Kristal Lee

Today I'm excited to have debut author Raquel Byrnes visiting today. Raquel's inspirational romantic suspense Purple Knot was released June 3rd from White Rose Publishing. She's here to share tips on a subject I fear as much as the Dread Pirate Roberts--writing a synopsis, GASP!


Without further ado, here's Raquel and her advice on


How a Killer Synopsis Can Keep You from the Slush Pile

Writing a synopsis is one of the most grueling and intimidating aspects of the submission process. Query letters are easy compared to the dreaded 3-4 page synopsis that goes with your proposal. But this mini-novel is a very important part of the pitch for your manuscript. So making it the best you can possibly create is essential.

Not all agents or publishers accept the same type of synopsis. Some require a one-page, while others would like an "Extended Synopsis" of three or four pages. Check the submission requirements on their website.

A synopsis is generally written in PRESENT tense, THIRD PERSON. This is regardless of your novel's POV. Follow the voice of your book, it’s the first taste of your writing that the agent gets.

There are specific formatting guidelines. Your synopsis should be single spaced. In the top left-hand corner, the header should have your book title and your name. You may also want to add the genre and word count.

There are 3 main sections to your synopsis: The Hook, The Background, and The Stakes.

I'm excited to have my friend, debut author Maeve Greyson visiting today.

Maeve Greyson writes paranormal romances from her cozy little home in western Kentucky.  Tucked away in the middle of nowhere, her stories spark with magic and love, where anything might happen to get to that happily ever after.Her writing partner, Jasper –the rat terrier/Chihuahua mix, critiques all her work. Under his sharp eye and the endless support of her husband of over thirty-one years, she snuggles back in their secluded wood and pours her daydreams into the keyboard.

WELCOME MAEVE! The page is yours......

Sometimes – love means knowing when to bite your tongue.

I’ve been married to the same wonderfully frustrating man for over thirty-one years. In fact, we’ve grown so close; we pretty much read each other’s thoughts just by mannerisms or familiar phrases. For example:

Negatives:

“Yes, Dear” means I’m just agreeing to shut you up.

An arched eyebrow paired with a glare over the tops of glasses slid to the tip of a nose means: “Do you REALLY think I’m that stupid?”

"Yeah right” is the same as calling BULL SH*T about whatever was just said. (Forgive me but there’s just no other way to phrase it).

“Fine!” means anything but that.

Tucking my head under his chin while I bury my face into his chest and sigh means, “Hold me. I’ve had a bad day.”

Ducked head, pursed lips and fidgeting back and forth means, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Muting the ballgame and bringing a fresh cup of coffee means, “I love you and support what you’re doing.” 

Hiding Jasper’s green squeaky toy when it’s a midnight shift means, “I love you and want you to get your rest.”

Communication is a tricky thing…especially with the one you love. In my paranormal romance, BEYOND A HIGHLAND WHISPER, Latharn and Nessa’s communication evolves…but not without a few bumps. Read on to see just how well they “mesh” when modern day Nessa attempts to teach a Scot from the 1400’s how to drive.

Excerpt:

Nessa gnawed at her lower lip as she gripped the edges of the seat. She had her fingers clenched so deep in the cushions she knew her nails were going to shred the upholstery.

“Latharn, don’t you think it would be better if Brodie taught you how to drive?”

“’Tis no’ a matter of being taught, Nessa. I but need ye to tell me the basic functions of the gadgets and knobs. I assure ye, I am not some foolish young pup who has to practice until he gets it right.” Latharn sat in the driver’s seat of the car, his brow creased with a frown as he examined the gauges and knobs. He twisted to peer down around the wheel, studying the pedals she’d pointed out at his feet.

Nessa inhaled a deep, nerve calming breath, attempting to swallow her rising anxiety. She closed her eyes and searched for something positive about Latharn trying to learn to drive. At least this thing is an automatic. I’d end up with whiplash trying to teach him to use a clutch.

Latharn sat bolt upright in the seat and swiveled to fix her with an icy glare. “My love, I’d like to remind ye I have been reading your mind since ye were but a lass of eighteen years of age. I am now trying to withdraw and give ye your privacy. But when ye find yourself feeling particularly sarcastic, your thoughts are much louder than your words.”

Nessa’s cheeks heated up with this latest revelation. She narrowed her eyes and returned his glare. Her temper flared as she arched one brow and boldly spoke her mind. “Can you hear what I am thinking now, my love?”

His eyes widened. Latharn cocked his head and smirked. “Now why would I want to do that to myself when it’s much more satisfying to do it with you?”

Her teeth clenched, Nessa pointed to the keys. “Just start the car.”

Latharn stomped the gas pedal to the floor, turned the keys as far as the ignition would allow—and held them there. His face locked into a mask of concentration, he stared at the road ahead. The starter whined in painful protest as the engine roared with the fury of the wide-open gas.

“Now let them go! As soon as you hear the engine start, you’re supposed to let go of the keys.” Nessa slapped at his hand and tapped at his right knee currently locked in the straight position, the gas pedal pushed to the floorboard. “Let up on the pedal! You’re giving it too much gas. You’re going to burn up all the fuel before you even put it into gear.”

“Stop scolding me as though I’m an empty-headed bairn! Ye didna tell me that part when ye went through what each of these damn things do.” Latharn white-knuckled the steering wheel until it almost bent between his hands as he shifted in the seat.

Flattening her hands on the dashboard, Nessa tried to swallow her frustration. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to yell. I told you it would be better if Brodie did this. Now put your foot on the brake and ease the gearshift into drive. Right, the one with the D.” Scrubbing her face with her hands, Nessa glanced at the street, thankful that it appeared to be deserted. “Now before you pull out…”

The car squealed out of the parking lot. He kept his right leg locked at the knee. His massive hands swallowed the tiny tubing of the steering wheel, sawing it back and forth. Thanks to Nessa’s adamant refusal to teach him unless they were on a deserted stretch of road, all he had to do was keep the car between the ditches as he barreled down the lane.

“Latharn, slow down!” Nessa squeezed his right leg to get him to relax off the gas pedal at least a notch or two. Latharn appeared to have only two speeds: dead stop or screaming wide-ass open.

Latharn glared at the road and his leg began to relax. As the car slowed down from its breakneck speed, his hands unclenched from the wheel. “Ye see, Nessa? I told ye ’twould be no chore at all. Ye must learn to trust in what I say.”

“Just because you’re able to drive down a deserted stretch of road doesn’t mean you’ve mastered this thing just yet.” As she snugged her seat belt across her body, Nessa pointed up the roadway a bit. “Why don’t you turn here and take us back to Brodie’s and we’ll see if you can park this thing.”

Latharn took the corner so fast the car almost skidded on two wheels. He fixed Nessa with a chilling glare when she bellowed for him to slow the damn thing down. He growled. “I’m not deaf, Nessa. Just because I can hear your thoughts doesn’t mean I can’t hear you speak.”

As they neared the graveled drive, Nessa pointed to a spot beneath an ancient oak. “Why don’t you just pull up to that tree? I think it best if we stay away from the building.”

Tearing his gaze away from the road, Latharn reprimanded her with a jerk of his head. “I will thank ye to keep the jests to yourself and might I also add I have never met a woman with such a broad knowledge of profanity in my life.” He wasn’t sure what some of those words meant, but others…he knew them all too well.

“I haven’t cursed you a single time,” Nessa retorted. “At least not out loud…much.”

“Aye. Well, ye have done a verra fine job of it in your head.” He returned his attention to the targeted spot in front of the tree. As he lifted his foot from the gas pedal, he stomped on the brake and threw them both forward into their locking seat belts.

“Ow! Didn’t I tell you not to stomp on the pedals? You’re supposed to lightly step on them...roll onto them with the ball of your foot.” Nessa twisted her body and rubbed her shoulder where the seat belt had tried to behead her.

Latharn threw the gearshift into park, shut off the engine, and yanked the keys from the ignition. He exploded from the vehicle and threw the keys to the ground. He didn’t even acknowledge Trish as she walked across the drive when he stormed off across the field.

Trish bent, peered into the car, and raised her brows at Nessa’s enraged face. “First driving lesson went well, I see.”

I’d like to close with a heartfelt thank you to Kristal for being so kind and inviting me for a visit on her lovely blog! I’d also like to ask the readers –do you have any secret codes you use for communicating with your significant other?



And thank you, Maeve, for coming by to share your thoughts on love, communication, and an excerpt from your new release.

Maeve's debut novel, BEYOND A HIGHLAND WHISPER, is now available from The Wild Rose Press and she recently contracted THE HIGHLANDER’S FURY with them as well.








For more information on Maeve Greyson visit her at:

Website:http://www.maevegreyson.com//a>
Blog:http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/
Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/maeve.greyson#!/maeve.greyson.page
http://twitter.com/#!/maevegreyson
The Wild Rose Press:http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=maeve+greyson
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=beyond+a+highland+whisper

Don't forget to tell her Kristal sent you. :)

I'm excited to have ASHLYN CHASE visiting today. Ashlyn is a multi-published author of light paranormal romances and erotic romances. Her 2010 release, Strange Neighbors was one of my favorite reads last year and she follows it up with this month's release of The Werewolf Upstairs.

Ashlyn, Welcome!

Thank you for the opportunity to reach more readers, Kristal.

“People will forget what you said; people will forget what you did; but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.”

Ashlyn, thank you for sharing your inspiration and how you apply it in your writing.  I think you do achieve your goal to entertain rather than bore with your books. For me, your novel Strange Neighbors was definitely a fun read that still makes me smile when I talk about it with my friends. And now, the stand-alone sequel, The Werewolf Upstairs, is out and I can't wait to read it!  BTW, the cover is fabulous.

BOOK BLURB:



Hello Nancy!

Tell us a little about yourself. I am a mature, college educated, wife, mother, and all around modern woman who happens to like all things Scottish and loves to read regency historical novels. I started writing toward publication about three years ago. I signed my first contract for a contemporary romance then, just this past February, sold DRAGON’S CURSE. Both books were released in June and I am thrilled. I grew-up in Huntington, NY then moved to New Hampshire to attend college. I stayed many, many years. My husband and I moved to Raleigh, NC recently to be near family. I write full-time.

What inspired you to become a writer? I have always loved to read and one day my Scorpio-driven type ‘A’ personality said “I can do better than this.” I discovered it is NOT very easy to write a novel. It takes works, training, editing help, critique help, and lots and lots of rewrites. I am a voracious reader and have met some of my favorite authors in my writer groups. They keep me focused toward success.

What were your first steps toward publication? Writing the story came easy. My son arrived home from a tour in Iraq and it felt as if a damn broke open. Maybe the relief from a year of stress had melted away. Whatever happened, the story was finished in one month. After several rejections from agents, I received a request for the full manuscript from Harlequin. Even though they eventually rejected it, I kept going. I have completed six manuscripts to date and have sold three. I’m liking them odds!

What is one speed bump that you encountered along the way and how did you overcome it? I worked feverishly on a Scottish historical with a bit of time travel and a present day witch in order to be able to pitch it at the annual Romance Writers of America conference in July 2009. I waited patiently for my turn with one agent and one editor. Both requested I send them the first three chapters so I raced home, edited it to death, and proudly sent my ‘baby’ out into the world. Alas, the publisher said ‘no thanks’ and I NEVER heard from the agent. Ah, well. I have since worked on the manuscript, using information I learned over the last nine months to make my writing better. I will again pitch my book at the next RWA conference.

Who or what has been the biggest help to you in becoming a published author? If I named names we would be here all day so let me make a shout out to my chapter mates at Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. Besides them, I belong to several on-line groups which are where I realized e-publishing was one way to get published. Sort of a stepping stone, especially for a novella length story like DRAGON’S CURSE.

What sparked your heart to write Dragon’s Curse? I love Dragons (and horses, and unicorns, and mermaids….watch out!) but I love stories where Scotland is a prominent feature. My husband is of Scottish ancestry and we still volunteer each year at the New Hampshire Highland Games (www.nhscot.org.) I decided to combine the two. I thought caves, then thought islands, and did a little research. Scotland has a plethora of beautiful islands and I discovered Fingal’s Cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa. It is the oddest looking place I have ever seen. The story flew and I came up with the tale.

Where do you go from here? I think the term ‘juggler’ might describe my life at this point. I have full-length contemporary romance also just out under my pen name, Nancy Lennea. Check it out at www.nancylennea-inlove.blogspot.com. I just sold a full-length romantic suspense which I hope will come out later this year. I am finishing up SPELLBOUND HIGHLANDER for the RWA conference and already have 1/3 complete on a story that takes off from that story. I just started another paranormal set in present day Raleigh, NC at the new Museum of Art. I am aggressively pursuing getting an agent because I would like to submit work to one of the large NY publishers.
Any words of wisdom for new authors with dreams of a publishing contract? Don’t try to do it alone as I did for the first year. Gain membership in at least one writers group. Writing is a solitary profession and the camaraderie is priceless. And just remember: Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.


Thank you Nancy, for chatting with us today. Congratulations on the release of DRAGON’S CURSE.


Nancy Lee Badger writes full-time and lives with her husband in Raleigh, NC. She loves everything Scottish. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, Celtic Heart Romance Writers, and Sisters in Crime. She stays busy celebrating the release of her Scottish historical DRAGON’S CURSE available from Whispers Publishing at www.whispershome.com  to get your copy today.
Visit Nancy’s websites: http://www.nancyleebadger.com/ and http://www.nancyleenea.com/.

Visit her blog http://www.rescuingromance.nancyleebadger.com/ For excerpts and more information.

I’m pleased to have romance author, Michelle Young, as a guest. She is the fabulous author of Dragonstone.

Book Blurb:
Lady Katerina is the independent, headstrong heir to the Latharian throne; the one to fulfill the prophecy and defeat Black Magic. When betrayal and a violent Awakening transform her own magical Dragonstone Black, she vanquishes it, rendering her virtually powerless. Now, after a three-year sojourn, she returns to claim her crown and discovers sinister forces are working against her. Though able to handle a weapon as well as any man, Katerina reluctantly agrees to a peronal guard. Amongst the candidates, one man emerges; the handsome but infuriating knight, Sir Logan Shepherd. Can she trust him with her secrets?

Logan harbors secrets of his own. He needs to break through Katerina’s defenses and earn her trust. Katerina, however, is proving to be maddening, as well as captivating. Can he fulfill his duty and keep his heart?

Unless the prophecy is fulfilled, Latharia will be destroyed.

To fulfill the prophecy, the truth must be revealed.

Revealing the truth could destroy everything.



Welcome, Michelle!

Tell us about yourself:

In my ‘other life’ I work as a speech pathologist. Writing started out as a hobby and blossomed into something I never expected-a second career. I still work part time as an SLP, for now. Who knows what the future holds? I am blessed with an incredibly supportive family. My husband is beyond supportive and has helped write some scenes (yes, he allows people to assume he helped with “those” scenes), but in truth, he was really helpful in writing the battle/sword fighting scenes. He also is great to bounce story ideas off of. My kids are great too-although they are too young to read Dragonstone. I have told them they cannot read it until they are eighteen.

When/how did the story and characters for Dragonstone come to you?

It sounds corny to say I was inspired, but it is true. Some of the basics for the story and some of the scenes were in my mind for a long time. One day, I was simply compelled to write it down. And then I just kept writing. One scene just flowed into another. Not that it was perfect the first time around. After I wrote the story out, my husband and a friend read it. They offered suggestions on expanding, adding, etc. In fact, from the first draft to final product, the story doubled in length.

How long was Dragonstone in production before publication was realized? And what were the steps that took you there?

It took me a total of six months to write Dragonstone. Soon after it was completed, I met Rhonda Penders; one of the owners of The Wild Rose Press. I pitched my story to her and she told me to submit. After a bit more work on the manuscript, I submitted to the Senior Editor of the Faery Rose division of The Wild Rose Press, sending a query letter and synopsis. A few months later, a partial (first three chapters) was requested. Another two month wait (or so), my editor, Sarah, wrote and asked for the full manuscript. Another wait (I don’t remember how long), she offered me a contract. After 5 months of editing with Sarah, it was ready for publication. This was in May of 2008. The e-book release date was Nov. 15, 2008 and it was released in print Feb. 15, 2009.

What about this story grips your heart?
It is a story about survival, overcoming the past and learning to trust and love again. The characters are likeable, yet human; each having their own faults. Ultimately, it is a “love conquers all” story. The strong, self-reliant heroine learns that she does not have to face impossible tasks alone.

For me, personally, I have been blessed by the fact that I married my best friend. We live in the belief that, together, we can handle anything. Although that is not what was on my mind when I wrote Dragonstone, as I look back on it, that message is definitely at the heart of the story.

Why have you chosen the paranormal romance genre for your writing endeavors?

I love dragons, magic, fantasy, mythical creatures and creating new worlds. I am a sucker for handsome knights, bad-boy heroes, strong heroines and happy endings. Paranormal romance allows me to write about all of my favorite things.
I also love writing in the medieval period, which is when Dragonstone is set. There is something very magical and romantic about that time period. But Dragonstone is more than a love story; it includes elements of a basic epic fantasy; mythical races (i.e.,elves, dragons), a quest, plot twists, good vs. evil, etc.

In one of the major battle scenes, the fight combines magic along with medieval warfare, which creates, I think, an incredible and exciting climax.

Do you belong to any writing or other professional organizations and how have they helped you along your career path?

I belong to the Romance Writers of America and as well as my local chapter (Central Florida Romance Writers). I can honestly say I would not have gotten published without the CFRW. I learned SO much about writing, publishing, etc. from the ladies in that group-I owe them a great debt.

What’s next for you?

The sequel to Dragonstone, entitled, “The Dragon’s Heart” has been contracted and will probably be released early 2011. It is the next generation, so to speak, with the heroine being the daughter of the couple in Dragonstone. It has some of the same characters as well as several new ones. Like Dragonstone, it is filled with unexpected plot twists and is far more than just a love story. The Dragon race is much more predominant in this story, with a few of the main characters being Dragons who can take human form.

“The Dragon’s Heart” took me longer to write (over a year),but I am very happy with the way the story turned out. It stays true to the medieval fantasy, with a splash of Greek Mythology thrown in.

Any inspiring words for aspiring authors?

Write the story that is in your head-or heart. Don’t stress about what will sell or what meets whose criteria. Write the story and the rest will follow. The important thing is to write if you enjoy writing. When it stops being fun, it is time for a break. If it is fun, then keep writing. If the words are not perfect the first time, that is really OK. To quote Nora Roberts: “You can’t fix a blank page.”

Thank you, Michelle, for visiting today. I’d like everyone to know that Michelle Young’s first novel, “DRAGONSTONE,” has received all 5-star reviews and won “Top Pick of the Year” (Readers and Writers of Distinctive Fiction). For more information or to read the reviews, visit her website Michelle Young.org or become a fan on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Author-Michelle-Young/119120791436799


“Dragonstone” is available from The Wild Rose Press in paperback or e-book formats. It is available at Borders bookstores in Central Florida. It can be ordered at most bookstores (Borders, Barnes & Noble, locally owed stores), through online bookstores (i.e. Amazon) or directly from the publisher: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/dragonstone-paperback-p-3360.html
Coming Soon from Michelle Young:

Stay tuned for more information on a release date!