Nichole’s Blog

I’ve learned that writers are often vivacious readers.  At least the good writers are.  I’ve been a reader since I can remember.  Even family vacations as a child required me to pack at least two books.  So it’s no surprise that I’m still reading and reading often.

I just finished Jan Burke’s Dear Irene.  Up until a few months ago, I had never even heard of Ms. Burke.  She was a speaker at this year’s Mayhem in the Midlands, though, and I was able to meet her and decided to buy a book.  (OK, I actually bought 2 of hers there, but that’s not important!)

As I’ve worked my way through the Irene Kelly series (I’ve read Sweet Dreams, Irene; Goodnight, Irene; Bones; and now Dear Irene — and yes, I know I didn’t read them in order!), I’m impressed with how Ms. Burke has let her characters grow.  I also really like the fact that you don’t put any of her books down without learning something.  In this one, it was Greek and Roman mythology.

Newspaper reporter Irene Kelly is back at work after being seriously injured in Goodnight, Irene.  As she opens her mail, she recieves a letter in which Thanatos (Greek meaning “Death”) admits to killing someone.  When the body is discovered, just like Thanatos described, Irene is on the hunt to catch a  killer.

Irene doesn’t do anything easily, or maybe nothing seems to come easily for Irene.  Her insistance on presuing Thanatos is a major source of conflict between her and her homicide-detective fiance Frank Harriman.  Ms. Burke does a fantastic job of using the characters to tell the story and allowing the characters to come alive on the page.  The concerns of Irene and Frank, as well as the complaints of their coworkers, are realistic and believable.  And while there may not be the rampant crime spree in any small town that Ms. Burke’s books imply, her writing is enough to suspend believability in that arena and keep me coming back for more.

Blessings!

Nichole

I’m up early this morning.  I have to take my kid to school and then I’m hitting the road.

It’s an 8-hour drive from the Black Hills of South Dakota to Omaha, Nebraska.  I’ll cross the Missouri River twice — first time it’s a beautiful bright blue.  The second time it’s a nasty brownish-black.

I’m excited.  Mayhem in the Midlands starts Thursday.  I hope to blog a lot about it.  I hope to learn a lot.

Still no word from the publisher were I sent my manuscript.  Now I’ll be gone for a week.  With my luck, they’ll probably send me an e-mail while I’m gone!  

Blessings!

Nichole

Second Wind Publishing?  You can find them at http://secondwindpublishing.com/

Just sent my first ever query letter to them.

Wish me luck!

Blessings!

Nichole

I’m  going to Mayhem in the Midlands this year.  It’s the only mystery conference I’ve been to, and this will be my second trip there.   It’s a small conference, I guess, but it was SO much fun!

So, despite the economy and the fact I still don’t have a published novel, I opted to attend Mayhem again this year.  Imagine my surprise when I was asked to be on a panel!

I tried to talk my way out of it.  I even offered to moderate one instead — I figured my experience as a journalist would help me out there with asking questions and such.  But the committee kept asking if I’d be ON a panel.  It’s a short story one (good thing since I don’t have a novel published!) and I don’t know who’s on it or anything.

Truthfully, I don’t feel qualified to speak.  There are people in my local writer’s group who have multiple short stories published.  I just have one.  But, as one of my writing buddies told me, this will be good experience if nothing else.  

As nervous and scared as I am (what if the audience determines I’m a poser?), I’m also starting to get a little excited over the prospect.  Maybe I’ll bring 20 or so copies of the Donard Anthology and see if someone will buy them.  Then again, it looks like Amazon is out of stock, so maybe I won’t even be able to order any.  Wouldn’t that be ironic?

I’m sure I’ll ramble more about this topic as the end of May approaches.  I’m sure I’ll have every emotion from pure excitement to complete fright.  But this is what I want to do when I “grow up” and being on a panel is one step closer to seeing my dream a reality.

Blessings!
Nichole 

OK, so in the past I’ve discussed authors I don’t care for.  I’ve mentioned authors who kinda write what I do.  I’ve mentioned that I hope and pray that there is a market for the series I’m working on.

I think I’ve found something pretty damn close!  And it’s published by a major publisher.

Which means, there is a market for me!  Defending Angels is a paranormal cozy.  There’s no sex.  No love interest.  No vampires.  Reading it has made me work even harder on the edits for Ghost Mountain.

If Mary Stanton can have such a book published, there is hope for me.  And according to her website, it is a series of books, so that gives me even more hope!

What about you?  What books have given you hope in your writing career?  Which authors are you struggling to emulate with your success?

Blessings!

Nichole

Check out her post today at Frightening Journeys (http:​/​/​paranormalwrite​rs.​ blogspot. com/). Post a comment and you’re entered in the drawing!

Blessings!
Nichole

Sometimes I really don’t feel like working.  Or writing.  Or going to the gym.  I just feel like sitting on the couch, watching TV, knitting a sock and not doing much else.  If I were to be honest, I’d admit that I hate that “blah” feeling.

Does this happen to anyone else?  How do you handle it?

Blessings!

Nichole

Writing 50,000+ words to complete a novel was tough, but I think the synopsis might be tougher.  I just spent roughly 200 pages trying NOT to give away the ending and now I have to summarize the entire book in 1/10th that!  Complete with ending, even! 

Let’s not forget the query letter.  That’s giving me some pause as well.  I just hope that what I come up with is good enough to find an agent or publisher.  I WANT to move onto the next step, whatever that may be!

Blessings!

Nichole

I write mysteries.

I write paranormal.

Therefore, I write paranormal mysteries.

Why is that difficult for people to understand?  Why, if I write paranormal, must it be a romance?  Do publishers really think that mystery readers can’t possibly enjoy a such a story?  Or has the definition of a paranormal story changed to exclude everything except some mortal woman falling in love with a vampire?

To make things more frustrating, I can’t even write a sex scene without thinking it sounds completely idiotic.  I admire a friend of mine, who is a successful author published in both mystery and erotic romance genres.  Her advice for increasing word counts is usually to add sex.  Yeah, right.  

Does my inability to do that make me sexually frustrated?  By definition, I think it does when I’m upset I can’t write the scene! 

Oh well.  I don’t plan to change my story to a romance, and I don’t foresee adding a steamy sex scene to my work just to up word counts or to  make publishers “ga-ga” over the story.  I know there’s a publisher out there who will want to publish Ghost Mountain.   I know there are readers who are looking for something exactly like it.  

I just have to find them!

Blessings!

Nichole

Technology is a wonderful thing….  when it works!

I tried doing a software update and lost it all…  Oh well!  Time to start fresh!

Blessings!

Nichole