Fighting the Undertow--Coming Nov. 4!!!

Fighting the Undertow, coming November 4 from Loose Id.

When the New England riptide sweeps Val into Ian’s path, she’s pulled into the vortex of passion he shares with his friends. But as Ian struggles with the ghosts of his past -- literally -- Val’s not sure there’s a place for her in his sexy, turbulent world.


Book Trailer for Fighting the Undertow--A vortex of passion forces Val to face dark secrets, forbidden hungers, and a troubled spirit.

So Much to Think About

I’m supposed to be writing at the moment. Not my blog, I mean more scenes for Pentacle of Storms, my work in progress. I’ve had my Snickers flavored Kudos bar to fuel the process, and I left off at an exciting part yesterday evening, so I’m even motivated to get back to my story.

I’m not sure if this happens to all writers, or just me, but when my mind becomes cluttered with too many details I have trouble settling down to play with my characters. Often the details are environmental--a pile of dishes or a stack of laundry can provide an irritating distraction, and I tend to need a tidy house before I can sit down and work.

Other times, my everyday to-do list gets too long for me to focus. Multiple errands pile up, and post-it notes multiply across the kitchen counter in a sea of reminders. I’ll reach a point where I need to dedicate a day, or two, or even three to running around doing errands before I can focus at the computer again.

Another common distraction is what I call my “emotional to-do list.” If it’s been too long since I’ve sent my mother photos of my daughters, or called her, or if I’ve been putting off planning a birthday party for one of my girls, or if I haven’t downloaded photos from the digital camera to the computer and the card’s full, or if I know one or both of my daughters needs some “Mom time,” or I haven’t done some basic, self nurturing activities like taking time to go out for coffee with a friend or have a writers’ study break with my sister, or haven’t scheduled a haircut and I’m starting to look like one of the Beatles in their big hair phase… You get the idea, all these things build up, and at some point, I need to get them all checked off my list before I can write effectively again.

Today, the mind clutter is more complex. The stuff of thoughts. And for me, the only way to clear those out is to talk about the, or write them down. I’m one of those people who soaks in fall colors--the brilliant blue sky, burgundy mums, pink and orange zinnias, yellow and red trees, and rich green grass--until I feel as if I’ve just eaten a huge, harvest meal, and I can’t possibly hold any more.

Today’s been one of those spectacular, visual days. All morning, huge bird shadows raced across the backyard, and there’s just enough wind to set the tree shadows dancing and create a mosaic of light and dark tree forms on the grass. Even the bees on the zinnias right outside the sliding glass doors by my computer chair hold my attention with their fuzzy backs, their frantic movements as they gather pollen, and even one particularly fascinating scuffle with a passing butterfly.

I also woke from a vivid dream this morning. A flock of crows had landed outside a tiny apartment where my dream self was staying, and I stood on the front step watching the wealth of textures in their feathers, the way the light played across their shiny backs, and the way the air itself seemed to rustle with their movements. A stray dog joined the crows, his coat a silky mass of brown, black, and white areas, as if he had a bit of collie in his mixed heritage. I fed the dog and took him inside, but because he snapped and growled at my husband, I had to send him on his way, and as he left, he picked up a torn towel in his mouth and brought it with him--as a blanket, I assumed--and I was captivated by the pathos of the moment.

I’m not sure if all writers think too much, or if it’s just me. Today, I’ve been thinking about--in addition to all of the above--the story one of my daughters shared yesterday. At lunch, one of her friends went on and on about how “grossed out” she was about two men kissing in a history movie. I think the movie was about Nazi Germany, but I can’t remember for certain. My daughter sat there feeling incredibly uncomfortable, scrambling for something she could say without redirecting her friend’s invective toward herself. After school, she still felt frustrated that she ended up remaining silent, and also sad because this was only the most recent instance of various forms of intolerance, and she’s decided it’s a friendship that can’t last.

When I went in for allergy shots today, a nurse who I’ve known for about sixteen years mentioned that she’d just found out I’m a writer (probably from another nurse I’ve chatted with who likes to write), and how surprised she was that she’s known me so long and had no idea that I write. She asked if I write nonfiction, which I don’t. Then she explained that she has a story to tell, and proceeded to share a personal, tragic story from her past. “The book would be about the journey,” she explained, and then mentioned some of the strong, amazing things she’s done since the tragic event.

I was struck by the fact that in the hurried contacts that take place in a midsized city, people can know each other for years, in a professional context, or as neighbors, and never really know anything about each other. I was also reminded once more of the profound strength of women, and the power of the stories we tell.

All this barely scratches the surface. Some days, my thoughts get so full that they race around in confused disorganization. Putting a few of them down on paper helps--but it also stirs up more ideas.

Love Notes

When I write, I write with the complete and total focus of a brain surgeon. I tear myself away from the computer for dinner time, and if my muse is hot on the trail of a plot thread, I return to the computer later in the evening. During the active writing phase (as opposed to working on a second draft, or doing promotion, or tackling edits, all of which require a somewhat lesser degree of focus) I take time off for errands only when we’re out of essentials like toothpaste and toilet paper.

This degree of total concentration is -- ironically, given the nature of my writing -- less than conducive to nurturing a relationship. I may be writing scorching love scenes and tender romantic moments, but I’ve found I need to make a concerted effort to find a few minutes at the end of the day to say something to my husband other than, “Has the dog been walked yet?”

This fall, I’ve been exploring ways to bring a little more romance into my life, even as I dive into writing Pentacle of Storms. I started out simple, with love notes. I found a bunch of art I liked on the web -- an assortment of sentimental, sexy, and humorous images -- and copied and saved it all in a document for easy access. Combined with brief messages or little poems, the images make for appealing notes to leave on my husband’s pillow in the evening, sometimes along with a piece of chocolate.

Along with the love notes, I’ve added in other romantic elements -- backrubs, candlelight, French bistro music at bedtime, classical guitar on the stereo during family dinners, apple and cherry tarts for a late-night dessert for two… None of this takes much time to arrange, and we’re both enjoying the ambiance.

One benefit I hadn’t anticipated is that we’re finding more time to talk. The other night, my husband initiated a conversation about Pentacle of Storms and spent a good deal of time helping me firm up plot threads. Wow. This went so far beyond, “Have you walked the dog?” that it took me completely by surprise. He had some great ideas, too, especially in areas where my muse had been slacking.

I didn’t start out with any expectations other than adding some thoughtful, romantic elements to our daily routine. The little side benefits, like increased communication, have been a delightful and unanticipated bonus.

So what about all of you? What’s your favorite way of stirring up a little more romance in life? Ever do anything sweet and unanticipated for your longtime sweetie? Has anyone ever presented you with a memorable romantic surprise?

13 Things I Love about Back to School Time

1. My teens are happier. I’ve come to the conclusion that teenagers need constant exposure to their own kind or they become moody and difficult.

2. More time to write!

3. My husband and I are happier because there are less sibling arguments at the dinner table. Teenage sisters get along better when they’re at different schools most of the day.

4. The bags of school supplies relocate from our living room to school lockers.

5. All those fall clothes I bought my daughters start earning their keep, thus justifying the credit card bills.

6. Hours of uninterrupted silence in my office, which is located near the kitchen, in a high family traffic area.

7. Hearing about the girls’ adventures after school--new teachers, what friends did on their summer vacations, all the latest news about clubs, and other tidbits about school life.

8. I can manage to squeeze in a bit of free time to attack my TBR pile in the evenings because I’m able to work (uninterrupted) during the day.

9. Seeing our mini poodle’s wild welcome dance when the girls and my college professor husband arrive home after school.

10. Youth Symphony Orchestra starts up again, as do all of the girls' other school-year activities, so life gets more interesting than trips to the pool, drivers’ ed, and summer jobs.

11. With family life running more smoothly, my muse returns from her summer vacation, and I experience a renewed creative itch to write.

12. The coziness of fall. Hot herb tea on a rainy day, mellow music on the stereo, warm sweaters, and my dog on my lap.

13. Little bits of free time when I can catch a movie with my sister, or go out to lunch with a friend.

What are your favorite things about fall, or kids heading back to school? Any back to school memories of your own you’d like to share?

How to Make Book Trailers & Other Videos

First of all, I’m excited that Broken Pentacle is now available from Loose Id. Doing the release day happy dance here!

I thought I’d do something different for my release day blog for Broken Pentacle and explain how I made the book trailer. It’s easier than you might think, and if you have Windows, you already have Windows Movie Maker on your computer.

For authors, book trailers are an important piece of promotion. And for readers, it’s a fun skill to pick up, since once you learn how to make your own movies for You Tube you can share everything from stories about your pets, to fan pieces about a favorite genre or TV show, or unique creations about your children. The sky’s the limit.

Here’s a link to my first trailer for Nature’s Pentacle, and my second trailer for Broken Pentacle. I felt more comfortable with the whole process the second time around.

To start, scratch out some basic notes about what you want to include in your movie text. For book trailers, I start with my blurbs. Here’s the short blurb for Broken Pentacle:

Seeking justice and revenge, Sky, Alec and Zach race to find a rogue witch before he claims more blood sacrifices. Hunted by the rogue’s followers, they turn to a scorching ménage to augment their power, but only love can heal their hearts.

From there, I highlight key words, and write out my “script” for my movie. The word “hunted” caught my eye, and I ended up using “broken,” “hunted,” “desperate,” and “beloved” to carve out mini sections within my trailer. Try to keep your script short! I aim at about 10 frames, with text shown over each photo. If I end up with a few more, I shorten the time each frame shows, so I don’t go over about a minute and fifteen seconds. Anything more and you may lose people’s attention.

Once you have a script (just a brief phrase for each frame), check out istockphoto.com. You can find royalty free photos and video clips here. For photos, the smallest size (extra small) works fine for movies. I spent under $20 on the photos for each of my trailers. Pick photos that work well with your script and the mood of your piece.

Next, move on to the music selection. My favorite site for royalty free music is incompetech.com. You can find others if you Google “royalty free music.” Pick a piece that fits the mood and subject matter of your video, and remember to pay attention to length.

Now, go to Start, All Programs, Windows Movie Maker and open up the program. Choose about 10 photos from your own photo files and make a practice video. The program is user friendly, and “help” provides useful information. Play around to your heart’s content--you can’t break it.

The first thing you’ll do is go to “tasks” and import photos or video from “my pictures” or “my videos.” Once you have photos in the collections frame, drag them down to the video section of the storyboard. Right clicking on a photo once it's on the storyboard gives you several options. You can also drag photos around to change the order, or drag the edge of the photo bubble on the story board to change the length of time the frame shows. Click on a photo or video clip on the storyboard and got to “tools,” “video effects” if you want to fade in, fade out, zoom, etc.

To add text, click on a photo frame and then go to “tools,” “titles and credits.” My advice is that plain frames of text are boring, so use them sparingly. It’s more interesting to have text fade in and fade out, show as subtitles, etc. over a photo or video frame. To edit text, right click on the text bubble you want to change in the title overlay bar of the storyboard.

Adding music is easy. Use the import function, and then drag the music from the collections board down to the audio/music strip of the storyboard. Once you’ve put everything together, play around until you’re happy with all the effects, text, music, and photos. Then start from scratch with your actual video project.

An important note. Save your project frequently (it will save as a project file). When you’ve completed your video, you must click “save to my computer” under the movie tasks, and save a copy to your “My Videos” folder. You can’t upload project files to You Tube--only the final saved video file will upload. I saved Broken Pentacle as “video for broadband 358kbps.” It uploaded fine, and the playback quality is good.

When you’re done, set up a You Tube account and upload your video. Spend some time learning your way around You Tube. It’s a fun networking site, as well as a place to park your videos. After you upload, You Tube will offer a code to embed your video in other locations. Copy this and save it somewhere you won’t lose track of it. This code allows you to place your video on MySpace, your blog, your website, and anywhere else that allows video uploads.

Remember that the title of your movie and the search terms you use in your description are important, since they help people find their way to your video. Check out similar videos on You Tube and see what they use for search terms and titles.

When you set up your You Tube account, don’t forget to create your personal channel. Click here to see mine. You’ll have the chance to write a bio, include a link to your website, and display not only your own videos, but favorites, friends, recent ratings, and more.

Good luck, and have fun!
Eden
www.edenrivers.com

Broken Pentacle Trailer

Broken Pentacle, coming August 19 from Loose Id!

Eden

'08 Pride March in My Town

Representative Tammy Baldwin (D - WI)