The HEA Cafe

Something New from Lyn Cote—

“Interesting History–What You Never Learned in School” Blog
As most of my readers know, I write contemporary romance and romantic suspense but my first love is historical sagas. And with my masters degree in American history, I love doing research but I don’t get to share every interesting fact about the past that I find.
So what I’m intending on doing is to blog three times a week. Sunday or Monday will be the latest book by a friend (or me). And then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I’ll be blogging on “Interesting History–What You Never Learned in School.”
My October release, BLESSED ASSURANCE, is a reissue of my first historical series and features three books in three settings: 
v   the Great Chicago Fire of  1871,
v   the San Francisco Quake of 1906 and
v   New Orleans during the birth of Prohibition in 1920.
I unearthed tons and tons of research that of course never appeared in the books. (My characters just wouldn’t stop what they were doing and give history lectures—why not??? )
Each Tuesday and Thursday, I intend to share some of the interesting facts and information I found while doing research about these different settings and their history, starting with Chicago. You can receive find or receive these message in three places:
v   Here on the HEA Café under Weekly Topics,
v   at www.shoutlife.com/LynCote blog,
v   or at www.amazon.com when you enter my name and go to my listing of books, then scroll down to my messages.
Today here at the Happily Ever After Café, I’m debuting this new blog so you are the first to receive this introduction and a hint about what Tuesday’s blog will be about—Ta Da!!!
Intro: The first blogging city is Chicago in 1871—
Have you ever seen an Interstate or railroad map of the US? All the major highways and more particularly all the rail lines radiate from Chicago like a giant wagon wheel with Chicago as the hub. Have you ever wondered why this is so? It’s all due to a simple 19^th century invention that we all benefit from still today.
What do you think the invention that made this possible, made Chicago the hub of all trade, all railroads in America? Why did all rail-lines lead to Chicago, just as in ancient times all roads led to Rome?
So see you Tuesday for—
“Interesting History–What You Never Learned in School” Blog #1
 

The final book in Lyn Cote’s Harbor Intrigue series ! A free gift for you!
 

First, the last novel in my series, “Harbor Intrigue,” Dangerous Secrets, will be on sale in stores and online on July 10th.

Here is what Romantic Times Magazine had to say about Dangerous Secrets:

 ”4 ½ Stars—Fantastic, A Keeper!

When book store owner Sylvie Patterson’s visiting cousin dies under suspicious circumstances, her life–and lives of those around her–become fraught with peril.  State homicide cop Ridge Matthews is suddenly in the picture to take his ward, 12-year-old Ben, to military school.  But Ben has wormed his way into the hearts of Sylvie and her father and may be in danger.  Thus in Dangerous Secrets by Lyn Cote, Ben’s future is put on hold while they try to solve the mystery.  Don’t miss this intriguing read that will keep you guessing.”
 

(Dangerous Season and Dangerous Game precede Dangerous Secrets, but each is a standalone story, but set in the same community, Bayfield and Ashland Counties of WI.)

To purchase online, go to: www.booksbylyncote.com/LIS.html  

Second, A FREE GIFT FOR THE FIRST 50.

In celebration of Love Inspired’s 10th anniversary, my publisher has sent her brochures which include two (2) one dollar ($1) off coupons for any one Love Inspired and one Love Inspired Suspense good from now until December 31, 2007. I will send one of these brochures to each of the first 50 people who request one. Just go to my website (www.LynCote.net) and click Email Lyn and e-mail me your snail address. I will send you one. (And will never divulge your email or snail address to anyone else!)

I feel honored that I was a part of the first 10 years of Love Inspired Romance. And I’m happy to share this offer with you.

Lyn Cote

www.LynCote.net 

Premise: According to Webster’s–a previous statement or assertion that serves as the basis for an argument

Now I don’t want you arguing with an editor! But I use the term premise but someone else might use, blurb. Either way it includes: the basic components: hero, heroine, setting–internal, external, romantic conflicts–and ends with story question(s)

When you choose a book in a store, you look at the cover, turn it over and read the back cover blurb and then open the book and read the first paragraph. But the editor you’ve submitted to doesn’t have cover art or back cover blurb, so they go right to the first page ABSOLUTELY COLD—no direction, no idea of what type of story or where it might be heading. So it’s inadvisable to include your own cover art, but including two paragraphs on the basics of the story to orient the editor is a good idea.

Here’s the first page of my synopsis for DANGEROUS SEASON, out April 2007
 

Harbor Intrigue Series
Synopsis of Book One, Dangerous Season
By Lyn Cote
Bible Verse:  “Be angry and sin not…” Ephesians 4:26
“Speak the truth in love…” Ephesians 4:15
Premise:
Keir Harding, at thirty-five, finally achieves his lifelong goal.  Last fall, he’d been narrowly elected county sheriff in his hometown of Winfield, WI.  After his “wild” teen years, Keir has spent the last eighteen years working his way up the ladder from rookie, to deputy sheriff and now sheriff.  Then a rash of mean-spirited booby traps endangers the community and its tourist trade.  One man still doubts Keir was the man for the job and will use these crimes try to sway others against Keir. 
Audra Blair, a twenty-six-year old single mother, launches her own cafe, her first step toward financial independence for her and her six-year-old daughter, Evie.  As Winfield deals with the increasingly expensive and dangerous vandalism, Audra and Keir find themselves drawn more and more together.  But self-doubt and old grudges work to push them apart.  Can Keir with Audra’s help discover who is damaging property and endangering lives before someone they both love gets maimed or killed?
 

Go through the excerpt above and mark the setting, the hero and heroine and their descriptions, the internal and external conflicts and the story question. Then write your own theme and premise or blurb for your manuscript—2 paragraphs ONLY. Again, post yours and ask for comments. I’ll skim and choose one. Today is the last day of this class. But since it’s a long holiday weekend, I will stop back by on Tuesday and tie things up. Drop by Tuesday and perhaps you could win a copy of Dangerous Season and that copy of A NOVEL APPROACH. 

Also I have an egroup for readers and writers. Drop by my website and join it. I send out monthly messages with material for both readers and writers. Happy Writing!
 

Suggested Resources:
 

Dwight Swain’s TECHNIQUES OF A SELLING WRITER

Christopher Vogler’s THE WRITER’S JOURNEY

James Scott Bell’s PLOT AND STRUCTURE

Tami Cowden’s HERO AND HEROINE ARCHETYPES

Online Workshops by Margie Lawson, PhD—Empowering Character Emotion, EDITS revision system

Kathy Jacobsen’s A NOVEL APPROACH (Conflict Grid, etc.)

www.kathyjacobsen.com $25 for PDF file (220 pages) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HEA (Happily Ever After) Café for archived lessons on query, synopsis and beginnings and more!  www.rwaonlinechapter.org/pubbedauthors

Lyn Cote

l.cote@juno.com

www.LynCote.net

Premise: According to Webster’s–a previous statement or assertion that serves as the basis for an argument

Now I don’t want you arguing with an editor! But I use the term premise but someone else might use, blurb. Either way it includes: the basic components: hero, heroine, setting–internal, external, romantic conflicts–and ends with story question(s)

When you choose a book in a store, you look at the cover, turn it over and read the back cover blurb and then open the book and read the first paragraph. But the editor you’ve submitted to doesn’t have cover art or back cover blurb, so they go right to the first page ABSOLUTELY COLD—no direction, no idea of what type of story or where it might be heading.

So it’s inadvisable to include your own cover art, but including two paragraphs on the basics of the story to orient the editor is a good idea.

Here’s the first page of my synopsis for DANGEROUS SEASON, out April 2007
 

Harbor Intrigue Series
Synopsis of Book One, Dangerous Season
By Lyn Cote
Bible Verse:  “Be angry and sin not…” Ephesians 4:26
“Speak the truth in love…” Ephesians 4:15
Premise:
Keir Harding, at thirty-five, finally achieves his lifelong goal.  Last fall, he’d been narrowly elected county sheriff in his hometown of Winfield, WI.  After his “wild” teen years, Keir has spent the last eighteen years working his way up the ladder from rookie, to deputy sheriff and now sheriff.  Then a rash of mean-spirited booby traps endangers the community and its tourist trade.  One man still doubts Keir was the man for the job and will use these crimes try to sway others against Keir. 
Audra Blair, a twenty-six-year old single mother, launches her own cafe, her first step toward financial independence for her and her six-year-old daughter, Evie.  As Winfield deals with the increasingly expensive and dangerous vandalism, Audra and Keir find themselves drawn more and more together.  But self-doubt and old grudges work to push them apart.  Can Keir with Audra’s help discover who is damaging property and endangering lives before someone they both love gets maimed or killed?
 

FINAL EXERCISE:Go through the excerpt above and mark the setting, the hero and heroine and their descriptions, the internal and external conflicts and the story question. Then write your own theme and premise or blurb for your manuscript—2 paragraphs ONLY. Again, post yours and ask for comments. I’ll skim and choose one.

Today is the last day of this class. But since it’s a long holiday weekend, I will stop back by on Tuesday and tie things up. Drop by Tuesday and perhaps you could win a copy of Dangerous Season and that copy of A NOVEL APPROACH. 

Also I have an egroup for readers and writers. Drop by my website and  join it. I send out monthly messages with material for both readers and writers. Happy Writing!
 

Suggested Resources:
 

Dwight Swain’s TECHNIQUES OF A SELLING WRITER

Christopher Vogler’s THE WRITER’S JOURNEY

James Scott Bell’s PLOT AND STRUCTURE

Tami Cowden’s HERO AND HEROINE ARCHETYPES

Online Workshops by Margie Lawson, PhD—Empowering Character Emotion, EDITS revision system

Kathy Jacobsen’s A NOVEL APPROACH (Conflict Grid, etc.)

www.kathyjacobsen.com $25 for PDF file (220 pages) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HEA (Happily Ever After) Café for archived lessons on query, synopsis and beginnings and more!  www.rwaonlinechapter.org/pubbedauthors

Lyn Cote

www.LynCote.net