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Put on Your Seatbelt

I got two different requests for posts today, both were REALLY good. So, tomorrow I’ll blog about writing a beginning, and today, we’re going to talk productivity.

I’ll say now, my idea of productivity is my own. I already know several people think I’m insane, and that what I do isn’t the right way to do things. But this is how I do it, and hopefully elements of this post will apply and be helpful.

If you’re looking for a really detailed schedule of: I get up at this time, I eat breakfast, I go into my office…well, you ain’t getting that. My life is crazy. I have three kids, ages 5, 3, and 17 months. I don’t have daycare, or a nanny, I have a husband who changes diapers, but who also has a life and a job. We work around each other, with each other, when we can.

So this isn’t going to be neat and organized because…my life isn’t neat and organized. As a result, I’ve had to come up with a system that works AROUND my life.

There. That was the disclaimer. Now buckle up. 🙂

I think one of the biggest keys to being good and productive, and meeting those all-important deadlines, is to know your process. While mine varies with each WIP, I know a few things: Beginnings are slow for me. Because beginnings are where I tend to make the most mistakes. That means I spend a lot of time trying to get the setting, pacing, details right. Typically, I submit a partial to my editor. Still. Because if I can iron out those issues in the first three chapter, I can usually move ahead with less revisions on the full. (Key word: Usually)

I also know there will come a point where I’ll look at my writing and think it’s horrible, amateur crap. It’s the worst thing I’ve ever written and if I keep on the way I’m going, and stare at the EBIL WIP directly, it will suck my soul out through my eyeballs.

But I know that this happens to me. I also know that it’s typically NOT TRUE. I’ve let those moments master me before, I’ve let them pry my butt out of my office chair and send me into a days long tailspin of WHAT AM I DOING???

It’s not worth it. The times I’ve done that, I’ve had more revisions than the times I’ve simply acknowledged that this point of panic happens to me and I need to write through it.

Inevitably, toward the end, I start thinking “DARN I’M GOOD!!” (note: I’m sometimes wrong about this too, but what can you do?)

All of this matters because it’s key to ME being in control of my writing. Not my emotions, not a muse. My muse cannot stop time, or move deadlines. That means I’m in the driver’s seat.

Another thing I can’t control is wait times. Even for published authors, there’s waiting, and that waiting can be short, or it can be very long. (By long, I mean 4weeks, which is not as long as it is when you aren’t published, but it’s a long time when you consider the deadlines)

This comes back under the Things I Can Control heading. I can control what I do in those wait times. Whether it’s working on proposals, or a new MS, or catching up on promotional things, I always make sure I’m keeping busy. And I’m always writing. Why? Because this is my job. Because I like to feel On Top of Things and because I love to write. I never feel as good as I do when I’m working on a book. It’s my passion. It also allowed me to get two books halfway finished during wait times, which was extremely helpful later on!

My schedule is also tailored to my comfort level. I am procrastinator by nature and I have worked darn hard to master that. I was the one in school writing papers the night before it was due. I was the one who opened their books an hour before the test to brush up real quick. That was stressful. Much more than it should have been. So as got older I worked at dealing with that. Staying ahead makes me feel confident, it makes me happier.

One thing I do is set myself an alternate deadline. I know this doesn’t work for some people, but because I’m competitive, I’ve found it works wonders for me. It’s a challenge I set for myself, and I want to win at it, because that plays to the part of me that always wished I were athletic, so I could play sports. And win.

As I’m writing this post, I’m recognizing the theme in my process: Keeping control.

In a business that has so many things things outside of our control, I think it gives me a lot of peace to focus on what I can control. It also frees me up to just write, if I’m not worried about those other things. Reminds me of the verse that says, ‘Which one of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature.’ (Or, to apply it directly to writers, which one of us can get a contract/better sales/more words on the page by worrying)

Worry hinders productivity for sure!

Another thing that is specific to me and how I work, I don’t write for big chunks of time. Unless I’m at the end, then I want to put a big block of time in. Otherwise I usually work for an hour or two in the afternoon, then work again in the evening. It’s easier for me to concentrate that way, and the break helps me ponder my WIP while I fold clothes. But, barring a few exceptions, my schedule and my attention span don’t allow for 8 hour time blocks where I write. It just doesn’t happen. But I can still get it done, with the time I do have.

I think that’s another big thing I had to learn. To write when I can, make the most of the little bursts of time available (nap time, school time) rather than waiting until I have a Long Time To Work. Because waiting for that opportunity means…a lot of huffing around and moaning about not having time, when really, I did, I just defeated it with my whiny-ness about having no time.

Now we come to The Maisey List, my quick reference of productivity tips and tricks. Feel free to pick the ones that you think might work for you!

1. If you aren’t feeling it…write anyway. Write through that slump, that feeling of I Suck. Don’t let it defeat you.

2. Set earlier, but reasonable, deadlines. This helps avoid last minuet crunch time.

3. Word challenges! The 1K 1Hour challenge on twitter has helped me break through walls, and really get words out on days when it wasn’t flowing. (See my competitive nature. Racing the clock, or other writers can really get me moving!) It also gives a sense of not being alone, which I think is also helpful.

4. The Shower. I don’t know what it is, but when I’m stuck on a spot, a twenty minute shower always helps me think it through. Don’t question the magic of the shower.

5. Be flexible. Yes, I have preferences for when I would *like* to write. Times of day when it seems to flow better. But that just doesn’t always happen. But I’ve found that I’ve gotten to the point that I can make most any time work these days, because I forced myself to do it back when It wasn’t easy.

6. Even when it flows like molasses in January. Do it. Do it. Even when you don’t wanna do it. Some days I bust out 5K. Some days I struggle to get 1K. But it all adds up. And I take what I can get.

7. Set goals. I hate, hate hate to lose. If I set out to write 5K in a day, I want to meet that goal, darn it. It lights a fire under me, it gets me motivated.

8. Holding hands with number 7…give yourself permission to celebrate your achievements. Every day. Even if it’s 300 words. Give yourself permission to be happy with your process. To be happy with your WIP. To think you’re good. A little but of positive helps a whole lot!

So that’s how I manage it. It’s haphazard, and unscheduled, and I love it. Everyone is different, but hopefully there are some tips in there that will help you out! And hey, share some of your own in the comments!

We Interrupt This Blog…Again

Because The Inherited Bride made #132 on the USA Today Bestseller list this week!! *does a dance* (it’s a cool dance. I wish you all could have seen it)

It’s so…SO exciting to see my name up on the that list. So. Sososo. And I love the little one line descriptions they leave for each book. Here’s the one for The Inherited Bride: A Princess falls for a handsome stranger instead of her betrothed.

Nice and to the point!

I’m also discovering one of the VERY cool perks of having a book selected to be Mills and Boon’s book of the month. It turns out there’s an ad in the back of the July Moderns. Caro, who frequents the Mills & Boon community, and who I follow on twitter (pavilionofwomen) was kind enough to send me this:

Now that is pretty cool! And so nice to have them say such lovely things about me. I’m always kind of floored to find out editors beyond the one I work with have any clue who I am. So the book of the month thing was a total shock and thrill.

I just turned in my 9th Presents, the one I was working on for the continuity. Hot Rod’s story is safely with my editor, but as she has a lovely, major amazing, event coming up in her life, I’m not expecting my MS to be her top priority. (She’s about to have her own HEA. YAY!! Congrats! x)

And…I’ve already started another book. Because this is what I LOVE to do. I love writing. I love having new ideas, and new characters and just more writing ALL the time. I have the best job in the world.

Especially easy to see when you have a week like this!

The Highest Price to Pay…Cover!

I am pleased, like so, so so pleased…to unveil the cover for The Highest Price to Pay! (The Frenchman, if you’re following along here on the blog.)

This book was a pain to write. Both times. And I loved it. Both times.

And it’s even more thrilling because M&B have made it their Book of the Month for August. I am so, so thrilled with how supportive they’ve been of me writing the book, and now in marketing it.

Now…COVER PARTY!!

“While it has been reported that I’m missing my own soul, I have no interest in yours. This is about money.”

When Ella’s failing business comes wrapped up as part of Blaise Chevalier’s recent takeover. he plans to discard it – as is his usual way with surplus goods. Then he meets Ella! Cast from the same fiery mould he is, she makes an intriguing adversary. Perhaps he can have a little fun with his new acquisition…

As proud and strong as she is beautiful, Ella is determined to prove Blaise wrong about her business and her worth. As long as she hides her hint of vulnerability and denies the flicker of attraction between them when she catches her enemy’s eye….

Writing For Presents: Heroines

I sort of feel like I could go through the heroes post and replace my pronouns. Because, and I’ll give my bottom line away from the get go: It is ALL about character. Character motivation and execution.

Just like heroes, I believe there are very few limitations when it comes to heroines. Sandra Marton writes some very sexually aware heroines who aren’t afraid to get it on in a club restroom if the time is right. Jennie Lucas writes a fabulous rags to riches heroine. Lynn Raye Harris is the queen of the stylish, Prada clad heroine, who looks darn good and doesn’t need a makeover.

They are individuals. Funny, quirky, sexy, innocent, or not innocent. And they behave that way because of where they’re from, what life has handed to them, and how they’ve chosen to deal with those things.

Just because a heroine is disadvantaged, does not mean she’s a doormat. In fact, as Presents does have VERY strong heroes, Presents heroines have to be able to stand up and meet them as equals. How they do this is going be as unique and varied as the characters themselves.

I truly believe in the importance of balance in a couple. The stronger my hero, the stronger the heroine has to be for me to be able to execute it properly. Some authors use that balance in almost the opposite way. The fragileness in a heroine might force the hero to change tactics. But either way, it’s not her getting run over.

The heroine is key in so many ways. She has to have the power to come into this big strong alpha man’s life and truly upset it. She has to be able to affect change in a man who is probably pretty set in his ways.

I think heroines in general, not just in Presents, and not just in romance, can descend into cliche easily. Again, it can seem like the thing to do (and in the first version of my first book, I was very guilty of this) is to work off that checklist.

Lips that are too full? Check. Breasts that are too large to be fashionable? Faints at the sight of the hero? Check check.

Well, if that’s your heroine and you know why she behaves that way, I would never put out a blanket ‘that’s wrong’ statement, because I don’t know how you’ve set her up as a person.

My famous example is in the first version of His Virgin Acquisition when Marco kissed Elaine in the limo, she ‘gave a cry’ and my editor asked me why she’d done that. Was it just because I thought she should, because I thought that was what A Heroine would do?

I thought about it. Yes. Yes that was why I did it. In the final version I believe she tells him ‘I’d invite you up, but darn it all, I have a headache.’ That was MUCH more in line with her character, with the person I had SAID that she was.

It’s not enough to simple say your heroine is smart, and feisty, and independent. She has to demonstrate that she’s those things through her actions. (This completely applies to ALL characters)

Ultimately, it’s about making a believable heroine, whose actions, reactions, feelings about sex and her body, and the hero’s body, fit in with the person you’ve created her to be. A heroine who knows she’s kind of a hottie, and who doesn’t have a lot of inhibition, might not bother to cover her breasts while she’s sitting in bed having an argument with the hero. A different heroine might feel the need to pull the sheets over herself, because the change in tone to their relationship makes her feel too exposed.

The important things is that she’s written in a way that she feels three dimensional, and real. A heroine who can stand strong, find love, and stand, at the end, as an equal with her hero.

Sold: The World’s Most Terrifying Manuscript

My editor (who showed amazing, lighting fast reflexes!) has gotten back to me on Beast Sheikh and she loved the revisions! I’m very pleased to say that’s Presents #8 accepted!

I can’t believe that’s eight already…I love my job. I really do. And very pleased to say I get to focus all of my attention on Hot Rod now!

I did a post yesterday on alpha males, and how the definition of an alpha male is much broader than people think. I believe Beast Sheikh is an example of that. When I was writing him, I really didn’t know for sure what my editor would think of him. Because he’s an extremely wounded alpha, who has been stronger at other times in his life.

But he’s also survived hideous trauma, both physically and emotionally, and while he did not emerge from it unscathed, he has the core of a leader. Of a man with strength and integrity. Even though the pain and grief has threatened to consume that, he’s still standing.

Will post on title and release as soon as it comes in! Can’t wait!

Writing For Presents: Heroes

This is a hard post to write (haha…I said hard…get your giggles out now kids.) because when it comes to character, I truly believe there are a lot more options than a lot of people think.

I see SO much STUFF on message boards about those ALPHA MALES. Oh, how people HATE them. Oh, they could never write one of those. They’re all mean, and cruel, and call the heroine names. And that’s what an alpha male is and blah.

*Maisey bangs her head on the desk*

That isn’t what alpha means. Certainly, you do find heroes in romance novels who have that personality, and I’m not saying they aren’t alpha males. In fact, a well motivated man who behaves in that manner, so long as he changes througout, is fine with me. What I am saying, is that alpha is a broad term, much broader than people seem to think.

And on that note, the Presents hero has much more room for variance than people seem to think as well. Truly, every author in this line is so different, and it’s a very voice driven line. Our editors ALWAYS encourage us to let our natural voices come through. That included letting our own voices shine through when it comes to our heroes.

An alpha male is the highest ranking male in a social group. The alpha of a wolf pack, the alpha of a World of Warcraft Guild and the alpha of a multi-billion dollar company will behave differently from each other. 😉

I’ve banged on about alpha heroes a lot in previous posts, because I think they have a bad rap. And because in reading contest entries, I’ve seen a lot of what I’ll call ‘Poser Alphas’ who are only behaving a certain way because it’s clear the writer had out her alpha checklist and was sort of filling in everything she believed that meant.

Playboy? Check. Jackass? Check. Calls the heroine a whore at least three times? Check.

I’ve read books where the heroes were, and did, ALL those things, and as long as it’s well motivated, it works. But when it’s only there because the writer is working off of an archetype for they think they HAVE to do, it shows.

That’s why I think it’s so important to examine who your character is and why he is that way.

I’m going to use one of Jennie Lucas’s heroes (because I LOVE him) as an example of that brooding, intense alpha hero. Maksim from The Christmas Love Child, had such a horrible past. And he lied to the heroine. And I LOVED that. Because you could see this struggle in him. He had a goal, and the heroine was his avenue to fulfilling that goal. And coming from an impovrished background where looking out for himself first was essential, it made his actions to understandable and forgivable. Watching him struggle with his conscience for the first time was so awesome as a reader. And the HEA was SO satisfying.

But he wasn’t just this selfish jerk out for his own ends. He was complex. He was a man who honestly didn’t quite know HOW to care about people, and Jennie showed us that so beautifully. He’s one of my favorite heroes ever. (The book finaled in the RITA last year, read it, you’ll see why)

Maksim is a Presents hero. No doubt.

At the other end of the spectrum, I’ll give you Gage Forrester, my hero from Marriage Made on Paper. He’s a Presents hero too. And he’s an alpha male. But Gage spent ten years raising his little sister and he is very in tune with his protective side as a result. He’s a Southern California guy, and while he’s totally driven in business, and completely able to turn on the ruthless when it comes to protecting his sister, he has a kind of laid back personality when it comes to day-to-day interaction. He’s a bit of playboy, but his family comes first.

In contrast to Maksim, who had only ever had to live for himself, as a matter of total survival, Gage has spent his life living for someone else’s needs.

These men are an example of alpha executed differently, and it all stems from…yes…character background.

There are so many heroes in the line, and they ARE different from each other. So when you approach writing a hero for the line, for any line, you have to to think of him as his own, individual person, not as a paint by number.

It says on the inside cover of the North American Presents that the line delivers “Unforgettable men.” And that’s the true promise and challenge.

This isn’t a post telling you NOT to make your alpha heroes a certain way, or telling you to make them the way I do. Don’t don’t do that. Make them the way YOU do. Make them believable. Make them real. Make them unforgettable, and most of all, make them yours!

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to leave them in comments!

Cover Parade and New Releases

I’m polishing up Beast Sheikh to send him back to my editor tonight, after which I will be hunkering down for some serious quality time with Hot Rod. (I have SO many men in my life! 😉 )

But, before I do, just a reminder, The Inherited Bride will be available in North American stores starting this week. (They trickle in slowly, so while the release is the 3rd…not sure when it will hit everywhere. Also, it’s an EXTRA.) And it is available for download NOW on Nook, Kindle and eharlequin!

AND Marriage Made on Paper is on Kiwi and Aussie shelves!

I also found out recently that in the fall I have two Spanish releases coming out, the translation of His Virgin Acquisition, releasing in September as ‘Una Atrevida Proposicion’ (A Daring Proposal) and An Accidental Birthright will release in November as ‘Casada con un Principe’ (Married to a Prince)

His Virgin Acquisition has also been translated into German and titled Im Rausch der Sinne (Which I am told means, A Sensual Frenzy!) and I just discovered last night, it’s in Italy as well! Under the title L’INDISCRETO SGUARDO DEL MILIONARI. I was not able to get a reliable, no Google translation on that one…so, if anyone speaks Italian!

This is so very exciting to have releases in so many places. It’s a kind of distribution that I can scarcely comprehend. To know that so many people from so many different backgrounds read and enjoy these books is truly humbling. I only hope I can deliver a book that brings me as much joy as I get from writing them.

That’s always my hope, really. That I can pass along the joy that this job gives me.

Happy reading! In whatever language that might me!

Maisey Yates Meets the World’s Most Terrifying Manuscript Again or…Beast Sheikh News

Or…why you have to embrace the fear.

You remember I was talking about how much this MS skerred me. Because I was trying something that felt like a major gamble, at least in my mind.

I was afraid my editor was going to read the MS and say…send us a hero who’s not so freaking messed up!! But I wanted to try it, even though it made me shake in my boots.

So imagine my shock when I got my revisions back on Tuesday and the main focus of the revisions is the hero. Just like I thought. But not on pulling him back, or making him less dark and damaged. She wants me to key in on those things and take them deeper.

Cue pleasant surprise from me. There is nothing better than a revision letter asking you to go farther with your vision! Nothing. I am beyond excited to tackle these with a stamp of approval from my editor. So excited to make Beast Sheikh even more beastly, and to go deeper into why he’s become the man that he is.

This is why I need to stop trying to predict what my editor will say. Really. It’s a waste of time and it’s a stresser. And I’m never right.

This is also why embracing the fear and taking a chance is a good thing. One of the best compliments she paid me during our phone conversation yesterday was that the first scene that reveals the extent of the heroes issues shocked her. In a good way! (it shocked me too, tbh, but he was a strong hero who did what he wanted!!)

And this is the example of a positive pay-off for taking a chance. I’ve experienced the negative for doing it too. But I think in the end, it’s always rewarding to know that you tried something that challenged you, that stretched you as a writer.

So go one…embrace the fear!

Writing for Presents: Conflict and Escaping Cliche

I touched briefly on conflict, and the way I execute a complete romance with only 50K words in my basics post, and in this post, I want to take a more detailed look at 50K word conflict. And escaping cliches while still fulfilling the promise of the line.

In a longer novel, there’s often a full, secondary story happening in conjunction with the primary story. There are characters other than the h and H who get a lot of screen time and who even have their own sections of POV.

While you do see characters beyond the hero and heroine in a Presents, they’re not really true secondary characters. They’re more peripheral characters. Because if too much time is spent on a quirky best friend, no matter how funny and fabulous she is, she can steal too many words for herself, and cut into the developing romance between the hero and heroine. (Girl, get your own book!)

With so few words to set up a plot, conflict, romance, conflict resolution, and believable HEA, the primary focus MUST be on the hero and heroine and their developing relationship.

But it’s not only loud-mouthed side characters that can cut into that development. Too many threads of external conflict can keep the reader from really getting to know the characters.

I can only speak for myself, but when too many external elements creep in, my characters start…breaking character. Because I’m jerking them around at breakneck speed to try and squeeze all my ideas into a manuscript they simply won’t fit in. When that happens, my editor always asks me to examine what the core of the book is, and work from there.

My May release is a good example of this. I started with: the heroine running from an arranged marriage, but terrorists are after her, so when the hero comes to save her they have to travel around quickly to stay safe and seek asylum in fabulous locations, oh yeah, and they can’t be together because she’s engaged to his brother.

My editor read this and went…too much. All of the *stuff* was crowding out the TRUE conflict of the book, which was NOT running from terrorists. The true heart of the book was duty vs desire. It was a forbidden love story that was getting buried.

If I’d had 80-90K of course all of that would have fit. I would have needed it. But for a 50K book, it was crowding out the real meat of the story.

Losing the terrorist/running element, allowed me to focus in on a princess seeking a few months of true freedom, and a man fighting desperately to hold onto his honor in the face of desire that tests resolve he’s always considered unbreakable. And that created a much more complicated, satisfying read in the end. Complicated because the focus was in more tightly on emotion, and what the true cost of an affair between the h and H would be.

That leads me to the dreaded cliche. There is nothing new under the sun. There are elements that are common in romance novels because they read well and…well, they’re common in real romance.

It’s execution that keeps it out of cliche. It’s funny, I’ve read chapters of Presents attempts before where I thought the writing was perfectly competent, but something about it was lacking. It was like the characters were doing things simply because the writer believed it was about the time in that kind of book to have that happen. And THAT is what creates cliche.

Category has guidelines, but it is not a paint by number. Character actions and reactions need to drive the book, not a well placed scene where the heroine faints from shock simply because other heroines have fainted from shock upon seeing the hero after ten years. Ask if YOUR heroine would faint from shock. Or if she’d punch him the gut. Or pretend she didn’t see him. Or act like nothing had ever passed between them. But make sure the reaction is true to the character you’ve created, not to an archetype. (And if your heroine would faint, great, have her faint, but know WHY.)

If you’re writing a MS where the hero and heroine have to marry for some reason, so you know you’ll be writing a wedding, ask what that wedding means TO THEM, and approach it that way.

Bring your unique voice, and your characters’ unique way of seeing things into play, and you’ll have scenes that are relevant, and important.

I think the summation of my long-windedness, is to remember that your characters are the important part. They bring the MS alive, they, along with your own voice, are what will make you stand out. So let them have their voice, make them, and their relationship, the center of your MS.

Any questions? Feel free to ask in the comment section and I’ll answer!

Writing for Harlequin Presents: The Basics

I hesitated writing the title of this because writing for any genre or line isn’t quite as simple as receiving a set of instructions and then following them. And I’m by no means the definitive authority, and I’m certainly not the first person to write a post like this! But I do want to share with you what I’ve learned writing my seven Presents, to help you on your own writing journey.

I’m going to start with the basics. The promise of the line, and what that means to you as a writer, and what it means to our readers. A little bit of Presents info so you can be a Presents expert. And some tips for writing category length books.

The short and sweet promise of the line can be found inside the cover on the North American Presents: Glamorous international settings, unforgettable men, passionate romances. Another version can be found on the back of the M&B Moderns: International affairs, seduction and passion guaranteed.

This is a promise that is made to the readership, and when writing for the line, it’s important to fulfill that promise. There is actually quite a lot of freedome in category, much more than people think, but the thing that you absolutely have to do is deliver on that promise. Because those are the core things that bring a reader to the line they identify with.

So in Presents our readers want that glamour, exciting international settings, and of course a strong, unforgettable alpha hero. (I could go on at length about what alpha means, and how it’s truly a very diverse trait…and I have, you can see that post here, and I may touch on it again in a more detailed post)

Presents has very intense conflicts, but they need to be grounded in reality. Because while there’s a major fantasy element (staying on a private island with a gorgeous prince!) the core conflicts need to be rooted in something readers can relate to. Like a woman willing to go to great lengths to prove herself to her father, that she’s good enough. Or a woman who finds herself pregnant with what she thinks is the wrong man’s baby. Those are things many of us can relate to, or at least imagine experiencing.

I remember very early on talking to my editor about wanting to tackle a certain theme I had read quite a bit in Presents, and she told me not to worry so much about ‘themes’. That as long as I was fulfilling the line’s promise, I had a great deal of freedom. That was a very valuable piece of advice to me, as I feel it’s really helped me find a place to let my voice show through. And ultimately, that is what an editor’s looking for! Someone who fulfills the line’s promises, but brings themselves into it. Their own unique voice and take on things.

That brings me in to writing category in general. Writing a 50-55K MS requires some different skills than writing 80-100K and no…it’s not really easier. It’s different. This typically means in a category novel you won’t find true secondary characters. We don’t have room for subplots and multiple character points of view.

To write an emotionally satisfying romance in 50K words means the focus has to be on the hero and heroine, and their relationship. I personally keep my POV limited entirely to the H and h, and I know not everyone in Presents does that, but for me, it keeps things simple. I keep my focus tightly on the relationship, on their personal conflicts, so that the reader really feels they got to see the growth and progression of the love between the h and H.

Now I have a little list of Presents facts for you, to help you be a Presents expert:

Harlequin Presents is in over 100 markets and is translated into 26 different languages.

In the UK and India, it’s known as Mills & Boon Modern, in North America, Presents. In Australia the line is called Sexy. In Germany, Julia and the Spanish translations are called Bianca.

The difference between Presents and Presents EXTRA? Four Presents EXTRAs are released every month after the classic Presents. Two of them are from the Modern line in the UK (that’s the same as Presents, remember?) and two of them are taken from RIVA (formerly Modern Heat). The two Moderns will share a common theme, and the two RIVAs will share a common theme. For example, in May I have a book out called The Inherited Bride, and it’s a part of the Kings of the Desert, with Abby Green’s Breaking the Sheikh’s Rules. While the RIVA’s in May are part of the ‘In Bed With the Boss’ collection.

The best way to tell which is which is simply to go by author. Abby Green and I write classic Presents, while Nicola Marsh and Ally Blake write for RIVA. (I don’t know how much that clears up, but now you know as much as I do. 😉 )

So there’s a little basic info for you on the Presents line. If you have any questions about things I didn’t cover, or things I did, please ask below and I will answer to the best of my ability!

It Was Like That Time When I Eated A Lot of Cookies

So, I’m waiting to hear back about Beast Sheikh. Which basically has me crouched in the corner doing my best impression of Gollum while I clutch my coffee mug to my chest.

Okay, it’s not that bad. Really. It’s not. And the past couple weeks of waiting have been really, really busy. Now, they’ve been busy with some of my less favorite things about being a writer.

Like copy edits. Which I had for The Argentine’s Price this week.

And filling out an Art Fact Sheet. That means I get to fill in the themes of the book, descriptions of characters, and scenes I think would make a good cover! It’s is pretty fun, except for when you get to the part where you have to write a suckopsis again.

Especially when it’s for a book you’re expecting revisions on. Because then it’s like…oh…yeah, and then there was that part. Except, I know it wasn’t crazy in the context of the book. Sure, it sounds crazy now, but it’s not. IT’S NOT!! *grabs cookies* *goes back to corner*

And then of course, there’s the email checking crazy that comes with a wait. Every time I see an email from my editor I’m looking to see if there’s an attachment…because an attachment means a long revision letter. It’s a strange thing, both stalking and avoiding your inbox, yet I seem to have it down to an art form. It’s not fine art or anything. More like the art at the local senior center. But hey, art.

Every book feels different. Every book feels like a gamble. For some reason, Beast Sheikh does most especially. I’m half expecting six pages of ‘what were you thinking??’ But then, that could just be the caffeine talkin’.

However, I am working on my Sooper Sekrit Projekt and I’m having a LOT of fun with it! It’s my very first continuity, and while I can’t give details, I’m referring to my hero as Hot Rod in public. 🙂 It’s a very different experience, because I get to really work with other writers to make it all come together. It’s fun to be in on a collaboration like this!

The characters I was given were different to what I would normally do too, but that’s been half the fun. We’re not given a full outline for things like this. There’s info about the unifying situation, or family, and then a small little write up on the hero and heroine and their general situation. But from there, it’s up to us to make it our own.

I’ve found I really enjoy it! Because I’m having to take characters that wouldn’t come to me organically and really try to understand them and give them their motivation and conflict. That’s still up to us. And even with a vague outline, any there are infinite possibilities to what the end product could be!

Because, for most of us, an idea is the easy part. I have a folder filled with ideas. But you could give ten writers the exact same prompt and come up with ten completely different stories. Because it’s voice and execution that really bring a story to life.

So that’s me, trying to focus on something else and not angst. And not eat cookies. And occasionally this week, I have succeeded. 🙂

Maisey’s Guide to Massive Revisions

Well, actually it’s Maisey and Chelsea’s guide, and I hope she doesn’t mind me borrowing from her a bit. We were talking revisions amongst the Sassy Sisters yesterday, and I started talking about how I approach them. Now, I consider myself revision royalty. Not so much because I’m awesome at them, but because I have an astounding ability to get them! Big ones. Half the time they’re rewrites. (I call this my ‘process’, and no, it doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better! LOL)

So what I do when faced with major revisions is: Read over the letter. Sulk. Read it again. Start making notes.

If I’m dealing with a whole rewrite, I just try to absorb all I can, then start from blank page one and go. But if I’m doing true ‘revisions’ I start with one element. Like, character. So I go through and I make notes on what I need to do to alter character. And I start working on that.

Then we come to pacing. So I start examining my pacing, cutting and adding where needed, and a lot of times, I’m still working the character changes in as I do this.

Then say I need to up tension in a few scenes, I would do that next.

Then I do a read through and make sure it’s all coherent and polished. Sounds simple? It’s not really. LOL. But it helps me absorb it all taking it a piece at a time, with my little hand written attack plan.

Now, I shared this with Sassy Sister Chelsea yesterday and she basically backed away from me in terror. She described her process differently, and brilliantly, and I wanted to share the way she does it, so I can offer another perspective.

She described it like painting a room. You paint the whole room, but it might need another coat. And then another, and then some fine detail work. But she doesn’t do it in pieces, she does it in a more whole, complete way. And then she said something I thought was really brilliant, and I’m totally using it too.

She said that if she got to the end, and it was better, but it still wasn’t right, that meant she was actually midway, and not done. I thought that was really brilliant, because I think it’s easy when undertaking revisions to put a lot of pressure on yourself. But you can work on it until it’s done. (now, at some point, you have to just say done, because you can’t tweak forever, but we’re talking bigger issues!)

Revisions, even massive ones, are a good thing. It puts the power to make your book as good as possible, with outside guidance, into your hands.

Our ways are just two ways of…gee…probably 1587 ways to tackle massive revisions. We have The Painter and the The List. What do you do?