Magick Charm Re-release Cover Reveal

             I’m excited to show everyone my new cover for Magick Charm! This book was originally released about four years ago, and the rights have recently been returned to me. I’ve been working hard at polishing up this second edition, and I’m proud to be self-publishing it on April 1.

            While I loved the original cover, I wanted a new look and something that will have continuity with the upcoming covers in this series. Luckily, I have a close friend, Samantha Harvey, who’s also a graphic design whiz, and I asked her for help. I absolutely love what she came up with and I’m sure you will too!

            We discovered two fantastic images on Flickr that were combined into the final cover photo. Bourbon Street at night was taken by Sara Kelly and the twin lightning bolts picture was taken by Broderick Delaney. You can find the links to their work and their pages below.

            If you’re looking for a cover design artist or website designer, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Samantha Harvey at contact[at]13magickalmoons.com. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with for my upcoming titles Gypsy Magick and Free Spirit!

            In the meantime, it’s only 12 days until Magick Charm is re-released!

   by  MsSaraKelly 

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   by  wxcasterphx 

Rewrites vs. Revisions

            You know what I dread worse than a standard revision/edit? A rewrite. “What is this evil you speak of?” you might ask. “And why would I ever want to do such a thing?”

            For me, the difference between revising and rewriting has to do with the story line. In a standard revision, I may need to go back and tweak a few things, make things more clear, or add a scene or two. But a rewrite is more involved.

            Let me tell you about my current struggle with a rewrite. I wrote my first draft, began editing, and realized the original love interest of the main character wasn’t doing it for me. Suddenly I had a really great idea. Get rid of guy #1 and introduce instead guy #2. Simple, right? Not so much. Guy #1 was someone I had previously introduced, so the characters already knew each other. Guy #2 was completely new. All of their interactions would be completely different from what I’d written before. I’d have to add scenes that let up to the circumstance of her meeting him (which involved adding yet another new character) and I’d have to create at least two new locations. Essentially the rewrite involves tearing the first draft into little bitty scraps and piecing them back together while sewing new bits in as well.

            Why would I do this? Once you see the way a story should be told, you can’t have it any other way. And in the end, the rewrite is going to be so much better than my original idea!

Questions about Writing and Publishing

            I often get questions from aspiring authors, and I've found that most people want to know the same types of things. So here are the most frequent questions and my answers.

            But first, a caveat. I have to admit that when people ask me for writing or publishing advice, I sometimes feel like a fraud. Who am I to answer questions about publishing? Honestly, I feel like there’s still so much I don’t know! So I tell people what my experiences have been, while assuring them there is no one road to being published. Something that works for one person or publisher doesn’t work at all for another one. And just because I do things in a specific way doesn’t mean that’s going to be the best way for you. If one method doesn’t work, keep trying until you find something that does!

How did you find your publisher?

I opened RT Book Reviews and looked up books in a similar genre to mine. I checked out every one of their publishers on the internet. Their websites have a page dedicated to submissions, where they tell you what they’re looking for and how to submit. I chose my favorite couple of publishers who were looking for stories like mine and contacted them.

Do I need an agent?

Do you want to be published by one of the Big Five? Then likely, yes. Many of them don’t accept unsolicited, unagented manuscripts. Many other publishers no longer require an agent. It’s a personal choice. Find out what agents can do for you, and if you decide you want to work with one, find one who is a great fit for you. In my opinion, having no agent is better than having one you don’t mesh with.

How much money do you make?

You’re kidding, right? Don’t ever go into publishing because you think you’ll make enough money to quit your day job. The only reason to bleed words daily onto paper (or word processor) is because you love writing and would do it for free. Because by the time you get done paying for a tiny bit of advertising, creating custom bookmarks, and upgrading software or repairing hardware, you’ll be lucky to have enough cash to buy a good meal. Really. Sure, it is possible to make a living, but only if you’re very productive and/or lucky.

What is your best advice for unpublished writers?

Don’t give up. If I wasn’t as stubborn as I am, I never would have gotten published. Keep writing, keep trying, and never stop.

The Next Big Thing

            Ages ago, Shawna Romkey tagged me in her post about her novel about fallen angels, Speak of the Devil. Before you check out a tidbit about my next book, check out Shawna’s latest here.

            The Next Big Thing is an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at an author’s work in progress. It’s also a chance for me to taunt some of my fellow authors into sharing a bit of their works in progress as well!

What is the working title of your book?


Free Spirit

Where did the idea come from for the book?


The idea for this book builds off the end of the first book, Magick Charm. I wanted to allow the quirky twin, Rachel, to try a new job, that of a paranormal investigator.

What genre does your book fall under?


It’s a light paranormal romance with a humorous twist.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?


I honestly have no idea! I would be so blown away if anyone ever wanted to make a movie out of anything I had ever written, I wouldn't care who they cast!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?


Paranormal investigator Rachel discovers ghosts are not only real, but they can put a serious crimp into her romantic prospects.

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


My publisher is Crescent Moon Press.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?


I wrote most of Free Spirit during NaNoWriMo, which is a challenge to write 50,000 words in a month. It took a couple more months to finish the first draft, so maybe about three in all.

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


Any paranormal fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously! I try to write a light romance with quirky, funny characters.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?


The fans! I was so pleased that people who read Magick Charm have been asking for another glimpse at my characters’ lives.

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

Anyone who read Magick Charm knows Rachel has the worst taste in men! I had a great time matching her up with the right guy this time, and I hope the readers enjoy it too. Also, you’ll hear more from Jacqueline, Megan, Pete, Ted, and the musicians from Cajun Fried Steak.

I’m tagging the following authors to share some of their wip with us.

I’ve got to tag my husband, John Marani, and my friends Amy Turner and Samantha Harvey!

Amusing My Muses

            In Greek mythology, the muses are the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. These goddesses are credited with being the inspiration for art, writing, sciences.

            How do you keep your muse amused? In other words, how do you get your creativity flowing?

            For me, it’s often simply a change of venue. If I get stuck or bored with my usual writing spot, I’ll try another room in the house or even occasionally take a trip to a quiet room in my local library.

            Sometimes in order to get my writing muse engaged, I will do something else creative, like jewelry making, sewing, or photography. I love to get out with my camera!

Fun with my camera while on vacation in St. Augustine

            And finally, I’m a firm believer in taking a vacation to recharge. In fact, I’m currently in St. Augustine spending part of the week with my family. I don’t know what my muse gets out of it exactly, but maybe she loves the beach as much as I do!

Just Finish the Damn Book!

            I can’t tell you how many half-finished stories I have. They can’t be called books because, well, they’re not. Until I write “the end” at the end of the story, I can only call it a work in progress, not a book.

            I’m a procrastinator. It’s something I excel at! So I’m great at starting things, but not always finishing. It’s a good thing I have friends who are willing to harass me until I surrender!

            Writers, do you have problems finishing your first draft too? Do you have any methods you use to get to “the end”?

Haunted House Stories

            Who doesn’t love a good story about a haunting? Probably my favorite book about ghosts and hauntings is The Shining by Stephen King.

            I’m writing my own ghostly tale, called Free Spirit. Here’s an excerpt when Rachel goes to talk to voodoo priestess Viola for help:

            If anyone would understand what was happening and would be able to help me, it would be Viola.

            “I, uh, have some weird stuff happening,” I said. “I think I’m haunted.”

            Yeah, that sounded as ridiculous as I’d feared it would. At least nobody here was laughing.

            Viola nodded sagely but said nothing. She looked at me for a long time. 

            “You are out of balance,” Viola declared. “Your throat chakra, it is far too open, as usual.” She seemed to wave away the cause of my occasional foot-in-mouth disease. Obviously that wasn’t important right now. “Your heart chakra is the problem. There is a darkness there. Something follows you.”

            Well, great. This visit had been ever so comforting thus far. I thought that leaving my house would be enough to keep me entity-free. Apparently, my ghost was of the take-out variety.

            “What does a ghost have to do with the energy centers in my body?”

            “The ghost has little energy of its own,” Viola explained. “It draws energy from around it to manifest, take action. Become.”

            The ghost was drawing energy from my heart? Ew! “What the hell is the ghost trying to become? She’s already dead,” I said.

            “You know the spirit?” Viola asked. “That is good. It will make things a bit easier.” It was the first comforting thing Viola had said.

            “I think she’s the spirit I saw in the cemetery last night,” I said. “But I don’t know how. She was trapped there in her plot. She couldn’t move away from her crypt.”

            “Your spirit,” Viola told me, “she is free now.”

            It was such a simple statement, and yet it chilled me to the core. Another miracle, given the temperature outside was nearing ninety.

            “How do you know?” I challenged Viola. I’d come to her for her expertise, but at the moment, I wished with all my heart she was a raving loon because I didn’t like her answer.

            Viola gave me a look like I was a particularly slow child. “Because she is there.” Viola pointed at the place my heart chakra would be. “She cannot be trapped in her grave. I know because I see her there.”

            What are your favorite books about ghosts and hauntings? And do you believe in ghosts?

Exploring Editing Methods

            I have a love/hate relationship with editing. On one hand, it can turn a rough manuscript into a cohesive thing of beauty. But getting to that place… ugh!

            During last year’s E blog entry, I wrote about some of the challenges I faced with my own manuscripts. However, every author is going to have different strengths and weaknesses. Not the same type of editing process is going to work as well for everyone.

            Most of the time, I employ the method that the folks at NaNoWriMo advocate: finish the novel before you go back to edit a single word. When it comes to NaNo, the object is to write 50,000 words in a month, so there isn’t any time for editing. And because you’re writing at such a furious pace, some amazing things can come from your creativity when you’re not over-thinking things. The only problem I’ve found with this method is that my first draft is a chaotic mess!

Every November, I silence my inner editor
while I work on my NaNoWriMo project

            I’ve heard of other authors who edit as they go. They begin each day by reading over what they’ve written the day before and cleaning it up. Only after editing, will they move on to writing new material. Using this method, you’ll end up with a neater first draft, though it’ll probably take longer to get there.

            I’m giving this second method a try with my current manuscript. The biggest difference I can see so far is that I wouldn’t try the edit-as-you-go method unless you have a clear idea, maybe even an outline, of exactly where your story is going. Some major elements can change from the beginning of a book to the end if you don’t know where you’re going. This means a lot of editing for continuity will be necessary. So why bother giving each sentence, each paragraph, a quick polish as you go when you may end up deleting entire sections with a continuity edit? Granted, you’ll still do continuity editing with both editing styles, but there may be less of it if you’ve got a clear map of your story from day one.

            So what kind of editing method do you use, fellow authors? If you’ve tried different methods, what works best for you and why?

What Do Cats Think About?

             Tierra, the main character in Practically Dreaming, is an animal psychic. In writing her character, I found that I not only had to understand what motivated her, but what the animals around her wanted as well. What exactly does a cat think about?

            Tierra’s cat is named Solaris, a spoiled orange ball of fluff. In my mind, I pictured him as something like a Maine Coon or a Norwegian Forest Cat. As for his personality, it is an amalgamation of many of the cats in my life.

            My cats do some odd things sometimes, which just defy explanation. For example, what is the deal when a cat can go from serene to insane in about half a second? They’ll be sitting all chilled out, then the eyes go wide and they sprint from the room with the speed of light. I don’t even know if an animal psychic would be able to define that behavior!

            As to the question of what cats think about when they're not sprinting about like mad creatures…I think it’s mostly sunbeams, food, sleep, and being petted. At least, that’s the way I wrote about Solaris, who always seemed to be searching out a warm place to sleep, but only after his belly was full. Here’s a little snippet from the book:

            An itch on Tierra’s nose pulled her from the depths of sleep. She reached a drowsy hand up to brush something off her nose, only to be rewarded with the tickling sensation again a moment later. Finally, giving up on the idea of continued sleep, she opened her eyes. Solaris leapt up onto her chest, his solid weight squeezing an “ooof” of discomfort from her. He spun around in a circle, kneading his paws on her chest through the comforter. His fluffy bristle brush of a tail swept across her face, telling her all she needed to know about the tickle that awoke her.

            “Sol, really?”

            The cat swatted his tail defiantly at Tierra’s face once more, surely a punishment for his nickname, which he hated. Intent on his goal, his disposition turned sweet again as he turned on his adorable charm. He spun around so he was face to face with his human, stared insistently into her eyes, and meowed. The supplication came with a clear vision of his food dish overflowing with tuna. He even sent her the image of the red label on the can. It was the premium tuna, not the cat food can. Nothing but the best for Solaris, or so he believed. He followed up his request with a more strident meow.

            Tierra loved the sounds he made, from the strong, motorboat purr to the chirping, burring sounds he made when he was happy. Her favorite was his meow. It reminded her more of a rusty gate than a proper meow. Instead of “meow” or “rowr,” the cat said something sounding more like “meh-eh.” She thought it was adorable, and Solaris knew it, too. It begged the question of who exactly was in charge here; who owned who? Tierra preferred not to ponder that question for too long.

Read more about Practically Dreaming tomorrow when I write about what dogs think! And for more about the book, you can check it out here.

Books and Babies

A few years ago, my best friend from junior high was expecting her first baby and I was expecting my first…book! I was finishing final edits on my manuscript and we were both wondering which of our little bundles of joy would arrive first. As it turned out, Magick Charm did, on September 1. Little Finn arrived about two months later.

In a way, writing books is a tiny bit like raising children. Writing them takes countless hours and sleepless nights. Editing them can make you feel alternately happy and overwhelmed. You do everything you can to make them the best books possible before sending them out into the world, a prospect both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. You feel proud when they’re received well and fiercely defensive when they’re criticized.

Proud parent of Magick Charm and Practically Dreaming

Side note: This doesn’t mean you should go on the offensive with critics of your books. Let your paper and ink children stand on their own and speak for themselves. Getting into nasty online debates is the literary version of being the dad who screams and fights with all the coaches and refs from the sidelines of his kids' games. Just don’t do it!

Marcus and his "Nen"

Today, it seems I’m surrounded by kids. My childhood friend now has two little ones, and I spend a lot of time with the newborn of another close friend. I have two paperback children and several more on the way. 

Sometimes it can take more than nine months from conception to delivery of a literary work, but hey, I don’t have to pay for my books to go to college! 

Q is for Query Letters - A to Z Challenge

Some people have asked me how to get published. Now let’s be clear, I don’t consider myself an expert on the subject, but I try to give advice based on my experience.

I give them my standard “be stubborn” message, because I really think that’s vital.

Next, write the book. From what I’ve encountered, if you’re a first time fiction writer, don’t bother looking for a publisher if you haven’t finished the book yet. Of course there are exceptions, but in general, write, edit, polish, and then start looking.

Now you face the question of agents. There are pros and cons, but it comes down to a personal decision. For the record, I don’t have one myself.

Finally you get to the dreaded query letter. You may be querying agents or publishers, but it amounts to pretty much the same thing. This is the letter (or email) you send to try to sell your book. It pretty much goes like this (minus all the snark and sarcasm, of course!):

Dear Publisher,

I’ve written this super fabulous book you simply have to publish or god will kill a kitten. *Insert amazing, irresistible plot using only a handful of words.*

Here’s the part where I tell you how much my manuscript resembles Twilight or whatever book is selling billions of copies in my genre. Let me also say that my writing voice, while incredibly unique, is also surprisingly similar to *insert best selling author here.*

Thanks for your time, but I’m sure you’ll find it’s been well spent since I’m about to become a best-seller.

I hate writing these letters. I find it difficult to sum up 70,000 words in a few sentences. I have a hard time self-promoting and telling publishers why they have to publish me. I think a lot of people have similar problems because there are many websites devoted to how to write a fantastic query letter. This isn't one of those. ;)

In any case, now begins the wait. This is the nerve-wracking part. Inevitably, there will be some rejection letters. Consider your first rejection as the first step to getting published. I think I had 30+ before I got anywhere. It’s also the exciting part. An agent or editor who likes your letter may ask for the first three chapters or so, a longer book summary, and/or the complete manuscript.

You want an easier method? Go to a writer’s conference and pitch your book to editors there. Woo hoo, no query letter!

Authors, what is your best advice to aspiring writers?

P is for Practically Dreaming - A to Z Challenge

My next book is almost here! I’m currently working on some manuscript changes with my editor, and it’s moving along quickly.

Practically Dreaming will launch the Sabian Symbols signature line at Crescent Moon Press! Here’s a quick look at the book blurb:

In a Zodiac-based world, finding a mate is easy. Falling in love is the hard part.

Astrology influences almost everything, from career choice to where people live. Even romantic matches are based solely on astrological compatibility and determined by the infallible Council of Venus.

Animal psychic Tierra has every reason to trust the Council save one. Her match with fellow Virgo, Evander, works better on paper than in person. But she stubbornly hangs on, believing their relationship will grow and develop, all the while trying to rationalize her feelings to Lachlan.

Veterinarian and Reiki master, Lachlan, hides a secret, which has kept him single for more than two years. This Pisces dreams of a happily ever after with Tierra, but believes it’s impossible for him.

Tierra and Lachlan must confront their doubts, differences, and society’s belief in the Council. Will they defy the odds and choose each other? Does astrological certainty eclipse the chance to fall in love?

H is for He Said/She Said - A to Z Challenge

            “What the heck is a dialogue tag?” she inquired.

            “It’s the way a writer tells you who’s speaking,” he instructed.

            “You mean something like ‘he thundered, or ‘she asserted,’ or ‘he bellowed?’” she offered.
            “Exactly,” he praised. “You can also use ‘he said’ and ‘she said.’”

            “But that’s boring,” she muttered.

A lot of writers feel this way. “He said” and “she said” are boring. Wouldn’t it be better to jazz up your dialogue tags by making them more dynamic and descriptive? Not necessarily.

Don’t get me wrong – descriptive tags have their place, but can easily be overused. Take the example above. Didn’t all of that instructing and offering and muttering distract you from the conversation?

Remember, the point of a dialogue tag is to identify the speaker. For the most part, “he said” and “she said” is perfect for that. They fade into the background instead of jarring the reader with thundering, asserting, or bellowing.

            She picked up a pen and paper to take a few notes. “Do you always need to use a dialogue tag?”

            “No,” he said. “Sometimes a character has a distinctive voice and it’s obvious who is speaking.”

            “That makes sense,” she said.

            “Other times, two characters might be chatting back and forth. The reader can assume they take turns speaking, so you can sometimes omit the tag there too.”

            “But won’t the reader lose track of who’s speaking if you don’t use dialogue tags as a reminder of who’s speaking?”

            He nodded. “That’s why you can’t have an entire conversation between two people without them.”

The characters above discuss how you can sometimes omit a dialogue tag. You may have also noticed I substituted a tag in the first and last lines with a description of a character’s action instead.

Two final things to avoid: Stating the obvious and adverbial tags.

            “Go to hell!” she shouted.

Isn’t obvious that she’s shouting? The content of the dialogue and exclamation point make that clear. This is a good place to use a description of her expression or actions instead.

            “Don’t wake the baby,” she said quietly.

Wouldn’t it be better to use “whispered?” If you’re not going with the simple “she said,” try a more specific verb instead of a using “said” plus an adverb.

Here's what I try to remember when it comes to dialogue tags: When in doubt, keep it simple with “he said” and “she said.” Mix up simple tags with descriptions, an occasional dropped/inferred tag, and the rare dynamic tag.

What dialogue tag hints and rules do you use?

E is for Editing - A to Z Challenge

I have a love/hate relationship with editing. I love editing because it can make or break a book. Bad editing can be so distracting a book becomes difficult to read. Good editing sculpts a rough draft into a well-crafted read.

Even my Sims are writers!

On the other hand, I hate editing because I’m so picky, it’s hard for me to know when to quit. And by the time I finally do finish, I’m sick of the story, the characters, even the Word file staring at me from the computer desktop. I regain my sunny disposition and enthusiasm for the project as soon as I had a few days to decompress, sleep in, and play a few hours of the Sims 3!

I’ve just finished a couple of rounds of edits by myself and turned in the manuscript to my editor. Now, I’ll follow my editor’s advice for about 3 more rounds, and off to the printer the book goes!

We're gonna need another red pen soon!

You’ll find plenty of editing advice out there on the internet, but here are the most useful ones I’ve found:

1. Show not tell. I wrote an earlier post about this here.
2. Cut out extraneous words. Apparently, I like to use “just,” “very,” “that,” and “really” a lot. Autocrit programs are a great way to help you make your manuscript a sleeker read.
3. Use tangible descriptions. Check out this great article to see how specific words stimulate your brain.
4. Search and destroy those passive verbs. Was/were/is, etc. make for a weak sentence. Try to rework it and choose active verbs instead.
5. Keep dialogue tags simple. I’ll tackle this topic in next Monday’s blog. 

These are some of my most common mistakes. What are yours and how do you fix them?

D is for Dreams - A to Z Challenge

Dreams are funny things. Take this one for example:

Aliens love to mall walk!

I'm at an abandoned mall turned airport getting on a plane (but the plane is more like a spaceship). Then I volunteer to get off the plane to deal with the aliens (think Sigourney Weaver) in order to clear the way out of the mall. A few of us start shooting the aliens (because apparently we all brought guns to the airport and nobody cared) and I tell everyone to shoot for the head. I realize I'm really low on ammo and then I wake up.

Weird, right? My mom blamed it on watching a little too much “Walking Dead” - as if there could actually be too much of that excellent show!

Sunday night, after new episodes of "The Walking Dead"

Whatever the reason for dreams, they can serve as excellent inspiration. The basic idea behind my first book was dreamed up… literally. I woke up thinking about a pair of twins casting a spell and the idea for a book was born.

I love writing dream sequences. They can be full of crazy imagery, buried meanings, and a stream of consciousness style. And those dreams can mean anything - from character worries to premonitions to story foreshadowing. Several dreams figure in my upcoming book, along with a couple of nightmares as well. The characters wonder what the dreams mean, and sometimes they think they know... but can a person ever be sure they understand the meaning behind their dreams?

What’s the craziest dream you’ve ever had? What did you think it meant?

C is for Conference - A to Z Challenge

NEC RWA Conference

At the end of this month, I’ll be attending a writer’s conference in Salem, MA. It’s an annual conference held by the New England Chapter Romance Writers of America.

I’ve only been to one other writer’s conference, the RWA national conference in New York City several years ago. I hadn’t been published yet and was looking for a home for my historical romance novel, Pandora’s Legacy. While I didn’t find a publisher at that conference, it was well worth it. I learned a lot of writing, plotting, and marketing tips.

Most importantly, the conference made me feel like a real writer, not just a crazy person talking to the people in her head and scribbling sex scenes in the back room. Writing can be a very solitary occupation, and getting to talk shop with others made the whole thing feel much more real. The idea of writing something that would then be turned into a physical book… well, of course that’s the goal, but here’s a whole building full of people who did it! If they can do it, I told myself, with enough hard work, I could do it too.

So I’m totally psyched for the Salem conference! It’s my first one as a published author and the first time I get to meet the owners of Crescent Moon Press in person!

If you’ll be at the conference, let me know and I’ll look for you while I’m there.