Last weekend we took a trip to Mesa Verde, Colorado to hike through the National Park and visit the cliff dwellings there. Such an awesome place! I thought I’d share some photos with all of you and let you see some of the amazing things the Southwest has to offer.
Want a peek at Guy Saint Laurent and Charlotte Brooks’ first sort of kiss?
“Charlotte, I regret that I must say goodbye.”
She looked over at him, startled. “Has it been that long already? I hadn’t realized.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry if I kept you longer than I should have.”
“Please do not say you are sorry. I would stay much longer if I could, but I will have more than one person cross at me if I do not arrive on time. I enjoyed speaking with you very much.” He hesitated, not sure why he suddenly felt so insecure. He feared pushing this any further, but he also feared leaving his next interaction with Charlotte up to chance. “Could we do this again?” he asked finally.
Her fingers paused in their stirring of her lemonade. She did not look up at him right away. Even when she did, there was indecision in her eyes. That same strange pain blossomed in his chest again. Did she really not believe what she had said about him, that he was not the cavalier and arrogant version of himself he portrayed?
“I… I would like that,” Charlotte said. She met his eyes squarely, showing him her fear, but also her anticipation.
“You would?” He could not keep the surprise from his voice.
Charlotte laughed. “Yes, why wouldn’t I?” She said it casually, but it was clear from her expression that there were definitely 
reasons she would not. Guy did not know what they were, but something was pushing her to turn him away.
Before she could change her mind, Guy pushed his mobile phone across the table to her. He kept his hand on the phone, ready to pull it back if needed. “Would it be too brash of me to ask for your number?”
Charlotte tapped her fingers on her own phone. After a moment’s hesitation, she pushed it toward him. “Not if you give me yours as well.”
Smiling with relief, Guy abandoned his own phone and picked up hers. He heard her let out a breath as he worked on saving his number into her contacts. By the time he had finished, she was holding his phone out to him. They traded phones once again and Guy felt great relief as he slid it into the pocket of his suit coat. “Merci beaucoup, Charlotte. For talking with me, and for your number. I am looking forward to doing this again.”
“So I am,” Charlotte said, and Guy was almost sure she meant it.
He forced himself to stand after leaving enough cash on the table for both their drinks. Charlotte followed, and Guy hoped he was not imagining her regret at having to end their time together. Neither one spoke as they exited the restaurant. It was not until they reached the sidewalk and were faced with the prospect of going their separate ways that they both attempted to speak at the same time.
Charlotte laughed and allowed Guy to speak first. He had meant to say a simple goodbye, but instead, he said, “You know, you can call me if you need to talk about anything, yes? You have been so kind to listen to me the last few times we have met. I would be happy to exchange the favor.”
“Return the favor,” Charlotte corrected with a smile that seemed to tremble at the corners. “Thank you, Guy. I really appreciate that.”
Reluctantly, he extended his hand toward her. She took it and they shook slowly, neither one eager to part. “Aren’t you supposed to be kissing me or something?” Charlotte asked, her playful smile returning.
“Excuse me?” Guy asked, surprised, yet not at all reluctant to answer her question.
“I thought the French were always kissing each other on the cheek when they said hello or goodbye. Perhaps you’ve been too Americanized for that, though,” Charlotte said.
Guy stepped closer, and this time he was not teasing. “Not at all,” he said as his free hand slipped to the back of her neck. He heard her breath catch, felt her body go completely still. Yet he did not pull back. His lips pressed gently first to one cheek, and then the other, lingering a fraction of a second too long.
He pulled back slowly. Charlotte’s breathing came haltingly, but his had stalled altogether. For too long, neither one could do anything but stare at the other. It was Charlotte who finally broke the silence. “Well,” she said shakily, “that answers that question.”
“When it comes to choosing between obsession and passion, some lines should be crossed.”
“The one woman capable of capturing his attention, may be the only one who can truly break him…”
The last few months of 2014, there was a lot of discussion about how the new Facebook rules were going to kill small businesses’ ability to market.Given that I know a bunch of authors, there was plenty of discussion on how this was going to affect authors in particular, and whether or not all those hard won “likes” on our author pages were going to be for naught.
In 2014, I put a lot of effort into growing my Facebook fan page, so I was concerned about the Facebook changes as well.
Just in case you hadn’t heard about the new rules, basically, Facebook will do it’s best to filter out promotional posts in fans’ newsfeeds UNLESS you’re wiling to boost them, aka pay for them.
So, it’s been about a month since the new rules went into effect, and I’ve been watching how my reach, or how many people see my posts on my fan page, has changed from what it was before. The results have been interesting.
The reason Facebook gave for these new rules is because they’re trying to give users what they want, less ads, more content. In all honesty, they’re dead on with that goal, because people really don’t like ads in their newsfeed. Even before the new rules went into affect, promotional type posts on my page always had the smallest reach and least interaction. That was true before and after the rules. I have noticed a slight decrease in reach on promo posts since the new rules, but not enough to really make a difference.
You just need to use them differently. Correctly.
Fans don’t want you to sell them books on Facebook. What they do want to see is sneak peeks, behind the scenes photos, pictures, questions, input on stories, anything that makes them feel like they are a part of the writing process. They want to get to know their favorite authors, see how their mind works, know what’s going on before anyone else.
Reach is always bigger for me when I post things that are funny, questions, artwork, or quotes. Basically, things that inspire interaction.If I really want to post something promotional, and I want it to be seen by lots of people, yes, I will have to pay to boost it, but really, I had to do that before, so things haven’t really changed that much because I haven’t been using Facebook as a promotional machine. I use it more as a way to interact with fans and build a community. Which is why fans use Facebook, too.
1. Your house is NEVER clean enough.
No matter how much cleaning you’ve already done, the second your agent calls to schedule a showing, you find at least twelve more things that need cleaning immediately and will have you jumping off the couch at lightning speed.
2. Interested house buyers will notice the weirdest things.
Like, there;s dust around the heater vents on your ceiling. Really? I don’t think I’ve ever really looked up and inspected my ceiling vents, but what do you know? There’s definitely dust up there. Awesome.
3. The moment you decide to sell your house, your appliances will revolt.
Our vacuum broke. And our other vacuum broke. At the same time. Before a showing. It’s winter. Which means the grass in the back yard is dead. Which means every time the kids or dog go outside, they track dried up grass back in. Yeah. You need a vacuum.
4
. Your kids and dog will never make more messes than they will ten minutes before a showing.
This is he one time you daughter will spill her pot pie on the floor, or track dog poo into the house, or your puppy will lose a tooth and bleed all over stuff, or your son will…okay, he’s usually pretty neat, so he’s in the clear.
5. You can’t please everyone.
Those “not at all interested” responses on the feedback website sting, but honestly, there’s nothing I can do to make our backyard bigger or our driveway flatter. Eh, it wasn’t for them. Move on to the next person.
6. After living in your house for six years, the moment you decide to sell is when you’ll finally decorate.
Maybe it’s because we always felt like we were going to move or build again, but we just never had the oomph to really spiff up the house and decorate until we decided to sell. Oh well, all the spiffy new paintings and clocks and doodads will go with us to the new house!
7. Selling a house will eat up your whole life.
We’ve been blessed to have a lot of interest and lots of showings, but it’s draining on the whole family trying to clean and keep the house neat that much with two kids and a puppy and all the regular life stuff going on as well. Trying to keep the kitchen clean is the worst. It makes you want to eat out every night just so you don’t end up dirtying any dishes!
8. Waiting for an offer is worse than waiting for a response from an agent or publisher.
We have the new house picked out, even have an offer on it. We just need to sell our house before the new house vanishes. No, it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t work out, but waiting and waiting might just make you develop one of those weird twitches.
Show your support of over 30 authors including USA Today bestsellers by voting in the first ever Book Trailer Love Fest. Watch the trailers, vote in the polls, and share the contest with your friends! The voting is live from February 15th to February 22nd. Winner will be selected on the February 23rd. This is a fun, free contest made to support all authors! So hop on over to booktrailerlovefest.com and get your vote on!
Here is a list of authors participating in the contest:
Susan Laqueur
J.R. Smith
Angelica Dawson
Katherine Jean Pope
Everett Robert
Charity Tober
Tam Linsey
W K Pomeroy
Jordan Mierek
Elle Jacklee
In PART TWO of this series, we’ll be talking about Stereotypes and Archetypes. If you’re not sure what one or both of these are, have no fear, they’ll be explained, and we’ll also talk about whether they should or shouldn’t be used and how to tell the difference.
StereotypesBasically, this means the character is one dimensional. What readers see is what they get. There’s nothing deeper to their thoughts, personalities, or motivations. Simply put, these are not the most interesting characters. Certainly not what you want to model your Main Character after!
There are times when Stereotypes are used effectively in fiction. These are usually your secondary or tertiary characters who aren’t integral to the plot and provide “filler” in a scene or situation. They don’t add to the story, particularly, or move the plot along, and usually have very little page time.
Even when writing these types of characters, be careful to avoid writing a character that draws too heavily on ideas that may be found offensive or off putting. Stereoptypical character should be used very sparingly, even when writing secondary or tertiary characters.
ArchetypesArchetypes
Are they bad?
Fantasy and Science Fiction often use archetypal characters, and you also see them quite frequently in comic book storylines as well. Popular examples would included Darth Vader and Anakin/Luke Skywalker from “Star Wars,” The Giver and Jonas from “The Giver,” and Sauron, Gandalf, and Frodo from “The Lord of the Rings.”
In comic some comic books, the hero and villain are intentionally portrayed as stereotypical archetypes. Such as, the villain is ALL evil while the hero is ALL good. In such stark good vs. evil storylines, this works very well. Many other comics prefer to use more complex heroes and villains, which is what fiction/prose writers want to accomplish as well. No villain is completely evil and no hero is undeniably pure. There has to be more to the story, deeper reasons, secrets, hidden desires, and more layers than your readers can see in one glance to make sure you’re writing a well rounded and interesting archetype.
First, let’s meet Leila Sparrow, who just wanted to revamp her dating life, be treated like a princess, and stop being the perpetual last minute “plus one” because she was too nice to say no.Even though Leila enjoys her work as a marketing manager for a popular clothing boutique, her boss’s absolute trust in her has turned into her being the only person allowed to handle a million different tasks each day. Leila and Ana are good friends, but at the end of the day, Leila feels a little like Cinderella trying to keep up with a houseful of demanding lunatics.
Even when Leila starts stepping out of her comfort zone and taking risks that she hopes will make her life better–like dating the adventuring loving Luke and befriending her dating coach Eli–things don’t go exactly as she hoped.
Luke may be incapable of sitting still for more than five minutes, but he’s fun and safe, in a strange way. Eli, on the other hand, is risky. Not only because he’s hiding something from Leila, but because figuring him out is harder than trying to get mice to make you a designer gown in real life. There’s a happily ever after waiting for Leila, but which path will get her there?
Charlotte wasn’t raised by a wicked step-mother like Snow White was, but she’s experienced loss and hardship and abandonment, the kind that has the potential to truly make you crumble. She pulled through, and kept fighting, but things are quickly spinning out of control. The threat of death doesn’t come from a poison apple, but she’s facing losing her life all the same.
Snow White finds a band of dwarves to protect her and make friends with. Charlotte isn’t exactly looking for a hero, and to be perfectly honest, Guy Saint Laurent doesn’t really seem like the hero type, but a momentary wish to step out of her life, dress up like a princess, and just enjoy a night out with a friend leaves her with a choice. She terrified that Guy will leave when things really get rough, that accepting help will make her weaker, but if he stays…he could be everything Charlotte has ever wanted.
“When it comes to choosing between obsession and passion, some lines should be crossed.”
“The one woman capable of capturing his attention, may be the only one who can truly break him…”
In the two and a half months we’ve had our not-so-little-anymore puppy, Finn, it’s been interesting to watch him. It’s like having a toddler again. You have to puppy-proof the house and clean up after him and take him to the potty regularly and reward him every five seconds and tell him the same thing OVER and OVER again, like saying it one more time will actually make him understand.
Another similarity I’ve noticed, is that just like kids, puppies think they are in charge of everything…YOU included. Finn thinks he should be able to control the amount of food and snacks he gets (which sounds a lot like my eight year old-because they both think they are constantly starving), and as seen here…he thinks he’s the one walking us when we go out.
Puppies also think they are smarter than you. Maybe it’s just my kids (mainly my eight year old) who thinks they’re smarter than us grownups and that they can trick us into believing the most unlikely stories. Finn has that down pat. He thinks if he moves fast enough…or slow enough (depending on the situation) he can get away with things even though he’s right in front of me. He also seems to think I can’t see him if he’s under one of the coffee tables. I can. I can also see the socks and stuffed animals he’s carried under there to gnaw on.
My kids, 8 and 11 now, still love going to the park to run around and climb all over the 
playground equipment. Finn is more than ready to join in. He’s still not quite gotten the whole fetch AND RETURN concept down yet, and can’t really figure out why we keep trying to get the Frisbee or stick back from him. Sometimes, he’d just rather join the kids on the slides.
Finn is also easily distracted. My 11 year old has outgrown this, for the most part, but my 8 year old still stops talking mid sentence once in a while because something on TV or across the room caught her attention. With Finn, all you have to do is touch his tail, and OFF HE GOES! That goofy little dog will chase his own tail FOREVER. It’s pretty funny. He really seems to think that if he pounces fast enough, or glares at it long enough, he’ll be able to catch it and hold it. Not so, Dude.
It’s pretty funny the comparisons you see between puppies and kids. One of the best, is that they love you unconditionally and even when they get in trouble, they still want to come snuggle with you and get a hug.
Connect with me online:
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Twitter: @DelSheree
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Google+: DelSheree Gladden
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If you have your own questions, feel free to post those too!
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And…
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Connect with me online:
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That’s a question that any writers, bot new and established, ask. There’s no black and white answer, but this series will offer up tips on creating strong characters that are layered and offer readers a reason to connect and share their story.
Today, I’ll start off with two popular options for getting started on Character Development.
Character Profiling
Start with a Picture
Instead of starting from scratch, find a picture you think is interesting and describe what you see. Go deeper than how they look. What motivates these characters? What are there goals? What are they afraid of? Start making a list of character traits that will help bring them to life.
Take a look at these two characters and tell me what they’re afraid of, why someone might be afraid of them, what they love, what they dream about, what their favorite flavor of ice cream is, or even what their secret fears are. Most of what you come up with you won’t actually use, but it will help you understand them.
