GIVEAWAY with Connie Mann and her new novel, TANGLED LIES

I'm so thrilled to have my good friend and talented writer, Connie Mann, as a guest on my blog today! AND...she's doing a fantastic GIVEAWAY to one lucky reader--simply scroll down to the bottom for details on how to enter for your chance to win a copy of her newest book!

Buy it HERE on Amazon

Hi Connie! So glad you can join me today! I am so excited for your new book, TANGLED LIES. The cover is gorgeous! Before we tell everyone how they might win a FREE COPY, I'd love to ask you some questions on your writing process and career. 

First, what is THE most important thing writers can do for themselves to get an agent/publisher in today's market?

Beyond all the dos and don’ts, I think it still comes down to the writing. All the social media connections in the world won’t help you if you don’t get that story down on paper and submit it. It’s always easier to focus on the peripherals, but you have to block out the distractions and just write. Regularly. Whether you feel like it or not. And once you submit one story, start another instead of waiting and pacing. (Preaching to the choir, here.)

Great advice! (One I need to heed, myself!) Next question: If you could have done anything differently with your writing career so far, what would it be?

I would have taken a deep breath and sent out more projects. I recently went through my computer and was appalled at the number of almost-ready manuscripts I’ve never sent out—or only sent to one publisher. Fear of rejection keep me from doing the final polish and submitting them to publishers or agents. That saved me the sting of rejection, but what if they hadn’t been rejected??

Who are your writing role models, and how have they influenced you?

Many years ago I met Susan Elizabeth Philipps at a writer’s conference mixer and she impressed my socks off. She walked in and went around to every single person there and introduced herself, asked what they wrote. I decided I want to be like that—to see every single person in a room.

AnneLamott’s way with words will always inspire me, move me, and yes, make me wish I could write like that.

SharonSala’s honesty in how she approaches life and the way she has balanced taking care of her ‘Little Mama’ (who has dementia) with her writing has been a huge source of encouragement to me, especially since I am dealing with increasing caregiving in my life these days.

Do you have any upcoming releases? If so, tell us about it!

Currently, I’m busy promoting Tangled Lies and am hoping there will be another book set in Safe Harbor, so stay tuned. In the meantime, my agent has another Florida-set series she’s shopping around and I’m busy scheming and plotting my next suspense book.

Woo Hoo! Okay, last question: What's one fact about you that most people don't know?

The only reason I bake cookies is so I can eat the raw dough. (I know, I know!) There have even been unverified accusations of whole batches of frozen cookie dough that simply evaporated. I have no idea how that happened.

Photo Credit: Geraldine (cookie dough) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

LOL, yum! Now I know what to bake...or at least MIX for you next time we get together! 

Okay, I know people will want to check you out online. Can you give us your website links and contact information?

Of course. I’d love to hear from readers and connect online. Here’s where to find me:

Website:  www.conniemann.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ConnieMannAuthor?ref=hl#!/ConnieMannAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaptConnieMann

Pinterest.com http://www.pinterest.com/captconniemann/

Amazon buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Lies-Connie-Mann-ebook/dp/B0194UEDEK?ie=UTF8&keywords=connie%20mann&qid=1460580370&ref_=nav_signin&sr=8-1

Here’s my bio:

Connie Mann is a licensed boat captain and the author of romantic suspense novels Tangled Lies (May 2016) Angel Falls and Trapped! as well as various works of shorter fiction. She has lived in seven different states but has happily called warm, sunny Florida home for more than twenty years. When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” on Central Florida’s waterways, introducing boats full of schoolchildren to their first alligator. She is also passionate about helping women and children in developing countries follow their dreams and break the poverty cycle. In addition to boating, she and her husband enjoy spending time with their grown children and extended family and planning their next travel adventures. You can visit Connie online at www.conniemann.com.

Here’s the Tangled Lies back cover copy:

Orphaned as a child in Russia, boat captain Sasha Petrov has spent most of her life adrift, anchored only by her loving foster family. So when they beg her to return to the family marina in Safe Harbor, Florida, for Mama’s sixtieth birthday, Sasha complies, hoping to put the past behind her. But Mama has other plans: she wants her three foster daughters to find Tony, the biological son who disappeared twenty years earlier.

Sasha agrees to try, but that’s easier said than done when bad boy Jesse Claybourne shows up, reigniting an old attraction. Back in Safe Harbor on a quest of his own, Jesse gets tangled up in Sasha’s search, and soon the two are close to uncovering an old town secret that some will stop at nothing to protect.

When Jesse is violently beaten and Sasha’s dog is poisoned, they realize the past is hiding something more sinister than they ever imagined. Can they uncover the truth without destroying Sasha’s family and breaking each other’s hearts, or are they sailing against the wind?

Doesn't that sound AMAZING? For your chance to WIN a FREE COPY of Connie Mann's newest novel, TANGLED LIES, please comment on this post below. One winner will be randomly selected from the comments below this Friday, June 24. 

Good luck, and thank you for being my guest today, Connie!

Happily My Ever After,

Dylan

FREE Tutorial on Starting and Finishing your Novel for Camp NaNo Participants

It's been a while since I've been blogging--I seem to lack the ability to multi-task, and when I'm busy writing (and parenting--those end-of-school events kill my writing goals!!) I don't seem to find the time to blog.

BUT...I'm here now, and wanted to post this for those of you that are joining Camp NaNo this month to forward your progress on that novel you've been itching to write!

The video below is from a free tutorial I gave last October, and is geared for those of you participating in any version of a novel writing (be it Camp NaNo, or the full-blown NaNoWriMo, of which I am a BIG fan--see my past NaNo posts here).
Here is the video for you:

https://youtu.be/a5sWDtgX9W0

Good luck in Camp NaNoWriMo!

Happily My Ever After,
Dylan

P.S. Want to see what my writer's desk looks like during NaNo? Check it out here. And don't judge. 

Chatting about Erotic Romance with Lexi Post and GIVEAWAY

I'm so excited to have erotic romance author, Lexi Post here today, AAAAND, she's offering a GIVEAWAY at the bottom of this post! If you haven't read Lexi's books, you're missing out (my fav so far is Masque, her take on Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque of the Red Death and my review is here on Goodreads) so be sure to enter her Rafflecopter giveaway and get you some fantastic erotic romance!

Welcome, Lexi! I'm always curious to see how writers broke into the industry. Would you share your query letter here, and tell us why you think it got a response? What made it successful?

I wrote many a query letter in my quest for both an agent and a contract, but that wasn’t how I became a published author :-} I actually obtained both my agent and my first contract through pitches…sort of.

I did pitch my agent at the Emerald City Writers Conference. It was a group pitch and actually quite interesting and not the horror story I had heard. The horror was on my part as I gave the worst pitch of my career. Luckily, my agent did request a partial.

Check out Masque HERE

My first contract I obtained in a unique way. I bid on dinner with a publisher and editor on the Brenda Novak Auction and I won. So at RWA that summer I had dinner in New York City with Raelene Gorlinsky and Grace Bradley. I had my first erotic manuscript, Passion’s Poison, at two houses and was waiting to hear, so when I explained I write erotic romance inspired by the classics, I used that story for an example, but I was clear that the story was currently out. So as another example, I told them about my manuscript Masque so they could get the gist of what I was doing. I was only on page three at the time, so I wasn’t actually pitching, just giving examples. After the conference, I received emails from both and Grace Bradley, the editor, said she was interested in anything I might want to submit. I submitted Masque as soon as it was completed.

Ooh, I do love Masque! Your hero, Synn, is....well, sinful!! :)
Lexi, you are a hybrid author I admire, with books published with both traditional publishers as well as those you've Indie-published (very successfully, I might add!). What lessons have you learned from your hybrid experiences so far?

I could write pages on this. I had been unpublished for many years, six to be exact, and when I got my first contract I thought I knew exactly what to expect. I was wrong. It was like going from high school to college, a totally different experience with completely different demands. Then when my editor left Ellora’s Cave, I had this manuscript she had challenged me to write. I asked my agent what I should do with it, and since it was a short novel (55,000 words) she suggested I self-publish it. That sounded good to me, so I started that journey

with Cruise Into Eden. Yikes, that was no cruise! I was like going from college to graduate school because there was so much more I had to learn.

What I have learned is that both avenues have pros and cons and I plan to keep my feet planted firmly in both. Indie publishing provides the ability to act quickly, take advantage of opportunities and adjust strategies based on what is working. Plus, an author can see her sales on an hourly basis if she wants and can be paid on a monthly basis. On the other hand, the author has to do everything! This includes having a cover made which can simply be hiring an artist, or as I often do, choosing a model (I know it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it ;-). Then there is the back and forth with the cover artist (unless you can do that yourself). And of course, there is the content. I have a critique partner, beta reader, editor and two proofers to make sure my books are as clean as I can get them. This means scheduling these people and meeting my deadlines with them. Then there is the business side which includes the formatting, the ISBNs and assigning them, the copyrighting, the ordering of print books for signings, the 1099s to send out and receive, the royalty tracking, etc. And there is significant cost behind all of it. When indie publishing, the author takes the financial risk.

With a publisher, a lot of the process and all the financial requirements are taken care of. This is the big pro of being traditionally published. Plus, the book can be found through the publisher’s site, even if the publisher does nothing else regarding marketing. On the other hand, publishers tend to move slower and the contracts can be limiting as to what the author can produce and sell. This is one of the many reasons I’m glad I have an agent. Also, an author can’t see her sales until she gets her royalty check which with some houses is twice a year. And of course there is the lack of control on whether the publisher wants to publish the book in the first place.

What is THE most important thing writers can do for themselves to be successful in today's market?

The traditional advice is to write, but it’s more than that. Writers need to be constantly learning and taking time to self-analyze. The learning can be in the form of workshops, conferences, talking with other writers, reading articles on the market, studying what others are doing, even reading other writers’ books. The self-analyzing is another form of learning. It is important to determine what works and what doesn’t for each individual writer. Everything from a writer’s process to what he or she is good at or not so good at helps a writer improve.

I so agree! You're never done self-analyzing as a writer. So, if you could have done anything differently with your writing career, what would it be?

I started writing and then stopped. Years went by and I lost touch with the industry. When I started writing again, almost everything had changed. I wish I had stayed connected even if I wasn’t writing. I think if I had, I would have resumed writing sooner.

Who are your writing role models, and how have they influenced you?

My writing role model is Jennifer Ashley/Allyson James. She is actually the first role model I’ve ever had. There is so much about her that I like and want to emulate. She works hard and produces more than three times the number of books that I do in a year. She is humble and very approachable. In fact, she has advised me a number of times during my career. And her stories are awesome! Yes, I am a bit of a fan girl :-} What I like about reading her books is that I can enjoy the story thoroughly and then sit back afterward and learn something about the craft of writing based upon what she has done in her book. She’s both a great writer and a great person.

Do you have any upcoming releases? If so, tell us about it!

On November 1^st I just released Pleasures of Christmas Past which is the first book in A Christmas Carol series. All my erotic romances are inspired by the classics, so this is a different take on Dickens’ classic story. I don’t re-write the classic, I’m inspired by it. So in my story, though Jessica Thomas is thrilled to land the job of novice Spirit Guide, she’s assigned a hot, arrogant Scottish mentor who confuses her heart. But what should concern her more, is will he protect her soul? I really enjoyed writing this paranormal book. Duncan is just so much fun and Jessica has the biggest heart and makes a great Spirit of Christmas Past.

My next release, coming out December 2^nd is another Christmas story. It’s titled Christmas with Angel. This book is what I call a “bridge” book. It’s the sequel to Cowboy’s Match (Poker Flat Series #2) but the prequel to Trace’s Trouble (Last Chance Series #2). Basically, it is a link between two series. Cole and Lacey may not agree on where to spend Christmas day, but when Angel’s abusive former owner decides to take matters into his own hands, the couple pulls together to focus on what’s most important. I really enjoyed writing about Cole and Lacey’s happily ever after and setting up the Last Chance Series. This series is inspired by a number of short stories by Bret Harte who was a classic western writer back in the 1800s.

What's one fact about you that most people don't know. 

I’m a huge Marvel Comic fan. Yup. I used to have a rather large collection including a Daredevil #4! I tape all the Agents of Shield shows so I can do Marathon watching on holidays and love the movies. X-men, Thor, Wolverine, and the Avengers were my top favorite comic books. Followed by the Defenders, Elfquest, Hulk, the Fantastic Four and many others :-}

I know people will want to check you and your books out! Can you give us your website links and contact information?

www.lexipostbooks.com

Lexi Post Updates

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

Blog

Pinterest

Email

Okay...GIVEAWAY TIME! Be sure to enter Lexi's Rafflecopter Giveaway here, and a HUGE thank you to Lexi Post for being my guest  here today! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

STRESS on an EKG...my Own Black Moment

In a novel, a black moment is defined as the point where the hero or heroine is faced with his/her deepest, darkest fears (be they internal or external) and is a test of true character. (There's a more in-depth discussion of Black Moments in writing by a great writer friend of mine, Lexi Post, HERE.) In a novel, there is typically one black moment where all seems lost.

In real life we aren't so lucky.

My most recent black moment came after I'd experienced about a day and a half of what felt like heart palpitations, or a weird arrhythmia. At first, I ignored the sensation, but after a while, as if in insistence that I pay attention, my heart starting doing this crazy, leap-out-of-my-chest thing every 8 beats. It would skip the 8th beat, and--to make up for it, would thump so hard in my chest, I could literally feeling it knock against my ribs.

At first I ignored it. Because that seemed like the thing to do. (*NOTE: DON'T ignore heart irregularities! Heart attacks are the silent killer in women--for more information and symptoms, see the AHA website here!)

Before you comment and lecture me, I know. Duh. What a moronic thing to do--to ignore it for a day and a half. But I was BUSY, dang it! I didn't have time for health nonsense!

After texting my husband to see if he thought I should go to the ER (yes, texting--I'm really working the 'ignore-it-and-it-will-stop' method here!), I finally decide I'll visit my Dr. who gives me a weekly B12 vitamin shot for my lack of energy. I figure, I'll tell him, he'll say it's just some weird thing, and not to worry, and off I'll go.

Except it doesn't go like that.

What he does is put his finger on my wrist, feels my pulse for like 30 seconds (during which, my heart complies by beating it's way out of my ribcage every 5 beats--yay, heart!). Then, he calls for a 12-lead, and this is the result.

I can't read EKGs, but what caught my eye was the "ABNORMAL" in caps at the top. The Doc said that while it was probably nothing, I needed to see a cardiologist. Today.

And the black moment began.

I won't take you through the rest of it, but the story ends well. What I have are called PVCs, which is not a bunch of white pipes at Home Depot, but Premature Ventricular Contractions (great info from Mayo Clinic about PVCs here). Basically, PVCs are a type of benign arrhythmia that can start and end at any point in life, but are typically triggered by:
1. Hormones, especially pre-menaupausal ones. Yep--I fit that.
2. Stress. Oh, yeah--I've got that.
3. Anemia (which basically goes along with the hemorrhage-like monthlies brought along by lovely #1, so yeah, I'm there, too.)

Probably TMI for you, lovely reader, but since many of you have emailed me asking why I haven't blogged in so long, I felt like I owed an explanation. My PVCs triggered a black moment where I, like my characters, was forced to re-examine my life, and make some tough choices.

I have only so many writing hours in a day. And in the summer, with the kids home, you can cut that in half, then in half again, and probably once more. So, what is that? About an eighth of my normal time?? I don't know. I suck at fractions. Whatever it is, it's minuscule to what I have when school is in session. And with my pitch coming up in the annual RWA conference, I really have had to choose where to spend my time. The blogging went to the bottom of the list. :(

However, I'm trying to be better at allocating my time, so I hope to be back to a more 'regular' appearance, here. I've missed you guys--thanks for the emails with your concern, too. It helps more than you know!

Happily My Ever After,
Dylan

P.S. Want to see what I've been stressing over? Check out my WIP page here for a little teaser on my YA Contemporary, Delinquent.

P.P.S. Make sure you subscribe to my blog with the buttons at the right. You'll be the first to know WHEN I get my contract for my YA. (Not If, but WHEN. The power of positive thought!!)