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A to Z Challenge

P is for Pentameter by the Jazz Quintet Chroma

April 18, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Pentameter by ChromaOne of the things I love about social media is discovering topics, people, music, and books I might not have learned about otherwise. That’s what happened when saxophonist, composer, and educator, Brian Plautz of Chroma, followed me on Twitter a few weeks ago.

During the past month while I’ve been doing a lot of writing and revising I’ve shifted to a heavy rotation of jazz. So finding the album Pentameter by Chroma was simply perfect.

Chroma is a jazz quintet that features Plautz on sax, Alex Conroy on guitar, Joel Hill on piano, Brian Benton on bass, and Matt Raphaelian on drums. Pentameter features original jazz compositions with a melodic contemporary sound that also reminds me of jazz greats like Grover Washington and Joe Sample. I honestly can’t tell you enough how much I love this album, or how many times I’ve listened to it. The creative muse definitely approves.

Listen to the album below, or get your own copy. It’s available on Bandcamp where you can name your price. (Tip: Listen to all the tracks a few times first. Once you appreciate the melodic sound and pure genius of the compositions, you just might be feeling a bit more generous.)

What are you currently listening to?

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, All Posts, Blog Events, Listening To, Music, Pop Culture, What I'm... Tagged With: Brian Plautz, Chroma, Pentameter, Reese Ryan, Twitter

O is for Opportunity for Authors (or the Upside of Self-Publishing)

April 17, 2013 by ReeseRyan

There have been so many shifts in publishing in the last few years. In fact, take a week off of social media and when you return you’ll find that you’ve missed the latest “big publishing news.”

Smiling author at laptop, courtesy of CollegeDegrees360.As an aspiring author, at first I was disconcerted by all of the news, the doomsday predictions. Publishing has always been a tough business. The rapid changes and negative outlooks quickly made it feel like getting published was an impossible dream. But then something awesome happened. Self-publishing combined with the accessibility of digital media created an opportunity for authors that hadn’t been there before. Many authors capitalized on that opportunity, bypassing the powers that be in publishing and presented their fiction directly to readers.

For several authors going indie was pure genius; they netted higher royalties than they could’ve expected in traditional publishing. An elite few–like John Locke, Amanda Hocking, and J.A. Konrath–became the darlings of the indie publishing movement. There are many who will quickly remind us that the majority of self-published authors make a mere pittance, and that indie superstars are the exception, not the rule. Still, a growing number of authors are quietly making a living–and a good one–from the earnings of their independently-published fiction.

Author Marie Force took a survey of indie authors and shared the results. No, not every author is making a killing from self-publishing, but a surprising number are making impressive sales which support them–and their families–quite well. Recently, my local Romance Writers of America chapter hosted a self-publishing panel featuring Sarra Cannon, Catherine Gayle, Ava Stone, and Marquita Valentine–authors who’ve found success in self-publishing. Sarra gives a complete breakdown of how she made it to 100,000 sales here. So what can we conclude about the feasibility of indie publishing? Forbes contributor, Suw Charman-Anderson, came to the following conclusion:

The interesting stuff really happens at the base of the long tail, at the rat’s arse, where a large-ish group of authors are earning enough to live on, but not enough to warrant a mention in a press release. If what you want is to earn a living from self-publishing, the rat’s arse is your target destination. Luck may take you up to the head of the curve, but you can be a happy storyteller earning a decent wage without having to climb up that steep slope to the top. (Forbes)

The latest news in self-publishing? Major self-pubbed darlings, like Amanda Hocking, have parlayed their indie success into lucrative contracts with traditional publishers, while traditionally-published authors, like Jackie Collins, are opting to self-publish their backlists or new works.

So what does all of this mean for aspiring and current authors? Though the majority of authors still aspire to a lucrative traditional publishing deal, not landing one can offer some sweet rewards to writers with the talent and determination to forge their own path as indie authors. It’s an exciting time in publishing. There are more opportunities for authors, not less.

What is your take on the indie publishing movement? Do you read independently-published novels? Authors: Would you ever consider self-publishing? Why or why not?

Photo courtesy of CollegeDegrees360.

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, All Posts, Blog Events, Publishing Industry, The Writing Life Tagged With: amanda hocking, Ava Stone, Catherine Gayle, indie publisher, JA Konrath, Jackie Collins, john locke, Marie Force, Marquita Valentine, Sarra Cannon, self-publishing

N is for New Adult

April 16, 2013 by ReeseRyan

TheEdgeofNeverbyJARedmerskiNew adult is a trend in fiction that has caught fire in the past year or so. The first new adult romance I read was J.A. Redmerski’s book, The Edge of Never. I absolutely loved the story of Camryn and Andrew and am eagerly awaiting the release of The Edge of Always which will be told primarily from Andrew’s point of view.

But, what is new adult? Even many writers are still asking this question. Many have said it’s simple YA with sex. Not true. New adult fiction targets college-age readers and has a heroine about the same age, while the hero is sometimes a little older. The books deal with very adult themes and the sensuality level gets pretty hot. In fact, many could be categorized as erotic romance. The genre also doesn’t hold to the more rigid restrictions of romance. Many opt for a happy-for-now (HFN) ending, rather than a happily ever after (HEA) one. Also, since many of these top new adult authors published their books as indies, they aren’t bound by many of the rules that publishers and editors often impose on writers. Many writers–and obviously readers–find this refreshing.

Below is a video from Nightline in which Juju Chang talks to new adult fiction fans, and three new adult indie authors who’ve made a huge splash in publishing, including Colleen Hoover, the author of Slammed.

Have you read new adult? What do you think of the trend? Is it here to stay? Who are your favorite new adult authors?

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Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, All Posts, Blog Events, Books/Literature, Pop Culture, Publishing Industry, Reading, What I'm... Tagged With: Colleen Hoover, JA Redmerski, new adult, new adult books, new adult fiction, Reese Ryan, Slammed, The Edge of Always, The Edge of Never

M is for Making the First Move

April 15, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Surprised Woman SmilingSo today, as Mike Meyers’ character, Linda Richman, would say in his old SNL Coffee Talk skits, “I’m feeling a little verklempt.”

Anyone who has ever dreamed of seeing their words–and the characters that came to life in their heads–available to be read by others can understand what an emotional rollercoaster the road to publishing is. Each accomplishment is met with a sense of utter joy. But that feeling of euphoria can be dashed just as quickly, leaving you a broken, thumb-sucking, blankie-cuddling mess.

Today I got to see something I’ve long imagined, my debut novel, Making the First Move, is currently listed on Amazon for pre-order. There’s no cover image yet, just the basic facts and the back cover copy (BCC). Still, it’s a big moment and I’m pretty excited. I didn’t waste a second putting together my Amazon author page, and Goodreads page.

So, does this mean I’ve arrived? Seriously, I’m not that delusional. However, it means that I’m moving forward, making a little more progress toward those goals every day. That is something I am quite proud of.

So while I don’t have a book cover to show you today, I thought I’d give a brief synopsis of the story, and a small excerpt. Both are below.

Synopsis

Best. Day. Ever.

In less than 24 hours, headhunter, Melanie Gordon’s life turns completely upside down. Her dream promotion, and the man of her dreams, fall at her feet, and in her bed, unexpectedly. Only neither is exactly what it seems. Mel must decide whether she will fall apart, as she did five years ago, or let go of her misguided expectations and go for what she really wants.

Excerpt

Chapter One

 

Damien Jasper is brilliant and asshole in equal amounts, wrapped in one stunningly handsome, well-dressed package. And he’s headed directly toward me.

This cannot be good.

There are only two reasons Damien Jasper visits the peons this early in the morning. He’s in hot pursuit of a new female employee, or the building is on fire. We haven’t hired anyone new, and the building isn’t on fire. So I’m pretty sure I’m screwed.

His intense eye contact is unnerving. Especially since Damien’s idea of eye contact usually lands somewhere in the vicinity of my boobs.

“Good morning, Ms. Gordon.”

I force a smile. You’d think shoving your tongue down a woman’s throat would give you the right to call her by her first name in perpetuity. But the rules in Damien Jasper’s world are pretty hard to follow. “Good morning, Damien.”

“When you’re done with your phone call, please come to my office.” The muscles in his face barely stir. His voice is a deep, low rumble.

My shoulders tense and a hard knot forms in my gut. I nod and force a smile so stiff it’s more of a grimace.

Damien turns on the heels of chestnut-colored loafers that cost more than my rent.

My heart is beating a mile a minute. I’ve completely forgotten I’m on the phone.

“Melanie? You still there?”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Sorry. Yes, I’m here. I’ve got, like, three minutes.” I look at my watch. “What’s up?”

Raine clears his throat then attempts to speak. His words come out too fast and at least two octaves higher than his normal speaking voice, like an old vinyl record that’s been sped up.

“What was that?”

“Sorry, I just…I wanted to talk to you about…” He sighs. “You know what, you’re busy. We should do this later.”

“Why don’t I give you a call later tonight or over the weekend?” I watch as the elevator door closes behind Damien.

“Okay—”

“Great. I really have to go. Talk to you later.”

As I return the phone to its cradle, my glass of water topples over. Thank God only my copy of the San Francisco Gazette gets wet. I toss the paper in the trash and take a deep breath. My hands shake like crumpled, brown leaves barely clinging to the trees at the end of fall.

Damien Jasper’s late-night trysts with overeager female employees are legendary here at Jasper & Graevel. A fact I wasn’t privy to that late night two years ago, when I was invited to accompany him to a client dinner.

We nailed our pitch over dinner and snagged the new client. Damien, in turn, tried to nail me. I’d had a drink or two more than I should have, at his urging, but I wasn’t drunk enough to believe that screwing the company CEO wouldn’t end badly. I politely extracted his tongue from my mouth, inserted my knee into his crotch and excused myself from the elevator we’d been sharing.

Jasper & Graevel is a major player in my industry. So rather than raising hell over the incident, I chose to ignore it and hoped Damien would do the same. For the past two years we’ve nodded politely and exchanged pleasantries whenever the situation required it. Still I’ve always had this nagging feeling that one day Damien would exact his revenge. That day, I fear, is today.

My throat is parched. Wish I had that damned glass of water. I survey my cubicle. Maybe I should box up my things now, rather than suffer the humiliation of stuffing my things in a box while two impatient rent-a-cops hover over me. Legs wobbling, I climb to my feet and take small, wooden steps toward the elevator.

“You’ve done it this time, Gordon.” Priscilla Cohen, Miss Prissy when she isn’t in earshot, leans against the outside of her cubicle, one hand on her waist. She arches her back to provide us all with a proper view of the size-D cups acquired during her last “vacation.” Her walking-stick-thin frame strains to hold them up.

I pretend not to hear her, but Priscilla is part pit bull, part crazed stalker. She will not be ignored. She steps into the center of the aisle, her arms folded over her chest.

“I told you not to hire that fat guy. He could barely talk for all that damn wheezing.” Priscilla hunches her shoulders and imitates Edmond Bennett, the man to whom she’s referring. She draws snickers from a few occupants of nearby cubicles. I garner looks of pity from a few others.

My cheeks sting, but I’m compelled to defend my candidate. My eyes lock with hers. “Mr. Bennett was a solid candidate with impressive credentials. I haven’t had a single complaint about him or any of my other placements.”

A menacing smile spreads across Priscilla’s face. “Until today.”

I sneer and push my way past her. Priscilla teeters on her four-inch heels and grabs the cubicle wall to steady herself. I conceal a wicked smile and nod to acknowledge mental high-fives doled out by a few of my coworkers. If this is going to be my last day at Jasper & Graevel, I’m going out with a bang.

I punch the Up arrow. The elevator doors creak open. I step inside, half expecting the floor to give way and send me careening down a tube into the basement—where J&G rejects belong.

I press my back against the wall to steady my legs. Forget wispy-winged butterflies. I’ve got a frickin’ Cirque du Soleil performance happening in my belly and I’m afraid I might lose the raspberry Danish I had for breakfast.

The elevator jolts to a stop and does a little bounce. Marilyn, Damien’s assistant, buzzes his office and whispers into the receiver as I approach.

“Hi, Marilyn.” I press my lips into a feeble smile. “I’m here to see Damien.”

“Yes, I know, dear.”

I fight the urge to fling myself at her feet and plead for information.

“Have a seat. He’ll be out when he’s ready for you.” She gestures to an arrangement of chairs covered in buttery leather.

“So this is where they keep the good chairs.” A high-pitched hyena laugh escapes my lips. I clear my throat. “Thanks, Marilyn.”

She tells me he won’t be long then hurries down the hall.

I squeeze my eyes shut, take a deep breath and think of things that make me happy. Things like keeping my job.

Pre-order a copy of Making the First Move on Amazon here.

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, All Posts, Blog Events, Books, Excerpts, Making the First Move, Publishing Industry Tagged With: Amazon, Carina Press, Cleveland, Contemporary Romance, Making the First Move, Oh, Reese Ryan, Romantic women's fiction

L is for Love

April 13, 2013 by ReeseRyan

LOVE Some rights by las - initially

Think of this as a brief service announcement, a reminder that we should always treat the ones we love as we would if we knew today was the last day we’d see them. So give your significant other a cinema-worthy smooch. Hug and kiss your kids. Call your parents and tell them how much you appreciate them. Catch up with a friend. Walk the dog.

Below is Alicia Keys song, “Like You’ll Never See Me Again.”

Is making more time for family and friends one of your goals for this year? If so, how are you doing?

LoveQuoteSomeRightsdeeplifequotes

Photo courtesy of las – initially. Quote courtesy of deeplifequotes. Some rights reserved on both images.

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, All Posts, Blog Events, Share the Journey Tagged With: alicia keys, Like You'll Never See Me Again, love

K is for the Kevin Hayden Trio

April 12, 2013 by ReeseRyan

One of the few things I’d say I inherited from my father is his love of music. I fondly remember sitting on the couch in our living room while he played one album after another. He was a big jazz fan so I listened to lots of Grover Washington, The Crusaders, Miles Davis, Joe Sample, and Nina Simone. But he also introduced me to my all-time favorite band–Earth, Wind & Fire–and numerous other musicians.

Illegal Playlist nowAs soon as I was old enough to buy my own records I began to build a collection of 45s. (I had a stack of those little yellow inserts.) Every time I got my allowance I was plotting which record I’d purchase next. But my love for music quickly blossomed and I developed an eclectic musical palate. What am I listening to? Depends on the day or my mood. One day it’s Neo Soul–Maxwell, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Musiq, and India.Aarie. The next it’s adult alternative. Later that day I’m listening to rock, or classical.

The beauty of liking so many genres is that it multiplies your chances of discovering something new. Lately, I’ve been on a serious jazz kick, prompted by another group which we’ll meet when we hit the letter P. But today I’m introducing you to another jazz group I met recently via Twitter–The Kevin Hayden Trio. Kevin Hayden is a drummer/producer/composer and the band is based in Milwaukee. (Shout out to the Midwest!). Love their sound. It’s everything I love about classic jazz, but with a unique contemporary twist. My favorite track is “Ice in the Sun.” Six minutes and nineteen seconds of pure listening pleasure. My dad would love it. I can envision him sitting in his favorite spot on the couch, eyes closed, head nodding to the music. And that makes me happy.

Sample the album below, or visit their website here to get your very own copy of Illegal Playlist. 

What are your favorite music genres? Which artists would you like to introduce us to?

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, Blog Events, Listening To, Music, Pop Culture, What I'm... Tagged With: #AtoZchallenge, Earth Wind & Fire, Grover Washington, jazz, Kevin Hayden Trio, Nina Simone, Reese Ryan, The Crusaders

J is for Journal

April 11, 2013 by ReeseRyan

When I was in middle school I kept a journal. I didn’t write in my diary every single night, but it was always there, ready to listen, ready to help me work through thoughts and feelings I wasn’t quite ready to share with anyone else.

Journal CollectionI’m not sure what happened to those diaries, or when they stopped being important enough for me to care. But now, more than twenty years later, I often wish I’d held onto those journals.

Like many writers, I’m completely obsessed with writing instruments. I’m admittedly snobbish about which pens I use. (The disposable pens in my possession serve one purpose–to be loaned to other people.) But my true obsession is notebooks and journals. I fall in love with them as easily as a tween falls in love with the teenage heart throb du jour. I collect them the way the eccentric lady up the block collects cats. I write in them with the frequency of rainfall in the Mojave Desert.

Time and again, I start a new journal, determined to maintain it faithfully. But within a few weeks it becomes one more chore, and eventually it falls by the wayside. Still when I run across another journal, I fall in love all over and the process starts again. Maybe this time will be different. 😉

What about you? Did you keep a journal as a kid? Do you keep one now?

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, Blog Events, The Writing Life Tagged With: #AtoZchallenge, Journal, Reese Ryan

I is for Ice, Ice Baby (as in the Polar Caps are melting)

April 10, 2013 by ReeseRyan

I’d love to spend this quick post drooling over chocolate-colored diamonds or some other delicious baubles. But today I wanted to address an important topic – global warming. First: YES, it’s real. (Please let’s don’t start that again.) Second: As you can see in the video below, this is no longer about theories and possibilities. The ish just got real.

 Some rights reserved by Tatterdemalion!Here in America we’re a bit spoiled and water conversation isn’t something most of us were taught growing up. But making smart use of water and finding other practical ways to reduce our carbon footprint is the least we can do as global citizens. If warming continues at its current rate, the results will be catastrophic for everyone. Even now, our unwillingness to make sacrifices may not affect us, but could have devastating results in other parts of the world.

Living an eco-conscious lifestyle doesn’t have to be traumatic. Start with baby steps. Here’s a list of Three Ways to Live Greener and Reduce Your Water Bill. Then there are simple things we can do like carrying reusable grocery bags to the store with us, and turning off the lights when we aren’t using them. It’s wonderful if we can drive a fuel efficient car, but even when we don’t there are ways to drive smarter. For instance, one of our cars is very fuel efficient, the other isn’t. We drive the least fuel efficient car only when necessary.  Also with a little forethought we can plan our day of running errands so that we’re aren’t wasting gas. Every little bit helps.

Have you started taking baby steps to an eco-conscious lifestyle? How are you reducing your carbon footprint? What other changes do you plan to make?

Photo courtesy of Tatterdemalion! Some rights reserved.

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, Blog Events, Eco-Friendly Living Tagged With: #AtoZchallenge, artic, eco-conscious lifestyle, eco-friendly, global warming, polar caps melting, reduce carbon footprint, Reese Ryan

H is for Hindsight (or The 20/20 Experience)

April 9, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Life is full of tough decisions and everyday choices that can ultimately change the course of our lives or the lives of others. We ponder some decisions long and hard, yet still make the wrong choice. After the smoke clears, the right choice–the one we should have made–becomes glaringly evident.

Ahh…the beauty of hindsight.

The 20/20 Experience - Justin TimberlakeSo we don’t always make the right choices, and yeah…sometimes we royally eff things up. But the important thing is that we learn the lessons in life that every interaction, every consequence, every relationship is designed to teach us and use that information to make better decisions going forward.

Artists tend to take the lessons of hindsight a bit further, using them as inspiration for fictional tales, to create deliciously-flawed characters, or to write songs with which listeners easily identify. Justin Timberlake’s latest effort, The 20/20 Experience is my current obsession. (My husband and son are this close to staging a hunger strike if I play it aloud again.) There are a myriad of reasons I love this album. Just to name a few:

  • It’s classic JT, but from the more mature perspective of a man who has made some mistakes and learned some lessons.
  • The entire album is pretty much a heart-melting love letter to his wife. (Swoon.)
  • He and producer, Timbaland are a match made in artistic heaven.
  • Several of the songs have a classic funk sound. (Remember when people used actual bands who played actual instruments? People still do that.  Here’s proof.)
  • I love that half the songs on the album are essentially two different songs. (See my post on Fusion to explain this illness.)

Thankfully we’ve moved beyond the little 45s I spun in my room growing up because this the tracks “Pusher Love Girl,” “Spaceship Coupe,” and “That Girl” would be completely worn out by now.  You can listen to the entire album below.

What are some of the best lessons you’ve learned in hindsight? Are there some lessons that can only be learned this way? What do you think?

 

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, Blog Events, Listening To, Music, Pop Culture, What I'm... Tagged With: #AtoZchallenge, Justin Timberlake, Reese Ryan, The 20/20 Experience, Timbaland

G is for Goals (or Don’t Talk About It Be About It)

April 8, 2013 by ReeseRyan

At the end of 2011 I posted my goals for 2012…on my blog. Right there in the open for everyone to see. It was one of the most terrifying and exhilarating things I’d done, in terms of being open and putting myself completely out there. Later in the year I revisited those goals to see where I was.

CrossTheFinishLine

Surprise, surprise! I accomplished, or began making headway, on many of the goals I established for myself and then shared with others. It worked so well, why not do it again? At least, that was the plan. But by the end of the year I was hard at work on many of those goals so I kept putting off setting my goals for 2013.  While I am still busy working on many of the projects I set in motion in 2012, there are several other personal and career goals I want to achieve this year, but have yet to make any real progress. So, it seems it is time to stop tarrying and bring back the goal list. Below is a broad overview of my goals for 2013.

2013 Goals

  1. Adopt a healthier lifestyle – Joined WeightWatchers today.
  2. Make more time for family & friends
  3. Complete two manuscripts
  4. Edit two manuscripts
  5. Search for agent representation
  6. Publish two books  – Already in motion w/ Carina Press
  7. Join or start a group blog – Already in motion. Contemporary Romance Cafe launches May 1st.
  8. Continue progress w/ education – Making excellent progress
  9. Self-publish 1-2 pieces
  10. Submit to at least four contests this year
  11. Pursue freelance magazine writing opportunities
  12. Make time to travel

It sounds like a lot (okay, it is a lot), but I believe it is doable. What about you? What are your goals for the rest of 2013?

Filed Under: A to Z Challenge, Blog Events, Publishing Industry, Share the Journey, The Writing Life Tagged With: #AtoZchallenge, 2013, goals, Reese Ryan

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