The Writing Life

JuNoWriMo and Dreams of Beachside Living in Costa Rica

June 2, 2015 by ReeseRyan

Today things have been a little crazy pants. I’m struggling with a physical ailment, working toward writing a 50,000 word novel in a month, trying to tame my garden gone wild and planning the untimely demise of an underground colony of yellow jackets.

Amidst the craziness, it’s also my turn on both of the group blogs of which I’m a member.

Over on Hot M.A.M.A. Land, I’m talking about June Novel Writing Month (JuNoWriMo) and some of the other write-a-novel-in-a-month challenges and why these challenges can be beneficial, even when you don’t hit the goal of 50,000 words. Come on over and tell me about any experience you’ve had with either reading or writing challenges, and why you would, or wouldn’t, recommend them.

On the Contemporary Romance Cafe, this month’s theme is inspiring places. There I’m kicking off the topic with a discussion about why I need a 12-step program for my HGTV addiction and how House Hunters International made me fall in love with the idea of moving overseas and living in a tropical, Central American paradise. Pop in and tell me what places inspire you and if you need your own HGTV intervention.

I look forward to seeing you!

What Comes After THE END?

April 8, 2015 by ReeseRyan

As a reader, reaching the end of a good book is a bittersweet experience. I’m glad the characters have received their happy ending, or that the hero has completed his journey. yet I’m sorry to bid goodbye to the characters I’ve become so invested in.

As an author, working with a publisher, it was a great relief to type those two words: THE END. Once I finished revising and polishing book, I’d send it off to my editor and the marketing team, for them to do their magic.

But this time things are different for me. It’s the first time I’ve finished a novel that I’ll be indie publishing. There is still, of course, that moment of giddy excitement that the darned thing is finally completed. But then there was an almost immediate sense of panic because I didn’t have a pre-selected team of creatives to bring the project to fruition. There was just…me.

So I’ll admit, a slight bit of panic ensued. But there was also the heady feeling of being in complete control of my own project. I’m over at the Contemporary Romance Cafe talking about my new adventures as an indie author, and what happens after THE END. I’d love it if you pop over to the Cafe and tell me how you feel once you finally reach THE END.

PS: To be among the first to learn about the progress of my new series (including some exciting news coming later this month) and eligible for cool prizes, sign up for my mailing list in the sidebar on the right.

The End courtesy of Oliver Hammond.

Hot Carolina Nights Series Coming in 2015

November 22, 2014 by ReeseRyan

This morning I’ve been dancing around my kitchen with unbridled happiness, as if no-one is watching. Though my husband is, in fact, watching me and probably debating whether to call an ambulance. But I can barely contain the joy of finally making a decision about where my fiction-writing career is going next.

Thanks to a marathon session with a writing coach who helped me identify and move past some of the fears that were holding me back, I was able to settle on the series with which I’ll launch my venture into the world of indie publishing. And thanks to the amazing readers who took the time to share their opinions and ideas for a title, and said husband whose vote confirmed my final choice, my small town, contemporary romance series has a name: Hot Carolina Nights.

I’d already created titles for each of the books planned in the series. However, a serendipitous idea prompted me to spend yesterday morning renaming several of the books so that the story titles would all fit thematically with the series title. I also spent some time creating a relationship web to establish relationships between characters in each book and throughout the series.

So, yeah, I’m beyond happy. Thrilled, in fact. I hope you, dear reader, will be just as happy with the final results.

On that note, I’ll leave you with a live performance “Blue Rondo à la Turk,,” a classic jazz piece by the amazing Dave Brubeck Quartet (one of the songs I was dancing to this morning). This piece shares that same feeling of unrestrained joy (and unusual timing) that was on display in my kitchen this morning. 😉

Enjoy your weekend!

Wild Horse photo courtesy of Adnan Islam.

Name My Next Contemporary Romance Series #Giveaway

November 18, 2014 by ReeseRyan

Today I’m over on Hot M.A.M.A. Land celebrating our Hot Holiday #Giveaway Days. During each one of our posts, between now and December 19th, commenters will be entered in that day’s giveaway and into the two grand prize giveaways of a $50 gift card and a handbag.

In today’s post, I’m asking readers for help naming a new contemporary romance series I’m writing that will be set in a small, but growing, town in North Carolina. Hop over to my post on Hot M.A.M.A. Land and tell me in the comments which of the possible series names you prefer (or share your idea). Then you’ll be entered in today’s giveaway and the grand prize giveaway. If I choose your series name, I’m offering an additional bonus that will make you one of the first to read the first book in the series.

Good luck!

Note to self: Publication is a journey, not a destination

August 5, 2014 by ReeseRyan

This month over on the Contemporary Romance Cafe the topic is: the road to publication.

I turned that thought over and over in my head and I just couldn’t come up with anything. Sure, I have my basic story of how I came to be published, but it didn’t feel like it even began to scratch the surface of the real story.

Publishing has changed dramatically in the past few years. While stories of the road to publication fit the old model of publishing, they only tell the partial story of what it’s like getting published and then staying relevant in the digital age where e-books rule supreme and publishers are consuming each other faster than Ms. Pac-Man gobbled up those darned power pellets.

While many authors are still going the traditional publishing route, there are other treks available. Small publisher. Digital-first publishers. Indie publishing.

Best of all, we aren’t obligated to take one trek or the other. Many authors have found great success going the hybrid route, whether it begins with trad publishers or as indie publishers. All of this is empowering for both authors and readers.

Yet, my basic “road to publication” story didn’t cover any of those exciting nuances.

Then, this morning, it hit me. Like happiness, publication isn’t a destination, it’s a journey.

Signing that first contract, seeing our first book in print (or online), that’s only the first step. Like reaching the first check-in point on a long-distance trek. There are many, many more peaks and valleys ahead and the geography is constantly changing.

I invite you to hop over to the Contemporary Romance Cafe where I share my journey of publication. I’d love to hear yours.

PS: The cover on display is from my first foreign language edition, Una stagione eccitante, recently released in Italy.

Ciao!

Getting Down and Dirty with Your Characters via the Character Sketch

June 25, 2014 by ReeseRyan

As a writer I both love and loathe the character sketch.

Creating a character sketch can be fun. The exercise nets the kind of knowledge one uncovers during happy hour with the straight-laced co-worker who has a secret life you never imagined. It allows a writer to get elbow-deep in a character’s mind and discover her motivations. A character sketch can unlock a chest of unexpected treasures which will bring the character to life and make the story more vibrant. Even when that information is never told directly to the reader, it informs the writer’s knowledge and can have a powerful impact on the story.

I use a detailed character sketch to propel my relationship with my characters from that of casual acquaintances to close friends and confidantes. This enables me to understand my characters in ways that even they have yet to discover.

So why do I also loathe the character sketch?

Because excavating your character’s life and brain in this manner feels like digging up a quarter acre lot with a 5-inch archaeology trowel, as opposed to a shovel. It’s hard, gut-wrenching work.

Perhaps that’s what makes it so much sweeter when, sweaty, dirty and on the verge of giving up, you discover a tiny treasure of unspeakable value. Like a lost wedding ring the owner never thought she’d see again.

In those moments, it all becomes worth it. Every blister, every cut, every broken finger nail. Even if you aren’t the ultimate benefactor of the intense treasure hunt.

The primary beneficiary of the character sketch is the reader. Not because we should proceed to dump every obscure bit of the character’s backstory in the reader’s lap. But because the character rings truer and comes alive on the page.

Character sketches written after the release of a book can be both fun and functional for readers. It can be fun for past readers to understand more about the character. On the other hand, it gives prospective readers a peek into the character’s psyche to see if it’s worth investing their valuable time into getting to know this character better.

Today I’m over at the Romance Lives Forever Blog doing a character sketch of the volatile and complicated Jamie Charles, the heroine in my most recent release, Love Me Not. Here is a brief excerpt:

What is your character’s family like?

Jamie comes from a broken home and had a very difficult childhood. Her father left home when she was about ten. Her mother was an alcoholic and drug addict. Jamie had planned to run away from home at thirteen, but her best friend’s family took her in and became her legal guardians. She loves them and is fiercely loyal to them. Yet, she trusts few other people.

Is she close to family?

Jamie is very close to her adopted family. However, she hasn’t seen her biological father since she was ten and hasn’t seen her biological mother in more than fifteen years.

If someone from your character’s past showed up, who would she NOT want it to be, and why?

The last person in the world that Jamie would want to see is her biological mother, Josephine Charles. Yet, near the outset of the story, that is exactly what happens. Josephine is trying to get her life together and wants to make amends with Jamie. This sets off a series of events in which Jamie is forced to deal with extremely painful secrets from her past that neither she nor Josephine are truly prepared to face.

Read the entire character sketch here.

As a writer, do you use character sketches? If so, what do you like or hate about them? As a reader, have you ever purchased a book based on a character sketch?

Dirty Girl 2013 by Shawn Perez. Some rights reserved.
Archaeology trowel photo courtesy of Michael Homan. All rights reserved.

Diverse Families and the Shades of Romance

June 12, 2014 by ReeseRyan

Today the Swirl Awards hosts the 2nd Annual Loving Day Blog Hop. This online event joins various other celebrations across the United States which commemorate the U.S Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Loving v. Virginia, which struck down anti-miscegenation laws in the United States.

That landmark decision removed legal barriers that prohibited marriage between couples of different races. However, many of the societal deterrents remained firmly in place.

It is no longer uncommon to see diverse families in our communities. In fact, the majority of us would hardly give a second thought to seeing a woman walking down the street with a baby of another ethnicity in her arms. Yet, for those of us living outside of that experience, it is easy to forget that not everyone in the world is as an opened-minded and accepting as we are.

Then an innocent Cheerios commercial features a diverse family with a Caucasian mother and an African-American father and suddenly all hell breaks loose.

Such moments remind us of the importance of commemorating decisions like Loving v. Virginia and that for all the ~~delusions~~ talk of a post-racial society, the world really isn’t made of sunshine and rainbows and we’ve got a lot of work to do, as a society, still.

In the Today Show segment above, one of the observations made is that interracial families are rarely portrayed on television, especially in advertising. As our nation becomes increasingly diverse, such a glaring absence of multicultural families in advertising and other media is decreasingly reflective of who we are as a society.

Art often reflects society. However, it also has the power to shape it. Diversity in art, such as movies, television shows and multicultural books isn’t just entertaining. It can also subtly shift our mindset. There is no shortage of multicultural art available, including multicultural and interracial romances penned by many of the authors taking part in the Loving Day Blog Hop. However, unless we raise the profile of diverse books and movies, few mainstream readers will ever see them. One of the many reasons #WeNeedDiverseBooks.

But that’s a post for another day. 😉

The LOVING DAY BLOG HOP, which celebrates the many shades of romance, kicks off at 9:00 am EST today and features posts by participating authors on a variety of topics surrounding interracial love/marriage, and of course the Lovings. They’ve also graciously donated free books, gift cards and swag to help us celebrate. So be sure to visit the next author along the stop.

Here at the Reese Ryan Diaries, I’m giving away digital copies of the two books in my Bad Boys Gone Good series: Love Me Not and Making the First Move. The stories feature heroines Jamie Charles and Melanie Gordon, both members of the diverse, non-traditional Gordon family.

To participate and enter to win great prizes during the Loving Day Blog Hop:

Leave a comment on this post to enter for a chance to win digital copies of both books in my Bad Boys Gone Good series: Love Me Not and Making the First Move.

Enter the Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/74d7d71/

Go back to Loving Day Hop Master List

Go to the next stop on the hop and visit with Sydney Arrison.

Recommendations needed: Romance trilogy or series featuring the same couple

May 29, 2014 by ReeseRyan

I’m working on a historical romance set during the Harlem Renaissance. My original idea was to write a series featuring three different couples. To be honest, I’m still strongly inclined to follow through with that plan.

However, I’m exploring the possibility of going deeper into the story of how these two characters get together. To accomplish that, I considered revealing their love story over a series of three novellas. So, I’d like to read a few romance trilogies or series that feature a single couple and that are done especially well.

Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series has been recommended by several people, so I’m putting it at the top of my list. What other series would you recommend and why?

Also, I’d love to hear your opinion on this type of series.

Do you like this deeper exploration of a love story? Or does it drive you crazy and you’d rather have the romance wrapped up in a single novel?

Guest Post: Take a Coffee Break or How to Have More Time to Write by Amy Denim

January 15, 2014 by ReeseRyan

I love Some E-cards because of the true, but snarky insight into the world, especially when it comes to social media. My own biggest social media fail? The space-time vortex of Facebook, Twitter, etc known as The Timesuck.(Dun dun duhhhhhhhhhhn)

Last year I’m pretty sure I wrote more words on social media than I did on my WIPs. Woops.

But I had to build my platform, right? Ugh. How to combine writing and being on social media…

Coffee Breaks.

Yep, you read that right. The key to getting both done was – no, not more caffeine, but taking ten to fifteen minute breaks in my writing flurry to let my brain have a break and get my online socializing done at the same time.

Here’s what I came up with.

The Coffee Break Mentality

Coffee Break Guide to Social Media for Writers — Need to make more time for your writing? Get your copy of *The Coffee Break to Social Media for Writers,* available on Amazon.

1. Pick one social media site and be really good at it. Only after you’re comfortable using that one (and doing it well, not being a spammer) pick a couple more to pop onto every once in a while.

2. Take Social Media Coffee Breaks. When you sit down to write, it’s a good idea to take a brain break, get up from your desk, grab a drink and stretch at least once an hour. When you do that take a few minutes of your break to check in on your favorite social media platform. Say hi to a few people, post a funny Some e-card and by the time you’ve finished your coffee (or Mountain Dew or Earl Grey) you’ve done a great job on social media and it’s time to get back to writing.

3. Focus by having a plan. It’s so easy to scroll through your Facebook newsfeed, stare at Twitter or lollygag at all the pretty pictures on Pinterest for hours. Well, you’re going to whittle that down to fifteen minutes (set a timer if you have to) but what can you do in those fifteen minutes that will be effective interactions?

You need a plan. I recommend the power of three.

3 scrolls. Whichever social media site you’re on, you probably have to scroll down a couple times to see what’s going on with your people. Limit that to three times and you won’t get sucked too far in.

Comment on three people’s posts. Remember, social media is all about being social. Talk to someone!

Make three friends. Follow or friend three new people. Don’t ask them to check out your website, Facebook page or book, just say hi. Take a genuine interest in them, Don’t be a spammer.

Don’t be a Some E-card meme. If you’re wasting time on social media try my Coffee Break Mentality. Start with those three ideas and if you want more, check out The Coffee Break Guide to Social Media for Writers: How To Be Successful on Social Media and Still Have Time toWrite.

Do you have questions about how to be successful on social media? Ask them here! One lucky commenter will win a copy of the book and one hour of social media consulting with me!

Meet Amy Denim

Amy Denim writes business books for writers and contemporary romance. She loves hot heroes (like chefs and cowboys) and curvy intelligent heroines (like chefs and cowgirls.)

She’s been a franchise sales coordinator, a lifeguard, a personal shopper, and a teacher of English as a Foreign Language. But now she spends her days reading and writing at her local library or in her book cave.

Amy started out her writer’s life scared out of her wits because she didn’t have a business plan, hadn’t yet created an online platform, wasn’t on Twitter, didn’t have a Facebook fanpage and had never even heard of Goodreads. She just wrote books. So she spent a year becoming a publishing industry information fiend and now does consulting for creatives on how to use take control of their writing careers. She started Coffee Break Social Media to help writers and artists learn to use SM platforms effectively (without the scare tactics) but still have time to create. She believes business plans and social media can be every writer’s friend, sometimes they just need an introduction.

Visit Amy on her author website at www.AmyDenim.com or for tips and tricks on the writing business at www.coffeebreaksocialmedia.com.