Jessica Darago lives just outside Washington DC with her partner, Mathew, and an unusually opinionated stuffed lion. Born and raised on Long Island, she’s been writing almost since she first picked up a crayon and now makes her living helping college professors create study guides and reference materials. After decades of squashing her fiction-writing urge — just barely escaping graduate school without a Fine in the middle of her Master of Arts — she rose to the challenge of the International 3-Day Novel Contest in 2005. Her novella, A Compelling Yarn, a pastiche of Austen’s Emma set at a knitting convention, made the competition’s short list and finally convinced her make a go at a career as a professional novelist. From comic strips to plays to screenplays to biography to literary criticism, she’s written in almost every conceivable genre and even published in a few of them, but like any good romance heroine, she always comes back to her true love — writing novels that capture a reader’s heart and mind.
To learn more about Jessica, visit her at the following locations:
Facebook: Jessica Darago
Twitter: justjayj
Blog: justjayj.livejournal.com
In addition to finaling in the GH Historical Category for 2010, Jessica’s manuscript, The Serpent’s Tooth, was a finalist in the 2007 Launching a Star, 2007 Gotcha, and 2008 Heart to Heart contests and made it to the fourth round of American Title V in 2008–2009:
Reba MacKenzie is returning to her native Scotland for one reason and one reason only: for the the formal doctor’s education that no school in America will give her. She has no time and no interest in the glittering parties, Byzantine rules, and mad husband hunting of her chaperons’ high society. And even if she did, she would not spare a second on the handsome and persistent scion of the hated Clan MacDonnell, whose father sent her parents to their death almost 20 years before.
When Nathan MacDonnell, Viscount Skye, stole a kiss by moonlight from the pretty and pugnacious American girl he met on the Atlantic crossing, he knew her heart would be hard to ensnare — but never had a hunt seemed so worth the quarry. Besides, the longer he dallies with the maddening Miss MacKenzie, the longer he avoids reunion with his wicked father. And perhaps if Nate can make some restitution for his father’s crimes, then Reba will forgive him when she learns about his own.
And now a little about Jessica:
1) How long have you been writing? I’ve been dabbling in lots of different kinds of writing — novels, short stories, screenplays, nonfiction — for as long as I can remember. While I was studying for my masters in English, I took as many electives in creative writing as my schedule would allow. But I only started seriously pursuing a career in romance fiction about 5 years ago, and I joined RWA and Washington Romance Writers shortly thereafter.
2) Did you always want to be an author or is this something you fell into later in life?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t making up stories, and I only vaguely recall a time before I realized I could make them into books. It took me a long time and a few false starts to come around to the idea that professional fiction writing wasn’t a pie-in-the-sky dream but a realistic goal.
3) What do you do in your “other” life? (Day job, family, etc.)
I’m a writer and copy editor (and unofficial Microsoft Word wrangler/InDesign template ninja) for an educational publisher that makes college courses on DVD. I specialize in history, especially ancient and medieval history, but I’ve worked on courses in subjects as diverse as theoretical mathematics, linguistics, archeology, quantum mechanics, and enology. In short, I learn for a living. If professional novelist is my dream job, my day job comes in a very, very close second.
4) Who are your favorite authors?
I think I write historical romance because of my favorite authors of my pre-teen and teen years, women who wrote sweeping, gothic historicals like M. M. Kaye, Anya Seton, and Mary Stewart. Among contemporary romance writers, I’ve most recently fallen in love with Tessa Dare and Sherry Thomas, and I’d really like to be Eloisa James when I grow up. Outside the romance genre, I have a taste for dark fantasy and light science fiction, particularly Neil Gaiman, Connie Willis, the late, great Douglas Adams, and my most recent obsession, Naomi Novik.
5) Do you have an agent?
Not yet, but I’m steadily querying and have gotten several nibbles.
6) Where do you see yourself in five years?
I don’t tend to think in terms of time, only in terms of projects. I can say that the past five or so years have been the best writing years of my life, and I’d be perfectly happy with five more of the same. In terms of projects, I’ve go the two sequels to The Serpent’s Tooth underway, a historical suspense novella to revise, and several more surprising projects lined up behind them. Whatever the next-half decade brings, I’m looking forward to it.
And now, in Jessica’s own words…
The Worst Possible Way
I have, among my beta readers and critique partners, a reputation for cruelty — not to them, but to my unfortunate characters. The first time someone reads one of my stories, it comes as a bit of a shock. After all, I’m the lady who hand-knits most of her Christmas gifts, who has a Facebook page for one of her stuffed animals, and who never, ever says no when someone asks to be picked up from the airport. But on paper? Just be glad you don’t live in my version of the 19th century. (Or any century, for that matter.)
It’s not that I enjoy doing it. As a matter of fact, the shortest chapter in The Serpent’s Tooth took me the longest to write, because it contains the ugly death of two characters whom my heroine loves very much. To this day, I can’t even think about that plot point without cringing. So why did I do it? Couldn’t the plot have worked without it? Maybe. But I don’t think so. Because to move your characters, to move your readers, you have to make it hurt.
My favorite way to accomplish this is what media critic Jacob Clifton once described as “Everything you ever wanted, in the worst possible way.” Specifically, this means exploiting a plot’s potential for irony to its utmost. Every writer uses irony from time to time: The heroine slips into another room to avoid the hero…only to find it’s the hero’s destination too. The heroine finally finds that perfect knock-‘em-dead dress for the big party…and when she arrives, half the women there are also wearing it. Such scenes are common in all of fiction, and they run the gamut from funny to tragic, but that’s incidental irony, irony on the small scale.
Dramatic irony (the name applies whether it’s drama or comedy) is a force that moves an entire plot. It’s an external conflict or motivation, but — here’s the important bit — it pushes the protagonist in the exact opposite direction of his or her internal one. Some of the greatest plots in history hinge on this sort of irony, from the comic (“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”) to the tragic (“My only love, sprung from my only hate.”), and it can be an incredibly powerful way to plot especially when you use it not as a single plot point but as a series.
1. Michael meets Julie at work and is instantly smitten, but the part he plays guarantees she’d never be interested in him.
Why would the part be a problem? Are they rivals for the same role? No, in the acting world, you’re usually only in competition with people of the same gender.
Maybe everyone thinks he is a woman, and he’ll lose his job if anyone finds out he’s a man.
Maybe it’s not just one job. Maybe he’ll have to pretend to be a woman for the rest of his foreseeable career.
And if he can, somehow, manage to meet Julie as a man, what if she falls for him?
Worse yet, what if she hates him?
So Michael’s stuck as a woman, but he’s a good enough actor to pull it off, isn’t he?
What about the rest of his life? What about his friends and colleagues who know Michael doesn’t have a job? What would happen if someone found out?
Would that someone expose him on purpose? If so, why?
Hey, there’s that rivalry thing we abandoned earlier! Maybe one of his female friends was also up for the part.
Maybe it’s a female friend with an unrequited crush on Michael…and more than a little tendency for vengeance
What if Michael is too good an actor?
What if one of his male castmates falls in love with him?
What if Julie’s father falls in love with him?
What if it’s both?
Notice how the closer Michael gets to his material goal — professional success, financial security, pulling off most challenging role of a lifetime — the further he gets from Julie. And if he even takes one single step toward Julie, it could sound the death knell of the career he’s always dreamed of. Every relationship he has with every character presents him with the same impossible choice — and the result is one of the funniest films of all time.
So how does this work in a drama? For one thing, it’s often best to use a lighter hand, lest drama become melodrama. (Not that a little melodrama isn’t great entertainment sometimes.) When it came to writing The Serpent’s Tooth, I started with one of the oldest irony tropes in the book: a Romeo and Juliet pair of protagonists. I gave each of them a personal goal that was in direct conflict with their romantic attraction: Reba’s family honor, Nate’s childhood secrets. The harder Reba tries to salvage her plans, the more her world crumbles, with Nate as her only refuge. The faster Nate runs toward Reba, the closer he comes to revealing his sins and losing her forever.
So that’s my plotting secret: I put myself right there in the character’s shoes. I think about what she wants, what she fears, and I ask myself, “What could possibly go wrong?”
What tools do you use when you need to do something horrible — or horribly funny — to your characters?
I’m going to be reposting the contest rules at the beginning of each post. If you’ve already read them, scroll down for today’s post and questions.
To celebrate the release of ENTWINED, I’m giving away a BUNCH of prizes. There are two parts to this contest:
PART ONE : Post the ENTWINED widget (below) on your FB page, blog sidebar, tweet about the contest and/or book, email your friends and spread the word…basically, any way you talk up the book or contest will enter you for one of three $25 gift cards to the online bookstore of your choice. Winners will be selected after I return from RWA Nationals, the first week in August. Once you’ve done that, email me at elisabeth@elisabethnaughton.com and tell me blabbed about ENTWINED. Be sure to put ENTWINED Release Contest in the subject line. (If you already posted the widget from the blog post I did last week, you’re already entered.) Enter as many times as you like. Every time you spread the word about book 2 in the Eternal Guardians series, send me an email.
PART TWO: Each day for the next two weeks I’ll be giving away AWESOME prizes and spotlighting some fabulous authors. Comment on the daily post to be entered into that day’s drawing. Winners will be chosen randomly from comments and will get to pick their prize. Once a prize is chosen, it’s crossed off the list. Here are the prizes you can win:
My first guest is Saranna deWylde! Her upcoming release, How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days releases on October 26th. Here’s a bit about her debut release:
GOT DEMON?
Grace does. She’s got more demon than she can saddle. In fact, she’s got a sinfully sexy Crown Prince of Hell named Caspian. She’s also got ten days to get rid of him or Bad Things shall ensue. See, her Russian mobster ex-boyfriend didn’t take kindly to her smutty Mephistophelean contract. It’s not that she’s conspiring with fiends; that was his idea. It’s that she’s conspiring against him with outrageous devilry that runs the gamut from embarrassing to a dead hooker turned dominatrix demon gunning for his soul.
One should never trust demons, let alone shag them. They don’t have hearts. Yet Grace is buying hers some slightly tarnished armor and hoping that once he’s been shoveled into it, kicking and screaming, he’ll find it’s just his size. This wicked witch needs a white knight–or at least a Prince of Darkness for a Happily Ever After.
It’s official. Just about two weeks until ENTWINED releases on July 27, 2010. RT BookReviews recently gave ENTWINED 4 1/2 stars and made it a top pick, saying:
“This second in Naughton’s Eternal Guardians series has wonderful characters. The combination of old-world gods and modern technology is fascinating. Violent and bloody, it’s action packed and exciting with a cliffhanger ending.”
To celebrate the release of ENTWINED, I’m giving away a BUNCH of prizes. There are two parts to this contest:
PART ONE : Post the ENTWINED widget (below) on your FB page, blog sidebar, tweet about the contest and/or book, email your friends and spread the word…basically, any way you talk up the book or contest will enter you for one of three $25 gift cards to the online bookstore of your choice. Winners will be selected after I return from RWA Nationals, the first week in August. Once you’ve done that, email me at elisabeth@elisabethnaughton.com and tell me blabbed about ENTWINED. Be sure to put ENTWINED Release Contest in the subject line. (If you already posted the widget from the blog post I did last week, you’re already entered.) Enter as many times as you like. Every time you spread the word about book 2 in the Eternal Guardians series, send me an email.
PART TWO: Each day for the next two weeks I’ll be giving away AWESOME prizes and spotlighting some fabulous authors. Comment on the daily post to be entered into that day’s drawing. Winners will be chosen randomly from comments and will get to pick their prize. Once a prize is chosen, it’s crossed off the list. Here are the prizes you can win:
Today I’m thrilled to have good friend and fellow RCRW member Kendra Elliot with us!!
As a kid, Kendra read and read and read. Laura Ingalls, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden were her close companions. She was never without a book in hand. Today her taste in mysteries still exists. She loves Lee Child, Karen Rose, Robert Crais, and Tami Hoag. She also enjoy losing herself in a sweeping historical romance by Diana Gabaldon or a contemporary by Rachel Gibson.
Kendra decided to try her hand at novel writing after she read a newspaper article about NaNoWriMo. “Heck, I can do that,” she thought. She was hooked. She wrote a contemporary romance but found herself tripping over dead bodies in each chapter. She got the hint and her later stories evolved into romantic suspense.
She joined her local Romance Writers of America chapter, the Rose City Romance Writers, and found a fabulous community dedicated to educating its members about writing and publishing. “Book purchases are tax deductable??” She also belongs to International Thriller Writers.
Kendra grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her three daughters and two cats. In the real world (non-writing world) she’s a dental hygienist who is fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and loves a good Mai Tai on the beach on Kauai.
In addition to the Golden Heart, Kendra’s writing has finaled in the Washington Romance Writers Marlene contest, the Daphne Du Maurier, and the Linda Howard Award of Excellence. To learn more about Kendra, visit her website at www.kendraelliot.com.
Kendra’s Golden Heart finaling manuscript in Romantic Suspense is STRONGER THAN BONE:
Dr. Lacey Campbell has a career she loves, but her job makes other people queasy. Working for the Medical Examiner’s office as a forensic odontologist, Lacey matches nameless dead bodies with their identities. While freezing in the snow at her current study of discarded skeletal remains, Lacey feels ill as she realizes she’s holding the skull of her kidnapped college roommate.
Eleven years ago, Oregon State University was traumatized by a serial killer who murdered nine female students. Lacey barely escaped the hands of the Co-ed Hunter, Dave DeCosta, but lost her best friend, Suzanne Mills, to the killer. DeCosta was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison.
A police badge discovered with Suzanne’s remains leads to a fresh murder scene where a cop has been killed in DeCosta’s unique style. Police learn the dead cop had arrested DeCosta. Next the prosecuting district attorney and the defense lawyer from DeCosta’s murder trial are killed in eerily similar styles. But DeCosta died in prison eighteen months ago.
Ex-cop Jack Harper owns the land where Suzanne’s skeleton was recovered, and he was a former partner of the murdered cop. In college, Jack dated a victim of the Co-Ed Hunter and had been questioned in her death. Police don’t like the coincidences and start to wonder if the right man went to prison a decade ago.
And now a little more about Kendra…
1) How long have you been writing? I started writing about five years ago. After reading a newspaper article about NaNoWriMo, I decided to give novel writing a try. I wrote a contemporary romance, joined the Rose City Romance Writers chapter of RWA, and kept plugging away at new stories.
2) Did you always want to be an author or is this something you fell into later in life? No. I didn’t consider writing until I read that newspaper article. And I didn’t think about the process. I sat down and did it. I simply wanted to know if I could write something as terrific as Diana Gabaldon. (I couldn’t, lol) Later I discovered I had a strong desire to see my name on a book spine.
3) What do you do in your “other” life? (Day job, family, etc.) I’m a part time dental hygienist and a full time mom to my three young daughters.
4) Who are your favorite authors? Where to start?? Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Diana Gabaldon, Robert Crais, Jane Porter, Tami Hoag, Karen Rose, JR Ward, Linda Howard, Rachel Gibson, Clive Cussler, James Rollins, and on, and on.
5) Do you have an agent? Yes. I signed with Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates after finaling in the Golden Heart. I’d heard Jennifer speak in a workshop at Nationals in 2008 and knew she was the type of person I wanted as an agent. In 2009 I had an agent appointment with her at Nationals and she requested my manuscript. She eventually rejected it, but told me she was open to seeing other work. When I finaled, I asked her if she’d look at that manuscript. She did. She remembered me and loved the new book.
6) Where do you see yourself in five years? Hmmm. The same happy place I am now in my life, but writing romantic suspense for a fabulous publisher. And raising three teenage daughters…Lord, give me strength.
Young adult author Erica O’Rourke reads anything she can get her hands on – including cereal boxes and train schedules. But she writes what she loves: dark urban fantasy about girls who fall for boys they shouldn’t, learn to use their loud voices, and take control of their fate. She likes the Oxford comma, anything ginger-flavored, driving stick shift, and flawed characters who have to make hard choices. Whenever possible, she avoids iceberg lettuce, live fish, algebra, and emoticons. Erica lives outside of Chicago with her husband, three daughters, and two very, very bad cats. To learn more about her, including her quest to create the perfect fish taco, you can visit her website, http://www.ericaorourke.com/ or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Erica_ORourke
Erica’s Golden Heart manuscript, UNCHOSEN, is a finalist in the Young Adult category.
Mo Fitzgerald wants to have an ordinary senior year – and get out of Chicago, away from her family’s secrets and scandals. But when she witnesses her best friend’s murder, her need for vengeance eclipses everything else. Her search for answers is complicated by her new, bad-tempered bodyguard and a charming, mysterious Southerner. When she discovers her friend was prophesied to stop a supernatural apocalypse, Mo must step into her friend’s destiny and save the world, without using magic. To get the justice she seeks, she will have to leave her safe, predictable world behind, stop a mob war, and choose between two different, equally dangerous, guys. Most frightening of all…ordinary Mo must become extraordinary
And now a little about Erica:
1. How long have you been writing? My whole life. There was a particularly unfortunate story I wrote in junior high about a group of friends who banded together to defeat an evil witch. In a stunning coincidence, each character resembled someone in my class. Sly girl that I was, I included a disclaimer on the title page stating that the characters and events were fictional, and not based on any person, living or dead. It was like the Law & Order of 6th grade novels. I am the slightest bit terrified that my mom has held onto it.
2. Did you always want to be an author or is this something you fell into later in life? Despite my early efforts, I didn’t consider writing professionally until several years ago, at which point I said to my husband, “How hard can it be to write a book?”
I will pause while you get all that laughter out of your system.
Turns out, it’s kind of hard. Who knew? But I do it anyway, because there is no greater satisfaction than looking at that stack of paper, words strung together to tell some deeper truth about the world, and saying to the people I love, “Look. I made that.”
3. What do you do in your “other” life? (Day job, family, etc.) I stay home with my girls, ages 9, 7, and 2. I run up huge fines at the public library and drink too much coffee. I do laundry, but mostly because everyone else runs away when it’s time to fold the clothes, which means I can watch Doctor Who in peace.
4. Who are your favorite authors? This is like asking my favorite food – it shifts depending on my mood. How about five, each from a different genre? Barbara Kingsolver, Agatha Christie, Maureen Johnson, Jennifer Crusie, Libba Bray. And I can’t leave out Neil Gaiman. I don’t know how one person’s head can contain so much brilliance and not explode.
5. Do you have an agent? I’m working on it!
6. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Publishing my second YA series and traveling to Maine or England “for research purposes” before starting another. If we really want to dream big, I’ll also have convinced my husband to get a puppy – a bigger challenge than getting published!
And now in Erica’s own words…
Reading About Writing
Most writers I know have a shelf – or more often, a precarious stack – of books about writing. The allure of these books is their promise to tell you “the secret”. The right process, the right query, the right structure. They promise that once you know “the secret,” the whole mysterious world of publishing will crack open like an Easter egg to reveal a treat, like publication and overnight success and seven-figure deals. Problem is, none of them can give you the secret. None of them. Why?
THERE IS NO SECRET.
There’s learning. There’s hard work. Persistence and timing and luck and single-mindedness. But there’s no secret. No manual is going to drop a contract in your lap.
Still, reading about craft and the publishing industry is important. I’ve got my own precarious stack – more than one, in truth. Here, in no particular order, are the titles I read again and again, usually while wandering around the house in comfy pants, hunting for a snack (around here, we call that, “thinking about the book”).
1. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott
For my money, the most inspiring writing book out there. Anne Lamott is tough and funny and warm, and gracious even when you say something incredibly stupid to her at a book signing (alas, I know this from experience). Bird By Bird combines practical tips (use a fast pen, carry index cards in your back pocket, how to find a critique group) with fresh approaches to craft (pretend you’re looking at a scene through a one-inch picture frame to really notice details; think about the contents of your heroine’s purse to get to know her). This is the first book I recommend to beginning authors, because it covers so many aspects of good writing, but it’s useful no matter where you are in your career.
2. Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need, by Blake Snyder
When I brought this book home, my husband gently pointed out that it was written for screenwriters, not novelists. Then he stole it from my shelf and wouldn’t give it back for weeks. WEEKS! Regardless of whether you’re working on a movie or a manuscript, Save the Cat gives clear, accessible advice about structure, loglines, character development and marketing. The fabled Beat Sheet alone is worth the price of admission. If your spouse, like mine, has both an interest in writing and felonious tendencies, it would be best to buy two copies. A small price to pay for a happy marriage.
3. Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass
With all the changes afoot in the publishing industry, it’s foolish to try and write anything other than a breakout book. If you’re a debut author, it’s what will get you out of the slush pile. If you’re already published, it’s how you increase your sales and grow your career. Donald Maass is a brilliant teacher with concrete, specific advice and approximately eight frillion examples from every genre. I do love me some examples! I would strongly recommend buying the book and its corresponding workbook. It’s impossible to read this without imagining how to apply it to your own work, and the workbook gives you exercises to do exactly that, while the book goes into greater depth.
4. Garner’s Dictionary of Modern American Usage, by Bryan Garner, and a thesaurus.
Yes, yes. I’m cheating. Two books, but they’re both reference – and they’re ESSENTIAL. Spellcheck means never needing a regular dictionary again, but a copy of Garner’s next to your computer will ensure you never mix up affect/effect, altogether/all together, and amuse/bemuse ever again. Also, it’s fascinating. I’m not ashamed to admit I read it for fun.
A thesaurus is also handy, especially when trying to describe your heroine’s raven/inky/jet/sable/ebony/midnight dark tresses for the squillionth time. Yes, you can find this information online, but if you’re anything like me, it’s a bad idea to access the internet while you’re trying to write. Your intentions might be pure, but an hour and a half later, you’ve seen twelve hilarious puppy videos on YouTube, you’re all caught up on Lindsay Lohan’s antics, and you’ve written precisely zero pages.
5. Any book from your genre that you love.
Oh, sure, you can pick any book you feel is well-written. But for the maximum usefulness, choose one specifically in your genre, because your goal is to tear it apart (not literally. Nobody here is advocating damaging library books, mmn-kay?) and find out what makes it so successful. Read through it. What page do the hero and heroine meet on? Is it a three-act or four-act structure. Does it change POVs? Where? Why is it better for that scene to be told from the hero’s perspective than the heroine’s? How does the author escalate the stakes? If it’s urban fantasy or paranormal, how do they handle worldbuilding? If it’s got a particularly…frisky…scene, look at pacing and tension and the balance of physical description and emotional growth. You love that book for a reason – learn from it, so that you’re applying the underlying lessons without losing your distinctive voice.
Of course, there are many roads to Oz, my friends. What are the books on craft and publishing that you reach for time and again? Which ones not only teach you, but inspire you to go work on your own pages? No book in the world can write your story for you, but is there one in particular that’s helped you grow as an author, or think differently about your writing?
So today is July 3rd (in case you lose track like I often do). Someone recently asked me if I was excited about the RITA awards at the end of the month. Honestly, I haven’t thought much about it. Between a deadline (two, really), kids home for the summer, thoughts of moving (a whole other story) and the release of ENTWINED coming up, I haven’t had a lot of time to get excited–or nervous–about the RITAs. I have ordered my dress and got the call that it came in, but I haven’t picked it up yet. And I did buy a really pretty necklace to wear with the dress, but I still don’t have shoes or earrings nor have I even thought about a speech in the event I win. My hubby asked me today if he needs to have a tux. “For what?” I asked. “Your awards,” he said. When I gave him the perplexed expression, he added, “I’ve seen your dress, remember?” That drew a chuckle out of me, followed by a gasp. OMG…there are only three weeks to RWA Nationals!
The hubby is flying in for the awards. It’ll be his first full-on RWA experience. Oh, he’s met local chapter mates of mine, been to some book signings, but he has no clue what the national convention is really like. I think part of me is more interested in seeing his reaction to 2000+ women writers all gathered in one place.
For those who are interested. Here’s the dress I’ll be wearing the night of the awards. Imagine it in persimmon, which is a soft orange:
Okay, on to the fun stuff…
I’m organizing my release contest for ENTWINED! In cast you didn’t hear (and how could you not?!) Book 2 in the Eternal Guardian series releases on July 27, 2010! RT BookReviews just gave it 4.5 stars and top pick status and said…
“This second in Naughton’s Eternal guardians series has wonderful characters. The combination of old world gods and modern technology is fascinating. Violent and bloody, it’s action packed and exciting with a cliffhanger ending.” –Susan Mobley
That’s my first top pick review from RT so I’m pretty happy. They also labeled it “scorching” which is a new “heat level” for me. All my other books have been labeled “hot”. I’m not sure what to make of that. I don’t think it’s any more “scorching” than the rest of my books but maybe I’m not a good judge because I’m so close to it. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what readers think.
As for the contest…I’ll post all the really fun stuff later this week – prizes, authors,etc. – but mark your calendars. The contest will start on July 12th and run through July 27th, when ENTWINED hits store shelves. And I have some really cool authors and giveaways lined up so you don’t want to miss it!
Happy Reading, and have a fabulous 4th of July holiday!!
An 11th generation Texan, Angi Morgan utilizes her strong heritage to create passionate characters willing to risk everything. She writes Intrigues where danger and honor collide with love. When the house is quiet, she plots ways to engage her readers with complex story lines, throwing her characters into situations they’ll never overcome…until they find their one and only. Visit Angi at www.angimorgan.com
Angi’s manuscript, SEE JANE RUN, finaled in Category Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure. It also SOLD (Wahoo!!!!) to Harlequin Intrigue and is a September 2010 release as HILL COUNTRY HOLDUP:
A mother’s worst nightmare. When research chemist Jane Palmer’s son is kidnapped, she races the clock to meet every demand made to save his life–even when it means committing a crime in the process. But how can she make the FBI believe her story when all the facts point to her son having died months before? Trapped by the authorities, to save her son she must win one man’s faith–the man she left years before, the man who doesn’t know he’s her son’s father.
A man forced to choose. Despite the evidence, FBI agent Steve Woods refuses to believe his former love is guilty. He vows to help her, even if it means turning his back on his career. His leap of faith reignites a passion they both feared lost. But Steve’s trust is shattered when he learns Jane hid his son from him.
A missing child. A desperate mother. A man who will sacrifice himself to save both.
And now, a little about Angi…
1) How long have you been writing? My mother says I began scribbling and reciting stories as soon as I could hold a crayon. I know I attempted a western romance (His Name was Kirk–not kidding) when I was in the 7th grade. I wrote poetry and short stories consistently. I majored in English (not grammar) and History at NTSU. Writing’s always been on my brain. I kept trying to type manuscripts, but soon discovered I’m one of those pantzers who writes the first draft, corrects three chapters, gets them right and pushes forward another three chapters, then corrects … Needless to say, on a TYPEWRITER, it used a lot of ink cartridges and paper.
Around the mid-‘90s, my dad asked why I wasn’t writing any longer. I explained how difficult and frustrating it was to re-type everything. He and my mom bought three desktops: my first computer (along with one for sibling). THAT’s when I began writing non-stop. THEN I joined RWA and learned how to craft my stories into marketable manuscripts.
2) Did you always want to be an author or is this something you fell into later in life? Author or Editor — ALWAYS. I never really desired to be anything else. When marriage and kids came into the picture, I forgot about those dreams. Then I returned to school with every intention of writing historical romances. But again, I put the dream on hold. In 1998 my dad was diagnosed with cancer, on one of our drives home from visiting my husband told me not to wait. He told me life was too short so I should go for what I wanted…and I was born to be a writer. He’s been supportive the entire time I’ve been learning the craft of writing. After all the kids were out of the house in 2009, I focused on selling. It happened in late November.
3) What do you do in your “other” life? (Day job, family, etc.) I’ve been very fortunate to raise my kids and volunteer for 21 years (yes, that’s a long time). I’ve had part-time jobs, but one developed into a weird specialty: I prepare fields for softball & baseball games. Laugh away…I do. Here in Texas we play ten months out of the year. As I mentioned before, my husband is very supportive, but so is all my family. One daughter asks me each day how much I’ve written and if I turn the TV on…yes, she makes me feel guilty for not having the file open and putting more words on the page. (I Facebook when she’s not here. LOL)
4) Who are your favorite authors? Absolutely too many to name. But I will admit that they are all true romance authors. Back in the 90’s I had a Sydney Sheldon phase until I read one of his books where the heroine was worse at the end of the book than at the beginning–AND she was about to start the cycle all over again. Absolutely no character growth. Extremely disappointing. I write and read romance because of the complex characters and happily ever after endings. Yes, I know they’re coming…but it’s always about the journey.
5) Do you have an agent? Yes. I have a terrific agent, Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
6) Where do you see yourself in five years? As a Harlequin Intrigue author, hopefully celebrating twenty books with the line.
I LOVE that foresight! And now in Angi’s own words…
ARE YOU PREPARING TO SELL?
Do you remember the commercial where at a corporate lunch, a man pulls out a credit card… The guests laugh at the superhero picture. The female partner pulls her professional card and pays for everyone. Back in the 90’s when email and the Internet were new, my husband and I shared an email address: THALPER. It wasn’t easy for US to remember it, let alone our family and friends. They couldn’t identify who was sending them an email.
When we ventured into the world of individual emails for ourselves, I was a member of RWA by that time and decided it would be easier to go with my name: AngelaPlatt. Nope, not available. AngiePlatt–not that one either? So how about AngiPlatt? Okay, that works.
In my entire life there were very very (I emphasize the VERY) few people who ever called me anything other than Angela. My husband accidently introduced me to his family as Angie and it stuck, so I was halfway used to it by the 21st century. Dropping the “e” made it unique…right? And when I hit forty, it made me feel younger.
I am now realizing that one of the most important things I did was get my professional email as AngiPlatt. My first step to name recognition and people remembering me. I volunteered in RWA, my local chapters, answered questions, and ran the Great Expectations contest for NTRWA several years (and again in 2011). But I can’t think of gaining name recognition using THALPER. Everyone recognized Angi (without the ‘e’).
When I sold my Golden Heart finalist book last November, part of the conversation with my editor was about the name I wanted to write under. I had already decided on Morgan to honor my mother’s family. I’d also be in the middle of the store book racks (before selling to Intrigue), and in the middle of literary signings where I’d seen most of the people walking or standing. But then my editor asked about my first name, “Are you going with Angi?” “I think so.” “We’d like you to keep the spelling, keep your name recognition.” “Cool, I can do that.” (Wow, I have recognition? Cool.)
Many years ago, I bought the domain names for Angela Platt and Angi Morgan. The AngelaPlatt.com site is a very simple forwarding page: Looking for Angela Platt? with a link to my AngiMorgan.com site. It comes in handy when friends and others (like doctors) can’t remember your pseudonym. Last week, I was told I need knee surgery. (I actually had the surgery this morning and will be answering comments during the afternoon.) Short story: they asked about the national conference, I’m a writer, how can I find you? Since I just received my book cover and need to order cards I didn’t have any with me. (Note to self and everyone: always carry a bookmark or business card.)
So back to my original question: Are you preparing to sell?
Start your name recognition with your email address. It’s much more professional to email agents and editors with your name, instead of PaytonsGrandma@hotmail.com. Obtain all the free email addresses with your name. You want ALL of them so no one else can use your name (hotmail, ymail, gmail, yahoo, aol). Have ONE email address for commenting on blogs and listing for drawings, contests, newsletters, etc.
Obtain your domain names–even if you don’t set up a website until later. Don’t wait, it’s a necessary expense (and looks good on your Schedule C).
Visit your friends’ blogs. Learn how to leave a comment. YOU leave a comment. THEY leave a comment. One of their friends gets used to seeing your name. Someone who’s not a relative leaves a comment on your blog one day.
Write newsletter articles. Have confidence in your knowledge and experience.
Optional: Find out if blogging is for you. Guest a couple of times for friends. See if you like it. IF you do, then establish your blog BEFORE you sell. Maintaining it will be much easier, you’re not learning a new facet of promotion, and you have an established readership.
Get into a habit of limiting your time on email and the Internet. This habit will come in handy when you sell and NEED to spend time on promotion, but also write your next book.
Set deadlines. With firm goals and rewards. Don’t let yourself slide on this one. Whew, it’s really important to learn how to work under pressure.
Don’t get overwhelmed. Just be prepared.
I’m certain there are several things not listed here. What other things are you doing to prepare for publication? Please share.
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Jessica Darago lives just outside Washington DC with her partner, Mathew, and an unusually opinionated stuffed lion. Born and raised on Long Island, she’s been writing almost since she first picked up a crayon and now makes her living helping college professors create study guides and reference materials. After decades of squashing her fiction-writing urge — just barely escaping graduate school without a Fine in the middle of her Master of Arts — she rose to the challenge of the International 3-Day Novel Contest in 2005. Her novella, A Compelling Yarn, a pastiche of Austen’s Emma set at a knitting convention, made the competition’s short list and finally convinced her make a go at a career as a professional novelist. From comic strips to plays to screenplays to biography to literary criticism, she’s written in almost every conceivable genre and even published in a few of them, but like any good romance heroine, she always comes back to her true love — writing novels that capture a reader’s heart and mind.
Dramatic irony (the name applies whether it’s drama or comedy) is a force that moves an entire plot. It’s an external conflict or motivation, but — here’s the important bit — it pushes the protagonist in the exact opposite direction of his or her internal one. Some of the greatest plots in history hinge on this sort of irony, from the comic (“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”) to the tragic (“My only love, sprung from my only hate.”), and it can be an incredibly powerful way to plot especially when you use it not as a single plot point but as a series.
