Last week’s rant gives way to the miscellany characterizing the last several days.

On Friday afternoon, I had a podcast interview with Tony Tellado of Sci-Fi Talk. As of writing this blog, it hadn’t yet been posted, but you can be sure that I’ll announce it (and post the URL) when I know it’s gone live. Mr. Tellado and I had a nice conversation about The Eagle at Dawn, the Immortal Shifters series, and writing in general. In short, I don’t write the way most authors do: I’m a minority–a pantser, not a plotter.

Speaking of author interviews, I have two more coming up. One will be with AdriAnne Headen of The Writer’s Television. This face-to-face interview will take place in my hometown. At her request for a public location, I suggested Un Mundo Cafe, a favorite of mine for lunch and chai tea. The other interview will be with Richard Dugan’s radio show and broadcast titled Tell Me Your Story. I’ll keep y’all posted.

I’m making decent progress on my next book, which I have tentatively titled F-Stop. Another title I’m considering is Focus. The spark for this story came from my last attempt at reading a BDSM romance and, consequently, becoming–again–disgusted with it. I know the sub-genre is popular, but I just don’t see the appeal. One of my issues with the sub-genre is the utter lack of respect the heroes in those stories have for women and the spineless heroines who just just roll over and take it. Can you hear Aretha Franklin singing yet? My story doesn’t focus on BDSM and it’s not a BDSM romance, but respect is a strong theme running through it. I hope to release it April.

The author registration form for the 2020 Springfield Book Fair will open on March 1 and close May 31. After the poor showing at the summer event in 2019, I decided that holding two events per year was overkill, so I dropped it back to one. The May and September dates have been canceled. The 2020 Springfield Book Fair will be held on Saturday, June 13, from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM, at Mother Stewart’s Brewing Company. I increased the registration fee to $75, so we can afford more advertising and marketing. Personalized Marketing Inc. will handle event promotion and marketing beyond that which we request participating authors to do. All participating authors are requested to share event information to their social media networks.

Speaking of events, I’m headed to Kentucky for the Lexington Legendary Book Bash on Saturday, March 21, at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton Lexington. My bestie, Cindra, has graciously consented to keep me company. Doubtless, she’ll do a good bit of the driving, too. Driving in cities makes me nervous. I’ll have copies of my latest books, Shot from the Hip (a collection of all my western short stories) and Hogtied (released on Valentine’s Day). More events are coming up, so check out the EVENTS page on the Hen House Publishing website.

If you haven’t noticed, I’m changing the Book of the Month feature. Each book featured will be available for free download during the last weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) of the month. All other times, the e-book will be available for only $0.99. February’s featured book is Triple Burn. March will feature The Falcon of Imenotash. Please be sure to leave a review, whichever book(s) you read.

That’s it for now. I’ll get back to my regularly scheduled rant next week.

February Book of the Month: Triple Burn 

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n n nn n n n nBuy on Amazonn n

n nA lengthy and increasingly unnerving interview lands Ursula a job as the event planner at a foreign embassy. Not until the government hustles her off to a different planet does she realize just how foreign that embassy is. When the U.S. ambassador hands over one of her coworkers during her first event as collateral to seal a trade agreement, Ursula breaks out of the embassy, determined to find a way back home before she, too, can be used as a bargaining chip in this world desperate for females. n nWhat she doesn’t know as she navigates the unfamiliar streets of a totally alien culture and climate, is that she already caught the attention of a native warrior triad in a land where women are coddled and kept, yet prized above all else. They take her, elated to have obtained their collective heart’s desire.  n nWhat they don’t know is how fiercely independent a woman from Earth can be. Disoriented, confused, and not a little angry at the way these three overbearing, dominant, sexy warriors take over her life, she wants to go home, but soon discovers this job was a one-way ticket courtesy of the United States government. If she can’t go back, she must go forward. n n​Can she retain her identify and adapt to life on this new world with the three warriors who’ve claimed her as their mate? Is compromise possible between a woman used to controlling her own life and three warriors steeped in a culture that forbids it?n n

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Excerpt

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nUrsula wiped her sweaty palms down the front of her skirt as she walked into the hiring manager’s office for a third round of  interviewing.  She  hoped  that  having  made  such  progress would result in a job offer. She also hoped her palms hadn’t left smears of dampness on the fabric.
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n“Now, Ms. Cartwright, we’ll need a blood sample,” Mr. Argosie said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the cluttered surface of his desk.
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n“A blood sample?” she echoed, questioning the odd request.
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n“Yes. We need to verify the absence of any illegal substances.”
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n“Surely, a urine test is sufficient?”
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nHis pudgy fingers steepled under his clean shaven double chin. “Not at this level, Ms. Cartwright. We deal with highly sen-sitive material and a clear and lucid mind is necessary. Besides, a blood test will catch anything remaining in your system for a longer period of time than a urine test.”
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nAlthough reluctant, Ursula agreed because she could not refute his assertion with any confidence. With a small smile, Mr. Argosie called in a phlebotomist who entered and drew a vial of blood with brusque efficiency.
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n“We test for more than the usual half dozen illegal substances, Ms. Cartwright.”n

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The problem with coming up with a new story is that pretty much every plot has already been done many times over. The familiarity of the plot doesn’t deter a storyteller so much as does the fear that what he or she writes just won’t be all that fresh or original. I mean, how often has Cinderella been done?

So often that the title doesn’t even need quotation marks or italicization.

For instance, I sent a proposal to a potential client regarding writing his father’s memoir. The man’s father led an exciting and unusual life. From what little the potential client told me, it will make a fabulous story. However, I could not get out of my mind American Made, a 2017 a movie starring Tom Cruise, which already told that story. To me, the man’s story felt repetitive and I doubted I could do it justice.

I referred him to another ghostwriting service.

Another problem with beginning a new story is knowing whether the idea will falter before it really gets going. There’s nothing less appealing to read than a story that bored the person who wrote it. The author’s boredom comes across loud and clear, making the reader wonder why he or she even bothered to write it. When transitioning from one manuscript to the next story, that particular problem worries me.

Since finishing my last book, Hogtied (going live on Valentine’s Day), I dithered in the usual fog characterizing the state of “between manuscripts.” My mind ping-ponged among ideas, none of them really catching spark. It’s a good thing that I have a mighty backlog of undeveloped manuscripts started. I scrolled through them, aware that something about the ideas within those files once inspired me to at least begin writing. I came back to one particular story a couple of times and the sparks began to flare. Ah hah! By Jove, I think I’ve got it!

So, here we go. I’ve got another story underway. I even have a general idea for the plot, which is often more than I envision at this stage. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time and opportunity for the plot to morph into something entirely unintended.

But, just to give you a hint, here’s a quick synopsis:

Professional photographer Dana Secrest has a secret and doesn’t even know it. When she storms from her best friend’s home on Christmas Eve–not the wisest decision she’s ever made–security contractor Samuel Galdicar follows her to save her from her own hot temper. Upon arriving home, Dana discovers her house has been ransacked. Then an attempt is made on her life. She doesn’t know who’s trying to kill her or why, but Sam is determined to protect the woman whose eyes don’t need a camera to see the truth.

Yes, the plot has been done before. However, that story didn’t begin because I read or watched something similar. It erupted in a spurt of irritation, even annoyance, from a constant theme within the romance genre that never fails to make my teeth itch: abuse masquerading as romance. The story begins with my heroine calling out the abuse of her friend caught within the trap of a BDSM relationship.

After the initial confrontation, I wasn’t sure what to do with the protagonists or where to take the plot. Then I had an idea. It wasn’t a particularly original idea, but it fit. In fact, it hearkens back to the old movie Blowup (1966) that I first watched in college as part of a class assignment. I didn’t particularly like the movie, but something about it obviously stuck in my mind. Other variations of that plot have come since. Unlike Blowup, my version will have a satisfactory ending, the requisite HEA.

What we read (and watch) really does influence what we write. Now I wonder when the discovery that venerated science fiction author Isaac Asimov was a masher will make its appearance in a story.

​You know it will.