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6/26/2008
I got the new cover for my September book, SHEIK PROTECTOR. I love it. You can even see the scars on Karim's back. My all time favorite cover is still SHEIK SEDUCTION, but I'm very happy with this one as well. It's such a thrill to see a cover for the first time. I always worry myself silly that they'll do some major mess-up like give my characters different color hair or stg. But so far, the only cover that got just about everything wrong was Intimate Details. Nobody complained, though. Could be covers are not as important to readers as we authors think.
I'm rushing to meet deadline, but I'm trying to keep up with posting new chapters for THE THIRD SCROLL. Are you reading it? If you like it, would you consider sending a link to a friend? I am having so much fun rereading this book as I post it chapter by chapter. I actually missed the characters. Does that sound crazy?
Have a wonderful weekend,
Dana
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5/20/2008
I can't remember if I posted yet about our parakeet flying away. Well, we haven't found him. :-( But our zoo has expanded. We have 10 baby ducks!!! Peanut, our beagle, loves them. She views them as friends. She went crazy over the rabbits back at Easter. She viewed them more as something to hunt. So the rabbits had to go to grandma.
I'm editing TALL, DARK & LETHAL. It's another romantic thriller that will be a December release. I'm having tons of fun with this book. I'll post an excerpt soon.
But next, I'm posting a book. That's right, a whole book just for you. It's a gift to all my wonderful readers out there. I'll be posting THE THIRD SCROLL soon. (As soon as my web master can set up a separate page for it.) I'm hoping to post a chapter a day, depending on my schedule and other emergencies.
Talking about emergencies... We just got Peanut back from the vet. She is very sick from a tick. Got a ton of shots for fever and the tick ,etc. etc. Poor puppy. I'm supposed to keep her inside and make her drink lots of black tea with honey. So I'm having 5 o'clock tea with my dog.
Dana
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4/13/2008
I've been reading an older book, Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown. It's fantastic. She's one of my favorite writers. I love the detail she puts into her books and that she doesn't pull any punches. She takes you to a whole other world. Her New Orleans characters are fabulous.
Not that I'm supposed to be reading. I'm supposed to be doing taxes. Yuck! I'm all for the uniform tax. It would save so much work for everyone. I really rather be writing or reading.
OK, mostly reading. I'm starting a new manuscript and having a hard time with it. Don't know the characters enough yet. I don't feel swept away by the storyline yet, and as such, how am I supposed to make readers feel swept away? Some books start like jumping on a treadmill when it's already going full speed. I just hang on for dear life as I write the story down. Other books are more finicky. But once I find that perfect starting point, usually everything else falls in to place.
I'm about to send out my spring newsletter. (Only two weeks late.) Contest winners will be announced! Then I'm going to tally the survey responses and post the results here. I had some very interesting responses. :-)
Have a wonderful day! Dana
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4/7/2008
Catching Up
I just finished and sent in Tall, Dark & Lethal. Yay! Finishing a manuscript is a great feeling. The only one better is when I’m starting something new. Which I’ve done already. I got started on the first chapter of another sheik book, Desert Ice Daddy. I wish I could take a mini-vacation between books to clear my cluttered mind, but that’s not an option at this stage.
Spring is in full swing here. Daily rain and all. I know it’s good for the flowers, but I really need to get out there and weed.
As a treat for having finished this last manuscript, I went to the IMAX theatre and saw the Buenos Aires U2 concert in 3D. It was fantastic!!! And yet, in a way, a little disappointing. Nobody was jumping up and down and screaming the songs at the top of their lungs. Watching a concert in a movie theatre is very different from being at a concert. LOL. The 3D thing was great, though. I felt right on the stage with the band. Could have reached out and touched them.
I have a thing for Irish bands. U2 and The Proclaimers are some of my favorites, although, they are not at all alike.
Now that the weekend is over, it’s time to get back to work. Housework, too. I tend to neglect the house when there’s a deadline looming. Hope everyone is having a great week so far.
Dana
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3/12/2008
It's been a while since I blogged. I've been rushing to meet a deadline. TALL, DARK & LETHAL, my new romantic thriller for Harlequin Intrigue is due on April 1st. I'm so excited about this book! I love reading and writing thrillers, and most of my books contain thriller elements. My first official thriller is coming to stores next month, but is already available online at www.eharlequin.com.
72 HOURS is a fast-paced thriller about an embassy hostage crisis in Paris, France. Undercover agent, Parker McCall, is running for his life, nowhere near being done with his last mission when he receives a new one, to save the U.S. Consul in Paris who's been taken hostage.
Being held in a building stuffed with explosives and biological weapons, Kate Hamilton didn't think her situation could get worse. But then they send the devil to rescue her-- her ex.
BTW, www.eharlequin is running a special right now (I think it ends today, though). They'll give you an extra 10% off any of their books. This is a great deal, since they already sell all their books at a 20% discount on that site. Something to check out.
Dana
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1/8/2008
Interview with Tracy Montoya
Tracy Montoya is one of my favorite writers. I've read all of her books in one sitting. Then slept with the light on. She is scary and funny and brilliant. And I was lucky enough that she agreed to answer some questions from me. ENJOY!
Dana
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1. Did you always want to be a writer? How did you start? What compelled you to write the first book?
I didn't actually always want to be a writer. I never realized I was much good at it, although I certainly liked writing and enjoyed doing short stories and vignettes for English class. It wasn't until I got to high school that one of my English teachers (Don't so many of our how-we-got-started-as-writers stories begin with "this one English teacher?") pretty much took it upon herself to verbally bludgeon me on a regular basis with the idea that I should be a writer, God bless her.
She continued this for all four years of high school, so by the time I got to college, the idea had started to stick. I was pre-law for exactly one semester, and when I realized with some degree of horror that I would no longer have regular English classes for the next four years, I switched my major to English literature. I took a class as a college senior with a published horror/mystery author, who also told me I should be a writer, and I credit that incredible encouragement from both of them for the fact that I'm a writer today. Otherwise, I don't know that I would have had a clue that I could actually do this professionally. During my school years, being a writer seemed about as likely as being a Hollywood actress or a rock star!
As for what compelled me to write the first book, I can sum it up in one word--unemployment. I had just finished a two-year stint as an English teacher on an "emergency" teaching certificate with the Teach for America program, when I met and married a Naval officer. So moving around every two years shot my plan of getting my full teaching certification (while continuing to be in the classroom on emergency certification) to pieces. We had moved to an area of Washington state where teaching jobs were pretty hard to come by, so I started job hunting and decided that when I wasn't sending out resumes or going on interviews, I'd try writing and see where it got me!
2. What does your typical workday look like?
Ugh, I WISH I had a typical workday. Generally, it starts with a giant vat of Diet Coke and a prolonged process of getting my reluctant, strangely nocturnal preschoolers fed, jammed into their clothes, and off to school. Then I get back, have breakfast and some more Diet Coke, and knock out whatever I need to to make deadlines for my day job--in my other life, I edit a magazine and newsletter for a DC-based nonprofit.
And whenever I can fit in some extra time--lunch hour, end of the day, all day on Friday--I write. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance work, writing, and motherhood. I'm hoping that next year might involve more motherhood and less work--with probably the same amount of writing!
3. You've written some chilling storylines. Does that come naturally? Do you ever scare yourself with a plot?
Well, I'm a natural worst-case-scenario thinker, and a lot of my worrying can get really dark. So it's actually been a very healthy thing for me to write about those worries (i.e. Serial killers! Kidnappers! Identity theft! Mad scientists! Spider invasions! People-eating sand holes!) in gross exacting detail and then kill them--literally or figuratively.
I don't often scare myself, but the occasions where I do generally involve my writing alone at night about a heroine who is alone at night and being stalked by a villain. It's pretty easy to put yourself in a woman-in-jeopardy's shoes when all the sights and sounds around you are similar to hers!
4. What is the most important thing a writer can do to ensure readers will come back for the next book?
I wish I knew. I guess it all comes down to writing the best book you can, editing it so you don't have plot holes or major errors, and hoping for the best!
5. Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?
OH yeah. I just write through it. I've found that writer's block really is no match for a few days of sitting at my computer and actively trying to break through it. ("Break on through. Break on through. Break on through to the other side.")
(I apologize for the Doors interlude. It just happened.)
And even if I just manage to squeak out a few paragraphs on those bad days, they are often paragraphs I can use later on--and upon reflection, not as bad as I thought they were when I first wrote them!
Another technique I use is to skip whatever scene I'm working on and move on to a different scene that I find more inspiring at the moment. I tend to write in sequence, from start to finish. But if I'm stuck, I'll just write something like, "INSERT SCENE WITH CAR AND FISH HERE," and then move on to the following scene. Once I've gotten my groove back, then I'll return to the car and fish scene that I found so troubling and muddle through it.
6. Have you ever had to abandon a project halfway through because of plot issues, or do you think a good writer should be able to fix any problems?
I'm a plotter, so I'll plot entire stories in gross, exacting detail before I ever start writing. So I generally don't have to abandon them in medias res, because I've worked through all of the plot details beforehand. Sometimes I've had to abandon a scene or two because of length (as in, I'm getting too close to the end to throw in yet another car chase or gun fight or dead body before the final confrontation with the villain), but not entire books.
Although I did abandon my first-ever manuscript after chapter seven. Mostly because A) I hadn't yet discovered I was a plotter, and so tried to write the thing by the seat of my pants--with disastrous results; and B) I knew nada about telling a compelling story, so I think the entire first half of the book was basically a series of one-liners and this neverending shopping scene where the heroine nattered on about her backstory and all of her life problems to date. It took way too long to get to the good stuff that would have compelled an editor and a reader, and I had to give up on it for sanity's sake. Could it be fixed? Sure! But I think there's too much mental baggage with that one, so I'm better off leaving it under the bed.
7. Romance publishing is constantly changing. What would you recommend to those new writers who are trying to break into this industry? What's the most important thing they can do to lay the foundations of becoming a career novelist?
The most successful writers, IMHO, don't try to chase trends but instead write a story that really grabs them--something they would like to read. And that love for what they're doing and the story they're creating shows. The market is a cycle--what comes around goes around. (I'm fighting off a Justin Timberlake interlude here.) So even if you're writing a straight-up contemporary romance and have been told that editors are just not buying straight-up contemporaries, rest assured that they will come back. I just read online somewhere that Ballatine editor Shauna Summers is "actively looking" for straight-up contemporaries.
So sticking with what you love is so much better than trying to write to the market without a passion for your subject matter.
And I think the most important thing writers can do is just to write the best books they can. I know a writer who kept saying she was "saving" her best writing for a time when her publisher paid her more money. She's still waiting--you're not going to get the good offers unless you turn in quality again and again and again.
8. Is there another genre you would like to try? How about another sub-genre of romance?
I am between contracts right now, and I'm finally working on a Latina women's fiction book that I've had in my head forEVER. I also love Intrigue and never want to stop writing romantic suspense. I like inserting paranormal-ish elements--by the -ish, I mean elements that are supernatural but well-grounded in reality, like Sophie the psychic who sucks in my December release Telling Secrets. So I'm planning to dabble more with that, but you probably won't see me doing any vampires or werewolves!
9. What's next for you?
Again, the Latina lit, hopefully another contract with Intrigue, and then ... who knows?
10. Could you talk a little about your current release, TELLING SECRETS?
Oooh, I'm terrible with blurbs, but here goes. Telling Secrets is the second book I've done for Intrigue featuring search and rescue trackers in Washington state. I have this problem, where I totally geek out over research and then want to chuck it all and take on a new career, inspired by my characters. These tracker stories were no exception.
This one focuses on SAR tracker Alex Gray, who has a dark secret in his past that he's kept hidden from everyone--his father murdered someone when Alex was a child and has been on the run ever since. Alex has a chance meeting with self-professed "psychic-who-sucks" Sophie Brennan, who gives him a seemingly random prediction that leads him to a dead body in the woods--one that appears to be connect to his long-lost father.
Anyway, since I'm bad at blurbs, here's the one that's on the back cover, which is really nice, though sort of coy about the whole psychic angle:
As an experienced search-and-rescue tracker, Alex Gray had solved his share of mysteries. But beneath his cool Lakota demeanor, Alex was running from his own dark secrets ? including a traumatic family history that connected him to a killer. Now someone from his past had returned to play a deadly game. And only one woman could help him?.
Sophie Brennan knew that Alex was the key to stopping the string of murders plaguing the Washington mountains. But as the authorities questioned her credibility, she had to resist the almost mystical connection she shared with Alex. For hiding in the shadows, someone was waiting to silence her whispered warnings ?forever.
Thanks so much for having me, Dana! It's been a pleasure!
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12/7/2008
New review for SHEIK SEDUCTION from Cataromance:
Any book with Dana Marton as the author is guaranteed to be fantastic. Sheik Seduction is an excellent example.
Dana Marton brings Tariq and Sara to life so realistically that you can?t help but fall in love with them and root for a happy ending. Tariq had only recently returned to Baharrain from the USA where he had been sent to prevent any attempts on his life. As a result, confidence was an issue for him and his people. With Sara at his side, he was able to overcome this. Sara?s relationship with Jeff had left her with confidence issues as well, something with which Tariq helped. Together these two were unstoppable.
The plot was also realistic and pulls the reader in immediately with the non stop action and the twists and turns. Sheik Seduction is an excellent read, one that will keep you up reading past your bedtime. Action, suspense, danger and passion - Sheik Seduction has it all. Dana Marton?s talent as a writer dazzles the reader throughout the pages of Sheik Seduction. --CataRomance (Debby Guyette)
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1/4/2008
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course, I had to start mine with pneumonia. But now I figure I have all the bad luck out of the way for 2008 and nothing but blue skies ahead :-)
The first bit of good luck I discovered is that SHEIK SEDUCTION is available early. It wasn't supposed the be out until Jan. 8th, but for some reason it's in all the online stores already and I'm guessing in the regular bookstores as well. Yay!!! I really enjoyed writing Tariq, the book's hero. He had a pretty tough childhood, a lot of bad things happened to him, making him the man he is today. To explain what I mean, I'm posting an episode from his early days. Enjoy!
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"Tariq?" the sheika yelled as she ran through the palace, her bare feet slapping on the marble floor. "Have you seen Tariq?" she demanded of the guard at the end of the dark hallway, desperation squeezing her throat.
"Probably playing somewhere." His gaze implied he thought her a hysterical female. He didn't take her seriously.
They never did.
She ran on, knowing she could expect no help from the man?not from him, not from the others. She thought of the two sons she had already lost, and cold fear curled in her stomach. She wept.
"Tariq?" She opened one door after another and tried not to think of Habib, who at the age of four had been found after just such a night, crumpled at the bottom of the stairs.
A sleepwalker, they'd said.
She was his mother. She knew better.
Her giant belly hurt from the mad rush, and she put a hand over it, over the sons who waited to see the world. The sheik was happy.
The sheika had hoped for a girl.
She ran forward, down one corridor, up more stairs. The palace was riddled with passageways: some splendid, some used by servants, others secret and known only to the family. She hated to think of Tariq lost in the maze at night, hunted like a small animal by unseen enemies.
Her child.
Would none of her sons live long enough to pass out of the nursery? She cursed the greed of men, the line of succession and the fact that she was the sheik's favorite wife, garnering more envy than she could defend her children against.
"Allah, let me find him hale tonight." She whispered the same words she had said so many times before.
If Tariq made it past age eight and moved into his father's care, perhaps he would be safe. Nobody would dare touch him that close to the sheik. She would hate to see him go, but was willing to give him up to save him.
She heard footsteps in the darkness and moved silently in the direction of the sound. Small steps. Tariq. She didn't dare call his name. Heavy boots thumped on the marble behind her.
Her lungs were straining after her desperate race through the palace, and from being squeezed by the babies she carried. The air in the room was thick with the scent of incense that had been burned earlier, making it even harder for her to breathe, to think.
At the last second, she hid behind heavy brocade curtains, and when she saw the five-year-old who was the light of her heart stumble by, she reached out and pulled him in, put a hand over his mouth. He recognized her immediately?by scent or feel, she didn't know. He didn't make a sound. She wrapped her trembling arms around him, stifling the sob of relief that bubbled up her throat.
She had found him in time. Allah be blessed.
There was a secret panel behind her. She opened it and slid inside, pressed the wood back into place. Men entered the room, talking.
"Check everywhere. He's small. There, under the divan."
Keeping her arms tight around her son, she willed her heart to still. The men wouldn't know about the secret hiding place. She waited, motionless and silent, clinging to that hope.
But there was a scraping noise on the other side of the panel, and it popped open, a flashlight blinding her. She couldn't see the men who surrounded them. Fear slowed her heart as she slid in front of Tariq. They could only take him if she were dead.
But Tariq pushed forward, putting his small body between her and the men, trying to protect her. The gesture just about broke her heart. She pulled him back.
Tense seconds passed as her eyes adjusted to the light. She wasn't surprised to see her own guard. The captain watched her, and she knew he was thinking about whether two accidental deaths would be one too many for one night.
Four, she thought, sliding one hand off Tariq's shoulder to curl protectively around her stomach.
"There you are," the man said, and moved back, allowing them room to step out. "We received word that Tariq was missing, and came looking for the child."
She moved with effort, her enormous belly slowing her down. Wary of a trap, she didn't dare feel relief, but kept her son close.
"We will return you to your rooms, Sheika. It is careless of you to roam the palace this time of the night."
She nodded, noting how his eyes narrowed with displeasure, the disappointment of an interrupted hunt.
She didn't take an easy breath until she was inside her quarters, where no man was allowed but her husband, the sheik. She closed the door behind her, locked it, although she knew it mattered little. She wouldn't let Tariq's hand go as she walked around and checked on her daughters who were sleeping peacefully.
"You sleep with me," she told Tariq.
For once, he didn't argue that he was a big boy and too old for that.
They slipped into bed, and she held him against her, as close as her giant belly allowed. She had to get him out of the palace to save him.
At the birth of each of her previous sons, the sheik had gifted her with a boon, allowed her a request he'd promised he would not deny. The new babes would come soon. If they were healthy and pleasing to the sheik' s eyes...
Tariq had to go far, far away. If even the guards were hunting him now... None of them were safe, perhaps not even the sheik. His successor, a son by the first wife, was impatient for the throne.
But the old man wouldn't see it that way. He had a favorite wife, and also a favorite son. And he was blind to the young sheik's faults.
Little Tariq's body gave a shudder in his sleep. His mother smoothed a hand over his thick, dark hair, hoping he would feel her presence and be calmed even in his dreams.
"Shhh." She placed a light kiss on the top of his head.
"Whatever I have to do, whatever I have to give, you will be safe."
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12/19/2007
I'm reading Julie Miller's At Your Command. Wow. This book is fantastic. Julie does great characters and her novels have a very distinct mood that just draws the reader in. If you like military heroes, you'll love this one.
But don't take my word for it. The book was an RT Top Pick. Here is what the magazine's reviewer said:
"Marine Corps Captain Zachariah Clark had only known attorney Becky Owens for six days when he asked her to marry him and then left for 18 months of active duty. When he returns, the lust is still there. But there's much they don't know about each other. The only child of an important mover and shaker, Becky has worked to become independent of her overprotective father. Now, she has a stalker. Zachariah is suffering from flashbacks from his last mission, but he doesn't want to worry Becky. The struggles of a masculine hero and a strong, emotionally torn woman make At Your Command an exciting romantic suspense. Julie Miller excels at creating heroes, and Zachariah is no exception."
Happy reading,
Dana
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12/17/2007
What Intrigue Novels Taught me about Christmas
Lately I've been noticing that Christmas has become somewhat of a challenge. Too much traveling, too much shopping, a lot of cleaning and preparation. It's no longer just a family and/or church thing. It's an Olympic EVENT. First it used to be Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, plus Boxing Day in some countries the day after. I'm even okay with The Twelve Days of Christmas. (I'm sure a partridge would look cute in a pear tree. It's a very wholesome image all around, nature and whatnot. We better enjoy it before partridges make it to the endangered species list due to global warming.) But The Two Months of Christmas? Please?! I've gotten used to Christmas decorations going up in stores after Thanksgiving. But lately, they go up right after Halloween. Then there are the dinners. Dinner at mother's house. Dinner at grandma's house. Dinner at the in-law's house. Dinner at the neighbors. Dinner with close friends. The office party. My husband's office party. Christmas party with the writers' group. Church christmas get together. etc. etc. Hello, my brand new two sizes larger pants. Christmas shopping can become a contact sport. Then there is the who-is-going-to-get-into-a-fight-this-year-after-the-second-bottle-of-eggnog game.
I've been thinking yesterday that Christmas is almost like an action/adventure story now. Then I realized that hey, I write those so I should be able to get a handle on this thing. So here is what I learned from Harlequin Intrigue for surviving the holidays:
1. Food is not that important. The action heroes of my books have been known to eat bugs straight off the jungle floor. Seriously. Everyone is already stuffed to the gills. I think many guests would be more than happy to skip another feast. I LOVE the idea of Christmas Tea. I've done this in the past and it worked out great. I invited guests mid-afternoon and we had tea and cookies instead of a 5 course dinner later. It was lovely. Best china. Blueberry scones from scratch. European pastry. (To mark this occasion as special, I didn't make the usual brownies and chocolate chip cookies.) I set up the coffee table as a separate table for all the little girls in their Christmas dresses to have their own tea party (with clear juice that won't leave a stain on the carpet.) Friends LOVED these, because they were something different.
2. It's the company that counts. Intrigue heroes and heroines find themselves in plenty of hot water. But they make a great team, and that's what will save them at the end. As long as you are with the ones you love, relax, everything else is just icing on the cake.
3. Accept that there will be trouble. The black moment is coming. The eggnog will run out. Some cookies will burn. Aunt Sybil will pick a fight with your best friend again. Just fight the good fight and hang in there until the happy ending.
4. And remember, if you don't like the way this novel (um.. Christmas) turned out, there's always the next and the next and the next.
Dana
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12/16/2007
I'm blogging at http://www.intrigueauthors.com today. Come and chat with me. I'll be checking the blog all day, answering questions. If you post a question or remark, you'll be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of Sheik Seduction. Since only a handful of people usually post each day, that's a pretty good chance for winning.
Hope to see you there,
Dana
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12/7/2007
If you want to talk with a whole roomful of Intrigue authors, be sure to check out our Holiday Blog Blitz that starts December 1st and runs through New Year's on the Intrigue Authors blog (www.intrigueauthors.com). We'll have a different Intrigue author posting every day--and your comments could win you free books! You'll get posts from yours truly, plus Julie Miller, Delores Fossen, Mallory Kane, Rebecca York, Patricia Rosemoor, Rita Herron, Joanna Wayne, BJ Daniels, Ann Voss Peterson, newcomer Carol Ericson, Tracy Montoya, Elle James, Donna Young--and maybe even a surprise visit from a few more! Go to the blog--ask a question or leave a comment, and you'll be eligible to win a free book donated by our authors. We'll give away a book for each day a reader posts. (No more than one prize per person per week) And did I mention there'd be prizes?
Good luck!
Dana
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12/6/2007
I just saw that MY BODYGUARD is featured as a holiday book sale item at www.eharlequin.com for $2.99.
They also have some pretty good daily offers from Dec. 1 through 12. Today's deal is, you get all ebooks half price.
I can never resist a book sale. My husband always says I've never seen a book I didn't want, and he is so right. I just need more bookshelves now :-) I always pick up a few new reads for myself for the holidays. After all the cleaning, cooking and visiting, it's nice to take a little me time at the end of the day and read.
Wishing you lots of good books in your Christmas stockings,
Dana
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12/1/2007
SHEIK SEDUCTION IS NOW AVAILABLE
SHEIK SEDUCTION is now available at eHarlequin one month before the official release date to stores--at a 20% discount. And on top of that, it was chosen for a special promotion. If you buy 2 books at eHarlequin, you get the third one free. So if you buy 2 other books, you get SHEIK SEDUCTION free!!! I've never been part of a special promotion before so I'm pretty excited :-))
Here is the blurb they posted:
"She had planned to be all business, but nothing could have prepared Sara for the strength and sensuality of Sheik Tariq Abdullah. When they met, she couldn't help but respond to the magnetism of this powerful man.
Born to rule, Tariq was used to being obeyed. When their convoy was brutally ambushed and the honey-haired American consultant Sara Reeves was attacked, he'd do anything to protect the woman at his side.
Trapped in the desert, surrounded by unseen enemies, he would fight to get Sara to safety?but they couldn't fight a desire hotter than the burning sands."
They also have an excerpt up. Enjoy!
Dana
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11/20/2007
Romantic Times BookClub posted their reviews a week early, so I already have the review for SHEIK SEDUCTION!!! All good news. Can stop holding my breath. Here is what my favorite reviewer, Pat Cooper says:
"Dana Marton takes palace intrigue, wraps it in the sexy silk of an Arabian night's dream and then throttles up the suspense in Sheik Seduction (4.5). When desert bandits attack their caravan, public relations expert Sara Reese is swept along with fellow survivor Sheik Tariq Abdullah in a battle for survival. As they try to find a traitor, they flee across the burning desert, dodging drug dealers and assassins. With only each other to rely on, Tariq and Sara discover a love that may transcend their cultures."
I'm smiling from ear to ear and celebrating with hazelnut pudding.
Have a great day!
Dana
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11/15/2007
I have double reason to celebrate today. A new baby was born into the family, Ester. She's 5 lbs of cutie pie. As soon as I can upload a picture of hers, I'll post it here. I love babies!!! My other reason to celebrate is that I finally put the partial of SHEIK PROTECTOR in the mail to my editor. Yay! When I sell a book, I sell it on an idea. Then at one point, my editor wants to see how I'm progressing, so I'll send the first 3 chapters, plus the outline for the rest of the book (called "partial" in industry terms). Then she won't hear from me again until the book is done and she gets the full manuscript.
The hero of SHEIK PROTECTOR is the brother of the hero in SHEIK SEDUCTION that's coming out next month (scroll down for cover photo, it's worth the effort :-). This second book will be a fall 2008 release.
The bad news is, that once I'm done with SHEIK PROTECTOR, I don't have any other books under contract. So I sent eight story ideas to my editor at the beginning of the week, hoping that she will like at least some of them. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. Since I'm a full-time writer and have no other income, I have my fingers, legs and eyes crossed. (No, won't be posting a picture of that.)
Anyone started on their Christmas shopping yet? Not me. But I'll have to soon. I'm determined not to leave it to the last minute this year. I'm begging Santa for a dishwasher. Santa, if you're reading this blog.. PUHLEEASE!!!!!
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11/12/2007
Okay, I was so enamored with the cover model for SHEIK SEDUCTION that I didn't even realize there's a mistake on the cover until someone asked me where that beach was. In the book, the hero is in a bathtub. A luxurious, oversized tub, but still... :-) And yet, I still don't care. A good cover model makes up for a lot of mistakes. ;-)
I recently gave an interview at Jennifer's Random Musings. Check it out HERE. I love her site, there's always something interesting going on. And she updates it way more often than I do mine, which is dedication I envy.
Anyone into werewolves? There's a discussion going on about them at the Intrigue Author's blog.. I have to admit, I scare easily so I haven't been reading a lot of these. But this discussion really has me intrigued (pun intended). Broadening one's horizons is always a good idea, right?
Have a wonderful day! Dana
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11/01/2007
Woo, hoo! I finally have the cover for SHEIK SEDUCTION. Is it hot or what?! I love the new model they chose for this cover. Perfect. The book will be available in exactly one month on www.eharlequin.com. Did you know they sell all Harlequin/Silhouette releases straight to readers from their web site, one month earlier than the general availability from all other book sellers? And they also give a 20% discount on all their books if purchased through their web site. :-)
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10/26/07
The January covers are slowly trickling into amazon.com so I'm waiting for mine, checking rather obsessively every day. I'll let you know when it's up. I LOVE seeing my covers for the first time. It's like meeting your baby for the first time :-)
I had a lot of fun with this book, SHEIK SEDUCTION. The hero is the son of a king. He'd survived several assassination attempts in his childhood, then was sent overseas by his mother to save his life. He grew up without his family, away from his people. So now that he is back in his country, he feels like an outsider. He is not readily accepted, although he is figthing for his people, trying to make their lives better. He is a complex man, one who does not trust easily. He is also an honorable man. When an attempt on his life nearly kills an American woman, he swears to protect her. Little does he know that she will end up challenging not only everything he believed about himself, but also his heart.
Have a great weekend!
Dana
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10/11/07
I just figured out Shelfari. You can make your own virtual bookshelf. Cool. And I just saw the cataromance.com review of INTIMATE DETAILS so I'm smiling from ear to ear. The lovely, fabulous, absolutely fantastic reviewer, Debby, starts with.. "Dana Marton concludes her superb MISSION: REDEMPTION series with INTIMATE DETAILS."
So anyone who calls anything I write "superb" should immediately receive the Most Fabulous Person of the Year> award.
Moving on... (After spending a moment or two basking here.) Her review continues with...
"I am sorry to see this series end. Each book is a stand alone story and yet the tale and tension builds with each novel. Gina?s story is full of sexual tension and a high level of danger, with the two as a pair handling both with ease. Wonderfully matched, Gina and Cal come together in a blaze of forbidden passion that adds to the tension of the story. The ending is perfectly orchestrated and completely satisfying as all the pieces fall neatly into place. Dana Marton proves once again what a talented author she is with this utterly fascinating series. Intimate Details is an excellent ending to an excellent series. Kudos to Dana Marton for keeping her readers so aptly entertained."
The reviewer gave the book a 5 star rating. :-)
I LOVE her. :-)
I'll be back when I'm done gloating.
Dana
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10/9/2007
I just got back from the New Jersey Romance Writers Conference. Wow, what a great event!! It was fabulous to catch up with friends and fellow authors like Rebecca York and Kelsey Roberts. The workshops were fantastic.
So here is some gossip on what publishers want right now. (I only took notes on what interested me, so just because I don't mention a subgenre here, it doesn't mean a particular publisher doesn't want it.)
First of all, historical romance that has been getting less attention for the last few years, is coming back big time. Yay!
Dorchester is looking for romantic fantasy. Double yay!!
St. Martins is looking for very high concept, very sexy books, as well as romantic comedy.
The advice given by editors was: "Learn what's most marketable about your book and make that your pitch."
Dorchester, Harlequin/Silhouette, NAL/Signet/Eclipse and epubs will take unagented submissions. St. Martins and Grand Central (formerly Warner) will not. :-(
So I came home from the conference with a ton of information and a lot of free books. :-) (And a ton of not free books as I spent rather freely at the book store. My husband always says that I've never seen a book I didn't want to read, and he is right!) Now it's back to work. I MUST put together some new proposals for Intrigue. It's not that I don't have any ideas. Too many ideas is more of a problem. I need to focus in on the direction I should go. Sheik books? SDDU books? Cowboy books? What's your favorite topic from Intrigue? Email me and let me know. Maybe I'll write one of those next.
Have a great sunny day!
Dana
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8/21/07
The August issue of O Magazine has a section on writing. A lot of it doesn't apply to romance writers, of course, Oprah is yet to acknowlege that romance novels even exist. Note how they tend not to make her book club. (And yet I love her show and magazine anyway and think she is the Queen of Fabulous.)
One of the writers interviewed recommends to write the book in 3 months, then spend 1 full year editing it. Obviously, he never wrote for Harlequin/Silhouette where editors sometimes ask for 3-4 books from their authors per year. Sounds impossible? I have a best selling author friend who writes 8 novels per year.
Anyhow, the reason I brought up the magazine is because it has a great description of what writing is like, from Mary Gaitskill:
"(Writing is...) being able to take something whole and fiercely alive that exists inside you in some unknowable combination of thought, feeling, physicality, and spirit, and to then store it like a genie in tense, tiny black symbols on a calm white page. If the wrong reader comes across the words, they will remain just words. But for the right readers, your vision blooms off the page and is absorbed into their minds like smoke, where it will re-form, whole and alive, fully adapted to its new environment."
Well said.
-D
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8/16/07
I'm rushing to finish my thriller novel --72 HOURS-- by the Sept. 1st deadline. Summer is such a huge distraction. Have I mentioned yet that we live by a lake? Really, who wants to sit in a muggy hot room, when the beach is just a short walk away? I have zero willpower. Which is why I am behind.
I'm posting another interview with another fabulous author, B.J. Daniels. Her Intrigues are awesome. She writes about hot cowboys. What's not to love ?
Dana
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Did you always want to be a writer? How did you start? What compelled you to write the first book?
I think I was born wanting to write. But it wasn't until I was eight (that seems to be the magic number for a lot of writers) that I made the decision. My parents had fifth- and eighth-grade educations so needless to say I didn't mention my plan to write. My father wanted me to go to college and become a teacher or an architect. He was a successful masonry contractor; my mother stayed at home but loved to read. I did attend Montana State University but when I did the teacher observation class I was reading Rosemary's Baby so I paid little attention to class. Later, the teacher said, "You don't really want to teach, do you?" I had to admit that I just wanted to write.
I always wrote beginnings of things but never finished any of them. I had stacks of them. Then I discovered journalism and began working for a newspaper. The length of the stories worked well for me. :) So naturally, my first published fiction was a short story for Woman's World magazine. The day I found out I'd sold it was one of the happiest in my career. I could not believe that people might actually read my fiction. I went on to sell 36 short stories before I wrote my first novel. A friend told me about Harlequin Intrigues. I really thought Harlequin had started the line just for me. :)
So I wrote my first book, Odd Man Out, for Intrigue. It came out in 1995. You'll notice that I left out the part where it was rejected twice but a wonderful, patient editor there found a partial and talked me into rewriting it. I'm working on my 40th book right now so as they say, the rest is history. I was horribly green. When she called me to say RT gave the book 4 1/2 stars, I thought that was out of 10. :) I'd never seen Romantic Times since they didn't sell them in the Montana town where I lived.
What does your typical workday look like?
My husband jokes that I'm a worker. It helps that I love what I do. I get up every morning, have breakfast and go to my office. My office used to be in one of the bedrooms at home. Now I have a building about three blocks from the house (it's a very small town) and I bike down there or walk in the winter, and go to work. About noon, I head home for lunch and The Bold and Beautiful. (I know, It's a soap opera and I get a kick out of the way they do their plots. Some are actually crazier than mine!!)
Then I go back to work if I didn't get my 10 pages done that morning. If I did, then I'm free for the rest of the day. If I'm on deadline, I go back to work in the after, then home for dinner, then back to work.
You are a prolific writer. What work habits do you have that make this possible?
I write every day. Even some on holidays. I get up early and have learned to use even a little pocket of time. It is amazing how much you can write while you are waiting in line at the bank drive-thru. Or at the doctor's office. I used to think I needed at least a couple of hours or it wasn't worth it. I take my AlphaSmart everywhere. It's great for getting down ideas as well as writing chapters. You aren't tempted to rewrite on it so you get a lot of good stuff you can edit back at your office.
When did you know that you've made it? The point when you first thought--okay, I can do this for the rest of my life, I can do it well enough to make a living of it.
Ha. I really had to laugh at that. Let me tell you a story. When I was writing short stories for Woman's World I only sold about 50 percent of what I wrote. The editor more often than not asked me to tone down the adventure. (Clearly I needed to start writing for Intrigue.) But finally they got a new editor who loved my stories. She would call me so I wouldn't have to wait for the mail and tell me how much she loved my work. She made me promise to send her stories until we both died.
I remember hanging up after one of those calls and thinking, "Wow, I finally have it made."
You can guess what happened. I suspect the woman was taken away in a straightjacket. One day not long after that she was just gone and the knew editor wouldn't tell me what had happened to her.
That taught me a lot. This profession is a crapshoot. It's gambling. It's wonderful and I never want to do anything else. But not for a minute have I ever again thought, "Wow, I finally have it made."
I remember a very well known literary author I was interviewing for the newspaper told me that every time he finished a book he realized he was unemployed. He said when you become a doctor, you're a doctor. But when you're a writer, you're only a writer as long as your next book sells.
What is the most important thing a writer can do to ensure readers will come back for the next book?
Boy, that's a good question. Frankly, I'm awed by readers. When they fall in love with characters I dreamed up and fell in love with, I'm bowled over. I do work hard to write honestly. The characters take on a life of their own ? and I let them. (As if I have a choice.) And I love fast paced books, so that's what I try to write. I think that's the best advice: write your book. No one can write it BUT you. Your experiences, your style, your way of using the ideas are unique. Don't try to write what everyone else is writing just because it might have sold well.
I write books set in Montana because that's where I live. I see cowboys and cows and horses everyday. So it's only natural that's what I write about. Just as it is only natural that I write about dysfunctional families.
Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?
Oh yeah. I think of it as Chapter 12. I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer. I don't know who the killer is or even why he or she did it. But at some point in the book without fail I'm going to get stuck. I'll have painted myself into a corner ? and I won't know how to get out. So I spend days sometimes trying to write myself out. Or I do something drastic like clean the toilets and vacuum. Then I know I'm really stuck.
But amazingly, it will come to me. Usually in the shower or in the middle of vacuuming a room (I quickly quit.) And more often than not, I have laid the groundwork for the way the story plays out. It was all there, my subconscious just hadn't told me the rest of the story.
I learned a long time ago to follow my instincts. If it doesn't make a lot of sense to me, I put it down anyway and just keep writing. One time I was writing a short story and suddenly my character started limping. I deleted that part but a little later he was limping again. I finally gave up and let him limp. It wasn't until I reached the end of the story that I realized there was a really good reason he limped. In fact, it was the key to the whole story.
Non-writers think you're crazy when you tell them things like that. They have this crazy idea that as writers we have some kind of control.
Have you ever had to abandon a project halfway through because of plot issues, or do you think a good writer should be able to fix any problems?
Oh there have been several times when I thought, "this is going to be the book that you won't be able to write your way out of." And boy am I crabby when that happens.
It's funny because that happened recently. Fortunately, I got two line edits in the mail one after the other and was pulled off that book. As I was doing the line edits, I came to the spot (that awful Chapter 12 area) where I got stuck in both of those books as well. I remembered how I'd worried ? and how I'd finally magically been given the solution. That helped a bunch knowing I'd been there many times before and it has always worked out. Touch wood.
It has nothing to do with being a good writer. Some times you come up with ideas that just don't want to fly. I have a book that I started years ago and never finished. Everyone who's heard parts of it always ask when I'm going to finish it. I will one day but with that one, I'm not sure what I want to do with it. Also I'm not sure I want a whole bunch of people knowing just how far out my mind can go sometimes.
My theory is that you have to live with a book for a while, really get to know the characters, and they will provide the solution to finishing the book. But if you don't know your characters, you might as well stop and work on another project. You can always come back to it. However, you have to be careful that you're not just wimping out. Writing gets hard sometimes. If you're not finishing any of your books, you can bet you're wimping out.
From your personal experience, what are the biggest challenges of being a career novelist?
Convincing people that you actually work and getting them to respect your working hours. Most people think because you don't have a "real job" your life is just one picnic after another. They don't understand why you can't just drop what you're doing and do whatever it is they want you to.
We all struggle with time. The best thing you can do is set aside writing time and make it known to everyone that you won't be bothered during those hours. If you don't take writing seriously, neither will they. Husbands are the worst. They say things like, "But it will only take a minute." You have to get tough with them. I'm a morning person. That's when my brain works fairly well. So I write in the mornings without fail. But even after 39 books, I still have to fight for time to write sometimes.
My husband though has learned at the threat of death not to bother me. After a while, all you have to do is give them a look ? and they run for their lives.
Does it ever get easier? Is there some sort of a breakthrough point when self-doubt disappears and everything starts falling into place?
Fortunately! Otherwise we'd all jump off cliffs! It gets easier in a lot of ways. When you sit down at the computer, it comes easier because you've done it before. Your mind and body get conditioned. Okay, now we're going to write. (So don't use your computer to play games on or even email from if you can help it. Or set aside a time for email. No games though. Trust me.)
That's why an office is so nice. I try not to have bills lying around, anything that distracts me. Keep an area that is just for writing.
There are other tricks. End the day in a spot where it's easy to begin the next day. Like in the middle of an action scene. It jump-starts you the next morning.
Also you learn to trust yourself, which is huge. The best writing is that done with confidence.
A trick I learned early on that I use still is I write a scene I'm worried about for a friend. You can either pretend that's what you're doing. Or actually do that. This way there is no editor looking over your shoulder. You won't second guess yourself. You'll just write because you're not risking anything.
Another trick is to write for yourself. Tell yourself it doesn't matter if it sells. You're just writing the book you want to read. If you sit down to write worrying about what sells, it will show in your writing.
I knew nothing about the business when I started. I still try not to learn anymore about it than I have to. Seriously. The business of writing and writing don't go together. Writing should be free and fun and creative. And as I said before, the business end is a crapshoot. It involves things you have no control over. So if you spend your time worrying about those things, you won't ever write. Best to do the part you have total control over. Try not to lose that love of just writing for yourself. I love the days the writing goes well. I know without a doubt that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm excited and grateful and in awe that I get to do this. All that matters is that moment. My attitude is that I'm going to darn well enjoy it as long as it lasts!!
Romance publishing is constantly changing. What would you recommend to those new writers who are trying to break into this industry? What's the most important thing they can do to lay the foundations of becoming a career novelist?
The first thing is making the commitment. And believe me, it takes a commitment of time and energy like no other job. I've never worked this hard and I've had a lot of different jobs. Also, you have to commit for the long run. Once you sell, the editor will want more books.
The second thing is read. Not just romances. Reading everything. And live. If you don't have a life (I do occasionally get out of my office. Really.) then you don't have anything to write about. Keep your eyes and ears open. Books are about people. Conflict is the things that people all around you are dealing with. Stories that touch the heart are everywhere. I swear that sometimes people in line at the grocery store are only there to help me with my books. They will say something that enforces what I'm writing about. Or they'll give me an idea without even knowing it.
The third thing is don't stress over the business end. As I said before, concentrate on the only part you have control over: the writing. And continue working on your writing. I still dissect great books to see how the author did it. Never stop learning to make your craft better. Take classes. Now with online classes, it doesn't matter if you live in an isolated place like I do now.
The fourth and most important is: love what you do. If you want to be famous more than you want to sit down at the computer day after day, then skip this profession. Writing can be lonely, frustrating and fattening (especially if you eat at the computer when you're stuck.)But if this is what you want to do, it is the greatest profession ever. I wish everyone the best of luck!!! See you in print!
B.J. Daniels' latest book, SECRET OF DEADMAN'S COULEE, is the first book in her new series, Whitehorse, Montana, and is set where she lives. Her next book in the series, THE NEW DEPUTY IN TOWN, is out in July. She is currently working on the sixth book in that series. www.bjdaniels.com
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8/8/2007
INTERVIEW WITH BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, DELORES FOSSEN
Former Air Force captain, Delores Fossen, is the best-selling author of 23 novels and
the recipient of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice and Booksellers'? Best Awards. Her
upcoming Harlequin Intrigue, Stork Alert, will hit the shelves August 2007. You can contact
Delores through her website at: http://www.dfossen.com/ or email her at: df@dfossen.com
Did you always want to be a writer? How did you start? What compelled you to write the first book?
As a kid, I wrote stories, especially comic books, but I stopped once life started to get in the way.
(Translation: boys! Dating and sports took up all my free time.) Then, ten years ago I was visiting a
neighbor who was a published author, and I admitted to her that I'd always wanted to write a book.
She said if I was waiting to get younger. Talk about an epiphany! I went home and started writing a
book that day.
What does your typical workday look like?
I write about 30 hours a week, sometimes more if I'm on deadline. But I try to stay well ahead of
a deadline so that I don't feel rushed.
You are a prolific write. What work habits do you have that make this possible?
It helps to be a little crazy. :) Okay, a lot crazy. I make checklists of writing things I must do, and if
I don't get them done during "normal duty" hours (8am-2pm), then I work overtime. I try to take weekends off
though.
When did you know that youve made it? The point when you first thought--okay, I can do this for the rest of my life, I can do it well enough to make a living of it.
Yikes, I'm still not there. :) I have a saying--"celebrate each contract as if it were the first and the last" because in this business you never know what's going to happen.
What is the most important thing a writer can do to ensure readers will come back for the next book?
I think just write the best book possible. That's why I try not to get myself in a situation where I'm having to rush
to finish the book. I know I don't do my best work when I'm rushed so I write FAR ahead.
Do you ever get writers block? If so, how do you overcome it?
So far, I haven't had it. (Hmmm. Maybe that garlic necklace and all that wood knocking works! ) There are some days when I don't feel like writing, of course, but I force myself to work through those. I have a psychology background, and I know not to reward my lazy brain by giving it a break it doesn't deserve. ;) So, I write through the down moods, even if I know I'll probably have to go back and revise, revise, revise.
Have you ever had to abandon a project halfway through because of plot issues, or do you think a good writer should be able to fix any problems?
I used to write historicals for Dorchester so I have several historical proposals still sitting on my hard drive. Several romantic comedies, too, from when I used to write Duets. I don't really consider them abandoned because I could go back to them one day if I ever decide to write those genres again. But I have abandoned plots when they're still in the idea stage. When an idea strikes, I write a paragraph or two to flesh it out, and most of those "paragraphs or two" are stuffed into an "Ideas on Hold" file. Basically, an "idea on hold" will probably never see the light of day.
From your personal experience, what are the biggest challenges of being a career novelist?
I love writing. Correction--I LOVE LOVE LOVE writing. But the business of writing can be challenging. I also find it hard to balance writing with all the things I should be doing to promote my books.
Does it ever get easier? Is there some sort of a breakthrough point when self-doubt disappears and everything starts falling into place?
Yikes, I hope it gets easier. :) I don't think the self-doubt will ever go away for me though.
Romance publishing is constantly changing. What would you recommend to those new writers who are trying to break into this industry? Whats the most important thing they can do to lay the foundations of becoming a career novelist?
This is old advice, but it's still the best, I think, and that's read, read, read. Know what's selling, who's selling and to whom they're selling. Of course, honing the writing is critical, too. I think that's the best foundation--always seeking to improve writing skills while keeping an eye on the market.
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7/31/07
I just saw the review Romantic Times Magazine gave INTIMATE DETAILS. Since it's the last book for the series, I was extra anxious. I wanted the story to have a good, strong finish. I've really grown attached to these characters. And it looks like the reviewer liked my story. Yay!!! Here is what she said:
Dana Marton's Intimate Details (4) racks up a terrific finale for a suspenseful series. Still on the trail of a terrorist in control of a deadly virus, ex-con Gina Torno is spending some time in paradise with her all-female team as they try to round up information to stop a worldwide tragedy. Sneaking through an empty office, Gina runs into gentleman British agent Cal Spencer, and the two join forces to roust the enemy -- and keep each other alive. Cal is funny and charmingly vulnerable despite his "spy gadgets," and Gina's tentative overtures into a relationship are touching. ?Pat Cooper, reviewer
I know writers are not supposed to worry about reviews and should let bad ones just roll off their backs. I have to confess, I haven't mastered this yet. I remember every bad review I've ever gotten, word for word. Thankfully, there hadn't been many. But I'm definitely celebrating this one. :-)
I finished editing SHEIK SEDUCTION and sent the changes to my editor. This week I'm polishing a bigger romantic suspense proposal and sending it to an agent who kindly agreed to consider it for representation. Please keep your fingers crossed for me! I have to say, a writer's life might seem all serenity and whatnot (just sitting by the computer and gazing out the window, thinking up love stories), but in reality it's very nerve-wracking. I'm always waiting for some sort of judgement on my work. Will the editor like it, will she buy it? Will an agent like it? Will the reviewers like it? Will the readers like it? The opportunities for rejection are aplenty. So if you've read any books lately that you liked, please take a moment and email the writer a quick note. It'll help her relax for a moment and will make her day.
Happy reading,
Dana
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7/25/07
Hello Friends! Hope everyone is having a great summer. I'm waiting for my next book, MY BODYGUARD, to hit the stores, which should happen at some point next week. In the meanwhile, I'm reading NEW MOON by one of my favorite writers, Rebecca York, and I'm loving it. I've recently interviewed her so I am posting that here for your enjoyment. You can see her new Web site at www.rebeccayork.com .
Short bio: Rebecca York has written more than 65 romantic thrillers, many with paranormal elements. Her many awards include two RITA finalist books and two RT Career Achievement awards. Recently her novella, ?Second Chance,? won the PRISM award. And her book trailer? for NEW MOON won a bronze TELLY award. In addition to her fiction career, she is the author or co-author of 15 cookbooks as Ruth Glick. Her next releases are: RETURN OF THE WARRIOR, a Harlequin Intrigue about a man who opens a magic box and finds himself sharing his body with the spirit of an ancient warrior. ?Huntress Moon? in ELEMENTAL MAGIC, one of her werewolf stories. BEYOND FEARLESS, another novel featuring her sexually-linked telepaths.
Did you always want to be a writer? How did you start? What compelled you to write the first book?
I always wanted to be a writer, but I thought I couldn?t do it because I couldn?t spell well. So all my articles, novels, and cookbooks are proofread by my husband.
I began my writing career when I was a stay at home mom with two small children. My first sales were feature articles for my local newspaper--which they bought for $10 each.
At the time, the idea of sitting down to write a novel would have been too intimidating. I had written hundreds of articles for The Columbia Flier and then The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, Essence Magazine, and other publications before I ever thought about a longer work.
While I was getting a solid background in nonfiction, I started taking a class at my local community college that was run as a writing seminar. Participants brought what they were working on and read it--articles, chapters of books, poems, essays. I learned a lot about novel writing by listening to the chapters and participating in the critiques, and since I had always wanted to write fiction, the class made me long to start my own novel. Because my main reading as a teenager was science fiction, mystery, and suspense, I started with what I knew. And since I was still worried about length, I decided to try a juvenile science fiction novel (40,000 words).
I read my chapters in class, got feedback, and learned how many more skills it takes to write fiction than non-fiction. About a year later, I decided I'd absorbed everything I could from the teacher and formed my own critique group where writers could bring their works in progress and get feedback. (Twenty-five years later, we're still meeting--with a number of the same people and some newcomers.)
I polished up my first novel and sent it off to publishers of juvenile fiction and got four rejections. An editor at Scholastic held the book for nine months and finally wrote me a two-page letter telling me everything that was wrong with my book. But I knew it was a "good" rejection, because she?d taken the time to read my work and make suggestions. I made the revisions she requested and sold the book. When I saw the contract, I decided there was no way I could deal with it intelligently--so I got an agent.
What does your typical workday look like?
I get up, get dressed, put on eye makeup, and go out to scatter black-oil sunflower seeds for the squirrels and chipmunks and put out food for the stray cat. Then I come in and get coffee and maybe eat some breakfast. After that, I read e-mail until I can force myself to start writing. When I finally get going, it?s usually after eleven. My husband is retired, and we eat lunch late?between one and two. My goal is to write at least ten pages a day. I usually make it. And sometimes I write more. But there always other things I have to do?like answer mail and work on publicity projects. Twice a week I go to the gym with a friend. And three additional days a week, I try to get a half hour of exercise at home.
You are a prolific writer. What work habits do you have that make this possible?
I think it?s important to write every day if you can. I think there?s a ?writing muscle.? The more you use it, the stronger it gets and the easier it is for you to produce work. I also feel that it would be difficult to be prolific without forcing myself to write a narrative outline of each book before I sit down to write the first draft. An outline is hard to write because it makes you do a lot of planning in a short period of time. But once you have it, you can stop worrying about the plot. Of course, I make changes when I think of something better. And I often leave out details. I might say, ?and then they escape from the psychotic killer.? And when I get to that part of the book, I have to figure out how they do it.
When I?m in town, I mostly stay home and work. I mean, I rarely go out shopping, although sometimes I do have ?breakthrough buying.?
My husband buys the groceries and sometimes prepared food at a wonderful shop that?s less than a block away. But we do travel frequently. We?re going to Hudson?s Bay in August. And Costa Rica in December. And to Dragoncon in September. Then a Women?s Festival in Kingsport, Tennessee, in October.
When did you know that you?ve made it? The point when you first thought--okay, I can do this for the rest of my life, I can do it well enough to make a living of it.
I never feel like I?ve ?made it.? I?m conscious that at any time, any writer can be tossed out by her publisher. So I know I have to keep working hard to make my books good. And recently I?ve started working with a publicist to give myself more visibility. You can see some of the results at my new Web site: www.rebeccayork.com.
What is the most important thing a writer can do to ensure readers will come back for the next book?
Gee, that?s a hard question. I?m not sure there?s one thing. I try to write the best book I can. I write romantic suspense, so I try to make sure that I?m strongly pulling both the suspense and the romance threads all the way through the book. I try to make sure that there?s tension in every scene. And I try not to write a book that?s too different from what readers are expecting. Some readers objected to my going off into a parallel universe for part of NEW MOON. Others loved it. So I know you?re not going to please everyone all the time.
Do you ever get writer?s block? If so, how do you overcome it?
Not really. If I?m having trouble, I pretend to work. And pretty soon I?m really doing it. One method I have is to edit what I wrote the day before to pull myself back into the story. When I?m having trouble with a scene, I?ve learned that it?s because I don?t understand the character motivation well enough or the action. So I may have to stop and think about the story before I can get back on track.
Have you ever had to abandon a project halfway through because of plot issues, or do you think a good writer should be able to fix any problems?
Again, I can?t speak for other writers. No, I?ve never had to abandon a project halfway through because of plot issues. But that?s because I?ve outlined it, so I know it can work out. And if I find I have a plot problem, I figure out what?s wrong.
From your personal experience, what are the biggest challenges of being a career novelist?
Very few people can start off supporting themselves as a novelist. You?ve got to hang in during the lean years and hope you can build up to making enough money to support yourself. At the beginning of your career, you will probably either have to work another job or have someone to support you. Over the years, I?ve seen a lot of good writers quit because their husbands wanted them to stop wasting time sitting around ?playing with? writing. For me, one of the biggest factors was having a husband who believed in my career and let me work.
Does it ever get easier? Is there some sort of a breakthrough point when self-doubt disappears and everything starts falling into place?
For me, self-doubt never disappears. I?m always worried that I?m not doing it well enough. But experience does help. I?ve written so many books that I know how to make them work out.
Romance publishing is constantly changing. What would you recommend to those new writers who are trying to break into this industry? What?s the most important thing they can do to lay the foundations of becoming a career novelist?
I?d advise a writer trying to break in to read the kind of books she wants to write so she can see what the editors are buying?keeping in mind that they bought the books on the shelves eighteen months ago.
Honestly, I think the most important thing a new writer can do is to force herself to outline the book. I know some people hate to do this. But it?s the only way I can produce three or four books a year. If I had to stop and mumble around with the plot while I?m trying to get a book written, I?d be a lot slower.
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Blog Swap with Gabriella Hewitt
I'm swapping blogs with fantastic new author Gabriella Hewitt today, whose book I'm eagerly waiting for. I think she is an amazing new talent and we all will be hearing her name a lot in the near future.
Happy reading, Everyone!
Dana
>>Just want to thank Dana for Blog Swapping with me today. If you want to know where she is, Dana is over at my blog chatting away.
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What is a romantic suspense? Can you give me a clue?
That?s what my mother asked me when I told her what I wrote.
Oddly enough I couldn?t tell her exactly what it is. Crazy, huh?
I must read like 5 a month! Yet, I couldn?t think of one movie that was a romantic suspense.
Well, anyway?
Last week, I started my blockbuster movie subscription. Six movies came in the mail.
Can you say Marathon Movie Blitz! Yup, I sat down with a bowl of popcorn and a jumbo soda and watched movies back-to-back.
Happily N?Ever After
Babel
BloodRayne
Cinderella III
Monster House
Mistress of Spices
Also, went to the movie theatre for 4th of July weekend and saw
Shrek the 3rd
Ratatouille
(Can you tell I have kids?)
ANDTHEN IT DAWNED ON ME! There is a bit of romantic suspense in every story.
Yes! It?s true.
All of them had some romantic element, some tale of heroism, a lot of action/ adventure with a twist of suspense and a dash of mystery to be solved. The main characters all inevitably were motivated by love to fulfill some destiny or conquer some bad guy. And trust me all of the movies (even the kid movies) had kissing in it.
I figure like every movie made is a romantic suspense. Okay, maybe not, but they do sure come close.
So, I guess if I had to say what movie is definitely a romantic suspense I would probably say
Basic Instinct, Fatal Attraction, Wicker Park, Titanic, Legends of the Fall, The English Patient, Angel Eyes, The Illusionist, Ghost (although this falls under paranormal), Past Midnight, And Against All Odds.
I?m sure there are others but at least my mother has seen these movies. Wonder if you could give me some more. Obviously, I need all the help I can get.
Either that or my mother could read my book and then she will know what romantic suspense is and what I write.
Well, if you?re curious to know what I write then come and visit me over at www.gabriellahewitt.com
Until then, I?ll be sitting and reading Dana?s Ironclad Cover.
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Interview with USA Today bestselling author RHONDA POLLERO---
Since I just LOVE Rhonda's latest book, KNOCK OFF, that was recently released from Kensington, I decided to do an interview with this fabulous author. Enjoy!!! And don't forget to go out and get this book...
USA Today Best-selling author Rhonda Pollero has penned more than 30 novels including the popular Rose Tattoo, Landry Brothers and Finley Tanner Mystery series, receiving numerous awards including RT Reviewer's Choice Awards and two Career Achievement Awards. KNOCK 'EM DEAD, a March, 2008 release, is the second in the Finley Anderson Tanner Mystery series.
She has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine, The New York Times and The Washington Post. Roberts is also a frequent guest on television and radio. She is considered an expert on women and crime fiction and is a recognized authority on structuring the novel.
Ms. Pollero lives in south Florida with her family. Please visit her on the web at www.RhondaPollero.com or www.KelseyRoberts.net
Did you always want to be a writer? How did you start? What compelled you to write the first book?
I can't remember when I didn't want to be a writer. I started like most people, I sat down and wrote a book that is so horrible it has its own stench. But, it was an important thing ? that manuscript taught me how to take a story (albeit a terrible one) from beginning to middle to end. My first manuscript and the first manuscript I sold are two different animals. The first book I sold came after 10 years of struggling to find my voice and struggling to understand the marketplace. A critique partner mentioned that she thought my strengths were plotting and dialogue so she suggested I stop trying to write a Silhouette Desire and give romantic suspense a try. I did and sold that first manuscript. I'm still grateful to Laura for the honesty that sent me down the right path.
What does your typical workday look like?
Dull. I'm a fairly regimented person, so my writing life isn't too far off from my micro-managed real life. I get up somewhere between 3-4 AM, drink a pot of coffee while I answer emails and read yesterday's work. I make whatever revisions are necessary. I break to wake my daughter and get her off to school or camp, then go back to work until 2-3 PM. Then I'm useless, brain dead and barely capable of rational thought. Now, I only do that 4 days a week. I spend 1 day on the odds and ends stuff ? website, answering mail, laundry J - all the stuff I put off as long as possible.
You are a prolific writer who keeps the quality of her books consistently high. What work habits do you have that make this possible?
Thank you! I'm very organized, or at least I try to be. I'm also an anal plotter. I spend almost as much time plotting a book as I do writing the pages. I keep tabbed folders (now they're virtual folders and flash drives) complete with visuals of clothing, apartments, maps, restaurant menus, etc. I also keep a timeline ? this is really invaluable especially when you're doing any kind of series. I also read publisher's marketplace every day so I know what's happening in the publishing world. A great idea won't go very far if there's no market for the story.
When did you know that you've made it? The point when you first thought--okay, I can do this for the rest of my life, I can do it well enough to make a living of it.
I think of myself as a working writer, so for me success was when I began consistently earning a living. Is that making it? It is for me, though I know people who define making it as major riches, as being on the NYT list ? so I think every person has to define success for themselves.
What is the most important thing a writer can do to ensure readers will come back for the next book?
Get better. Seriously, readers really support a writer when they feel that writer's next book is going to be just a little bit better than the last one. They become cheerleaders and share through word of mouth when they discover a new-to-them author. I've done several series and I think it's equally important to welcome back your previous readers while providing a brief summary of what's happened in the character's life for new readers.
Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?
Sure, like everyone, I'll go to write a scene/chapter/character/whatever and for whatever reason, it just doesn't work. I walk away. They call that flashing thing on your computer screen a cursor for a reason. It blinks and mocks as you sit there trying to come up with a solution. So, I give myself permission to do something else ? usually unrelated to writing ? for a set period of time. (An hour, a day, a week ? depends on my deadlines and the severity of the problem).
Have you ever had to abandon a project halfway through because of plot issues, or do you think a good writer should be able to fix any problems?
Oh yes. I have tossed a manuscript more than 225 pages in length. Could I have fixed it? Sure, I could have puttied over the cracks but that doesn't mean the plot problem was fixed, just hidden. If you can fix something, great, if not, toss it. The fix should be seamless. If not, then it isn't a fix. Yes it hurts to toss stuff but better to toss it than to send a really flawed book out there into the marketplace. Once you alienate a reader, you probably won't win her/him back any time soon.
From your personal experience, what are the biggest challenges of being a career novelist?
The biggest challenge for me has been anticipating changes in the market. It's important to be flexible and willing to incorporate new things into your writing. As an example ? when paranormal exploded ? people who could incorporate those elements into their romantic suspense got a bonus.
Does it ever get easier? Is there some sort of a breakthrough point, say after the 10th book or the 20th, when self-doubts disappear and everything starts falling into place?
Ummmmm no. Well, at least not for me. I'm 30+ books into it and I still think my editor will reject my manuscript. But I think in some sick way that's a good thing. It keeps me from being lazy.
Romance publishing is constantly changing. What would you recommend to those new writers who are trying to break into this industry? What's the most important thing they can do to lay the foundations of becoming a career novelist?
It's very important for authors to remember that writing is creative but publishing is a business, so learn to separate the two from the get go. Professionalism goes a long way and a try professional is an informed one. Learn about the publishing houses, the editors ? know who likes what and conversely, who hates what. Don't personalize rejection ? accept it and ideally, grow from it. If you keep hearing feedback that your character isn't sympathetic enough then accept that your character isn't sympathetic enough and either fix her/him and move on. I asked an editor friend of mine (not my editor) the most off-putting thing she encounters, her reply: The sense of entitlement she gets from aspiring/new authors. They don't want to work their way to lead title, they want it instantly.
Having staying power in this industry also means to keep from burning bridges. While you might want/need to sever a relationship, do it professionally since you never know when that editor/agent/assistant might end up down the road.
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6/28/07
I received my author copies for MY BODYGUARD today. Yay! Of course, they are way too late. The book is available to the public on July 1st at eHarlequin.com (at a 20% discount so check it out). It would be nice to get author copies early. That way I could send it out for reviews. But now it's too late to send for a review. :-( So how do you know if it's any good? Romantic Times BookClub said, "Dana Marton's story hits the perfect note." I love RT :-) Here is the back blurb:
THE ASSIGNMENT: ACT LIKE A COUPLE IN LOVE
THE SNAG: IT FELT ALL TOO REAL
Bodyguard Reese Moretti had been involved in missions all over the globe, so tracking down an international criminal should have come naturally. But partnering up with a woman as frustratingly closed-off and downright sexy as Samantha Hanley made it the most challanging job he'd ever taken on. To make matters worse, they were instructed to act like a couple and ferret out the truth behind the ingenious--and deadly--plot. Reese had made a promise to the FBI and completing his assignment was all that mattered. But touching Sam day in, day out and pretending it meant nothing, was never part of the dossier.
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6/21/07
This is the cover for the last of the MISSION:REDEMPTION books. The last story is Gina's. I had a lot of fun with it. Can't say too much without giving the plot away, but I'll be posting an excerpt in another couple of weeks. An excerpt from MY BODYGUARD is now posted under the What's Next menu tab. Enjoy!!! And don't forget to enter my new contest.
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6/5/07
I just got the cover of my August book, MY BODYGUARD. I love it!!! It's wonderful to get a cover that really gives back the feeling of the book. I'll be posting an excerpt from the book soon, so check back in a week or two.
Dana
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5/24/07
I'm terrible at blogging as anyone who checks my blog knows. Life is just too distracting. Plus, really, not enough fascinating things happen in my life to fill a daily blog. But if anyone is interested in the comings and goings of Intrigue authors, there's an Intrigue author blog at www.intrigueauthors.com.
As long as you are surfing the web, check out author Brenda Novak's auction for Juvenile Diabetes. The prizes are beyond fabulous (how is lunch with your favorite author?) And the proceeds go to a worthy cause.
So the sheik book is done. Yay. All I have to do is edit. I'm having a hard time getting into it with 90 degree weather outside and an icecream store within walking distance. It's beyond the miraculous that some days I actually resist temptation :-)
I've been getting some nice reader mail about IRONCLAD COVER. I had a lot of fun with that book and its jaded FBI agent hero. Brant was sooo resistant to Anita and to the untimely attraction he felt for her. He was sooo NOT going to fall for an ex-con. Ha! :-)
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4/12/07
Hope everyone had fun celebrating Easter. We had a lot of family come over so I took a few days off writing to bake :-) Sadly, I haven't even lost my Christmas cookie weight yet. Luckly, I have an old picture up on my author's page and no one will ever know :-) I will NEVER do video blogs. Ha!
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I'm on pg. 152 of the new sheik book. Good progress. I have lost my research material on the Bedouin, however, which had cost me over $50. At first I thought this would motivate me to clean the house and locate said research material, but I'm sort of losing the initial excitement for that solution. I could always wait until the house is full of kids and arrange a treasure hunt for the book. Kids find everything! (Especially if you don't want them to.)
Reviews on SECRET CONTRACT are still coming in and they are just wonderful (I'm totally ignoring the ones that are not). You can check them on my Awards&Reviews page.
Gotta go. Someone's ringing the door bell.
Happy reading!
Dana
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4/1/07
I just saw the new RT reviews, and IRONCLAD COVER is an RT Top Pick!! I'm celebrating. With chocolate. What else? I love the cover I got for this book. I tried to post it here with no success. Will try again.
In the meanwhile, I'm at about page 90 of my WIP (work in progress), and in the middle of an agent search.
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3/28/07
Have you been looking for something good to read? The RITA nominees were announced yesterday. These books are considered the best for 2006, grouped by genre. Two of my friends made the list. Susan Mallery with Irresistable and Maria Snyder with Magic Study. Both books are beyond fabulous and will be on my keeper shelf forever!!! For the full list, you can visit www.rwanational.org.
Another friend, Kim Howe, is a double nominee for a Golden Heart, the contest for unpublished writers. Readers should start memorizing her name now, because she will be a shooting star once she publishes. She also took 2nd place in Romantic Times' Americal Title contest last month.
I love contests :-). If you do, too, don't forget to enter my reader contest for a box of Godiva!!
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3/27/07
I'm attaching the cover of my current release. I LOVE this cover. The artist captured the power struggle between the hero and heroine perfectly.
I just sent in the line edits for the last book in the MISSION: REDEMPTION mini series yesterday. I can't wait until the books are in the stores and I get feedback from readers. I really hope people will like these four connected novels. SECRET CONTRACT, the first book, should be in stores in another week or so. Then IRONCLAD COVER is next, at the beginning of May. I already have the cover art for that as well, but it didn't come through when I tried to post it here. I'll try it again later. Book 2 is Anita's story, and the critics seem to like it as much as Book 1. I just found out that it's a Romantic Times Top Pick for May.
Hope Spring has sprung for you, wherever you are. I'm enjoying the sunshine :-)
Dana
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3/6/07
I just received a foreign edition of CAMOUFLAGE HEART in the mail today. It took me a while to figure out that it's in Icelandic. (Thank God for the Internet :-) It's only my 2nd foreign edition. I'm very excited about it, needless to say. THE SHEIK'S SAFETY had been translated into Japanese (very cool, must read from back to front and the rows are vertical), and also made into a Japanese comic book. It was so strange to see my words in pictures. Wish I could paste a page here, but I'm sure I'd be violating some copyright. I will try to paste, however, the British version of the cover for THE SHEIK'S SAFETY. Enjoy!
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3/5/07
Only three more weeks before SECRET CONTRACT is released. I'm counting the days. Really. I think a lot of authors look at their books as if they were their kids. I soooo hope that you the reader will like this one. So far, this is my favorite book. I just got my author copies in the mail today. The tag line (which my brilliant editor thought up) describes the books perfectly. "Four women with nothing to lose... and the men who'll break all the rules to change their future."
In the meanwhile, I will be posting a book trailer on my home page soon. Doing movie trailer type ads for books is all the latest rage, so I couldn't resist. Check back in a few days to take a look at mine.
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2/27/07
SECRET CONTRACT is RT BookClub magazine's TOP PICK!!! I'm so excited about this. They rate books from 1 star to 4.5 stars. Then from the few that get the 4.5stars they pick TOP PICKS that the reviewers think are the best of the best. So it is truly an honor to be chosen. SECRET CONTRACT will be available March 1st on eHarlequin.com (the publisher's own web site) one full month before it's in the stores and at a 20% discount. So that's a great deal all around. If you'd like to see what the book is about, just click on the What's Next tab on the menu on this web page.
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2/25/07
Contests...
Do you enter reader/writing contests? I used to diligently enter writing contests while I was unpublished, hoping that my writing would catch an editor's eyes. I won in a dozen of them eventually, but ended up publishing via a different avenue, by an editor simply picking my manuscript out of the slushpile.
A good friend of mine, Kim Howe, is currently one of two finalists in Dorcherster's American Title contest. The stakes couldn't be higher. The winner gets a contract!!! She is a great romantic suspense writer. If you like Intrigues, you'd love her writing. Even her title sounds very intriguing: One Shot, Two Kills. (Why can't I think up titles like that??) You can check it out at http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php If you enjoy her story as much as I did, would you please vote for her? This is a selfish request. I want her book published so I can read the rest of the story! :-)
There are writing contests for published authors as well. I haven't had a chance to send my books out this year, too many other deadlines at the beginning of the year when all the contests needed the materials, but hope to do better next year.
Anyhow, I started this blog about contests to remind everyone that my reader contest ends in 3 days!!! (Feb. 28) So, for a chance to win, send me one or two sentences about why you like sheik books. GOOD LUCK!!!
Dana
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