Uncategorized

Visualizing Your Book #IWSG

Time for our monthly support group! *pulls up a chair and nods to group leader Alex*

What’s on tap for today’s group? I want to discuss book VISUALS.

Have you made a book trailer for your novel? Looked for images of models representing your characters?

I’ve spent hours on both tasks this week. My aunt Nancy, who works as a video producer, is helping my publisher and me with a book trailer for On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3), before its release in September. My task is to write a script and find images.

Nancy and I agreed on the opening line for the trailer:

Planning a wedding is never easy…

Especially when mobsters want you dead.

But the rest takes diligent work to make it shiny and fresh!

Then, I needed to find images to represent my hawt romantic heroes for my publisher’s “Men of Omnific Smackdown” at the end of September. It was HARD WORK perusing thousands of images of scrumptious gents to find just the right ones, I tell you. Whew.

I think I found the right guys though. It helps when my pub sister Carol Oates manipulates the images to make them just right!

I’m taking advantage of 7 day trials at a stock photo and video site.

Have YOU made visual representations of your characters and stories? Any tips you’d like to share?

Uncategorized

BLURBS!

Why do authors complain about writing summaries of their novels for the book jacket?
Because it’s TOUGH. Waaaah!

A good blurb captures the voice of the novel. It entices the reader without giving too much away.

We’re starting to edit my fourth novel On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3), and we need the book blurb for a press release.

Here was my first effort at writing the blurb:

On Best Behavior is the third and final book in The Conduct Series—romantic suspense with a psychological twist. Following a pardon by the Governor of Illinois, ex-cons Sophie Taylor and Grant Madsen are free to pursue their love. But planning a wedding is never easy, especially when the Russian Mafia want you dead.
Grant fights the forces that have hurt his loved ones by working undercover for the FBI to infiltrate the Russian Mafia in Chicago. Sophie dives into swimming with Grant’s nephew Ben, and into a career as a psychology professor. This time it’s Ben’s turn to heal through therapy sessions with Dr. Hunter Hayes.
Too bad the Russians aren’t their only threat. Grant’s father Enzo Barberi discovers it was Grant who thwarted his plan to break out of prison. Enzo possesses an overdeveloped sense of vengeance and ****. It’s unclear who will kill Grant first—the Russians or his Italian family—until Sophie scrambles to save her fiancé. Can love win over evil?


The good news is that blurb writing does get easier with practice. The bad news is that this blurb felt disjointed. So I turned to my trusty editor Jessica Royer Ocken for help. Her first suggestion was to eliminate the clause represented by **** because it gave too much away. Whoops!

Here is what Jessica came up with, which I like much better:

Following a pardon by the Governor of Illinois, ex-cons Sophie Taylor and Grant Madsen are finally free to pursue their love and the life that lies ahead for them. But planning a wedding is never easy—especially when the Russian Mafia wants you dead.
Nevertheless, On Best Behavior—the third and final book in The Conduct Series—finds our favorite couple moving forward, despite the odds. Grant now fights the forces that have hurt his loved ones by working undercover for the FBI, and he has infiltrated the Russian Mafia in Chicago. Sophie dives into swimming with Grant’s nephew, Ben, and into her career as a psychology professor. Thankfully, now it’s Ben’s turn to heal through therapy sessions with Dr. Hunter Hayes.
With so many things going right for Grant and Sophie, it’s too bad the Russians aren’t their only threat. When Grant’s father, Enzo Barberi, discovers his own son thwarted his plan to break out of prison, his overdeveloped sense of vengeance flares to life. As Sophie scrambles to save her fiancé, it’s impossible to say who will kill Grant first—the Russians or his Italian family. Can love triumph over evil? Are hard work and a pledge to be on best behavior ever enough? 
Once again, author Jennifer Lane brings a harrowing tale of romantic suspense with a psychological twist, and it’s sure to leave readers breathless. 

Authors, how difficult do YOU find the blurb writing process? Readers, what types of blurbs are your favorite?
Nocover-blank-133x176   And soon we’ll work on a book cover, too. 🙂
On Best Behavior

by
Jennifer Lane

Uncategorized

Happy Times

Happy March to you! It’s still cold in Ohio, but I’m hoping the spring thaw happens soon. I planted some bulbs in the front of my condo last fall and I’m curious if they’ll appear. (My thumb isn’t exactly green.)

Now to share a few happy events in my writing career:

1) I’m under contract for my fourth novel with Omnific Publishing! On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3) will be the third and final novel in my romantic suspense trilogy, which tracks the journey of two ex-cons falling in love and running from the Mafia. It feels wonderful to finish a series.

With Good Behavior (The Conduct Series #1) and Bad Behavior (The Conduct Series #2)

I can almost visualize the cover for On Best Behavior, and I can’t wait to see what my publisher creates. If you want to add On Best Behavior to your Goodreads TBR shelf, go HERE.

2) I’ll be a featured author at the New Adult Sleepover Weekend. One of my sisters lives near Hilton Head, so the Savannah, Georgia location is perfect for me.

This gathering of authors and readers will take place 12/6/13, hosted by Stella Price and Damaris from Good Choice Reading. Check HERE for more info.

I look forward to discussing my mature YA/NA novel Streamline with readers.

3) Streamline‘s turning one year old. Stay tuned next week for the Book Birthday Bash, with over 20 blogs signed up March 25-29. Details are HERE.

Finally, I meet with my tax preparer today. Gathering bundles of paperwork crap isn’t so happy, but getting a return will be! Have you done your taxes yet?

Uncategorized

The Ebb and Flow of Two Careers

Time for the Insecure Writers Support Group. One insecurity is that I’m three days late on my post! Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for hosting this awesome meme.

Since it’s rare to make a living as an author, I’m sure many of us have day jobs. I’m a psychologist, and I’ve been wrapped up in writing and delivering two big presentations the past week (hence the delay in my post). I traveled all the way to Big Sky, Montana for my first presentation.

Isn’t it gorgeous? A big sky indeed. I teamed up with four other psychologists to present on gender issues in my field. I mentioned how I didn’t get one job because I wasn’t “a guy’s guy”. Yep, I’m not!

I’m not much of a skier, but I did decide to try cross country skiing with two psych buddies. I felt like I was about to fall every second, even on flat ground, but at least it was a sunny day. It was great to see friends and mentors.

When I returned home I scrambled to prepare another presentation, and this one went well too. I’m glad to be done with presentations for a while!

Writing has been at a standstill since I FINISHED my fourth novel! Yahoo. On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3) is on submission with my publisher.

And finally, I’m excited about the approach of Valentine’s Day (aka Singles Awareness Day) because it’s my birthday AND Omnific Publishing will give away three loaded Kindles to celebrate their third anniversary. Stop back on the 14th to enter the giveaway.




Uncategorized

Insecure Writers’ Support Group: New Year, New Adult

Happy New Year to all insecure writers out there! Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for bringing us together to vent, cajole, disclose, and lift up.

I write this post at midnight after just reaching 100,000 words on my WIP On Best Behavior. YAY! Of course I’m not finished yet but I’m only a couple of chapters away — home stretch, baby. And I feel extra giddy because it’s the third book of a trilogy. My first series!
Here’s my one complaint for today: Why does it take so loooooonnnggg to write? WAAH.
When you’re wrapping up one novel, do you already start mentally writing your next one? I have an idea for a New Adult romance percolating, and I can’t wait to get started…after I finish and edit On Best Behavior, and after a little break.
What’s the New Adult genre, you ask? If you’re unfamiliar with NA, it’s about characters ages 18-25. Read more HERE.
I love this time of life, particularly the university years. College and the beginning of graduate school was such a time of growth for me, and this potential for character change inspires me.
I’ve read some fantastic NA books, including Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia,  Slammed by Colleen Hoover, Easy by Tammara Webber (review HERE), and Where She Went by Gayle Forman (review HERE).
What do you think about New Adult? Love it? Hate it?
I think New Adult may be the hot genre of 2013. Do you agree? If not, which genre do you predict to be hottest?
Uncategorized

Giveaways are Best!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that in this post.

First of all, would you like to win a Kindle loaded with Omnific Publishing romance novels? Then enter my publisher’s awesome giveaway!
Secondly, I’m giving away a signed copy of my YA swimming romance Streamline at Ensconced in YA. Christina interviews me and links to her 4 star review of Streamline.

Part One of my interview is HERE.
Part Two of my interview is HERE

Finally, it’s time to finish the meme The Next Best Thing where I answer questions about my current work-in-progress: On Best Behavior.

I’d hoped to finish by now, but you know how that goes. I guess I haven’t been on my best behavior when it comes to conquering writing distractions. 😉 I am pleased to have written 93K words though, and I’m still hoping to finish in 2012.

Here are the last two questions for The Next Best Thing:

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

That’s easy. My muse is actor Wentworth Miller, who I envision as the series’ hero Grant Madsen.

*swoons* Grant Madsen has a sexy singing voice, is kind-hearted, and is tall and lean like Wentworth.

I even have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to his beauty HERE

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Hmm, how can I entice new readers to the series? Did I mention that handcuffs make a reappearance? Hee hee. This time Grant battles the Russian mafia and Sophie fights to make a psychology career for herself post-prison. On Best Behavior features psychotherapy with Grant’s teenage nephew Ben.

I love to torture my characters but I also believe in happy endings!

Uncategorized

Look! The Next Best Thing!

Author Darcia Helle sure is creating a lot of work for me on the blog. 😉 First she tagged me for The Next Best Thing Blog Challenge. Then she tagged me AGAIN for the U Got the Look Blog Challenge.

Both challenges involve my work-in-progress On Best Behavior (The Conduct Series #3).

Author Gail Baugniet started The Next Best Thing HERE. The rules are:

Answer 10 questions about my current WIP (Work-In-Progress)

What is the working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I decided to follow Gail by posting my answer to one question a week, with the hope of finishing the manuscript in ten weeks.

Sadly the past two weeks have been epic FAIL for me and I’ve forgotten to post my answers among all the giveaways I’ve been hosting. (And another giveaway starts tomorrow–stay tuned).  So, I’m answering three questions today to catch up.

4) Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Actor Wentworth Miller is my absolute celebrity crush–he’s an easy pick to play Grant Madsen. I can’t remember this actress’s name but I can totally see her as Sophie Taylor.

Thanks to Julie from A Tale of Many Reviews for framing these photos!

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Planning a wedding is never easy, especially when the Russian Mafia want you dead.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Neither–it will be published (I hope!) by Omnific Publishing, a small publisher I lurve.

And now onto U Got the Look!

The Look is a writing prompt, a game, another tagging event. This is how U Got “The Look” works: you take your current manuscript, search for the word “look”, and post the surrounding paragraphs. Lastly, you tag 5 blogging authors who you think will be a good choice for the game.

(I use the word “look” approximately 20,000 times in each manuscript so this should be no problem.)

Sophie looked into his worried blue eyes and reached for his hand. “Grant, I have absolutely no qualms about marrying you. I’d do it today if we could.”
“Then let’s just go to the courthouse right now.”
She grimaced. “You know I’d love that, but my dad would kill me. No, we’ll do it this summer, like we planned. We’ll do the big church wedding.” She turned back to the door.
He tugged at her hand, drawing her to face him again. “Sophie, talk to me.”
“It’s just…” She sighed. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen Pastor Tom, and…do you know anyone whose marriage is actually happy, Grant? We love each other, but who’s to say we won’t turn out like our parents?”
He flinched. “There’s no way we could be as bad as my parents.”
“But they were in love once too, right? Your dad even sang to your mom at their wedding.”
“I guess you could say they were in love once, before my father showed his true colors.” His eyes darkened. “But Sophie, we’re different from them. I’m not an alcoholic, for one thing.”
Her lips curled into a faint smile. Their psychologist Hunter’s insistence that Grant was not his father had finally gotten through to him. “You’re not a child abuser either.”
“Though Ben sure tempts me sometimes.”
Sophie’s grin widened. Grant joking about the trials of helping to parent his nephew, instead of freezing up at the mere mention of child abuse, definitely indicated his progress in counseling.

 
And now I tag 5 author friends to get the “look”. No worries if you’ve already participated.

And finally, please join us on the Omnific Publishing Author, Author Blog Bounce! Instructions are HERE.