Mariposa's Musings

In honor of the holidays, I'm extending an invite to the Writers  Round Table to fellow-romance authors.  Please answer these two questions in the comment section. Include a link to your blog or website. In order to have plenty of room at the table, please limit your response to 200 words. What is one of your favorite marketing techniques? What is your favorite holiday treat? Hmmm marketing techniques....I have to admit I'm still learning the promo ropes especially advertising. As a lifelong chatterbox, I have learned to keep an ear open for new fans or potential guest interviews for my blogs. Keep the tag line of your latest book in mind and have your business cards ready.  Your next fan can't wait to meet you. As for holiday treats, I like my desserts like I like my romances...sweet with some spice. Soft gingerbread cake topped with cream cheese frosting is irresistible to me. Santa can have plenty of cookies, just leave me the cake. Wishing you all go...

What is one of your favorite resources for research? Cate Masters:  I’d love to be able to visit every setting in my stories! Unfortunately I can’t, so I mainly rely on either the library or the Internet, but I love to come across books specific to my needs that I’ll keep on my shelf for reference. For instance, I’ve relied on The Dictionary of Angels to supply not only names but background information for the angels in my Christmas fantasy, Ground Rules, and my dark paranormal, Dancing With the Devil. When I was lucky enough to visit Key West, Florida, I bought about six books about the local area because the history intrigued me so much, and I spent a few days in the library there while my family went parasailing and snorkeling. They had a fun time, but I felt like I found a lost treasure chest! For more about Cate visit her blog: Cate Masters: http://catemasters.blogspot.com Regina Duke:    I love Google and Wikipedia. This sounds simplistic, but as...

How do you manage your different writing tasks (research, writing, promo, editing)? Regina Duke : I like to say that I write every day, or spend time every day doing a writing-related task, such as editing. But during the preparation of Calin’s Cowboy, I had to take breaks and ended up working on other projects or sitting in the corner with my knitting, rocking to and fro. LOL! It was a big job! It is very hard for me to write and promote on the same day, as it turns out, so I have had to modify my schedule a bit. On the days I do a lot of promotion, I cannot write until bedtime. On days I do a lot of writing, I don’t even read email. I used to be a lot better at multitasking. Editing is the biggest challenge for me. By the time I begin implementing my editor’s and readers’ suggestions, I have already done two or three rewrites and edits myself. It takes a huge effort to sit down and work on it again. But once I start, I am pleased when my book draws me back in and I get all...

What writing support systems have worked best for you (critique partners, local writer’s groups, chat loops)? Cate Masters: I’ve taken part in all three, but can’t live without my crit partners. I depend on their expertise and keen insights to catch the flaws in my manuscripts before they reach any editor. I’m so lucky to have found such a group of funny, intelligent, supportive and tough writers. When I can, I also love to attend local workshops and conferences. There’s nothing like spending time with other authors who understand my obsession with imaginary characters! Find out more about Cate at http://catemasters.blogspot.com Regina Duke: Local writers and chat groups have always been a huge support system for me. Chat groups have played the biggest support role, in a general information and cheering section sense. As for actual improvements to my writing skills, I have met individuals through writers’ groups with whom I have formed working relationships wi...

How do you cope with set-backs? Jannine Gallant You have to develop a thick skin to be a writer. Rejection letters are a given. So are sales so low you wonder why you even bother. I take a breath and get back to work. You can’t sell books if you don’t write them. Knowing I’ve created stories that received great reviews makes me want to write another one. I keep telling myself that the next book is going to be the big seller. Think positive! Find Jannine here: http://www.janninegallant.com/ C.R. Moss My level on how well I deal—let it roll off, get angry, get down, etc.—depends upon the set-back, but I usually have a good talk with my author friends and/or hubby who help me to find solutions and feel better about what’s going on. Find C.R. Moss here: www.crmoss.net Mariposa Cruz One thing that helps me keep perspective is realizing that having to cope with a set-back is better than doing nothing at all. While doing nothing is “failure-free” it is also incredibly boring. Even...

What is a “must-have” for a writer’s bookshelf? C.R. Moss I have a few… A good dictionary and thesaurus (for the basics); The Romance Writers’ Phrase Book The Millennium Phrase Book for Romance Writers (for creative inspiration); The Writer’s Journey (for story structure/inspiration) Find C.R. Moss here: www.crmoss.net Jannine Gallant: Sitting on my desk in all its tattered glory, is my thesaurus. The cover is missing, pages are loose, but I wouldn’t replace it for the world. It’s my faithful companion, a gift from a college friend years and years ago. When I’m staring at my keyboard, trying to find that perfect word, it always has the answer! Find Jannine Gallant here: http://www.janninegallant.com/ Mariposa Cruz: I highly recommend Carol Lloyd’s Creating a Life Worth Living to anyone who aspires to life in the arts. Rather than advising people to quit their day jobs, Lloyd coaches on how to find a career supportive of a creative path and find a balance between inspirat...

What is the best writing advice you ever received? Jannine Gallant This wasn’t advice, but something I learned that I hope will benefit others. Quite a few years ago, I went shopping online for an agent, sending out dozens of query letters. After being ignored or rejected too many times to count, I was thrilled to receive acceptance from a company who only wanted to b e reimbursed for the cost of copying and mailing my manuscript to publishers. The amount they were asking for was reasonable, so I sent them off a check and waited for the contract offers to start pouring in! After a year and a half (with intermittent contact saying these things take time) I discovered the whole company was a huge scam. Sure I lost money, but I also lost valuable time. Before you sign with anyone (agent or publisher), make sure you check them out thoroughly. An hour or two of your time could save you a lot of heartache. Predators and Editors is a great site to start your search. Find Jannine Gal...