Are writers sane?

Here is an interesting blog post from Borders SciFi Babel Clash.

Are writers sane?

by Karen Miller

So here’s my first post to Babel Clash, and my thanks go to Morgan from Borders and Alex from Orbit for throwing me in the deep — I mean, kindly inviting me to join in the fun. Also, while I’m thanking people, I’d like to thank Borders customers who have so generously bought my books!

And to kick off my tenure here at the Clash, I have some thoughts on that perennial question: Are writers sane?

And my answer is: No.

Writing is one of the most insane occupations around. I rank it right up there with acting. And since I’ve done both, I feel confident in that assertion.

So, why is it that writers’ elevators don’t got all the way to the top?

Well, for a start, our job requires us to sit by ourselves for extended periods of time, in isolation, getting up close and personal with people who don’t really exist. It requires us to have deep and meaningful conversations with them. It demands that we get so involved and so attached to these people we made up in the first place that when something awful happens to them we have to get terribly, terribly upset about it. Even though it never actually happened at all. And anyway, we did it to them.


Read the complete article: Are writers sane? by Karen Miller

Open Letter To Clean House

Dear Clean House,

First off, I would like to commend you for helping the messy, hoarding, dirty-dish-leaving, non-clothes-folding masses lead neater, more sanitary lives. It is a very good deed you are doing.

That being said, I would like to make one thing clear:

Romance Novels Are Not Trash

Really, I promise. See, Romance Novels are things we like to call "books." You may have heard of them?

And, last time I checked, "books" are generally considered to be possessions--even prized ones on occasion. Just like those vinyl records that you not only let the other person keep but even built shelves for!


Read the complete article at Avon Romance Blog.

Are you too old for sex?

Yesterday I was at Rum Runners, a delightful little harbour-side restaurant, with my husband having Sunday brunch. A more romantic place may exist but I would be hard pressed to name one.

Close your eyes and come wit me to my Island, mon.

America's Paradise. St. Croix. Virgin Islands. Caribbean Sea. Tropical tradewinds. Steel pan band playing. The sight and sound of the waves. The scent of tropical flowers wafting in the breeze. Boats in the harbour. Blue skies. Sun shining. Crabs running loose trying to nibble your toes peaking through your sandals. Dress up Sunday sun dress. Sipping a Bloody Mary while waiting on your food to be cooked.

I took my Bloody Mary and went to the bar to have a cigarette. Sat beside a woman reading a book from her e-reader. Struck up a conversation with her since writing is my game and besides I was curious as to what type e-reader she had. I thought it looked like my Kindle but not really. Come to find out it was a Sony e-reader.

Found out that she liked Nora Roberts books.

Oh, so you like to read romance, I asked her, thinking to myself that here may be new reader for my romance books that I write.

Oh, not just any romance, she replied, I like fantasy and paranormal.

I thought to myself, and you like to read Nora Roberts?! I write romance, I said. Not just any old romance though. I don't write sweet romance. Mine are hot and spicy. Maybe you'd like to check me out and order my books for your e-reader, I said and handed her my card.

Oh I don't think so, she replied. I'm too old for sex.

Now that set me back a bit as I thought about how to reply to that. Well, are you too old to dream, I asked her. Read my books and remember how it was in your heyday.

Romance Writers of America Conference

As Romance Booms, Authors and Publishers Invest in Face Time
By Rose Fox -- Publishers Weekly, 7/22/2009 7:51:00 AM

Around 2,000 members of the Romance Writers of America descended on
Washington, D.C. this weekend for RWA's annual conference. Despite overall
economic woes, romance is selling well in both trade and mass market, and
the mood was quite upbeat.

......

Despite an admission fee close to $500, the conference hotel charging over $200 a night, and the expense of travel, authors were adamant that RWA is a good investment in their careers.

Read the complete article at PW Daily.

Lisa Lane - Guest Blogger

Today's guest blogger is author Lisa Lane. Lisa is a friend of mine at Facebook.

Lisa says, "I have been writing novels and screenplays for over twenty years, but my craft didn't take that necessary leap from good to polished until about five years ago. Whereas dialog and narration came rather naturally to me throughout the majority of my life, only my most recent works truly reflect a sense of depth, pacing, and suspense that comes only with experience and time. Of the works I feel are finished or in the process of redraft, I can claim seven novels: two literary, one narrative nonfiction, three erotic horrors, and one erotic romantic sci-fi. I have adapted three of my original novels into screenplays. I also have four original screenplays,as well as a collection of short stories and essays. My stories range from literary, science fiction, and horror to lighthearted comedy, romance/erotica, and heartfelt confession. I love to explore new genres, and then find new and exciting ways to make them my own. My work is eclectic and unique. And I write because I have to."

And now, here is Lisa!

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I want to thank Sizzling Hot Romance for having me as a guest and Kristie Leigh Maguire for inviting me. I feel honored to talk about my work here, especially since I am not the typical romance writer. With that in mind, I want to talk to you today about the distinctive and the unusual.

Breaking Traditions, Bending Rules, and Shattering Boundaries

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Lisa Lane and I write mixed genre fiction. That might seem like a blanket term, but I think it describes my work well. I house many muses, and as a result my writing is very eclectic. Whether is it my pulp sci-fi, romance, erotica, or horror, critics agree that my work has a unique flair all its own.

I am fascinated by the archetype and the cliche, not because of the abuse each have suffered over the centuries, but because of the literary tools that persist within them, despite their abuse. When broken down to their most basic elements, they are what create and delineate the various genres we write. I feel it necessary to suggest that they also ultimately dictate the various rules by which we as writers have grown accustomed to following. For example:

* the Hero in a horror story is a survivor
* the Hero in a romance seeks fulfillment and lasting happiness
* the Hero in a pulp sci-fi is a product of his society

The very nature of these characters create rules I have learned the hard way one rarely breaks:

* only the strong/persevering/smart/etc. survive horror stories
* romance books must always have happy endings
* even the anti-hero must be likeable in his own way

I can think of one story that successfully breaks one of the above three rules; this story is an exception, and it a powerful piece specifically because of the one rule it breaks. The work is an Indie horror film titled CUBE, and only because of its brilliance and unique approach is it able to get away with all that it does, while ending on such a powerful note. Most of us can only strive for such brilliance, and for the meantime, we must follow the above rules.

I have learned, however, that those rules can still be bent. Executed in just the right way, romance can be bittersweet, horror can be enlightening and provocative, and sci-fi can be powerful and heart wrenching. I think that is what literature is all about: learning the rules, and then finding unique and permissible ways of twisting and contorting them to suit the needs of both the audience and the story. When used wisely, such technique can make the difference between a good story and an exceptional one.

In my erotic horror trilogy, THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT, I take the most basic elements of the vampire myth, using an archetype akin to Dracula or Lestat, while also importing elements from numerous other genres. The result is a unique tale that is dark and gritty, but also thoughtful, heartfelt, and provocative. It is a work of erotic horror, but it is also a romance, a social commentary, and a tribute to its genres.

A character in book III, Anna, the seemingly human offspring of vampires Karen and Billy, is the perfect example of the character that strips the archetype to its most basic elements, while importing elements from other archetypes and bending numerous rules. Anna is a psychic vampire, and she travels the Astral plane via a Doppelganger, or psychic double, in search of men willing to trade small bits of their life-force for sexual favors. Anna does not drink blood and she does not shun the daylight–unlike her fraternal twin brother, Andy. I chose for Anna to be a twin for a reason: Andy, the archetypal vampire, is a stark contrast to Anna, and by placing the two side by side along their story, their contrast only becomes that much more apparent. Together, they make a statement:

* this story bends rules, and prepared to be surprised


THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT: BLOOD AND COFFEE

Life becomes complicated enough, after Karen takes sexy Billy as her lover andhe turns her into a vampire. Once they exchange blood, however, she finds that they share a bond more powerful than anything she has ever experienced. When Karen and Billy become separated, she is forced on the run from her crazy father, who imagines himself a vampire hunter, dream walking demon hunters, and a creepy commune of brainwashed vampires, controlled by orgy-loving leader, John-Michael. In this breathless debut novel, Lisa Lane takes you on a thrilling ride through vampire enclaves, moral dilemmas, and forbidden sexual encounters.

"...the writer is a good storyteller, and does an excellent job of leading the reader on..." - Regina, Coffee Time Romance

THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT II: COSMIC ORGASM

Karen's dark, sexy vampire odyssey continues, as she finds herself pursued by John-Michael's bounty hunters by night, and by once-sexy, now-demonic Billy's restless spirit by day. In a strange turn of events, lover becomes captor, foe becomes ally, love begins anew, and Karen survives her biggest challenge yet: childbirth. The second installment to The Darkness and the Night series, Cosmic Orgasm picks up directly where the first book ends, Karen's journey taking her through both the shadows of her past and the glimmer of light in her future. Her sexual exploration continues, as well, with a cosmic experience like none other, guaranteed to leave you breathless.

"I finished the book much quicker than the first and by the time I read the last sentence in the last chapter I really wanted Lisa Lane's next and conclusion to her The Darkness & the Night series to be published already so I could read it. I give this book 4 Open Books." - Phoebe Jordan, Talk About My Favorite Authors

THE DARKNESS AND THE NIGHT III: TWINS OF DARKNESS

Karen learns quickly that being both a mother and a vampire is no easy task, especially since her children, fraternal twins Anna and Andy, are not typical kids. Anna, although seemingly human, has the unique ability to not only travel the Astral, but also manipulate objects and people between planes. Andy also appears to be a normal human boy, but appearances prove disastrously deceiving. With the help of her blood donor and lover, Jason, Karen does her best to offer the twins a "normal" suburban life. Despite them, Anna and Andy come into their own, exploring their family's past . . . and the very different beings they are both slowly becoming. In the process, the author takes us on a wild ride that breaks beyond the boundaries of time and reality, sexual exploration, love and sacrifice . . . and back to the vampire commune.

". . .well written and exciting. This is certainly one of the most unique vampire novels I have come across. It is chock full of imagination and feeling; a totally fresh look at the dark side." - Lototy, Coffee Time Romance

"Having read the first twenty-nine pages off and on, I continued straight through to the end. As I’ve already said, the plot is superb, and when such a plot comes along, I always marvel at the human imagination and what it can produce." - Fanny, Cerebral Reviews

For more information and buy links, visit my website: http://www.cerebralwriter.weebly.com/erotica.html

Thanks for reading! I’ll be popping in throughout the day to chat and answer questions, so if you have a question or comment, I’d love to hear from you!

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Thank you, Lisa, for visiting with us today at Sizzling Hot Romance!

Kristie Leigh Maguire

Lisa Lane will be guest blogger on Tues July 14th

Mark you calendars for Tuesday July 14th. Author Lisa Lane will be my guest blogger for that day.

Lisa says, "I am a writer. Writing is my passion, my release, and my escape. My day is not complete unless I write at least a few pages, and I craft sentences and redraft chapters as I drift off to sleep each night. It is quite safe to say that I obsess over the written word. I see words as broken shards of colored glass: alone they are worthless, but when placed together in just the right way they have the potential to form great masterpieces."

Be sure to come back Tuesday to learn more about Lisa Lane!