A New Year, A New Life

2015 is a year of CHANGE. 

I am excited, anxious, scared and eager. Here's what's happening:

1. I'll have two books published before my next birthday. TIME OUT, VALENTINE from The Wild Rose Press will be released on January 21. NEW YORK MINUTE from Crimson Romance will be published on March 9. 
2. I'll be turning 43 in March. Yikes!
3. My son will graduate from high school and begin college -- away from me. Empty nest? Not quite since I have 2 others, but still it will be a huge chunk of my heart leaving. Our family will never be the same.
4. We're moving to the USA in the summer! We've been saying this for a while, but it will happen, without a doubt, this year. I joke with my oldest, saying we'll follow him wherever he goes to college. I'm joking (half-joking) with him. We'll most likely end up in Houston, though we love St. Petersburg, Florida, too.
5. This year marks 20 years of marriage for me and my college sweetheart, Rafael. 
6. After 19 years of teaching, I'll retire ... hopefully. Not sure if it's feasible, but it's a goal.
7. I will dedicate my career to writing. Writing books, writing articles, writing for others. WRITING!
8. A new sexy writer will emerge with a different name. It's a secret so I can't divulge anymore.
9. I will self-publish two books that have been sitting on my shelf for a while now. I just need to figure out how to do it.

Those are the facts that I know to be true. There are still other goals that I see happening, but since they're not carved in stone, I'll spare you the details. 

What are your plans for 2015? It's going to be a great one! I can feel it all the way to my core. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Holidays Gift of Love Blog Hop

It's a Happy Holiday from your favorite Authors and Bloggers. While we know everyone celebrates a different way, we wanted to make sure that you guys knew how much we treasure you all. So from Dec 14th to Dec 17th, all 200 or so of us will be blogging about the holidays and what they mean to us. We may talk about our favorite holiday traditions, recipes, gifts, reads, heroes, and so much more. We want to hear about what you do for the holidays, what you read, and who you'll spend it with. Happy hopping!

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

I will give away two Christmas novellas from the list below. That's right! TWO winners.: 

1. Shannon Stacy: Holiday Sparks 

2. Shannon Stacey: Mistletoes and Margaritas

3. Alison Kent: This Time Next Year 

4. Jaci Burton: The Best Thing

5. Susan Mallery: Only Us, A Fool's Gold Christmas

 Nothing better than a quick read in between all that shopping and festivities. Choose which novella from the list above that you would like to win! There will be two winners and the ebooks will be shipped via Amazon on Dec. 18. Enter in the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the other 200+ bloggers who are also giving away surprises. You can find the linky list at http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by,

Melinda

Ready for the holidays? #AHhop

What do you love about Autumn and Fall? What does it remind you of? What about reading? Do you think it's a good subject to read?  * Starting on Friday, Nov. 9 and ending on Nov. 12, over 200 Authors and Bloggers will share their favorite things about autumn.

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

_______________________________________________________________________

You know what I love about autum reads? I love that all the winter stories come out. It gets me in the spirit of all things HOLIDAYS.  Since I live in Guatemala (also known as Land of Eternal Spring), it's nice to feel all cozied up with a good book, even if I don't even need to wear a jacket.

So, yes, I have a HOLIDAY TBR list just waiting for me to tackle. Here are the "Winter/Autumn" books on my TBR list. 

Which would you want to read? Choose one, enter my contest on the rafflecopter and you may when an Ecopy! :) Happy reading!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the other participants using the links below. For every comment, you have a better chance to win the BIG prizes. Happy Autumn! Just go to this link: http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/

MELINDA

CREEPED out by a Critique Group? Try out @CritiqueCircle! #Wwow

Wednesday's Writing Tip is short and sweet writing advice. Grab your cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy!

Creepy? No! 

Cat's meow? Yes! 

You need a critique group or a critique partner!

 I cannot stress enough how important my writing partners have been. Here I am to share my experience and suggest the best critique group on the web, Critique Circle.

When I began to write Time Changes Everything, I decided that it would be a good idea to find a critique partner. Since I live in a Spanish-speaking country, it was impossible to find a support group here. I needed serious writers who could speak English and who were willing to help. So, I did a little research and found the website Critique Circle, and boy were these ladies and gentlemen a helpful group! 

I'm so glad I discovered this site. I have learned so much from the people I interact with. The biggest advantage to this critique
 group is the amount of people involved. You will inevitably find other writers just like you, with similar writing genres and a wealth of experience. 

Overall, here are the reasons why I love this place:

1) It's free! (Of course, there is a PRO version, which I pay for, but it isn't necessary) and easy to sign up.

2) You can focus on your genre of writing. Mine happens to be romance.

3) There are forums to discuss anything you wish. Most of it has to do with writing, but other times it can be off-topic.

4) A whole bunch of tools such as Storyboards, Outlining Templates, Name Generator, Submission Tacker and more!

5) The friendships I have made. Although I put this as fifth, I have to say this is actually the main reason I love Critique Circle. It's wonderful to live through the writing process with all my buddies. They are there to motivate me, inspire me, and to help me improve (with no hard feelings, either!) We share in our successes and mourn with our rejections. There's nothing better than seeing one of your partners publish a book! Although I haven't met any of my partners face-to-face, I can call them friends. They are valuable and a part of my writing life. 

So, my Wednesday advice to you is to find a critique partner, a local critique group, or one online. I know there are other groups online, but Critique Circle is a good way to go. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to check out other #Wwow authors:

Paloma Beck: http://romancebeckons.blogspot.com/search/label/WoW

Tammy Dennings Maggy http://tammydenningsmaggy.blogspot.com

Jessicca Collins: http://thatsexactlywrite.blogspot.com

Melinda

Tools for Writing - Software Organization Tip

Wednesday Writing Tip

Have you ever felt like the picture above? I sure have! In fact it's almost a daily occurence. I am what writer's call - a PANSTER - actually a half-way panster, if that exists. Most of my ideas are in my head and stay there until I get a scene out on paper. As I get older, there's only so much my head can carry. This summer I had a breakdown and decided I needed a panster-friendly writing program to help me stay focused and motivated to write. Here is what I found!

A writer's software program .... I mean, can it get better than that? A program geared for someone like me... an author... who is a mess at times.... who needs to oragnize characters, thoughts, scenes, research, pictures, lists, and you name it! Writeway Pro Writing Software is the software I found suitable for me.

I went from this:

These are my character notes for Frequent Flyer

To this:

My heroine notes - She looks better, doesn't she?

The notebook was not doing it for me. I always kept it by the bed (and to be honest it's still there for emergency brainstorming), but what if an idea came to me as I worked on the computer? No time to search down my notebook. A computer is a much easier way to keep my ideas, scenes, descriptions all huddled together in one ORGANIZED place. Another downside of the notebook was the way I organized everything. I had a characters section, then a chapters section, then research section, then favorite lines section. But somehow they always intermingled and my sections turned into a section. Not good.

Some of the great features that help me organize my panster mind are:

Storyboard

Word Count Report

I could go on and on, and since I'm not a salesperson for Writeway, I won't. 

The point is... a writer should find the system that works for them. 

I hear other writers swear by Scrivener. I checked into it and it did look great. However, for me it was more overwhelming. I just wanted a program that was simple and close to a normal WORD program. Writeway worked for me.

So, my writer's advice to you is to find a way to organize yourself. It makes a world of difference! I am 75% through my newest WIP and I know I wouldn't be as far along if I didn't invest in this program.

You, too, can finally look like this:

WoW is a Smart & Savvy Group of Authors who write this weekly feature for their blog each Wednesday. While we don't claim to be experts, the goal is to impart what we've learned about writing, editing, getting published, book promotion, and more along the way. 

Follow along and read all this week's contributors' posts. 

Paloma Beck

Jessicca Collins

Tammy Dennings Maggy

You can follow us on twitter at #WoW.

Or find us on facebook at Words of Wisdom.

We also welcome more authors participation. Sign up is through our facebook page.

Happy writing and thanks for stopping by,

Melinda

The Books that Shape Our Lives

I love being a reader and a writer! It is who I am. But, I also love being a teacher and helping students learn that they can be readers and writers, too. This past week, I had my students create several sections in their readers notebooks. As their teacher, I like to DO what I ask, so I have put examples of MY work. After doing this assignment, I thought it would be fun to share with you all and to hear back from you.

First, I created a READING TIMELINE. Starting from grade 1 until my senior year in college, I created a timeline represetenting the books that have shaped me, are important to me, or just made me love reading. some of my favorites on my timeline include:

The Outsiders - I think I've mentioned this before, but this is what got me reading in the first place. Stay Gold, Ponyboy!

Any and ALL Lois Duncan books - She was the ultimate suspense and mystery author. Remember the movie, "I Know What You Did Last Summer?" Well, the book is SO much better and I read it years before the movie was made. The first book I read was Locked in Time and it took place in Louisiana (where I was born). Then I found out that Lois Duncan lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico (where I grew up). So, that made an even tighter connection. 

Harry Potter Series - Although I read these books (and re-read so many times) in my adult years, they are favorites and I love them. 

Second, I created a page about the LAST 5 BOOKS I'VE READ. If I were completely honest with my students, I would have had 5 contemporary romance books, and I wasn't about to put the Fifty Shades of Grey series. Since I'm a pre-teen teacher, I kindof felt compelled to have a variety of books, so I added 5 I read over the summer. The list should show a lot about a person. What does your list show about you?

So, my dear readers, what are the books that shaped you? What book woke you up to reading? What book  can you read and reread (It's ok if it's Harry Potter!)? Please comment below. I'd love to hear!

Thanks for stopping by,
Melinda

The 4 Stages of Writing Funny

Monday Funny! September 3, 2012

As I continue to pound away on my newest WIP, Frequent Flyer, I have gone through many stages. Some days I am rocking and rolling. I love my characters and what they are doing. Other days, I am erasing, deleting, changing and screaming. How about you? What stages of writing do you go through?

And if you have about 4 minutes, here is a funny video about the Stages of Writing a Novel:
(The editing stage cracks me up the most!)

And if you haven't seen this link about the Stages of Publishing in GIF, you have GOT to check it out. HILARIOUS!

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2012/08/the-publishing-process-in-gif-form.html

Hope you have a good week! Thanks for stopping by,

Melinda

Free Online Writing Resources for Newbies

Free Online Writing Resources

My Favorites: 

Critique Circle - www.critiquecircle.com
This is the number one resource I would recommend to any writer. Many people have live critique groups, but since I live in Guatemala, it was hard to come by other English-speaking writers. Plus, I am quite shy, so I thought I would try the online route. I signed up in 2005 and have formed great critique friendships and learned a tremendous amount from fellow writers around the world. This site provides valuable feedback from other writers, allows you to critique and learn from others, assists with writing tools like outlining and submission reminders, and has a lively discussion forum on any writing topic. If you haven't checked it out, do so now! My Critique Circle handle is Mimiwriter.

Smart Edit - www.smart-edit.com/
A program that scans a piece of creative writing and highlights areas that need improvement. It will show you the following: repeated words, cliches, overused dialogue tags, repeated phrases, and adverbs. I began using this program a few weesk ago, because I did use the free autocrit.com site, but it would only take 300 words at a time (the free version). So, I checked around and foudn this program instead. It requires a simple download and conversion of your document into RTF file. I'm stil messing around with it and I'm not sure if it is truly helpful until I get to the major editing stage, again.

AutoCrit - www.autocrit.com
I really like this online program. It is efficient and easy to use. The only problem was that cheapo me does not want to buy the  Monthly Service (between $47 - $117 a month). It will instantly edit your work for overused words, cliches, sentence variation, and repeated words and phrases. For the extra cost, it will check pacing, dialogue, initial pronouns, readability, and homonyms.





Romance University - www.romanceuniversity.com
One of my favorite online websites dedicated to romance writers. Each week there are special authors/editors/publishers/ guests who write any kind of article that is helpful to romance writers. I have found a wealth of information and it's FREE! Additionally, occasionally they have pitches or giveaways.

Duotrope - www.duotrope.com
This may be a "well duh" link, but all writers start somewhere. Once upon a time, I had no idea. Duotrope is a searchable database of publishers. You can search by genre, subgenre, length, subject, pay, royalities, etc. You may also find vital information about the publisher such as response times, acceptance-rejection ratios, and payment. I also like the feature that allows you to keep track of your submissions.





The Bookshelf Muse - thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/p/emotion-thesaurus.html
This blog has been bookmarked on my computer for at least a year. It has a wealth of descriptive writing suggestions for those writer's who get lost in their own words. The owners recently published a book titled The Emotion Thesaurus and I highly recommend it, now that it is not online. Other descriptions available are: Character traits, weather/earhly phenomena, setting thesaurus, colors/textures, and symbolism.

Random Writing Resources: 

Writing Realistic Injuries - http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~leiafee/ramblings/realistic_injuries.htm
Okay, I know this one is funny! But, in my recent WIP, the MC has several broken bones and injuries. Since I have been lucky enough not to have major injuries in my life, I needed some reference. So here it is!

Synonyms for Commonly Used Words - http://larae.net/write/synonyms.html
A fast list of synonyms when you just can't think of something else.

Serendipity Random Generators - http://nine.frenchboys.net/
Randomly name places, cities, towns, countries, fantasy names. I just thought it was fun.


Hope you found this usefull. Please let me know! I love comments from viewers.

Melinda

My Wacked-Out World. Monday Funny

I'm going crazy. I am in the week of hell. It is officially the last week of school, which means I'm teaching my last classes to overactive, life-draining, nincompoops my wonderful sixth graders, grading final exams, entering final grades, cleaning my classroom, saying goodbye to teaching friends who are moving on to other countries, and keeping up with my afterschool business, my tutoring center. So, add on about 2-3 more hours at the end of  my work day to my second job...tutoring. Then I get home, make sure my kids are studying for finals and maybe cook dinner (if I don't want my kids to starve or DH steps up to superhero and does it for me). 

And, oh yeah, in the middle of this week I finally get a request from a publisher to see my full manuscript! WOO HOO! SO, somehow, I have to finish my final edits and send that in before they forget about me. 

The good thing is that it's only ONE MORE WEEK and then I have the summer to write and maybe relax.

With that in mind, I wanted to take the time to share some writing funnies. Hope you enjoy.

If only we could really use these symbols when we edit.

This is how I'm feeling! I am still editing another story, but Frequent Flyer is dying to come out! 

Must buy!

Thanks for stopping by. Hopefully I am alive next week. Please check back!

Melinda

Differences Between Men and Women

Monday Funny for Romance Writers 5/13/12

One of my favorite things to do as a romance writer is write in both the female and male point of view. This gives me the chance to create real heroes for my heroines. I think that is what provides the true romance feeling in the story, the male's undying love shown through his eyes. However, as we all know, men and women are very different creatures. With this in imind, I have saved two videos to show the differences between the way men and women view romance.

First, a clip from the hit sit com Friends.

And if you have more time, a short film called He Said, She Said: Dinner Date. Warning: Not appropriate for under 18!

After viewing this, I continue to write my heroes how I hope and wish they would think. However, it is not guaranteed to be the truth. :)

Hope you have a great Monday!
Melinda

Insecure Writer's Support Group - May

My First "R"

I would like to say I truly belong to the Thick-Skinned Club. Most of the time, I do. But, there are days where I am a baby and any type of critique of my WIP drives me to tears. I admit it! Insecurity is always there, I think, for any writer. Will readers like our work as much as we do? We can’t please everyone.

I’ve decided to aim my writing for the publishing line I have read for so many years, a Harlequin category. Category romance is a special type of writing… readers know what to expect when they pick up the book and it includes tropes. In fact, in most cases, a reader will pick up a book because it comes from that particular category, even if they don’t know the author. I do anyway. I know what to expect from this type of romance.

For that reason, I sent off my first WIP to this publisher´s book pitch challenge.  Actually, they only asked for a one-page synopsis, which was hell in itself. In this challenge, I had only one week to hear back from the editors. They would pick five lucky winners to pitch their book. Well, I didn’t make it, so I guess this was my official first “Reject.”

It was bound to happen. Which author has never gotten a reject, especially on their first novel? Well, it still hurts. You always have that hope….and actually I still do. I am proud of my work. I am not proud of my first one-page synopsis, though. So, I will take this all as a learning experience and continue to work on my “baby” and send it off again. This time with the normal query letter, 2-page synopsis (easier said than done), and first chapter. That is a real indication of what type of writer I am.

This morning I found a great article that spoke to me. I’d like to share it with you. The Positive Side of Rejection.

I actually will take this rejection as a positive. I don’t feel down anymore. It has all been a learning experience. I will move on.

But, there is always that little doubt nagging me on the inside… so I think you for letting me share my insecurities and allowing me to move on.

 

If you are interested in joining the Insecure Writer's Support Group, please follow this link. Each month writer's share and support each other. We are in this journey together!

Happy Writing,

Melinda