Website Facelift Update

Thanks so much to all of you who weighed in with an opinion about the color combinations for my website make-over. I really appreciate your take on things.

However, the update is on hold till I iron out one teensy thing. I received an email from a trusted friend over the weekend warning that I could be in danger of being sued by either Dorchester or the cover artist for using part of the VEXING THE VISCOUNT art in my header. Evidently it's perfectly ok to display the full cover, but not to extract portions of it for other uses. Since it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a lawsuit and because I never want to violate someone else's copyrights to their creative material, I've sent a query in to my editor to get the straight skinny on this issue.

But we do have a plan B. I have purchased some stock photos for use on my site and in my book trailers. JennJ has agreed to go with that if we can't arrange something for using the current artwork in her lovely design.

So you'll be hearing more about this in the coming days and I hope to unveil a new look before long. It's sort of like rearranging the furniture. Every now and then I get an itch to shake things up.

How about you? What do you do to change your surroundings? Swap out art work from one room to another? Totally redecorate? Repurpose existing items as something entirely different, like making a file cabinet an occasional table or turning a vase into a lamp base?

Is there something you've done to spruce up your space--IRL or cyber-- lately?

Getting a Facelift

No, not me, silly. I figure I've earned the face I have, but my website and blog could certainly use some updating. It's been awhile since my colors and header were tweaked. While I'm terrified of painting my walls something other than white, I'm totally ok with changing the look of my online home.

My critique partner, Ashlyn Chase, has volunteered to bring a brush if I ever screw up my courage enough to tackle painting. And I got a similar offer I couldn't refuse from one of my online buddies. JennJ, a frequent commenter here, is a graphic designer and owns Sapphire Designs. She graciously offered to design a new banner for me.



Of course, that means I'll be changing some of the other colors to go with the new look. And I'm stressing over which of the colors in the new banner to pull out. (It's the whole panic over painting again.) I tend to gravitate toward the darker shades, but I wonder if lighter would fit the tone of my work better.

So I'm enlisting your help deciding on a background color. Here's the new banner:



Bet you recognize part of the Vexing the Viscount cover in there. And here are some possible color schemes to go with it:

The burnt orange certainly pops.



But before things fade to black in the upper right corner, there's a deep plum that's rich looking.





If I want a softer look, I could go a shade lighter with a dusky plum.



And if I really want to shake things up, going ultra light with a yellow/gold would brighten the palette considerably.



A softer shade of orange might also give the site a lighter feel.



And I couldn't resist trying to pull out the wine of Daisy's lovely gown.


Decisions, decisions . . . Help me choose! Or do you have a suggestion for a difference background color to pull out? (Excuse me while I bury my head in my hands and sigh. The possibilities are overwhelming!)

Which one do you like best?

And of course, if you have a friend with terrific color sense, please email them the link with the handy little gizmo at the bottom of the post. I need all the help I can get!

Red Pencil Thursday with . . . Myself!

It's Thursday and I'm without a volunteer for our online critique, so I'm putting myself back in the hotseat. I'll be using the opening of my free online novella (which is posted on my website) as an example of how an author continues to tweak prose till the very last moment when it's time to turn the manuscript in.

My comments on the work are in red. Please feel free to add your catches in the comment section.

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A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS

I like this title. Since Sebastian only keeps his mistresses for a single season, it fits. And it's a bit of a play on 'A Man for All Seasons.' Because it has a ring of familiarity, it resonates. In fact, I may wish I'd saved it for one of my published works later!

"A woman, like a blooded hound or a fine steed, has a finite period of usefulness. When that time has run its course, a prudent man divests himself of the asset without regret." ~ A Gentleman’s Guide to Keeping a Mistress
The point of this pithy little vignette is to give readers a peek inside the ideas rolling around my hero's head. Not very good ideas, I'll grant, but the goal is to shock and provoke readers to keep going.

Chapter 1

His Grace, the Duke of Winterhaven settled into his private box as the house lighting dimmed and the gas footlights illuminated the Olympic’s red velvet curtain. Sebastian preferred to arrive late, usually aiming to miss most of the overture. It kept him from having to brush off those who would use a chance meeting at the opera as an excuse to curry favor.
My goal was to set the scene and introduce my hero in short order. By choosing details like private box, gas footlights, red velvet curtain, I've created a setting of priviledge and wealth at the theatre. In sharing why Sebastian preferred to arrive late, I've let readers know he's a very self-contained person, very private even in his pleasures. He relishes control.

Or ask for one.
Curry favor and ask for one is the same thing. I need to delete Or ask for one lest I be redundant and say the same thing twice. ;-)

“Rosalinde isn’t joining us?” his friend Neville Granger asked in a whisper as the orchestra began tuning up.
So Sebastian didn't arrive late as he preferred. His plans are already askew for the evening. I'm trying to telegraph that they'll be even more undone as the story unfolds. Also notice that I've dropped readers into the middle of the action with minimal explanation. If a reader wants to know who Rosalinde is, they have to keep reading.

“Her season has passed,” Sebastian said with a shrug. “We parted ways and she left with a generous pension.”
I could tighten this a bit. Instead of Sebastian said with a shrug I'll change it to Sebastian shrugged. When possible, it's good to substitute character action for dialogue tags.

Neville shook his head. “They don’t call you The Ice Duke for nothing.”
The Ice Duke encapsulates my hero's character. And yet because he has a friend like Neville, I hope readers will sense there is hope for Sebastian.

“Nonsense. Rosalinde knew exactly what to expect.” Sebastian was faithful and devoted to his mistresses, but he always dismissed them with the turn of each season and found a replacement. The rules were explained at the start. He never grew bored, and never had to end a relationship in anger or tearful recriminations. It was simply a function of the calendar, eminently logical, utterly civilized. “She has a new diamond necklace and I have my freedom, as per our agreement.”
Here's the nugget that explains the premise of the novella. Sebastian's well-ordered love life is about to be stood on its head. Do you dislike him a bit right now? That's ok. I've given him some growing room. Without character growth, we have no story.

Neville brought his quizzing glass to one eye and swept the crowd below them. “Someday, my friend, you’re going to meet a woman who can’t be bought.”
I haven't indicated a year or location for this story. Quizzing glass helps cement the historical feel. It's a specific detail that yields a solid reader impression. I'm not hinting any longer. In Neville's prediction, I've said outright that Sebastian is about to meet his match.

“On that day, I’ll give you a bottle of that expensive port you favor,” Sebastian said. “Provided you stop grumbling at me about it now. This is how I’ve ordered my life. Four times a year, I enjoy a brief chase and then give myself three months to enjoy my prize. Don’t spoil this part of the process for me by scolding like a fishwife.”
I'm tossing in a little more background information, but hopefully, because its set up as a minor squabble between friends, readers don't feel I'm using dialogue for exposition. There should always be "micro-tension" in fictional dialogue, meaning characters have a goal for the conversation which are at cross purposes with each other.

“Make it a case of port and we have a deal.”
The wager serves the same purpose as a ticking time bomb. It's a promise that something is going to happen. Hopefully readers will watch to see if I deliver on the promise and make him pay up. (I do. Check chapter 7.)

“Done.” Sebastian leaned back in his tufted seat, sure he’d never be called upon to make good that wager. (That's what he thinks!) “Now, tell me about this soprano you think I’d like.”

“Arabella St. George. Shh! Here she comes.”

Neville leaned forward so far, Sebastian feared he might tumble out of the box. Then his gaze flicked to the stage and he realized why.
A good way to make a character important is to show how others are affected by them. Because of Neville's reaction, Sebastian is set up to be "wowed" by her.

Normally Sebastian favored petite brunettes, but the footlights shot this woman’s long pale hair with strawberry highlights. Tall and willowy, with sharp, even features and luminous dark eyes, Arabella St. George possessed a fierce beauty.
She's not his type, but he's drawn to her nevertheless. By calling her a fierce beauty, I'm trying to prepare readers for an unconventional heroine. She's no blushing debutant, nervous over her come-out.

Sebastian didn’t consider himself the sort given to flights of fancy, but his imagination soared at the sight of her. She might be a changeling princess, offspring of the hollow hills. Or a pagan priestess demanding sacrifice. Or one of the three queens who bore King Arthur’s body to Avalon.
I could tighten here by taking out didn't consider himself and substituting wasn't. But if I want to convey that Sebastian has an inaccurate self-image, I should leave it as is.

Because I've set Sebastian up as a logical, controlling personality, this internal imagery is even stronger than it might have been otherwise. Sebastian may try to hide it with his rigidity and rules, but he has the soul of a poet.

Lord knows, he’d let her take his body anywhere she pleased.
I'm always looking for ways to flip words to make them show almost diametrical opposite meanings. I did it here with the comparison of Arthur's dead body with Sebastian's very much alive one. We want a hero with a healthy libido. Even in Sebastian's tightly controlled world, I wanted to hint that there will be a time when he's out of control.

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So that's the first 500 words of A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS. I welcome your suggestions. Did I miss a chance to make the prose work harder? If you haven't read my free novella, I invite you to do so. After you finish chapter 7, be sure to leave a suggestion for how you think the plot should advance through my Contest page. You'll be entered in the drawing to win a signed copy of STROKE OF GENIUS.

Also, if you'd like to see your first 500 words here in the coming weeks, please contact me through my website and I'll send you the details on how you can be on Red Pencil Thursday.

And as always, I appreciate it when you click on the little icon below to share this post with a friend via email, Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, or Google Buzz!

Strike #7 from the Professional Bucket List

I posted a "to-do" list on my Mia Marlowe Blog earlier this week. I'm hoping to complete the entire list before TOUCH OF A THIEF comes out next May. I was able to cross off one item already. Check out which one it was at www.miamarlowe.blogspot.com!

A Duke for All Seasons~Chapter 7

Since January, I've had what I like to think of as a "play project" on my website. It's my free online novella A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS. I went into this with a completely blank slate, thinking I'd add a chapter a month after input from readers about where the story should go.

I apologize for failing to add a new chapter in the month of July. I plead travel to visit family and working like a fiend to finish my current WIP. Guess my contractual obligations come first, but I take my promises to readers seriously too.

Readers have been giving me great suggestions for this story. I like the way Sebastian and Arabella are shaping up and I'm beginning to see a possible resolution for them in a few more chapters (I'm thinking there will be 11 or 12 in all.) Here's a link for the newest chapter.

There's a contest attached to the novella. If you make a plot suggestion, you're entered in the monthly drawing for a copy of STROKE OF GENIUS.

When I started the novella, my motivation was to give back to my current readers and offer new ones a chance to try my work without digging into their wallets. Since then, the value to me has been in the fascinating and sometimes very detailed suggestions from my readers. I always say a book is a conversation between the author and the reader. This is my chance to listen and I love it.

You've probably noticed that there is a cool new little gizmo at the bottom of this post. It allows you to post a link to this blog on your blog/facebook/twitter/ etc, or to send an email to a friend. I'd really appreciate it if you share that link with someone who enjoys reading romance. The more the merrier!

If you've been following the adventures of Sebastian and Bella, here's your chance to share what you think. Do you think "the Ice Duke" will ever thaw? How will Bella escape Fernand's control? Did you share the link with a friend?
Hope you enjoy A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS.

Goal-Setting for Sanity

Have you ever made a bucket list? Not necessarily for things to do before leaving this planet, but intermediate things to do to help balance your life and stay sane?

I made one for all the goals I'd like to accomplish before my first Mia Marlowe book comes out next May.

Check out my list, both personal and professional, at www.miamarlowe.blogspot.com. I'd love to hear from you, if you have suggestions on how to meet these goals. Or if you'd like to share some of your own, I'll cheer you on.

Also if you haven't clicked to follow my Mia blog (or Facebook, Twitter or Myspace), I'd welcome you in all those places.

Cyber-Conference Author Chat

One of the types of workshops they have at RWA Nationals is the Author Chat. It's an informal setting where favorite authors can answer questions put to them by the attendees. So I thought I'd give you a chance to have an author chat today with one of my favorites~ Deb Stover.

I doubt she remembers it, but I first met Deb at the Emerald City conference in 2002. I was unpublished and green as a gourd, but I managed to sit at the same table as Deb for lunch. I'd read her NO PLACE FOR A LADY, so it was a real thrill for me to meet her. She was kind enough to let me pick her brain a bit.

And today, she's letting me do it again. I invite you to listen in to a Chat with Deb Stover!

Emily: Hi Deb! Thanks for being here today.

Deb: Thanks for inviting me, Emily.

Emily: You've written in a number of different romance sub-genres. Which do you enjoy most and why?

Deb: Yes, I'm something of a sub-genre slut--historical, paranormal, time-travel, contemporary, romantic suspense, and even one category romance. In fact, I also have work published in mystery and fantasy anthologies. My agent tells me to "Focus," and I call that the "F" word. Seriously, if I had to choose just one sub-genre in which to write, and the market was of no concern, I would choose time-travels. The reason these appeal to me is the fascination of looking at history through a contemporary viewpoint. I love writing history from both viewpoints--contemporary and historical characters--and playing with the potential time-travel paradox. It's challenging, there's always plenty of yummy research, and it's never boring!

Emily: I so know what you mean about being a genre slut. I'll be writing historical/paranormal/ adventure romance as Mia Marlowe starting next May.

Nothing is ever wasted on a writer. How have your life experiences impacted your writing?

Deb: This is certainly true in many ways. While I definitely write from character, I don't think any writer is immune to allowing some of his or her own political and/or religious experiences from creeping into a story on occasion. I try to keep my values off the page, though. After all, I've written murder scenes and I've certainly never committed murder!

The biggest way my personal life has influenced my professional life is by teaching me unconditional love. My late husband and I had one beautiful birth daughter, then adopted two newborns with special needs a few years later. Our first adopted child has Down Syndrome. She's now twenty-three and the light of my life. After losing my husband to cancer in 2005, having her steady, unconditional love and faith in me as her mother reminds me every single day what life is all about. I try to transfer that hope, and the perfection of imperfection to my characters.

Emily: OMGosh, don't you dare keep your values off the page! This beautiful spirit is why your work is so powerful.

Please tell us why we'll love the hero in your most recent release.

Deb: Ty Malone is, first and foremost, a man. He's a father. He's a grieving widower. He's flawed and vulnerable, yet strong and steadfast. And he's sexy as hell. He's a farmer with a heart of gold and enough sex appeal to melt the heart of a tough as nails former Chicago Homicide Detective.

Emily: Since my DH is an Iowa farm boy, I think your Ty sounds yummy. What's the best writing advice you ever received or what advice would you like to give aspiring writers?

Deb: Never give up is probably the best advice I ever received. I would like to add that aspiring and/or beginning writers shouldn't settle for less than they deserve. With so many so-called "small presses" popping up on the Internet now, I caution writers to be wary, and not to give away their blood, sweat and tears to just anyone who claims to be a publisher. It's easy to toss up a website and declare yourself a publisher. It's another matter to actually prove it. The same thing holds true for agents. It may take several years to find the right first home for your work, but you're worth it. Be patient.

Emily: I second that advice! Writers should realize their own worth and not settle.

What's next for you?

Deb: I'm working on an urban fantasy project that is sort of a secret, as it has media tie-in potential. I'm not at liberty to give details just yet. It's a lot of fun, and somewhat different for me.

Emily: Very exciting! Please come back when you can share your new work. Thanks for being with us today, Deb.

Here's a bit about her latest release: The Gift

Blurb: A gift turned nightmare drives Beth Dearborn to abandon all she holds
dear, until fate demands she face Ty Malone, danger, and destiny....

“Readers will rejoice at the return of one of the romance genre’s special
talents! This melting pot of murder mystery, passion and ghosts makes for an
outstanding storytelling stew!” HOT ~ 4 ½ Stars! Jill M. Smith, RT Book
Reviews

Buy at Barnes & Noble (including Digital):

Buy at Amazon (including for Kindle):
Kindle:

So do any of you have questions/ comments for Deb today? I'd like to talk a bit about time travel romance and see how much interest there is out there. Have you read a time travel romance? Title and author, please?