Illusion or reality?

"Better a dish of illusion and a hearty appetite for life, than a feast of reality and indigestion therewith." ~~Henry A. Overstreet

I have to agree most days.

I'd rather deal with illusion than jump into an unhappy reality. Although I will admit my own personal reality is not that bad. We have our ups and downs, our problems as a couple and as a family. But for the most part, we're happy. In a general sense, we are where we want to be in life. We simply do our best, rely in faith, in each other, and everything seems to work out for the best. Eventually. ;)

But when I read for pleasure, I'd rather have the illusion. Oh, sure, I want the essence of reality with a good mystery -- a murder or two -- a frightening character who goes 'bump' in the night. Afterward, I need the happy ending. The 'happy ever after' we grew so accustomed to in modern fairy tales. I say modern, because we all know those characters in the Grimm versions rarely lived on...let alone happily.

That's also how I prefer to write. My characters may go to hell and back -- even literally -- but the reader always knows that somehow, somewhere, they will persevere and beat the demons. Yes, those can be literal, too ... depending on the story.

So think about it -- which do you prefer? Happy illusion or sour reality? Which do you prefer to entertain yourself with?

Idling on by

"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do." (Jerome K. Jerome)

If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that's probably true. However, I tend to be in an opposite camp. After "idling", I'm more apt to feel guilt than any type of pleasure.

But that begs the question of why is it so easy to put things off -- to do one thing, when you're supposed to be doing other things? Is it merely a lack of self-discipline, or is there something of greater depth involved?

In my case, I believe my procrastinatin is due, in large, to the fear of failure. I don't want to make the same mistakes with this story as I did the last. I want this story to be just as good ... no, better than the previous one. But when you're the writer, it isn't easy to judge your own work. Some days everything is good -- other days it stinks. A lot depends on your mood.

The bottom line -- I need to write. I need to stay away from Facebook and Farkle and Super Poke Pets and do what I do best -- tell another story. Only then will I, personally, be able to 'idle' with some peace of mind.

Characters and writing

Blogged at Shades of Suspense today. :)

Obsessively counting words

"Let him that would move the world, first move himself." ~Socrates

Believe me, I am trying. ;)

I'm in the middle of my next novel, another paranormal romance, and the writing isn't going as quickly as I'd like. After each session, I found myself checking the word count. It's adding up...slowly. Very slowly.

It's not that I need a particular number of words. I just know what the minimum count has been for my other novels. DREAM WALK was the longest I've had published to-date -- over 95k words. This novel needs to be at least 85k for it to be complete. You get a feel for these things after you've written a few stories from beginning to end. ;)

But lately I haven't been able to get into my writing zone. That means the words are coming at a snail's pace when I need to be working more along the lines of a cheetah. Well, I suppose I should be glad my episode of writer's block is over. Just have to keep things moving along.

Coping with rejection

It seems the complete story of Gabriel Bonnett and Beth Murphy will have to remain a mystery to Sentinels' fans. Unfortunately, my editor wasn't impressed with draft two of the book.

Like most writers, I've experienced my share of rejections. It still stings a bit, but you learn to cope and move on. You have to -- the only alternative is giving up. But what do you do once that "no thanks" letter couched in apology arrives? How do you deal with your disappointment? The self-doubt? And just what the hell do you do with the thousands of words you've written and now seem to have been a waste of your time?

This time around it hasn't been quite the dilemma that it once was. Honestly, after a certain period of optimism, I was somewhat expecting the R -- shorthand for 'rejection letter' in this business. I'm not sure why... but somewhere along the line I lost faith in this particular story.

And no, it wasn't a "nice" R with loads of compliments and such regarding the strengths of the story. By the tone and what was said, there didn't seem to be even one thing that appealed to her about Gabriel and Beth's romance. Pity. I really like those two characters.

Do I take it personally? Um, a little...but not deeply. I think the big problem here was I had reworked it to death. It lost any spark it might have had in the beginning. It wasn't the story I really wanted it to be. Also, it really might have been better as the first story -- or later in the series. Pre-quels are a very tricky animal. So maybe that's part of why I'm not taking this R quite so much to heart as others.

That, and previous experience. BTDT, as the t-shirt says. ;)

Still... here comes the self-doubt. Although I'm over 11k into the next Sentinels book -- now bumped up to that coveted #2 spot -- I stutter to a halt when I begin to write a scene. Am I making the same mistakes with Samantha's story as I did with Gabriel's? Are my character's goals, motivations, and conflicts (GMCs) as clear-cut and riveting as they need to be? Does their relationship have enough spark...a strong chemistry? Is the action paced well? Fast but not too rushed?

Yes, self-doubt can be a crippling thing when it comes to writing. It brings your muse to a screeching halt. It makes your hands freeze over the keyboard and your thoughts shut down as if someone hit a switch. It can also turn you into a chocolate-guzzling lump, sitting in front of the television watching all day marathons of NCIS...

But I digress. (ahem) What I really want to know is: How do you deal with rejection? How do you tame that demon self-doubt and send him back to Hades where he belongs? Please share ... I have another book to finish.

Show and tell blogging...

I blogged this evening over at Beyond the Veil.

What's in your favorites and history? Do you dare tell?

Spotlight

My good friend, writer Laura Hamby, cast the spotlight on DREAM WALK a while ago. Come check it out.

It's good to have friends. :)

Hot off the presses!

The print edition of DREAM WALK is available beginning today!

You can order it at your favorite on-line bookseller, or try any of these links: My Bookstore and More; BooksAMillion.com; Powells.com; Amazon.com.

If you'd rather, you can also ask your local brick-and-mortar store to order a copy. :)

“Dream Walk” by Meg Allison

Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1-60504-317-3
Length: 288 Pages

Some nightmares are deadly real.

The Sentinels, Book 1

Camille Bryant is a gifted medium being slowly driven insane by terrifying dreams. When she is forced to accept help from a Sentinel—a mysterious warrior of her race—her comfort zone is quickly invaded. Try as she might, she can’t seem to stop the erotic visions that fill her mind when her rescuer is near.

Ian Spain is a dream walker who’s been assigned to banish the dream demon from Camille’s restless nights. But complications quickly ensue. This is no ordinary demon and Camille is no ordinary woman: both are far stronger than anyone realizes. So strong, Ian suddenly isn’t sure he has the power to vanquish her demon—not when his own hound his every step.

Their passion ignites even as the body count rises and their courage is put to the test in a battle as old as time. Winner takes all.

Warning: Scenes of leather-clad hero may induce spontaneous drooling, erotic fantasies, and unfair comparisons to spouse or significant other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A glimpse of a hero:

Chapter One

Savannah
Present day

Camille jerked awake, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Images from the nightmare hovered like nebulous ghosts in her mind. Long damp strands of hair stuck to her face, the thin cotton nightshirt clung to her skin. Kicking off the sheet, she swung her feet to the floor and took a deep breath.

Nightmare. More like night terror. She’d had them as a young girl—moments of absolute horror that had her seeing things crawling up the dark, empty walls. Camille remembered little except the transparent images superimposed on the real world, and her mother’s soothing voice.

She clicked on the bedside lamp. Her shoulders drooped with defeat as she glanced at the clock. Five in the morning. She hadn’t gone to bed until two. With a heavy sigh, she rose and crossed to the adjoining bathroom. She stripped off the sweat-soaked garment and climbed into the shower.

Over the past four months, she had relived the same terrifying visions with the same conclusion. Camille had all but lost her ability to sleep. Lack of sleep made it hard to think, let alone write. Work suffered, not to mention her sanity which hung by a thread.

“He’s coming.”

She jerked her head up from beneath the hot drizzle and glanced around at the swirling steam. With a sigh of relief, she shook her head.

“Don’t scare me like that,” she whispered.

“No worries, child.”

She closed her eyes as a warm, peaceful wave filled her from head to toe. Her guide, her spirit mentor, was the only man she trusted. The only man she’d let close since her nineteenth birthday over ten years ago.

As she allowed the blank screen in her mind to change, colors swirled like a kaleidoscope. An image formed of shoulder-length dark hair pulled back from a bronzed face. The features sharpened to reveal eyes as dark as pitch, a straight nose, heavy brow and full mouth. Camille’s breath caught. He was beautiful and frightening all at once. This man would help her overcome evil? He looked like a warrior or a fallen angel, not a savior.

~~~~~~~

~~Meg


Indulge your senses...
http://www.megallisonauthor.com

Dream Walk in PRINT!

I just found out that DREAM WALK will be available in print this coming week -- Tuesday, July 7th.

It's available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com and will be available at My Bookstore and More starting July 7th.






Book Two of the Sentinels series is currently in the hands of my wonderful editor. I'm hoping this version will pass the test -- but time will tell. Meanwhile, I'm hard at work on Book Three, At Second Sight, which features one of the secondary characters of DREAM WALK as its heroine. More about that over the next few weeks.

Here's a sneak peek at DREAM WALK:

A knock made her jump. She stared at the closed bedroom door, heart pounding as she wondered who else could possibly be up this early? The sun had barely risen.

“Camille?”

She let out a deep breath as Ian’s voice reached through the barrier.

“I need to speak with you.”

She bit her lip. Maybe she could pretend…

“I know you’re there,” he said as if he could read her mind. “Open up.”

She slid off the lock and opened the door. His presence filled her room even as he stood in the hallway, gazing down at her with those midnight-black eyes. A woman could sink into those eyes and gladly drift away toward the promises lingering in the shadows. But she had always been afraid of the dark.

He searched her face like a seer divining tea leaves. From the way his jaw clenched, he didn’t like the revelations. He stared at her a moment and it seemed as if she could feel his mind reaching into hers—seeking the truth. She blinked in surprise. Did he have a psychic gift as well? He gave her a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I need access to your website. I want to see if my tech boys can trace any of the threatening messages.”

“You can use the computer in the study downstairs, but I deleted them all a long time ago.”

“I imagine they’ll hit a brick wall, but it’s worth a try. I need something to occupy my time while you’re writing.”

“All right, I’ll be here if you need anything else.”

“What’s your password? They’ll need it to access the site as the administrator.”

She hesitated for a moment—not because she was giving him admittance to another portion of her life, but because she was afraid. Would he laugh? Judge?

“Beatrix Potter.”

He frowned. “Excuse me?”

“The password is Beatrix Potter.” She sighed when he continued to stare. “She wrote children’s stories about animals. Peter Rabbit?”

He held up a hand. “Yes, I know who she is. I was once a child myself, believe it or not.” This time the smile lifted the corners of his dark eyes where it glittered like stars in the deep-night sky. “You continue to amaze me. You aren’t anything like what I expected.”

“Oh, and what did you expect?”

His smile broadened to a full-fledged grin. Her heart skipped a beat and then raced like a jackrabbit fleeing a wolf. God. He’s beautiful.

“Well, honestly, I expected someone more like Ophelia.” He winked and turned away.
~~~~

Indulge your senses...
www.megallisonauthor.com

Tools of the trade

Every career requires a certain amount of learning or training. Writing is no different. While classes in English, literature, and creative writing can help hone a god-given talent, the learning doesn't stop there. And the best place to learn? From other writers, of course. :)

There are some things -- books, in particular -- that I personally feel no serious writer should be without. First, there's the obvious: Strunk & White Elements of Style; and a good dictionary and thesaurus combo. For the latter, shop around a bit to find one with a lot of choices. Some, I've found, are limited.

Now, for the more subjective list.

On Writing, by Stephen King

I've lost count of the number of writers who say they swear by this book -- that to them, it's like the industry bible. Whether or not you enjoy horror, King is one of the greatest writers ever. He has an amazing ability to string words together and draw you deep into the story and the minds of his characters. This book -- which is somewhat an autobigraphy as well as a how-to book -- is full of fantastic guidance.

Now I give fair warning: it is not for the faint of heart. He's honest, forthwright and his language can be extremely... shall we say, earthy? ;) If cursing bothers you, then pass it by -- unless you can overlook it and instead glean the gems from this work. It just might be worth it, but that's a very personal preference.

Writing the Romance Novel for Dummies, by Leslie Wainger

This book is sitting on my own shelf. While you may not be interested in writing romance, Wainger's book still has great advice regarding characters, plotting, etc. If you are writing romance, then this book is a must-have because it comes from the perspective of the editor -- that person you want to please with your final product.

Another great 'how-to' book for romance writers is:

The Art of Romance Writing, by Valerie Parv

Ms Parv is a multi-published romance author -- probably well-known to the Harlequin/Silhouette readers. She's clever, a fantastic story-teller, and a really amazing lady. Any guidance you can receive from an established pro has got to be worth its weight in gold.

Okay, these are just some of the tools I'd like to endorse for anyone wanting to improve their writing style. Next time, some ideas for researching. But until then, would anyone like to add to the list?

A rose by any other name...

Could be a whole different kind of flower. ;)

Today I'm thinking about words. Note that I'm in editing and revision stage with book two -- SHATTERED (previously titled: Broken). My dear, intelligent editor didn't care for the first version. I understood her objections, asked if I could revise and resubmit with them in mind. She agreed. And such is the way you deal with that.

Of course, she could still hate it when I'm done, but that's a chance I'm willing to take. (Typing with crossed fingers is really difficult, btw.) ;)

But I digress... Revisions often mean I'm looking for new ways to say the same thing again and again. I hate repetitious words. Readers do, as well. If you use a word too often in the space of a page or two -- or use a very unfamiliar word -- it can 'bump' them out of the story. As a writer, you need to keep them reading long into the night. You don't want to give them any reason to put that book down. And therefore you need to smooth the bumps wherever possible. Think of yourself as a one-person road crew.

So, out come the handy dandy Thesaurus. Of course you can use the one built into your word program or one on the Internet. It's your call. But it's one of the better tools in a writer's arsenal.

We'll discuss other must-have books in a later post.

However, inside your thesaurus, make a note to yourself. It should say something like this: USE WITH CARE. You see, not all synonyms are created equal. Let's take the word "rose", since I titled this post with it to get your attention. ;) Thesaurus.com lists possibilities as: flush, blush, pink, red, rosette, rouge.

Could you use any of these in place of the word? Um, probably not...unless you are referring to the color. If you're talking about the flower itself, you're limited. This isn't the best example, really, but the point I'm trying to make is that synonyms don't always have the exact meaning of the word you started with. They are close-to OR similar to. NOT exact...at least, not always.

I was talking with a dear friend who line-edits part time. She mentioned a story she was working on (without telling me the title or author's name) in which it was obvious the writer used her handy thesaurus at every turn. Unfortunately, the words she picked didn't always mean what she thought they meant.

Now here's where another important writing tool comes into play: the Dictionary. If you're in doubt, look it up. This is not the editor's job, it's yours. Many editors will just send a polite rejection letter instead of even trying to fix copy with a lot of errors.

Also, remember I said unusual words will bump a reader? There are times when even the best synonym just doesn't work. For example, I have a really hard time writing scenes where a door is involved. Sounds dumb? Think about it.

Here's a very short example from my latest novel, DREAM WALK:

"The bundle of towels held like a shield, she walked the long
yards to her bodyguard’s room. For a moment, she simply
listened before tapping lightly on the door. Silence. She
frowned. Perhaps he had gone back to his car for something?

She knocked louder. Nothing. With a shrug, she opened the
door and stepped inside. It would be better to leave the linens
on the bed and scoot out again. Without pinpointing the reason,
she knew it wasn’t wise to risk another confrontation so soon."

Normally I would cringe at the use of the same noun twice in such a short space. But with 'door', I've found my options are limited. Any other term draws too much attention. Here are some possibilities: aperture, egress, entry, entryway, exit, gate, gateway, hatch, hatchway, ingress, opening, portal, postern, slammer.

Um, yeah. I don't talk like that. Do you? IF you do, great, use the word that sounds natural -- to you and to your characters. But in my world of limited vocabulary skills, a door is a door is a door. ;) Of course, in other instances, the words like "exit; entry; gate; or opening" would work, but not in these two paragraphs.

Now that you've gotten some of your story written, you have permission to go back and edit a bit. ;) Start by making sure your word choices are the best for the story. Do the words flow? Do you have to stop and think about what a word means or how to pronounce it? If so, then maybe you need to consider a change. Of course the real test comes when you get a beta-reader, aka critique partner, to look over your stuff.

But the words you choose are vital: They set the tone of your story. The words you tend to use are also a part of what we call your "voice". Every artist has a style -- and so do writers. The trick is to let yours be heard.

So open your document; grab a thesaurus and carefully... very carefully check for those pesky repetitious words. I will say, however, that it might be better to completely re-write a sentence or paragraph or MORE rather than use an iffy synonym.

Each writer's tool is important... and each should be handled with care.

Now what?

Hopefully you've been writing down your story. I've actually had a really good week in that department -- all but three chapters in SHATTERED are completely revised; wrote over three-thousand new words for book three, AT SECOND SIGHT.

Compared to my recent attempts at working, this is fantastic, trust me.

Now that you've started writing, what's next? Well for most of us there's a point -- sometimes more than one -- when we get stuck. This can be in the "sagging middle" or some other area in the story. The trick is to not let it get you down... and to keep on writing.

My experience as a writer has taught me that there are different levels in my creative process. The one I love happens much too infrequently. It's when words pour like water from my fingertips. I can visualize the scene; the dialogue; the sensual information without a hiccup. It feels as if someone is dictating the story from one word to the next. I love "the zone"...and it's during these times that I'm most productive.

The other extreme is "pulling teeth" writing. That's when it feels like I'm digging every other word from the bottom of some deep pit in my brain. One sentence is a struggle. An entire scene is almost torture! Sometimes this is the point where I give up and close the document. If I can feel it's going to be a "pulling teeth" kind of session, I often won't even try. But that's the worse thing you can do.

The best way to get past the hiccups in your writing is to keep on trucking. ;) Write as much as you can -- even if it's very little. But write something. The only way to finish is to DO IT. The bad days will pass and when those little road blocks come down, it is such a rush!

On writing... where to begin

A year or two ago I wrote a few posts regarding the how-tos of writing. I decided to offer my own two cents on the subject after a book signing where quite a few people asked me some basic questions: How do you write? How do you get published? It seems a lot of people are wannabe writers. I've decided to offer advice once again with the hope that I can find something useful to say. :)

But how do you get to "wannabe" to "being"? Sounds almost philosophical. ;)

First I'll ask this: Do you want to write? No... Better question: Do you need to write?

I've found that most writers do so because they have something to say--something they just can't bottle up inside. They have stories playing out in their minds, with plots and characters in a wide array of settings. My first scenes in a new story often resemble a movie trailer, but it doesn't have to be visual image in your head. Everyone is different and therefore the creative process varies.

The first step towards becoming a writer is very simple. If you have an idea: write it down. Don't worry about the words you use, at first. Don't worry about imagery, form or synonyms. The main thing is to get your idea, your story onto paper... or the computer screen.

Once you write down as much as you can, then you can go back and make it pretty. But even then, you should always limit how much time goes into editing. Save the bulk of that for the final rough draft.

Now don't be impatient. I said to write down the idea. My beginnings are often a scene or two -- sometimes from the middle of the story. Sometimes I don't even know where the image is going to play. But you have to get that idea down on paper before you lose it. You have to start so you can finish.

So get moving! The world has plenty of room for great stories. We want to hear yours.

Now while you're doing that... I have some work of my own to do. ;)

to be continued

Borrowing kids

Well, not really 'borrowing'. It's more like a temporary adoption thing. ;)

Of course I'm talking about sleep-overs, the great tradition of allowing your children to have friends over to hang-out all night. The name is a misnomer since sleep rarely has anything to do with these activities.

I don't mind the festivities too much. My children are pretty good at picking friends who are polite and basically well-behaved. Who can possibly mind a 13 yob who tells you what a great cook you are? And as long as it's not my hand they're filling with shaving cream, all's well. ;) I also find it's a good opportunity to learn more about who my kids hang-out with...who they may or may not emulate.

So, from time-to-time our house will have a few extra kids on board. Yes, the noise level increases, as does the mess and number of dishes, but no worries. I don't do the dishes anymore... that's the kids' job. ;)

What exciting plans do you have this weekend?

Chuzzle lessons

My favorite computer game at the moment is Chuzzle. I love puzzles and adore the furry little googly-eyed creatures who inhabit this colorful game. I really love the sounds they make when you get three or more in a row -- and the explosions. It's almost as satisfying as slamming a door. ;)

However, I've also learned something from this odd little game. A life lesson, of sorts.

Let me explain for the Chuzzle-impaired...

On some levels, a chuzzle will become 'locked'. When that happens, you cannot move it or the row it's in -- at least not in every direction. This limits how you can move and, therefore, your number of possible moves. If you get too many locked at one time, you lose.

But I've discovered something quite by accident. Sometimes, if a move doesn't present itself right away, all you have to do is keep playing and wait. Eventually the little fuzzballs will move around enough so that the colors line up and you can pop those locked spaces. I've also found if you can get a locked one all the way to the bottom of the box it will be taken care of by the natural course of the game.

Now here comes the analogy...

Sometimes in life we come upon a road block; an obstacle to achieving whatever it is we want. We can try to work through it; we can fight our way around it. However, there are times when there really doesn't seem to be a way to win. If we can only keep going ... keeping working with our goal in mind, eventually, in the natural course of life, the solution will be there. The obstacle will be taken away. The problem solved.

Notice I said to 'keep working'. At no time should we ever give up on what's really important, but maybe we need to find a new strategy. Perhaps we need to re-evaluate our priorities and make sure we're seeking after the right thing. And sometimes we need to put our faith in something bigger than ourselves.

It will work out. We will overcome. Sometimes we just have to be very patient... and play a game or two to pass the time. ;)

In a rut...

And looking for advice.

Come on over and leave your .02 behind. ;)

Shades of Suspense

eBook of the Month!

DREAM WALK has been voted April's eBook-of-the-Month at Jennifer's Random Musings!
This is really a great honor and thrill. :)

Now if the weather would only warm up, my week would be complete. ;)

Heroes and spring

It's my turn to blog today at Beyond the Veil. Come on over and check it out -- I'm talking about heroes that I really can't buy in romance. Do you have any?

And while the calendar has proclaimed Spring is here in the U.S., the weather itself has been very quiet on the subject. Nights are still getting damn cold! But things are looking up. I hope. I'm really, REALLY ready for some sunshine and warmth.

Website update

My website is back up and running. I've made some changes, in other words did some stream-lining. Hope you like it. :)

Indulge your senses...
www.megallisonauthor.com

Book of the Month

DREAM WALK has been nominated as April's Book-of-the-Month at Jennifer's Random Musings. It was a lovely surprise -- many thanks to whoever nominated it. :)

All the nominees are listed; polls for both the e-books and print books are down the page at the right.


**NOTE: My website is undergoing some construction and is temporarily unavailable. I'll let you know when it's back up and running.**