The HEA Cafe

Archive for the ‘Chit Chat’ Category

There’s something about spring that gets me thinking about how I can do things differently, about finishing projects and starting new ones, and making new plans. One of the things I haven’t been doing this past year is posting to the HEA Cafe, but that’s about to change.

My new spring plan is to get here once a month, maybe more!

So, today – since I’ve been AWOL for a while, I thought I should bring you up to date on what I’ve been doing all this time. I’ve been writing, which is good – and the bonus is that now I can show you some results.

First off, I have finally found a way to tell Rosamunde’s story. Many readers wrote to me after the Kinfairlie trilogy was published, complaining that they didn’t know Rosamunde’s fate. She had been trapped in the realm of Faerie in book #2 of that series – obviously I had expected there to be more books, so I could save Rosamunde and give her an HEA but it didn’t work out that way. This year, though, I published a short story in the MAMMOTH BOOK OF IRISH ROMANCE. You’ll find Rosamunde’s story there, entitled “The Ballad of Rosamunde”. And yes, she finally gets her HEA. Here’s some linky goodness.

Secondly, my fallen angel series is coming to its conclusion. This is a finite trilogy, set in the future – a pretty grim future, actually – about 100 years from now. The world is post-nuclear but pre-Apocalyptic, things are going badly, and the angels are volunteering to shed their wings in a last-ditch effort to save humanity. These books are romances, each one featuring one angel and the mortal woman (this isn’t really a spoiler, is it?) whose love persuades him to stay on earth. The series started with FALLEN, then GUARDIAN, and book #3, REBEL, will be out in September of this year. Aren’t the covers gorgeous?

My other series, Dragonfire, just keeps on going. I’m having huge fun with my shape-shifting dragon heroes, so that’s fine by me. Dragonfire #5 is called WHISPER KISS and will be released in August of this year – it’s Niall’s story. #6 is Rafferty’s book and is called DARKFIRE KISS – it will be released in May 2011. There will also be an additional novella about the Dragon’s Teeth Warriors this July, which will be released as a Penguin eSpecial – more about that on my blog here.

Also, more Dragonfire news – there will be a Dragonfire YA series launching next year, which focusses on the coming-of-age of the only female dragon shapeshifter – Zoë must be the new Wyvern, except there’s no one to teach her how to use her powers. She has choices to make and skills to master – this trilogy will also include the resolution to the story of Sophie (the last Wyvern) and Nikolas. More about that on my blog, here.

Phew! You can see how busy it’s been! I also was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library last fall, the first time they’ve ever hosted a residency focussed on the romance genre. I did create a blog for the library about writing and publishing romance, including some guest posts every Friday – here’s the link, although it will display the latest posts first. You might want to scroll back to the first post and read them in order.

I hope you’ve been well this past year or so, and look forward to chatting with you again next month!

all my best

Deborah Cooke
also writing as Claire Delacroix
blogging most days at Alive& Knitting

On my blog and website banner, “Strong Women, Brave Stories” sttates my brand. What does that mean to a reader?

Branding is a complex concept. First, it has to do with what it is about my writing which sets me apart from other writers. But second, it also causes me to think about what my reader-needs or wants or who my writing appeals to. The first is relatively easy, but the second is more difficult.

The first part (see above) should be clear to any author after 5-10 books (though some get it much earlier). I think that “brand” develops as a writer gets into her stride. But the author must be writing the kind of book that really reflects HER DISTINCTIVE VOICE. My voice comes through most clearly in my historical sagas.

In my historicals, I always have a crusading heroine who is passionate about something. I call her a heroine ahead of her time. I also have a multicultural cast since I find that this brings natural conflict and because American history isn’t monochromatic. Finally, I always make sure my historical detail is accurate so I immerse my reader in the historical setting and period. At the end, I always write a Historical Note so that the reader will be able to know what I made up from the actual historical events.

Tom Morrisey, another author, helped me understand the second part–what my readers want. He asked me several questions about my “ideal” reader (the person most apt to buy my books), things like what kind of shoes she’d wear, where she would go on vacation what is her fave food and why. This helped me understand that my “ideal” reader is a woman very concerned with social justice, with human dignity. So my crusading heroines, my strong brave women, would be right for her. This part takes thought.

Some authors believe a tagline or signature line is the same as a brand. It isn’t. Most of the taglines I see don’t really mean much because they are so general. I think everyone saw them being used by a few and just decided that it was to be a description of one’s type of writing.

As you can see, it is so much more. I would suggest beginner’s drop taglines until they really understand what their writing essence is and who it appeals to. Tom doesn’t do workshops on deeper branding but Randy Ingermansson does. His website is http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/. Drop by and click Tiger Marketing on the right column for some ideas.

My tagline gives only the most important part of my brand—strong women who take on injustice with bravery. If a writer chooses to have a brand, do it right. Otherwise, don’t bother. Just a tagline does less than nothing for you and for readers.

The main reason I’m taking this opportunity to write about my life and daily work as an author is to make it clear why owning the copyright to my fiction is important to me and other authors.

I’ve been watching and reading news about how digital books, such as the Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader etc are (read are already) going to change the way readers purchase and read books. This change from the printed page has brought an interesting shift in how people view the end product, my stories, my life’s work.

There are some readers who think that books should be free or cost very little. The ease of obtaining books in the form of a digital electronic file makes easy to get, makes it seem like air, free, I guess.

This mindset is hard for me to understand since I spend 6-12 hours a day writing and dealing with the business of writing. I think that most readers don’t understand this, the writing life. And don’t realize that just eliminating the paper, ink and postage from the product, my book, doesn’t mean that the product is worth nothing. Or be given away free.

Few except those of us in the “bizness” understand the commitment and the mental strength and emotional determination it takes to write not just one story, but many. And in addition, to stay viable or salable in the public and very competitive market of books. I’m hoping that this frank discussion of what it takes to be a writer and stay a writer may help others understand what I do everyday. And why it’s important that authors are allowed to benefit from their labor.

First of all, I’d like to give you some idea of what I receive in $$ for my work. It takes me 6-12 months to write a book from the first ideas about it till the final manuscript is written and in the hands of my editor and finally accepted by the editor. That’s a long time and there are many stages in that process which I will be writing about on the Tuesdays through March and April on my blog.

So talking about $$, have you ever wondered what a writer earns from a book? Drop by my personal blog http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com next Tuesday and I’ll give you the real deal. GRIN

Hi! If you drop by my blog today http://strongwomenbravestories.blogspot.com you can read a reader’s family true love story Australian style. I’m offering to draw winners from women who send me family love stories.

The prize? The first copy of my June book, Her Abundant Joy.

The new year has begun. I sent my latest manuscript in Monday to NYC and now I begin again. On Saturday, I will attend my local Wisconsin RWA meeting and brainstorm ideas for a new Love Inspired romance.  I know the women who will be coming up with ideas. They are a fun and imaginative bunch so I’m looking forward to it.

I’ve made one resolution for the new year. I’m not going to let the crazy details of the writer’s life drive me NUTSO.

I mean I have no control over anything except what writers I associate with, what editors I submit to and what I write. I can’t control anything else!

So I’m going to ignore the frustrations of this crazeee bizness I decided to get myself into.

Wish me luck!