriented than you would expect.
I do remember hearing “This is Melissa Endlich from Harlequin.”
“Should I sit down?” I asked.
Then she said they wanted to buy my book. It seemed I could not talk if I could not see properly (or maybe just having one contact in was an excuse for my incoherence) and I asked Melissa if I could call her back. I was shaking so much it was hard to put the other one in!
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? There have been so many, but I did cherish sharing the news with my Chicago-North RWA Chapter. We have a tradition that when someone sells, she brings chocolate for the group. We also have treats at every meeting. (Writers need lots of fuel!) So when it was time for announcements, I stood up and said “I know it’s not my night to bring food, but . . .” and I whipped out two boxes of chocolate. Pandemonium ensued! This chapter had kept me going (and improving) for ten years, so I sharing my success with them was wonderful.
HOW LONG? One answer is all my life, however I started seriously pursuing romance writing about ten years before I sold.
YOUR STORY'S STAR FACTOR: You know, I asked the editor that same thing and she said that once she picked it up, she just couldn’t put it down. I know that doesn’t sound very specific, but she bought the book with no revisions. I think editors are looking for books ready to be sent to the typesetter. THE KNAVE AND THE MAIDEN has been called “different” by several reviewers – in a good way! I worked very hard on the craft and meeting readers’ expectations, yet I told a unique story that I wanted to tell. The combination worked for her.
|
|
|
|
Kathy
Caskie
Warner
Books Debut
|
THE WHERE?
I was feeling uncharacteristically down the day I got the call. After my manuscript won the Golden Heart contest, an editor at St. Martins had shown a lot of interest in my book, had even asked for revisions, but in the end chose not to buy it. I was deep into the Ben and Jerry's mode that week.
But since the book was now revised and polished, due in large part to that editor's interest, my agent, Jenny Bent, had gone ahead and sent my book out to our "A" list a couple days earlier. Since it was Friday before the Memorial Day weekend, I wasn't expecting to hear anything for a looooong while.
Then the phone rang. It was my agent.
"I've got good news!"
"What?" The kids were playing in the room and making a lot of noise, so I stepped into the dining room. "What did you say?" Of course I'd heard every word. My heart was pounding.
"I've got a nice offer from Warner. But before we accept I need to call Avon and Pocket back."
And so she did. While I waited for her to call me back, I circled the dining room table about eighty times. As it turned out, both houses were very interested and wanted to make an offer, but since it was late Friday before a holiday weekend, they both wanted to get back with her AFTER the holiday.
I told my agent that would be okay. But I was lying. Geez, the adrenaline was pumping so hard I knew I would never survive through the long weekend! I collapsed into a chair and called several friends about what was happening. I still couldn't believe what was happening.
Then my agent called me back a few minutes later. Warner had called back and made an excellent offer for a two book in order to preempt the auction. I was sure there was no way the other two houses would beat this offer. Grinning ear to ear, I told Jenny to accept as I gazelle leaped through the dining room singing "I sold, I sold!"
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? The tension. Waiting, even a few minutes, set my nerves on end. I felt like I'd had ten cups of expresso. I didn't sleep a wink that night, and didn't sleep normally for two weeks after the call.
HOW LONG? I'd been writing off and and on for about 9 years.
|
|
Have comments or questions about this newsletter?
Please write to Su Kopil at: sukopil@aol.com
Copyright (c) 2004, Su Kopil. All Rights Reserved.
All articles and contents are used with permission from the authors.
Do not reprint without written permission. Please respect all copyright
laws. Thank you.
Advertise
with us!
|
|
Subscriber Contest
SUBSCRIBE to the Dream Weaver and be automatically entered in the bi-monthly drawings.
Next drawing you can win...
............FREE BOOKS!
Visit the contest page
to see last month's winner!
|
|
