Thursday, December 29, 2011

Year In Review - 2011

Happy New Year! As I look back over the past year, it's been a journey unlike any I've expected. I had a baby, had a book released, traveled around with a baby on a disastrous vacation, attended a wedding where I got to stay at a beautiful mountaintop B&B in New Hampshire, said good-bye to my husbands dog when his long life was ended by illness and then good-bye to my husband when it became apparent our relationship was beyond repair. I took my children and moved downstate to a beautiful home about 10 minutes away from my parents and realized that my life is moving forward. As I look forward to the new year, I realize that while life may take some unexpected twists and turns, it is happening and instead of sitting back and let it happen to me, I can take the wheel and direct it where I want it to go. After years of being not much more than a housewife and mother, I face the prospect of finding a full time job and making a life for my children and myself. For some reason the prospect isn't as scary as I'd once thought.

As a romance author the loss of my marriage is especially painful. I believe in the whole "happily ever after" deal. I see it with my sister, my cousin, my aunt and some friends who have all found the right person to spend their lives with. Unfortunately it's not something I've found for myself - yet. I still believe in love and that there is someone out there who perfectly complements me. Someone who will believe in me and make me feel good about who I am. So romance isn't dead for me. It's just around the bend and waiting for me to find it. It'll wait until I'm ready.

Meanwhile, I'll spend time helping my characters find the love and romance with each other that I know is out there. Here's hoping you all love Jayne and Nick (from Unexpected Destinies) as much as I do!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Ain't he cute? He's the reason I've been so distracted all summer. I'd forgotten how much work a baby can be.  Between the swimming lessons and birthday party trips for my four year old and dealing with the stress of the baby not sleeping it's been a lot of craziness so far this year. I'm still not sure what's going to happen next in my life.Thankfully that is no longer the case with my book.

I've been working hard to finish Unexpected Destinies and plan to submit it to Avon around October 1st. They have a new eBook line, but the best part is that you can also order the book in print so all those people who didn't have a device to read Past Destinies will be able to get Unexpected Destinies.

I'd been having a hard time deciding how to do the ending with in the best way. I couldn't decide if the villain should be killed by the hero, himself, someone else or just get carted off to jail. But then I thought about how I'd dealt with the villain in Past Destinies and he wasn't even as evil as this guy, so I thought I'd better find a good way to kill him off. Sorry guys, I'm not keeping him around for the next book. It has its own villain already, it doesn't need another one. I think I've found a good way to do it, but I'm not sure if I want to draw it out for long. I hate those books where you think the bad guy bought the farm and then he's in the next chapter trying to kill the hero again! I know I'm writing about magic and soul mates and a god and goddess but let's try to keep some reality in this.

The work doesn't end there though! Once I've submitted Unexpected Destinies I get to go back to work on the next book in the Destinies Series, Forbidden Destinies. It's another contemporary but has a lot of twists to it that I'm hoping my readers will appreciate. Some of the characters are really fun to write - I couldn't resist starting on it already. I've tried to stick to the self made rule, 'Don't start on another book before you've finished with the current work in progress' but it's not always easy. In fact I'm beginning to wonder if it is possible to write more than one book at a time.

My husband has been away for the past 6 weeks in Germany. He works for the government in a civilian capacity and visits a lot of military bases for extended periods. He'll be heading for Japan in another 6 weeks for another 6 weeks but will be home just in time for Christmas. We miss him terribly when he's away but it's always an adjustment period when he returns because I've been the lone adult for so long. It's nice to have someone around who appreciates my cooking though. And this morning he made breakfast! What a guy.

My daughter started preschool this year and managed to nail her first audition and was selected as a bee for a professional production of the "Nutcracker". She wants to be on the stage so bad, and every time I bring her to her dance class she wants to know if this is the week they'll go on stage. I told her she needs to keep practicing, it's not an automatic thing. I have a feeling that this is not the only stage she'll be on. 

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Almost There . . . .

It's been a very busy summer for me. My husband is working in Germany and I'm home alone with my two small children. I've had to resort to a schedule (me? Schedule? Wow!) to keep my sanity with my 4 year old. If I didn't want her in front of the TV all day I needed to find a way to have different activities for her. It's worked out really well and there are times I even feel like I have it all together! Unfortunately focusing on my kids more means my writing has been placed on the back burner for most of the summer.

Current WIP is Unexpected Destinies. I have managed to add another crucial character and rip apart the beginning to redo it. Even though I thought the first page was pretty solid, it didn't work the way I wanted it to, so I had to change everything around. I'm hoping my editor agrees this way is better. I'm almost finished with all the details and ready to start the first round of edits.

I submitted to Bantom House, at their request, but haven't heard back. I'm guessing that's either because the editor I submitted it to is busy for the summer and hasn't gotten to it yet, or because she didn't like it. I've made a lot of changes since I submitted it so I'm debating on if I should re-submit with the changes. I just don't want to be a pest about it.

I've been really encouraged by the reviews that have been popping up for Past Destinies. I must admit that it's scary having my book out there wondering if people will like it and when I read the reviews I feel like Mary Tyler Moore "You love me, you really love me"!! They are very motivating and keep me plugging away at my current WIP. I want it to be just as well received, so I don't want to rush the process. I can see this is going to take much longer than I thought!  Well, Rome wasn't built in a day either!

Friday, August 19, 2011

4 Star Review of Past Destnies from 'Romantic Book Scene'

Another great review for Past Destnies from a reviewer who is looking forward to my next book! Yay! We're working on it!

"I so enjoyed Past Destinies. Right from the beginning I was hooked. . .. .I was impressed with Constance Ruth Clark writing style and her imagination. As far as I can see from her website/blog, this is her first book and a nice intro into her writing career." 






Past Destinies was reviewed by Whipped Cream Reviews with 3.5 Cherries. 'Past Destinies is a sweet time travel romance with lots of romantic and sexual tension and a good historical feel. It’s not so much centered on actual sexual contact. If you like tomboyish heroines, horses and history and time travel, mythology and good-looking TV doctors, don’t miss this one.' -Reviewed by Amaryllis

Read the full review here: http://www.blogger.com/goog_266801882



Thursday, May 26, 2011

Guest Blogging Today!

Today I'm pleased to be a guest of Rachel Brimble, another Lyrical Press author. I'll be promoting Past Destinies and talking about why I wrote a time travel romance.  One of the best things about writing is meeting so many people who love it as much as I do! So nice to be thought of as weird for having little voices in your head clammering for you to tell their story. If you'd like to check out my interview there, it's at her blog, www.rachelbrimble.blogspot.com
 Rachel's latest book, 'Getting It Right This Time' can be found at Amazon. Thanks for having me Rachel!















Thanks for reading everyone!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Past Destinies on Amazon!!

I've been waiting for this day! Finally, you can purchase my book, Past Destinies, at Amazon.com. Please, Please go over and if you've already read my book, post a review. I know I don't have to ask if they'll be positive since you all love me so much . . . . . .

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Home Again!

 This past weekend, as planned, I attended the Connecticut Fiction Fest 2011.  It was fabulous! I had the very great pleasure of meeting one of my all time favorite authors, Eloisa James and getting one of her newest releases in my 'goodie' bag! She was sweet enough to sign it for me. I'm officially star struck . . . . . .

While there, I also had the pleasure of promoting my book, Past Destinies, and trying to sell the next. I was lucky enough to recieve 3 requests for Unexpected Destinies from both editors and agents and even a request for my Paranormal YA series that I'd put on the back burner while working on the Destinies series! While excited about that request, I'm also nervous because it needs some work. I think the ideas are solid and really awesome, but now to get it all on paper. I've decided to work on the requests for the Destinies Series first. I had one agent request everything in the series!

It was the first time I've been away from my three month old son since his birth, and I think it was harder on me than him! Since I'm breastfeeding, I still woke up at 4am ready to feed, but instead of going back to sleep while he quietly nursed, I had to get up and pump for an hour. Of course I also had to do that twice more during the day. I think that was the hardest part. 

This weekend I'm planning to attend the Maine RWA Writing Conference featuring Hannah Howell. She's another one of my favorite authors, whom I was fortunate enough to meet last year.I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there, since I haven't attended a meeting in months due to complications with my pregnancy and now having an infant. I hope everything goes well.

Also, just wanted to make a small annoucement about my placing in the Page One contest I was encouraged to enter with ESPAN. Here's my little badge to show that I placed in the top 5! Winners will be announced at the National RWA conference in New York City. I wish I could make it there, but alas, funds will only stretch so far.
If you'd like to read the entries (mine is #34) you can find them at ESPAN-RWA.com. There are some terrific finalists! Congratulations to everyone who qualified!!

Now please excuse me while I go write. With any luck you'll be reading my next book by next year!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

4.5 Star Review for Past Destinies!!

The good news just keeps coming! This review was from BlackRaven's Reviews by Ashley. This is a sample of what she so kindly said:

I think it would be so awesome if I could actually do the time-travel thing. Since I can’t, I’ll always be drawn by a time-travel romance. Past Destinies had me intrigued from the very beginning, and I just had to keep reading!


You can read the rest of her review at BlackRaven's Reviews . Thanks again to everyone for your support!

Monday, May 2, 2011

It's Release Day!! Let the Party Begin . . . .

Thank you Liz and Doug for allowing me to tell your story . . . .not that you had much choice in the matter once I'd thought of it (haha).  So today the public has the chance to finally read a book that I've been working on for years. Since 1996 to be exact. Last year I dusted off the manuscript, finally finished it and presented it to Cynthia Thomas from Lyrical Press who loved the story and now here we are! I'd really like to thank everyone who has supported me through this long process, but most especially my husband. He was the champion who encouraged me to pursue my dream and made me feel like it could actually be possible. So to all of your aspiring pre-published authors out there who might be feeling a bit discouraged by all the rejection letters you're getting, (trust me, I've had my share of those!) I'm here to tell you to keep going. If you believe in your story someone else will too. I'll leave you with the quote posted above my desk:  "If you really want it you'll find a way, if you don't, you'll find an excuse."
Cheers!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Another 4 Star review for Past Destinies!!

The Romance Studio Reviews
Overall rating:  
Reviewer: Wendy Mitchell


"It was unique and highly entertaining.This story ran the gamut from achingly sweet to heart wrenchingly sad and I enjoyed every second of it."

I can't tell you how honored and thrilled I am to see another reviewer love my book! You can read the full review at  The Romance Studio . I have to pinch myself to make sure it's all real. 

The best part of the review for me was seeing her request for more of Agatha's story! There is more to come and I can't wait to finish telling it so you can read it! 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Last Day of the Royal Engagement!


So call me a foolish romantic but somehow I have been drawn into the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton in spite of myself. It isn't every day that a Prince marries a commoner. As a romance author I feel compelled to sit up and take note. How many books have I read depicting this very thing but only in fiction. Now, here is the story happening in real life and it almost makes all those fairy tales we've all read seem real. Handsome Prince meets beautiful maiden and falls in love, despite her humble background and makes her his princess. Their story captures the imagination of every schoolgirl who still believes she'll find her own Prince Charming and of every woman who grew up thinking it wasn't possible. Such things only happened in children stories, not in real life. The reason two billion people will be watching this wedding is because they have proven such things can be real after all and we all want to believe again.

I remember watching the wedding of Prince Williams parents, Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles when I was a child. I thought the way she arrived at the church in the glass coach magical. I watched her exit with her frothy wedding dress that never seemed to end and thought how lucky she was to have caught the eye of the Prince. I was 6, but I was old enough to know the wedding was the most romantic thing I'd ever see. As the years went by I watched with the rest of the world as the fairy tale crumbled and the Prince tarnished his crown. So the fairy tale Princess didn't get her happy ending but it looks like her son just might.  

I'd like to wish the happy couple all the best. As so many have said, their marriage has a great chance of being a long and happy one. They've already got a great foundation built by having known each other and been a couple for so many years. They look comfortable together, not stiff and awkward. And I think it's the sweetest thing in the world that the Prince gave Kate his mother's engagement ring.  As a romance author I don't think I could have come up with a better story in fiction as the Royal Romance that happened over the past decade in real life.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Rally for the Norlands!

I'm posting this announcement on my blog because I want to do everything I can to support and bring attention to this wonderful organization. The Washburn - Norlands Living History Museum was an important part of the creation of my book, Past Destinies. I dare say that without the time I spent at the Norlands, doing reinactments of lives lived in the past, as well as taking part in live-in's, I might not have come up with the idea for the book at all. A live-in is where you go for a weekend and take the name of someone from the late 1870's who lived in the Livermore area and pretend to live in the past.Since I was a volunteer and staff member, I had a the privilege of choosing a name that stayed with me for the years I spent there. My Norlands name was Sarah Rose. 

Going to the Norlands during a Reenactment weekend is almost like stepping into the past and is well worth the trip. I'm posting here some of the pictures I took during the last time I attended to show just how realistic everything is. Even the smells of campfires and gunpowder linger in the air, lending a realism difficult to find anywhere else.








      As you can see from the pictures, it truly is like taking a trip to the past! The big yellow mansion, pictured here, is what I based the mansion in my book on.
      The next reenactment weekend is June 4-5, 2011. Following is information from their website about the planned events and ticket prices. Come support a great cause!

Admission: $8 adults; $6 children under 12 y.o.  $14 for weekend pass/$8 children. 

Gates open at 9 am daily.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Grounds Open to the Public
Saturday: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Smoked Brisket and Fixins' for Supper followed by Contra Dance (extra$)

Sunday: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Grounds Open to the Public
Sunday: 3 p.m. Closing Concert (tentative)
Food booths, free parking, family fun.
The 6th Maine Battery will fire their cannon, a Parrott Rifle.  Battles commemorating the Spring 1861 campaign of the Civil War will be staged on both days in the early afternoon.  Civil War musicians, temperance marchers and calvary units will give demonstrations.

Saturday and Sunday, historian and author Kerck Kelsey will give talks about the Washburn brother's roles in the Civil War.  Kelsey's book "Israel Washburn Jr.: Maine's Little Known Giant of the Civil War" and other books by the author will be on sale.

Tophats Sutlery http://www.tophatssutlery.com/ , JR Robinson Merchantile http://www.jrrobinsonmercantile.com/ , Fifth Maine Museum http://fifthmainemuseum.org/ , basket makers, historians and authors will be exhibiting and/or selling their period wares.



Monday, April 18, 2011

First Review in for Past Destinies - 4 STARS!!!!

Manic Readers Review gave me a 4 Star Review on my book, Past Destinies, which is due out May 2, 2011. Did I say that already? Gosh I was nervous! I mean it's one thing when your friends, family and critique partners tell you your book is good, its quite another to hear that someone who's never heard of you likes it! It is only the first review, but from what she said, she really "got" the story. Wow. Now I really feel like an author! Phew! You can click on the link on the name above to see the review and order my book, but for those of you who might not be as technically savvy, (hello mom) I"ll post the review here. Link to buy will be up as soon as it's active - trust me!


MR Review PARTIAL - to read full review please click on the link for Manic Readers above.
Rating:
Reviewer: Patrizia Murray
Review:
All in all, it’s a very good story, with predictable problems between the permissive attitudes of the 21stcentury vs. the Victorian social mores of post Civil War times. If you like time travel, this one is a winner.

Back in the Saddle . . . .

It’s been a rough week all around. Last Monday my husband left for business for two weeks, leaving me alone with two small children. (ages 4 and 2 months) He’s done this before, so this time wasn’t really very different from the last time with a huge exception. My daughter (the 4 yr old) decided it was test mommy week. Thank goodness she is in school during the week or I would have been pulling my hair out by the roots! Silly me, I thought I might get some writing done this week but nope, nada. There was just no way I could concentrate and Jane and Nick had to go on the back burner.
Thankfully my writing stalemate has come to an end. My dear cousin Shelley came for a visit on Sunday and brought with her a whole basket full of great ideas. So after a lovely visit, where my daughter had fun bossing her daughter around (still feel bad about that – I don’t know where she gets that from!) my writing brain is back on fire. Last night I pounded out 11 pages before I stopped. That’s the most I’ve done in a day in a very long, long time! My daily goal has been 5 pages. Aren’t you proud of me?
Now I need to decide how I want to spell Jane’s name. Should it be Jane or Jayne? Which one sounds like a top model to you?

Friday, April 15, 2011

Contest Judging


Well here's another new experience - judging a contest. As a member of ESPAN RWA all members have the opportunity to judge the page one contest entries all the way through to the last five. I've been a critique partner several times over, and entered a few contests myself, but never judged anything like this. It is an experience, to say the least. I realized right away that anything with improper grammar or misspelled words wouldn't be getting my vote. I mean if you've taken the time and spent the money to enter a contest, you should have at least made sure you've used spell-check and read your own sentences a few times to make sure the grammar is correct. Otherwise what's the point? Then I realized that while some may have been written well, they just don't ring any bells for me. So I put those in the 'maybe' pile. My favorites are the ones that make me laugh out loud and want to read more.

Tonight starts round two of the contest and I can hardly wait to see which entries have made it through. I've been impatiently waiting all week, and I wish there was a way to see which entries are getting the most votes, but to be fair we judges won't know that until the votes are counted and we see which entries move forward. There are no names on any of them so I don't know how many are entries from fellow members. I also submitted an entry and I'm anxious to see how it did.

There is a $25 first prize, $15 second prize and $5 third prize. The highest I've placed in a writing contest so far is 4th. That was in the Darkest Moments contest held by the Alaska chapter of RWA. I used an excerpt from my book Past Destinies before it had been accepted for publication. The comments I received from the judges were most helpful with my writing and gave me the confidence I needed to pursue publication. I'm so glad I entered and will be entering more contests through the summer. Let's see how this one does first!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Starting Over

There's nothing so frustrating as working on a book that you suddenly realize is crap. I'm more than half finished with my next novel and I've had to rip out the entire beginning and start over. My heroine was unlikeable, the kiss of death really for a romance novel, and the hero seemed more wimpy than hunky. I guess it's better that I figure this out now than later when I can't figure out why no one loves my story. My critique partner helped open my eyes and, while I wanted to scratch out hers for a while, now I'm grateful she did.  Of course now I want to hole up somewhere for a month and finish it, but let's face it, that's just not gonna happen. I have a newborn baby, a 4 year old daughter and a husband who has to leave on business for weeks at a time. Somehow I have to squeeze writing into the time I have left. Not an excuse but there we are.

Btw the cover pictured here isn't the actual cover for my book. It's just something I threw together to represent it. So I've changed the whole beginning and am waiting for my CP to read and like/dislike. Anyone else want to help? How do you make a superstar model trying to impress a guy, without admitting that's what she's doing, not sound like a witch with a capital B? That's my problem. I think I've figured it out, but don't want to give it to an editor until I'm sure. I'm not sure Romantic Suspense is my strong suit, but I love shows like "The Closer" and "CSI". Doesn't make me an expert but then again I've never met a Greek god (okay maybe one) and traveled through time (although it did seem like it at the time) either, and I manged to write about that. I guess if you're passionate about what you write about, no matter what it is, someone else will be too. 

Friday, March 25, 2011

Springtime and Fiction Fest 2011

I live in Maine, just a little south of Bangor. We still have quite a bit of snow on the ground here, unlike other more southern parts of the state. Imagine my surprise this morning to see daffodil and crocus buds peeping out of the ground in the tiny patch of my garden not covered in snow! It's not even April yet, so I'm very excited to see the signs that winter is over. The not so exciting signs of springtime in Maine are the flooding rivers and muddy walkways. Not to mention the muddy floors. I can't wait to see the flowers blooming in a few weeks.

Maybe it's because I was born in May, but I've always found spring to be my favorite time of year. The snow is melting away, revealing all the imperfections it has hidden all winter, and then you start to see budding leaves and flowers everywhere. It's a new birth every year. In some ways I feel sorry for people who live in parts of the world where there aren't four seasons. They don't get to feel the excitement of seeing flowers poking out of the ground next to a snowbank and know it's a sign the long winter is almost over. Of course in the middle of the winter when it seems like spring will never come I really wish I were one of those people!

This spring I'm lucky enough to have my first book, Past Destinies,  published. That is certainly a birth! For all who helped to make it happen I want to thank you. Last spring I attended the Connecticut chapter of Romance Writers of America's Fiction Fest, which they have every year. It was my first RWA conference and I had no idea what to expect. I had no idea you could pitch your book to editors or agents. I just knew it would be a great way to meet other authors and get some tips on improving the craft. I had several copies of synopsis and first chapters of my books printed out and ready to give to anyone who might show an interest. It didn't take long to find out that was not something expected of authors attending. I'm sure I had a few indulgent smiles sent my way! The best part about the conference was that I had two requests for more information on my book, Past Destinies. I know those requests are what gave me the confidence I needed to again pitch it at the next conference where it was picked up by Lyrical Press. I knew my writing was good enough, I just needed someone to give me a chance.

So this year I plan to attend Fiction Fest again. This years speaker is one of my favorite writers, Eloise James. She's one of those authors for me whose book I buy as soon as I see a new one. I love her! I'm also looking forward to seeing some friends I made last year and have the excitement of telling them about my first sale. The best part is being around 'my' kind of people. Writers!





Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Past Destinies Book Trailer!

Check it out! I finally finished my book trailer for my book Past Destinies. Please enjoy and comment!



Friday, March 11, 2011

Exciting News!

Just a few things to annouce quickly. I will be featured in an interview in Lovebytes, on online Magazine for Romance Writers of America Online coming out May 26th, talking about my book, Past Destinies. I'm very excited about that. And Past Destinies book cover will be featured in an ad in a major women's magazine coming out next month with other Lyrical Press books. I'm told that when the article comes out, even though it will be before my official release date, you will be able to pre-order my book on Amazon.com and possibly through the Lyrical Press website as well. I will update when I have more news to report and also when I can spill the beans as to which major women's magazine it is.

Monday, March 7, 2011

And the tension mounts . . .

I got the word from my publisher yesterday. Past Destinies is officially ready for release! They sent over all the file formats it will be released in for my final approval, which I guess is mostly a formality at this point. Everything looks good to me. If you'd like to check out the official book descriptions and read an excerpt you can do so at Lyrical Press Publications. 

I'm working on a book trailer for you tube. I hope to have it ready by my release date of May 2, 2011. My  book trailer is going to be a little different but hopefully will get the point across and make people want to read. Isn't that the point?








In other news I'd like to announce the birth of my son, Jefferson Adams. He was born on February 1st and has subsequently monopolized my time but especially my nights! Ironically he was conceived the same month I sold my book. Isn't it funny that it takes less time to cook a baby than a book. I'm so glad we got all the edits out of the way before he arrived because I don't think they would have made any sense afterward. I'd forgotten how little sleep you get with a newborn in the house! On the other hand I've forgotten what life was like before he came along and couldn't imagine life without him.










Saturday, February 12, 2011

My Cover!

Ahem. I'd like to introduce the official cover to my book 'Past Destinies'. The cover art was completed by April Martinez, one of the artists for Lyrical Press. She took my ideas for what I wanted in the cover and managed to make it work.  I think she did an awesome job, and hope the cover catches the eye of anyone who might be interested in reading my book! Her cover is definitely more professional looking than the one I created. Thank you April!
Currently awaiting final approval on the book blurbs. Book release date is May 2, 2011.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

I've got a publisher!

 
  I know I've been remiss in not introducing you sooner to my publishing company but I've been a bit overwhelmed. My original editor moved on to another publisher and I was almost afraid that my new editor wouldn't fall in love with my book but she has.Or at least done an excellent job of pretending. I know she has her work cut out for her with me. Thank you Allison for your patience and for loving my book too! We've had to work mostly on point of view issues with my characters. Just when I think I have them all resolved we find more. Finally last week we finished! I have to say that I actually enjoyed the experience more then I thought I would. It's much easier polishing your work then coming up with new ideas! (Not that I have a shortage of those)

So I'm pleased to announce that my book, Past Destinies, (That is not the official cover, just one I made up from a picture I took) has a home and will be coming to a kindle near you in May, 2011. With your love and support it may even be seen at a bookstore near you. I'd love to see it in print, but just knowing that I have completed my New Years resolution from last year of getting my book published once and for all makes this accomplishment toast worthy! Champagne anyone?

So here's the website for my publisher: 
Lyrical Press, Inc