I'm older now and like to think I'm wiser. I think I finally learned to NEVER SAY NEVER.
I'm a multi-faceted person who some people think suffers from multiple personalties. Not really but a high school friend recently contacted me and called me a brainiac and it's true--I like a lot of different subjects and things. I can be the prissy miss in a formal, up-do and low heels. I also like to wear my jeans, hair braid, and motorcycle boots. Both people are me and I like them both.
Being older and hopefully wiser I've learned not to say NEVER. Years ago I hated jeans–now I live in jeans. They are damn comfortable once they are broken in. My mom had short hair and made me have short hair. Now I have hair I can sit on and I say I will NEVER CUT IT again but I have cut it in the past so the saying never thing doesn't apply.
As writers we deal with characters and plots and I foolishly had a lot of NEVERs there. I used to say I'd never write contemporary. Oops-six of the seven stories I sold were contemporaries. I used to say I'd never write children into stories. Oops-a full length Resurrected Love; two uncompleted western novellas; Glenaire's Lady set in Medieval Scotland; and the upcoming Christmas story, A Commander Under the Tree, all contain children. Another taboo was pets–I slipped again, although technically Caesar is a police partner not a pet in Resurrected Love. Oh yeah the I'll never write a Scottish or Medival bite the dust with the unpublished Glenaire's Lady and there is a child in that one too.
Some of the NEVER SAY NEVERs that fell in the past were white-water rafting (bone chilling not only because the water is cold) and rock climbing (the view is nice but the work is done by the legs not the arms) and I flew again. I apologize to Northwest for the indentations in the arm rests. I always said I wouldn't read a regency and I did but it doesn't mean there is a second one out there for me. It wasn t bad. It was good. It was also by a friend Dawn Thompson and wasn't the stereotypical regency with Lords and Ladies abounding to confuse me.
There are some things are ALWAYS SAY NEVER but most of those you know what they are. If you don t write me and I ll tell you.
One of the things I recommend that you do is ALWAYS LIVE YOUR LIFE to suit yourself. You won't be happy otherwise. And put away the NEVER I'LL-while you at it--unless you're talking about brussel sprouts.
Billie Warren Chai
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Birth of A Story -- The Heroine
Last Saturday I created my hero, Brandon Reynolds. He has undergone a few a revisions and is now a Major in the USAF - they don't have US Army bases in the NW US. I guess they don't expect the Canadians to attack us. I also noticed the closed the US Navy Base in Idaho where my cousin was stationed. I guess they don't expect them to float down from Canada any more either.
Every hero needs a heroine. As this is a Medical Romance novella for Highland Press Brandon gets a heroine who works in medicine.
Màiri Grant is more than enough for him and proves you can't judge a book by its cover. Insulated by allegations that she isn't his type when he didn't know he had a type Brandon finds Màiri to be a puzzle. He isn't particulary attracted to her but there are those sparks.
Màiri is a Labor & Delivery Nurse/Certified Nurse Midwife/Critical Care flight trained nurse. He mistakes her mousy demeanor for a mousy attitude but he couldn't be more wrong. On a flight to pick up a pregnant woman in distress the husband becomes belligerent. Of course our hero steps in to defend his crew member but whose going to protect him from her?
Our intrepid heroine is wary of men, particularly big men like Brandon, who confuse her as much as they scare her. Her ex-hsuband thought he could beat into submission but it didn't work. He only succeeded in making her learn to defend herself and to doubt her worth. To compensate for the lack of love in her life Màiri has devoted years to developing her expertise as a nurse. Inwardly depressed over the lack of a family Màiri lavishes her love on the babies she helps deliver.
Màiri is content with her life until she meets Brandon who refuses to let her wallow in her self-pity and shows her another side of love. When her ex-husband returns to make her life miserable, Brandon decides she brightens his life and through her love and he won't let her retreat.
The true Màiri emerges and presses Brandon to live life to its fullest.
Every hero needs a heroine. As this is a Medical Romance novella for Highland Press Brandon gets a heroine who works in medicine.
Màiri Grant is more than enough for him and proves you can't judge a book by its cover. Insulated by allegations that she isn't his type when he didn't know he had a type Brandon finds Màiri to be a puzzle. He isn't particulary attracted to her but there are those sparks.
Màiri is a Labor & Delivery Nurse/Certified Nurse Midwife/Critical Care flight trained nurse. He mistakes her mousy demeanor for a mousy attitude but he couldn't be more wrong. On a flight to pick up a pregnant woman in distress the husband becomes belligerent. Of course our hero steps in to defend his crew member but whose going to protect him from her?
Our intrepid heroine is wary of men, particularly big men like Brandon, who confuse her as much as they scare her. Her ex-hsuband thought he could beat into submission but it didn't work. He only succeeded in making her learn to defend herself and to doubt her worth. To compensate for the lack of love in her life Màiri has devoted years to developing her expertise as a nurse. Inwardly depressed over the lack of a family Màiri lavishes her love on the babies she helps deliver.
Màiri is content with her life until she meets Brandon who refuses to let her wallow in her self-pity and shows her another side of love. When her ex-husband returns to make her life miserable, Brandon decides she brightens his life and through her love and he won't let her retreat.
The true Màiri emerges and presses Brandon to live life to its fullest.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Birth of A New Story--The Hero
Some people wonder how I write a story. I don't know; I just do it.
Since I'm starting a brand new story for a Medical Romance Anthology from Highland Press I thought I share some of the experience with you.
This is a short story, 15,000-20,000 that features a medical aspect to the romance. Romance means there is going to be a "happily ever after" ending so the hero and heroine will be engaged if not married at the end of the story. Ok, I'm preaching to the choir here but bear with me. I usually have a method to madness.
There are several signature elements to stories I write. One, the hero is or was in the military. We have our choice of five--Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Which one depends on the character and what I want him to do. Since I've decided the hero will be an air medical transport helicopter pilot, I'll exclude the Marines and the Navy leaving the Army, USAF and the Coast Guard. The USAF and Coast Guard are known for their rescue activities but our hero need not be an actual trained rescuer, he is a helicopter pilot. The Army is a proud service that will serve my purpose. Two, he's going to own and ride a Harley.
The bare bones of this story involves our helicopter pilot hero, and a Labor and Delivery Nurse who is also a certified Nurse Midwife. I have kernels of conflict and some ideas on a heroine but this blog post is about the hero.
Oh yeah, he needs a name. Good thing he told me his name. Major Brandon Reynolds, US Army Reserve. He's single, some what of a male chauvinistand thoroughly professional. Oh yeah, he doesn't do babies well-has six nephews and two neices who live in the same town, but he loves the little crumb crunchers, as he calls them.
His engine is purring and I better get to the heroine before he runs out of gas.
Next up: The Heroine
Since I'm starting a brand new story for a Medical Romance Anthology from Highland Press I thought I share some of the experience with you.
This is a short story, 15,000-20,000 that features a medical aspect to the romance. Romance means there is going to be a "happily ever after" ending so the hero and heroine will be engaged if not married at the end of the story. Ok, I'm preaching to the choir here but bear with me. I usually have a method to madness.
There are several signature elements to stories I write. One, the hero is or was in the military. We have our choice of five--Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Which one depends on the character and what I want him to do. Since I've decided the hero will be an air medical transport helicopter pilot, I'll exclude the Marines and the Navy leaving the Army, USAF and the Coast Guard. The USAF and Coast Guard are known for their rescue activities but our hero need not be an actual trained rescuer, he is a helicopter pilot. The Army is a proud service that will serve my purpose. Two, he's going to own and ride a Harley.
The bare bones of this story involves our helicopter pilot hero, and a Labor and Delivery Nurse who is also a certified Nurse Midwife. I have kernels of conflict and some ideas on a heroine but this blog post is about the hero.
Oh yeah, he needs a name. Good thing he told me his name. Major Brandon Reynolds, US Army Reserve. He's single, some what of a male chauvinist
His engine is purring and I better get to the heroine before he runs out of gas.
Next up: The Heroine
Monday, June 9, 2008
Caution: Shy Writer Ahead
This weekend I attended the 4th Annual Lori Foster Reader-Writer Get Together in West Chester, Oh. Over 250 people attended the festivities on Friday and Saturday. Many local authors attended as did Lori Foster, Dianne Castell, and Sarah McCarty. Also benefitting from event were the AAF Animal Shelter (over $1000.00), the troops (over $500.00 and donations) and the Center for Conductive Learning ( over $4500.00).
Friday night was a pizza party with speakers, Linda Keller of Barnes & Noble, Sue Grimshaw of Borders Group, Sheila Clover of Circle of Seven Productions and Michelle Buonfiglio of Lifetime TV‛s Romancing the Book Blog. Many people had appointments with agents and editors from Berkley, Samhain Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, Red Rose Press, Liquid Silver Publishing, and Changeling Press.
Many people had a wonderful time, visiting with friends, meeting favorite writers, and winning raffles.
Through no fault of Lori Foster or Dianne Castell I only had a good time. I am extremely shy and my nervousness gets the best of me in similar situations and this time was no exception. In fact my mind had probably made it a hell of a lot worse because of an inability to trust people. So great were these that I almost didn‛t go. Why Billie, you say, it is a bunch of friendly people, why were you worried?
Some concern was to be expected given what has happened to me this year.
A woman who I thought was my best friend betrayed me big time. This alleged friend, AF, was to be in anthology with me and two others. In the past year she‛d changed but I chalked it to the pressures of college, new grandchildren, children fighting with spouses, her husband, and her lover in WV. I didn‛t know I was her next target. AF went behind back to the publisher and spoke ill of me and tried to get me kicked out of the book, all the while dissing me others. She stopped critiquing with me and took forever to read things while I worked on her stuff and read her school papers. I should have seen the hand-writing on the wall but I didn‛t.
In the fall AF and I had a contest with some other writers including one of her recycled friends. The friend, SMJ, wasn‛t satisfied with my efforts and I didn‛t post the contest on my website soon enough to suit her. SMJ harassed me over it. I got it done and she gave me her ‟approval‟ as if I needed it. I went to our mutual friend, AF, and she didn‛t want to be involved, even though SMJ was calling me a raving lunatic and diagnosed me as mental based on what AF said. Mind you at Nationals last year I kept SMJ‛s promo on the table and at the end of the conference I hauled her junk up to our room so AF could take it to SMJ. No good deed goes unpunished.
The relationship with AF took a real hit when she publicly embarrassed the publisher for the last time, after months of steadily undermining the publisher. Her contract was canceled and she was released with the rights to her story, which was very generous of the publisher. AF first said she didn‛t want me to cancel my contract, which I wouldn‛t do anyway, then on birthday she launched the final salvo. She couldn‛t forgive me for siding with the publisher and cringed whenever she saw email address on a post or my phone number when I called her. It was too much for me and I suffered a heart attack because I had counted her to be a sister.
She was not finished and in late April or May she posted false information to her blog in an attempt to compromise the publisher and created a minor firestorm using stolen and altered emails. As a result of this I, as part of a larger group, was branded a moron, a fraud, and a conspirator. People‛s careers were affected, relationships decimated, and I could not even defend myself because to do so would subject me to more attacks that I could not physically cope with. As part of this firestorm several writers were vocal condemning things that didn‛t happen or were distorted.
One of the most vocal writers, BMW, in this firestorm attended the Lori Foster event and I prayed not to run into her. Well the writing Gods did not look favorably upon me and I chose a empty seat at a table. Only later did I learn BMW was sitting next to me. I was polite and chatted with her despite my angst. I‛m not certain she ever realized I knew what she had done but I was proud of myself.
I‛m a very non-confrontational person now. No one knew the angst I felt at Saturday‛s event. I considered leaving a number of times due to the stress but Sarah McCarty was an angel. I was eating breakfast alone when she ‟instant friended‟ me. I was so grateful for her joining me.
I must have looked really sad because Rhianna Samuels gave me a bag of books she won in a raffle. I found several books on my to-buy-list. I won a huge basket from Red Rose Publishing in a raffle. The group picture was fun.
I must really give thanks to members of the Central Ohio Fiction Writers. I‛m a member but have only made a few meetings. They made me feel included.
I realized that was the feeling I wanted but I‛m way to shy for my own good. Friday and Saturday I kept telling myself this was the last time I‛d put myself in this situation. I kept telling myself I was not worthy to be called a writer and while I watched Lori easily handle any situation that came along. Dianne, newly widowed, was kind and gracious. Sarah, Rhianna and members of COFW eased my fears and my tension and I thank all of them.
Friday night was a pizza party with speakers, Linda Keller of Barnes & Noble, Sue Grimshaw of Borders Group, Sheila Clover of Circle of Seven Productions and Michelle Buonfiglio of Lifetime TV‛s Romancing the Book Blog. Many people had appointments with agents and editors from Berkley, Samhain Publishing, The Wild Rose Press, Red Rose Press, Liquid Silver Publishing, and Changeling Press.
Many people had a wonderful time, visiting with friends, meeting favorite writers, and winning raffles.
Through no fault of Lori Foster or Dianne Castell I only had a good time. I am extremely shy and my nervousness gets the best of me in similar situations and this time was no exception. In fact my mind had probably made it a hell of a lot worse because of an inability to trust people. So great were these that I almost didn‛t go. Why Billie, you say, it is a bunch of friendly people, why were you worried?
Some concern was to be expected given what has happened to me this year.
A woman who I thought was my best friend betrayed me big time. This alleged friend, AF, was to be in anthology with me and two others. In the past year she‛d changed but I chalked it to the pressures of college, new grandchildren, children fighting with spouses, her husband, and her lover in WV. I didn‛t know I was her next target. AF went behind back to the publisher and spoke ill of me and tried to get me kicked out of the book, all the while dissing me others. She stopped critiquing with me and took forever to read things while I worked on her stuff and read her school papers. I should have seen the hand-writing on the wall but I didn‛t.
In the fall AF and I had a contest with some other writers including one of her recycled friends. The friend, SMJ, wasn‛t satisfied with my efforts and I didn‛t post the contest on my website soon enough to suit her. SMJ harassed me over it. I got it done and she gave me her ‟approval‟ as if I needed it. I went to our mutual friend, AF, and she didn‛t want to be involved, even though SMJ was calling me a raving lunatic and diagnosed me as mental based on what AF said. Mind you at Nationals last year I kept SMJ‛s promo on the table and at the end of the conference I hauled her junk up to our room so AF could take it to SMJ. No good deed goes unpunished.
The relationship with AF took a real hit when she publicly embarrassed the publisher for the last time, after months of steadily undermining the publisher. Her contract was canceled and she was released with the rights to her story, which was very generous of the publisher. AF first said she didn‛t want me to cancel my contract, which I wouldn‛t do anyway, then on birthday she launched the final salvo. She couldn‛t forgive me for siding with the publisher and cringed whenever she saw email address on a post or my phone number when I called her. It was too much for me and I suffered a heart attack because I had counted her to be a sister.
She was not finished and in late April or May she posted false information to her blog in an attempt to compromise the publisher and created a minor firestorm using stolen and altered emails. As a result of this I, as part of a larger group, was branded a moron, a fraud, and a conspirator. People‛s careers were affected, relationships decimated, and I could not even defend myself because to do so would subject me to more attacks that I could not physically cope with. As part of this firestorm several writers were vocal condemning things that didn‛t happen or were distorted.
One of the most vocal writers, BMW, in this firestorm attended the Lori Foster event and I prayed not to run into her. Well the writing Gods did not look favorably upon me and I chose a empty seat at a table. Only later did I learn BMW was sitting next to me. I was polite and chatted with her despite my angst. I‛m not certain she ever realized I knew what she had done but I was proud of myself.
I‛m a very non-confrontational person now. No one knew the angst I felt at Saturday‛s event. I considered leaving a number of times due to the stress but Sarah McCarty was an angel. I was eating breakfast alone when she ‟instant friended‟ me. I was so grateful for her joining me.
I must have looked really sad because Rhianna Samuels gave me a bag of books she won in a raffle. I found several books on my to-buy-list. I won a huge basket from Red Rose Publishing in a raffle. The group picture was fun.
I must really give thanks to members of the Central Ohio Fiction Writers. I‛m a member but have only made a few meetings. They made me feel included.
I realized that was the feeling I wanted but I‛m way to shy for my own good. Friday and Saturday I kept telling myself this was the last time I‛d put myself in this situation. I kept telling myself I was not worthy to be called a writer and while I watched Lori easily handle any situation that came along. Dianne, newly widowed, was kind and gracious. Sarah, Rhianna and members of COFW eased my fears and my tension and I thank all of them.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Trunk Lady
I finally took the plunge and created this blog. I must be nuts. But then I've doing permutations with my 8th grader. I didn't know such things existed.
I'm a writer so I don't have much use for them. Geometry either.
I expect to post interesting history facts, updates and news here. Nothing big or elaborate because I'm neither. Plain and simple.
Two friends want me to join them in SF this summer for the Romance Writers of America Conference. I'll have to sleep in the bathtub, which is a step up from the trunk where I was last year. Ok here's the explanation. We'd been to the Medieval Times Restaurant in Dallas. On the way back someone had to sit all the way in the back. My knee hurt and I could stretch it out so I sat back there. At the hotel everyone got out and left me. I couldn't get out! The valet gets in the car and I say, "Excuse me." Scared the poor guy to death. He comes to the back and opens the hatch and helps me out. Four friends were in the car behind us and they are still laughing to this day. So they told me if I join them I can sleep in the tub. A step up, I say.
Back to writing. Finished with math--till tomorrow.
Billie
I'm a writer so I don't have much use for them. Geometry either.
I expect to post interesting history facts, updates and news here. Nothing big or elaborate because I'm neither. Plain and simple.
Two friends want me to join them in SF this summer for the Romance Writers of America Conference. I'll have to sleep in the bathtub, which is a step up from the trunk where I was last year. Ok here's the explanation. We'd been to the Medieval Times Restaurant in Dallas. On the way back someone had to sit all the way in the back. My knee hurt and I could stretch it out so I sat back there. At the hotel everyone got out and left me. I couldn't get out! The valet gets in the car and I say, "Excuse me." Scared the poor guy to death. He comes to the back and opens the hatch and helps me out. Four friends were in the car behind us and they are still laughing to this day. So they told me if I join them I can sleep in the tub. A step up, I say.
Back to writing. Finished with math--till tomorrow.
Billie
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