Scrambling for writing ideas!
Congratulations to Quilting Reader, you are the winner of that very special duo of Teresa Medeiros books! Please e-mail me on skully@skullybuzz.com with your snail mail address. I am in Palm Springs right now and the books are at home, so I’ll have to mail next week!
This week I’ve got Candace Haven’s Like A Charm. I also met Candace at RWA this summer, we were seated next to each other at the Berkley signing and she generously signed a copy of her book. You know the drill, post a comment, you must type in your email address, and I’ll enter you in the drawing for the two books. Now, if you don’t leave your e-mail on your post, I’ll assume you don’t want to be entered. I’m doing this because I have trouble hearing back from winners who don’t leave their e-mail address. So please make it easy on me! I’ll announce the winner of Candace’s book next week! I’m a dreamer. Instead of thinking about the day as I fall asleep, I make up stories. Maybe they have something to do with a news story I saw, or an article on the Internet. Or it could be just someone I saw at the grocery store who sparked my interest. In other words, they come from anywhere! But sometimes, I get a book contract before I even have a story. That’s what happened with Unlaced. My editor asked me if I wanted to be a part of an anthology about corsets. YES! I said. Then I hung up and panicked. What do I write!!?? I had no guideline except that the story had to include a corset. It just so happened that my husband had set up his pseudo photography studio in the dining room so we could take an updated author photo. As we were taking the photos, I’m continuing with the annoying refrain “but honey, I don’t know what to write!” He gave me a look that only a husband can give you and said, “why don’t you write about an amateur photographer who takes erotic photos of a woman in a corset…and go from there.” Wow. That was it.
My brain starting working on that scenario. And the moral of the story is that sometimes our ideas come from the most unexpected sources, like my husband! If we hadn’t been setting up for the author photo, the story in Unlaced might very well be something entirely different! And I did dedicate the story to my husband, the idea man! And here’s the author photo that my husband took. I think he did as good a job as any professional photographer! All right, we did do some airbrushing with Photoshop. But why does my nose look so big? You know, I didn’t think I had a big nose. What’s up with that?
BTW, Amazon still has Unlaced on sale at a great preorder price. Jasmine, Jennifer and JB! http://www.skullybuzz.com/ Newsletter: skullybuzz-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Your husband did a great job on your photo.I love Candace Haven books!
I agree that your photo looks great.The idea of writing a story with a corset in it reminds me of one of the funniest moments from college. I had made a renaissance dress for myself, complete with handmade corset and brought it to my Renaissance Women class one day as a favor to my professor. The reason for it was to show what male actors used to go through at that time when they had to dress as women. Well, one of the guys in my class actually volunteered to put on my chemise, corset, and dress. But, the best part of it was that he then decided to wear it all across campus to our next class. I wish I had had a camera with me that day. *sigh*
Thank you so much, Estella. He’s a very good photographer. No amateur about it. And Candy is great! I’m glad you like her books.
And thanks to you, too, Karin. See how I solicited such wonderful comments! And oh my God, that must have been hilarious seeing him walk across campus! Now there is a man who has some self-confidence!
thanks to you both for leaving your emails! It makes it so much easier.
Your husband did a great job with your photo. Sometimes you don’t get the best job done when you have your photos done.I do love Candace’s books and I haven’t read this one.
Thanks, Virgina. My husband has a nice setup, the light umbrellas, the different colored lighting panels, etc. And his photographs are the best I’ve had done! Glad you enjoy Candace’s books, too!
I think your picture looks great! I do the same thing at night before I fall asleep. Some times it’s about a story I’m writing or just about something in particular that happened that day. Even though its over and done with I just obsess about it, play in out different in my head, “If I had just said this or not said that” That drives me crazy because then I’m constantly looking at the clock and time really flies then.
Hi Jas, That’s a great photo, if you didn’t say your husband took it I would have thought it was taken professionally. Is he a photographer? I think we are our own biggest critics and I always find faults with pictures of me. I’ve heard of Candace before but never read any of her stories yet. I’ve read where some other Authors hubbys give them bad ideas for books some of them hilarius so that’s great your husband gave you inspiration for Unlaced.
Ye, Rhonda, it’s that replaying of the day’s events that keeps me awake! I have to make up a story or I lay there sleepless. Ugh.
And thanks about the photo to both of you! I will have to tell my husband what you said, Dena. I do think he does a very professional job. He is a technical writer and has to take photos of the equipment that he’s writing the manuals about, so from that prospective he’s a professional. I do think he’s good enough to get his photos into some of those stock photography libraries, but he hasn’t done that yet. We’ll see, I’ll keep encouraging him, because I think he’s really good.
And he does have good ideas when I’m stumped! He’s actually got a very romantic mind!
Your photo looks lovely. 🙂
Thank you, Crystal! I’m so good at soliciting compliments, aren’t I!
You don’t have a big nose!!!! That’s a great photo.And Candice Haven is doing a workshop at Romance Divas on “Revisions”. I haven’t checked it out yet. R words scare me. LOL.
Kudos to your husband, not only did he do a wonderful job taking your photo he also gave you a story idea! He is a definite keeper.
Usually when my head hits the pillow, the brain goes into hyper-drive. This is good and bad. All sorts of fun stories and situations, but no glasses, paper, computer or desire to get up and write them down. Come the dawn’s early light, those ideas are long gone.
As for the photo, I love it. Your hubby had a beautiful subject. Just point and shoot. [grin] He definitely gave you a push in the right direction with that story idea too!
Thanks to you all for saying I don’t have a big nose! And you’re right, my husband’s a great guy.
I’m back from Palm Springs. It was a wonderful trip with my sister, the weather was gorgeous. I even got a suntan, sort of. Plus we did a lot of thrift store shopping. Admittedly, though, I got behind on my stuff. Okay, off to write this week’s blog. Which I should have done yesterday!
Jasmine,
joining in late here to say I like your photo. You are right. It does equal a professional portrait. My good friend, Cheryl Norman, had her husband take her photo, too, and it’s the one featured in her latest book. Me? No way. Nobody’s taking my picture. I’d rather people believe that cover story about my being beautiful and red-haired. And young *LOL*
Nessie
Besides a wonderful photographer, the secret was Photoshop! But hubby did do a good job in lighting, etc. I think he’s excellent. And Cheryl Norman’s picture is very well done! You should try it with Nessie!