Taste of Kiwi

My special guest today is fellow Ellora’s Cave author, Wynter Daniels. Wynter was lucky enough to attend the recent RWA conference in Florida and is here to tell us about both that and her latest release, Getting Even With Warren.

Thanks so much to Shelley Munro for inviting me to guest blog here! I want to tell you about my trip to the RWA National conference in Orlando. This was my first, but I can assure you, it won’t be my last.

Aside from the awesome parties, the plethora of free books and the great info at the publisher spotlight sessions, there were the workshops. Before I attend a conference, I make myself a spreadsheet of my schedule including which workshop of the 7 or 8 being offered at any given time. My organized self sighs contentedly at the neat chart I tuck into a folder.

Then I arrive at the conference and I blow that all to hell! I listen to the buzz from other authors, scratch one program off in favor of another. The time rolls around and I change my mind yet again. The offerings were great this time and I would love to give you a detailed recap from each workshop I attended. But that would make a ridiculously long post, so I will try to give you a pearl from each of my favorites.

Linda Howard’s Twelve Steps of Intimacy is always a crowd pleaser. If you ever have the opportunity to attend this program, go for it. You won’t regret it. One thing that stands out – leapfrogging the steps can intensify or shake up the intimacy experience.

Donald Maass’ Fire in Fiction II program was standing room only. The pearl there – imagine the standout emotion from your scene then recall a moment in your own life that exemplifies that emotion. Include the details of what you were feeling at the time to give your writing better impact.

Nora Roberts, aka J. D. Robb, was the keynote speaker at the opening luncheon. She spoke about the incredible changes in technology in the thirty years since the first RWA conference in 1980. Manuscripts were typed on typewriters with carbon paper and research was done at the library. She said she’s heard people say it was so much easier to get published back then but she disputes that. Getting published is supposed to be hard. Hard makes it that much more special when you achieve it. She also talked about the huge number of opportunities available today like e-publishing. She credits the camaraderie of RWA members for helping writers survive and flourish in a difficult field.

I also listened to sessions on police procedure, upping the heat in romance and diversifying an author’s portfolio and attracting the biggest audience for your books. Overall, the conference was a winner and did I mention free books?

CONTEST: Please leave a comment and I will draw one name to receive a free copy of my latest ebook from Ellora’s Cave, Getting Even with Warren.

Here’s a little about the book and a link to an excerpt:

Widow Macy Halstead learned of her much older husband’s voracious appetite for cheating shortly before his death. Now it’s too late to get back at him. When she meets his bi-racial illegitimate son at the funeral, a mutual attraction flares. She leaves with him and the two share a night of hot passion.

Alex Jackson set out to get back at the father who treated him like dirt. Bedding his old man’s widow fit the bill—until he forgets his reasons and realizes he really likes Macy. But after a steamy fling, she seems to have second thoughts. Can they overcome their initial agendas and explore the possibility of a relationship?

You can find Getting Even with Warren HERE.

Bio: Wynter Daniels is the naughty alter ego of contemporary romance author Dara Edmondson. She lives in Central Florida with her husband of more than twenty years and their two nearly grown children. They are all the slaves of two very demanding cats. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. She currently writes for Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id and Red Sage Publishing.

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It was a weird sort of a weekend for me. I attended the conference, but I have to admit I had trouble focusing on what the speakers were saying because of the personal stuff going on in our lives. I did, however, have a couple of real lightbulb moments – thank you Fiona Brand and Mary Theresa Hussey – and I think that once I return from holiday, it will be with renewed energy and inspiration for my writing.

I attended an early morning talk with agent Melissa Jeglinski from the Knight Agency. They read the first pages of manuscripts and she stopped them when she reached the point where she’d make a decision. The following is a summary of her dos and don’ts. For you experienced writers out there this is probably commonsense to you, but a reminder never hurts!

1. Don’t start your manuscript with a one-sided conversation. i.e. phone call. You’re wasting an opportunity to use characterization through dialogue.

2. It’s good to make the reader want more. i.e. intrigue them but don’t throw everything and the kitchen sink into that first page.

3. Add characterization rather than too much backstory. i.e. have your characters make an appearance early rather than giving lots of narrative first up.

4. Sentence length – don’t make those opening sentences too long and convoluted. You want the reader/agent/editor to understand the sentence. If they have to read it twice you have a problem.

5. You need a coherent flow of dialogue and narration. Don’t have all dialogue and no narration at the start of your story. Make the dialogue meaningful.

6. Don’t feel the need to give a detailed description of clothes etc in that first page. One or two details are fine but don’t describe everything in minute detail.

In a talk about Harlequin and the various lines editor Mary Theresa Hussey gave us a list of points that the editors use when they’re reading a submission.

1. Are the opening and closing lines strong? i.e. it’s that hook thing. Use strong hooks!

2. Do the characters make decisions? i.e. are they active rather than sitting back and letting things happen.

3. Do the conflicts come across as strong and interesting?

4. Are the characters compelling?

5. Does the story start in the right place? i.e don’t be tempted to slide in all that back story!

6. Do you want to read on?

If they can answer yes to all these questions, your manuscript is in good shape.

Mary Thesesa also mentioned that the Harlequin Intrigue line and the Harlequin Presents line are definitely looking for new authors, so if you’re interested in either of these lines get writing!

And two final things: If you’re interested in the new Harlequin YA line check out the prequel for Rachel Vincent’s debut story. You can download your free copy here.

Harlequin do regular podcasts that can be downloaded at this link or at iTunes. There are some additional ones coming any day now so keep checking back. The existing podcasts include editor inside information and interviews with authors.

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So, you can’t go to the RWA conference this year? Well, don’t fret for long. Romance Divas is hosting their annual NGTCC (Not Going To Conference Conference) and it’s going to be fun-filled. Already they’ve got great guest spots lined up, including: Josh Lanyon, Rowan Mcbride, Jet Mykles and Shayla Kersten, Carrie Jones, Marley Gibson, Linnea Sinclair, Patti O’Shea, Ona Russel, Steve Hockingsmith, Joey W. Hill and Sasha White.

There will be workshops for just about every genre, from Young Adult to Erotic to Historical. Plus, a workshop on Deep POV, one on going from e-publishing to NY, and a Q&A on how avoid and deal with burnout. And there’s bound to be a few surprises, too.

The NGTCC kicks off July 14th and runs until July 18th. If you’re not already a member of Romance Divas, all you have to do is go to the website and register! Best of all–it’s FREE!

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Bumpy – that just about sums up the entire plane trip from Auckland to San Francisco. We flew through quite a bit of the storm front bearing down on New Zealand. That teaches us for smugly saying we’d miss the incoming weather front. Oh, and long. Thirteen hours on a bumpy plane is a long time.

We finally managed to catch up with Amanda Ashby and Sara Hantz, along with Ellie Huse and Vanessa from Australia. I also ran into Nalini Singh at both the airport and the hotel. I think I’ve seen more Kiwi writers in the last day than I’ve seen for months. I really need to get to some of the chapter meetings at home. Mr. Munro arranged for a limo from the airport. Here’s the photo of us all waiting to pile inside.

From left to right: Me, Sara Hantz, Amanda Ashby, Ellie Huse and Vanessa.

Each time I visit America my first visit to the restroom is always traumatic. Toilets flush differently over here and when all that water gushes into the bowl I worry it mightn’t stop. Ours don’t do that in New Zealand.

Another difference is the dairy creamer. We don’t have this horrid white powder in New Zealand. We have these tiny milk pottles or the hotel/motel usually provide real milk. Ugh, I’d forgotten about creamer and the fact I’d have to use it for the next six weeks.

I attended the Kiss of Death AGM and had the pleasure of listening to guest speaker, Allison Brennan. She gave every attendee two of her recent releases. I enjoy Allison’s books and loved her inspirational talk on writing.

Well, that’s me for tonight. I’ll try to post this tomorrow, but meantime my eyes are really tired. I’m going to catch some sleep.

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I can’t believe it. Despite the weathermen telling us we’re in for yet more storms and rain, today is sunny and warm. Everyone is drying out a little after the weather bomb from the weekend. Me – I’m looking forward to sunshine and heat so that I can wear shorts. No one knows me over there in the US so it doesn’t matter if I dazzle anyone with my winter-white legs. I’m actually packed and very organized. I think I’ll even have time for a final bike ride tomorrow. We’re meeting up with friends at the airport. I can’t wait to see everyone.

It’s my nephew’s birthday today, and I spent the morning making cupcakes and updating my website. I have release dates for two Ellora’s Cave releases. Fringe Benefit will come out on 14 November and Cat Burglar is out on 31 December. That takes my total releases for the year to ten. Hard to believe I’ve done all these books, but I have worked hard. I’m ready for a six-week break.

There are blurbs and excerpts up for the two new books. Just follow the links from the coming soon page. I’ve also put up new articles- one for readers and one for writers. They’re under the extras tab.

I’m off to do a final few things. Be good!

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The Romance Divas annual Not Going to Conference Conference will make you feel a bit less deprived! Amazing workshops, a star-studded guest list and awesome giveaways, all on the Diva forum! Don’t miss it!

Wednesday, July 30

Paula Guran, Editor, Juno Books
Q&A on Creating Kick a** Heroines
Read the rest of this entry ?

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It’s true I’ve concentrated on writing recently, but I have spared the odd moment or two to wonder about what to wear at the upcoming conference. It’s a perplexing problem, since after the conference, I’m traveling for another five weeks, which means I need to pack conservatively. Another major problem is that I need to leave plenty of space for books, both the ones I collect at the conference and the ones I buy during my travels. Do you see my dilemma?

About two weeks ago, I decided to attack the problem in a scientific manner. I’m going to write out my appointments and add details of what I’m wearing for each day. I think I’ve also decided to wear trousers to the Awards function, and this will mean one less pair of shoes. I’m also going to do the trousers/nice tops thing all the way through. All I need to do is decide the order of wearing. Jeesh! Who knew clothes could cause such a huge problem?

If anyone has any suggestions please speak up! And for those who are going to the conference, what are you taking to wear?

I have some wonderful guests visiting me this month. New Zealander, Sara Hantz is here on 9 July. She writes teen fiction. I must admit I’ve been reading quite a few stories from this genre and have really enjoyed them. Don’t miss her visit!

Marcia James is visiting on 16 July, and she’s talking about promo for both print and ebooks. She has wonderful advice for promo, so come armed with your questions. She also has a list of 150 plus promo ideas for authors. (details available on the day) You definitely don’t want to miss her visit!

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With the Romance Writers of America conference coming up in July, I thought it was a good time to discuss pitches. Many of you, me included, have probably applied for appointments and now need to prepare for your pitch. Yes, I’ll admit the nerves get a bit of a workout, but preparation is the key. I’ve started to think about my pitch now.

Here are a few tips:

1. Prepare beforehand and summarise your book in a few sentences. Know your market and do a little research. If you have an agent appointment who do they represent? Have you read books by these writers? Is there an online article detailing the agents/editors likes and dislikes. You’ll be surprised at the articles that will pop up with an online search. When you’re reading check the acknowledgements in the front of the book. Many authors thank their editors and agents, which will give you a feel as to what type of book they enjoy.

2. Practice your pitch with a friend.

3. The agents and editors are probably just as nervous as you are about the pitch. Start with a smile and introduce yourself. Don’t forget to breathe. Write yourself some notes to jog your memory, just in case you freeze, and take them in with you.

4. As well as pitching, ask questions. It’s an ideal opportunity.

5. Speak clearly and not too quickly. I know I have a tendency to talk really fast if I’m a bit nervous. Be enthusiastic about your book – it’s a masterpiece, after all, and once you’ve pitched the agent/editor will want it. They’ll be excited about receiving your partial/full manuscript in the mail. Right? The point is – if you’re not excited then why should they want your book?

6. Don’t take your manuscript with you to hand to the editor/agent. The only thing you should take are your notes and a business card.

7. Most agents/editors prefer you to pitch only finished manuscripts.

8. Concentrate on pitching one book, although if you have time, it’s okay to mention others. The agent or editor will ask questions if they’re interested.

9. Dress – I probably don’t need to say this but treat the pitch like a job interview and dress accordingly. An editor/agent pitch is not the time to wear scruffy jeans and a short, tight T-shirt.

So what goes in a pitch?

One of my favorite articles about pitching is by author Kathy Carmichael. She has an excellent article on her website, along with a nifty pitch generator, which will help with your basic pitch.

Agent, Kristin Nelson also has some excellent posts about writing pitches/blurbs. The first post is Pitching and All That Jazz. Here’s another post for a contemporary romance and one for romantic suspense. Kristin’s posts can also be used for writing query letters and blurbs. I’ve only linked to a few. She has others and it’s definitely worth heading over to her blog.

CJ Lyons has a guest post over at Title Magic about perfecting your pitch.

Finally, Australian author, Paula Roe has a very good article describing the pitching process.

Do you have any pitching tips to add?

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