I Love the Internet

Dear Reader,

A short and random post today as I’m getting over an awful cold. Just wanted to let you know I love the internet because I get to share my fangirl obsessive love of nerdy things like Doctor Who with complete strangers. For example, a short conversation I had with @The_BookishType via Twitter last night…

@The_BookishType: I’m completely addicted to #DoctorWho. And it’s all because of you, Twitter.

To which I replied…

@worderella: The Twitterverse replies in a tone so solemn, “You are very welcome.”

Her response was a simple “LOL.” Wanna know why? Because it’s a fact that Doctor Who is a brilliant show that delights anyone who loves quick dialogue and snarky humor. Whedon fans should be all over this stuff.

Seriously though, if you aren’t watching Doctor Who, we have a problem. The writing improves every episode, the characterization is absolutely nuts (the writers have even gotten me to like Matt Smith, the new incarnation of the Doctor!), and can I just say Nerdy David Tennant with black nerd glasses and Converse shoes?

Yes. All of that. Wrap it up in a bow and leave it on my front doorstep please.

And now, back to your regular schedules. I’m off to sneeze and whine about sinus pressure to my co-workers. Best,

Belinda

P.S. Image found via Tumblr.

The Pros and Cons of Living a Historical Romance Novel

Dear Reader,

It is so easy to wish you lived the life of a heroine from a romance novel. I know I do, sometimes, when I’m lost in a particularly good historical romance. I began to wonder, what are the pros and cons involved?

Pro: Even if you’re ugly (let’s face it, you’re probably pretty and just have bad self-esteem), you’re gonna end up with a beautiful man. No, not physically. I mean, he might be physically beautiful. I certainly hope you, as the heroine, think he’s attractive. No, I mean he’s got a beautiful soul, the type that makes  you feel beautiful because of the way he looks at you.

Con: You probably had to suffer something in order to deserve such a beautiful man, like losing all your money, parents, or home, or all of those combined. Maybe you lost the affection of the duke and are having to settle for that viscount who always admired you from afar. Or let’s face it, you were never on the duke’s radar.

Pro: All the men wear suits. All the time. And they look good doing it. And when they aren’t wearing suits, they roll their sleeves up to their elbows to show off those delicious forearms of theirs. They also lose their cravats, giving you a peek at their impressive pecs.

Con: You have to wear a corset. Good luck breathing or eating or, you know, moving comfortably.

Pro: If you’re the typical historical romance heroine, you have at least one servant to help you get dressed. She knows how to do your hair so you always look good, she knows the colors that show off your eyes, and she knows when to tighten that corset to really get your man’s attention.

Con: You can’t dress or undress yourself because there are so many freaking layers to have to tie into place.

Pro: You need help getting undressed. Ask your hero. He will be glad to help, and you will be glad you asked him to.

Con: It might take him half an hour to undress you because of all those layers, so unless he’s awesome at teasing, you can lose the mood quickly.

Pro: You probably have two guys interested in you, and at the same time. However will you choose??

Con: One of those guys may very well try to shoot you or the guy you chose out of jealousy. That, or challenge your beau to a duel. Or kidnap you. Or threaten your family, if you’re one of those lucky heroines who has a family.

Pro: You often get to stand at the top of a staircase, hand on the rail, looking down at a man who is absolutely blown away by how the candles make your hair shine.

Con: It is freaking hot under those candles and the smoke is getting in your eyes and for heaven’s sake, and you have to walk down the stairs in heels without wiping out. And you’re still wearing a corset.

Share in the comments what other pro/con combinations about living in a historical romance novel! And don’t forget, I’m posting inspirational quotes, imagery, and videos at my Tumblr. You can ask me questions there and submit content for me to share with everyone. See you over there!

P.S. Image reblogged from my Tumblr, via Jessica J Hansen.

Best,

Belinda

Five Ways to Recharge your Writing Space

Dear Reader,

Two weeks ago I needed to make a change about my home office. I felt as though something about my home office/guest bedroom was stifling my creativity, but I couldn’t figure out what or why.

A friend came over and wanted to show me something online, so I watched him sit at my desk. Eureka! Suddenly everything was clear. My desk had my back facing the door, something that has always made me feel uncomfortable. Watching my friend sit there highlighted how awkwardly I had arranged my home office.  Here are some tips to make your home office inspire your muse by rearranging your furniture.

Position your desk so you face the door/entrance to your office space.

The farther your desk is from the door, the better. According to feng shui practices, this is called a “commanding” position. Think of every executive’s office you’ve seen a in a movie. When you place your desk facing the entrance to your space, you are able to watch every move someone makes as they approach you. It’s a power play, and it works. If you can’t do that, or if your desk must face a wall, put art on the wall to make it “disappear,” like a pastoral scene.

Encourage natural light.

I’m a heliophile. If I don’t get sun, I become the definition of emo, and all my creative and happy thoughts leave me in a miserable pile of woe is me. You might not have the same problem, but natural light is a great way to make a space just feel better.

Face your desk toward your book shelves.

I’m assuming that if you’re a writer, you have a number of books. You read them for information and inspiration. Why wouldn’t you want to stare at them while you let your mind wander? Just looking at books inspires me to keep writing, sometimes, and when I turned my desk around to see my bookshelves and whiteboards, suddenly I was able to write a thousand words in half an hour. Try it, see what happens.

Get rid of clutter!

I still need to do this. Currently my laptop is balancing on a pile of papers precariously. When I have a clean desk, I’m much faster at writing because I have nothing to distract me. Take a day to file away papers that aren’t necessary to your current work, take a deep breath, and move on.

Rearrange often.

Keep the creative energy in your space flowing by trying to rearrange something in the room every six months. Maybe you have a plant that could move from one shelf to another. Maybe the shelf sitting behind you can go across the room. Maybe you can shift the angle of your desk from perpendicular to the wall to a 45 degree angle. Whatever it is, change something so when you enter the room next time, your senses notice the change, which could spark curiosity and excitement.

Doing these things helped me, hopefully they will help you, too. All the best,

Belinda

John Stamos’ Guide to Cuddling

Dear Reader,

We break this blogging hiatus to bring the most pressing of news…

John Stamos has kindly agreed to provide a guide to cuddling. I’m sure more than one historical romance hero (especially those pesky alpha males who are sooo above cuddling or anything remotely romantic) could use a pointer or two.

Enjoy. I know I did. Perhaps a little too much.

But then, John Stamos is one of the most handsome men I can think of off the top of my head.

So you’ll just have to forgive me.

Not entirely safe for work, make sure you wear headphones. And maybe turn your monitor from your manager. This video definitely gave me my morning almost-spew-my-tea-on-my-keyboard laugh.

Best,

Belinda

Focusing on Writing

Dear Reader,

I’ve been re-organizing my life a little… trying to figure out priorities and such. I’ve been making dance a larger part of my life because it’s healthy for me (I don’t stay sitting alone in front of a computer), and because being around people inspires new subplots, etc.

Did you not know that I social dance? I do. I can swing dance, lindy hop, charleston, and balboa. Actually, I can do two types of swing dancing: west and east coast. I can do a little hustle, some salsa, and nightclub two step with a good lead.

I digress. I don’t want to commit to a posting schedule because even though I want to maintain my goal of writing at least 750 words a week, I want to dedicate those words to The Rebel’s Hero. The amount of time it takes to write a post, since I try to craft them and not ramble (whether I succeed at this is questionable), is taking resources away from plotting, crafting, character-ing the new book.

If I’m good, I’ll have The Rebel’s Hero written and ready for editing by late August/early September, pushing for an October or November release. If I’m bad, I won’t make that tentative timeline.

Wish me luck! I’ll still be fairly active on Twitter, and probably not very active on Facebook. I’m really trying to focus my attention for the next book. I’ll make sure to drop by now and then, though!

Wish me luck,

Belinda

Worderella Around the Web

Dear Reader,

We’ve been busy here behind the scenes, researching and writing and preparing for contests and such.

• Haunting Miss Trentwood was spotlighted by The Frugal eReader on their website, Facebook, and Twitter. Yay!
• I updated the Bright Bird Press website, something long overdue.
• We have a Cafe Press store full of awesome product tie-ins for Catching the Rose and Haunting Miss Trentwood. The ones for Haunting Miss Trentwood are especially cool.
• Have a Wowio account? Awesome! Because now you can get your copies of Haunting Miss Trentwood and Catching the Rose there.
• Remember Sean McCartney? He wants to give his most recent book to one lucky reader of this blog. We’re pulling together a giveaway that will be ready to go in early June.
• I answered some fun questions at the Indie Bee Covers website for their author spotlight.

I’m also continuing to do research for The Rebel’s Hero. As I learn, I’ve been going back through chapters to better describe the situation of the Civil War at the timeline of the book. This gives me a much more solid understanding of who the characters are, and why, which will help me write the best of the book. It stinks to backtrack, but it’s worth the effort.

And that’s everything that’s happening in my part of the world! Tell me, how are things going for you?

Best,

Belinda

What to do here?

Dear Reader,

No ROW80 update for me today because I’m at a conference and not getting any writing done.

I’m not sure you knew this, but I’ve been writing this blog for almost four years. Sure, I took a year off to finish graduate school, but other than that, I’ve been putting content out for a while. So today’s post is about how you can make the most of the Worderella online presence.

I make certain to categorize and tag my posts to make it easier to browse, and I finally got an archive page that I really like.

• About Writing
  Pretty self-explanatory, these are the posts where I found something interesting online about the craft of writing. Or, I’m reflecting on the craft of writing, or I’m talking about my writing… in any case the posts will be about writing.
• Book Reviews
  When I write a book review, I write a description of the book (my stab at a blurb), pull favorite quotes from the text, and then tell you why, as a reader and/or writer, you would want to read this book.
• Business
  The nuts and bolts that happen behind the scenes of being an indie author.
• Everyday Life
  When I have nothing super important to say, but felt like stopping by.
• Marketing
  Barf. Haha, no, these are the posts where I’m learning about marketing. I share my ups and downs, my mistakes and triumphs (which will hopefully come sooner rather than later).

In terms of my website, we have a lot of content you can sift through, as well. We have free poetry and short stories to read, and both Catching the Rose and Haunting Miss Trentwood have book trailers and soundtracks to enjoy.

Anyway, just wanted to post something quickly to entertain you while I’m off in Boulder, CO getting my learn on.

Best,

Belinda

Stylish Blogger Award

Dear Reader,

You are looking at, well, reading, the recipient of the Stylish Blogger award, given to me by fellow author Jen Lane. I would like to thank Jen and the academy for thinking of me.

There are some criteria to winning this award:

• Link back to the person who gave it to you.
• Give 7 facts about yourself.
• Award 15 great bloggers you’ve recently discovered.
• Contact them and tell them about the award.

So the seven facts about me… be prepared to be amazed.

Numero Uno

I own an egregious amount of green things, including clothing, accessories, and office supplies like a stapler and hole punch. Took me a while to find those.

Numero Dos

I don’t speak Spanish. I took French for three years and miss it, but haven’t made it a priority to pick it up again.

Numero Tres

I am an intermediate lindy hop dancer. Don’t know what lindy hop is? Here is a cool how-to if you’re interested. Great workout.

Numero Quatro

In high school I made a comic about a princess who was out for revenge because someone had killed her parents.

Numero Cinco

I love sushi. A lot.

Numero Seis

I had to look up the number six in order to write it in Spanish.

Numero Siete

If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m actually pretty lame. But I own it, which makes it a cool lame. That’s my story, I’m sticking to it.

And now my awardees!

1. Catherine, Caffeinated (non-fiction indie author)
2. Susan Spann (fiction author)
3. Kait Nolan (paranormal romance indie author)
4. Susan Bischoff (supernatural romance indie author)
5. Critique This WIP (author blog)
6. Derek Canyon (adventures in e-publishing)
7. Evangeline Holland (historical fiction author)
8. Joel Kirkpatrick (indie author)
9. Charlie Courtland (book reviews)
10. John Betcher (indie thriller author)

All the best,

Belinda

Indie Lovers Unite

Dear Reader,

I am stealing this idea from Stacey because it’s brilliant: buy indie this holiday season! As I am a part of the indie movement in more ways than one (authorship, furniture, food, clothing, jewelry, etc), my list of indie merchants will reflect this, obviously. What are the benefits to buying indie? Stacey summed it up for me pretty well…

The experience of purchasing something that was created by someone who will chat with you on Facebook or comment on your blog or even thank you for supporting them is great!

It’s true. When I pulled together my Kickstarter care packages, I made sure everything involved was indie, if possible. The “surprise” was coffin soap from Etsy merchant My Vintage Vanity, and she was brilliant. Made forty soaps in a week and shipped them to me in time to post images on the Kickstarter website. The Haunting Miss Trentwood book launch party was catered by Sugar Inc Cupcakes and Tea, and as a barter I made the website. I love indie creators. It’s what my masters thesis was about, to be honest.

So without further ado, my list of indie people you might want to buy from this holiday season.

Shop at Etsy and Feel Good

My friend ArtsiBitsi at Etsy makes these adorable monsters that protect your Android, iPod, iPhone, etc. One of my friends from grad school started her own screen printing press, called Gas Stove Press, and she makes awesome nature prints for you to enjoy.

Etsy has this awesome functionality where I can create lists of products from independent merchants that relate to my books, Catching the Rose and Haunting Miss Trentwood. I could spend so much time there. I want to make lists for each of the main characters, as well. Enjoy!

Support Indie Music

The Phantods were originally billed as Zombie Polka Rock. Once you stop giggling at this  awesome genre you didn’t know existed, buy their music. It’s pretty freakin’ sweet.

Indie Books by Other Authors

I’ll admit I stole most of this list from Stacey. It’s a good list!

Young Adult

Susan Bischoff, Imogen Rose, Amanda Hocking, Sarra Cannon, Jess C Scott, V.J. Chambers, Jason Letts, Elizabeth Isaacs

Paranormal/Supernatural/Romance

Zoe Winters, Kait Nolan, Ashlynn Monroe, Claire Farrell, Tarrant Smith, Nicole Zoltack, Lauralynn Elliott, Amber Scott, H.P. Mallory, Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror/Thriller

David Dalglish, Daniel Arenson, William Meikle, Cristyn West, Mari Miniatt, David Wisehart, Scott Nicholson

Historical Fiction

Belinda Kroll, Jens Kuhn, JR Lindermuth, Joel Kirkpatrick, Zoe Archer

I’m fibbing a bit with the historical fiction simply because there aren’t many indie historical fiction authors that I’ve been able to find. I am on the hunt, though, so let me know in the comments if I missed anyone and I will add them to the list!

So there you have it. Go indie this holiday season and feel good about the fact that you are supporting the arts.

Chatting with Eloisa James

Dear Reader,

I contacted Eloisa James after I finished reading This Duchess of Mine about five minutes after I put the book down.  I didn’t understand it. I began the book disliking the characters. I finished the book still disliking them a little, but feeling as though I understood them.

Despite my disliking them, I cared about them.

This boggled my mind as a reader and an author. How did Eloisa make me care about characters I disagreed with? I was so impressed I sent her an email asking about her trick. Her answers fascinated me, and I asked if I could post our conversation on our blog.

Eloisa, being the gracious lady she is, gave me permission.

Dear Belinda,

Thank you for this lovely note!  I’m sorry it took me a while to answer.  My characters were manipulative—I am too *g*.  At any rate, I’m glad you decided to like them anyway.  One of my goals as a writer is not to write characters that everyone will love, every time—but to try to write characters who have realistic traits, but still fall in love and are lovable.

I’ll give a shot to your three questions:

How do you transform your passion into focused research?
Passion is a vague word for writing…. what I have is an idea.  The idea generally springs from some sort of historical fact, say the condition of toilets in the Georgian period (When the Duke Returns) or the discovery of digitalis (This Duchess of Mine) or the disgraceful conditions behind child-workers & gold wire buttons (A Duke of Her Own).  I do just as much research as I need to to feel that I have a handle on that situation–because always the goal of a book is to create a great story, not to give readers an information dump.  Knowing too much can be a liability sometimes.

How do you translate your research into an entertaining narrative?
See above.  I take a problem: something that interests me about the past and then weave a story about it.  For Affair before Christmas, for example, I found myself wondering what it was really like to have all that tall Marie Antoinette hair piled on one’s head.  Voila:  the plot springs from the question.

How do you sneak an underlying message into your entertaining narrative?
Well, underlying messages…  I don’t know that I have all that many of those.  I guess some come along with the characters.  When I created a drunk in Much Ado about You, for example, I dried him out in Taming the Duke, so there was a message there about alcohol.  But I don’t have the sense that many of my readers are looking to my books to solve their substance abuse problems.  If I have an underlying message it would be that it IS possible to have a thoughtful, loving, and kindly relationship–and no woman should settle for less.  And in tandem with that, marriage is no picnic, and that kind of relationship needs as much nourishing as any other.  And finally, that every man can learn to be good in bed.

Awesome answers, right? And, can I just say how exciting it is to have an author respond to an email when you figure they are way too busy? Indie authors take note!

So I responded to Eloisa’s email because I thought she wasn’t giving herself enough credit with her answer to my third question…

Eloisa,

Thank you for the reply! Yes, your answers do help, and give me insight into your writing. My mother, for instance, doesn’t like manipulative characters, and doesn’t understand why anyone would write about them. This is very helpful for me to explain why and how a writer can go in this direction.

I suppose underlying messages come more from readers’ perceptions of our work, rather than our purposeful insertion of a message. In This Duchess of Mine, I felt as though the underlying message was to never give up; that people can mature and make a difficult situation work if they both try. It’s a good thing to keep in mind for a young, professional, single girl like me!

Suffice it to say, I’m not sure I could ever pull it off myself. Props to you for working with difficult-to-love-but-we-love-them-anyway characters!

So there you have it. Big name authors like Eloisa James are pretty fricking sweet. I’m definitely going to check out another of her books just because I feel I understand her a little better and will probably enjoy her writing more because of it.

All the best,

Belinda