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Posts tagged with: Jo Robertson
The Spirit Is Indeed Willing — A LIVELY LAUNCHPosted by Jo Robertson Apr 29 2012, 11:58 pm in "Weak Flesh" launch, Jo Robertson The entire biblical quote from Matthew 26:41 (King James Version): “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” I’m not particularly religious, but I borrowed the phrase “weak flesh” from these biblical words for the title of my newly released historical thriller WEAK FLESH. Note that the book is a ROMANTIC historical thriller in which I try to balance the mystery-thriller thread with the romantic thread, but like all romances, WEAK FLESH the promise of a happy ever after for the main characters. I found the concept of the spirit being stronger than the flesh an interesting one. Most of us are eager to “do the right thing.” We begin diets on January 1, we make resolutions to speak more kindly to our family members, and we promise to curb our tongues when gossip rears its ugly head. We writers and readers are especially prone to succumb to some of our general weaknesses. I cannot pass a bookstore withou Writers are sneaky about letting the flesh take over the spirit. We make color-coded lists; we pencil in due-by dates on our calendars; we assign ourselves inexhaustibly impossible daily word counts (I will write 30,000 words before I go to bed tonight!) only to manipulate ourselves into procrastinating. But, since this is a launch party, sit back, grab a drink, loaded or not, and snag Sven for one of his famous massages. I think I’ll have him massage my feet today while I finish reading George R.R. Martin’s “A Clash of Kings” and celebrate my latest release — WEAK FLESH. Here’s a bit about the book and you can find it at http://.www.amzn.to/EI7Eqw. I first heard the story of Ellen Cropsey (Nellie) from my sister-in-law Sylvia. In Elizabeth City, North Carolina, there’s quite a legend surrounding the disappearance and murder of Nell. The bare facts are that Ellen Cropsey disappeared from her home of Seven Pines on November 20, 1901, and her body was found in the Pasquotank River thirty-seven days later. The background cover of WEAK FLESH is a modern-day picture of the river taken by my sister-in-law. And here are a few other pictures of the beautiful Pasquotank River (upper right) and the original house where Nell lived (upper left). An apparent boyfriend of Nell’s, Jim Wilcox, was tried and convicted of first-degree murder in 1902, but the state supreme court vacated th My book is a completely fictionalized account of what might have really happened to Nellie. I’ve changed the town, county, and character surnames, and created new characters entirely from my imagination. None of the book is real except for that lovely Pasquotank River that wends through the Outer Banks of North Carolina. WEAK FLESH is another “ripped from the headlines” story like my other historical romantic thriller “Frail Blood,” which is FREE for the next two days (April 29-30) on Amazon Prime. Here’s the link: http://www.amzn.to/A2ivh4. Tag, you’re it. What’s your “weak flesh,” the one temptation you can’t pass by. As I write this post, I have an oreo McFlurry sitting in my freezer with my name on it!
Stranger Than Fiction — A New Launch in the Lair!Posted by Jo Robertson Mar 18 2012, 11:59 pm in Frail Blood, Jo Robertson, launch boook, stranger than fiction You’ve heard that phrase, and probably seen real-life examples of events that simply wouldn’t be believed if they were wrapped in a fictional story. “Give me a break,” the reader would complain. “That could never happen!” Mark Twain said, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t.” A Few Examples: 1. A Japanese doctor took videos of himself driving his Ferrari on public roads at high speeds and now faces jail time. Oh, yeah, possible, but pretty stupid. 2. Friends received emails from a British man who died five months previously. Possible, but spooky! 3. Rules for school teachers in Sacramento, California, in 1915 include: You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores. (Yeah, we know how dangerous those ice cream parlours are!) You may under no circumstances dye your hair. (I’m out!) 4. At first I thought this
I’m always skeptical when I see a movie with the tagline, “inspired by true events” because the tiny bit of truth in the movie is often at odds with the producer’s vision. I never know how much is made up and how much is true. My latest release “Frail Blood” http://www.amzn.to/A2ivh4 was inspired by an article I read while doing jury duty at the Old Historic Courthouse in Auburn, California. The 1894 courthouse image is used courtesy of Placer County Museums. Beneath the long concrete steps (no longer in use), ranging from the bottom right to the second level, is a small alcove with bars behind which is a dirt-floored hidey hole used to house its first female prisoner in 1909 – Alma Bell. The facts of the murder of which Alma was accused were indisputable; she strapped a pistol to her ankle, walked to the home of her lover, and shot him, racing off into the surrounding woods where she was later found and arrested. No one ever doubted Alma was guilty. The bizarreness of the story lay in her “culpability” for the murder. An all-male jury rendered three separate votes. First ballot: 8 not guilty, 1 manslaughter, 1 second degree murder, 2 blank; second ballot: 10 acquittal, 2 manslaughter; and the third ballot, 12 not guilty. The jury deliberated for ninety minutes. Newspaper articles surrounding the trial made much ado about the fact that a woman, a frail creature by nature, could not commit such a heinous crime. Impossible! Women aren’t inclined to such violence. Alma Bell was acquitted and lived to a ripe old age in Oakland.
I was intrigued with that idea. How could a jury acquit a woman of murder, or even a lesser charge, when she clearly killed someone? What cultural and social circumstances would allow such a verdict? So, I began my fictional story of poor Alma Bentley (the names were changed to protect the innocent descendants) and her fictional attorney (our hero Malachi Rivers) who employs newspaper woman Emma Knight (the heroine) to help him win an acquittal for Alma. In my story it’s much more difficult to find her innocent. Also, I wanted to develop a love story between Malachi, a clever, practical man, who was previously burned by an “innocent” woman, and naive but gutsy Emma, who’s passionate about women’s rights — and just about everything else! Lots of plot twists and turns deliver the final verdict for Alma, but there’s no doubt that Malachi and Emma are given a long sentence of happily ever after. Watch for my next historical romantic thriller, “Weak Flesh,” coming in May and based on a true case in North Carolina. To this day, mystery surrounds the identity of the murderer. What about you? What’s the strangest, silliest, or just plain dumbest thing you ever seen someone do or say? Are you a tabloid groupie? What weird stories have you heard? Spill!
Blowing in like a Lion! March Coming Attractions….Posted by Jeanne Adams Mar 1 2012, 12:23 am in Addison Fox, Anna Campbell, Annie West, coming attractions, Diane Kelly, Jana Oliver, JD Tyler, Jo Robertson, Joan Swan, Jules Bennett, Kate Carlisle, Robin Perini, Teresa Morgan, Trish Milburn
Is it blowing in like a Lion where you are, or as mild as the proverbial Lamb? Aas usual, we’ve got a great lineup for March and a lot of exciting things going on. There’s also the Ides of March and the ever popular, green-beer-drinking joy of St. Patrick’s Day! WOOHOO! We’ll all be lifting glasses of Guiness in March (or other beverages of choice…Irish Coffee, perhaps?) to celebrate book releases and MAJOR MILESTONES! Lesseeee, where do I start? Bandita Trish has a fabulous new book coming out with Harlequin American. Her March release is COWBOY TO THE RESCUE, second in her Teagues of Texas trilogy. Bandita Jo’s wonderful FRAIL BLOOD will hit the market later this month as well. It’s another brilliant read from Bandita Jo! (And I’m dying to get it b/c I only got to read a little bit….) Our own Bandita Kate has a great new book out, ONE BOOK IN THE GRAVE, and yes, I know we talked about it last month, but did you know it hit the WOOT!!! Party Hats and Shamrock stew for EVERYONE!!! Let’s see…ahem…okay, back to our regularly scheduled Coming Attractions pot…. So, what’s up in MARVELOUS MARCH? Look out tomorrow, March 2, becauase our own Anna Campbell is coming on with the fabulous Annie West! (www.Annie-west.com) It’ll be a rocking day in the Bandit Lair with those two! Annie’s popping in to tell us about her latest American release, teh fabulous GIRL IN THE BEDOUIN TENT. Get out your Lawrence of Arabia gear for this wonderful sheikh romance, gals! I don’t know about you, but I’m always up for (har, har!) a great read from Annie West! And when you get Anna and Annie together, in the same blog space….WATCH OUT!! Now you KNOW you want to be here for that! I’m betting that something goes BOOM! in this book, so I’m going to be front and center on Saturday to chat with Diane! Now, as much fun as that’s going to be, brace yourselves for the wild and wonderful trio of authors coming on March 5! JD Tyler and Addision Fox visit with Bandita Suz to talk about their forthcoming e-novellas BLACK MAGIC and WAVE OF MEMORIES. A lot of you have your e-readers poised and ready to go for this one, I know. With all the wonderful success of Suz’s book, and the
On March 8, join Bandita Nancy for a Reader-Writer-Roundtable! Nancy hosts Maureen Hardgree, Eilis Flynn, Gerri Russell, Louisa Cornell, and Barbara Monajem for a discussion of who’s reading (and writing) what this month. I know you’ll want to join in THAT as all the Banditas, and Bandita Buddies are constantly updating their To Be Read piles!
Oh my, THAT should get some interesting posts going, don’t you think? Hmmmmm? Grins. Be sure to stop in. Sven and the gang are making hummus, importing a wide variety of olives, dates and other “desert-y” foods. (But don’t worry, if you don’t like hummus, he’ll have his usual array of other delicious delicacies!) And Bandita Donna brings Jules Bennett to the lair on the 16th for an inaugural visit! Woot! We love meeting new authors in the Lair!! Jules new book IN THE SPOTLIGHT will be out this month from Harlequin Desire.
And last but not least, join Bandita Nancy again on the 21st as she welcomes Jana Oliver to the Lair. Jana Oliver will return to the Lair with her demon-trapping heroine, 17-year-old Riley Blackthorne. Jana and Nancy will talk about Riley’s latest adventure, FORGIVEN.
In March and April, Bandita Anna Campbell is running a Catch Up on the Campbells Contest. Anna’s giving FIVE lucky people the chance to win a book of their choice from her backlist. That’s CLAIMING THE COURTESAN, UNTOUCHED, TEMPT THE DEVIL, CAPTIVE OF SIN, MY RECKLESS SURRENDER or the Australian Romance Readers Association’s favorite historical romance of 2011, MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION. Just email Anna on anna@annacampbell.info and tell her which book you’d like and you go into the draw. The contest closes 30th April, 2012, and entry is open internationally. For more information, please check out Anna’s contest page: http://annacampbell.info/contest.html Celebrating the Leap with Annie-isms!Posted by Jo Robertson Feb 29 2012, 12:30 am in Annie, debut of "Frail Blood", Funny Stories, Jo Robertson, Leap Year I have to confess I’d hoped to have my latest release launched today — FRAIL BLOOD, an historical thriller from Amazon — but loo See the gorgeous cover? Isn’t it lover-ly? Bandita Suzanne Ferrell’s talented daughter Lyndsey did the cover for me. Isn’t she amazing! And the courthouse that’s shown in the background comes courtesy of the Placer County Museum in Auburn, California. Since I’ve felt a little blue from not getting my book live by my deadline, I spent some time thinking about what I habitually do to cheer myself up. I’m normally a fairly happy person (half-full kind of gal), but a sure-fire way to get me smiling, laughing, or giggling is with what Dr. Big and I call “Annie-isms.” Annie-isms are a collection of all the clever things children and grandchildren say that make us so proud and happy. So here we go to celebrate, not my new release, but my Leap Year Birthday!! with a few of my favorite Annie-isms! Oh, didn’t I say that? Bird Walk! Today is my “real” birthday, the one I only get every four years. I won’t insult anyone’s intelligence by explaining why we have Leap Year, but it relates to aligning the earth’s rotation around the sun with the Julian calendar. Borrrring! I hear now that parents who have children born on February 29 are given a choice of whether to put February 28 or March 1 on the birth certificate. Hello? Talk about screwing with genealogy! Here we go with my Annie-isms: Annie-ism #1: Drama Queen Annie (age 3 1/2): There were no cherry tomatoes left one day and this is the conversation that ensued… Annie: “You’re ruining my life!” Mom: “I’m ruining your LIFE?” Annie: “You’re making my life sad.” Mom: “Well, I’m sorry, honey, we just don’t have any tomatoes left. Do you want some carrots instead?” Annie: “No… I’m feeling my life and my life wants tomatoes.”
Annie-ism # Sassy but cute (age 4) Annie: “Mom. If you don’t be nice to me, you will get off my list.” Mom: “What sort of list?” Annie: “My friend list. But you’ll still be my mom.”
Annie-ism #3: Oh So Super Sweet (age 5) Annie loves watching her mom do crafts for preschool (making paper dolls and busy buses, etc.). She watched one day with her friend Hailey and Hailey wanted to go play but Annie wanted to stay and watch. Mom: “You sure love watching me make paper dolls, huh?” Annie: “Oh yeah. I love it more than playing with my toys.” Mom: “Wow. That’s amazing.” Annie (casually): “You should watch yourself sometime. Then you’ll know what I mean.” Annie-ism #4: Stranger Danger (age 5) Mom and Annie were walking home from her friend Hailey’s house. It was dark and they were holding hands. Annie: “Mom… I smell something.” Mom: “What do you smell?” Annie (very seriously): “I smell… danger.
What tricks are in your feel-better bag, readers? A massage? Playing with the kids or grands? A movie? A night out with your other half? I’ll give away a free download of “Frail Blood,” my historical thriller, when it’s available in March to anyone who can guess my “real” age. Okay, we know the number has to be divisible by four, so I’m either 40 (thank you, thank you!), 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76, or 80. Have at it!
Komma KrazyPosted by Jo Robertson Jan 29 2012, 11:59 pm in comma crazy, Jo Robertson, language mechanics
Whatever. Later I was reading a book on my Kindle and the author used the same word. Seriously. I almost threw my Kindle against the wall until I remembered it wasn’t actually a book. Now, I’ve been guilty of all sorts of wrong words usage. The favorite my family still reminds me of is when I used “fluxommed” as a substitute for “flummoxed.” Hey, my defense is old age. I don’t pretend to be a grammar guru or a spelling specialist or a punctuation perfectionist (har har). The experts tell us that spelling is a visual-memory skill, which means that as your memory fails, so will your spelling skills. I think grammar and other mechanics of the language fall in the same category. So I don’t like to harp too much on errors in writing because I’m sure that my own glaring mistake will be the next one magnified. But I have a thing about commas. Why, oh why, oh why, do some writers feel they have to use, and use, and over use, this poor misapplied piece of punctuation? I’ve actually heard writers argue passionately over the correct or incorrect use of a comma. Really? How can you get hot and bothered by a comma? I always taught my students that there are only a few (maybe five?) times when a comma is “officially necessary.” More often the purpose of a comma is to clarify meaning and offer understanding; this means the writer has a great deal of latitude in her use of them. A comma is a pause, so if you don’t want your reader to, pause, then, don’t, put one in! Recently I’ve become more and more discouraged with the incorrect use of apostrophes (hey, they’re sort of like commas!) to indicate plurals. A plural noun is a person, place or thing, of which there are two or more:
Most noun plurals are formed by adding and “s” or “es” to the word. We don’t use apostrophes to indicate plurals unless there’s a valid reason. You don’t write about your several sibling’s and your two parent’s. An apostrophe as used above indicates possession.
Oh, and since we all have trouble with this little English oddity, let’s talk about the difference between its and it’s. Almost every writer I know has used the words interchangeably at one time or another. If you’re one, teach yourself a little mnemonic device to learn which is which, remembering that an apostrophe usually indicates possession or a missing letter. However, “it’s” and “its” are different. “it’s” is NOT a possession, but a contraction for “it is,” (It’s a shame she’s so late.) and “its” is the possessive (The cat twitched its tail.)
When I was a girl we read a story about a student who entered a spelling bee contest and was worried about the upcoming state competition. Her grandfather taught her how to spell the word “separate,” which is a commonly misspelled word. He explained how to take the word apart and look at sep a rat e. He said, “There’s a rat in separate; don’t get caught by the rat.” That story has always helped me remember not to spell the word “seperate.”
Oh, and the five necessary commas outside of direct quotes, dates, and places, which almost no one forgets? Here are mine: (a) items in a series (Bring bread, milk, and butter.) (b) after an introductory dependent clause (When I’m finished, you can come over.) (c) nonrestrictive clauses or phrases (My mother, who teaches English at Oakmont High School, is a writer.) (d) joining clauses with a coordinating conjunction (She has a lovely voice, but her sister plays the piano beautifully.) (e) Okay, I lied. I can’t think of five! Let’s say the last use is for clarification and meaning. Even many of these “rules” can be eliminated if the sentence is short enough. Don’t go kamikaze!
What about you? What are your pet peeves in written or spoken language? Does it drive you nuts when someone misuses a word or do you hardly notice?
I’m giving away a free download of any one of my Bigler County Trilogy (“The Watcher,” “The Avenger,” or “The Traitor” — your choice!) to one lucky commenter, so be sure to leave a response.
Unexpected TreasuresPosted by Jo Robertson Dec 30 2011, 11:58 pm in Jo Robertson, Jo's latest release, New Years Eve, The Traitor by Jo Robertson
Happy (almost) New Year’s Eve, everyone! I recently read a blog which called 2011 something like “a hairy bastard.” I’m rather happy to put 2011 behind me, not because it’s been a horrible year for me and mine (After all, I did publish three books, a really big thrill!), but I look forward to a new year and all the discoveries that it implies. The other day my son and his family were reading when three-year-old Emma turned the pages of the bible one thin, fragile page at a time. This is the bible that my son inherited from his paternal grandfather. Les wasn’t a particularly religious man, but he was very family oriented and went out of his way to be a good neighbor. Suddenly from Granpa’s bible Emma pulled out a very worn and creased black and white photo. Robb scanned What an unexpected and blessed treasure! I’m not particularly devout either, but I do believe in the power of human connections and unity. Strong families, strong nations, strong commitments among people are a source of endless strength to me as I struggle through mortality’s stumbling blocks and pitfalls. As the year 2011 nears its end, I wondered what “unexpected treasures” I’d discovered that I had forgotten and hardly recognized at the time:
What unexpected treasures came into your life, family, or neighborhood this year? As we head into 2012 with all its bright promise, I’d love to hear the joys and highlights of your 2011. Or what you’re looking forwa
And just because my latest book releases tomorrow, here’s an excerpt from “The Traitor.”
Rafe slouched against the plush bench of his corner booth, idly running his finger around the wet circle rings on the table. He’d give Lupe fifteen minutes more. He checked his watch again as if sheer will power could urge the lethargic minute hand forward. He suppressed a yawn, loosened the knot of his tie, and finally reached for his wallet. That’s when he noticed the three women. They surrounded a small round table across the room, flimsy, high-heeled shoes on their feet, their bare legs swinging above the floor as they sat on backless stools. A healthy row of Margaritas and Piña Coladas lined up on sturdy paper coasters in front of them, and the empty glasses showed they’d been at it a while. He shook his head. Been too long, old man, when a bevy of pretty girls don’t catch your attention right away. Even as he pulled a bill from his wallet, he observed from the corner of his eye that one of the women rose from her chair and wended her way toward him. Deliberately and very provocatively, her legs stretched, thighs flashing beneath the deep blood red of her skirt. Her hips swayed gently and the hem of her dress swished like satin on silk as she moved straight toward his booth. As she got closer, he saw that her skin was flawless, pale and creamy as pearls. Her eyes never wavered from his, deep coals set in a smooth face, cheekbones that spoke of the ancestry of some long-ago Spanish Holy Mother of God. Had it been that long? Her tangle of dark brown curls fell messily to her shoulders, bare except for two ridiculous tiny straps that rose from the mounds of her breasts. And very lovely breasts they were, displayed from the deep vee Rafe tilted his head to look around her. Behind her, the remaining two women stared at the girl’s back, their hands shielding mouths that held back laughter. Their eyes sparkled and twin dimples flashed in their Sisters, he thought instantly. Older than the sultry vixen making her way toward him, but definitely sisters. Macbeth’s three witches, concocting some seductive brew for their unsuspecting thane. He flashed his most congenial grin and watched the woman approach. Bella hesitated and then ploughed on, undaunted by the grin on the stranger’s face. Damn her sisters. Come on, Bella, don’t be so serious, Bella. Let down your hair, Bella. And here she was. Over an hour and too many drinks later, she rose to the challenge of her meddling sisters. After all, what did it matter? Except for her family, she knew no one in Los Angeles. As soon as she delivered the papers on Diego Vargasto the DEA field office tomorrow morning, she was heading straight back to Sacramento. She’d never see this man again. And that was a good thing because she was dressed to the nines in a borrowed garment that surely made her look like a hooker, neckline plunging clear down to the Promised Land. Her hair pulled its from its usual tidy knot, curled and then ruffled so it looked like a tempest had swept around her. Her sisters had pinched her cheeks until she looked like someone who’d just tumbled out of bed after a very satisfying romp. And now this very lean, dark stranger with crisp black hair and an attractive five-o’clock shadow looked like he wanted to do things to her that she’d only read about in magazines. Faltering at the last moment, she stumbled in the four-inch heels Anita had pushed on her, toeless shoes with thin red straps. A startled look crossed the man’s face as he rose to catch her. Perfect, she thought, but the idea was foiled when another man, a short Hispanic dressed shabbily in Levis and tee-shirt brushed past her. That gentle bump was all it took. As graceless as a top spinning down, she wavered, wobbled, and crashed to the floor. Her dress front dipped dangerously close to her nipples and her hands reached backward to cushion her fall. She felt the jolt Worse than anything, the hem of her dress bunched around her waist and she remembered the devilishly skimpy panties she’d purchased last Christmas and wore for the first time tonight. She opened her eyes to the amused look and extended hand of the stranger. Up close, she recognized the swarthy complexion of a desert tribe descendant, the black slash of brow across his face, the kink of curl in the cropped dark hair. He skimmed oddly flecked green eyes down her body, reminding her again of her underwear. While she lay there in a stupor, he grabbed her hand , a knowing smile carving a beautifully sculpted mouth as he pulled her to her feet. “Are you all right?” Good God, he was lovely, Bella thought, imagining his eyes sparkled with more inane questions. Are you single? Are you available? Are you really wearing underwear because I wasn’t sure what I saw while you sprawled in front of me?
Winner for Donnell Bell’s PrizePosted by Jo Robertson Dec 28 2011, 11:45 pm in Donnell Bell, Jo Robertson, Prize Donnell Ann Pat Cochran as the winner of her debut book THE PAST CAME HUNTING and the CD of Vicki Carr’s music. Pat, please contact me at jo.lewisrobertson@yahoo.com with your snail mail addy. Congratulations! Missing an Ingredient in Your Novel — Check the EmotionPosted by Jo Robertson Dec 27 2011, 12:03 am in Donnell Bell, Emotion in Writing, Guest Author, Jo Robertson
Donnell Ann Bell is hands down one of the nicest people I know. I met her at the 2007 Death by Chocolate Awards Party and she was so gracious to me, she’ll always have a place in my heart. Join me in welcoming Donnell to the Lair! Hello Romance Bandits! I live in Colorado, and it gets c-o-l-d in this state, and on blustery winter days, nothing warms you up like a batch of chili. By itself, chili’s kind of blah. But add corn bread to the mix and you have a scrumptious dinner. As long as you do it correctly. On one blustery winter day, I set to work, gathering my ingredients, preparing to make my family happy. All was well until I pulled the corn bread from the oven and found it flat as a pancake. A quick check of the label revealed I’d added baking soda instead of the required baking powder. I liken this analogy of flat corn bread to our writing at times. Have you ever picked up a novel, started reading, found the syntax and diction impeccable, plot terrific, characters unusual, and yet, after a few pages, you put the book down? Oh, you promise to read it later, it really was good writing, but somehow you never do? After weeks of having that book on your nightstand, you relegate it back to your bookshelf, then eventually, somewhat guiltily, stash it in a box meant for Goodwill or the library donation center because you never finished it? No need to feel guilty. I suspect what happened is the author forgot a very important ingredient. If everything was done perfectly as you can tell, but it just doesn’t move you, it might leave you flat because the author left out the emotion. And no matter what genre you’re writing, if the author doesn’t make you “feel,” he or she has defeated the purpose in writing it. Whatever your art, whether it’s painting, writing, music, acting or more, the primary goal is not to show how smart you are or the brilliance of your research. Your goal should be to move your audience. That was something I had to learn after years of working for newspapers. In nonfiction, I was taught not to editorialize, e.g., impart my feelings on to a subject and thus to the reader. While that might be a worthy trait for a journalist, for a fiction writer there’s nothing more worthless. Fortunately, I was lucky. I entered fiction writing contests, and one of my first judges was Suzanne Brockmann. Here I was thinking I had a Needless to say, I found her advice invaluable, and I’ve read everything Suzanne Brockman has written since, at times out loud as my critique group joins in, because there’s just something in her writing that brings out the joy, the angst and the passion. Along A friend of mine, Sylvia Rochester is both an artist and a writer. Her words move me to tears; her art takes my breath away. Following is a painting she captioned “Grandpa’s Pier.” I don’t know about you, but this painting makes me feel. A lonely bayou, a broken down walkway–I can just see a grandchild reminiscing as he visits his grandfather’s favorite fishing spot. Finally, if I could give only one example of how powerful the ingredient of emotion is to our art, I think it would be from a song I heard as a girl. Grammy-award winning singer Vicky Carr is known for her humanitarian work and also her brilliant music both in Spanish and in English. Known for such hit records as, “It Must be Him,” “Don’t Burst my Pretty Balloon,” and the You Tube video I’ve downloaded here, “With Pen in Hand,” Vicky Carr puts emotion into her work better than anyone in my opinion. I heard once that Ms. Carr’s father said to her—if you’re going to sing, put your heart and soul into it. I think she does. “With Pen in Hand,” is a powerful song with powerful words. But without the emotion Vicky Carr puts into it, they’re just words. If you have time, watch Vicky Carr’s interpretation. See if you don’t agree with me that she remembered to add the proper ingredient. If you’re missing something in your art, check the emotion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVuSpMSOoPo
Romance B Donnell Ann Bell is a debut author with Bell Bridge Books. THE PAST CAME HUNTING is a 2007 GH finaling manuscript. She is also thrilled to announce that Bell Bridge has purchased her 2010 GH finaling manuscript, DEADLY RECALL as part of a two-book deal. She may leave the active ingredients out her cooking, but she hopes she never forgets to add it to her writing. Donnell’s “The Past Came Hunting” is being offerred by the publisher today as a free download from Amazon! Whoo hooo! Follow the link:
The Best Laid Schemes o’ Mice an’ MenPosted by Jo Robertson Dec 4 2011, 12:20 am in "The Traitor" Launch, Jo Robertson, redemption, Robert Burns, villains The title of today’s blog comes from Robert Burns, the Scottish poet who won my heart when I visited Scotland a few years ago. Imagine the lyrical quality of the Scottish brogue when you read the core of the poem: The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men Gang aft agley, An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promis’d joy.
This is the time of the year when things often go awry in my life, largely because of the demands of the busy holiday. For example, today was supposed to be my Launch Day for my third book in my Bigler County romantic thriller series, “The Traitor.” Not happening today, although the book will be released on Amazon mid-December. I blame my daughter for the delay. She’s my tremendously talented content and copy editor and was my teaching assistant for three years while I taught high school. She has an eagle eye for details. Megan told me the ending of “The Traitor” was too rushed (I knew that, but was hoping to slide it past her), that it contained several glaring plot holes, and that she’d fallen in love with my villain, Gabriel Santos. What the hell? Can a reader fall in love with the villain? Isn’t the antagonist by definition at mortal odds with the protagnists? How did this happen? Personally, I’d sort of taken a liking to Gabriel Santos in “The Avenger,” (book two) where he’s first introduced as the bodyguard and lawyer of dastardly über-villain, Diego Vargas. In that book Santos is merely referred to by the single last name of Santos. Sort of like Satan or Madonna. He’s clearly bad to the bone, and we see him as a man untroubled by doing Vargas’ dirty work. It’s merely a matter of business. However, we realize by the end of the book that even a man like Santos has lines he won’t cross. I became engrossed in this metaphysical idea: How far down the road to perdition can a person walk (especially if he doesn’t even believe in hell) and still be redeemed? This is not a religious, moral, or legal question, but an ethical one. Where is the line: lying, theft, adultery, rape, murder? I desperately However, I did not intend for my daughter to fall in love with Santos.
In the third book “The Traitor” (remember, it will be available this month, I promise!), we focus more on Santos as the villain, one who’s foiled against lovely Isabella Torres, a Bigler County Assistant District Attorney, whose seventeen-year-old sister disappeared on a graduation trip to Mexico twenty years ago. Isabella irrationally believes Diego Vargas, a man dealing in human trafficking, knows what happened to her sister. Rafe Hashemi, a strong-minded DEA agent wants to nab Vargas on drug trafficking charges. Our determined heroine and rash hero clash over this point as they gradually fall in love with one another. Back to Santos, however. I thought somewhere down the road Gabriel Santos needed to be the focus of his own book. But how? Villain or hero? Is the transition even possible? Can such a man become a hero in the literary sense of the word, let alone in a romantic book?
Here’s an introduction to Santos from “The Traitor”: Gabriel Santos was not a man to cross. His name among the Mexicans was El Diablo and although his given name reminded José of a holy angel, the street runners had forewarned him. Indeed, the persistent rumors of the man’s ferocity and the myth that he had made a pact with Satan seemed true. José trembled like a leaf in the wind even though the drug runners had also told him to show no fear around Santos. With his long black hair tied at the neck, his lean hard form, and his dark scowl, he looked like un angel caído, a fallen angel. And later: Santos did not fear the fuego del infierno, the flames of hell, or death’s end, and he did not believe many true innocents walked the face of this earth. But the few there were should not be sacrificed.
What do you think, readers? Can a villain from a previous book become redeemed in a subsequent one? Can he be a hero in the romantic sense of the word or is he doomed to remain his flawed, broken self? Do you like your heroes to be bad boys turned good by the love of a strong woman, or do you prefer the hero who’s guided by an internal sense of ethical standards from the beginning? Are you on Team Rhett Butler or Team Mr. Darcy? Team Mr. Rochester or Team Vincent St. Cyr?
Where Have All the Gatekeepers Gone?Posted by Jo Robertson Nov 5 2011, 11:58 pm in book industry, gatekeepers, indie publishing, Jo Robertson, Traditional Publishing
by Jo Robertson The recent burst in electronic books and independent publishing has set me thinking about the concept of “gatekeepers.” We Americans, die-hard proponents of the Victorian era, seem hell-bent of having gatekeepers, those groups or individuals who keep the rest of us on track (whose track, I’m not sure). Gatekeepers guide us in proper moral and ethical deportment, as well as set standards of industry, whether it’s automobile making or cake decorating or literary criticism. We’re comfortable with gatekeepers. They’ve long been part of our cultural tradition. In the book industry we’re in a time when anyone, anywhere, anytime can throw a book up on Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon’s independent publishing arm) or Smash Words (another indie publisher) and become a “published” author. The questi Who, then, are the new gatekeepers in the publishing industry? Are authors themselves competent enough to address literary content as well as adequate style (diction, syntax, point of view) along with the mechanics of grammar and punctuation? Well, maybe. Some of them, anyway. Clearly not all of them or we wouldn’t have “bad books” on the market. But then NY has also published bad books. It’s a conundrum and one that NY and the electronic publishing platforms are trying to figure out. This issue is important to both authors and readers. Authors want to make a decent salary from the hard-earned sweat of their literary brows. Readers want confidence that books maintain a standard of quality. My take on the whole situation is, of course, just my opinion. I believe there’s a frenzy in the book-reading world right now. We have a plethora of readers with voracious appetites. Books are consumable products they want to devour as fast as they can; their standards for quality are often minimal. Books are read so fast errors or plot inconsistencies go undetected. These kinds of readers want to read, read, read, and this phenomenon has given rise to a gazillion electronic books flooding the indie publishing sites. It’s hog heaven for the reader because s/he can read rapidly and to her/his heart’s content. Disclaimer: Of course, not all readers fall into this category, but perhaps more today than in the last several decades. Many readers are thoughtful and careful and expect a high standard of quality from their reading. But who’s vetting these books, if not NY? Well, you say, the readers are the new gatekeepers, and that would be fine if most readers were careful and more critical (in the good sense), perhaps more picky than the group I’ve mentioned above. This trend of inattention to quality writing and story-character telling may continue for six months, a year, possibly two years, but I have no doubt that readers as a group will become disenchanted with the gross amount of garbage that can flood the market. Notice I say “can,” not “will.” Contrary to many grumblers on various community discussion boards, not all indie books are garbage. Come on, what are the odds of that anyway? Although some indie authors are not outsourcing those areas where they’re uncomfortable – copy editing, content editing, cover art, etc., many ARE. This is smart because it becomes a method of vetting quality along with the opportunity for readers to experience genre books that don’t fit into clear categories. Possibly even a chance for the creation of new genre cross overs. With my own books, I wanted to write romantic thrillers in the tradition of “Casablanca,” where there’s a high level of relationship content, but an equally riveting thrill-element, and not necessarily a happy-ever-after (although so far my books do have an HEA). NY didn’t know where the niche for such a book was. Indie publishing allows me to create my own category. I believe in the ultimate power and acumen of readers. Those authors whose writing and storytelling are pedestrian at best, and ghastly at worse, will fall by the wayside because no one will continue to buy their books. To use a cliché, the cream will rise to the top. So when/if this indie publishing bubble bursts, we’ll still have gatekeepers: They’ll be an amalgam of readers and other professionals in the literary evaluation fields. Just like it’s always been. What about you, readers? Are you one of the rule-breakers or do you like to follow the rules. Are you comfortable with the status quo or do you like to change it up? Are you a revolutionary-type or do you like the comfort of custom and tradition?
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