Power of a Writer

Last month, I, along with my Diamond State Romance Author Ladies, had the privilege of sharing a meal and conversation with Sylvia Day. Of course, I puzzled over what to wear. What to say. What questions to ask. Aside from being an International and New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen novels, she is President of the Romance Writers of America and a former Russian linguist for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence. Awesome, right?

Sylvia did not disappoint. With my attention so enthralled in the wealth of knowledge flowing from her mouth, my meal got cold and only half eaten. I love to eat. Portabella burger with sweet potato fries. My mouth waters thinking of it. However, the message I gleaned from listening to Sylvia answer questions filled me more than the burger ever could.

Here are her wise words in a nutshell:

Educate yourself. Write the best you possibly can. Make it a point to know what is happening in the publishing industry. The relationship between writer and publisher should be MUTUALLY beneficial. In contract negotiations, ask for what you believe your work deserves. Most importantly, think about how this contract will affect your next contract and your career. Be willing to say, “No.”

Writers mold words to form worlds. With these words and in these worlds we evoke the full spectrum of emotion. Words and emotions are powerful. Ergo, writers can wield great power.

So, write well. Use your power for good. Believe in your worth!

A million thanks, Sylvia Day, for taking the time to eat and talk with me and my wild writer friends! You fit right in!

Learning Curve

I’m over at the Diamond State Romance Authors’ Blog today talking about the learning curve of writing and passing along some helpful links. Come by and take a peek.

Closer to the Sun and the Hotter Side of Romance

The closer you travel toward the sun, the hotter it gets!

 

CC – Tomhe

My romantic suspense writing hovers in between Earth and Venus. It’s hot. Sunscreen and some UV protectant Aviators should do the trick. You’ll come away slightly flushed with red cheeks. Recovery time is typically a two to three days.

Recently added to my repertoire, a racier romance genre lives on Mercury and takes vacations on the surface of the sun. Scorching defines it. Only eighteen years wise and greater allowed on this adventure. Shiny silver fire entry suits rated for two thousand degrees Fahrenheit are a must. Beware of heat stroke! Recovery time varies between one week and never.

For those of you out there willing to brave the HEAT…

Releasing August 13, 2013 from Cleis Press, High Octane Heroes an anthology edited by Delilah Devlin will feature my story Heated Negotiations!

Heated Negotiations

With wit and iron will Paige Cline, Detroit’s lead negotiator, excels in the gritty male-dominated world of law enforcement. She’ll be damned, if anyone is going to hijack her career.

Special Response Team captain, Donovan Wolfe knows what he wants and refuses to back-down until he’s on top.

When these two clash, the impact is more than either bargain for.

Hop on over to the High Octane Heroes Blog and take a look at the hero packed content, which includes stores from Sabrina York, Brindle Chase, Christine D’Abo, Elle James, and many more!