The words are not the most important thing you should be hearing.

Good evening!

Back in the 80's, the band "Survivor" came out with a song entitled, "It's the singer, not the song." That song basically detailed how it didn't matter what the lyrics were, it was the passion of the singer, the emotion in the singer's voice that meant everything.  I typically disagreed because in the 80's I was young and stupid.

Over the years I've listened to a lot of things.  I've listened to more than my fair share of music, TV, radio, movies.  I've listened to children.  I've listened to coworkers, bosses, my husband.  And, the older I get, the more I realize the Survivor might just have been right.  It might be the emotion, not the words, that we all should be hearing.

Recently I got to listen to singer Miley Cyrus' latest little tune. Now, I've often thought that the fallen Disney Princess is the product of questionable parenting.  (When TV Dad is smarter than Real Dad, and TV Dad and Real Dad are the same guy, just with different writers, the world is a very confusing place.)  Her most recent antics would make us think that's she's a young woman who has everything and is way out of control.

A quick look at the refrain of her song "We Can't Stop" does little to undermine that assumption.

It’s our party we can do what we want
It’s our party we can say what we want
It’s our party we can love who we want
We can kiss who we want
We can see who we want

So la da di da di, we like to party
Dancing with Miley
Doing whatever we want
This is our house
This is our rules
And we can’t stop
And we won’t stop
Can’t you see it’s we who own the night
Can’t you see it we who bout’ that life
And we can’t stop
And we won’t stop
We run things, Things don’t run we
We don't take nothing from nobody

Oh yeah, she's a party girl and good luck trying to put her in her place.  The thing is, reading the words and hearing the words are two different experiences and after hearing the song a couple times, I'm starting to wonder if this song is less about a shout of independence and more a cry for help.  She sounds less like a defiant party girl and more like a lost child begging for someone, anyone, to help her reign things in before something really awful happens because she simply cannot stop her self destructive ways.

There's so much more to communication than mere words.  There's tone of voice, there's body language, there's facial expression.  None of which is readily available to those of us who write words on paper...or computer screen.

As writers we have to be very aware that it's not just WHAT our characters say.  Dialogue is a very good...and easy...method of characters revealing and exchanging plot points.  But dialogue alone does NOT give the reader the full experience, the full escape.

I'll take a quick example from my book, "Lies in Chance." First, here's a line of dialogue from Bryan (the romantic hero), as he's sitting next to Shara (the heroine):

"Your hands are cold."

You don't get much there, right?

Now, here's how this goes in the actual book:

She covered his hand with her own fingers, and the chill of her skin startled him.  "Your hands are cold."  His voice was husky, straining to hold back words he suddenly ached to say.  Instead, he took both her hands in his and warmed them.

Now, suddenly, you get a better image of what's going on between these two people.  Now you can sense that there's clearly something going on, that he's feeling an attraction of some kind for her.  It's not what he's saying to her.  She knows her hands are cold.  But he's telling her that he's aware she's got some sort of discomfort and, while he's not ready to tell her anything else (he's not ready to admit any of this to himself at this point in the book) he has a tremendous need to take care of her, even in this small way.  It's a quiet moment, but it's big in the story because by taking her hands in his, Bryan has crossed another in a series of thresholds he needs to cross to realize his love for Shara.

Telling stories is an art, just any other creative job.  Telling a story in front of an audience is easy compared to putting it down on paper.  Writing a story for others to read requires a sharp focus on the other senses.  We need to paint a picture, we need to turn on the volume so that our readers aren't just reading words, they are hearing and seeing what's going on with our characters.

Our readers don't want to just read the words.  And we, as writers, need to make sure we're hearing more than just what our characters are saying.  We need to hear how they are saying it.

Sneak Peak Sunday! Lies in Chance

Good evening!
Tonight's sneak peak is from "Lies in Chance"  and I thought I'd give you a chapter involving one of the side characters, one of my villains, Richard.  Remember, Nook users, this book is also available here.

26: RICHARD

Richard Bennett leaned over against the glass of the window and closed his eyes. “Are you sure it’s her?”

“No, Mr. Bennett. That’s why we called you.” A short, barrel-chested detective offered him a Styrofoam cup filled with bitter smelling coffee.

Richard waved off the coffee and looked over his shoulder at Jennifer. She sat quietly in the corner, trying her best not to attract attention a feat, he knew, that was almost impossible for the six foot tall red head with a spectacular body.

Focus, Bennett. Focus on what you have to do here.

“Okay, Detective. I’m ready.”

The detective tapped on the glass and the coroner pulled back the glass. On the table, a foot away from the glass, was a body covered with a white sheet. Swallowing hard, Richard nodded. This time the coroner pulled back the sheet.

The body wasn’t human, couldn’t be human. Every inch was bloated, gray and filthy. Bile bubbled up in Richard’s throat.

“Mr. Bennett? Is that her? Is that your fiancé?”

Richard took a deep breath and looked at the mass on the table again. This just needs to be over. It needs to be over now. He looked closely, studying the repulsive figure. “Yes, yes it is. It’s Shara.”

The detective nodded to the coroner, who covered the body with the sheet again. “Thank you, Mr. Bennett. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“Yes, thank you, Detective.” Richard looked past the man’s shoulder to Jennifer, who remained still in the corner, but the energy around her was charged, energetic. She seemed coiled, ready to spring. Her ice green eyes fairly glowed in the dim light of the room.

At last. It’s over. Time for me to move on.

Lemonheads are everywhere! Here's a hug! Now ignore them!

Good morning!

Several years ago I sold Partylite candles and gifts.  It was a direct sales job I ran parties in people's homes.  I was actually pretty good at it.  My unit leader, a woman who was full on into selling Partylite full time, often said, "Don't let the lemonheads get in your way."

What she meant was that any time you undertake a new endeavor, there are going to be people out there who want to discourage you.  Maybe they mean well, like they don't want you to get hurt.  Maybe they have no confidence in you and think you'll make a fool of yourself.  Maybe they just don't believe in what you're doing.

It was true when I sold candles to middle class wives and it's true now with writing:  Lemonheads are everywhere.  When you tell someone you are a writer, the reaction goes one of a couple ways:

1)  They try to look impressed and ask what you've had published.  This will then lead to you trying to explain how you haven't had anything published YET or that you have, and it's digital only, OR that you've e-published and they can only get the book online. 

2)  They stare at you, unable to formulate a response and wind up coming out with something like:  Wow, that's interesting.  And do you make money doing that?

3)  They look at you and say, "Really?  You?  You're writing something and you expect us to read it?"

It's that third thing I want to really address right now because the first two are just products of well meaning people not understanding the process.  They mean us no harm.  That third one, however, can...and often does...come from the most unexpected, cruelest sources.

Friends, relatives, fellow writers.  You know, the people you'd THINK would support you.

It's happened to me, and it is shattering.  Your core is broken, and you question your ability to do pretty much everything. 

When I was work shopping my second novel, "Lies in Chance"  my writers group was very patient.  We affectionately called it "The Stupid Novel"  and most of the comments were very constructive and made the book what it is today.  (While there aren't a lot of reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, they are very positive.)  One person, however, someone I thought would be most supportive, spent quite a lot of time telling me how this book was never going to be publishable.

Perhaps that person was right, since I did publish it on my own.  However, this is the same person who became loudly critical of my work the minute I sold my first book, Dream in Color, to Wild Rose Press.  (Again, not a lot of reviews, but they are all very positive. You should really read my stuff!) 

Ultimately, the relationship ended, and the parting volley from this person destroyed my confidence in myself on all levels.

Some years later, it still hurts.  But it's something I have to work through because I do have two novels I'm marketing out there, and I am working on another novel and a three book humor series.  I also hold a full time job, have two demanding teens at home, and a house and husband.  So the reality is I either let this one lemonhead take over my brain and end the thing I love doing the most, or I battle through it, put down my own insecurities, and move forward.

We writers, all of us, we understand that this isn't an easy life.  And while it would be nice if the difficulties came from people other than those closest to us, that's now how life works always.

So let me encourage you, my writer friends...ignore the lemonheads!  Listen to those you truly trust:  Your writers group, your critique partners, your beta reader.  You are going to chose your own path when it comes to publishing.  We live in a wide open world now and publishing is both the most difficult it's ever been,. and the easiest for us unknowns.  Don't let someone who is on a different path break you down because of what you chose to do with your writing career.

And if you ever need a virtual hug or pat on the back.... you know where to find me!

Now go forth, buy my books, and WRITE!

Sneak peak Sunday: Lies in Chance

Hello everyone! 

It's winter out there now...so it's good time to cuddle up with a good book.  And how about my newest, Lies in Chance (availble in print or for the Kindle on Amazon, but also available for the Nook and e-Reader where all fine digital books are sold!)

Here's a fairly random slice for you to nibble on while you're buying a copy of the whole thing!



SHARA

It was Thanksgiving, and the Shepaski house dripped with good smells by the time the church bells rang across the parking lot.  With the service over, Drew, Joanna, and the kids would be home soon, with their guests.  Shara hoped this dinner, the first Thanksgiving dinner she'd cooked, would please her adopted family.


Bryan arrived before the rest of the family. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

Shara, surprised at the nearly polite tone from him smiled. “Thanks. You, too.”

“Did you cook the whole dinner?”

Shara nodded. “I did. I mean, Joanna gave me her recipes, and she sort of supervised things. But I did the cooking.”

Bryan leaned against the railing and watched her put the last place setting at the table. “Yeah, well, it won’t be Joanna’s cooking, but I’m sure it won’t kill us, will it?”

Well, that took care of that, didn’t it? She blinked a stinging tear. Why does he always seem to want to find the harshest thing to say to me?

And why on earth does it matter to me what he says?

Shara tried to look beyond the exterior, and into him. She heard he was the most desired male in the county, a profile he certainly didn’t fit in her mind. But Molly loved him and she knew very well how much the children, as well as Drew and Joanna, adored him. He was family to them.

So maybe Molly was right. Just by being here I’m the problem he has. Well, whatever. I have work to do.

Drew’s mother, a jolly old woman with powdery cheeks and pale blue eyes, greeted Shara like a long lost child. “I hear you are the angel from heaven.” She kissed Shara’s cheek.

“Mrs. Shepaski, you’re giving me too much credit.”

“Nonsense, and call me Mother S. Everyone does.”

“Everyone who’s family, that is.” Bryan seated himself at the table. Shara did not miss the angry look Joanna threw at him.

With a twinge of sadness, as Shara surveyed the table heaping with wonderful food and circled with loving family, she remembered her own Thanksgivings with Grandmother. Quiet affairs, usually experienced at one of the finer restaurants in Milwaukee. Resentful wait staff bringing impersonal plates to their table. Grandmother grumbling because every year people wanted not only Thanksgiving Day off, but also the next day. That Friday was the biggest day of the year for sales. Didn’t anyone understand business?

“What are you thinkin’ about?” Joanna sidled up to her, carrying a bowl of yams to the table.

Shara sighed and brushed at the corners of her eyes. “It’s just all so beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is,” Joanna agreed. She nodded to Bryan. “It would be perfect if Bryan wasn’t in a mood.”

“That’s a mood? I thought that’s how he always is.”

“No. It’s always worse on Thanksgiving.” Joanna shook her head.

“Why today?”

Joanna studied Bryan across the room carefully before answering. “Bryan and Jenny got engaged on Thanksgiving. They’d only known each other a few weeks. I think they met at a Halloween party. Since she left, he’s been a beast on Thanksgiving. Or, more so than any other day. Except Christmas.”

“I see.” She turned her gaze to the man in question. “What happened on Christmas?”

Joanna’s smile held little mirth. “They got married on Christmas Eve.”

“Wow.” She ignored the brief thought of her own impending wedding, scheduled for Christmas Eve.

“Yes. She ruined him completely. Bryan used to be the sweetest guy I know. And I’ve known him for a very long time. Then she came along.”

“He’s not too crazy about me, is he?”

“Don’t worry about that, Bethany. He’ll come around.” Joanna gave her a quick one-armed hug. “He has little choice in the matter, given just how great you are, and how much it will hurt it I smack him with my frying pan.”

Shara returned Joanna’s hug and tried to shut out the nagging feeling that her friend was wrong. Bryan may never come around. She glanced at him, standing at the other end of the table, just as he looked in her direction. Holding no warmth for her, his gaze felt like an icy slap. She turned away quickly. I am not going to let him bother me. She turned back and gave him a cold glare of her own. You’re attitude is not going to bother me, Bryan Jacobs.

* * *

Shara ate until her stomach was more than full, reveling in the bond she felt with her adopted family. Don’t focus on what you didn’t have living with Grandmother.

“Drew, did you hear your cousin Randy is getting married in February? On Valentine’s Day.” Mother S. dug into her third helping of stuffing with gusto.

“No, Ma, I didn’t hear that. Who to?”

“Well.” Mother S. lowered her voice as if relating a scandal. “He’s marrying a girl he met last month at work. Someone he was training at work. You can imagine his parents are up in arms. He hardly knows the girl.”

“Well, Mother S., that doesn’t seem to stop any of the Shepaski men from attaching themselves to people.” Bryan spooned out more potatoes for himself. “The men in your family have a strange need to turn their lives over to complete strangers.”

Shara’s stomach twisted. His words reminded her too well that she did not belong with these good people. “Will you excuse me, please?” She scurried from the table , down the stairs, and out of the house.





BRYAN

“Bryan Jacobs, that was horrible.” Joanna’s hiss cut through the stillness.

“What did I do? Did I lie?” And don’t look at me like I don’t know what I’m doing. This has nothing to do with Jenny and everything to do with that girl.

Joanna rounded the table toward him. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe she’s here because she doesn’t have a family?”

Drew stopped chewing and glanced up. The children stared in wonder. Mother S. helped herself to more stuffing. Bryan sensed a war with Joanna coming on and he knew no one ever won a war with her. So what? “Did it ever occur to you that she doesn’t have a family because she killed them?” He crossed his arms and waited for her to volley back.

“Bryan Jacobs!” Joanna stood up, her rage purpling her face. “Nate, take your sister to your room. NOW!”

The children, wide eyed like rabbits, scooted away without protest. Bryan braced himself for the battle.

“Now, Bryan, you explain yourself.” Joanna leaned over him, her puffy face a picture of barely controlled fury.

“Do any of you even care that she might be Shara Brandt?”

“Shara who?” Drew, for the first time, stopped eating long enough to speak.

“That girl from Milwaukee. The one that was engaged to Richard. The one that killed her grandmother in the car dealership.”

Joanna slammed down into a nearby chair as if struck. “Do you taste the words that come out of your mouth, or do you just spread this poison on everyone without any feeling?”

“I’m serious. You all just took her in, and we know nothing about her. She shows up the day after this woman is murdered, and this Shara is missing. Not only that, but her fiancé says Shara Brandt is mentally unstable.”

“Her fiancé, you mean Richard Bennett? Weren’t you disappointed he didn’t die in that attack?” Drew dabbed a roll into some gravy on his plate.

“You know, Bryan, you know that this is all about Jenny.”

Bryan did not want to back down from Joanna’s tiger-like frown. “It is not, Jo. This is about the kids.”

“Well that young lady out there is pretty much a kid herself. She ran away from an abusive boyfriend, and all but died in our back yard. She’s not from Milwaukee, she’s from Escanaba. Molly vouches for her. Why would Molly lie?” Joanna sighed and dabbed some sweat from her face. “Bethany doesn’t have a devious bone in her body. And since when do you believe a word Richard Bennett says? He’s your advisor now? Then you have lost your mind, Bryan Jacobs and I don’t want you here.”

Looking in Joanna’s eyes, seeing her conviction, Bryan mentally noted that it was unlikely that everyone he knew could be fooled. There was a chance that Bethany was genuine. It probably is all about Jenny…and Richard Bennett. “Maybe you’re right, Jo. Maybe.” He sighed and rubbed his head with his hands. “I guess I could be less of a jerk, couldn’t I?” And restore some peace in the process.

Joanna softened visibly. The war was over. “I know you have a lot of hurt inside.” She waddled over and hugged him. “But you’ve got to remember the great guy you really are, and be him once in awhile.”

Yeah, but I don’t have to be the nanny’s cheerleader, either. “I’ll go find her and apologize.” And that will keep the peace for now. Bryan got up from the table and left the house. Dirty snow melted under the tires of Drew’s station wagon. She wasn’t in the garage. He opened the garage door and stepped out into the afternoon sunshine. Puddles formed on the sidewalks and driveways as snow melted in the forty-degree warmth.

She was sitting on the front stoop. “Hey.” He sat next to her. “You didn’t go far.”

“Where exactly would I go?” She turned a tear stained face to him. Dark smudges under her eyes told him she had been crying hard.

Her eyes tore away another shred of his doubt. Could she possibly be less sinister? “Look, what I said was… uncalled for”

“It’s not like you haven’t been building up to it.” She sniffled and buried her face in the crook of her arm. “I’d like to know what I ever did to you.”

Nothing. Call it preemptive jerkiness. “It’s not really you. I love those kids like they were my own. You just show up one day and no one ever questioned whether or not you were right for them.” He shrugged and leaned his elbows on his knees. “I’m very protective.”

“So you’re saying you don’t trust me.” Her sniffle punctuated her pitiful aura.

“I’d like to know you better.”

“Really?” Her tone showed no interest. “Aren’t I the lucky one?”

Bryan frowned. He’d always had the opposite effect on women. Mostly, women wanted him to know them better. Not this one. “I don’t mean in the way it sounds.”

“Like what then?” The anger and hurt in her eyes tore away the last shred of pride he had.

If I shove my foot all the way in my mouth maybe I’ll shut up and stop botching this apology. “I’d like to know more about you before I’m comfortable with you, you know, watching the kids.”

“Fair enough.” She sniffled again and wiped her eyes.

“So.” He handed her a tissue. “What about it?”

“What about what?”

“What about your story?”

She shook her head. “You know my story. What’s your story?”

And she’s not going to let me off the hook easily. “Fair enough. Let’s see: I was born, I grew up, went to school, got the job teaching here, got into trouble at dinner just now.”

Her lips twisted into a half smile. “I like that version. Simple and short. I can do that. I was born, I grew up. I left home, wound up here, and just stormed out of the best Thanksgiving dinner I ever had.”

“You missed the part about being the creek.”

“You missed the part about being married.”

“Touché.” He stared out over to the school and nodded. “I keep forgetting you don’t keep too much hidden in a small town.” He looked sideways at her. “How about a truce? A truce with ground rules. Anytime I want to know something about you, I have to tell you something about myself.”

She nodded. “We don’t ask questions if we aren’t ready to answer any, right?”

“Deal.” He stuck out his hand. She took it in hers, and they shook. “Now, how about some pumpkin pie?”

She gave him a worried look. “You want to know a secret?”

“Is this a freebie question for me? Because I don’t think I’m ready to reveal much more this afternoon.”

“Don’t sweat it.” She gave him a wan, yet utterly enchanting smile. “I’m actually a little afraid about how it turned out. I’ve never had pumpkin pie before. I don’t know if it’s right.”

Her words startled him. “You’ve never had pumpkin pie?”

She shrugged. “My Thanksgiving Day dinners were always rather untraditional. Grand..pa wasn’t big on pies.”

“Well look, the rest of the meal didn’t kill us,” Bryan grinned at her.

“Oh thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Seriously. Dinner was great. I’m sure the pie will be great.” He opened the front door for her. I’ll still keep an eye on you, though, Bethany Elias.

Watching her walk up the stairs, Bryan realized that wasn’t going to be such a terrible thing to do.

In case you forgot:

Hello all!

Just taking a bit of a break from my work on my new novel, "Fresh Ice" to remind you that I have two novels floating out there in the wide world of the Internet:

Dream in Color is my Rock and Roll romance.  Ramona is a dreamer in a world of colorless expectations.  What happens when she finds out her Prince Charming is a broken down rock star with a bad reputation and writer's block?  You can purchase Dream in Color in print or digital copy at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or at The Wild Rose Press!

Lies in Chance, a multi character suspense novel, has everything:  Romance, suspence, murder, and a good looking, wounded hero!  Shara is an heiress caught in a web of lies that already claimed her grandmother's life and threatens her own.  The only way for her to discover the whole truth is to live a lie...but she's not the only one in Rock Harbor with something to hide.

Lies in Chance is currently in e-book form.  You can get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and for you Sony owners and those of you who want to read it on your computer, Smashwords has every other format for you!

A reading list I wouldn't mind checking out!

Good evening all!

So my friends at Bachelor's Degree Online came up with another interesting reading list.  This time around, it's "20 Essential Chinese Novels."

I'm going to admit, I haven't read any of these, but I believe expanding my reading to include some of these intriguing titles might be a very good idea!

So take a look my friends and see if there's something there you might want to try!




Because of China's ancient history and massive geography conducive to hosting myriad cultures and subcultures, capturing its entire novelistic history in only 20 reads proves quite a daunting, admittedly impossible task. But the following sample — which should be digested as such rather than a definitive meal — covers a few different eras and philosophies that have irreversibly shaped the nation. Here in the States, students rarely get the chance to explore historical and cultural phenomena outside North America and Europe. Those piqued by the prospect of gathering new ideas and insights, regardless of whether or not they necessarily agree with or relate to them, might want to pick up a few of these novels. And then, of course, explore all the other facets of Chinese literature if they so desire.




1.Romance of the Three Kingdoms (14th Century) by Luo Guanzhong:

Myth and history collide in this riveting fictional account of the Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms' inevitable waning. Literary types and history scholars consider Romance of the Three Kingdoms one of China's Four Great Classical Novels — an essential read that ensured previously oral-only traditions survived the centuries.

2.Water Margin (14th Century) by Shi Nai'an:

Another book lauded with the Four Great Classical Novels label, Shi Nai'an's Water Margin (which goes by several different names in English, including Outlaws of the Marsh) relays folktales of the outlaw Song Jiang. His band of 36 men — later swelling to 108 — thrives and falls as the Song Dynasty rages onward.

3.Fengshen Yanyi (16th Century) by Lu Xixing and Xu Zhonglin:

Fantasy and religion buffs will undoubtedly find plenty to love about the gods, goddesses, spirits and other mystical, mythical figures around which this narrative centers. As the Shang Dynasty ends and the Zhou Dynasty begins, traditional Taoist deities, immortals and heroes decide to intervene in mortal affairs, forever altering China's (and the world's) history.

4.Journey to the West (1590s) by Wu Cheng'en:

One of the most beloved epics of all time — and probably the only Four Great Classical Novels with significant international familiarity — follows Monkey King Sun Wukong's mounting experiences, education and power levels. But simultaneously swelling pride and recklessness eventually prove his undoing, as he brashly rises up against Taoist gods and goddesses.

5.Dream of the Red Chamber (18th Century) by Cao Xueqin:

The last of the Four Great Classical Novels, Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red Chamber not only revolutionized Chinese vernacular literature, it even spawned its own scholarly field, known as "Redology!" Here, a pair of wealthy families watch their wealth, reputation, loves and lives ebb and flow based partly on the author's own experiences and observations.

6.The Scholars (1750) by Wu Jingzi:

Wu Jingzi took a naturalistic approach to satirizing Ming academics, infusing the story with Confucian themes and warnings against taking studies so seriously, everything else ends up precluded. The Scholars is also notable for its depiction of female characters as equally capable as their male counterparts and the rebuilding of a beloved family temple.

7.The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants (1870s?) by Shi Yukun:

Yu Yue helped kick-start the wuxia (martial arts) literary genre, choosing to adapt popular performer and storyteller Shi Yukun's riveting adventure tales. Justice Bao Zheng, a very popular Song Dynasty official, acts the hero and carries out his detective work in the most ass-kicking manner possible.

8.The Family (1933) by Ba Jin:

First of the Torrents Trilogy, The Family sheds some excellent light on the fengjian form of government, showcasing its impact on three very different brothers. The author never considered the originally-serialized novel as purely autobiographical, but did pull from his own feudal system experiences to write it.





9.Midnight (1933) by Mao Dun:

This novel is often touted as one of the most important of communist Chinese literature, offering up a very sensitive portrayal of impoverished workers in Shanghai. It also helped nurture the then-nascent revolutionary sentiment — hardly surprising, considering the author eventually worked for Mao Zedong as the Minister of Culture.

10.Rickshaw Boy (1937) by Lao She:

Follow the eponymous character as he embarks on a fascinating series of adventures (and misadventures) involving some very interesting individuals. He simultaneously wrestles with whether or not he wants to own his own rickshaw business or continue working for someone else.

11.Tracks in the Snowy Forest (1957) by Qu Bo:

Considered one of the quintessential Chinese novels of the post-revolution period, Tracks in the Snowy Forest takes readers on a perilous journey through the wintry wilderness. Soldiers intensely struggle against a deadly assignment taking them to the mountains in search of some very dangerous outlaws.

12.Song of Youth (1958) by Yang Mo:

Taking place between the September 18th Incident (1931) and December 19th Movement (1935), this bestseller explored the Communist Party of China's heavy impact on youth culture. Both triumphs and tragedies end up relayed here, inspired by Yang Mao's own coming of age during a particularly volatile historical period.

13.Lust, Caution (1979) by Eileen Chang:

Lust, Caution boasts a sexy, steamy tale of love and espionage during World War II — a perfect read for spy genre aficionados. A fetching young actress emerges from retirement to participate in a Japanese man's assassination, but doesn't anticipate actually falling for him.

14.Soul Mountain (1990) by Gao Xingjian:

Gao Xingjian's haunting experiment blending folktales, autobiography and various literary genres and devices helped earn him 2000's Nobel Prize for Literature — the first Chinese author to ever earn such a laudable distinction. Here, a man decides to hunt for Lingshan, a mountain existing only in fables, and tries to find some life answers along the way.

15.Big Breasts & Wide Hips (1996) by Mo Yan:

Big Breasts & Wide Hips boasts two different literary distinctions, the Kiriyama Prize and a Man Asian Literary Prize nominations. Its narrative takes seven decades to fully unfold, revolving around rural Chinese life during one of the nation's most pivotal, violent and internationally game-changing centuries.

16.A Dictionary of Maqiao (1996) by Han Shaogong:

This novel explores the titular Hunan village in a structurally fascinating way, containing 115 encyclopedia entries about different facets of its life and history. Penned by a fictional student conducting research for Down to the Countryside, all of the different entries end up working together as an entire unit as well as separately.

17.Private Life (1996) by Chen Ran:

Although none of Chen Ran's books have yet to be outright banned by the Chinese government, she certainly elicits quite the controversy amongst readers who consider her oeuvre far too personal and self-centered. Private Life probably stands as her most widely-debated, relaying a highly personal, frequently sexual bildungsroman about a college girl who loses her lover in the Tiananmen Square massacre.

18.K: The Art of Love (1999) by Hong Ying:

An international bestseller praised for its intense emotion and eroticism, Hong Ying's most celebrated book dreams up a scintillating affair between a British man and a Chinese woman. While Japan invades its massive neighbor, the two struggle against their feelings and prevailing social stigmas against interracial relationships.

19.Shanghai Baby (1999) by Zhou Weihui:

Shanghai Baby ended up banned in China for its extremely frank depictions of sexuality and drug use, though the author considered Americans and Europeans her target audience anyways. The novel's controversy also mirrors that of Private Life, inciting scandal because for its deeply intimate, personal nature — dismissed as arrogant and frivolous.

20.Dream of Ding Village (2006) by Yan Lianke:

Another book banned by the Chinese government, this time for its fictionalized exposure of the nauseating, inhumane treatment of AIDS. In the eponymous town, citizens who once sold their blood fall one by one from the devastating disease — one that officials decide to cover up rather than address.

In case you missed it...

I have NOT ONE, but TWO books out there for sale right now!

"DREAM IN COLOR"  (Print or e-book)

Amazon

Barnes and Noble (Nook)

The Wild Rose Press



"LIES IN CHANCE"  (e-book only at this time)

Amazon

Barnes and Noble (Nook)

Smashwords (For reading on Sony readers or on computer)


Now...buy my books...and then go forth and write! 

Kickin' it old school...

Good morning!

So my book signing on Friday night was pretty great!  I'd forgotten, mostly because I sometimes avoid mass social contact, how fun it is to just talk to people, especially when I'm talking about one of my favorite topics:  My writing. 

It still amazes me, after three years of relentless marketing, just how many people that I know on a personal level do not know I'm an author.  So I guess, until every person I know owns a copy of my books, I'll be doing book signings!  (Do you hear that everyone...buy the darn books!  LOL!)

Anyway, yesterday I started yet another new job.  I have learned, in the past several weeks, that, from a writer's standpoint, I had the DREAM JOB, for a number of years.  I had a boss who didn't care if I wrote, played on facebook, built  a website, during the work day.  (Of course, he also didn't care about things like offering health insurance, giving me a raise, letting me use my vacation time, treating me with any sort of human respect...) 

What I'm getting at is that this job, more so than any other I've had, does NOT seem to appreciate computer use outside the very strict guidelines of the job.  So that's going to take some getting used to.  But what's really going to take some time for me is going back to my roots when it comes to writing. 

Yep, lunch and break times mean one thing now:  Opening a notebook and grabbing a pen.

It's how I started...back in school when I would write during a boring class, but in the computer age, I've become one of those who cannot seem to write if my flash drive isn't engaged.  I think many of us use the same excuse, don't we:  We can't write, we're not at our computer.

But that's not the case.  We can WRITE anywhere so long as we have a writing tool and something to write on.  I've written notes on church bulletins, (during the sermon...), on napkins, and once on a paper coffee cup.  Not my best edited stuff, to be sure, but writing that moved my book along.

So now, with the new job I will have to write when I have free moments and use the basic tools of the trade until I can get home and put it on the flash drive.  I'm not going to let this change in my schedule stop me, not a chance!

Now the rest of you...go forth and WRITE!

Not obsessing about sales while writing another novel!

Hello all!

So a friend of mine, Author Edie Ramer has had an amazing year of publishing and sales since she released her first novel, Cattitude.  I recently read an interview she did and something she said really jumped out at me.

Edie's advice to new authors who e-publish is to worry less about about promoting the book you've published and worry more about writing the next book.

As a person who recently e-published Lies in Chance last month, I have to say that I am OBSESSED about sales.  And I'm more obsessed about what I can do to boost sales.  (Let's just say I'm not quitting my job just yet.)  So every day I check sales on all three sites.

Amazon:  Buy Lies in Chance HERE

Barnes and Noble:  Nook readers buy Lies in Chance HERE!

Smashwords:  Sony users, and those who do not have electronic readers, buy Lies in Chance HERE!

And I worry that not I'm not doing enough to get the word out there.  I blog, I keep up to date on Facebook, Twitter, myspace, and email.  I'm doing a book signing for Dream in Color this coming weekend.  What else can a new author do?

Well, according to my friend Edie...the best thing I can do is WRITE THE NEXT BOOK!

Like most people, I'm very limited in the amount of time I have to spend writing, and all things writing.  And that time will be even more limited next week when I begin yet another new job.  (3rd shift...not a good fit.  I'm back to the 8-5 grind and I'm looking forward to it!)  What this means is that when I do sit down for author time, I can't be going from site to site worrying about sales that are or are not there.  I need to focus on the next book.

I think Edie's advice is good for us all.  I look at her success in the last year and the woman has done nothing but publish.  And she is rocking!  (And she now gets to do it full time I believe.)  So she is walking the walk and it's working for her.

It takes discipline because once you publish a book you want to know that everyone out there is reading it, loving it, leaving positive reviews on the sites so others will read it.  You almost have to put blinders on.  Publishing one thing doesn't mean you're done writing, does it?

So I'm struggling to ignore the websites.  I try to check no more than twice a week.  And I try not to be frustrated.  Meanwhile, I'm working on the next big thing, hoping that by getting a new title out there, my name and writing will be more readily recognized.

One more thing that helps all new authors:  Reader reviews.  If you read a book, and you liked it, ESPECIALLY if you liked Dream in Color or Lies in Chance, PLEASE  leave a reader review.  It's the only way a new author survives!  (Got a book out there...let me know.  I love reading, and I'm happy to read and leave reviews!)

Meanwhile....go forth and WRITE!

Like a good deal? I've got one just for you!

Hello fans and friends!

Here in the States it's 4th of July weekend.  It's a nice long weekend where we Americans celebrate everything that's fantastic about our country...Freedom, Family, and Fireworks.

Oh, and coupons!  We love our coupons!

In the great American tradition of coupons, my friends, I've decided to issue a coupon on Smash words for "Lies in Chance."

For those of you who shop at Smash words, you can purchase "Lies in Chance"
for 25% off the already low price of $2.99 if you use the following coupon code:

ZQ29M

The code is NOT case sensitive, but it's going to save you money.  I'm running this coupon today through Friday the 8th, when I culminate my opening book weekend with a book signing at Martha Merrell's Books in Waukesha.  (If you're in the Waukesha, WI area that evening between 6:30 and 8:30 PM, look me up!  I'd love to see you!)

So, enjoy the holiday weekend, my American friends.  And everyone...enjoy a nice savings on a a book I think you will enjoy!

Lies in Chance is NOW available for your Kindle!

Good evening all!

Okay, if you own a Nook, you can buy Lies in Chance here!


If you own a Kindle, you can buy Lies in Chance here!


If you have a Sony e-reader, or like getting your books on Smashwords, OR you don't have a device, but you'd like to download the book to your computer, you can do that  HERE!


Got questions?  I'm here to help!