Friday’s Focus: What the…?

By Cam

It’s a week before Christmas and I must say that although I LOVE this holiday, it’s also screwing with my personal timeline for my current WIP. Here’s where I am–I’ve finished Chapter One of my spanking new YA. The same one that interrupted my NaNo and has left my sleep schedule all out of whack. I still find myself dreaming snippets of this story, waking up to write it all down lest I forget, and embracing new research methods (which have been so insightful and irreplaceable in helping me understand my protagonist).

But there’ s something I’ve recently encountered that caught me completely off-guard. Yes, this is a YA and that alone was enough to make my head spin. I love reading YA, but I had been writing paranormal romances. ROMANCES. As in, against-the-wall steam, lusty heroines, and naughty heroes with a penchant for stalking the halls of my mind with their beefed up chests and brooding eyes. Well, it just so happens that YA’s don’t really have a whole lot of, ahem, s-e-x. And what little nookie there is, is usually behind the scenes.

So imagine my second surprise when I actually start writing this thing and notice that I’m using a whole lot of I, my, and me, me, me. WHAT?! I’m writing first person? But, but…I’ve only really written in third person before because sex scenes are always more fun to write and read when you can get in the heads of both characters (in separate scenes of course). What the heck do I know about writing in first person? I don’t even like to read in first person all that much. At least not in romance novels.

I got over my initial visceral response and started doing more research. Reading research. Reading as many first-person books as I could in a two-week time period. I noticed a trend that I guess I never paid much attention to before. It seems that romances are the overwhelming leader of books written in third-person. Because most other books I picked up — literary women’s fiction, legal thrillers, cozies, commercial fiction, YA, MG — are written in first-person. I’ve read a lot outside the romance genre before so why didn’t I pick up on this tidbit before? I can only assume it’s because my goal of writing toward publication is still new (April 2009 is when I started seriously writing…although like every other writer out there, I’ve been writing since I was a kid). During that time I started pursuing this goal, I was fully engrossed in romance. I had just given birth to my daughter in September ’08 and who knows, maybe I wanted to spice up my new lifestyle change a little. (But I can positively say I’m not a newbie to romance novels since I picked up my first romance book — a Jude Deveraux sheet-wrinkler — when I was twelve.)

So here I am writing in a new genre, writing in a new POV…what more could be thrown at me? Heh, heh, heh. My muse is wicked. That little tramp. Because a third revelation comes to me after I re-read my first chapter. I had to read it again because I felt like a deer caught in headlights, like eighteen-wheeler headlights with a neon row of fog-lights thrown in for good measure.

Here’s my first sentence (DISCLAIMER: This is rough. Very, very rough. So don’t get mad if your eyes start to bleed.):

I feel the fingers of dread massage my stomach as I walk across the pebbled pavement.

Huh? Then I read further thinking this must surely be a fluke…

A piece of gravel finds its way inside my flip-flop. But before I can stoop down to wheedle it out from between my toes, it’s already gone. I cough. Noxious exhaust pollutes the air around me, thick and suffocating like icing on the cake of my impending sentence. A warning that today is really going to suck.

Like I don’t already know.

Huh? I read it again. And again. I envision plantlife shriveling, puppies dying, books burning…did I write that in present tense? Warning bells go off in my head. Danger! Danger! I read it for the hundredth time. No way. This can’t be present tense. I’ve never written in present tense before. It’s like a foreign language to me. I start to think that maybe I’m one of those religious fanatics that can all of a sudden speak Latin even though I’ve never spoken Latin before. Yes, that must be it.

But after splashing a little water on my face, I settle into my seat with a fresh cup of hot tea. I start out slow, only punching a few sentences into my laptop. Then I start pounding away, typing until my eyes are dry and my tea’s too cold to drink. And I think maybe…just maybe, I kind of like this new writing style.  I like the freedom it gives me. I like feeling more connected to my character, more invested in my story. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

The next day I ventured into the cyber world just to make sure I wasn’t turning to the dark side or anything. And I stumbled upon a wonderful post by Timothy Hallinan, an author of thrillers, about the advantages to writing in present tense. You can read his full post here.

There’s one passage that really struck a chord with me.

“It had an immediacy I enjoyed. It was less like writing and more (do I dare to say this?) like a movie or a play. Plays and movies exist in a permanent present tense, a period of time that begins the moment the curtain lifts or the image hits the screen. The viewers enter this period of time with the characters, and live through it right beside them. (This is an interesting illusion because it holds even when we see a film for the third or fourth time.)”

I highlighted the point that made me sit up and think, Holy cow, that is sooo right on. I was a Thespian in high school (I denounce the term “theatre geek”). I once majored in Theatre in college (before I realized I didn’t want to eat tuna fish and Ramen noodles my whole life). So I know what it’s like to have that curtain part and there’ s  no turning back, no assurances that this performance will go smoothly. It’s the excitement and thrill of investing yourself completely in your character, playing off the audience’s emotions, and letting it all unfold naturally.

Hallinan is right on with his assessment. Why didn’t I think of that before? Major lightbulbs went off in my head when I made this connection because in my story, I want the reader to know everything as it happens. I want the reader to sit on the edge of his or her seat and wonder if my protagonist will be okay in the end. I want the reader to feel like they’re the character, the one experiencing this story first-hand.

I want that experience for them.

And for me.

So tell me…am I alone on this vessel of first-person present tense? If you write it, what do you see are the advantages? If you don’t, have you tried it? If not, what do you see as the major disadvantages? I’d love to hear from you!

Thursday Thirteen

By Cam

I haven’t done T13 in a while. November was pretty much shot with NaNo and December isn’t much better with all the shopping and to-do’s I’m behind with.

But I thought it would be fitting to list some of my favorite books I read this year. This list isn’t necessarily from 2009 releases because I just can’t keep up with all the books that come out. (Although this year did see some excellent books hit the shelves and cyber waves.)

So in no particular order, here are my 13 Favorite Books I Read This Year:

1. Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia — This YA is a beautifully written tale about a boy, a girl, a curse, and a grave. It has a gothic southern setting that’s as much a developed character as the rest of the players in the story. It’s a long book — just over 600 pages — but the pacing is well-timed and keeps you invested from start to finish.
2. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater — Another YA – love story about a girl who survived a wolf attack when she was younger finally meeting the wolf who saved her that day…who’s really a hot emo-boy. I’m not normally a werewolf fan, but the world Stiefvater created is unique, believable, and I couldn’t put this book down. It was also the first time I read a dual-narrative that really worked and had its own unique spin.
3. Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter — This is a duology of two almost-complete novels by two of my favorite paranormal romance authors. If I have to be honest though, I liked Kresley’s story just a teensy weensy bit more. The main reason? Icicle scene. All I gotta say.
4. Hunt Her Down by Roxanne St. Claire — An excellent, fast-paced entry in the world of the Bulletcatchers. This was the first book of St. Claire’s I read and after finishing it, I immediately read the series from the first book. She’s a master at creating tension, suspense, and likeable characters. In this installment, Dan Gallagher is one hunky hero and the shed scene is one I’ll never forget.
5. Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare — This was Tessa Dare’s debut book, although she has since had two additional books come out in this series. But what a fabulous debut! I fell in love with Lucy–she was fun, real, hilarious, and how I picture I would be if I was a regency-era woman hell-bent on finding a husband.
6. Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost — Cat and Bones. What’s not to love? If you haven’t tried the Night Huntress books, what are you waiting for? This is a must-read UF series that will make you wish you had yourself a naughty British vampire like Bones.
7. Wake by Lisa McMann — This is a YA that had a premise I found really original. A girl experiences the dreams of those around her. She’s in high school, so I’m sure you can imagine the horrible dreams she has to endure as it seems everyone at her school manages to fall asleep for at least a few minutes. It was hard at first for me to get into this book because it started off somewhat slow. But once the pacing picked up, McMann’s unique voice really came through and I fell in love with Janie and Cable. Fade is Book 2 in this series and it’s on my list for 2010, as is Gone which comes out in March.
8. Seduce the Darkness by Gena Showalter — It was hard to pick a Gena book to put on this list. I mean, she had 4 come out in 2009 alone (a YA, an Alien Huntress, a Lord of the Underworld, and another Alien Huntress book in the DKOW duology)! That woman can write like the freaking wind! But I put this one on the list from the Alien Huntress series because Devyn is just scrumptious. He’s hot, flirty, dirty and he’s not afraid to admit it. Even though he’s been a man-whore his whole adult life, I couldn’t help but fall a little in love with him after each page. Bride is one lucky gal…er, vampire.
9. Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole — This is book 7 of the Immortals After Dark series and if you haven’t read it, YOU MUST. Cole’s books are steamy, but not sleazy; funny, but not cheesy; and she has one of the most unique, lively, and all-encompassing worlds in paranormal romance. There’s a reason why she’s a previous RITA winner. This book features Rydstrom, who’s a Rage Demon, and Sabine, who’s  one helluva badass biotch. Sabine is an anti-heroine and I HATED her. But then I LOVED her. Then HATED. Until finally she redeemed herself to me, and to Rydstrom, and I loved her once again. A fab read!
10. Soulless by Gail Carriger — This is a debut book by Carriger and my first read into Steampunk…although I guess technically, this book is more gaslight since there wasn’t a whole lot of technology in it. But Carriger created a truly unique heroine in Alexia who makes you want to hug her, slap her, be her best friend, give her a makeover, but ultimately, cheer for her. The world Carriger created is also stellar with an uncanny ability to make me wonder if this alternate paranormal community really did exist in the late 1800s. Oh, and now I’m putting parasol on my Xmas list.
11. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott — This YA book is haunting. It’s not upbeat. It’s not funny. It’s not romantic. It’s disturbing. But it’s a story that needed to be told and Scott told it beautifully. She captures the tortured voice of “Alice”, who’s entire past has been swept to the side and replaced with a shell of a girl who was abducted and then sexually and mentally abused every day since. This story made me cry and look at every guy named Ray in a bad, bad way.  It will stay on my keeper shelf so I’m reminded of the thousands of girls abducted every year who have no hope of reclaiming their past so they’re not forgottten.
12. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund — Killer unicorns. Kick-butt heroine with a richly-detailed legacy. Plus Peterfreund’s a beautiful writer and technician of the craft. She’s also a fellow Washington, DC writer and did you know that’s her face on her book cover? She’s drop-dead, people.
13. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins — This is an absolute must-read for anyone, even if you’re not a fan of YA. I truly believe this book will be one of those rarities that our children’s children will be reading in school and dissecting. It’s one of those stories that’s dark and light at the same time and grips you from the first page. Although I hated the name of the protagonist (Katniss – I mean, really?)…like everything else in the book, it stands apart from anything else in the YA genre and other genres as well. Cathching Fire is the follow-up book in this tale and I hear it’s just as breathtaking a story as Hunger Games. It’s the first one I’m reading come January.

So there you have it. My list of my Fave Reads from the past year. What are some of your favorites? What are you looking forward to reading in 2010?

Writerly Wednesday

By Cam

NANO IS DONE. NANO IS DONE. NANO IS DONE. Woo-hoo!!!

And guess what? I’m a WINNER. A big fat winner, winner, chicken dinner.

My ending word count was 50,322. And only a third of them are probably really bad. The other two-thirds are quasi-bad but salvageable. And I have two beginnings in this draft because I couldn’t make up my mind on where I wanted to start the story. Plus, I have about 30K more to add before reaching a conclusion.

Another small hang-up? I had to change my original title, Fortune’s Folly, to Silverslip Society because Fortune’s Folly already exists out there in the romance world. Who would’ve thought that was such a popular title? But no hard feelings because Silverslip Society is waaaaay better. *Insert eye roll here*

Now that NaNo is over, I’m going to get started on an idea that literally woke me up from a dead sleep. I can’t say it was a dream because I really don’t remember dreaming about anything that had to do with my new idea, but all I know is I woke up at 6 a.m. and wrote the first scene on my iPhone–squinting, mind you, since it was pitch black in my room–while Hubs groaned and pulled the covers over his head. I bought new pens, new journals, and I’m ready to flesh out some of this idea. And get this–It’s a YA. I know. I was shocked, too. I guess my Muse channeled some teen angst while standing in line to see New Moon (which I did manage to see a week after its release and have to admit it was a lot better than the first).

As of today, I’ve only written a couple of scenes just to get a sense of my characters. But I already know it’s going to be told First Person POV which is a new thing for me. To say I’m nervous about it would be a major understatement.

I’ll keep you updated on how this story goes. But I’m really excited about it. Like really excited. I told my BFF about it and even pitched the whole story to my Hubs and let him read the scene I wrote that morning. I usually don’t involve Hubs in my writing because to put it simply–he just doesn’t get it. He’s a reader of all things manly, autobiographical, or manual-like. The only fiction he reads are thrillers. Romance is not his cup of tea. YA is definitely not his cup of tea. But I told him about my idea because I love what’s in my head already. Hubs surprised me and got excited about it, too.

Okay…putting on my plotter hat for now. Wish me luck on this new road!

Tuesday Releases

By Cam

I haven’t blogged a new release in forever…well, since October because as everyone knows by now, November was sucked up by NaNo.

Here’s the newest release from a Diva – Jennifer Leeland, with her debut Samhain release (WARNING: Shield your eyes if you’re under 18):

“The Christmas She Rules”
Control is her kink…and she’s losing it.

It’s another gloomy Christmas for Pamela Dane. Not only is it the anniversary of a dark period in her life, but all her friends had the nerve to hook up. It’s not easy for a female Domme to find a playmate. Maybe The Cage in San Francisco will be the perfect place to escape—and find a willing man to chase away the memories.

Christian Nolan is at the BDSM club for the hell of it. Yet the minute Mistress Dane takes control of him, she not only stuns him with her talent, he stuns himself with his willingness to surrender. Her offer to meet him there for another night is intriguing—and frightening.

Pamela’s session with Chris shakes her to the core, resurrecting memories she’s afraid to face. But Chris isn’t willing to let her past haunt her…even if it leaves his heart in tatters.

Warning: Hot, strong man on his knees, which will bring you to yours. Strap-on action, anal play, lots of leather and tons of tension. Alpha male who likes to do whatever the right woman tells him to do, including another woman.

BUY IT HERE!
Want a taste? Read an excerpt HERE.