LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

Rose's Colored Glasses

February 2006 Newsletter

What's Inside?

Announcements!
Ten Unique Ways to Be Romantic
Newbie News: Heroes and Heroines
A Kiss is Just a Kiss
It isn't Magic...Or is it?
Interview with Triskelion's Kristi Studts
Interview with Harlequin's Johanna Raisanen
Is is Love Yet?
Throbbing Members?

Announcements!

The Roses have been very busy over the past month.

Ten Unique Ways To Be Romantic

by Layla Chase

Lots of people give Valentine's cards, roses or boxes of delectable chocolates to loved ones on February's special day for lovers. You can write scenes with your characters acting in these well-recognized romantic ways. Or you can be inventive and choose a method that says more about the personalities of your characters and makes your story memorable.

	Convince his boss to call him at home at 7:00 AM the morning of his birthday-to give him the day off.
	Get the pizza chef to arrange the pepperoni (or other toppings) into the shape of a heart.
	Send (and prepay) a taxi to pick her up at work, instruct the driver to deliver her to your favorite restaurant-where you'll be waiting.
	Send him an invitation to a private lingerie fashion show-starring you as the only model.
	Keep candles in the car. Dine by candlelight the next time you eat at a fast food restaurant.
	Create a movie marathon of his favorite movies-either by theme or actor-and sit next to him through all of them.
	Write a toast to use every time you drink wine together. Better, write one for private occasions and another for public ones.
	Hide 25 love notes written on index cards, post-its or heart-shaped paper in every nook and cranny of the apartment or house. Hide them well so not all will be found easily-thereby drawing out the surprise.
	Create a love signal (a gesture, a word, a phrase) for use in public when you are really saying "I want some special time with you."
	Go to a midnight movie, relax over an early breakfast at an all-night diner, and then watch the sunrise from our favorite park or beach spot.

Selected from 1001 Ways To Be Romantic by Gregory J.P. Godek

Newbie News
Heroes and Heroines
by Bev Oz

True to my word, I have kept my New Year's writer's resolution to read one craft book a month or participate in some type of writer learning program. To start off January with an appropriate BANG, I've not only read The Complete Writer's Guide To Heroes and Heroines, Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami Cowden, Caro LaFever, and Sue Viders, and , I also am participating in Roses' Colored Glasses writing bootcamp. Both of which have prepared me for writing my upcoming literary masterpiece. (Expect BIG things from me by the end of this year!)

CHARACTERS

What both reading the book and jumping over word-smithing barbed wire in the bootcamp have taught me is the power of characters. Characters not only populate a book, they give life to a story and make readers want to know why these fictional people are who they are and what they currently want. What motivates characters is central to both the bootcamp and the book.

ARCHETYPES

In Heroes and Heroines, Tami Cowden explains what a character does is not necessarily what defines her. Rather, what drives her to do what she does defines her character - her archetype. Cowden, and her co-authors, contend there are sixteen master archetypes of characters. These archetypes help the reader know immediately what type of character she is reading about - the character's internal being, motivation, and way of living - and quickly settles in for a good read. To help the readers of Heroes and Heroines understand this concept, Cowden identifies the sixteen archetypes, their traits and characteristics, as well as well-known characters from movies who fall into the archetypes. Then, she further explains how different archetypes clash and relate to one another.

MOTIVATIONS

The most important lesson I learned from the book is to ask myself WHY. Why are characters the way they are? Why do my characters behave the way they do? Why are my characters motivated to do what they do? Understanding the why of my characters helps determine their archetype.

Heroes and Heroines is essentially a reference book for writers. One of which I recommend for all new writers. I borrowed the copy I read from my good friend, Delilah Devlin. But, after plowing half way through the 'heroes' section, I decided I needed a copy of my own to keep on the shelf for future reference. For you newbies reading this article, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy - quick. Do not pass go or collect $200 until you have one of your own in your hot little hands.

CHARACTER ROLES

In Delilah Devlin's and Elle James' writing bootcamp, one of the first exercises they ask their participants to do is write out a list of characters who fill very specific roles within their stories. For example, not only does one need to know the hero and the heroine, one also needs to determine the antagonist, the contagonist, the mentor, and several other roles. Then participants have to list out motivations and conflicts for these characters. All of these activities boil down to the why, again. The whys not only make the characters, but, eventually, the story itself.

BENEFITS OF PLOTTING BOOTCAMP

The bootcamp has been a fabulous experience. To anyone preparing to start another story, I also highly recommend participation in a bootcamp. The work done in this on-line learning experience will help provide the meat and potatoes needed to tell a good story, as well as the discipline to get the story down on paper. Well done, Delilah and Elle.

STAY TUNED!

My next month's craft read will be Deb Dixon's Goals, Motivation, and Conflict. From what I'm told, GMC is the bible of writing for new writers. We'll see. (A personal thanks to another good friend, Betty Hanawa, for giving me her copy of GMC to read and keep.)

Until next month . . .

A Kiss is Just a Kiss

by Megan Kerans

"You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss," says the famous song As Time Goes By. Romance writers, however, know different. Whether it's French, sweet, stolen, or by Hershey, kisses are one of the best tools we have to convey the romance of our characters.

HISTORY

The first recorded erotic kiss occurred in India in 1500 BC. From there, the trend spread to the rest of world by word of mouth. The kiss, as we know it today, originated with the Romans. They used the kiss to say "hello" and "goodbye". The gesture was also used to show respect, such as kissing the emperor's rings or submission when placed on a statue of one of the many gods.

QUALITIES

For writers, the two most important qualities a kiss conveys are a physical expression of emotion and intent. This is true whether the book you're writing is sweet or steamy erotica. In the sweet stories, this may be even more important because the kiss is one of the few forms of physical contact and a chance to show physical attraction.

Why and how can it do all of the above? Simple. In almost all romances and real-life relationships, the kiss is one of the first forms of physical contact. The universal commonality is the primary reason readers relate and respond to kiss scenes.

THE PECK

The type of kiss is a subconscious clue to your reader about the nature of the relationship between the characters on the page. Emotionally, a quick peck might represent affection and friendship. The intent, while caring, is not the same as a tender, long, slow touching of lips. The former could demonstrate that the two participants are either new lovers or soon will be. The feelings the characters experience before, during, and after the kiss are used to show their emotions.

THE SLAP

Think of the heroine who enjoys the rake's kiss and is an active participant. She likely has a strong attraction and a caring of some sort towards the man. When she remembers society's rules and gives him an angry slap, we're allowed a more complex view of feelings. And, if the rake bestows a passionate, tongue-tangling exchange, we can guess he has more on his mind than a simple stroll with the lady.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

You can also maximize the impact of a kiss by thinking about them like real estate. Location, location, location. Where the lips are placed can say just as much about the emotion and intent as the style of kiss. Imagine a Duke giving the requisite brush of lips to the back of a lady's hand. Now compare that image with him kissing the open palm or pulse point of the same hand. The simple distance of a few inches of skin creates an entirely different mood.

Beyond sexual tension, the placement can add to the mood or apprehension of a scene. The serial killer with his mouth against the heroine's ear whispering creates repugnance and fear. A vampire running his lips along the heroine's neck can make the reader wonder exactly what kind of necking he's intending.

FIT

Finally, consider how the exchange fits in with your plot and characters. The action has to affect the giver of the kiss and the receiver, because a kiss is never just a kiss.

It Isn't Magic...or Is It?

By Roni Adams

Common questions every writer is always asked are, "where do you find your ideas," or, "what if you run out of ideas?" I always smile because a writer won't ever run out of ideas if s/he keeps their ears open. Ideas are everywhere. A perfect example is my groundhog story.

Eye of Newt or New Idea?

My editor at True Romance magazine asked me if I could write a story for the February issue. I said "sure," thinking she was looking for a Valentine's Day tale. For some reason, as a joke, I emailed her and asked, "how come no one ever writes about groundhog's day"? I expected her to say something back like let's just stick to cupid and hearts. Instead, her response was, "send it to me." And so the idea which became my story, "Groundhog Magic", began.

All I had was the subject, and I admit a few days passed before things started to gel. Soon I saw a reporter who was assigned the annual shadow sighting of the infamous groundhog. (I'll point out here that I purposely did not watch the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day, because I wanted the ideas to be my own). Anyway, as I sat in a Cracker Barrel restaurant one evening, killing time while Christmas shopping, the story began to unfold. Traveling to Pennsylvania in February would mean one thing-snow. Snowstorms to a romance writer are almost as good as chocolate. Nothing kicks up the sexual tension between a hero and heroine faster than being forced together during a blizzard. I started writing the first scene.

A Pinch of Research...

Back home, I jumped on the internet, did a search for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and found more information than I could ever have made up. I even found an email for the groundhog's PR Director. Yep, Phil has his own publicity department at the Chamber of Commerce. I emailed this woman, asked a few questions, and she called me back. By the time the conversation was done, I had a pretty solid story in my head.

I typed it up, sent it off to my editor, and she loved it. A 7500-word story all from one subject, Groundhog Day

It's all about Romance

I love that kind of stuff. I love taking a topic as crazy as that and writing a romance around it. I think of it as a game. Can I write about anything? Sure, so can you. Keep your ears open and your imagination ready to roll. What do you hear around you? Is it summer? How about a reunion story about a couple who has a summer fling in their teens then is thrown together again years later, but with a twist, she's about to marry the old lover's cousin or best friend.

Holiday's are Magical Beginnings

Every month and every holiday can be a jumping-off point for stories. My editor recently bought a story for the April issue called, "Jellybeans for Ginger". All I had when I wrote that was the word 'jellybeans'. Soon I saw a schoolteacher who gets through her day by consuming jellybeans. Currently, I'm writing something for May, Mother's Day. I have a woman whose kids have left home, the husband is self involved and she's alone for the first time in her life and doesn't know how to handle the empty nest.

People Watching

Those examples are all short stories but writing books isn't much different. It all has to start somewhere. I tend to be character driven when I write a book. I wait patiently until I see a hero or heroine and then they have to tell me their story before I can start writing. A favorite character of mine, Abigail Prestone, was born out of observing a young woman at a school assembly. She was the most uptight, prim and proper woman I'd ever seen in this century. She wore a wedding ring and had two little kids, and my romance mind started wondering how on earth anyone got past that cold exterior to actually make babies with her.

Imagination takes Over

Then I started thinking, hmm what if they aren't her kids? What if they are her sister's kids and she's raising them? In walks my hero (in my mind). He has to be the very opposite of her, of course. He has to be rough around the edges, maybe a bit of a hard-living type. My heroine would detest everything about him, or does she? Maybe he makes her feel things she doesn't want to feel. Now to figure out what would force this unlikely couple together? The children obviously. Are they his brother's kids, too, or maybe his best friends'? Was he asked to take care of them in a deathbed promise?

All these details and characterizations from seeing a woman at a school assembly.

Look around, watch the people, listen to conversations, even the news can provide story material. I listen to country music. Every time I turn on the radio, there's a story. I love hearing a snippet, a line, and suddenly a character pops out at me and their story comes next.
When someone asks, "Where do your ideas come from?" I smile sweetly and tell them, "it's magic."

Happy Groundhog's day

www.roniadams.com
Roni's story, "Groundhog Magic" appears in the February issue of True Romance magazine.

Interview with Kristi Studts

by Betty Hanawa

In the past four years, Triskelion Publishing has grown from a dream to a successful publishing house that currently produces twelve books per month in electronic format. When asked why she started Triskelion Publishing, publisher Kristi Studts replied,

"After seeing how many good authors didn't have a chance at getting into the New York scene, I decided maybe it was time to open up the field a bit."

'Triskelion is all about opportunity"

There was no hesitation to place Triskelion's titles in print when the opportunity arose. Today a reader can find Triskelion Publishing's books at Borders and Waldenbooks and through Booksurge.com and Amazon.com

Genres

Their books vary widely and include Contemporary, Historical, Suspense and Mystery, Gothi, Sci Fi and Futuristic, Paranormal, and Fantasy. Within the genres, the sensuality will range in heat from PG to what some may consider an R rating. The hotter sensual stories are in "Amethyst Inferno" and the Sister O books. Currently, readers' biggest demands are in the paranormal and the vampire/shifter category. The new Trisk lit genre, with characters in their mid-thirties, is growing in popularity. Ms. Studts states:

"I'm a sucker for a good plot and I love in-depth characters."

Triskelion Publishing's editorial staff are always on the look out for books to keep up with the continuous evolvement of readers' tastes.

Working toward RWA Recognition

While the first application for publisher recognition by RWA was turned down, Ms. Studts freely admits she's not the type to give up easily. There are three books currently closing in on the RWA "magic number," at which point Triskelion will try again.

Response Time

Triskelion averages about fifty submissions a month and the average response time on a query is two weeks. A partial takes about three weeks to review. Triskelion likes to have a full manuscript turned around within thirty days. The submission guidelines for Triskelion Publishing's various lines are available at the newly revamped website at www.triskelionpublishing.com.

Betty Hanawa's Falling Star Wish is in the Trisk lit genre and is a Finalist in the EPPIES, an award given to the best of electronic books by EPIC. It is also part of the new Triskelion print line and available at bookstores.

Interview with Johanna Raisanen

by Bev Oz

Johanna Raisanen, assistant editor for Superromance, Harlequin Enterprises

Another mistake I've seen is submitting inappropriate material. That means not doing your research and sending in manuscripts that are clearly not suitable for a line. For example, sending in a vampire story to Superromance, a line that does not publish paranormal stories.

IS IT LOVE YET?

by Myla Jackson

Lucky me! I got the assignment to write an article on "Steps to Love"! When I went out to my friend Google, I learned there are bunches of different ways to look at this. Here are a few I thought I'd share.

Linda Howard's 12 Steps of Intimacy

In this publication, Linda Howard shows how you can spice up your sensuality in your writing without throwing your characters straight into the bed. She gleaned information from Desmond Morris's books The Naked Ape and Intimate Behavior, which are amazing studies of ape culture, not unlike our own.

In Linda's work you find the 12 steps to intimacy start with the public or social contact:

The purpose of this list of stages of intimacy is to show you how, as a writer, you don't have to go straight to bed, don't pass go, don't collect two hundred other intimate details. You can show rising sexual tension without skipping straight to the private intimacies by using a more advanced step out of sequence. Understand the gestures and use them to the most effectiveness in your writing.

For more details on the 12 Stages of Intimacy see the full article.

5 STAGES OF LOVE by Ruth D. Kerce

For more information on these stages of love visit Real Relationships

Tami Cowden's From Lust to Love .

I saw this done in a workshop years ago using the movie Romancing the Stone to demonstrate the four steps from lust to love.

Whatever steps, stages or methods you use, SHOW your characters as they progress from initial attraction to LOVE!

Throbbing Members?
euphamisms we're sick of…
by Eve Savage

Have you ever read a story you were really in to? The hero is dashing and alpha, the heroine smart and clever. They've gone through most of Linda Howard's Steps of Intimacy (see article above) and are about to hit the main event. You've got your chilled glass of wine, the sheets are satin, the kids are lost in sugar-coma dreams, the husband's out of town on business. The blood is pounding, the bodies are flushing with desire, there's a light film of sweat on the perfect muscles of his chest. He kisses her breathless, lightly touching her breast. She reaches for his… purple helmeted warrior of love. And that quick - it's OVER!

As writers, the first rule is to read. Well, I've read. After a while the euphamisms for body parts started to get ridiculous! There was only so much I could take. So, I started keeping a list. A list of body parts and the many different terms authors come up with for them.

Without further ado, here's a few of my favourites. And, yes, I've either read these in books or heard them in discussions about books.

I'm sure in my reading, I'll find many more to add to the list…. Oh boy, I can't wait!

The point is, be more creative without being silly! Your reader can't be in the mood to fully enjoy a sensual scene when she's snorting Dr. Pepper out her nose!