Music and Writing

This conversation got started on Twitter and I thought I'd move it over here.

For me, music is just about the ultimate inspiration. I'm from a musical family, married to a musician, and it's always been a hugely important part of my life. (right up there with books!)

I have a playlist that is home to a lot of my favorite songs that have been a huge part of my MSs for the past few months. Not every song was a 'theme song' for an MS, but I have each of them on there for a reason.

Well, Paolo Nuitini is on there because my three year old likes that song. Anyway, enjoy my inspiration! And, share some of your own...what inspires you?

Title and Release Date

Many of you may have already heard this, but I'm just enjoying typing it continually because it all makes it much more real!

My title and UK release date landed in my inbox yesterday, and it looks like it's slated for August of 2010 with the title His Virgin Acquisition. (so fun!)

I haven't slept much since my Call came because now it's like every night is Christmas eve and I can't sleep because I want so much to be up experiencing the morning I know is coming. This is what it's like to be doing what you love so much.

I am counting my blessings.

Maisey

Blog

Okay....apparently The Blog is eating comments. So I thought...maybe if I started a new post it would kinda right itself...

Oh! I got asked to blog on I Heart Presents about my call! Should be on or around Dec. 21st! And I am so looking forward to that. One of the coolest things...well, okay, this whole thing is beyond cool. And yes, I said beyond cool. Getting published didn't suddenly make me not a big geek. :-) Anyway, one of the coolest things is that I am such a major Presents fan.

I've always written, but it wasn't until I picked up a Presents about two and a half years ago that I knew what I wanted to write. And it wasn't only my dream to get published, but to be a Harlequin Presents author. I wanted the white cover with the red stripe and the circle and the beautiful people. So blessed to have it!

You've just got to go for your dreams. Why not?

The Call

When I got up this morning and grimaced at my alarm clock, I did not think I would be getting any kind of life changing news. I was thinking I have to go get my son enrolled in preschool, go buy a backpack for him, clean the kitchen, the living room...etc.

I did not think I would be getting The Call.

I checked my email at about 7:30 and discovered I had an email from my editor asking if she could call me and chat about my MS. So of course I emailed her straight back with something like "heck to the yes". About a half hour after that came The Call.

I've been offered a two book contract with Harlequin Presents. Which I said yes to, of course! Actually, she said, we'd like to buy your book and I said something horribly clever like "well, I'd like to sell it to you. "*snerk*

So yes, I'm in shock a little bit. But I am set to be a published author. For the romance line I love the most. It is my dream come true and to have it happen so soon in my life is more than I could ask or hope for.

Thanks to God, my family, my editor, and last, but oh so definitely not least, the Sisterhood. Without you girls it wouldn't be happening and I love you all so much!

Get Published Quick! Write a Romance! (or...hahahahahahaha!)

We had an interesting discussion in my crit group yesterday about loving your genre. Because if you don't, your reader will notice. If you're cynical about romance, or find the genre to be beneath you, the reader will notice.

Now, I think the majority of romance writers really love the genre, but I do think there are some who are sort of 'winking' at the reader. Or sneering, as the case may be. They have an attitude about it being a stepping stone on their way to the bigger and better. Well, I have news for you. Romance is about the biggest thing there is. As it's been pointed out, just about every genre has romance as a part of it.

What really burns my biscuits is when people act like they're going to get published quick by writing one of those romance novels. Like it's the pyramid scheme of fiction, or something.

But thinking that way does a big disservice to the writers of romance and the readers. And those of us who have been trying to get published for any length of time know it's not just a matter of 'boy meets girl, boy gets girl, writer sends to publisher, writer gets the contract.'

Like any other writer, we practice the craft. We learn about it. We refine it. We take it seriously. Not too seriously, which is something I love about the romance community. We know we're writing entertainment, but it's entertainment we love.

As I've said before, I love romance. I love to read it. I love to write it. And writing it is not a quick, simple way to get your name on a book cover. No matter your genre, I don't think there is a quick, simple way to do that that doesn't cost you a decent amount out of pocket.

Amen my fellow writers?

Alphas Again

Okay, yes, perhaps I've over posted on alphas. But they're darn tricky to write, because there is a fine line to walk between alpha and alphole sometimes, and no one wants to write the latter!

So my dear sister, Aideen, sent me this lovely quote that she saw on a documentary last night and I thought it was absolutely brilliant:

The true Alpha male is not a bully or a brute. He is the guy who is first to lead the charge for a worthy cause. He is supremely equipped, physically and mentally, to fight for success in the ultra-competitive world we inhabit.

The true Alpha male embodies the best characteristics of the male of our species, namely rugged outer qualities such as muscularity, strength and power, but also inner qualities such as confidence (without conceit), courage (without recklessness), commitment and a conscience.

The true Alpha male has the combination of physical and mental toughness but also a concern for other humans as a whole.

A true Alpha male meets the ideal of contemporary masculine excellence. In other words, the true Alpha male has all the core qualities of a hero.

The Internal Conflict, and How it conflicts Me Internally

I've done a post on internal conflict before, but it bears repeating. I give the whole subject a lot of thought, after all. As we all should, since getting it wrong seems to earn a lot of very talented writers some very fast rejection letters! I was fortunate that my own conflict issue has only gotten me revisions at this point.

I was reading a post on Waiting For the Call http://waitingforthecall.wordpress.com, and it got me to thinking about why internal conflict is so much more effective than external conflict. Then it hit me, it's about character development.

If the conflict is external it doesn't require the characters to confront anything more serious than a moustache twirling villain or a scheming maiden aunt. Internal conflict forces characters to confront the demons inside of themselves and really change in order to get to that place of Happily Ever After.

Because if the conflict was caused in the first place by Scheming Maiden Aunt, who told the hero the heroine didn't want to marry him because she couldn't stand the thought of being tied down to one man (hussy that she is!), well then, what's the say Moustache Twirling Villain won't enter the scene after the HEA and break them apart again?

But if the HEA is reached only after the hero or heroine is forced the confront the internal issues keeping them apart, and they have to change these parts of themselves that are the most damaged, or the most staunchly set in its way in order to find happiness with each other, well that's an HEA I can believe in. They had to bleed for their love and because of that it's all that more precious and real.

It isn't just about the hero slaying the dragons, he's got to slay the ones inside of himself. Because that is what makes a lasting relationship in life. Changing yourself and getting over old hurts...not easy things for us to do. So seeing a character face all of that in the name of love, changing and becoming better...well, that's much more satisfying than, "Sorry, darling, it's just that from my position in the bushes it looked like you were encouraging him to take liberties, not biting him and pushing him away. Now that I know we can get married!"

So, what's your take on the whole conflict thing?

Maisey