Happy Monday, TLN'ers!! Hope your weekend was awesome!
If you're pining for another day of respite, you can put the back-to-work blues aside! We've got the perfect pick-me-up to get your peepers primed . . .
Please help me welcome the magnificent MAGGIE TOUSSIANT!!
Maggie is here to chat about all things writerly and give us the scoop on her latest release MUDDY WATERS.
No need for coffee today, folks! Maggie will have you energized and ready to conquer the world--or that WIP gathering cyber-dust on your PC.
Hip-hip-YO and away we go!!
1)If you were a book, what would your blurb be?
Intrepid southern author Maggie Toussaint writes of love and murder. Her backstory of education, career, marriage, and childrearing fuels her sense of conflict, comedic timing, and happy endings. But dark days are ravaging Maggie-land. Her arch enemies Multi-tasking and Stuff Happens are threatening a drought of words. Will Maggie persevere and triumph? Or will Multi-tasking and Stuff Happens slay her muse?
2)Using three words, describe your voice.
I’ll go with words that reviewers have used: warm, witty, and engaging.
3)What has been the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome in your writing/career?
I have a tendency to say “yes” when people ask something. Can you judge another contest? Will do you do three critiques for this conference? Will you organize a writer’s retreat and present a writing topic all in three months time? Those are things I said yes to this year, in addition to everything else already on my plate.
Learning to say no is important. Sure, I CAN do those things, but they take time and energy from my writing or promotional activities. The biggest obstacle to gaining career momentum is me. I have to stay focused on holding my writing time as sacred. It’s very important to me to see progress toward manuscript completion. Some weeks I make more progress than others but regardless, I have a sense of moving forward.
4)What are your thoughts on Point of View? Do you have preference? Any tricks to share with the novice writers out there on crafting POV?
Point of View is the most glossed-over, most misunderstood craft element for beginning writers. Early on, I realized that keeping the POV limited to one character per scene was preferred by industry professionals. And because I glommed onto that truth right away, I tended to tune out other information about POV. Turns out, deep POV is essential for leap-off-the-page characters.
If you’re getting this comment in your rejection letters, “I didn’t fall in love with your characters,” you may not be using POV to full effect. When used correctly, POV ups the emotional connection between editor and character, and more importantly, reader and editor.
Your POV character should have something at risk in the scene. Use POV to show a character’s anxiety, angst, anger, sadness, etc. If you can tap into a universal experience, such as sadness at an untimely death or joy at a newborn baby, for instance, readers will be rooting for your character to succeed.
I write in both first person POV and third person POV. I prefer first person for my cozy mystery sleuths, while I rotate third person POV among hero, heroine, and villain in my romantic suspense novels.
5)With over five novels to your credit: What's your secret to staying focused and committed to finishing an MS?
Staying focused and committed! Seriously, writing at this stage of my career is very similar to what happens when you have a new baby. Everything doesn’t get done to pre-baby standards, but the important stuff must get done. My writing comes under the heading of important stuff.
Before I signed a contract, I had more time to write. Since then, I’ve worked several part-time jobs and become my own publicist. That translates into less free time available to write. Consequently, I lowered my word count goals for each week, but I log each writing session and hold myself accountable to the goals I set each week, goals which flex depending on my zany schedule.
6)What's up next for you? Any news you'd like to share?
I have mysteries contracted to release in 2011 (On the Nickel) and 2012 (Death, Island Style). I have another romantic suspense bopping around in my head, but I’m not sure when I’ll get to that one. Currently, I’m working on the third cozy in my Cleopatra Jones mystery series, which I hope to submit to my editor by the summer of 2011. I’ve got a science fiction project under consideration with a new agent, so my career may make another lateral move.
I’m also busy promoting my recent romantic suspense release, Muddy Waters, which is set in coastal Georgia. This blog is the final stop of a three-week blog tour and the start of my signings and appearances to market Muddy Waters.
Here’s the blurb for the story:
Is someone watching her?
Roxie Whitaker is struggling to make her grandmother’s real estate business a success. When her coastal home is burglarized, her rosy worldview dims. Atlanta security expert Sloan Harding distracts her from her troubles, but is Mossy Bog’s former bad boy serious about her?
Never one to shy away from muddy waters, Sloan is determined to find his alleged missing inheritance. Sparks fly as he enters into a business arrangement with Roxie to oversee the restoration of his childhood home. With her help, Sloan resurrects old secrets while a dangerous predator stalks them.
When passion meets danger, will love win the day?
- - -
Want More?
Here’s an excerpt early in the book where Sloan is fighting his attraction to Roxie:
“We’re almost there, Mac.” Sloan rubbed his dog’s head as he turned off the busy interstate to the access road that led to Mossy Bog. He’d been thinking of Roxie all week, reliving her passionate response to his kiss.
This week in Atlanta, he’d received pointed invitations from several women. He’d declined. That wasn’t like him. But he’d rather be here with Roxie than with another woman. Her eyes were such pools of mystery.
He parked his Jeep in front of Marshview Realty. Though it was only nine o’clock on a Saturday morning, Roxie sat in her cozy, old-fashioned office, an ear glued to the phone. She was a morning person. Something they had in common.
When he opened the Jeep’s door, his dog charged across him like he was hot on the trail of a drug lord. “Mac. Get back in here.”
Mac had another agenda. He sat at the door to Roxie’s office and barked repeatedly.
Sloan couldn’t blame his dog. The same tail-wagging joy coursed through him. In her dark slacks and a cream colored top, she glowed with vitality. Her brunette hair was pulled back in a sleek pony tail. She looked great. Just right, in fact. His pulse raced as she waved and walked across the carpet toward him.
The glass door opened, and Mac got the hug Sloan wanted. He tried not to feel jealous, but he wanted her arms around him, her smiling at him.
He frowned. He was spending his weekends in Mossy Bog to search for his missing inheritance. This thing with Roxie was supposed to be an adventure on the side.
Hug or handshake he wondered as she rose with a smile on her face.
- - -
MUDDY WATERS is available now! Buy links for Muddy Waters:
e-book: digital format at Wild Rose Press
trade paperback: Amazon Wild Rose Press
Maggie Toussaint
Author of romance and mystery
www.maggietoussaint.com
http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/
Yah-hoo! Hope you've got the pep back in your step and are ready to go forth and succeed! I know I sure enjoyed getting a hefty dose of much needed inspiration. I'd like to thank Maggie for her time and words of wisdom. Best wishes to her for tons of sales with MUDDY WATERS and a very long productive career!
THANK YOU, TLN'ers!! It's been a long two weeks battling this nasty cough. It will be so nice to have my normal voice back. Hollering at kids just isn't as effective when not all the words can be heard. LOL Have a great week and we'll see you back on Friday for another fabulous featured author! ((hugs!))
If you're pining for another day of respite, you can put the back-to-work blues aside! We've got the perfect pick-me-up to get your peepers primed . . .
Please help me welcome the magnificent MAGGIE TOUSSIANT!!
Maggie is here to chat about all things writerly and give us the scoop on her latest release MUDDY WATERS.
No need for coffee today, folks! Maggie will have you energized and ready to conquer the world--or that WIP gathering cyber-dust on your PC.
Hip-hip-YO and away we go!!
1)If you were a book, what would your blurb be?
Intrepid southern author Maggie Toussaint writes of love and murder. Her backstory of education, career, marriage, and childrearing fuels her sense of conflict, comedic timing, and happy endings. But dark days are ravaging Maggie-land. Her arch enemies Multi-tasking and Stuff Happens are threatening a drought of words. Will Maggie persevere and triumph? Or will Multi-tasking and Stuff Happens slay her muse?
2)Using three words, describe your voice.
I’ll go with words that reviewers have used: warm, witty, and engaging.
3)What has been the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome in your writing/career?
I have a tendency to say “yes” when people ask something. Can you judge another contest? Will do you do three critiques for this conference? Will you organize a writer’s retreat and present a writing topic all in three months time? Those are things I said yes to this year, in addition to everything else already on my plate.
Learning to say no is important. Sure, I CAN do those things, but they take time and energy from my writing or promotional activities. The biggest obstacle to gaining career momentum is me. I have to stay focused on holding my writing time as sacred. It’s very important to me to see progress toward manuscript completion. Some weeks I make more progress than others but regardless, I have a sense of moving forward.
4)What are your thoughts on Point of View? Do you have preference? Any tricks to share with the novice writers out there on crafting POV?
Point of View is the most glossed-over, most misunderstood craft element for beginning writers. Early on, I realized that keeping the POV limited to one character per scene was preferred by industry professionals. And because I glommed onto that truth right away, I tended to tune out other information about POV. Turns out, deep POV is essential for leap-off-the-page characters.
If you’re getting this comment in your rejection letters, “I didn’t fall in love with your characters,” you may not be using POV to full effect. When used correctly, POV ups the emotional connection between editor and character, and more importantly, reader and editor.
Your POV character should have something at risk in the scene. Use POV to show a character’s anxiety, angst, anger, sadness, etc. If you can tap into a universal experience, such as sadness at an untimely death or joy at a newborn baby, for instance, readers will be rooting for your character to succeed.
I write in both first person POV and third person POV. I prefer first person for my cozy mystery sleuths, while I rotate third person POV among hero, heroine, and villain in my romantic suspense novels.
5)With over five novels to your credit: What's your secret to staying focused and committed to finishing an MS?
Staying focused and committed! Seriously, writing at this stage of my career is very similar to what happens when you have a new baby. Everything doesn’t get done to pre-baby standards, but the important stuff must get done. My writing comes under the heading of important stuff.
Before I signed a contract, I had more time to write. Since then, I’ve worked several part-time jobs and become my own publicist. That translates into less free time available to write. Consequently, I lowered my word count goals for each week, but I log each writing session and hold myself accountable to the goals I set each week, goals which flex depending on my zany schedule.
6)What's up next for you? Any news you'd like to share?
I have mysteries contracted to release in 2011 (On the Nickel) and 2012 (Death, Island Style). I have another romantic suspense bopping around in my head, but I’m not sure when I’ll get to that one. Currently, I’m working on the third cozy in my Cleopatra Jones mystery series, which I hope to submit to my editor by the summer of 2011. I’ve got a science fiction project under consideration with a new agent, so my career may make another lateral move.
I’m also busy promoting my recent romantic suspense release, Muddy Waters, which is set in coastal Georgia. This blog is the final stop of a three-week blog tour and the start of my signings and appearances to market Muddy Waters.
Here’s the blurb for the story:
Is someone watching her?
Roxie Whitaker is struggling to make her grandmother’s real estate business a success. When her coastal home is burglarized, her rosy worldview dims. Atlanta security expert Sloan Harding distracts her from her troubles, but is Mossy Bog’s former bad boy serious about her?
Never one to shy away from muddy waters, Sloan is determined to find his alleged missing inheritance. Sparks fly as he enters into a business arrangement with Roxie to oversee the restoration of his childhood home. With her help, Sloan resurrects old secrets while a dangerous predator stalks them.
When passion meets danger, will love win the day?
- - -
Want More?
Here’s an excerpt early in the book where Sloan is fighting his attraction to Roxie:
“We’re almost there, Mac.” Sloan rubbed his dog’s head as he turned off the busy interstate to the access road that led to Mossy Bog. He’d been thinking of Roxie all week, reliving her passionate response to his kiss.
This week in Atlanta, he’d received pointed invitations from several women. He’d declined. That wasn’t like him. But he’d rather be here with Roxie than with another woman. Her eyes were such pools of mystery.
He parked his Jeep in front of Marshview Realty. Though it was only nine o’clock on a Saturday morning, Roxie sat in her cozy, old-fashioned office, an ear glued to the phone. She was a morning person. Something they had in common.
When he opened the Jeep’s door, his dog charged across him like he was hot on the trail of a drug lord. “Mac. Get back in here.”
Mac had another agenda. He sat at the door to Roxie’s office and barked repeatedly.
Sloan couldn’t blame his dog. The same tail-wagging joy coursed through him. In her dark slacks and a cream colored top, she glowed with vitality. Her brunette hair was pulled back in a sleek pony tail. She looked great. Just right, in fact. His pulse raced as she waved and walked across the carpet toward him.
The glass door opened, and Mac got the hug Sloan wanted. He tried not to feel jealous, but he wanted her arms around him, her smiling at him.
He frowned. He was spending his weekends in Mossy Bog to search for his missing inheritance. This thing with Roxie was supposed to be an adventure on the side.
Hug or handshake he wondered as she rose with a smile on her face.
- - -
MUDDY WATERS is available now! Buy links for Muddy Waters:
e-book: digital format at Wild Rose Press
trade paperback: Amazon Wild Rose Press
Maggie Toussaint
Author of romance and mystery
www.maggietoussaint.com
http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com/
Yah-hoo! Hope you've got the pep back in your step and are ready to go forth and succeed! I know I sure enjoyed getting a hefty dose of much needed inspiration. I'd like to thank Maggie for her time and words of wisdom. Best wishes to her for tons of sales with MUDDY WATERS and a very long productive career!
THANK YOU, TLN'ers!! It's been a long two weeks battling this nasty cough. It will be so nice to have my normal voice back. Hollering at kids just isn't as effective when not all the words can be heard. LOL Have a great week and we'll see you back on Friday for another fabulous featured author! ((hugs!))
