Looking Forward to Certain Times of the Year...For Me it is all About JERO ... by Delsora Lowe

Yes, I know this is March, but hear me out.

January seems to be my down month. The most I get done is organizing for a new year of writing. Other than that, the lethargy from a busy year previous sets in.

The best part about January, is looking forward to February. February you say? Are you nuts? The coldest, dreariest month of the year. What do you have to look forward to. Yeah, yeah…there is Valentine Day. And as a romance writer that should be exciting. And yes, it is. I love valentine chocolates in red heart-shaped boxes. And I love to write romantic stories.

But… The reason I LOVE and look forward to February… Or more specifically—the end of February is…

Every year, since 2016, I have participated in the New Jersey Romance Writers’ February 30K writing challenge. Thirty thousand words in twenty-eight days—what was I thinking? Or one may edit. Instead of counting new written words, one may count every three edited words as one written word. Something for everyone who wants to participate. By the time you read this I will have completed the 2023 challenge, My head will be spinning, and my energy depleted. But the excitement will carry me through until February of 2024

The first two years I worked full time at a job seventy-five miles away, so my time was extremely limited. I opted to challenge myself to ten thousand words that year and fifteen thousand the following year. Both years I exceeded that goal by a little bit. And…I was so proud of myself.

Emboldened in the third year, I went for the gold. And for the last five years I have exceeded my thirty-thousand words incrementally.

The fun part of this is the participants are not in competition with each other. We all cheer each other on each day. Whether we have a good or bad day of writing…or with life itself. As writers, we all know there are days, weeks, even years when life seems to get in the way of our passion to write.

There are basically no rules, except to report in daily (if you can) and the “never say the word ONLY” rule. As in, I ONLY wrote fifty words today, because my kid was sick, the dog escaped, the laundry needed doing, or whatever other excuse or life’s daily needs get in our way of our precious writing time. Every single word is to be celebrated, whether or not we meet the daily goal of 1072 words. If you write one word, it isn’t “I ONLY wrote…” It is call a friend or report on the loop - “YAY, I wrote one word today!”

If you take a day off or write fewer words, there is always time to make up the word count. I might not be in competition with others, but I am VERY competitive with myself. So, when I set a goal, I do everything possible to exceed my own expectations.

So, for a dreary, short, dark month of the year…I am always excited to see February role around. And YES, I always prep my spreadsheet with daily word count calculations, so it is ready to fill in on the first of February…on your mark, get set, GO WRITE! And I love the interaction and common goals of those who make up the group of writers, whose heads are down, brains and imagination are engaged, and fingers are flying during the month of February.

This year, with more than sixty writers participating, we totaled collectively 2.2 million words in twenty-eight days - WOW!

Sure, everyone is tired, but also exhilarated. We cheered each other on, we encouraged everyone, no matter their personal goals of 30K or lass or more, and we CELEBRATED together! And that counts for a lot, when normally writing is a lonely business.

 What is your favorite time of the year to look forward to AND why?

 

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Moonlighting-Serenity-Harbor-Novella-Starlight-ebook/dp/B075TK7KYS/

Books2Read

books2read.com/u/mZ5eop

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, and the novella The Love Left Behind, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine. Recently released were two Christmas stories: The Inn at Gooseneck Lane and Holiday Hitchhiker.

 

Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

Photo Credits:
Bringing the New Year: Free New Year Clip Art Pictures - Cli
partix
Phone: free clip art for phone - Google Search Gold Medal: Free Medal Cliparts, Download Free Medal Cliparts png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com) 
Calendar: February 2023 Calendar Printable (calendar-to-print.com) 
Heart: free hearts images - Google Search 
February with Boy: Free February Cliparts, Download Free February Cliparts png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com)  
Goals- New Year: Man with ladder and goal Illustrations and Clipart. 805 Man with ladder and goal royalty free illustrations, drawings and graphics available to search from thousands of vector EPS clip art providers. (canstockphoto.com) 
Desk: Table clip art - Office clip art images free (clipproject.info)  
Celebrate: Search by word celebrate clip art - Clip Art Library (clipart-library.com) 

Kissing and journal making

 Happy Thursday from sooooo cold Michigan! Besides being really cold outside, we have been very blessed compared to so many others.

The sun was out but it was only in the single digits... 
You know it's cold when Milo and Charlie don't get wet :-)

But I'm not here to chat about the cold, the ice, or the snow, let's talk about.... 

Love is a slow build in my mind. I know that many people believe in love at first sight and it makes for great movies and books but for me it needs to be built. One of the keys ways to build love is through kisspense.

I strive for kisspense often in my writing... keeping the reader and characters on the edge. Will they kiss??? Won't they kiss??? This a video of the history of Draco and Hermione from Harry Potter building kisspense... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD30RRRvADM

What is your favorite will they or won't they couple?

Kissing just isn't an expression of love it's a way to 'refilling the love' well. As writer, not only do I like to create kisspense but I have a lot - and I mean a lot - kissing scenes in my books. I use different kiss scenes to create different moods in my characters not just desire. My characters kiss...

for reassurance...

to comfort....

to say sorry...

when they don't know what to say...

And because of all these reasons, characters in all types of genre not just romance kiss. I have found that just like the couples I write about need recharging aka kissing, I need to refill my creative writing well as do most writers. Just like every kiss is different but has the same the end result (intense good feelings - I'm keeping my kissing positive feelings for this blog).

Refilling my creative well almost always includes a nonwriting creative activity. While I enjoy reading, and do it daily, it's more of a relaxation thing for me.

Over the last couple of years, the thing I have found that 'refills' my creative well is making journals. I mostly do this alone but Charlie does make journals too :-)

some of the journals Charlie and I have made

I know... you guys thought it would have something to do with doughnuts didn't you???

Doughnuts are like reading, they bring me peace and joy but don't do a lot for feeding my muse. The same with walking and taking pictures - it brings me joy and peace but doesn't do anything for my creative well. 

So just as a kiss isn't always a prelude to romance not all things that you enjoy will have the same benefit. 

And of course, I couldn't have a post about kissing without saying something about famous kissing scenes... 

I can already hear the gasp but I'm not a fan of Jack and Rose of Titanic fame and I'm even less of a fan of the Twilight kissing. I know I know but thankfully we don't live in a one kiss fits all world :-) 

What is your favorite kiss scene? My favorite kiss and kisspense scenes are from the movie Benny and Joon. I love everything about this movie. 

Thanks for stopping by! And until next month.

A Funny Thing Happened Before the Writing Bug Bit!

By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

Life has a strange way of throwing you curves when you least expect it.  Funny, but I never had the burning desire to be a writer. My mother was the one who thought I should major in Journalism. I poo-pooed that, Like most teenagers,  I thought mother didn't know best.

I was going to be a theater major, and just in case that didn’t work out, I had a back-up plan, I would have a dual major. I'd get a degree in psychology.  I had the grandiose notion I was going to specialize in psychodrama, and promptly signed up for a few sessions. For reasons I am reluctant to discuss on  a public forum, that didn't work out.

Reality hit home, when after graduation, I realized working in theater might have me waitressing for years. The psychology degree was practically useless, especially since I didn't have a PHD. In theory, it sounded great having a  Dr. before my name. The reality was far more work than I wanted to do, and who needed a multitude of loans? So I quickly shelved that notion and went to work in the cosmetic field.

Not that I had any experience with turning  sparrows into peahens.  I  was  actually a  glorified sales person with a talent for making you trust me. I successfully aced the job after a walk-in interview and was hired on the spot. I was young, fresh-faced, with the gift of gab, and a certain look that would have women opening their wallets and spending money they didn't have. That bubble of the glamorous career, quickly burst when paychecks didn’t make it possible to move out of the parental home.  The free cosmetics were little consolation. I just wanted a space of my own.

The opportunity of a lifetime,  for a twenty one year old, came when an international airline came calling,  Well that wasn't exactly how it happened. My inside connection was a family friend who reached out to a relative of mine.  This airline was hiring hundreds of people. I quickly brushed up on my non-existent Spanish, managed to pass the bi-lingual test, and found myself living on the West Coast, and jetting back and forth to exotic places like Hong Kong and Istanbul.  Back then travel was elegant, and afforded me a lifestyle I could ill afford if I was actually paying for it.  Opportunist that I was, I slowly worked my way up the corporate ladder. My hard work came with perks like free First  Class travel and discounted luxury hotels. What's not to love?

Another funny thing happened. I got married, and  decided to go back to school, intending to get  a Masters in Organizational Development. When that didn’t work out, the then popular MBA seemed the way to go, except I was bored. What I soon learned is you can't fit a woman who doesn't have a knack for figures into a non-literary role. It was an expensive, painful lesson. The MBA didn’t happen. The grades were OK, the interest level not so good. Besides, I reasoned, I was already making good money, so I dropped out of business school.

In this crazy evolution of finding me, I picked up writing, and not for the purpose of getting published either, I wrote  because it was cathartic and came easily to me. Something magical happened when I wrote. It made me feel good. I joined a group called New Jersey Romance Writers. Romance novels were what I read while I was coming up. It was the simplest of pleasures, and the great escape. Joining that writers group opened up a whole new world for me. My romance writer friends were smart people, many even came with PHDS.    

When deregulation brought several airlines down,  my life took yet another crazy turn. I said goodbye the Northeast, and air travel, and "hello" to ships sailing the High Seas. Writing became my stress reliever, It was the  glue that held me together whenever I unraveled. My first book was published  when I was working at a stressful job,  and then another and another. I was actually getting paid  for something I enjoyed. 

Unlike many authors, I actually like the promotional aspect of the business. I enjoy the interviews and I like giving back to  a community  that supports me. I like being a presenter and leading workshops. Back in the day, I even enjoyed the book signings, although often I was mistaken for a store employee, and conversations centered around locating the bathroom or finding a missing child. But I managed to sell my share of books.

As the years slipped by, and the business changed, I changed with it, reinventing myself, and having other careers. But I've never stopped writing. As most writers will tell you, we don't do it for the money (paltry as it sometimes can be,) We write because we have to.

Writing is an addiction.  We may leave it temporarily, but we always return. Like any addict, we suffer withdrawals.  

Writing is our fix.

About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook: http://bit.ly/1MlnrIS

Be sure to join her mailing list.

         

Write? Not me!

 By: Marcia King-Gamble

www.lovemarcia.com

How does a Psychology/Theater major end up being a writer? Well, lots of funny things and careers happened along the way to my forum.

My mother, for one, thought I should be a journalist, but with my strong opinions, I thought that would not be a good choice. I speak my mind usually, and diplomacy is something I acquired over the years. Then there was that C I received in creative writing; my one and only C I might add. My professor hated my writing and called it, “Welcome to teeny tunes.” My topics were always about the challenges of youth, and yes my professor was a b---h, and most of her students literally shook when she entered the classroom.  But heck, I was nineteen years old, and my world was myopic. What else was there to write about other than personal experiences?

  

My goal was to be a therapist. I planned on putting my dual major to work in the field of psychodrama. What that means is patients act out roles to correct and work through issues.  For a very brief time I even participating in one of those groups. It was essential to understanding the process.  Some where along the way my interest waned.

After graduation, the airlines came calling, and I jumped at the opportunity to see the world on someone else’s dime. Life in the hospitality industry was exciting and kept me in and out of the country for years. Roles in management had me busy and stressed.

Then one day, my then husband found a box of “teeny tunes,”  and determined I could write. He will tell you that my writing was one of the reasons he fell in love with me.  And it was he who spotted an article in the newspaper for a local group called, ‘New Jersey Romance Writers.’ He urged me to attend.

I found the group helpful, exciting, encouraging and professional. Buoyed by all that talent around me, I’d submit some very amateurish work that got encouraging rejections.  The truth was, my heart was still not into writing until I met a freelance reader for Harlequin/Silhouette. She shared with me another aspect of the business that I didn't know existed. Harlequin hired freelance readers to prescreen unsolicited manuscripts. 

This was much more my speed. I love to read, and reading manuscripts from the slush pile, and telling the editors which were worthy of their attention was definitely more me.   I read for seven years, until one day it clicked. I now had a pretty good idea of what editors might be looking for. Then and only then did I seriously begin to submit.

In 1997 thanks to the late editor, Monica Harris (founder of Kensington’s Arabesque line) I was signed to a two book contract. And in 1998 Remembrance was released. 

Now 19 years later, having written for Kensington, St. Martin’s Press, BET and Harlequin, I am the proud author of over 30 books and 8 novellas. This is my dream.

I write every day, whether I’m on deadline or not. It’s been therapeutic and gotten me through many stressful  life changing events. Writing works like exercise for me. It gives me an endorphin rush.

Writing is what I love and is an integral part of my life!   Now who would have thought?

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned more than 31 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, and caring for her animal family.

Visit Marcia at www.lovemarcia.com or “friend” her on Facebook.

Celebrating Romance!

 

By Judith Ashley

Celebrating Romance and our writing lives what this month is all about!!! Romancing The Genres launched on May 1, 2011 and we’re happy, surprised, pleased, excited, dancing with joy (celebrating) that so many readers and writers of romance check us out.

Our topic this month is Celebrating Our Writing Lives and RTG has become a big part of my writing life. I’ve read every post both at RTG and our sister site, Free Reads From The Genre-istas where several of us and special contributors put up short stories.

The Genre-istas have become an adjunct writing family. They congratulate me and jojin the cyber-party celebrating my writing successes. Paty Jager and Sarah Raplee read my short stories before they are published. Their comments always make my story stronger.

Sarah and I had a vision when we first envisioned this blog that was inclusive. Because of that we have writers from several romance sub-genres, a male romance writer, and Genre-istas who live in Australia, New Zealand, and The United Kingdom.

Our “Contributor” theme this month is Romance Around The World. We searched for writers from different countries or whose stories are set in different countries and show the unique character, time, and place of that setting.

While RTG is an important part of my writing life, there is much more. I’m active in Rose City Romance Writers, my local chapter. I belong to two other chapters Greater Seattle Romance Writers and Desert Rose. I love the conferences both chapters host! GSRWA’s Emerald City Writers Conference is held annually in October in Bellevue, Washington. Desert Rose’s Desert Dreams Conference is held in April on even years in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Both conferences draw great speakers, have quality workshops, and a good line-up of agents and editors if you want to pitch. Click on the chapter links for more information and consider attending as a way of celebrating your writing.

Because of my involvement in the writing community, I’ve figured out the writing practice that works best for me. I’ve even put together a workshop to give other writers an opportunity to figure out what works best for them.

Even though I’m ‘pre-published’ or ‘yet-to-be-published’ my writing life is chock full of daily events to celebrate. The encouragement available to anyone in the romance writing community is awesome! If you’ve ever thought about writing a romance novel, I highly recommend you join Romance Writers of America and your local chapter. If there isn’t a chapter near you, there are several on-line chapters you can join. Plan to attend a smaller, less expensive regional conference like Desert Dreams or Emerald City to begin to build those connections. 

My final words are simple. To Celebrate Your Writing Life keep your tush in the chair and your fingers on the keyboard! As Sarah says “Happy Writing!”

© 2013 Judith Ashley

www.FreeReadsFromTheGenre-istas.blogspot.com