Future's So Bright
(We need to wear shades!)

Rose's Colored Glasses

July 2008 Newsletter

What's Inside?

Announcements!
This is Why We're Hot - Wild Rose Press
This is the Season, Turn, Turn, Turn
Six Months Down, Where am I going?
While Everyone Else Plays
Don't let the Sun Go Down on Me
Summer Readin', Had me a Blast!
Why do I write?
Dear Rose

Desiree Holt's Night Ride, from The Wild Rose Press, was just voted Best Book of the Week at The Long and Short Review’s Whipped Cream site

This is Why We're Hot!
by Allie Standifer

A Gossip session with Wild Rose Press Rhonda Penders
Questions by Allie Standifer

Allie: Are there perks to owning your own publishing company?

Rhonda: Perks as in getting something you didn't have before? Well the biggest perk I've found is that you are looked at differently in the industry. Let's face it you hold the power to publish or not publish someone's book, so folks have a new respect for you whether its warranted or not. The other perk is that you get to meet some amazing people from literally all over the world even if only on email. I've been to some different places that I might never have gone to such as GreenBay, Wisconsin and met some really cool people. I've also made some amazing friendships through people who have ended up working with me at The Wild Rose Press.

Allie: What's the worst thing about owning a publishing?

Rhonda: When we started this company, we had no idea it would grow so big so fast and consume so much time. Trying to run a company this size around the rest of my life (ie: day job, family, etc.) has been a challenge that at times has seemed insurmountable. The past few months, we've finally seen some relief as we've been able to hire more folks to help with the day to day tasks that consume so much of our time.

Allie: What's the weirdest submission you've ever received?

Rhonda: This was just recent as a matter of fact. One of our editors received a submission where the male author wanted to include pictures of very buxom naked women in with his story. We strongly encouraged him to submit to Playboy! This wasn't even to our Scarlet Rose Line, it was a romantic suspense!

Allie: What's the biggest selling line at WRP?

Rhonda: Scarlet Rose which is our erotic romance line. After that would be Crimson Rose which is our romantic suspense and then the paranormal lines.

Allie: Are you seeing a different trend in the market? Are readers demanding a certain genre?
Rhonda: Trends come and go, I don't see where they impact sales too much. Erotic romance has been big for a while and I don't think that will change. Everything else seems pretty steady.

Allie: What about those historical? Are they a dying breed?

Rhonda: I continue to get this question and my answer is we are more than willing to publish good historical but we simply don't see the submissions. We would love to see all three of our historical lines grow. We do get quite a few English Tea Roses which is our Regency line, but the other two which are American Rose and Cactus are very slow. I don't know if this answers the question, but if writers are writing these stories we're not seeing them.

Allie: What makes a writer stand out with you?
Rhonda: When I pick up a story to read and can't put it down. There's just nothing like it. Personally, I enjoy a romance with some humor but it has to be subtle and natural not forced. Everyone has their own preference but if I have to struggle to read a story then I know it's not going to work as a published book. I also like something different, something out of the ordinary that I haven't seen done before.

Allie: What do you look for in new writers at a conference?
Rhonda: To answer honestly, I merely attend the conferences and meet writers so I can tell them about the company. We don't need to actively pursue writers, the submissions come in, our authors who are in house already are busy writing, we have a steady supply of material. What I enjoy about writers is learning about their stories, learning about their writing groups and their challenges and helping to overcome the stereotype that the small press and epublishers have endured.

Allie: How did you get involved with the Roses?
Rhonda: I think I was drugged. Actually, the Roses is made up of a group of writers who at one time or another all belonged to the San Antonio Romance Authors (SARA) out of San Antonio, Texas. Now how I came to be part of that group is another interesting story….but I met the authors who formed The Roses several years ago and one of them Elle James I think had this idea to start a web site that would give back, help other writers and they honored me with a request to join them.

Allie: BONUS QUESTION: There's a rumor that you belong to a secret renegade writing group called the Muses. Is it true and what's so special about this group? Do you have any interesting members :)

Rhonda: I can't tell you that, I'd have to kill you.
I will say this, all writers need support and encouragement. The first place a romance writer should look to find this support would be their local RWA chapter, but there have been many times when this doesn't work out for one reason or another. If writers band together and form their own group to support, encourage, teach, and sometimes even kick you in the butt it is invaluable. Writing groups, critique groups, whatever it happens to be should be a place that a writer can go for honest feedback and constructive criticism but also should be a safe place where she can share her fears, her doubts, and her insecurities. A group such as that is worth far more than gold.

Check out the Wild Rose Press at

This is the Season, Turn, Turn Turn
Enriching Your Stories with Seasonal Details
by Layla Chase

Every story needs a solid grounding in a physical world-be it the world we all live in (contemporaries), a world we know about through research (historicals) or a world we can only imagine (paranormals/futuristics). A rich and complex story is more than the interaction between two or more characters. That emotional dialogue or intense action sequence you struggled to perfect is enhanced by the inclusion of details about the setting.

Write what you know

Since we all live in different geographic settings, we need to look around and use what is at hand. One of the reasons for the statement, write what you know. If you're writing about a locale other than your own, then research is your friend-and that's another article.

Seasonal activities, sensations, smells, sounds

As you go about your summer activities, think of how you can incorporate them into your work in progress. Jot down a few sensations. The way you have to dance your palms on a hot steering wheel. The bliss of a blast of cool air when entering a store or office (at least in south Texas, every public place is air conditioned.) The grit of beach sand between your toes. The smell of burgers and hot dogs barbecuing. The crunch of corn on the cob. An icy snow cone or popsicle bought from the truck meandering through the neighborhood. The squeal of children as they run through a sprinkler or splash in a wading pool.

Setting in time

Now imagine your location one hundred and fifty years ago. Or one hundred fifty years in the future. What would the characters do to stay cool? (Or warm in the winter?) What activity would be relaxing for your characters? Would the food they eat change with the seasons? Does a change in season mean a change in location?

Done well, the details remain in the background, but the reading experience will be richer and the characters will appear more real. Creating such an experience is the ultimate goal of every author.

Six Months Down
and where am I going?
by Desiree Holt

Last January I sat right here in my computer chair, with fiery stalagmites staring back at me (my latest screen saver) and said, okay, here's what I'm going to do this year. And then I just stared at my screen some more, because I had so many things whirling in my brain I couldn't put them in any order. I did what any sane person would do…I poured myself a glass of wine, sipped it, and suddenly everything became clear.

List Goals

I listed my goals in order: (1) freshen up my writing and develop a new twist on things; (2) continue the great agent hunt; (3) develop some of my single titles into series; (4) learn to cut the fat out of my writing; (5) complete five full-length novels and seven novellas.
So after all the wine (and the whine), where am I?

Cut the Fat

I think I've managed to cut a lot of the fat from my writing, which has been a lot easier than cutting the fat from my body. I've read every article I could find and taken a workshop, and I finally know what it means to "write clean." An action that has nothing to do with the level of sexuality!!!

Get Writing!

I finished two full length manuscripts, one has sold and I'm waiting an answer on the other. I'm presently slogging away on Number Three. Every time I want to toss my keyboard out the window, I look at the list pasted on my book shelf and hit the starter button in my brain. The good news is I finally conquered a nagging plot twist that sounded too lame and the book is now on the fast track again. And I have outlines for the next two.

Stay Fresh

I moved into a new genre with a shapeshifter, which will be out in July. This story was a stretch for me but I loved it and hope to do more.

Keep Writing While You Wait

The great agent hunt is moving along at the speed of slow molasses. Sometimes I think it's easier to sell a manuscript than get an agent. But if that's the way you want to go, do your research. See who represents authors who write like you do. Ask your friends about their agents, and hope they'll be kind enough to answer you. Polish, polish, polish before you send them anything. Then put it out of your mind until you hear from them.

I now have two series going, so I'm moving in that direction. I learned a lot about that. When you develop a series, you almost have to have a bible on your characters, your settings and the interactions. And to be sure you don't change the color of someone's eyes in the middle of the book. Plot, plan, outline. That's the best advice I can give.

Is my writing fresher? I hope so. I've tried to give it new sparkle. But here's the acid test for you. Is the book you've written one you'd be willing to pay money for and read? If the answer's no, you need to take a look at what you're doing. If the answer's yes, you're well on your way.

Good luck. You've still got six months to hit your goals.

While Everyone Else Plays
by Betty Hanawa

Summertime-a time for vacation, time to rest and recharge the energy, go places, do different things, visit family and friends. Time to Play!!

But not us. We're writers. Like others in the entertainment industry, we have to work while others get to play.

Deadlines don't just go away

There are still deadlines to meet, whether they be self-imposed deadlines, contest deadlines or editorial deadlines (or newsletter deadlines, such as this). Blogging, website, and other promotional things have to be done to keep your name memorable in people's minds. Even if you're not published yet, you still need at least a MySpace and/or Blog for a presence on the Web.

Neither do the Voices in your head

Besides, those darn Voices in our heads just won't shut up and take a vacation. They demand their story be written Right Now.

What to do? What to do?

Laptops

Most hotels and coffee shops have Wi-Fi now. Take your laptop and do your writing in the car, on the plane, or poolside-far away from the water - then get on the Internet to send it to whoever needs to see it.

AlphaSmart™

Personally, I prefer the AlphaSmart™ products when I'm traveling. They're lighter than a laptop, don't radiate the heat like a laptop, and fit better on the airline's skimpy tray tables. There's no waiting for it to boot up, just turn it on. It beats a notepad and pen because, once your information is typed on it, you use a cable to send all the info to the laptop. Plus, I'd much rather be on a fishing boat or at the sandy, wet beach or the pool with a less expensive Alphie than a pricey laptop.

Actually, I carried mine into Sea World of San Antonio. At one of the restaurant areas, I held my two-year old grand-niece while she napped and typed one-handed on the Alphie while my husband and niece stood in line for our lunch. When we got back to the hotel, I had five hundred words to upload into my manuscript on the laptop.

Since the Voices won't shut up, you might as well make them help pay for your vacation. Incorporate the scenery, the people, the sights and smells of your travel destination into your story and claim part of the cost of the trip as a business expense. My accountant deducted the expense of my experience in parasailing when I wrote it into an activity for two of my characters. And if your vacation consists of going to a regional or national writing conference, you can write off pretty much the entire thing. Double-check with your accountant/tax preparer first.

Enjoy your vacation, but Keep Writing!

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
by Allie Standifer

Whether it's a request for a full or the contract's on the way, you've got your foot in the door. Now how do you keep it?

Step 1: Get in the Loop

The easiest way to get your name out there without costing you a thing is join the publisher's loop. If you've got the request then join the publisher readers' loop. If you have a contract then by all means join the publisher writers' loop and then reader loop. This keeps you in the know with the latest information with your new house and keeps your name up and out there with the readers.

Step 2: Build a Website

The second step is to obtain a website or myspace page. Anything or something that can list your books, where to buy them, what you're working on and more important…lets readers contact you. These can cost as little or as much as you choose it all depends on your budget. Just remember readers are more interested in learning when and where your next book is coming out. Not how many pyrotechnics flash on your website.

Step 3: Join review loops

Join review loops, reader loops and start your own loop. These are all free services offered by various internet engines and you can't go wrong getting your name out on the internet. You don't have to post to all the loops everyday. Keep an eye out for posts you can respond to and offer your opinion. This lets you be friendly and also keeps your name on the forefront of people's minds. The more they see your name, the easier it is to remember. But don't go overboard--use common sense or else readers will consider you too opinioned. Tread the line carefully.

Step 4: Contests

Offer contest to readers that ask a question about your book. Announce the contest at least two days in advance of the start date. Once the game is up and running, post funny things to keep people interested. Make sure the prize is worth the reader's time. It doesn't have to be expensive, but make it fun or interesting, and related to the book. Contests are also a great way to build your newsletter lists so that you can promote your future releases.

Step 5: Be a Host or List Mom for a day

Contact review and reader sites. Offer to host a day or join with other writers in hosting a theme party. Again, the cost to you can be minimal, but the exposure is priceless.
Just remember--as important as making your name known is, it's more important to have a reason for your name to be circulating. Keep writing and give them something to talk about.

Summer Readin',
Had Me a Blast!
by Eve Savage

"Summer lovin', had me a blast"- "Summer lovin', happened so fast"
"I met a girl, crazy for me"- "Met a boy, cute as can be"
"Summer days, drifted away"- "To, ah, oh, those summer nights"
"Well-a, Well-a, Well-a, ooh"- "Tell me more, tell me more…"

It's summer-time and, for most of us, that usually means trying to keep the kids occupied while counting down the days until school begins again - summer camp, swim lessons, summer school, zoo trips, museum trips, work, the inevitable visit from some form of relative, and vacation. For me, (who's lucky enough to work from home) most afternoons are spent at the base pool as the children play themselves into exhaustion (yay!) while I work on my tan and hack away at my ever-growing "to be read" pile. It's a harsh life, I know.

If we go back to the lyrics at the top, they are not only a hit song from Grease, but also the basic formula for our favorite romance novels. This got me thinking. Is summer lovin' the only way to go? How about reading about summer lovin'? Does that count?

Of course it does! So I thought I'd give you a quick peek at what some of the Roses are reading this summer…

Eve goes for Jennifer Crusie's Backlist

For me, Jennifer Crusie's backlist. I've only just started reading her work and found Welcome To Temptation absolutely hysterical! I'm also sailing my way through some old Harlequin Blazes I found at a UBS as well as some of Nora Roberts' older Silhouette books. At any given time, I try not to read the same genre as what I'm working on. I'm writing a futuristic erotic sci-fi right now, so the pages I'm turning are contemporary.

Layla won't read in the genre she's writing

This philosophy is carried on by Layla who absolutely doesn't read the genre she's working on. Because Layla works a full-time job, she gets to read in the evenings before bed or while on a plane to visit family. Her summer books this year? A Teresa Medeiros medieval and some sci-fi.

Traveling Betty is voracious and varied!

Betty spends her summers traveling the country. The afternoon and before bed are her usual reading times. By far the fastest reader of us all, so far this summer she's read C.L. Wilson's Lord of the Fading Land and Lady of Light and Shadows, Jim Butcher's White Knight. She's gearing up for Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich and Return to Summer House by Jude Devereaux. On her Palm Pilot, which is the perfect way to read in bed without waking the husband, she has Sin's Gift by Delilah Devlin, Her Last Fling by Jana Mercy, Poseidon's Prophesy by Allie Standifer, Sea of Pearls by Elaine Lowe, and Out of Control by me.

Allie reads her market for research and HEA's

Allie, on the other hand, takes a more pragmatic approach. She uses the excuse of research to read mythological books on vampires, werewolves, psychic abilities, lost people, lands and things. Pretty much anything that goes bump in the night.
To relax after her own writing, authors like Lori Foster, Mary Janice Davidson, S.E.P. (Susan Elizabeth Phillips), the great Nora and her alter ego J.D. Robb, Lisa Kleypas, Cherry Adair, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Linda Howard and tons of others keep her well supplied with HEAs (Happily Ever After). The backyard hammock provides maximum relaxation and as Allie is addicted to audio-books, she can often be found there swinging and listening to the latest romance blockbuster on her faithful iPod.

I hope wherever you are, you're having a great summer! While reading is fun and we must all keep abreast of the market, remember to keep working on your own wonderful stories throughout the steamy summer months! As for me? As soon as I finish this next chapter, it's off to the pool with my hat, my shades, my 8SPF sunblock and What The Lady Wants.

Why Do I Write?
by Myla Jackson

When I was a beginning novelist with very little writing experience under my belt I didn't have a clue where to start or why I wanted to write. I just knew it was something I'd wanted to do for a long time. Sure, I'd written poetry for my family and friends and the occasional skit for the enjoyment of my co-workers, but I didn't get serious about writing until I joined a writer's organization that took writing seriously at the end of 1999. I was amazed at how enthusiastic other writers were about their work - writing. Up until then, writing was just something I did when I felt like it and forgot about for the rest of the year. I met published authors and unpublished authors and wondered about their motivations for writing. Some people wrote as a source of income, others wrote to have an outlet for all the stories in their heads. Still others wrote because it was a challenge to get from the start of the story to the end.

Don't Quit Your Day Job!

One of the first workshops I attended asked the participants to evaluate their reasons for writing. The statement that resonated with me and has been repeated by many other writers in the industry since was - don't quit your day job! If you are writing strictly for money, it can be done, but it's a tough haul. Not many writers can support themselves off the royalties they make, assuming they are fortunate enough to get published.

Writing as an Obsession

Needless to say, I was a little discouraged, but not enough to stop me. At the time, I had a good day job making a good salary, so I jumped into learning the business of writing. Soon writing became an obsession and all I could do or think about in my spare time was writing. At work, I'd think about the story waiting for me at home. That great day job became a drag, and I began questioning my desire to earn a real living when I could be starving and doing what I love most-writing!

Make a list of why you write

I eventually did get published, and I did quit my day job and DID take a HUGE cut in pay. And at least annually I ask myself why I write. If I'm on a real downswing in ego and motivation I make a list of all the reasons I write. It all comes back to the love of telling stories.

I write because I have stories bottled up in my head that need to get out. If I didn't write, I think my head would explode! I write because I like to elicit emotion from the reader, even if the reader is only me. Whether it is humor, sorrow, joy, fear or anger, I like knowing that what I've written is felt by the reader. I like that I have a creative outlet that I love and that now I can make a living at-albeit a much more modest living. There is nothing like seeing your book on the shelves, getting emails from your readers saying how much they enjoyed your story, because they GOT IT.

If you're a beginning writer, or an experienced writer that hasn't been published yet, or a published writer questioning your reasons for sticking with a business that may or may not pay the bills, you need to get down to the basics and ask yourself: Why Do I Write?
That simple question may take you from "because it's cool and fun" to because...

Writing is who I am

Dear Rose

I've been writing for several years now, and am still unpublished. I am determined to be published, but every time I pick up a book by a published author I start doubting my own abilities as this person is pubbed and I'm not. Should I stop reading novels for entertainment? Accept the fact I'll never be as good as other writers? Or is there something I can do to enjoy books and keep my writing ego intact?

Sincerely,

Wistful in Washington


Dear Wistful,

First thing: stop comparing yourself to other writers! Just as you don't have their voice, those other writers don't have yours. We each have to accept our own abilities or else we'd lose your minds and drown our voices in doubt. Second, never stop reading novels for enjoyment. Remember the reason you got into this business--to enjoy and share a good story. Why take that pleasure away from yourself? Just remember to take everything in moderation and you won't lose yourself in another's voice. So take the time to enjoy your favorite authors and note the reasons they are your favorite.

Whatever you do, don't give up on yourself or your voice. It's one in a million.

Rose