Pass the Pepper, Please!

 I'm so pleased that this week saw the re-release of A Widow's Salvation. As the Akron Beacon Journal said in their review, "It's high time Pepper has her turn at romance." 

After serving as a secondary character in the previous seven Cotillion Ball books, Pepper gets her own story, a year after her husband, Michael, died at the first battle of the Civil War. This war affected everyone living in America during the time, so it would have been unusual for the large Fitzpatrick family to not have one fatality. Since I was so entrenched in the series, as I hoped my readers were, I didn't want to do away with any of the Fitzpatrick men, so Michael seemed the logical choice, since he was related only by marriage. Here's the way the story opens: 

New York City, July 1862

Pepper Brown yanked open her bedroom armoire and stared at the sea of black. Her widow’s weeds, as people called them. They were showing up in increasing numbers on the streets of New York, on women of all ages. The Civil War, which both sides had thought would be over in a matter of weeks, marked its one-year anniversary today. Which meant today was also Pepper’s one-year anniversary as a widow. She drummed her foot on the floor while she perused the black dresses. Was she ready to move on? Michael had thought she would be. In fact, he extracted a promise from her before he left for the war. One year and not one day more, he had said. Her mother thought so, too, or she wouldn’t have planned their outing for today. All Pepper now needed was the courage to convince herself they were right. The churning in her stomach told her she had a ways to go yet.

She straightened and turned her back on the black.

“Molly, please come help me dress,” Pepper called down the hall to her lady’s maid. “I’m going out today.”

“Aye, ma’am.” Molly, a young Irish girl with light brown hair and matching freckles across her pert nose, came quickly into the room. “Which gown would you be liking?” She began fondling the various dresses in the armoire.

“None of these. I’m done with these dresses. Besides, most of them are maternity gowns. I want to wear something fresh, something different.”

Molly nodded vigorously, and the little white cap on her head bounced askew. She righted it before she spoke. “Perfectly understood, ma’am, and you should be stepping down to half mourning. Perhaps I can find a nice gray or deep purple gown among your other things.”

Pepper shook her head. “No, no half mourning for me. What kind of silly term is that, anyway? I’m going out with Mother, and I want our day to be special. I want to wear something bright. I think the periwinkle dress Jasmine created for me right before Michael’s death will do. Yes, the periwinkle.”

Pepper smiled at Molly’s horrified intake of breath. She obviously disapproved, which meant it was the right decision.

“Periwinkle? Forgive me saying so, ma’am, but isn’t it a wee bit too much of a difference?”
“Why yes, it is, Molly.”

I am constantly surprised, and amused, at the way history works with my stories. Pepper was now a single mother raising three young boys, so she possessed the inner strength of every mother who's ever raised a child. What I didn't see coming when I began the story was how the Civil War led to the advancement of the use of prosthetic devices. Who better to take on the task of getting grown men to use a prosthetic leg than a mother? There are several scenes where Pepper whipped these men into shape and got them to walk again. I hope you enjoy Pepper's story as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
https://www.amazon.com/Widows-Salvation-Cotillion-Ball-Saga-ebook/dp/B07TVPD6SJ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=a+widow%27s+salvation&qid=1563029753&s=gateway&sr=8-2

On To The Next

I am pleased to say I finished the second read-through of my current WIP. This "fingers off the keyboard" reading went fairly well, and the book that has consumed my days and my time in the pool where I like to think about the next scene, is done. At least this phase of it is done. It's now in the hands of my beta readers. I'll wait for their comments, make their suggested changes, and send it off to my publishers of choice to see what they have to say about it. Fingers crossed!










Besides meeting that milestone, I worked with Prairie Rose on the new cover for the next book in the Cotillion Ball series to be released--A Widow's Salvation. What do you think of it?

And the last major event of the week happened by accident. I noticed one of my books was missing on my Amazon page and queried the publisher. They told me they had reverted rights to the book two weeks ago, but sent the reversion letter to an old email address that I have requested be changed three times. How hard can it be? Anyway, I have the rights back to Blame It On The Brontes, and can republish it, which I will probably do on my own. I need a new cover, and am looking forward to it. I'm thinking a beach, flip flops and sea glass jewelry.



June is upon us, and in the south that means hot, sweltering weather. I'll leave the golf to others and spend my days in my Carolina Room, taking care of business. And when I do manage to get to the pool, I'll dream up the next book to fill my creative space for the next four months.

Birthdays

Birthdays are wondrous things. They mark the fact that you made it through another year, despite the ravages of Father Time. They allow you to reflect on life. And then, there's cake.

Yesterday was my birthday. We won't examine how many years I have under my belt now. But I will say that the past seven years, since I got serious about having a romance writing career, have been the most challenging and rewarding years of my life, so far.

And while we're on the subject of birthdays, I'll reveal that the book birthday for the print edition of The Forgotten Debutante is this week as well. This book is very special to me, because it's dedicated to Aunt Dot. She was never my aunt by blood, but definitely by spirit. I last saw Dot a couple years ago, and she raved about my books, although she thought I needed to spice up my sex scenes. She was 94 when she passed on, unfortunately too soon to see the book in print.

I still have milestones to hit and awards to shoot for. My five-year plan is now a ten-year one, since things tend to move more slowly in publishing. Sure, there are some authors who become overnight successes and are able to quit their day jobs in a matter of months, but that's the exception rather than the norm. I read somewhere recently that the average author makes about $10,000 a year from her writing.

So, I'll keep chugging along, reaching my goals and then trying to exceed them. Some things will change, some things I thought were important will fall by the wayside. But I can rest assured that other goals will take their place, other areas of writing will be explored, other voices that had formerly been merely whispers in my head will now no longer be denied center stage and will be able to take to a soapbox.

That's what keeps me excited to leap out of bed each morning. I sit with my coffee and my WIPs, caressing each file with my cursor before one of them calls to me for attention. Today, Kathleen, my child of the Revolutionary War, stomped her foot, demanding I spend time with her. Tomorrow, it may be Taffy, my adventurous contemporary woman. Or Raoul, who makes my heart race. I never know where my muse will show up until I get there.


And of course, I can't forget a bit of self-promotion. Today's the final day to vote for the RONE awards. I have three titles up for the award, and you can only vote for one, so I've been requesting votes go to A Widow's Salvation. Here's the link, and Pepper and I will appreciate your vote: http://www.indtale.com/2016-rone-awards-week-four

Regardless of when your birthday is, I wish you a happy one.

House Hunting

I seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time on various realtor sites these days, trying to cull through the opportunities available to us as my sister and I search for our perfect home. On Friday, we spent the entire day running from one to the next. We're getting smarter in our attempts now. Instead of just writing down the address and price before we head out, we take the time to look at the pictures and make up a list of pros and cons for each. It's really helped us in the search, as we were able to eliminate four of the six we drove by today.

Which made me think of writing. Of putting together a manuscript from start to finish, of having a plot that works and is strong enough for a 70,000 word novel. I'd like to be a total pantser and just go where my muse leads me, but it makes me nervous if I don't know where I'm headed, and I don't have the time to explore dead ends, to have to tear off the last half of the book and do it again. But I also am not quite on the opposite end of the spectrum, either. I don't do outlines, but I do write out my plot points from start to finish, to see if there's enough story and if it's strong enough. I weigh the pros and cons of the story before I get too far into it. I guess you could say I do a drive-by of the story.

If I like the plot points, I'll usually go one step further and write a synopsis for the entire story. I'm not saying I stay true to the synopsis once I get going on the book, but it helps me see clearly where I'm headed and how to get there. It helps me fall in love with the story line and the characters. We're not at this stage yet in our house-hunting. We can't afford to fall in love with a house until we get a contract on ours.

Like books, there are millions of houses out there, all for sale and begging to be picked. Each has its strong points (usually) and each has some drawbacks. But, if the house is pretty enough, has good bones, and gives us at least most of what we want, we'll offer to buy it. Books are all begging to be picked, too. So they'd better have pretty covers and good bones beneath the cover. And if they deliver the message we were looking for, so much the better.

A Widow's Salvation is available for pre-orders now, and will be released on September 7, 2015. It has a pretty cover and I hope you'll agree it has good bones beneath the cover. Here's a snippet from the book:

A little more than an hour later, he arrived at Central Park. He rode for a while on the bridle paths, which were the best way to take in the park, but he wanted to get off his horse for a bit and walk. He spied a stable a few steps off the bridle path and entered the facility.
The man in charge saluted him, and Elijah suppressed a grimace. There was no getting away from the war.
“I want to take a walk through the park for a while. Can you stable my horse for an hour or so?”
“Happy to, Colonel. Enjoy your afternoon.”
Elijah set off on foot. He had an interest in bridges and wanted to see the Glade Bridge. It had been under construction on his previous visit, and the fact it was made from locally quarried sandstone enhanced its appeal to him. The design was as lovely as he’d imagined it to be, since it blended with the landscape rather than protruded from it. He spent a few minutes admiring the bridge from several angles, then moved on to the Bethesda Terrace, which was positioned in front of the fountain and the lake.
Elijah took his time descending the staircase, running his hands over the stone carvings of animals and birds, which adorned the banisters. Such attention to detail was part of what made the park so special, a jewel big enough for the entire city to enjoy. He inhaled a deep breath and stretched his back, feeling alive for the first time in a long time. There were other things going on than the ghastly war, a fact he had forgotten. He glanced up at the clear blue sky and then shifted his gaze to the vast lake. The city fathers had been so forward-thinking when they’d taken possession of a swamp in the middle of the city, upon which no buildings of any size could be erected, and turned it into a huge park and lake. Central Park would be a showpiece for the city for decades to come, especially after it was completed. Why had it taken him a year to return? To appreciate its beauty?
Because he’d been busy trying to save the lives of the brave soldiers who had answered the call for service. Now, thanks to a woman named Pepper Brown, he was trying to save his own life. For the first years after Elisabeth died, he’d wanted to join her, and nearly worked himself to death as a result. He no longer wanted that fate, and he was now taking the first steps toward a future without her. He walked toward the fountain and the lake beyond.
The laughter of children made its way to his ears. He scanned the crowd. So many children, so many people. This had been a foolhardy mission on his part. If he was going to take the time to escape the hospital and meet Pepper in a park, he should make certain to set it up with her first and to have a clear plan. It was getting late, and he needed to return to the stable, pick up his horse, and ride back to the Bronx before dark.
The sea of humanity parted just then, and Elijah spied the one person he’d been searching for. Pepper, surrounded by her children, glanced up from them at the same time his gaze found her. Her lips curved in an even wider smile, and she waved.

The Bronx could wait awhile longer. 

Buy Link: http://amzn.to/1DZipEE

Intl Link: myBook.to/AWidowsSalvation

Ready For Launch

Anyone who has a book for sale knows that getting the book published is only the first step in a very long, winding, ever-changing and sometimes costly, road. Marketing of your book is something you don't really think about when you're writing it and trying to find a publisher. But it's a vital part of any author's duties, regardless of whether you're an independent publisher, with a small press, or with one of the big boys.

My eighth historical in my series comes out on September 7. By now, I've learned a few things about what works and what doesn't. One of the things I'm cutting back on is the guest blogs. They all take time to write and post, and it's time that could be better spent. I'll appear on a handful, but I will no longer appear on three a day during release week, as I've done in the past. It's hard to tell what works and what doesn't in the best of circumstances, but if you start muddying the waters with multiple blog posts, you'll never know where those sales are coming from.

In addition to blog sites, there are review sites. I've got my favorites, those who have reviewed me in the past and were complimentary, so I go back to them each time. But review sites are a constantly evolving business, so I always try to find one or two new ones to solicit.

My checklist is pretty well in order for the upcoming release. My guest posts are written, my Advance Review Copies (ARCs) are out there now, being devoured (hopefully) by my reviewers, my website is being updated, I've started putting out announcements on Facebook about A Widow's Salvation now being available for pre-orders. I'm still contemplating doing some advertising specific to readers of historical fiction, so there's work yet to do. But especially when money is involved, I prefer to take my time.

In between doing all this, I can start to obsess over my numbers on Amazon. And work on Book 9, The Forgotten Debutante. A writer's work is never done, regardless of where you're at in the journey or how high you are in the charts.

So I'll keep my nose to the grindstone and see what happens this go-round. Happy Release Day!

Moving Things Around

Jigsaw puzzles play a big part in my life. I have found, when I'm having trouble with a scene, or a plot line, the best thing to do is to step away from the manuscript and work on a puzzle. Somehow, the mindless sorting of pieces, and then locking them together into an intricate pattern helps me sort through the plot possibilities of my story and I can then write the scene in its logical order.

This familiarity with jigsaws worked for me when it was requested that I move a scene in my most recent book, A Widow's Salvation, due out on September 7. I had to take that piece, that scene, out from its place in the story, reposition it, and then write around it to make certain all the edges matched up again, and that it locked together seamlessly into the story line.

Now, the puzzle pieces are invading my personal life. As most of you know, I've had some medical issues, and the decision was made to move my bed from the second floor. The only place it would fit on the first floor was my office–that sanctified space where all of my books have been written. Now, the desk is shoved up against the wall and my bed takes up most of the room. I'm still trying to get the edges to match up.

One thing that I've noticed, though, by combining my sleep and work space is that there is no hard and fast dividing line. If I have a scene rolling around in my head, or some social media I need to work on, I don't need to lie there wide awake and wait until morning. Now, I can just jump out of bed and be at my desk, my computer, in no time. Obviously, I need to work on control issues. And I need to sort out those jigsaw edges.

But I have to admit, in all my years of working for someone else, I never wanted to jump out of bed and go to work. I'll take a few ragged jigsaw pieces. Mary likes the fact that I can work from home. That's enough for me.

Open House

Most of you who follow this blog know my house in Oberlin is on the market. So today, we're having the first open house for it. We're frantically cleaning each room, putting a spit shine on every piece of furniture, emptying wastebaskets, tucking the extra dog bed out on the screened porch and running the Swiffer one final time over the floors. Then, we put fresh flowers in each room for added ambiance, turn it over to the real estate agents, and leave, hoping for a sale.

I can't help but compare it to the editing process. You knew that was coming, didn't you?

During editing, I go chapter by chapter over the manuscript as I format it, searching for overused words and phrases, making certain all the senses are represented equally and adequately, that I've added in description, visceral responses, some hopefully witty narrative, and given my characters solid reasons why they are resisting each other. I make certain I'm staying in one person's head throughout the entire scene. Taking care of the basics, sweeping away the heavy debris.

When I'm done with the hard edits, I'll go back over the manuscript a second time, reading it through from start to finish, putting a spit shine on each word, phrase, sentence. I look through the file of unused scenes to see if anything is worthy of being put back into the story, and if not, I empty the file. I clean each scene of extraneous materials by eliminating words and phrases that go nowhere, or add nothing to the story.

Then, I read it again. I run through the manuscript one more time, catching typos, extra commas, odd phrasing, making certain I have the same eye color for the hero throughout and that the heroine doesn't change her clothes mid-scene, unless she's supposed to. When I'm done with this read, I'll go back once more and see if there's any place I can add to the story to make it more effective. To add ambiance.

Only then do I consider my work ready for a publisher's eyes. If I'm fortunate enough to capture the eye of a publisher, they turn my manuscript over to their production department and the editing process begins again. By the time the book releases, I will have read it over and over at least seven or eight times, to the point where I have parts of it memorized. In the end, the manuscript leaves my hands, and I hope for a sale.

I just finished the final edits of A Widow's Salvation, due out September 7. It's now left my hands for good, and I'm hoping for a sale come September. Or two. Or two thousand. We'll see how it goes.

Getting Ready For Nationals

There's been a lot of chatter on various blog sites and loops about getting ready for Nationals–what to pack, what swag to take, how to pace yourself, what workshops to attend, what events to not miss. It's all very exciting and overwhelming, even if it's not your first rodeo.

But what about those of us who can't attend? Up until a month ago, I was an attendee. I had put together my wardrobe, ordered my swag, confirmed my airline reservations. Then, an ambulance ride and emergency surgery made all those plans evaporate, like morning dew. Now, as I watch the excitement build for those who will attend, I'm trying to temper my envy with a game plan of my own.

I think I'll call it Becky's Version Of Nationals. It goes something like this:

Tuesday–Instead of spending the day in transit, I'll write 1,000 words in my final book in the Cotillion Ball Series, which currently stands at 3700 words. It's going to feature the youngest girl in the family, Saffron, who was seven when the series started. This book begins during the height of the Civil War conflict and Saffron is fifteen, missing out on her Cotillion ball and resenting how the war has impacted her life. She's still young, and spunky, and she'll be fun to write. I'm looking forward to it.

Wednesday–Add another 1,000 words to the manuscript. Review my notes from the Margie Lawson workshop I recently took.

Thursday–Keeping my head down, I'll add another 1,000 words, and will begin to solicit for reviews for Book 8, A Widow's Salvation. I saw a sneak peek of the cover last week, and think it's my best yet. Can't wait to show everyone. And the book is a departure of sorts for me, since Pepper Brown is a thirty-one year-old war widow with three sons to contend with. Instead of showing her strength by being a vocal advocate of social causes, she has an inner strength that equals or exceeds that of her sisters. The book will be out in September.

Friday–It's my day on the History Imagined blog, and I'm talking about an often overlooked museum in Ohio–The National First Ladies' Library in Canton, OH, and their featured exhibit on Forgotten First Ladies. I'll drum up some traffic for this great blog site, and respond to comments throughout the day. Oh, and I'll add another 1,000 words to the WIP.

Saturday–Okay, I'll give in to the jitters today. Two of my chapter mates–AE Jones and Jane Lynne Daniels–are up for RITA awards, both in the Paranormal category. Who knew Cleveland could be so scary? And, AE's also up for Best First Book. My sister and I will settle in at the computer at 8 with a big bowl of popcorn, and watch the proceedings with our fingers crossed. No writing today, but hopefully, rejoicing, before it's all over.


Sunday–I'll finish out the Nationals experience by adding another 1,000 words to the manuscript, which will get me close to 10,000 words by the end of the week. Instead of spending my days in workshops and networking with fellow authors, I've kept my nose to the grindstone and my WIP on track, making my deadline a workable one.

But I'm still envious. And counting the days till the San Diego conference.

Paring Down

Every author has his or her own writing habits that they fall into. Repetition, overuse of the same body language, tired, worn out cliches, that type of thing. These habits are okay for a first draft, but when you're in editing mode, as I've been these last few weeks, it's time to take the scissors to the manuscript, and cut all these bad habits from your work. Word count goes out the window in favor of producing an end product that's lean, where every scene advances the story line, where every word and every paragraph is essential to the story.

The same scenario is playing out in my life as well as in my manuscripts. My home was placed on the market last week, with the end goal of downsizing to a single story home that's more easily navigable for those of us with joint problems, and easier to take care of. So, I've started paring down my possessions and decluttering the house. I've almost got a handle on the clutter, but the paring down of what's accumulated over the years will take awhile. My rule of thumb is if I haven't looked at the box or item, or worn the article of clothing in the six years I've lived here, it's time to toss it. I'm cutting out all the repetition, all the worn out cliches, all the paperwork from years ago, etc. It's time to get mean and lean, since I'm hoping to decrease my floor space by about half. I will brutally edit all extraneous material from my life, just as I do with my manuscripts.

Big changes are coming in my life. My edits went back yesterday to the publisher. Book 8 in my series–A Widow's Salvation–was the most difficult book for me to write in the series, but I think the end product is one of my best.

Now I can only hope the move to a smaller house, which will be the most difficult move of my life,
will end up being one of my best decisions ever.

The Big Jigsaw Puzzle

I'm eyebrow-deep in editing the eighth book in my Cotillion Ball Series. You'd think, with each successive book I write, that the edits would become fewer, and, to some degree, that is true. Punctuation, typos, proper use of words has become easier, and this manuscript is relatively clean from that standpoint. But content? That's a different kettle of fish.

My editor suggested that I take a pivotal scene from the back of the book and move it forward. Easy-peasy, I thought to begin with. Then I read what happened before and after the scene as it's currently written, and it's not easy at all to move it. Every scene in a novel is part of a big jigsaw puzzle, with each piece fitting seamlessly, if you're lucky, into the next so the story will flow. By pulling a piece out of the middle and repositioning it, you must also reposition all the surrounding pieces so they still fit together.

I've been thinking about how to accomplish this for several days now, since I think the editor is right, and the scene would be better if it were moved forward. I've been looking at the picture on the outside of the puzzle box for awhile, and think I've got it figured out. Now I just need to implement it.  I'll go back to the beginning of the manuscript starting on Monday, add in a few paragraphs to set up the pivotal scene, move it up, shore up my timeline and make sure Charlotte and George's opinions on the matter remain consistent, since they are Pepper's sounding boards during her process from war widow to satisfied bride.

After I finish tinkering, I'll go back and read the manuscript through one more time–the ad nauseum phase of any edit–and, once I'm sure it's polished to a spit shine, I'll send it back to the publisher. And I must accomplish this by July 13.

No pressure.