Necromantic Musings of the Triumviri

Reaching for the stars

2007-02-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

Way back when Elisa, Sandy, and I decided to write this anthology, Elisa contacted her editor who was really excited about the project. We were doubly excited that we actually had an editor interested before the thing was even written!

Then, lo and behold, Elisa's editor moved on.

A lot of emails flew back and forth. What are we going to do? Who else to you think would be interested? Should we try my editor or Elisa's new editor?

And then Sandy threw in a possibility that had us all pausing. Why not reach for the stars? Why not try the BIG publishers? New York? Could we do it? Should we?

Why not?

We have a great premise. We're all three great writers (yeah, I know, I'm tooting our horns).

So, change in plan. We're now trying for the big guns and you know what? I really think we can do this.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

New Beginnings...

2007-02-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

When Elisa, Sharon, and I started this anthology, I thought, how hard could 20k words be? I mean, I'd completed a 90k ms. So, 20k should be a piece of cake. HA!

It wasn't until I started my 20k novella, the first in the Soul Reavers Anthology, that I began to understand just how hard it would be to write. It has a lot to do with my standards, I know. I can't abide a weak romance, with weak conflicts, and weak plot. The problem was, I didn't know how to make my story strong and believable (well, believable for a paranormal, that is.) in so few words. I need my love story to call to me. To make me, as a reader, truly believe that my hero and heroine have fallen in love by the last page. I need that happily-ever-after. But, I need to feel it. Believe it. What I needed, was about 70k more words to do it in.

Writing a good novella is NOT EASY! I applaud the numerous authors at Ellora's Cave, Changeling & Samhain, just to name a few. These talented authors continuously produce loving, intense, believable romances in less than 50k. Some even as short as 12k.

Well, after a long bout of writer's block with Tori's story, I finally realized I needed to re-plot the entire thing. It was weak and I just couldn't get past chapter 4. In the end, as painful as it was, I threw out more than 5k words (Ummm, that would be all of what I'd already written.) and started from scratch. New plot, new scenes, new everything. Only now, I think I might be able to get this done in 20k. I think it works now. We'll see what my critique partners think when I'm done. ;-)

Sandy :-)
www.sandra.barkevich.com
*February 24, 2007 at Sandra's Goings On - Guest Blogger, Terri Garey - Dead Girls are Easy

Elisa's latest release

2007-01-25T06:01:00.000-08:00

Miss Independent is now available from Samhain Publishing.

The last thing Amanda Storm needs is a man in her life-but no matter where she goes, she can’t seem to get rid of them.

After three marriages and a near-miss, Amanda decides to wash her hands of men once and for all and try living life on her own. She moves away from her family, buys a cottage and gets a job waiting tables at a busy local bar to put herself through college. But then she meets Joe, who appoints himself as her savior, and everything goes downhill from there.

Joe Baker knows a woman in trouble when he sees one. Amanda might be good at faking it, but she’s in way over her head. As her neighbor, he’s willing to help her with whatever she needs done around the old cottage, but she won’t accept his help. All he can do is sit back and watch things fall apart around her, and try not to say I told you so when it happens. Somewhere along the way, his protective feelings turn into something more, but after three failed marriages, Amanda wants nothing to do with commitment. Joe isn’t a man to give up, and he’s determined to show her they’re meant to be together–no matter what it takes.

But, honey, Hilary saaaaaays.....

2007-01-22T04:59:00.000-08:00

Melina left this qoute from Hilary Sares on the Ghostwriters myspace page :

"Forget the rules. Just write and keep writing. Start another book as soon as you send the first one out. Experiment with different genres. Say very rude things and very kind things. Just don’t say boring things. Be funny. Be sentimental. Be passionate. Have sex with five fictional characters to see which is the best fit for your terrific plot and forget the housework. Your dreams are worth the time it takes to develop them."

Sandy liked the part about having sex with five fictional characters, but Dawn and I thought the whole forgetting the housework thing was kinda cool.

I can just see me talking to my DH now:

"Honey, Hilary Sares said I should forget the housework."

"Who the hell's Hilary Sares?!"

"An agent."

"Well Hilary Sares doesn't have to live in a messy house."

Sigh. I don't think it will work but I love the comment anyway.

Karin Tabke's First Line Contest

2007-01-16T04:36:00.000-08:00

Elisa, Sandy, and I just entered Karin Tabke's first line contest. It's a fun contest we all entered last time. You submit the first line of your story, a judge culls the worst ten, the remaining entrants submit their next line, and so on and so on until you have five entrants left. The last five get a read by Hilary Sales at Kensington and hopefully a request for a full.

It's a fun contest to watch even if you aren't participating. There are some awesome first lines so it's going to be interesting this time around.

Click here to check it out.

Wish us all luck!

What Type of Writer I am

2007-01-04T09:37:00.001-08:00

I thought this was interesting and very much on the money for me.

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind.
You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life.
Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling.
And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

There's one in every crowd

2006-12-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

So Christmas night the whole family packs up and treks the 10 minutes to my sister-in-law's house for Christmas dinner. She has this friend who she's been friends with for 20 years now who comes to all the family dinners.

We're sitting at the dinner table, stuffed to the gills with standing rib roast, mashed potatoes, salad, corn, turkey, pounds of hors devoures and about ten different desserts, when this family friend starts talking about romances. Now she knows I write romance and she suddenly announces to the table that romances are "crap". Well, the table goes silent and my husband, never to miss an opportunity, says into the silence, "Did you hear that she called your work crap?"

And I say, "Yes, I was trying to ignore it."

So this friend quickly says, "Not that what you write is crap. I'm sure it's good money for those who can churn that stuff out."

Churn that stuff out.

Okay, now she's digging her hole deeper and I just close my eyes and shake my head (I really did do that) and say, "It's a little more than churning it out."

"Oh, well. I didn't mean it like that."

Yes. She did. But I let it go. People like her won't be convinced otherwise because she doesn't want to be convinced otherwise. I choose to feel sorry for her because she won't open her mind and experience some of the best stories out there written by some of the best writers out there.

Her loss.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

I wanted to stop by for two reasons. Number one, I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you happen to celebrate at this time of year. May all your wishes come true this season.

And number two: I just sold my vampire novella to Samhain! What an exciting early Christmas present that was. I have no details as of yet, but stay tuned and I will keep you updated.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

"
www.123glitter.com

What makes a page-turner?

2006-12-20T02:11:00.000-08:00

I'm currently reading a book I think is okay. The plot is a good one, but the writing itself is making it hard to get into the book. It just doesn't have that natural, modern flow I need in a contemporary--it reads like it was written in the fifties, so I have a hard time buying the fact that it takes place just a few years ago. So, since I'd like to find out what happens--and since I don't consider the story truly bad, I find myself skimming the pages until I come to scenes that really interest me, but I'm not hanging on every word.

This book really has me thinking--what makes a book a page-turner? I know it's different for every person. For me, I like action. Not necessarily gunfights and things getting blown up, *g*, but there needs to be plenty of interaction between the main characters and other characters, as well as the environment, to really get me hooked. I need the story to flow at a steady pace. If there's too much description or internal thought without the scene going anywhere, it tends to pull me out of the story.

When I think back to the books I've read that have really sucked me in (JR Ward's Brotherhood series, Cindy Gerard's bodyguards series, Melani Blazer's Hot Rod Heaven, and Shelby Reed's A Fine Work of Art, to name a few) it's the flow of the writing that pulled me into the authors' stories. The books all stand out to me for different reasons (JR Ward's because her characterization is fabulous, and Hot Rod Heaven because the plot was so original, for example), but the one thing they have in common is a smooth author voice. Without that smoothness, the plot or characters would lose a little of their luster, at least for me.

Dialog is also a big thing for me. It needs to sound realistic--and match the character--for me to buy it. The lack of contractions in a contemporary or contemporary paranormal makes me want to put a book down. If the character's speech patterns don't seem real to me, I have a hard time getting to know the character.

For all you readers out there, chime in. *g* What makes a page-turner for you? What makes you want to throw a book against the wall?

How Bob Seger Found My Muse

2006-11-27T09:34:00.000-08:00

Elisa, Sandy, and I have a deal. We'll post on Friday of each week and we've divied up the weeks. Last Friday was my week. Well, already I've fallen down on the job. Darn it. I'm three days late and I apologize.

For those of you who don't know, I work full-time in retail. As everyone knows, this past weekend was Thanksgiving weekend. 'Nuff said. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are a bit of a blur.

But here I am, ready to post.

I did have a bit of fun on Saturday. My husband and I went to the Bob Seger concert. I'm a huge Seger fan. Saw him when I was a Freshman in college many years ago (no, you don' t need to know how many years ago). The man is now 61 and he can still get up on that stage and rock. His voice is better than ever.

So I'm watching him and I'm listening to thousands and thousands of people sing along with him. It got me wondering what it would be like to stand on stage and listen to all these people sing the words that came out of my head. It has to be a surreal experience.

And I also started thinking that all those years ago Bob Seger was probably a lot like me. I'm sure he had this deep urge to write songs and faced a blank composition page for the first time wondering if he could do it. Could he write a song people would want to listen to? Could he write a hit?

He's been rocking for 30+ years now. Yeah, I say he can write a hit and songs people want to listen to.

And that's exactly what I want to do. I want to write books people want to read over and over. I want to take people away from their lives and emerse them in worlds I've created with characters I've given birth to.

For the past three months I've struggled, thinking I don't have what it takes, that maybe I should think about quitting for a bit.

But after Saturday night, all that has changed. I want to keep writing. I want to write that story that makes people sigh. I want to create the hero every woman falls in love with.

So, thank you Bob Seger for rediscovering my muse and reminding me just how much I love this whole frustrating writing business.

Oh, and did I ever tell you that my very first ms was about a rock star who falls in love with a high school English teacher? I may have to pull that out from under my bed and dust it off.....

Elisa's latest release...

2006-11-26T02:07:00.000-08:00

The last book in the Immortal Games series, Prey, is now available from Changeling Press:

Jonah Markham is the best in his field. Regarded by some as a cold-blooded killer, he prides himself on his control in any given situation. He’s seen things, done things that would make most men’s stomachs turn. Things that will send him to hell for sure. Kidnapping a stranger and taking her out should be an easy job, but once he gets a good look in her big blue eyes, he knows nothing will go as he’d planned.

Sophie has a mission -- to find out why her brother’s blood was stolen. She’s been fascinated by Jonah since the first time she caught him watching her, and he works for her primary suspect. She can think of a hundred different ways to persuade Jonah to tell her what she wants to know.

Jonah soon realizes he’s kidnapped a dangerous woman -- a vampire who likes to toy with her prey. Things just got a lot more complicated…

To read an excerpt, visit Elisa's website.

Christmas in Style #7

2006-11-19T17:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Style is #7 at The Wild Rose Press!
Order here to see what all the fuss is about.

The Power of Three...

2006-11-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know. Cheesy title. *g* But it seems to fit. I can't speak for Sandy or Sharon, but the Soul Reavers anthology isn't something I could have come up with on my own. It's a creation--a product of many hours of IMs and emails and brainstorming. Of making sure our characters didn't have the same names (Sharon and I do this a little too often without even realizing it). Of coming up with a premise and a set of rules that would work for all three stories.

When we first set out to do this, I (naively *g*) expected we'd be able to start writing our own stories right away, and be done with them in a couple of weeks. Um...not so much. Up until recently, we were still in the planning stages, and for someone like me, who isn't a plotter, I found actually planning what I was going to write to be more difficult than I'd thought. We started out with an idea Sandy had, and slowly, it's grown into a group of stories--one set in the past, one set in the present, and one in the future. The same basic concept of the Soul Reaver and the rare woman who can defeat him, but three very different stories--and three very different heroines.

Soul Reaver:

2006-11-14T05:20:00.000-08:00

Most of the time, this creature maintains a human appearance. In place of a soul, however, is the true form of the Reaver. His milky white eyes are startling against the flat, light absorbing black of his skin, which seems to be draped over its elongated bones. At his full height, the Soul Reaver would exceed seven feet tall. His arms are almost as long as his body and are usually held much the same way a praying mantis does. The Reaver’s five fingers are tipped with razor sharp talons, measuring at least twelve inches. These, he uses to “pierce” his unsuspecting victims and draw out their soul for his consumption.

The victim of a Soul Reaver can be identified by a catatonic or “empty” state, accompanied by five discolorations on the chest or back. The Reaver often gorges on the inhabitants of a town or city, creating chaos and despair. It is here, that the Reaver gains his strength. Not from the soul he has stolen, but from the rush of taking what is not his and from the turmoil that act incites.

The male Reaver can only procreate with certain female humans. When he finds a mate, he will stop at nothing to have her, usually by seduction. However, if that does not work, the male Reaver will employ brute force to impregnate his chosen. These offspring--usually male--are born human. However, when they gain a certain age, usually in their twenties and thirties, their Reaver nature will snuff out any humanity they might possess, turning them into the creature that sired them.

Once every hundred or so years, a female Soul Reaver is born. Sickly and frail, she is the polar opposite of her male counterpart; as good as he is evil. Beneath her human form, she is a soft, glowing white with jet black eyes. As with the male, her fingers are tipped with long talons. She does not feed on souls and usually doesn’t know she is anything but human.

The offspring of a male and female Soul Reaver is born a purebred and has no humanity to snuff out, making him very powerful and very evil. Therefore, the female Soul Reaver is coveted by the male and in constant danger…

I'm Live!

2006-11-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

I just published my new and improved website. Check it out.

2006-11-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

I can't remember how we all met up. Elisa and I have been critiquing together for what seems like years. Oh, wait. It has been years . And just this year fate, our muses, or something threw Sandy and I into each others paths. We hit it off, I introduced her to Elisa, and voila! Our Triumviri was formed.

We started out critiquing then discovered that, hey, we really like each other! A fast friendship formed.

I think it was Sandy who one day said, "We should write an anthology". But it wasn't until a few months later that Elisa and I said, "Yeah! Let's do it."

We brainstormed--which called for a lot of IMing, a lot of getting off the subject, and a lot of laughs, until eventually The Soul Reavers were formed.

I'll let either Elisa or Sandy describe the Soul Reavers.

I just wanted to say I'm thrilled to be writing with hugely talented authors that I have the privilege of calling friends, and I'm even more thrilled to be walking this path of publication with them. The intention of Ghost Writers--Necromantic Musings of the Triumviri is to put into words what working on an anthology entails, to document the struggles of three writers who are trying to juggle motherhood, careers, and writing at the same time. And to have a lot of fun.

2006-11-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

Testing