Free For All Friday - Meet Author Lynda Bailey!

This week I have the pleasure of interviewing my friend - and fellow western historical author (at least some of the time) - Lynda Bailey!
I was lucky enough to get to know Lynda in Orlando this summer at the 2010 RWA conference. It was great fun meeting another "western" girl (as I dubbed Lynda, fellow GHer Jacqui Nelson, and myself), but an even greater pleasure to meet another western, erotic author.
Anyway, as I stated above, Lynda is one of those talented writers who can produce in several genre. She also writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and YA.
So take a few minutes and get to know this lovely, FUN lady. And wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Sat. 20th) !!!

Thanks so much for being my guest Lynda;)
Now, on with the show...........

 Why We Write What We Write:

What type of romance stories do you write?

Though Wild Flower was a 2010 finalist in the Golden Heart® historical category, I tend to write mostly contemporary, erotic romances.  Check out my website www.LyndaBailey.net to read some excerpts.  My next two stories, however, are a romantic suspense and YA urban fantasy respectfully. 

What inspires you to write in the different sub-genres?

Gosh, that’s a good question.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a good answer.  LOL.  Wild Flower was born from my love of all things western and the fact I grew up on the great plains of this country.  Most of my contemporary stories have their roots in the real-live-people I’ve met through the years.  I got the idea for my romantic suspense after hearing a local TV news reporter speak at a writers’ meeting.  My YA urban fantasy hit me while listening to The Golden Network’s agent/editor panel in Orlando.  Guess you could say my inspiration is as diverse as the varying colors of a rainbow.

Who inspired you to begin writing? And why?

Lorraine Heath. I guess she inspired me b/c I wanted to do for others what she did for me - She gave me wonderful entertainment.  She allowed me into the lives and hearts of people from another place and time.  She made me laugh and she made me cry.  She made me want to give that kind of entertainment to others.  I'm not there yet, but I am working on it. 

 

Do you think writing in all these different sub-genres will make getting published any easier or faster?

In a word, no.  First and foremost, you have to write a good story with compelling characters readers can relate with.  Having a unique voice is also imperative if you’re going to grab the attention of an agent or editor.  If having a variety of stories is any advantage at all it’s that you’re not pigeon-holed into any one sub-genre.  Not that that’s a bad thing.  I admire those writers who can immerse themselves time and again into Regency historicals or dark paranormals.  But for me, variety is the spice of writing.  What about for you?  

***

Thanks again for being my guest, Lynda! And have a very Happy Birthday!  Visit Lynda's site for more info:

www.LyndaBailey.net

Free For All Friday - Meet Author Mary Oldham !

Today I want to introduce great friend and great author, Mary Oldham.

Mary - a Golden Heart Finalist - and I met in Orlando at the 2010 RWA Conference and became fast friends. I've had the pleasure of reading an excerpt of her work and am here to tell you, this is one talented lady! But I really don't have to tell you - check out her beautiful website, http://www.maryoldham.com/ , and take a look at this multi-award winning author's work for yourself.
Then come on back and get to know Mary a little better:)

Take it away, Mary!
 

Why did you start writing?

What started as a way to journal my feelings after a bad marriage and resulting divorce turned into a rough draft for The Voice of Reason.  At some point I stopped writing about my personal feelings and started writing about a woman plotting to kill her ex-husband.  It kind of scared me at the time, but it was quite therapeutic!  The story was badly written, but it got my mind thinking in a new way, like an author.  I was very intrigued with the idea of a good girl raised in a loving family, who marries this wonderful man, but then discovers the marriage is a façade for something sinister.  I couldn’t get this one simple idea out of my head:  How far would you go to survive?

When I finished the rough draft, I put The Voice of Reason on the shelf and decided I’d never be a writer.  But in January 2008, I wrote several short stories.  I found that I had really missed escaping into the world of writing.  I expanded five of the short stories into series contemporary manuscripts.  Last spring, I picked up my old friend The Voice of Reason and rewrote the entire thing.  The ten year break gave me a good amount of perspective and I think I’m finally happy with it.

What genre do you write?

I write romantic suspense and series contemporary.  I would love to write single title, but series contemporary is a good way to get a lot of inventory in the pipeline.  At 50,000 words if the story isn’t what agents and editors are looking for, I know I will have another story for them to look at fairly quickly.  I also have a bit of a dark side, a little touch of the Dean Koontz or Stephen King that craves a great love story with something dark thrown in for fun.

Tell us about your 2010 Golden Heart Finalist manuscript, Laura Takes a Lover.

I like to write about women who want it all, but aren’t sure which pathway in life to take.  Because no matter what direction we choose, the grass will always appear greener in someone else’s yard. 

Laura is a heroine who is about to live a modern day fairytale, but doesn’t know it.  She discovers she can’t have children at the same time her husband has an affair, which leads to a divorce.  Then she meets Adam.  Not only is he younger, he’s good looking, very attracted to Laura and quite capable of getting her pregnant! 

Laura has to lose something she perceived to be good before she can value getting something that is great.

***

Mary Oldham – Bio

Ten years as a Media Consultant for The Oregonian newspaper in Portland, Oregon.

My career in advertising and outside sales has encompassed nineteen years. At any one time I have five or more stories swimming in my head asking to be written into novels.

Since January 2008, I’ve written six novels, finaled in ten contests, taking first place in three of them, as I continue to work full time. I rework a story until it's right, even if that means rewriting the entire manuscript.

For more information about my stories, please visit:  www.maryoldham.com

Free For All Friday! -- Author Meet and Greet!

I want to introduce my wonderful friend and great writer, Jacqui Nelson. [She's the gorgeous redhead ;)]
Through our common interest of historical westerns we became friends. The picture is of us at the 2010 RWA Awards where Jacqui won the Golden Heart for her historical western, BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL.
Her second novel, BETWEEN LOVE AND LIES, is already garnering awards. If you love western romance you will love Jacqui's work. Excerpts are readable on her website, http://www.jacquinelson.com/

So take a minute and get to know Jacqui! She's an up and coming author you won't want to miss!
Thanks for being my first guest, Jacqui;)

 

Q: How long have you been writing?

A: I started in November 2007 when I changed careers. After seven years working as an animator in the TV and video game industry, I needed work that had fewer hours and would allow me to live in Victoria, Canada (where there are no animation companies). My main goal was to spend more time with my mom, sister and nephew. During the job change I lost my creative outlet and needed another.

Back in 1992 I dabbled in writing. I bought and read a dozen writing books. I jotted down several ideas for stories. Then I put it all in a box, got sidetracked by my job (computer programming and later animation), and never thought about writing again. After moving in 2007 I was looking through my boxes and found the writing books and notebooks full of scribbles and decided I would try writing again.

 

Q: How did you get interested in the the western genre?

A: I grew up in the middle of nowhere in Canada (north of Edmonton, Alberta) on a cattle farm. We had only two TV channels (in the days before cable TV and even before, gasp, VCRs). The old Clint Eastwood movies came on TV and instantly I was hooked on Westerns. And "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Outlaw Josey Wales" are still in my top ten movie list.

 

Q: Tell us about your first manuscript (the Golden Heart book) and your second manuscript (your current WIP).
A: One of the "scribbles" in my notebooks was about a white woman who is raised by Indians. She runs away when white men murder her adoptive mother and sister, and the Indian brave she once called brother holds her responsible and vows to kill her. To escape and build a new life, she hires on as an interpreter and scout for a wagon train bound for Oregon. Two years later I had a completed manuscript, Between Heaven and Hell. I started pitching and entered it in several contests including the 2010 Golden Heart.

The first editor I pitched with suggested I keep writing Westerns. I had no more "scribbles" for Western stories, so I opened my series of Time Life Old West books and started reading.

I found an interesting historical fact about how the small farms between Texas and Dodge City were often decimated by the cattle drives when a longhorn tick caused the local cattle to develop a fever and die. I asked myself what would happen to a woman if she lost her farm during this time period (the 1870s)? Who would help her? Where could she find work? I decided my heroine would end up working in a saloon in Dodge City and that the cowboy (whose herd destroyed her farm) would be consumed by guilt and come back a year later to see what happened to her. One year later (I'm getting quicker!) I have a completed manuscript. I entered it in five contests, was a finalist in all of them, and now I'm ready for the 2011 Golden Heart. Fingers crossed once again :-)

Contact/visit Jacqui at: http://www.JacquiNelson.com

Writing Wednesday - The 5 W's

Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
Yesterday I read an article about the 5 W's and their use in writing a non-fiction piece. About half-way through reading I thought the same theory could work when writing a query letter. These are the same questions that make up a plot -- on a very basic level that is.

Consider this for an example. It's a slightly shorter (but not much shorter) version of the query I used to sell RAFE'S REDEMPTION.

Dear Agent/Editor,
I'm seeking representation for my historical novel, set in (when) 1866 (where) Colorado. (who) Maggie is an artist determined to (what)travel and sketch the western landscape. Her cousin is determined to see her dead. But when (why)they're trapped in a rough outpost, Maggie is used as collateral for her cousin's gambling debt.
(who) Rafe went (what) into town to buy supplies, not a woman. But when he sees a beautiful woman being sold to the lecherous townsmen, he (what) offers the winning bid. The last thing Rafe wants or needs is a woman. (why)He's got trouble of his own - a vengeful killer chasing after him.
Trapped by blizzards and pursued a killer, (who)Rafe and Maggie must attempt (what)to cross the Rocky Mountains (why)before his past catches up to them.

As I said this is a pretty basic breakdown, but I hope it's helpful when trying to write the dreaded query letter:)