Cherie Colyer's Blog, page 73

Edits for Embrace are done. My amazing editor has passed the manuscript on to the next person in the process. I'm back to waiting while they check that all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed.
Being a writer comes with a lot of waiting.













So what does a writer do while they wait? I can't speak for everyone, but I like to catch up on my reading. The pile of books wanting for my attention is growing and my to-read list on Good Reads is even longer. I also work on other projects. I'm currently finishing edits of a middle grade ghost story and I'm excited about revisiting a YA paranormal  I wrote last year. I actually could use a clone, because there just aren't enough hours in the day to work on both. 
And then the season premieres of my favorite shows are this month, so I know what I'll be doing for two hours a week.
Season premiere of the Vampire Dairies was  last Thursday.

And I'm excited that the boys from Supernatural are back this Friday.
I'd love to hear from you. I'm curious, what do you do to keep busy while you wait? Do you start another project or take a break from writing? Any shows coming out this season that you're excited about?



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Since my novel EMBRACE is still in the editorial process and I don't have anything new to share at this time, I thought it would be fun to spotlight a fellow Omnific author's book. I discovered Susan Kaye Quinn's wonderful book, LIFE, LIBERTY, AND PURSUIT, at a conference and I knew right away I had to have it. 
Omnific Publishing is also hosting their Author!Author! Blog Bounce. Authors are welcome to join. Details at the end of this post. 
Synopsis: When college-bound Eliza falls into a cruise-ship pool, she doesn't expect to fall in love. And when navy recruit David pulls her from the water, he finds her surprisingly hard to resist. But a whirlwind of rescues, candlelit nights, and beachside misunderstandings pulls them into a four-day love affair that threatens to break their hearts before their love has a chance to start. 
When David leaves for endless drills and physical training in boot camp, and Eliza returns to Albuquerque to prepare for Princeton in the fall, they dare to keep loving each other and struggle to imagine a future when they can be together. But when miles and mistrust pull them apart, they are forced to choose between keeping true to their dreams and having the courage to love.

I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, so LIFE, LIBERTY, and PURSUIT was a nice break from the demons and monsters in my usual reads. Eliza is a girl who knows what she wants. David is a strong young man who is supposed to start boot camp in a few short days. But meeting each other puts some kinks in their plans for the future. Susan does a great job of creating realistic characters who fall in love and then face a very difficult decision about their future. LIFE, LIBERTY, and PURSUIT is a sweet romance that kept me guessing what Eliza and David will do.
To read an excerpt, click here.
Susan was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.
Cherie: Your story is written in alternating points-of-view, did you find it easier to write from Eliza or David's point-of-view or did both simply flow on their own?
Susan: First, thank you for spotlighting Life, Liberty, and Pursuit on your blog!I love writing male POV, and Eliza was actually my first time writing female POV (strange, I know). So I had to work to get her voice right, but in the end I really enjoyed writing her perspective – the story is hers, even though it's a love story and both perspectives are important. But Eliza's choice is the one I hope girls who read the book will take inspiration from.
Cherie: What type of research did you do for your story?
Susan: Research is one of my favorite parts of writing, so I eagerly dived into learning about boot camp and the Navy's linguist program – I was lucky to find the blog of a young sailor who talked about his boot camp experience, to get a first-hand account of what it was like. Google is my friend. Also Google Earth, where I literally "walked around" some of the settings in the story. Fun!
Cherie: Do you have a favorite place you like to go to write?
Susan: While I was writing LLP, I mainly wrote on my mini-laptop, which meant I wrote anywhere – on the couch, at the park, in the car while waiting to pick up my kids. Since then, my boys have started school full-time and I write mainly at my desktop, surrounded by a clutter of marked-up critiques from my writing group, treasured drawings from writer/artist friends, and of course Writer Mouse. I tell myself that someday I'll have a nice tidy desk, but I think I'm just fooling myself.
Cherie: Eliza and David travel to some amazing location on the cruise, if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Susan: Italy, because it's long overdue. I've wanted to go to Italy for about 10 years now, and originally my husband and I were going for our 10th anniversary. Shortly before we planned to buy tickets, baby #3 came along and our plans were delayed. My "baby" is now eight, and my husband keeps traveling there for business, checking out Rome, the churches, the art, the food, the food, the food! Someday I'll get there too. Mostly I want to find a small café, drink red wine, eat pasta, and breathe in the atmosphere. I'll bring along a notebook to scribble down my thoughts and probably would come back and write a novel set there. J
Cherie: Okay, I have to ask, do you believe in love at first site?
Susan: I do! I know some people have a hard time with that idea, but I know it exists because this story is loosely based off my best friend from high school. She went on a four day vacation with my family where we met some other friends-of-the-family and she instantly fell in love with their son. I was like, huh? You're kidding, right? We were all of sixteen at the time. They were separated by many miles for many years, but eventually she moved to where he was living and they've been happily married for 17 years with two beautiful girls. When I sent her the book, she said, "But this is all about ME!" She loved the book, as well as the Summer Breeze Anthology (containing a short "afterstory" featuring her favorite character, Teagan). Which made me very happy.
Cherie: Can you share a swoon worthy line from your novel?
Susan: Ok, it would have to be from one of David's love letters. Here goes…and I'm cheating by providing more than a line… 
            Since I won't be getting any sleep tonight and will miss dreaming about you, I will have to create my own waking dream. It starts with you waving from far away as I come off the gangplank. I'm dressed in my navy whites, because I'm returning from a tour of duty, and you are wearing an amazing blue dress that doesn't touch your knees, but seems to touch everywhere else. I have to wade through other sailors and their girlfriends and wives to reach you, but when I finally do, I hold you for a very long time, lips pressed to yours, not wanting to let you go.Please write soon.Yours,David

It is interesting that you find writing from a male's POV easier. In my own writing, I have to work harder to keep the details of a scene in a male's perspective.


Now that the interview is done, I'm going to share a little secret. I was dying to know what Susan would pick for her favorite swoon line. LIFE, LIBERTY, and PURSUIT had so many great moments. The chemistry between Eliza and David is amazing.

Thank you Susan for being a part of my blog and for sharing a little about yourself and your writing habits! I loved the drawing and Writer Mouse!


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This is a Blog Hop! 7 entries so far... you're next!

1.Susan Kaye Quinn2.Cherie Colyer3.Trisha Wolfe4.BJ Thornton: Savagely Sexy (Warning: Coarse Lang. )5.Robin DeJarnett: Musical Mischief6.Nicki Elson: In the mood for some Big D?7.Hannah DowningThis list will close in 17 hrs, 27 min (9/15/2011 10:59 PM CST)



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I recently pulled out my notes on writing for a middle grade audience. I had tons, scattered through different notebooks and I thought it would be nice to have them in one place.
Middle grade is a wonderful age to write for. Your readers are hungry for new adventures and it doesn't hurt that schools often offer incentives to keep children reading. So what do you have to know if you're writing for this age group?
Middle grade readers are 8-12, sometimes 13. One of the first things you'll need to do is determine if you are targeting the younger readers in this range or the older readers. Once you know this, you can determine how old to make your main character.  For instance, if you are targeting younger readers, then you may decide to make your mc eleven. For older readers, have your character be thirteen.
Middle grade themes are also very different than young adult. In middle we think how does the main character fit into the world. Whereas in a teen novel, the character is exploring how they fit in with their peers. Middle grade also has strict lines on what you can and cannot do. You won't find sex, cursing, or drugs in a MG novel.
I once heard an editor say that hook is not plot. To me, this made sense. Hook is what draws your reader in. Plot is what carries your reader from page one to the end of the book. Some notes on plot and voice in a middle grade novel:
Plot: Think what matters to a twelve-year-old.Are the conflicts what make sense to a twelve-year-old?Do they center on relationship?

Voice: The narrative voice should be what the character notices in the scene.Children this age often talk in fragmented sentences and half thoughts. Does your dialogue reflect this?Watch that your character is not too self aware. He or she shouldn't have emotional maturity that comes with age.

On last note, while drafting your novel, remember to have the kids create problems that they will later solve.

I'm sure I've missed something and I'd love to hear from you if you have tips to share.