Visit Beth Barany's blog The Writer's Fun Zone for an interview with me and fellow Northern California author Bella Andre:
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010: Release of A TOUCH OF GREEK
My first book in my new Out of Olympus series A TOUCH OF GREEK will be released on Amazon Kindle this Saturday, October 2.
I will post the purchase link here as soon as it is available. Please remember that A TOUCH OF GREEK will be available for $0.99 for an introductory period of 10 days before I will set the regular purchase price. Take advantage of these savings and buy your copy early.
I will post the purchase link here as soon as it is available. Please remember that A TOUCH OF GREEK will be available for $0.99 for an introductory period of 10 days before I will set the regular purchase price. Take advantage of these savings and buy your copy early.
Winner of Carolyn Jewel's My Forbidden Desire & My Wicked Enemy
Congratulations to the winner of signed paperbacks of
Carolyn Jewel's My Forbidden Desire and My Wicked Enemy
Danielle
The winner was selected using random.org (a random number generator) and has been contacted by email.
The winner was selected using random.org (a random number generator) and has been contacted by email.
Thanks to all of you for entering.
Tina
P.S. If the winner does not respond with a mailing address with 48 hours a new winner will be selected.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Release of A Touch of Greek - coming soon!
After much thought I've decided to release my Greek God romance A Touch of Greek shortly. While it is still on submission to a print publisher, I see no reason to delay its release on Kindle any longer.
I will announce a release date in the next couple of days (a release date between October 1st and 5th is anticipated). My plan is to make A Touch of Greek available for $0.99 for the first ten days before setting the regular price. So get your copy early to take advantage of the savings.
I will be posting the link to Amazon's purchase page for A Touch of Greek here on the blog as soon as it is available.
In the meantime, here's a short summary of the sexy and humorous romance:
Selfish and gorgeous Greek God Triton is cast out of Olympus after seducing Zeus’ mistress and can only gain reentry if he finds a woman who loves him for his kindness and selflessness, not his beauty. When the mortal Sophia – recovering from an eye operation and virtually blind – needs a home healthcare worker, he takes on the role, hoping she will be his ticket home.
While defending Sophia from an unknown adversary, Triton’s protective instinct emerges. At the same time rival Gods do everything to doom him to failure. And even if Triton can win Sophia’s love, will he throw it away to return home, or will he lose his own heart to the only woman who truly sees him?
A Touch of Greek is the first book in the humorous and sexy paranormal romance series Out of Olympus following the romantic adventures of four Gods: Triton, Dionysus, Eros, and Hermes.
You can also read the first chapter of it here: FIRST CHAPTER
I will announce a release date in the next couple of days (a release date between October 1st and 5th is anticipated). My plan is to make A Touch of Greek available for $0.99 for the first ten days before setting the regular price. So get your copy early to take advantage of the savings.
I will be posting the link to Amazon's purchase page for A Touch of Greek here on the blog as soon as it is available.
In the meantime, here's a short summary of the sexy and humorous romance:
While defending Sophia from an unknown adversary, Triton’s protective instinct emerges. At the same time rival Gods do everything to doom him to failure. And even if Triton can win Sophia’s love, will he throw it away to return home, or will he lose his own heart to the only woman who truly sees him?
A Touch of Greek is the first book in the humorous and sexy paranormal romance series Out of Olympus following the romantic adventures of four Gods: Triton, Dionysus, Eros, and Hermes.
You can also read the first chapter of it here: FIRST CHAPTER
Friday, September 24, 2010
Mentioned on J A Konrath's Blog
How cool is that? My name appears on J A Konrath's Blog:
New writers like Zoe Winters, Rex Kusler, Vicki Tyley, Karen McQuestion, John Rector, Aaron Patterson, B.V. Larson, Stacey Cochran, Amanda Hocking, D.B. Henson, Eric Christopherson, Debbi Mack, Karen Cantwell, Jonny Tangerine, Stephen Davison, Charles Shea, Joe Humphrey, Gary Hansen, M.H. Sargent, R.J. Keller, David McAfee, David Derrico, David Dalglish, Brendan Carroll, Alan Hutcheson, Paul Clayton, Imogen Rose, Tonya Plank, David H. Burton, Tina Folsom,...
Life is good ...
Konrath Ebooks Sales Top 100k
Scroll down to the middle where he lists new writers who are having success:New writers like Zoe Winters, Rex Kusler, Vicki Tyley, Karen McQuestion, John Rector, Aaron Patterson, B.V. Larson, Stacey Cochran, Amanda Hocking, D.B. Henson, Eric Christopherson, Debbi Mack, Karen Cantwell, Jonny Tangerine, Stephen Davison, Charles Shea, Joe Humphrey, Gary Hansen, M.H. Sargent, R.J. Keller, David McAfee, David Derrico, David Dalglish, Brendan Carroll, Alan Hutcheson, Paul Clayton, Imogen Rose, Tonya Plank, David H. Burton, Tina Folsom,...
Life is good ...
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Review: Let the Night Begin by Kathryn Smith
I came across Kathryn Smith's novel when I attended the Romance Writers of America's National Conference in Orlando this year - and I'm very glad I did, because now I have another author I can confidently add to my favorite authors list.
Let the Night Begin is the story of vampire Reign who turned his new bride Olivia into a vampire on their wedding night - mind you, without her permission. Hurt, she leaves him. But thirty years later she needs help when her beloved nephew is kidnapped.
Review:
First off, I was very happy to discover that while the plot was interesting, it did not get in the way of the love story. This is truly a paranormal romance, not an urban fantasy masquerading as a romance. The sexual tension between Reign and Olivia sizzles right from the moment they reconnect. Conflict is aplenty: starting with the reason why Olivia asks her estranged husband (for they never got divorced) for help in getting her nephew back. There is plenty of pent-up frustration and anger. The author does an excellent job in showing us how the two of them slowly start trusting each other again, and how their love for each other is as strong as ever.
The sex scenes are hot, and I would recommend keeping a glass of ice water close to douse the flames. Ms. Smith's writing style is very approachable, and while the novel takes place in Victorian England and Scotland, she doesn't go too deeply into superfluous descriptions (thank you!). Vampire lovers will enjoy the various biting scenes - many very sensual and enticing. And the author has given her vampires one interesting traits not as often seen amongst vampires: they can fly.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Dear Readers: Kathryn Smith will be interviewed on my blog in early October.
Let the Night Begin is the story of vampire Reign who turned his new bride Olivia into a vampire on their wedding night - mind you, without her permission. Hurt, she leaves him. But thirty years later she needs help when her beloved nephew is kidnapped.
Review:
First off, I was very happy to discover that while the plot was interesting, it did not get in the way of the love story. This is truly a paranormal romance, not an urban fantasy masquerading as a romance. The sexual tension between Reign and Olivia sizzles right from the moment they reconnect. Conflict is aplenty: starting with the reason why Olivia asks her estranged husband (for they never got divorced) for help in getting her nephew back. There is plenty of pent-up frustration and anger. The author does an excellent job in showing us how the two of them slowly start trusting each other again, and how their love for each other is as strong as ever.
The sex scenes are hot, and I would recommend keeping a glass of ice water close to douse the flames. Ms. Smith's writing style is very approachable, and while the novel takes place in Victorian England and Scotland, she doesn't go too deeply into superfluous descriptions (thank you!). Vampire lovers will enjoy the various biting scenes - many very sensual and enticing. And the author has given her vampires one interesting traits not as often seen amongst vampires: they can fly.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Dear Readers: Kathryn Smith will be interviewed on my blog in early October.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Giveaway & Interview with Author and two-time RITA nominee Carolyn Jewel
Please join me in welcoming Author Carolyn Jewel to my blog.
Tina: You were nominated for 2 RITA’s (the highest honor in romance fiction) this year – once in Paranormal Romance with My Forbidden Desire and once in Regency Historical Romance with Scandal. Those are two very different genres, or are they? Do you find that there are parallels between those two worlds?
Carolyn: My paranormals are set in the present, so on the face of it, the answer should be no. But there’s a reason some people speculate that paranormals have, to some extent, replaced or at the very least, supplemented the power imbalances so often explored in the historical romance. Paranormals that pair a supernatural hero with a human woman certainly encounter such a mismatch. I’d say there are some parallels, but it’s not complete. Even without supernatural powers, a contemporary heroine has far fewer constraints on her behavior socially and sexually.
In my paranormals, I enjoy not having to worry about historical accuracy or language choices. And yet I enjoy exactly that in my historicals!
Tina: I read your Regency Historical Indiscreet which I enjoyed tremendously. The setting was very different from the usual drawing rooms ofLondon
Carolyn: Indiscreet ended up being set primarily in the Ottoman Empire, what is todayTurkey and Syria
Tina: Have you been to the locations you write about in Indiscreet, or how did you research the areas in order to convey the authenticity that shines through your writing?
Carolyn: I haven’t been toTurkey
There is a scene in the book in which my heroine, Sabine, says that she has seen “the relevant amphorae” speaking of Etruscan and Greek jars that are painted with sexually explicit images. While I have not seen them personally, I have seen Professor Dunn’s photographs of them. Oh, my.
Vacation pictures are not sufficient research however. And boy, I started to panic when I realized my stubborn insistence on keeping the story in England had cost me precious research time. Google Books was invaluable. I downloaded a number of historical accounts of travels in the areas I was using in the story. Google maps was helpful for calculating distances and taking a look at terrain (how steep are the mountains etc.) I also found a couple of excellent reference books and old travelogues that came with surprisingly detailed pictures. Without the Internet I don’t know if I’d have been able to write the book. Though perhaps I would simply have panicked sooner and thus given way to the Turkish setting sooner than I did.
Aside by Tina: Funny you should ask about vacation pictures! I happen to have a couple from Turkey (from 1987!)
Tina: Rumor has it that you’re not much into plotting out your books in advance. However, your books seem so well structured and nothing seems out of place. What do you do to make your writing seem so effortless?
Carolyn: I do not plot in advance. I’ve learned that for me, it’s a waste of time. (This does NOT mean it would be a waste of time for someone else.) Whenever I plot in advance, I end up throwing out any chapters I write based on that and NONE of the things I envision ever happen in the pages I actually write. I don’t even try anymore. For me, plot arises from my characters and the way they interact. I have to get them onto the page and see what they say and do. Then I know how to complicate events for them.
It’s not that I do no advance thinking. But I only proceed when I am solid with what I have so far. I restructure as I go along. I do keep a bare bones document that lists the scenes I’ve written so far, maybe two or three sentences long for each, and incredibly vague scenes that I might write. They’re really placeholders for things like “action here” and “sexy here” or what have you. I don’t think I’ve ever actually written a scene that’s anything like those vague placeholder scenes. By the time I reach that place in the book, everything is different and something else needs to happen. That list of scenes makes it easy for me to check for story arc.
As I write, I’ll often get this little flash of—let’s call it writer’s intuition-- along the lines of , “Carolyn, honey, this scene right here in the middle of chapter 5 is actually the real chapter 1.” I am learning that I need to pay attention to that little voice. It’s almost always right and the sooner I address that issue, the better. Then I fix my MS and reorder my scene list and check for arc again. It’s scary because there’s often another voice that says, “What are you thinking? If you do that, you will have a problems X, Y and Z and you you’ll have to delete chapter 3.” The correct response for me is, “Yes.” Those problems always solve themselves or go away, and usually very quickly if not immediately. At about 50-60,000 words, I no longer need the scene list and rarely, if ever, refer to it after that.
The seemingly scary, chaotic process is exactly what sparks off what needs to happen next. I go and layer in the foreshadowing of new and developments, and that, in turn, deepens the story. For me, this never happens with outlines or any kind of deliberate plotting. It only happens when I am in the pages, immersing myself in the story.
I have tried doing all the things that plot in advance types describe, all the neat charts, long notes, extensive outlines, blocking out scenes on post-its and the like and even with 70 pages of scene outline, as soon as I sit down the write, something else entirely happens on the pages. And that’s true even if I skip all the plot-in-advance work.
Other writers will find my process just as impenetrable as I find the plot-in-advance methods. But, if you’re trying to plot in advance and it’s not resulting in an exciting, completed book, then I’d say it’s time to try something different.
Tina: Your agent is Kristin Nelson. How did you attract her attention, and what is your working relationship like?
Carolyn: Well, the short answer is that I queried her, sent her the requested sample material and when she was interested in my work, spoke with her at length about what I was looking for in an agent and my career. She was interviewing me, too, I’m sure.
Tina: Most writers have critique partners they work with. Do you work together with other authors to make each other’s books better, and if yes, what genres do they write in?
Carolyn: No, I don’t work with critique partners, mostly because I’m always writing under deadline and there’s no point in sending early drafts to anyone. I know those are terrible and besides, by the time I got feedback, it’s highly likely that I would have already completely revised the pages. By the time I have something decent, I’m so close to deadline I would need feedback in 3-4 days.
Tina: What other books are on the horizon for you?
Carolyn: In 2011, the next two books in my paranormal series will be out. My Immortal Assassin will be out in January 2011 and My Dangerous Pleasure will be in bookstores in June 2011. I have two historicals that are scheduled for 2012.
Tina: Many thanks for your time and willingness to share your writing process with me and my readers.
Carolyn Jewel's website: Carolyn Jewel
Carolyn Jewel's blog: Carolyn's Blog
Carolyn Jewel on Facebook: Carolyn Jewel Facebook
Carolyn Jewel's author page on Amazon.com: Amazon Author Page
Good luck!
THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
Tina: You were nominated for 2 RITA’s (the highest honor in romance fiction) this year – once in Paranormal Romance with My Forbidden Desire and once in Regency Historical Romance with Scandal. Those are two very different genres, or are they? Do you find that there are parallels between those two worlds?
Carolyn: My paranormals are set in the present, so on the face of it, the answer should be no. But there’s a reason some people speculate that paranormals have, to some extent, replaced or at the very least, supplemented the power imbalances so often explored in the historical romance. Paranormals that pair a supernatural hero with a human woman certainly encounter such a mismatch. I’d say there are some parallels, but it’s not complete. Even without supernatural powers, a contemporary heroine has far fewer constraints on her behavior socially and sexually.
In my paranormals, I enjoy not having to worry about historical accuracy or language choices. And yet I enjoy exactly that in my historicals!
Tina: I read your Regency Historical Indiscreet which I enjoyed tremendously. The setting was very different from the usual drawing rooms of
Carolyn: Indiscreet ended up being set primarily in the Ottoman Empire, what is today
Tina: Have you been to the locations you write about in Indiscreet, or how did you research the areas in order to convey the authenticity that shines through your writing?
Carolyn: I haven’t been to
There is a scene in the book in which my heroine, Sabine, says that she has seen “the relevant amphorae” speaking of Etruscan and Greek jars that are painted with sexually explicit images. While I have not seen them personally, I have seen Professor Dunn’s photographs of them. Oh, my.
Vacation pictures are not sufficient research however. And boy, I started to panic when I realized my stubborn insistence on keeping the story in England had cost me precious research time. Google Books was invaluable. I downloaded a number of historical accounts of travels in the areas I was using in the story. Google maps was helpful for calculating distances and taking a look at terrain (how steep are the mountains etc.) I also found a couple of excellent reference books and old travelogues that came with surprisingly detailed pictures. Without the Internet I don’t know if I’d have been able to write the book. Though perhaps I would simply have panicked sooner and thus given way to the Turkish setting sooner than I did.
Aside by Tina: Funny you should ask about vacation pictures! I happen to have a couple from Turkey (from 1987!)
 | |
| Istanbul - Tina Folsom's two Dutch friends in the foreground (we were all working on a cruise ship at the time) |
 |
| Istanbul - Tina Folsom is the brunette with the hideous haircut! Luckily nobody noticed because they were all looking at my blond friend. |
Tina: Rumor has it that you’re not much into plotting out your books in advance. However, your books seem so well structured and nothing seems out of place. What do you do to make your writing seem so effortless?
Carolyn: I do not plot in advance. I’ve learned that for me, it’s a waste of time. (This does NOT mean it would be a waste of time for someone else.) Whenever I plot in advance, I end up throwing out any chapters I write based on that and NONE of the things I envision ever happen in the pages I actually write. I don’t even try anymore. For me, plot arises from my characters and the way they interact. I have to get them onto the page and see what they say and do. Then I know how to complicate events for them.
It’s not that I do no advance thinking. But I only proceed when I am solid with what I have so far. I restructure as I go along. I do keep a bare bones document that lists the scenes I’ve written so far, maybe two or three sentences long for each, and incredibly vague scenes that I might write. They’re really placeholders for things like “action here” and “sexy here” or what have you. I don’t think I’ve ever actually written a scene that’s anything like those vague placeholder scenes. By the time I reach that place in the book, everything is different and something else needs to happen. That list of scenes makes it easy for me to check for story arc.
As I write, I’ll often get this little flash of—let’s call it writer’s intuition-- along the lines of , “Carolyn, honey, this scene right here in the middle of chapter 5 is actually the real chapter 1.” I am learning that I need to pay attention to that little voice. It’s almost always right and the sooner I address that issue, the better. Then I fix my MS and reorder my scene list and check for arc again. It’s scary because there’s often another voice that says, “What are you thinking? If you do that, you will have a problems X, Y and Z and you you’ll have to delete chapter 3.” The correct response for me is, “Yes.” Those problems always solve themselves or go away, and usually very quickly if not immediately. At about 50-60,000 words, I no longer need the scene list and rarely, if ever, refer to it after that.
The seemingly scary, chaotic process is exactly what sparks off what needs to happen next. I go and layer in the foreshadowing of new and developments, and that, in turn, deepens the story. For me, this never happens with outlines or any kind of deliberate plotting. It only happens when I am in the pages, immersing myself in the story.
I have tried doing all the things that plot in advance types describe, all the neat charts, long notes, extensive outlines, blocking out scenes on post-its and the like and even with 70 pages of scene outline, as soon as I sit down the write, something else entirely happens on the pages. And that’s true even if I skip all the plot-in-advance work.
Other writers will find my process just as impenetrable as I find the plot-in-advance methods. But, if you’re trying to plot in advance and it’s not resulting in an exciting, completed book, then I’d say it’s time to try something different.
Tina: Your agent is Kristin Nelson. How did you attract her attention, and what is your working relationship like?
Carolyn: Well, the short answer is that I queried her, sent her the requested sample material and when she was interested in my work, spoke with her at length about what I was looking for in an agent and my career. She was interviewing me, too, I’m sure.
Tina: Most writers have critique partners they work with. Do you work together with other authors to make each other’s books better, and if yes, what genres do they write in?
Carolyn: No, I don’t work with critique partners, mostly because I’m always writing under deadline and there’s no point in sending early drafts to anyone. I know those are terrible and besides, by the time I got feedback, it’s highly likely that I would have already completely revised the pages. By the time I have something decent, I’m so close to deadline I would need feedback in 3-4 days.
Tina: What other books are on the horizon for you?
Carolyn: In 2011, the next two books in my paranormal series will be out. My Immortal Assassin will be out in January 2011 and My Dangerous Pleasure will be in bookstores in June 2011. I have two historicals that are scheduled for 2012.
Tina: Many thanks for your time and willingness to share your writing process with me and my readers.
Carolyn Jewel's website: Carolyn Jewel
Carolyn Jewel's blog: Carolyn's Blog
Carolyn Jewel on Facebook: Carolyn Jewel Facebook
Carolyn Jewel's author page on Amazon.com: Amazon Author Page
GIVEAWAY
Carolyn Jewel is giving away autographed copies of the first two books in her paranormal series to one reader: My Wicked Enemy and My Forbidden Desire.
To enter:
Leave a comment with your email address below.
Contest open to US residents only due to shipping costs.
Contest open to US residents only due to shipping costs.
Get extra entries:
- +1 for being a current or new follower of this blog
- +1 for being a current or new follower of Carolyn's blog
- +1 for being a current or new Facebook friend of Tina
- +1 for being a current or new follower of Tina on Twitter
- +1 for being a current or new follower of Carolyn on Twitter
- +1 for tweeting / blogging or Facebooking about this contest
Good luck!
THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.
Greek God Cover
I had a little time this weekend and tinkered with Photoshop. What do you all think of my proposed cover for my Greek God romance A Touch of Greek?
No release date yet - but I'll keep you all posted. Here's an Excerpt just to whet your appetite.
No release date yet - but I'll keep you all posted. Here's an Excerpt just to whet your appetite.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Winner of Terry Spear's SEDUCED BY THE WOLF
Congratulations to the winner of a paperback copy of Terry Spear's Seduced by the Wolf.
Rhyan
Update: the winner did not reply - therefore, a new winner will be drawn tonight.
New Winner: Laurie
The winner was selected using random.org (a random number generator) and has been contacted by email.
New Winner: Laurie
The winner was selected using random.org (a random number generator) and has been contacted by email.
Thanks to all of you for entering.
Tina
Monday, September 13, 2010
Review for Amaury's Hellion by Bitten by Paranormal Romance
Please check out Laurie's review of Amaury's Hellion on her blog Bitten by Paranormal Romance. She gave Amaury a 4 star rating with a 4 alarm fire for sexual content.
Many thanks, Laurie!
Many thanks, Laurie!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Author Spotlight at Written in Blood
Stop by at Katie Salidas' Blog today for an author spotlight on me.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Impromptu Giveaway! Seduced by the Wolf by Terry Spear
Upon rummaging through my disorganized office, I have discovered that I have two brand-new copies of the same book: one I received in a giveaway, the other was given to me by a friend. Clearly, I can't read both of them. So, I'll be giving one away:
Here's the summary of the book:
His first priority is to protect his pack - Werewolf pack leader Leidolf Wildhaven has just taken over a demoralized pack. With rogue wolves on the loose causing havoc and the authorities from the zoo suddenly zeroing in on the local wolf population, the last thing he needs in his territory is a do-gooder female, no matter how beautiful and enticing she is.
She'll do anything to help wolves - Biologist Cassie Roux has dedicated her life to protecting wolves in the wild. On a desperate mission to help a she-wolf with newborn pups, the last thing Cassie needs right now is a nosy and entirely too attractive werewolf pack leader trying to track her down.
With rogue wolves and hunters threatening at every turn, Cassie and Leidolf may find their attraction the most dangerous force of all.
To enter for a chance to win the book:
1 entry - just for leaving your email address in the comment section
1 entry - for being a current or new Twitter follower: Tina Folsom (please mention your twitter name)
1 entry - for becoming my Facebook friend Tina Folsom on Facebook
1 entry - for being a current or new follower of my blog
1 entry - for posting this giveaway on facebook, twitter, or other blogs (please mention the link in your comment)
The giveaway will close on Wednesday September 15, 2010 at midnight PST. Winner will be notified by email to the email address they provide in their comment and announced on this blog. US/Canada only due to shipping costs.
Good Luck!
The contest is now closed.
Here's the summary of the book:
His first priority is to protect his pack - Werewolf pack leader Leidolf Wildhaven has just taken over a demoralized pack. With rogue wolves on the loose causing havoc and the authorities from the zoo suddenly zeroing in on the local wolf population, the last thing he needs in his territory is a do-gooder female, no matter how beautiful and enticing she is.
She'll do anything to help wolves - Biologist Cassie Roux has dedicated her life to protecting wolves in the wild. On a desperate mission to help a she-wolf with newborn pups, the last thing Cassie needs right now is a nosy and entirely too attractive werewolf pack leader trying to track her down.
With rogue wolves and hunters threatening at every turn, Cassie and Leidolf may find their attraction the most dangerous force of all.
To enter for a chance to win the book:
1 entry - just for leaving your email address in the comment section
1 entry - for being a current or new Twitter follower: Tina Folsom (please mention your twitter name)
1 entry - for becoming my Facebook friend Tina Folsom on Facebook
1 entry - for being a current or new follower of my blog
1 entry - for posting this giveaway on facebook, twitter, or other blogs (please mention the link in your comment)
The giveaway will close on Wednesday September 15, 2010 at midnight PST. Winner will be notified by email to the email address they provide in their comment and announced on this blog. US/Canada only due to shipping costs.
Good Luck!
The contest is now closed.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Interview with Lydia Dare
Please join me in welcoming Lydia Dare to my blog.
Tina: Behind the name Lydia Dare is a writing team of two women. Would you introduce yourselves to my readers and give them a little insight into your backgrounds?
Jodie: Hi, Tina! Thanks for having us today. I guess I’ll start. I am Jodie Pearson. I am currently the President of Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and I bring my knowledge and love of Regency England to the table. I began screenwriting way back when, but now focus on novels.
Tammy: Hi! I’m Tammy Falkner and I am a mom of two boys, am self employed, and started writing romance about seven years ago when I had my second child. I am the quintessential sports mom who likes nothing more than being a huge embarrassment to my children when I cheer from the bleachers.
Tina: A writing team seems to face other challenges than an author who works on her own. What do you think your greatest challenges are?
Jodie: Not killing each other. Just kidding. We get along great, but we are very different from each other. Our ideas aren’t always in sync, but we have a ton of respect for each other and have somehow made it work thus far.
Tammy: Honestly, I thought it would be much harder than it is to write with a partner. When I came home and told my husband about the idea he scoffed and said, “I know how long that will last…” But, in reality, we’re each strong where the other is weak, and we each accept where the other knows a little more and are willing to defer. Of course, there’s always the stopping point where one of us says “I just can’t write that.” Then we have to rethink and keep going.
Tina: When you write a novel, does one of you write from the Hero’s point of view and the other from the Heroine’s point of view? Or how do you decide who writes what?
Jodie: We write linearly. One of us will start a book and write the first 5-10 pages, then we’ll send them off to the other, who will edit those pages and then write the next 5-10. We go back and forth like this until we get to the very end.
Tammy: It’s kind of nice to be able to send the pages off to another person when you get stuck. Then you get them back and you know exactly where to take it next. It’s kind of like shipping the kids off to Grandma’s. You never know what they’ll do when they’re gone, but you’re happy to hear about it when they come home.
Tina: Was A Certain Wolf ish Charm the first book you wrote together?
Jodie: A Certain Wolf ish Charm was our first collaboration. We wrote it in two months and two months later we finished Tall, Dark and Wolf ish.
Tina: You’re published by Sourcebooks, the largest women-owned publisher in the US
Jodie: I can’t say enough good things about Sourcebooks. Deb Werksman is wonderful to write for and Dominique Raccah is amazing and so full of energy. Whenever we are with them, we feel like we’re part of the family.
Tammy: Dominique won us over at her spotlight at RWA Nationals three years ago when she gave her presentation about the company with such enthusiasm. She still carries that excitement over today. And Deb Werksman, we can’t say enough about her. She knows and loves our characters as well as we do. And we have enjoyed every minute of our work with her.
Tina: I’m sure many readers don’t know how much work goes into one single book. What is your writing process like, and how do you cope with editorial input you receive from your publisher?
Jodie: How do I cope with editorial input? I cry and curl up in a ball. Again – I’m kidding. Though that part is always a little stressful. As far as how much work goes into the book. This is the process: After we write the manuscript, we send it off to our amazing agent Melissa Jeglinski. Melissa will read through it, perhaps make a suggestion or perhaps not, and then she’ll send it off to Deb Werksman. Deb will read the manuscript and come back with editorial changes she wants made. We’ll make those changes using track changes and send it back to her. Then we get copy edits and read back through the changes and either accept with the suggested changes or explain why we don’t want to make the change. Then we send it back. And then, we get the final in a .pdf and go through it once more. This is our last chance to tweak anything or catch any stray Scottish brogue. We’ll send it back and then we are done with that particular book. But so many other people work on each book.
Tammy: The writing process is usually just a trade off of pages back and forth. But before we start writing, we do have to have a really clear picture of what our characters look like. So, we actually cast our characters. We use stock photo sites and go through hundreds of photos until we agree that the one in the photo looks like what we both envision. It can be difficult agreeing on that. Once that part of the process is done, we dive in and don’t look back.
Tina: All books in your Regency England
Jodie: The first trilogy is out there on the shelves. We have a connected book coming out November 2nd – The Taming of the Wolf . Then next year, beginning in April, we have another trilogy featuring witches from Elspeth’s coven and some very sexy vampyres.
Tammy: Then we’ll be off to write more wolves, we hope!!
Tina: When you read for fun, what kind of books do you like to read?
Jodie: Oh, I wish I had time to read. These days I’m so busy that I thumb through research books. But if I am able to take a vacation, I will be bringing with me the latest releases of Sabrina Jeffries, Deb Marlowe, Claudia Dain and Liz Carlyle.
Tammy: Historical romance has always been my favorite read. But I also like Elizabeth Lowell, Kresley Cole, and some other contemporary writers. Right now, we’re so busy writing and editing that I haven’t had time to crack a book in quite some time.
Again, thanks so much for having us! We’re having a lot of fun writing these stories, and hope the readers love the characters as much as we do.
Tina: Thanks to both of you for your time and giving us a great insight into your work.
For more on Lydia Dare, please visit her website: Lydia Dare
Outstanding review for Samson's Lovely Mortal
Laurie from Bitten by Paranormal Romance has posted an outstanding review for Samson's Lovely Mortal. Go and visit her site. I will be interviewed by her on September 27, 2010.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Update on the Greek Gods
I know some of you have read my excerpt of A Touch of Greek which was supposed to hit Amazon Kindle in September. Well, here's an update. The manuscript is ready. However, it was requested by a traditional publisher and while it is out on submission, my hands are tied. I will keep you all posted as to the progress on this.
Meanwhile I'm down with bronchitis and not quite up for writing - I know, I'll have to continue on Book 3 of the Scanguards Vampires series once I feel better. However, I figured at least I'd use the time to plot out one of my next books, namely book 2 in the Greek God series. Here's what it looks like so far:
If you can make out the little green pins, they mean that I have a sex scene or kissing scene planned. I know, I should really use red, but I ran out of red pins.
Meanwhile I'm down with bronchitis and not quite up for writing - I know, I'll have to continue on Book 3 of the Scanguards Vampires series once I feel better. However, I figured at least I'd use the time to plot out one of my next books, namely book 2 in the Greek God series. Here's what it looks like so far:
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| My story board for Book 2 of Out of Olympus |
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Blogging at Indie Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Blog
I'm talking about plotting over at Indie Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Blog. Read my bog post entitled "The Plot Thickens" and find out about sex at 60.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Win Book 3 in Scanguards Vampires Series
The contest to win a free e-copy of Book 3 in the Scanguards Vampires Series is open till December 1, 2010. Check out the rules on my website: Tina Writes Romance or below:
1. Write a review for either Samson's Lovely Mortal or Amaury's Hellion on Amazon.com or Amazon.uk
2. Email me at authortinafolsom at gmail dot com and let me know your reviewer name on Amazon and you will be entered in the draw.
Two e-books will be given away: one for a reviewer of Samson's Lovely Mortal and one for a reviewer of Amaury's Hellion. You may enter in both giveaways by posting reviews for both books.
Winners will be notified by email to the email address they provide and may choose between the following formats: Kindle/mobi, pdf, ePub.
1. Write a review for either Samson's Lovely Mortal or Amaury's Hellion on Amazon.com or Amazon.uk
2. Email me at authortinafolsom at gmail dot com and let me know your reviewer name on Amazon and you will be entered in the draw.
Two e-books will be given away: one for a reviewer of Samson's Lovely Mortal and one for a reviewer of Amaury's Hellion. You may enter in both giveaways by posting reviews for both books.
Winners will be notified by email to the email address they provide and may choose between the following formats: Kindle/mobi, pdf, ePub.
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