Wicked Wednesday - Critiques (part 1): the beginning

In case you haven't heard yet, the lovely Cecilia Robert and I have revealed our surprise blogfest: MORE THAN JUST A KISS. Sign up and share with us a kissing scene. Along with two marvelous guest judges - Kyra Lennon and Laurelin Paige - we'll be judging the scenes and picking three to win. We will then critique a kissing scene from your latest WIP.

No one does a critique the same way. There are those that pick up on details that others do not, and critics that manage to find plot holes where everything seemed tied together so nicely. Some have a system and order to their critique, and others just dive right in with everything. This is why it's important to have more than one critique partner.

I've learned a lot from my critique partners and from critiquing other writers' stories. I have a system of sorts. I always read it first as a reader. Just for the pure enjoyment of the tale. That way I won't get distracted by the story as I'm critiquing.

The first thing I keep in mind when I'm starting a critique is the specific genre. All romances must have the relationship central to the plot. I'm going to use various sub-genres of romance as examples:

Paranormal romance - must have elements of the paranormal central to the plot

Romantic suspense - the mystery must drive the plot along with the romance

Historical romance - the accuracy of the historical setting and how it affects the romance

Contemporary romance - the romance and how it's affected by the other modern issues the author weaves into the plot

The genre identifies your target audience. You don't need to stick to a specific formula, but if the story is lacking in the key elements of its intended genre, it will fail. If I'm critiquing a romantic suspense, and the mystery limps along as a subplot, I'm going to suggest ways to bring it to the forefront, make it stronger, and integrate it into the central plot. In another manuscript, the mystery of how the hero traveled back in time might not be as important as what's happening in the time period he did end up in, and I won't suggest spending time on something that's mysterious yet not integral to the central plot.

Over the next month, I'll be talking about various parts of my critiquing process. Please feel free to tell us how you go about critiquing in the comment section below. I'd love to hear if you have any tips or tricks!

How do you begin the critiquing process?

Teaser Tuesday with Revenge of the Witch

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This MG book was recommended to me by Clare Dugmore. She knows me so well. I love it so far! REVENGE OF THE WITCH is the first book in Joseph Delaney's dark fantasy series called the Wardstone Chronicles. A great young protagonist and some magnificent world building. So much to explore.

Here's your teaser:
What harm could it do just to give her three cakes? A bit of comfort from her family against the cold and damp, that's all it was. (page 144)

Maguire's Corner Review

Blurb:
Coffee shop owner Maggie Maguire doesn’t trust the new police chief her father hired to protect Maguire’s Corner. He’s a stranger, cold, bossy and annoyingly handsome. But, Maggie’s witnessed a serious crime and now someone’s trying to kill her. The man that aggravates her most might be the only one that can help her.

Police Chief Jack Munro likes his new job and his new town, and unfortunately he also likes the stubborn but beautiful town sweetheart. His self-imposed hands-off Maggie policy is about to be put to the ultimate test when he must keep her close to protect her while he tracks down a ruthless killer.

Determined to ignore Jack’s charms, Maggie attempts to help him unravel the mystery but when their lives hang in the balance she must decide how much she’s willing to risk to save the man she suddenly can’t resist.

My review:
Maggie Maguire lives in the quaint little town of Maguire's Corner along with her great big extended family. She's ticked that her father chose out-of-towner Jack Munro to be the police chief instead of her brother, but when she witnesses a crime and becomes a target herself, she has to work with Jack and begins to see him in a new light. As much as she tries to resist his charm, Maggie's attitude toward him begins to change. Yet as the killer closes in on her, it might be too late for her to discover if she could have anything more with Jack.

A wonderfully written romantic suspense with a cast of lovable characters. The reader is pulled in right off with a 911 call and tension-filled chase. There's mystery, danger, and a sizzling spark to start a new romance. From there on out, it's an entertaining roller coaster ride of ups and downs along with a couple of loops and corkscrews. I was on the edge of my seat through the end.

What won me over were the characters. Maggie is a smart, loyal, and independent coffee shop owner with a stubborn streak. She's the sort of person I'd want as my sister. Most of her family lives in Maguire's Corner. I loved seeing Maggie's playful banter with her brother and how her cousins were her best friends. Her mom is sensible and fun. Aunts and uncles are all a big part of her life. Jack might be the outsider, but he's just as fiercely loyal as the rest of them. And he's dang sexy too! Each character has their own bright personality and were so well written that I felt I knew them as if I were Maguire too.

MAGUIRE'S CORNER is Heather M. Gardner's debut novel. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good suspense and romance. I can't wait to read more in the future from Heather.

Author Bio:
Contemporary Romance Author * Chocolate Enthusiast * Coffee Junkie * Cat Addict * Book Hoarder * Fluent in Sarcasm * Supporter of Zombie Equal Rights. 

Stalk Heather here: Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Google+ * Goodreads 

Friday Five for July 26, 2013

1. Thank you so much again to all my awesome hosts and everyone who joined me for THE GHOST blog tour last week. It was so much fun, and the book has gotten a great reception. The winners for the tour's giveaway are at the bottom of this post.

2. Cecilia Robert and I announced the MORE THAN JUST A KISS blogfest! We're joined by two other lovely romance writers, Kyra Lennon and Laurelin Paige. We want to read your kissing scenes. Sweet, fiery, sizzling, awkward, and mind-blowing. We want to read them all. Not only will we be sharing some scenes, but we're offering prizes. We'll judge the posts and pick three winners to receive a critique. Plus, there are bonus prizes! Romance ebooks galore!

3. I was so excited to win a contest on FB from MG fantasy author Jessica Day George. She asked people to suggest names for her MC's new baby griffin in her next book, and she picked mine. Woot! I suggested Lorcan which means little and fierce. If that isn't awesome enough, she's sending me a surprise in the mail. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you'll love Jessica's books.

4. It's been a week of ups and downs with the boy. He had fun blueberry picking on the weekend, but now doesn't want anything to do with the berries. He did great the last few days of swim lessons last week, but he doesn't want to jump off little drops on land. As some of you heard on FB, we now have to start patch therapy with his turned eye. He has to wear a patch over his good eye for two hours every day. That's actually going quite well so far. He's been very cooperative, thankfully. Oh the multiple personalities of toddlers!

5. I've been working on the cover for the 13th Floor collection. Am I getting anywhere? Maybe. I don't know. I'm seeing how well my Photoshop skills can improve. I've already learned some new tricks. I'm designing some little graphics for the interior that I do like, though.

And now the winners of THE GHOST giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to the winners!

Emails have already been sent.

Nether Fire cover reveal

Blurb:
After being gravely wounded by her little sister, Ava awakes in Arcadia, the City of Angels, and it isn't so welcoming. She is, after all, Lucifer's Angel of Death, and she has only one mission: open the portal between Arcadia and the Nether World allowing Lucifer's army to penetrate the gilded walls of Heaven. Too bad Arcadia has other plans. Before she has the chance to set Lucifer's plot in motion, they send her and Devon hurtling back to Earth. Now, stripped of their powers, the two must put aside their differences and race against time to save Christa's soul and the shattered remains of Mankind. If they fail, darkness will rule their two worlds and obliterate what is left of Earth. If they succeed, Ava could still lose everything. 

Including herself.

Author Bio: Bonnie Rae spent her early childhood in the sunny state of California. At the time, she was an only child with a very large imagination. Thanks to her Grandmother, the love of reading books started at a very young age. Every walk to the grocery store meant an ice cream cone and a new Little Golden Book. Through books, Bonnie learned you could be transported into other worlds. The addiction was instant.

At age eleven, her grandparents gave her E.B. White's Charlotte's Web for her birthday. Even though she was completely grossed out when it came to spiders (and still is), Charlotte's Web fascinated her. A spider that was able to weave words and befriend a pig? Bonnie then realized not only could books provide imaginary worlds, they confirmed anything was possible. She might have only been eleven, but she knew writing was what she wanted to do.

She started her first set of novels at the age of sixteen and has been writing ever since.

Bonnie currently lives in California with her wonderful husband and two very spoiled cats.

You can find Bonnie at her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Join me for a review of Bonnie's first book in the Nether trilogy, NETHER BOUND, on August 5th!

Wicked Wednesday - the pros and cons of writing a paranormal romance series

Many of the paranormal romance books you see out there are series. Readers love them, and the demand for them is high. Yet before you dive in and start writing your own series, there are a few things you need to consider.

PROS:

* Readers love them. Their demand for more is fed.

* You have plenty of time for world building and to develop characters. You'll spend so much time with them, you'll know them very well.

* If readers love your first book, it paves the way for great sales in the future with the rest of the series.

CONS:

* Readers might love them, but a series is harder to sell to a publisher.

* You'll spend so much time with your characters, you might get sick of them. Usually it takes years to write a series. Years where you are stuck with these characters that you may grow bored or frustrated with. Things might start to feel stale.

* If readers hate your first book, the rest of your series will bomb.

Here are four tips to help make your series a success:

* Avoid cliches and formulas. Keep each book fresh. Don't be afraid to try something new or show a different side to your characters.

* Make sure each book can stand alone and connect to the series.

* Up the ante in each book. Your characters must continue to grow. Their challenges must get harder in each book.

* The couple might get together in the first book, but that isn't the end of the relationship. There are many stages and challenges to each relationship. Don't let the romance die.

My favorite paranormal romance series and an excellent example of how how to write a series: The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning.

In your opinion, what makes a series good? What are your favorite paranormal romance series?

Teaser Tuesday with Gameboard of the Gods

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I've been waiting a while to get my hands on GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS by Richelle Mead, and it hasn't disappointed me. In fact, it's fast becoming one of my favorite books of all time. Yes, it's that amazing. Exceptional worldbuilding and characterization. A futuristic dark fantasy with a beautiful and slowly unfurling supernatural aspect.

Here's your teaser: 
A haughty, lethal bodyguard. An assignment involving shadowy phantoms. This homecoming was starting to accrue a hefty price tag.
You still want to pay it? asked Horatio.
Absolutely. (page 61) 

Don't forget to enter THE GHOST giveaway for a chance to win all of the books in my 13th Floor series!