Thursday, March 22, 2012

When Romance Tiptoes Across The Page

History indicates a dire situation where young men are called to war. The story becomes more intense as diplomacy fails or fate destroys leaving a nation vulnerable to invasion. Yet in the turmoil of pending disaster romance tiptoes across the page.

Historical fiction/romance is exciting to imagine and even more exciting to bring to life. I have read a plethora of historical fiction and nonfiction over the years and find romance finds a way to enter the story. As a character's personality is built his/her soul begins to show on the page. Human nature is to reach out to others and sometimes a special someone enters our lives. The same holds true with the characters of a historical fiction/romance novel.

The characters' lives revolve around the historical events and as in life continue in the normal vein until something shatters their world. Their reaction can take two paths:

  1. Lash out at the fate which brought this unwanted intrusion on them; or
  2. Turn to each other and trust in God's Grace to bring them through the trial
I choose number two - Trust in God's Grace. As my characters live through the dilemma facing them I strive to show how they support each other the way we would want to be supported in the same situation. The characters don't know what the outcome of the days events will bring just as we don't know about tomorrow. And out of this a love story grows and builds with the uncertainty of what new dilemma the next chapter will bring.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Marketing - Who will buy my book?

The time has come to market and I am at a loss.  Where do I turn to find marketing tools that are user friendly for a novice in the field? 

A plathora of advice exists on the web, but how much of it is practical for an author to use.  Finding venues to market my books is a full time job even with the help of a dedicated publisher's marketing department, and what about the niche market.  What niche does the story fall into, historical fiction, romance, adventure?  They all have a place in the story, but which genre should be the target for marketing purposes. 

I found marketing to be a world of mystery since entering the realm of published authors where one follows a maze of intersecting paths that lead to several dead ends.  Book stores are a wonderful experience and being a featured author at Barnes & Noble feels like you have arrived.  But, the few books sold on that Saturday afternoon are soon forgotten when the book is not on the shelves the following Saturday as another aspiring author is featured. 

The list continues with book fairs, library appearances, speaking events, a web page, and yes, creating a blog.  All of these are areas to advertise and promote the work of the imagination that demanded rewriting, editing, review, professional critique and meeting deadlines. 

I have learned the final product is not the published book; the marketing of that book is the end product.  A story is not complete until another person reads it and finds enjoyment in the tale.  So I say keep searching for markets to sell the tale that emerged from a computer file to a book for the world to enjoy.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Historical Fiction Writing -

Only God
can bring a soul to rest
Thank you for stopping by my blog. 

I am happy to say that my second novel is ready for pre-release sale at http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781618623294  I hope you will find the story interesting and entertaining as two women connected by a tenuous blood line take their life's journey in very different times on earth.  Not much is known about the lost Minoan culture that ended nearly a milenia and a half before Christ walked the earth which allows a more poetic license. 

I have always enjoyed history and discovered writing fiction around it is even more enjoyable. They All Fall Down, my first novel, is also historical fiction but demanded history be followed closely since it takes place in the early years of WWII when diplomacy failed and war erupted across the globe.

Keeping in mind that history is a window to the future allows characters to participate in the current events striving to bring about the outcomes of current time.  Natural disasters, wars, life changes and death can bring out the best or the worst in people.  Using these events help to build the characters' personalities when the stories unfold and their lives take on meaning as they thread their way through the pages of a novel.