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Tips about writing, suggestions for better writing, how to write.

Bisexual Character: Why Write One? @barbcaffrey #amediting #author

Or, Why Elaine is a Bisexual Character in Changing Faces by Guest Author Barb Caffrey

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.

Bisexual Character – for a reason

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,” yoBisexual Character: Why Write One? @barbcaffrey #amediting #authoru 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


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.)

Is it right to quit? 10 times it’s ok #author #entrepreneur

The question, “Is it right to quit?” seems to require a “No!” in response. But does it? Not if you are quitting for the right reasons. Here are ten times it’s okay (and perhaps advisable) to quit.

When is it right to quit?

  1. When you realize what you’re doing is wrong. You’ve gone about it the hard way, for example, or you realize your information was incorrect.
  2. When it’s harmful or dangerous to yourself, others, or the environment.
  3. When it’s wasteful and not a good use of resources. Is it right to quit if you can fix the issue? Perhaps not.
  4. When someone else can do it better for less. This is an iffy one — quality and quantity are market related. If you can make a widget for a dollar and someone else has a means to make ten of them for that price and they outperform yours, give serious thought to moving on.Is it right to quit? 10 times it's ok #author #entrepreneur @kayelleallen
  5. When it’s not going in the right direction for your purposes.
  6. When you can’t control what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, this is a good time to step back and reconsider how and why. Is it right to quit if you can’t control the outcome? This is probably one of the best times, depending on what you are trying to do in the first place.
  7. When it’s no longer necessary. At some point, when no one needs this product or service, set it aside and move on.
  8. When it’s time to hand it over to a new person. Perhaps someone you know needs a chance to succeed and this project would be ideal for them. Step back and coach, but let it go. Is it right to quit when it means enabling others? Yes.
  9. When you’ve lost your enthusiasm. Perhaps a different approach to the issue is needed, but if you’ve tried different things and you still don’t care, quit. I know, that flies in the face of contemporary advice, but don’t beat a dead horse. Ride a live one.
  10. When you no longer love it. You might be enthusiastic about the concept or the product, but you’re tired of it. You don’t want to do this anymore. Then by all means, step back and move on.

The point of knowing when to quit is knowing what to do afterward. Is it right to quit just because you feel like it? Well, why do you feel like it? Is it because one of the reasons above?

Let me share some things I decided to quit doing recently. I unsubscribed from a few online services I no longer used and from a few newsletters I never read. I stopped wasting time opening email and then filing it and instead, set up a filter in email to automatically file many emails from my target people (friends, family, and businesses). Now I can see the folders have unread mail, read it, and then either delete it or go on to the next thing. It cut down on time filing quite a bit.

I am a graphic designer and love creating banners, and more. I created a company, The Author’s Secret, for that purpose. However, after five years, I realized I was spending so much time maintaining social media, websites, blog posts, and more for both myself and the company that I had little time left to do what I want to do most. Write. So after a long soul-searching period, I decided to close the company.

Is it right to quit? I think so, yes, when the reasons are sound. What do you think? Is it right to quit or should you slug it out no matter what? Share your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to hear from you, yea or nay.

How to Leave a Review #amreading #Books

Does it matter if readers leave a review? Yes. A book with even one review moves up in the sales ranking on Amazon. With enough reviews, an author can join programs that offer the book to more readers. It’s easy to leave a review. If you’ve never written a review before, this will guide you.

How to Leave a Review #amreading #Books @kayelleallen

What should a review say?

If you received a book free then Amazon requires the following text (you can copy and paste):

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

For the rest of the review, the wording is up to you. When you leave a review, you should tell others what you liked about the book, or how you felt the author did at getting across the story. It can say that you recommend it to other readers. A review should not give away the ending of a story or spoil surprises for other readers. A review can be short and sweet.

What should a review not say?

Remember that a book review is for a product for sale, so keep the topic to the actual product. It should not have negative or unkind words. If should be about a book you’ve read. If you didn’t read it, it’s not fair to leave a review. It should not be about delivery issues. For example, if the book arrived late in the mail, that has nothing to do with the book itself.

Where can you leave a review?

If you have a blog, Facebook page, or an account on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, or other sites, you can post a review there. Here is a brief how-to that will guide you to getting to the right place to leave a review. In the examples below, I’ve used the book title “A Romance for Christmas” but you can substitute that for any title you wish.

To leave a review on Amazon

Go to www.amazon.com and log in.

To be considered a verified reviewer on Amazon, you need to have purchased at least one item from Amazon in the past.

In the search bar, put A Romance for Christmas.

Once you find the book, scroll down to “Customer Reviews” and click on “Write a customer review.”

To leave a review on Goodreads

Go to www.goodreads.com and login or create a new account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/create.

In the search bar, put A Romance for Christmas.

Once you find the book, click on it.

Rate the book with a star number underneath the book cover. The box above the stars will now mark the book as “Read.”

Hover over the box saying “Read” and you will see a small pop up balloon. Inside the balloon, click “Write a Review.”

Write a review in the box on this page or copy and paste your review from Amazon.

Sample Reviews

A sweet Christmas romance by @kayelleallen #holiday romance
A Romance for Christmas

Here are three actual reviews for my book A Romance for Christmas.

  1. Even when you think there’s no one else for you, surprises happens & another chance presents itself. Take a shot and see what happens.
  2. Merry Christmas to me. Absolutely loved this romantic story. Just beautiful.
  3. It was a very touching story! Dara and Scott were perfect for each other because they had a lot in common. It was a nice light romance and fun!

 As you can see, a review doesn’t have to be long or have a lot of detail. Of course, if you think a book deserves a longer review, by all means leave one.

Do you have any tips for reviews? Please share them in the comments. If you left a review because you read this post, please share the link. It doesn’t have to be one of my books. Also, feel free to share this post with friends.

Photon: more than just torpedoes #astronomy #wotd #scifi

“Photon torpedoes! Fire!” If you thought that was a line right out of Star Trek, congratulations. You were right. The show has been on television, in movies, books, and other media for fifty years now. The imaginative people who created and wrote it have amassed a galaxy-sized universe in which they can release stories. There are entire wikis devoted to the Star Trek series.

Writing good Science Fiction is more than the product of a good imagination, however. Along with writing and editing skills, marketing, networking, and willingness to work hard, a scifi storyteller also needs science fact on which to base that fiction.

When I’m researching a story, I start at the bottom and work my way up. I subscribe to Astronomy Magazine and read it both digitally and in print, skipping few words in either edition. Because I’m no science expert, I depend on material created by those who are. When I don’t understand a concept, one way to grasp the basics to start with a book or website geared toward young readers. A good one is Ducksters which has a science section called Physics for Kids. It contains simple information in an interesting way and suggests other places to continue research. According to them, a photon is not made of smaller units, which means it’s an elementary particle. It has no electric charge or mass, and it’s stable. There is a list of other qualities. To read more, visit http://www.ducksters.com/science/physics/photons.php

There are numerous other resources a writer can use to research and learn. In the Astronomy Word of the Day series, I’ll be sharing material I’ve gleaned over the years, as well as resources where I’ve found them. While I won’t share a word every day, there will be one at least once a week. Be sure to bookmark this page and follow the blog for more.

Photon: more than just torpedoes @kayelleallen #astronomy #wotd #scifi

Photon: Astronomy word of the Day

A photon is one of the basic units of light. It has properties of both a particle and a wave, which allows light to be diffused and refracted. A photon has no mass and does not carry a charge. They form the most visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The word comes from Greek (phos or phot) meaning light. Combined with electron (an English word), the word photon means “particle representing the smallest distinct and separate amount of light.”

In the Star Trek universe, there are multiple types of photon torpedoes and were fired in a tube-shaped case. The warhead itself contained a detonation chamber filled with antimatter. When detonated it created a a matter-antimatter explosion and ion radiation (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan).

So are there really photon torpedoes? Would they work? Not according to theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. He says a photon torpedo would have as much power as a flashlight. I can see the battles now… Captain Kirk (or another Star Trek captain – take your pick) orders the photon torpedoes to fire, and the entire crew of the ship whips out flashlights and shines them on the enemy. That would, in truth, be as effective as a “real” photon torpedo.

So while “photon torpedo” sounds good in scifi usage, the actual definition of photon means torpedoes won’t be in our future. At least, not like the ones in Star Trek.

Like this type of post? Want to see more? What other words would you like to see? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Details, details. Ritual is everything #scifi

When I decided to write about the immortal warrior Pietas, who’s been the villain in several of my books, I thought he might have issues with details. You know, the type that makes you adjust and readjust a picture, straighten a towel, or minutely focus the volume of a song. Boy was I right! And I thought I was insistent on details? In the beginning of the book, Pietas performs a ritual before entering into peace talks with a group of humans. The ritual is designed to help him focus, and he repeats it later in the book. It’s when he puts on the mask shown in the cover. Pietas has a mantra that he repeats a half dozen times in the book, to remind himself he will survive; he will overcome. His singleminded devotion to duty makes him one of the most implacable, indomitable warriors ever born.

After the ritual and its details are complete in the beginning of the book, his sister (who aids him) asks if he’s ready for the peace talks. Pietas says, “No. I’m ready for war.” Here’s a peek at the ritual.

Early on the first morning of the peace talks, Pietas entered his round bathing room. Starlight filtered through the portal overhead. Sleek silver walls reflected the cool light.

He remained at the door, content to savor its calming glow. Its beauty did not dispel the worry niggling at his mind. Not given to trusting premonitions and omens, he grounded himself with meditation. Once he centered himself and calmed his spirit, Pietas took a deep, purifying breath, and with slow deliberation, exhaled.

“Time to begin. Lights.”

The room brightened.

He shed his silk robe and let it fall at his feet. Nude, his platinum hair streaming down his back and chest, he lifted his hands, palms up as if praying.

On the planet Kaffir, warriors used this ritual to summon spirits. He used it to affirm his own superior strength and prowess.

Before a copper fire pit, he plucked one blond hair, and fed it to the fire. It singed and melted.

“As fire has victory over life, so I have victory over my enemies.”

He passed a hand through the flame, and hissed at the searing heat, relishing the pain. He cupped his hand over the flame’s source, and held it until the fire went out. The burns on his palm cooled, and as he watched, the skin healed. Of all the elements, fire alone had power to linger on an Ultra’s skin. He welcomed it as a symbol of victory.

“I am powerful, as fire is powerful.”

Pietas thrust both hands forward, clutched his fists, and yanked them back.

“I own the wind. I prevail over the breath of my enemies.”

In the bathing area, he took six steps down into a waist-deep pool.

“Water submits to my presence the way enemies submit to my will.”

He cupped water in his hands, lifted it, and let it pour down his arms.

“The blood of my enemies trickles into the pool of time, is absorbed, and forgotten.”

He pushed wet fingers through his hair, and released it.

“My mind is clear. I do not waver.”

He Details, details. Ritual is everything #scifisubmersed, and rose, head thrown back, face lifted to the sparkle of stars above.

“My body submits to my will. No pain defeats me. No fear touches me.”

He swept his hands down his chest to his loins, and the tops of his thighs.

“My will is absolute.”

A scratching sound alerted him to the presence of his silver-skinned android servant. The creature entered, and Pietas fixed him with a hard glare. “Why did you interrupt me?”

“Your guest is here, my lord, in the living area.” He offered Pietas a towel.

“Leave it.” He waved the android away.

After exiting the pool, Pietas brushed off the water and wrung out his hair. He pulled out a tray holding half a dozen clasps. He chose a silver dragon studded with six turquoise stones, twisted his wet hair, and fastened it up, out of the way.

He dried his face, gathered a brush, and picked up a pot of black face paint. Leaning in close to a freestanding mirror, he outlined a bandit’s mask from beneath his eyes to over his dark eyebrows, and filled it with black.

He’d worn the mask in battle ever since defeating the First Division, a human special-ops group formed to fight Ultras. It came about because Pietas had slain an enemy, and blood splashed across his eyes. Thinking the blood belonged to Pietas, the Ultra troops had rallied to him and slaughtered the humans. The blood dried almost black.

Stories of how their “bandit king” had conquered the First Division filled the night. The name stuck. To his troops, he was First Conqueror, War Leader of the Ultras.

Pietas turned his head side to side, surveying the effect.

His body would reject foreign matter on his skin. The Ultra metabolism protected from every perceived attack, even harmless face paint. He closed his eyes and sprayed sealant over the mask to delay its disappearance by a few hours.

Satisfied with his looks, Pietas pulled on a pair of loose white lounging pants. With a deep, cleansing breath, he opened the door. Damp, shirtless, barefoot, he padded into the adjacent room.

Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas
Two enemy warriors: one human, one immortal. Different in belief, alike in spirit, marooned together on an alien world.

Imprisoned and in isolation over a year without food or water, the immortal Pietas survives. Though broken in body, his intellect and will are intact, thanks to Six, the special ops warrior who captured him, but kept him sane. The warrior had no hand in his deprivation and, like Pietas, was betrayed by his own kind. When Pietas is abandoned on an alien world with nothing but his honor–and Six–he must find and rejoin other immortal exiles. After centuries of war, Pietas detests humans and kills them on sight, but he is too damaged to continue on his own. Though he despises needing help, he allows Six to nurture and restore him to full strength, and then accompany him. As they cross the planet together on foot, the immortal begins to wonder if he has found his first human friend, or if Six is loyal only because Pietas could keep the others from tearing him to shreds. This human will either be his closest living friend, or the one whose betrayal will trigger all-out vengeance by the most powerful immortal ever born.

Immortal. Warrior. Outcasts. Traitors took everything. Except their honor.
Amazon http://amzn.to/1R8DAbb
CreateSpace http://bit.ly/boc-origin-csp

Join my Romance Lives Forever Reader Group and you’ll get sneak peeks of new books, plus find out about special contests just for members. There will be exclusive giveaways for members prior to a book release. When you join, you get a free book right away, and two the next day. Want other options to know when a book is released? Join AuthorAlarms and get one email when a new book is out. Follow me on Amazon — Twitter — Facebook.

Workshop: Writing and Comics Track @OutlantaCon #scifi #amwriting

Workshop: Writing and Comics Track @OutlantaCon #scifi #amwritingOutlantaCon has been around for 8 years and has seen a steady increase of attendance. It’s an Atlanta-based event for the Queer Geek audience, and the straight audience too. It’s my favorite convention, and I’ve attended since the first year. I have an honorary lifetime membership. When you attend a workshop here, you relax and chat, and can ask questions one-on-one. As a writer, it’s a great way to network, cut loose, and have some fun. The literary guests (in alphabetical order by first name) include:
Ally Blue
Brent D Seth
Eden Winters
Kage Alan
Kayelle Allen
Kiernan Kelly
Lee Martindale
Michael James Bode
R Alan Sler
Warren Rochelle

Workshop Listing

This workshop listing is only a sample. Please see the website for the full list. I’m teaching one of these, plus one on using Twitter (Sunday 5/15).

Workshop: Transitioning from Writing in One Genre to Another: Don’t Be Afraid
Fri, May 13, 10:30pm – Sat, May 14, 12:00am
Room: Decatur I
Why is stepping outside our writing safety zone so difficult? Is trying something new a good thing? Bad thing? Will we lose readers? Gain new ones? Can we successfully go from one genre to another?
10:30p – 11:45p
Panelists: Kage Alan, Kiernan Kelly, Eden Winters

Workshop: Self Publishing Vs. Publish with an Agent: The Pros and Cons
Sat, May 14, 10:30am – 12:00pm
Room: Decatur I
Discussion of the differences between traditional publishing versus self publishing. The values and pitfalls that happen with each. How to navigate and decide which would work best for the individual.
10:30a – 11:34a
Instructor: Kage Alan

Workshop: Walking the Self-Publishing Minefield
Sun, May 15, 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Room: Decatur II
A round table discussion of what to do and what to avoid when self publishing in order to turn out a polished manuscript, including how to market it once it’s published.
Noon – 1:15p
Instructors: Keirnan Kelly and Kayelle Allen

Don’t see a workshop you like? No worries. There is an entire list available on the convention website, and more than one track to choose from.
Main site http://www.outlantacon.org/
Programming http://www.outlantacon.org/#!programming/c1yjy
Membership http://www.outlantacon.org/#!membership/chul
Cost for the entire weekend is $60, or $30 for Saturday only. Email registration@outlantacon.org for more information.

Where is OutlantaCon?

Atlanta Marriott Century Center/Emory Area
2000 Century Boulevard NE Atlanta GA 30345
More info on the Marriott Reservation page.
The rate is 92.00 USD/night plus applicable taxes for the Thursday to Monday dates of the convention. If you have any problems with the reservation process online call the hotel direct. (404) 325-0000

New Film Festival at @OutlantaCon May 13-15 #scifi #Creedence

Film festival @OutlantaCon 2016OutlantaCon has been around for 8 years and has seen a steady increase of attendance. With the growing local film industry we have decided to reach out to filmmakers who share with us a common ground and help showcase their work. This will be our first film festival but we plan to make it a memorable annual event. Outlantacon is an Atlanta-based event for the Queer Geek audience! You’ll find all the usual convention fare here, the difference is that it all has a queer ‘bent’ to it. Here you can enjoy all the convention trappings in an atmosphere where you’re free to be yourself! Let it not be said that this convention is just for LGBT. There are straight people here and there are few more awesome ways to support equal rights than to attend a Convention with such interesting folks.

While there is no specific type of film we are looking for our festival is geared towards the “Geek” and LGBTQ community. Our Short Film Festival looks to bring not just films to our community but also discussions that speak to the contemporary LGBTQ experience.

The festival is for people who are not only coming to watch films but engage in discussion on issues relating to film, fandom and LGBTQ issues around the globe. Visitors, on a lighter note, also have the possibility to meet convention guests and directors behind the films, engaging with known figures in our community who have been in attendance and participating in panel discussions.

We aim to maintain and increase the visibility of the LGBTQ community with the view ultimately to bring around the propagation of a tolerant society where sexual minority groups and individual freedom and choice are both respected and protected.

If you are a filmmaker and would like to be a part of our film festival in Atlanta, Georgia then please submit your work for our consideration.

Film Awards & Prizes

AWARDS

Best first film
Best Narrative Film
Best Documentary
Best Animated Short
Best Performance
Best Cinematography
Best Sound
Best Score
Best Director
Best Production Design
Best Fan Film
Best Student film
Best New Fandom Award

SPONSORED PRIZES

Audience Choice
Best Screen Play
In Our Image Award
The Scream Queen Prize
The John Waters Prize
The Divine Prize
The Frank-N-Furter Prize

When and Where is OutlantaCon?

Friday, May 13th through Sunday May 15th
Atlanta Marriott Century Center/Emory Area
2000 Century Boulevard NE Atlanta GA 30345
More info on the Marriott Reservation page.
The rate is 92.00 USD/night plus applicable taxes for the Thursday to Monday dates of the convention. If you have any problems with the reservation process online call the hotel direct. (404) 325-0000

#starwars Love it or hate it #MaytheFourthBeWithYou

StarWars with MikeyTrue confession: I am a geek and proud of it. I love StarWars and saw the first movie in a theater when it first came out. I was pregnant with my first child at the time. When StarWars: the Force Awakens came out last year, I took her youngest child to see it. I felt as if I’d gone full circle.

StarWars Opinions

Everyone has an opinion about this series. I won’t go into the platitudes about it or state the obvious about how it changed cinema forever. It’s obvious that it did. The technology to create the first film revolutionized filming. SteadiCam anyone? In the same way, Avatar made 3D a new force to be reckoned with (no pun intended).

When fans say “May the Fourth be with you” on every May 4th, it’s a tribute to the legacy of the series. The Jedi say “May the force be with you” as a means of farewell, and a blessing that is more than “good luck”. The fan phrase is also a reminder of the fun to be had when watching the films. When I saw The Force Awakens I loved seeing all the Easter eggs (references to things fans would recognize). There were entire blogs devoted to listing them. Here’s a trailer that claims to list them ALL.

https://youtu.be/8Rfs8Mx3Xx8

Created by George Lucas, the first film in the series was released in 1977. It began with the Episode 4: A New Hope. Episode 5 and 6 followed, and then several years later, episodes 1, 2, and 3 were released. With episode 7, we are beginning a new leg of the series. It’s a fan joke that we teach our kids to count this way: 4-5-6-1-2-3-7. Seriously, when you ask someone if they’ve seen the first StarWars, they invariably ask “Episode 1 or Episode 4”? Because 4 was the first, but 1 is the fourth, while still technically being the first episode. It’s like being a termite in a yo-yo. You go around and around with this.

But however you add it up, StarWars is one of those series you either love or hate. It’s polarizing, and hard to explain. I guess you’ll have to see it for yourself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Whether you are a new fan or one from way back, may the fourth (and the force) be with you.

University for Romance Writers @RomanceUniv #MFRWauthor

University for Romance Writers

Romance UniversityI’m proud to announce I’ve been invited to join Romance University as a regular contributor. I’ll be sharing posts about various aspects of marketing and writing. Romance University is dedicated to helping writers establish and advance their careers, introducing readers to a variety of authors, and delving into the ever-inscrutable male mind. Below is info taken from the “About Us” portion of the site, showing what kind of goodies are covered when.

As the founder of Marketing for Romance Writers, this is a great spot for me. I currently share on the MFRW Author blog on the 3rd of each month, and I’m often on the Yahoo group talking and sharing with members. MFRW is also on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads. We promote for our members, so if you’re looking for a way to get your name out there, come by and see us.

Monday: Crafting Your Career

Most writers begin writing because they love the process–using just the right word, crafting the perfect sentence, giving life to imaginary people. However satisfying the writing process, many writers begin to want more. The want people to read about and love those imaginary folks. Okay–they want people to pay to read about those imaginary folks. Join us each Monday at RU where we’ll discuss the business of writing or career topic. Visiting Professors (guest bloggers) at the university often stop by the school to offer advice.

Wednesday: Anatomy of the Mind

This is the day we explore every facet of writing, reading, and men.

Friday: Chaos Theory of Writing

On Fridays, RU Faculty along with industry professionals and established authors will focus on the elements of manuscript writing. Tips to help you hone your craft and write a damn fine book. After all, it will be your writing that will catch (and retain) the interest of a lucky agent or editor.We’ll tap into our own experiences, share what’s working and what isn’t as we chase our dreams of becoming published authors. We’ll also discuss advice from our favorite writing reference books and websites. So join us each Friday to experience the chaos of writing.

Join Me

Please join me on Romance University, a place where friends are made and dreams are realized. http://romanceuniversity.org/

Creating a Legend: Pietas #scifi #amwriting

The Legend of Pietas

Legend, Bringer of Chaos
Bringer of Chaos

The book, Bringer of Chaos, begins with the words: According to legend… No matter how horrific or grisly their wounds, the warriors called Ultras survived. Starvation did not stop them. Disease did not touch them. Only one thing slowed them down.

Death.

But even death didn’t hold them long.

The hyper-metabolism of Ultras made reproduction impossible, with one set of twins the sole exception. Enhanced by their warrior/scientist parents to protect them, the twins mastered every skill of science, art, and war.

The physical superiority of Ultras led to a revolt, and by the Terran year 4436 AD, they ruled the galaxy. Mankind served. Humans repented ever creating them, but there was no going back.

A million Ultras roamed the Terran Crescent and the Colonies of Man, and they ruled the starways, trade, and commerce. By the end of the First Cycle of Wars, the lowest of the subservient races was human.

However, pockets of rebellion persisted. A century of brutal resistance ended when the last beleaguered human rebels offered a treaty.


Pietas is one of the twins. He has been the villain in many of my books, has always fascinated me. I knew there was more to him than I could see, but like a shark swimming in the deepest waters, he was always moving, and always out of sight. As I began writing his book, he started coming into focus. The water grew less murky, and he came closer to the surface. Instead of the cold eyes I expected to see staring back at me, I found a person with heat, and passion, and an unstoppable hunger for not just revenge, but also for the truth.

He is bigger than life. Larger than a legend. One of the most complex characters I’ve ever written, Pietas is the key to every story in my universe. All of them hinge on his influence or presence. As I continue to write his story, I’ll share some of my insights here.

Join my Romance Lives Forever Reader Group and you’ll get inside info about the story as it unfolds, including access to areas of my website not available to anyone else. You’ll get a free book for joining, and another book the next day. As the book asks, “Will you dare to follow Pietas?”