The Pain and the Ecstasy of Book Reviews

I keep a close track of my book reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I check the numbers every day and if they change, I go read the new review. That would mean I have the numbers memorized for each book, wouldn't it?  *Looks around nervously*  Well, doesn't everyone? Please tell me I'm not the only author obsessed by what people have to say about his or her literary children.

I try to use my reviews as learning tools. Not easy to do when some make me cry or mad as hell--and some do. Like the reader who said my heroine cried 65 times in the book. What did she do? Keep a tally? Wouldn't my editors at Random House have noticed such active waterworks? Even I, an emotional ninny, have to admit 65 crying spells is excessive. The reviewer also said "the author ruined the book." Well, yes, I wrote it, so if it stunk...stank...smelled, then I am to blame. For that I'm sorry. But as I read over the rest of the reviews for this book, I noticed a few other readers noted the heroine was too weepy. So, there was a problem. Maybe not 65 problems, but enough for others to notice, too.

Note to self: Watch how many times my heroine cries.

So I tried writing stronger heroines. Less tears, more sass. A few reviewers said my heroine was bitchy. *Beats head on keyboard*

Note to self: Work on female characterization and work doubly hard at it!

Many readers love a tortured hero. I do, too. So, I took a giant leap and tried writing one, revealing bit by bit why he was the way he was. My critique partners said their hearts went out to him, that I'd captured his pain well. Some reviewers said the book was a mish-mash of emotions with the hero flip-flopping about what he wanted.

Note to self: Explain up front why the hero is tortured which goes against the "no backstory for the first chapter" rule. Work hard on doing both.

I enjoy a quick, crisp beginning and ending as a reader. Obviously I'm the exception. Several have said my endings are too abrupt. And--gasp--there is NO Epilogue.

Note to self: Develop a longer, stronger, more emotional ending.

Boy, do I have a lot to work on!!!

Now, I know I can't please everyone. If I could, I'd be a best seller. Heavens, I'm barely a blip on the romance writers' list.

I do take offense when the reviewer says I write on the third grade level. I wore myself down working nights in a factory and going to college fulltime during the day, while my sons were in college. It was the best time of my life. I slept when I could. I made the Dean's List. I loved the learning process. So, yeah, I took great offense to that remark. Sometimes a very small number of reviewers are just plain cruel. And I don't get that. We can all say we didn't enjoy a book because of X and Y, without a personal attack on the author.

Thank goodness for those who review with kindness, whether negatively or positively. I've had some lovely reviews. Many, in fact. My smile lasts all day on those. Odd how we seem to focus on the one or two bad ones and gloss over the good ones. That is so totally unfair, for they carry more value.

It takes time to take an idea and characters, develop both, write a rough draft, edit it, smooth out the rough edges, pound the story into shape, and rewrite chapters. Then read over it again. Delete portions. Add more. Fill in holes. Add a deeper layer of emotion and validation. Edit. Polish with a final edit and send it off, knowing you'll be editing that puppy at least two more times with your editor. Respect a writer's time with kindness. Point out something you liked about the story before you mention the book's shortcomings.

Have I ever read books I hated? Yes. Have I ever deleted a book from my Kindle before finishing it? Indeed I have. Have I reviewed them? No. I refuse to trash another writer's literary baby. I simply add the author's name to a list of writers not to buy.

To all of you who have reviewed my books with kindness and appreciation. Hugs!

 

Writing Process Blog Tour by Vonnie Davis

Good Morning! I've been asked by fellow HarperCollins author Georgia Hill to be part of a blog tour to hopefully give insight into an author's writing process. Last week, the lovely award-winning Carmel Harrington talked about her process. To read about hers, click here. Her recent release, Beyond Grace's Rainbow, was awarded The Best Romantic Read eBook 2013 at UK's Festival of Romance and People's Kindle Book Awards.

This week, it's my turn to answer the four questions.

1.) What am I working on?

My Christmas novella with HarperImpulse--Santa Wore Leathers--has led to a three-book contract featuring firemen from the same station as Wolf, the hero in Santa. These will be full-length novels, with the first being the romance between Cassie and Quinn. It's titled To Catch A Flame.

I'm also starting edits on my first paranormal, contracted with Random House. The editor wants sex earlier in the book and more often. So I have on my feathered boa, adding more sizzle and "sighable" moments.

2.) How does my book (or books) differ from others of this genre?
I love to laugh. In fact, Calvin and I often remark how much love and laughter our house holds. My sense of humor carries over into my writing. I love putting my characters in goofy situations like I've often been in myself or use miscommunication to create something funny. My stories often involve extended families because I enjoy reading about those dynamics myself. I find I learn more about the main characters in a book from observing how they interact with family members. In Santa Wore Leathers, for example, my hero gave up his commission in the SEALs to take care of his orphaned siblings. He's a caregiver, an alpha-caregiver which in my opinion makes him all the more adorable.

 

A Hunk on a Harley isn't just for Christmas ... http://bit.ly/SantaLeathers

3.) Why do I write what I do?
This is a question I often ask myself about 20,000 words into a project. Usually, my hero comes to me late at night just before I drift off to sleep. He'll make his presence known and tell me a little of his story. The bad part is, some of them are contemporary men, a few from various historical eras and a smidgen are paranormal. My agent would like to see me stick to one or two sub-genres, but my mind tends to follow the men. I mean they're so darn good looking and charming...wouldn't you follow them?

4.) How does your writing process work?
Once I decide on which hero's story to write about--there are half a dozen waiting not so patiently in my mind--I work on the beginning. The opening hook. Those first two or three paragraphs are so important. And I agonize over them...over every stinkin' word, over every emotion I'm trying to convey...until I feel it'll grab the reader's attention from the get-go.

I'm a pantser who is also a list maker. I list out my hero and heroine's attributes: past history, education levels, family dynamics, work history, favorites--like colors, food, drinks, clothes, shoe styles--things that push his or her buttons and is he or she a pet owner. Lastly, I think about his or her looks and hunt for a picture that resembles how I see that person.

I write my GMC sentence. Character wants (goal) because (motivation), but (conflict).

These things help direct me as I leap off the cliff into the nothingness of my story. I free-fall until the current of my characters' personalities lift my wings and help me fly through writing the book. This phenomenon usually happens about 20,000 words into my story. By then I've come to know the heroine and hero enough that they take charge and I merely take dictation.

I basically write in layers. First are dialog and some basic movements. Next, I add intricate body movements and sensory input...what is seen, smelled, heard and touched. Then, I layer in emotion and internal dialog. Lastly, I examine every word. Is there a stronger verb I can use? Have I fallen into my old habit of using the same word or phrase twice on the same page? Are there any -ing words? I examine punctuation. Then I send the chapter to my critique partners.

After they point out my errors, they return my chapter. I correct and tweak it some more. Some writers can write a crappy first draft of the entire book before they begin editing. I've tried. Truly. But I have this need to fiddle, to tweak, to add and delete. I can't bear to begin another chapter until I know I've made the previous one as good as I can--at least for that particular day. Or so my husband jokingly says. He knows how I am. Simply put, I edit the darn thing a good twenty times as I'm writing it--and, yes, I can drive myself nuts. But, hey, it's a short ride.

Once the entire book is written, I read over it again, looking for plot holes, inconsistencies and flow of prose. By now, a deadline is looming. Whenever I start a new project, my agent puts me on her reading schedule for a certain week. She knows it typically takes me four months to write a book. So as soon as I make one final pass over it, I email the manuscript to her along with her required character sheets that include name, age, career, part in the story and physical attributes like eye and hair color and speech patterns of every character mentioned. Her writers must also provide a time and location line for each chapter that details what happens and where, so we don't have characters having lunch twice on the same day. My agent does a hard edit--and I do mean hard, asking questions like why is she acting this way? Why doesn't he do thus and so? Have you researched this fact? Where's your research data? I'll want to see it. Meanwhile I write the synopsis.

She emails the edits back and I go through her tract changes, while she edits my synopsis. Once she deems the story good enough to "shop out". She IM's me the list of publishers she plans to query and asks if there are any I'd like her to add. The manuscript, synopsis and author bio are sent out in her typical query form, and we wait.

While we wait, I immediately begin work on another project or continue on something I have partially written. I like to keep at least three stories in various stages of production at once. If I hit a hard spot or a spell of writer's block, I hop over to something else and work on it until my subconscious hammers through the problems in the WIP.

I'm a romance writer and I love my job!

 

Rejection Isn't Always a Bad Thing

I'm no stranger to rejection. Who is? Rejection comes in many forms throughout our lives, doesn't it? Some instances hurt more than others. As a teenager, I sang with a group of girls, traveling to perform in a tri-state area. Yet, when I tried out for the Glee Club at my high school, I was rejected by the choral teacher. I was more amused than hurt. Go figure.

Other rejections have nearly cleaved my soul in two--like when my ex-husband had an affair and a child with another woman. Oh yeah, that was probably the darkest period of my life. My emotional healing took years...years.

On the other hand, if I were still married to the man, I wouldn't have my college degree or my beloved Calvin or my writing career. So, in this case, his rejection wasn't a bad thing. In fact, I nearly drop to my knees in gratitude for his betrayal. I mean, I still wish him ingrown toenails and fungus of his "mungus." Hey, I've never professed to being an angel.

As a writer, I have to be prepared for rejection. It's part of my "writerly" journey. Without a doubt, it's probably one of the rougher parts. Rejections hurt. They wound. There's no other way to put it. If more than one editor

rejects, then I have to be intelligent about the "no's" and examine my project more closely. You know, lay aside my "woe is me" feelings and put on my writer's cap. Is my storyline silly? Are my characters immature or flat? Is my conflict weak? Properly used, a rejection can prompt a writer to make a story stronger.

OR...it can lead to something else.

Around the end of January an editor at Carina Press put out a call for Christmas novellas. She listed the parameters and tropes she wanted the stories to contain. I got a bright idea to give it a try. My current WIP had hit a major wall, so jumping into another project would give my mind a rest from banging on that darn wall. The timing seemed perfect. Besides, I'd promised my agent I'd allow her to start shopping me out again. All of my titles are with The Wild Rose Press and, although I love them, Dawn wanted me to branch out, to spread my wings a little. So, I worked like a fool to write this novella and meet the editor's end of March submission deadline. My agent mailed it in a couple days prior to the cut-off date, and we began the waiting process.

Before long, we heard Santa Wore Leathers was rejected.

Well, poop!

I told Dawn to send it back and I'd do some rewrites. She insisted she'd "shop it out" to some other publishers. I figured we'd missed most publishers' holiday deadlines. Dawn, however, wouldn't be deterred. That's what agents do. They push ahead when ninnies, like me, would pull back and lick our wounds.

A couple more rejections rolled in, and I was mentally rewriting some scenes for when I convinced Dawn to let me have it back.

Then, the oddest thing happened. An editor at Random House emailed Dawn. She'd read Santa Wore Leathers and loved it, but Random House had already contracted their holiday stories for the year. So she had to pass on the novella. Did I have anything else, she asked. She loved my writing. Dawn told her I had a Scottish paranormal romance in which the first chapter took third in the Golden Acorn contest. The editor emailed back right away, asking for the first three chapters and a synopsis. Dawn called to fill me in on what she and the editor had decided, and I freaked. I hadn't worked on it in months. I only had 28,000 words written on a projected 80,000 word book. "Well, girl, you better get to writing, because we have a Big Six editor interested in it." Long story short: I have a contract with Random House with options on three more in the bear-shifter series.

Meanwhile, Crimson Romance offered on my Christmas novella. Then, two days later, HarperCollins offered, as well. Santa Wore Leathers is now contracted with HarperCollins' new romantic eBook imprint, HarperImpulse. Imagine that! But, wait, there's more. On Thursday, another Big Six publisher contacted Dawn, wanting to offer on Santa Wore Leathers, but we'd already signed the contract with HarperImpulse. The editor, who was late to the dance, asked to see anything else I wrote in the future.

So, out of a rejection for a novella came a book contract with an advance and options, a contract for the novella and keen interest from a third big publisher. Who would have thought?

Rejection is not always a bad thing. Giving up is. Had I been doing this on my own, I'd have pulled back, thrown up my hands and said, "See, I'm not good enough." But Dawn kept pushing. I guess that's what we need to do more in life--at least I do. We need to keep forging ahead and never, ever give up...NEVER!

Do Contests Really Help?

There must be a gazillion contests out there for pre-pubbed and published writers. I've entered a few and judged many as a first-round judge. So I know the frustrations and the joys of both sides.

As a judge, I get a little ticked with sloppy entries. Words misspelled, wrong verb tense or whole sentences all in CAPS to show emotion. My thinking being if you didn't care enough to proofread this submission, why am I taking time away from my writing to read it? Then there are the entries that blow me away. The writing is error-free, engaging and both clear and concise. And when I reach the end of the entry, I want more. In both the good and the bad, I take the time to leave lots of comments and "well done" notes. I also offer ideas to help them grow.

As a contestant, I recall the scathing comments I received on my first contest entry. One judge said my heroine was TSTL. Heck, I was so new to the writing scene, I had no clue what those initials meant! My entry was torn apart by one judge who knew how to crumble a writer's ego with snide, condescending remarks. Another judge was less brutal and more instructional. Guess which judge I learned the most from?

Over time as my skill set improved, so did my scores in contests. I began to final and win. But the question remains, do contests help our writing careers? Sometimes, yes. An editor had read something of mine and liked my voice. The story was not quite right for their line, but the editor asked my agent if I had anything else she could read. My agent told her I was working on a paranormal that had won third place in the Golden Acorn contest. "Send me the first 3 chapters and a synopsis," the editor emailed immediately.

A Highlander's Beloved is now under contract with Random House. It was a whirlwind month as I worked like a writer possessed to finish the book for this editor, who'd asked for an exclusive. Would she have expressed the same level of interest if it hadn't finaled in a contest? Who knows, but I like to think it helped.

Yesterday, I received my paperweight prizes for winning first place with two of my novellas. The IDA's are for published authors. I think they're fabulous, don't you?

Cover Reveals, Announcements & OMG Moments!

Being retired means we've settled into a calm routine, spiced with  trips to the doctor and afternoon matinees, feasting on mass quantities of popcorn. Younger, more active adults would say we live boring lives. Silly fools. We all know excitement comes in many forms and sizes.

For example, I recently received the release date for A MAN FOR ANNALEE--November 20th. How exciting is that? This is a SWEET historical, full of humor and history, but no sex. I tried to get my heroine to cooperate, but she said she wasn't having any of it.

BLURB:  When men fight over the feisty new arrival in town, the battle forher hand begins...

  Annalee Gallagher loses her parents, home, and business in the Great Fire of Chicago. When she travels to Cicero Creek in the Wyoming Territory to start a new life, more heartache awaits her, and so do the attentions of several men--for good and for evil. Why was her stagecoach attacked, and was the shot that zinged over her head one night a wild bullet or a bad aim?

 

Boone Hartwell, the marshal of Cicero Creek, suspects someone is out to kill the new spitfire in town. She amuses him and touches a lonely part of his soul, but keeping her safe is a fulltime occupation. More importantly, can a white man raised as Cheyenne rise above her other suitors to win her heart? One thing is for certain in his determined mind: He's the man for Annalee.

If the story sounds vaguely familiar, it was once published by Still Moments Publishing that is now part of The Wild Rose Press. This story and the next have been slightly revamped and given new covers.



A TASTE OF CHOCOLATE is another SWEET short story (notice word short). It's release date is December 4th. The Blurb for it is...

Hope Morningstar has the worst luck with men. One boyfriend wrote her a "Dear John" letter while serving overseas. Her latest romantic interest broke up with her in a text. When a traffic detour puts her in an unfamiliar neighborhood, she stops at Freya's Coffee Shop, where she gets more than directions. She gets another chance at finding love.

Declan Fleming, scarred by a cheating ex-wife, has given up searching for love. He's engaged the services of Freya, the matchmaker. Still, he's been waiting for a year and has just about given up. Then Freya sends him Hope.

 

When trust issues come into play, can the magical influence of this matchmaker create a happy ending? After all, finding that one special love often involves a bit of magic.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

 

I've been offered a contract from Random House on my first paranormal. Originally titled WHEN PAISLEY MEETS PLAID, it may be changed to A HIGHLANDER'S BELOVED to get in line with other titles in the series I'll be writing. This contemporary paranormal with bear-shifters, an animal communicator and matchmaking ghosts will be published under Random House's digital line -- Loveswept. Release date is August 18, 2014.

 

 



And that's my OMG moment of the week, of the month, of the year. When my agent called to tell me Random House offered, I couldn't speak. I knew they were interested, but still didn't expect an offer. The editor at RH read my Christmas story and loved it. Unfortunately they'd already contracted their holiday titles for this year. She emailed my agent, telling her she loved my writing and asked if I had anything else. Dawn replied she knew I was working on a paranormal that took third place in the Golden Acorn. The editor immediately replied with "send me the first three chapters and a synopsis." When Dawn told me, I laughed. I mean I only had a third of it written. Dawn told me to write fast. OMG!!! So my fat, arthritic fingers went to work as I kept thinking, the editor won't like it. It's not dark enough. There's too much humor.

 

Two weeks later, Dawn got an email asking for a "full." I was about two-thirds finished by then. Work mind...work...type fingers...type!!! We sent the full to her last Monday. On Friday, the editor emailed Dawn, saying she "adored it" as long as I added more sex. LOL She sent it to committee on Friday afternoon. Monday they offered. It's been a whirlwind week.

 

So, is being retired boring? Not at the Davis household!