Merryvale Songs

By Robin Weaver

This month's theme is Holiday Read Recommendations; while I love Christmas, I'm not a fan of celebrating too early. Too much of a good thing, and all that...  

Anyway, I haven't yet ready anything holiday and have no recommendations. Instead, I'm going to blog about how much fun I had writing the Merryvale novellas.  Thanks for your indulgence. 😊

The Gingerbread Skirmish Writing Experience

“They” say writers should avoid being clever. At all cost. But while writing my Merryvale holiday novellas, I didn’t listen.

Cleverness was attempted. Sort of.  

I did restricted my attempts to the chapter subtitles. For each of the three stories in the series, I tried to modify the title of a Christmas song to create a one-line summary of my chapters.  Thinking this would be fun for the readers, and definitely fun for me, I also hoped those kind of subtitles would help get the reader into the spirit.

For example, in CHRISTMAS TREE WARS, the first chapter is called O’ Little Town of Bets—a play on O' Little Town of Bethlehem. Obviously, there’s a wager (to goad our heroine into entering the Christmas Tree Contest). Chapter Two of the second book (Full Contact Decorating) chapter two is subtitled, Deck the Halls…with Shiny Red Balls.  It’s not what you think—or maybe it is. :)

What was the reaction? Mixed.  One reviewer loved it, another considered it kitschy.  Even my own critique partners had opposite opinions; one said I should cut the subtitles, another said the carol-word-play was the best part of the book. Since I’d kitsch’d my titles in the first two novellas, I felt I had to continue the trend in book three, THE GINGERBREAD SKIRMISH.

My personal favorites include:

·       Do I Have to Be Home for Christmas

·       What Childishness Is This

·       Chestnuts Roasted

·       Do You Hear What I Heard Wrong

·       I Saw Mommy Hugging Santa Claus…Cost Him Five Percent

 

Perhaps it’s just as well that The Gingerbread Skirmish is the last story in the series—I’ve run out of Christmas songs. :)  I hope readers can at least tolerate the subtitles, because I had so much fun with them. At the end of the day, don’t we writers deserve a little fun with words?

Have the best holidays ever!

Robin

Who wrote this drivel?!?

Many moons ago (ten years) I published my very first book, a novella, with a small press. I was sooooo excited! I’d made it! I can still remember dancing around the kitchen after receiving the acceptance email, laughing-crying, downright giddy. I could write and a person in the industry had just confirmed it! To paraphrase Ms. Fields, a publisher liked me. (My critique partners were encouraging but it’s different when praise comes from a professional editor.)

I dove into the publishing process and learned just how clueless I was. And, like many first time authors, I listened to my editor without question. She knew better, right? (She did know better about many things particularly when it came to my comma placement.)

I got the rights back to that novella late last year intending to give it a quick read-through, change location names so the story will fit in my new series, and hit publish. Wham, bam, well…ah…who wrote this lifeless drivel?!?

Now, I know my writing has changed over the years and my skills have improved (thank gods and goddesses), but my voice has remained consistent. I have journals from twenty years ago with the proof. Somehow during the editing of the novella, I got watered down.

Curious as to how it happened, I searched on my computer for earlier drafts. I discovered exactly where I messed up – and it was me, the newbie author, who did the messing. The editorial feedback had been good – tighten this paragraph, be sure to show and don’t tell, put the GMC on the page – all good stuff. My newbie self just went about fixing it in the wrong way leaving a tightly written, well-illustrated, flat piece of writing.

I’m pleased to say that editing of If I Win (new title to better fit the series) is progressing apace despite the global turmoil, and the new and improved novella will be launched next month.

And from now on I’ll compare the first, rough, messy draft of a story with the final version to ensure I haven’t “fixed” my voice out of the story.

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing spicy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and historical romance. When not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious. She lives in Nova Scotia with her patient husband and two spoiled cats.

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page

Guess who’s moving in next door?

Nicole Bennett is used to bad luck—it’s kind of a family curse. She’s spent the past year stitching her life back together after losing her dream job. Well, it paid the rent. Now stuck working at her family’s grocery store while wrangling a demoralized dad and a spoiled-brat sister, the last thing she needs is for the man who wrecked her life to move in next door, even if it is for only three weeks. So what if he’s sexier than sin and makes her believe in fairy tale endings?

Ross Calvert’s life in the fast lane crashed when he lost his job and fiancée. All he’s got to show for years of hard work are a sleek sports car and a closet full of designer suits – minus the closet. Determined to salvage his relationship with his best friend, he trades in the corporate life for a brief stint as a caregiver. The decision was simple—until he discovers the tempting vixen he wronged lives next door. Maybe she’s what he needs to reboot his life.

What starts off as a no-strings fling soon veers into making promises that might be impossible to keep.

https://books2read.com/if-I-didnt-care 

Ring in the holidays with Loving You At Christmas by Kristin Wallace

I'm lucky enough to get a special "guest post" so I can talk about my upcoming Christmas story, which will be available this TUESDAY!!

LOVING YOU AT CHRISTMAS is part of my Shellwater Key Tales series. In fact, it's the final book in the series. Actually, the last book (appropriately called Last Stop At Paradise) was supposed to be the final book, but it turns out I needed to write a holiday story for a box set. I also turns out I had another character who had sort of been forgotten in. Annaliese Matheson shows up in Book 1 (Left Turn At Paradise) as a friend and colleague of director Grayson Kendall, who was the "hero" in that book. Annaliese was part of Grayson's theatre troupe as an up-and-coming stage actress. When I realized I had to write the Christmas book, I knew I had a character her needed her own romance.

 LOVING YOU AT CHRISTMAS

A Shellwater Key holiday novella

Annaliese Matheson once had the perfect life, with a successful career on Broadway and a loving husband who was her greatest champion. Then her husband died. Devastated, she left the stage behind and only returned when her best friend, Grayson Kendall, asked her to perform at The Paradise Dinner Theatre in tiny Shellwater Key, Florida.

Annaliese is convinced she’ll never love again, but when she steps in to direct to Middle School Christmas Show, nothing will ever be the same. A man unlike any she’s known awakens her buried heart, giving her a second chance at forever with the last person she would have expected. It will take a miracle for Annaliese to let someone else in and embrace happiness again...but then it is Christmas.

Excerpt:

When Annaliese’s cell rang later that evening, she knew who it was without glancing at the screen. She took a couple of breaths, deliberately letting the phone ring a few times, before answering. “Hello?”

“Meet me at the parking lot on the south end of The Strip.”

Such arrogance. She wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. “Who is this?”

Duke Evans’ husky laugh sent fingers of sensation running all over her body. Maybe she shouldn’t go. This kind of chemistry might be dangerous, especially coming off such a long period of…nothing. Especially when the man in question was so different from Matthew in every single way. It wasn’t logical or reasonable.

“Annaliese, I’m too old to play games,” Duke Evans said, though the thread of amusement remained in his voice. “I need to see you.”

Okay fine, no games on her end, either. “I’m not sure that’s wise, Mr. Evans.”

“Who said we need to be wise, Ms. Matheson?”

Arrogant, sure, but he was also charming, and smart. It was an intriguing combination. “I don’t think I’m ready. My husband died and—”

“It’s a stroll on the boardwalk, surrounded by hundreds of people who will be focused on the Christmas lights and whatever senior-citizen musical group Shellwater Key can put together.”

“Now who’s playing games?” she countered. “I don’t know that I can handle this…handle you.”

She heard the quick, indrawn breath on his end. “You really shouldn’t say things like handle me, Ms. Matheson. I might get ideas.” His voice had grown even huskier. “Listen, I’ve been surrounded by little girls for the last six months. There’s a chance I won’t know what to do with you.”

Annaliese laughed at such an outright lie. “I’ll believe that when Hell freezes over, but all right, I’ll meet you in thirty minutes.”

“Ten minutes.”

“Twenty-five.”

“Fifteen.”

Annaliese glanced in the mirror, caught a glimpse of the ecstatic grin on her face, and quickly readjusted her expression. She also noticed her wrinkled clothes and unkempt hair, a result of a full day of extreme nervousness and pressure. “I’m a wreck. I don’t know what I can accomplish in only fifteen minutes.”

“You could show up wearing a potato sack and I wouldn’t care,” he said, sounding impossibly arrogant and commanding and so sexy she almost whimpered. “And don’t you dare touch your hair. Be there in fifteen minutes.”

“I don’t think I like it when a man tells me what to do.”

“Annaliese.” He laughed again, sounding both frustrated and amused. “Just be there in fifteen minutes or I’ll come to you.”

“You don’t know where I live.”

“This is Shellwater Key, I can find out your address in about five minutes,” he said. “If you’re scared of being in public with me, just think about having me in your place.”

The thought of having him anywhere made her blood sizzle, and she did whimper this time. “You shouldn’t say things like that, either.”

“Fifteen minutes, Annaliese. That’s as long as I’m prepared to wait.”

Links to Pre-order:

AMAZON   /    ITUNES    /   KOBO

Kristin is a USA Today Bestselling author of inspirational and sweet contemporary romance filled with “love, laughter and a leap of faith”. Growing up she devoured books like bags of Dove Dark Chocolate. Her first Golden Book led to Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew, C.S. Lewis and the Sweet Valley High series. Later, she discovered romance novels and fell in love all over again. It’s no surprise that Kristin would one day try her hand at writing them. She is the author of two bestselling series, Covington Falls Chronicles (inspirational romance) and Shellwater Key Tales (contemporary romance).

For info on all her books, visit her website: Kristin Wallace Author

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