You Can't JJudge A Book By Its Cover...Or Can You?

I have a confession to make. The only time I look at covers of books I'm going to buy is a) when I'm browsing in a bookstore and b) when my friends post their covers.

That being said, I've posted a few of my favorite books and the reasons why I love the cover/book.

Here is a perfect example of a LOUSY cover. It was Molly's first attempt; she filled out the form of what she wanted; this is what iUniverse cover gods sent. Being the first time, she looked at it and thought, "Okay; not exactly what I wanted, but what the hell..."

Not only is the Title lousy (it should and WILL be renamed Love On The Rocks at a later time!), but during the first promo 'tour', everyone thought it was an autobiographical account of her life as an alcoholic. Nothing could be farther from the truth!



This was my first cover. While I'm not cracked up about all the green, and I would have liked the kitchen scene depicted better, I'm happy with it. It portrays Marc and Amber in a happy, reunited moment, and could be the moment when he formally asks her to marry him, not described in the book.










This is my good friend Anny Cook's first cover. At first, I assumed this is what she looked like (GRIN!), and I've read this story many, many times. In fact, I own three copies of it. One electronic; one signed print copy; another personalized print copy.








This is the first Cindy Spencer Pape book I ever read, and again, the cover is one my favorites. I'm looking forward to having a print copy, as I've read this one at least three times.
















And finally, my best cover yet! I've had people tell me they'd buy this book strictly for the cover art. Valerie, kudos to you! Our minds were definitely in synch with this one!

This portrays Kevin and Tammy's second seduction scene in his classroom. She's fighting her feelings; he has been looking all over for his mystery lady. And when he finally finds her again, the sparks fly.


I had also uploaded Jae Roth's Access Denied cover and Molly's Love Finds A Way. But during the formatting process, both pictures disappeared. I'll repost them tomorrow.

But honestly? When I set out to buy a book, it goes on my TBB list because of the blurb and excerpt. Take Anny's Chrysanthemum, for instance. I wasn't thrilled with the cover. But two or three excerpts later, I went ahead and added it to my list. And LOVED it! In fact, last week I won a print copy of Carnal Camelot:) I'd have preferred the next installment of Mystic Valley, but I'll get it this summer. I love the print copies, as I display them on tour with me. I'm going to have to pick and choose whom I take with me, as I've become a portable bookstore display case! Maybe once we get the laptop up and running, I'll take it with me so people can order from amazon right then and there?

Me? Organized? You've GOT To Be Kidding...

Once upon a time, Kenzie had a houseful of people. She used to refer to herself as a Single Mom with Seven Children.

These children were:
-51 yr old 'child'
-26-yr old stepdaughter
-13-yr old son
-11-yr old daughter
-4-yr old 'granddaughter'
-3-yr old 'grandson'
-2-yr old son

In order to keep a tight rein on everyone's various schedules, she had each day running like a tight ship. There was little or no deviation from the schedule, otherwise people wouldn't be picked up at the appropriate times; meals would run long; everyone would be cranky. Therefore, priorities had to be made.

But five years later, three of the 'children' are no longer in the household (with the exception of holidays, lol!), and the schedule is a bit looser. Except the oldest 'child' is recovering from eye surgery and continues to adopt a crabby, 'poor me' attitude, driving everyone else insane with his refusal to own his issues. Everything is blamed on the eye surgery, or circumstances, or the town we're living in.

Kenzie is happiest when the three original kids are off to school and the oldest 'child' is napping. She can write, blog, watch TV, run errands...all without hassle. But when the 'child', who is now 56, wakes up and demands attention, sometimes her plans for the day go out the window or get reshuffled to the next day (See Molly's Daily Cleaning Goals, lol!).

So right now, she is the LAST person to ask for organizational advice! Unless you want the example of 2005...then check the May 19th, 2008 post.

Some Good News and Better News:)

Stated to friends last month:
"I'm taking the month of May off in order to get the house ready for K's graduation. Watch my edits land in my mailbox May 1st..."

Guess what I received Monday the 3rd? No, not quite...just an introductory letter from my new editor Angel:) I emailed her the cover of Teacher's Pet and am now waiting for the soon-to-be-arriving edits. And this will make my weekly writer meetings more productive for me!

Also on Saturday the 1st, I received my quarterly report on All She Ever Wanted. Apparently I did something right; I sold four more copies! So woo hoo! Now if I can just remember what I did the first three months of the year, in order to keep up the sales......

In the meantime, I've got Mr. Clean Erasers, Spic-n-Span in a bucket, and washing machine full of curtains! Anyone want to come wipe down the woodwork? Retro Rock channel is blaring..."I'm going off the raaaails on a crazy traaaain...."

"Runaway train never comin' back....one way on a one-way track..."

"The angel opens her eyes..."

"Ohhh oh, we're halfway there...ohhh oh, livin' on a prayer..."

First Clue...

Here's a pop quiz:

What do you call a person who constantly hears a story in her head; the sight of blank journals excites her; loves stationary stores; collects pens; reads nearly everything she can get her hands on; comes away from movies or beloved stories and promptly either carries on the story with her Barbie dolls or inserts herself into the storyline and acts it out?

Nope, not schizophrenic.

Nope, not insanity.

Chances are, this person is a future writer!

How many guessed the third? Good for you...but then again, you know me. Try explaining to a non-writer how one can carry on a conversation in one's head and put it on paper. Or why the thought of an empty house is cause for excitement, not depression.

Remember the sitcom Facts of Life? One of my favorite episodes is when Natalie is stranded at a cafe, and instead of whining about being bored, she whips out pen and paper and concocts a mystery involving the other customers and cast mates.

I received my first diary at age ten, and found it hard to confine the days' events to just one tiny page. Two years later, my 7th grade teacher passed out notebooks half the size of regular ones, and told us to write a journal entry every day. Soon I was filling the pages with thoughts, observations, and general teenage drama. I soon made a habit of carrying it everywhere, and the first drafts of some of my early fairy tales were in them. They were ripped out soon after and turned into the teacher.

The first book I ever wrote stemmed from a quiet day in Florida. I was sitting on a picnic table by the bay, when all of a sudden, I wondered what would happen if.....and soon I was writing away. I wrote nearly every spare hour during that vacation, and when I returned to school in the fall, I continued it, to see where it was going.

If I don't write, the words will nearly stuff my brain until I get a chance to sit down. In 2002, I was a bus monitor for seven weeks straight, with little time to write. A story was brewing, and the night after my last shift, I literally locked myself in the bedroom and proceeded to write for three days straight, barely taking the time to eat, sleep, and deal with the kids. At the end of those three days, I had sixty pages in longhand. I took a break; started typing it up....and the imagination took off again. I had the story written in about a month. And as I typed 'The End', I cried; my SU thought I'd lost my mind. To console me, he took me out to dinner.

So if you spot me in a bar somewhere scribbling away furiously into a notebook, don't worry. I don't work for the CIA and I'm not crazy. Just buy me a drink and leave me alone, unless you want to say hi and see what I'm working on. Chances are you'll get a sneak peek at my next wip.

I Have A Dream...

That one day, the Romantic Times Convention will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana...and that I will be able to go.

What workshops would I attend? Hmmm...given my past weekend horrors of discovering my chat posts virtually unreadable because of rogue html codes imbeded in my text, I'd love a workshop on How To Prevent This From Ever Happening Again. Also Protocol When Re-Joining Chat Loops When You've Been Absent For Several Months and How To Regain Your Friendships.

Can you tell I've been struggling with a few issues?

Time Management With a Grumpy Spouse.

How To Write Fresh Sex Scenes or How To Keep Sex Scenes Fresh.

How To Overcome Shyness While Visiting Sex Toy Shop.

Writing The Best Blurb To Catch Reader's Attention.

Best Time To Submit Work or Who To Submit New Work To. (Sometimes I hear authors say they send their new wips to their editors; I keep sending it as pertained to the guidelines, and waiting forever! Okay, I'll retract that....it only seems like forever!)

Online Marketing 101.

Website 101 and Web Hosting.

POV Issues and Why Did The Rules Change?

Hand-Selling vs Online Selling: Equal, Or Is One Better? And How To Not Get Run Out Of Town For Content Of Book (a slight personal fear, lol...)

Okay; I seem to be getting carried away. I don't even know if there's a workshop for some of those!

I DID enjoy the WriteStuff Writer's conferences, and wish they'd do them again. But it was a fantastic learning experience, and gave me opportunities to talk to established authors and editors, and boosted my confidence level.

I also dearly wish I could attend the MidWest Writer's Conference, and am kicking myself for not realizing it existed while I was in college (I was on the same campus!). I also wish I could attend Lori Foster's Weekend in June, as well as RomantiCon next October. I've got a room reserved; now I just need the money to register.

I just hope my friends who DO attend will post many pictures! And I'd like to make my Model Behavior wip as accurate as possible...see there honey? I need to attend for research purposes!

Think he'll go for it?

Nah....I'll get the "But we don't have the money..." speech again. Sigh...Next year...next year....

"I'm Productive...Sort Of..."

BICHOK:
Butt
In
Chair
Hands (or fingers!)
On
Keyboard

I used this method during NaNo 2007 and it worked. Why hasn't it worked in '08 and '09? Simple.

I wasn't the only one in the house anymore.

For me to truly be productive, I need an empty (and clean) house; the music on; no other commitments. It also helps if the creativity is flowing, although a page or two of meaningless crap is okay. I can always edit it out later.

Sometimes being productive simply means getting my last load of laundry in the washer before noon. Or the 'business' side of my job (blogging, email,) accomplished in an hour instead of two. It all depends on my mood, my goals, and whatever the spouse has planned for the day.

I'd just like him to go back to work so I can FEEL productive, instead of taking a stab at it.

Y'know what I mean?

"You're The Meaning In My Life...You're The Inspiration..."

Music has always inspired me, as has other methods.

My dad liked classical music, and while riding in the car with him, or listening at home, my brain would conjure images of a storyline. I was bored one afternoon and put on his favorite mix tape. Soon I was acting out a trial; being a conductor (2001 Space Odyssey); acting out the lyrics to One Tin Soldier and Those Were The Days. In fact, several weeks later, I wrote my first story based on the song One Tin Soldier and my creative writing teacher enjoyed it, although she told me if I was going to write fiction, to be careful about using actual people (I'd had the stone guarded by several prominent sports figures, plus our own Jr. High football teams!).

As I began my writing career, I'd put the kids down for naps, turn on Hooked On Classics, and write for two hours. I'd go to the laundromat, play the juke box, and write while my clothes spun around in the washers and dryers.

I've written to Prince, Madonna, Aqua, Bon Jovi, and Frank Sinatra. This drives my husband crazy, because he'd rather watch TV. So I've learned to write during hunting shows, Discovery Channel, and even SyFy and History channels. And when my toddler was growing up, I wrote to the sounds of Nick Jr...Wonder Pets, Dora, Diego, and Backyardigans.

While watching the Olympics this past winter, the eventual Ice Dancing winners wowed me with their original dance routine, and I envisioned a love story. I've kept it on my DVR, much to the family's disgust. But until I'm ready to write that story (characters are still only whispering snippets in my ear), it will remain. Yeah, I know; I could probably find it on YouTube....

I've also listened to news briefs on the radio and had characters jump into my head (Wild At Heart is a perfect example). I've been out in the community and certain situations will send the brain spinning (like the time I discovered I was being flirted with at a store) or I'll overhear a conversation and the creative wheels will take off.

My latest endeavor was simply brain storming with others, and a suggestion from a reader. Sometimes many elements will come together to inspire the muse to insist I sit down and write.

What kick-starts your muse? Mine's been on an extended vacation, but showing signs of returning to work soon.