Meow, Woof, Purr: Animals in Romance Novels – Yes Or No?

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scilla
Scilla

I admit it. I’m a total Crazy Cat Lady in the making. We have two, a darling, über-friendly tuxedo named Scilla, and a gorgeous but true scaredy-cat Maine Coon mix, Presley. I’d have more, but it’s either get more cats or keep the husband, and I’m rather fond of the husband. So, our tally remains at two.

Presley, Elvis's inspiration.
Presley, Elvis’s inspiration.

However, I decided one way early on to indulge in my love for animals would be to include them in each of my novels, just for fun. They don’t and won’t necessarily play a main part or be central to any plot, but I feel most humans benefit from having a furry creature around, and how people interact with animals sheds a lot of light on a person’s character, don’t you think?

einstein
Einstein. I still miss him.

In A Man of Character, I mention two cats. One, Elvis, is the Maine Coon-esque cat that Cat and Eliza own. He is unashamedly patterned (and named) after my own Presley. And I figured since I had one of my cats thrown in there, might as well throw in another: Einstein, my first cat from when I was younger, also a Maine Coon mix. If you’ve read A Man of Character, you’ll notice I didn’t even change the name! William Dawes mentions his childhood cat, Einstein, and yes, they are one in the same.

english-foxhound-pup
English Foxhound Puppy, from Aboutdogenglishfoxhound.com

When it came to A Matter of Time, it seemed only natural to move from cats to dogs, not only because household cats were somewhat rarer in that time (though I’ve seen portraits of cats, so clearly people did keep them as house pets), but because a Duke’s estate was bound to have hunting dogs, and likely lots of them. So what better to include in a story than English foxhound puppies, especially an adorable one-eyed pup named Pirate?

In my current work-in-progress, A Scandalous Matter, I’ve given our hero a cat named Ada, after Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron and one of the pioneers of computer science. Because there’s something about a man who loves a cat…

The then-boyfriend, now husband with Chazzy.
The then-boyfriend, now husband with Chazzy.

Speaking of which, for all my husband claims not to be a cat person, when we were dating and he first visited my apartment, my cat at the time, a little muted calico, Chazzy, promptly came out and sat right next to him and purred. This was a cat who didn’t come out for anybody. I decided then and there that was a vote of confidence in my boyfriend’s favor, so I married him. Okay, yeah, there were a few other elements involved, but I do love to tell that (true) story.

How about you? Do you like seeing pets or other animals included in romances? Or could you do without?

#ThrowItForwardThursday: Meet Tessa Shapcott, Editor Extraordinaire

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Tessa ShapcottWoot! It’s the final #ThrowItForward Thursday of 2015! (But don’t worry – 2016 will be chock full of other editors, bloggers, fellow authors, designers, and anyone else who helps promote authors, so stay tuned…)

It’s hard for me to believe it’s been a year since I first hired the marvelous Tessa Shapcott to help me whip A Man of Character into shape. It seems like yesterday, and yet so long ago, as well!

I can’t imagine my writing life without her, and am so very grateful not only for Tessa’s outstanding editing instincts, but to Katy Regnery for first recommending her to me (and to Tessa for agreeing to take me on!). My books would not be half of what they are without Tessa’s keen eye for plot and character development issues, y’all. So it’s only fitting that I take time to honor her, and get her to share a little bit about herself (surprise! She’s also an author!) with you on this Throw It Forward Thursday.

How long have you been working as an editor?

HarlequinI’ve got over thirty years’ experience as an editor. After leaving university, I started my working life as a secretary in a London literary agency, then became a children’s books editor for a while, specializing in teenage fiction. Later, I spent many years working for Harlequin Enterprises in their British office, looking after the Mills & Boon romance series, including Harlequin Presents. I left Harlequin in 2013 to freelance and write, and have been working with a growing list of clients from different genres ever since.

What drew you to editing? 

I come from a family of journalists, so words are in my DNA. I did toy with the idea of becoming a newspaper reporter but realized that I wasn’t tough enough for some of the assignments! Then it struck me that I had been a voracious reader and watcher of movies from an early age, and working with writers and the craft of storytelling, and dealing with amazing fictional characters, would be just perfect.

What kinds of editing do you do, and of them, is any one type your favorite?

I’m a fiction editor, specializing in genre and women’s fiction. I particularly love romance, being fascinated as I am by human relationships and I’m also an eternal optimist.

About how many clients do you work with regularly? Are you open to new clients?

I have a regular client list of approximately 25 authors. I am open to new clients if I can accommodate their timelines with my availability.

TVTVFinalEbookCoverDo you have any big name clients you’d like to brag about? Any romance writers in general you’d suggest we try (whether you edit them or not!)?

I love working with all my regulars; they’re all wonderful people and fantastic storytellers. But Katy Regnery, Kylie Gilmore, Jennifer Faye and Mimi Barbour, who are all NYT/USA Today best-sellers, deserve special mentions. Also Kristine Mason, who writes wonderfully chilling thrillers. All are self-published, and I would thoroughly recommend their books.

What’s your take on traditional versus indie publishing for a new author? Can an indie author produce a book comparable in quality to what comes from the professional houses? 

I would say that, for sure, there some indie authors who are absolutely competing head-to-head with traditionally-published writers.

What has interested me since I started my business working with indie authors is the quality of most of the self-published work I see. I think what happens is that traditional publishers—like any branded business—are obliged to build niches within the market and so they set boundaries for what they will and won’t take. Many self-published authors just don’t fit in a particular box, but it doesn’t mean to say that they are not worthy of publication. And what’s more, I am blown away about how intuitive and savvy indies can be about marketing themselves to readers and achieving sales.

I think the book market is currently the most exciting it’s been for a hundred and fifty years, with the two streams of traditional and indie.

What do you wish authors understood about editors?

writingThat an editor’s criticism is a gift! No-one writes the perfect novel straight off. So try not to be too precious or crushed if you get developmental tasks or revisions; put your ego aside and embrace what your editor is trying to tell you—she’s just wanting to help you get the best out of your book. She’s there to act as a professional reader, to show you the strengths and weaknesses of your work. There’s a well-known maximum amongst editors: the more revisions we give you, the more likely it is that we feel you’ve got something worth publishing!

What advice would you give a newbie author when it comes to editing?

Good freelance editors tend to get booked up well in advance, so do plan and approach your editor with plenty of time to spare to avoid disappointment. I am usually booked out 3-4 months ahead. However, I find myself having to turn away at least one new writer a week who decided a couple of days before they needed to get their manuscript edited, and who expects that I can begin work the next day. I should add that good freelance editors will also be juggling a number of projects/authors at any given time.

wifeineverysenseYou’ve told me you write as well as edit! Tell us about your own work!

I write romance under the pseudonym Joanne Walsh, and publish with Entangled Indulgence and Tule Publishing. I am loving doing it! My heroes are alpha males and I love to pit them against determined heroines in intense, passionate relationships. I write about international backgrounds (Italy and Greece are favourites), and like my characters to go through journeys of self-transformation emotionally.

How does your editing experience impact you as a writer?

That’s a very good question! I’d say that, having started writing, I am now a better editor because I understand now exactly how it feels to be edited, to struggle with deadlines, characters that won’t behave and words that don’t come. And there’s nothing like the exhilaration of getting your novel published. It’s definitely humbled me a little!

You live in England. Is there a big difference in the romance markets, from what you know, between the US and the UK?

Not a great deal actually. Authors can be best-sellers on both sides of the Atlantic if they have accessible voices and write about engaging characters and universal emotional truths and themes.

Thank you so much, Tessa! I feel unbelievably privileged to be one of your regular clients, and am so grateful for everyone you’ve done for me in whipping A Man of Character and A Matter of Time into publication-worthy shape.
Here’s to a fruitful 2016 for both of us, and for all of the authors with whom you work! 

Writer Wednesday: Ahoy to Katherine Bone!

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katherineboneWahoo! It’s the LAST Writer Wednesday of 2015! What? Yup, and to celebrate, I invited Katherine Bone back to share with us about her latest anthology, Once Upon A True Love’s Kiss. And to talk pirate with me, because I be lovin’ the salty brogue, me hearties! So I give the podium over to Katherine:

Ahoy, Lady Margaret! Thank you so much for inviting me back to parlay on Writer Wednesday!!! Jack and I are eager to share our next adventure with you and your readers. Huzzah!

“You look familiar.” Jack scratches his beard. “Have you ever been to Tortuga?”

[“No.” Margaret’s eyes are all innocence. “But what happened on my Christmas cruise to the Bahamas, stays on my Christmas cruise…except maybe that bit about when I kissed a dolphin in Nassau. That’s a story for another day, though. For now, I want to hear from Katherine. And, well, stare at you, ye handsome devil…”]

How did this anthology come to be? Who decided who’s in it, and the theme?

lovejokeBeing invited to join this set was a major honor! Color me über surprised when Author Collette Cameron approached me about joining her in this adventure. (You know pirates. They’re up for almost anything!) Between the two of us, we came up with suggestions for other Regency authors to join the box set. Keeping our eyes on the prize—historical romance—we collectively decided to play off of the tried and true theme of “Once Upon a Time” and a bit of brainstorming later, we all decided on the most romantic thing a woman can ever experience…True Love’s Kiss!

How long does it take to pull an anthology like this together?

We started gathering authors this past April/May, scheduled due dates for our books (my first time hiring an editor for a self-published book), then assigned duties to each author to help utilize individual skills each author possessed. It’s a collaborative effort, teamwork that almost never seems to end, but so worthwhile. More importantly, I know I’ve made ARRwesome friendships in the process and that’s what I treasure most!

Do you like writing shorter or longer stories?

MyLordRogue453x680I’d never written a novella until I wrote My Lord Rogue for my Nelson’s Tea Series. I love writing novellas because they are a quick read when time doesn’t allow for enjoying longer books. However, since I write Action/Adventure Pirate Romance, shorter books make it difficult to really achieve the level of emotional and physical punch that I have a great time twisting and turning in my longer books. I tend to write long, so I love looking at writing novellas as a way to learn to tighten my writing. Win. Win. 😉

Give us the scoop on one or two (or more!) other authors from this great group – which of their other stories should we snap up next?

That’s a FANtastic and fun question to answer, Lady Margaret.

Jack snickers. “That’s easy. All of ‘em.”

Several authors have included stories in Once Upon a True Love’s Kiss based on a series they’ve already written. FANs following those series will be excited to find more of their FAVorite characters in the set. Several books are introductions to new series launching in 2016, including my contribution, The Pirate’s Duchess. In my humble opinion, you can’t lose with this set. There’s absolutely something for everyone. Woot!!!

What’s next for Katherine Bone in 2016?

I’m so glad you asked, Lady Margaret! Several things have kept me from finishing the third pirate book in my Nelson’s Tea Series but I’m happy to say I’ll be turning the finished book in to my editor soon. Look for The Rogue’s Surrender, Nelson’s Tea Book #3, to appear sometime in early spring (fingers crossed!). The Pirate’s Debt, Book #2, in my new Regent’s Revenge Series will hopefully be ready for readers in September with The Pirate’s Duty to follow in early 2017. Yes, I’m scheduling myself that far ahead. LOL!!! The Regent’s Revenge Series will be my first self-publishing venture. Huzzah and Hoorah!!!

While preparing for this box set’s release, I’ve been accessing my artistic side by creating memes featuring kissing scenes from our books. (We’re posting one a day, following the authors as listed in the set, until release day January 4, 2106!)

Today’s featured kissing meme comes from Jillian Chantal’s book, Milady and Her Spy!

Kiss Meme JC

 

Once Upon a True Love’s Kiss features USA Today Bestselling author, Julie Johnstone, joined by bestselling, award-winning authors Katherine Bone, Collette Cameron, Jillian Chantal, Samantha Grace, Alanna Lucas, Lauren Smith, and Victoria Vane in this delightful limited edition, containing eight tantalizing kiss-and-tell stories. Meet dashing, wildly charming rogues, spies, pirates, rakes and their extraordinary, intrepid heroines as they whisk you along on sweet to sizzling romantic romps in these wickedly entertaining historical romances.

Here’s a peek at eight tantalizing kiss-and-tell stories, boxed together for a limited time!

AFTER FOREVER by JULIE JOHNSTONE, USA Today bestselling author. Lady Julia is hired to turn a rogue into a gentleman and receives lessons in love and desire. After Forever is the fourth book in Julie Johnstone’s Whisper of Scandal Series. Love truly does have the power to mend a shattered heart.

THE PIRATE’S DUCHESS by KATHERINE BONE, National bestselling author. A duke masquerading as a pirate to “rob from the rich and give to the poor” sheds his darkest-kept secrets to keep from losing the duchess his wife has become.

HER SCANDALOUS WISH by COLLETTE CAMERON, National bestselling and Award-winning author. A marriage offer obligated by duty . . . an acceptance compelled by desperation. Her Scandalous Wish is the third novella in Collette Cameron’s A Waltz with a Rogue Novella series. Love always deserves a second chance!

MILADY AND HER SPY by JILLIAN CHANTAL, 2015 RONE Finalist. A lady, a spy, a traitor… a battle of wills. Milady and Her Spy is Jillian Chantal’s first novella in the Milady Series. Set off on adventure with Lady Augusta Covington.

KISSED BY A SCOTTISH ROGUE by SAMANTHA GRACE, Acclaimed, RITA-nominated author. Scottish land steward Fergus McTaggert calls a temporary truce with his employer’s companion only to discover their passionate battles have been masking their hidden desires. Kissed by a Scottish Rogue is the fourth story in Samantha Grace’s Rival Rogues series. An enemies-to-lovers tale with heart and humor.

STOLEN KISSES FROM THE VISCOUNT by ALANNA LUCAS, National bestselling author. A rake, an heiress, and stolen kisses…this seduction could be his last. Stolen Kisses from the Viscount is the first novella in Alanna Lucas’s Stolen Kisses series. Let the seduction begin.

TEMPTED BY A ROGUE by LAUREN SMITH, National bestselling, Award-winning author. Gemma never planned on falling in love with her childhood sweetheart’s best friend, Jasper, when he returns home, but she can’t resist the naval officer’s brooding charm. Tempted By A Rogue is a standalone novella by Lauren Smith. A sensual regency tale of first loves, mistaken identities and the temptation of two hearts meant to be together.

THE REDEMPTION OF JULIAN PRICE by VICTORIA VANE, National bestselling and award-winning author. She gave him a chance to bury his past…but the price would be his heart. In The Redemption Of Julian Price, a spinster proposes a marriage of convenience to her secret love in this funny, flirty, poignant, and passionate Regency set romance.

OnceUponATrueLovesKiss

Once Upon a True Love’s Kiss – Available January 4, 2016 

Preorder Now!

Indigo      Amazon     B&N     iTunes     Kobo

Thanks again for featuring me on another Writer Wednesday, Lady Margaret! It’s been a great pleasure sailin’ the literary seas with you and your readers. Wishing everyone at Writer Wednesday a very Happy New Year! Stay safe, me hearties!!!

Jack swaggers up with a shiny grin. “Don’t forget to add… make sure the rum isn’t gone.”

“The rum is never gone on board ship.” Katherine shrugs and then points at Jack. “He sees to that.”

*Treasure Alert* What kind of characters would you like to see in a Regency box set?
Comment below – One lucky winner will receive a FREE ecopy of Once Upon a True Love’s Kiss!

Blessings,

Katherine

Wait, you mean I have to stop drooling over Jack now? Doggone it. Pass me that rum.
But thanks, Ms. Bone, for joining me oh-so-briefly for adventures upon the romantic seas!