Samhain Publishing

Inspiration comes at the most inappropriate times. And I’m not talking about the ideas that appear while I’m driving and can’t write anything down. No, I mean the characters that arrive while I’m waist deep in revisions and on a deadline. They are new and exciting and, because I haven’t started playing with them, undamaged and shiny–I can be a little mean to my characters.

There is nothing in the world more tempting than a new story idea…except maybe an endless supply of chocolate. I can't ignore the new characters. I have to acknowledged them so they don’t fade away. I just need a day or three to plot out their story, to capture the idea so it can sit bubble away until I have time to write it.

I’ve checked my schedule and my deadlines and you know what I’m doing for the first two weeks of April?

Plotting and scheming and getting to know my new characters better…then it will be back to edits.

                I am CELEBRATING all this month Samhain’s release of my dark Tudor romance, The Devil’s Mistress.  It’s my first print release, dark and sexy, the story of a reluctant lady assassin who’s blackmailed to poison Anne Boleyn.  To reward myself for finishing my magnum opus, even though writing about such a dark heroine sometimes made me nervous alone in the house at night, I’m buying myself a bundle of new books. Which is the best possible reward for myself…aside from flying to Bali, and that REALLY expensive bottle of wine I consumed…that I can imagine.  The very thought of all those new books gives me a sensual shiver.  :D 

So I’d love to hear about YOUR favorite reads, or just the books you’ve read lately and enjoyed.  If you respond, you could win a print copy of The Devil’s Mistress! All your suggestions are welcome, but what I love in particular are:

1)      Dark reads.  I mentioned my assassin heroine, right?  She’s Allegra Grimaldi, an Italian perfumer and poisoner, a bastard offshoot of the Borgias.  I love reading about assassin heroes and heroines because their journey toward trust and love becomes all the more satisfying.  I like to find the fissure in that formidable armor, right up front, and see burgeoning love widen that tiny crack until the protective shell around the hero’s heart cracks wide open.  So I’m always looking for those kickass urban fantasy slayer/avenger/bodyguard heroines.  And those formidable assassin heroes give me the shivers!

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"True friendship is never serene."
- Marquise de Sevigne

"When friends stop being frank and useful to each other, the whole world loses some of its radiance."
- Anatole Broyard

"True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."
- George Washington

"A true friend stabs you in the front."
- Oscar Wilde

Most of us have close friends and, if you’re like me, you probably know good friendships take time and effort. Occasionally circumstances bring change or dissension and disagreement. Most times we work through our difficulties and our friendships remain intact and become even stronger. We forgive or we make compromises because we understand the value our friends bring to our lives.

The Bottom Line, my recent print release, features five friends—four women and one man. Two of the friends enter a friends-with-benefits deal and this shifts the dynamics amongst the group. Secrets lead to lies, love and more…

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Do you ever feel like your head’s so cluttered with ideas, snippets, sequels, prequels, characters and stories that they all seem to be fighting for your attention at the same time?

I feel this way sometimes. And this year, I’ve been feeling it a lot more than usual.

As if that’s not bad enough, what about when you’re trying to sort through all of these things and a new, shiny idea decides to throw a spanner in the works? *nodding*

There’s just never enough time in the day…

How do you tackle this problem? What’s the best thing to do? I mean, when I start to feel like this, I get totally distracted and wind up spending a lot of my time reading, instead of writing. No idea can hold my attention for longer than a day or two, and it’s all because of the clutter.

There are only a few things that can help me when I get this way:

Taking notes–that way everything is on paper and out of my head.
Going for a walk–walking helps me sort through a lot of stuff.
Planning ahead–sittting down with a calendar, notebook, and pen.

Having direction is always the best approach.

So, do you ever feel like this? If you do, how do you deal with it?

Thanks for reading!

Yolanda Sfetsos
www.yolandasfetsos.com

Man, it's going to take awhile to get used to saying that! I'm a New York Times Bestselling Author–aaah!

How'd I get here? Well, I've been writing since elementary school, but I put it aside for awhile when my dinasour computer would eat my books (seriously traumatic!). I got heavily into choir/music, considered being a music teacher, and at one point even tried out for American Idol (more as an afterthought since my friend was auditioning), but my heart was always in writing. So I started to write again, and one day I decided I wanted to try and get published.

Typing this–wow–I'm realizing I subbed my first book almost exactly a decade ago. It was to a publisher who I deeply admire (and my query was TOTAL CRAP in retrospect!), but it was rejected. A good rejection, but back then I didn't know the difference. I had a lot–I mean A LOT–to learn. So I joined the RWA, got a critique group, befriended a big time author who became a fabulous mentor and I learned about the business. About writing. 

Then I did something that was quite controversial. I got tired of all the rejection letters and 'you're so close, keep trying' letters. I had a bunch of books and, damn it, I wanted people to be reading them. So I sold to an epublisher. This was five years ago. Some (fortunately not all!) people didn't consider my sale a sale, because it was an epublisher and everyone knew epubs would buy anything. Some people snickered or gave me that sure keep telling yourself you're a real author look. But I kept my head high, because I believed in ebooks and my publisher, and decided to build a readership within the ebook community. As I did this I ultimately did sell to a traditional NY publisher, and acquired an agent, all the while still writing for epubs in between.

Lots of things changed the ebook market. In my opinion the biggest thing was the Kindle, and especially Oprah–bless her!–making it a favorite thing! But ebooks have taken off in a huge, huge way. And on Wednesday, two days after my birthday, I received the best gift of all. I learned my ebook Flash Point, the third book in my Holding out for a Hero series, had hit the New York Times extended ebook list at #32. Right above Mr. Tom Clancy. From my understanding, I'm the 2nd Samhain author to hit the NYT list (Maya Banks was the first!). I think this is the wave of the future, I really do. I think you'll see a lot of digital first authors hitting this list.

I'm absolutely thrilled, giddy, in shock, thrilled, thrilled, constantly saying  OMG is this real? So I need to thank Samhain Publishing for taking a chance on me, helping me build a career here, and my editor Tera for taking on this series. I have the best group of readers and friends and network of authors…I just love you all!

So I guess, yeah, that's how I got here.

Come join editor Mary Hamilton as she talks about what she’s looking for in a good submission, the (awesome) new direction Samhain is taking, and what it’s like to realize one day that you have peach hair and you’re surrounded by sharks.

Pop on over to www.GabriellaHewitt.com/blog for this and more exciting March Madness.

Author Cat Johnson will be attending and signing both print and eBooks at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Los Angeles, CA from April 5th-9th. Readers attending–don't miss the Western Reader Roundup Party being thrown by Beth Williamson, Lorelei James, Cat and friends on Wednesday the 6th at 1PM.

Later in the month, Cat and friends will be signing at the Borders Books in Farmington, CT (next to the West Farms Mall) from 2-5PM, Saturday, April 16th. Come out and support your local Borders store. More info on both events at catjohnson.net/about/events.

Jeff Jacobson teaches Fiction Writing in the Fiction Department at Columbia College Chicago. He will be directing a three-hour writing workshop using the Story Workshop© approach, a dynamic, process-based method of teaching that draws fully upon students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences by emphasizing permission for and development of each student’s unique voice and writing content. So bring your notebooks and be prepared to further develop existing material or create something completely new.

For more information and to register, please visit our website.

Saturday, 03/26/2011, 9:00 A.M.