Angels Of The Fallen, The Watchers

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

How to Make Your Characters Believable By Dana Delamar


There are many theories and techniques for building great characters. I like to mix and match from various sources. Here are some of my favorites:
Archetypes: Many characters fall into or are a blend of common archetypes: the Bad Boy, the Warrior, the Seductress, the Waif. Studying these archetypes and their common characteristics can help you figure out who your character is, what sort of decisions they’ll make, and what role they’ll play in your story. A good resource for learning the archetypes is “The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes,” by Tami D. Cowden, Carolyn LaFever, and Sue Viders.
Zodiac signs: Another fun way of figuring out who your characters are is to read up on the various signs of the zodiac and figure out which one best reflects your character. Some great resources are “The Secret Language of Birthdays” and “The Secret Language of Relationships” by Gary Goldschnieder and Joost Elffers. Another popular book is “Sun Signs” by Linda Goodman.
If you’re writing romance, once you’ve chosen zodiac signs for your hero and heroine, you may have fun reading “Sextrology” and “Cosmic Coupling” by Stella Starsky and Quinn Cox. These books go in-depth into the sexuality of the various zodiac signs, and “Cosmic Coupling” gives detailed descriptions of how any two given signs will interact when it comes to sex and relationships.
 Research: Figure out what your character’s profession is, and then research it! What we do for a living heavily influences who we are and our worldview--and vice versa. Learn the details of how your character does their job. You won’t need to put all those details on the page (please don’t!) but giving your readers a sprinkling of the specialized jargon or procedures that your characters use will go a long way toward making them seem real.
If possible, try to meet with experts in your character’s field. For example, if your character is a cop, see if you can interview an officer or go on a ride-along. This will also give you a chance to make friends with an expert who may be willing to vet the details of your book (or answer questions) to make sure you got them right.
People you know: You know plenty of interesting people. Would any of them make great characters? Do they have fascinating or distinctive behaviors, mannerisms, beliefs, or speech patterns that you can give to a character?
Character interviews: Sit down and “interview” your character. What makes them tick? Why do they do the things they do? What matters to them? In a crisis, how will they react? What lengths will they go to if they feel threatened? What’s their favorite book, movie, ice cream flavor? How many times have they been in love--and with whom? And why?
There are a whole bunch of templates on the Internet that have reams of character questions that you can fill out. Aside from establishing your character’s age, height, build, hair color, eye color and other physical characteristics, these templates can help you dig into your characters and learn what’s going on with them.
Some places to start:
Character diamond: Another technique is to develop a character diamond. There are a couple different ways to do this:
o   The first method is to assign a character two primary characteristics, one quirky or unexpected characteristic, and another that masks their greatest fear or flaw. These form the four points of the diamond. You’re looking for characteristics that don’t change from moment to moment, but rather are stable. Think of traits, not moods. For example, your character’s primary two characteristics might be Loyal and Pessimistic. Their quirky characteristic might be High-Strung, and their mask characteristic might be Aloof (because they’re afraid to get close to anyone).
o   The second method is to focus on how the character’s traits influence the plot. With this method, the four points of the diamond would be: 1) the flaw that masks the character’s greatest fear, 2) the character’s biggest inner fear, 3) the character’s biggest need, and 4) the plan the character devises to achieve that need. This plan of course, doesn’t work as intended!
Some useful resources for developing your own character diamonds:
Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts (GMC): Understanding what motivates your characters will not only help you create believable characters, it will also help you create a believable plot. What are your character’s goals? Why does your character have these goals (motivation)? What is standing in your character’s way of achieving these goals (conflict)? How do your character’s GMCs intersect with the GMCs of other characters? Which characters will be allies, and which will be foes? A great resource for understanding how to apply GMCs to your characters is “GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict” by Debra Dixon.




Dana Delamar is the author of the "Blood and Honor" romantic suspense series, which is set in Italy among the Calabrian Mafia. An avid traveler who loves to learn about different peoples and cultures, Dana often sets her books in exotic locales. She grew up in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, and today makes Seattle her home. She's an omnivorous reader with overflowing bookshelves and a passionate love of "Supernatural," "Firefly," "True Blood," "Mad Men," and a zillion other TV shows. Where she finds the time to sleep is a mystery.




When she's not writing, Dana is zipping off to visit new locales, dreaming about her next trip to Italy, or narrowly avoiding car accidents while she conjures up exploits for her characters. You can visit her at http://www.danadelamar.com.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.danadelamar.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaDelamarWriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanaDelamar
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DanaDelamar
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/danadelamar/






















Sunday, February 22, 2015

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Getting Published By Dana Delamar

  A Funny Thing Happened 
on the Way to Getting Published

      Why Choosing Your Setting Is Important
My current series, Blood and Honor, is set in Italy among the Calabrian Mafia. Why did I choose that setting, and that Mafia group? It wasn’t a mere whim; the country and the group were both deliberate choices.
First off, I chose Italy because it’s one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve been there twice, and I can’t wait to go again. I love the culture, the people, the food, the language. I’ve always been fascinated by the ancient Romans and the Italian artists and thinkers of the Renaissance. These are the people who literally changed the world and forged so much of what it is today. And talk about one of the most beautiful places on earth! Where better to set a romance than in a place that practically screams it?
Most importantly, Italy is a place that speaks to me, that fires off dreams in me, yearnings, emotions. It’s a place that sparks my imagination. You could say it’s my favorite playground.
My choice of the Calabrian Mafia (the ’Ndrangheta) was likewise deliberate. Everyone has heard of Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia. With the release of the book and film, “Gomorrah,” many have heard of the Camorra, the Neopolitan Mafia. But few have heard of the ’Ndrangheta, despite their being the most powerful and widespread Mafia syndicate in the world today. They operate quite differently than the other Mafias, and they’ve been enormously successful while maintaining a very low profile. Even in Italy, not everyone is as aware of them as they should be. They’ve infiltrated every level of Italian society, and they’re making inroads throughout Europe, Canada, Australia, South America, and even parts of the United States. The economic instability of the last few years has only broadened their reach. You can see this too, in Mexico and South America, where drug cartels have taken over huge swaths of territory. We are rapidly entering a world where criminal syndicates are running the show… and where traditional governments are struggling to assert and maintain control.
When I started researching the ’Ndrangheta, I was fascinated by how they operated and how successful and adaptable they’ve been. Choosing a Mafia group that wasn’t well-known and didn’t work exactly like Cosa Nostra or other better-known groups gave me plenty of fertile ground to develop plots and characters. It also gave me a new world to introduce to my readers. 
At one point, when I was pitching this series to agents and editors, an editor from a Big 6 publisher was interested, but she asked if I could switch the setting and story to focus on the Chicago Mob. I had to decline. Changing the setting, in terms of country and syndicate, would dramatically and radically change the story. Italians, and members of the ’Ndrangheta, don’t think the same way American-born members of the Chicago Mob do. Another factor was that Kate, the American heroine of my first book, REVENGE, is isolated in Italy. Her family is thousands of miles away, and she soon realizes that the husband who swept her off her feet isn’t who she thought he was. She has no one she can trust, nowhere to turn. If she’d been in the United States, the hurdles she would have faced would have been much smaller, and she would have been far less likely to entrust her fate to the man she ends up choosing in REVENGE--a rival Mafia don.
Setting and story go hand in hand. One influences the other. The setting is the cauldron in which a story brews… and it’s integral to the magic that brings the story to life in readers’ minds.

Dana Delamar is the author of the "Blood and Honor" romantic suspense series, which is set in Italy among the Calabrian Mafia. An avid traveler who loves to learn about different peoples and cultures, Dana often sets her books in exotic locales. She grew up in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, and today makes Seattle her home. She's an omnivorous reader with overflowing bookshelves and a passionate love of "Supernatural," "Firefly," "True Blood," "Mad Men," and a zillion other TV shows. Where she finds the time to sleep is a mystery.


When she's not writing, Dana is zipping off to visit new locales, dreaming about her next trip to Italy, or narrowly avoiding car accidents while she conjures up exploits for her characters. You can visit her at http://www.danadelamar.com.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.danadelamar.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaDelamarWriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanaDelamar
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DanaDelamar
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/danadelamar/























Friday, February 20, 2015

What makes C. A. Tibbitts Tick?

First and foremost, it is a pleasure to have you here. 
So, can you tell us what makes C.A. Tibbitts tick?  What got you started on the path to becoming an author?
Growing up, English and Literature were my favorite subjects in school and college. After I got married (almost 18 years ago!), the internet and instant messaging were getting pretty popular. I created a "fan fic" writing group based on the first television version of La Femme Nikita (Peta Wilson version).  It is still active at present!
When I quit my last 'outside of home' job (a paralegal for a District Attorney), I decided to write a short story and publish it, just to see if anybody besides me would read it.  That short story is Shifted For Love, and it is the first book in my current series Pepper Valley Shifters!
This current book, Shifter Under Cover, uses my 'sweet spot' for writing, as it has a lot of elements I use in my writing group.  It is my favorite book I've written so far!

What are you currently working on?  Would you care to share a snippet?
Currently working on a short story for the next Mystical Box Set Babes anthology that will publish May 1, 2015.  Tentatively titled "Ghost Of A Chance", here is a small excerpt:

On her way to the front desk, she tried in vain to shift away the strand of hair that kept falling over her left eye.  A large shadow fell over the desk.  "Hello, and welcome to the…"  She finally looked up.  Oh, this day just keeps getting better and better!  Sarcasm, her dearest friend.
Grant Harrison flashed that hundred-watt grin at her, and though it had been almost fifteen years since she'd last saw him, her panties dampened and her nipples hardened to the point of cutting glass.
"Hi, Ness."
"What are you doing here?"  Harsh, maybe, but he was the one that left.  She often daydreamed about what might have been if her high school sweetheart, her first for everything, hadn't left to play football at the University of Oklahoma.  Never mind that he had begged her to come with him.  Missouri was her home, and she was content to live her life in the only home she'd ever known.
His smile faltered and a sadness crept into his features.  "Momma died last night."

Tell us a little more about yourself?
Born, raised, and still live in Oklahoma, USA.  Married almost 18 years now.  We have one parakeet, and were previously foster parents (with one failed adoption).  I used to be a travel agent, and also a paralegal.  My husband and I have traveled the USA extensively, with only a few remaining states left to visit.  I have also been to Canada, Mexico, and several Caribbean islands.  Our favorite place to go is Alaska, and we love to go on cruises!

Quickly, tell us about your upcoming releases?
Shifter Under Cover is my latest book.  I have numerous anthologies upcoming with Mystical Box Set Babes, and at least one more anthology with Full Moon Series in April.  And, of course, I will begin a new Pepper Valley Shifters very soon!

Do you have any specific inspiring incident that turned you out as an author?
Yes, a very by-chance happening!  I had been thinking on writing a book.  I attended a Facebook party in Summer 2014, and somehow (I don't remember entering for this!) won a guest hosting at this event for 1 hour!  Extremely nervous, I plotted out the entire hosting hour and used it to plot out names and the genre I would write!  I left it all to chance, using random.org to choose from the list of names - turned out to be Jace (which is the romantic lead of book 1), and specifically 'shifters' as the genre. Voila!  How's that for a strange beginning?!

Who designed your cover art? How did you choose the image?
My first two books were designed by Shaded Gems & Designs.  I provided her with pictures of the people I had in mind as my characters, and she did a fantastic job of finding images, etc. to make the covers.
With Shifter Under Cover , I wanted to go a different direction.  I found an image of a couple, but for various reasons, I decided not to use it.  So, I wound up designing the current cover myself.  I think it represents the danger and location well, and I love it!

Do you outline your work before you write?
No!  With my second book, Healing A Shifter, I did make an outline (or tried to).  I found that I just can't stick to it.  I write by the seat of my pants and go where the story takes me.

How do you like spending your leisure hours?
Reading, tv, social media, some cooking, swimming, traveling.

Which genre is far more appealing to you as a reader?
Paranormal is the first thing I look for, then cowboys. J

What inspires you to write? Is there any level of similarity with the events or characters in your book and real life?
I am visual, so I find pics to represent my characters, and I will watch quick interviews online or movies/shows.
No, the events or characters are made up - though I do tend to make stubborn and sarcastic females (which somewhat resemble me).

Which is your current read?
For my book blog (Romance Readers Book Blog), I am reading and reviewing The Sweet Taste Of Whiskey by Charlene M. Martin.  I will say it is something I would probably not have picked up on my own, but I am really enjoying it!  It never hurts to get out of your comfort zone and try something new!

What, in your opinion is the toughest part while carving your book?
I tend to struggle with the length the most.  I know where the story goes, and try to pace it appropriately, and sometimes wish I was as long-winded as some other authors.  My stories wind up novella length (35k-45k words). 

Share a word of advice with our readers and authors, if any?
Authors:  find a critique partner.  One that will tell it to you honestly without hurt feelings.  I have the MOST awesome one (You can't have her! Lol), that edits, and comments, and tells her favorite parts, and says when she hates certain parts. You NEED honesty, because readers/reviewers are going to sometimes be brutal!
Readers:  I, and other authors, BEG of you to leave reviews!  It is the most important way that a story gets noticed.  It does not have to be an essay, and certainly don't spoil the plot points - just honesty.

Share one of your favorites from your music band collection, if any?
I honestly don't listen to a lot of music now.  I can sing you almost every song from my childhood/teen years though.

If you’re a foodie, tell us about your favorite dish?
I could eat Mexican food any/all day!  Chinese, Italian…….okay, anything!

List any giveaways or surprises in near future?
I frequently run giveaways and rafflecopters on my Facebook page.  In fact, there is one associated with this blog tour!  Check it out!

Where can we find your books?
Currently, I am exclusively on Amazon.  I am slowly making headway for printed books as well.  Shifter Under Cover will be the first in print, and should be available during this blog tour!
The Mystical Box Set Babes anthologies are everywhere online!

We would love to reach out to you, please share your social media active platform.

Romance Readers Book Blog
https://twitter.com/RomanceRBB

Thank you so much for joining me here today. Good luck on all your future books. 

Where can we find your books?
Currently, I am exclusively on Amazon.  I am slowly making headway for printed books as well.  Shifter Under Cover will be the first in print, and should be available during this blog tour!
The Mystical Box Set Babes anthologies are everywhere online!

We would love to reach out to you, please share your social media active platform.

Romance Readers Book Blog




C.A. Tibbitts
Other 
Books!

Enter 
The 
Rafflecoptor



How to Find a Critique Buddy Dana Delamar

A critique partner, or critique group, is an essential part of taking your writing to a publishable level. Critique partners provide honest, constructive feedback on your work. They also help you develop your characters and your plot. They help you spot when either one has gone off the rails, and they help you get back on track.
Critique partners can also help you improve your writing chops, whether in terms of point of view, pacing, style, and so on. They’re essential sounding boards to any writer, and they can save you a bundle by helping you polish your work as much as possible prior to hiring a professional editor.
So how do you find this mythical person or group?
·         Take classes at your local college, local writers’ groups, or local writers’ conferences. The Internet will help you find many of these groups. Meetup.com is one place where you can find hundreds of writers’ groups in your area.
·         Try to find local writers who write in your genre. While feedback from any writer will probably be helpful, the best feedback is likely to come from someone writing in the same genre. For example, if you’re writing romance, another romance writer will understand that a Happily Ever After (HEA) ending is mandatory.
·         To find writers in your genre, you can look for writers’ organizations on the Internet. For romance, Romance Writers of America (RWA) is a key resource, with local chapters all around the United States. Other genres, such as science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, mysteries, and so on, also have writers’ organizations.
·         Once you’ve found your tribe, be sure to attend meetings and get to know your fellow writers. Make friends. At some point, you’ll find someone you click with, and that someone might be a good match for you in terms of a critique partner. Or they might know someone who is.
·         Preferably, your critique partner will be at a similar place and skill level in their career. If you choose someone who’s an experienced pro while you’re an unpublished newbie, the relationship may end up becoming more of a mentor/mentee kind of relationship, rather that one of equal partners. That may not be a bad thing, but such relationships can end up with an unbalanced power dynamic, or the mentor may feel that they are not getting as much out of the relationship as the mentee.
·         Preferably your critique partner will be writing in the same subgenre(s) as you and preferably you will both have similar preferences when it comes to the heat level of your stories. For example, if you’re writing erotic romance, you will want someone who’s very comfortable with sexuality to be giving you feedback.
·         Preferably your critique partner will have a complementary skill set to yours. Maybe one of you is great at developing characters, and the other has top-notch grammatical skills. You can take advantage of each other’s strengths and learn from each other.
·         Above all, your critique partner must be someone who is constructive, supportive, helpful, and not afraid to give and receive honest and candid feedback. Both of you must be open to other opinions, but at the same time not offended if the feedback doesn’t resonate with one or the other of you. And remember to point out what’s working great, as well what needs work. We all need a pat on the back sometimes… especially when we still haven’t got things quite right!
·         Trust is the key ingredient in the critique partner relationship. While you may be able to develop this with someone you know only online, it’s much easier to develop this kind of relationship with a local writer you can meet with on a frequent basis. Being able to read each other’s nonverbal cues and discuss sometimes sensitive or difficult issues face to face is vital to building the level of trust and support that makes a critique partnership so invaluable.
 Dana Delamar is the author of the "Blood and Honor" romantic suspense series, which is set in Italy among the Calabrian Mafia. An avid traveler who loves to learn about different peoples and cultures, Dana often sets her books in exotic locales. She grew up in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, and today makes Seattle her home. She's an omnivorous reader with overflowing bookshelves and a passionate love of "Supernatural," "Firefly," "True Blood," "Mad Men," and a zillion other TV shows. Where she finds the time to sleep is a mystery.

When she's not writing, Dana is zipping off to visit new locales, dreaming about her next trip to Italy, or narrowly avoiding car accidents while she conjures up exploits for her characters. You can visit her at http://www.danadelamar.com.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.danadelamar.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaDelamarWriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanaDelamar
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DanaDelamar
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/danadelamar/

Dana Delamar is the author of the "Blood and Honor" romantic suspense series, which is set in Italy among the Calabrian Mafia. An avid traveler who loves to learn about different peoples and cultures, Dana often sets her books in exotic locales. She grew up in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, and today makes Seattle her home. She's an omnivorous reader with overflowing bookshelves and a passionate love of "Supernatural," "Firefly," "True Blood," "Mad Men," and a zillion other TV shows. Where she finds the time to sleep is a mystery. When she's not writing, Dana is zipping off to visit new locales, dreaming about her next trip to Italy, or narrowly avoiding car accidents while she conjures up exploits for her characters. You can visit her at http://www.danadelamar.com. Author Links: Website: http://www.danadelamar.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaDelamarWriter Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanaDelamar Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DanaDelamar Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/danadelamar/














Wednesday, January 14, 2015

EROS Box Set

 HOT, HOT AUTHORS!! 

Check this one out! 

The Eros Box Set is available on preorder!

This box set has amazing sexy authors. 

I have an awesome story that's included in this fabulous box set! 

This story is about intergalactic love story, dragons, and other entities.  

Beyond My Dragon’s Love, Draco Celestial Realms By P.T. Macias

The dragon roars, fumes, and blazes! He's tired of the dragonettes' deceit. The restless Prince takes a leave from his duties and journeys to the Earth realm in search of his mate.

Young, beautiful orbit engineer is forced to seduce the prince to hand over to the royal bitch, unknowingly betraying her mate. Her life takes a turn and she commits treason beyond her dragon's love.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RPTXHJA

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Mystical Box Sets by Mystical Box Set Babes!

This box set has amazing authors that are 
writing great new 

mystical love stories for you!

Check them out!

Mystical Box Set Babes
P.T. Macias
C.A. Tibbitts
Darlene Kuncytes
Jami Brumfield
Bryce Evans
Julia Mills
E.L.R. Jones
K.K. Weakley
Margaret Taylor
Moira Keith
Shyla Colt
Tasha T. 
S. L. Bull
Marissa Storm
Diana Marie DuBois
Joann H. Buchanan
Billie Jo Hanlin


Mystical Xmas Box Set


Mystical New Love Box set!


Mystical Royal Love -Available Feb 2015 
This one is all about mystical royal love. 

Preorder link. 



Mystical Summer Love - Available on May 2015! 
Oh yeah, this is all about Summer Loving!



Mystical Hot Military Love - Available - July 2015 

These stories are all about the hot military love! 


Check out the amazing trailer that one of our amazing 
Mystical Babe, Julia Mills, created!

OMG, I love it!!




P. T. Macias on Amazon