2012 Muse Online Writers Conference

There's still time, but not much, to be part of the 2012 FREE Muse Online Writers Conference.

Deadline to register has been extended to September 30. You better hurry!

Available workshops list is available.

Go Register. There's nothing to lose, and lots to gain. IT'S FREE.

Voices of Fiction - Where do you get your ideas - Part Two

Welcome to another edition of Voices of Fiction.

We continue our discussion with our group of authors on where they get their ideas.

Please welcome this week's guests.


Catrina Barton is a reader and writer of YA and Paranormal Romance, who enjoys being surrounded by the stark beauty of mother nature - whether it's a moon lit starry sky, or a picnic by a peaceful waterfall cascading from the mountain side. She is a proud member of Nano, RBRU, SheWrites and PNRWriters. She is an active participant at Critique Circle and several other crit groups. Blog, Facebook, Link




Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. She is a member of Valley Writers and the Virginia Writers Club. Links – Website, Blog, Facebook



Cindy Huefner Cromer, formally a New Jersey resident, now resides in Stuart, Florida, with her husband, son, and daughter. Cindy works as a laboratory scientist and executive. As the president of a laboratory network, she has written numerous laboratory procedures and research documents. Driven by a passion for suspense and mystery novels, she dreamed of becoming a writer. Her dream turned into reality with the release of her debut suspense novel, Desperate Measures. She is currently working on her second novel, Desperate Deceptions. Plans are in place for her third and fourth books.  Website, Link, Link



Children’s Picture Book author, Clara Bowman-Jahn, of “Annie’s Special Day” is living the life of her dreams an hour at a time. Link, Blog, Link




Ellen Spain is a retired Federal Investigator, now turned author, editor, and educator. She is active with EPIC, PennWriters, RWA, SCBWI, and the Pittsburgh East Writers. Ellen is also the Acquisitions Editor for eTreasures Publishing.
Website, Link, Link 


Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise 21, which will release in October 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity. Blog, Twitter, Link

Welcome Authors! It's wonderful to have you back.

Now the question is: Where do you get your ideas?

Catrina Barton: Most times it's wondering about how differently situations can affect people and mold them into who they've become. Sometimes I'll be listening to a song {doesn't matter which one} and a small bit of a scene or a character will float through my mind. Other times I watch my kids, just experiencing life and try to see it through their eyes and ideas jump up and smack me upside the head. Inspiration can come from anywhere at any time {usually when I'm not near my PC. Thank goodness for note books and ink pens.} In fact, most ideas come when I'm out enjoying nature or watching the kids enjoy nature.

Cherie Reich: Ideas can come from anywhere, such as dreams, television, an overheard conversation.

Cindy Cromer: This is a very good question but hard to answer. I love to joke around and sometimes I find a story just waiting to unfold. For example, last month I attended Mystery Writers of America Sleuthfest and was selected for a panel. One morning, heading to the lobby, the elevator start to shake for some unknown reason. The gentleman and woman in the car said, “Is this thing going to crash or what?” They looked at my badge and commented, “That would make an interesting story for your next mystery book.” I laughed but a plot did begin to form in my mind within seconds- ‘Tragedy strikes at a conference with many well established and best-selling authors, elevator crash kills them. Was it an accident or was some sinister devious plot in place? Some one hit wonder author tries to make a come-back and decides to take out the competition in the very competitive world of writing and publishing.’ My companions in the elevator laughed and said, “Yup! You’re definitely an author.” So to answer this question, a scene may come from an innocent encounter or it might take me days or weeks to tie the beginning to the end in a fluid story.

Clara Bowman-Jahn: I get my ideas mostly from reading other books. And often I think creatively in the mornings early, when dawn is happening. Seems like ideas just burst forth with the rising of the sun. Other times they fester and live in my subconscious only to rise when waking up in the morning. However it has happened with my current WIP that I knew what I wanted to write about as soon as I heard about it. And I knew it was going to be in first person, too. Then the research starts and the reading of books.

Ellen Spain: My ideas come to me at anytime like the images in vivid dreams, but when I am awake, the idea looks like a very big outline notepad with sub plots jumping into proper place on the paper. I can see the image on an invisible wall about a foot in front of my eyes. I remember the outline's image when I jot down my initial notes.

Aubrie Dionne:  Sometimes I get my ideas from listening to music. As a kid, I would sit in orchestra and make up stories to go along with the music when I had a long rest. Other times, I'll be doing the most mundane task; like laundry, or driving, and the ideas pop into my head. I let them simmer for about a month or so before I start planning a cohesive storyline.

Thank you all for joining us today and sharing where you find your ideas.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and answers have been posted as submitted by author) 

HWA - Halloween Haunts

The Horror Writers Association celebrates its 2nd annual Halloween Haunts, and everyone is invited!

The event, a celebration of Halloween, horror writers, and horror writings, will run on the HWA Dark Whispers Blog from Oct 1st to 31st.

It's sure to be an eventful month with blog posts, book previews and promotions, and daily giveaways. Stop by and join the wonderful group of horror writers and grab a chance at some great reads.

Tricks to Keep Writing - Aubrie Dionne

Aubrie Dionne joins us today, to offer some writing advice, celebrate her new release, Haven 6, and give you a chance to win a wonderful piece of jewelry.

Please welcome Aubrie.

 #7 Tricks to keep writing on those hard, slow writing days.

In honor of my blog tour for Haven 6, I’ve decided to write a post about what got me through writing an entire series, or 300,000 words. There were times when I wasn’t sure I could finish, times when my writer’s block kept me from touching the keyboard, times when I wanted to throw my whole series out in space. But, I got through it making my deadlines. (Sometimes just barely) Here are the helpful habits I developed:

1. Keep your goals in mind. I already had my contract with Entangled Publishing, and I had deadlines 6 months apart for book 2 and book 3, so I just kept thinking about how my books would look on their website, and having the three covers: red, blue, and green, on my shelf.

2. Take a break. Whenever I got blocked, I had to remind myself to get away from the computer and move around. I folded laundry, practiced my flute, took my dog for a walk- anything to get my mind going again. If I sat at the computer and did social network stuff, it didn’t get better, it just wasted time.

3. Know what you are going to write before you sit down to that empty page I have a long commute on Fridays when I drive to the university where I teach, so during that drive, I would plan out my next chapter in my head. I’d think about certain lines I wanted to include and certain actions that would make sense with each character. That way, when I finally did sit down, I could type away with a direction in mind.

4. Keep reading other books. My writing gets stale if I stop reading. I also get less inspired. Even though it takes time out of my writing schedule, it’s worth it for me to keep reading other people’s books- books I loved growing up, or even new ones.

5. When you’re not writing, someone else is. I got this one from flute. There’s a saying: when you’re not practicing, someone else is. And that saying would always get me off my butt and get me practicing, because I wanted that first chair, that seat in orchestra, that scholarship, and I knew I couldn’t get it if someone else was more prepared and worked harder.

6. Remember what you love about writing. This is easy to forget when you’re sitting at the keyboard facing a deadline, and everything that’s coming out is crap. I have to remind myself of why I chose writing in the first place, maybe watch some old movies I loved as a kid that inspired me. When you take something you love and make it into a job to make money, you can lose that spark unless you are careful to keep it reinvigorated.

7. Make time to write every day. It’s a sacrifice. You have to get rid of something else to have time to write. For me, sometimes it was watching The Bachelor on ABC, or not going out with my family, or staying up a little later. But, I made time each day to write. Sometimes I’d schedule it in like an appointment. That way, the day wouldn’t go by without me writing something.

Author Bio: Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed, which will release in November 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity. Learn more about Aubrie: @authoraubrie,  www.authoraubrie.com, http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Enter to win this fabulous piece of jewelry.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Links for Haven 6 - Paperback - Kindle

Voices of Fiction - Where do you get your ideas - Part One

Welcome to another edition of Voices of Fiction.

Over the next few weeks, our wonderful group of authors will be discussing where they get their ideas.

Please welcome this week's guests.

Barbara Ehrentreu, a retired teacher with a Masters degree in Reading and Writing K-12 and seventeen years of teaching experience lives with her family in Stamford, Connecticut. When she received her Masters degree she began writing seriously. If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor, Barbara’s first YA novel, published by MuseItUp Publishing was inspired by Paula Danziger. Her novel is also available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback, Barnes & Noble for both paperback and Nook, Smashwords, Omnilit and of course The Muse Bookstore. In addition, Barbara has a story in Lavender Dreams, a memorial anthology for which all the proceeds go to cancer research. She has three poems in Prompted: An International Collection of Poems by the Anthologists for which all the proceeds go to Literacy research. Her blog, Barbara’s Meanderings, http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/, is networked on both Facebook and Blog Catalog. She hosts Red River Writers Live Tales from the Pages on Blog Talk Radio every 4th Thursday. In addition, her children's story, “The Trouble with Follow the Leader” and an adult story, “Out on a Ledge” are published online. She has written book reviews for Authorlink.com. and several of her reviews have been on Acewriters and Celebrity Café. She is a member of SCBWI. Writing is her life! Beyond the Dark Room: An International Collection of Transformational Poetry, in which I have 5 poems. published September, 2012 by Really Love Your Book. All proceeds from this anthology go to Doctors Without Borders. Blog, Facebook, Twitter

Bobbi Carducci, also writing as Barbara Simpson Carducci, is the author of Storee Wryter Gets a Dog, A GOLD Mom’s Choice Award winner for excellence also named A Best Dog Book for Young Readers in Cesar’s Way Magazine (the official publication of Cesar Milan, TVs the Dog Whisperer) The book for young readers ages 6-10 not only tells a story kids enjoy, it also encourages them to write their own stories. Bobbi Carducci is a former senior staff writer for a Washington, D.C. area newspaper, she is professional book reviewer and an award winning short story writer. She lives in Virginia with her husband Michael. Together they are the directors of the Young Voices Foundation, an educational nonprofit established to mentor young writers. Blog, Link, Link


Cara Marsi, an award-nominated author, is a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller who is finally free of her fabric-covered cage. She craves books with happy endings and loves to write about independent heroines and the strong heroes who love them. Cara is published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. She’s also published numerous short romance stories in national women’s magazines. Cara and her husband enjoy traveling and she loves to write about the places they've visited. They share their house with a fat black diva of a cat named Killer.  
Website, Twitter, Facebook




Carole Ann Moleti is a nurse-midwife in New York City, thus explaining her fascination with all things paranormal, urban fantasy, and space opera. Her newest fiction is featured in Haunted: Ten Tales of Ghosts and Bites: Ten Tales of Vampires.Website, Blog, Twitter


Welcome Authors! It’s wonderful to have you back for another round.

Now the question is: Where do you get your ideas?

Barbara Ehrentreu: I get most of my ideas from my own life. However, sometimes I just find them in the news or from another piece of writing.

Bobbi Carducci: I love that question. It’s one writers hear often. My response is, “everywhere.” People are the most interesting creatures on the planet. As a writer I consider myself one of the quiet observers of the world. I watch people all the time. I eavesdrop unabashedly. I read everything I can get me hands on, including random pieces of paper dropped on the floor by people in a hurry. My family is a huge source of material for short stories. They are as amazing and weird as any family out there and I love them for it.

Very often characters begin talking to me in the shower. There is something about hot water on my head that opens a creative door and allows them to reveal themselves. Once they start talking they can be very insistent, refusing to shut up until their story is told or I promise I’ll come back to them once the piece I’m currently working on is complete.

I believe ideas are the most important element needed to be a writer. If a person comes to a writing workshop full of ideas with no idea how to bring them to life on paper, I believe there’s a writer in there. Craft can be taught. I’m not sure about creativity. Skill in punctuation, grammar and punctuation are necessary skills but they don’t make one a writer.

Cara Marsi: Sometimes from things that have happened in my life, like the inciting incident in "A Catered Romance." Sometimes from things that happen around me, especially for my short stories. Sometimes from old movies. I always write what I would want to read, and I've got so many stories I'd like to read, so I write them.

Carole Ann Moleti: Mostly from dreams and flashes of insight. Other moments of inspiration come while driving down the street, on the subway, at during particularly intense/scary/funny times at work. Occasionally, my husband or a friend will suggest a story idea, but since I can't write well to prompts, those rarely turn out to be viable.

Thank you all for joining us today and sharing where you find your ideas.

Readers feel free to ask questions concerning this topic in the comments. Also feel free to send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.

(Disclaimer - Bios and answers have been posted as submitted by author) 

Haven 6 - Aubrie Dionne

Haven 6 - Book 3 of A New Dawn hits shelves and kindles today! (Release has been temporarily delayed.) NOW AVAILABLE - BUY LINKS FOR HAVEN 6 - Paperback - Kindle

I'm excited to announce Aubrie Dionne's latest publication. Aubrie is a dear friend, critique partner, a wonderful writer, but that's not all.

A little about Aubrie: Aubrie grew up watching the original Star Wars movies over and over again until she could recite and reenact every single scene in her backyard. She also loved The Goonies, Star Trek the Next Generation-favorite character was Data by far-, and Indiana Jones. But, her all time favorite movie was The Last Unicorn. She still wonders why the unicorn decided to change back to a unicorn in the end.

Aubrie wrote in her junior high yearbook that she wanted to be "A concert flutist" when she grew up. When she made that happen, she decided one career was not enough and embarked as a fantasy, sci fi author. Two careers seems to keep her busy. For now.

Book Blurb : A product of an illegal pairing, Eridani is the only woman without a lifemate aboard the colonization ship, the Heritage, and she is determined her less than perfect DNA will not get in the way of finding love. As the ship nears its final destination of Haven 6 after five hundred years of travel, images of the surface show evidence of intelligent life on a planet that's supposed to be uninhabited. Commander Grier assigns Eri to the exploratory team to spy on the alien society and return with information on how to defeat them.

When Eri's team lands, tribes of humans attack and Eri is saved by Striver, the descendant of a colonist and a pirate from Old Earth's colonization efforts in other parts of the galaxy. Striver helps Eri rescue her team and they are drawn to each other despite their different allegiances. While Striver battles with trusting Eri, Eri must decide whether to warn him and his people about the commander's intentions, or follow orders and complete her mission.

Aubrie also begins her month long virtual book tour today. Stop by next Thursday, September 20, for a chance to win this amazing piece of Jewelry, and Aubrie shares some words on writing.

Author Bio:
Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed, which will release in November 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity. @authoraubrie, www.authoraubrie.com, http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com


 

Voices of Fiction - Influences on Life/Writing - Wrap Up

Welcome to another edition of Voices of Fiction.

Over the last few weeks, the authors have shared wonderful stories of inspiration and encouragement in their life and writing. The biggest influences have ranged from parents, other family members, teachers, readers, spouses, other writers, friends, and life experiences.

There is one influence I don't believe anyone touched upon, and I'd like to take a moment to give credit. Although, over time, a connection with God has been shunned by some, rather you say God, a higher power, an energy source, or whatever, I feel we, as writers, are given a wonderful talent and by sharing it with the world, or even a friend, we extend a wonderful thank you to the higher source, whether we acknowledge it or not.

(Please if you don't acknowledge anything other than scientific facts don't take offense. We are all entitled to our beliefs.)

Who has been the biggest influence in your life? In your writing?

As a child, I had an automatic draw toward reading. I can't really tell you why, I just had to read everything. Book after book, cereal boxes, instructions, I loved the written word. Both of my parents were readers. My father was a huge Louis L'Amour fan, while I believe my mother read romance, but I'm not entirely sure on that one. So, by giving me the reading bug, my parents began my journey in life and reading.

Readers are always a great source of encouragement, whether it's a critique buddy, a mentor, or even Ginnie dropping you a quick email saying how much she enjoyed your latest book. I've had writers share with me their secrets and a few readers (some also writers) encourage me to keep going. When a writer tells you that you are good at what you do, it's a wonderful thing. When a reader tells you they enjoy your work, it's the next best thing. We do this for others, not ourselves. If the reader doesn't have fun, well, what was the point? (At least, that's the way I look at it.)

Authors have influenced each new writer's journey, one way or another - whether it is with great writing or even bad writing. Nothing gets a writer going quicker than reading something bad and thinking, "OH, I can do that, and better!" or reading great writing and thinking, "I want to do that!" Among the writers who have pushed me toward my writing journey are Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, John Saul, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Dean Koontz, and trust me there are many, many more.

Thank you all for joining us as we explored our biggest influences in life and writing.

Next week, we'll begin exploring another topic on "Voices of Fiction." Feel free to join in.

Readers send questions to chergreen@chergreen.com, Subject: Voices of Fiction Question, and have them answered by the participating authors in later editions.

There’s also room for more authors to participate. Drop me an email, Subject: Voices of Fiction.