The HEA Cafe

Hi–over 40 Love Inspired Authors have just updated our group website www.loveinspiredauthors.com. So we are having OUR GRAND RE-OPENING CELEBRATION this week.

We have a blog where our authors are posting and offering individual giveaways. Linda Hall just posted a really good one already this morning. In addition, we hold quarterly contests. And the prize this time will be SUPER DUPER with all the new authors now contributing to the pot. So visitors should drop in and make a comment on the blog and then stop and register on the contest page. (This contest is open till June 30th.)

Love Inspired romance of Steeple Hill is an imprint of Harlequin/Silhouette. The line first opened in September of 1997. Eleven years later Steeple has quadrupled its offerings. Now we have the flagship line Love Inspired plus Love Inspired Suspense and the new Love Inspired Historical which just launched this year. Linda Ford, another member of HEA, is one of the authors who has launched this newest line. Steeple Hill also offers a single title mass market line of stories. Jill Marie Landis, Kathryn Springer, Deborah Raney and others write for this line.

I was one of the authors who began the Love Inspired line, helped launch the Suspense line and my first Love Inspired Historical, HER CAPTAIN’S HEART, debuting this Decemeber.

It has truly been exciting to see this market continue to grow and expand.
So drop by and then please let your friends know. If you haven’t tried inspirational romance, this is your chance to sample the genre that touches readers–heart and soul.
TIA!

–
Lyn Cote
Blessed Assurance, On sale now!
Desires of Her Heart, Avon

How is that you say?

You mean you don’t resent book reviewers even when they say negative things about your books?

Well, I don’t enjoy reading negative comments. But the reviewer took the time to read my book and then felt strongly enough about it to post their comments either on a blog or book review site or amazon or bn.com. That’s quite a time investment of time. And book reviewers unless they are employed by a periodical as a reviewer (which is rare), they are not getting paid for all this time.
And most of all, I’m taken aback by the passionate response to the words I have written. My words provoke strong feelings and after all, that’s one of the main reasons I write.

What I really find interesting not only in reviewers but in readers in general is the marked response they have to what they read.

I truly believe that readers bring themselves into the reading experience. That is why readers will love one author or one book more than others. It’s not the competence of the writer that determines reader response.

After all, it’s very difficult to become published and the bar is set very high. Therefore, any book that is published (except for the occasional fluke) is of publishable quality.

IMHO-it is what the writer chose to write about and what conflicts and theme the author chose to portray. (I don’t mention characters because of course they live out the conflicts the author set for them. And because of who they are, they come to that “dark midnight of the soul,” which brings change and resolution.

If what the author has chosen to write about touches the reader’s heart, then the reader loves the book. If the author doesn’t, then reader remains untouched.
The only reviewer I’ve ever taken offense from was a guy at PW who obviously had been forced against his will to review my inspirational romantic suspense. He ungraciously complimented me and then wasted the rest of the review chastising me for a plot contrivance. I say wasted because if he had bothered to read my half-page epilogue, he would have seen clearly that this wasn’t a contrivance but a continuing mystery, which would play out in the next book of the series.

So I guess my opinion of book reviewers is –You don’t have to like my books, just be sure you read the whole book before you write about it. Otherwise, you are entitled to your opinion.

If you’d like to read two opposing reviews, go to amazon and bring up the review for CHLOE. I have 7 reviews ranging from 5 down to 1 star. All for the same book!

Well, as Bugs Bunny used to say–”That’s all, folks!”

Hi, WIP in case you didn’t know is WORK IN PROGRESS. My WIP is the second in a historical series that takes place in Texas during the Texas Revolution against Mexico in 1836. I have learned a TON about the time and it’s been very enjoyable.

But since I’m a novelist, I must torture my characters, especially my hero and heroine. My hero just rescued her from some nasty Mexican bandidos (translation bandits). He doesn’t know if she’s been sexually assaulted or not. And he doesn’t know how to help her. I mean he’s a wonderful hero but he’s the strong silent cowboy type.

I wanted to make sure I was portraying my heroine and hero’s reactions accurately–I mean rape or the suspicion of rape is the same in any century. So I did some quick research on the effects of kidnapping and rape and found that they had similar psychological effects. And then I did some face to face research and asked my husband how he would have felt and reacted if I had been raped, especially soon after we were married. My husband in case you haven’t met him is the strong silent electrical engineer type. Anyway, he gave me his feelings and then I read to him a bit of my hero’s dilemma and musings about how to handle this–and in the middle of a war.

It was very reassuring to find out that he reinforced that I had it right for my hero. And that’s so important.

My question is–Do you as an author ever ask your husband or friends about how they would react in a certain situation?

BTW, I just found out that my July 2007 book, DANGEROUS SECRETS, won the Romantic Times Best Love Inspired Suspense for 2007. I’m smiling!

Hope spring is starting where you are–we’re still waiting!

Lyn

Hi from Lyn.

I’m beginning the new year and beginning a new book. This will be the second in my upcoming “Texas, Star of Destiny” series for Avon Inspire.

I’m a part plotter and a part pantster. I plan out the broad outline of my plot and go deep into my two main characters, all their conflicts and then I start writing. (That’s the plotter me.) The rest–secondary characters and plots–come as needed. (That’s the pantster me.)
But man, are those first few chapters HARD. I’ve found a good rundown of all the ways to start a book in a chapter in PLOT AND STRUCTURE by James Scott Bell. And I’ll often reread it as I did Sunday afternoon to perk up all those little gray cells.
Then I just keep trying different launching points until one finally clicks. So Beginnings are my sore point. I sometimes feel like a scientist trying to get a rocket launched and all it does is topple off the launch pad.

This time I think it only took me one 5 page false start to stumble onto the right launching point. On Monday, I had to drive my daughter to get her drivers license renewed (she waited till it lapsed) and then to a doctor’s appointment. We had a long wait and I talked over why I was unhappy with the beginning of my new ms. It really helped me to talk it over with her.

The next day I was able to write 8 almost sensible pages. Lift off!

What a great feeling.

I’d really like to hear what any others of you do to make starting easier. Please?

Lyn

Hi Lyn Cote here!

My latest book Blessed Assurance has three novels in one. The first one is about Chicago in the year of the Great Fire 1871. And here’s a little about what made the Chicago Fire great!

Chicago Blog

Two facts made the fire spread faster in Chicago that fateful night–the raised wooden sidewalks and the balloon framing of the houses. First, think of a fireplace. It must have a draft in order to draw air into the chimney or fire which needs oxygen can’t ignite. So imagine a windy night and long streets with raised wooden sidewalks. The sidewalks not only burned but acted like an open draft on a woodstove or fireplace; the sidewalks sucked in the air, fed the fire and burned.

Now balloon framing is the way we build our houses. It means that each wall is constructed out of tall wooden studs that reach from the foundation to the roof. So if a fire starts on the first floor, nothing stops it as it climbs the walls. In modern homes, fire stops or non-flammable gypsum board is put between floors so the fire can’t just go up up up. The fire stops are placed between each floor so the fire must completely engulf the first floor before climbing higher.

Needless to say, fire stops had not been introduced in the 19th century. In fact, the Chicago Fire brought this construction defect into prominence. And remember that Chicago was built from the Wisconsin and Michigan pine forest wood. Pine burns hot and fast.

Isn’t it funny how it’s these little things that add up to big disasters? Kind of a life lesson, isn’t it?

And here’s a review of BLESSED ASSURANCE by Harriet Klausner.

“Whispers of Love”. Several years have past since the Civil War made Jessie Wagstaff a single mother. She runs a Chicago boarding house as she raises her young son Linc. A new guest Lee Smith makes her feel uneasy as he seems too interested in her late husband’s family and besides she feels attracted to him. However, when the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 threatens mother and daughter, Lee risks his life to keep them safe.

“Lost in His Love”. In 1906 San Francisco social activist Linc Wagstaff demands the city outlaw child labor. To make his case stronger he investigates the Dickensian exploitation. During his inquiries he meets heiress Cecilia Jackson. As they fall in love, he holds her accountable for practices her trustees are doing to increase her wealth. Before they can confront one another, an earthquake devastates the city leaving everyone struggling to survive.

“Echoes of Mercy”. Meg Wagstaff has returned to the States after spending time as a volunteer in France during the war. Her parents, Linc and Cecilia are elated she came back safe, but Meg learns her childhood friend Delman Dubois has been accused of murdering Mitch Kennedy by the New Orleans police. Meg refuses to believe Del would kill anyone so she travels to the city to prove her Negro friend is innocent. As Del faces racism that will gladly lynch him, Meg feels like a traitor as she is attracted to her opponent New Orleans Parish Attorney Gabriel St. Clair.

The omnibus collection of the three superb Wagstaff BLESSED ASSURANCE inspirational historical tales will elate fans of the genre as each era comes alive due to the strong lead couple and a deep support cast.

Harriet Klausner

And Happy Holidays!

Lyn