Fall for Romance & more…

Ugh. I have a severe case of medicine head. As I can’t seem to stitch two coherent thoughts together in my novel, I figured several disjointed thoughts separated by these  –> ~~~  on my blog , might be a good use of time. They wont be nearly as noticeable here as they would in the story. I truly hate head colds that settle in my lungs. My abdominal muscles are so sore from coughing, I feel like I’ve done a few rounds in the ring with Sugar Ray. Blah.

The Summer Love-In, this past summer’s author extravaganza, was a blast, even with the enormous curve ball Mother Nature threw my way. That storm knocked out power for five full days and made me a morning nomad looking for a place to plug in my laptop. If anyone is truly interested, scroll back several weeks and you’ll see all the pitiful details.

But anyway, my authors’ group is hosting another such event on November 10th. It’s our Fall for Romance. Here’s the poster:

It’s similar to the last event with contests, prizes, laughs and more. I’ll post more details as I get them. I’m looking forward to it. The last was fun.

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I recently had a guest post on paranormal author Rosalie Lario’s blog. If you have yet to read her tales of demons and angels, follow this link and peek at her book blurbs. There’s some pretty deep and intense storytelling there.

Still promoting Dreamscape, in this post I discuss one of my heroes of literature – Agatha Christie.

http://rosalielario.com/tag/dreamscape/

Today I have a special guest, author Rose Anderson, blogging about her latest release, Dreamscape:

You know the story. It begins with ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear. They’re invited to a remote mansion on an island, but their host curiously fails to appear. Alone with the small household staff and the inescapable demons standing in the shadows of their pasts, the guests are cut off from the outside world. One by one, they share these darkest secrets. And one by one, they die. Perhaps you’ve read the book or seen the five iterations in film — Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

Considered by many to be her most famous work, it ranks as the 7^th bestselling book of all time. And Then There Were None was the most adapted of all her stories in film, theater, radio, and even video games. From its first publication in 1939 when the title included a racial epithet, to the more recent 2010 radio adaptation, it’s a novel with staying power. Why? It was summed up in the 1940 The New York Times Book Review:

“When you read what happens, after that you will not believe it, but you will keep on reading, and as one incredible event is followed by another even more incredible you will still keep on reading. The whole thing is utterly impossible and utterly fascinating. It is the most baffling mystery that Agatha Christie has ever written, and if any other writer has ever surpassed it for sheer puzzlement the name escapes our memory. We are referring, of course, to mysteries that have logical explanations, as this one has. It is a tall story, to be sure, but it could have happened.”

Agatha Christie is one of my literary heroes. On my shelf of favorite fiction, her works sit side by side with Diana Gabaldon, Charlotte Brontë, Michael Crichton, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and JK Rowling. I like reading novels that make my heart pound in anticipation with each anxiously turned page. And Then There Were None was my first encounter with suspense; it was also my first exposure to Agatha’s works.

My older sister was a passionate book lover who recommended this book as her all-time favorite Agatha Christie story. At age eleven, I didn’t understand the broader adult nuance of the story, but I did enjoy it. Several years later, I saw an old black and white movie entitled Ten Little Indians. I thought, hey wait a minute, that’s an Agatha Christie story! Inspired to reread the novel, I saw what my younger self had missed. The plot was literally peppered with clues that pointed to the murderer. I already knew who the murderer was so picking out the clues was easy.

So all these years later, I decided to write a book in homage to that amazingly creative author. Like Agatha’s famous story, Dreamscape too, is a literary puzzle. I crafted it to be an Easter egg hunt — a story within a story filled with clues scattered along for the avid reader to catch.

In this tale, I introduce readers to Dr. Lanie O’Keefe: a confident, independent, woman who’s just bought herself a Mid-Victorian mansion. This is a dream house in the truest sense, for Lanie has been dreaming of the Bowen mansion since she was a child. The locals say the place is haunted and it certainly looks the part with its overgrown weeds and decades of vandalism. Undaunted by ghost stories, Lanie moves in with grand plans to refit the old coach house into a free clinic. Little does she realize the local legend is true.

For nearly one hundred and twenty years, the ghost of Doctor Jason Bowen roams his house contemplating the treachery that took his life. His brooding thoughts are interrupted when a woman arrives with valise in tow. Not only is she moving into his house, but she’s sleeping in the master bedroom as well – his bedroom. As a gentleman coming from a time of social propriety and impeccable manners; Jason tries to give his houseguest space, but soon becomes infatuated with her. Once he discovers the electric signature of his ghostly essence can ride Lanie’s dreams, he follows where they take him and finds himself back in his time period as the date of his murder draws near.

Yes, I planned the suspense carefully. Like Agatha Christie’s works, uncovering my trail of breadcrumbs isn’t necessary to move the tale along. When taken as a whole, they offer an insider’s peek at the truth long before the truth is revealed. Dreamscape is complex, richly detailed, and sensual, and I’ve scattered enough crumbs that even Hansel and Gretel might see the story hidden within! Writing it I learned something about myself. Not only do I like taking the path less traveled, I enjoy making the implausible plausible. I really like offbeat turn-things-on-their-ear scenarios where the writer finds a box he/she must write themselves out of. To me, the insurmountable prospect is a curiously locked door. The next so many weeks or months of writing trying to make the unlikely likely and the impossible possible is akin to finding the fat ring of keys to try the lock with.

Can a ghost find love among the living? Read Dreamscape and discover for yourself. I think both you and Agatha will be pleased.

Blurb & Assorted links: (lol you don’t really need to read this stuff again)

That was a fun interview.

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Dreamscape’s youtube book trailer is in a contest at the You Gotta Read Videos blog. My humble little powerpoint is up against some terrific professionally done book trailers. Scant chance of a win I’m thinking, but as far as exposure goes, maybe Dreamscape will pick up a few more readers from being there. Come see for yourself. I found several books there that I wouldn’t mind reading.

http://yougottareadvideos.blogspot.com/

Speaking of Dreamscape’s book trailer, I sent it to Preview the Book yesterday. Hermes Online held the number one spot for nearly two weeks. I’m hoping Dreamscape does the same. I really like making these things and have learned about two software applications to make them better. I’ve already began collecting images for the next story. What a process. You have to be sure there’s no copyright issues on music and images. As large as the internet is, you’d think it would be easy. Nope. But as I’ve said before, I do have permission from several artists to use their drawings and photos. Not as many as I need just yet, but I’m getting closer.

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I was recently invited to a Q&A at author Lillian Grant’s blog. Lillian writes very steamy sizzlers.  If you’re looking for something to warm your winter, look no further, it’s here!
http://www.lilliangrant.com

These interviews seem to say a lot of the same stuff. Well, that’s true. Mostly, I’m promoting Dreamscape as my latest book.  With these interviews scattered all over the internet, it’s not so repetitive, but encapsulated here, they’re downright redundant. Feel free to skip if the Dreamscape stuff seems old news by now.  🙂

Today I am digging beneath the outer shell of romance author Rose Anderson. So, let’s find out just how much she is willing to share.

1.    When and why did you start writing romance?
Oh that’s a long story. I used to take the train to visit my sister and she’d always make suggestions for a book or two for the ride home. More than once I found myself mentally rewriting the story (not all of her picks were good ones). I’d add more suspense, a longer love scene, or additional dialogue. As a romance reader I like seduction. Written seduction is a mind game, a ring-side seat to observe the psychological metamorphosis of the characters. Secondly, I like the physics of it. There comes a point where the connection between characters ignites into something neither has any control over — a 451° point of complete surrender that leads to total combustion. Lastly, because seduction is a cerebral thing, I find erotic romance to be the natural progression of the romance story. That was my introduction to literary romance.
Years later, I read that romance was the fastest growing genre, the sub-genre of erotic romance was even more so. At the time, I was three years into writing a 5-book non-romance (but certainly romantic) series. Up to that point I’d written many books, children’s books mostly, and all unpublished for one reason or another. That same week, I read that many New York Times bestsellers started out in romance. The Muse spoke to me! I figured I’d write erotic romance to break into this business, learn the ropes, and have some idea what the heck I was doing by the time I finished my series. I have so much of my life invested in that series, so much emotional involvement, I’d really hate to screw it up. Cutting my author’s teeth before I tried to publish the series just seemed the way to go. That was the impetus.

2.    What’s the strangest thing that’s inspired one of your stories?
I live near a lovely glaciated part of Wisconsin. Each fall the local artists, their studios tucked into the rolling wooded hills, hold an art tour. My husband and I decided to go one blue-skied October day and stumbled upon an author doing book signings. We struck up a conversation. Her book was about the Wisconsin Werewolf. It turns out she was a newspaper reporter who’d been following sightings for years. Needless to say we bought the book. The accounts were fascinating and most of the sightings were reported by people you’d likely believe – policemen, ministers, doctors. I just finished writing a new novel based on this local legend.

3.    Have you ever based a character on someone you know? If so, did you tell them? If not, is there someone in your life you’d like to base a character on?
My life, including the people I know, makes cameo appearances in one form or another in all my books. It’s easy to draw from the familiar. If readers knew me, they’d recognize things about me right off the bat — my furnishings or my car, my pets, and they’d even things about themselves though they may only associate with the words and not take them as directly theirs. I have long-time friends, a husband and wife, who are the most supportive people you can imagine. Every step of the way they’ve said they’re proud of me. I wrote them into my above mentioned novel as Randi the waitress and Bob, the small-town mechanic who loves her. They’re thrilled. I can’t wait to see their faces when they read their chapter.

4.    Tell us about your latest book.
Dreamscape is a literary puzzle written in homage to Agatha Christie. I crafted it to be an Easter egg hunt — a story within a story filled with clues scattered throughout for the avid reader to catch. I planned the suspense carefully. Like Agatha Christie’s works, the clues, when taken as a whole, offer an insider’s peek at the truth long before the truth is revealed. The story is complex, richly detailed, and sensual.
In this tale, I introduce readers to Dr. Lanie O’Keefe: a confident, independent, woman who’s just bought herself a Mid-Victorian mansion. This is a dream house in the truest sense, for Lanie has been dreaming of the Bowen mansion since she was a child. The locals say the place is haunted and it certainly looks the part with its overgrown weeds and decades of vandalism. Undaunted by ghost stories, Lanie moves in with grand plans to refit the old coach house into a free clinic. Little does she realize the local legend is true.
For nearly one hundred and twenty years, the ghost of Doctor Jason Bowen roams his house contemplating the treachery that took his life. His brooding thoughts are interrupted when a woman arrives with valise in tow. Not only is she moving into his house, but she’s sleeping in the master bedroom as well – his bedroom. As a gentleman coming from a time of social propriety and impeccable manners; Jason tries to give his houseguest space, but soon becomes infatuated with her. Once he discovers the electric signature of his ghostly essence can ride Lanie’s dreams, he follows where they take him and finds himself back in his time period as the date of his murder draws near.

5.    Is there a plot you’ve always wanted to write but haven’t been able to yet?
One hasn’t revealed itself to me yet. I write full time so if ever an idea pops into my head, I’ll jot it down for later.

6.    How do you come up with the ideas for your stories?
It’s completely out of my hands, if that makes sense. Sometimes the stories come out of nowhere, sometimes in the course of a conversation with friends, an unrelated concept will appear. I keep a small “idea book” with me at all times just in case the Muse knocks.

7.    Which author have you always wanted to meet and why?
I’d love to meet any author who paints with words. I prefer the richest detail when I read. There are a few authors I know of who write so richly, you can actually smell the story. A “talking shop” dinner conversation with Michael Crichton and Diana Gabaldon would be better than dessert. 🙂

8.    I wonder, when did you first get an inkling that you could write and when did you first act on it?
I was in highschool and we’d just finished the Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. The assignment was to craft a story in the same manner as Tolkien, using one or more elements from that book. I wrote about a dragon who’d just laid an egg. The teacher said it was the most beautiful descriptive prose she’d ever read in all her years and said if I had not yet chosen what I would do with my life that I should seriously become a writer. I wish I could remember what I wrote but this was long before computers allowed you to copy and backup your work. I wasn’t about to rewrite so many pages by hand if I didn’t have to! She kept it.

Many years passed before I seriously got into writing. I worked as a teacher and my kids were little then. I wrote a story to teach my son how to read and I’ve been writing ever since.

9.    What is a typical day for Rose?  Do you have set hours when you write or do you only get to hide under the stairs when life allows?
My kids are grown and my husband works a 9-5 outside the home, so my time for writing is pretty much my own five days a week, with weekends set aside for family. I write every day and take pains to limit it to Monday to Friday unless I’m on a roll. It’s dealing with those pesky things that interrupt like laundry, grocery shopping, and housecleaning. I fantasize about having a staff to handle all that. hehe

10.     Tell me about your muse and are they in charge or do you manage to rein them in?
Of the Nine, Calliope is my main Muse. I figure if she could inspire Homer, she could  inspire me. I’ve dedicated my blog to her and so far she and I have done ok working together. As for reining them in, nah, I hope they run with me!

11.     When do you usually get plot motivation?  How do you keep hold of those ideas before they disappear into thin air?
My mind runs continuously. Something is bound to pop up out of thin air! Like I mentioned above, I keep idea books handy. I’ve even written ideas on the back of grocery receipts while stopped at traffic lights on the way home from the store. The best way to describe my mind is to compare it to a crowded restaurant where every table has a story — The guy stabbing his olive like a voodoo doll got turned down for a promotion. Somebody’s pocket holds an engagement ring. Across the room a potential suicide comes to terms with his weighty decision and nearby sits a young woman who doesn’t yet know she’ll save his life. Add an overlay of detail – a server mopping up blood red wine, steaming plates of fettuccine Alfredo, and the caramelized scent of crème brûlée. With chatter like this going on 24/7, something’s bound to come of it! I write them down as they come and yes, I have volumes of idea books!

12.     What has been the most exhilarating moment to date in your writing career?
I have many such moments. Having my books accepted at Siren-Bookstand. Seeing my first book on Amazon was monumental and I cried when I held my first paperback in my hands. Discovering my books had gone international made me absolutely giddy. Great reviews feel pretty good too!
People can find me just about anywhere online. I have two books out now, Dreamscape and Hermes Online. Drop me a line or subscribe to my blog. I love to hear from readers.

Seven Things You Might Not Guess About Me 

1. I’m a dead-eye shot with a rifle
2. I cry at weddings
   
3. I really dislike shopping but love scrounging
   
4. I like playing ski ball
   
5. I love word games like Balderdash, but no one will play with me  😦 *sniff*
   
6. Were I younger, I would have gotten into Steampunk (think Jules Verne stuff)
   
7. I can do seven moves in Cat’s Cradle (my grandma taught me)