Kerrie Paterson

I haven’t updated where my writing is up to for a while, so I thought I’d give a quick summary of the ups and downs over the last few months.

The downs

• I didn’t make it through to the final 3 of the Emerald BUT I’m very pleased with my 6th place result. I’m also very proud of my HRW writing buddy, Erin Moira O’Hara who did make it through! Good luck with Monique, Erin!
• I got my first rejection from an agent. It could have been far worse for my first rejection though – it was along the lines of “I don’t have the time to read your submission (ie my books are full)” rather than “what a load of rubbish!”

Please welcome Téa Cooper as my special guest today. Téa is a fellow member of Hunter Romance Writers and a prolific writer who writes both contemporary and Australian historical.

Téa writes historical and contemporary romance featuring strong-minded women and irresistible Australian men.  Her heroes and heroines have to fight long and hard for what they believe in before they reach their happy ever after. Many of her books are set in her own back yard and take their inspiration either from the fascinating local characters she knows and loves or those haunting the local museum.

So tell us, Téa, what was the last book you read?

Secrets in Time by Alison Stuart. I love Alison’s books particularly the ones set in the seventeenth century – I studied that period of English history at University. A swashbuckling cavalier who time slips – it made me laugh and it made me cry! You can’t ask for much more.

You can’t beat swashbuckling And what are you currently reading?

The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. It is hilarious! I’m trying to incorporate chunks of it into my WIP!

I tend to have two or three books on the go at once. I’m revisiting a book called Carve Her Name with Pride at the moment. It’s all about Violette Szabo she worked for the French Resistance. It’s another period of history that fascinates me. I think I’d like to write a story set during the Second World War.

Both books sound fascinating! What book(s) is/are next on your reading pile?

Forbidden Angel by Megan D Martin, about a woman captured by the Nazis who finds herself in a concentration camp is next on my Kindle. Cora’s Heart was given to me by a friend who shares a love of romance and knitting with Rachel Herron, the author and Jeanette Winterspoon’s Lighthouse Keeping that I stole from another friend’s library. I thought I had read all her books but I discovered I hadn’t.

You’ve been a busy girl lately. Tell us about your latest releases.

Congratulations on your releases! Tell us a little about yourself:

Téa Cooper lives in a stone cottage on one hundred acres of bushland just outside the time-warp village of Wollombi. When she is not writing, Téa can be found haunting the local museum or chatting to the locals, who provide her with a never-ending source of inspiration.

Tree Change her first contemporary romance novel was published in December 2012. Her second, a historical novel Lily’s Leap - set in Wollombi, was published in May 2013. Her first Australian rural/small town romance, The Protea Boys was also released that month.

Passionfruit & Poetry and A Winning Streak will be published in June and her second Australian historical novel Matilda’s Freedom in July.

When Téa is not in lurking in the museum she can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or you can email her at teacooperauthor@gmail.com.

Every writer I know has a stack of craft books. Some of them have even been read I thought I’d share some of my favourites, in no particular order.

G.M.C.: Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon – Love, love, love this book! I use this at the plotting stage initially to try to come up with a Goal, Motivation and Conflict for each of my characters. Then tend to go back to it for inspiration when I get stuck.

The Breakout Novelist by Donald Maass – I have to confess to not having read this one cover to cover. It’s one I dip in and out of when I’m editing or when I’m looking for exercises to improve my craft.

On Writing by Stephen King – This is my inspiration book. I’ve never read a Stephen King story, and probably never will, but I find this very memoir gets me going when my enthusiasm for writing wanes.

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler – I’m still working my way through this but am finding it very useful so far in terms of working out the character arc.

Save The Cat by Black Snyder – Fantastic book to help with structuring my novels. I love the beat sheet.

Writing Love by Alexandra Sokoloff – Another great book for structuring my novel. I use this one extensively to make sure the book flows well.

What’s your favourite craft books? Are you a fan of any I’ve mentioned? Or do you have a hidden treasure that I need to know about?

Historical and spicy romance author, MarianneTheresa, is my special guest poster today. She writes stories with sizzle and spice, with her first short story, Hidden Passions, out now with Momentum Books.

When Chad Whittaker receives a frantic call for help from the woman he loves he’s on the next plane home to Sydney.

But will he get there in time?

Cally Foster just kicked her boyfriend’s no-good, lying, cheating ass out of her apartment and her life. That’s what a girl gets when she falls for the wrong guy.

So why does she feel so desolate? Shouldn’t she be on top of the world?

Not when her fickle heart is crying out for another man she loved all along and may never see again.

You can find out more about MarianneTheresa at the bottom of the post.

So tell us, MarianneTheresa, what’s in your TBR pile?

My TB read pile is as much an assortment as a 20cent bag of lollies used to be at the corner store.

There is Paranormal holding hands with Historical dancing with Contemporary who is dining with Sci-Fi Fantasy & Spicy Romantica titles ….  I love ‘em all

Erica Hayes has a new series out, The Seven Signs. It’s based on the Biblical Apocalypse and set in the near future.  It has all my favourites, Hunky Hero & wonderful Heroine, Angels & Zombies and of course HEA… usually a must for me in stories. Book#2, Redemption, has just arrived and I can’t wait to get to it.

What I’ve just read:

The Last City by Nina D’Aleo

This story was fast paced and kept me reading till the end, hardly could I put it down. One of those, stir the gravy with one hand and hold the e-reader with the other kind of books

It’s a crime/ sci-fiction blend. The romance was not as strong as I prefer but in this story I did not miss it too much. A battle of Breeds, machines & races in a combat against time and evil.

What I’m reading:

Not being a great T.V watcher I read in preference, but I have been bitten by the MKR bug and it has *eaten* into my reading time.  So by the time this post goes to air I’ll probably have finished this book, but plans are for Bound By Lies to be next. It is the 2^nd in the Medieval Fantasy Series by S.E.Gilchrist (Bound By Love is #1) 

What I want to read:

Don’t you love it when you find a new author? Deborah Challinor is a New Zealand Author and she writes History (my favest genre) – Fiction & non-fiction. I’ve read her first Historical Trilogy set in NZ & now I want to start on her Historical Series set in Early Australia. The first one Behind the Sun is out now.

Here are some of the other books on my TBR bookcase

Here are some of the titles waiting to be read on my E-Reader:

The Contract – by Jae-Lynn Davies

House of Cards – by Terri Molina

Exotic Indulgence – by Lexie Couper Jess Dee & Vivian Arend

Winter of the Passion Flower -by Annie Seaton

Claimed – by K.R.Smith

Taken by Storm – M.J Schiller

Enslaved – by Cassandra Dean

The Wild One – by Danelle Harmon

The Reluctant Marquess – Maggi Anderson

These are just a few out of the 35 that are waiting patiently for me to get to them.

I’ve blogged over at the Hunter Romance Writers about how I use a corkboard to plot and structure my writing, as taught by Alexandra Sokoloff in her workshop at the RWA 2012 conference.

Do you plot? How do you keep track of your structure?

Please follow me over. I’d love to hear your comments.

Please welcome Juanita Kees as my guest poster today, talking about her To-Be-Read pile. Juanita is a great writer and I’m extremely lucky to have her as my CP. Check out her books listed at the bottom of the post. Now, over to you, Juanita…

Hello and thanks, Kerrie for having me here today.

There is something magical about a story, whether it’s told or read. I grew up on bedtime and camp fire stories. Television only reached the shores of South Africa in 1976 and even then, it was restricted due to the government’s opposition to its introduction. Starting broadcast at 6pm and ending at 10pm, it aired for a total of 28 hours a week with an equal split between English and Afrikaans.  Only the ‘well-to-do’ owned a television at first and later, with the release of colour television, the same applied. Hence, my family’s love of books and music—it was pretty much all we had!

So every night, we’d huddle around the radio to listen to episodes of the comedy and drama segments. There were the police heroes of Squad Cars, the scary bedtime stories of Ten O’clock Tales and the thrilling adventures of science fiction in The Mind of Tracey Dark. But most memorable of all was my very first hero – Jet Jungle.

 Jet Jungle was an adventure superhero and appeared in the hit radio play, The incredible adventures of the most amazing man of our time, broadcast on South Africa’s Springbok Radio. We used to hang out for the Sunday paper to read the comic too and only ate Jungle Oats for breakfast. The main character Jet Jungle, created and voiced by Brian O’Shaughnessy, was the strongest man in the world and oh boy, could he fill out a lycra suit! Along with his black panther Jupiter, they would hunt down and avenge criminals and occasionally encounter an alien or two.

So I guess the thirst for intrigue, adventure and suspense was nurtured in my creative mind from an early age and this is what eventually formed the foundation of my own stories to come. It started with Fly Away Peta, continued in Under the Hood and peaks in my work in progress, Under Cover of Dark. Not satisfied with a strong hero and feisty heroine, I wanted more…of everything. So in all my books, I hope you will find plenty of action to keep you glued to your seat. The same applies to what I like to read. I love historical, suspense, mystery, paranormal…in fact, I love reading anything!

What I’ve just read:

GRACE GROWS by Shelle Sumners (Allen & Unwin)

(Read the full review on The Other Side)

If you’re looking for a novel that’s not only unique but original, GRACE GROWS by Shelle Sumners is the book for you. Sex and the City lovers are going to adore Shelle’s writing voice. GRACE GROWS is upbeat, funny and a very sweet read.

What I’m reading:

MY WILD RIDE by Fiona Johnson (Allen & Unwin)

The true story of Fiona’s battle with cancer and her determination to overcome life’s greatest challenges.

What I want to read:

A GRANDMOTHER’S WISDOM by Catriona Rowntree (Allen & Unwin)

Channel Nine Getaway presenter, Catriona Rowntree has a memoir coming out 20th March. This is Catriona’s story, interwoven with her Nan’s homespun advice.  Her Nan’s words of encouragement, warmth and love helped to guide her behaviour and choices.

Books on my TBR bookcase:

Wow, if I had to name them all it would be a list fit for the Guinness Book of Records, so perhaps it’s best if I send you off to my Goodreads Page.

I can tell you that next up on my list to read is SILVER CLOUDS by Fleur McDonald.

On the Web:

Kees2Create:   http://www.kees2create.com.au/

Author Website: http://www.juanitakees.com/

Twitter:           https://twitter.com/#!/juanitakees

Facebook:        https://www.facebook.com/pages/Juanita-Kees-Author-Page/

Under the Hood:

When Scott Devin buys a struggling car dealership in a semi-rural area in Western Australia, the last person he expects to see in charge is a stilletto-wearing, mini-skirted foreperson. Exactly the distraction a struggling, male-dominated workshop doesn’t need! But there’s more to TJ Stevens than meets the eye.

TJ Stevens has two major goals in life: to preserve her grandfather’s heritage and protect her teenage rehabilitation program – and she’ll go to any lengths to do it. Scott Devin’s presence is a threat to everything she’s worked hard to achieve, so keeping him at arms-length shouldn’t be a problem…or will it?

Fly Away Peta:

Peta Johnson will go to extreme lengths to protect her daughter Bella. When Bella is kidnapped, the search for her takes Peta back to the small town of Williams, a place she’d vowed never to return to. The town where her dreams were shattered and her nightmare began. Back to the place she’d been destined to meet two very powerful, yet very different men. One would break her heart, the other would destroy her soul. Both would change her life forever.

It’s a tough question – when is your manuscript ready to stand on its own two feet and go into the big, wide world?

This is the challenge I’m facing at the moment. I’ve finished editing it (oh, but wait, I just thought of “one more thing” I need to do with it!), it’s been read by a couple of beta-readers who have given me feedback, I’ve written the query letter and the synopsis.

But like an artist, it’s hard to know when to stop. When is it time to put it away and say enough? At what point will that final brush stroke take it too far?

It’s fear that’s stopping me from sending it out. While it’s safely at home, I can continue to have my daydreams that my dream agent will snap it up and there will be a bidding war of publishers wanting to buy it. (A girl has to dream big, right?!) Once it’s out there, and I start getting rejections back, well … it’ll hurt!

So it’s time to put my big girl panties on and send it out.

As soon as I do these last few things…

I’m delighted to welcome Juliet Madison as my very first guest poster. Juliet’s debut novel Fast Forward is out now through Escape Publishing. And let me tell you, it’s a fantastic read. I challenge anyone to read it and not laugh (especially at the underwear scene!)

Aspiring supermodel, Kelli Crawford seems destined to marry her hotshot boyfriend, but on her twenty-fifth birthday she wakes in the future as a fifty-year-old suburban housewife married to the now middle-aged high school nerd.

Trapped in the opposite life of the one she wanted, Kelli is forced to re-evaluate her life and discover what is really important to her. Will she overcome the hilarious and heartbreaking challenges presented to her and get back to the body of her younger self? Or will she be stuck in the nightmare of hot flushes, demanding children, raunchy advances from her husband and hideous support underwear forever?                             

So tell us, Juliet, what’s in your TBR pile?

Thanks Kerrie for inviting me to your blog today!

Well it seems I’ve been doing more writing and blogging lately than reading, but still, I’ve always got a book on the go, sometimes more than one. I recently got a Kindle too, so now there is even more temptation to buy books because ebooks are so cheap and there are many novels only being published digitally that I want to read.

So, my To Be Read pile is a combination of print books in a bookcase and digital files stored nice and neatly in my Kindle. At least the latter don’t fall over or get warped from being squished because there’s not enough room in the bookcase!

What I’ve just read:

I’ve just read The Violet’s of March by Sarah Jio, an intriguing, romantic novel that tugs on the heart strings. It merges events from the 1940’s to the present day through an old diary the main character discovers while staying with her aunt on Bainbridge Island. It’s an absorbing read and the setting was nice and atmospheric, and it had interesting characters of different ages. The diary entries are just as interesting as the main story, and I found it easy to get carried away with them and what had happened to this woman in the 40’s. It seems to be a mixture of romance, women’s fiction, and mystery, and I’d be interested to read more from Sarah.

I’ve also just done some critiquing on my critique partner’s manuscript, and let me tell you – I can’t wait till a publisher snaps it up! It’s a fantastic, intriguing (I like that word), and romantic story revolving around the passion of the tango world, and spanning three generations of women and how their lives and relationships have been affected by the dance of love.

What I’m reading:

I’m just about to start Jenn J McLeod’s debut novel, House For All Seasons which I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of, and I’m really looking forward to it. The story premise has me hooked already, I love Jenn’s writing (having read some samples and her short stories over the past few years), and the cover just draws me in. I will be trying to have a few early nights in order to indulge in this book!

I’ve also been reading a writing craft book called 2k to 10k, which will hopefully have me upping my daily word count and getting all my books written faster!

What I want to read:

I cannot possibly list all the books I want to read, or poor Kerrie’s blog will go on and on and on! But I’ll share a few books I’m looking forward to reading soon. For Christmas I received Lisa Genova’s Love Anthony, which sounds like a book I’ll be needing the tissues for, especially as the story revolves around something close to my heart – autism. I also have my fellow Escape Artist (author from Escape Publishing), Alissa Callen’s book, What Love Sounds Like loaded on my Kindle and have snuck in a quick read of the first few pages and am looking forward to getting stuck into that one. Rachael John’s new book Man Drought is also high on my list, as is The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March.

Here are some of the other books on my TBR bookcase (I’m thinking of creating a ‘what to read next’ system – jot down the names of the books and pick one out of a hat!):

Boomerang Bride – Fiona Lowe

Stella Makes Good – Lisa Heidke

The Secret Ingredient – Dianne Blacklock

The Time of My Life – Cecilia Ahern

Already Home – Susan Mallery

Star Struck – Jane Lovering

Jillaroo – Rachael Treasure

Pinch Me – Adena Halpern

Here are some of the titles waiting to be read on my Kindle:

A Basic Renovation – Sandra Antonelli

Bound By Her Ring – Nicole Flockton

Crazy Love – Nicola Marsh

Holiday Affair – Annie Seaton

Real Men Don’t Break Hearts – Coleen Kwan

Christmas with Mr Darcy – Victoria Connelly

Well, I better stop writing now and start READING!

But before I go, I’d like to hear what you’re reading at the moment. Leave a comment to go in the draw for a $50 Amazon gift card or the runner up prize of a $25 gift card. Comment on other blogs during my February blog tour in celebration of my debut release, FAST FORWARD, for more entries into the draw! Winners drawn 1st March.

You can also win a bonus $25 gift card by purchasing FAST FORWARD and emailing your receipt to fastforwardbook (at) gmail (dot) com.

Connect with Juliet online:

Website: http://www.julietmadison.com

Blog: http://www.julietmadison.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/julietmadisonauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/juliet_madison

***

You certainly have a long TBR pile, Juliet! (And please tell me you tidied that bookcase for the photo or I’ll hate you forever!)

Thanks for being on my blog – you’ve given me even more to add to my own TBR list – and all the best with Fast Forward!

The delightful Jenn J McLeod tagged me *ahem* some time ago to take part in the Next Big Thing meme. She also roped in Lily Malone, Cate Ellink and Allison Tait.

To be honest, I feel like I’m here under false pretenses as they all have debut novels out this year and I … well … I don’t.  Yet. (Hear that, universe?!)

So here goes…

1) What is the working title of your current/next book?

I’m hopeless at titles. The finished work that I’m about to start querying is called ‘Sisters’. My current (very new) WIP is tentatively called ‘Birthday Wishes’.

2) Where did the idea come from?

Who knows? When I first started writing, I attempted to write a category romance. But these two characters  kept bugging me – they were estranged sisters and wouldn’t let me rest until I wrote about them and discovered why they were estranged. I never did finish writing that category! (although I may steal the heroine for another book!)

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary women’s fiction.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I always had a slightly unfit Rachel Griffiths in mind as one sister, and someone sleek and polished as the other sister. (Any suggestions?)  One hero was always David Wenham and the other was a younger Hugh Jackman. (he gets around a lot that man – always plenty of work being cast in our books!)

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Sorry, I had enough trouble getting it down to this – I can’t do one sentence (unless it’s a very long run-on sentence!)

‘Sisters’ is the story of Helen, staying in a destructive marriage for the sake of the kids, and her estranged sister Toni, whose life is undergoing a major upheaval. Will their reunion be destroyed by family secrets or will they have the strength to find their happiness?

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I’m going down the traditional route of trying to find an agent or publisher.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft?

I started writing it in August 2011 – immediately after the Melbourne conference when Bob Mayer asked the question that gave me my epiphany. ‘If you died right now, would the book that you’re writing now be the one that you’d want to be known for?’ (roughly paraphrased!)

I was about 10,000 words in when feedback from the 2011 STALI competition convinced me I’d started the story in completely the wrong spot.  So I put that aside and started the story all over again in Dec 2011.  I wrote The End on a very dirty draft in July 2012 (thanks mainly to 50K in 30 days in June!), and finished getting it into a readable shape in early Jan 2012.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I’m inspired by great Aussie writers like Dianne Blacklock and Monica McInerney, and overseas authors like Cathy Kelly. So I think its similar in style and content to those.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The characters – they wouldn’t leave me alone. It was also the realisation that my dream of ‘one day I’ll write a book’ actually required me to work at it so I’d better get started

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

One of the heroes is a sexy Aussie farmer (That would be Hugh Jackman if you want to picture it! Here – I’ll help…)

Today was an announcement that takes me one step closer to my dream of being published. My entry made it through to the 2nd round of RWA’s Emerald Single Title writing competition.

The Emerald is a reader judged competition, designed to mirror the submission process. Initially you enter the first 10,000 words for judging. If it makes it through to the 2nd round, you have to submit 3 hard copies of your full manuscript. You have 5 working days to get the copies in!

Those copies go back out to readers for judging again, and the top 3 go to the final judge for placing. This year the final judge for the Single Title section is Monique Patterson, Executive Editor at St Martin’s Press.

So along with 9 other contestants, including my HRW writing buddy Erin O’Hara, I’m flat out doing final last minute revisions and polishing of my manuscript. It has to be sent by Friday afternoon – I’m aiming for Thursday afternoon just in case