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Friday, May 26, 2006
What Inspires Me ?
Along with the question of where do I get my ideas, people often ask what inspires me? In writing and in life, many things do. I love to listening to good music. I'm a big country music fan and I like those songs not only because they're more like country rock now, but because they usually tell a story. If you've ever listened to country, you know what I mean. Almost every song is about "something" romantic, whether it be about boy losing girl, boy getting girl, a father's love, a mother's heartache, loving someone from a distance, growing old together, etc. The songs rip into your heart. They touch you in some way. And they inspire me. The story in the songs, often inspire some part of my book.
If you've read Heiress Beware, you know that I included a scene where my heroine is speaking about Tim McGraw's biggest hit, Live Like You Were Dying. Although I'm a huge fan of his, I picked that tune because it went perfectly along with the storyline, and it's how I wanted the conversation to flow between "Jane" and Lizzie.
But I listen to and like almost all types of music. If good writing is good writing, then the same can be said about music. And so much like writing, music is subjective. It falls into that category of what you like or don't like.
But I can't stop there. I have to say a really good book inspires me. Unfortunately the days of me reading two or three books a week have come and gone. I'm too busy writing to read. I have to STOP writing for a few days, when I want to read. And I do make the time when I can. But nothing is better than a really good read. Nothing help inspire me more.
Simple acts of kindness, or generosity and of romance, all inspire me as well. Fortunately, I'm married to a great guy who never fails with those simple acts of romance. Of the "thanks for dinner" kiss after every meal, or the way he takes care of and worries about me. It's not the roses, or chocolates (although those are always welcome) but the little things that work for me. And not just with my husband, but with friends and when I read about or hear a touching true story, that also inspires me.
So now, I'd love to know what inspires you? Even if you don't write, what inspires you in life? Be general, be specific. I'd love to hear!
And thanks for a great week on the Desire Blog.
Visit me at www.charlenesands.com for contests, updates and blogs!
Happy Reading everyone!
posted by Charlene Sands at 9:22 AM
Thursday, May 25, 2006
What's next for Charlene Sands?
I'm happy to say that my first continuity Heiress Beware, Bridget's story in the Elliott family saga is on sale now. Though a June release, it's available early on Eharlequin and for pre-order on various online sites. I had a lot of fun writing this, working with the other authors and making senior editor Melissa Jeglinski's characters and bible come to life. I love the title (which is always pre-set) and I think I got a great cover with a nice depiction of hunky sheriff Mac Riggs! What do you think?
Presently I'm working on my seventh Desire called THE CEO SEEKS REVENGE and it's a sequel to my August release BUNKING DOWN WITH THE BOSS. Sam and Wade Beaumont are brothers, both powerful and beautiful men with a past they are trying hard to forget. Sam's story is set in Texas and Wade's is set in Malibu, California.
And I've set aside the entire month of June to teach my online workshop, FORGIVE ME, DAVID LETTERMAN, TOP TEN WRITING MISTAKES -- You know you're making a mistake if ...
Here's a preview for those interested:
After recently polling both editors and authors alike, Charlene Sands has
compiled a checklist of writing mistakes that bog a manuscript down. Some are classic taboos in the writing world and others are mistakes that a writer can easily overlook in their manuscript while trying to get the story right. Learn to recognize these mistakes BEFORE you make them and learn how to FIX the ones you may have already made.
In this workshop, you'll hone your skills on description, dialogue, plot,
characters, emotion and much, much more. Charlene will give you hints and tips on writing a compelling manuscript as well as help you recognize flaws in your writing. Be prepared to work on conflict, hooks and putting the romance first!
For details and registration go to: http://www.occrwa.com/classes_June.htm
Visit www.charlenesands.com for contests, updates and blogs.
posted by Charlene Sands at 7:06 AM
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Kiss and Tell -- my favorite kind of Desires
I'm not usually a kiss and tell type of girl, but I will share some of my Desire secrets with you. My favorite kind of Desires are the ones where the hero and heroine are trapped together, either by circumstances, geography or other such means. There are times when I just don't want to see any other characters in the story. Or as little of them as possible.
Now, I do like my secondary characters most of the time. They serve a purpose- usually as confidants and sounding boards for the main characters, but my all time favorite kind of Desire is when the hero and heroine are together, alone. I love the give and take, the push and pull. I recall Sandra Brown writing a story that I loved, called Two Alone. A plane or helicopter crash lands on a remote island and only two survive. They really don't know each other, but what they do know, they don't like. It's extremely riveting how the two fall in love while trying to survive.
I love my hero cowboys. I always will. And if you notice, most of my rich wealthy type heroes, come from basic down home means. In HEIRESS BEWARE, Mac Riggs is a small town sheriff. In BUNKING DOWN WITH THE BOSS, Sam Beaumont grew up on a ranch, in FORTUNES VENGEFUL GROOM coming next year, rich oilman Reese Parker is an ex-rodeo champ and in THE CEO SEEKS REVENGE, the story I'm working on now, Wade Beaumont, brother to Sam, also grew up on a ranch. I manage to get my cowboys in, somehow, even if it has to be in their backstory. It's a transparent secret, I know, but it's working!
I love stories with TRUST being the main issue and conflict. A betrayed love, makes for a great read. The road back for both hero and heroine, is always a hard-won battle.
I'm wondering what kind of Desires you like best?
Secret babies? Scandals? Revenge?
And what kind of heroes do you like?
I kissed and told. Now, it's your turn!
posted by Charlene Sands at 10:10 PM
The most asked question of all ...
I thought it was just me! But I found out soon enough that it isn't just me, but all authors get asked this very same question time and again. At booksignings, at house parties, during interviews and when meeting someone for the first time.
Do you know what the question is?
"Where do you get your ideas?"
Some authors tease that they get them from the "idea tree". They just reach up and pick one. But honestly, it's not that easy, nor is it complex. For me, the answer is that I'm always writing in my head. It's a curse as well as a blessing. I might see a really good-looking man and stare, taking in his clothes, wondering about him. Which works well, ONLY when I'm not with my husband. Otherwise, I have to do some fast-talking. "It's for research, babe." I might overhear (not eavesdropping, truly) a conversation in a restaurant, or witness a scene at the mall, or get an idea from a television show. All of these things come into play. Sometimes, I make a game out of it and say to myself, I have to come up with a viable scenario, from something I read in the daily newspaper. My mind is always clicking - that's the curse part of it. But when I hit on a really good idea, that's the blessing part.
Or sometimes I simply go into my backyard, sit in the sun and close my eyes, dreaming up a story. Showers work well too. I've sorted out many a dilemma with hot steam and running water!
I meet a great many people in my other job as well. For the past twenty years I've taught childbirth and baby care classes at a local hospital. It's just six hours out of my week, but I meet the most interesting people, from all walks of life. And some of their stories, how they met, what they do for a living give me some great ideas. I think I can say that for most writers, we are always looking, always gathering info, always creating in hopes of coming up with a good story.
So, where do you get your ideas? If you're writing or hoping to write, I'd be interested to know what methods you have used. Or do you have an "idea tree"?
posted by Charlene Sands at 7:09 AM
Monday, May 22, 2006
Desire Attire -- What Clothes are in your closet?
With Desire's new wealth and power alpha males, it's not always easy describing our heroes' clothes. For an author who loves a man in tight jeans and a western work shirt, my alpha males now are CEO types, men comfortable in a suit and tie, men who toss their Armani jackets to the side and roll up their dress shirt sleeves. I have to admit, it's a whole new ballgame for me. I find myself perusing the likes of GQ (not a bad place to be) and the internet for designer clothes that men of great wealth wear.
My heroines are a bit easier. Though, I don't have these clothes in my closet! But I have friends with exquisite taste and then there's my twenty-something daughter, who is savvy about clothes and shoes and everything you might find on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. She's a copyeditor for 2 highend magazines, so when I call her to ask what kind of trendy expensive sunglasses would my heroine wear, she not only gives me the answer, she sends along a picture!
In guess you're wondering, we went with Christian Dior.
Vogue Magazine has been a great help to me. For fashion and pics, you can't find any better source to what the stars wear. I can just whip open a page and ususally find what I'm looking for, from a summer sundress to hip nightclubbing attire to sexy lingerie. Need I mention Victoria Secret?
So, what's in your closet? Who is your favorite designer? Are you up on the current trends? And do you prefer a man in a sleek black tuxedo or one in jeans and a Stetson?
posted by Charlene Sands at 8:26 AM
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Getting to Know Them -- Bronwyn Jameson
I've been blathering about gathering story ideas and clippings as visual cues, but the real time-chomper for me is getting to know the characters. Some authors learn their story people while they're writing the first draft. Me, I have no clue what these people will do or say, how they'll react, feel, emote, until I know them pretty thoroughly. (At first I wrote "know them inside out" but if I waited until I knew everything I would never start the story!)
How do I get to know them? I start with a character chart that includes all the basics--physical description, favorite this and that, home, family, friends, pet, job, etc. Some of these bits and pieces come easily; some I get wrong at first and need to change as the whole of the person comes together. I write a pretty comprehensive backstory, including the important (good and bad) events that have shaped his or her beliefs, family milsetones, education and career turning points, romantic history.
And when I say "I write a backstory", this isn't something I can sit down and cobble together in an afternoon. Much thinking is done. Several drafts written. There always seem to be missing pieces or things that don't quite add up, and I need to dig deeper to find out why. Interviewing the character helps on several fronts. Firstly, it forces me to ask the hard questions and to come up with some answers. Secondly, because I'm answering for the character I'm formulating his/her individual voice.
Inevitably I move from answering specific questions into free-writing, first person, the character's inner most thoughts, hopes, needs, desires, fears. I Learn what matters most. I discover triggers and hot buttons. And I discover the important stuff, the key to character, to conflict, to the heart or theme of the story. Then I'm ready to sit down and start writing the book.
Speaking of which... I *do* have a book I need to be writing and I'm about to get comfortable at the very back of my writing cave. It's been fun to spend another week in the spotlight, chatting about parts of my pre-writing process. I'll be back again in August to talk about my upcoming release, The Bought-And-Paid-For Wife.
posted by Bronwyn Jameson at 5:40 AM
Saturday, May 20, 2006
More About the Clippings -- Bronwyn Jameson
Yesterday I made reference to my collection of clippings from magazines and newspapers. And since I've been doing this for ten years (minimum), I do mean collection. At first I threw them all into a file I called "Ideas" (have I mentioned that titles are not my thing? *g*)
When that file bulged, unbecomingly, I split the clippings up. Story ideas. Jobs. Abodes, exterior. Interiors. Clothes. Cars. And then I had all these little bits of miscellanea which defied a label. The story ideas file--the one I *thought* would be most useful--is the one I've used the least. The others I haul out whenever I need an idea for a more interesting job or a visual of my hero's flash mansion or some inspiration for dressing my heroine for the upcoming party scene.
I guess you could call it another form of brainstorming. It's often not the idea I find in the clipping file that I end up using, but the exercise inspires me to look beyond the obvious or first thing to come to mind. It helps create colourful settings, characters and scenes...or at least I hope that's the end result of another of the steps I take in my long and laborious pre-writing stage. More on that tomorrow.
posted by Bronwyn Jameson at 5:13 AM
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Where Does A Story Start? Bronwyn Jameson
The first part of the whole, slow (for me) pre-writing procedure is the idea. A question in just about every author's FAQ list is: Where do you get your ideas? I love the fabulous JoAnn Ross's answer: "I find ideas everywhere, but my favorite place is Nordstroms, because of their liberal return policies for those ideas that don't work out." *LOL*
My real answer: from here, there and everywhere. Although my books have mostly started with either a character or a situation/hook I want to write about. Some have started with a character introduced in a previous book, usually a sibling or a friend of the hero or heroine. All my Plenty books started this way. When I wrote Zane: The Wild One I didn't plan a series, at least not consciously. But Julia had a sister and a best friend and a brother whose introductions begged them a story of their own. Hence, Quade: The Irresistible One (the sister), A Tempting Engagement (the brother) and Beyond Control (the friend).
My second book for 2007 is another example. Before I finished writing The Ruthless Groom I knew I would have to write Susannah's story. Why did she jilt Alex? Did she get cold feet or was it because of the mystery man? At that stage I didn't know all the answers but that was the start of the story. A woman runs away from Mr. Perfect on the eve of their wedding. Why?
So, I now have a character and a situation and the brainstorming commences. Often I'll go through a number of possible scenarios and ask myself lots of questions--is there a man in her past? did he reappear the morning of her wedding? where had he been?--before I decide on the one that provides the most exciting conflict. By exciting I mean the one that excites me the most. The one I want to write and which suits the Desire market.
The two stories I have in the works for 2008 didn't start with characters I already knew but with a situation I wanted to write about. Ever since reading Susan Napier's Sister Swap years and years ago I've wanted to write a sister-swap book. (This might hark right back to Hayley Mills and The Parent Trap, from even more years and years earlier.) The first book involves the sister-swap idea, but then I didn't want to repeat that theme for the second sister's book. I wanted something similar...yet different. I brainstormed and came up with "the wrong brother". Sort of mistaken identity, but not quite.
It's been interesting writing this piece, reflecting on where these various stories started. Because when I've been asked Where do you get your ideas? I usually mention ideas coming from an interesting situation I've read about in a magazine or newspaper article. I have loads of those ideas, clipped and filed away. Yet I've never used them as an inspiration for a new story. However, I do use my clippings (amongst other things) to inspire scenes...and that sounds like a perfect topic for tomorrow.
So, if you write (books, short stories, articles, poems) where do your ideas come from?
posted by Bronwyn Jameson at 3:44 PM
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Enter, Stage Left... Bronwyn Jameson
Oops. I missed my cue--enter, stage left--for this, my second week in the spotlight at desireauthors.com, and I've been caught on the hop with nothing prepared. Currently I'm verrrrry busy with two projects that are sapping up all my time and energy: writing my Feb 07 Desire, Back in Fortune's Bed, and organizing a 21st birthday party for our eldest son. The first, I might add, is infinitely more enjoyable and less frustrating.
I'm not going to rabbit on about my party-planning woes...although I'm not sure what I will rabbit on about. The thing is, I am a planner. I like to be prepared; I hate being caught on the hop.
This is especially so with my writing. I call myself a slow writer, a veritable snail, when in fact I can write quickly once I have done all the preparation I need to do before I start. If I start before I'm ready--and by ready, I mean I need to know my characters inside out, my story conflicts, my setting, my story arc--then my writing is excrutiatingly slow. Laborious. Yes, that's the perfect word to sum up how it goes if I don't know my characters or what their story is about.
But when I've done all my pre-writing and I can visualize the scenes and hear the characters yacking away in my mind, then the writing flows. Which is my roundabout way of saying: because I haven't put in the legwork on this week's blog, I don't have a theme or an arc and I'm just rabbiting on.
However, this talk of preparation has given me an idea. I think, this week, I might tell you some more about my pre-writing and what goes into making a book. How does that sound? I've already confessed that I'm a planner, so it will come as no surprise that I'm now off to think about tomorrow's post. I will probably make a list, to go with my dozen or so party-planning lists.
In the meantime can we have a show of hands: how many of you are planners like me? And how many prefer to dive right in and make it up as you go along? (Not talking about writing specifically, but about any project or task.)
posted by Bronwyn Jameson at 12:41 AM
Friday, May 05, 2006
What are you reading?
Today is my last day to blog here at the Desire Authors site, & I have to admit I'm drawing a bit of a blank.
But the one thing I know we all have in common is our love of books, so I thought I'd try to find out what everyone's reading & enjoying right now!
At the moment, I've got four books going...I tend to leave one in every room of the house, just in case I get two seconds to sit down & read a few paragraphs. :-) They are, in no particular order: Kill the Messenger by Tami Hoag, Beyond Innocence by Emma Holly, Her Last Defense by Vickie Taylor, & Code Name Cassandra by Meg Cabot. I'm enjoying them all, even though my multiple-books method does slow me down a bit.
And I hang my head in shame that I'm not reading a Desire at the moment...I should always be reading a Desire, right? :-) But I did just finish a very good one by Barbara McCauley. Does that count?
What about you? I'd love it if you took a moment to share what you're reading, especially if something is absolutely fabulous & highly recommended. I'm always looking for another great book to read, & wouldn't be surprised if most of the titles you're all reading right now are already in my TBR pile.
posted by Heidi Betts at 11:15 AM
Thursday, May 04, 2006
What's in a Name?
All right, so I'm supposed to be plotting my first novella for a "sexy beach read" anthology that will be out from Harlequin Books in July 2007. (I'll be sharing the spotlight with Stephanie Bond & Leslie Kelly, & am really, really excited about it! :-))
But here's the thing...I don't seem to be able to plot a new story or really connect with my characters until I know their names. Other stuff can wait...hair color, eye color, height, occupation, how they dress... But without names, I tend to feel very lost & unable to get a handle on anything that needs to be done.
The same goes for titles. I really need to have at least a working title in mind before I start a book. For some reason, it seems to give me a sense of place & time & tone. I don't care if the title (& sometimes even the characters' names) change down the road, I still have to have them before I start plotting or writing.
So here's what I'm wondering: Am I the only one who works this way, or there other writers out there who are equally obsessive/compulsive?
And do you have any ideas for names that I can use? I'm drawing a bit of a blank. :-p
posted by Heidi Betts at 10:29 AM
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Books, Chocolate...Life is Good
 All while I was writing my May Silhouette Desire, MR. AND MISTRESS, I referred to it as "M&M." I always abbreviate titles that way, but this is the first time one has ever made me hungry. And for a specific food, too--M&Ms...mmmm. (My favorite are the peanut butter ones in the orange bag, how about you?)
So, anyway, when it came time to plan the monthly contests on my website that would lead up to the release of MR. AND MISTRESS, I decided to go with the M&M theme.
That's why, this month, I'll be giving away a green M&M cookie jar (look at him, he's just too cute!), a bag of M&M Minis, & an autographed copy of my February Silhouette Desire, SEVEN-YEAR SEDUCTION.
If you'd like to enter to win these prizes, simply visit http://www.heidibetts.com/contest.html for rules & details. A winning name will be drawn May 22nd.
Good luck!
posted by Heidi Betts at 10:21 AM
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Welcome to the World of Continuities
 Since this month marks the release of my first continuity story (MR. AND MISTRESS, Silhouette Desire #1723), I thought I would share an article I recently wrote for a local RWA Chapter newsletter. It's called Welcome to the World of Continuitites. So...welcome. :-)
I've always been a fan of continuity stories. I don't always read them in order, but I still enjoy them, so it was a real thrill for me to be asked to write one of the stories in this year's Silhouette Desire continuity series, "The Elliotts."
Of course, I was also nervous. I'd never participated in a continuity before, and really didn't know what would be involved. Fortunately, there were a lot of very friendly authors out there to help me along, and I learned the ins and outs rather quickly.
So what is a continuity? Well, it's a series of books written by different authors, revolving around a particular family or place or storyline. They usually take place all within one category line (such as Silhouette Desire or Harlequin Blaze), although sometimes they do cross lines or will even occur independently, out-of-line. ("Hotel Marchand" or "Code Red," for example.) And they tend to come out one per month for a set number of months. Continuity series are also "by invitation only." Meaning that editors concoct the ideas, and then decide which authors would best suit the individual storylines and ask them to participate.
Once an author agrees to be a part of the series, she's sent what's called a "bible." The bible contains summaries of each individual story, as well as plot and setting details that will run throughout the entire series, and a short blurb about each character who will make an appearance. Sometimes we even get blueprints of what a family estate or office building looks like.
"The Elliotts" (my personal favorite so far, when it comes to continuities...not that I'm biased or anything ) is a twelve-book continuity, with the first having been released in January 2006 and running through December 2006, about a wealthy New York family running its own magazine empire. Each book contains its own hero and heroine-one or the other being a member of that illustrious Elliott dynasty-and its own independent storyline...but each book is also connected to the one before and the one after by threads and details that run throughout the entire series. At times, one of the stories will even allude to something that is going to happen a few books down the road.
Each book also tends to span a one month time period, and that month is whichever month the book will be released. My contribution to "The Elliotts," MR. AND MISTRESS, will be out in May, so the entire story (with the exception of a brief prologue) took place in May. Whatever else was going on and no matter where my characters were...I got to bop back and forth a bit between Manhattan and Las Vegas...I had to make sure that the weather suited the month I was working with. No getting stuck in a snow storm or suffering a heat wave for me. :
As you can imagine, when it comes to continuities, the authors involved often work very closely with each other to make sure their characters' personalities and overlapping scenes mesh. It's fun to see your characters come to life in another author's book, or appear in scenes you aren't actually writing yourself. MR. AND MISTRESS, for example, is about Cullen Elliott, Director of Sales for Snap Magazine, and who also happens to be a bit of a playboy. Cullen is keeping a secret mistress out in Las Vegas-former showgirl, Mitsy Vale-but in my story, I also got to write a little about Cullen's brother, Bryan; his cousins, Bridget and Scarlet; his parents, Daniel and Amanda; his grandfather, Patrick; and his friend, John Harlan-most of whom are main characters for some of the other books in this series.
I won't say that my first continuity experience wasn't scary at times, or even more complicated than I'd expected. But it was also a lot of fun. Which is why, when my editor called to ask if I'd like to participate in another continuity for 2007, I jumped at the opportunity. Not everyone enjoys the world of continuities, but I'm learning that I like to write them almost as much as I like to read them.
posted by Heidi Betts at 10:03 AM
Monday, May 01, 2006
In the Company of Writers
I've just returned from a writing conference. In fact, I nearly forgot I was supposed to blog today because I'm always a bit fuzzy after a weekend away...tired, out of sync, & desperate to catch up on all the work & writing I missed while I was gone.
But what I love about conferences--& what makes the packing, traveling, living out of a suitcase, early mornings, late nights, & lack of sleep worth it--is the chance to be...well, in the company of writers.
This particular conference is a favorite of mine. I attend every year, and spend the other eleven months waiting to get back.
And what attracts me so strongly to this annual gathering? you might wonder. Is it the breathtaking view of the mountains & two converging rivers from the patio of the Civil War-era hotel? Sure. Is it the relaxed atmosphere & casual dress code? Definitely. But what draws me to attend time after time, to drive five hours through three states, is the people.
Friends & fellow writers who make me feel at home, make me feel comfortable. Who have been there & done that, so I feel I can talk to them about things that are going on in my life or career & know they'll understand. That maybe they'll even have a bit of advice to share that will help me out.
A few of these friends are very dear to me. We may only see each other once or twice a year, keeping in touch via phone & e-mail the rest of the time, but even if they were the only ones scheduled to be there when I arrived, I would still make the trip. Just to see them & sit around talking about everything & nothing.
A few of them, I'd never met before. But even those I barely know or meet for the first time each year are fun to run into. At conferences, no matter the size, it seems you can arrive as strangers, but leave as friends. Every day this past weekend, I would run into someone I recognized and stop to talk. Or I would sit down next to someone I'd never met before--or have someone I'd never met sit down next to me--but immediately find some common ground to chat about.
As writers, we spend so much time by ourselves, with only our characters for company, that we can start to feel alone in the world. And as much as they try, our non-writing friends & family can't really understand what our lives are like or what our careers entail. So it's nice, even just once a year, to get out & mingle with our own kind. With people who speak our language, understand our hopes & fears, & love the written word as much as we do. (I think the same can be said, by the way, for any profession...thus the need for conferences & conventions of every kind.)
Sigh. My weekend was so lovely. I miss it already.
And only eleven months before I can be there again.
posted by Heidi Betts at 3:24 PM
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