Today, I’m excited to welcome Lani Diane Rich and Alastair Stephens to the blog. They are the creators of StoryWonk— a daily podcast for people who are passionate about writing and storytelling. Introductions are their own words: Lani is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nine novels. Currently, she’s writing romantic fantasy for St. Martin’s Press as Lucy March; her first novel, A Little Night Magic, will be released in February 2012. She has been teaching writing workshops across the country since 2004, and has been an adjunct professor at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School for Public Communications, teaching introductory television writing and production. Alastair is a…

The publication of my novel, Rule Number One, is moving ahead. Contracts are signed, cover questionnaire is sent in, blurbs are done, and today I’m working on my bio for BookStrand’s website and the back cover of my book. Soon, they’ll send me the cover art to approve and I can post it here, and in February, I can put up a link for folks to order the book. Whew! This is really happening. When we went to the lake last weekend for a holiday celebration with our new friends up there, several people congratulated me on the book, which I so appreciated. The hostess introduced me to new guests…

…at Chick Lit Writers today. CLW is the special-interest online chapter of Romance Writers of America–a group of writers from around the world who love–and write–chick lit.  Come by and talk to me about your synopsis-writing experience. For me, it’s rather arduous. How about you?

One of the few jokes I can actually remember well enough to tell is one that comedian Flip Wilson (remember him?) told. It was the sixties and I was a little kid, but this joke stuck. It goes something like this: Here’s an incident that took place recently when I was returning from Chicago by train. I got on the train and sat down.  And I noticed that the woman across the aisle from me had her baby with her. Ugly baby. Ugly baby. From the other end of the coach comes this guy and he was very drunk and he was staring at the baby.  And the woman heard…

I was going to title this post, “Today I’m Finally an Author.” But when I posted that thought on my Facebook page, my critique partner shook a virtual finger at me and scolded, “First — you’ve ALWAYS been an author. Now, you’re just a published author.” Then I  remembered a StoryWonk post from last week, when Lani and Alastair said words to the effect that if you complete a novel, even if only one other person reads it, you are a novelist.   I am a novelist. I sent my novel, Rule Number One, to Bookstrand Publishing and they offered to publish it. I’m accepting their offer. So now, I’m going…

…today is TSTL–Too Stupid To Live. No, not me, although I guess I have my moments. I’m talking about the characters in my new novel. It’s a romantic suspense–a mystery, and I sent chapter 15 to my critique partner last night. Although she liked the chapter, she warned me that my characters were on the edge of being TSTL. That took me aback just a little–this is a mystery, aren’t we supposed to be setting things up for big surprises and unexpected events? And aren’t the hero and heroine supposed to be figuring things out and solving the mystery on their own? But as I reread the chapter, I saw…

After an arduous two weeks of editing other people’s work, I’m finally able to work on my own novels again. Many of my fellow writers are doing NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month). NaNo is a challenge to write 50,000 words (a complete novel) between November 1 and November 30.  I would’ve loved to have given it a try, but because I have several editing gigs scheduled for November, I opted out of NaNo this year. However I’m intrigued with the idea. Maybe next year, I’ll see if I can make my paying gigs work out so that I can have more time in November. It’s a good goal. Writers fall…

Sandy is my critique partner and my inspiration. Her “Damaged Heroes” series and rom-com novel Turning Thirty-Twelve are published by BookStrand. The newest Damaged Heroes book,  Twist of Fate, a time-travel romance, debuted October 25.   Her novel, Rules of the Game, is coming from Carina Press in April 2012. Find Sandy online at www.sandy-james.com.  Today, she talks about the importance of having someone else read your work. Take it away, Partner… I always remember what agony it was as a child to have my father tell me his “stories.” You know the ones I’m talking about… They usually began with In my day or When I was a kid.…