To be honest, I didn’t know I was birthing a monster. I thought it was only a small, innocent creature that would help writers. I had no idea it would end up changing lives, including my own.
The monster was MFRW. Marketing for Romance Writers — a peer-mentoring group open to the entire literary community has opened doors for writers, trained writers in how to handle promotion, introduced friends who would never have met any other way, and paved the way for writers to network all around the world.
I founded the group on Halloween because that year, there were no kids on my block at all and no one was ringing the doorbell. I was bored and going through my email (again) late at night.
When I saw the same marketing question from three different friends, I thought — what if I made a Yahoo group where all of us could ask a question and then whoever knew the answer could post a response? Would anyone be interested in that? I quickly set up the group, named it Marketing for Romance Writers and emailed a dozen friends.
By the end of the year, there were 100 members. Membership climbed as friends recommended the group to friends. We opened the doors to anyone in the literary community, including publishers, personal assistants, and promo companies.
The biggest thing we required was no promo. None. At. All.
Members love that. It’s the thing I’m most often thanked for when members email me. No promo to wade through. Just business-oriented questions, advice, and opportunities. If one person wants to promote a book — they ask for blog spots with other authors, and offer their own in return. If someone wants to hold a blog hop, they can announce it on the group.
Today MFRW boasts over 2400 members, and over 7000 members make up our Facebook group. We have a multiple-award-winning magazine. We have over 400 followers on Goodreads and feature our members books in the MFRW Book Place group. On Pinterest, over 1500 people follow us, we have 55 genre related boards, and almost 1000 pins. Want your book cover pinned on our site? Even if you don’t have a Pinterest account, you can take advantage of our presence there. Join our Yahoo group today and you’ll get information. Services and membership are free.
Come share your tweets on MFRW’s monthly Retweet Day. The hashtags #MFRWorg #MFRWauthor and #MFRWhooks help you promote everywhere.
If you have questions about marketing your books, join us. The MFRW motto is “seek, teach, share, learn, succeed.” Services and membership are free.
Alice Orr, Barbara Donlon Bradley, Carmen Stefanescu, Emerald, Jessica Cale, Kayelle Allen, Libby McKinmer, Lisa Lowe, Lyncee Shillard, Michelle Davis, Mona Karel, Nicole Morgan, Paloma Beck, Reet Singh, Rochelle Weber, Tina Gayle
Yahoo group (where you can get help) https://groups.io/g/marketingforromancewriters
Twitter https://twitter.com/MFRW_ORG
Kayelle Allen on Twitter https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/161092-the-mfrw-book-place
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/mfrworg/
JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.
Or, Why Elaine is a Bisexual Character in Changing Faces by Guest Author Barb Caffrey
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When Kayelle Allen and I talked about a guest blog in support of my new LGBT-friendly novel, Changing Faces, I wasn’t sure at first what to write. Then it hit me: Most people I’ve talked to, when they hear about my heroine, Elaine Foster, ask me, “Why must Elaine be bisexual when she’s already gender-fluid at the start of your book?”
There’s actually a good reason for that.
You see, my premise in Changing Faces is that people should learn to see souls. Not bodies. And that a transgender couple—in this case, one created by angels, ’cause it’s a fantasy—is most likely to learn to do this first. Because who they are on the inside doesn’t necessarily match who they are on the outside.
“But, Barb,” yo
u protest. “You were going to talk about bisexuality. Why aren’t you?”
I’m getting to that. (Honest.)
It seemed to me when I first started writing Changing Faces, that Elaine had to be bisexual. She already could see souls, to a degree. She already knew how to measure the worth of a person beyond his or her face, and had dated both men and women.
That, in a nutshell, is what a bisexual person is.
Now, as to why she still couldn’t accept herself as gender-fluid easily? Well, as a society, we’re only beginning to learn about people who don’t always feel male or female. Sometimes they feel one way, sometimes another, maybe a third time they have a mix of both traits. Gender preference is not the same thing as sexuality; not by a mile.
So, Elaine has dated women and men. She sees the worth of a person and is not automatically attracted only to one sex. In a way, Elaine isn’t attracted by anyone, sexually. She’s only attracted mentally and emotionally, and then, much later, sex comes into the picture. But that’s not that strange, considering she’s a scholarly sort. She can see into a person, and evaluate who that person is, in a way most people don’t. She doesn’t even think to do this because how she views people is part of who she is.
Ultimately, love is love. Who you love is far more important than what gender your love happens to be. Seeing a person’s soul, seeing a person’s heart, seeing a person’s worth, is far more important than whether that person is straight, gay, bisexual, or Martian.
Elaine knows that.
That’s why I wrote Elaine in this particular way. As a bisexual character, she already had all these traits. So, why did I use a bisexual character? I realized that was who Elaine was. I codified the traits she already had, before I realized I could use a label most people would understand: the word “bisexual.”
In other words, the story demanded that Elaine be bisexual. So she is.
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3CQKWJ
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Barb Caffrey is a writer, editor, and musician who holds two degrees in Music. She has a particular fondness for the clarinet, lived in Nebraska for the better part of three years, and appreciated the ability to combine both her loves with the writing of Changing Faces.
Her other books are An Elfy on the Loose and A Little Elfy in Big Trouble (otherwise known as the Elfy duology), while her short stories have appeared in a number of places (most recently in Realms of Darkover). She’s also the co-writer of the Joey Maverick series of stories (with late husband Michael B. Caffrey), so the next story you might see from her could be military science fiction—or better yet, military science fiction with romance. She lives in Wisconsin.
Where to find Barb Caffrey
Website/Blog https://elfyverse.wordpress.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/BarbCaffrey
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/barb.caffrey.1
(Note from Kayelle: Barb has been my editor for three books now and if she’s willing, many more. FYI – she would probably object to the adverb “many” in the previous sentence. Just saying.)
Live forever, not trust forever. When covert alignments, mistrust, mistakes, and regrets dominate every day life, you need a CHOSEN. While it’s good to trust, you must also trust the right person.
My heroes live forever, and need trustworthy Chosen companions. But what if one of them was not what you thought? What if the person you loved didn’t love you? Would you want to live forever surrounded by traitors? Who wants to live forever — all alone? No one. Therefore, you need someone to trust.
Called to serve
Honored to protect
Obedient to the vow
Safeguards of the truth
Enablers of life
Neutralizers of threats
In the secret society of the Chosen, a group of mortals who serve the immortal Sempervians, being gay or straight is no different from being brown-eyed or blue-eyed. No one notices or cares. But disloyalty among the Chosen is punishable by death, and in this trilogy, everyone’s loyalty is questioned.
Covert alignments, mistrust, mistakes, and regrets pepper the playing field. Both the Chosen and the Sempervians harbor enemies and spies within their ranks — some known and tolerated, others concealed behind layers so convoluted eternity isn’t long enough to figure them out. When you factor in multiple allegiances and aliases, knowing who to trust takes on a whole new level of danger — especially if you live forever.
When I wrote the Tales of the Chosen (Wulf, Alitus, and Jawk) I knew the books lived in a much larger universe. Now, several new books in that same universe mean change.
The Chosen series, with its significant plot points make vital reading. Readers who don’t want explicit content will not even know what they missed. Readers asked for these stories in a less hot version.
Once I edit the three books to make them more mainstream, the sweeter versions will merge into an anthology. I’ll keep the Chosen boxed set as well — with the erotic content for those who like it hot. In addition, each set will contain An Immortal’s Guide to Tarth.
I will take the individual books out of print forever once that new set releases, later this summer or early fall.
In the meantime, I’m putting them on sale. In June, pick up Wulf for free. The two sequels, Alitus and Jawk, cost only 99 cents each. The boxed set includes a fourth book, An Immortals Guide to Tarth ($2.99). Unlike my Sempervians, these prices won’t live forever, because on July 1st, prices revert to $2.99 each. Grab them now if you want hot romance at a good price. After this fall, the individual books go away.
If you want the boxed set, this is where to find it. If you want the individual books (because, say — you already own Wulf) then you want the links after this.
Amazon http://amzn.to/1Ke65fX
Barnes and Noble https://books2read.com/wulf-chosen
Goodreads http://bit.ly/totcset-good
iBooks https://books2read.com/wulf-chosen
Inktera https://books2read.com/complete-chosen
Scribd http://bit.ly/totcset-scr
Smashwords https://books2read.com/complete-chosen
The boxed set not available in print.
Individual book pages (and buy links): Wulf – Alitus – Jawk
Already love the Chosen? Now read Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas — because the Chosen ultimately serve Pietas. Get his illustrated quote book along with Bro and the Top Stops book.
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| The beauty of our world |
Earth Day began in 1970 and was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. It is an international holiday to promote conservation and concern for the environment.
The “Earth Day Anthem” below satisfies these requirements for a universal song associated with Earth Day. Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” melody is already the official anthem of the European Union (in that case purely instrumental without lyrics), the melody is widely recognized and easily performed, in the public domain, and originally composed for voice.
Joyful joyful we adore our Earth in all its wonderment
Simple gifts of nature that all join into a paradise
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world
Now we must resolve to protect her
Show her our love throughout all time
With our gentle hand and touch
We make our home a newborn world
credit: Wikipedia
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| Drated: an abandoned world |
Conservation is a prevalent theme in many science fiction stories about the future, with films like Soylent Green, Children of Men, and Avatar. Each warned of consequences for not controlling the environment. Whether it’s recycling, reading eBooks, planting a garden, or taking part in Earth Day activities, each of us can play a part. Whatever the future may hold, one thing is certain — we can each take responsibility for our surroundings and do our part to make the world a better place. Pictured: Drated, an abandoned world in the Tarthian Empire (from books in my Tarthian Empire series).
This is part of the Earth Day Hop with JustRomance.me If you came along from a different route, you can click here to begin. http://justromance.me
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| Diversity Pays. |
Today, May 17th, is International Homophobia Awareness Day. I’m taking part in a series of blogs designed to bring attention to the subject.
I decided to focus on diversity in the military, because I’m a veteran. I served in the US Navy for four of the longest years of my life. ^_^ Everyone should have the right to work unimpeded by harrassment. As a woman, I experienced harrassment from shipmates who thought it their right to “Join the Navy and ride the WAVES.” WAVES = Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service. By the time I joined, the “emergency” aspect was over, and the name had changed to WINS (Women in Naval Service). However, the phrase only changed to “Join the Navy and jam the WINS” (a play on jamming the winds on a sailing ship), so the attitude was the same. Women were not viewed as coworkers, but as sex objects. Two items we were required to wear were a girdle, and lipstick. I managed the lipstick (at least in the morning), but figured out about day two of boot camp that no one was going to feel me up for a girdle. I kept one on hand for uniform inspection (we had to occasionally show we had the proper “kit” on hand), but never wore one.
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| Pay for a Navy WAVE (1940s) |
When I reported to my first duty station, there were two heads (bathrooms). One was for men, the other for officers. Women had to walk to the next building, which housed offices. Fortunately, that changed not long after. Pay wasn’t bad. In the 40s, women were paid different amounts from men. By the time I came along, we were paid the same as men. But there were still things that kept women and men apart when it came to service. Our uniforms were different from men’s. Women were permitted to wear male fatigues (a type of dungaree and chambray shirt) when working in areas such as a flight line, rather than the more restrictive and detailed female pants and blouses with darts. I recall being told if I didn’t like a rule to “get back in your own uniform.” As if what I wore had something to do with my attitude.
I also thought it was disgraceful that women were referred to as “civilians under naval training” as if we didn’t really “cut it” to be true members of the military. It wasn’t until I was writing up a complaint about being called this that I noticed what the acronym would be: CUNT. It was a good thing no one had called me that within earshot. Back then, I had a tendency to speak before thinking. I’m amazed I got into as little trouble as I did. Before I submitted the report, we got a notice from the captain of the base that he had heard about this very term, and stated in strong terms that it was never to be used on the base again. If it wouldn’t have risked making me look like a girly girl (or being put on report for conduct unbecoming) I’d have hugged the man. 🙂
The very next day, one of the women in my squadron brought in a Chippendales poster to put in her locker, since the walls in her work area were plastered with naked women. Her male coworkers tore it down. Next morning, she and I went to the chief to complain about the double standard, and were told the captain had already taken care of that problem, too. It seems he had decided to give his new bride a tour of the facilities and did a walk-through prior to bringing her on base. The guys muttered for days, but the walls were plain green after that.
| Pay for all service members (2012) (from USNavy) |
It was wrong of my coworkers to treat women the way they did when we first arrived. Because the captain of the base took steps to ensure we women had a chance to prove ourselves, we were able to overcome the prejudices against us. I ended up making lifelong friends on that base, most of them with men. My husband and I still have good memories of them. We women were willing to stand up for ourselves, but having someone in leadership who took steps to do the right thing made all the difference for us. I hope you will do the right thing for gay, lesbian, and transgendered workers around you.
Are you in a position to speak up where you work? You might not be in a leadership position, but can you step in and prevent harrassment? Are you willing to allow people a chance to prove they are good workers, and see past their outside appearance? Are you willing to speak up when others are treated with less courtesy or respect? Would you want someone to stand up for your kid sister or brother if they were harrassed? What will you do when you see a gay, lesbian, or transgendered person spoken to in a less than courteous manner, or treated unfairly where you work? For some help about what to do and how to handle it, click this link. 2012 Diversity Pays
To visit other blogs in this hop, click HERE.
