The Drama Pheromone

Poster credit:Ricky Ross

Most men would say we as women we are born with drama in our blood, like it's some sort of instinct. As the mother of two daughters, I would have to agree.

But if so at what age does it actually kick in? For me it would probably be at around two. I have been reminded most of my life of my abuse of the f-bomb at an early age.

One particular incident happened at the local Walmart, where from the front of a cart, I dropped that curse word on my dear grandmother in a tantrum. She promptly "slap my jaws" as she described it. I slapped her back. The slapping game went on until another shopper chastised my grandmother. But before she could respond I dropped the f-grenade on that good Samaritan. She just walked away.

That small scenario is a lifetime of dramatrix that I have cultivated. However, as an adult I have really tried to avoid and not instigate drama. It seems to find me no matter the efforts I employ. It's as if I have some sort of pheromone that people with drama are attracted to. They seek me out then feel the need to share the most intimate and astounding problems with me.

I've developed a theory that my addiction to Diet Pepsi may be a contributing factor. You know like if you smell sweet bees fly around you. Taking this theory and applying it to my life was a short lived experiment. After day three without soda I was sitting in a parking lot drinking it straight from the 2 liter...at room temperature. Yeah I said room temperature.


So I've come to the harsh but rational conclusion that drama and I... well we are a package deal. Oddly I'm at peace with it. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing for my other half. Since he's the one that suffers the most from her wrath. For example...there was that time he fell out of tree was briefly blinded and lifelighted to a hospital, or that time he broke his wrist then six months later had surgery on the opposite arm, oh and that time he totaled the car and hurt his back....well you get the point. Luckily the head injuries have worked to my benefit. He is still around.

One day a close friend and I were recounting the story of my dramatic life--laughing as usual. She suggested that I would make a great reality show. At first I thought she was right then I quickly reconsidered. The first time I dropped that f-bomb on TV would warrant a trip to the clergy's office and I don't want that.  Old habits die hard especially when one possesses the Drama Pheromone.

Do you have the drama pheromone?If so explain why.

My Jesus Broke...Now I Can't Write...The Excuses Never Cease....

My beloved Christ picture broke...
It's my husbands fault...
How can I write in this emotionally charged atmosphere?





In the span of four days this is where my life was. Hubba hubby is in a wreck. A young woman tboned our family paid for mini van, totaling it, he was injured, missed work, we moved from an apartment to a house. While this is going on we still had church,basketball games and practices, chess club,piano etc. Needless to say life continued. On top of all that I had two writing deadlines.

First I'll start with the internal deadline. That deadline of the Internet doesn't come on until Thursday so I have until then to unpack, organize and decorate my big new house, seemed totally reasonable at the time. Did I ever mention I'm slightly neurotic?


So I'm pass the organizing and unpacking stage and now I'm into the decorating stage. This is the constant rant I'm hearing in the background, "No holes in the walls, don't mess up the hardwood, no holes in the walls, don't mess up the hardwood!" via my construction veteran husband hubba hubby. Did I mention he's totally neurotic. He can't help it he's a Yankee.

So I go and spend an obscene amount of money on damage free hanging hooks etc. I follow the directions precisely then hang my beloved Jesus picture. A picture I got 8 years ago and have moved over thousands and thousands of miles...and when we move less than a mile away it simply just falls off the wall shattering the glass!

For a brief second I regretted giving up my brass knuckles when I got put on probation that one time. I looked at hubba hubby and screamed "This is your fault!" Then promptly began picking up glass and crying. Jesus was placed in the garage and I was quiet. Quiet all through the car ride to the guitar recital, there and back. My thoughts were turning to how can I write with Jesus in the garage? That's the thing with excuses. You never run out.

So instead I long handed this post, broke the rest of the glass out of Jesus and hung him up anyway.Then got to cracking on the deadlines.

What excuses have you confronted when deadlines loom? How did you overcome them?

Familial Witch Release Day....and Contest

To Celebrate the release of Familial Witch with Astraea Press I have decided to have a contest. So here's how it works. Share this blog post on twitter, facebook, or your blog and contact me letting me know you did it. You can email me, leave a facebook comment, or tweet me. One entry per person. The contest starts now and will end at midnight Feb 3, 2011. The winner will be chosen at random from random.org Now for the prize....there will be two winner. One will receive a pdf copy of Familial Witch the other will receive a pdf copy of Caffe' Seduzione a romantic suspense short also available. 

About the book

Lucien Lemione the clan leader of the feared and revered Eternals is faced with the ultimate betrayal. His second in command for two centuries has not only created the most grievous of offenses but also commissioned the creation of liquid silver. When poisoned by this toxin, an immortal suffers a fate much worse than death, frozen in an internal prison. After being wounded when found spying, he hides deep within the eerie woods that encircle the Triad Mountains. Desperate and in pain, he prays to an offended mother goddess for help. Her answer: a woman, but not just any woman. A witch.

After losing her entire coven at the hands of the Eternals, Aisleen is the last of her kind. She retreats from the world to Trinity Forest where she is giving the opportunity of a lifetime, or perhaps a test of principles. Its there she discovers the man she heals is the Eternal that wiped out her people. Although she is bound as a healer, she could be creative in her revenge. Aisleen knows who and what Lucien is but does not speak of it. There can be no future with Lucien for she can only be with a mortal man. Even if she wanted to be with him, can she forgive the man that caused the genocide of her people?

Lucien must act quickly for the survival of his clan is at stake. However, Aisleen's ethereal beauty and emerald eyes keep pushing those thoughts far from his mind. Determined to find out what secret she hides, he prolongs his time with her. When his people need him most what will he choose ¦duty, desire, or will he make his own fate?
You can choose love but you can't choose destiny.

An excerpt from the book

Lucien heard the intake of her breath, and then the soft pads of her steps approach him. He'd not wanted to ask for help but desperately needed it. The wound in his arm shifted between extreme pain to numbness. Both were equally bad and drained his energy. He knew exactly where she had hid. If the pain weren't so bad, he would have smiled. He was impressed with her stealth. Attempting a deep breath, he looked up to see what quality of wench lived among these woods. She would have to be single, most likely homely at best. No husband would live here much less allow his wife to wander these woods alone. She would become enchanted with him. Mortal women always had and it ended with their broken hearts, which is why he avoided mortals entirely. An Eternal, especially a clan leader, could not connect themselves to mortals. To ensure the continuation of the species of purebloods it was highly suggested Eternals only procr eate with Eternal. This fact reminded him of Alastair's betrayal, adding to his pain.
He reluctantly raised his eyes to inspect her. His breath caught. Thick raven dark locks framed an ivory face with flame red lips, while empathetic emerald eyes surveyed his condition. Wearing a white peasants dress, she appeared ethereal moving toward him through the mist. His breath came out in a rush, and his pulse seemed to scream within his skull. Without a word she positioned herself under his bad shoulder and bore his weight easily. He was astonished a body so petite could hold him up. Silently she guided him along. He asked her no questions putting all his energy into moving. The pain was good though. It meant the liquid silver hadn't been released encasing him in a frozen prison.

 Familial Witch can be purchased here along with other great books from Astraea press releasing today and in the future. Thanks for the support and don't forget to enter the contest.


Bri

Guest Post By UK Author Rachele Brimble

 

I am so happy to be here as part of the Romantic Suspense blog tour I am taking part in along with Bri and fifteen other authors. It gives me a chance to talk about the one sub-genre of romance I write that, to be honest, I haven’t ventured into for over two years now.

I intend to remedy that in 2011!

Romantic suspense is my favorite genre to read and so the first book I wrote was also romantic suspense. After all, the one of the best piece of writing advice to new and aspiring authors is ‘write what you love to read’. This worked for me and in 2007, my debut novel, ‘Searching For Sophie’ was contracted by The Wild Rose Press, followed by my second romantic suspense novel in 2008, Reluctant Witness.

I love both of these books (and will be giving away a free pdf of either one to a random commenter) yet haven’t felt the spark of another romantic suspense story until recently. So what have I been doing in between? Writing other sub-genres of romance, of course!

After Reluctant Witness, I wrote a romantic comedy, followed by an historical and since then two straight contemporary romances. All of which have sold, yay! But as I started writing novel number seven (my second historical), the germ of an idea for a new romantic suspense formulated in my mind.

I scribbled it down in very sketchy detail but basically, it was the hero’s voice asking for help that I heard first. He was talking to the heroine and asking her to provide him with a false alibi. Hmm, not exactly heroic behavior, is it? But then I wondered why he was asking such a thing? What has happened to him? Why doesn’t he plead innocence? Why does he feel the need to ask the heroine to lie for him?

All great questions that have led to my basic story idea of a man falsely accused of murder and the woman who helps him catch the real killer before he is due to appear before judge and jury. I am not sure if will work out like that, but it’s a start and I’m excited to be re-visiting the sub-genre of romantic suspense after such a long absence, (even if all my books seem to have some kind of villainous character in them!).

So look out for a new romantic suspense title some time soon, but in the meantime here is the blurb for my latest contemporary romance, published by Lyrical Press. Enjoy!

Getting It Right This Time

 She's back, but this time she’s a mother…intent on protecting her young.

Two years after her husband’s death, Kate Marshall returns home seeking security and stability for her three-year-old daughter. But when her path crosses with ‘the one who got away’…her husband’s best friend, she has to fight the desire to be with him for the sake of further heartbreak for her and her daughter.

A tough, straight talking theatrical agent, Mark Johnston is dangerously handsome, exceedingly rich, irresistibly charming – and branded by the tabloids as one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors. So even though Mark lost the girl of his dreams to his best friend, he finds no hardship in being single. Or so he thought.

Determined not to lose her a second time, Mark has to find a way to convince her they can work.  But can Kate cope with the media interest and ruthless, money-hungry clients surrounding him, being anywhere near her daughter?  Or accept that Mark Johnston is really the family man he claims to be?

Rachel’s Buy Links:

http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89_78&products_id=427

http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89_78&products_id=1011

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=296

Rachel’s Personal Links

www.rachelbrimble.com

www.rachelbrimble.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rachelbrimble

 

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK.  Having always believed there’s someone for everyone, Rachel started writing her own tales of love once her children were at school.  Since then, she’s had several books published with The Wild Rose Press, Eternal Press and Lyrical Press.  She aspires to secure an agent in the near future.  A member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, Rachel cannot imagine her life without romance or writing!

When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family.  And in the evening?  Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused…


Thank you kindly Rachel for visiting and sharing your thoughts and experiences in the romance genre and sub genre's. Also thank you for offering up the chance to win a free PDF book. So just leave a comment below dear readers and you could be the winner. I'm so glad to have met you Rachele and delight in your continued success.

Bri 

How Can An Old Jewish Tale Give Guidance In Todays Publishing World? Don't Worry I'll Tell Ya...

We as writers are essentially in a brother and sister hood of sorts. We all want the same goal publication success. However, on that journey we can handle ourselves two ways...we can be selfish and  self serving or we can have empathy and charity. We can impart our praise, patience, knowledge and time.

 An old Jewish legend tells of two brothers, Abram and Zimri, who owned a field and worked it together. They agreed to divide both the labor and the harvest equally. One night as the harvest came to a close, Zimri could not sleep, for it didn’t seem right that Abram, who had a wife and seven sons to feed, should receive only half of the harvest, while he, with only himself to support, had so much.

So Zimri dressed and quietly went into the field, where he took a third of his harvest and put it in his brother’s pile. He then returned to his bed, satisfied that he had done the right thing.

Meanwhile, Abram could not sleep either. He thought of his poor brother, Zimri, who was all alone and had no sons to help him with the work. It did not seem right that Zimri, who worked so hard by himself, should get only half of the harvest. Surely this was not pleasing to God. And so Abram quietly went to the fields, where he took a third of his harvest and placed it in the pile of his beloved brother.

The next morning, the brothers went to the field and were both astonished that the piles still looked to be the same size. That night both brothers slipped out of their houses to repeat their efforts of the previous night. But this time they discovered each other, and when they did, they wept and embraced. Neither could speak, for their hearts were overcome with love and gratitude. ⁸

This is the spirit of compassion: that we love others as ourselves, ⁹ seek their happiness, and do unto them as we hope they would do unto us. ¹⁰

^{Let us learn from the example of Zimri and Abram. As we gain success let us impart of our substance of time and experience to those authors that seek after it. I'm not saying that we should ignore deadlines and answer every scrap of email that comes through. Use your common sense and simply be willing. I have to say I would rather have just enough success and a network of friends and colleagues than a NYT bestseller and no one to share the joy with.}

Week One of 17 weeks of Fantastic Romantic Suspense...Author Leanne Dyck

Welcome Dear Readers to the first interview  in a 17 week series where we will visit and talk with different Romantic Suspense authors. Something that I have learned in my journey through in the romance genre is that you really can't judge a book by it's cover. (But you can get a pretty good idea!)

Just because there is a half naked man or woman on the cover does not mean that it is necessarily erotica, or what would be rated R if it was a movie....

Take The Sweater Curse by Leanne Dyck (published by Decadence Publishing on January 10, 2011) for example. It's more of a thriller than a romance. The premise is new and intriguing and I'm very excited to have it on TBR pile.

Aspiring knitwear designer Gwen Bjarnson is stuck in Purgatory. To escape, she must re-examine her life, journey through her past and right a wrong.

But which wrong?

Young and in love, she works to establish her career, except fate has different plans. One rash act and she loses everything. Never resting, always seeking, and yearning for what she can no longer have, Gwen faces the truth:  if she remains, others are destined to die.

How will she solve the mystery before it is too late?

Preface...

This isn't Heaven. It isn't Hell. And I'm not alive.

Picture this:  a bus stop, tons of people packed into the same small space all waiting to continue their journey. Many buses stop here. Some passengers get off, others get on. Young children with sickly white complexions huddle together in the shelter. Teenagers with rope burns around their necks get off the bus. Old men with bullet holes climb on.

Throughout this confusion, the only constant is me. I remain alone.

Why?

I don't know, but I must find the reason. I must examine my life to discover the momentary lapse. The wrong I've committed. The task I've neglected. It's my only means of escape.

Now to meet the talented Leanne Dyck.....

Author Bio:  Leanne Dyck began her knitwear design career in August 2002. Her patterns have sold in North America and internationally. Shortly after The Sweater Curse is published, Leanne plans to close this business to write full-time.

She earned her first writer's paycheck for an article published in a knitting magazine and is a member of the Mayne Island Writers Group, the Victoria Writer Society, and Crime Writers of Canada.

 

      

 1.  Have you ever googled yourself? If so what did you see?

Yes, I’ve googled ‘Leanne Dyck’. The first entry on page was “Author Leanne Dyck knows her craft, her audience, and her setting” (wow that's awesome)

2.      Have you considered self publishing? If so elaborate on whatever your decision was.

Yes, I have self published an audiobook short story collection and a mystery.

I’ve written an article about my experience. If you like, in a future blog visit, I could share the article with you and your readers.( well ain't she slick...of course we want you to come back girl)

3.      Do you follow writing blogs? If so which ones and why?

Following writing blogs is an affordable means of learning the craft. Some of the blogs I faithfully follow are:  Story Fix, Story Flip, The Creative Penn and Writers Unboxed.

4.      How/where do you gather inspiration?

I’m inspired by things I’ve heard, books I’ve read, movies I’ve watched, songs I’ve enjoyed, dreams I’ve had and on and on…

5.      How do you gather information/research for a book? What’s the most significant experience you had with research? 

I gather information by reading books, talking with people and by using search engines.

6.      What’s the best/worst writing advice you have ever received?

A gem I gathered from a writing magazine was a writer’s job is to write and submit.

7.      What’s the best/worst marketing advice?

Once upon a time, I had a craft supply store. One fateful day in walked a tourist. He spent hours examining all the merchandise, finally he found me hiding in a corner—knitting. “Your store is so well stocked. You should be very proud. If it were mine, everyone within in a 50 mile radius would know I was here and what I had to offer.”

Now, as a writer, I try to follow his advice. (I'd call this a gem too.)

8.      Is there anything you want to share or wished that were asked that hasn’t been?

I’d like to thank my readers for their kind support. (Talented, beautiful, intelligent and well mannered, we will definitely be inviting Mrs. Dyck back.)

For more information on The Sweater Curse click the highlighted link. To purchase The Sweater Curse click here.

Grazi, Grazi, Grazi!!! to Leanne for spending time with us today and I hope to have her back again soon to talk more.

Bri

No Resolutions Here Just Goals....

I have never been one for "resolutions." and I was even a smoker. Never resolved to quit. Perhaps it's because I'm just too cocky-- whenever I think I need to change course I just do it. Perhaps I'm perfect....No I'm not that conceded. My mother has always said I have a strong sense of self and mind. However, it wasn't until meeting and speaking with a friend and colleague JT Debolt that I finally had a label (And I'm not one for labels. I have no problem labeling others...I'm southern duh. I don't like to be labeled.) He called me "a high altitude thinker."

High altitude thinkers are people that think beyond their fears and make a daily decision to change or "shift their momentum" toward the goals that they have. You can find out all about it on his blog just click his name.





So first things first GOALS....DREAMS...DESTINATIONS....DESIRES....doesn't matter what you call them you got to know where you are going. So a list of my goals for 2011.

1. I will write as many digital shorts as I can in 2011 beginning with Caffe' Seduzione with Stone House Ink and Familial Witch with Astrea Press. (Yes I have an additional publisher now but that's for another post.)

2.I will release Glazier the debut book in a series as well as The Awakening the novel that will wrap the Familial Witch Series.

3. I will read, review and support fellow authors without ulterior motives or the attitude of what's in if for me.

4. I will attend at least one writers conference or convention this year...perhaps two.

5. I will move into a place where I can have my own office space that is not my bed.

6. I will leave for a few days and go to a place where the only thing expected of me is to take care of my own basic needs and write to my hearts content without fear of interruption or expectations. A writer's retreat if you will.

7. I will love...live..and laugh at anyone I can including myself.

What are your goals?

Bri

Don't Be A Copy Cat

Motivational Poster once again created by the talented Ricky Ross

  

Anyone who writes will tell you that what they read influences what they write. There is a distinct difference in between influence and plain plagiarism.

Most of the time children will write stories based on something that they have seen or read. Stephen King began his literary career at 8 based off characters in a penny comic he read. That's normal and it's how they practice their budding writing skills.There is even the extremely popular fanfiction sites. Fanfiction is where fans of novels, movies or comic books make up stories based on the characters they love. These are all great creative avenues that encourage people to think and to exercise their literary brains. I do not knock them. It's when you start using the same tone, voice, adjectives, plot and story lines where you need to stop and take a step back.

I know this from personal experience and will use those experiences to illustrate how to be aware of it and then correct it. 

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga was the first fiction I had read in 6 years. Afterwords It was like a dormant part of my brain had been unleashed and refused to be repressed again. Fantasies, ideas, and daydreams would appear out of no where--doing dishes, folding laundry, and exercising. I began to write them all down...then the Glazier Series was born.

Which brings me to my copy cat connection. I had about 165k words in that draft and asked a couple of friends to read it. While most of my friends gave supportive and positive reviews this friend went through with a red pen and literally edited my entire manuscript. She also added notes on the blank pages in the back. It was my first somewhat negative yet honest feedback. Not to say that my other friends were lying...just that hers was more detailed.

Needless to say I was a little taken back. I read over what she had written and mulled it over a few weeks. There were several things she had suggested that I had already put into play. The most significant advice she gave though was that I had used several of the same adjectives and phrases used in Twilight to describe Edward on my own hero. She was right. I have kept that book with the red marks as a reminder.

It was a little funny to me because Edward and Henry are two separate protagonists..the plots themselves are different. Nevertheless, there they were. I went back through the manuscript with vigor and enthusiasm making it my own creation. Which wasn't hard because it wasn't that bad after cutting the book into two.

So Dear Reader be aware of what you are reading and even more aware of what you are writing.

Bri