You heard it here first?

by with No Comment Bethany & CodyStories

Okay, I’ve been sadly neglecting this little author blog … and I made the big announcement of my newest project on my author Facebook page. Guess that means you heard it here second, not first.

Oops. My author blog is sadly under-utilized.

April is Camp NaNoWriMo month, and I’m using it as the push I need to FINALLY finish editing Beth & Cody’s story, Trouble in Paradise.

Trouble in Paradise is the second of my Reality (TV) Bites books, detailing what happens to the best friends of Kari and Damien, the reluctant heroine and hero of Blind Date Bride. You might remember them as the couple who got more wedding-night action than the actual bride and groom—and the reason poor Kari and Damien were chosen as grand prize winners of Romance TV’s “Get a Love Life” contest.

Beth, convinced that Cody is losing interest in their relationship, coaxes him to apply for the network’s latest reality show, Invitation to Sin. Cody agrees—only because he’s sure they don’t have a chance in hell of getting chosen. But they do get the nod…and Bethany soon wishes she’d never considered putting their relationship through Romance TV’s crazy tests.

I finished the first draft several years ago but am only now diving deep into edits. The goal is to have it ready to go by the time I appear at the Payson Book Festival in mid-July.

#MySexySaturday No. 91: Sexy today

by with One Comment Bethany & CodyExcerpts

LynnSexySaturday_bannerIt’s Saturday … and for the first time in weeks, I’m NOT in the middle of packing and/or moving. That means I have time to put up a post. Hooray!

Hard to believe this is week 91 for My Sexy Saturday. Can’t say I’ve participated every week, but I do what I can.

I’m not sure I have anything that fits this week’s theme, so instead I’ll serve up a sexy moment from a work in progress. Bethany and Cody — the couple who got more wedding night action than the bride and groom — are back TROUBLE IN PARADISE, the second of my “Reality (TV) Bites” books.

Arlene_Paradise72dpi750x1200In this scene, Beth and Cody are getting ready to film a video essay application for Romance TV’s new show, “Invitation to Sin.” Beth wants to test their relationship because she’s worried Cody’s getting bored; Cody reluctantly agrees to apply because he figures there’s no way in hell they’ll be picked. Romance TV lightning won’t strike their circle twice, right?

***

Cody sauntered into the room a few minutes later, wearing his new green and orange swim trunks and a big grin. He pointed at his pale white chest, then at Bethany’s equally pasty midriff. “Think we ought to do some self-tanning first?”

Bethany giggled. “Are you kidding? Pasty white skin will be the Romance TV execs’ first clue that we need this trip more than anyone.”

“Where do you want me, then?”

She waved at the chair. “You sit there, and I’ll sit in your lap.” When he didn’t move, she shot him an impatient look. “What are you waiting for?”

“You think it’s such a good idea for you to be wiggling around on my lap when we’re both wearing next to nothing? This video is for Romance TV, not the Porn Network.”

Bethany stifled another giggle so she could answer him with a straight face. “Don’t worry. I won’t blow your cover.”

When she saw the mischief dancing in his golden-brown eyes, she knew she’d just opened herself up for a doozy of a comeback. She held her breath until he delivered it. “Sweetheart, you can blow whatever you want.”

TROUBLE IN PARADISE, an indie release, is coming soon … hopefully this fall.

My Sexy Saturday: On the beach

by with No Comment Bethany & CodyExcerpts

LynnSexySaturday_buttonSaturday again? Now that I don’t have a day job, the days are all running together.

Lucky for you—or maybe for me, I got an email reminder to sign up for My Sexy Saturday. This week’s theme? Love on the road … I think.

This week, show us the characters who who love each other so much that it doesn’t matter where they are, who they are, what they have or don’t have. Show us that these characters are going to stick with each other through thick and thin. These are the ones who just want to be with each other, love each other and always be together, no matter how long or short the time.

I’m sharing a snippet from TROUBLE IN PARADISE, a work-in-progress. This companion to BLIND DATE BRIDE, my June indie release, tells the story of Bethany and Cody, the friends that got Kari and Damien into the winners’ circle. They met the day of Kari and Damien’s bogus wedding…and ended up getting more wedding night action than the bride and groom, as Kari pointed out.

TROUBLE IN PARADISE picks up where BDB leaves off. Bethany, concerned that Cody is losing interest, convinces him to audition for the network’s new show, “Invitation to Sin,” a “Survivor” meets “Temptation Island” reality show she thinks will test his love for her. A reluctant Cody agrees, figuring Romance TV lightning won’t strike twice. But it does, and the couple flies to Bora Bora for a month to shoot the show. Little does Beth know she’s the one who’ll be failing all the network-manufactured tests.

Here, they’re strolling on a moonlit beach, away from the cameras, as they have a heart-to-heart about the day’s events.

****

Trouble in Paradise | Arlene HittleWhen she tipped her head up this time, he saw laughter in her eyes. “You said we’re the sum of all our experiences, right?”

“I did.”

Her fingers hovered over the knot at her waist. “There’s an experience I’ve never had and I want to share it with you.”

Cody’s mouth went dry when she scrambled to untie her sarong. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

The cover-up pooled in the sand at her feet, quickly followed by her bikini top and bottom. She stood before him, her milky skin glowing in the moonlight. “Guess.”

Cody gulped. “Skinny-dipping?”

“In the ocean under a full moon.”

TROUBLE IN PARADISE … coming soon to e-bookstores everywhere.

My Sexy Saturday — Meet Beth & Cody

by with 5 Comments Bethany & CodyExcerpts

LynnSexySaturday_buttonIt’s Saturday, and you know what that means: Time for another sizzling trip down desire lane with the My Sexy Saturday blog hop.

The rules are simple:

Post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. The choice is yours. It can be from a WIP or something you already have published. Your post should be live by 9 am US Pacific Time on Saturday. Put those lucky 7s to work for you!

Today, I’m sharing something a little different. This excerpt is from TROUBLE IN PARADISE, the WIP I’m having trouble finishing at the moment. It’s not the sexiest moment in my manuscript, but it cracks me up every time — and I feel the need to laugh this week.

Bethany and Cody, the heroine and hero in said WIP, might be giving me fits, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love them both.

You might remember Beth and Cody as the best friends from BLIND DATE BRIDE — the ones that got more wedding-night action than the bride and groom.Trouble in Paradise coverTROUBLE IN PARADISE picks up nine months after BRIDE leaves off. Bethany, worried Cody might be losing interest, wants him to apply for another Romance TV show, “Invitation to Sin.” Cody is firmly anti-reality-TV after seeing what his buddy went through, but agrees to apply because he figures they won’t get picked for the show — no way will Romance TV lightning strike their circle twice.

Except it does, and soon Beth and Cody find themselves on Bora Bora with a TV production crew and a pack of other contestants, fighting to not only win the grand prize but hold together their previously solid relationship.

In this scene, Beth and Cody have gathered with the other contestants at Romance TV HQ for a meet-and-greet reception.

***

Cody munched on pineapple and mango chunks and sipped the punch. He hoped there wasn’t any alcohol in it, because it tasted vaguely pina colada-ish. Then again, he didn’t have to drive, so what was he worried about? He took another gulp. Beside him, Bethany sipped her drink, too. Suddenly, she spit it back into her cup and started coughing.

He put his drink down. “You okay, sweetheart?”

Clearly not okay, she shook her head. Her face was redder than the cherry on top of the chocolate and whipped cream cookie he’d picked up for her. When she stopped coughing, she whispered, “Did you get a good look at the ice cubes?”

“No.”

“Why don’t you do that?”

Puzzled, he picked up his glass again and studied the ice — cubes shaped like penises and breasts. Come to think of it, that cherry-topped cookie looked like a boob, too.

He looked back at the table of refreshments, seeing it for the first time for the work of “art” it was undoubtedly intended to be. Things were arranged to resemble … well, hell. The spread looked just like a woman’s spread legs, with the cookies in the center, spilling sweetness into the vast, empty middle.

“Trouble in Paradise,” coming in Fall 2014.

The big cover reveal

by with No Comment Bethany & CodyBlind Date Bride

Anyone who likes my author page on Facebook has already seen the news … several times. I’ve also been showing everyone at the office — and the baristas at my regular Starbucks. Pretty  much anyone I can get to look at my phone is seeing my beautiful new cover.

To say I’m pleased is an understatement. “Pleased as punch” is, of course, a dreaded cliche — something the lovely Susan Haught keeps warning me I use too many of. She’s one of my NARWA chaptermates, and quite possibly my biggest fan. But she’s not afraid to point out where my WIPs need more W-O-R-K.

Anyway … back to the story of how I ended up with covers for two manuscripts that are NOT the one I plan to release first.

It all started last month, when I asked about cover artists — and the timing of cover purchases — on the Indie Romance Ink Yahoo loop.

Rogenna Brewer was one of many friendly, helpful folks who responded. She said that she was designing covers, and linked to her page of premade covers. That’s where I saw her. Bride.

Screen Shot 2013-07-11 at 1.19.53 PM

“If she were blonde,” I thought, “she’d make a great Kari.”

Kari is the heroine in “Blind Date Bride,” the tale of a guy and gal whose friends enter them in a cable TV network’s “Get a Love Life” contest in hopes of them winning lesser prizes. But when a panel of experts deems them to have the worst love lives in America, they win the grand prize — a blind date wedding.

So I emailed Rogenna to ask if there was any way to make the bride in her “Bride” cover a blonde. We started exchanging emails about “Blind Date Bride” and its sequel, “Trouble in Paradise.” Since the stories are related, I wanted covers that looked like they belonged together. The next thing I knew, I’d agreed to a deal — buy one custom-made cover, get one free.

The results:

Blind Date Bride cover Trouble in Paradise cover

I couldn’t be happier.

The photo Rogenna found for “Blind Date Bride” hints at so much — my hero, Damien, is a veterinarian, so the puppy is a fantastic touch. And obviously, this photo would have been taken toward the HEA end of the story.

The photo for “Paradise” is actually from Bora Bora, the island Beth and Cody visit to film the reality show that may kill the perfectly healthy relationship that Beth thought was headed south.

(Oops — cliche alert! Luckily, I’m pretty sure I never use that phrasing anywhere in the manuscript.)

Now that I have gorgeous covers, I have a lot of work to do. The first draft for “Paradise” hasn’t even been completely written yet — I have about 20K to go. This is the story that got decimated in the Golden Pen a couple of years ago. Judges hated my heroine. Said they had no idea why the hero was with her … Obviously, I have some rewriting to do.

And I will. But first, I need to polish “Home for the Holidays,” the novella I plan to release this November.

Rogenna’s already got some great ideas for that cover, too. Through the end of July, she’s running a deal for cover design clients: Buy 2, get one free. Check it out.

 

Gearing up for a busy holiday weekend

by with 2 Comments Bethany & CodyDave & MelindaGolden Heart prepKenny & KristiProgress

I’m off from the day job for this long, holiday weekend (thank goodness), but I plan to use my time wisely and get lots of writing-related things accomplished.

On my to-do list (after updating the blog, of course):

  1. Finish my current WIP, tentatively titled “Diva in the Dugout.” It’s the companion to my GH finalist, “Beauty and the Ballplayer” — the one I started in March, after getting the GH call … the one I figured “If that’s the story that’s going to succeed, I’d better write another one in the same series.”
  2. Get back into the swing of writing “Trouble in Paradise?” — the one I put on hold to write Dave & Melinda’s story … and the one I plan to enter in the 2012 GH. I’d like to write at least 5K new words.
  3. Re-edit “My Fair Fiancee” so I can get it out to my volunteer beta reader. (I lost the edits somehow — probably the same way I lost the edits on Meg & Matt’s story — and have to re-enter them. Thank goodness I have a hard copy to work from.) I’m planning to put that one in the GH this year, too (different category).
  4. Judge at least 2 of the 5 Golden Pen entries I received. I don’t want that deadline to creep up on me with 5 left.
  5. Write a synopsis and query for “My Fair Fiancee” so it’s ready to go.

There you have it: My weekend plans. Wonder if I can squeeze it all in before the Boyfriend gets back from his tennis tournament and wants to play? I sure hope so!

If I do, I’ll be able to curl up with Anne Marie Becker’s “Only Fear” when it’s delivered to my Nook on Monday. Right now I’m reading Jaci Burton’s “Changing the Game.”

Choices: A chance for conflict

by with 3 Comments Bethany & CodyKenny & KristiMusings

My writing output seems to drop in direct correlation to any increase in blog reading. That’s a problem, I know — but if I don’t take the time to read a few blogs, how can I expect anyone to read mine?

Besides, if I stopped reading, I’d miss out on gems like this one from Janice Hardy’s blog, The Other Side of the Story. She writes:

Choices that don’t cause trouble are wasted opportunity. The whole point of a book is to show someone overcoming adversity to win. If there’s nothing to overcome, there’s no point in the winning.”

What a way to put it!

It’s no secret that I struggle with conflict. (I blame it on being a Libra. Libras strive for fairness and avoid conflict.) Judges’ comments I got on my first completed MS — even after several new drafts — consistently said “not enough conflict to sustain the story.”

What? You mean a girl falling for one guy when she’s trying to “snag” another one altogether isn’t conflict?

Not according to Hardy. She writes, “A choice between two good things with no consequences for making that choice is probably not going to hold your reader’s interest.”

Well, I already knew Brad and Erin’s story needed help. I tried to remedy it in subsequent drafts by casting suspicion on him … I even hacked out their original “black moment” (such as it was. The “Battle of the Birth Control” was pretty silly when I look back at it with a more experienced eye.)

The key for me is to remember that my hero and heroine have to make choices. And those choices have to mean something. The potential for disaster should loom around every corner.

I think that is the case in my more recent stories. Bethany’s decision to talk Cody into applying for the TV show lands them in a heap of trouble. When Kenny asks Kristi to pretend to be his fiancee, things get out of hand quickly.

Hmm. All my blog reading must be teaching me something about the craft.

Vocabulary lesson

by with 5 Comments Bethany & CodyMusings

The hero in my WIP, Cody, has a tendency to use big words and shrink-speak when he’s upset, angry or flustered. (There’s a reason he has a T-shirt that says “I’m fluent in psychobabble.”)

It turns out Cody and I have that in common. Now that I’m writing fiction fairly regularly, I notice myself trying to flaunt my vocabulary in the articles I write for the newspaper, too.

When I was in journalism school (way back in the dark ages … the early 1990s), we learned the average reading level of the newspaper audience was eighth grade. (I think I’ve heard it’s since dropped to sixth grade, but I might be mistaken there.)

I analyzed my writing style with a computer program once (way back in those same dark ages) and it told me I wrote at a 10th-grade level. That has more than likely changed the farther I’ve gotten from college (where everyone used big words in an attempt to show off what they thought they knew) and the more deeply entrenched I’ve become in journalistic style.

We journalists are trained to use simpler words. A school bus is just plain “yellow,” not “canary” or even “that shade of mustard peculiar to school buses.” Don’t use “growled” or “yelled” when a simple “said” gets the point across without embellishment.

Sometimes I wonder if that training has affected my fiction writing. In first drafts, I often go with the most expedient word. Then I scramble to change it later on.

But now that I’m shifting my focus to making a good impression on agents and editors, I find myself choosing words with a little more razzmatazz … well, like razzmatazz. 😉

That’s not a bad thing at all — unless I’m writing a story for the newspaper. When I’m in journalist mode, I have to catch myself before I use words like “eschew.”

At least I haven’t tried to throw “bifurcated” into a sentence. I stumbled across that one while editing someone else’s story one night and spent much time complaining to whoever would listen that “bifurcated” was unnecessary when “forked” meant the same darn thing — and didn’t send readers scrambling for the nearest dictionary.

How about you? Ever catch yourself using words that make you feel like a big fish in a small pond?

Upping the ante

by with One Comment Bethany & CodyMusingsStories

We had a write-in/brainstorming session at Starbucks this afternoon before work, and I lamented the fact that I’ve only written about 600 words since the end of NaNoWriMo.

I’ve had days when I want to write, but the simple fact is this: I’m stuck.

The (finished) NaNo novel has been shelved, and I’m attempting to work on Bethany and Cody’s story, “Trouble in Paradise?” The key word there is “attempting.”

Beth and Cody are on the island, completing the network’s tests as they film their “Temptation Island”-like show … but nothing really awful has happened yet. They’re bumping along as happily as they have been. Nothing’s really settled, but nothing’s bothering them too much. Neither one has strayed — nor will they, even if Cody does develop some serious doubts about Beth’s faithfulness.

It may be time to up the ante here. (At least that’s what my romantic-suspense writing friend suggested. She said there’s a saying among suspense writers that when you’re stuck it’s time to boost the body count.)

I don’t have anyone to kill off … but I guess I could boot one of the couples off the island. (Any couple who fails three tests gets sent home.) I’d prefer it to be the contestants no one likes very much, but I suppose it would make for a better read if it’s someone I like. Bumping off the creep is too easy, right?

Alas, I think that means Jack and Jill must exit. They’re young and enthusiastic  — friendly, likable characters who want to win the prize money so they can pay for their own wedding, thus putting a stop to parental interference. Cody has recruited Jack as a running partner.

I just hate to see Jack and Jill go down in flames — but better them than Beth and Cody. 😉

Besides, their exit might make both Beth and Cody wonder : If Jack and Jill, young and seemingly madly in love, can’t avoid succumbing to temptation, perhaps no one can.

Now what?

by with 2 Comments Bethany & CodyNaNoWriMo 10Progress

Uh-oh. I think I’m suffering from a case of the “post-novel depression” my friend Mallory writes about.

That’s right. I went to my local Starbucks this morning when the Boyfriend headed off to tennis. I was all psyched to get back to writing. After taking a week off post-NaNo, I needed to write again.

Or so I thought.

I sat at the Bux for about two hours and managed to write … all of 200 words.

Aargh.

I could blame it on the fact that I stopped work on Beth & Cody’s story in the middle of a scene. I had a hard time picking it back up, having absolutely no idea where I’d originally intended it to go. (And I’m not sure I much like the new direction.)

Oh well. That’s 200 words I didn’t have this morning … and tomorrow is another day. Maybe I’ll eke out another 200 words (especially if I finish this scene and move on).