Au Revoir

by Madelle Morgan

After seven years as a Genre-ista with the second Tuesday of every month slot on the Romancing the Genres blog, this will be my last regular post.

Over those seven years I shared my journey as I developed the craft of writing romance, ventured into indie publishing, and learned about marketing.

Before I explain why I am hanging up my hat, here’s a brief summary of my writing and publishing efforts.

Diamond Lust, my first novel, was published by Ellora’s Cave in 2010. Although EC mostly published erotica, I will always be grateful that they took a chance on a new author and published my romantic suspense. That’s when I learned the value of a good editor! When I got the rights back, I indie-published it as Diamond Hunter in 2015 in digital and print formats.

I was on a (slow) roll. I indie-published two contemporary romances in the Hollywood in Muskoka series: Caught on Camera in 2016 and Seduced by the Screenwriter in 2017.

Obviously I am a slow writer. A book a year. In this digital era, an indie author needs to invest a lot of time and money to build a backlist and a fan base in order to ultimately sell thousands of low-priced ebooks.

Prose and Cons

To create a novel that meets traditional publishing standards, indie-published authors invest in expensive professional editing, covers, and formatting for print and digital formats. At least I did. 

Audiobooks and translation are expensive options to enable authors to reach more buyers. Those costs were out of my reach.

Some authors spend thousands per year on marketing and promotion: Amazon, Twitter and Facebook ads, promo in e-newsletters such as Bookbub, and virtual assistants to organize and schedule it all. At the same time there is huge pressure to discount the books or offer the first in a series free.

To be blunt, an author who writes as slowly as I do can burn through a lot of money without significant return on that investment of time and money.

Best-selling authors aside, some traditionally and indie-published midlist authors do make a decent return on their time and monetary investment. They have multiple new releases a year plus a backlist, a fan base that buys every new release, and a winning advertising strategy, all vital to gain Amazon algorithm traction, ranking, visibility, and sales.

But what about authors who don't have deep pockets and multiple annual releases? I've heard of several midlist authors who could formerly earn their living from book sales but were dropped by their publishers and are now working at regular jobs to pay the bills.

Bottom line, my book sales do not come anywhere near paying for desired extras such as travel at this stage of my life as a "60 is the new 50" senior.

I was in the midst of planning Hollywood Hero, Book 3 of the Hollywood in Muskoka series, and then…

My Therapy Practice Took Off in 2018

Bowen Therapy is a gentle holistic bodywork, but people keep their clothes on. I discovered it in 2012 after 20 years of trying various ineffective therapies for long term back pain caused by a fall that misaligned my pelvis. I'm a retired civil engineer, and my structural engineering knowledge (tension/ compression/ torsion, etc.) and own skeletal alignment issues led me to become a certified practitioner and then take advanced training in order to specialize in musculo-skeletal alignment. Now that I am pain-free, it is very satisfying to eliminate eliminate back, neck and joint pain in clients who, like me, "tried everything" before finding Bowen Therapy.

Last year I reached a tipping point. Referrals from clients took off exponentially and I’ve been booked solid four days a week since. It’s rather exhausting to be so busy. I’m no spring chicken! But it’s worth it because my travel fund is growing.

Unfortunately my practice leaves me with too many commitments and not enough time. Something has to give…

Therefore I’m reluctantly hanging up my Genre-ista hat. From the bottom of my heart I thank Judith and Sarah who have worked so hard for many years to give me and other authors a platform.

Much love to Judith, Sarah, the Genre-istas and readers of this blog.

Madelle

BOOKS

Free Read in Kindle Unlimited

Buy Links

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.UK | Amazon.com.au

Buy Links

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au | Kobo | Apple Books | Walmart

Buy Links

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au

Kobo  | Apple Books | Walmart

Follow Madelle on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad.

For giveaways and new releases, subscribe to Madelle’s blog at www.MadelleMorgan.com .

The Secret to Writing Great Villains

by Madelle Morgan

The secret is two words: character quirks.

And what better source for inspiration than extended family? Sit back at gatherings, observe, and use their strengths and weaknesses, unique idiosyncrasies and passions to humanize your villains. Change the names and appearances, of course!

My widowed mother suffered a health crisis in January and could no longer safely live alone, shop or cook. Two of my sisters and I lived with Mom in her apartment on a rotating basis until we were able to move her into a seniors residence on March 2.

I’d soon discover that aspects of my sisters’ characters were in fact villainous under those specific circumstances.

The Zealot

Sister One is hyper-vigilant about every substance that goes on or in her body: no tuna, mussels or most other seafood (mercury), only organic vegetables and greens (pesticides), no drinking out of lead crystal glasses (lead poisoning), and on and on. The rest of the family ignores her, being of the “everything in moderation” camp. I eat seafood and non-organic veggies. I drink from Mom’s beautiful 1950s lead crystal glasses on special occasions. I apparently live dangerously.

I had no idea Sister One would strong-arm a dependent person into compliance with her views. Mom wanted a new lipstick. Mom had to rely on Sister One to take her to the drugstore, who nixed the lipstick. The toxic chemicals! You’d think Mom wanted to smear cyanide on her lips! Sister One insisted Mom buy a natural lip balm instead. And she made Mom PAY for the expensive lip balm she didn’t want.

When Sister One moved her mother-in-law into a seniors’ home, she and her husband denied the woman the opportunity to choose what items to take, because “it was easier”. She wanted to do the same to our Mom. Both elderly women have all their marbles. They’re just in the unfortunate position of being at the mercy of their family.

The Iron Fist in the Velvet Glove

Sister Two calmly and rationally organizes Mom’s life under the guise of “this is what is best for you”, ignoring her protests and never asking for input or feedback. I witnessed Mom grow increasingly angry and frustrated under the gentle tyranny. “Always Right” Sister Two never listens to anyone, including me. But when she doesn’t listen to a powerless person and “makes it happen” anyway, it becomes bullying.

The Villain or the Victim?

Both sisters blithely took away Mom’s ability to make her own choices. Over time, don’t you think it’s enough to drive a person to murderous rage?

Such emotional abuse can escalate to physical and financial elder abuse. As co-executor of my grandmother’s estate a few years ago, I discovered that my bookkeeper aunt manipulated Grandma into paying for house renovations and utility bills in return for room and board. My partially blind grandmother signed post-dated checks to cover my aunt’s mortgage payments. God help my aunt’s larcenous soul. It was like taking candy from a baby. Would it then be an easy next step to bilk clients? 

God help all dependent, powerless people, young and old, who are victims of abuse. Can you blame the victims for retaliating? Who then is the villain—the abuser or the victim in unbearable circumstances who lashes back?

Not all villains are evil. They could be your friends or family members. Under the right circumstances, the villain could be me. Or you. Sobering thought.

Madelle (who wears lipstick)

Madelle Morgan  writes romance set in Canada. 

Petra’s buddy Carter in Madelle's romantic thriller Diamond Hunter  on Amazon is a good guy gone bad—a secondary villain. Read it for free in Kindle Unlimited.

5 stars! This Romantic Dramedy is wonderfully written. Catrina is both beautiful and flawed, strong in spite of the past horrors. While not as lighthearted as Caught on Camera, it still manages to to read like your favorite movie you keep in your DVD collection. —Goodreads review

Last Chance to buy at $0.99! Seduced by the Screenwriter is available on Amazon free in KU and for $0.99 to buy until the end of March. After that, it will go wide (Kobo, iBooks) and revert to the permanent price of $3.99.

Follow Madelle on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. Subscribe to Madelle’s blog at www.MadelleMorgan.com.

Winter Can Be Wonderful...or Deadly

by Madelle Morgan

On a sunny Saturday in mid-January, I walked along a trail by a frozen lake and thought about what I'd say in this post on the topic of writing a novel with a winter setting.

I was visiting my mother who lives by Lake Simcoe, located between Toronto and Muskoka, Ontario. The lake was dotted with dozens of ice fishing huts and people enjoying the unseasonable above-freezing temperature. Warm sun had melted snowdrifts on the ice surface, making it easy for families to walk their dogs or pull children in sleds. Skidoos and four wheelers zipped at top speed between the ice huts.  

All were enjoying a beautiful, spring-like day.

Ice fishing huts on Lake Simcoe, Ontario

What's Wrong With This Picture?

I experienced very strong déjà vu, because I'd described a similar winter scene in my newest release, Seduced by the Screenwriter, set in January in Canada.

Exactly like the Muskoka winter carnival scene in my novel, snowmelt poured from underground streams into the lake. Lake ice had melted and retreated from land, leaving narrow stretches of open, very cold water.

Drainage pipe emptying into Lake Simcoe

I watched a mother and a little girl in a pink snowsuit walk across the lake ice. In my novel, Lilly, a little girl in a pink snowsuit, wanders onto dangerously weak ice and has to be rescued.

Mother & daughter in center of photo

The coincidence iced my blood. Life imitating fiction? Yikes.

Weak Ice is Deadly

Canadian winters are becoming warmer on average, with more thaws and fewer weeks-long stretches of frigid temperatures that thicken ice. Snow cover reflects the sun. Bare ice absorbs the heat of the sun, and melts. In consequence, Canadians are falling through weak ice more frequently. During my January visit, the CBC news reported that a snowmobiler died in cottage country when he fell through the ice.

Catrina, the heroine in Seduced by the Screenwriter, is a former police diver who was traumatized during a recovery dive. When a snowmobiler falls though weakened ice and drowns in the frigid depths, Catrina must face her worst fear for the sake of his family.

Grim stuff, eh?

Obviously Seduced by the Screenwriter is significantly darker than the fun-filled romantic romp that is Caught on Camera, the first book in the Hollywood in Muskoka series.

And it's because I set Catrina's story in winter.

In winter, everything is frozen and dead, like Catrina's heart. Long, dark nights represent the dark night of the soul. I subconsciously linked winter to Catrina's emotional struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  

Winter Symbolism, Motifs & Games

The freezing cold at the beginning of the novel symbolizes Catrina's emotional state. The story moves through time from the dead of winter, through the spring thaw, to the summer HEA in parallel with the opening of Catrina's heart.

I carefully selected songs for the Seduced by the Screenwriter YouTube playlist to reflect Catrina's emotional journey. The images in the YouTube music videos add another layer of symbolism and reinforce the motifs.

For example, several videos have a water motif, which connects to and reinforces Catrina's turbulent love/fear emotions about being underwater. She loves diving, in fact belongs in water like a mermaid, yet fears it. That dichotamy is reflected in the name of the Toronto, Canada band Mermaids Exist versus their lyrics in this song.

The video of Demi Lovato singing Stone Cold has both water and winter elements that perfectly mirror Catrina's emotionally devastation in that particular scene of the novel.

I also included a music video that showcases the winter sport of curling, for the benefit of readers who are unfamiliar with the curling game that is described in the chapter Getting His Rocks Off. Curling rocks, that is!

Winter Awards Season

Setting a Hollywood-themed story in January allowed me to include a plot point about the Golden Globe Awards that intensifies pressure on the screenwriter hero.

I'm Canadian. I love winter. I really do. However, I intend to stay off the ice.

Madelle

Madelle is the author of three romance novels set in Canada.

Her debut romantic suspense, Diamond Hunter, is a free read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Buy the paperback or ebook at Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Amazon.au 

Caught on Camera, a romantic comedy, is available at Amazon, Kobo and iTunes. Buy the ebook or paperback at Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Amazon.au 

Seduced by the Screenwriter, a steamy contemporary romance, is a free read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, and is $0.99 through February, 2018. Buy the ebook at Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Amazon.au

Subscribe to Madelle's occasional newsletter at www.MadelleMorgan.com for a free short story and to be alerted to new releases and paperback giveaways.

Living the Dream

by Madelle Morgan

This month’s topic is “If I were a millionaire.”  Well, I’m not. Far from it. But it’s fun to speculate about how I’d spend bags of money.

First, I’d buy a lake house. After my grandparents’ place was sold in my twenties, I’ve coveted my own piece of heaven. This luxurious property on Millionaire’s Row would do.

Each novel in my Hollywood in Muskoka series features a resort or lake house in Muskoka cottage country—the beautiful recreational area north of Toronto, Canada. I draw my writing inspiration from those summers at my grandparents’ lake house and subsequent vacation weeks at rented cottages.

My first summer job as a chambermaid at a Muskoka resort inspired Caught on Camera.

Delawana Inn, Honey Harbour, District of Muskoka

A Muskoka shop inspired Brigit’s SereniTea Shoppe in Seduced by the Screenwriter.

Abbey's Bake House, Port Carling, District of Muskoka

What draws us to waterfront property? The beach? Water sports? A place for extended family to gather and bond? All this and more.

My parents, sisters and I rented this old cottage with bunkie (sleeping cabin) that together slept 16. One bathroom + outhouse, an outdoor shower, and no TV. 

We spent our precious days together mostly in or beside the water. Below my sister teaches our niece how to windsurf on a sailboard.

At night our kids had to play games that didn't require a screen.

Furry family members love being off-leash. Rudy inspired Caught on Camera's Mopette.

Yeah, it’s nice to dream of living in a palatial property, but I didn’t need to own one in order to create memories worth a million bucks.

Madelle in a giant Muskoka chair.

What would you do with a couple of million dollars?

Madelle

*******************************************

Madelle Morgan  writes romance set in Canada. 

Caught on Camera is a Hollywood wedding romantic comedy set in Muskoka, Canada—summer playground of the rich and famous. It's Book 1 of the Hollywood in Muskoka series.

 Amazon | iTunes | Kobo

Seduced by the Screenwriter is Book 2 in the series. For a limited time this hot contemporary romance is available on Amazon for $0.99 and is a free read for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

The romantic thriller Diamond Hunter is available on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited.

Follow Madelle on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. Subscribe to Madelle’s blog at www.MadelleMorgan.com.

My Novels Have Soundtracks!

by Madelle Morgan

As I write this, Seduced by the Screenwriter is being formatted. It'll be available on Amazon by December. It's the second book in the Hollywood in Muskoka series, and is definitely the most emotional, hottest romance I've ever written. Needless to say, I'm very excited about the release.

The Soundtrack

I plot using the screenwriting three act structure  approach, as described in my April 2016 post. I imagine these contemporary romance novels as movies. Movies have soundtracks! Therefore I created playlist "soundtracks" for Caught on Camera and Seduced by the Screenwriter.

Within a chapter, there's a cue to listen to a song that matches the emotions of the scene, just like in a film soundtrack. Each song in the playlist reflects and enhances that stage of the hero or heroine's emotional journey.

It was a challenge to find songs that would appeal across generations and had the right visual (YouTube) and auditory resonance with the characters' emotions. It took me ages, but I'm passionate about film and music so it was a labor of love. I discovered fabulous artists—too many to include in a 19 or 20 song playlist. Fortunately there will be at least six books in the series! By the way, each can be read as a stand alone romance.

Playlist Options

Readers who subscribe to a music streaming service such as Apple Music, Spotify or Google Play Music can create a playlist from the song list in the front matter of the novel, or on my website. 

Alternatively, readers can open my Seduced by the Screenwriter playlist on YouTube in their browsers. The video format allowed me to include in the playlist two YouTube movie clips that fit with the story.

Smartphones, Tablets, MP3 Player...

You'll need a device with Internet access or an MP3 player to listen to music while reading. That's the downside. For convenience, readers would likely prefer to be able to click on a link to the song within the ebook. Unfortunately that's against Amazon rules.

Yes, it's a little more work to listen to music at specific points in the novel. On the other hand, every time the reader listens to the playlist, they'll recall the emotional roller coaster of the love story and the HEA!  Worth it, right?

Seduced by the Screenwriter Blurb

Traumatized by a deadly underwater dive, police diver Catrina Turner abandoned her career and escaped to Muskoka, Canada’s upscale, private vacation destination favored by wealthy celebrities. She and her retired police dog Titan provide security services to safeguard empty luxury homes over the winter. Her PTSD is a tightly-held secret… until an affair with a visitor changes her life.

Hollywood screenwriter Chett de Groot needs a hit to save his career. He accepts a movie star’s offer to use her secluded lake house as a writing retreat, and discovers a closet full of her old movie costumes.

Lonely, freezing in Muskoka, and out of ideas, Chett entices the beautiful security guard to wear costumes and role-play in love scenes for inspiration. They discover how satisfying acting can be. Soon Catrina’s ad-libbing passionate lines in scorching “performances” that knock his thermal socks off.

Chett secretly writes Catrina’s terrifying dive into a spec script. Then a film producer makes Chett an offer he can’t refuse. But when Catrina finds out, will he lose her forever?

Ebook available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited in December 2017.

About Madelle

Madelle Morgan is a Canadian author who writes romance set in Canada. 

Caught on Camera is a Hollywood wedding romance set in Muskoka, Canada—summer playground of the rich and famous. It's Book 1 in the Hollywood in Muskoka series.

 Amazon | iTunes | Kobo

 Madelle's romantic thriller Diamond Hunter is available on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited.

Subscribe to Madelle’s blog to be alerted to the release of Seduced by the Screenwriter and launch giveaways.

Follow Madelle:  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. 

The Difference Between Beta Reads and ARCs

by Madelle Morgan

I was spurred to write this post because another author expressed deep unhappiness that one of her beta readers posted a poor rating and review on Amazon based on the pre-edited beta version of her novel.

It's well known that authors expect (hope?) that readers and bloggers will write reviews in exchange for free advance reader copies (ARCs). However, authors certainly do not want beta readers to post reviews of an unpolished version of the novel! 

So what is a beta reader? I suspect the label was adapted from beta tester. The process of beta testing is part of software development.

Beta Test - Merriam-Webster definition: A field test of the beta version of a product (such as software) especially by testers outside the company developing it that is conducted prior to commercial release.

Beta tests of software have the goal of finding bugs; i.e., things that don't work well. In the beta stage, the hope is not to have to start from scratch, but rather to find and fix problems.

Indie authors have adopted the concept of a quality check of their products (novels) before publication. They have been immersed in the book through successive drafts and many changes. It's difficult to step back and identify problems. These authors seek fresh eyes, aka beta readers.

Beta Reader - Wikipedia definition: An alpha reader or beta reader is a non-professional reader who reads a written work, generally fiction, with the intent of (improving) elements such as grammar and spelling, as well as suggestions to improve the story, its characters, or its setting. Beta reading is typically done before the story is released for public consumption. Beta readers are not explicitly proofreaders or editors, but can serve in that context.

Elements highlighted by beta readers encompass things such as plot holes, problems with continuity, characterization or believeability. The beta reader might also assist the author with fact-checking.

Novel Development Process

Crafting a novel is an iterative and lonely process. Authors ask themselves, does the book meet my fans' expectations? Is the story captivating? Are the characters believable? Doubts can creep in as we hunch in our writing caves for weeks or months rewriting successive drafts. For confirmation that the book is on track, during the development stage authors may work with critique partners or pay for a professional developmental edit.

After the novel is substantially complete, authors usually proceed to hire a copy editor, line editor and/or proofreader. Increasingly, however, some indie authors first ask trusted readers for feedback—the beta read—prior to polishing and copy editing.

Beta reads of a novel generally fall after substantial completion, but before polishing and copy editing. That is, the plot and characters are set, but aspects such as character development, goals, motivations and conflicts, and other details may still need polishing. Scenes may need to be added or rewritten to clarify confusion or build tension. Story questions may need to be answered.

The stages of writing a novel could look something like this:

1. Development draft(s) 
2. Developmental editing by a professional or critique partners
3. Beta draft - substantially complete
4. Beta readers
5. Polished draft
6. Copy editing by a professional 
7. Final version
8. Formatting of final version
9. ARCs sent out to bloggers and fans for reviews
10. Publication & distribution on retail platforms

Expectations of Beta Readers

I carefully selected and asked two authors, two detailed-oriented friends, and two subject matter experts to be beta readers of my December 2017 release. I was happy to receive high quality feedback from three. The others bailed, but that's okay. Hopefully they'll buy the finished book!

It's very important that an author outline to beta volunteers what feedback she wants. In my case, the objective was not for them to find typos, spelling mistakes and grammar issues. That's my copy editor's job. I asked individual beta readers for specific feedback that required, respectively, knowledge of the craft of writing or screenwriting or police procedures. I asked them to point out weaknesses in the characters' emotional journeys and GMCs. I asked them to indicate where in the story they laughed and where they teared up... and was sometimes surprised! 

Example of Beta Feedback

You may have read an excerpt of Seduced by the Screenwriter in my August 2017 post. The heroine is a former police diver with PTSD. Here's an example of feedback on that scene from a beta reader.

Not sure about Catrina playing Prudence Maxwell, a young woman who's been sold by her father to pay off his gambling debts. The subject matter hits pretty close to the world of the (PTSD trauma).

When I wrote that scene I never made the connection to Catrina's traumatic dive. Funny how the subconscious works! I rewrote the scene to empower Catrina. Instead of being a submissive victim of a forced marriage per Chett's script, she turns the tables and transforms it into her bad girl fantasy.

Authors, what are your expectations of beta readers?

About Madelle

Madelle Morgan is a Canadian author who writes romance set in Canada. 

Caught on Camera is a Hollywood wedding romance set in Muskoka, Canada—summer playground of the rich and famous. It's Book 1 of the Hollywood in Muskoka series.

 Amazon | iTunes | Kobo

Subscribe to Madelle’s blog to be alerted to the release of Seduced by the Screenwriter, Hollywood in Muskoka series, Book 2, in December, 2017 at 99 cents for a limited time.

Follow Madelle:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Wattpad 

Madelle's romantic thriller Diamond Hunter is available on Amazon.

DIAMOND HUNTER: When diamond smuggling leads to murder, diamonds aren’t this girl’s best friend.

Colorado geologist Petra Paris must clear her father of fraud charges by collecting fresh rock samples at an open pit diamond mine in Canada’s far north. When someone tries to frame her with stolen uncut diamonds, Petra needs protection. Local pilot Seth Cooper, an undercover cop with the Diamond Protection Unit, needs access to the mine complex. They strike a deal to have Seth pose as her boyfriend so he can overnight on site to investigate the smuggling operation.
 
In their bedroom under the midnight sun, Petra fights magnetic desire to sample Seth’s rock-hard body. The prospect of intimacy hot enough to heat up the Arctic is a deadly distraction. She needs to focus on her mission. Besides, Seth is commitment-phobic: his job put his ex-wife in danger.

With cops closing in, escape blocked and millions in stolen diamonds at stake, desperate smugglers ramp up to murder. The isolated mine site becomes a death trap. Seth must expose the villains before Petra becomes the next victim.