Friday, October 17, 2014

Just goes to show...My Life, Deleted

I have Leah Braemel, my first CP to thank for this story. She knew of my interest in amnesia through our work on my first manuscript Only the Heart Remembers which will be available in May or June 2012.



Monday, September 8, 2014

Cry Me a River cover reveal!!



 
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Isn't it lovely? The fabulous Linda Boulanger, she's French ya know, brought my vision of Storm Lake to my covers. She did an especially great job with Tempe in storm mode on the Cry Me a River cover.

You may not really be French, Linda, but you're a hell of an artist!

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Football season is here!


 
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I grew up in D.C. and I can remember many times I accompanied my daddy to a University of Maryland or Redskins game. I love football. If I could have been a sportscaster I would have been very happy.

But since I moved to Louisiana this is the first time I got a chance to attend a game in the Superdome. Yeah, it was preseason so all I got to do was  watch Brees and Graham on the sidelines but still when the announcer said, "Saints fans. It's thirrrrrd downnn," and when the roar began, it was exciting. Something you don't see or experience watching it on TV. Just being in the stands with other fans, listening to the jazz musicians making the rounds on an upper level. It's a great atmosphere.

I bought a little cheap wig and some gold and black spray paint but I didn't get it painted quite dark enough to look like the team colors. (I'll do better next time.) As will the real team. The third string lost but that won't be the norm. We have a strong team this year.  Looking forward to the season. Geaux Saints!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Gearing up for the Romance Novel Convention


 
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The Romance Novel Convention begins on July 9th and it's been a busy six months. New webpages, workshops, revising Undone, finishing Storm Crazy, rewriting Hard Days Knight, and publishing all three in ebook and print.

So much to do during my busy season for my day job. But here it is. All goals have nearly been accomplished. Making final touches on the Scrivener workshop and Hard Days Knight so it will make its debut next week in time for RNC.

So many exciting events in Vegas - costumer party, workshops, Pin the meeting Jimmy Thomas and some other cover models. (I am so going to pick their brains when I get the chance for the Under-Cover Knights series.) the Rone Awards and lots more... We might even get to take in a show, maybe even Shania Twain...woohoo!

Are you going? Please look me up!! I'll arrive Wednesday the 9th!

Monday, June 2, 2014

What's your Sweet Spot?


A couple of years ago I took a course by Holly Lisle called "How to think Sideways". Holly imparts concepts in wonderfully illustrated detail. One of my favorite things in this course was her use of a mind mapping or bubble flowchart to create an exercise called the Sweet Spot.

I'm Drawn To...


I'm a very visual person and since I love color, I used an online free site http://bubbl.us for creating the chart. 

The idea behind the exercise is to take time to figure out all of the ideas, issues, entities, emotions, settings, etc. etc. that make up your core interests. Then use this information to create a grocery list of plot points, ideas or characters. 

She even had a us go deeper by creating a sweet spot map for each of these: I fear, I'm drawn to, I love, and I hate...

Here's a partial list of things in my sweet spot for I'm drawn to: moons, space, dragons, individual worth, fairness, humor, community, winter, rain, empowerment, color.

What would you have in your sweet spot as a writer? What things or themes do you gravitate toward as a reader?

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Life Reset: The First Day...

... of the rest of your life!

You've heard that saying. It came to mind yesterday when I realized it was April 26th, one year after we got the news that the Mississippi River was projected to rise to 65' in less than three weeks - 17' over flood stage and 7' over the highest ever stage. By the time I got the news, every storage facility within 100 miles was already booked. Within a week, seventy percent of the residents of our parish were moving at least a portion of their belongings to higher ground. By the time the river reached 60' the area was a ghost town.

Talk about a total disruption of our lives - the fear of losing everything, the financial distress of moving and living elsewhere, the loss of the creative flow of ideas. It took a few months to get the momentum going again once we moved home, and thank god we didn't get flooded like our neighbors to the north.

The last six months were spent dipping my toes into the self-publishing realm, and now, with the anniversary of that difficult time behind me, I'm ready to move forward

Friday, May 23, 2014

The Story is the Thing

I haven’t had much time for reading lately, but I try to dip my toe into the proverbial TBR pile once a week even if it means listening to an audible book or library CD to refresh my stale creativity.

This week between customers, I was listening to Nice
Girls Don’t Live Forever by Molly Harper. I have all of her books on Audible which is a fun way to read her.

Ms. Harper is the queen of double entendre. With her first person narrative you get a real sense of the heroine’s character. The never-ending stream of witty dialogue intrigued me as I discovered I didn’t grow tired of the book and put it down unfinished.

I started looking at it in depth to determine her secret. She is a former reporter so she has the journalism skills but in fiction, so many books that start out strong, especially ones that rely on humor, begin to limp before the halfway point. That’s when I find myself putting them down.

This book was different. What I discovered was that this writer is an exceptional plotter. I’ll use the word effortless because I can imagine being in a brainstorming session with her where she just runs non-stop with plot ideas.

I thought of my own issues when I get stalled in dialogue – not so much a matter of how characters will react but what has happened to cause the reaction. In Dead Girls Don’t Live Forever plot threads are no problem. Molly Harper has a seemingly endless supply of quirky events and family drama that keep the characters interacting, page after page, with no let-up.

So again, I return to my theory that “It’s the story, stupid.” Ms. Harper’s writing is top notch, but how often have you read a book where you had to know the ending even though the writing wasn’t that good? It keeps you going. I highly recommend her books.

But I’m wondering, what keeps you reading? Is it humor? Plot? Emotion? Lyrical description? Witty dialogue?

Thursday, May 8, 2014

I remember when my favorite Navy guy said to me, "I'll bet your parents just set you in the front yard with one of those spin wheels and you were delirious." Privately I wondered 'what's wrong with that?' There are so many moments of intuitive communication, glimpses of nature's splendor, or heartwarming seconds in our day that fill me with gratitude and joy.
Like the song from the Sound of Music...My Favorite Things
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels;
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles;
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings;
These are a few of my favorite things.


Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes;
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes;
Silver-white winters that melt into springs;
These are a few of my favorite things.
I was struck by how much the simple pleasures influence us, our writing, our peace of mind. For me, the aforementioned snowflakes, the endless white of fresh snow, colorful balloons suspended over the Mississippi, memories of little Dusty when he was still sweet and cute, and of course, an unexpected call from FNG who is stationed in Norfolk.
What are the simple pleasures that make your day? your minute? How do they make their way into your writing?

Sunday, March 16, 2014

LiviaQuinn dot com coming soon

My website LiviaQuinn.com is coming soon.



You can follow this link to find 
information about new releases, 
my road to publication, 
the upcoming Romance Novel Convention, 
and the worlds of 
Storm Lake 
and my Aussie Gemhunter.


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Big Plans for Summer



 
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I know, you can't even think summer right now. I can't either and I'm in Louisiana where it's 36 degrees a couple of days before the official start of spring. 

That didn't keep me from making plans to go to Jimmy Thomas' second annual Romance Novel Convention where up to 500 attendees will enjoy workshops, book signings, costume parties, and promo opportunities. There will be cover models there as well. 

Yes, the same Jimmy Thomas who is on 6000 covers! If you don't know this, Jimmy is a true knight in shining armor to romance writers. He offers valuable instruction and opportunities to promote through his website Romance Novel Center dot com His Romance  Novel Covers site offers the widest array of romance genre stock photos anywhere. Everywhere he goes,  he lauds the value of the romance genre. 


Yes, he's in the romance business but when you see a man who works as hard as he does, who singlehandedly coordinated a convention to keep costs low for the writers and others who attended last year's first event, his sincerity just comes through everything he does - his business, interviews, and the way he interacts with the romance industry.

I'm gearing up for my summer releases and the convention with the new website; working hard to get finishing touches on the first few books in the Storm Lake series; and reissuing my 2012 release with a new title. What are you doing in July? Why not join us at the RNC?

Friday, March 7, 2014

Viva Las Vegas for the Romance Novel Convention 2014





It's official! 

RNC 2014 is in Las Vegas 
Grab your costume, your books, and your swag 
and join us there. 
Workshops, parties, book signing, contests

Sign up at 


There are lots of pictures and info on  Jimmy Thomas' Facebook Page



Thursday, March 6, 2014

Your Creative Space







When I walked outside yesterday morning to " Mini sled dog wannabe" we stopped at the sound of a large whoosh and bubbling up of water about ten feet from the bayou bank. And up popped the seven foot gator DH had told me about the day before. Apparently he's been hanging around just beyond the brick steps that go down to the bayou.

Our business has been taking all of my time this year and I haven't had a chance to plant flowers around my little outside writing space. But the alligator sighting reminded me of the joy I got from my little creative space last year with the exception of the uneasy feelings when the alligators lay there and watch me write.

There are more creatures of all kinds on the bayou including mosquitoes. This has kept me from making the best use of my favorite spot most of the year. I don't know why it took me so long to thing about it but last year I bought a 10 by 10 screened in canopy which converted my problematic space because of these pests into a perfect spot on any non-rainy day between 60 and 85.





 Inside I'm safe from bugs but can enjoy the jumping fish, tall graceful herons, deer, birds - and keep an eye on the alligators, or the other way around.

We all have our favorite creative activities and the space that lends itself best to it. Where's yours? Is it a specially designed spot or the eeked out corner of the family kitchen? What do you do there? Write, scrapbook, paint?

Monday, March 3, 2014

Bad News Winters

I apologize for being absent for so long. I kind of unplugged to get some serious writing done.

It's been the coldest Louisiana winter we've seen in a while. We sometimes get one ice/snow storm every 7 years or so and it lasts a day and we're back up to the 80's for Christmas.

This year was different. Three storms in three weeks. The first one was brief but brought an inch or two of snow and had us all out watching our pets and children play in it. Temperatures rose a bit, then the next one hit. This one put an ice mix down that closed the schools and government offices but not the Mississippi River bridge which turned out to be a mistake because we're not set up for it and NO one around here knows how to drive on it. And besides who can drive on ice? Experience just tells you to stay in, not drive. After a semi spun out on the bridge the local law started handing out tickets to anyone out snow-seeing.

It wasn't just these three storms. We've been in the 30s and below for most of the winter. We're talkin' lows, people, Louisiana remember?  I know you're saying 30's! That's not cold. Well, when your winters are usually in the 50s with an occasional 30 and you have butane or small electric heaters, you never get warm.

I've spent the winter in ski skins and sweat clothes. Thank God for generators which we needed for three days during the last cold front when we got a couple of inches of icy rain and 20 degree weather which froze everything. Trees and limbs were coming down everywhere with booms and cracks. It was scary. But beautiful. Take pictures and pray an iced up spanish moss laden tree doesn't come down on your house.

DH kept coming in and telling me I needed to move to a different room in case the tree over the living room came down. I figure where ever you are, if it's your time, a plane can come through the ceiling, so I stayed in my comfy recliner, writing...

Well! It wasn't all bad. I got a LOT of writing done. Starting with Nano and going straight through until now when I'd planned on opening our snowball stand March 1st. I didn't really want to and it's early but decided people are usually ready so I'd just open early. Of course, I didn't consult the weather man. I did check the Farmer's Almanac and it said, first two weeks of March, colder and wetter than normal. I still didn't pay attention. But I did keep on writing.

The result four books in revision to be published every month beginning in June. And I have a new cover designer I'm giving the whole series to.

So bad news I froze my tail off, but it was great writing weather.

Was this a good news, bad news winter for you, or all bad news? Don't worry, Spring is on the way. It says so on the calendar at least.

Livia


Friday, February 14, 2014

Looking for Love


"Looking for love in all the wrong places..." the words to that old country song came back to me while contemplating this post.

Some thought provoking quotes from one of my favorite authors on the subject - Merle Shain.

From When Lovers Are Friends. "Very few of us are tough enough to be soft." Sometimes we don't recognize love when we see it. Do you know someone who is strong enough, and loves fierce enough to fight for truth and yet their kindness is just as obvious? You feel the love radiating from them and if you stand there, it can fill you up.

"There are many sources of friendship which we reject, many potential friends who we don't see, and hence there are many ways of enriching our lives which we overlook, many sources of love which we turn down." Do you turn from love because it's not the right 'kind' of love, not what you expect, not what you were taught love IS?

"Friends are people who help you be more yourself, more the person you are intended to be, and it is possible that without them we don't recognize ourselves, or grow to be what it is in us to be. Our lives are in fact many lives, and we can all be much more than we are, so there cannot be any doubt that the secret of who we become is whom we meet along the way."
Often caring friendships will carry you further and more securely than the kind we bet our futures on, rejecting them in hopes of THE ideal.

What's the best kind of love - romantic love? A friend's love? A child's love? Familial love? Fido's love?
From Courage My Love, Merle Shain quotes Mignon McLaughlin, "No one ever loved anybody like everybody wants to be loved." And Shain says, "We expect a lot from love-- often a lot more than we expect of ourselves."

What is this thing we call 'love' that we look for outside ourselves? How does someone 'prove' their love? Why is that necessary? Do we concentrate as much on proving ourselves as we expect from our significant others?

"People who are always trying to make the perfect choice, rejecting what they have for what they hope to find, bet the present on the future and end up missing both...
It is easy enough to love the one who got away or the one we never got, the real trick is to love ourselves enough to let someone know who we really are, and to pay them the same respect...

There isn't a perfect person somewhere, only a more perfect person we might become. You can think you must look still for the perfect one, or that the best one got away, or that love is a fraud and a failure and that you want it not, or that everything went wrong because your mother didn't love you, but the one you wait for is yourself."

There was never a truer word spoken.

Love is all around us, from friends, family and strangers. It may not be everywhere; it may not be constant; and it may not be a guarantee, but in our giving of ourselves we find it. In our acceptance of someone else, we find it. And maybe when we stop trying so hard to find IT, love finds us.

What does 'love' mean to you? Is it really about diamonds, jewelry or even chocolate? Is it about happy endings? Or is it about BEing, giving, and sharing happiness.

Maybe we could learn to be a love tree, ever blooming, forever tapping deep into the roots of love wherever we find it.