Optimism

A few days ago I read a blog in which someone referred to a talk Jayne Ann Krentz gave. In this talk, she mentioned that, in her opinion, the difference between the literary genre and other genre fiction, was one word: optimism. For whatever reason I've been thinking about this since I read that message (Funny, since I was present when Ms. Krentz gave that talk and only now started thinking about it) and I find I agree with her. Optimism is the difference between genre fiction and literary fiction (which is just another genre, but I won't get into that here--much).

It's a little too simplistic to say that all genre fiction is optimistic, but for the most part it is. Even set in an apocalyptic world, the struggle of a man (or mankind) to maintain dignity or the right thing is optimistic. That's why Mad Max works. A loner anti-hero who has lost everything still does the right thing and fights for the right causes. After he does the right thing, the world isn't "cured", but he goes on to do more "right things". Optimistic. In Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, a book with NO heroes, justice does win in the end even if it's in a weird, unjust, twisted way. The book remains troubling because of its ending, which is what makes it a classic, but there is a weird sense of optimism in it. Justice does prevail (and if you've read the book**SPOILER** you understand the pun I'm making).

I think optimism is the right word. Optimism doesn't mean life becomes easy. It doesn't mean that the characters will live out the rest of their lives in pretty meadows filled with unicorns and rainbows, snacking on candy flavored flowers and never gaining a pound. Optimism means that no matter the circumstances, the characters will strive to seek goodness, justice, strength, and love. If death comes, and it will, hope will still exist. Optimism, whether it's the superficial belief that you will win the lottery or the deeply ingrained urge simply to wake up the next morning and slog through the day, is the strength of the human race.

Maybe life is futile. If that's the case, I don't want to read about it or watch it in a film or even know it. I prefer my optimistic delusions. Life is more fun that way.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Breathless by Dean Koontz
Blood Island by H. Terrell Griffin

I Like Light

So how badly does it reflect on an author when she labels herself as a light read? I love my books, but my intention isn't to bog the reader down with characters who have depressing baggage, history that's too text book or research that's too dense (Not that I don't do research because I do a ton). I write the books that I enjoy--fun, with humor, and adventure. Yet I hesitate to label myself so. Case in point: I wanted to describe my new Kindle release as medieval-light. Doesn't mean that I didn't do research or that the novel is anachronistic. I will admit I glossed over many aspects of medieval life...because I wanted to. While I enjoyed the research and learned many cool facts, I didn't want to weigh down the light and lively aspects of my novel. I call it Errol-Flynn lit.

I love movies like Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Notting Hill, X-men, Love Actually, anything by Pixar; books like Harry Potter, almost every Agatha Christie, Bewitching, A Kiss At Midnight, and so many more. (By the way, all these stories have themes and important ones at that, but that's a whole other topic.) I also love books/movies like Shawshank Redemption, To Kill A Mockingbird, Casablanca, and other heavier fare, but I stay away from anything like The Hurt Locker, or The English Patient, or stuff you have to use a crane to lift. I recently watched A Single Man. Thought it was slow, but a fascinating character study...and then it ended. If you don't want to know the ending skip to the next paragraph. It's the story of a man about to commit suicide, but through the course of the day he finds his will to live again. It's life affirming; the character finds joy in living again. Wonderful. And then he has a heart attack and dies. Really? REALLY? You want a great, GREAT book where people die and it's still life affirming? Read Dandelion Wine. It's about living life to its fullest, not about the futility of life.

So I hereby declare myself a light writer. I write stories that (I hope) will have you cheering at the end, laughing at parts and maybe even sheding a few tears. I write for fun--fun for me and for you.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
In Her Sights by Robin Perini
I Dream of Genies by Judi Fennell

My Foray into Self-publishing

As many of you know, I had several historicals released before I was able to write paranormals. Well, I've now re-released the first of my backlist. TEMPTATION'S WARRIOR, an award winning manuscript, is now available on Kindle. I like to call it medieval-light--I definitely did tons of research (who wouldn't love reading about the middle ages?) but in the end I told a fun story (in my opinion). I've released it under my other name, Gabi Anderson. Originally it was released only in hardcover, so it didn't get the readership I thought it deserved.

The cover was so much fun to create. My husband and I found an image we liked (iStockphoto.com) and then we played with it. The more I looked at him, the more I fell in love with this model. So did my husband. :)

I'm still looking into how to get the book on Smashwords and into the Nook, Kobo, and other formats, so that will be coming. In the meantime, if you're a huge fan and want another Gabi fix and have a Kindle, this is your chance.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Beyond Ordinary by Mary Sullivan

Wishful Thinking

I have a cover!

It so nails the characters, especially Stormy. You have the beach in San Diego, her usual garb, her tattoo...And Hunter...sigh. Love those arms. Release date is April 24, 2012.

And yes, this is a paranormal, but the cover fits the book. Even if they didn't quite get the dimple in his chin.

--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

Halloween

I'm not big into Halloween. I don't mind giving out candy or seeing kids (I don't even mind the teenagers) come to my door. I don't mind the people who actually celebrate it as a holiday, and I sort of laugh at the ones who fear it, but it's not big on  my list of days I look forward to. I really am sick of the way it's been built up into a merchandise bonanza; and I always laughed at my students when they thought they should have a day off for it (Yes, I was that kind of teacher--I laughed at my students). I don't like "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (I know, blasphemy) and I don't like to dress up.

I should retract that. I would love to dress up if I could get the kind of costume I would love to get. Probably something Steampunk, or Victorian, made of velvet and lace, with a corset and the right boots. Or something medieval with a wimple and chemise, overgown and laced up bodice. Or perhaps something fantasy--wings, something flowy. The reason I don't: I can't see myself spending the money. I'm frightfully cheap, especially when it comes to myself. The idea of spending the kind of moneyit would take to acquire the kind of costume I would love gives me hives.

I wish I was the kind of person who could just let loose and celebrate. I wish I could dress in the styles that truly appeal to me (Gothic, anyone?--you'd never guess that about me, would you?). Unfortunately, I'm too repressed.

So I'll sit back on Halloween in my non-costume and just say, "Bah,humbug." But have a good time anyway.
--Gabi


Books I'm reading now:
Honey Moon by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (really, Kindle people, have someone proof read it)
Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My Man Pendleton by Elizabeth Bevarly

The Reason I’m Sticking with Traditional Publishing

Don’t get me wrong. I think this is a brave new world in publishing with so many new opportunities. I love that authors are re-releasing their backlists. Heck, I’m even dipping a toe into the waters of self-publishing by releasing one of my historicals written under my previous name . But for the most part, I’m sticking with the non-indie books (hypocritical much?).

Before you start throwing things at me, let me explain. I think it’s great that authors have a choice right now. Really I do. You’ve written a book and you want to see it published. I can understand that feeling. More than you know. But as an author (and let me just come out and tell you that I am traditionally published by a traditional house), I don’t have a lot of time to read. When I read, I want the book to take me away, and for it to do that, it has to be clean, well constructed, and sing (metaphorically speaking).

Again, before you throw things at me, let me continue. I’m not saying that indie authors don’t know what they’re doing. I’m sure many of them do. And yes, I have read traditionally published books that are terrible—and I don’t mean “just not my taste.” I’ve seen error-laden, lazy ass writing from traditionally published authors. But—and many of us do suffer from big buts—I have also read many, many unpublished manuscripts over the years. Not complete ones, but the opening chapters. Hundreds is not an exaggeration (I can’t imagine going through the number of manuscripts an editor or an agent has to). Of the hundreds of chapters I’ve read, I’ve seen maybe two or three, at most five, that were ready to be published. Of the couple dozen that I thought were really good, interesting concepts, great voice, etc, they still needed a lot of work to be publishable—whether the grammar needed work, the pacing, the POV, etc. A good editor could really help those manuscripts. And yes, I’ve also heard that good editors are hard to find. Probably true, but they are out there. My concern is that most authors can’t view their own work with detachment, and I don’t want to read someone’s book that only the author's mother/best friend/husband thinks great. I want someone who has no emotional stake in the author to like the writing.

Keep those rotten tomatoes in your hands for a while longer, please. Recently I’ve heard too many authors say that New York doesn’t know what it’s doing, that so-and-so made it big without traditional publishing, that this big name author is now going indie, that publishing is dead, etc. Maybe that’s so. New York publishers are struggling, really struggling, to figure out what’s happening in publishing. The fact that so-and-so made it big is the exception, not the rule (that’s why we hear about her). The big name author who is going indie knows her craft and has already proven herself a writing entity and has fans who will follow her wherever she will go (“she” used as the default gender pronoun—I’m not thinking of anyone in particular). Publishing is not dead; it’s changing—some of the dinosaurs are gasping, some are blind, some have their heads in the tar pits, but do you really think publishing is dead? They said the same thing when Gutenberg invented the printing press. They said the same thing about movies when television came around. Do you really think publishing will disappear just because we’ve entered a new phase? All authors should be educating themselves and not trusting one side or the other blindly.

But (so many buts in this blog, as if too many of us didn’t already have big buts in our lives), I want someone to have vetted the work I read. I honestly believe I have a better chance at finding a good book that way. I’m not saying that some self-published works aren’t great. I also know that I’ll never find them with this attitude, but I don’t have the time to search or the money, or the patience to wade through the muck. I’m just stating my parameters.

And, yes, I know many people don’t like my books and that’s okay too.

Let the throwing commence.

--Gabi

Books I’m reading now:

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Dragonbound by Jade Lee

Formula

Critics of Romance complain that the stories are all the same, that they're all formula. Well, sure, if you consider having an HEA (happily ever after) formula, but as a recent study  (from UCSD, my alma mater) showed, people actually get more from reading if they know the ending. Spoilers don't spoil anything. In Romance the "how" the hero and heroine get to the HEA drives the reader, not  the "if". Besides, within the formula you'll find an almost endless variety of styles, tones, themes, settings, conflicts, etc.

If you're a person who loves Romance, I don't have to convince you that I'm right. If you're no fan of Romance, then, besides wondering what the hell you're doing on this page, I feel I should inform you that all genres, including literary (yes, it is a genre) have their formulae.

Still not convinced? Well, I don't have time or energy to deal with you. I'm busy writing. But as a final thought watch this three minute short film. According to the restrictions placed on the film makers, the films were allowed to have six lines of dialog:

• What is that?
• It’s a unicorn.
• Never seen one up close before.
• Beautiful.
• Get away, Get away!
• I’m sorry.

Just watch:

Don't tell me formulae are limiting.
--Gabi

Books I'm reading now:
Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones
When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James