Friday, June 18, 2010

Get Tempted By Judah Raine!!!


Yay! It's Friday!

Let's get the weekend off to roaring start! Fresh from the wilds of majestic South Africa, we've got the exotic Judah Raine hanging out with us today!

Romantic Suspense lovers take heed, Judah's latest release A THICK BLACK LINE just came out in audio book format. That's right, you can listen to a sweet romance full of romantic tension, danger, and intrigue any where, any time.

No need to grab a ticket, this cyber-safari is 100% f-r-e-e and guaranteed to make your day bright! Tally-Ho and away we go . . .


1)If you were a book, what would your blurb be?


Life was never boring. It was either feast or famine, up or down, all or nothing. And through it she learned to dream, to hope, to love, to cry... and to laugh. And that you're never too old to have a happy childhood.

2)Using three words, describe your voice.

Reaching the heart


3)Give us a glimpse into your writing process. What have you found works for you? Any tips for a new writer looking to improve their process?

I'm one of those that gets the idea and sits down to write. No planning, plotting or pre-writing stuff, I just sit and let the words flow. That way I get to know my characters spontaneously rather than creating them according to a predefined "recipe". I also don't edit as I go along. If there's a word I'm not happy with, I simply highlight it for later. Once finished, I then go back and edit, re-write, etc. I find if I use the "plan" my writing becomes stilted and not quite real. I prefer to "feel" the book as I write it. This doesn't necessary work for everyone, though, and I think most writers benefit from a plan of some kind. I think it's important, too, to be aware of personal habits - the use of words a little too often (we all have our favorite words, lol), too much detail (or too little).


4)Novice writer to Published Author: How has your writing changed?

I think for me the biggest challenge was adapting to the "international" market - losing a lot of the South Africanisms that others don't share, or learning to write them in a way that it makes sense to everyone. I think I've also learned to watch how I write rather than what I write, to make sure that things are clear without having to explain them too much. I've also learned not to try to write to a "formula" but to write from the heart - to live the story and share it that way.


5)What has been the best career or writing advice you've ever received?

First, not to give up. That writing is a lot of hard work, a lot of disappointment and a lot of fun. Find the fun, that resonates with me because if we lose that there's no point in writing! Then use reviews as a tool. It's impossible to please everyone, and bad reviews will happen along the way. The secret (and it's not always easy to do) is to use them to assess your own work and then decide if the weaknesses are real or not. If they are, learn from them, work to improve in that area and move on...


6)Any words of wisdom for the novices out there about pursuing a career in writing?

All of the above, lol! Most of all, find your own style, your own voice, your own niche. Each one of us is different, and it's really important not to try to cram yourself into someone else's niche. Be true to yourself and you'll write well. Also, believe in yourself. That's important.


7)What does 2010 hold in store for you? Any news you'd like to share?

2010 has been quite a year! A lot of downs but quite a few ups as well. I've just launched CRR Publishing, which will start small and grow along with the demand, as part of the Classic Romance Revival commitment to growing the "classic" romance genre. My third book, A Thick Black Line, has just been released in audio book format by AudioLark, which is really exciting. A romantic suspense set in South Africa, it grew out of a personal experience - morphed into something entirely different along the way, including the suspense which kind of invited itself along. I also go to do the cover for the book version, an experience that taught me so much and was also a heck of a lot of fun...

Here's the blurb:

Bo Carmichael has drawn a thick black line around her heart with good reason. She has worked hard to overcome the anguish of betrayal and the devastation this had wreaked in her family's lives, and is now close to realising her dreams. There simply isn't place in this equation for emotional entanglements, and especially not with Nic Sinclaire who is the only man in a very long time who has the ability to breach those defences.

From their first encounter, an impossible chemistry rages between them – a crackling heat that seems set on melting the ice surrounding her. A bizarre twist makes Nic a constant companion and self-appointed protector and as her barriers shift and crumble, Bo can no longer ignore the powerful emotions his proximity evokes…


Links for Judah Raine:
Link for the ebook: http://www.bookstrand.com/a-thick-black-line
Link for the audio book: http://www.audiolark.com/books/a-thick-black-line/

My website: http://www.judahraine.com
My blog: http://www.judahraine.com/romancewriteup
CRR: http://www.classicromancerevival.com



What a tasty teaser! I'd like to thank Judah for letting me interview her and for her patience. Cyber-trolls tried to conquer us, but we vanquished the ugly little monkeys! If you'd like to learn more about Judah Raine, please check out her website. While you're there, be sure to scope out her pictures of South Africa. All I can say is WOWZA! Truly gorgeous sights!

THANK YOU, TLN'ers!! My sister-n-law is getting hitched tomorrow, so what better tune to get the weekend off to a bang than some hunkie-dunkie
BILLY IDOL and WHITE WEDDING!! Here's hoping your two days of R&R rock! Catch ya back on Moanday!

13 comments:

Kathleen O said...

Jude and Sarah good interview. And Jude even though you are writing for a more "international" audience, you should still put in your 'ism's' about S. Africa. I am learning so much by watching the World Cup of what S. Africa has to offer. My neice was their with her family a few years ago and she enjoyed her stay so much. So keep your homeland alive. We readers like an education too..

Sarah I hope your SIL wedding is all she wants it to be and long life to them both. Enjoy

Anonymous said...

Congrats to Judah! Love the cover, and to know she made it is awesome! This is one talented woman!

LK Hunsaker said...

Hi Jude and Sarah! Some great advice here for new authors, and I'm with you: write from your heart, not to a market.

Congrats on the audio book!

Nicole McCaffrey said...

Excellent interview!!

I love the gorgeous cover--and the excerpt was fabulous!!

Nic

Stephanie Burkhart said...

Jude and Sarah,
great interview! Congrats on the audio release. I just got Lindsay's secret treasure. I'm real tickled pink with audio lark and audio books. I love audio books
Smiles
steph

Unknown said...

JUDAH--you're such a talented person, in many arenas. I'm awestruck by people who can learn to do so many intricate things. Your book sounds excellent, and you did the cover? Brilliant! congratulations on all your success and I wish you future success on the new endeavors. Celia

Rebecca J Vickery said...

HI Judah and Sarah,
Both of you are A-1 in my book. Love the interview and I agree with Celia--so talented! Congrats on everything you have going on and wish you nothing but the best.
Great book and cover, Jude!

Carol North said...

Hi Sarah:
Fascinating interview.
Judah:
YOur book sounds fascinating. Good luck with your new venture.

Margaret Tanner said...

Judah and Sarah,
Great interview. Judah I am a bit like you, being an Australian, I have to be careful,so that international readers can understand the Aussie vernacular.
Best of luck with all your projects.

Cheers
Margaret

Judah Raine said...

Wow! So many of my friends have popped in... thanks to all of you, for visiting and for the wonderful words. Makes my little heart all warm and fuzzy and I love you all.

Jude

Gail Pallotta said...

What a good interview and good advice to writers.

Anonymous said...

Great Interview, Judah! Love that Cover, too!

Its good to hear that there are authors who write like I do: have the story idea pop up, and just sit down and write without any pre-planning. I love developing the characters that way, too. Because YOU do it that way --- You made me realize Im not a weird writer! LOL!

Wishing you lots of Sales!
hugs, Kari Thomas, www.authorkari.com

Maggie Toussaint said...

I'm playing catchup today, but I wanted to swing by and leave a comment. Very nice blog post, Jude, and I especially enjoyed the first part which was a blurb about your life.

I've faced a similar challenge, that of removing local Southernisms from my books. Folks expect a y'all here or there but if you get too much deeper in the weeds of the culture it becomes overwhelming.

Keep up the good work, Jude.

Maggie
http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/